Category Archives: Crafting

Crafting and DIY blog post showing step by step sewing, crafting, and creative ideas for home and family

St Patricks Day wreath from a Recycled Skirt

March 8, 2013 superexhausted 14 Comments

This is my recycled St. Patrick’s Day wreath made from an old plaid skirt, foam wreath, straight pins and felt. Super easy to , no sew, and makes a statement for the St. Patrick’s Day. Show off your Irish:

How to make a Recycled Wreath

Materials:

1 plaid skirt- I picked up this one at the thrift store for $1
Foam Ring: Ac more $7-8
Straight Pins
1 safety pin
1 of each color of craft felt green, lime, orange,off white (9X12 sheets) $.59 each

To Recycle the skirt: Place the skirt flat on a table cut diangle making a 1 1/2″ strip. It does not have perfect.

Continue around the skirt making one continuous piece of fabric strips

Roll continuous fabric strip in to a rolls so make easier to use, when wrapping wreath .. do not twist

Attaching with pins the end to foam wreath form start wrapping the fabric around the wreath (this is why you need the ball)

Over lapping the wraps to hide the foam shape

Cut and Pin end when the entire wreath is covered.

To make felt flowers:

Take a piece of felt cut 4″4″ square, round off corners

The cut a spiral from the other edge moving towards center

Then roll from the center the flower shape, securing end , when pinning to wreath

Add as many flowers as you like, you can make smaller spirals or larger<

Make hanger 2″ x 9″ from felt Strip with notches, use a safety pin to hang on door.

Enjoy your Irish decor. Have fun upcycling that old skirt. You can make one in anay colors.

Do you decorate your door?

Cooking, Crafting

Chocolate Leprechaun Hats : St Patricks Day Cookies

March 1, 2013 superexhausted 7 Comments

St Patricks Day Cookies: Chocolate Leprechaun Hats using a chocolate marshmallow and sugar cookie. Cute little treat for the family on St. Patricks day. Easy to make. They are also a no bake cookie. Here is how.

Ingredients:

1 bag of marshmallows
1-2 bags of Pepperidge Farm Sugar cookies (I like the size of them for the brim- You could bake them)
2 bags of Kelly green Make N Mold Milk Chocolate Flavored Melting Wafers
1 can of each black and white Betty Crocker Easy Flow Icing in a can white and black (Betty Crockers- comes with tips)

Makes about 16-20 St Patricks Day Cookies

Melt chocolate following directions on package or if you have a Wilton Chocolate Pro Electric Melting Pot
Dip the end Marshmallow in to chocolate a place in the center of the cookie this fused the marshmallow with the cookie
Allow the chocolate marshmallow cookie to cool in the fridge for 10 minute till set
Roll the hat on the side in the chocolate till covered. I use a spoon carefully Place on wax paper to cool or place in fridge..away from blower to avoid bubbles
When cook decorate with band and clover- I used glitter icing for my black it did not dry so I would use the same Betty Crocker icing for both the black and white.
You can buy little bags to protect the Chocolate Leprechaun Hats

You could also do Easter bonnets and use pastel chocolates.

For more tips on working with chocolate check out the Make and Mold Chocolate website

Have fun making a St Patricks Day Cookies

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to help the cost affiliated with this blog.

Crafting, Giveaways, Parenting

Box Tops Rock and Stockup Pantry Giveaway

February 22, 2013 superexhausted 51 Comments

So my kids school has earned in the past years several thousands of dollars in what the school called “Free Money”? How Box Tops for Education . Just by parents looking purchasing for General Mills product and then saving the tops they kids have benefited in the form of new books and tech. The schools is not only the only place in my life my church also collect the tops for education programs so the whole community can contribute.

The General Mills program began as an experiment on boxes of Cheerios in California with first year earnings of only $1 million. It has grown to include more than 240 participating brands providing needed cash for 90,000 enrolled K-8 schools. At the heart of the program is more than 75,000 volunteer Box Tops for Education coordinators who motivate local school communities to collect the 10-cent coupons which are redeemed for cash schools use for whatever they need most.

