Tag Archives: craft

How to make a iphone neck holder

March 26, 2015 superexhausted 4 Comments

How to make a iphone neck holder : So I like to work hand free while listen or talking on my cell phone. So a few years back I made a phone case neck holder that allows me to talk or listen to my cell phone hands free. Decided to share the pattern and how to make one with you.

How to make a Ipod neck holder

Strap 2″x30″ fabric A cut 1
Body 5″x10″ Fabric A cut 1 and Fabric B cut 2
Closure 2″x 5″ Fabric B cut 1
1 ” Velcro

Print out of cut parts at bottom of post

Cut pieces
Take closure strap, fold long ways and sew as shown
Turn and press
Take strap, fold, sew and turn if you attach a ribbon to one end , sew inside tube and pull makes turning a small strap much easier, cut ribbon off once the strapped was turned.
Press strap, set to side
Take body placing wrong side together, place in closure strap at short end sandwiched between the layers.
Sew around the edged leaving and opening to turn the body
Clip corners, turn body and press
Add Velcro on strap and body so they match up
Fold and place neck strap at an angle between the body layers and sew

The Neck holder is great for hands free talking on the phone ass Headphones and do dishes while you listen to your music.

Enjoy

Crafting

Easy Crochet Edge Dollar Store Gloves

December 30, 2014 superexhausted 3 Comments

Easy Crochet Edge Dollar Store Gloves I love when you find something inexpensive and turn it in to a gem. I started working on these $1 gloves a few years ago when the owner of TheTwinery sent me a sample and said you will create something. I finally deiced I should share the quick easy gift that is an do anywhere craft for under $8. Crochet Edge Dollar store gloves. Mow I am not a crocheter all I know how to do is edge stuff, I have tried to learn to crochet and the little old lady said i will never get crochet because I am a knitter. So the extend of my knowledge is a basic crochet chain stitch. Which is what there simple gloves are.

What do you need to make Crochet Edge Gloves:

Dollar store stretch gloves
Buttons or embellishments
2 colors of twine 15 yards each TheTwinery.com
Size E 4-3.5mm crochet hook
Sissors
Darning/yarn needle for weaving in loose ends

Insert needle in to front of glove.
Wrap the yarn and pull it back through glove,
Leaving the yarn on needle go through the glove again.
Wrap the yarn again an pull through print your new loop thorough the one that is on the needle
Then loop the yarn around the hook and back through the loop that is on the hook repeat 3 times (this is a single needle chain or single crochet
Then after the 4th chain stitch – put the hook back through the cuff of the glove
bring the loop through again and repeat 3-4 chains
Go around the entire cuff to where you started. If you have the yarn and want go around again. Each of the Twine yarn when around 2 cuff twice (like the red pair of gloves)
Just tie off the 1st color (pulling the cut twine through the loop) and start the 2nd color repeating the steps, I attached at once loop of chain stitch.
Repeat the chain stitch process on the 2nd color
When you go around the entire cuff with second color tie off.
The weave the tails (ends) of the yarn through crochet so it – Here is a you tube video link How to weave Tails on Crochet
Finish both gloves and embellish with Button, jewels or embroider edging.

I love the Idea of these dollar gloves for Holidays:

Christmas Red and green for Christmas with little trees,
Chanukah Blue and white with star of David on them .
Valentines with hearts
Halloween with ghosts and glow in the dark deco
Thanksgiving
St. Patrick’s Day for a little girl to wear as she walks in a parade

Cooking, Product Reviews

Making fun Snacking with California Raisins Art

September 8, 2014 superexhausted 8 Comments

It is that time of year again and we are getting ready to go back to school thinking about snacks and lunches. What can you give the kids to make lunch fun? California Raisins make a great back to school snack sweet and find to share. So when the Clever girls asked me to do a sponsored post creating art with California Raisins. I got the whole family involved my husband, son, and daughter. My kids love raisins so it was not a difficult task to get them involved.

Some fun facts about California Raisins:

California Raisins are an all-natural, dried-by-the-sun fruit you can feel good about sending with your kids as they head back to school or offering as an after-school snack. The ingredient list says it all: Raisins.
Convenient and portable, California Raisins are a great choice for wholesome, healthy, on-the-go snacking. They are a great value, too! According to the USDA, raisins are the most economical dried fruit.
California Raisins come by their sweetness naturally. With California Raisins, the nutrition label tells a great story: Zero fat, no cholesterol and no added sugar. Plus, raisins offer 9% of your daily fiber and potassium, and 6% of your daily iron. (per quarter cup serving)

We started with 2 different types of California Raisins and California green raisins. Then we had the kids make pictures, on trays. They had a fun time creating event my 13 year old did one.

