Charm & Whimsy

Need a 10 minute crafty fix? Sew a simple napkin from scrap fabric.

In an effort to teach The Boy how to be a civilized little guy at the dinner table - and to make using a napkin fun and exciting - I whipped this baby up. It took 10 minutes tops. Bonus that I got a crafty fix out of the whole thing!

I used a scrap of Yippee!! Michael Miller fabric that was leftover from making this apron a couple of years ago.

Cut two pieces the same size. Mine is a rectangle because that’s all I had left so I just trimmed the edges.

Right sides together, pin, sew around leaving a small area to turn it right side out.

Cut the corners to remove bulk once it’s inside out. Through that area you left open, turn it right side out.

The Boy was taking a nap and my crafty lair is in the next room so I didn’t whip out my creaky ironing board. This little tool (I have no idea what it’s called but I got it at a sewing shop for a quilting class) saved the day. Not only did the pointy tip help push out the corners, but I used it to “press” the seams. It’s awesome.

See how it flattened the seams? It kicks boo-tay.

Pin the opening and sew it closed. In hindsight – the opening should have been in the middle of a seam not at a corner.

Topstitch all around. Afterwards I didn’t like how the topstitch was so far from the edge leaving that little spot more open than the rest of the napkin so…

Sew another round! Ahh that’s better.

Alright, looks good and ready for action!

Action shots taken later that evening…

See Mommy? I’m wiping my mouth like you wanted. Now I’m going to throw it on the floor. Repeatedly.

Sheriff Woody is watching - I better be good and wipe my hands. (It’s amazing how having a toy at the table typically tames The Boy and lets him focus on eating. Whatever works!)

Woody, do you want to use my new napkin?

Thanks for sharing Deputy Mason!

So – use up those scraps, have yourself a quick crafty fix and make some napkins!

Marshmallow snowman ready for duty in your next hot chocolate.

I drew these marshmallow snowmen with food coloring pens while watching a movie earlier this month. Before I knew it I had gone through the whole bag. Cute, no?

They were part of holiday gift bags for friends and neighbors that included Truffle Hot Chocolate Bombs. Will need to post about those another time. I first saw the chocolate bomb idea here via Pinterest, although I ended up modifying the recipe after several trial runs (hmmm, delicious experimentation).

Just because the holidays are over doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a tasty hot chocolate with a cute snowman friend. Hope you try it!

Hold still. Hoooold stillllll…

And we’re spent!

Here they are, ready for service in a ziploc bag so they don’t dry out.

This was my first foray into food coloring pens (I used the Americolor Food Coloring Pens) and I must say they are pretty freakin’ awesome. All of the colors were rich and drew on the marshmallows nice and smooth.

Must find more things to color on and then eat. Any ideas besides cake pops?

Winter Craftyness: Homemade Playdough with my sick Boy

So The Boy is sick… AGAIN. The bummer is his fever started the day before ending a 20 day stint of antibiotics for his second bout of pneumonia since October (yes 2 months ago). . Now he has a double ear infection. More antibiotics, more steroids for his asthma. My poor baby - I'm open to suggestions people. I'm willing to listen to and try anything if you've got any ideas.

I had taken this week off from the office in hopes of getting caught up on projects at home and for work; instead The Boy and Mommy are getting crafty.

We made homemade playdough using this recipe from TinkerLab. It took a little longer than I expected to cook it but it came out great and The Boy loved it! Shoot – I loved it! Kneading that warm dough was so… pleasing. I can’t describe it other than to say it made me miss my pottery studio days.

He’s wearing his apron AND his cape. Just in case he needs to be super while cooking.

In goes the salt.

In goes the flour.

He really liked the whisk. Rather, he really liked flailing the whisk around and flinging the watery dough everywhere.

It’s so soupy in the beginning you never think it will thicken up.

At this point the dough was really hard to stir but he really wanted to keep on “cooking” so I put some in one of his play pots and let him at it.

Yay! It’s ready to turn out and knead.

It gets so nice and smooth in no time.

Mommy – I don’t care if it’s colored. Let me at it!

These are pretty big handfuls of dough not to mention all the dough The Boy is playing with. This recipe yielded a lot!

That’s a car and a tree.

Time to squish it all together.

This can still be used next time – into a ziploc you go.

I only had whole wheat flour on hand so our playdough was a little more grainy and brown than other people’s pictures out there but who cares. It was colorful, squishy fun and the recipe made more than enough playdough for several future sessions of squishy, crafty fantasticness. Hope you try it for yourself!

Winter Craftyness: Pinecone & Peanut Butter Birdfeeders

We came home with a couple of pinecones from a visit to Grandpa & Grandma’s house for Christmas. These were a quick and super easy craft that kept The Boy totally engaged. Start to finish (hanging them in the tree) it took about 10 minutes. I need to find more pinecones because The Boy keeps asking to “make bird seeders”. Good times!

First tie a long piece of string or yarn to the top of the pinecone – this is what you’ll use to hang from the tree. Then just slather the pinecone with peanut butter, be sure to get it into the crevices, and roll around in the birdseed. Pack on the seed to cover all the peanut butter. Tie to a tree branch and voila!

We tied it to branches right in front of our back deck window so The Boy can see the birds (or squirrels as it were) in action.