To celebrate this milestone, this winter, the program is offering a variety of bonus Box Tops on more than 50 million packages at grocery stores and at btfe.com, allowing shoppers to double their earnings with select products. School budget cuts have made the program more and more important over the years as it provides unrestricted cash to help schools with their basic operating needs and programs that would not be possible otherwise, such as field trips, textbooks, musical instruments, playground equipment, classroom technology and arts and cultural programming.

Here are some Ideas to start saving Box Tops for education:

My children’s schools also give the kids inventive. The class with most box tops every month gets a pizza party of ice cream party. Since we save the tops all year my kids love when I give them a big Ziplock of box tops to take to school.
The church leaves a large jug for all the parishioners to leave the box tops, it is left right in the hall where people spill out after church.. so family’s and couples of any age can contribute.
Both my church and schools notify there community in of the box top program in News letters and signs.
It is also fun for the kids to add them up prior to bringing them to school a good math lesson.
The Box Tops For education has a section of all creative ideas of seasonal themed craft projects to get the kids involved
Have a Place to store your box tops at home. This is a great project for your kids to help make. We used a left over Tea Box and decoupage it. We also put the kid who got them last and the date on an Avery Label so we know who get them next. We have kids going to 2 different schools.

General Mills Box Tops are In celebration of reaching more than $500 million to schools since the program started in 1996, Box Tops for Education® and its popular brand partners are offering one of my readers one lucky reader a chance to share in the news while stocking their shelves with some of the most trusted household brands.

The Giveaway to a lucky Superexhausted Reader is Pantry Stock Up gift pack which includes:

New Peanut Butter Toast Crunch® cereal
Nature Valley® Chewy Trail Mix Dark Chocolate Cherry and Protein Salted Caramel
Fiber One® Protein Bars
Progresso® Recipe Starters
Food Should Taste Good® Chips
Green Giant Fresh® Box Tops for Education pencil pouch
Hamburger Helper® Sweet & Sour Chicken and Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Betty Crocker® Mac & Cheese and Au Gratin potatoes
Kleenex® wallet pack and 184 count box
Scott® toilet paper (4 roll) and paper towel roll
Avery® dry erase weekly calendar
Ziploc® bowls and bags

So how can you win this Awesome Pantry Stock Up Prize? Enter using the Rafflecopter form.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Information, products and promotional items have been provided by General Mills and Box Tops for Education and its program partners.

Crafting, Giveaways, Product Reviews

Valentines Keepsake Trunk and AC Moore Giveaway

February 11, 2013 superexhausted 13 Comments

Wooden Trunk covered using scrapbook paper and Mod Podge. This idea was given to me by AC Moore. The asked me to make a wooden trunk using the directions AC Moore provided. It has been years since I worked with Mod Podge and AC Moore had everything I need to make the task fun. I loved the idea of the trunk and the more I read the instructions I could not wait to try it. The inside had little cards decoupage inside.

The idea of this craft was from AC Moores designer Robin Beam.. Click here for Robins instructions Valentines Keepsake Trunk. Note: (the trunk size listed is a M the patterns and sku is for a small trunk) . I made the medium size which was larger so I adjust the templates. Robins Templates where for the small trunk.

Robin @ AC Moore did her trunk with different paper than I did. I choose 7 sheets of 12×12 scrapbooking paper open stock. (The apparel designers in me loved all the prints). But the instructions are the same.

Remove hardwear, I painted the inside and outside corners/edges.
I cut the templates, cut the scrapbook paper to size
Follow instructions added the mod podge, place paper, and smoothed out all the bubbles.
The tip Robin said about sanding the edges, the excess paper will just sand away.. seriously really rocks takes the trunk from a simple project to a quality piece. Make sure to remove all the dust from sanding, before applying next coat…..
Be sure to read AC Moores full instructions.. Valentines Keepsake Trunk

By the time I finished I coated the Trunk with 5 different coats of Mod Podge .. I really love doing this project. I loke the medium size box it allows me to put a full 8 1/2″ X 11 Paper in it flat. My daughter keeps eyeing the box up.

