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home about me faq/terms downloads featured/awards reader's links my buttons advertise The Idea Room Store Pear/Apple Pincushion Pattern and Tutorial For more information click here. Fabric Key Chains--click here for more information. Available Styles Option a $7.50Option b $7.50Option c $7.50Option d $7.50Option e $7.50Option f $7.50Option g $7.50Option h $7.50Option i $7.50Option j $7.50 Available Styles Option k $7.50Option l $7.50 Glass Tile Initial Pendants and... Glass Tile Pendants--To learn more about these pendants and to see the available styles, click here. Options: 1 Pendant $6.002 Pendants $11.003 Pendants $15.00 Kids Car Travel Games-- To learn about the above products click here. Options: One game $1.00Four (4) games $2.50Five (5) games $3.00Returning buyer: 4 games $2.00

Fabulous Friends 2010 (38) February (18) Address Book with Labels Blueberry Sourcream Muffins Look What I Can See... Decorative "Snow Ball" Men Winner of Giveaway This... Playhouse Giveaway! More Valentine's Day Treats Snow Man Oven Mitt Tutorial Heart Felt Pillow Giveaway Time...Again! We have some winners! Heart Suckers and Heart Candies Valentine Cookie Pops Guess What? Free Shoes for Everyone...In Haiti! New Feature! PeachyCheap Winner and Fabric Flowers January (20) Beautiful Talent and Creativity Studio 5 Appearance White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn Chocolate Covered Cinnamon Bears PeachyCheap Scrapbook Supplies Giveaway!

Confessions of a Mommy Blogger... Blog Swap with Sister's Stuff Snow Man Tutorial Add a Ruffle to a Sweatshirt New Fabric Key Chains Pinewood Derby Treat Cars I Need Your Help!!!! Valentine's Topiary "Play Dough" Lollipop Cookies Heart Felt Wreath Jewelry Organizers Recessionista Style Lists and More Lists...! Kid "Date" Nights Ice/Snow Scraper Hand Mitt Tutorial I'm Back! 2009 (247) December (23) New Interactive Online Job Chart Giveaway Winner and Marshmallow Snowmen Candy Cane Coffee Cake & More! Another Christmas Surprise!! Those are some LIGHTS! Simple Word Gifts Christmas Giveaway Winner! Snow Covered Pine Cones Christmas Giveaway! Oh Christmas Tree... Personal Message from Santa Christmas Kiss Centered Brownies November (23) October (24) September (20) August (21) July (19) June (18) May (21) April (19) March (23) February (31) January (5) Need Gift Ideas? Tutorials? *personalized books on tape *oven mitts *peppermint foot scrub *bath salts *finger puppets *marshmallow guns *wooden spool dolls *camera strap cover *washer necklaces *picture blocks *personalized hand soap/sanitizer *bathtub paints *tutus *crayon roll *embossed candles *etched glass vases *picture collections *barette holder *fabric key chains Top Ten Posts of 2009 #1 Rainbow Cake #2 Oven Mitt #3 Halloween Apothecary #4 Fruit Fly Trap #5 Family Theme/Motto #6 Fabric Pumpkins

#7 Frankenstein Glass Block #8 Reward System & Home Store #9 Laundry Tips #10 Weekly Menu This Blog This Blog Showing posts with label Tutorials. Show all posts Showing posts with label Tutorials. Show all posts Wednesday, February 10, 2010 Snow Man Oven Mitt Tutorial **For those of you who can't find mini candy canes and want to make the heart suckers, my sister reminded me that some stores sell the mini starburst candy canes that come in a lot of colors. Those would be really cute as well! Remember my oven mitt tutorial? Well, I have another make. But this one is a snowman! I know many of you, East, are getting blasted with winter weather still. oven mitts while you are trapped inside with nothing to pull some warm baked goods out of the hot oven. oven mitt that you can especially in the North So why not make some cute better to do. Then use them

These are made just like the my other oven mitts. I have provided you with a downloadable pattern here. Cut 2 peices of your main fabric (mine was white with white polka-dots) using the whole outside line of the snowman pattern. Then cut two peices of Insul-Bright using the same pattern.

Then using the snowman pattern, trace the face with pencil lightly onto one of the peices of your main fabric. I hand embroidered the face using embroidery floss...black for the eyes and mouth and orange for his carrot nose.

When you have finished his face, trace the star buttons onto your coordinating fabric. Cut out the stars and then hand sew them onto your snowman.

Take your snowman and Insul-Bright and stack them on top of one another so that the bottom fabric's right side is facing down. Then place the Insul-Bright layers in the middle and then top with the snowman with the right side facing up. Pin together all the layers and sew around the entire snowman with a 5/8 inch seam.

Now take your coordinating fabric and fold it in half. Place the fold on one

line going across your snowman pattern for the finger pocket. Trace around the pattern onto your material and then cut your coordinating fabric.

Repeat for the other finger (thumb) pocket. Cut 1 peice of batting for each pocket. Place your folded pockets so that (including the coordinating fabric with the batting inside) and pin onto the back of your snowman. Do this for the top and bottom pockets.

Sew around each pocket, using a 5/8 inch seam allowance.

Now take your bias tape and sew it onto the edge all around the snowman. **Tip--I used to be scared of bias tape. I was always missing it on the backside until I figured out a little trick that works for me. I do not pin the tape down except for the very first section. I sew the very beginning and then just hold the bias tape in my right hand and use my left hand to hold the oven mitt. I just place the bias tape on the mitt as I go and just work slowly and hold it in place by making sure it is folded evenly on the top and bottom as I work. I slowly feed it through my hand and work my way around the oven mitt. Go slowly and it should go on much smoother for you!

That's it! If you don't want to make this into an oven mitt, it can be used to place hot dishes on so you don't ruin your counter or kitchen table. Isn't he so cute? White may not have been the best idea. I have already had to wash them twice since making them.