My daughter arrived home from camp and she promptly wanted to join in on the fun. The combo of the red and yellow raisins allowed us to use the color for shading.

Let your kids create some art after school with a healthy raisin snack, or include an index card in there lunch boxes.

California Raisins offered California Raisins lovers Limited Edition Prize Pack. Enter here California Raisins Facebook page.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Crafting

How to make a Gods Eye

July 24, 2014 superexhausted 8 Comments

How to make a Gods Eye: So my church summer did a art camp where they work on a play and do a complete performance in a week. It is a great to see. Think summer stock for church. I was in charge of teaching a art segment and since the play was from the 1970’s I decided to make a craft that I did when I was a Kid Gods Eyes.

When I taught the class the kids ranged from 4- 12 years. The kids 4-7 needed a little help. The older kids need help to knot off but after being shown they complete the Gods eye on there own.

When I was a kid I used sticks I would find in the yard, since I had 30 kids for my class- I went to the Asia market and purchased chop sticks:

How to a make Gods Eyes

Supplies:

Yarn ends various colors
Chop Sticks

Make the yarn in to small yarn balls so easy to manage
Then take the chop sticks and start wrapping the yarn, with the sticks parallel
Then split the chop sticks into an X and wrap the yarn to stabilize the X
Then reverse the yarn and wrap the yarn
Then start move the yarn around the chop sticks – wrap yarn around the chopstick
Under and around one then to the next chop stick
Then over the top and around the next
Repeat under and wrap around and over and wrap, moving from one chop stick to the next.
Then switch colors tieing a knot
Wrap to the switching the colors
Then once you are done knot off the yarn
Create a loop to hang with by knotting to the center.

This is a fun craft the kids will love. Every kid in my class asked to make more and xtra supplies to make at home.

Be sure to enter my Calgon giveaway on my Plus Size blog BigGirlsGuide

Crafting

How to make a Terrarium : Succulent Container Garden

May 30, 2014 superexhausted 3 Comments

How to make a Terrarium : A fun activities for you Family is make Succulent Container Garden terrarium which are great gift. This year we are giving my daughters teacher a succulent garden, that my a daughter made with a little help from me. When I was a little girl my mother who has a amazing green thumb gave all out teachers spider plants as a gift. She would cut the baby off shoots, pot then and have a plant to give to the teachers. Me : I would kill a spider plant. I ok I have killed a spider plant or 2 in my day, yes I am a plant murderer.
Several months ago 2 of my blogging buddies Diane and Hillary got together and made terrariums. Mine for a 1st attempt was ok.. I would like to switch out the one plant, kind of a bully to the other plants. The thankful it is still alive, I have not killed the plants.. the fact the Terrarium is it own closed eco system is probably the reason, LOW maintenance. Succulents are great drought resistance and hardy..Hello come to mama – I also love the modern look, with clean lines.
So I decided to make make some more, learning. I love the idea of finding a container and let the container speak to me about the plants. So be sure to check out Local thrift stores and yard sales. I found this great low bowl at the thrift store it was $2. It said Succulents low and topless. It was perfect for the low kill rate plant- because I don’t know if her teacher is a green thumb criminal.

So here is how to make a terrarium… 1st find a an excellent garden center- Mine is a local family own business Primex. For your 1st time out it pays to go to people who know what they are doing. Big Box Store not always helpful and supporting a local business.

Facts you need to know about How to make a Terrarium:

Terrarium or Horticultural Charcoal: according to this post on PagHat.com there is a difference in charcoal so don’t use the kind you use in aquariums or what is in your water filter, buy the one specifically for horticulture- My garden center confirmed his advice and they sold us a small bag of Terrarium /Horticultural charcoal ($1) which was enough for 3 Terrariums.

Soil: It was recommend to use an organic soil with no clean and high in organic matter. Packaged potting soil often contains all of the ingredients needed for healthy, thriving terrarium plants. Bagged soil is sterilized, making it ready to use without further preparation. It was recommend we went with a Peat Free and NO Perlite (white little ball) in the soil. From my research is because the perlite holds too much water and can allowing microbes to grow. It seams others have a difference of opinion. Clean Sterile soil is the key.

Turface: which is a clay gravel that is fast draining since the Succulents don’t need alot of water this allows for the dry environment. Turface look familiar ? it also use in ball-fields.