Ac Moore want you to create so they are providing a 50% coupon for this week to all my readers. AC Moore Coupon 2/10-2/16

Also Ac Moore wants one of my readers to create something so they are Giving away $20 gift certificate to one of my readers. Ends 2/24. US residents Only Please use the rafflecopter form.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Ac Moore provided a Gift Certificate for me to purchase the supplies. The opinions in this post are all mine own.

Crafting, Parenting

3 Quick Easy Kid Christmas Crafts

December 20, 2012 superexhausted 4 Comments

Easy kids Christmas crafts : Here are 3 crafts that you make with the kids. Great to give as gifts or with cookies. I learned how to makes these crafts from our church avent fair and had to share. I love that all diffrent age kids can make these crafts they will love hanging these on you tree. My Daughter was so proud and was so happy to add to the holiday season in our home. So have fun making them with your children.

Easy kids Christmas crafts:

Paperclip angel:

Butterfly paperclips
red ribbon 7-8″ lemghts
silver pony bead

Put the ribbon through the paperclip slide on bead and knot

Wrap small safety candle with wired garland and ribbon.

Place on a plate when burning and never leave unattended and watch so candle does not burn too close tot he garland.

Tea light holder using Aleens glue to attach tissue paper to the out side of a shot glass or tea light holder.

Alleens glue
tissue paper
glass tea light holder
sequins

Please never leave a candle unattended and only light with adult supervision.

Have fun creating with your children.

Merry Christmas.

Be sure to check out my Post on How to make your Recycled Card Ornament easy craft for kids and a great way to use up those old holiday cards.

Crafting, Wordless Wednesday

My company BabyPop Featured on Martha Stewart

April 25, 2012 superexhausted 4 Comments

My company BabyPop superhero capes are being featured on Martha Stewarts in a Etsy fashion show.

The show is airing tomorrow Thurs April 26, 2012 at 10am, 2 am and Friday on the Hallmark channel.

Crafting, Product Reviews

Repainting Swing Set

March 26, 2012 superexhausted 7 Comments

Repainting a swing set. I have repainted the swing set once since we got it. It takes me about 3-4 hours to do the entire project repainting our swing set. A perfect time to repaint the swing set / playset was when the kids were at school. Our swing set is about 11 years old, so it was time to repaint it.First I cleaned the swing set of all leaves and needles prior to repainting. I actually used a shop vacuum and got all the pine needles and any leaves on the platform of the swing set.

Then I used Clorox spay cleaner to bleach the nasty black areas on the swing set prior to repainting it. I used rubber gloves, a scrub brush and a plastic scrubber, to clean the rungs and ladders. I rinsed the set down with water during and after cleaning. I also make sure all the wood was clean from dirt by rinsing it down. You can also wash down the playset the day before so it has times to dry, prior to repainting.

Repainting a swing set

Finally I painted the swing set using Olympic Maximum Semi-Transparent – 717 Redwood Naturaltone, which I purchased at Lowes for about $36. I used gallon for the entire swing set.

The Olympic Maximum paint is a one coat only paint. The worker at Lowes told me that if you use more than once coat, of the maximum it will not dry for months because this paint seals the wood , and does not allow anything to penetrated it (which is what you want since it will get wet outside) . The 1st coat drys quickly a few hours but I kept the kids off the swing set for about a day to be sure.

I do not use the paint straight out of the bucket I poured into another container and paint from that bucket so not to contaminate the entire can. I also used a large paint brush so it went quicker and I could get in all the nooks. I did not buy an expensive paint brush because at times it gets dirty with ground and I forced into corners. So I end throwing it out when I am done. I also wear rubber gloves.

Please note do note do not leave a puppy near your paint bucket.. My puppy grabbed my paint bucket and proceed to runs around the backyard with the paint covering the bulldog, in a lovely shade of redwood.

