Wardrobe Storage

So get ready or some pretty dramatic photos! When I get an idea in my head it has done be done rightthisveryminute. So when I saw some reduced wicker baskets in Asda (I think it's Walmart in the US?) for £5 I knew where I'd love them. 

In my wardrobe!

The camera batteries had died so I grabbed my husband's mobile for these photos. Never mind, more dramatic before photos! But now I'm looking at this I'm thinking it actually looks better than normal, usually there are more shoes and clothes on the floor. Anyone else have the same problem?

So I cleared the kids' stuff back into their rooms, moved their table (to in front of my husband to fix) and separated our shoes into the baskets. But then I noticed the big carrier bag of my husband's belts that was supposed to be temporary...so I went and got another basket, I just so happened to be back in Asda the next day :)

But I still wasn't totally happy. Do you know what's coming next?

Labels of course!

I cannot explain why these make me SO happy! I keep going into my room just to look at the prettiness.

And if I had some storage somewhere else for this:

I would totally have it like this...

So I could see all the tags at the same time. Which are just rectangles of card with alphabet stickers and a hole punched in and then tied on with twine.

So when I mentioned to my husband that maybe he could thin out his belt collection, because he may have too many, he said "but then what would you fill your basket with?".

Ah, husband. I would store you in a wicker basket if I could. 

Everything's prettier in a basket.

My Favourites

So everyone's doing it, so I thought I'd put together a post with my favourite posts of 2011, which is also ever, as I only started this blog in January!

Making a reading nook in my daughter's room has made a big difference in our home, I love to have a place to read and snuggle, but it also makes me really proud as it was my first 'building' project and wasn't a copy of someone else's idea!

This has been by far my most popular project and keeps being Pinned, so has always been in my top five most viewed. I'm itching to make another one with a hidden quote!

These map coasters were really popular at Christmas and were free! Even though I made three sets!

This toy box with seating is still holing up well and I think that it was my first attempt with spray paint. It still makes me smile!

These bean bags were made back in July and I managed to hold off till Christmas to give them to the kids and they loved them. They were so simple and were great for using up scraps!

I wish I had a better picture of this, but it didn't last long! It's a cookie dough fudge cake and was SO yummy!

This is a recent one but I love it, and so does Izzy.

 

It's so hard to make gifts for men, but I quite like "the man bag". And as a bonus I know I can now make it without having to hot glue ribbon to the inside to hide a raw edge!

This art caddy was a simple one but is used all the time in our house! And I'm still pleased with my bargin hunting skills!

And lastly the experiences advent. Izzy got really into it (Ethan was only interested in the chocolate one! But he's only 1 so I didn't expect anything else!)

Hope you've enjoyed, I've loved looking at everyone else's. Hope 2011 was a good year for you too!

Jumper to Cardi refashion

Just a quickie!

If you follow me on Facebook you'll know I'm bust enjoying my family at the moment (except from when the sugar rush wears off!). So I'm just posting a quick refashion of a jumper that I did (and have since done two more!)

So, I had this jumper. 

(And yes, I did just turn the jumper over, I had already cut up the middle, I really didn't think this would turn out okay!)

Wore it lots before getting married (and having two babies).But since then it has only drawn attention to the areas I'd rather avoid!

So I cut it down the middle and added some bias tape.

NOTE: This was my first time using bias tape, don't use it like this, fold it over the long edge and sew very close to the edge. Like on this next photo. Though I must warn you that I am the worst poser!

And I may have some nice dribble on my arm courtesy of my little boy. I had just strapped him into the car and was on my way to church, glamorous I know! 

And and even more awkward one?

I know, I know amazing placement of the wire and I totally need to look at a future in modelling.

I  think maybe posting these photos prove how much I'm loving the transformation, and want to share it with you! 

It just makes it so much more wearable, and I love to layer! And it does come together closer at the front, I just had it open more to wear with the belt. I use a flower clip to pin it together in the middle as I've not yet conquered button holes.

Baby steps.

Hope you're all enjoying the sugar rush(es) too! :)

Soft Owl (Sqoot) for kids

Those of you who have been reading a while may remember Squog. He's a soft toy square dog I made for my niece. 

