Mufin Tin advent Calendar

Sorry for the long absence.  We are moved in and almost unpacked and my girls are almost better (flu for the last week. yuck)  My Internet was just set up and I'll be playing catch up for a little while with e-mails and checking out your blogs.  Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend.  Don't forget about the special going on in my shop it ends tonight.  You can find more details in the Little Reminder section above.

Today I want to share a fun and simple advent calendar.  I know I'm a little early with this project but I just love Christmas.  My kids are finally getting to the age where they are excited and I want to make this December really special for them.  You may have already seen these muffin tin advent calendars but I thought I would show you how I made mine and also what I'm going to fill it with. 

Start with a mini muffin tin (at walmart for under $5).
Cut out 24 squares from different pattern papers.  (I used 4) Each square is 2 1/4 inches.  Round the edges and ink them (optional)
Cut out 24 2" circles from red cardstock or another solid or patterned paper.  If you don't have a punch or a cricut you can always cut squares to make it easier.

Glue your circles and squares together.

Add magnets to the back.  I used the pack that comes in long strips and just cut them into small pieces.

Decide on a pattern.

Add your numbers.  You can use paper (like mine), stickers, rub-ons, stamps, or whatever you have on hand.

You now have a really fun Christmas advent calendar. 

Each spot is just big enough for a little treat. 

I chose to add little slips of paper with a different activity written on it.  Here's the list of activities I'm going to add

1. Make Sugar cookies
2. Read and act out the Nativity
3. Sledding
4. Watch a Christmas movie (elf, I’ll be home for Christmas, etc.)
5. Deliver cookies to neighbors and friends
6. Visit Santa and daddy’s work party
7. Letter to Santa
8. Ward Christmas party
9. Put up Christmas decorations
10. Decorate Christmas tree
11. Pick out new Christmas ornaments
12. Play in the snow
13. Christmas shopping
14. Look at Christmas lights
15. make Christmas ornaments
16. Read a Christmas book
17. Reindeer food
18. watch The King is Born
19. Deliver Secret Santa gifts
20. Make Christmas Cards for my brother (he's on a mission)
21. Make and drink hot coco

I have some Christmas crafts for my kids and anything else that comes up to fill the rest of the spots.

I'm so excited I have this done early with enough time to plan our fun activities.  It seems like the month just flies by and before we know it Christmas has come and gone.  Hopefully with a plan we will make time to enjoy all of the fun things I always hope to get to each year.

baby keepsake frame

 I've noticed over the years that I quickly forget how little my girls use to be and I wanted a way to always remember when they were born.  So I came up with this cute way to display their newborn pictures and all of their birth stats (what mother doesn't love those two thing?)

Here's what I came up with.

Here's how I made it.  I bought an 8x10 frame with a matte.  (Matte optional but helpful.)  My frame is from Walmart for $2.50

 

I painted the frame white

 Then distressed it with sandpaper.

I picked out some scrapbook paper that matches their room.  Use the matte as a template and trace around it on the back of your paper.  (If you don't have a matte you can measure and cut one out).  Then cut it out.

 

Here's your two pieces.  Then glue your scrapbook paper on your matte.

I sanded the inside edges of my paper to make it look a little more smooth.

Now choose a picture (both of mine are from the day they came home).  You can do this next part in any program you want.  I used Microsoft word.  I opened a new document and pasted my picture.  I cropped and sized it to 5x7.  Then insert a text box.  Type in your information, change font, size, etc.  Then remove fill in box and remove outline.  Change color and move it to the spot you want it.

It will look like this

 Print your photo on photo paper and cut it out.

 

Assemble your frame and you now have a beautiful keepsake of you sweet little one.

 

Here's a close up of each

Olivia

 Aubrey

 

Super easy Superhero Cape

My 5 year old LOVES to dress up like a hero.  You should see some of the crazy outfits she comes up with.  I love it.  Well it came as no surprise that she wanted to be a super hero for Halloween this year.  I was completely on board because I knew this costume would be used ALL YEAR.  This would be a great Christmas present for your little hero.

 To make one you need a large t-shirt (I used a men's XXXL- it was on sale.)  Some felt for fabric for the applique, Velcro, and a button (optional)

Lay your shirt flat and with a yard stick draw a line from the color to the bottom corner of the shirt.  Cut along that line and to the same on the other side.  (only cut through one side of the shirt-the other side can be use for another cape or a different project)

For the neck you can keep the entire existing collar and just slip in over their head or if its too big you can cut your own.  Use the collar as the basic shape but cut down far enough so your two ends will reach comfortably around your little ones neck.

Pin and sew Velcro the ends of each side.  If you don't want your Velcro stitching to show sew a button directly on top of the Velcro stitching so you see a cute button instead.

For the applique.  Cut out what ever design you want.  Felt is great because it won't fray. 

 Pin your design on your cape and sew in place.  If you are using fabric a zigzag stitch will help with fraying.

 Now try it on your little one and watch their imagination run wild.

I'll show you a quick way to make the hero shirt and mask soon.

Count your blessings

I made this quote using my cricut (the tree is from here).  I didn't place my leaves exactly like the cut out but I love how it turned out.  Its a wonderful reminder.

I love November because it so focused on giving thanks and remembering what we are thankful for.  Here are a few things I'm thankful for:  My kids, my hubby, the gospel, my family, my friends, my husbands job, a place to live, all of you, and so much more.  You will probably see a lot of project this month focused on being thankful.  What things are you thankful for?

Panel Skirt

 I love this little skirt. Its so simple, cute and you can easily change the look with the fabric on number of fabrics you use.  I saw my cousin wearing one and my Aunt gave me a quick explanation...now I'm going to share it with you.

