How to make a fabric advent calendar!

I know its kinda late to post this but maybe a Christmas idea for next year?

Every year as a child my momma surprised us with chocolate advent calendars. You know the ones with waxy chocolate, but as a child you think it is just the best thing ever!? Thanx to my momma we have another new tradition to use every year :)

No, it isn't the chocolate advent calendars. I made my own that suited our family!

A Christmas Felt Advent Calendar

During Christmas we get more then enough cookies and treats from friends and family (and our bakings in the home) so I wanted to come up with something that excludes daily treats. We have troubles some days thinking of things to do as a family or those lazy days, and this year we found it energized us to do what was on the tab for the day.

I started with a felt tree, then felt ornaments and christmasy things to go on or around the tree, our little family and presents (the extra present is for our pup). The ornaments are movable via velcro on the back of each one.

Next came the background. I measured how big I wanted it to be free cut out the numbers. Then came the boxes.

At the top and bottom are bamboo sticks holding it straight.

Here comes the coolest part. Each of the pockets have a felt christmas ornament to put on the tree every day as well as an activity for our little family to do together. The 24th day has the Christmas Star. Our little cookie cannot wait to put the star on her calendar tree!

This 'I love Santa' has velcro too! It goes on the pocket of the day and moves as days go on. I purchased this from the dollar store, it came in a pack of 6.

Some examples are: skating, board games, build a fort and sleep in it, watch christmas movies, bake and ice christmas cookies for friends, build a fort and read stories in it, get in pj's make hot chocolate and drive around to see christmas lights, collect toys that we don't play with and put them in a shoe box for other children.

You can add other things like traditions your family has (ie going to cut down a christmas tree). Our little girl LOVES it! The first thing she says in the morning is "I have to go see the Christmas calendar! I wonder what fun things we get to do today!" She runs back to our bed with the note of our family activity of the day and tells us what else was in the pocket.

The chocolates are gone. This is definitely coming out again next year!

This was very inexpensive to make. I used leftover felt from various other projects for the decorations, other felt was bought at the dollar store and finally at Fabricland they had the red background fleece on sale for $5!!

Merry Christmas Friends!

Monster Bookmark Tutorial

I LOVE BOOKMARKS! Especially fun ones!

Nice bookmarks are kinda expensive... well for a thirfty woman they are. I guess I could just tear a piece of paper and use that... Or paperclip... But I find they either fall off or fall through the book and I loose my spot! Hate that! My little cookie is reading books that have chapters! How did this happen?? I remember reading to her before bed, now she is reading to me :)

Anyways, she is now finding that her paper bookmarks are falling out the bottom of the books as well... Blast.

I found a picture with no link on Pinterest on how to make monster bookmarks. These are only genius because they hug the corner of the page/pages! No more bookmarks falling out the bottom! I'll show you how to make it. Piece of cake! I used scrapbooking paper but you can use any old paper that you can cut and fold. No pattern required!

First take a regular piece of paper (or as decorative paper as you want)
Measure out 3 squares beside each other in the shape below (I first made mine measure 4inches x 4inches for the bigger children books then smaller ones 2.5inches x 2.5inches.

 Draw a diagonal line crossing out the top and bottom square. Cut off that section.

You should have a shape just like this!

I traced this shape onto other scrapbooking paper a couple times to make a few of them :)

Next you want to fold the triangles along the lines you drew so you have 2 triangles sticking up and a square on the bottom

Lay one triangle on top of the other gluing them together with your good ol' elmers glue, forming a pocket

With the larger monsters I folded the bottom part of the square into the pocket making it more stable (this was flimsy paper) and left the other ones out. You can add eyes with extra paper and teeth (just make sure you glue the teeth to the front inside... I know from experience)

And there you have it fun bookmarks for everyone! Great for stocking stuffers or crafts to do with your children on a rainy day :)

Little Girls First Book Bag

Thats right, our 7 year old asked for a book bag! Not a backpack because aren't cool anymore?
Yikes.
So I asked what she was going to use her book bag for. She has a journal she writes in every day. She writes about her day, her favourite things that happened during the day, what she is thankful for from that day and what she wants to do for tomorrow.

Anyways... this bag needed to be cute, have pink (of course) and have a shoulder strap that can be adjustable.

My solution? My giant pyjama pants that were not being used! This is a great beginners project! Upycling AND FREE!

Whoops, took a picture after it was cut... I used the leg of the jammers with the hem being the top of the bag. I sewed the bottom of the bag together creating a rectangle with one open edge.

 I then matched up the seams on each bottom corner of the bag and sewed right across giving the bag a little more base.

 Finally I sewed 2 rings to either side of the bag and attached a strap like with an adjuster so she can either put it over one shoulder or over her head.

Her journal fits perfectly! She loves her new heart book bag :) I might make a bag for myself.

Happy sewing!

Girls leggings from moms stretchy pants

Another DIY thrifty project! Sewing and most importantly Upcycling! I just saved myself $20! Which is not much... but if you keep adding that $20 over and over again it adds up... right? My little cookie is not much of a jeans wearer... When she picks out her clothing the bottom part is always leggings! Did you know even at Walmart little girl leggings are $10! Common! Its the tiniest bit of fabric... how can it be that much? I can buy a meter of fabric for $2!... Wait, thats not a bad idea...

I went to the mall and they have adult leggings in every colour you could imagine on sale! Ahem, Urban Planet, Thank you! They were $2 each! So I purchased... a few...

Not for me of course... well except the black ones... and the brown ones... and the grey ones... but the other colours were for another project...

Project leggings for our little cookie!

She is a size 6-7ish depending on the store, but 7 years old.

I found the tutorial here.

I laid down her own leggings (that fit her) folded one leg into the other onto the newly purchased leggings and cut around them leaving 1/4 inch for sewing. I made 2 sets of little girl leggings from each pair of purchased pants! That means I spent $1 on her leggings. To top it off I unpicked the waistband from the purchased leggings and sewed them right into her new ones! I have also made her leggings out of stretchy pants that don't fit me anymore. Yes, that means FREE

Now when I ask her to get dressed in the morning, the first thing she pulls out is her NEW leggings! She now coordinates her shirts to match them too! Kids love handmade things from their parents! Try it out! You can't go wrong with this project!

Happy sewing and up cycling

Beautifying little girls clothing

I hate it when tops get too short! I am sooo happy that long tops are the cool thing right now because I do not like belly tops. Not at all! Not for older people, not for children and ESPECIALLY not for men... (not that this is a problem...)

Recently I have noticed some of my little cookies tops have been getting a little on the short side and instead of getting rid of them (they fit everywhere else on her) I decided to do a little makeover! Her tops are so cute and almost new so why not add some length? This is a double bonus in my opinion as she prefers long tops and tights. She is definitely NOT a jeans girl! 

I didn't follow any of the measurements that were suggested, just measured the shirt and her to see how far I wanted the ruffles to go.

I got the tutorial from here. 

We have a HUGE stash of tights that I have made for her (for another post) and these long tops will be perfect to mix with!

She is one happy little girl in her brand new shirt!