Quick Inspiration

My house is in great need of some decor and organization, but the budget is pretty tight right now so I'm having to get creative. 

I don't know about you, but things tend to pile up all other the place in our house: preschool papers, mail, calendars, sticker books, etc... I was getting kind of tired of it and wanted to purchase an elaborate shelving system to help with the problem. There really was nothing that I could find that was worth actually spending money on within my price range so I improvised for a bit. I found an old bookshelf that wasn't in use and brought it over next to our desk. I started piling things on it with the intent to make it look neater, but alas, this is how it looked most days:

 I finally decided to do something about the eyesore it was becoming and grabbed some fabric from my stash, cut it to the dimensions of the shelf, sewed it, and then found a tension rod lying  in my closet that was needing a home. Mission accomplished! Much better for now.

 Then I whipped up a quick pillow for my living room chair because the colors worked perfectly together.

Sometimes it is easy to add a little bit of "new" to your life without having to break the bank. My next project is to tackle my closet and start shopping my current wardrobe.

Valentine's Day

We made the ever popular Valentine's found on Pinterest to give to Aidan's classmates. Super easy. I took a pic of him, added text in Picnik, sent it to 1 hour photo at Wal-mart, picked up the pictures and candy from the store, made little holes, inserted candy.

Upon finding them this morning, Nora was crawling on top of the table trying to pull all the suckers out of each one as I hurriedly snapped a pic for memories sake. And...we were 15 minutes late to school...again.

DIY Heart Stamps

Super quick and easy project. Got this one off the internets....and I had all the supplies! Just need a couple toilet paper rolls and some rubber bands to make little heart shaped stamps, some paints, and paper. We spent the afternoon making Valentine's for our friends....simple, cheap, easy, and cute.

Big Button Beanie with Ribbed Stitch

This hat came together beautifully. I just made it up as I went, but knew I wanted to add a ribbed look on the bottom that gave it a more "knit" look. I really like how it turned out and hope the little boy who gets to wear it enjoys it just as much.

Want to know how to get that ribbed look? I'll share a pattern soon for this sweet little baby hat.

Nora's Room: Quilt

I honestly am not much of a seamstress. I have had no real training, but have been learning some things by taking on little projects here and there. Thanks goes out to my mother for deciding I needed a sewing machine a few years ago. I honestly did not see the value since I did not sew or have much desire to at the time, but I am so thankful to have my own machine now.

So, back to the project at hand. I am in the process of decorating Nora's room. Right now her room consists of a hideous hodgepodge of decor and furniture that needs painting. Her curtains are basically an old twin sheet that we nailed up to block some of the sunlight. (yeah, it's bad)

I found this quilt kit at Wal-mart in the clearance section for $11. I was so excited, so I went ahead and bought it. Fast forward about 3 months later, and I finally got out the fabric and did something with it.... TA DA!

The quilt is not finished. I just cut out everything and pieced it together, but it still needs the backing and binding. I was so proud of myself the night I put this together I couldn't stop staring at it. I think it is going to be perfect for a little girl's room!

Canvas Art

I have several plain white canvases that have been sitting around my house for awhile and I finally got some paints out and spent the evening having a little fun.

This image has been floating around Pinterest and I had it on one of my boards to make. I love the colors and the simple message.

Here's my recreation:

I did something a little different with the "berries?" and still probably need to add a little more to cover up the right side a little more, but I really like how it turned out. Painting words takes a lot of concentration and work, especially when doing it free hand. I think I need to invest in buying some stencils to make the process a little easier. Any thoughts?

Have you heard of Ravelry?

If you like to knit or crochet, but haven't heard of ravelry, then you are about to hit a landmine....seriously.

I love ravelry because it is an online community where you can find patterns (for free and for sale) for almost anything you might want to make with yarn. It is a great tool to help you find inspiration and you can save patterns in your "favorites" to look at later. I have actually found several great patterns for free that I have downloaded. It is also a great resource if you want to grow your ability to read patterns.

Here's one that I stumbled upon today. It is a free download on ravelry's site.

I made this cardigan in 2 evenings this past weekend. I whipped it up in an 18-24 month size for Nora. Still really need to take a picture (this picture was taken from ravelry's site). My interpretation of the pattern was a little bit different, but I love the way it turned out. I'll have to upload a picture of the finished product soon. 

Little purse

I made this purse for Nora for Christmas. She has been in love with big bags and I thought it would be fun to make her something her own size. I used Heat N' Bond to adhere the heart to the fabric and then embroidered around it. I used the basic idea to make a tote bag, but cut out my pieces to fit her size. I also rounded it out a little more and only put one strap on it. To see the instructions for a basic tote bag, you can go here.

Pattern: Slouchy Hat

Stumbled upon this free pattern  and thought I would share. It looks like a super quick and easy hat to make and so pretty too! I love the purple color she used. Be sure to check out the copyright rules on the bottom of her post.

Crocheted Amigurumi Owl

I whipped up one of these (pattern can be found on ravelry.com) for my sweet baby girl. She loves it... I have never really made any of the amigurumi animals, but have always wanted to try. It isn't perfect, but Nora doesn't mind and it gave me some practice at something new.

