lifeingrace

12 Days of Handmade Christmas Tutorials Day 11 {Fudge, Peppernuts, and Baskets}

2009-11-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

The 12 Days of Handmade Christmas ends tomorrow with another great tutorial and a giveaway, so hang in there one more day! I'm excited about todays' goodies but make sure to visit the other 10 days beginning here. Hasn't this been fun? I'm so thankful that you've joined us and for your kind and often helpful comments! Today, we're doing some food gifts and then giving you some inspiration for making your own baskets in which to put them! Welcome Richella and Nancy!

Hello to all fellow fans of Life in Grace! I'm Richella from Imparting Grace, and I'm so glad to be part of Edie's 12 Days of Handmade Christmas! Wife to my college sweetheart and mother to three wonderful boys, I'm a woman who is blessed beyond measure. I am passionate about making a home for my family and living a life with God, learning to receive and impart grace as I go.

I'm excited today to be able to share with you one of my favorite Christmas projects. Each year, I like to give a little something to many people: neighbors, teachers, service providers. That list can grow long, but it's important to me to be able to share a bit of the joy of the season in some small way. Like many of you, I bake cakes, make cookies, and roast nuts. But one thing I do every year is to make fudge. Lots and lots of fudge: at least 12 pounds every year.

My fudge recipe is special, I think. My mother's family has lived in Kansas for many generations, and I inherited a few old Kansas cookbooks. My fudge recipe comes from one of those cookbooks. The body of the cookbook is long since lost, so I don't know the name of the book; all I have is one yellowed and tattered page. The name of the recipe is Mamie's Fudge, and under the recipe name is this note: "She made this to woo Ike." Yes, indeed, this recipe originated with Mamie Eisenhower. President Eisenhower was from Abilene, Kansas, and Kansans proudly claim this family as their own. Just imagine sweet young Mamie Doud making this fudge for the handsome young lieutenant.

::Mamie's Fudge::

4 1/2 cups sugar
pinch of salt
2 Tablespoons butter
12 ounce can evaporated milk
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 ounces German sweet chocolate, broken into pieces
2 7-ounce jars marshmallow creme
2 cups chopped nuts
Butter a pan for the fudge. A 9 x 13 pan works well for thick fudge; a small sheet pan is good for slightly thinner fudge.
Place semi-sweet chocolate, German sweet chocolate, marshmallow creme, and chopped nuts into bowl. Set aside.

Combine sugar, salt, butter, and milk in heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil, continuing to stir, for six minutes. Remove from heat and pour immediately over chocolate mixture; stir until all the chocolate bits are dissolved.

The mixture will look pretty goopy for a moment, but you'll soon be rewarded with the delectable aroma of those chocolates and the look of smooth, satiny fudge.
Pour into buttered pan. Let stand one hour before cutting.

The fudge costs me about $13 per batch, which seems like a lot, but it makes more than six pounds. Mamie's original recipe actually says that it makes seven pounds. Six or seven, the per-pound price is pretty low.

I keep a eye out for containers for my fudge, such as pretty gift boxes, tins, or ceramics. Just last week I found this cute mitten plate at my thrift store for $1.

My favorite presentation of all is simply to put some fudge on a plate, cover it in plastic wrap, tie a bow with some pretty ribbon, and attach an ornament.

::Peppernuts::
This yummy little treat is of German origin and they are so wonderfully addictive! This makes a huge batch but they 'keep' forever---like months! Steve's mom made these with the girls when she was here and then we made them again on Reformation Day.

2 1/2 c. butter (marg or shortening also work)
1 1/2 c. molasses
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. milk
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. black pepper
2 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. cloves
1 t. allspice
1 t. salt
9 c. all purpose flour
1 qt ground walnuts
The dough should be stiff but not overly dry so add the last 1/2 c. of flour slowly to make sure the dough isn't too dry.
Roll the dough into thin ropes, using a little flour to keep them from sticking to your surface. {the ropes should be about the size of your first finger---unless you have unusually large fingers} Apparently little Elea is unsure of this process---but I can tell you from experience that she loves these little cookies.
Then freeze the 'ropes' so that they cut easily. It takes less than an hour for them to harden.

