Car Mats

My boys are completed obsessed with cars, trucks, airplanes, and trains.  I wanted to make them something that would be good to take with us somewhere to help keep them entertained.  

Here's my take on a car mat.

Firstly, I'm not quite a sew-er.  Before this, I've only made crayon rolls.  And this isn't quite a tutorial, since I winged it.  But, there are step by step photos to show you what I did.

Here's what I started with:

The fabric was Timeless Treasures Airport Bright with Multiple Choice Black purchased from UberStitch on Etsy.  Here are the details, how cute is that all the boys favorites are incorporated right into this fabric.

I convo'd UberStitch for a coordinating fabric suggestion.  She made a fantastic choice.  

Late night Saturday in our house, this is what my husband stayed up late watching while I set up shop on our coffee table

First step: add velcro to coordinating fabric for car/plane pockets.

Other side of Velcro goes on the pocket material.  I chose black felt.  I wasn't concerned with stretching since the Velcro would act as a stabilizer.

Sew on pocket.  Sew tunnels for individual cars.  I just laid the cars & planes down as a guide.

With right sides together, sew around 3 sides.

 Flip and press.

Fold and press a hem for your unfinished side.  Sew all 4 sides.  Don't forget your loop of elastic to hold your roll together.  I backstitched for added strength.

Here is the finished product on the back side.

Just add cars.

Fold in half, then roll!

Secure with elastic cord and you are ready for some fun on the go!!

Thanks for reading, please comment if you have any suggestions on posts, something you'd like to see, or any mistakes {even typos} that need to be corrected.

Happy Crafting.

End of Year Teacher Gifts

My boys recently celebrated their last day of their first year of preschool.  We wanted to do a little something for the staff, but needed to be budget friendly.  Additionally, this had to be quick since I waited until the very last day to throw it together.

Between the two boys, there are 2 teachers, 3 aides, 1 bus driver, and and aid for the driver. 

Here's what we came up with:

I was inspired by:

http://www.nothingbutcountry.com/

with their clever "Mint to Teach" gifts

along with "fortunate to be my teacher"

I was able to pick up vinyl paint cans and take out boxes at my local Michaels on the cheap.  I also grabbed a hand full of ribbon in fun, primary colors.  I then headed to Target for goodies.  I needed something mint for the teacher pails.  When I discovered the Wint-o-greens were sold out, I went with York Peppermint Patties.  For the take out boxes, I just used a general chocolate mix.  My boys helped me stuff all the containers.

To jazz up the boxes, I made a quick graphic in Photoshop {I use Elements} very similar as is available to download HERE.  The polka dot is a digital scrapbook paper freebie available HERE. My circles were about 4" in diameter, so I used my creative memories circle template system because I lack the skills to be a neat cutter.  I wanted to personalize the tops so at the end of the day we got all the credit we deserved for such cute packaging.  I simply made a smaller version of the circle as shown here.

Here they are, all together:

For less than $40 {including ribbon}, we have personalized, thoughful, edible gifts for seven special people that keep my kiddos safe and happy 4 days a week.

If you want to read more about my boys, visit our family blog here.

just sayin'

We're still here....

Source: printshop.urbanoutfitters.com via Beth on Pinterest

There IS more to come, promise.  Alright, I'll do it...{pulling the twin card}.  Between the two of us, two sets of 3 year olds, potty training, preschool, 2 full time jobs, 2 husbands, 2 houses, 2 lives, half marathon/5K training....yadda yadda yadda.  


I know, I don't even have sympathy for myself ;)  Just trying to drum up some motivation.  

Cowboy Birthday Party

I have been DYING to have a cowboy birthday party, as it was *almost* our theme for year 1.  At year 3, I got it, even though the theme did not coordinate with the location.  THIS BLOG is what sent me over the edge. So simple, so not unique, so un-toddler like.   I knew immediately that I was going to steal  be inspired by these ideas.

