The Elf on the Shelf Makes His First Move

Well, I did it.

I finally bought an Elf on the Shelf. My oldest is four-years-old, so I knew she was old enough to appreciate him. Yep, folks. I finally joined the rest of the Elf-loving world.

We named him Cheer E. Lee (pronounced Cheerily), and my daughter hasn't stopped talking to him about her Christmas list, having pretend tea parties with him, and showing him her favorite dance moves. My little guy, just two-years-old, could really care less. But the incentive to act nice seems to have kept them both in check. Of course, this is only Day Two, so we'll see how long it lasts.

Cheer E. Lee came back from the North Pole this morning, only to have photo bombed our living room mirror. If you stand in front of his portrait work, you will be instantly transformed into an elf. Watching my daughter laugh so much at his handiwork, and wave her finger at him as she told him he was sneaky, was the best part of waking up.

"Now you can be an elf like me!"

Recreating this set up in your house is easy. Just attach a marker in your elf's hands with a rubber band and tape him to the top of a mirror. Then draw an elf face with dry erase markers on the mirror. You can make it as simple or as detailed as you like. I originally started with a circle that had eyebrows and a mustache. And since I can't let anything alone, I added as I went along. Then write a little message, and watch your kids laugh when they stand in front of it.

It's as simple as that! I wonder what Cheer E. Lee will be up to tomorrow?

 

Amanda

Sleeping with the Fairies

In just 12 days, we'll be leaving for a two week vacation. We try once a year to visit my husband's side of the family. The drive is about 12 hours to our first destination. Halfway through our trip, we go North, another 6 hours. And finally, our trip home is 16-18 hours.

Needless to say, I've been working frantically at finding things to keep my nearly 1 and nearly 3 year old kiddos entertained during the trip.

I had just enough fabric to make my daughter a Tinkerbell pillow case. She and her brother were Tinkerbell and Peter Pan, last Halloween. She just started using it and she loves it. And so when we leave, she'll have a little piece of home with her. You may recognize this fabric, if you saw my Waterproof Snack Bags tutorial.

And since I can't leave well-enough alone, I added a pretty crochet edging to it last night. I finally got a chance to try out my Sharp Crochet Hook.

This was my first attempt at a pillow case, and I was literally shocked at how easy it was. And when I held it up to the pillow case I patterned it after, it was exactly the same size in every way. Maybe I'll do a pillow case tutorial next?

Waterproof Reusable Snack Bags {A Tutorial}

 

I have been planning for our summer vacation, with an attempt at making our trip a little easier. Today, I have made waterproof reusable snack bags.

I made these bags with an amazing product I was lucky enough to find on a trip to the store. It is called Iron-On Vinyl, and it's from the popular brand, Heat 'N Bond. Therm-O-Web makes this product and I absolutely love it! I bought mine at Wal-Mart by the yard, but the 2 yard pack from Therm-O-Web would have been perfect for the amount of bags I made.

I don't have to say much about these bags. Because, well, they're awesome. You fill 'em up. They empty 'em. You wipe 'em out. And then repeat!

And since they take just a small amount of fabric and a short amount of time, you can whip up a bunch easily. I made a half dozen, so that both my son and daughter had three each. 

Want to make some of your own?

 

Let's get started.

Matching Mommy & Me Makeup Bags For Mother's Day [A TUTORIAL]

  

Olivia loves the play makeup I made her. Whenever I'm getting ready, she rushes in, asking for her makeup. I had been keeping it in my own makeup bag, but I thought it was only right to make one to hold her new stash. And in the meantime, I made one for me, too. Plus, it was just another reason to break out the sewing machine!

She's still only allowed to play with her makeup if I'm watching. I just don't want her to lose the tiny brushes somewhere around the house, just begging for her baby brother to find (and eat) them. Since Mother's Day is just around the corner, I couldn't resist to share this fun tutorial with you.

This is one project you can do for yourself or a friend, and enjoy the finished product with your favorite little gal, no matter how young or old she is.

These bags hold so much more than I expected. I don't wear much makeup, really, but both bags have so much more room than I need. And the little ones could fit a bunch more faux makeup containers and brushes.

