Peg Dolls

Meet the Candy Cane Club - Cookie, Cocoa, Cutie, Cupcake, and Barbara (she is the non-conformist of the bunch). These girls spend their days whipping up homemade hot chocolate, singing carols, and stringing popcorn garlands.

Peg dolls are such a sweet gift for little girls; creating imaginary lives for tiny characters is a daily activity in our home. My daughters have even resorted to using their fingers as people when we are running errands and they have forgotten their little girls.

If you are running low on inexpensive stocking stuffers, I highly suggest that you gather your Mod Podge (for decoupaging scrap fabric as dresses) and craft paint (peg dolls are available in the unfinished wood section of most craft stores), and start crafting a toy your child will play with well beyond December 26th.

Sock Monkey Mobile

My family is anxiously awaiting the arrival of a sweet little boy - a rarity for us (I'm one of 4 sisters - with only one brother - and thus far we have only produced female grandchildren for my parents). However, my sister is pregnant with her second child - a boy; we are very excited!

My future nephew's nursery has a sock monkey theme and based on the pictures that my sister has sent, it is turning out to be ADORABLE.

Using mini sock monkeys and Christmas ornaments (thinking outside the box!), my sister created this mobile.  

The base is a wire wreath form (like the bird mobile that I made a while ago), but I love that she covered the metal with decorative embellishments. I think I will be revisiting my mobile - wouldn't a feathery boa would be the perfect addition to a mobile filled with sparkly birds?

Imagine what fun this little boy will encounter everywhere he looks in his room!

Christmas Village

Fall, the season which normally incites such pleasure for me, has failed to inspire me this year. Apart from a few measly pine cones and mini pumpkins, I have done zero autumnal decorating - all of last year's adornments are still tucked in our attic. 

Christmas is a different story - I am eagerly awaiting the appropriate time to begin decorating for December 25th. The great thing about crafting, is that I can create a few Holiday items while I bide my time. 

I love this Christmas village from Pottery Barn Kids; but spending nearly $40 on a cardboard house is a little ridiculous.

Hobby Lobby to the rescue!

Yesterday I found this unfinished paper-mache house for just over $4 (after 30% off). I'm not sure if you can tell, but this is a nice size (over a foot tall), and has a removable roof. I plan on using the 12 windows as a countdown for Christmas - a shortened advent calendar if you will - and will tuck goodies for my girls inside the house.  

I can't wait to get started embellishing! 

I see glitter in my future.

Necklace Organizer

Accessories are great for modernizing a basic outfit. Storage can to be a problem, however. And I hate clutter. My tangled messes of necklaces were causing me to forget about certain pieces - I needed to find an attractive solution.

I decided to put my jewelry to work; why not make it serve double duty as art when its not being worn?

First, I found a cheap frame and removed the glass.

After measuring the opening of the frame, I (and by "I," I mean my husband) cut a piece of 1/4" smooth plywood.


Then, we fastened the wood into the frame, and painted it white (a nice backdrop for colorful jewelry). Another option would be to decoupage some decorative paper on it.

Small "s" hooks are the perfect size (and price) to use as the jewelry hangers (available at Lowes for $3-4/box). We pre-drilled, then screwed them in (and again, I use the term "we" loosely).

I spaced them evenly, but a haphazard approach would look just as nice. Also, I had considered buying a variety of decorative knobs, but went with these because of the great price.

Organized, inexpensive, and pretty to look at? Sounds like a successful project to me.

The only problem is that I didn’t get a big enough frame.

Yes - it fits all of my jewelry perfectly. But that means no empty spaces, and my husband will assume my collection is complete!

(I reached back into the archives for this post; I originally posted this over at Blissfully Domestic, but wanted to highlight it again for my readers!)

Flower Hair Clip

Each year around my girls' birthdays, I get their picture taken. I had found the perfect polka dot dress and chocolate brown mary janes for my 3 year-old's recent photo session, but needed to do something with her short hair. 

By putting one of my flower pins (without the pin, of course) with a hair clip, I had a winning combination.

I will disclose that she cries each time she is told to wear it, because it annoys her ear. 

I just tell her that beauty is pain, baby.

Embellishments Make a Good Thing Better

Fall is birthday season for us, and with my brother's recent engagement adding a new member to the family (a fantastic girl, by the way), we have yet another birthday to celebrate in October. As I was out browsing for gifts, I came across this chunky square photo album. 