Does that cake look yummy? It is one of my husband's favorite. We call it Sandy's Cake. I don't even know who Sandy is...but it sure is good. Here is the recipe: 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 3 1 squares margarine cup sugar bananas eggs tsp. vanilla tsp. baking powder tsp. soda dash salt cups flour pint sour cream (2 cups)

Blend margarine, sugar, bananas, eggs and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients. In another bowl make the filling. Filling:

1/3 cup brown sugar 1 Tbs. cinnamon 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup chocolate chips Layer batter and filling twice in a 9X13 dish. Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes. You might also like: Ice/Snow Scraper Hand Mitt Tutorial Oven Hand Mitt Tutorial Snow Man Tutorial LinkWithin 20 fabulous friends said: Monday, February 1, 2010 PeachyCheap Winner and Fabric Flowers Are you ready to see who won our PeachyCheap giveaway?? According to Random.Org, commentor #176 is the lucky gal! Ginny said... I love Peachy Cheap. I just got an awesome 7 Gypsies stamp set from them. I checked ebay to compare prices & peachy cheap was a way better deal! Not sure what else they can carry, they pretty much cover everything I love. Maybe more page kits? I love alphabet assortments & rhinestone assortments as well. Congratulations Ginny! Send my your address information via email! Thanks Brooke and PeachyCheap for the great giveaway! And remember to check their site daily for great deals on Scrapbooking supplies. Now...I have been busy with a few little projects. Here is one I did for my baby. I just LOVE this girl!

I have been wanting to make some fun fabric flowers to help dress up some plain t-shirts and make them a little more fun and girlish. It has been so cold, grey and dreary here, I wanted to add a some "spring" to her wardrobe. I simply took 5 different colored polka-dot materials and cut from each a strip that measured 2 inches in width and 12 inches in length. Then I simply folded the strip in half lengthwise and ironed it flat.

Then I sewed down the side with the raw edges a 5/8 inch seam (which was right on the edge of the foot pedal). Then I simply pulled one of the strings on each end to gather the material into a ruffle.

Then I rolled the ruffle up into a circle making sure that all the ends are even.

Take a needle and thread and sew the bunched ends together.

Now turn the flower over and use your needle and thread to sew it together from top to bottom. Be sure to capture any loose ends.

Then I simply figured out where I wanted to place each flower on the shirt. Once you have decided, sew each flower onto the shirt by hand.

I made this shirt for my little girl while she was napping. When she woke up I dressed her in it. She was so cute and said "so kwoot! I jes wub it!" No kidding! She kept fingering the flowers and giggling. Oh no! I think we are in trouble! **After your shirt comes out of the dryer, the flowers may be a bit deformed. I simply sprayed each flower with a water bottle and quickly reshaped them and let the flowers dry before folding and putting the shirt in my daughters drawer. The flowers went right back into a nice shape! You might also like: Make A Girls Nightgown From A Pillow Case Add a Ruffle to a Sweatshirt LinkWithin 26 fabulous friends said: Monday, January 11, 2010 Heart Felt Wreath *Be sure to enter the bag giveaway over at Recessionista from Friday's guest post if you are interested!! Also, I am always surprised which posts get the most comments! I LOVED that there were so many self-proclaimed list junkies!! Thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed getting to know some of my readers a bit better! And the fact that I am not as crazy as I might have thought!

This wreath is so easy to make but can be a bit time consuming. My hubby was recently out-of-town on business. So, over a couple of evenings I was able to watch some chick flicks and put together this wreath.

I bought my heart shaped foam wreath at JoAnn's. It was $4 and I used my 40% off coupon. I also purchased 3/4 yard (off the bolt) of a nice "velvety" colored red felt. I also picked up a package of straight pins.

I used a cup from my cupboard to make a 3 inch circle template. Then I cut

SEVERAL 3 inch circles out of the felt. No I did not count them. Then I took a circle and folded it in half to make a half circle and folded it in half again like my little assistant is demonstrating.

Then take a straight pin and pin it through the bottom of the point. Then stick the pin with the felt into the styrofoam. Continue doing this placing each folded circle close together filling in the spaces. Continue the process for the whole wreath.

You will not need to do this on the back of the wreath. Then I took a peice of ribbon (about 8 inches) and folded it into a loop and pinned it several times into the back of the wreath to hang it from. I absolutely LOVE how it turned out!! In fact, I liked it so much I came up with some other projects like it. Stay tuned tomorrow for those!

I saw this idea here! I am also linking this idea here on Today's Creative Blog.

You might also like: Heart Felt Pillow Valentine's Topiary Home-Made Heart Suckers LinkWithin 73 fabulous friends said: Tuesday, January 5, 2010 Ice/Snow Scraper Hand Mitt Tutorial I really do appreciate all your kind comments. They are what inspire me to keep this going! So THANK YOU! I do try to answer them all and your emails too! Thanks for all your great support. It means a lot! And now as promised...

I realize that not all of you are living with frigid temperatures, snow and ice right now, but we are. Believe it or not, I really do love snow and snow storms! I just don't like when I have to scrape it or ice off the car in the frigid outdoor air temperatures. And since I am not very good about using gloves, I decided to make my ice scraper a little more frozen-finger friendly. So, I made a hand mitt for my scraper to keep my hand nice and toasty while de-icing my windshield. Here is a tutorial and a free downloadable pattern! You will need 2 coordinating fabrics, quilt batting, and an icescraper. (I used a small one, but this should work for the longer handled scrapers with the ice scraper and the brushes too).

I made mine so that there are two different material patterns on each side. I took two coordinating fabrics and cut 2 pattern peices out of each peice of fabric. Click here to download the pattern. You should have a total of four peices (2 of each type of fabric). Then cut out 2 peices of thin quilt batting using the same pattern.

*Take one peice of fabric and one peice of batting. Place the material with the right side down on your table and put the layer of batting on top.

Fold down the middle rounded edge about a 1/4 of an inch and pin. This will not go all the way across the rounded edge (see picture). Sew right along the folded edge and then set aside.

Take the other peice of material (with the same pattern) and fold the edge of the rounded end of the material (so that the wrong sides of the fabric are touching) and sew it as you did the previous peice of material.

Take your two peices of sewn material and pin them together so that the right sides of the material are together and your batting layer is on top. Sew around the entire edge with a 5/8" seam. However, be sure to leave an opening large enough for you to be able to turn the material inside out.

Turn inside out through the hole you have left in the bottom of the U*. After the material is turned inside out, tuck in the open unsewn edges, pin and then sew the opening shut. You can either do this by hand or just with your sewing machine. Now repeat the above instructions (from * to *) for your other two peices of coordinating fabric and batting.

When both are finished, pin them together. Now sew around your pinned peices using a 5/8" seam in a U shape. DO NOT SEW ALONG THE FLAT EDGES. THIS IS THE OPENING FOR YOU HAND. Remember to leave an opening large enough to fit the handle of your icescraper between the two peices along the rounded bottom of the U shape. Turn inside out and you should be all finished! Insert your icescraper handle. Not only will this keep your fingers toasty warm while de-icing your windows, you will look fashionable doing it :D!

**Ice Scraper purchased at Wal-Mart. Material purchased at Hobby Lobby.

You might also like: Snow Man Oven Mitt Tutorial Oven Hand Mitt Tutorial Washcloth LOVE Pillow Tutorial LinkWithin 23 fabulous friends said: Monday, October 12, 2009 Oven Hand Mitt Tutorial Doesn't the onset of cooler fall weather make you want to bake something yummy? I have been doing a little baking which inspired me to finally make a cute oven hand mitt I had seen recently in a store. I came up with a tutorial so that you can make one too! I love how easy they are to use. Plus, they are a lot more functional than those big, thick akward oven mitts.

I have provided you with a free downloadable pattern, click here to print it (select the large size; it should fill a 8.5 x 11 in. paper). After you have it printed you will be able to use the patterns to cut out your material and get started. You will cut 2 large ovals in your fabric choice A (use 100% cotton fabric). Then using the same pattern you will cut out 2 patterns of your Insul-Bright (found at most fabric stores), and 1 pattern of quilt batting (also use 100% cotton batting). **Edit--After using my hot pads several times now, I have noticed that I am beginning to feel some heat through the hot pad. I think it would be better to add two layers of Insul-Bright instead of the one layer I had first suggested. The pattern you download will say cut 1 of the Insul-bright, but you should cut 2 to provide extra heat protection!

Place one of the fabric pieces right side down on the table. Then place 2 layers of the Insul-Bright on the fabric. Next lay down the batting layer and finally top with the other piece of fabric.

Pin together all the different layers. Sew around the entire thing using a 1/8 inch seam. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of your sewing.

Next, you will need to cut out 4 half-circle pieces of your fabric B. Iron the flat edge down 1/4 inch. Cut out 2 half-circles of the quilt batting and place them on the fabric. The fabric should be facing right side down like the picture. Be sure to place the batting up under the folded edge so that it does not show through the material.

Now add the other piece of fabric with the right side facing up and pin together. You will repeat this process with the other 2 pieces of fabric and the other piece of batting. These will be the finger and thumb pockets for your oven

mitt.

Now sew along the top flat edge of each pocket.

Take your coordinating ribbon (or ric-rac) and sew it onto the top flat edge of the pocket. I used a thread that matched my ribbon and sewed it right onto the edge on both sides of the ribbon. Do this for both pockets.

Now pin your pockets onto the top of the larger oval shape you have already sewn. **Make sure that the layer of Insul-Bright is under the batting so that it will be the first to contact the hot items. This will ensure proper insulation from burns. You can tell by looking for the silvery material as opposed to the batting.

Now sew around the entire oven mitt.

Take your bias tape and also sew it around the entire mitt. I sewed close to the edge but was extra careful to not miss the tape on the other side.

And there you have it! Easy huh? I have found these are much easier to work with when pulling things out of a hot oven. They would make a perfect gift for the baker in your life this holiday season. **The fabric was purchased at Hobby Lobby. It is labeled as 2008 Brother Sister Design Studio B24-R-P07.

You might also like: Snow Man Oven Mitt Tutorial Gift Cans Ice/Snow Scraper Hand Mitt Tutorial LinkWithin 49 fabulous friends said: Wednesday, September 23, 2009 Bottling Peaches

It has been a busy week in the kitchen around here! Canning is a bit of work, but can be quite fun, especially with a friend. In my case, my mom and sisters came over and we spent an afternoon making these lovelies! Bottled peaches are a little more involved than freezer jam and you need a water bath canner. But they

really are not that difficult, especially if you have someone there helping you.

Here is the step by step process: (Read through all directions before starting). **You should be able to fit about 4 to 5 peaches per quart size canning jar, depending on the size of your peaches. Peaches should be ripe, but not over-ripe and bruised. 1. Sterilize your wide-mouth canning jars in the dishwasher before beginning your peaches. Wash off your peaches and set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of water (half full) to a boil. Then set up a large bowl of ice water near your boiling water pot. Immerse a few peaches in your boiling water for 30 seconds. Quickly remove them with a large, slotted serving spoon. Immediately tranfer peaches and immerse into your bowl of ice water to quickly cool them. Leave peaches in the cool water for about 1 minute. Remove peaches and set aside on the counter top.

3. Prepare the syrup for bottling your peaches. You can choose from three different consistencies: light, medium or heavy syrup. light: 1 and 2/3 cup sugar to 4 cups of water medium: 2 and 2/3 cup sugar to 4 cups of water heavy: 4 cups sugar to 4 cups of water Mix together your water and sugar in a pot on the stove and bring to a boil over medium heat.

4. Peel, halve and pit peaches that have been plunged into the boiling and ice baths. Soak the halved peaches in an ascorbic acid solution. To make the ascorbic acid solution you need to mix 8 cups of water with 3 Tablespoon of Fruit Fresh or Citric Acid. Fruit fresh can be found near the canning supplies in most grocery stores.

5. Let the peaches soak fully immersed for a few minutes in your ascorbic acid solution. The ascorbic acid solution will prevent your peaches from turning brown.

6. Fill each jar by placing the cut sides of the peaches down and towards the middle of the jars. Fill the jar with as many peach halves as possible, but be careful not to squish them.

7. Fill the jar with your prepared syrup. Carefully stick a butter knife into the sides of the jar to remove excess air bubbles. Leave a 1/2 inch headspace at

the top of the jar.

8. Place lids and rings on your jars and place filled jars into a boiling water bath. Make sure that the water covers the tops of the jars when the rack is lowered into the pot. Boil and process for 25 minutes for quart size jars or 20 minutes if you are using pint sized jars. 9. After 25 minutes remove jars from boiling bath and set on a towel to cool. Do not move until the jars have sealed. You should hear a light popping sound as the lid seals. If a jar does not seal (you can tell by pushing on the lid), you can reprocess the jar, or just put it in your fridge and eat within a few days.

