Like mother, like Daughter

Earlier this week I decided I'm taking a week off from summer kids' activities because I need to sew!

My 10 year old came in and watched me work a while on Monday afternoon (I'll post my project when I'm done with them all) and then asked if she could have my scraps. She always wants them...little pack rat...but never makes anything from them.

Later that evening, she asked if I could help sew up the opening and get the ears on tighter because her stitches didn't work and she needed help. I'm not sure what I expected to see, but it wasn't an almost completed project!I had no idea she'd even been sewing? She had even used my sewing machine...need to teach clean up post-project next!

 I showed her how to finish it (and my part looks worse than hers! - my excuse is the terry cloth didn't give me much room for a blind stitch so the nose is crooked.)

I asked her how she did it and she said she found a pattern online and followed the instructions (using things from the allowed scraps baskets). I thought, By yourself!?!? I was so surprised. I guess when you want to create, you figure it out!

Here's where she found the pattern and instructions:

Little Mouse Pattern

(I don't think it's meant to be made from terrycloth, but it worked just fine.)

She calls him Pipsqueak.

Holster for PVC sword

I found this post drafted from earlier this year...probably late summer and I never posted it because I didn't have a picture of it in use...I'll add that later (maybe), but a pattern could be helpful to someone for Halloween so I'll get this posted in case someone wants to use it.

I wanted to make holsters for the PVC swords our cub scouts made a camp. But I couldn't go about my usual craftiness because THEY had to make them (I could prep them a lot) and there was no way a sewing machine was going out to scout camp...and we'd have NEVER finished! :)

So, this is what I came up with...

[picture of finished product to be added later!] :)

Pattern looks like this:  (click for a link to a 4 page pdf scaled to size)

For the fabric, I used vinyl (looked like leather enough) on the clearance table.

Cut it out... (just one - I was making a bunch)

Be sure to fold it and think about which way it needs to go for left handed vs. right handed.

If you have this kind of tool, it makes the hole punching much easier, but you could use a knife or something else more dangerous. :)

On the pattern, I have an extra set of holes I didn't like, so I X-ed it out. You don't have to follow the hole placement at all if you don't want, it's just to be helpful.

Then just start threading.

I used a suede cording. I used about 1 yard of cord for each holster.

Star by going through the bottom two holes 

(1 layer at a time is easiest)

Then, cross over to the next up diagonally up.

It's easiest to start with the cord nearest the edge and go to the hole farthest from the edge (doing both layers), then do the farther cording to the nearer-to-edge hole.

(That way you're not in your own way.)

This is what it looks like on the opposite side.

It was a really easy (and inexpensive) project. And of the 3 groups, only 1 had trouble, and it was not the youngest (8 year olds). One of my 6 year olds, the more crafty one made one for her PVC sword with ease. My other 6 year old, the less coordinated one (many talents, but not motor-skill-heavy talents!), had a few meltdowns, so her twin finished it for her later as a surprise.

For the top, I just had two slits cut to thread a rope through (we were going no-sew and medieval themed). You could use an old belt, a piece of fabric, a scarf, or whatever else will wrap around your waist with room left to tie and fit through slits (about 1 1/2" in size).

2013 - Valentines - Hang Around - Clothespin

Another year of "what can I do that's cheap for valentines but that's something they can have?"...and doesn't involve candy (per our district's "no candy" policy)....I'm posting early this week in case you need a valentine project to throw together before Thursday!

 I've got 5 kids, that's 20+16+18+19+3 = 76 valentines to buy or make! and I don't like to give just a little card from some pre-made pack of character valentines from the store. (I know, I complicate my own life.) :)

Found an idea for various clothespin crafts, so I took a spun on those for our own valentine. 

Here it is all wrapped up:

We painted clothespins (right now they have a 36 pack at the dollar tree - most of mine came from a 100 pack from walmart for some low cost). And let them dry overnight.

For my 3 year old's preschool group (there are only 4 kids, including her), I printed out little hearts with the other kids' names on them - onto pink cardstock. When the "big kids" get home from school today I'll probably have them handwrite names into the hearts.

To "laminate" them, fold a piece of clear packaging tape over the heart and then trim around (leaving about 1/8" border of clear tape to protect the heart). I glued them on with hot glue (that part I will do for all the kids...except my 8 year old daughter who will probably insist she can do it without getting burned)...

Add a magnet piece on the back (this one's cut a little big) - it doesn't take much.

(and I have a big roll since the dollar packs of magnetic adhesive strips were out of stock)...

more projects for later. :)

Ta-da! A cute valentine that the kids can use to "hang" artwork onto any magnetic surface - like the fridge.

Cost to me:

2 pkgs bags: $2

clothespins: $1

 (I only needed about 20 more - so 1 dollar tree pack...I had about 50-something in my craft drawers leftover, but this would have been about $2.50-$3 for the 100 pack from walmart...I think?)

paint: 79 cents

cardstock: in stash (free)

I already have lots of this - (but you can get a pack of 50 sheets for a couple dollars)

packaging tape: in stash (free)

again, we already have several rolls of this (last time we needed it, I could only find the multi-roll packs)

magnetic tape: $3.50 - which I'll probably use only a 1/5 of - the roll is huge and wide

(so 70 cents for this project, we'll say)

paper/ink: got it (free)

So total I spent this year, right now: less than $5 for 76 valentines that are cute.

(Yeah, I know - I'm kind of cheating on the cost - counting "free" stuff I have that was bought/paid for in the past, but counting only the portion I am using for things I had to buy a whole pack of right now...still less than $8 if I "charge the entire roll of magnetic tape to this account" :) and yes, it would have cost even more had I had none of these...but then I'd have done a different project.) :)

I just found a heart online so I didn't have to draw one over and over and I put it on a page a bunch of times to print out...for your convenience, you can use the one I put together:

jpg file:

or pdf:

Page of Hearts

for the message I typed up and "fonted" cute...you can print 4 to a page, 6 to a page, or 9 to a page, depending on the size you want the message to be. (I like the 9/page best - for space and for size):

2x2

2x3

3x3

or the word docx in case you want to edit it like you like it:
Message - word doc