We took one tray out of the freezer at a time and cooked those---then proceeded to the next tray.
Then slice them into little coin size pieces and bake at 350 until they no longer 'give' when you press them (in my oven--about 12-15 min). The longer you cook them, the crunchier they'll be and my family likes them crunchy. I prefer them on the less crunchy side but you'll have to experiment.
Then, wrap them up neat and pretty and Merry Christmas! Or Happy Reformation Day!

And Nancy from Basketmaster's Weavings has a great tutorial on her blog for how to make a Christmas basket, along with many YouTube tutorials on the different steps of weaving. She lists directions for where to buy the stakes and what kind you'll need. This would be so much fun to learn how to do with my girls----and we love a good YouTube video. That cute little basket would be a great handmade gift all by itelf---or you could fill it with fudge and peppernuts.

12 Days of Handmade Christmas Tutorials Day 10 {Coffee Cozy}

2009-11-10T03:06:00.000-08:00

I regret to inform you that the person scheduled for Day 10 could not make it due to unforeseen family circumstances. Guess you're stuck with me today. But don't forget to visit the first 9 days, starting here. Love my new sign? I think Todd Wilken may need it for the studio.

Even before I purchased my espresso machine, I had an impasssioned love affair with coffee. There are currently no words to describe how this torrid love affair has evolved. So, naturally when I saw this coffee cozy tutorial, I was compelled to try it. Kinda like making a quilt for someone you love. And well, I had to show off my new embroidery/sewing machine----which is NOT a piece of cake to figure out.

Gather your supplies:

1 coffee mug cozy template {I used Starbucks}--make sure to use the kind that overlap

2 pieces of fabric ~ 5 x 12 inches

Insul-Bright or batting {I used warm and natural quilt batting}

1.75 inches of 3/4 inch velcro

I followed the tutorial pretty closely but found out too late that not all coffee mugs are made alike---so make sure that the template you use {I used a Starbucks coffee cozy} fits your mug--making sure to allow for the seams. For my travel mug, I should have made mine 1 1/4 inches longer than this Starbucks template. Just put your template around your mug and make sure it fits and if not, adjust---making sure to make allowances for both end seams.

Trace the template onto the wrong side of the fabric {right sides of fabric together} allowing for the seams. {I left about 1/4 inch for the seams on all sides---and as you'll see later, I should have lengthened my cozy by 1 1/4 inch----so make sure it's long enough by wrapping the template around your mug}

Cut a piece of batting the same size as well.

Now, sew the velcro onto the fabric. To figure out where to put the velcro, it's best the pick the fabric up {pretending like its' sewn together} and wrap it around a mug so that you can see where the velcro needs to be. It's easy to see if you lay the Starbucks template out and see where the adhesive has been. I read the directions here {which are good} but I'm a visual learner---so I just had to pretend like the cozy was sewn together and then wrap it around the mug. It's easy then to see where the velcro must go---then sew it onto the right side of the fabric about 1/4 inch from the seam. Sew the other velcro piece onto the bottom fabric in a similar fashion.

With right sides of the fabric together and the batting on the bottom, sew all three pieces together using a 1/4 inch seam allowance---leaving a 2 -3 inch opening at the bottom center---so you can turn it to the right side. After turning it to the right side, fold in the raw edges and then topstitch at 1/8th of an inch all the way around to give it a nice finish and closure.

And after all that, here's what happened to me! So beware: make sure the Starbucks template fits your mug and if not---adjust.

So what do you do with your cute little cozy if it doesn't fit your coffee mug?

I guess you'll have to decide for yourself.

