Easy Peasy Ruffle Scarf

Gasp!  It's a new blog post!  After a 4 month hiatus, I am back!!  When my life gets crazy busy, (or I'm just busy going crazy), my blogging will go to the wayside.  Just being honest.  It is what it is.  But, I'm happy to be able to post something new and I hope I won't be gone so long next time.  I did miss you all.

That being said, I found this how-to craft on Pinterest from one of my favorite blog sites, HOBBIES on a budget.  The scarf she made is so colorful and super cute, that I took notice.  (You'll have to check it out!)  I watched the video she posted and thought to myself, "Wow, I could do that!!"  

This is the color I'm doing next!

I just happened to be near a JoAnn's Fabric last night and ran in to see if they had any of the specific yarn for this craft.  To my wonderful surprise, not only did they have a whole display of them, JoAnn's had just started a 3 day 25% off sale for Teacher Appreciation!!  Woohoo! and thanks, JoAnn, for recognizing homeschool teachers as real teachers.  I chose two different bundles of yarn at $4.99 a piece, but I walked out of there for a total of  $6.81 (or somewhere around there.)  

See how thin and delicate it is?

 I used the Red Heart Sashay yarn and my scarf is the Ballet color pattern.  It took me about 2 1/2 hours, but it might not take you that long. This particular yarn is very thin and I kept missing loops when pulling the hook through and would have to start that particular part all over.  Not to mention the fact that it was 10:30pm before I was able to get started, so I was a little tired, but determined.  Now that I'm more familiar with the way the yarn is, I should be able to get the next one done even faster.  I'm also going to experiment with different sized crochet needles.  I used a 5.0 or 'H' size, this time.   I chose to do 10 holes at a time, instead of 8.  The video instructor said it would use up basically the whole package of yarn, but I did not find that to be the case.  My scarf is quite long and I still have plenty left over to make another one, or at least a small one for Sweet Pea, (almost 7yo now), who said she wanted one just like it.

My finished scarf!!  

This scarf is so easy to make, that it is a great project for beginners.  Just watch the video posted here, at HOBBIES on a budget and get started.  That's what I did.  I wore it to church tonight and got lots of complements and several "where did you get that?" questions.   

I loved telling them I just made it last night!  In fact, I'm taking my yarn with me next time so I can show them how easy it really is.  (The ladies that asked are much more talented than I am, so I'm excited to share something with them!)

What are you waiting for?  Go to the store and get started!!  When you're done, make sure you share pictures of your creation with me or tell me about it!  

God bless!!  

Pillow Case Style Dresses

What else do you do when you have two girly girls, but learn how to make things for them?  I have had my mind on learning how to make a pillow case style dress for quite some time and finally got the nerve up to try it.  (Seriously, the only other thing I've ever sewn with the machine is a tissue cover!)  My basic design came from The Polkadot Chair pillowcase shirt tutorial.  She has a LOT of great tutorials for many different things.  But, I liked that she used 'fat' quarters and I thought that would be easy enough.  I did look at a LOT of other tutorials, though, and kind of used ideas and tricks from several of them.  For Sweet Pea, it turned out nicely as a 'shirt dress' (that's what we call long shirts.)  And it's a full dress for little Sunshine.

 (Sunshine wasn't too sunny at the moment, lol!) 

I've always been told to wash and dry all fabric before sewing...and so I did.  When I took the fabric quarters out of the washing machine, however, they were unraveling something fierce!  I untangled and cut as much as I could, then hoped for the best as I put them in the dryer.  (Which didn't seem to cause further harm.)  I'm not sure if I should have used pinking shears on them first, or what, but they survived without too much material lost.  I'll definitely have to figure out what to do before my next attempt.  

I did the "J" cut for the armholes as suggested on several sites I studied.  For Sweet Pea, I measured down 

5 1/2" and over 2", and for Sunshine, I measured down 4" and over 2".  Sweet Pea's shirt was the first one I made, so I learned a lot and Sunshine's was much easier.  I used pinking shears around the entire outline, but didn't use it around the armhole cuts after they were made on Sweet Pea's, then tried to trim it after it was already stitched~not easy.  I also did not use the pinking shears on the coordinating trim on Sweet Pea's shirt, another lesson learned before I attempted Sunshine's.