Start by picking at least 2 coordinating fabrics.  For my 2 year old I used 2 fat quarters. 

Here's the tricky part-deciding how many panels you will need.  First decide how thick you want each panel.  I did mine 4" and it worked really well. Measure your daughters waist-mine was 23 inches.   Now divide your waist measurement by how thick you want your panels.  So mine looked like this 23/4=5.75.  Round up to the next number.  So it would be 6.   Then double that number.  So I made 12 panels 4 inches thick.  Make sense? 

For the length of the panels Measure from the waist to where you want want your skirt to end (I did mine right below the knees).  then add 1 inch.

Cut our your panels whatever width and length you need. They should look like this. Alternate fabrics to create your pattern (this would also look really cute with 3 or more different fabrics as well...Like I said the possibilities are endless).

.  Take the first two and pin right sides together.  sew. 

Add the next one and continue until you have sewn all of them together.  Pin and sew your first and last one to complete the tube.

Hem one end for the bottom and make a casing at the top.  (If you need more details on this step look here...it another easy skirt I made.)

Grab your safety pin and elastic and pull it through your casing.  Sew the two ends of the elastic together and sew your casing closed.

That's it!  You now have a fun little skirt.

Put it one your little one and enjoy.  No matching shirt required :)

Sweet Little Board

This was a really quick project that turned out so cute! 

To make one you need:

1 5x7 wood board (mine's from walmart)

Paint

Pattern paper

Computer and printer

Ink

mod podge

1) sand and paint the edges of your board (anywhere your going to see)

2)cut out your pattern paper to fit the middle of your board.  Ink the edges

3) add a layer of mod podge to your board.  Lay your pattern paper on top and add a layer on top.  Smooth out all bubbles.

4) Type of your quote and print

5)Cut out and ink edges

6)add your quote to the board (follow step 3) Let it dry.

That's it!  The possibilities are endless with this project.

Also Don't forget to link up to this weeks craft challenge and get ready for next weeks! 

I'll be linking up to these parties!

Tiled Family Frame

Okay so its not really tiled but that's what it reminds me of.  My hubby said this is probably his favorite project I've done.  Wow!  That's a big compliment.  I was inspired by this project I featured a while back.  She made her digitally and I don't have the software to do that so I did it the old fashion way.  It was pretty simple.  The hardest part was choosing what pictures to use. 

 

I didn't take pictures of each step because well I thought it would be about the same if I just explained it.  So if anything doesn't make sense just ask. 

You need:

1. 1 Frame-mine was 10x13 (a bigger frame would look really pretty as well)
2. A copy of The Family:A proclamation to the world or you could use any quote, large picture, etc.  Its pretty versatile
3. Pictures
4. tape

I am going to use the measurement I did but you can easily customize it to fit your pictures or size of frame.  It will just be easier to explain.

1. Copy and paste your document into Word and size.  I made mine 6.5" x9.5"
2. Print
3. Tape your document to the center of the paper/photo that comes with the frame (or cut a piece paper to fit the inside of your frame if you don't have one.)
4. The easiest way to do the pictures is to copy and paste them in to Word (or some program) and size them to the size you need.  Most of mine were about 2x2 (they were a little wide) but I did vary some of them.  Also Its okay if they are too big because you can crop them once they are in the place you want. 
5. Print them all on photo paper.  I was able to fit mine on two letter sized pages.
6. Arrange your photos to fit around your document.  (here's where the cropping comes in)  *The Key is to make sure all of the edges line up.  This is what gives it the tiled effect.
7. Tape in place. (trim off your edges)
8. frame

It looks a lot more complicated then it was and there really is no right or wrong way to do it.  I really love how this one turned out. 

I'll be linking up to these parties!

wood easel makeover

I bought this easel back in May and it has taken me a while to finish it.  I found it at a yard sale for $5.  Not to bad right.  It is really sturdy but kind of boring so we decided to beautify it.

First I grabbed my two little helper and sanded the whole thing down.

Then I used some fun green paint and now its fun, functional, and pretty.

I might mod podge some pretty pink paper over the red but for now its good.

Sweet baby plates

For my "use your own picture" challenge this week I decided to make my own version of this craft found of Fingerprints on the Fridge. (hers are adorable-she uses a white plate and stick the picture to the front. Really you should go check it out).I used a clear salad sized plate (walmart for around a dollar), fabric slightly bigger then the plate, and cute baby picture to fit the middle (need a 5x7 for this size of plate), and spray adhesive.Your picture will need to fit like this. You can print out a 5x7 and then cut it down to fit but I decided to take out a step by using Microsoft word. I opened a new document and inserted my pictures. I changed the shape to a circle. The size I needed was a 4.25" circle so I sized and cropped until my picture was the right size of circle. I then printed both off on one sheet of photo paper. Then cut them out.Next I sprayed the front side of my fabric with spray adhesive. Make sure to get everywhere that is going to touch the plate (you can wash the fabric to get it off your fabric scraps so you can use them for a different project)



Place the picture in the center of the fabric.



Turn your plate upside down. Line it up so the picture is in the center of the plate (fabric and picture face down) and start smoothing the fabric out over the plate. Go clear to the edge. The spray adhesive will allow you to lift and replace the fabric as needed to get rid of any wrinkle. Turn it over and cut off all of the extra fabric. Make sure the edges are glued well.

Enjoy those sweet babies. I'm not sure if I'm going to hang them or set them on little stands. What do you think?

Olivia age 2 weeks

Aubrey age 2 weeks