Throw Back Thursday {Thanksgiving Crafty Countdown}

A few years ago...or more, I guess it was way back in 2010...I blogged a series of six Thanksgiving/autumn themed crafts for kids {as always, from my previous blog}.  Follow the links for full instructions, enjoy!

Day one:
Cone Cornucopias

Day two:

"Stained Glass" Leaves

Day three:

Indian Beads

Day four:

Leaf Napkin Ties

Day five:

Frosted Leaf Candle Holders 

Day 6:

Double Braided Bread

Throwback Thursday {super hero cape tutorial + a second way to use the pattern}

Another oldie but goody back from 2010 & my retired blog.  Best party favor idea ever....not to mention all around fun for the kids.  Who doesn't love a cape?  Ours are all well loved and still around and have been passed onto younger brothers...good thing we have 2 repeating initials.

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These make super fun party favors...that are really easy (and so much better than a bag of candy) + it's great to have a bunch of kids running around in capes. It doesn't hurt that they don't cost a lot of money either....I made mine for under $2.00 each. Watch for sales, but plain, colored cotton fabric is never very expensive.

You will need (for each):

1/2 yard...you may want a little extra just in case :), 45 width cotton fabric (wash & iron before hand)

1 sheet white felt

1 sheet colored felt (you will only use about 1/4..or less of it)

iron-on Velcro

thread

sewing machine, scissors, iron, letter template, pins

1. Cut out your letters and superman "decal"...out of the felt. Sorry there is no template for the "decal" I sketched the design on a piece of paper, folded it in half so that both sides were even & cut out...it's basically a triangle with all the points cut off.

2. Center your letter on the decal. Using your machine...stitch very close to the edge...go slowly & it's not too hard. If you are uncomfortable machine stitching it, you can always hand sew it on.

3. Create a pattern & cut out you cape fabric. Measure your child's shoulders, how long you want the cape, and how wide you want it at the bottom add 1 inch for your seam allowance. I used these measurements for my 5 yr. old... top: 9 inches wide, side: 22 1/2 inches long . Cut two pieces (I put the bottom edge along the fold, which makes one less side to sew).

Also, cut 2 strips- 3 inches x 7 1/2 inches for your straps.

4. Sew the letter decal onto the right side of one layer of the fabric you just cut out for your cape. Stitch very close to the edge again.

5. Press your strips of fabric in half long-ways...reverse fold and stitch right sides together, leaving one short side un-stitched. Clip corners & turn right side out, press again. Attach Velcro per package directions...make sure you put your Velcro on the right sides :) one should be on the top of one strap, the opposite on the other strap.

6. Layer all your pieces together now...making sure the right sides are all together, with the straps positioned along the top about 1/2 to 3/4 inches in from side seams. (place fold of straps toward center, so that the fold will be the top when finished...also make sure one Velcro piece is facing up, the other down). Pin and stitch (use presser foot as your seam allowance) all the way around...leaving about 4- 5 inches unsewn, so you can turn it right side out.

7. Clip corners, turn right side out & press all seams. Top stitch, with your needle positioned to the right, around the entire cape (no need to do the straps)...and your done :).

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now...another way to use this pattern...

You can make this super cute apron...

Follow all the same directions above...only leaving out the super hero decals & adding a sash (I also added some eyelet along the bottom. You can make these for boys too...use solid colors (or more boy appropriate prints)...and use a strip of fabric for the sash instead of the eyelet...use the same technique that we used for the straps, only make it longer & hand stitch the open end to close after turning. My sash is 50 inches long....adjust yours to meet your needs :).

I sewed on the details after the apron was completely sewn.

Cut a piece of eyelet a little longer than the bottom hem. Pin & sew on. Press the raw side edges of eyelet under (so it is even with the side of the apron) and secure with a few hand stitches.

For the sash, I used unfinished eyelet trim.... I folded over the top edge & ironed, then folded in each end to make a point. You can use the finished kind too...just fold ends over to make a point (or just roll under raw edge) & hand stitch.

Next find the center of the sash and center it on the horizontal center of the apron...I placed mine 8 inches down from the top. If you have unfinished eyelet, stitch from one end of the eyelet to the other, sewing it onto the apron in the process, stitching with your presser foot to the left & using the foot as your seam allowance. If you used finished eyelet or a fabric sash, just stitch onto the apron (stitch both sides of the fabric sash).

Throwback Thursday {Recycled Party Favors}

Here's another re-post from my "old blog" (because, honestly things have been crazy busy around here with kids out of school for the summer & a visit from my mom).  But, I might just start doing this every week...there's some good stuff over there ;)

For my daughter's 8th birthday we came up with an "recycled art" birthday party, combining two of her loves, being green + art.  You can see more party details here.  Here is a tutorial on how to make the favors we handed out--they were a hit...

Recycled Party Favors

So....H's party had to be rescheduled due to illness, so her party is finally going to happen this weekend--She is beyond excited :)(and I will be happy to have the extra tables out of my living room...)Watch for more party details coming up the end of this week & the beginning of next...I hope to get another little tutorial in before her party (if all goes well) :D

Here's what I came up with for her favors...It started with an idea to just make little favor bags out of the fused plastic, then morphed into these little art "folders" or "wallets"...I haven't come up with a great idea for a name yet.

The most time consuming part of these is fusing the plastic bags...I suggest making these assembly line fashion...fuse all your plastic, then cut them all out, then sew..the sewing takes very LITTLE time---it's really easy. Here we go...

1. Cut out 3 rectangles of fused plastic. One 9 x 7.5 inches (cover), one 5 x 9 inches (pocket) and one 4 x 1.5 inches (tab).

2. Center the tab on the short side of the outside cover, hold in place (you don't want to use pins...the holes will stay). Stitch with the needle positioned to the right all the way around the tab. Then stitch across the the tab to reinforce; move your needle back to center (whatever design you want...stripes..a "X"...)

3. Line up the bottom of the pocket with the bottom of the cover, with the tab situated to the right, and covering up the back side of the stitching you just did. With the needle positioned to the right, top stitch around the entire cover rectangle, attaching the pocket.

4. Trim strings and fold in half towards the tab, crease. Stitch down the center crease (start at the bottom to prevent bunching at the bottom of the pocket). Move your needle to the right, then stitch down both sides of the center line.

5. On the left side of the folder, measure 1 inch from the left seam, mark with a pencil, repeat 2 more times, so that you have 4- 1 inch pockets marked. Stitch, starting at the bottom of the pocket along each line and ending at the top seam.

6. Fill with 4 colored pencils, a small note book & ruler (or whatever else you like)...you want to fill it before attaching the Velcro, so it closes tightly (or not too tightly) :)

7. Connect a pair of sticky-backed Velcro dots. Stick the fuzzy side to the tab, then fold the tab over and attach to the cover. Press firmly.

That's it :)