How to make a Terrarium :

Container to hold your Terrarium
Succulents (work with 1, 3, 5- uneven numbers)
Soil- perlite free
Terrarium / Horticultural Charcoal
Turface small bag (i purchased a 5lb I have enough for 3-4 more gardens
Pebbles (I got mine at Ikea)
Tools: Spoon, mixing bowl,cup

Make sure you container is clean
In separate Mix soil 3 cups of soil; 1 cup of Turface & 1/2 cup of charcoal (make 2 batches if needed – I needed 2 batches roughly)
I placed Turface/or pepples on the bottom of the glass dish (the garden center said not required)
Next soil about 1/2 up the container (so when I planted I did not hit the gravel on the bottom)
Arrange the lay out of the Succulants
Plant the succulent plants, some of my plants came in hard terracotta pots so my daughter used a small spoon to loose up the soil, and not damage the roots
Mist soil gently with a mister to not over water
Add Turface on top with a spoon so as not to get it on the plants
I used a tweezers to remove any of the Turface that got on the plants
Add decorative stones or items to add to you desert theme – etsy has some or little clean toys from your kids collect try Mini Figures or Poly Pockets
These are little plants but they do have plenty of room to grow.

How to make a terrarium :My Daughter loved Succulent Container Garden for her teacher. I cant wait to see what it will look like over time. I hope the teacher will enjoy it.

The project cost me $2 container, $11.00 soil/gravel/charcoal (enough to do 3) , $15 for the plants. The total cost $20 each if you were to buy one it would be $70

Check out my other Fun Activities:

Making colorful Pancake Art with the kids

Make a Photo frame from your favorite book and you star as the main character

Sharpie Tie Dyed Tree T Shirt

How to make a Raised Pallet Garden

10 Easy American Girl Crafts

Linking to SitsGirls Craft link Up

Product Reviews

15 Free Hat Easy Patterns for adults : Knitting with one skein

February 7, 2014 superexhausted 4 Comments

15 Free Hat Easy Patterns for adults : Knitting I recently was discussing knitting needles on Facebook, with a friend Rachee. The discussion was why would you need knitting needles that cost $22. I am pro for more expensive needles, they are like butter and well worth the money. The discussion was about the Addi Turbos found you can find them here using my Amazon Affiliate link for Addi Turbo Knitting Needles,

Our discussion inspired me to knit. I was planning to spend the next few days watching my kids at the pool. It was the championships and if you ever been to a winter swim meet space is limited but you sit for hours for you kids to swim less than 5 minutes. I sat a total of 12 hours on the bleachers in 3 days. So I had time, to kill. I had one skein of yarn i picked up in Lancaster and the Bird In hand Knitting shop.

I made the hat show above using Size 9 Addi Turbos circular needles, 9 dbl points with Cascade superwash. I followed the size Med directions. I added extra rows, 2 in body and 3 at the decrease to give the more slouch look. I also crochet a flower. Which I am still deciding if I like the flower. It took me about 3-4 hours total.

15 Free Hat Easy Patterns for adults : Knitting with One Skein

From Nerdy Girls Knits this is hat I knit mine show above are different because of yarn and needles, as described above

Free One Skein Hat Knit Pattern : Shitaki from FaerWare Designs Check out her etsy store FaerWear for more patternsThis Pattern from Magnolia One Skein Hat Maria Soche on Ravley

PaperBag Cap from Fairmount FibersThe Arrow One Skein Hat Knit Design from FaerWear Design The Kami Hat one Skein from Flat Fox This Magenta Cable Hat from Meg White

Captain Hat One Skein from Rosie Garmendia

Simple Wreath hat from Andrea Black

Meret from Wolly Wormhead

The Urchin From Knitty

Shambala Crystal Place Yarns easy one skein hat

Autumn Simplicity Hat Knitting Pattern

Hannah Pattern One Skein Hat with Pony Tail cut out

Thorpe Ear Flap One Skein Hat By Kristen Kapur at Through the loops

I cant wait to try more of these designs I love the idea of buy a yarn and being able to make a hat with one skein.

Crafting, Parenting, Travel

Beach Memory Jars

July 2, 2013 superexhausted 6 Comments

Beach Memory Jars This year when we went to the shore we decided to make memory beach jars which my sister inlaw found on pintrest. It is a great Kids Craft. We gave the kids some vintage mason jars and sent them down to the beach to get some sand and shells. The kids had a great time choosing. My 12 year old was like awe mom I don’t want to do it .. then he totally got in to the waves to get some pebbles and rocks for his jar. We bought the vintage mason jars with us to the shore you can find them on ebay or at a local vintage shop.

Tools:

Mason Jar Tip: You don’t have to use mason jar you recycle tomato sauce jars
sand
beach items, shells drift wood
bowl
colander to strain sand
paper/markers
Picture

Instructions:

Picture tip: The pictures we tried close and far away, we both agreed a closer picture looks better. I got down on to the sand and took this picture of my daughter. It make it look like she is laying on the sand in her jar.

We ran to CVS while we were at the shore to get pictures printed. I actually sent them from my laptop, from the beach house to the local CVS and picked them up an hour later. I could choose and edit any photos prior and did not waste any time searching through my photos in store on equipment I was unfamiliar with. For editing I use PicMonkey which is free. Picture size was 4×6″ landscape picture.