I scraplifted some invitations from etsy. Notice the vinyl

 "brands".  That's all me :)

Here's the jpg of the invite:

I downloaded a ton of western fonts from dafont and used Photoshop Elements to create this invitation.  

I made a banner.

Paper was bandanna print and denim with kraft paper circles.  All materials were purchased at Hobby Lobby.  I used my cricut to cut the letters, stars, and bronc rider.  To make the pennants, I simply used my paper trimmer with the paper held at an angle.  Each pennant was 6" wide by 9" tall.  The circles were cut with a creative memories set that I purchased off Craig's list a few years ago.  I will definitely be using that tool again.

I made the horsey cupcakes & cupcake toppers.

do you like how the icing is melting off the cupcake?  Funny what you don't notice when you're worried about a room of 3 year olds. 


Ready for the close up:

I made treat bags with trail mix.

Treat Bag Topper up close:

Cowboy(girl) hats were necessary (Purchased at Hobby Lobby).

I also bought plastic sheriff stars, which I failed to remember to pass out to all the buckaroos.  Then I thought about incorporating the sheriff stars as part of our thank you notes, which still have not be done.  (psst....if you're reading this and you came to our party, thank you)

If you'd like to read about the fun, visit my personal blog HERE.  


I'm no graphic artist, but I know what I like when I see it.  And I like customizations, which is why I am so pleased about this party.  I didn't go crazy, but felt like I did enough.  I'm happy to share any of my files and don't mind one bit to update with your info.  Email me and I'll get back to you!!!


Giddy Up!! Yippee Kai Yay!!

Birthday party - sorta Seuss style

When trying to come up with a theme for my twins 3rd birthday party last month, I went the easy route and chose a theme that jived with the decor of the party location (also something "easy" -- we went with a "Pump it Up" location).  The wonderful bright colors of a Dr. Seuss theme seemed perfect!

Now, most people with twins seem to gravitate toward the "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" idea, but I wanted something a little less obvious (especially since my twins aren't identical).  Teal, black and red filled the color pallet and while I had a very strong desire to go all nuts with meaningless decor items, I tried to keep my craftiness under control.

I REALLY wanted to use by brand new sewing machine (thank you in-laws!).  I scoured the internet on hunt for project ideas and landed on a "green", reusable tote as an idea for favor bags (my now 3yr olds LOVE bags -- any kind -- so I hoped these would be a hit for our little party guests).   I used the tutorial found HERE to craft bags out of Robert Kaufman Seuss fabric. 

We filled the bags with a copy of "One Fish, Two Fish" and some colorful goldfish crackers in a treat bag.

I know B&K love to play with their totes daily, so I hope the other guests enjoyed them, too!

I also felt they needed to stand out a bit.  So I took to making them special applique birthday shirts and crowns  (both of which I sewed mainly by hand . . . while I sort of mastered my "sewing in a somewhat straight line" skills with the bag project, circles and tight corners was a little out of my league at this point!). 

The tutorial for B's crown can be found here and the pattern for K's tiara can be found here. 

Felt Mini Crayon Roll Tutorial

My twins are in their first year of preschool and we just encountered our first "Valentine Exchange".  I know a lot of parents are trying to watch what their children eat and personally the last thing we need in our house is another bag of mini candy!  So I decided to put on my craft hat and make a mini crayon roll to give out with our personalized "color in" Valentine cards (we gave out these and these).   I had purchased a few boxes of crayons on wicked sale at the beginning of the school year, I grabbed some ribbon from my ever growing stash and I had a ton of felt left over from the Halloween costumes I made last fall.  So besides picking up a new spool of thread for my new sewing machine, the cost for this project was pretty minimal. 

Supply List

Felt (I used off the bolt felt)

Ribbon (cut into strips 10in long)

Thread

Scissors or a rotary cutter

Pinking Shears

Ruler

Marker or fabric marker

Crayons

I first started to cut my felt with scissors, then quickly discovered I suck at cutting straight lines.  So, ultimately, I broke down and bought a new small rotary cutter and mat.

