Craft Archives - Busy Moms Helper

Tutu Bow Holder

April 16, 2018 by Danielle 4 Comments

I now have TWO girls in my family, not including myself. And three boys (four if you count their dad, who’s a kid often as well!). Ya, there’s quite a bit of testosterone at our home. Now, I’m not a very girly person. Feminine, yes, but not much for the frilly, pink butterflies, multiple purses and closet full of shoes type. That being said, my girls do tend to be a bit more into things like hair bows, ribbons, sparkles and such, so I get to enjoy the fun frills and butterflies of motherhood, not just the Hot Wheels and airplanes. And, of course, adorable girly crafts like this Tutu Bow Holder! Originally published January 2014

Tutu Bow Holder Tutorial / Busy Mom's Helper

One of the ‘girly’ things I do like are cute little hair bows. Seriously, I was stocking up on all sorts of these before Black Widow even had enough hair to put a piggy in! Now that she’s 11, she isn’t as into bows as she once was. It’s often headbands (specifically Mavi Bandz). On occasion, though, she allows me to stick one of the cute clips in her hair. Plus, Songbird really loves her hair bows. One problem we have is, they’re often just stuffed in a drawer in their bathroom. Hard to get to, harder to sort through to find the right one.

That’s where this adorable Tutu Bow Holder comes in! I was intimidated at first, but then found that Trisha over at Momdot has the absolute BEST tutorial! I loved her very clear and precise instructions. So for the complete tutorial, go over to her tutorial.

Here’s some photos from the one I made Black Widow years ago…

She picked out all her own colors and supplies. It will fit along quite well with her room makeover that’s currently taking place (first room makeover/remodel in our new house – so excited!!!)

I’m so excited how this turned out!

Here’s the one we recently made for my little cousin’s birthday!

Don’t forget to go see Trisha over at Momdot to get the Tutorial!

90 Graduation Gift Ideas

April 9, 2018 by Danielle 4 Comments

I cannot BELIEVE it’s the end of the school year already. Seriously…WHERE HAS THIS YEAR GONE?! Luckily, none of my own kiddos are even close to graduation (ya, MANY years before that!), but I do have one of my fabulous sisters graduating high school and moving on to college life. CRAZY! I was frantic trying to get a good gift for her, and came across so many fabulous ideas! If you’re struggling to find something, check out this list of over 90 Graduation Gift Ideas! (post originally published May 2014)

Now, if you want to know what I DID finally decide to get my little sis, check out this Graduation Gift Bottle Set! I love how it turned out. And you can nab the Free Printables to make your own!

Now on to the FABULOUS ideas!

This DIY Chalkboard & Tassel Graduation Frame from My Sister’s Suitcase is so simple and cute! What a perfect way for your graduate to display their grad photo!

I love this oh-so-tasty Celebrate S’More Graduation gift with Free Printable Tags from Parties & Patterns.

What a great personalized gift – a letter block with photos and sayings from The Little Hobbit!

So maybe I’m a little biased because my high school colors were blue and yellow, but this display and Graduation Round-up over at Skip to my Lou is darling!

You all probably know that I’m a SUCKER for cute and FREE printables, so this 2014 Printable Graduation Money Card Holder from Thirty Handmade Days is definitely a keeper!

Okay, so I know this is technically a ‘birthday’ post from She’s Crafty…but what a FABULOUS idea for giving money in a fun way!

We had a blast with these Star Wars Graduation Bottle Set Prints!

Aren’t these Graduation Cap Toppers from Lil’ Luna adorable? LOVE THEM!

Especially nice for the root beer-loving graduation are these Awesome Graduate Free Printables from Leslie Miller.

Too many cute choices from these 15 Handmade Graduation Gifts over at I Heart Naptime!

If I were graduating, I would totally love one of these Crafty Ways to Give Money from Good Housekeeping.

Another clever-and-cute way to give money from Larcie Bird!

You just can’t go wrong with these 40 Fabulous Graduation Gift Ideas from How Does She?!

Yes, another one from Lil’ Luna, but she just has so many wonderful graduation ideas! Head over and learn How to Make Money Leis!