Knowing that a college-age girl can't have too much storage for all of the memories she is creating, I decided that this was the perfect present; but, I also knew that it would need some extra attention before it would be gift worthy (remind you of my last post?). 

I added the bow, because lets face it, there is nothing more delectable than chocolate brown velvet, and then filled the slot with her initial backed by scrapbooking paper and lace. 

While piecing together scraps of paper and tying a bow isn't monumental, taking the time to personalize a gift does show the recipient that you care about giving a gift that is uniquely them (and might even look like something you would find in a trendy boutique!).

Portable Dollhouse Furniture

Mr. and Mrs. Podge were very happy to receive the furniture and appliances so that they could finally get settled into their home. They were happy to find pieces that coordinated so well in their uniquely styled home.

The ultimate testimony to this gift's "fun factor" is that my daughters have played with it for several hours each day since it was given, and are even sleeping with the little people. I think that its simplicity is what has kept them engaged.

My husband and I are still considering putting Do-It-Yourself kits up for sale (each wooden piece would be included - the people and furniture too - but it would be unfinished so that you could customize it yourself). If we decide to go forward with it (our main concern is whether we have the time to add another activity to our schedule!), you will be the first to know!

Also, Martha is having a blog contest - check it out!

Portable Dollhouse

There is a new family in the neighborhood! 

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Podge and their daughters Peg and Paige.

The little family's preppy pink and green abode is finally completed. Floors have been laid and wallpaper has been hung (i.e. EVERYTHING is covered in Mod Podge and scrapbooking paper). 

The Podges, themselves, have gone through quite a transformation. 

These little peg dolls remind me of the Fisher Price Little People that I played with as a child.

Heather Bailey's fabric line has been utilized yet again - this time as their wardrobe (and, of course, it was decoupaged on as well). Their faces were painted and then sealed with a coat of clear spray paint. 

As you can see, the girls are scoping out their new space. They love the bright color palette, while mom and dad appreciate the vaulted ceilings and oversized doorways. 

The novelty of sleeping on the floor and eating takeout has been quite an adventure for Peg and Paige, however, Mr. and Mrs. Podge are quite anxious for the delivery of appliances and furniture, which will really help this house to feel like a home.

I'll be sure to let you know when everything "arrives"!

A portable dollhouse

Several of you guessed correctly - my latest project is a doll house for my daughter's birthday...

Meet the new family that will be taking up residence - once their interior designer/contractor finally finishes their home!

I love the concept of an easy-to-store and portable toy; my daughter's room has limited space and this dollhouse will easily disassemble and slide onto her bookshelf when not in use. 

My husband cut a square, and then routed out the middle creating a base for the walls and 4 distinct rooms. I painted the sides and inset white, but I plan on decoupaging the other surfaces. 

Notice how attentively the family is surveying their new foundation. 

Two additional pieces were cut, which created the walls of the house - the notch in the middle of each board allows the pieces to slide together. 

Now that construction is complete, the family anxiously awaits the installation of flooring and wallpaper (i.e. decoupaged paper, of course). 

Not wanting to be outdone by the beautiful home that they are about to possess, this lovely family has hired a stylist to give them a makeover as well. After all, they must not detract from their home's beauty! Stay tuned for their dramatic transformations. 

Also, my next post will be my 100th post, and as is blog tradition, I plan on celebrating. 

With a giveaway. 

Check back soon for details!

Heather Bailey Pillows

I hope that you aren't getting sick of me talking about this fabric - because it won't be the last time. 

I have been busy procrastinating working on other projects instead of my daughter's quilt, but today I put together some pillow cases for a few pillows that will adorn the back of her day bed. 

These are large euro size pillows (26"x26" squares) and were very satisfying to make - they deliver such a burst of color into her room (now you know why I painted the top half of the room white - imagine how busy it would be against a bold color)! She loves to read on this spot, and I hope that this makes it an even more cozy retreat. 

To stretch my fabric, I used 100% cotton aqua colored sheets on the back of the case. I am not sure when I will finally complete my quilt top, but I plan to follow your advice and will stick with higher quality fabric for the quilt itself. I want it to stand the test of time. If I ever finish it, that is.

Glittery Bird Mobile

I cannot believe that a week has passed since my last post. I have been so busy being crafty that I haven't had time to talk about my craftiness. 

