Yoda Onesie & Rattle

I know my last post was about Star Wars, I just can't resist. Actually it took my best friend to have a little boy to get me to do more shirts. And what did I make him?

A Yoda Onesie & Matching Rattle

I found the idea {HERE}. She makes incredible Star Wars shirts; Leia, Chewy, Boba, etc. and they're super cute. The problem for me was the price, when I knew I could make it too. So I bought felt, wonder under, and created my own pattern.

After I made the front, I added something to make it different. The other famous quote from the green jedi master.
Courtesy of a little bit of Freezer-Paper magic.

I'd share it, but I don't want to seem like I'm taking away business. Instead, I'll give some tips.

• Use things around your house to match the shapes for yoda. I used a bowl, bobbins, spools.
• Make a pattern out of paper FIRST before you trace or cut your felt.
• Remember to do the face details BEFORE fusing it to the shirt (or sewing the rattle).
  
• Wonderunder is your friend. My iron plays nice with WU when I set in on the cotton blends setting. First step (fusing WU to the piece) says 3-5 seconds--- count on 5. Wait until it cools down to pull it off. If when you start to pull, set it back under the iron. With the second step (WU to fabric) have the damp cloth (I use old kitchen towels) and I iron it in 10 second intervals; I check every 10 seconds to see if it's fused. Iron until completely fused.
• Work from the bottom up. Here's the order: dark brown middle piece, ears, robe (sand-colored) pieces, head, cane, hands.
• You can sew in on with a machine, but I don't recommend it. I like the detailed look of the blanket stitch.
  

One more Star Wars themed post, something for the budding space pilot.

Linking {HERE}

I'm also attempting to enter this:




maybe it'll give me more 'posting' motivation...

Motivational Yoda Plaque

The Hubs and I are rather big Star Wars fans (my inner-nerd loves to come out occasionally).

So big, in fact, we dressed up as the whole Skywalker clan for Halloween last year. Hubs was Anakin (pre-Darth Vader), I was Amidala (Clone Wars pre-carefully placed rips), and the kids were Luke and Leia.
Yes, we're training our kids to enjoy the certain galaxy far far away. They may or may not be able to hum the theme. They can.

A couple days before Father's Day (I know, a little late on the posting about it, Amber!), I had a BRILLIANT (easy and inexpensive) idea for a gift.


This has got to be one of Yoda's most famous lines. We quote it all the time to each other when we say 'I'll try.'

Gather It:

• 6x12 wooden plaque (I got mine at Michaels)
• Grey Acrylic paint
• Key Lime & Black Vinyl (or similar colors in paint--- got my vinyl at Expressions Vinyl)
• Silhouette, Cricut or Exacto Knife
• Small L brackets
• Glue or 3M stickers

Create It:

1. Paint the plaque. I did a couple coats and I left a little wood showing because I wanted it to look a little rundown, like Yoda.
2. Cut the vinyl. I used my Silhouette and the font SF Distant Galaxy. For the Yoda image, I found a pumpkin stencil, imported it into my software and traced it to get our favorite green Jedi Master. I'll email you the doc, if you have a Silhouette and want to make your own.
3. If you don't have a Silhouette, I email you the stencil to cut out with your exacto knife... win win. Print the stencil and then trace it onto your vinyl and carefully cut the pieces out.
4. Take all of the negative vinyl out and use some transfer paper (glorified masking tape--- you didn't hear that from me) to 'transfer' the vinyl to the board. I applied Yoda first and then the words on top of him.
5. In order to get it to stand, secure the L-Brackets on the back bottom corners with 3M tape or glue.

Voila! Your local Star Wars fan will now of daily force inspiration. Hubs took his to work and it's displayed where everyone can see it when they walk in. (Personal victory because He LIKED it!)

Linking up {HERE}

Take the Money & Run

A new reality game show premieres tonight on ABC at 9/8c. The premise is pretty cool. The contestants have an hour to hide $100,000. After the hour is up, they get arrested and it's up to another team, made up of law enforcements officers, to find it in the following 48 hours. If the law finds it, they keep it; if not, the hiders get the cash.

