Craft Ideas, Part 4: Cloth-Covered Notebooks

I'm always looking for gift ideas that can be homemade and not expensive. These notebooks are the answer. I cut a piece of fusible webbing the size of the notebook cover. Then I cut diagonal pieces of fun fabrics. I sew them together to make the shape of a rectangle and I iron this patchwork to the fusible. I sew this directly onto the plastic notebook cover. (Use a denim needle.)

I sew along the diagonal seams and hot glue ribbon and trim. Throw a pen on the spiral and you're good to go!

Polka Dot

Owls

Dora the Explorer

Craft Ideas, Part 3: Bed Curtains

Ella asked for curtains in her bedroom. A reasonable request except for the fact that her room is in the basement where there are no windows. Here's what I came up with instead:


I used two duvet covers (along with the accompanying pillow shams) I found on clearance at Target. I cut one of the duvet covers long-ways to make the sides of the curtain. I kept the other one intact to make the top and back.


The shorter sides and front (kind of like a valance) were made from the dismembered shams.



I made a frame from 1x4 boards and mounted it with L brackets. I also used the tiled ceiling gridwork (sometimes a basement ceiling can be a beautiful thing) to add extra hanging.

Craft Ideas, Part 2: Super Hero Muscle Shirt

Here's a picture of my extremely muscular son Knox. (He takes after his father in this way.) Actually he's wearing a shirt a made him a couple of years ago.

I took two Old Navy long-sleeved shirts--a size 5 and a size 6. I put the smaller size inside the larger one and strategically placed cottom batting in between the shirts.

Then I hand-stitched contour lines for his abs, pecs, biceps and any other muscular formations I figured a little Super Hero needs. I stitched the cuffs and bottom together so it would be eaiser to put on.

When I made the same shirts for two of my nephews, I added a band of fabric at the bottom to look like a belt. Then I made a "belt buckle" out of a round iron-on patch with an iron-on letter on top. (B for SUPER BRODY!) It's totally washable and fun for any kid. (I may have to make a version for myself when I need a little more va-va-voom in the chest department!)

Craft Ideas, Part 1: sandwich bags

From time to time, I'll get ambitious and "get my craft on" and I've decided to use my next several posts to chronicle those random spurts of creativity. This one describes my latest project: reusable sandwich bags.

My friend Lori bought some of these bags at the Container Store and brought them to me to see if I could make them. The trickiest part was coming up with the right fabric for the inside. It needed to be washable and able to keep the sandwich fresh. (Think insulated lunch bags.) I bought a fabric shower curtain liner to cut up for the inside and various cotton fabrics for the outside.

I cut each piece in an identical 15" X 6" rectangle with one end rounded. I asked my sister to serge around the fabrics to keep them together and keep them from fraying. (You could use the zigzag stitch on a regular sewing machine, if needed.)

Then I folded the serged piece with about 3 inches of the rounded end sticking up and sewed the sides. I added about 2 inches of velcro so that the bag can stay closed and Voila! I was done.


It was super simple and cheap to make. We just turn them inside-out if they're crummy and throw them in the washing machine (eventually). They stack so much easier than Tupperware and are pretty darn adorable.

Next up: Super Hero Muscle Shirt...

My Funny Valentine

I'm trying to decide how to properly cherish my husband for Valentine's Day. It seems like the holiday is more geared to shower gifts on women than men. Brent could give me a number of things: jewelry, flowers, candy. What to give to him? I could cook a nice meal but how's that much different than what I (attempt) to do most every night of the week? Picking out a Valentine's greeting card is as much fun as going to the dentist, especially if I have my kids with me. "Why's that man only wearing tiny undies and why's he so greasy and why does the card come with paper one dollar bills?" are not a questions I want to answer when they check out a birthday card for a woman celebrating her fortieth.

Brent and I are both painfully practical most of the time. You're never going to see a picture of us hugging in front of a Lexus trimmed with a giant bow posted on facebook. We don't live extravagantly so we don't gift extravagantly either--at least not to each other. It may be a popular notion that women are focused on diamonds and roses and we'll pout if we don't get them but that stereotype isn't very flattering.

Brent will recognize Valentine's Day with something special because he's thoughtful of my feelings and his mission is to build me up but it's not necessarily going to be a balloon ride or a trip to Venice. The thing about Brent is he spends the other 364 days of the year bestowing small gifts on me. When we're watching TV at night, he'll ask if I need something to drink and get it for me. On Monday nights, he helps me sort the dirty clothes and on Tuesdays, he helps fold them. He always leaves me with the understanding that he is here to serve and care for me. That's better than a million diamond tennis bracelets. When he listens to my tediously detailed stories about that day's grocery shopping or my frustrations with the most recent episode of a Sister vs. Sister Cage Match, he's giving me the most amazing gift of all--his attention.

It reminds me of the 90's movie Singles. Bridget Fonda's character is just looking for a boyfriend who says "Gesundheit" when she sneezes. (Although she prefers "bless you." It's nicer.) She realizes that good looks, lots of money, and charm is nice but it's the little consistencies and considerations that make a difference.

So here's my gift to Brent: Gesundheit, Baby and Happy Valentine's Day!

Finding My Inner Introvert

After reading an article about shyness recently, I came to an astounding revelation: I'm an introvert! I know that some people would doubt this claim, but allow me to prove my point...

1. I frequently have to force myself to answer the phone even if the person calling is someone I like talking to. Once answered, I will have to: a) stop what I'm doing, b) pay attention, c) say something relevant, d) eventually end the conversation in a natural way, not just with "Well...bye..." I also don't like making phone calls. I've needed to call my dermatologist's office for over a week now to ask about a prescription for something other than the $700 cream he prescribed that my insurance won't cover. Apparently, I'd rather have acne than talk to a receptionist for three minutes.

2. I get nervous talking to 98% of people I encounter daily. I start sweating profusely and talk too much. I say fifty words when two would be sufficient. When I went in for my annual GYN exam Monday I found myself asking my doctor questions just to fill the silence. (I don't really want to know how an IUD works) And take it from me, when your doctor asks: "Is intercourse painful?" she doesn't want anecdotal data to support your claim that everything's working like clock-work in that area. She's willing to take your word for it.

3. I'm exhausted by big groups. I prefer to spend most of my time alone or with a small group of people. When I came home from volunteering at school today I did a Mr. Rogers. I took off my jacket and shoes and put on a cardigan and slippers. I reveled in the solitude of my house. I was thrilled with the opportunity to iron Brent's shirts and mend Knox's jeans. I am officially the Most Boring Person in Murfreesboro.

One of the bright spots to the article was that many people are "ambiverts"--they can switch between introvert and extrovert. I guess that's me. I can use which ever "vert" best suits the circumstance. Which led me to wonder if I was "ambi" in other ways. I know I'm not ambidextrous. Maybe I'm ambi-dessertous: I can both create and eat desserts with equal expertise. I'm not ambi-cleanbedous: I will faithfully wash all the bed sheets in the house every Saturday but just don't look under the bed.

I guess it just goes to show you that you can't put anyone in a box. Our intricately crafted personalities defy simplified labels and I like this about us. In an un-introverted way, I enjoy that surprise!