Easy Felt Flower Pins

The night before Aidan last day of schoolI was scrambling to come up with ideas for Christmas gifts for his teachers. I had planned on baking something, but decided last minute to rummage through my craft stuff and see what I could come up with. I remembered this tutorial I pinned on Pinterest. It was very quick and really easy. Mine didn't turn out quite the same, but I think I needed to adjust the size of my petals. I still liked them and the teachers were pleased.

The picture isn't so great because I shot it quickly while I was getting everyone ready to leave for preschool. I don't know why I always do things so last minute, but that's my life right now I guess.

Home for the Holidays

We are spending 16 days in KS over the holidays. We left last Sunday and I won't be blogging much because I don't have access to pictures and other things I need to actually share things I have worked on. I made a lot of gifts this year, but didn't post them due to being much to busy prepping for the trip, and afraid that family might find out about presents before they should.

I have a lot of new ideas I hope to being working on in the new year....hope you'll stick around to see them. :)

Andes Mint Chocolate Cake = Delicious

My mom had her birthday just a few days ago and I wanted to do something special for her, so I baked her a cake...An Andes Mint Chocolate Cake. One word: AH-MAZING.
You want the recipe right? Cause I'm giving it to you.
What you'll need:
1/2 cup butter
2 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs
3 squares of unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup boiling water

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
4 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4-6 Tbs milk

So let's started:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar

Then, add in the eggs one at a time. Make sure they get beat in well after each addition.

At this point you will need to melt those baking chocolate squares. 

And after this I got so involved in this project I started forgetting to take pictures. After you melt the chocolate you should beat it in with the vanilla. 

Then, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. You will want to add this to the creamed mixture alternately with the sour cream. Boiling water comes next and you whisk it until it is smooth. 

Pour into greased pans.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 mins. Let cool for 10 mins and then place on rack to cool. Make some frosting and decorate that cake. 

Between the layers of the cake I put andes mint chips. I also cover the top with them. They add a really nice touch to the cake. 

TADAH!

I think she had a good birthday. I mean who couldn't with a cake like that. :)

Felt Christmas Tree

So I got this idea from Pinterest and thought it would be a fun way to let the littlest one in our family help decorate a tree. She actually really does like it and it was super easy to make. The only problem I have is that she keeps trying to pull the tree down. :)

Chunky Scarf

I am loving this one. And it is for me! I picked up this yarn a couple of weeks ago with the intent on making myself a scarf. I love the thickness and the color. And I love actually getting to wear some of my stuff as it gets colder.

Check another one off my list

Remember this cowl?

Well, I made one for myself.

There was definitely a little frustration with this one, but after I pulled out a few rows, I got back on track and it turned out lovely. It is so soft and warm. I just wish it was cold enough in South Carolina to actually wear this.

If anyone wants one, just shoot me an email:

homemadesaturdays.shop@gmail.com

Pattern making

I found this hat pattern on Pinterest awhile back and wanted to  see if I could recreate it for Nora.

Here's my version:

It was fairly simple and I really liked how it turned out. The picture isn't great because I had poor lighting and it washed out the dark brown, but the colors are almost exactly like the ones in the above picture. I wanted to get a picture of Nora wearing this, but as she is battling a month long ear infection and the weather has been far from cold enough to wear a hat, she has refused several times to cooperate as a model. When I do get the chance, I will take a better picture, hopefully with an agreeable model. 

Edit: My model finally complied!

Would anyone be interested if I wrote out the pattern?

A few new things.

I've been working on several new things the past few weeks. 

I just can't get enough of that mustard yellow color. Seriously. It is awesome.

I am taking custom orders for Christmas still. So let me know if you want anything! 

Favorite Thanksgiving Recipe

Roasted Apples and Sweet Potatoes with Honey Glaze

If you are still trying to get your menu together last minute, here's a great dish that not only looks good, but is very tasty.

5 large sweet potatoes
3 apples
1/4 cup lemon juice
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
6T. butter
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/2 t. salt
2/3 cup pecans

Directions:

Wash and bake potatoes at 400 degrees for 1 hour.
Slice apples and toss with lemon juice.
Peel potatoes, slice, and arrange in baking dish (9x13) with apples. Combine sugar and next 5 ingredients in pan, bring to boil until thickened (about 2 min.). Pour glace over potatoes and apples. Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for 30 min. Remove, baste with glaze, and sprinkle nuts on top. Bake 15 more minutes.

Note: The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup bourbon to add to the glaze. I originally made this without and loved it so much that I have never added the bourbon to it.

Tutorial: Fabric Covered Button Rings

 Okay, so this is super simple, and probably already being done, but I haven't seen a tutorial out there for this, so I'm just passing along my newfound fun with fabric buttons.

Supplies:
button making kit
adjustable ring
fabric you love
E-6000 glue (you can find this in craft section at Wal-mart)
or glue gun

If you have never made fabric covered buttons, it is very simple. I recommend going to Wal-mart and buying a button kit there. It should have everything you need. I have bought some at Hobby Lobby too, but I find the ones at Wal-mart to actually be better. However, I have yet only been able to find adjustable rings at Hobby Lobby. They are fairly inexpensive and often marked down 50%.

Here's how to do this project in 3 very simple steps:

 Cut a circle out of your fabric

 Follow button cover directions on package to make your button

 Use your glue of choice and attach the adjustable ring

Wear that ring!

This would make a very simple handmade gift for a friend, sister, coworker, etc...