Archive of ‘Crafts & DIY’ category

How to Make a Cozy Pillow Bed

January 27, 2016| Crafts & DIY, For the Home, Kids Fun

Learn how to make this cozy pillow bed.

How to Make a Cozy Pillow Bed

In honor of Throwback Thursday, I’m resurrecting an oldie but a goodie. Over two and half years ago I posted my second ever blog post called “PILLOW MATTRESS – MY FIRST BIG SEWING PROJECT”. At the time, I didn’t think anyone would be interested in my blog or anything I had to talk about. Boy was I wrong! Today, that same post has been pinned over 40,000 times on Pinterest and it didn’t even come with a tutorial or directions on how to make the pillow bed. I think it’s time to remedy that situation now. I’ve redone the photos and am now including a full photo tutorial so you can learn how to make your own cozy pillow bed.

Before we get to the tutorial, I want to take a minute to talk about how great this pillow bed is. It’s been a couple of years since I made the pillow bed and it still gets used on a very regular basis. It’s so incredibly comfortable that it’s the bed of choice anytime my daughter has a sleepover. I’ve even had kids fighting over who gets to use it before. Noelle uses it whenever she goes to sleepover’s where they don’t have an extra bed or mattress – it’s very easy to transport. We’ve even used it to sleep on when we go camping. I’m telling you, it is the most luxurious and comfortable bed ever. And, don’t worry if you’ve never sewed before, neither had I before I made this – it’s super easy to make and you’ll whip it up in no time flat.

Cozy Pillow Bed Sewing Tutorial

Finished size: 33 x 74 inches (83.8 x 185.4 cm) | Seam Allowance: 1/2″ (1.3 cm)

Supplies:

2.25 yards (2 m) flannel material in pattern 1 (you can also just choose to do the entire bed in one pattern if you prefer)
2.25 yards (2 m) flannel material in pattern 2
Sewing machine and thread
Sharp scissors or rotary cutter
Pins
Measuring tape
Pencil or water soluble marker
4 pillows

Directions:

Using your scissors or rotary cutting tool, cut both pieces of flannel material to measure 34.5″ x 75″. (PHOTO A)
With both flannel pieces facing their right sides together, pin around one short
side, one long side, and the other short side (one long side will not be pinned together). (PHOTO B)
Machine sew the three pinned sides together, leaving a 1/2 seam as you sew. Remove pins as you sew. (PHOTO C)
Trim the points off the stitched corners with scissors (don’t get too close to the stitching). (PHOTO D)
On the one long raw side that hasn’t been sewn, fold over and pin the material twice so that there’s approximately a 1/2″ seam. (PHOTO E)
Machine sew the 1/2″ seam along the edge of the material (do not sew the two sides together) and turn right side out. (PHOTO F)
Starting at one short end, mark a parallel line every 18.5 inches down until you reach the other short end. This will divide you pillow bed into four equal sections. Stitch along each line to make four pillow pockets. (PHOTO G)
Stuff each of the four pockets with a pillow. (PHOTO H)

Download your free cozy pillow bed sewing tutorial here.

If you’re interested taking on more sewing projects, check out this fabulous book – Present Perfect: 25 Gifts to Sew & Bestow

Looking for some other great maker projects? Check out: Learn How to Embroider, Pink Grapefruit & Clay Soap, Copycat Burt’s Bees Lip Balm, Outlander Crochet Cowl, DIY Button Stamp Tool, Jellyfish Friendship Bracelets, 10-Minute Superhero Costume,

Learn how to make a cozy pillow bed with this quick and easy tutorial – a great beginner sewing project. Perfect for reading, lounging, sleepovers, and camping!

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Learn How to Embroider Simple But Pretty Designs

January 20, 2016| Crafts & DIY, Design & Technology

Learn How to Embroider Simple But Pretty Designs

Learn How to Embroider Simple But Pretty Designs – BONUS free Embroidery pattern included!

Hand embroidery is so challenging and tedious – oh, and it’s sooooo old school! Let me be the first to correct you on both points.

I’m the last person in the world to take on anything that’s too hard or time-consuming (case in point – my running shoes still look new and have hardly logged any hours on the pavement). I’m more of an instant gratification kind of girl.

As far as embroidery being old school, it’s making a triumphant comeback and soon you’ll see it everywhere – mark my words (you can’t see it but I’m wagging my finger at you). There’s a ton of incredible designers out there who are anything but old and stodgy. Today’s embroidery designers are cutting-edge, graphic and humorous (and often R-rated). If you’re curious, go check out Instagram and search the hashtags #hoopart, #embroideryart and #handembroidery.

