Just a tease...

I'm so sorry for my absence...I've been enjoying my family and not so much enjoying packing. Packing Packing. But I have some good news...my absence will be made up...it will...

Stay tuned for a tutorial on how to make these little fellows...including pattern pieces...

It will be worth it! I promise you... I also have the pattern for a duck, a dolphin, and a dog. My children are loving them!!!

And once I complete my move in January I will be back to my regular daily posting. I have lots of fun ideas...I can't wait to share with you!

My website design shop will be up and running then too! And my tutorial page will be all organized and complete!!! Thanks for hanging in there with me over the holidays~ I hope you are all having a fabulous time!

Bags of Coal for All my children!

For all the children in my life...(who happen to be age 5-6 in my Church Primary Class) and the three of my own...COAL BAGS!!! Isn't that what every child wants?

They are really easy to make and are just so darn cute, everyone you know will want coal!

Print off my coal sack label template (at the bottom of the post) on transfer paper according to the directions. Some of them you print mirrored and some of them you do not. The type I used this time you print mirrored. Cut out one of the coal sack labels and place it on a piece of fabric. The fabric piece will need to be 1 inch wider on each side than the label. Have 1 inch at the bottom of the label and this is a FOLD. Then have 4 inches on the top of the label. The measurements will vary depending on how large or small you print the labels.

Turn the printed label upside down and place it in place on the fabric piece. Iron it according to the transfer directions. Peel off the backing.

On the front of the sack turn the top under 1 inch and sew down next to edge.

Repeat with the back of the sack.

Sew up one of the sides until the stitching on the top hem. Repeat on the other side.

The top hems will not be sewn together. They will open completely.

Get yourself either some real coal if you aren't very nice, or head on over to Walmart (ugh...that place this time of year...ugh...ugh...) and grab yourself a bag of this candy coal.

Open it up and fill up your coal bag.

To close the bag you can go one of two ways. For the first way you take some grosgrain ribbon and feed it through the hem from left to right on both the front and back hems.

Then tie the two ribbons on the same side in knots.

To close just cinch the sack together.

Or you can take the grosgrain ribbon and feed it through the front hem from left to right.

Then flip it and put it in the back hem from right to left. (and yes, that really is the color of my nail polish...lol)

Feed it all the way through and leave 5 inches on the left.

Tie each ribbon into a knot. Do not tie them together. Tie the knot on each ribbon strand.

Then to cinch the sack take the two ends with knots and tie them together and pull tight. Once the sack is tight tie the ribbon into a bow.

And there you have it! A coal sack for your naughty kids.

The unfinished edges on the sack make it have a real coal sack like feel. And the draw string top keep it easy to access the goodies inside. And the label itself. It's coal from the North Pole of course. And where does North Pole Coal come from? The North Pole Gravel Company of course! And that shop must have opened up the same time Santa was first documented in the world in writing which was 1774.

However I do have one request... Please don't really just give your kids one of my coal sacks as cute as they are... that would break my heart... even if they really do deserve it...

Here is the template!

Enjoy! And Merry Christmas to you all! I have a few more projects I am finishing up in time for Christmas on top of packing my home! Wish me luck!

Personalized Cuff Links for Him

My husband is a wearer of cuff links. So I thought it would be fun to make him some for Christmas this year. I purchased these sterling silver bezel cuff links. And then I sized the photos I selected and sent them to Walgreen's to print. I chose to do a set with my sons photo's and then a set with two of the cities skylines that he has lived in and loved, Chicago and Phoenix. Then grab your dimensional magic mod podge.



Cut out the photo's.


Then drop in a few drops of the mod podge into the bezel cup.

Pop any bubbles with a pin.

Then drop in the photo.

Fill the top of the photo with more of the mod podge. Note. You can't just print off a photo the color will pick up and mix in with the mod podge and color it.

I then placed it in a bowl I had filled with rice to keep it upright for the next three hours while it dried.

Repeat with the remaining cuff links.

It will start to turn clear as it dries. The bottle said to let it dry for 3 hours. This is about an hour into it.

And then I went to bed. When I woke up in the morning they had formed small bubbles. They aren't completely noticeable but I am a perfectionist and it was kind of frustrating.

And I'm almost embarrassed to post this picture. I did a set of cuff links with pictures of my boys, and in person they are so cool, but in the picture below a ton of bubbles showed up. Which, I will warn you, showed up overnight while I let it dry. So I think next go around I would go with epoxy or Stampin' Up Crystal Effects because I have never had that happen with either of those products while I have used them. But I still like the end result and it really isn't as noticeable in real life as it is in this picture.

And I think my husband will love them. And that's all that matters!

Let me know if you give it a try! I would LOVE to see what you put in your cuff links. And definitely use epoxy or use Stampin' Up's Crystal Effects so you don't get any micro bubbles forming overnight!

Another easy and Great Christmas Gift

Vinyl on painted canvas. It's so easy and also inexpensive. You need to head on over to your local craft store (I purchased mine from Michaels) and pick yourself up a board that is painted with gesso. This one cost me $7.00. They are thin so they hang easily. You simply just stick a command strip on the back. And the gesso takes the paint perfectly and makes the vinyl stick so much easier than wood as well. And then there is no need to seal it in!

Let me know if you create any! I would LOVE to see yours!

Christmas Present For Dad

I am finally starting to feel better. I'm not there yet, but I can at least function slightly. I'm just posting to give you a fun idea for Christmas for your man. Mine doesn't read my blogs so I can post all about it! The boys and I did a little photo shoot at home and picked out the best photo's. I sized them down to fit a rotating box we picked up at Michael's. All I had to do was spray paint it and then distress it. The lid lifts up so he can store his little finds in there. And he can be constantly reminded of his boys while he is away!

Christmas Tree Costume

The boys in my son's kindergarten class are being Christmas Trees.

So I cut out a Christmas Tree shape on green felt. And then I cut out polka dots.

I sewed the polka dots on using an x-shape.

Repeat with all of the ornaments.

Then place the two layers together. Start sewing underneath the first tree v-out.

All the way down to the bottom about 5 inches out from the edge. Do this on both sides.

Then take some garland and cross it against the tree. Sew it into place on the seams.

To secure it in place.

Then take your battery operated Christmas lights and take the battery pack part and put it at the top of the tree long enough to tuck inside.

Then wrap the lights around the garland.

I then took green sheer ribbon and sewed four pieces up by the point of the tree.

Take the Battery pack from the Christmas lights and tie it to one of the ribbons.

You can then tuck it in the tree and it won't be seen.

Then I took a long strip of yellow felt and tied it around his head indian style. Then cut out a star and just sewed it in a line across the headband.

Slip it over his head and tie the ribbons into bows on his shoulders. I don't know why I didn't turn the lights on for the photo...

And that's it. A cute Christmas tree. Yes, I completed all of the costumes while being sick...now I have to speed speed to get all the Christmas presents completed...