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Christmas Crafts: Diy Elf on a Shelf with Outfit Tutorial

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Friday, June 29, 2012

Stockings Hung

DSCI2061 (800x513)Here’s the last Christmas project for the summer as well as the last project on my list.  Three simple yet sweet stockings.  I have always loved the shape of Christmas stockings, especially around the heel.  It is always so much fun to sew around the curve.  Anyway, I used some fabric scraps to make them.  I didn’t use holiday prints because I didn’t have any on hand plus they can easily be over done.  Kind of like holiday sweaters.  When one person wears one they can look nice and holly jolly, but when a whole room is stuff full of them it can be overwhelming.  And when one person wears a holiday sweater complete with matching holiday theme earrings, bracelet, vest, socks, headwear, etc. it looks even worse.  I guess I’m not really one to talk considering which dress I wore Christmas day last year (see Holly Jolly Christmas) and the matching hair accessories that went with it (see Catching Up Again).  Oh well. 
Here’s the updated list:
  • Notebooks
  • Little skirt
  • Red dress
  • Red purse
  • wallets
  • Tiny wreaths
  • Stockings
  • Ornaments
  • Trees
  • Doll makeover
Ten down and out.  I actually almost have the next list ready to post.  There are a few projects I have been dying to try.
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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Trimmings and An Angel

This post may contain affiliate links, please check out my disclosures page for more info.  Thanks!

Another thing that comes to mind when I think of Christmas is the tree.  So what better way to decorate the tree or the area around it than with itty bitty trees? 

Little tree ornaments made with craft foam, glitter glue and gold cord.  Super easy.

I made these little ones with scraps of some craft foam I got at a thrift store.  I made them into little cones before gluing and stacking them on each other. 

The glue of choice for this one was hot glue from my trusty glue gun.  And I only burnt myself twice this time.  After that, I just decorated them with squeeze tube fabric paint and added gold braid for loops and decoration. 

Something similar could possibly be done by children as a fun project.  I say similar because I wouldn’t want them messing with a glue gun, plus the project wouldn’t be any fun for them if an adult had to do all the gluing.

Poor little thrift shop Bratz doll before her makeover.
I got this old Bratz doll from a baggie of dolls from Goodwill.  It was the same baggie that my other Monster High doll came in (see Dressed Duo and Red Shoes), so she was sort of a bonus in the mix. 

As you can see, her hair was a horrible mess.  She also had no clothes which is normal for a thrift shop doll and had no shoes/feet which is normal for a used Bratz doll.  And to top it off, the poor thing had a broken wrist.  I thought of something very special to do with her. 

So here’s the the before…

A pretty Christmas Angel decoration made using a Bratz doll from a thrift store.  The wings are made from a plastic bottle.
…And after. 

She is now a Christmas angel, perfect for the tree or as a center piece. 

First I cleaned her up and detangled all that hair.  I trimmed her hair and curled it too.  How do you curl doll hair?  You use either small strips of fabric or doll size curlers to roll the hair up. 

Then the tricky part, boiling water.  You pour boiling water over the hair and set the doll down to cool and dry off.  It’s a technique I read in a doll book years ago, but I can’t remember which one.  I wouldn’t try it on a particularly valuable doll or brittle looking hair hair, but it’s fine dolls like this one with nothing left to lose. 

The front sections of the hair are twisted to the sides and glued in place.  I used my trusty Aleene’s Jewel-It for this part.  The dress is just something I quickly whipped up with white fabric scraps.  I sewed it both on the machine and by hand and tied a ribbon around it.

To make the base, I cut up a PowerAde bottle.  I cut off the top half of the bottle and covered it with a pretty fabric scrap using a glue gun to secure it.  The doll’s legs and hips fit perfectly through the mouth of the bottle. 

For the wings, I used a 2 litter soda bottle.  I cut off the top part of the bottle and removed the spout part.  I cut the piece in half and trimmed the two pieces to just the right shape. 

These “wings” wouldn’t stop curling in too much at first, so I very carefully ironed them at a low heat.  I didn’t want them to melt all over my nice clean iron.  I glued the wings to a piece of fabric and glued them to the back of my angel. 

All it took to finish is the halo, made from braided ribbon.  A bit of work, but she is one beautiful piece of recycling magic.

Here’s the updated list:

Nine down, just one more to go.  Yippee!

