Heart Crayons

Thanks to my Swiss heritage, I can be incredibly thrifty. I try to save and reuse whatever I can. This craft is perfect for all those little broken-off pieces of crayon that can collect in the crayon box. (Kate, bless her heart, loves to break her crayons, so I had pieces a-plenty!) We found a silicone heart-shaped muffin tin at Target for all of $2.50, filled each heart with crayon pieces (with paper removed, of course), and popped it in the oven at 250 degrees. Voila! Twelve minutes later, plus some cooling time, and all our broken crayon pieces had been transformed into new works of beauty.


Complete instructions can be found here:
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/crayon-hearts-671639/

Felt Petal Pillow

In keeping with my Valentine's Day theme, this week I tried a tutorial that's been on my crafts to-do list for awhile: a romantic Felt Petal Pillow. It turned out soooo cute, and was incredibly easy to execute. Kate even helped out by handing me individual felt petals as I stitched round and round. Can't wait 'til we actually have a house in which I can use it as part of the decor!


http://www.vanessachristenson.com/2010/05/guest-blogger-tutorial-allison-of-cluck.html

Valentine's Day Bows

Aren't holidays so much more fun when you have kids? I'm on a full-fledged Valentine's Day crafts kick. First, some Valentine's-themed bows.

Vintage:

Pink Plaid:

Pink Polka Dots:

More Valentine's Day crafts to come... stay tuned!

"Captain" T-Shirt Pillow

Craftbits.com has fun craft projects for all different skill levels. This is one of my favorite projects that I found, and so incredibly easy! It's a great way to use an old t-shirt that you just don't want to get rid of. In our case, one of Jack's outgrown tees was the perfect test subject. Now I want a whole bedful of T-shirt pillows!


http://www.craftbits.com/search_craft_ideas/diy_projects?search_term=t-shirt+pillow&commit=GO

Bunny Applique Shirt

More of my dabbling in applique, using a shirt recycled from the local Saver's, and my adorable model Kate...

Shark Applique Towel

Jack, tired of his babyish hooded towels with animals like frogs and penguins, told me a couple weeks ago that he wanted a shark towel instead. I've been dabbling in applique, and so decided to make him one. The terrycloth was a little bit resistant to the applique, but I think it still turned out cute. And he was one happy boy when he opened his new towel on Christmas morning.


Honeybearlane.com is where I found an applique tutorial. I think I am hooked!
http://www.honeybearlane.com/2010/09/stacked-applique-tutorial-happy-sewing.html