DIY Glitter Starbucks Tumbler

I've seen the Starbucks Cold Cup Glitter tutorial and I thought to myself, "I can make that but easier"...so here's my tutorial for ya!

To start with, you need an empty Create-Your-Own Starbucks Collage It Tumbler. 

I stole this from Starbuck's website...our little secret ;)

Other Supplies:

• Glitter Scrapbook Paper (The scrapbook paper that I found was very thick and difficult to roll up, I don't recommend buying cardstock like paper, thin paper is best.)
• Pictures and/or stickers
• Super Glue
• Scissors
• Pen/Pencil

Tutorial:

1.  Remove the insert from the tumbler and trace the outline on the back of your glitter paper.  Cut out your new background and try it in the tumbler, to make sure it will fit.  I originally cut mine too long and I couldn't screw the bottom back on.

See the bottom, the paper is too long!

2.  Once you have the proper size for your new insert, you can start decorating your glitter paper (I tried using double sided sticky tape but it wasn't strong enough to hold the pictures when the paper was rolled up, so I ended up using super glue).
3.  Cautiously insert your newly decorated insert (be careful not to snag any of the decorations).  

4.  Enjoy your new tumbler!!

Wasn't that easy?  No glue or messy glitter needed to make this awesome tumbler!

Easy Upcycled Toddler Belt Tutorial

This summer some of my son's shorts were too big at the waist so my husband made a make-shift belt by tying a grosgrain ribbon around Nik's belt loops.  It didn't look pretty but it did the job and helped keep up his pants!  (I'm a big fan of recycling and I repurpose things when I can, for example, I usually save ribbon and string from packaging of products we buy...and that is where the grosgrain ribbon came from.)

After seeing the make-shift belt I decided to make a proper belt by sewing two D rings onto the ribbon.  I took one end of the ribbon and folded it over the D rings and tucked the end under a 1/2" inch.

Stitch close to the fold of the ribbon and tie the thread ends.  Cut off the extra thread after you have made your knots.  If the end of the belt is unfinished, you might want to dab on a little fray check or fold the end over and sew it. 

Quick and easy, right?  This would be a perfect last minute gift for any little girl or guy, plus you get to reuse ribbon and keep it out of the landfill...win-win!

Toddler Fur Vest - Simplicity 3582

Back in September I saw this cute toddler fur vest at Babies R Us and of course my first thoughts were 1) too bad I don't have a little girl to dress in this, 2) I can totally make that myself (for less than the store price) and 3) I want one in my size.  I never really gave fur vests a second thought until recently...I mean is it just me or do they seem to be all the rage this season/year?

With a birthday party around the corner I thought I could use it as my opportunity to make a fur vest as a present.  I found a few free patterns online and I thought they were all adorable, however I wanted my neck to be cut higher, more like this Simplicity pattern.  Little did I know, the pattern didn't go up to the size I needed, doh!

I thought about making my own pattern but instead I got out my new tracing paper and ruler and traced over the simplicity pattern and added a 1/2" in all the right places.  I followed the pattern instructions and decided that the fur vest needed a ribbon belt to cinch in the waist a little (it will also probably help keep the vest on since this is the age where toddlers love taking clothes off instead of putting them on).

This has to be one of the easiest patterns I have ever used!  It was so clear and straight forward that I was able to sew up the vest in no time (or at least it seemed that way).  The most challenging part about this project was dealing with the slippery lining and the thick fur.

If you plan on making a fur vest on your own, here are a few suggestions:

1. Use a pre-shrunk cotton for the lining (the regular lining works fine but mine snags easily and that's not good for children)
2.  Sew with a walking foot, it will feed through the machine smoothly
3.  Look for fur with a low pile (meaning height), my fur was pretty thick and it was a pain to cut!

p.s. My fur is supposed to be dry clean only, but I threw it in the machine on the hand wash cycle and used the air dry setting on the dryer.  It did take a long time for it to air dry but it came out fluffy and good as new (without a sour smell).

This is the entire outfit I made (the skirt was made from my own pattern). 

Double Sided (Reversible) Pocket Square Tutorial

Thanks to my sewing hobby I've become popular...naturally this new found popularity comes with requests to make things.  One such request was from a high school friend that wanted pocket squares to wear to church.  He sent me this tutorial and asked me if I could make something like it.  Although this isn't rocket science, it looked extremely time consuming...and this project probably would have drove me nuts trying to get all the stitches perfect (I can be a bit of a perfectionist).  Thus I decided to try to convince my friend to try it himself since it only required a needle and thread...his response was that he didn't have time to do it himself.  In my head I laughed and said to myself, "Neither do I,"  however what I actually said was that I could give it a try on my sewing machine.