 

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Saturday, June 23, 2012

Good Day for a (Yard) Sale

So this morning I got up literally at the crack of dawn (not on purpose) and went for a walk around the area (actually on purpose) and spotted a sign for a nearby yard sale.

Polaroid

Five yard sales later, I came home with this haul:

  • 1 pair of angel wings with matching halo, good for next Halloween?
  • 2 pairs of cropped pants, I will probably alter them.
  • 1 shallow basket full of clip-on roses and similar items.
  • 1 power strip (not pictured)
  • 1 wooden doll house kit

Total cost: $8.25.  Lugging it home on foot on an Arizona summer day: priceless.

I am particularly excited about the doll house, it’s the first real one I have ever had except for the cardboard one I sort of made.  I say sort of because I still haven’t finished all the rooms and I actually can’t remember when was the last time I worked on it.  I guess I sort of lost interest in cardboard, at least for that purpose.  I am actually thinking of passing the house on to someone else.  It doesn’t seem fair to let it sit there collecting dust and waiting until I “feel” like actually working on it.  I just need to find someone who is interested in working and repairing (it got damaged in the move) a doll house of cardboard. 

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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Snowballs

This post may contain affiliate links, please checkout my disclosures page for more info.  Thanks!

I mentioned before that I was inspired by a certain craft book to make Christmas-y stuff.  One of things I got from it was the idea to make ornaments out of pom-poms, though mine are a little different from the book.

Some cute snowball ornaments made from scraps of yarn, glitter and a comb.  Perfect for the Christmas tree.
So using some leftover white-ish yarn, glittery paint and a comb, I made these “snowball” ornaments.  Finished with gold cord and they are ready to hang.

Crocheted ribbon Christmas wreaths.  Used for jewelry, hair accessories or decorations.
And one of the things that first come to my mind when decorating for the holidays is a simple wreath.  Of course, who says they have to go on the door.  I made these by crocheting green ribbon and then threading in red or pink ribbon.

Crocheted ribbon Christmas wreaths.  These were used for hair clips and pins, but they would be cute for decorations.
I then glued on metal findings.  The top two are hair clips and the bottom one is a pin.  I had a lot fun making them even though it wasn’t exactly the easiest thing I have ever done. 

For some reason all my crochet hooks have disappeared on me.  I improvised by bending a paper clip into a hook shape, something I sort of learned in high school.  It works okay, but it is definitely not as smooth to work with as an actual hook.  At least it got the job done.

Here’s the updated list:

Seven down, just three more to go.  Not bad, I should have the rest done before the end of next week.

 

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Monday, June 18, 2012

Flowers and Bills

Polaroid
Remember that cute wallet I made like an eternity ago (see Decorating and Launching).  It lasted a good long time, but it’s gone kaput.  I needed a new one badly, so I whipped up these babies.  I used two different patterned fabrics for each one except for the pink one on the upper right.  They each have a bill fold pocket (is that what it’s called?) and four extra pockets, two on the outside and two on the inside.  The pink one I made specifically for myself so it has a little bonus.  One of the pockets has a zipper in order to hold change.  I actually did it as an experiment.  Let’s just say there is a reason I didn’t add zippers to the other wallets.  Anyway, I now have a fresh wallet and three extra.  I think I probably will put the extra ones in my shoppe.  I’ve really been neglecting it lately.
Here’s the updated list:
  • Notebooks
  • Little skirt
  • Red dress
  • Red purse
  • wallets
  • Tiny wreaths
  • Stockings
  • Ornaments
  • Trees
  • Doll makeover
Five down, five more to go.  The next two should be up by Wednesday, hopefully not at like 11 pm.  Wouldn’t be the first time.
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Friday, June 15, 2012

