New blog look!

Need opinions on the new blog look! 
What should be changed? What should stay the same? 
Have a great day! 

Hair Bow Holder

I am back! :)

I have really missed blogging over the past 2 months! Although I have not been able to make many things to share with you so my being here wouldn't have been much fun for you. But now I'm back and with a project to share!  (I have had this done for a few days but unfortunately my computer is older than dirt and I reeaaaalllllyyyy need a new one! Any suggestions on good ones?)

My daughter is finally getting some hair on her head and we are starting to do a few pigtails and barrettes (if they will stay) but we are still doing alot of headbands and bows. Her small basket (the white one with the pink liner in the picture below) was overflowing with flowers, bows, and rosettes! 

I had been planning on making a frame to hold them like some of the ones I've seen on different blogs and on pinterest. (Blogger is not letting me put the pictures up for some reason...could be my computer!)

I've had a canvas sitting around for sometime not knowing what I wanted to do with it. And then I came across a hair bow board and it dawned on me! 

I laid down some newspaper, got the paints and stripped my daughter down to her diaper and we had an arts and crafts time! Here's what we came up with! 

We used 2 different colors of paint and both hands and feet. 

Then during nap time I pulled out all my pink ribbon and laid out my pattern. 

I used scotch tape to temporarily hold the ribbons in place on one end while I hot glued them to the back.

Then changed the tape to the other ends and removed as I got to each piece of ribbon.

I made sure to pull them pretty tight when gluing the 2nd end down. I don't want my bows wobbling all over!

Then I wrote her name, age, and the date on the edge!

Here it is with a few bows on it!

And the finished product sitting on her dresser along with the oatmeal container decorated to hold some of her headbands! The basket (mentioned earlier) still holds all her flowers and a few slim headbands. 

Have you made a bow board, frame, or holder lately? 

Alive and Kickin'

I'm still here! I promise I am! 

I had so much planned for the past few weeks. I had many projects to share, including my daughter's first birthday party. But planning did me no good as I have been pretty sick for several weeks. 

I am feeling much better, in fact I feel human again. :)

But as I write this I should be packing. I am feeling good just in time to leave on a plane tomorrow with my baby girl and head to Alaska for my best friends wedding. 

So please hang in there and bear with me! 

I am not sure what happened to the new header I made so I will have to work on a new one when I get back. I have lots of fun stuff to share when I get back! 

Hope you all are still here with me!

HELP with quiet toys!!!

I hope you all are having a wonderful beginning to your weekend! 

I am sorry I haven't posted at all this week, but my little brother (who is not so little...) has come home from college this week for his birthday. Since I only get to see him twice a year, I have been spending time with him this week. Also, my older brother and his wife came in early yesterday morning. They drove 10 hours just to surprise my brother, sister, and parents. My mom is loving having all of us home at one time! 

Any way, I would like to have anyone and everyone's help!! 

My very observant 1 year old daughter gets bored very quickly with her toys in church. She figures things out pretty quickly so they don't last long. I need help with a bunch of ideas on how to keep her entertained, but they must be quiet toys! I would love to hear any and all ideas you may have! 

She is just starting to color with her new jumbo crayons we got her but since she is just figuring it out, it as well does not last too long. I would like multiple options that I can consistently change out for something new. 

Got anything for me? :)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Why I Blog

You have probably seen lately around blogland the "Why I Blog" posts. 

I know I haven't been posting much over the past month, but I thought I would get in on it too! Maybe it will get me back into posting! (I still have my baby's party to show you all!)

Here are a few questions that were asked over at the Sassy Sites "HeLLo FRieNd" ParTy!

Why did you decide to start blogging?

 

It took me a while to actually get the guts up to start blogging. I had gotten addicted to reading other blogs and wanted to post some of my projects and ideas too! That is how Jelly Beans n Crafty Things was born!

When you aren't blogging, what are you doing?

 

When I am not blogging, I am chasing around my beautiful one year old baby girl, hanging out with my husband who is currently a seasonal mechanic for UPS (Hoping for permanent!), trying to keep my house clean and Doing anything I can at Church!

What is your blog about?

 

My blog is about me, and my love of crafting! And maybe a recipe or two, or whatever else I may feel like! But mostly crafting!

 

When do you find the time to blog?

 

I usually find the time to blog when my daughter is asleep. Whether that is in the early mornings, the afternoons, or late evening when she's gone to bed. Or maybe crammed here and there when the hubby is home!

Why do you love blogging?

 

I love blogging because I can share my love of crafting with anyone any where! 