Note to the domestically challenged: I'm no seamstress and definitely not gifted in writing tutorials so I highly suggest you check out the one I followed, making adjustments for the size of your mug. I also took these pics before I topstitched my cozy. I'm overanxious like that.

12 Days of Handmade Christmas Tutorials Day 9 {Pillows}

2009-11-09T02:50:00.000-08:00

If you're late to this party, don't fret, just grab a cup-a-joe ,start humming the 12 Days of Christmas and then visit Day 1--dishmat, Day 2--garland, Day 3--coasters, Day 4--birds, Day 5--buntings, Day 6---tassels, Day 7---apron, Day 8--candles, and the sweater stocking tutorial here.

And now without further delay, welcome Autum from Creative Little Daisy to the party. Autum and I just 'met' a few weeks ago because of this party and I'm so thankful she joined us and did this awesome pillow tutorial. You'll enjoy snooping around her blog where you'll find this wonderful kitchen redo and all these lovely purses she's made. She's also a board member of Sew Mama Sew! So welcome Autum and thank you for showing us your tricks on these adorable pillows.

Perhaps the easiest way to get your feet wet in the sewing waters is by making simple pillow or cushion covers. Once you know the basic construction, you can get as fancy as you wish with embellishments and trim. You can update the look of a room quickly and inexpensively by simply adding some pretty throw pillows or recovering existing ones.

For this tutorial, I’m going

to show you how I I saved at least $75.00 by making my own pillow covers instead of buying them from Pottery Barn and Ballard Designs.

I had everything I needed so I didn't spend a dime. If you don't have an embarrassing stash a few things lying around, like I do, I think you can buy what you need for less than $15.00.

First gather your supplies,

You will need pillow forms to cover. You can buy inserts fairly inexpensively at the fabric store, especially when you catch them on sale, or like I said above, you can just recover pillows you already have. One of the pillows I'm covering today came from Walmart. I was there to buy a pillow form, but noticed that I could buy an 18 inch pillow cheaper than a 16 inch pillow insert, so I went with that.

I am using a rotary cutter, but you can make your cuts with scissors. If you plan to do much sewing, I recommend getting one and a self healing cutting mat. You will also need something to measure your fabric for cutting. I have a clear ruler and my cutting mat has markings, but a tape measure or yard stick would be sufficient.

You will also need a few pins, something to mark with is helpful ( I use a water soluble fabric marking pen), an iron and of course a sewing machine.

For the first pillow, I used a fabric called osnaburg, it looks very much like linen but is much cheaper. You can find it at JoAnn or Walmart for around $3/yd. I pre-wash my fabric before sewing to get any shrinking out of the way.

Measure the pillow or form you want to cover. Cut one piece for the front of the cover the exact dimensions. My pillow is 16" square so I cut one piece of fabric that size. Normally when you sew, you cut the item larger, taking your seam size into consideration. For pillows I cut the fabric the same size so that the insert will fit snugly into the cover. Otherwise you end up with a saggy baggy pillow.

For the covers I'm making today, I will be adding a little something to the fronts. I could have chosen a pretty fabric and skipped the embellishing part and gone on to the next step. Since I am embellishing, I will do that first.

I want to recreate this Pottery Barn pillow, cause I think it's really cute, but I don't have $29 (plus shipping) to spend on a pillow- especially since I really like the set ($29 plus shipping times three- YIKES!)

To make the LOVE pillow, I took my 16" front piece and found the center by folding it in half then in half again. I made the little pocket by cutting a pieces of the same fabric 6" x 8". I machine embroidered the word LOVE in the center, but you could just as easily paint the words on using regular craft paint- if you have a nice steady hand- which I do not. You could stencil it on using regular stencils or the freezeer paper stencil method or use iron on transfer paper and iron it onto your pocket. Once you have your word on your pocket, turn under all four sides 1/2" and press.