I had never sewn a pocket square before, so I had to do a little research before attempting this project.  Most of the pocket squares I found were hand sewn and made out of silk, but I did find a few that were non-silk and machine sewn (like these J. Crew, Express, and Hill-Side Pocket Squares), which convinced me it is okay to sew using cotton fabric and a machine.

Our friend gave me 3 different fabrics and thought about how I could make a cool pocket square out of the material.  Two of the fabric coordinated, so I thought it would be cool to make a double sided pocket square and add a little flair so the plain color side wasn't so plain.

Here's how I made the double sided pocket square:  

Supplies:

1. 2 Different fabrics of your choice (I'm using cotton fabric)
2. Thread
3. Cutting mat with ruler
4. Rotary cutter (or scissor)
5. Iron
6. Sewing Machine

Instructions:

1. Line up your fabric (on your cutting mat) so you will be cutting on the grain.  Cut out a 13' x 13' square from each of your fabrics, so you will have two squares.

2.  Pin your fabrics right sides together

3. Once you have your fabrics pinned you can sew around the square with a 1/2" seam allowance, leaving a 1"-1 1/2" opening on one of the sides (so you can turn it right side out).  Be sure to use the back stitch function around the opening area.

Use the back stitch function

4.  Clip your corners so they will turn nicely.

4.  Turn the pocket square right side out and use something to help you get those corners nice and sharp (I usually use a chopstick).

5.  Iron the square once it is right side out and pay special attention to the opening area.

6.  After you have the pocket square nice and ironed, go to your machine and top stitch around the edge of the pocket square.  For the one I made, I used a decorative stitch with metallic gold thread to make it interesting and give it a nice pop!

There you go, you're done!!!

(p.s. - this would make a perfect last minute gift for the holidays...wink, wink)

My Handmade Valentine's Day (For the Husband)

I know I'm safe writing this post because my husband doesn't read my blog.  Knowing my luck he probably does read it and he just pretends to be oblivious.

Here is what I've started making for him thus far:      

Mustache Coffee Cup...I plan to fill it with candy :)

Mustache Coffee Cozy

Next week I'll share how I made them and I'll show you what I'm working on for the little one.

Quick and Easy Tablecloth Tutorial (Rectangular Table)

This is a very easy project, perfect for any beginner! It makes an excellent gift for Christmas, house warmings, etc.  It's the perfect thing for newlyweds like me...okay, okay, I'm not THAT newlywed...it's been over a year.

My Nana gave me two yards of Christmas fabric that she had stashed away for 6 years and said maybe I could make something with it. I loved the festive plaid print and I thought it would make a great Christmas tree skirt. I let it sit in my project pile for a few days and then Nana mentioned that she had measured the fabric and it was the same size as my table (light bulb!).

Since the fabric is the exact size as my table I really didn't have too much to work with. I could have bought coordinating fabric and made a ruffle or something to hang over the edge but that would require too much time and effort for me right now and I have a million other projects to complete...so...I took the lazy way out! Instead of adding fabric or hemming the fabric I bought bias tape and added it as trim to the table cloth (if I want to add a ruffle I can always do that some other time).

Here's what you'll need:

• Measuring Tape
• Bias Tape (Double Fold)
• Matching thread or contrasting (your choice)
• Pins
• Fabric (measure your table and figure out how big you want your tablecloth)
• Iron and Sewing Machine

Instructions:

Wash and iron your fabric

Trim uneven edges of fabric

Pin bias tape to the edge of the fabric (I recommend starting with one of the long side), be sure to put the shorter edge of the bias tape on the bottom of the fabric.  I suggest sewing one side at a time because you will have to fold the corners when the bias tape meets.

Once you have sewn down the first long side of the tablecloth you will have a little bias tape left over.  You can use the left over for one of the short sides however you will probably have to sew two pieces together to cover the short side.  If you don't like having two pieces instead of one then you can cut a piece that will fit perfectly (I used the left over to not waste the scraps). 

Pin and sew the other long side of the fabric.

Use your scraps or cut a new piece for one of your short ends.  Once you have pinned the bias tape to the edge of the fabric fold over 1/4" of the bias tape under itself at the corner to keep it from fraying.

Marvel at your work, you're done!

Wasn't that easy?  The most time consuming part for me was pinning everything, I was trying to keep the gold bias tape from fraying and snagging (metallic fabric is not forgiving).