What is your favorite post so far that you've written?

 

My favorite post so far has probably got to be the one with my duct tape checkerboards. I love the uniqueness of them but they are so fun! The idea started with my brother who is at college and needed some games to play that didn't take up much room since he doesn't really have any room! I made my idea come to life and then my older brother also wanted one! I love duct tape!

Thanks for reading my questions and answers! Unless you didn't finish. Then you don't get to be thanked. :)

If you've got any other questions I'd love to hear them! 

Stay tuned for my baby's cupcake themed birthday party! 

And also please excuse my blog right now. Its going through a few cosmetic changes! Hopefully for the better!

Knit Woven Headbands

Need a decent comfy headband you can wear all day? What about like your favorite t-shirt?

Check out these headbands from Make It and Love It!

How cute are these! Not to mention her adorable daughter!

 

I have already made one for myself and have worn it all day! 

Ashley provided a great tutorial! The instructions are very clear and headbands are so easy to make! 

Head on over and check it out to make one for yourself! And while you're there, check out all the other wonderful and amazing projects she has!

Summer Sign

I have really been wanting something for the front of my door but could not decide what I wanted. I almost made a 4th of July decoration but I think I'm a little late when it comes to that! 

I happened to see a watermelon sign somewhere and loved it! If someone knows where, please let me know because I can't find it and I'd like to give credit for inspiration!

The watermelon I saw was a little different than this but I put my own little spin on it. 

For the back I used a piece of chipboard. After I got the watermelon slice and bite like I wanted them, I traced my shape onto a piece of red material, cut it out and used hot glue to attach to my chipboard. The rind is also material, a piece of green tie dye also hot glued on. The letters and seeds are made from a satin black cord tied in knots and hot glued down. 

Happy Friday and first day of July!

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Whoever came up with this idea is a total genius! Why didn't I think of this before?? An Oreo cookie inside of a homemade chocolate chip cookie is having "The Best of Both Worlds." 

I only made 2 of these yesterday when I made a batch of cookies for my husband, because if I didn't like them, I didn't want to waste my Oreos. That would have been a crime! :) But now I am wishing I had made more of them! They are pretty rich but very very good!

You'll need:

Cookie dough (homemade or store bought)

Oreos - I think double stuff would have been better

1. Mix up your cookie dough (if you have store bought, skip to number 2)

2. Take an Oreo and place a scoop of cookie dough on top and a scoop on bottom of the cookie. 

3. Make sure the dough covers the Oreo entirely. (it may crack or break some)

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes 

5. Let cool and enjoy!!

Warning: These make very large cookies!

Don't have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe? 

Here's my favorite!

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup shortening

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

nuts (optional)

Chocolate chips

Cream sugars, butter, and shortening together. Add egg and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix in nuts and chips. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-9 minutes.

I also saw a suggestion for putting a nutter butter inside...What would you put inside your cookie?

Dress up Magnets

At my moms house, my daughter loves to bang on my mom's washing machine. My mom kept talking about wanting to get magnets to put on there for the jellybean to play with, but wanted something a little cuter and more fun than just alphabet or number magnets.

So last week when my parents were cleaning my sisters room (and my cleaning I mean throwing lots away), my dad found this little wooden bear dress up set but without the box it was supposed to go in.  

Cute huh?

I placed them face down and glued magnets to the back of each. I used some model car glue that my husband had laying around. It works pretty good!

Edit: The model car glue didn't hold enough. I suggest using Super glue instead. 

Let them dry for several hours and then tested them out on the fridge!!

Now she has magnets to play with at "Mum-mum's"! (She just started calling her Mum Mum)

Check out the face on this one! Poor guy has 2 pairs of pants and no shirt! 

What are you making today?

Adorable Giveaway at Little Miss Momma!

Thank you all so much for being so understanding and patient with me these past few weeks. We had a week of emotionally and physically draining days and then came back just to get some summer colds. Yeck..

I am getting back into the swing of things and hope to be posting more this week! Especially since my little jellybean's birthday party is next week!! 

On another note, check out this ADORABLE Lisa Leonard giveaway over at Little Miss Momma!

I fell in love with this bracelet as soon as I saw it! 

There are multiple ways to enter so go on over and enter!!!

Happy Monday!

Brief Absence

 Please excuse me this week but I will not be posting as my Uncle has passed away of a heart attack and I will be traveling with my family to attend the funeral. I will not be posting at all this week at least and possibly through next week.