For each roll I cut two squares of my main color (in this case, chocolate brown) 7in x 6in.  For the pocket color (red) I cut the square 8in x 6in.

{here is where I'll disclose that I was VERY generous with measuring out my felt squares.  I am a beginner with my new sewing machine, so things like "seam allowance" and sewing in a straight line aren't yet 2nd nature for me.  So I gave myself extra room for mistakes.  If you are an experienced sewer, you might want to go a little smaller.  My finished crayon roll measures 6in x 5in or so).

Fold the pocket piece in half, with the fold at the top.  I used a special ruler with slots for an inch, etc. to mark out my crayon pockets, but you could easily use a regular ruler (or straight edge) to mark out the pockets & lines.  I started the first one 1 1/4in in, then marked an inch for 3 pockets and the last pocket should have another 1 1/4in from the other side (see, here I go showing off my lack of sewing skills again.  Basically, I measured out where my outer seam would be, then marked for the inside pockets.  In total, there should be 5 pockets for crayons).  

Take a piece of your main color felt and line it up behind the pocket color.  Sew down your markings for the pockets.  I made sure to back-stitch at both the top & the bottom of each line.  I only stitched the four inside lines for the three inner pockets as the other pockets will be created when you sew your two main color pieces of felt together. 

Line up the second piece of main color (brown for mine) behind the piece you just sewed with the pockets.  Now you will sew all around the roll.  As you approach the right side, slip two of the cut ribbons in between the main color felt -- I placed it just as the red pocket color started.  I made sure to back stitch a few times over the ribbon spot as to make sure it is secure. 

Once you have sewn all around the mini roll, break out those pinking shears and cut around the edges.  {here is where I tried to make up for any unstraight lines!  Pinking shears are my new BFF!}  Be careful as you near the spot of the ribbon -- I had to cut into it from a couple of different angles to make sure I didn't accidentally snip up the ribbon.

Insert crayons and VOILA!  You now have a mini crayon roll - perfect to stash in backpacks or mama's purse.  Or hand out as party favors or Valentine's "treats". 



  This is a great beginner sewing project (it was only my 2nd time using my machine) and I was finished with 8 rolls in an evening (which explains the poor quality of pictures -- the lighting in my basement isn't the best and the only time I have to craft is after my kiddos are in bed). 

As I like to say, if I can master this project, ANYONE can!

Alphabet Print

One of our favorite blogs, Eighteen25, has a giveaway going on right now that sparked some interest from us.

In light of a New Year's Budget and some preferred customizations, we decided to give Alphabet Subway Art a go.

Here's our take:

We'll have this printed at a local photo finishing establishment, frame it in a 16" x 20" poster frame, and hang it above a fabulous new red retro kitchen for preschoolers.  

Note:  The B & K are the kids' initials, so they are intended to stand out.

I made this a .jpg available for download, check arrow below.

Teacher Appreciation

My twins started preschool this fall.  And thus we entered the {new to us} world of teacher appreciation.  Since I have been in a big winter crafting mood lately, I decided rather than giving the "typical" food or gift card holiday present to B&K's teachers, I would do something a bit more personal.

I'm a huge fan of this blog.  Like, addicted to it HUGE fan.  And a while back they had this great tutorial for a box of teacher goodies.    LOVED it!  So I set out to create something similar.  I entered the world of my blog partner, Jenn, and hung out in the scrapbook aisles at my local craft stores.  I found the boxes to be cheapest at JoAnn's.  I purchased the scrapbook paper (my minds eye), alphabet thickers and butterfly embellishments (martha stewart) at Michaels.  The goodies inside I picked up mostly at WalMart (which is a total shocker from me since I'm a self proclaimed Target girl.  But I digress).

I'm super pleased with how the gifts turned out.  And we've already received thank you cards from each teacher with major kudos for doing something so "different".  It was super simple and all three boxes were completed in under an hour.  Easy-peasy!

Memo Board

I seen this idea some time ago but am unable to find the reference.  But how's this for motivation:

Here's what I used:

Burlap, scrapbook paper, huge rick rack, some magnets, a plastic 16" x 20" poster frame.

