Jazzed Up Tote Bag

This tote bag was given to us and I thought it could use some jazzing up!!

This is scrap fabric from a cover I made for an infant car seat.

I hot glued the fabric to the tote and topped it off using a flower with a pebble in its middle. This once plain tote became a cute gift for a friend! Very Cost effective!

Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for He said, "I will never leave you nor foresake you."   Hebrews 13:5

Burp Cloths

These  burp cloths are "sew" simple! 

 A new cloth diaper transformed into a cute and inexpensive gift.

I enjoy making these for baby showers

~One can never have too many burp cloths!!!~

Some of the ribbon used was left over from previous projects and the rest was found on sale.

I unfolded the cloth and laid it flat. Then pinned  the ribbon onto the burp cloth where I thought looked good.  Next, sewed around all edges of the ribbon using a straight stitch on the sewing machine. This burp cloth is made using two ribbons. A wide ribbon on the bottom with a thinner ribbon sewn on top.

This animal ribbon is just adorable!!

I tried to use ribbon that was cute and yet boyish!  (This is a challenge for me since girly items are so cute and fun)

After uniformly folding the burp cloths, I bundled them together using a silky, mint green ribbon to make them more personal and "gifty".  This set was used as a gift for a friend's precious baby boy!!

THE PACKAGE: I used a brown paper bag and strategically cut down the length of the bag making several strips that are still attached. Then curled the strips using scissors ( just like is done for curling ribbon). I did this not knowing the outcome. It made a perfect nest for the bird card I made!

 

New Life for the Candle Jar Lid

I often felt guilty throwing away the lid to a candle jar.

As I was just about to chuck one in the trash I stopped to consider what it could become.  It can be reused in so many ways I probably won't throw one away again! The ideas below use one candle jar lid and a piece of tulle. The possibilities to dressing it up are endless! This is just what I had at the moment.

A piece of tulle tied around the bottom.

Makes a nice coaster for refreshing drinks.

Becomes a lovely stand for the candle itself or any candle for that matter!

When the lid is turned over it looks like a small bowl.

Great for holding rings while washing dishes.

What a cute little candy dish!!

No cost desk organizer.

Add a little water and a few flowers and you have pretty table decor.

Perfect sized dish for dipping sauce. (this note has not been approved by the FDA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the list could go on and on and ooooooooonnnn!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

 2 Corinthians 5:17

Dance Cover-ups

I made two dance cover-ups for "The Two Girls" as dance recital gifts.

I found two button down men shirts.

 

I attached zebra fur to the collar of the shirt. (this was scrap from another project)

Folded fur over collar and stitched.

Cut buttons off to save for another project.

I sewed part of a pink boa around the zebra collar and wide ribbon down both side of the front where the buttons were. (strong fabric glue can be used instead)

I used fabric markers to personalize with their names.

I sprayed fabric glitter all over shirt to make it sparkle.

I turned the sleeves up and applied fabric glue to attach bows .

Fabric glue was also used to attach a big flower.

The girls loved their cover-ups!!

Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.  Romans13:14

Bandanna Dress

Bandanna dress I made for my nieces 1st Birthday!

Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from Him.  Psalm 127:3

Follow instructions to make your own 

bandanna dress for little money and little time! 

This dress was made in the car on the way to dance. Sewn by hand it only took a couple of hours.

Just imagine how quickly it could be "whipped up" if sewn by machine!!

Place one bandanna on top of the other with right sides together.

Fold bandannas in half and cut a horseshoe shape into one corner. (This makes the arm hole) Then unfold. Next sew left sides together up to armhole and then the right sides up to the arm hole.

To make armhole facing  cut small notches in curve of armhole. Then turned over twice and stitched to avoid fraying. (bias tape could be used instead)

Fold the fabric at the top between the arm holes to make a casing. (I used the squares as a guide to fold on.)

The fabric only needs to be folded once since bandannas come hemmed!! After fabric is folded sew at bottom of fold to make a casing.

 Attach a safety pin to the end of a ribbon and feed it through the casing. Doesn't matter the size of ribbon. (I used wide.)

By now there should be two casings and each has a ribbon fed through. (I used two different ribbons because that's what I had on hand)

After feeding both ribbons through each casing turn dress inside out and tie the ribbons together to complete the neck hole.

• 

Wha~La!! Bandanna dress complete!! Unlike most dresses, this one doesn't need hemming.

 

 

 

BANDANNAS COME HEMMED!! :) 

What a time saver!!!

This is a hair bow on a headband I made a while back. It just happened to match!  (Instructions not included)

Blueberry Muffins with a Streusel Topping

This is a wonderful recipe that I modified from my Southern Living Cookbook. I like the streusel topping, it reminds me of my childhood. We ate coffee cake for breakfast on our many camping trips. I like pictures, so I included a bunch. I think every cookbook should be full of pictures so we know what the final product should . . .sorta, kinda, hopefully look like!

 TIME SAVING TIP

Make a double batch and stick what you won't eat in the freezer.

