Party Decor Part 3

If you missed them, check out Party Decor Part 1 and Party Decor Part 2.

I knew I wanted something fun and whimsy hanging for Hudson's party. I decided to make some tissue paper balls. They are SO easy and SUPER inexpensive to make. Plus, I love that you can make them out of any tissue paper color/design that you can find.
What you need to make these:

8 sheets of tissue per ball
Craft wire
scissors
invisible thread/string to hang them from the ceiling
(I also used little round hooks that screwed into the ceiling to hang 2 of them because tape was not working on them.)
Stack eight 20-by-30-inch sheets of tissue. Make 1 1/2-inch-wide accordion folds, creasing with each fold. You could cut the tissue paper smaller if you wanted your ball to be smaller. Varying sized ones would be super cute!

Fold an 18-inch piece of floral wire (or craft wire if that is all you have like me!) in half, and slip over center of folded tissue; twist. With scissors, trim ends of tissue into rounded or pointy shapes.Separate layers, pulling away from center one at a time.

I recommend almost doing one ball to just play with before you do the other 'real' ones. I did not do as good of a job with my first ball as the second. You finally get the hang of pulling each layer better by the time you finish one of them. I would also recommend tying something through your wire loop at this point before all of the layers are separated that way you don't smoosh them later trying to do this.
Bend wire into a loop to fit around napkin, and twist end around loop to secure.

(Photos with pink background found on Martha Stewart's website. See here.)

Good luck making these. They are so fun! Happy party time!

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To sleep or not to sleep...

Since this summer, my little sweet 3 year old that has been the best sleeper since pretty much birth has had issues falling asleep. I think it is that whole transition of a big boy bed and all that new found freedom. (Did I mention he never climbed out of his crib once?? I know, it is astounding and absolutely nothing to do with me being super mom. I guess he just didn't like the thought of falling!)

So right now his mattress is on the floor. Gasp. I know! But our budget is small and since we knew coming here this year that we would be moving in a year, I figured why move something right after getting it and risk it getting ruined! I have been looking into some bed sets though. Tons out there to choose from. Some seem a little out of our price range, at least for now. I think that we may just decide to build him one on our own. So I have been drooling over some faves on Ana White's blog. Sure do love her stuff. I have been oohing and ahhing about it from almost it's beginning and have yet to make something. With moving constantly and being all across the US, can you blame me??!

Now I have about 4-6 or maybe even 8-10, 'I HAVE to have that type' of build your own furniture projects on my list. Soon enough...but I do think my little man's bed frame is going to be near the top! My step-dad made me a couple things out of Pottery Barn's mag about 4 years or so ago before Ana White came out with so many great plans. I have those ever so coveted leaning shelves, some great Bailey Cubes for end tables, and some beautiful wall shelves inspired by these crown molding shelves. My step-dad did some fabulous work on my stuff and I was able to change it up how I wanted. I know. I am spoiled! I will have to take some pics and display them sometime. He is an excellent crafter with wood and I love that Ana White has made it accessible for just about everyone to dip their hand into that pot too.

Have you made anything fun from her blog? If so, link it up in a comment. I would love to see it!! Besides, you have to brag it up and show it off!

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Who doesn't need this??

I am in awe at all of the craft blogs out there now. I love it! I think where there was once maybe 10-20 crafty blogs, there are now literally hundreds. I used to worry about competing and staying up on followers. I realized that it didn't really matter who has more or less followers than someone else. What matters is inspiring yourself and others to craft new fun things!

I started noticing some of the big bloggers posting less often and also some giving their blogs up altogether. I also decided to take a break. My family needed it and I needed it. While I loved all the new blogs before, I am REALLY lovin' them now. I cannot tell you how many cute crafty bloggers there are out there. I mean, we all have our faves but I still love to check out all the new ones too. I am always inspired and I know my house will be cuter because of it!!

One blogger who has been around for awhile and has some awesome ideas is Jessica at Running with Scissors. I was completely lovin' her sewing table post she did the other day. I need one of these!! The thing I love about it, is that it actually looks doable. I think I can make this without a lot of tools too. Thanks for inspiring me Jessica. And to everyone else, keep the ideas coming. I love seeing what you create and I love seeing all of your blog success too.

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OBG {Crayon Roll}

This is an old project I did but one I thought I should share. I thought those crayon rolls were so fun that I kept seeing around. So about a year or so ago, I decided to make one for my little guy and a friend who was having a baby. I didn't think it was necessary to reinvent this tutorial since there were so many great ones out there already. So I mainly used the one here at Skip to My Lou...love her blog! I tried one square and one with rounded corners. Still not sure which one I like more.

However, I didn't have one of those nifty nylon stops she had and I really wanted to finish the project that day without running to the store.
So instead of that, I used an unused pony tail holder. I just sewed the silver part into the crayon roll holder. It is so nice and easy enough for my little guy to fasten and unfasten himself. I have loved having this crayon roll and it is a must have in my Sunday bag I talked about here. The iron on vinyl keeps the fabric nice so you don't have a bunch of crayon marks from little ones taking the crayons in and out over and over again! (Oh, and sorry about the bad pics on my nasty ol' vinyl floor in our old place...these were taken last year like I said and I wasn't as into making sure I had a good background for my projects!!)