For each dress, I did a 1/4" stitch around the entire dress form, front and back pieces, before I did anything else.  I don't have a surge machine, so I figured this would help reinforce and hold everything together a little better.  

I attempted to do the trim around the armhole, as instructed in the above mentioned tutorial, but was very confused, so I just left that part out.  I am just going to see how it holds up with just the basic 1/4" hem.  Next time, I will either figure out how to cut a better piece from the bias and use it, or buy bias tape.  

I never could get the bottom trim to line up equally on both seams, either.  One side would be even, but the other would be off by 1/4" to 1/2".  But, I'll figure that out one day.

I am quite pleased, though, with my first ever attempt at sewing something to actually wear.  I made these in time to wear to the 4th of July picnic at church, where the pics were made.  My Sweet Pea is very happy with her momma's creation, and that makes it all worth while.  And Sunshine, she likes having an outfit just like her big sister.

God bless!!

My First Handmade Hair Bow!!!

With two very cute girly girls, it is inevitable that I learn how to make hair bows.  With Pinterest and Youtube, there is no excuse not to learn.  There are so many amazing resources out there with step by step instructions and even videos, you can learn to make any kind of bow you want. 
I picked Twenty Three Oh One to start my bow making adventures.  Her list and instructions were simple and easy to follow and her pictures were very helpful, especially for this visual learner.

 So...drum roll, please...My First Hair Bow!

I will confess, I did not follow the instructions on the site I chose, completely.  I did not have enough 1 1/2 inch wide ribbon to make a complete one~layer bow.  So, I decided to do the triple bow, only I used one layer with the 1 1/2 inch ribbon, and the other 2 layers were 1inch ribbons.  I think if I had enough ribbon, I would have used contrasting colors with the different size ribbons.  But, as it is, I used left over ribbon that I saved from various gift packaging.  (That, my friends, is called recycling, lol!).

I don't think it's quite 'etsy' quality, yet, but my Sweet Pea was very pleased with me and with the bow, and was a most gracious hair model. 

Here's how it looks on a headband for the littlest ones...
 

(This was the only still picture we could get of Sunshine, and just before she removed the bow...again!)

All in all, I am happy with my first attempt and my girly girls are happy, too.  And that's what matters to me.  Thanks to Twenty Three Oh One for your awesome directions and pictures. 
I can't wait to make even more!!

God Bless!!
 

Baby Sock Bouquet

When we were planning a baby shower for my sister, I came across instructions for the cutest baby sock rose bouquet.  Of course, I HAD to make one!!
I bought a 6 pack of baby socks, in solid colors, so I could make a full dozen.  All the supplies and instructions you need can be found at http://www.plan-the-perfect-baby-shower.com.

It was a bit tedious and the hardest part for myself was step #10~wrapping the floral tape around the sock and the wire.  Make sure you hold the sock tight and wrap it securely. Don't skimp on the amount of tape you use.  You don't want it to fall apart before the mother-to-be receives it.  I added fresh leaves and baby's breath to complete the bouquet. 

They looked so real, I actually had to tell my sister to really look at them before she realized they were baby socks and not real rosebuds!
What lady doesn't enjoy receiving a dozen roses?  You will be the talk of the shower and definitely a favorite guest of the mother-to-be when you deliver the cutest bouquet~a Baby Sock Rose Bouquet. 
And don't forget to follow my blog for more crafty ideas!

Diaper Wreath

A couple of years ago, my family was planning a baby shower for a cousin.  We wanted to do something unique and my sister found directions for making a diaper wreath at Inexpensive Baby Shower.   Perfect!
We decided to decorate with Winnie the Pooh...and Tigger, too, since that was the chosen decor for my soon-to-be baby cousin's room.
With my sister, my mother, and myself working on this, the Diaper Wreath still took a couple of hours.  So, if you decide to take this on, make sure you give yourself plenty of time.