Maybe it’s because I’m in love with purple, and cupcakes….but these Graduation Cupcakes with Fondant Diploma Toppers from Framed Frosting are adorable! Almost too good to eat….ALMOST 😉

Want to give something ‘inspiring’ for your graduate? Check out this Graduation Gift to Inspire from Create it Go!

Good luck just choosing ONE idea from this fabulous list of 24 Graduation Crafts & Recipes from Family Corner.

Not only a perfect gift, but this Graduation Mason Jar Money Gift from Creative Capital B is a wonderful use of spare change!

‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go’! I love that book, and I LOVE this Free Graduation Gift Printable from my friend Claire over at A Little Claireification!

What graduate wouldn’t love some delicious cookies in a cute jar? And don’t forget to add the adorable Smart Cookie Free Printable from Crazy Little Projects!

Okay, just ONE MORE from Lil’ Luna, but I couldn’t resist these cute (and easy!) Money Cupcake Toppers!

Minecraft Birthday Party

February 16, 2018 by Danielle 2 Comments

My twins turned 5 this month. FIVE! Ya, I’m still in shock a bit. When we started talking about what type of birthday party they want, it was a definite MINECRAFT answer from both of them! No surprise there, of course. Although this was a few weeks ago, I’m finally getting around to sharing our Minecraft Birthday Party!

One thing that I was really excited about is that there’s SO MUCH you can do with a Minecraft party, from the food, to the decor, to the activities…really, it’s crazy how many possibilities you have to work with! I really like not going broke for a 5-year-old birthday party, though, so I kept it really budget friendly and as stress-free as possible.

Minecraft Invitations

I’m really a fan of making our own invitations because 1. usually I can get them cheaper and 2. they’re totally fun! I made sure to include some Creepers, Steve? and his pup, even an Enderman! There’s a spot at the top of the text area you can write who’s celebration it is, then all the spots for details!

Print off the invitation HERE, cut it out and tape/glue the blank sides together. Then just fold on the designated lines, fill in your details, and pass them out. Now get ready to Par-Tay!

Minecraft Decorations

We had a ton of fun creating the setting for our party! Our awesome backdrop was a huge hit with the kiddos, and was really simple to put up! All you do is get some square plates in 2-3 shades of green and some black. Lay them out on a table or the floor, creating your Creeper pattern.

Turn them over, being careful to keep them in the patter you’re wanting, and tape all along the plate backs. Across, down, and diagonal.

See how easy it picks up? Then just use little nails or something at the top corners and one in the middle to hold it onto your wall. Easy and fabulous!

On our tablescape we used these fun Minecraft paper/box sets to really make the place look like the game. They come in sheet patterns that you just pop out and fold together. Great activity idea! I also nabbed this Grass tablecloth, which worked perfect!

I hung balloons and put Creeper faces or Enderman faces on them in our kitchen area and at the front door. For the favor bags I just got simple green baggies and taped black construction paper Creeper faces on the front!

I found these awesome swords and pick-axe and the kids LOVED them! Perfect for the decor, then you can use them for a game of ‘fight the Creeper’, then the birthday kid can keep them afterwards. We HAD to get a diamond sword version along with the iron, since my family is kind of obsessed with this game and it just ‘topped it off’.

There’s also PLENTY of Minecraft items HERE you can check out, from glowing wall torches, to pins, to spinning Wither and more!

Like the fabulous torches? Get the Tutorial HERE

Minecraft Food

Seriously, you could go even more crazy here, too! Here’s some of the delicious snacks and drinks we served up…

Creeper Juice & Creeper cups (green cups with marker faces)
Gold Brick boxes (also good for favors) with Coal (chocolate)
Sticks (pretzels)

Water (blue jello)
Lava (red jello)
TNT (licorice bits)
Dirt & Grass (pudding with green frosting)

Bread (biscuits with pizza toppings)
Redstone (rice krispies with black/grey food coloring and red candy chunks)
Diamonds (rice krispies with black/grey food coloring an blue candy chunks)
Creeper Cake (with green/white/black fondant squares to make a face)

I got the fun Free printable food name place cards from Catch My Party.

Minecraft Games & Activities

Like I said, you could play ‘fight the Creeper’ with the foam swords, or go ‘digging’ through some boxes with the pick-axes. You could also create your own sword with this fun Free Printable Sword Stencil HERE.