I’m now positive, with every new hobby and skill I attempt, that I was an old west homesteader in a former life. My claim to fame is that I seem to be particularly adept at picking up old lady hobbies (my husband teases me constantly). You name it, crochet, soap making, pottery and now let’s add embroidery to the list. The embroidered hoop you see pictured in the photos is my second attempt at embroidery. I’m not telling you this to brag but rather to prove just how easy it is and how quickly you can learn to hand embroider simple designs. Being the instant gratification person I am, I spent all of an hour or two watching video tutorials then, I grabbed the materials, made my design and got down to it.

This particular embroidered hoop art is a birthday gift I made for my lovely mother-in-law Lynda. She’s sweet, kind, generous and caring but she’s also fierce in her beliefs, convictions, and the love she has for her friends and family. As soon as I found this little saying, I knew it was perfect for her.

How Can I Learn to do Hand Embroidery?

There are tons of tutorials and courses out there on hand embroidery. The first place I went was Craftsy where I took the amazing “Design It, Stitch It: Hand Embroidery” class by Jessica Marquez. This is a great foundation course that teaches 25 basic stitches – at this point, I still haven’t even gotten through the entire course – I was too excited with all the stitches I learned in the first 4 lessons.

If you’re looking for some free tutorials, this great YouTube playlist “Beginner Hand Embroidery: Learn Hand Embroidery with Me Series” by TLCinspirations is another great resource.

Another fun resource for learning about embroidery is my Embroidery Pinterest board where I’ve pinned hundreds of inspirational ideas as well as great photo tutorials.

Now let’s get to the floral embroidery pattern I used in the photos. Below, I’ve listed some of the specific tutorials I used to learn the stitches I chose for this project (click on each to go to the tutorial)

The writing – the back stitch (also used for the branches)
The green leaves – the fly stitch
The blue rosettes – the spider web rosette stitch
The daisy flowers – lazy daisy stitch (the purple and pink flowers /also the dark green leaves around the blue flowers)
The centers of the flowers – the french knot

Embroidery Supplies

Luckily there are only a few supplies you’ll need to get started and generally, they are pretty inexpensive.

Embroidery needles (sizes 3-9)
Embroidery floss – cotton or pearl cotton
Embroidery hoop – there are many sizes available – I used a 7″ hoop for the hoop art in the photos
Fabric such as linen, cotton or muslin (great for practicing)
Sharp scissors
Fine tip marker or soluble pen (I used the Fine Water Erasable Marker by Clover)
Needle threader (not a requirement but it can help make threading easier)

Once you’ve gone through a few tutorials and are confident enough to start your first embroidered hoop art, feel free to download my pattern and try your hand at embroidery. Simply print it out and then trace the design onto your fabric (I held my fabric up against a window so that I could see the design behind the fabric more easily).

Get Your Free Embroidery Pattern – in two sizes

Download the 6″ embroidery pattern with quote here
Download the 6″ embroidery pattern without the quote here
Download the 7″ embroidery pattern with quote here
Download the 7″ embroidery pattern without the quote here

I can’t wait to hear what you think and how your attempt at embroidery goes. Please feel free to share your stories and photos with me… I may even (with your permission of course) showcase them with my social media community.

Learn how to embroider simple but pretty designs – bonus embroidery pattern included.

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link, which means that if you visit Craftsy.com through this link and purchase this product, I’ll get a commission. Don’t worry–the price is still the same for you.

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How To Make Natural Pink Grapefruit and Clay Soap

January 13, 2016| Crafts & DIY, Health & Beauty

Learn How To Make Natural Pink Grapefruit and Clay Soap

How To Make Natural Pink Grapefruit and Clay Soap

For Christmas each year, I make some sort of handmade gift for all the amazing women in my life. This year it was a variety of soaps and my award-winning lip balm (ok, maybe it hasn’t won any awards but IMHO it’s the best lip balm on the planet). I had so much fun creating and experimenting with new soap recipes including peppermint, lemongrass, citrus and honey and oats. I really love them all but perhaps my favorite is the pink grapefruit and clay soap.

Benefits of Pink Grapefruit Essential Oil and Pink Clay

Grapefruit essential oil is a powerful antioxidant and can help with excessive oiliness, dryness, and blemishes. Pink clay is perfect for sensitive skin, as it has a gentle cleansing action that isn’t too harsh. Also, clay has the amazing ability to absorb toxins from the skin, such as dirt, makeup, bacteria, and oil. The pink grapefruit and clay soap smells amazing and it’s so refreshing when you’re just waking up with your morning shower – oh, and the lather is out of this world!

