Recycled Crayon Storage + a FREE printable

Today I'm sharing a free craft, 

that like most of my other DIY/Printables 

is designed to help keep your home better organized. 

This is a craft I made about 6 months ago, 

and so far it is holding up great and getting daily use from my 2 girls!

This one is simple- I know it's not a *new* idea, but it is a *cute* and *free* idea.

Both of which make me very happy!

1. Take a large plastic container and clean it out

(I used a Costco Animal Crackers bin, 

but Target has similar animal cracker and cheese ball containers

 if you aren't a member of a Costco/Sam's Club)

This is a great size for LOTS of crayons & the lid screws on tight

2. My Rainbow Chevron 'Crayons' label downloaded for free

(I recommend printing on cardstock 

and printing a front and back copy, 

mostly because I was too lazy to scrape the old labels off

 and I needed to cover both sides!)

3. Scissors and Packaging Tape

Cut label to desired size and tape in layers on the entire surface

 (so the label is almost 'laminated' on)

Fill with crayons, give the kids some paper and CREATE!!!

What ways do you often re-use old plastic containers? Leave a comment and share!

Tutorial: Magnetic Cake Stands

Today I am sharing a quick and easy variation on the standard DIY cakestand. I grew tried of trying to find a place to store a bulky stand in my small kitchen and also wanted something that could be changed to coordinate with the theme of a party. The result of my brainstorming was this: A magnetic cake stand!

 You will need 4 simple things - 

-a candleholder of any style (green one found at Target dollar bins for $2, glass one from dollar store 2/$1)

- plate- plastic, glass, ceramic, etc. (plate shown is melamine from dollar store)

- flat magnets (purchased at Hobby Lobby for $2.99 with 40% off coupon)

- glue gun (or super glue if you prefer to stick your fingers together rather than burn them like me)

 Total Cost = $6 for two stands

It's as easy as 1,2,3! 

Glue a magnet to the candlestick, glue a magnet to the bottom of the plate, place them together! 

TA-DA!

***It is however important to check that you line up the polarity of the magnets so they attach to each other, not separate!***

 Candlestick is now still available to use to hold a candle & the plate can be washed and used as normal!

Burp Cloths 3 Ways!

I'm sharing with you today the first of many baby related projects to come. I started out with a tutorial from another blog, homemade by jill , and then evolved that design into 2 different adaptations of my own. Even if you aren't planning on having a newborn around anytime soon, these burp cloths make a great baby shower gift!

The first set I made was for a friend who just that day had given birth to her second child, a beautiful baby girl named Madison. I brought a set of 4 to the hospital when I went to see the baby, along with a summer dress and matching bow I had also made. Here's a picture of the set I made her and the dress as well.

Those burp clothes were made using this tutorial, and they were really easy to make. I finished 6 of them in about one hour (minus washing time, of course)

Here's the same style in a different fabric- these one's I'm keeping for myself!

Next I moved on to another play on the same design. I wanted to use bias tape to wrap the edges, and although I've never worked with it before I was happy with the results! I used this blog post from Angry Chicken to help me figure out how best to work with bias. 

Instead of doing a peanut shape I opted for a simple rectangle with the same general dimensions. I sewed wrong sides together 1/4" from the edge, with a nice layer of quilt batting sandwiched in between. Then I trimmed the edges with the bias tape and sewed 2 seams down the length of the cloth, making 3 sections so the batting doesn't budge in the wash. 

Here's how those turned out. (p.s. don't you love the fabric Kinsey chose?)

Lastly I wanted something thinner and that I could keep in the diaper bag at all times without taking up a lot of room. I decided to make the original peanut shape, but without any batting inside and without the frayed edges. To do this I just placed the 2 sides right side together, sewed 1/4 from the edge, leaving a 2" space un-stitched. Then I turned them right side out, pressed, and top-stitched to finish them off. Voila!

Total cost for 16 burp cloths (4 of which were a gift) was less than $15! I got all the snuggle flannel at Joann's for $1.99/yd and each set of 4 only uses 1 yard total. 