Here is the completed project.  Very cute, if I do say so myself.

As you can see, we added wash clothes, baby spoons, and other useful items for the mother-to-be.
My dear cousin loved it and everyone commented on how fun it was.  I know yours will be a big hit, too.  You can find many other great shower ideas at Inexpensive Baby Shower.  Check it out.

Tutu's for my girly girls

Not to be out done by the other mom in my 5yo dd's ballet class, (but, certainly inspired,)  I was determined to make her tutu for the Christmas Open House mini recital, myself.  Pinterest to the rescue. 
I found a couple of sites that give great tutorials for making your own tutu.

You Seriously Made That!? is the one I chose to use for this particular project since it uses elastic, which is what the other mom uses.  It is so easy.  The only time I used a needle and thread was to quickly sew the elastic together.  (Once I figure out what the zigzag stitch is on my sewing machine, it will go even quicker.)  Here are a couple of pictures of the tutu that I made...

The site mentioned above, gives awesome, easy-to-follow directions, so I won't even bother to go into that.  The only thing I altered was the length of the tulle, so that it was the same size as the other girls' tutus.  I will also say that I used a 3 ring binder, probably a 1 inch, to hold the elastic while adding all the tulle.  I have no idea how much tulle I used.  I had a 100 yard roll, and used well over 1/2 of it.  But, the binder gave it enough stretch while adding the tulle, that it was perfectly full and thick when I finished and pulled it off the binder. 
This site, Modern Day Moms, makes the tutus with ribbon at the waist instead of elastic.  I think this is a cute variation and will be trying it in the future.

I stocked up on tulle of different girly colors at Hobby Lobby when it was 50% off, so I can make many more for both of my dear daughters, nieces, and little girly friends.  


To save the best for last...here is the tutu, being worn by the cutest 5 year old ballerina ever. 

Enjoy!!

Hand (and Feet) crafted Turkeys

This simple and cute craft was all my mother-in-law's doing.  Trace your child's feet to use as the body of the turkey and trace their hands with fingers for the feathers.  Then draw or add the rest of the turkey to your child's delight.  These are the turkeys my 2 oldest did-proudly displayed on the fridge.

 Have fun and God bless!!
                                                          

Picture Perfect Placemats

This is my first ever blog on Three Kids & We!!  So, if you are reading this...thank you and welcome!  Since this blog is about sharing cool crafts and 'schooling' ideas, my first blog is this super easy, but well enjoyed, handmade place mats.

I came up with this idea when preparing for a fall brunch the ladies at my church host every year.  I was hosting a table, using a "Homeschool Family" theme this year, and needed place mats that reflected that.  You can choose any number of themes to go with...Birthday, Christmas or other holidays, any special event...the ideas are endless.

1st- Decide which pictures you want to use and have them printed out.  (I had them printed at a store since I was making 8 mats with 3 pictures on each and wanted to save my own ink.)

2nd- Choose the paper you want to use.  I used card stock for the extra strength and just regular sized paper-because it's what fits in my laminator.  I think a 12x12 piece of scrapbook paper would also be nice if you have a way to laminate that size.  I do know that clear contact paper works well for laminating, too.  I also grouped the pictures together, according to what I wanted on each mat.  Example, I did one mat for each child, a couple with all 3 kiddos together, and the rest were of different activities that reflected my homeschool theme.

3rd- (and the most fun step)- Let your kiddos have fun placing the pictures on the paper and decorating it with stickers or other decorations.  I would recommend something flat, however.
I used glue dots to secure the pictures on the paper because it's what I had nearby.  I would recommend using something a little less bulky, though, since the glue dots make bumps.

4th- Laminate!                                                       

The place mats were a hug success.  Everyone enjoyed stopping by my table and checking out all the pictures.  My kiddos are very proud of their handy work and we often use them at home to make dinner time a little more fun.

These place mats would make great gifts for mothers, grandparents, or whoever!  Let me know what you think and what you are going to do with this!! 

Enjoy!!