The best part of canning is seeing all your beautiful hard work lined up on your storage room shelf, and eating summery peaches in the middle of winter isn't so bad either! Anyone have any great recipes that call for bottled peaches? **Our peaches were so large this time, we actually cut them into quarters. But cutting them is half is better. The bigger the piece of fruit, the firmer and less mushy it will become! You might also like: She Be Jammin' Make Your Own Marshmallow "Peeps" 'Smore Brownies LinkWithin 18 fabulous friends said: Thursday, September 3, 2009 Fabric Pumpkins

I saw a tutorial to make these on another blog last year and absolutely fell in love with them, but the link for Holly's tutorial is no longer working. I have had a few people ask how to make these so here is my version of her original tutorial as I remember it. I went to JoAnn's and looked through the Red Tag and Home Decor fabrics and found a lot of cute fabrics in autumn colors. I bought about a 1/4 yard of each. You don't need much.

Then I just experimented. For taller pumpkins I cut 2 peices of material that measured 12 x 14 inches, with the 14 inch length being the height. For the smaller, wider pumkins I used the same 12 x 14 rectangles but made the 12 inch side the height. Does that make sense. I even added a third size of 11 x 13. It is really up to you.

Then with what ever length you want at the top, fold each peice of material in

half with the right sides together (or the side you want showing on the outside). Then sew a crescent shape on the folded edge like the picture. Do this for both peices of material.

Cut off the excess material near your seam.

Now take some coordinating material (I used material that I had made other pumpkins with) and make a stem. I did not sew this as a perfect square, since stems are sometimes curved. Mine measured roughly 2 1/2 w x 4 inches.

Turn your stem inside out and stuff with batting.

Take one of your pumpkin panels and lay it flat with the right side facing up and your sewn crescent up top. Pin your stuffed stem at the top middle with a little stem material poking above the pumpkin material like in the picture above.

Now sew around the entire pumpkin rounding the corners and leaving an opening along the bottom so you can turn it inside out and fill with batting. Trim your corners.

Turn inside out and fill with batting. Hand sew the bottom opening together. **If your pumpkin has a difficult time standing up on its own, you may need to sew a small bean bag and place it in the bottom of your pumpkin before hand sewing it closed.

Now all you need to do is add a ribbon. I simply took a length of material and sewed the edges and made matching and coordinating ribbons. Or use some store bought ribbon. Don't they make you happy? I love FALL! **update--one of my readers, Deanna, alerted me to the fact that Holly had recently reposted her tutorial which you can see here. She also just happens to be giving some away on her blog, so go enter!

You might also like: Harvest Pumpkins Snow Man Oven Mitt Tutorial Personalized Embroidered Hand Towels LinkWithin

35 fabulous friends said: Friday, August 14, 2009 Fashionable Fabric Key Chains

I was asked to be a guest-blogger on Kari's Ucreate and am really excited. Go check it out. I am going to re-post the tutorial I did there for you and show you how to make your own fashionable key chains. These are great because they can be worn on your wrist while juggling kids and groceries and they make digging through your diaper bag or purse to find your elusive keys a thing of the past. Let's get started. For this project you will need: 2 coordinating fabrics 1 strip of fusible interfacing (I used Pellon 809 DecorBond) 1 purse strap clip (I found mine at JoAnn's Crafts) 4 inches ribbon (mine was 7/8 inch width) matching thread

First, cut your fabric so that you have a strip of each material that measures 2.75 (2 and 3/4) inches by 13 inches. Cut 1 strip of your fusible interfacing to measure .75 inches by 12 inches.

Iron both strips of coordinating fabrics a 1/4 of an inch down both sides with the right-side of the fabric facedown on your ironing board.

I use a peice of cardstock paper to fold the material over to give me a nice even hem line.

When both fabrics have been ironed, fold the material in half length-wise and iron. Be careful to match the edges up nicely.

Take your strip of fusible interfacing and place it evenly between your two coordinating fabrics. I make sure the folds of each ironed fabric are on opposite sides.

Iron these together. This will temporarily fuse the top and bottom materials together so they are easier to sew, and will make your keychain a little sturdier.

Now sew along both edges of the key chain. I sewed mine fairly close to the edge which was about an 1/8 inch seam.

Now, take your purse clip and slide it onto the key chain. Be sure that the clip is on top of the material you want to be on the outside of your key chain. Place the two raw edges so that one is overlapping the other one about 1/4 of an inch (or to the fusible interfacing).

Sew these together using a zig-zag stitch several times back and forth so that it does not come apart.

Take your strip of 4 inch ribbon and burn the edges with a lighter or a match to seal it so they do not unravel. Do this very carefully! Move the purse clip around the key chain until the seam is about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch above the clip. Take the ribbon and wrap it around the area where the two ends have been sewn together. Tuck both ends of the ribbon to the inside of the key chain.

Pin in place and sew the top and bottom of the ribbon. I changed my thread color so it matched the ribbon and was less noticeable. Remember to reinforce your seam. I went over it twice so it will hold up.

And there you have it...a cute and functional key chain. Thanks again Kari!

You might also like: New Fabric Key Chains Idea Room Store--Fabric Key Chains LinkWithin 25 fabulous friends said: Thursday, July 30, 2009 Girls Barettes and Hair Bow Holder

I have been wanting to make one of these for a while now and am just getting around to it. No more endless digging through a cluttered, unorganized drawer in search of the right hair acessory. I first saw the idea for making this here and have seen them in a few different styles on several different blogs. Here is another version from a fun and creative blog that was just posted today as well. How funny is that? Here is how I made mine.

I took a picture frame, removed the glass and added some of the sheet metal I

had left over from the bulletin board project. I painted the wood frame black.

Then I cut a peice of quilt battting the same size of the metal sheet and a peice of fabric that was an inch larger than the batting on all four side.

Then I took some grossgrain ribbon and cut 5 peices. I measured each peice by cutting them 1 inch longer than the opening of the frame. Does that make sense?

Now, I know this next part is pretty high tech, so I will try to explain it in simple terms. I took some duct tape (out of my hubby's tool box) and taped the padding to the sheet metal. I know...brilliant! Then while the ribbons are laying where you would like them to be on the top of the upside down frame, place your material over them gently with the right side facing down. Now, gently place the padded sheet metal into the picture frame. Now take some more duct tape and pull up the material tightly and tape it to the metal all the way around. Now make any adjustments to the ribbons so that they are evenly spaced and then tape them down as well while pulling tightly.

Now you are all finished. If you don't want anyone to see your high tech finishing methods from the backside, simply cut out a peice of cardboard or cardstock and place into the back section to hide your duct tape!

You might also like: Organize Your Hair Accessories Kids Organizing Bulletin Board Weekly Menu Planner LinkWithin 14 fabulous friends said: Thursday, June 18, 2009 Girls Dress Made From a Man's Shirt

Here is the tutorial I promised you before I left for Summer Camp. I came across this super cute tutorial for making a man's button down shirt into a girls dress and knew I would make one.