There’s also a Creeper Pinata – Get the Tutorial HERE

My boys seriously LOVED their party, and everyone had a wonderful time. We were also able to keep most of the decor for the kids to enjoy for a long while yet!

Don’t miss out on more Minecraft Fun…

Ruffled Tree Skirt

December 7, 2017 by Danielle 6 Comments

Oh. My. Gosh – this skirt was a LOT of firsts for me, and can I just tell you I’m SO IN LOVE with it!!! I’ve always wanted a Ruffled Tree Skirt, and now I can make one anytime I want! Originally shared December 2013.

DIY Ruffled Tree Skirt / Busy Mom's Helper

It turned out better than I had hoped, and actually ended up being a lot simpler than I originally planned (once I stopped TRYING to do it the hard way)! If you couldn’t tell by now, I love Blue and Silver Christmas. Don’t know why, it’s just B-E-A-U-tiful to me. Love. It.

Now, this tutorial is based on how I did MY skirt – you may want different sizes, pattern, materials, etc. Change it based on what YOU want, but I can only write from my experience with the one I made. I wanted a big skirt, so my measurements are all based on 52″-ish skirt.

Supplies Needed

Sewing Machine/thread OR Hot Glue (lots of it)

Fabric – amounts will vary based on your pattern and TYPE of fabric (see Step 6)

Good Scissors

Fabric Pen (I used a normal pen)

Fabric Measuring Tape

Ruler or Yard Stick

Directions

#1: Take a base fabric (flannel, cotton, scrap – it won’t show). Mark your center and pin the measuring tape there, then tie a pen to the 26″ mark on your measuring tape. Carefully draw a circle evenly (as much as possible) 26″ from the center all around.

#2: Using your Ruler or Yard Stick, draw a line from the center all the way to the edge, doing 90 Degree angles all around. Mark a noticeable X in the middle of the circle.

#3: Now mark 3″ out from the X in the center, doing a large 3″ circle all around the center.

#4: From the X in the center again, do a circle 7″ out. Then 11″. Continue, adding 4″ every circle until you’re to the edge – your last row may not be 4″.

#5: On one of your lines from the center to the edge, cut straight in. This will be where your skirt opens. Now cut out that 3″ circle in the very middle – this is where it will be around your tree bottom.

#6: This is where it gets a bit tricky and ‘guessy’. How much fabric you use will depend ENTIRELY on your pattern and what TYPE of fabric. For example, the dark blue I used ruffled more than the silver, so I had to use more to go further. Here is what I used on my skirt, using the fabrics and pattern I did. Measurements are what I CUT them, so PRE-RUFFLING

Center Row: 1 – 6″ x 52″ strip of dark blue

2nd Row: 2 – 6″ x 52″ strips of silver

3rd Row: 4 – 6″ x 52″ strips of dark blue

4th Row: 5 – 6″ x 52″ strips of silver

5th Row: 6 – 6″ x 52″ strips of dark blue

6th Row: 5 – 6″ x 52″ strips of clear/sparkly silver

Cut your strips – keeping in mind you may need more/less, depending on how they ruffle.

I did allow a margin of error when I cut mine – and also keep in mind if you’re going to hem them. I just did a cross stitch.

Note: You do NOT have to use expensive fabrics. I just chose these fabrics for my own. You could do it just great with cotton, flannel, sheets….make the skirt how YOU want!

#7: I did a cross stitch around all of my strips. You could also hem them (keep enough room when cutting). Your choice.

#8: Now for the gathering. I used a Gathering Foot on my sewing machine – first time ever! LOVED it! You could also do a basting stitch. Another option is to just HOT GLUE the pieces to the large circle piece, gathering yourself as you glue it on. I didn’t do this, but it’s an option.

#9: Now you sew (or hot glue, if you choose) the pieces to your large circle base. START AT THE OUTSIDE!!! Pin a few pieces at a time (VERY difficult if you try to do a large row all at once), then sew (or glue) them on…..

……Continue until the row is complete, going clear to the other end. If it hangs over the last edge a bit, that’s perfectly fine.

#10: Continue with all of the other rows, working your way from the outside towards the inside.