And one of the best parts? The inside is just as pretty as the outside! Since I hate ugly, visible seams, I made these so that every seam faces in towards the wrong side of the fabric. And you never see them. Score.

They're as cute as can be.

They have fun, boxed-out bottoms, which helps them to stand up on their own.

And they really do hold the perfect amount of goodies inside.

Plus, I may have snuck in an extra one for a certain Minnie Mouse-loving niece of mine. She'll need some play makeup, too. Shh!! It's for Christmas. Yes, the earlier, the better in my book!

 

Want to learn the low-down on how to make them?

 

Let's get started.

How to Make Bunny Masks {An Easter Craft} TUTORIAL

 

Today, I want to share with you an easy tutorial for making cute bunny masks. They're fun and adorable. They're perfect for Easter, too!

 

You need only a few basic supplies to make these masks. And in minutes, your kiddos will be enjoying them. These will be going in our Easter baskets, next weekend. I also included adult sizes with the pattern. I think they would be so fun for all the family to wear in photos.

 

Let's get started.

Green Eggs & Ham Bow Tie Onesie [A TUTORIAL]

As I posted before, St. Patrick's Day was just another reason to create something cute for my little guy. I'm not into all the shamrocks, rainbows and luck, but it had to be green, of course!

One great thing about this onesie is that lil man can wear it any day, not just St. Patty's Day. It's green, yet unassuming. Besides, who can resist a baby in a bowtie?

This onesie is a combo of two types of crafting bliss: Fabric Transfers and Sewing. As I promised in my Double Bowtie Tutorial, I'll show you how to make one of your own.

The Easiest Double Bow Tie You'll Ever Make [A TUTORIAL]

St. Patrick's Day is this weekend, and while I don't really celebrate the holiday, it was a perfect opportunity to dress up my little man. Plus, I get to share all the fun with you. Today we'll learn how to make super easy Double Bowties.

 



This is a great project if you're looking to use up scraps of fabric. And the bowties can be altered to just about any size you like. Also, you can easily attach these to your favorite style hair clip, like an alligator clip, and let your little girl wear one, too. Trust me, they're adorable both ways.

And when you attach one to a onesie, you might just sqeal like I did! {Tutorial for the outfit can be found here}

Easter Lacing Cards for Kids -- a FREE Printable [A TUTORIAL]

 

Easter is coming! Easter is coming! Spring is nearly on our doorstep, family will be arriving in a couple weeks and fun is in store! I love Easter time. I'm not really the kinda person who has ever really loved the idea of Santa or the Easter Bunny, when it comes to celebrating holidays that are supposed to be surrounded around our Lord. But I'm also not a total Scrooge.

 

I'm okay with letting my toddler believe in Santa and go on Easter egg hunts. What's the harm? As long as we teach our children the real meaning for these precious days on the calendar, I welcome the fun of the other "stuff." And so in the spirit of crafting, quiet time for Mommy, and a little Eastery spin, I designed some Easter Lacing Card printables for you.

 

This is such a fun activity for kids! And when you have little bitty children, like me, it's nice to have activities for them to be able to take part in at this age.

How to Make Play Makeup - For Under $5! [A TUTORIAL]

 

If your little girl is anything like mine, she is totally intrigued with Mommy's makeup process. What could be 5 or 10 minutes usually ends up being 15 or 20, after I explain to her what each item is. She loves it when I rub some on her face, or what she thinks is real make up. All it takes is my finger and an imaginary swipe across the eyeshadow to keep her content. After all, little girls just want to be like Mommy. And I don't want her to grow out of that!

 

Since she's still only 2 years old, I wanted to make something for her to play with ONLY while I am putting on my makeup. So until she's a wee bit older, the play makeup will stay with me, and will come out when I'm getting ready.

You might be surprised at how easy and inexpensive this project is. I was able to buy everything at my local Dollar Tree store for $4.23, which included 0.23 cents in tax. I walked out with a blush brush, two cheap makeup containers, and a two-pack of fingernail polish. What a deal!

Here's how to do it: