Dare I???

So for Christmas I got a Snuggie. Yes- I acctually even asked for it! I WANTED ONE! And for the record... I LOVE IT!! My kids kept stealing it from me so I bought them some after the holiday and MAN those buggers are $$$! Someone suggested I sew my own... my answer was "HA HA YEAH RIGHT! I HATE TO SEW!"

Well since that time (what... like 2 weeks ago was it?) I have been giving my hubby a hard time that he should get one and join our Snuggie family! Secretly I think he kinda wants one... but he is with the majority of humanity in saying "those are so totally lame" and really thinking... I want one too! So I decided not to buy him one at the crazy price the store's charge for them.

BUT THEN- I saw this.... a post/pattern for a really easy Snuggie. Soooooo..... dare I make him one for V-day!?? I think it would be kinda funny and he would enjoy it.. even if he didn't admit to it! And really .... it is simple sewing... RIGHT????

So I am saving myself a link to the instructions HERE. Maybe some of you out there are Snuggie addicts too!

Time to craft!?

Apparently I am feeling the need to craft. I have spent only a few minutes blog hopping this morning and I am already in love with SEVERAL projects!!!! OIY. Maybe it is because I know how long my actual 'to do' list is and I am avoiding it with everything I have! Oh how I would love to spend the day in my craft room!! Ah well, life calls and must be answered. For now I will just have to be happy posting all these cute ideas here for my own personal 'later reference'. In the mean time I hope you enjoy them too!


We will start with my least favorite. lol.

Lace Votive Holder

I am sorta kinda not liking this idea 'AS IS.' I mean.... wouldn't lace sprayed with fabric softener be a bit flammable??? Here is why I am posting the idea anyway though. I think this would be cute used in other ways (and there is always the beauty of the electric votive candle). I would LOVE to do my daughters room in a modern Victorian theme. I think a string of these hanging on Christmas lights would be just adorable!!! Sadly I don't think Miss A. shares my love of the Victorian motif so it probably will never come to pass. Anyway, you can find the instructions to this craft HERE.

Next up - nice, easy, and festive! LOVE IT!

Heart Garland

I LOVE this idea! Totally easy, totally cute, and totally disposable!!! I am not into holiday decorating at the moment because I feel like I already have SO MUCH STUFF!!! I just used a good chunk of my storage space to put away the ONE ROOM of Christmas decorations I have! OIY. So this idea 'tickled me pink' because you could CHUCK IT IN THE CAN when V-day is over and next year have all new decor instead of the same 'ol same 'ol taking up space each year!!! My personal opinion of course! Any who, you can get the instructions for this HERE, on Serving Pink Lemonade. CUTE CUTE Site BTW!


Now these are my two FAVORITE FINDS!! I am all sorts of into creative storage these days! (yeah... did you read the paragraph above... can you tell that I am fighting with my storage room at the moment!!). These two ideas combine storage with decor, an idea that I am IN LOVE WITH!

Fabric Storage

How great is this idea!??? All your fabric out to see!!! LOVE IT! Of course if you had TONS of fabric this might not work so well.... but for me, who hates to sew but somehow seems to want to anyway, this is a great way to store my bits and pieces! And what a fun decor addition to the craft room!!! Get the EASY INSTRUCTIONS (that is my favorite part!!!) Here on Prudent Baby


And last but certainly not least.... my personal favorite (and unfortunately the hardest of today's great finds)

Game Board Storage!

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!

Isn't this just the COOLEST IDEA EVER!!!!! Clear up a whole closet, have GREAT game room decor, and AWESOME functionality all at the SAME TIME!??? OH YEAH BABY!!! I AM "FUH-REAKING" out about this idea!!!!! Infarrantly Creative you ROCK MY WORLD! Get the great 'how to' for this project HERE. Now... to get my hands on a table saw.... OH KIERAN!!!!

Ok folks... that is all for today. I guess I have to go tackle that mountain of laundry now.... yay. Hope you have great crafty finds of your own to enjoy!

Mermaid Party

Well it has taken me long enough to post about this party hasn't it!! Ah well... life flies when you are trying to get everything done AND have fun!

Here are some pictures from Miss. A's Mermaid Birthday Party. I think all the girls had a really great time. I know I had a BLAST with the decorations!!! I surpassed even my own expectations!! Below I will post how I threw this mermaid bash for only 20$.



I told my hubby I would get this party together for only $20. I am ALL ABOUT throwing a great party.... but I don't exactly have $150 to take 7 kids to one of those great party places. Personally I think this was more fun and memorable anyway, and she got to invite as many guests as she wanted!

The first step in this cheep party was to hit up the dollar stores!!! Mind you I had to go to more than one to collect all my goodies! Here is what I grabbed up to create all the decorations!

about 7 large rectangle tablecloths - $7
a bag of sea shells - $1
plates, cups, and napkins colored to match my theme- $3
Large fish cut outs - $2
Small bubble favors to hand out - $4
Wood cutouts of sea creatures for the craft (on sale at 10 cents a piece! SCORE!) $1
Streamers $2

All the other odds and ends I grabbed up from my stash of goodies at home! And there you have it $20!