If it hangs off too much, like more than 1/2-1″, trim it off.

#11: When you’ve done all of the rows, take the edges (the long line you cut earlier towards the center, where it will open and wrap around the tree) and hem them under.

And you’re done!

Note: I left the little gathering edge in the center, because I liked the look. You can always hem that, or wrap a ribbon/fabric piece around it, if you’d like.

Seriously, I absolutely LOVE my skirt – the colors, the ruffles, the size – it’s perfect (for me)! I also love how much EASIER it was than I originally thought – I should’ve made this years ago!

Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar

December 2, 2017 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Wow, this project is a bit late getting up today, but there’s a really good reason (I’ll explain at the end). Just goes to show that even us bloggers, who may appear to have it all together online, are as much a mess as anyone else…possibly more so! I’ve been really excited to share this tutorial on how to Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar, and hope you enjoy it!

Now, I ended up doing more than one, so please don’t be confused if the pictures show different fabrics. ALL the tutorial steps are done from the same stocking advent calendar, so it shouldn’t be hard to follow these simple steps. Our kids love it when we pull ours out at Christmas, especially because we do put treats in ours for each day. You can do small toys, notes with a special surprise or activity for them, or whatever you want that works for your family! The point is, it’s a really beautiful and fun holiday decoration, plus gives the kids a way to count down the days!

Supplies Needed

1/2 yard Main color fabric (I’ve used felt, fleece and a silky one, you choose) – in the pics it’s the blue or the red
1/2 yard Secondary color fabric for the pockets – in the pics it’s the silver or green
1/4 yard lining (I use just a plain white, cheap fabric)
1/4 yard Quilt batting or thin foam lining
Sewing machine, thread, scissors, pins, etc.
Ribbon for a hanging loop
Bell that fits into the little pockets
Ribbon/rope/cord to hang the bell
Ribbon for the trim along the top flap, if desired
If you don’t want to/can’t sew the numbers on, you can get iron-on numbers or use puffy paint (I don’t recommend the last option, but it’s up to you)

Cut out your fabric

Cut out your stocking shape…a total height of about 20″ and a width (toe to edge) of about 13″. This allows for the seams. What you will need of this shape: 2 Main Fabric, 1 batting/foam, 2 liners.
Cut out the top over-flap….it’s one piece, folded on the fat edge (toe side of the stocking). Total height about 4″ on the low side, about 6.5″ on the tall side. Total length of 26.5″. What you will need of this shape: 1 Main Fbric, 1 batting/foam, 1 liner.
Cut out your rows, about 11″ long and 2.5″ tall, this allows for seams.

The Pockets

Sew a little hem along the top and bottom of each row, as well as the ends.
Either sew on your numbers now (you’ll need 4 pockets on the top 4 rows, 5 on the bottom two rows….leave more room on the two sides to allow for seams and such. If you’re ironing or using puffy paint, you can wait until the end.
Sew each row onto the front Main fabric piece. JUST the bottom, since the top needs to stay open.
Then sew the edges up the side of the stocking, so they don’t fold over funny.
Going from the center, pin where you will sew DOWN the stocking, creating each little pocket. Keep in mind the edges will still be used in a seam, so allow room for that.

Put the Stocking together

To sew the front and back of the stocking together, put the layers ‘inside out’….so the two white liner pieces will be on the outside. The foam/batting goes between the FRONT main piece and one of the lining pieces, and the other main fabric goes on the back.
Pin and sew all the edges for a pretty seem (once it’s right-side out it’s pretty).
Making sure you keep the top OPEN (the stocking will actually be open at the top, so you can put things inside if you want) also hem the top edges around.
Sew together the top ‘flap’ pieces….main fabric, then batting/foam, then lining. Hem the top edges really nicely, then sew the two side ends together. So the pieces would stay together nicely, I quickly stitched along the bottom. If you’re going to add the trim to the flap edge, you’ll CAREFULLY fold the ribbon (so the middle edge) is sticking out between the main fabric and lining, then the edges sticking inside. It’s a bit tricky, but looks better. I don’t have photos of the trim, but will try to add some soon.
You’ll then sew the bottom of the flap piece to the top of the stocking, as shown in these photos… The stocking is inside out, then put together at the top like this. When you fold the flap over, it will look like this. And the inside will look like this.

