Make your own Easter Basket!







 These are fun Easter basket for kids to make.  The girls I worked with ages 8 to 11 had a lot of fun creating their own unique Easter basket. 

To start choose two different colors of 12x12 card stock.  Fold one of the cardstock pieces in half and mark one inch lines with a pencil across the paper.  

Next cut your lines starting on the folded side.  Do not cut all the way to the end stop about half inch from the edge.  Un fold the cardstock.  This is the base for your weave. 

Out of the remaining cardstock cut one inch pieces. 

Next, weave the pieces over under over under all the way across the cardstock with your cut lines.  Use the next strip of cardstock and this time weave the opposite from the time before which will be under over under over.  

Repeat this till the cut piece of cardstock is totally woven.  You might need to trim your last strip down to fit the cardstock.  Don’t try to force a too big strip through because it your cardstock will rip.  If that happens you can just use some tape to repair the damage. 

Now staple all your lose ends together.  Make sure you are stapling in one direction so that the back of the staple faces the outside of the basket, because we are going to cover that up with a strip of paper so little hands won’t get scratched when reaching into the basket.  

Now, fold the four corners matching points about four inches to create the basket shape.  

Unfold the basket and you should have a bowl type shape.  


Next, fold in the corners on one side and staple.  Repeat this step with the other side of the basket.  


Use one of your extra strips of cardstock to staple on as a handle.  

Lastly you can use two extra strips of cardstock or pick out a pretty piece of paper that is one to one and half inch thick to wrap around the basket covering the staples.  I simply glued two strips together and then wrapped it around the basket and place a piece of tape to hold it together.  You could use glue or another staple.  





Enjoy your new basket!














Create An Afghan Using Cross Stitch Patterns!





My son saw me making his sister an afghan and asked if I would make him a transformer afghan.  I told him I really didn’t know if I could do that without a pattern.  As I started to search for ideas I found a cross stitch pattern here and decided to try to use it. 


First, I counted the squares at the bottom of the pattern and then chained that same number with the yarn. 


I double stitched the rest of the afghan following the pattern. 



I placed the red yarn I wasn't using on top and thread it through as I double crocheted over it with white yarn.  Then, when it was time to switch I simple did the same with the white yarn. I crocheted a blue and white border around the transformer design. I’m excited for a whole new world of afghan possibilities that have opened up to me by using cross stitch patterns!

Turn Old Clothes Into Barbie Dresses!






I had fun this week turning my daughters stained and hand me down clothes into Barbie dresses!   


To make the orange dress I used this website for my basic pattern.  http://www.craftinessisnotoptional.com/2010/08/barbie-dress-tutorial.html

  So I would not have to sew as much I cut the Barbie skirt out of the bottom of the shirt and for the straps I just cut out the already hemmed sleeves from the shirt. 


For the plaid Barbie dress I looked at the already sewn seams on the shirt and then wrapped the fabric around the Barbie looking for the best place to cut.  

I used the pattern from the first dress, but this time I cut out only one piece of fabric following the hem line to a point.
  

I can’t wait to through my daughters other old clothes to see how I can remake them into a fun new Barbie outfit!

Spring Afgahn!






My daughter fell in love with some purple yarn so I made her this small afghan to cuddle up with as she watched T.V. 

 I used a v stitch for the center.  For the border I single crocheted with pink yarn around the entire afghan.  Then I did a #half double crochet in the stitch next to the hook.  I skipped three stitches then did seven double crochet.  Then I repeated from # all around the blanket.  


With the remaining yarn I made different size flowers and stitched them on the blanket with yarn.



Vintage Halloween Pillow Sham!


Thanksgiving Pillow Sham!




This month I found cute turkey fabric and made strips with matching orange flowered fabric.  Next, I cut the strips to measure 18x14”. 


  I then cut out five 4” squares.  I folded them into triangles and sewed them together to make a flower.  I then stitched a button in the middle and attached it to the front of the pillow sham.

Mickey Mouse Baby Quilt!


All my kids are once again back in school and I had a free afternoon.  The quilting bug hit me and my neighbor having a baby gave me the perfect excuse to rummage through my stash. 

I had some cute smiley Navy blue Mickey Mouse fabric that I cut to four 9” squares.  

I then cut twenty 3 ½” squares out of the chevron fabric and the brown Mickey Mouse fabric.  Next, I cut five 3 ½” squares out of the yellow fabric. 

Then, I used the remaining chevron fabric to make a 2” border around the quilt.  I machine quilted the blanket, but I hand stitched the binding.  It gave me an excuse to sit down and watch a classic movie!  If you have an afternoon free this simple quilt is a fun way to use your stash!

Country Shabby Chic Pillow Sham of the Month!




I used a Moda Charm pack to create this month’s fun pillow sham.  To start lay out all the charms and choose the ones you want to use in your sham. 

I loved working with this charm pack so much that I made two more pillow shams.  Both are on sale in ebay, if you would like one too.  










If you want to make your own sham this is what I did.  First I had fun looking at all the patterns and colors in the charm Pack.  Then, I laid out all the charms and choose the ones I wanted to use in my sham.  I sewed four across and then ironed the seams flat.  Then I sewed three rows together and again ironed the seams flat. 



Next, I cut two rectangles measuring 14” x 11”.  Then, I hem one side of each of the rectangles measuring so that they measure when hemmed 9 ¼”.  Next with right sides facing together I laid the hemmed rectangles so that they slightly overlap in the middle on top of the sham.
  

Cross Stitch Pillow Sham!


For this month’s pillow sham I wanted to cross stitch one of my Mom’s favorite scriptures.  

I went to my stash of craft books that I bought at a second hand book store and found the picture of the house. 

After searching some more I found a fun font to go with my house.  I stitched Joshua 24:15 “...As for me and my house we will serve the Lord” and a cute little house to go with the saying.  

Next, I sewed the saying onto the middle of a blue and white piece of fabric that I had cut to 14”x18”.  

Then, I cut two rectangles measuring 14”x11”.  Hemed one side of each of the rectangles measuring so that they measure when hemmed 9 ¼”.  With right sides facing together I laid the hemmed rectangles so that they slightly overlapped in the middle on top of pinwheel square. Then, I pined and sewed ¼” seam all the way around the edges.  

 I turn sham right side out placed a 12"x 16" inch pillow in the sham.

Low Fat Cinnamon Roll Cake!


My family loves cinnamon rolls.  I created this cake so that we can have our cinnamon roll taste without having to wait a couple of hours before we can eat a fresh from the oven cinnamon roll.  A bonus of this cake is that it is low fat!
Ingredients:
1 white cake mix
1 ¼ c. water
1/3 c. plain or vanilla low fat yogurt
3 egg whites
¼ c. brown sugar
2 T flour
1 t cinnamon
3 T butter or margarine
½ c powdered sugar
1 T skim milk
¼ t vanilla


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix, water, yogurt and egg whites.  Beat on high for 2 minutes. Spray a 9 x 13” pan with cooking spray.  Pour in cake.  Set aside.  In a small bowl combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and mix with a spoon.  Cut in butter till the mixture is course.  Sprinkle on top of your cake.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes till a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake.


As cake cools make the powdered sugar glaze.  Whisk together in a small bowl powder sugar, milk and vanilla till there are no lumps then using a spoon drizzle over the top of the cake.
My family loves to eat this cake warm right after the glaze has topped the cake.