Scarf Chain Baby Toy ‘Tutorial’

Posted on April 5, 2013 by linsieloo
Oliver loving his new toy!

Oliver loving his new toy!

Wipes container, tissues, whatever it is, you know that babies LOVE to pull every last thing out of those little packs.  All I have to do is pull the wipes container out during a diaper change and Oliver flips over and immediately tries to grab it.  In order to save expensive wipes from being wasted, provide Oliver with a bit of stimulation and use up some of my fabric scraps, I decided to create an easy, cheap toy.  This is so quick and simple, it’s really a stretch to even call it a tutorial!  And the best part, he loves it!

Supplies:

  • Empty wipes container or tissue box.  (If the container has been used or contains any chemicals, make sure to clean and dry it thoroughly before letting baby get his hands on it.)
  • Fabric Scraps – Varying colors and sizes are perfect!

1.  Cut fabric into 3-4 inch wide strips.  Vary the length of your different pieces but make sure the shortest is about 8 inches long.

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2.  Tie strips together end to end until you have a chain about 7-10 feet long.

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3.  Optional:  If you’re using a wipes container, you can remove the lid.  This will make it easier for younger babies to play with.  For older babies, you may want to leave the lid on as an added challenge.

4.  Stuff your fabric scarf chain into your wipe container or tissue box with one end sticking out.

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5.  Start by showing baby how to pull the scarf chain out then let them get to it!

 2013-4-5 - DIY Scarf Baby Toy

Oliver has really enjoyed playing with his new toy!  When Kevin came home from work and I suggested that Oliver show him his new ‘toy’, Kevin did not seem thrilled about the idea of us spending money on yet another baby toy.  Once he realized this was a completely free toy and that Oliver loved it, he was a much happier daddy!

(This is a perfectly safe toy for you to use with baby.  However, as with all toys, make sure you aren’t leaving baby unattended as there is a risk of strangulation.)

I hope you and your little ones enjoy this as much as we have!  What other DIY ‘toys’ have you created from things found around the house?

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Easter Basket Bag

Posted on March 28, 2013 by linsieloo
Oliver's first Easter basket bag, filled with some new books and Easter egg shakers.

Oliver’s first Easter basket bag, filled with some new books and Easter egg shakers.

Growing up, when we visited my Granny’s house for Easter, we had a special Easter basket tradition.  For some reason, my Granny had a TON of baskets, and I do mean a TON.  The night before Easter morning, we got to pick a basket for the Easter bunny to fill for us.  I almost always picked the same basket with little flowers painted on it.  We would set the basket out, head to bed and when we woke up the next morning it was filled with yummy treats!

For Oliver’s first Easter, I wanted to create our own Easter basket tradition.  But since he can’t have candy (and mommy and daddy don’t need it either), I was struggling to decide what to do for him.  Plus, I don’t have a ton of spare baskets lying around the house to fill.  So, I decided to do something that was both cute and practical, an Easter bag!

Machine applique and hand embroidery personalize this bag.

Machine applique and hand embroidery personalize this bag.

Since Oliver starts daycare soon, I’ve wanted to create a personalized bag for him to help keep his stuff together and organized there, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity.  I saw some adorable personalized bags on Pinterest and decided I just had to make my own version for him.

I chose bright prints in primary colors for his bag.  The body of the bag is nice and sturdy thanks to some Pellon fusible interfacing.  This also helps to give the bag such a nice shape.  This should be plenty big enough to transport his bottles, spare clothes and anything else he needs to and from daycare.

For personalization, I chose a simple machine appliqued background and “O” and then hand embroidered his name over top.

A few new books to add to our growing collection.

A few new books to add to our growing collection.

Instead of filling the bag with candy, which we don’t need to eat, I opted for a few new books (mommy gets tired of reading “Brown Bear, Brown Bear” over  and over again) and made some plastic Easter egg shakers filled with beans and rice.  These plastic Easter eggs don’t snap shut as tightly as I’d like, so I think I will seal them with some Washi tape to make sure Oliver doesn’t get his hands on the beans.

I’m excited to share these new treats with Oliver on Sunday!  I’ll let you know what his favorite part of his Easter basket is.  My guess: the tissue paper.  :)

Oliver's new personalized bag will be perfect for keeping his stuff organized at daycare.

Oliver’s new personalized bag will be perfect for keeping his stuff organized at daycare.

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My First Craft Show!