Remember when I said that Heather Bailey's latest fabric line tempted me to redecorate? I succumbed to that temptation in my daughter's room. Since I have been working on a quilt for her bed using the fabric, I decided that everything needed to be revamped. And the long weekend afforded me the perfect opportunity to paint our daughter's room. 

We wanted to simplify the tiny space, so we painted the area above the molding a nice crisp white (a perfect backdrop for bright accessories), and the lower half of the wall tutti frutti pink. 

After glittering a few more birds, I painted a metal wreath form white, and attached the birds with fishing wire. They look adorable as they "fly" above the bed. 

My final project is only half completed, and is a gift for my youngest daughter's upcoming 3rd birthday. I am very excited to show you the finished product. Any guesses of what it could be?

Glittery Birds

Don't you guys love the little birds that I picked up from Hobby Lobby? Aren't they adorable? I plan on decorating everything with them. 

Kidding. These things are hideous.

If you don't know me by now, you will never, never, never know me. No you won't.

But work with me - because together we can save the birds from hideousness (with the help of a lot of glitter). 

To begin, I applied glue - generously - all over the bird (even the eyes and beak). I really like the Martha Stewart glue from Michael's because it has an applicator, but any glue should work fine as long as you get it cover the entire surface. 

Then, I doused it with glitter; I have found that really fine, powdery glitter works the best (once again, I used Martha Stewart brand). Now that Wal-mart has been selling her craft supplies, I was able to get a good selection of my glitter there. 

The wires that originally come on the birds are perfect for wrapping around a hanger so that they can dry without getting bumped.

As you can see, even when completed, glitter continues to fall off. My final step will be to spray them with a clear sealant which will keep the glitter in place. 

My plan is to create a mobile for my daughter's room, inspired by this butterfly one from Pottery Barn Kids. I only need to glitter 87 more birds. Yay.

Thanks to my sister's craft idea (she made these last year as Christmas tree ornaments), we can begin saving the birds.

Freezer Paper Stenciling

Can't talk long.

Today is our first day of homeschooling.

My youngest is also battling a horrible stomach bug. 

But, I wanted to show you my latest project (thanks to Pink and Polka Dot for the inspiration!).

This project is so easy.

And fun. 

And addicting. (Check here for the tutorial.)

I now want to stencil everything.

Check back tomorrow for another reader dilemma - this time its a birthday party challenge!

"Cash system" wallet

My first "cash system" wallet turned out to be so useful that I wanted to make another for receipts. I was out of oilcloth, however,  so I used cotton - and it was a disaster. The fabric was flimsy and wouldn't slide under the edging. Then it began fraying... which led to an emotional unraveling on my part, and eventually being thrown in my random junk basket, where it sat until today. 

But, since deciding to re-tackle this project, I have added a new tool in my arsenal: Iron-on vinyl (have I mentioned that I love this stuff?).

The vinyl allowed me to use any fabric that I wanted and gave it the stability it needed (it also prevented the edges from fraying).  

Now that I have completed this challenge, I must move on. How long do you think it will be before I try the purse? I'm betting it won't make the cut this week...

How to embellish a baby wipe case

Just because I no longer have babies (unless a 35 month-old counts as a baby - I like to think so), does not mean that I no longer need baby wipes. Especially when we are out of the house. Messes at restaurants or in the car are all manageable with baby wipes on hand. So, when I saw that my sister-in-law had the most adorable case ever, I decided that I needed to make one for myself. 

All that I needed was fabric, coordinating ribbon and flower embellishment, a travel wipe case, hot glue, and double sided tape.

To begin, I traced around the case.

Then I cut it out, leaving a little extra fabric to extend down the sides of the case. Using double sided tape I adhered the fabric, making sure that it was tacked down everywhere.  

Once again, a scrapbooking brad has beautified my project even further. I simply stuck it through the center of the flower and pushed it through the fabric. 

To finish off the edges, I hot glued my coordinating ribbon down. This picture shows my original botched version - the problem was that I got a ribbon that was too wide, and it didn't work well on the corners. As you can see on the last picture, I revised my project with a narrower ribbon, making it was easier to adhere and prettier to look at. 

Oh, and in case you are unaware - hot glue can burn you. Which is perhaps part of the reason why I stashed this unfinished project away for a while; annoying ribbon I can deal with, blistering skin for the sake of cute baby wipes, I cannot. 

  

 

One project down, four more to go.