Sew Simple (see what I did there?)

Yesterday was my birthday, which snuck up on me rather quickly! Since I’m 39 weeks pregnant we decided to keep it low-key and enjoy one last date night with just the two of us before this baby comes. So we did the classic dinner & a movie and it was really nice. :)

For my birthday this year I really wanted a sewing machine. I’ve always wanted to learn, and was ready to get my own machine and finally do it! So hubby granted my wish and got me one for my birthday (which he gave to me early, over the weekend). I’m already loving it and really enjoying making some fun baby things. Plus, it provides a great distraction while I anxiously await baby girls arrival!

So for my first few projects I decided to make some baby leggings, some turban headbands for baby & mama, newborn knotted hats, and a receiving blanket. These four projects are great for beginners or anyone else wanting to make some cute new things for their precious little ones! The links to the tutorials I used are below. I used stretchy knit fabric, all purchased at Joanns (with coupons, of course!).

1. Baby Leggings Tutorial
2. Turban Headband Tutorial
3. Knotted Newborn Hat Tutorial (Note: I did not serge my ends, just sewed the whole project with a twin needle. Also, when I cut out the pattern, I cut out the top part for the knot a bit smaller, due to personal preference)
4. Receiving Blanket: I didn’t follow a tutorial. I used a double sided knit fabric, cut the size I wanted, and folded in all sides about ¼ inch and then folded in again another ¼ inch (ironing each time) and pinned in place. Then sewed with a twin needle.

Happy Sewing!

DIY Teacup Candles

Aren’t these little teacup soy candles adorable?! My friend Carly invited me over last week to make them. I was so excited to learn as I’ve been wanting to make my own candles for a while now. She is super crafty and even has her own Etsy Shop called Smooth Seas collection. Make sure to stop by and check out her cute products!

These candles are simple to make once you get the hang of it, but they do require some candle making supplies. See details below on how we made them.

What we used:

-Double Boiler
-Thermometer
-Hot Glue Gun
-Teacup Candle & Saucer (saucer is optional)
-Bag of 100% Natural Soywax
-Candle Wicks (we used the ones with wick tabs)
-Scent (we used essential oil that she had on hand, but you can also buy scents for candle making)

*Most of these items can be found at your local Hobby Lobby (or similar store) in the candle making section.

Pour your soy wax into the double boiler, and heat (stirring occasionally with metal spoon) until your wax reaches about 180F. This will probably take 20 minutes or so.

TIP from Carly: Stir with metal spoon. That way you can put it in the freezer after and the wax will easily peel off.

This part you can do while you are waiting for the wax to melt. Use hot glue to glue your teacup to your saucer. Then use a small amount of hot glue to glue your wick in place, in the center of the teacup.

Once wax has melted and reached 180F, you want to set it aside to add your scent (follow the guidelines listed on your scent packaging for how much to use). Stir for a minute or two. (If you wanted to add dye now would be the time to do it. Make sure to use dye specifically for candle making, food dye will not work).

After adding in the scent and/or dye, you want to let your wax cool to 140/150F before pouring into your teacup. Once it cools carefully pour your wax into your teacup and let cool (we let cool & set for 24 hours before lighting). Then just trim down your wick to desired height. And that is it! Enjoy your beautiful new creation.

Hope you enjoy this fun project! Special thanks for Carly for teaching me how to make these! Can’t wait to make more in the future!

Baby Girl's Nursery

It has been so fun nesting these past few months, and getting baby girl’s nursery ready for her! I can’t believe she will be here in eight weeks (give or take). This pregnancy has gone by so fast & yet so slow at the same time. Funny how that happens!

Her nursery has quickly become my favorite room in the house. I love the natural light in the room and wanted to stick with a light, airy, and simple feel. I chose a pale grey for the walls and accented with blush pinks and a touch of antique gold. At the bottom of this post I listed all the items in the room and where they can be purchased.  :)

Crib: DaVinci Jenny Lind, from Target

Rocker: NurseryWorks Empire Rocker, from Fawn & Forest (this was my dream rocker, and way out of my price range. But hubby surprised me by having several of our family members go in on it as a shower present!)

Tassel Garland: From Tuck and Bonte

Throw Pillow: From IvieBaby

Crib Sheet: I Heart Crib Sheet from Land of Nod

Area Rug, Moroccan Pouf/Ottoman, and Lamp: From Target (purchased in store)

Side Table: From Ikea

Gold Frames: From local antique store

Ceramic Owl: 99 cent store (score!)

Gold “E”: Craft store “E” sprayed with glitter gold spray paint

Dresser: Antique given to us by a friend, then we restored & refinished it

Gallery Frames: Purchased on clearance from Joanns and spray painted white

Gallery Prints: Various (some made by my husband, some found on Etsy)

Grey Minky Changing Pad Cover: From ModFox

Ornate Grey Frame: From Target

Grey Caddy: From HomeGoods

Curtains: From Target

White shelves: From Ikea

Chevron Hamper: From Walmart

Grey Feather Basket: From HomeGoods (using this as our toy/stuffed animal basket)

Thanks for stopping by!