I bet I just lost half of you
didn't I? When I said press? Pressing gets such a bad wrap, no one
wants to fool with ironing. It takes too much time. I don't like to
iron any more than the next guy. In fact, I think that may be what
turned me off to sewing when I was young. My granny tried to teach me
to sew and once she got all preachy about pressing after every step and
showing me the propper way to press an item, I started hearing Charlie
Brown's teacher "wa wa waaa waaaa...." If I have to do all that, I'm
not messing with it! Well, fast forward to today, and I'm probably a
bigger preacher on the merits of pressing as you sew than my granny
every thought of being. It really doesn't take much time, and it not
only makes the sewing easier, it makes what you sew look so, so, much
better. Have you ever seen a handmade item and just it just screamed
"homemade!" I bet it was because it wasn't pressed. So please, please,
if you are going to take the time to make something, take just a tiny
bit more time to press. OK, off my soapbox and back to the tut.

Find the center of the pocket and place it on the center of the pillow front. To keep this extra secure for stitching I used a little bit of stitch witchery (fusible web) under the sides and bottom. Once it's nice and secure, I used a quilting stitch on my machine and red thread to give it a hand stitched look ( not necessary, you could use a regular straight stitch, just increase the stitch length). You could also hand stitch it if you like.

This pillow cover will have an envelop closure so I cut two pieces for the back. I don't have an exact formula for cutting the back pieces, I just want them to be large enough to allow for about a four inch overlap. I also allow extra to hem the outer edges (the pieces that overlap) That sounds confusing, but it will make sense. For this pillow I cut one piece 16" x 12 and one 16" X 14".

On one short side of each back piece, turn under about a 3/4" hem, press, and turn it under again. Yes, again with the pressing. Sorry.

Sew a straight stitch close to the edge of the fold on each back piece.

Now lay your front piece right side facing up on your work surface. Lay each back piece on top with right sides facing down, lining up the outer edges of the back pieces with the outer egdes of the front pieces. You will be overlapping the back pieces. This creates your envelop back.

Pin in several places to hold everything in place for sewing. Be sure to pin the edges of the back pieces so they stay put while you sew everything together.

Now sew around all four sides, I used a 3/8" inch allowance because it looked like enough for the fabric I was using.

Clip your threads, turn your cover right side out, stuff your pillow in and admire your work. Take a picture of your lovely new pillow so you can share it with all your friends!

I also made the JOY pillow (didn't get to PEACE yet, maybe today) and this gift box pillow like one Ballard has for- are you ready for this? $75.00!!!. I used the same construction method, you just embelish the front piece any way you like first.

Want to know how I made the Ballard's pillow? OK I'll tell you. It was really easy and didn't take very long at all.

You will need a printed fabric, burlap, ribbon or double fold bias tape, freezer paper and steam-a-seam lite.

Cut your first piece to fit your pillow. Mine was 18" this time. I happened to have a piece of green fabric almost exactly like the print on the Ballard's pillow.

Next, cut a piece of steam-a-seam 9" x 9" and fuse it to the back of a piece of burlap. Do (this before cutting the burlap to size, that way you have less fraying) Cut the burlap 9" x 9", remove the paper backing and fuse to the center of the printed fabric.

Go around all four sides of the burlap with a zig-zag stitch in dark brown or black thread.

With the stitch witchery, (or any fusible tape- or you could use a glue stick) secure a piece of red ribbon or bias tape down the center of the burlap box, turning under the raw edges.

To make the gift tag, cut a piece of freezer paper 8.5" x 11" (the size of printer paper) and iron the shiny side to a piece of light weight cotton fabric. Cut the fabric 8.5 x 11 after adhering the freezer paper. Now you should have a piece of fabric that will run through your printer. I had to fiddle with mine a bit, but it worked nicely. I am not guaranteeing this will work in your printer. I simply googled free printable sheet music, found and image I liked and printed it on the freezer paper backed fabric. After printing the image onto the fabric, remove the freezer paper. Next fuse a piece of steam-a-seam to the back and cut it out in the shape of a gift tag. Remove the paper backing and iron it in place on the burlap box. Stitch around the edges with a zig-zag stitch. (sorry for the blurry photos)

Construct the pillow following the instructions above, then tie a bow from your ribbon and attach it to the front. I used fabric glue, but you could hand stitch it in place.