Thank you very much for your understanding.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Sprayed vases

This is a simple craft. You need some yarn, rubber bands or twine, some spray paint and a couple vases! First you need to clean off your vase if it has been sitting a while like mine. Start at the bottom and tape your yarn to the bottom of the vase then just start randomly wrapping and crossing the yarn around the vase until you get to the top. When you get to the top you can tape the yarn to the inside of the vase. Then cut your yarn and start spraying! When it dries remove your yarn and Ta Da! 

The flowers I have in mine right now remind me of Christmas but I was just trying to show you all what it would look like with some flowers! 

See ya next week!! 

Sarah

A little bit of craftiness

This week has been a crazy one for sure! My little one is trying to cut 4 teeth at once. The one eye tooth finally pushed through but the other 3 are still hanging out. Can't wait to have my happy little girl back! These have for sure taken a toll on her!

Amidst all of the fussy teething, I have gotten very little crafting accomplished, but I thought I would share with you the little bit I have managed to complete. (Please excuse the not-so-good photos. All I had access to at the time was my cell phone!)

1. Shorts for the baby - more on these later. I'm still working on more pairs and didn't get a great picture when she wore the first pair. Its been pretty hot here lately and she really doesn't have many pairs of shorts. I can't wait to show you the ones I'm working on! Expect a post on these later on!

2. New decoration filler for one of my bowls - 

These are just yarn dipped in glue and put over a balloon, then popped after they are dry. 

I also need some other decorations for the top of my piano where this bowl sits.

3. Etching on glass mugs for Father's Day - 

We give a gift to each of the Father's at church on Father's Day (We have a small church currently). My dad had me test out a mug to see if he liked it for the gifts. Hard to see the words, but he loves it! The other ones won't have as many words on them. This one has words that are special to him like Dad, Daddy, Daddio, Papa, Papi, etc.

4. Testing art projects with my mom (a 3rd grade teacher) for next year -

My mom is teaching art for the 3rd - 6th grades next year at the school my sister attends. She is testing out her projects before hand to make sure they are kid ready and kid safe and if any adjustments need to be made. I often get to help be a guinea pig for these projects...And I don't mind one bit!! 

First we tried beaded pens:

I used 2 colors of beads and made my pen striped. We decided this was a good project for teens, but not younger. My 11 year old sister got very frustrated. We also found out that bigger beads do not stick.

To make these, put Elmer's glue decently thick on the pen, sprinkle your beads over the top and gently press into the glue. Allow to dry completely, then layer a mixture of glue and water over the top of the beads to seal them in. We placed them on aluminum foil to dry.

Next we tried pop bottle spinners. These were a success and pretty neat!

First we took electrical tape (it said colored, but we only had black) and wrapped it around the already cleaned and delabeled (is that a word??) 2 liter bottle from where it gets flat to about 2 inches from the bottom.

Then, we measured and marked 3/4" around the top of the bottle.

Then, using an exacto knife, cut from the mark all the way to the bottom. If you leave a little tape uncut, the bottle won't rip further. It was difficult on this part to get the lines straight, but it doesn't really matter too much. You can make a small slit with the knife and cut the rest with scissors.

Then push the top of the bottle down and pinch in the middle to crease.

Here's where it might get a little confusing. The top and bottom of each strip need to be folded at a 45 degree angle in the opposite direction so the wind can catch the edges. The easiest way to explain this is to take the left edge of the strip at the top and fold to meet the top of the tape. Repeat with each top edge. Then, take the right side of the bottom of the strip, and fold to meet the bottom tape edge. I hope that makes sense! Click on the picture to enlarge for a better look.

Decorate the rest of the bottle any way you like with pieces of tape.

Then drill a hole into the middle of your cap. You can also hammer a nail into the middle to create a hole.

Straighten out a paper clip and put through the hole. Place a large bead on the end and bend back around. Curve the other end into a hook.

Screw your lid back on tightly and hang outside for the wind to catch!

Hope you all have a great week! 

Check in tomorrow to see another post from Sarah!

Help Help Help!!!

I am slowly learning, but I am not very good at all this blogger technical stuff... Can any one help? 

I ruined my navigation bar, which wasn't very good in the first place, and I also no longer have an about me section and I can't figure out for the life of me how to get it back! :( 

Any help would be greatly appreciated! 

Please excuse the lack of posting...my little one is trying to cut eye teeth and they have pretty much put our entire week at a stand still! I am, however enjoying the extra cuddle time with my baby! 

Cute and Easy Mail Organizer

 In case you missed it, here is my guest post from Craft Goodies last week!