Simple Clip-On Infant Bow Tie & Hair Bow Tutorials

Super excited about these adorable clip-on infant bow ties and hair bows. They are simple & quick to make, and make for a fun craft to do with friends (Umm… dessert & craft party anyone?). They are also economical, the only thing I didn’t already have on hand is the clips & barrettes… which were under $3 a pack at the craft store. When I got the idea for the clip-on bow ties, I was originally looking for a stronger clasp for the back. But I searched three stores and couldn’t find what I wanted, so I improvised and used the clip-on earring backs. It actually worked out great! They glued on very securely, were small enough to not be seen in the front, and easily clip-on to a onesie. I will say that they are better for infants, as a toddler could easily pull off the bow tie. If you are making a bow tie for a toddler or young boy, you can purchase actual bow tie clips here.

Also, I would not recommend running these through the wash. I would only gently hand wash if & when needed.

See below for the full tutorial! Let me know if you have any questions! :)

What You’ll Need:

-Hot Glue Gun & Glue
-Felt in colors of your choice
-Measuring stick
-Scissors
-For Bow Ties: Clip-on earring backs (available in jewelry section of your local craft store)
-For Hair Bows: Hair clip/barrette (available at your local craft store)

Begin by measuring out and cutting the felt for your bow ties. You can adjust the size to your liking, but the measurements I used are 1.5 in. X 4 in. and .5 X 2 in.

I went ahead and cut out all of my felt. Pieces should resemble the above.

Place small amount of hot glue in the center of your fabric, and fold edges in. Press firmly until set.

Now fold back the edges of the center, and use hot glue to secure in place.

Your bow tie should now look like the above photo.

Next, use the smaller strip of fabric to wrap around the center piece. Find your placing on the front, then turn over and glue to the back. I glued one end down, then glued the the other end over that.

Repeat for any other colors/bows you want to make.

Now it’s time to glue on the clip-on earring. I attached it slightly more towards the bottom of the bow, so the top of the clasp isn’t seen. Use hot glue and hold firmly in place until set. Should feel pretty secure once it dries.

That’s it! Now just clip on to a onesie and put it on a cute little babe.

And now for the hair bow/barrette! It’s the same steps as used above, but I used smaller measurements and attached the hair clip (as seen below).

When you are wrapping the strip of fabric around the bow, glue on the hair clip by wrapping the felt around the top of the clip and gluing in place. (Leave the bottom part of the clip open as that is what you will clip onto your hair).

So easy you could make one in every color! Would be so darling on a little tot. Wishing mine was here to model them for you (only 8 weeks to go!).

Thanks for checking out this tutorial! Be sure to share with your friends!

Simple (No Sew!) Baby Headband Tutorial

Ever since finding out that we were having a little girl, I have been on a headband making frenzy. I just love it. This simple felt headband is easy to make, and few supplies are needed. It’s easy enough that even those of you who don’t consider yourselves very “crafty” can do it! Once you get the hang of it, you can even play around with different colors & looks. See below for the full tutorial!

What You’ll Need:

-Hot glue gun & glue
-Scissors
-Felt in color of your choice
-Centerpiece for flower (I used a pearl button, made by sew-ology)
-Handband (I used these little cream ones by Creations of Grace, found at Hobby Lobby. Or you can use elastic)

Begin by cutting out 6 circles, approximately 2-2.5 inches in diameter. I usually trace out the first one, and then use that one as a guide to measure out the others. Don’t worry about the circles being too perfect, as you won’t really be able to tell once it’s finished.

Begin making your flower petals following the steps above. You want to make four petals total.

Now you should have your four flower petals, and two leftover circles.

Begin gluing the petals to one of the remaining circles, which will serve as the flower base.

After you finish gluing the petals it should resemble the above photo.

Now it’s time to glue on your centerpiece. Simply place a small dollop of hot glue in the center and place your centerpiece. Press firmly until it sets. Sidenote: instead of using a centerpiece, you can also make a fifth flower petal (so 7 total felt circles, instead of 6), and glue that in the center. Shown in the last photo of this post.

Now you want to get the flower onto the headband. Cover the back of the flower with hot glue. Place seam of the headband on the back, and cover with the final felt circle. Tip: carefully glue the headband to the flower, making sure it’s not twisted anywhere before gluing.

Press firmly and smooth out until glue sets.

Fluff up the petals with your fingers so it’s not too flat, and Voila! Now sit back and admire your craftsmanship!

This particular one I made as a gift for a friends baby shower. I wrapped it around card stock and placed it in a cute box. Makes a nice handmade gift! :)

Once you get the hang of it you can experiment with different colors & arrangements. In the ones shown above, instead of using a centerpiece, I made a fifth petal and glued that in the center. Gives it a little more casual look.

Thanks for checking out this tutorial! Hope you enjoy it! xo