The hardest part was deciding paper from the super cute pack I got at Michael's.  Then I had to decide what sections I wanted.  I wanted them to be less symmetrical, but I'm still happy how it turned out.  I used TO DO, BUY, REMEMBER and DATES.  I wish I had a section for MENU (for those times I forgot what i actually bought for the week!).

I'm really happy with the way it turned out, it's so FUNctional.  I use it everyday.  The paper, rick rack, and 4 different patterns make me happy.


I purchased 2 packs of magnets with the intention of handing on my refrigerator, but they did NOT work.  The 3M Command Strips saved me yet again!!

Yarn Wreath & Felt Flowers

I love yarn.  As a knitter, I'm addicted to buying various colors & types of yarn before I even really know what I'm going to make with it.  I stumbled upon THIS tutorial on making yarn wreaths and instantly knew what my next project would be.  {and I'm sad to admit that I am now addicted to making Yarn Wreaths}.  Now I have a few less skeins of yarn in my bin (and I've put some of the left-over felt from the costumes project to good use, too). 

Materials Used:

Wreath (I used one similar to this) - there are several sizes available.  I used the 18 in because I wanted to make a wreath for my front door

Yarn - depending on the type you use (medium vs. bulky) and the size of wreath you use, you may need more than 1 skein.  I used 1.5 skeins for my wreaths

Felt squares in various colors (the $.25 kind)

Scissors

A gazillion push pins (or you could use a glue gun)

Thimble (for use with push pins.  My nails took a beating after a while!)

How To:

I followed the tutorial from the Take Heart site and completed each wreath in a couple of hours.  I opted for the push pins (vs. the glue gun) because I felt it would keep the flowers on a bit sturdier. 

Here is my fall wreath:

Here is the one I made for my blog co-author Jenn:

For the holiday wreath I used a bit different technique for the flowers.  Instead of cutting roses I cut a gazillion circles and pinned them on similar to the tutorial here.

And my new holiday one (just put up last night):

Art / Craft / Reward Chart Display

Remember the Simple Reward Chart?  Well, we finally put it to work at the Murray household.  But--I need to put it up somewhere, I knew I wanted it in the playroom vs. bathroom since this was to be used for good behavior as well potty training.

I was inspired by Ana White's Clip Art Rails but wanted something a bit sturdier since my boys are climbing the walls these days.  I definitely wanted clips over hooks for future use.

My supplies were quick, easy, and cheap.  I went to Lowe's in search of a piece of scrap wood and stumbled across this piece of wood that did not require cutting and was priced under $2.  The clips, which I now know are called Alligator clips, I bought at Office Depot for $.61 for all 3.  Gorilla Glue and spray paint I already had on hand.   

Again, I failed to take photos during the process, but this is super simple.  I painted the wood.  Dirtied it up with some watered down brown paint.  Glued on clips (even though they're magnetic) with hot glue.  Huh--just noticed that I did not even need Gorilla Glue.  Whoops!

Here's the finished product. I used 3 clips even though I only ever intend to use two, but I think things look better in groups of 3. :)

I'm happy with the result.  Let me know what you think....

Layout 11.19.10

American Crafts Junior double sided cardstock
Coordinating Bazzill cardstock
Bazzill In Stitches
DMC Floss
Ink for Distressing
Scrap Ribbon
buttons

Quick & Easy Card

I made this quick and easy thank you card for two of my very dear friends.  I'm not much of a card maker, but I'd like to be.  We all have to start somewhere.


supplies and tools used:
kraft paper
Basic Grey Phoebe double sided cardstock
flower bling (not sure it's manufacturer)
thank you stamp from dollar bin at Michael's
2" Fiskars Scallop Punch
1 1/2" Fiskars Round Punch
Creative Memories Corner rounder
Tim Holtz Distress Ink - walnut stain
Cricut
Sure Cuts A Lot (for the bubble border)
Glue Glider Pro adhesive applicator
Xyron Create-a-Sticker