I followed her tutorial and made the dress body. I wanted the bodice to come up a bit higher than just under the shoulders, so I cut out two round notches under her arms and using my daughter wearing the bodice to eyeball how much of a half-circle to cut. I of course then sewed a seam on these new arm notches.

Then when it was time to make the sleeves (shoulder straps), I improvised and came up with something that would give my daughter more coverage on her shoulders. I cut out two peices of material to cover the front and back of her shoulders. I used material that measured 8 in by 7 in. You will have to decide what will work for your needs and for how it fits your daughter. Remember to leave a 1/4 to 1/2 inch extra for a seam allowance. Next I cut two peices of material for the ruffle sleeve. I made this just like I did for the Pillow Case Night Gown here. I made my cap sleeves so that they were cut in the shape of half of an oval with the length measuring 9 in and the widest part of the oval measuring 3 inches.

Take your square peices and fold over a 1/4 seam on two opposite side and iron flat.

Take your half oval (cap sleeve) and pin it on top of one of your ironed down seams like the picture below.

I wanted a few ruffles in the sleeve, so the lengths did not match. Pin it so the ends match up. There will be some wrinkles where you pin it. This is what you want. If you do not want it to be ruffled, make your lengths the same size.

Now fold the end without the cap sleeve pinned on, over and line it up with the other end of the sleeve. Add some pins to hold in place. When it is pinned, sew them together.

Now try your dress on your model and pin shoulder straps in place. (I forgot to take a picture of this. If you need a picture, I took one that was similar in my pillowcase nightgown tutorial). When shoulder straps are pinned in place, sew them onto the bodice of the dress in the front and back. Now you should be finished! This dress is so simple and cute. My daughter has already worn it several times. I have plans to make another slightly different one when I can find some time. I thought summer would slow us down, but I have not sat still for a long time and its not looking like I am going to get there any time soon. Any one else feeling the same way?

You might also like:

Make A Child's Artist Smock From A Man's Shirt Make A Girls Nightgown From A Pillow Case PeachyCheap Winner and Fabric Flowers LinkWithin 13 fabulous friends said: Thursday, May 21, 2009 Make A Hot/Cold Rice Bag

When I was pregnant with my 5th child, I started getting "tennis elbow". It just got worse after she was born with all the nursing and carrying those darn car seats. It flares up every once in a while and if I cycle a series of hot and cold treatments, then the pain and tenderness really ease up. I have a hard time sitting still sometimes and so I needed something that would allow me to be fairly mobile while heating or icing my elbow. So I decided to make a rice bag with a removeable cover. This allows me to change out the rice bag for a fresh cold rice bag straight out of the freezer. Or to put it a nice hot rice bag straight from the microwave. I added a tie that is attached to a couple of "D" rings that can be adjusted to fit snuggly where needed. Now I can move around, type on the computer, put the kids in bed, do the dishes, etc., all while getting a treatment. How cool is that? I am a multitasker at heart. Here is what I did:

Cut out 2 peices of muslin (or other 100% cotton) material that measure 10x5 inches. Pin the right sides together and sew a 1/4 inch seam around three edges leaving one of the 5 inch sides open. Turn right sides out and fill with rice. I filled the bag only 3/4 full so that it will fold easily around a knee or elbow. **I made 2 rice bags so that one would always be ready to go. I keep it in the freezer. If you want two rice bags, you will need to cut 4 peices of material.

Then fold in 1/4 inch seam and sew the top of the rice bag closed. You are now finished with the rice bag insert.

For the outside cover of the bag, you will need to cut out three pieces of material. You will need a piece that measures 10x5, 6x5 and one that measures 8x5. Take the two smaller pieces of material and on each one, of the 5 inch sides, sew down the side with a 1/4 inch seam.

Pin the material with the right sides facing so that the 10x5 peice in on the bottom and the 6x5 and 8x5 match up with the ends and overlap in the middle.

Take two peices of ribbon. One should be about 13 inches long and the other 5 inches. Place the ribbon between the top and bottom layers of material, one on

each end. Make sure they are centered in the middle with about a 1/2 inch of ribbon hanging out from the ends of the seams. Pin in place.

Sew 1/4 inch seam around the entire bag. Turn right side out. You are now finished with your bag. All you need to do is sew on your velcro for your "D" rings.

Cut a piece of velcro that measures about 1-1/4 inch. Take the shorter length of ribbon and fold down the top edge. Separate the velcro and place one side at the top of this ribbon. Place the other piece of velcro 1-1/2 inches away from your first peice. Pin in place and secure to the ribbon by sewing a square around each piece.

Take your two "D" rings and slide the ribbon through them. Fasten velcro so that the "D" rings are between the two peices. I burned the ends of the ribbons to prevent them from fraying (do this with caution and very slowly). Now you are all finished! Now, before heating your bag in the microwave (about 1 minute), REMEMBER TO REMOVE THE "D" RINGS!! You do not want to put metal in your microwave or your rice bag might get too hot...Flaming Hot! When heated remove from microwave and replace the "D" rings. Thread ribbon through rings and adjust till it's a perfect fit. One night I had a really bad headache. I pulled a rice bag out of the freezer and placed it into the covering and placed the bag on my forehead. It actually worked really well at relieving my headache. Now I need to make another one for my husband who has a bit of carpal tunnel. We are falling apart over here!

You might also like: Hot Chocolate On a Stick! Watermelon Jell-O Ice Wreaths LinkWithin 5 fabulous friends said: Monday, May 18, 2009 Make a Miniature Marshmallow Gun

Finally...I have a fun project you can make for and with your boys. This blog has leaned a bit toward girls lately, so I am excited to have a fun idea for the other half of the population (although I know plenty of girls who would love these too).

These minature marshmallows guns are so much fun. If your boys are like mine

EVERYTHING becomes a gun. My SIL threw a birthday party for my nephew and they made all the boys their own marshmallow gun. My son loves it! You place a mini marshmallow into the end of the gun, blow on the other end and shoot the marshmallow at your target. They are amazingly accurate! It is ALWAYS a good idea to have your kids wear safety goggles when using these guns, because everyone knows that it is only fun until someone gets an eye shot out! I did a little searching on the internet about making these marshmallow guns and found this great idea for making a pair of safety goggles out of a 2-liter soda pop bottle. I followed these directions but used duct tape to line the sharp edges and make the head strap. To make the head strap, I simply folded about 20 inches of duct tape in half length-wise and then put another 20 inch peice on the folded peice and folded it in half also. So it was 2 layers thick. Then I just cut it to fit with a little extra on each end of the mask so it can be adjusted for different size heads, after I threaded it through the 2 slits I made on each side of the mask.