Well when my friend (who is a proper sewer) saw it she asked if she could steal the idea to make one of her own. Of course I didn't mind, as I'd seen the idea before on he internet anyway and I was honestly quite flattered!


So I decided to steal her version of my knock off of someone else's idea...


AKA how to get rid of fabric and ribbon scraps. Plus a really quick project to do for a last minute gift. I made one this afternoon for Ethan with Izzy's help and it took me about an hour. But could be quicker if you were uninterrupted.

Clearly I need to do this project!

Cut four squares the same size, and two that are 2cm longer, the pieces you want to be the side pieces where you'll have the 'wings'. Cut about two thirds of the way up on both.

Pin your ribbons into place on both pieces.

Bit of a tangent; I wanted mine to be the same on both sides so did them the same for each piece. But you need to do one the mirror image of the other so they'll look the same when sewn together. NOT like I did here. Though I think it still looks nice this way.

Back to the tutorial.

Sew in place and backstitch too. Just to make sure those ribbons aren't going anywhere.

They will both look something like this.

Applique the face on the front piece with a backstitch.

Then lay the 'face' square on top of a wing square right sides together and sew.

Lay the other wing square right sides together on top of the 'face' square and sew.

Do the same for the back piece.

Place the top square on top of the far left piece and sew.

And do the same with the bottom piece.

You now have your net (high school maths anyone? This is about as far as I got!)


Now you're going to start sewing it into a cube inside out. Now at this point would have been the right time to pin in your ribbons for the ears and feet, but I forgot till I got to the feet. But they should look like this:

Obviously I had to unpick the top and then sew in the ears!

Place the right side of the top piece onto the top of your face piece, hold in place and sew.

Then do the same for all the sides around the top piece.

And the same for the around the bottom piece. Except for the last side where you should leave a couple of inches open, back stitching around the opening.


Clip the corners and turn right side out pushing out the corners with a blunt pencil or crochet hook. Whatever you have lying around.


Stuff, whipstitch the opening closed and you're done!

And the lion version for Ethan?

So cute together too!

Perfect for a baby, which was the intention for the owl, but Izzy saw her and was smitten! So apparently great for three-year-olds too! You could also add a bell, which I tried to but hadn't made my hole big enough and was short on time!

Anyone else panicking and making/buying more presents when they thought they were done? Just me? Crazy I know! 


Plus it is my husband's birthday today! And my sister's tomorrow! I did cave and buy in his cake this year, which I am sure I should not feel bad for!

Make your own crackers from scratch

So, you may know by now I'm cheap.


Far too cheap to spend more than £20 on crackers that are full of things no one wants. (There's 14 of us at my parents for Christmas dinner)


Even too cheap to buy the 'make it yourself' kits.


So I played around a bit and figured out how to make my own using thickish paper, sellotape, ribbon and whatever I had around to decorate them. Plus whatever goodies you want inside.


First fold the paper in on itself nearly to the middle and then cut out triangles along each folded edge. You'll notice you don't have to be perfect.

Unfold and you'll have something like this:

Flip it over and decorate. I went boring. (classy?)

But my kids were more adventurous.

Roll it up when it's dry and stick it down with sellotape.

Tie one end up with a piece of ribbon, stuff and then tie the other end too.

A few of mine, but I like the kids ones best.

One of Izzy's.

And Ethan's. Just in case you didn't believe that I used what I had on hand to decorate! (one even had googly eyes!) 

But come on, who wants to be doing any more shopping than absolutely necessary this week?

And in the interests of keeping it real...

Most of the backs look like this, but I'll just arrange them like this:

So no one will notice. And you could add the snaps, but my kids HATE when they bang so I left them out.

Nosey? Here's what I put inside mine:

Just some pretty little baubles and a bell. Izzy also put a funny face picture inside some (instead of a joke), her idea too! The kids ones have little disc gliders. My husband has already been playing with them, so I'm thinking I should have done more like that...must be getting boring as I'm getting older!

Such a nice easy craft for the kiddies. But one that also helped me tick something off my list. Mine both loved decorating and Izzy loved stuffing and then passing them over for tying. Great to occupy them this week. 

Anyone else's kids crazy this week? And with no nursery school I am running out of fun ideas for them! (any help is welcome in the comments! :) )