Winter Wear!

My mom called to inform me she was getting rid of some old clothes.... so I jumped into the car to check out what was in the giveaway bag. Don't get me wrong I am ALL about hand me down clothing (secret: 90% of my wardrobe is hand me downs from my trendy aunt), but I wanted to scope out my mom's giveaways for materials I could re-purpose.... Clothes are free material and free notions (buttons, snaps, etc.) and as a crafter on a very strict budget FREE anything is a-ok by me!

I have been loving the picture posts on pinterest and etsy of ear-warmers.... yes, it's that time of year in the midwest again! I decided to transform one of my mom's sweaters into one.... btw, if you decide to attempt this make sure to rub the sweater against your cheek to make sure it's not going to irritate your skin (yes, this sounds ridiculous, but really no one's watching.... except maybe your kids but they think you're weird anyway). The project took about an hour, I used the cutting template from here (but not the directions), using a free sweater, thread, velcro, and a button I had on hand this project required no out of pocket expense. I'm pretty sure the worst part of this project was taking pictures of myself wearing it! Since there were quite a few sweaters in the bag.... I'm thinking Christmas presents......

Design Idea: Fabric Covered Hooks

We recently finished our half bathroom. The whole room was "inspired" by these gray and yellow towels I had found at Target.... but I have this problem: I am indecisive when it comes to decorating and furnishing my home! Sure, I can easily design and pick out items for other people but when it comes to myself it takes me FOREVER to make a decision and by the time I do I am ready to re-paint and redecorate (visualize my husband rolling his eyes at this moment).

Back to the half bathroom, I was having a hard time finding a towel rack that I liked AND was affordable. Since I have quite a stash of fabric and my husband has quite a stash of wood I decided to make my own. It was a really easy project and the total cost was under $10! I was so inspired by how easy and cheap it was I made a coat rack in the coat closet at "kid level" so my children could hang up their own coats, and a purse/bag holder for under our open staircase.

                   BEFORE                                                                         AFTER

Items Needed:
Fabric (Use wood and cut around, make sure there's enough excess to wrap and staple)
Wood (cut to size to fit space)
Hooks (Home Depot has a great selection)
D-Rings for 30 lbs (also available at Home Depot)
Staple Gun

Little Boy Bow Tie

This week was a "business milestone": my first Etsy order! As such, I wanted to throw in a little something extra for the customer. She informed me that the baby shoes she ordered were for the upcoming arrival of her first baby and they were going to be worn on the baby's first holiday, Thanksgiving. Since she didn't know if it would be a boy/girl (gotta love surprises!) I made a bow that could be worn as a bow tie for a boy or a headband for a girl. Here's some pics of my little man modeling the bow tie.... Let's just say he loved it and I did too. I'm thinking a Christmas bow tie is in his future :)

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Interested in purchasing a bow tie for your little guy? They are only $7!!!! Contact me to order.