Fabric Stuffed Gingerbread House!

So this is what I worked on, ALL DAY yesterday. I had the day off from work, and I was hanging out with my sick kitty. So I wanted to work on a project that I could pretty much do most of on my couch while watching some Christmas movies!

For some reason, I really love Gingerbread Houses. I have been wanting to make a fabric one. I found a little tutorial online and decided to try it! I found it here at Sew Can Do.

Of course I tweaked mine a little. I just used some tan fabric instead of fleece. I also decided to go to town with the embellishments (which is why it took me ALL DAY). I also decided to hot glue everything on. I only sewed the body of the house up and then hand sewed the chimney, because my husband said it NEEDED a chimney. =)

I used for the embellishments:
Felt
Fabric
Rhinestones
Buttons
Pompoms
Sequins
Ribbon
Ric rac (of course!)

I cut out the house, then worked on most of the "decor", then I sewed the house up. Turned right side out, and stuffed it. Hand sewed the opening. Then I added extra details, like the sequins! Which I think added the extra "oomph" it needed. It is suppose to look like snow/ice. It is so much more sparkly in person!

It is actually a pretty good size, 10 inches long. I think it turned out pretty neat! I love that I can put it out next year and the year after and the year after...and so on.

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Just a few things I have been working on....

Just a few..... ;)

Here is my new Christmas Wreath!
I wrapped a foam wreath form in yarn. Then made a few rosettes and cut out a few holly leaved and hot glued them to the wreath. I also hung a little sign in the middle that I found at the Dollar Store. I pretty much winged it as I went. I knew I wanted it wrapped in yarn...and so I went from there.

I made some Christmas Countdown Blocks. I made a set for my sisters families and myself. My husband cuts the wood for me. (This is pre-Cricut, more on that later)



I made myself a Christmas Card/Photo Holder. I originally found the idea of Pottery Barns Website (which was $50!)...but I don't see it there anymore to provide the link...so here is another link to a different one.

I bought some wire that is kind of thicker. Then I just started cutting and twisting, figuring it out as I went along. Basically it is one long piece of wire, with doubled circles all along it. Then you make another just like it. So you have one for each 'side'. Then you use another wire to wrap the two together all the way down. Then you curl the ends, top & bottom. Then I used some nails to attach it to my wall. My hands were a bit sore while working on this...but it came out pretty good.

I made myself a little Christmas hanging. I just got myself a CRICUT!!! So...I was playing with it and really wanted to try cutting fabric with it. It works!!

I made a Let it Snow sign. Everything on it was cut from my Cricut with white Contact paper. I was experimenting. So EASY!
LOVE IT!

I made a couple new stockings for me and my husband. Just some patchwork with Christmas fabric. =)

THIS....I love!
I have seen a few of these Stocking Signs around in Blog World...and that was one of the FIRST things I made with my Cricut!
I used drawer knobs/pulls on it to hand the stockings (yes...my cats have stockings)

I made these Snow People. I used a pillowcase for the white fabric. I want to make matching Snow Kitties to go along with it.
I will post a tutorial on these soon!

Phew....So that is what I have been up to. Actually there are more projects, I just haven't gotten around to get photos of them!
I hope to post some more soon!

Thats it for now. Time to get ready for WORK!

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Hoo are you Tuesday...

1. Do you like to listen to Christmas music?
Of course! I try to wait until Thanksgiving to start, but like this year, I have been making a lot of my gifts this year, and I started before Thanksgiving, so...I HAD to listen to Christmas music. It gets you in the Christmas-y mood. =)

2. Are you one of those people who get all their shopping done early,

or do you do most of it in December?
I would LOVE to get my shopping done early...it would be so much less stressful. But...I am a bit of a procrastinator and I usually can't wait to give the gifts. So...it's hard for me to shop through the year. I usually start in November though. This year since I wanted to make quite a bit of a gifts, I started in October. But I am discovering, that maybe I should of started a little sooner.

3. Do you set a budget on how much you spend on each person?
Not really. I try to be reasonable and not go crazy. I do like to spend equal or make equal gifts for my sisters and then my niece and nephews. I just always have been that way. I try anyway. (Though I have to say....girls are easier than boys!)
I don't really have a limit for my husband or my mom. I also don't have any kids, so I don't have to worry about that right now.

4. Do you send out Christmas cards?
YES! I loveeeeeee giving out Christmas cards, and I get SOOO excited when I get some in the mail. I usually try to make a photo card online. Since we don't have any kids, my husband usually wants me to make sure I include a photo of our cats if possible. Haha.
I display all the cards we get for as long as possible. Then I cut the photos out of the photo cards and bring them to work and hang them on my mirror (I'm a hairstylist).

5. Do you enjoy this holiday season or does it stress you out?
A little of both. Except I think I enjoy it a little more than stress out. I think if I can start to shop or craft earlier in the year, then there would be even less stress and more enjoying!

I'm back...with doggie clothes!

WOW! It's been a while since I posted! Oops!

I have spending most of my time finding craft projects and working on that, that I haven't gotten around to posting any.
I am starting to feel the:
"There are only 39 days until Christmas! I need to get cracking on these gifts!!"
You feeling it too?!?
I am trying to make most of my gifts this year. I have a hard time shopping early, because I just want to give the gifts to people. So to force myself to start early to make gifts...is hard! I keep procrastinating. BUT...I am getting there. =)
I was looking at the calender yesterday, and realized how quickly Christmas is coming!!