Finishing touches

Take a loop of ribbon and just sew it inside the stocking, so it hangs near the top edge, as shown.
Also sew in one end of the rope/ribbon/cord for the bell. Attach the other end to the bell, making sure the entire thing can reach the bottom pockets on the stocking.
If you didn’t sew on the numbers, now you can iron them on, or use puffy paint.

THIS IS WHY I HAD ISSUES TODAY: I tried the puffy paint on this beautiful silver and blue Stocking Advent Calendar. It looked terrible….and we accidentally spilled some on one of the pockets so it smeared and looks AWFUL! I went to quickly remake that stocking, since I had enough fabric and such anyway….and my sewing machine decided to break. Until I can get that repaired, no ‘finished’ pics of the pretty silver/blue stocking 🙁

Having used various fabrics, I decided I prefer the felt/fleece best. It doesn’t slide around and wrinkle like the other shiny stuff. Go with what YOU prefer, though! We love our stocking, and can’t wait to get started on it in just over a week….so fun!

Mother’s Day Flower Photo Gift

March 23, 2017 by Danielle

I can’t believe it’s almost Mother’s Day – but I guess that happens with every holiday lately! Totally creeps up on me, then it’s gone in a blink. Luckily, this Mother’s Day Flower Photo Gift is adorable, fun and super simple to make! Plus, it’s the type of gift she’ll want to hold on to for a long time to come!

Mother's Day Flower Photo Gift / by BusyMomsHelper.com for ThirtyHandmadeDays.com

Originally shared on Thirty Handmade Days in April 2015.

Growing up, I thought that I had to go all-out for Mother’s Day, spending tons of money and loads of time creating something amazing. Guess what? It never meant as much as the simple things; things that held more memories or sentiment to them! Now that I’m a mom, I totally understand this! Now we focus on really special gifts that don’t take a ton of time or money….but that she’ll want to keep for a long while. This Mother’s Day Gift is perfect for that, so let’s get started!

Contains affiliate links that help keep this blog running. See our Disclosure.

Supplies

The free printable templates (found below)
Cupcake wrappers in color of choice (I use 5-8 per pic for layering/thickness)
Photo to cut for center
Tape (double-sided preferably)
Photo frame, if desired

Directions

Print out one of the Free Printable Templates by clicking these links: Tall Straight Stem in Pink or Blue. Sideways Stem in Pink or Blue. Each of these print 8×10 in size.
Use your tape (either double-sided, or fold over one-sided) to secure the first cupcake liner to the top of the flower stem.
Insert the rest of the liners one-by-one, using tape below to stick it to the bottom liners. I like to make sure the ridges don’t fit together perfectly, to add some fun dimension and texture to it.
Use the center circle of the liners to trace out your photo, then cut it out and tape to the center of the top liner.

That’s it! Now you have a beautiful Mother’s Day Photo Gift for her to display for all to see! A little tip – I found it easier to tape the liners on AFTER putting the print into a frame. If you want, you can put an initial or name in one of the corners to make even more personalized!

My kids had a lot of fun choosing their cupcake liner colors, so even THAT showed a bit of their personality in each framed print!

I know my mom is going to LOVE these special gifts from her grand-babies! Honestly, these would make a fun craft just for Spring, and a gift for anyone, really – gotta love flexibility, right?

Who would YOU give these special Flower Photo Gifts to?

Check out these other great posts that would be PERFECT for Mother’s Day!

Sweet Sunshine Sunflower – a little sweet with a lot of pretty!

Give her something EXTRA special with this Give Extra Gift Idea!

Make it super easy with this Mother’s Day Printable BUNDLE!

Heart Shaped Crayons for Valentine’s Day

February 5, 2017 by Danielle

If you’re a mom of littles, you know how important crayons are. And you also know that with crayons, come the crayon bits that are leftover. They get everywhere, am I right? Once the crayons aren’t brand new anymore, the kids just seem to leave them alone and want a shiny new box! Happens. Every. Time. Honestly, I hate wasting perfectly good crayons so I had to come up with a way to reuse them and I think the kids will love it! With a few simple supplies, you can make these fun Heart Shaped Crayons for Valentine’s Day.