Think Red

A while back I bought some red fabric from Goodwill.  The second I saw it I knew it would be perfect for a dress, something fairly summer-y too. 
DSCI1939 (500x800)
Three days of sewing later and here is the dress.  It has puffed raglan sleeves and the bodice is fully shirred which took loads of time but was worth it.  It makes the dress very fitted while still making breathing possible.  Plus, it is so easy to pull on, no stretching like a pretzel to reach a zipper.
DSCI1948 (653x800)
And what’s better than a great fitting red dress?  A matching purse.  I gathered the fabric before sewing for an interesting effect.  The funny thing is that it wasn’t until after I finished struggling to get this purse right that I remembered that I actually have a Simplicity pattern for a similar bag.  What’s the point of having patterns if I never bother to used them?  Anyway, I sort of messed up the snap on the flap.  Simple fix was to embellish it with a fabric yo-yo made from a fabric scrap and a simple bow.  Nothing like the inspiration you get from goofing up.
Here’s the updated list:
  • Notebooks
  • Little skirt
  • Red dress
  • Red purse
  • wallets
  • Tiny wreaths
  • Stockings
  • Ornaments
  • Trees
  • Doll makeover
Four down, six more to go.  The next one will be up by either Monday or Tuesday.
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Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Another “Book” and An Ageless Skirt

It’s funny, I had intended to post this sooner, but every time I sat down to type I went blank for some reason.  Maybe it has something to do with the weather.  Hard to think when it is just so darn hot.  I suppose I could have just posted the photos and left it at that, but I am so not a Wordless Wednesday kind of person.
Polaroid
Anyway, I decided to do some more crafting with old hardcover books again (see To Mothers and Good Literature).  This one I actually read before cutting into it, it wasn’t good. 
Polaroid
I decided to turn it into a notebook, or I guess notepad is more precise.  After gutting the book, I cut some plain white paper to the right size and punched holes in the top and tied with ribbon.  The ribbon is attached to the cover with a very strong glue.  This makes the “notebook” pretty and refillable.
Polaroid
While I was at it I also made a couple of mini pads with some of my paper scraps.  Just bundle them up with a cardboard backing, fold the back over the top, then stitch across the top to finish.  They’re small enough to fit in my pocket while the book is small enough for my purse.
DSCI1938 (800x556)
For the next project, I had some pink fabric leftover from one of my dresses and thought is would be perfect for a skirt for my niece.  The neat thing about this skirt is she may never outgrow it.  The elastic waistband fits her fine, but it stretches enough to fit me too.  It is a pretty long skirt, but if it gets too short for her the tucks along the hem can be undone to add a few more inches.  Now the only problem is what to do when in a few years she decides she doesn’t like it anymore.
Here’s the updated list:
  • Notebooks
  • Little skirt
  • Red dress
  • Red purse
  • wallets
  • Tiny wreaths
  • Stockings
  • Ornaments
  • Trees
  • Doll makeover
Two down, eight more to go.  The next couple of projects will be up by Friday.
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Friday, June 8, 2012

Strange Things My Cat Will Eat

The human foods this cat will eat.This is a little something just for fun.  My cat has never be a picky eater.  The word finicky is unheard of around this cat. 

I started making a list of some of the human foods she likes to eat, at least some of the ones that surprised me.

Midnight the cat will eat:

  • Tofu
  • Nori
  • Veggie Sausage, actually veggie anything
  • Garbanzo beans
  • Avocado
  • Kroger Queso Blanco with Jalapenos
  • Yogurt, fat-free
  • Spaghetti
  • Hard boiled eggs, only the yellow part
  • Bean and cheese burritos

Please note that these foods only comprise a tinny, tiny percentage of her overall diet, the bulk of which is currently from Purina One dry food formulated for urinary tract health.

Remember, overindulging can lead to health problems in pets as well as people.  Anyway, what kind of things do your pets eat? 

6/8/2017 Update:

It’s been several years since Midnight has left me, but going through posts like this is a nice way of remembering her.  All is well.

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Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Up to Twenty-Eight

snowgirl vintage image graphicsfairy008bFinally, my new list is ready.  I had a little more trouble writing it out than usual.  For some reason I have the urge to start making Christmas-y things.  I know it is quite a bit early for it, but I can’t help it.  So a few of my projects will be filled with the holiday spirit this month.  I should mention that I was somewhat inspired by a particular craft book I got from the library.  The Farm Chicks Christmas by Serena Thompson, chocked full a super cute ideas for the Holidays.  How could anyone resist whipping out the holly, even at the start of summer.  Anyway, here’s the latest list.
Project List #28
  • Notebooks
  • Little skirt
  • Red dress
  • Red purse
  • wallets
  • Tiny wreaths
  • Stockings
  • Ornaments
  • Trees
  • Doll makeover
On the bright side, when this is done I will have a fantastic head-start for Christmas this year.
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