I think it's safe to say I have more than enough burp cloths for the new baby, especially since I kept everything from when Kinsey was little, too.

I'll close with a sneak peek at my next sewing project, hopefully to be completed next week. What do you think I'm making for baby now? 

DIY- Cake Stands

For a while now I've been searching for a cake stand that is simple, sleek and crisp.....and doesn't break the bank. I mean, how often do you actually use a cake stand? Unless you are Martha Stewart it probably comes out of hiding 3-4 times a year (and no one really cares but you what it looks like but you).

So in my quest to do things the penny pinching, way I came up with a very simple concept for cake stands on a budget!

This entire project cost around $9, but I made 3 cake stands and have a whole tube of glue left over for more projects.

Supplies Needed:

Ceramic Plates- any shape, size or color will do....(I went with white because that was the simple look I wanted, but you could do a cake stand to match any occasion or cake. My plates were all purchased at the dollar store, but goodwill is a great place to find them too!)

Glass Candlesticks- again dollar store, cheap! (The small one shown was in a two pack for $1. I got the large one shown with the muffins for 99 cents at goodwill.)

E6000 Glue- $1.99(can be purchased at any craft store or superstore)

Spray Paint- $1 -White (or whatever matches your plate)

The first step is to measure out the middle of the plate and mark it with a pencil. My plates were easy and all had either a raised ring or a stamp marking dead center.

Next (and do this step outside...PLEASE!) put E6000 glue on both the candlestick and the plate where they will touch. Follow the directions on the glue and wait 2-5 minutes before sticking them together.

Then you can break out the spray paint and blend the 2 pieces together. (note: I do not recommend painting the top portion of the plate since most spray paints are not food safe...if you have to paint it to achieve a unified look please use parchment when serving on the stand)

 Reapply and let the glue set-up for 24-72 hours before washing and using.

Ta- Da! Super cute (and super cheap) cake stands!

DIY-Poster Board Wall Art

So today I am sharing a DIY/tutorial (my first so bare with me) that I recently came up with after seeing the high price of -oh so simple- wall art.

 Besides the price tag shock, I was also never really able to find the exact color palette I was looking for.....thus I created my own art!

 Don't be scared, this project requires NO art skills!!!

All you need is an eye for color/pattern and the ability to use an exacto knife and a glue gun...easy peasy!

Let's get started....first here is the supplies you will need: (some items not shown)

2 sheets of poster board ( I got mine for $1 each at the dollar store)

8-10 sheets of scrapbook paper in coordinating colors/patterns-(I find it's best to go with similar colors but fun patterns- mix it up- don't be scared and make sure you add at least one contrasting color or pattern!)

spray glue (or rubber cement, or mod podge, or a glue stick...whatever you have that glues!)

an exacto knife (for exacto cutting..hehe....make sure you also have cardboard or a cutting board to cut on)

a hot glue gun (and glue sticks...duh)

a ruler and pencil

3mm brand sticky strips for putting your finished product on the wall (I used a  small 4 pack)

Total cost for materials- approximately $10

First you will need to cut your poster board into squares, I chose to cut three in the full size of a scrapbook paper sheet (12" x 12"), Three in a rectangle (12" x 6"), Three in an 8" square, and ended up with Seven in a 6" square. I find it's best to cut odd numbers of squares to balance out the piece without looking too symmetrical.

Next layout the pieces on a large surface...just take your time and layer, nothing is final at this point so mix it up a bit!

Once you have a plan start spraying your poster board with the glue and pressing and smoothing your scrapbook paper on. For the smaller pieces, I glued the full sheet on and then cut the excess with the exacto knife. If you don't like the color spacing you can ix your pieces up again at this point.

Lastly grab that trusty glue gun and start sticking it all together.

If you have OCD you can use a level or straight edge, but if you are lazy like me you can eyeball it.

Use the directions on your 3mm sticky strips to mount onto the wall and voila! You have a super chic, totally original piece of artwork for $10 or less!