Contains affiliate links that help keep this blog up, at no extra cost to you. See our Disclosure.

I can’t wait to surprise my kids with these. They are so fun and it also means I won’t find bits of crayon ground into the flooring or stuck in pockets at laundry time. It’s a win win! 😉

What You’ll Needed

Crayons
Silicone Heart Mold

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 F.
Take paper off of crayons.
Break into small pieces. (Unless you’re like me and have tiny crayon pieces everywhere. 😉 )
Put 2 different crayon colors in each mold or mix a few different colors. Be creative – there are no rules here!
Place mold on cookie sheet and place in oven for about 5 minutes. Watch carefully and take them out when crayons are melted.
Let them cool completely, then pop crayons out of your mold.
You’re ready to color!

I love this project so much, that I’m even thinking ahead to stocking stuffers and classroom gifts! Since you can use any mold you like, these heart shaped crayons for Valentine’s Day can become turkey shaped for Thanksgiving, or elf shaped for Christmas. If you try it, tag me on Instagram so I can see your work!

Trick or Treat Smell My Feet Halloween Gift

October 19, 2016 by Danielle

Woohoo, it’s time for another Craft Lightning post! I love joining in on this every month, being able to join with other amazing bloggers as we share crafts that take 15 minutes or less. With October drawing near (aaack!), we’re doing some fun Halloween crafts, like this Trick or Treat Smell My Feet Halloween Gift, with free printables, of course! Originally shared September 2014

Who else thinks this is just totally adorable? Plus it’s combining a cute gift package with a delicious treat….cookie mix in a jar! This was super quick to put together, and I can’t wait to hand them out to neighbors soon. As you can see, the recipe (and the wet ingredients for the person to add) are nicely included on the tag.

Printables you’ll need

Plus this tracing sheet for the witch shoes & legs

Supplies – per Halloween Gift

Printables listed above
Jar with lid
2 fun Fabric pieces
Ribbon of choice
Paper for legs & shoes of witch
Paper for tag
Scissors, Hot Glue Gun & Hot Glue, Tape, Glue Stick, Hole Punch
For cookie mix in jar: 3/4 cup Brown Sugar, 1/4 cup Sugar, small pack Instant Pudding Mix, 2 1/4 cup Flour, 1 tsp. Baking Soda, 1/2-1 cup Chocolate Chips (or Halloween M&Ms to make it extra fun)

Directions

Print out the tags and traceable sheet. Cut out the pieces. Use a glue stick to attach the tag parts to the front and back of some cute paper. Tape the witch shoes to the legs, then the legs to the jar.
Cut out your fabric pieces for over the lid. Hot glue onto the top of the lid. Fold over the edges and glue a ribbon around the edge of the lid. This will make the fabric ruffle like a skirt!
Put your ingredients for the cookies into the jar, then put the lid on top. Use a ribbon to attach the tag, and you’re good to go!

Don’t forget to check out the other fabulous Craft Lightning posts!

Spooktastic Halloween Treat Bag Round Up

October 17, 2016 by Danielle

I can’t believe Halloween is right around the corner! With all the crazy-ness of the past, well, YEAR, I’m so behind on everything. The last thing I want is to be super-stress and overloaded during the holidays! I better get a jump start on this holiday, though, with a little help from this Spooktastic Halloween Treat Bag Round Up! Originally shared September 2014

I love cute packaging, whether it’s a bag, mason jar, candy wrapper or even just a fun decorated cellophane bag! It just makes it all the more fun during the seasons, I think. Whether you’re doing a party, just passing out to close friends, or because your kiddos need a nifty craft to get them in the mood, here’s a fabulous Halloween Treat Bag Round Up to get your creativity flowing!

Bat Candy Bar Covers from Skip To My Lou

Bat Box on Parents.com

Treat Cone on HGTV.com

Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet Mason Jar Gift on Busy Mom’s Helper

Treat Bags Kids Will Love on Mud Pie Studio

I’ve Got My Eyes On You from Then She Made

Halloween Treat Bag from Scrapbook Paper on Ella Claire Inspired

DIY Halloween Treat Bag from Live. Laugh. Rowe.