Working with the law team are two professional interrogators, the only series regulars, and one of them is my Father-in-law. Here's a clip of him at work:



It's really surreal for us, especially my husband. Imagine seeing your step-dad (or Dad or Grandpa) on a reality show and then you might understand how he feels. We've never had a chance to see him in Detective mode. The kids even get excited when they see Grandpa on a commercial. It'll be fun too see him in action.

So, if you need a show on tonight while you work on your latest craft, watch Take the Money and Run.

And ask yourself the question, where would you hide the cash?

Star & Stripes Necklace

Diamond Glaze and I have a love/hate relationship. I LOVE what it creates, yet hate how it doesn't work for me. Every time I'd try to make a cute necklace pendant, the glaze would bubble and... grr... we just don't get along.

I'm slightly determined, so I bought circle pendants on sale a while ago, telling myself I'd try the necklace again. The problem was I could never really pump myself up to trying it again, mostly because I couldn't come up with a cute idea that I absolutely HAD to try.

Until the Fourth of July and it's patriotic beauty came around. I grabbed my pack of pendants and tried again.

This time, it worked.

Stars & Stripes Necklace

Gather It:

• blank necklace pendant
• scrapbook paper
• scissors
• diamond glaze
• needle

Create it:

1. Basically, trace the correctly-sized pendant circle onto the scrapbook paper and cut it out. I thought it would be great to have one Star and one Stripes pendant---hence the name of the necklace. I know, rocket science.
2. Trim until it fits in the pendant and place it in flat in the pendant. Make sure there is no space between the back of the paper and front of the pendant.
3. VERY VERY slowly drip the glaze into the pendant, until the pendant is full. Make sure not to get any bubbles because they will dry as bubbles (ask me how I know).
4. Wait overnight to dry, then string onto chain, ribbon, whatever you want to put around your neck. Enjoy!

Patriotic Decor

Happy FIFTH of July! We had a fun neighborhood get together at our house yesterday (and my in-laws came in town for the holiday), so naturally I had to add a little bit more to my Patriotic decor. Here's what I got:

Stars and Stripes Banner


I completely spaced on creating a tutorial for this... if there's enough interest. It's a lot like the {USA Hang}.

Table Runner
Last year, I participated in a {U-Create Create with Me challenge} to make {quilted table runners}. I loved the idea so much that I've made one for almost every holiday. I just need to make St. Pat's next year and my day-to-day one and I'll have a complete set.

Subway art and Dresser Cover

Found the Subway art {HERE}, got the America at Hobby Lobby on sale, and used my extra fabric from the Table runner to make a quick cover. I love the extra color it brings in.

Cutie Tutu

I know she isn't a decoration, but I couldn't resist making her a Patriotic Tutu (since I had tulle leftover from the banner and door hang). Tutus are super simple; elastic sewn just smaller than your subject's waist and lots of loop knots to create the full skirt. I used the tutorial {HERE}. The only thing I did differently was cut the width of the strips in half, so they were 3 inches wide, instead of 6 inches. She LOVES it.

I also made the matching bow with three leftover strips, a little bit of wire, ribbon, alligator clip, and glue gun.

Did I mention I LOVE the Fourth of July? ;)

Fireworks!

I found {THIS} idea and decided it needed to be tweaked to fit me and added to our growing Patriotic Decor. Our TV shelves just looked entirely non-festive.

Wooden Fireworks!

Gather It:

• Wood--- mine is 7, 10, and 13 inches tall (2x2 wide)
• Red, White, Blue Paint
• vinyl/stencils for stars, stripes, and words
• Drill & bits
• wire (cut into 9 3-ft pieces)
• needle-nose pliers
• pencil or marker

Create It:

1. All three fireworks need a base coat of white. I used glossy wood stain, but it would be just as easy (probably easier) to use craft (acrylic) paint.
2. After they dry, choose which one you want to be stars, stripes, and words. For the Stars/Stripes, place the vinyl over it and then paint over any white area you see.
3. For the white firework, use the negative vinyl as a stencil and paint the words on.
   (I used the Jane Austen font). As always, I'll email you the doc, if you have a silhouette. Yes, I used the church news to protect my table--- hopefully that's not too bad. ;)
   
4. Add a few coats and wait to dry.
5. After dry, drill a whole in the center top for the wire 'whicks,' I used the tiniest bit available.
6. Holding the firework in one hand and wire in the other, start to fish the wire in the hole. When it gets difficult, use the needle-nose pliers, instead of your fingers. Repeat three times for each firework.
7. To get the whick curly, wrap the wire (starting from the top) around a pencil or marker (I used a fat dry-erase one). Continue until you get to where the wire and wood meet, then gently pull the marker out. Repeat for the rest of the whisks!
8. Enjoy your new fireworks! Sure to bring that extra BANG to your celebrations!