Posted on March 2, 2013 by linsieloo

Whew!  It’s been a busy month.  I’ve been preparing for my first ever craft show, Craft Menagerie!  It’s been a fun adventure.  Check out my completed display.

I love how everything from my craft fair booth came together!

I love how everything from my craft fair booth came together!

 

I wanted to offer a variety of items so that I could get an idea of what would sell best.  Here are a selection of some of the items that I brought with me.

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Diaper Change Clutch

 

Completely custom Planners

Completely custom Planners

 

Customizable Ohio pillows! Put the heart over any city, choose different colors or even another state.

Customizable Ohio pillows! Put the heart over any city, choose different colors or even another state.

 

Bow ties for little men and headbands for little ladies!

Bow ties for little men and headbands for little ladies!

 

In addition to lots of sewing, I’ve also had fun designing the displays for my items.  I even put my hubby to work building some display pieces for the show.

This board is perfect for displaying my planner covers!

This board is perfect for displaying my planner covers!

 

He even built me this custom coat tree to display my bags! Isn't it cute?

He even built me this custom coat tree to display my bags! Isn’t it cute?

 

The show this morning was a lot of fun and I’m excited to try a few more.  I will keep everyone posted as to where they can come and see me this spring and summer!

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Last Minute Holiday Gift Idea: Felt Activity Boards and Quiet Books for Kids

Posted on December 17, 2012 by linsieloo

The felt activity board folds in half and ties to keep all of the characters contained.

Like most crafty people this time of year, I am finalizing touches on many last minute, DIY gifts.  Today, I’m sharing a felt activity board that I made for my favorite little two year old friend, Avery.  Felt activity books and quiet books are great gift ideas for younger kids.  You can make them very simple for toddlers, with simple shapes to move around on a background.  Or they can be more involved to keep older hands and minds engaged with buttons, zippers and snaps to do and undo.

Miss Avery love love loves Nemo.  She is pretty much obsessed.  Everything is all about Nemo, so of coarse, I had to make her a Nemo themed felt activity.

My underwater scene features 5 characters from Finding Nemo: Dory, Peach, Jacques, Squirt and of coarse, Nemo!

 

I already had all of the felt for this project so it went together super quickly and was very low cost.  The background scene is sewn onto a piece of light blue felt.  The sandy ocean bottom is folded in half to create a pocket to hold all of the characters.  The characters are each sewn from leftover pieces of different felt colors.  Felt is great because it sticks to itself enough to hold the characters in place, but is easy for little hands to rearrange.

When they’re not being used, the characters slip into the pocket at the bottom for storage.

 

It may be a stretch to call this a quiet ‘book’, it’s more of a quiet ‘page’, but I think it’s perfect for a two year old.  She loved playing with it on her recent plane ride, which made both her and her mom very happy!

If you’re looking for more felt activity board and quiet book inspiration, check out these great websites and posts!

Quiet Book Blog

Imagine Our Life:  Quiet Book

The Crafting Chicks:  Beth’s Adorable Felt Book for Baby

Serving Pink Lemonade:  Quiet Book

Craft Envy:  Felt Quiet Book

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DIY Bias Tape Tutorial

Posted on November 19, 2012 by linsieloo

Ever have trouble getting the right colored bias tape for your project?  Prefer to use one of your own fun patterns instead of a boring solid?  If so, this is the tutorial for you!  Bias tape is really easy to make from your own fabric and it can save you money.

Supplies:

  • Your fabric of choice
  • Rotary cutter, mat and ruler
  • Hot iron

1.  Cut your fabric into strips using your rotary cutter.  I use 2 ½ inch strips for most projects but you can make it wider or narrower for your own project.

Bias tape is typically cut on the bias, which is at a 45 degree angle or diagonal from the weave of the fabric.  If your project has curved edges, this allows the bias tape to stretch nicely around the curves.

Tip:  If your project only has straight edges, you can save some fabric by cutting it straight across the weave instead of on the bias.

2.  If you need a long length of bias tape, sew your strips together to create one long strip.

3.  With a nice, hot iron, press the fabric in half along the length of the bias tape.

4.  Open the fabric up and then fold each edge in towards the seam that you created.

5.  After you’ve pressed the edges in towards the seam, fold the whole thing back in half along the seam and press again.

6.  Attach to your project as you normally would.  I used a tight zigzag stitch for my Diaper Clutch Changing Pad.

That’s it!  Simple, easy and completely versatile bias tape for every project!

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