Stand back and admire your pillow and brag to your husband that you saved $75.00!

A little bonus tip~If you are limited on space where ever your sewing area is, you can make a little portable pressing board instead of putting up a big ironing board. I made one yesterday with a scrap of wood, it wasn't plywood, just some sort of paneling stuff Mitch had that measured 16" x 24". I covered it with 2 layers of cotton quilt batting and a layer of fleece interfacing then a layer of cotton fabric. I stapled it all to the back and now I have a surface for pressing I can keep right next to my cutting area, saving me steps to the ironing board and clearing up some floor space in my sewing room.

For more crafty goodness, visit Kris' blog for 'I can make that' day!

12 Days of Handmade Christmas Tutorials Day 8 {Monogrammed Candles}

2009-11-08T04:09:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's Day 8 already. And I can't believe it's November already. And I can't believe I have a son in college and I can't believe I'm almost 40 years old. Does time ever catch you by surprise like that? Amy from Playing Sublimely will cheer us up! She is a beautiful new mom blogger with adorable kids and great creative ideas to share with us. I think you're gonna love these candles. I can't wait to try them myself. Take is away Ms. Amy and welcome to lifeingrace!

Don't you just love candles! I love them so much I light them year round. My husband comes home from work in the middle of the summer when it is 95 degrees outside, and goes around the house blowing out all my candles...and I follow right behind him relighting them all.. I always buy candles that have a fragrance to match the season. Year round, I just cannot get enough of them. Well you can imagine my delight when I learned to paint and monogram candles. These lovelies make beautiful gifts: birthdays, baby showers, Christmas, weddings, etc.. Here is what you are going to need:

Glass and Tile medium, black acrylic craft paint, and a tiny paint brush

A candle (my current favorite is this brand from Bed, Bath and Beyond). Candle manufactures come and go, as soon as I fall in love with one they will stop making it. Try out a few and see what works best for you. There are lots of great, affordable candles out there.

Now that you have your materials, print out a letter (or letter's' if you would like a triple monogram) off the computer in the font that you would like for your monogram. Position and center the letter on the candle. Hold the letter in place and trace the letter onto the candle with light, but firm pressure. I like to use the point of a mechanical pencil for this step because it carves a thin line onto the surface of the candle. Remember, some candles are softer than others, so take care to not press too hard which would result in large, deep lines in the candle.

Next, paint on a very thin coat of the Glass and Tile Medium over the monogram on the candle as shown below. This coat will dry slightly "milky" so be sure to use a thin coat. Allow about 15 or 20 minutes to dry.

Using your thin paint brush, paint over your carved letter with black paint. Keep your hand as steady as you can, and paint the letter to look as much like the letter you printed off the computer as possible.

Once you are satisfied, allow the paint to dry for at least 30 minutes before wrapping the candle. These candles look lovely wrapped in clear plastic cellophane wrap, tied up with festive ribbon. I keep lots of ribbon on hand, by simply changing the ribbon it becomes a great, unique gift for lots of different occasions.

Don't be afraid, you can do this! This is a simple way to create lots of affordable and personal gifts. People will love receiving them and they will enjoy many hours of the calming serenity that candlelight can bring into a home. Have fun!

Blessings to you all,

Click here to hear all about the square dance I went to this weekend!

12 Days of Handmade Christmas Tutorials Day 7 {Aprons}

2009-11-07T02:45:00.005-08:00

If you're new to the party, here's what you've missed so far! Thank you ladies for such wonderful ideas and helpful tips.