When you fill the jars with sand you need 1/4 of a jar of sand. Then the add the shells, drift wood, and stones, what ever is memorable for that beach.

We also make label with the beach name and year.

The tricky part was putting all the elements in the jar.

I ended using a bowl and strainer/colander empty our the sand, adding the sand with a large spoon,

Add front label tilting the jar with tongs and adding more sand slowly.
Then tilt the sand towards the front and add the picture.
Ten add your shells, stones, drift wood, and maybe small toys (legos, trinkets from the boardwalk)

The moms did a beach memory with the entire family.

We then took a picture with the kids and their Jars.

Have a great time perserving your memories.

Crafting

How to Repaint a Front Door

May 3, 2013 superexhausted 23 Comments

How to Paint a Front door. So I decided I need a fun spring make over to my Front door. I wanted a Pop of color for spring an liven up my front door. So off to th store to buy paint an spray paint. I decided to paint the benches and add flowers. I love color it can total change your mood.

How to Paint a Front Door

Before I had a boring entrance.

Tools:

Drop cloth
Exterior Paint A pint was enough to do the door
Small roller
Paint brushes
Painters Tap
If doing benches (3 -4 cans of spray paint)

The project total took about 3 hours with benches:

Wash front door with Fantastic or a cleaner and paper towels to remove and oil and dirt from every day use and allow to dry.
I started with the front door since It need to be closed at some point. I taped newspaper/or a drop cloth to the floor in side
Removed the door handle and lock I taped the window and Mail slot since they could not be removed.
You could take the door off the hinges, I was not planning to do both sides I decided to leave it up.
I did 2-3 coats allow to dry between.

How to Repainting Outside Chairs and Benches

While I was wait for the front door to dry i painted my Chair and benches. if you don’t have benches be sure to Check out thrift stores. Or you might see one someone has toss to the curb.

Be sure to use a stiff wire brush to loose any metal.

Then tape off the area you don’t want painted and spray. I also moved to a side part of my law where the over spray does not get on the house.

Here is a Step By Step:Then I did the chair which took less than 10 minutes:

So that is my Spring makeover to my front entrance. I love the pop of color. I added a new door mat and flowers. A wreath is a pop of color. This door I know looks bright. I did this project last year and I have lived with it for over a year. I have to say I still love my door. I always can tell people which house is mine. The door goes well all year long. In the summer a bright sunflower Wreath, Fall : orange flowers looks great and in winter Reed and white or a Pin wreath pops.

What project do you have lined up for spring?

Crafting

American Girl Doll Picture Frame

April 30, 2013 superexhausted 9 Comments

How to make an American Girl Doll Picture. This is a great craft idea for an American girl party favor or a girls craft project. It is a easy project for your daughter to make. We used the catalog the American Girl Doll catalog for the pictures and verbage. My daughter love learning how to make this American girl craft. She help cut out the pictures, and planed out the lay out herself.

Materials For an American Girl Picture Frame:

Wooden Frames I got mine from AC Moore for $1 each they also have one with Mirrors so you can do a Mirrior instead of a fame.
Mod Podge
Brush or foam brush (you can buy in bulk $6-7 for 10 foam brushes)
Roller or sponge
scissors
Pink Spray Paint or Acrlich paint
American Girl catalog

Instructions to make an American Girl Doll Picture Frame:

Remove the picture area from wooden frame.
1 day Prior With adult supervision spray paint or paint the wooden frames so they have time to dry. I was doing many frames so spray paint was easier for me.
Cut out pictures from the catalog
Plan out layout of the American Girl pictures
Apply the Mod Podge where you want the picture to go.
Carefully place down picture the catalog is thin so do not over apply Mod Podge and whee you put it down it stays you can move the pictures.
Be sure to roller or with a sponge careful smooth out the picture removing all air bubbles out from under the pictures.
You can layer the pictures long as you apply the Mod Podge under the image. It will dry clear
After getting all the images applied coat of Mod Podge over the entire surface, to see the frame.
When you are done on any corners where the pictures wrap on the the edges you can use a light sand paper to smooth out the edge and making a more finished look.

This is a great inexpensive craft for a American Girl Party Favor $2.70 per kid. With the cost being under $27 for 10 frames (that is the spray paint $4 Frames $10, brushes $6-7 bulk, and Mod Podge $8.00).

I also think this is fun craft with boys as well get the Lego catalog.

Check out my other post on easy sewing for American Girl Dolls Free patterns.

Also be sure to follow my American Girl Doll Ideas on Pinterest.

I am Linking the Post up to Barbs’ Fabulously Frugal Thursday

Crafting

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.