Black Cat Treat Pouch on Parents.com

Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet by The Fickle Pickles

Pumpkin Poo from Eighteen 25

Bugs & Kisses from Moms By Heart

Easy Mummy Halloween Craft from Mom Outnumbered

Halloween Boo Mix Bag from Sandy Toes & Popsicles

Teachers Deserve Halloween, Too on by Stephanie Lynn

Owl Treats by The Barefoot Teacher

Free Printable Halloween Trick or Treat Bags from Party Planning Center

Pumpkin Gift Bags from Glued To My Crafts

Halloween Playdough Treat Bags from One Krieger Chick

10 Last Minute Trick-or-Treat Packaging Ideas from The Celebrations Shoppe

Halloween S’mores Teacher Gift from Yellow Bliss Road

Witch’s Brooms by Two Crafting Sisters

DIY Halloween Trick or Treat Bags from Lil Blue Boo

Spider Candy Holder from Spoonful

Candy Corn Favors from Country Living

Count’s Teeth from Katherine Marie Photography

Spooky Boo Bags from How Does She

DIY Travel Coloring Tote

July 26, 2016 by Danielle

I love traveling, like a lot! I do NOT, however, enjoy long road trips with my kids. I love my kids….very much…but being stuck in a van for hours upon hours is just not my cup of tea! With a 20+ hour road trip this summer (and that’s just one way!), I’ve spent the past few months searching for ideas to help pass the time and keep the kids happy (and us sane). One of the ideas I came across was this super cute DIY Travel Coloring Tote! (this post is reshared from 2014)

When we’re on a long drive, I hate finding color pencils and pages all over the van. Then the kids complain they’re bored, you don’t want to stop and pick them up, and it’s just a headache for everyone. Now they can each keep their coloring pages, stickers and colored pencils together in a simple tote kept right by their seat! Plus, this DIY Travel Coloring Tote is actually really simple to make (which is great, since I don’t like difficult or time-consuming projects)!

Notes: decide ahead of time the size you want your totes, since you’ll need to know the amount of fabric/cardboard you’ll need!

Supplies

Fabric of choice, for main tote (I had roughly a quarter yard and it was plenty)
Fabric of choice, for inside pocket areas (large pieces of scrap fabric is perfect for this). You’ll need a flat piece for the ‘hard coloring’ side, a flat piece for the opposite side, plus a third piece you’ll create the pocket/pencil holder in.
Poster board or cardboard, for creating your hard coloring surfaces and backing
Ribbon for handles
Stretchy ribbon (if desired) to hold coloring pages onto hard surface
Sewing machine, thread, etc.
Hot glue gun/sticks
Any decorations desired (flowers, etc.)

Directions

Get your main tote fabric and place your front and back (or just fold a larger piece on itself) pieces with the good side facing in/together. Sew the edges together EXCEPT for a gap big enough for your to turn it back rightside out. Nicely sew closed that opening once it’s back with the ‘pretty’ sides facing out. Glue your ribbon pieces to the tote bag (so the ends will be covered by your board pieces). If you have just scraps of fabric you want to use for your outside tote bag, arrange it to make a cool pattern (then people will think it was purposely planned that way!). That’s what I did for this one:
Take your piece of fabric that you’ll turn into your pencil/pages holder. Hem the top edge. Flip over and hem the bottom edge. MAKE SURE you fold it up to see that you’re hemming the correct direction. Fold the bottom up as high as you want the pencil holder part to be, leaving a little extra along the bottom. I did mine about 3-4 inches tall for coloring pencils. Sew the edge along the side so the bottom stays folded up. Then go about every 3/4 inch over and sew up JUST to the top of the folded over piece.
Place your pocket/holder piece on to one of your flat side fabric pieces, and line them up along the bottom. Sew the sides together (just to the top of the pocket piece, no need to go further). It’s not a big deal if the sides of your pocket piece stick out further than your main piece.
Cut your poster/cardboard so it’s just a bit smaller than your fabric pieces. (note: I put 3 poster board pieces together to make it more sturdy) Place your piece pretty side down and put the board piece on top, centered. Use a hot glue gun to glue the edges down over the board.
Glue your board pieces in the center of each side inside your tote bag. If you want to use stretchy ribbon on the flat side, you can glue the edges tight over the sides of the board piece before glueing it to the bag.
If you want to add any decoration, feel free! I put a fun little flower on Wonder Woman’s bag, but left the boys’ plain.