This will save time in the long run. 

You make the mess once, but can have twice as many muffins!

Muffins freeze, thaw, and reheat nicely.

Pack them frozen in a lunch box and they not only help keep the other food cool, 

but are usually thawed by they time you're ready to eat them.

Scrubby Pads

 There's no need to throw away the mesh bags that fruits and veggies come in. I must say I am very proud of my friend, Christy, for not throwing away her mesh bag. She didn't know why she was saving it, but knew it could be used for something.  So, when she asked me what that something was, I told her,"A scrubby pad for dishes!" It works wonderfully for removing stuck-on food from dishes.  My grandma has crocheted some that worked great! So, here's how I made one. . .

There were two plastic strips I cut off, then I turned the bag inside out. 




 
Next, I gave a loose twist just below the plastic tag. (plastic tag comes in handy when grime has almost become part of the pan)





 Then, I tucked it inside the bag and repeated the process of twisting and tucking.



  


Finally, I tucked and shaped the last little bit until it was the way I wanted it. (A few stitches could be used to help reinforce it from coming undone, but not necessary)

*Looks kinda like ground beef in the pic!! 

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

Mini Popsicles

If you don't know by now, then I must tell you, I don't see any reason to spend money on something when it's not necessary. I just think it's better to find a way that is more unique and cost effective, even in small ways.  Saving a little here and there can really add up in the long run!!

I almost spent $2.47 on freezy pops. You know, those colorful popsicles in the plastic tubes. If I remember correctly there were about 36 in a package.  I would have spent a whole .14 cents a piece.  Which in reality is not such a bad deal. However, I decided to go with the .20 cent kool-aid pouch instead. I have an ice cube tray especially made for ice that fits into water bottles. The tray works wonderfully for mini popsicles. I've used it several times to make pickle pops for my daughter. 

The tray holds 27 cubes/popsicles. I just pour kool-aid in the holes and drop in popscicle sticks. When they are completely frozen , I removed them from the tray and place them in a storage container and place them back in the freezer for easy access.  Wha-la! Mini popsicles!!  One pitcher of koolaid makes 3 batches of popsicles ~ making a grand total of 81 mini popsicles. One freezy pop equals about 2 mini popsicles. This is great with toddlers because it's just the right size.  They are also refreshing for all ages and you can have more than one and not feel guilty. We made 81 popsicles for .20 cents. (Not including the cup of sugar).

*Any liquid can be used to make these cute little popsicles.

   -Juice is a delicious and nutritious alternative.

   -Leftover pickle juice is sour, fun, and FREE!

*Popsicle sticks come in huge boxes and last a looooonnnggg time!

  -Washing and reusing sticks can cut cost.

Have a FUN and STICKY time!!

Your promises are sweet to me, sweeter than honey in my mouth!

                                                         Psalm 119:103

Learning with Snakes! Yes, SNAKES!

                                 REVIEW THE ALPHABET
                         Using the Hands-On/Visual Approach





If you are looking for a new approach to reviewing the alphabet, you've come to the right place!!!!  I really think most children learn better with the hands-on approach and lots of visuals.  I have also seen several emails within our homeschool group asking for suggestions on how to get little boys to pay attention and learn their letters.  This is the perfect solution.

1. Hunt down a little green garden snake.
2. Chop snake in half or thirds with the tip of a shovel.
3. Using gloves pick up a mid-section of the snake.
4. Hold snake in open palm of hand and watch it wriggle.
5. As snake takes new shape and forms letters, review the alphabet.
6. Alphabet review ends when snake stops moving.

(Snake will not form all letters, but it does form wonderful letters such as . .S,J,C,L,a,and sometimes q & g.)

HAPPY ALPHABETING!

*Notice -This has been tested and although it may work well for little boys, it may not have such 
                good  results on most girls! Keep the "Creepy Factor" in mind!

Nesting Boxes

I am so glad it stays lighter later and it's a good thing it doesn't stay light any later than it does. I have a hard time finding a stopping spot while working on a project. However, the dark does force me to stop. I have been working on some nesting boxes for the chickens we plan to get.  I am so excited!!  The best part is we invested zero dollars!! 

We had a tv cabinet that I transformed several years ago.  I basically chopped the top off and made it into a bench. Then I put casters on the bottom piece so it could be moved around easily.  We used the bottom piece for books and toys.  Because we gained an awesome record player/stereo from my grandparents, we needed space, so out went the toy cabinet. While eating lunch on the porch and staring at the cabinet, (on the porch because it could not be thrown away, as I knew it had potential to become something new) nesting boxes came to mind.  I was able to made six boxes and didn't buy anything for this project!!!

I am almost finished, just a few more screws. I woulda included a picture, but it was too dark. So you'll have to wait to see the final project. :(  Anyway, I have the before and if I can find the before, before when it was a tv cabinet, I will include that also. So, for now you can see the before and use your imagination to how it looks now.

Did I already say I'm excited?  Because I am very EXCITED!!!!