I don't know about you, but our mail always seems to pool somewhere in the kitchen. Usually the counter, or the kitchen table. And when company comes over, it gets shoved somewhere and usually thrown away at a later date....a much later date! Then you can't find the bill you were supposed to pay or the RSVP you were supposed to send in and .... Its a vicious cycle!

 But I am here to help you! Today I'm going to show you how I made my mail organizer and how you can make your own! 

You'll Need:

2 yards of fabric - Main fabric and lining

Matching Thread

Sharp tipped scissors

Ruler

Rotary cutter (scissors are fine too)

Cutting mat

Grommets (Whatever size you like)

Hammer

Cut your fabric to these dimensions:

15 1/2" x 15 1/2" - cut 1 of each material

4 1/2" x 15 1/2" - cut 2 of each

6 1/2" x 15 1/2 - cut 1 of each

3 1/2" x 2 1/2" - cut 1 of each

This is what it will look like all laid out. The final product will be 15 x 15

 Starting with the top pocket, place fabric RIGHT sides together, and stitch along one side with a 1/2" seam allowance. Don't forget to back stitch at the beginning and end!

Press seam completely open.

 Now fold your material right sides facing out and press. This will give you a crisp edge.

Stitch across the top with a 1/4" seam allowance. This will be the top of your pocket.

Repeat with remaining 2 pockets.

Now take your 3 1/2" x 2 1/2"  piece and sew right sides together around the edge leaving a 1" opening for turning.

Clip corners...be careful not to cut your stitching.

Turn your pocket right side out and use a chopstick to push out the corners. Fold your opening inside and pin. Sew completely around the edge of your piece with 1/8" seam allowance.

Now we're going to measure for the placing of our small pocket and also mark where our other pockets will be. Measure in from the left 9 1/4" and make a mark at both top and bottom. 

Then measure in another 4 1/2" and make a mark on both top and bottom. (You can change these measurements if you want different size pockets.)

Using your ruler, make a faint line from top to bottom from each mark. Then measure 1" up and 1/2" from each side. This is where your small pocket will sit. Stitch in the ditch (on your previous stitch) on the left side, bottom, and right side of your small pocket to attach to the big pocket.

Now we're going to attach our pockets. Take your front 15 1/2" x 15 1/2" piece and measure down 2" from each top corner. Lay your top pocket on these marks and pin down.

Sew the bottom of the pocket down 1/4" up. 

Lay the top of the next pocket on the line you just stitched. Pin and stitch bottom. Repeat with last pocket. 

The tops of your pockets will not be attached at this point, but we will fix that later.

Keep the top of your bottom pocket pinned.

 Going from top to bottom, stitch the lines we drew earlier. We made 3 pockets out of our big pocket on the bottom!

Now take your backing fabric and lay face down on your pocket piece. So it will all be right sides together. Make sure your pockets are all flat! Its not a bad idea to press one more time before this step.

Go pin crazy here. Pin all the way around your organizer making sure to pin each pocket edge down well.

Stitch completely around the edge with a 1/4" seam allowance, leaving a 3-4" opening to turn.

Clip corners and turn right side out. Push corners out with chopstick.

Fold the edges of your opening in and press. 

Stitch 1/4" around the edge of your organizer. 

This helps give a more finished look as well as sew up your opening.

Now on to hanging! 

There are 2 different tools you can use for your grommets. I like to use the tool that comes with the grommets for the pinching, but the other tool works too and is great for punching the hole.

Decide where you would like your grommets to be. I placed mine 3/4" in from the top and the side.

Make a small mark directly in the center of your grommet.

Using your punch (or your scissors) cut a small hole around your mark. The hole should be about the diameter of a pencil.

You may need to use your scissors to finish off the hole completely.

Push the grommet through the hole you just made. It will be tight.

Place the grommet back on the back side of your organizer with the sharp teeth pointing down.

Place your tool on your grommet. My husband pounded these in for me.

Make sure you don't pound them in too much or it will warp the grommet.

Flip it over and there you have it! 

The tiny pocket is perfect size for an envelope of stamps! 

I am using the top pocket for bills to be paid, the next is for other mail that needs action, like a phone call. 

My address book is a little big but it fits in the left pocket and the other 2 pockets are perfect side for a notebook and some pens! Or whatever you would like to make them as!

Last step is to hang up on the wall and Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy making your own mail organizer! 

Come over and visit my blog any time! I'd love to have you!

Thank you so much Wendy for letting me share!