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Inspired Book

I was thrilled when Misty contacted me and told me she had made a book for her hubby inspired by this and this. I love the spin she did on hers. She even went all out and added pictures too. It turned out darling. I just love it!! Thanks again Misty for sharing it with me. Made me get the warm fuzzies to know I inspired someone! Go check it out on her blog here.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway going on now until Thursday!!

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Add your Blogs!!

I have added a blog tab to the top of my blog because I wanted to have a list of creative blogs for people to go check out! I subscribe and follow to way too many of your blogs to add on here all by myself. It would literally take me days...and my kids and hubby would probably feel abandoned and I would be nutso by the time I was finished!!

So please stop by the blogs tab at the top, and add a link to your blog!

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Felt Flowers {Big Petals}

I am a HUGE fan of felt flowers lately. I have made quite a few for my little girl and when I saw this idea on DIY Dish, I knew I was all about making it for me too! If you haven't seen their site, seriously, go check it out. They have some great episodes and they just barely started so you don't have too much great craftiness that you need to catch up on!
Print out their great pattern for the flowers. I have also seen a great one a long time ago that is a little simliar at Yoonie at Home's. Cut out two of the largest size flowers.
This is what it looks like just flat without sewing, which I think actually looks pretty gorgeous! I ended up doing my flower with only 5 of the layers too. I took off the smallest one because I just thought it looked great without it.
Fold the hearts in half. You are going to sew at the bottom of them. I did this one with a machine to see if it was easier. I don't really know if it is or not. You can also just sew it by hand using a needle and thread.
Stitch forward and back a few stitches on each "heart."
Then your flower starts to "pop" and look more realistic.
This is what the back looks like. Continue with the rest of the flowers in the same fashion.
Then just sew through all of the layers after you line them up so their petals are opposite the one below it.
Then I snipped two little parts in the back to put a clip in place. I used some hot glue to keep it there so it didn't fall out. Then I ripped a piece of satin into a little shred and rolled it into a ball with my fingers. I sewed that onto the smallest flower to create a center. It was SO easy. Seriously, anyone can do this. I helped my friend who has hardly sewn at all make one of these and I helped teach a group of 8-11 year old girls make these too. A great craft for anyone! Plus, you can use this in your hair alone, put it on a headband, beautify a bag or purse, clip it onto a belt or on a pillow or blanket or shower curtain...anything goes! You could also make a bunch of these and attach them to a "stem" to create a beautiful bouquet of flowers that won't wilt! So cute and I have one in pink and another in black that are TOO fun! Any color is beautiful! For those, I added 3 little pompoms (7mm in size) to create a flower center but you could also use jewels, beads, pearls or another fun embellishment.

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New Digi Site

For any of those new to digi scrapbooking or just looking for a new fun site, I just came upon Lettering Delights. I added a button to the left side of my blog for it too or you can click below on the picture. It is a GREAT site. You can sign up for a free account and for their newsletter and you will get a TON of free fonts and other digi goodies! I highly recommend it. I just did over the weekend and was really surprised at how good their freebies were!! PLUS, right now it is dollar days there. They have so many cute things that are only $1 (I think there are over 3000 items!!) I spent WAY too long looking through them over the weekend. Plus, they have tons of graphics/fonts that you can use with Make the Cut and cut out on your Cricut or other cutting machine. Anyone thinking vinyl or fabric projects?? Maybe even throw in a cute card or two??! I am SO excited to make some fun stuff. No worries, I will share the cute stuff I make...but if you want to get in on it too, go check them out. Plus, its free!!

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Singed Flower and a Headband

Some of you may have seen the "singed flowers" floating around the web. I know the first place I saw it was over at Little Birdie Secrets. They are just gorgeous. I kept thinking I wanted to make some but never had the fabric. Or at least that is what I thought! I was going through my fabric stash the other day, and found the right kind of fabric. Guess I should have done it sooner!! Mine is just a satin fabric that I got in the remnants section awhile back.Cut out some circles or flower shapes. The perfectionist in me comes out and I actually had to make circles from random things I found in my kitchen and use those as a pattern to cut the shapes out. You can just freehand it though. Because honestly, you can't tell the difference once you singe the edges! I had 4 circles that were 3 inches, 2 1/2 inches, 2 inches and 1 1/2 inches. If I did it again, I think I might even do a 3 1/2 or 4 inch one.Then just singe the edges carefully with a match or lighter. Try not to burn yourself. I usually do okay but I must admit, I did get myself a few times with this one. Then layer them inside of each other just to make sure you like the look and that they all fit okay in one another.I wanted to add a little sparkle to mine so I decided to sew some sequins in it. Just knot some thread, and pull it up through all of the layers in the center. String on a sequin and pull your thread all the way through and then back down into the flowers to hold it in place. Repeat for however many sequins you want.Then I added a circle of felt and a clip using the hot glue gun.I bought a 6 pack of headbands from the $1 store with the intent of covering them. I snagged a bright yellow with silver accents that was "oh so not me" to cover. I just folded the ribbon up over the end and started wrapping it tightly around it. I used the hot glue gun again mostly because it was fast and easy! By the way, the ribbon is 5/8" wide. I am sure you could use other widths but that is just what I had on hand.Then you can wear the headband by itself or with the singed flower as an accent. It really does make the perfect hair accessory. I love it!