With the table cloths I pulled them out the night before and doodled seaweed and sea creatures along the length of them. I taped them up to cover the perimeter of the room. Then I used streamers to fill in the upper section of the wall all the way around the room! The streamers also served for a fun door passage into our deep blue sea! For the couches I found some blue cloth I had lying around and gave them a quick cover up. The table with the cake was fun to set up and decorate with the shells all around! I had the girls all sit and eat their cake on the floor so I lined up the plates and cups along the wall. I found that stuffing the green napkin into the green cup made a fun 'seaweed' looking display.

When I was all done decorating I had to just laugh at myself. I really think I did this more for ME than for my little girl! Oh well... so long as she enjoyed it. I know that I LOVED it!!! Nothing like having kids so you can re-live your childhood through them!

Riddle for the day -

What do you get when you combine
THIS
(raggedy stools I got at a yard sale for 50 cents!)

With THIS?

(bundle of beautiful large flowers bought for $5 at a yard sale)

You get a
REALLY COOL
(and super cheep)
FLORAL DISPLAY for the corner of you living room!

I really just LOVE how this came out! When I was out perusing the yard sales I came across these lovely gems. I didn't really know WHAT I was going to do with either of them.... I just knew that I HAD to have them for such a great price! While cleaning my craft room out on Saturday this idea was born purely out of necessity! I needed somewhere for these lovely... yet VERY LARGE flowers to go while I figured out what to do with them! While pondering this the stool just jumped out at me and said "ME ME ME.... PICK ME!" I stuffed the flowers in between the support bars that are below the missing seat and VOILA... a masterpiece was born. Guess I now know why I had to have them!! Now I can stop racking my brain to find a good use for them!!!

I AM A FINISHER!!!!!

Yesterday I devoted my whole day to crafting! I invited friends, ate pre-made food, and shelved the cleaning. What an AMAZING DAY!!!! Wanna see what I got done!??? Then I will let you know how I did it!


Oh I am just THRILLED with how this came out! I grabbed this project up a month or two ago when I found some canvas at 50% off. I had a bare wall over my couch and these just BEGGED to come home and fill it!

Here is what I did-

You will need
1- 22x28 in canvas
2- 12x12 in canvas
2- 12x12 in canvas with deep sides
1- 9x12 in canvas with deep sides
Vinyl decal or saying
5 sheets of 12x12 scrapbooking paper
2 colors of acrylic paint that coordinate with your papers.
mod podge






I painted my large canvas one color. To get the texture I wadded up a plastic bag, dipped it in the paint, and gently rubbed the canvas in a circular motion. Then I applied my vinyl saying in the upper right hand corner 2 inches in from each edge.







Paint the edges of all your canvases. I used the same color for the edge of my deep canvases and I had used on my large canvas. For the 2 thinner canvases I used a lighter coordinating color to help show off the depth of the pieces.







Mod Podge your scrapbooking paper onto the other 5 canvases (cutting down one sheet to 9x12 for the smaller canvas)

Now hang your masterpiece and ENJOY!!!

Childs Art Display

OHHH I am SO excited to share this with you! This is my first ever picture tutorial!



Miss A. is crazy for crafting (I wonder where she got THAT from!? lol) She is constantly drawing, painting, gluing, and creating works of art for her dad and I. I have always needed a good place to display and keep her works of love. I finally came up with this cheep and easy idea. I am THRILLED with how it turned out!

Main Supplies-
Ball of twine
Clothes pins
Decoupage glue
Scrapbooking paper
Ribbon




Start the project by cutting a length of twine slightly longer than your desired finished length.


Next tie a loop at both ends of the twine


Next cut strips of your paper the size of your clothes pins


Decoupage the paper strips onto the clothes pins


Once these are dry use a sharp craft knife to cut a small strip of the paper off and allow the wire on the clothes pin to show. I also sanded and inked the edges of the clothes pin to give them a finished distressed look.

Next cut your ribbon in to several varied lengths. The lengths should be no shorter than about 2 inches and no longer than about 6 inches.



Now to assemble your art display
Tie the ribbon onto the twine about every two inches.
Clip the clothes pins onto the twine.


Now use some nails to hang your art display! Simply hook the loops of your twine over the nail and you have a beautiful and fun way to show off all your child's work!




ENJOY!

Finaly something made by ME!!!!

This idea was born because I needed a SIMPLE and CHEEP way to make a great Family Home Evening chart. This could also be used for chore charts! Really pretty self explanatory.. but I will give the instructions anyway.


Supplies
A unique wooden shape for each person involved in your chart.
A wooden square for each assignment you will need. (I like to have as many of these as I have people)
Magnets with adhesive on one side
Paint/brush
Sharpie marker

Instructions-

Take your unique wooden shapes and use the Sharpie to write each persons name on one of them. You can buy them pre-painted like I did, or get them un-painted and do them yourself. (might be fun to let your kids each do their own.)

Paint your wooden squares. When dry use the Sharpie marker to write an assignment on each square.

Stick a magnet on the back of each piece and put them up! You are ready to start using your chart!

The kids love to rotate the magnets each Monday after our FHE. Even Mr. B who can't read knows which shape is his. This cost probably around 5$ to make and has worked wonders!