It was almost a year ago that I learned how to make soap with my first recipe being a natural calendula soap. We adore our handmade soap so much, it’s all my family uses now. I love that I know exactly what’s in my soap and that it won’t dry out our skin like so many commercial soaps. Soap making can seem a little scary but as long as you follow the instructions and take the proper safety precautions you’ll be fine (was that convincing). Seriously, give it a try and let me know what you think.

Natural Pink Grapefruit and Clay Soap Recipe

Download your Pink Grapefruite and Clay Soap Recipe here.

Makes approximately 2.5 lbs.

Ingredients: *note – measurements are done by weight and not volume for better accuracy.

10 oz. (350 grams) Coconut Oil
6 oz. (170 grams) Palm Oil (please, if possible, try to use a certified sustainable palm oil)
8 oz. (226 grams) Olive Oil
10 oz. (283 grams) Caster Oil
4 oz. (113 grams) Almond Oil
5.9 oz (176 grams) Lye
14 oz. (397 grams) Cold Water (distilled or filtered if possible)
4 tsp of Grapefruit Essential Oils (EO’s are expensive so if you’re ok with grapefruit fragrance oil you can swap it here but I’d suggest leaving out fragrance if the people using it have sensitivities).
2 tbsp pink clay

What you’ll need:

Pyrex measuring cup
Container to measure lye into
Rubber gloves
Safety goggles
Large mixing spoon
Stainless steel pot
Kitchen scale
Candy thermometer (2 if possible)
Blender stick
Soap mold (1 quart [1 litre] milk cartons work great if you don’t want to buy a proper mold – that’s what I use)
Tea towels
Chef’s knife

Directions:

Weigh cold water and place in a Pyrex measuring cup.
Put on rubber gloves and safety goggles and carefully measure lye into a container. Pour into the water while stirring with spoon – mix carefully and avoid splashing (important – always pour the lye into the water and not the water into the lye – this can cause a mini explosion). Avoid inhaling fumes – stir until lye is completely dissolved. Place thermometer in lye – making sure that it is suspended in the liquid and not resting on the bottom of the container
Weigh oils and/or fat into stainless steel pot. Place on stovetop and turn on heat to lowest setting and keep an eye on the temperature with your thermometer.
If you used cold water to mix your lye, it should now be somewhere around 150 degrees Fahrenheit and will be starting to cool. The object is to bring the lye and the oils simultaneously to a temperature in the range of between 110 – 115 degrees Fahrenheit. As long as they are both at the same temperature you should have no trouble getting your mixture to “trace”. Tracing refers to the soap mixture’s ability to hold a design on its surface.
Start to mix the oils at a low-speed with the blender stick. Pour the lye into the mixture in a steady stream being careful not to splash. When the lye has been emptied into the pot continue stirring. Test for tracing by turning the blender stick off and lifting out of the mixture and drizzling across the surface of the soap. When the lines hold their form momentarily, you are ready to add scent and calendula flowers if you want to. *If adding scent, coloring or inclusions you must work quickly as your soap will begin to set up quickly at this stage and you need to get it into a mold!
Pour mixture into the mold then wrap mold in tea towels to keep the soap as warm as possible. Put container in a safe place out of drafts and let it sit for at least 12 hours before checking (This is the hardest part about soap making – no peeking!)
After 36 hours check your soap. It’s ready to remove from the mold when it has cooled and is completely opaque. If after 36 hours it’s solid but still quite soft, place in the freezer until frozen solid. When solid, tear away sides of the carton to reveal your gorgeous creation. Cut into bars using a large chef’s knife and allow to cure for 3 weeks before use (although it can be used before then – it just won’t last as long).

Download your Pink Grapefruit and Clay Soap Recipe here.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive guide to making all kinds of soap, take a peek at this great book: The Everything Soapmaking Book: Learn How to Make Soap at Home with Recipes, Techniques, and Step-by-Step Instructions

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15 Instagram Accounts to Inspire Your Creativity

January 8, 2016| Crafts & DIY, Design & Technology

15 Instagram Accounts to Inspire Your Creativity

I know what you’re thinking…savvy, tech and design loving blogger must have her finger on the pulse of all the latest social media platforms. While I’m flattered by this, I have to be completely open and admit that I’ve been dragging my feet a little on a couple (OK, maybe a few) social media platforms – mainly Twitter and Instagram. But, since one of my goals for 2016 is to broaden my knowledge of social media, I recently decided to give up my unfounded disinterest and dive right in.