You will need: a 12 inch length of 1/2 inch PVC pipe (sprinkler pipe) 1-1/2 inch end cap 2-1/2 inch elbows 1-1/2 inch T joint

Take your 12 inch length of pipe and with a hacksaw, cut off three peices of pipe that measure 2 inches each and then cut two peices of pipe that measure 3 inches in length.

Take your parts and use the above picture to put them together to make your gun. This is a very simple gun style. If you want a different style, all you would need to do is buy a longer length of PVC pipe and some more joints depending on what shape you are trying to achieve.

I ended up making a gun for my other boy and they spend a lot of time in the backyard having marshmallow wars. They played with them so often that I never had any marshmallows left when I needed them. They buy their own marshmallows now! So if you have a birthday party coming up, these might be something you would like to make as a party favor, or as a gift for the birthday boy. I was also thinking how much fun these would be at your next family party with Grandma and Grandpa and that pesky brother-in-law!

You might also like: Picture Collections Geocaching Make Some Bird Feeders LinkWithin 16 fabulous friends said: Wednesday, May 13, 2009 Make A Child's Artist Smock From A Man's Shirt

I found this artist smock and loved her creative idea but decided to come up with my own version. Here is how you do it. Take a man's button up shirt.

Then cut up each seam on the front of the shirt. This will be up both sides and across the shoulders. You should have a front panel that is now separated from the back of the shirt.

Then repeat, by cutting off the seams on the back of the shirt. You now have two panels, a front and back. The back of the shirt, will become the front of your smock and the front of the man's shirt will become the back.

Cut off the entire collar (front and back) and unpick any buttons used for buttoning the collar down. Save the buttons that button up the front of the shirt. These will be the buttons on the back of your artist's smock.

I then took two lengths of ribbon (measure on child before determining how long you would like it to be. I attached my ribbon to the front (button-less) panel and then wrapped the ribbon around the back and tied it in the front of the smock. You can choose to make it so that your ribbon ties in the back if that is your preference. If I remember correctly, I made my ribbon 2 peices at 30 inches a piece. *Take the new front panel and iron a 1/4" seam around the entire shirt panel. Fold over another 1/4" seam and pin in place. Take one ribbon and place it inside the seam and pin it in place. I placed mine right in the armpit of the original shirt. This is where the shirt material comes out into a peak on the side. Sew around the entire panel. When you come to sew in the ribbon, sew it into the seam and then also sew a square in the top of the ribbon to secure it to the panel. Repeat the same process beginning with the star now on the new back panel. (You will want to make sure that the top button is about 1/4 to 1/2 inches below your FINISHED seam line, so that it does not pull apart at the top).

Pin the front and back shirt panels with the right side of the material together at the shoulders only. Sew together using a 1/2" seam allowance.

Now you are basically finished. Only the shoulders of the smock are sewn together. The sides are left open so that the smock can just go on right over the head. When you tie it, the sides just naturally tuck in around your kid. I did however add a few flourishes so that it did not look so plain. I carefully unpicked the pocket that was originally on the front of the man's shirt and just sewed it onto the new front of the smock. I also added a pink iron-on flower that I had left-over from a previous project. Ta-Da! An adorable artist smock for your budding artist. Stay tuned for a recipe for some homemade paints and a homemade easel to complete your artist's ensemble. **If I were to make a boy's version, I would sew the tie onto the back panel and then wrap it around the front so it can tie in the back.

This bird was right outside the window for a long time while I was working on this smock. He made my day! You might also like: Make A Girls Nightgown From A Pillow Case Make A Crayon Roll LinkWithin 8 fabulous friends said: Saturday, May 2, 2009 Drawstring Backpack and Matching Swim/Beach Towel Tutorial

Take one of your towels (the other one will be left alone and will be the matching towel) and cut 2 squarish shapes. My original towel measured 30 x 60 inches. (I found mine at Target and they were $5.99 each). You can get two backpacks out of one towel. I cut my 2 squares about 15 inches x 14 inches. I used a 1/2 inch seam allowance unless otherwise noted. I also made sure that I had a 3 inch strip of material the length of the towel for the backpack straps.

One peice of material should have a raw edge at the top (the other peice should already have a seam from the edge of the towel). Fold raw edge over at top and sew seam down about 2 inches from the top of the towel. Fold the tops of each peice and sew a 1.5 inch casing to thread your pull string (rope) through. Do this by turning the seam into the inside of the back pack so your seam in on the inside of the finished backpack. Do this to both peices separately.

Now take the long 3 inch strip and iron the edge on both sides in about 1/4 inch. Then iron again in half length wise. Sew these two edges together as close to the edge. Sew from one end to the other. When sewn, cut strap in half, so you now have two straps.

Pin your straps on one of the squares of material, so that they are inside of the backpack and come to the outside on the top and the bottom of the backpack. I had the longer 15 inch length be the vertical direction of my backpack (I hope that makes sense).

Now pin the two squares together, right sides together, and sew around all three edges leaving the top edge open. DO NOT sew through the casing. Stop right at your seam so that you can get your rope through without sewing the opening closed. I also added a zig-zag stitch just inside of my straight stitch to keep the terry cloth from unraveling (or your can surge it).

Now, reinforce the strap you have just attached. Sew right on your previous seams so as not to close your casing opening.

Do it on the other side of the strap as well. I went back and forth a few times to make it good and strong.

Now cut a length of rope to about 20-22 inches.

I tied a tight knot in one end and used a long knitting needle to help me thread it through my casing. (My son wanted a knot on each side of the back pack??? so that is why you see one on the other side too). When you have pushed it through both sides, you should have the two ends of rope hanging out one end. Tie both ends into knots and then burn the ends of the rope (carefully) with a match to prevent them from fraying. Yeah! You are finished! Now get out there and enjoy some of that warm sunshine.

If there is some part (or all) of these directions that is confusing or written poorly, please let me know and I will try to improve them. Please feel free to ask if you also have any questions on any of this. I realize I am not that great

at explaining things sometimes. I would also love to see pictures of yours if you end up making any. So send me a comment with a link! Happy Sewing. **There are probably easier ways to make these, this is just how I made it being an unprofessional seamstress and all. I just really started trying to sew this past fall :)! If you have a better way, please let me know! To make a swim bag and matching towel for little girls (or mommies) go here.