So...here is something I worked on this weekend.
My niece just got a new puppy. Its a ShiChon and his name is Cooper.
Its hypoallergenic, which I think is SO cool!
His fur is so soft!!
So...of course I had to make him some clothing and accessories to start him a wardrobe, because he doesn't have anything yet! And he's a little ball of fur and it gets pretty cold up here in Northern Maine.
Of course...I pushed all my other projects to the side to work on this!
This is what I came up with so far:


Here he is modeling his Tie for work! haha


Here is his bow-tie! Doesn't he look smart?!
Both the tie and bow-tie I made out of scrap fabric, then made a casing to put elastic in. Pretty simple.

Its SUPER COOPER!
Like his Cape??
All made out of felt...and practically new-sew. I only sewed a tiny piece of elastic to help keep it around his neck. He probably needs one to go around his waist too...since it kept sliding to one side or the other.


You like his fleece hoodie? Nice and warm! Fit him just perfect. I whipped this up with
no MEASURING! I eyeballed it. I used green fleece for the outside and gray for the inside.

Like his hood? I added him a little mohawk!

Well....I am off to work on other projects!
I promise to post soon!!

=D

Halloween Costumes!

Halloween Costumes!!

Here's a costume I literally whipped up tonight in a couple hours.
Its for my friends little boy. He is 5 months old.

Originally I wanted to make him a football costume. But I couldn't find any dark brown baby clothes locally that I could use. I was trying to make this without spending much or taking a long time to make.

So I picked up a white onesie and thought about it for a while. I really wanted to do an animal so I googled white animals.
HA! Duh....Zebras!

So everything is made out of felt except the mane is made out of a black furry fabric that I had.
I sewed the hat, the ears, mane, & tail. I hot glued all the stripes, eyes & nose.

It was pretty simple...and FUN to make!

I thought that he could wear it with some white bottoms under the onesie and black socks. Simple enough!

I looks so cute in person! My husband was impressed =)
Too bad I don't have a baby to model it for you. But I will be seeing him this weekend so I will get some photos of an actual child wearing it...and post later!

Don't forget the Cheese costume I whipped up in a half hour for my nephew from this post!

Here is my husband and my costumes from last year!

I was Snow White and he was Prince Charming.
I bought my costume, but made his.
Oh and I found some heels on clearance that I spray painted gold and glitterfied them!

Wait until you see our costumes from this year!

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Art Day with the "kids"!

I started something new.
I am trying to have an "Art Day" with my niece and nephews at least once a month.
Yes its not like their little kids...but 11, 15, 17, & 26 year olds still know how to have fun...with arts & crafts!

Todays agenda:
-Jolly Rancher Lollipops
-Slimeeee
-Find it/Eye Spy Bottle Game
-Impromptu Halloween Costume

Now let me explain it all....

Here is what is left of the Jolly Rancher Lollipops. I found the recipe at The Decorated Cookie.
We baked ours for 7 minutes (instead of 6) @ 275 degrees. Let them cool for about 10 before wrapping them.
"It's so tasty TOO! Just like candy!"
(where does this quote come from?? come on, old tv show)

Here is our Impromptu Cheese Halloween Costume. My nephew said he has always wanted to be a piece of cheese for Halloween.
So....we had a half hour left...with 4 people (my self, newphew, niece, & sister)....we whipped up a piece of "orange swiss cheese....with a mouse" (the requirements of an 11 year old)
Not too bad, I have to say....it cost $2.15.
I had most of the items...just had to get some yellow poster board. We would of painted it but we were on a time crunch.
We hot glued everything...and I used yellow bias tape for the straps...hot glued of course!
Didn't have time to make a mouse...so used a cat toy instead.

Here are our Find it/Eye Spy bottle games that we made!
Found the instructions here @ Pink & Green Mama.
I dyed the rice the night before since it had to dry overnight...the instructions are here at the same place.
They selected what they wanted in their bottles.
We used:
buttons, saftey pins, fish toys, q-tips, dice, pennies, erasers, rhinestones, beads, feathers, scraps of fabric, fake flowers, mini clothespins, pom poms, and sea shells.

We made lists and took photos of the items before putting them in the bottles with the rice and hot glued the covers on.
Great travel game and sitting on the couch with friends game.

You can just search for the items, or give yourself 60 seconds to see how much you find, or find everything in one color, or find things alphabetically.
So many ways!

FINALLY....we made Slime, or Goo, or Gak, or Obleck, or "Silly Putty"
Whatever you want to call it....it was FUN!

All it is:
cornstarch
water
food coloring

It was like a science experiment.

It worked a lot better when you poured a little corn starch...a little water....few drops of food coloring....then add more if needed. We mixed it all in ziplock bags then put in seal able containers.

Beware...its kinda messy...but easy to clean up. Wipes up...vacuums up too.

Its a solid AND a liquid! HOW COOL?!

They had a ball and couldn't get over it. (well...me either! shhh)
Can you tell from the photos???

Ahhh....what a FUN day!
Now to plan next months activities!