Why follow Instagram?

While I’m still trying to sort out Twitter (sensory overload) I’m totally digging Instagram. With over 80 million photos uploaded to Instagram every day, there’s a virtual smorgasbord board of creative geniuses to peruse. What’s not to like? It’s all about photos (one of my favorite forms of creativity); you get to be a bit of a voyeur into other people’s lives and, it’s where “all the kids hang” (you know it’s good if kids like it). Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out… Instagram is fabulous for businesses, entrepreneurs, and marketers – it’s the easiest way to humanize their brands and make them feel relatable!

Since my foray into the world of Instagram, I’ve become enamored with so many amazing Instagrammers (correct terminology?). There are some pretty amazing people in this world, that’s all I can say. I am astounded by the unending, deep vein of creativity that seems to run through so many talented people.

So why chose 15 Instagram Accounts to follow? Well, my list was only supposed to be 10 amazing Instagrammers but I couldn’t narrow it down… so 15 it is. I’ve tried to cover a lot of creative topics so there’s something for everybody. Be prepared to get your creative juices flowing (hope you can spare the next 2-4 hours – it’s a vortex I tell ya).

15 Instagram Accounts to Inspire Your Creativity – in no particular order

(Go to the Instagram Accounts by clicking on their names in blue. All photos direct from each Instagram user’s account.)

1. Geninne – Wow, this Santa Fe artist has mad talent pouring out of every cell in her body. I’ve been following her blog for years but now I get my quick fixes seeing her newest creations popping up in the Instagram feed.

2. Femme.Broidery – This fellow Canadian has knocked my socks off. I didn’t even know I liked embroidery until I saw her work…so much so, I just took my fist embroidery class this past weekend.

3. Dagmar’s Kitchen – I honestly have no idea how I stumbled across this insanely creative food stylist and blogger but her food photos are about the best I’ve every seen. Oh, those colors!

4. Baking a Moment – This girl makes food look way too pretty to eat. I swear I salivate every time I peruse her photos. Simply divine!

5. Niebeskachata – If you follow my blog at all, you know that I’m a sucker for beautiful crochet designs. Agnieszka makes crochet designs look so good you’ll want to eat them.

6. Tell love and party – This is about as fun and colorful an account as you’ll find. Jam packed with crafts and amazing party themes, you’ll want to create an event just so you can use some of her clever ideas.

7. Almost Makes Perfect – Sublime and dreamy, Molly’s photos make me want to paint every room and item in my house white. Sleek, minimalist and downright gorgeous.

8. Hello Glow Blog – I always want to run to the grocery store and stock up on fruit and veggies after seeing these photos. Hello Glow’s photos can’t help but inspire you to be healthier.

9. West Coast Petrichor – Oh how I love petrichor (look it up)! This is the work of my friend Tana’s incredibly talented daughter. Phenomenal photography and a sampling of images from my favorite part of the planet. Oh, and if you’re a coffee lover there’s lots of caffeine inspiration as well.

10. Ms Craftberry Bush – Elegant, sophisticated and chic home, DIY, crafts, and printables. Lucy’s style and taste will make you want to rethink you living room decor. Amazing!

11. Honey and the Hive – Check out these fun, colorful and amazing illustrations and paintings by Kelsey DeLange. Her work is oozing with charm and character.

12. Riva La Diva – This talented diva not only blogs about fashion but shows you how you can make these on-trend styles yourself! She shares her personal style through fashion tutorials, outfit ideas, beauty tips and more.

13. Katie Is A Daisy – Beautiful and whimsical fine art inspired by nature. Her color palettes are always spot on and her hand lettering is magical.

14. Studio DIY – Follow Kelly and you’ll find a lot of fun DIY projects, party tips and colorful ideas designed to help you inspire, create and celebrate.

15. Kraft Mint – Soft color palettes and modern stylish crafts. Ursula will inspire you with her unending stream of craft and decor ideas.

Finally, I have a (currently sad) little Instagram account too. I’m just getting started with it so pardon my lack of images…but bare with me, I’m working on it. Follow the Dabbles and Babbles Instagram Account – I need all the help I can get! Thanks.

Oh, one last thing. I also started a curated Pinterest board called, “Instagram Love” where I pin all my favorite photos and inspirations. Check it out here.

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