You might also like: Swim Bag and Matching Towel Tutorial Make A Crayon Roll Washcloth LOVE Pillow Tutorial LinkWithin 9 fabulous friends said: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 Garden Stepping Stones For Mother's Day

Looking for an easy and inexpensive Mother's Day gift? A few years ago my siblings and I made some stepping stones to give to my mom for Mother's Day. We had one made for each of her grandchildren. Each stone had a footprint and handprint and the name of the child on it. They are really easy to make and look so cute in your garden or flower beds. All you need is a small bag of cement (Home Depot or Lowe's), water, a stick to mix your cement (a paint stir stick works great) and a bucket, some trays that go under flower pots to collect the water (what are they called?), a popsicle stick and jewels if you would like to add some bling to your stone. Mix your cement according to the directions on the package. Evenly distribute the cement into each of your trays (you will need 1 for every stone you are making).

When the cement has set-up so that it holds the imprint of your finger, place your footprint and handprint in the cement.

Then with a popsicle stick carve the name into the cement. I used some paper towels to soak up the excess water so that I could see the name as I continued to work on each letter.

After you have put the footprints and name in your cement, you will not want to move them. Let them dry completely. This may take 2 to 4 days total. When they are dry they should come right out of the trays and be ready to go in your garden. I have always wanted some stepping stones for my own flower beds. Last year my hubby and kids made me some for Mother's Day! They turned out so cute. Now all I

need is for my new plants to grow in my planter and fill up some of that weed prone space! You might also like: Washer Necklaces "Things We Love About You" Scrapbooks Etched Glass Projects LinkWithin 1 fabulous friends said: Thursday, April 23, 2009 Swim Bag and Matching Towel Tutorial

Are you tired of packing EVERYONE'S stuff to the pool or beach? Want to make someone special their very own sling swim bag to carry their essentials (matching swim towel, sunscreen, and goggles) to the pool or beach this summer? Now you can. These cute swim bag and towel combos can run a pretty penny in the stores, but I am providing you with a tutorial to make one for half the price and more. Can't beat that! All you need are two matching beach towels. I found mine at Target(of course) and they were only $5.99 each. I have also seen some beach towels in some dollar stores as well and at Wal-Mart for about $3. You can make 2 swim bags out of 1 beach towel. So buy three matching towels if you have a sibling that needs one too, or give the other away to a birthday girl. (Or make a pillow to match your towel out of the left-over material). The beach towels I used were 30 in. x 60 in. If your towels measure differently you will have to adjust your measurements accordingly.

One towel you will leave alone because this is the actual matching towel you will carry in the bag. The other towel we will be cutting out two large "U" shaped patterns.

I do not know how to link you to an actual pattern you can print so I posted a picture with the shape and measurments you will need.

Cut out two pattern peices. Use one end of the towel to cut out both peices side by side so that the other half of the towel can be used for another swim bag.

Pin your two peices of cut material together with the right sides facing each other. (Sometimes with terry cloth it may be hard to tell. I chose to have the softer side as my right side so that it was on the outside of the finished bag).

Sew together starting on the outside top edge all the way around the outside of the bag to the other side. (Do not sew the inside or the tops of the U shape yet). I used a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Turn bag right side out. The top of the inside of the bag should still be unsewn. Now turn the seams that are unsewn into the bag so that you are making a hem line all the way around the top portion of the bag. I turned mine in about 1/2 inch so that your sewn portion will be inside the bag. Make sense? Your bag is now all sewn except for the shoulder strap. Pin the shoulder straps right side together and sew.

Now cut two peices of velcro (I do not recommend sewing on sticky back velcro. It really messes up your needle). Sew around each peice onto one side of the middle of the bag where you would like them to attach to one another. I did mine just below my seam for my hem.

After my bag was all sewn, I went back and sewed a heavy duty zig-zag stitch close, but not on, my straight stitch. If you haven't noticed, terry cloth unravels easy and is messy. Because I do not have a surger, I wanted to ensure my bag stayed together and doesn't unravel, the zig-zag held it all into place.

And there you have it! Super easy and cute! I know most of the things I have sewn have been girl related, sorry about that, I just have three of them. But since my son wanted something that he could carry his towel in, I decided to make him a drawstring backpack. So if you have boys, that tutorial can be found here.

18 fabulous friends said: Monday, April 20, 2009 Glass Tile Pendants

Look at how cute these glass tile pendants are! I found the glass tiles and bails to make these here. I bought my Diamond Glaze at Ben Franklin Crafts.

All you need to do is take your glass tile and clean it off. (They were a bit dusty upon arrival). Then find your favorite picture of a child (it has to be a picture from a laser printer or photo store), scrapbook paper or even a peice of fabric as the necklace design.

With a pencil trace around the tile square. When cutting out the square of paper (or other material), cut inside your line so that it fits well on the square. Coat the printed side of the paper, the side you want to see on your necklace, with your diamond glaze. You do not need a lot of diamond glaze, just a couple of small dots will be sufficient. You just need enough to cover a thin layer of the glass tile. Attach your paper to the glass tile. If any excess glaze runs out of the edges of the glass, immediately wipe it clean with a damp paper towel.

Turn your glass tile over so that you are looking at the back of your necklace. Paint a thin layer of Diamond Glaze over the entire back of the necklace and let dry. When dry, place a small drop of Diamond Glaze onto your bail (chain attachment) and attach the bail in the exact middle on the back and at the top of your necklace.

When the glaze has dried, your necklace is finished and ready to wear. Aren't they adorable? I made a few for myself and then let the girls each pick out a design for their own necklace. My sisters don't know it yet, but they are going to be getting some of these for their birthdays this year...Surprise!

As a side note, I happened to be at Home Depot over the weekend and noticed that they sell some of these glass tile in their tile aisle. They come in sheets of about 144 and come in several different mixed colors (with some clear ones). All you would have to do is cut them apart and use some adhesive remover to get the stuff off the back of them. You could use those tiles in much the same way and have some cute colored ones as well! **Edit--A reader informed me that there is no way to remove the adhesive from the backs of the tiles found in Home Depot. It is baked into the back of the glass tiles. Thanks Michelle! 25 fabulous friends said: Friday, April 17, 2009 Tutu Tutorial

I have always wanted to buy my girls one of these tutus that can be found in boutiques and craft fairs but have been to cheap to pay the $15+ price tag. Upon inspection I noticed that they were just elastic with strips of tulle tied onto the elastic. I thought...I can do that. So I finally got around to doing it and they are so simple. Really! I spent about $3 on tulle from JoAnn's (use your 40% off coupon), and used some elastic and flowers left over from previous projects.