Simple USA Wall Hang

Before this year, I had minimal Fourth of July decorations; this is a minor tragedy because the Fourth is my FAVORITE holiday. I LOVE everything about it; patriotism, the colors, BBQ, swimming, parades, fairs, fireworks (professional and not-so-professional). This is actually the holiday when my husband met my parents for the first time (and asked my Dad for my hand), I think you get the point that I love the holiday.

Not decorating for it felt like a crime, so I dusted off my thinking cap and came up with a fun, easy and inexpensive door hang for our laundry room door (it must be passed by anyone entering/leaving our house---high traffic area).
Disclaimer: Excuse the pictures of the random steps in the process. I'm still getting a hang of the whole document-while-crafting thing. :)

Gather It:

• 3 wood stars
• Acrylic Paint
• 1 11x17 foam sheet (they're 1.99 at any craft store)
• 3 in wide ribbon, 29 inches long
• 1/2 wide ribbon, 3-5 inches long
• patriotic scrapbook paper and solid cardstock
• Red, White, and Blue Tulle (I got the 6 in' wide rolls at Hobby Lobby) you need 3 24 in strips
• Glue Gun, Mod Podge, and a couple felt scraps

Create It:

1. Before I start any explanations, one of the reasons I LOVED this idea (besides the fact that I came up with it) is that it is very versatile. Depending on your decor (and budget), you can do do one color of paint, tulle and scrapbook paper or you can do what I did and alternate it. It would be cheap to do the first option--- but the choice is yours!
2. Paint your stars. I know it sounds like a cheesy song title, but do it anyway.
3. While the stars are drying, trace and cut out circles in the paper and foam craft sheet. You'll need three paper circles and six foam circles. I used a kitchen bowl to find the circle size I wanted; it was 5 inches wide. Cut out the USA letters by either tracing them onto the cardstock or use your craft cutter (I used my Silhouette and used the "Lumos" font).
4. Attach the paper circles to the foam circles using Mod Podge; wait 10 minutes to dry. Apply Mod Podge to the back of a letter and put one on each circle, then seal the whole thing with a top coat of Mod Podge.
5. Now's the time to break out the glue gun. After the stars and circles are dry, apply glue liberally to the back of the foam circle and attach to the center of the star.
6. (Reminder: I had a method to my color combinations. I had Red, White, and Blue in each star section. For example, the top star was Red with blue scrapbook paper and white lettering and tulle. Then White Star-Red paper-Blue lettering/tulle and Blue Star-'White' paper-Red lettering/tulle. You could just do all the stars one color, paper another and lettering/tulle the last, but I really liked the affect mine created).
7. Next, glue the stars to the 29 in long ribbon. I started by taking a scrap piece of regular ribbon and scrap felt to create the loop to hang the creation. Then, about half way down the star, I applied hot glue TO THE STAR and attached the beginning of the ribbon. My stars were 4 inches apart from bottom corner to top point. In order to put the glue in the right place, I traced the ribbon down the middle back of the star and applied hot glue in that section. Repeat the same process with the third star.
8. If you want, you can stop here. Hot glue the other foam circles to the back of each star to secure the ribbon and your done. I thought it needed something extra, enter the tulle. If you want to add the tulle, don't glue the back foam circles just yet.
9. Take your 24 inch strips and cut them into 4 sections... that's 6 inches each. So you should have 4 6x6 squares of tulle for each star. At this time, cut a few more scraps of felt too. You need the felt to secure the tulle. See, I told you random picture of felt...
10. Take one square and fold it accordion-style all the way across. Then, fold the square in half. Place your tulle in one of the four corners of the star and apply hot glue to the bottom of the tulle. Then, CAREFULLY apply the felt piece to secure the glue and tulle. Seriously, I had a few HOT moments because I decided to leave my finger on the felt a little too long. Repeat until each corner has a piece of tulle. Add the back circles and admire the extra Patriotic flare you gave your special high traffic door!