Crafty Corner!

This week I have been crafting up a storm for Harper's birthday party and for baby Grady's nursery. I really like the feeling of "ah, I MADE that! Go me!" When it turns out right, of course. When it doesn't I think, "should have saved a few bucks/hours and just bought the damn thing." Oh well!
I have had a few successes this week and I just feel like sharing! I get so inspired seeing the creations others make so thought I would put mine out there and hope someone gets inspiration from me!

First, I really wanted to make Harper a cute party hat like this for her first birthday this weekend.

It turned out like crap. So on to plan B...make her a shirt! I had ordered an embroidered shirt for Avery's first birthday from Etsy and was happy with it, aside from the $25 price tag.

I had been seeing "easy applique" tutorials on Pinterest when looking for Grady projects and thought I could make her a shirt myself! So I found this great and simple tutorial here, got all the things I would need (a shirt, iron, Heat Bond, fabric, scissors and cardstock). First, I drew templates for the shapes I wanted onto cardstock (a pinwheel and a number 1), then I traced them onto the paper side of the Heat Bond. Then I cut the shapes out and ironed them onto the WRONG side of the fabric (and I had to trace the 1 backwards so it would come out correctly on the other side). Then I cut out my now fabric shapes, and ironed them onto the shirt. Then I stitched around the edges to keep them from falling off in the washing machine and to just finish the look. (I actually couldn't sew around the 1, it is too small and too much pivoting it was looking like crap. So I plan to hand sew it...sometime before Saturday!)
I am so happy with  how it turned out!

 

I also made some pinwheel hair clips for both girls by Heat Bonding the wrong sides of the fabrics together, cutting the edges, gluing them down and to an alligator clip.

 

 

 



For little Grady man's room, I have a bunch of projects floating around in my head! I want to make a fabric pennant bunting for his room like this but in his colors (navy, white, green and orange):



But I am going to wait until the party is over ($$$!) before attempting this...in the meantime I bought a plain white letter G for $1.20 at Michaels and turned it into this!

 



I used painters tape to make stripes that would stay white and painted the open space navy. (Had to do a few coats as the MDF is a bit shiny which caused the paint to streak.) Then I removed the tape and very carefully with a tiny brush, painted the edge of the G a lime green. Again, did several coats but it dried fast as I wasn't using much paint. Then I hot glued a bit of roping I got at Joanns for a great deal to make a loop. And now, Grady has joined his sisters with a letter on his door, each of which matches the rooms inside.

{Avery~Harper~Grady}

We got his bedding in this week, from Pottery Barn kids (the Harper set, ironically enough!)

           

And I had a tote embroidered with his name...no changing it now!

I also appliqued a few fabric ties onto some onesies I had...still have to sew the edges on these but how cute!?! Watch out, friends with baby boys...I will be making a few of these for you too!

Thanks for reading and stay crafty, my friends ;)