(I found my little rose bud flowers at Wal-Mart and had used them to make some baby head bands when my baby was a newborn). I took some elastic (any size will do) and measured it so that it fit nicely around my baby's tummy. Then I sewed it together with the sewing machine several times so that it would not unravel. (You can also hand stitch it).

Then I took my tulle (originally I used tulle from the bolt to make the smaller tutu which is a bit cheaper than on the spool. I found the spool tulle in the wedding aisle at JoAnn's, which I will be using for the longer skirt for my older daughter). Anyways, cut your tulle into 6 inch wide strips with the length being double that of how long you want your skirt to fall. So...for the baby I wanted it to be 10 inches long so that it fell a bit below her knees. I cut my tulle into strips that measured 6 x 20 inches. Make sense?

For the baby I ended up using about 2 yards of tulle total cut into strips. You will need more for a bigger skirt. Originally I did not get enough and had to go back for more :(! Then slip the circle of elastic up onto your thigh and while sitting on the couch with your feet propped drinking your favorite soda, scratch that...I just quit...ice water, tie each strip onto the elastic with a double knot. Your skirt will be more uniform if you make sure that the knots are at the base of your elastic.

Then when your tulle fills the elastic to your liking your done. So simple. But of course I wanted to add a little something extra. I hot glued three rose buds in the center of the tutu!

I am really happy with how it turned out. And you cannot beat the price tag! By the way, I would love to see how your projects turn out if you ever use any of these ideas. So if you want to you can leave me a comment and a link to your pics.

19 fabulous friends said: Monday, April 13, 2009 Make A Crayon Roll

I have seen these adorable Crayon Rolls in several places. But I wanted to make one to fit my daughters longer Crayon Twistables. So I looked at this tutorial and saw how they were made and then came up with this creation. If you want to make yours for crayons, colored pencils, or markers, you will need to make a measurement and adjust your material requirements in height.

You'll Need: 2 pieces of fabric - 14 x 21 and 8 x 21 (inches) 1 piece of ribbon - about 20 inches long Matching thread * I sewed a 1/2 inch seam throughout this entire project First, cut out your pieces of fabric... And then fold them in half, lengthwise and iron them flat. Take the smaller piece of fabric, make a seam right along the fold, close to the edge.

Then open up the larger piece of fabric and lay the smaller one on top, matching the two raw edges of the smaller one with the one raw edge of the bigger piece.

Sew them together along that long (21 inch) edge.

Then fold the other half of the larger piece over the smaller piece that you just attached...... and pin it along the long edge and the 2 sides. (You'll be folding it temporarily in half right where you previously ironed the fold on the big piece, but the opposite way.) So now you have 4 raw edges pinned all together.

Sew along all 3 sides (not the fold) leaving a gap at the bottom, so that you can turn it right side out.

Trim all corners before you turn it right side out so it will lay flat. Turn it right side out and iron it. Sew around the entire roll, close to the edge. Measure the length of the crayon roll and divide it by how many compartments you'll need. I sewed my crayon compartments so that they were 1 inch apart. Sew each line just until the edge of the top piece.

*If may But did

you do not want to see the lines of the sewing to separate the crayons, you want to sew the lines for them before you sew the back of the roll closed. I wanted to be a ble to center my lines perfectly and the lines on the back not bother me.

Lastly, turn the crayon roll over and pin the ribbon to the back. Line it up to be sewn with the seam of the last compartment. Be careful to not sew over your

crayon pocket or you will not be able to slide your crayons in!

Stick your crayons in and roll it up.

Now you have a cute and portable crayon roll to slip into your bag or purse to pull out at church, doctors appointments or while your waiting in a restaurant.

By the way, the striped material is from a sheet I found at a thrift store for $2. Can't beat that price for a whole lot of material. So next time you are at a thrift store or garage sale, keep your eyes open for cheap, cute material! 3 fabulous friends said: Monday, April 6, 2009 Make A Girls Nightgown From A Pillow Case

I made this cute nightgown from a pillowcase! I have seen this idea all over the net for a while now and found a tutorial that was pretty easy and had sleeves. The tutorial I used can be found here.

I used a pillow case we had received as a wedding gift almost 15 years ago. It was not our "style" and so it sat in a closet, long forgotten. During some spring cleaning I happened across them again and realized they would be perfect for this nightgown I had been wanting to make. (If you are reading this and realize that you are the giver of this wedding gift...um...we love them. Even if it took us 15 years to appreciate them! HaHa!) I followed the above mentioned tutorial except made my sleeves bigger. I cut off the folded end of the pillowcase, 3 inches to make the wider sleeves).

Instead of using a ribbon to pretty up the sleeve, I used some green and white polka dot material I had. I cut a long strip that was about 24 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide. Then I folded the strip with the WRONG sides together and ironed. Then like the tutorial, I sewed along the two open sides (not the fold) close to the edge. Pulling one of the strings, carefully, I gathered the material. Then I made sure to even out the material so that it fit into the 3 inch strip I cut off of the pillowcase and sewed them together. When your sleeves are sewn, finish the dress part of the gown and then fit dress on child and maeasure exactly where you would like the sleeves to sit over the shoulders and pin into place, before sewing.

I finished the nightgown by following the rest of the tutorial. Then, I added a little "Yo-Yo" to add an embelishment and some flare. To make a yoyo, cut out a circle of fabric whatever size you want. My circle was 3 inches in diameter. I used a spool of ribbon for my pattern. I folded over the edge about 1/4 of an inch and hand sewed it down. The farther apart your stitches are the smaller your hole in the middle of the yoyo will be.

Then when you have finished sewing, do not tie off the end. Leave a length of string and pull on your thread so that it bunches up into a small tight circle.

Then use the long thread to stitch it onto the center of your nightgown (or wherever you would like it to go). I also added a white button on top of the yoyo to hide the small opening in the center. Now you have a fun, summery nightgown for your little girl or grandchild, or a fun gift for someone special!

I will be taking a little break to spend some time Spring Breaking with the family. I will be back next week with some fun new tutorials. I have been sewing up a storm!

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