The kids LOVE their bags, and they’re perfect for our trip AND for other times I need them to sit still and be quiet….like church or even waiting for sister at her dance lessons! They’ve been a huge life-saver, and have held up really well…..woot woot!

Fabric Scrap Bookmarks

May 6, 2016 by Kathleen Clegg

Recently I was cleaning my craft room and was putting my fabric scraps in a basket, thinking I might be able to find something to do with them. I have a whole lot of fabric scraps, it’s crazy. For some reason I just don’t get rid of them. At about the same time, I bought some fun books for my grand-kids. I was thinking that I should get them all bookmarks and then I remembered all of those fabric scraps. I put it together and came up with these Fabric Scrap Bookmarks. I think I may have gone overboard a little bit, but I love to give books as gifts, so I think I’m set for awhile. What I really love about these is that you can customize them to match the receiver’s tastes so easily. Look at all the varieties I made with just my scraps!

These Fabric Scrap Bookmarks are so easy to make. First you cut your fabric. For each bookmark you will need 2 pieces of coordinating fabric measuring 2 1/2 inches wide by 7 inches long. For the Star Wars fabric, I made them a little wider to get the picture to completely show up.

Next, you want to cut one piece of HeatnBond from Therm o web (affiliate link) Fusible Interfacings slightly smaller than the size of your fabric. Be sure to use the extra firm variety.

Fuse the HeatnBond to one piece of your fabric with a very warm iron. To apply, ensure the rough shiny side of the interfacing is against the wrong side of the fabric, set the iron on top and then press for about 20 seconds. If you don’t get a good bond, repeat.

Lay your coordinating fabric on top, and line everything up. I just stacked the bookmarks until I was finished with all the interfacing. Look at my pile!

Next, you will sew, zig zag, all the way around the fabric. Stay very close to the edge so you are picking up the sides as well.

If you want to make the bookmarks a little fancier, add a little bit of lace or eyelet around the edge before you sew the bookmark. If you select this option, use a straight stitch or you will mess up your trim.

You will have to bunch up the trim in the corners to keep the corners neat. Pin them in place.

And there you have it. Super simple Fabric Scrap Bookmarks. A perfect addition the next time you give a book as a gift.

What do you with your fabric scraps? I still have a lot of them and I need some ideas. I think I’m all set on the bookmarks.

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Zero Cost Headband

April 12, 2016 by Lynn Driver

What’s better than free? Free, easy, and adorable! This ZERO COST Headband for your little one is all three.

I’m Lynn, and I’m a busy mom just like you. And I’m on a budget. So…I like to save time and money. I love little projects like this headband that are quick and inexpensive, but still give me the cute look I’m after for my kiddos or my home. I have fun sharing those ideas here and at Riggstown Road!

Now that winter is winding down, you might just be cleaning out your closets and drawers, weeding out those winter necessities and making room for spring wardrobes. You probably have some winter tights or stockings that your little girl wore for the winter that she won’t be able to wear next year, or even some of your own that you are no longer using. Instead of trashing them, turn ’em into some adorable headbands for your little ones.

All you need are a pair of clean, stretchy tights or stockings, whatever embellishments you happen to have on hand, some scissors, and your handy-dandy hot glue gun. I had these cute flowers in my craft stash, saved from a gorgeously-wrapped gift someone gave us. (They were part of the wrapping.)

MATERIALS:

stockings
scissors
embellishment
hot glue gun & glue

DIRECTIONS:

Cut one leg off the stockings.
Cut the leg open.
Cut the open leg of the stocking in half, then in half again.
Take one of the four pieces, and roll it.
Measure according to your child’s head, and trim some off if necessary.
Form a circle, and insert one end of the roll into the other end, like in the pic above.
Secure with hot glue on the inside, inconspicuously.
Add your flowers or other embellishments with hot glue.

Just let the glue dry and you’re done!

All you need now is a sweet little model like this one. 😉

Be sure to check out these other money-saving tips and freebies!

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