The Play swingset was all finished but I love the results. It looks like new and it was ready for my daughters birthday party where most of the kids hung out at the party. I hope I inspire you to do this project in a day, paint, ladder, brush and you can spruce up your backyard.

Check out My other Popular Posts :

How to Repaint a Front Door

How To Make Natural Bug Repellent

How to Fix Fitted sheets to stay in place DIY

Crafting, Parenting

Painting Rocks Gift Kids will love to give

November 29, 2011 superexhausted

Painted rocks make an excellent gift for kids during the up and coming holiday season. Great to give to a relative or special someone. We painted some rocks we picked up on our vacation this summer to give to my inlaws for there anniversary. It was very special because the kids painted the themes of the vacation.

This is a great idea for your kids to do for a holiday gift .

what will you need :

Rocks
Acrylic paint (permanent kind) found at hobby stores AcMoore or Micheal’s- I bought the primary paints (red, yellow, blue, – white , black)
Paint brushes
Plastic plates or old lids for paints , cups for water
Paper towels
Clear gloss spray
old clothes or smock
Newspaper of some thing to protect table

You might want to paint rocks white before you start so that the true colors of the paints come out.

My kids mixed there colors but I put the paint on the plates.. a little goes a long way.once dry the adult clear coats the rocks with spray so they will not chip over time.

Enjoy I painted one too.

Let you little Picasso come out. Rocks are fun to find and fun to paint and better to give. A little natural canvas for kids.

enjoy..Have a handmade holiday

Crafting, Parenting

Unity Day Anti Bullying

October 26, 2011 superexhausted

So today is Unity Dance Day to stop bullying. Childhood bullying is a really issue in our schools. Last year we had a incident with a child on my sons sports team. The mom refused to admit that her son bullied my son till, her son admitted hitting my son with a wet towel and picking on him. Prior to her sons confession, the mother was kind enough to say to me “No wonder why your son is they way he is, look at how you are.” As she pushed me into a face to face confrontation with the 2 boys. Apparently, the apple does not fall far from the tree. We all have been effected by bullies and our kids will be too .. it is time for it to stop!

Bullying has accepted as normal and part of growing up. Bullying should NOT be the norm and our children have the right to feel safe and respected for the unique individuals they are. So Dance for Unity and help to stop bullying.

We had to make a Unity Day tee shirt for my daughter to wear to school and dance to end bullying.

Using letter,
Cotton fabric,
Heat and Bonds
printed out paper letters

Iron the heat bond to the fabric
Print letters out of computer to trace (50-60 pt font))
Cut our Letter from fabric using paper letters as a guide or trace
Peel off backing paper of letters
Place on tee and iron

Did you dance today with your kids?

Crafting

How to Fix Fitted sheets to stay in place DIY

October 25, 2011 superexhausted 17 Comments

How to fix fitted sheet to stay in place Problem Fitted sheets do not stay put So I have a high mattress 17 inches+ with the foam pad 19″ . I tried the fitted sheet stay put things but they don’t stay. You know that deep pocketed fitted sheets cost a fortune and we seem to go through fitted sheets quickly. I make sure my fitted sheets stay in place on my high bed. I try jersey fitted sheets which have more give then woven sheets. This diy fix for fitted sheets would work on woven sheets as well. I sew elastic to the corners to keep they sheets in place.. here is how to do it.

How to fix fitted sheet to stay in place

What you need Fix your Fitted Sheets:

1- fitted sheet
1 1/2 to 2 yards of 3/4 to 1″ elastic (if you can find prepackaged or buy it buy the yard

Cut the elastic in 12″ -14″ pieces
At each corner of the fitted sheet where there is the seam sew the elastic across .
Be sure to go backwards and forward many times one stitch will not hold over time and might rip your fitted sheet I do a zig zag pattern so as spread the force over about and inch area- to reduce the stain on the fitted sheet.
Attach one side then the other repeat till all 4 corners of the fitted sheet have elastic.
Put the fitted sheet on bed and make the elastic go under the corner.
Now your fitted sheets will stay put even on a high mattress.