Linked up at:
A Soft Place, Today's Creative Blog, A Silly Little Sparrow

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St Patty's Day Fun

St Patrick's Day is a holiday that sometimes we all forget to celebrate. We don't always celebrate it in our house but I have been trying to come up with fun ideas to make even the lesser known holidays more fun! You can wear green, eat corned beef and cabbage, or have pots of "gold" around your house. No matter what you do though, a little bit of fun makes every holiday or even special days during the year, even more fun! I have seen a TON of free printables for cupcake toppers, silly leprachauns and other fun St. Patty's stuff like this lucky penny layout.
(Go check out the free lucky penny downloads at Pumpkin Petunia.) There are lots of fun St. Patrick's Day ideas out there. Some of my favorites are at Secrets of a Super Mommy, Skip to My Lou, Executive Homemaker, Tip Junkie and this free downloadable kit from The Daily Digi.
Go check some links out, make some new fun traditions for your family and have a fun green holiday!! Happy St. Patrick's Day (in a few days)!

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A bag and some tips

I am a girl who Luh-oves her bags. I can never have too many. I am always up for making more too. When my mom comes to visit, we usually make a bag too. Guess the bag obsession must run in the family! We whipped together this sweet little number. I must say, I am lovin' how it turned out. A few guidelines with bags...you can always add a pocket on the inside or outside whether it has that in the pattern or not. Make the pockets meet your needs. You can sew down them to make as few or as many as you want. Pockets on the outside of bags can have pleats, ruffles, ribbon, buttons, flowers whatever you want. So go ahead and customize. I am still thinking about a flower for this one, but just haven't gotten to that yet.

Make sure you add plenty of stabilizer/interfacing in your handles. I like my handles plush and sturdy. I made a bag once with not enough and it bugs me every time I use it.

When you are sewing a lined bag, if the lining and the exterior are not sewn together, that can get annoying quick. So find an already done seam on them and line them up. Pin them well and stitch in the ditch. You may think...WHAT?? Stitching in the ditch is just where you stitch in an already sewn seam. You stitch in the same exact place so you don't notice new stitching. I did that with this bag to keep the lining sewn with the exterior so the lining wasn't just flopping around. I like it tacked down inside. Hope that makes sense to you. Let me know if it doesn't and I can elaborate with pictures if it helps.

There are about a million free patterns for bags on the web. Okay, maybe not a million but you know, there are a LOT! If you are obsessed with bags like me and need some inspiration or just don't want to come up with your own, check these out:

Spring Tote by Homemade by Jill
Book Bag (literally) by Remodelaholic
Buttercup Bag by Made By Rae
Pleated Purse by My Spare Time
Totebag by Skip to My Lou
Handbag by Sew Take a Hike
Keisha Bag by Lola...again
Shoulder Bag by Tiny Happy

Like I said, there are a million. These are just a few of the many I have bookmarked. Go check them out. SO cute! You have any cute patterns for bags? Do share!

Linking up at:
Poppies at Play, Finding Fabulous, 
Today's Creative Blog

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Frames for CHEAP!

Who doesn't need a little more decor for cheap?! 3 bucks and a little love and I had these babies finished! These are the hubby and my initials, which I thought would be fitting for Valentine's or really they could work for any day too. I did the

I bought the frames from the Dollar Tree after seeing this post at Under the Table and Dreaming. I thought they were really cute and for $1 you really can't beat the price!
So I waited til it finally got sunny outside again....(which was probably the longest part!) Whipped out my trusty ol' spray paint and got to work. Did a couple of coats and then sanded around the edges and on some of the detailing. Then I mixed up some Dark Chocolate craft paint from Americana with some water to make more of a runny glaze.I brushed it all over the frame and let it dry for just a bit. Then used a rag and just wiped some of it off. It is probably the easiest thing to do to make it all stand out more.
I printed the letters off of my computer in different fonts and exacto knifed 'em out of the paper. Backed them with scrapbooking paper and they were done. I LoVe how they turned out and they were easy and cheap!! I am thinking of doing some turquoise or maybe even a bright yellow. Apparently those are the "in" colors this year in decorating. I gotta have me some turquoise soon so I am sure I will be posting something...

Linking up at:
The Girl Creative, Persimmon Perch, Making the World Cuter,
Between Naps on the Porch, Skip to My Lou, Sumo's Sweet Stuff,
Keeping it Simple, Twice Remembered, Life as Lori
Today's Creative Blog

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