Day 1: Dishmat with Darby

Day 2: Garland with the Nester

Day 3: Coasters with Sandy

Day 4: Birds with Denise

Day 5: Buntings with Heather

Day 6: Tassels with Mandy

I am thrilled to introduce our Day 7 guest poster, who happens to be a very dear blog friend of mine, do-it-yourselfer, from Pink and Polka Dot. We've been stalking each others' blogs for well over a year and got to meet each other in real life last year at Blissdom. She is quite the crafty chick and has lots of fun tutorials on her blog---that I know you'll want to try the all. She also shares beautiful decorating tips and has a crush on Edward from Twilight! And if you've never been to a blogging conference, there is nothing quite like that magical moment when two blogging friends spot each other from across the room and run and embrace and laugh like school girls. I'm making plans to attend Blissdom again in February, what about you? And now, prepare to be wowed by yet another marvelous crafty idea! She's also doing some live craft shows so visit her blog for the dates/times.

Do you have a skirt in your closet that you no longer wear. Recycle it into an apron! I found this floral A-line skirt at a thrift store and thought it would make a cute apron. It is tres simple! I've attempted a tutorial below. Hope it makes sense. Have fun!

You could also add a pocket or a cute little ruffle at the bottom. I didn't...yet. I just wanted to show you a simple recycle from skirt to apron. Can't wait to see your's.

12 Days of Handmade Christmas Tutorials Day 6 {Tassels}

2009-11-06T02:18:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Darby, The Nester (Day 2), Sandy (Day 3), Denise (Day 4), and Heather (Day 5), we're all ready to make this years' Christmas gifts a little more 'from the heart'. I love the ideas so far and can't wait for you to see what's still to come. Yesterday, my computer server was down from 8a until 8p! I felt like I was locked out of my own house while there was a fabulous party going on----standing at the window knocking, begging to come in---watching while everyone sipped champagne and laughed and hugged and visited. I even had to call my sister (who lives an hour away) and have her hack into my blog to publish the post! Then, to add to the fun and distraction, the fed ex man delivered my new (used, bought on eBay--with my yard sale money) sewing and embroidery machine. The girls and I have been in heaven--- trying all the funky stitches and even embroidering a tea towel. This is gonna take some practice but we're giddy about it and ready to sew some more handmade Christmas gifts. The girls were teasing their dad about embroidering his scrub shirts for him. Just dandy! BTW, I got a Viking Designer 1.

Now, without further delay, meet my dear friend Mandi, who is a wonderful mom and fellow creative spirit. She has been so encouraging to me over the past year and I'm so excited to feature her here on my blog. Welcome Mandi!!

Hey friends! My name is Mandi and I have a little blog called Mandi Shandi's. The fabulous Edie was one of my very first "Blog "friends, and we all know how super cool she is (no editing Edie!), so when she asked me to take part in this fab 12 Days of Christmas Party she is having, I was thrilled! I will warn you that I am not typically the best tutorial writer.I am super-busy mom of 2 young boys,

(Me above, and those rowdy boys below.)
and I get distracted easily, but I'm taking extra care this time to make sure I get enough pictures and give detailed instructions. If I manage to leave out any details that you need, feel free to hop over to my blog or e-mail me. Who am I kidding? I hope you come over and visit my blog regardless! I love making new friends!

Let's get this party started! This is what I am calling the Ultimate Tassel Tutorial because I am gonna give you so much info. that it may qualify as overload, but you will be able to start making decorative tassels immediately.

I recommend you start off by gathering your supplies. You will probably need to shop for a couple things, but most crafters already have a lot of this stuff on hand.

Wood Candle Cups- Available at all craft stores in the unfinished wood section.

Small Screw Eyes- Available at Target, Wal-Mart, or any hardware store.

Ribbons, Trims, Fringe, or Yarn- I am a Hobby Lobby girl. I think their prices are just hard to beat, so most of my embellishments come from there when it is on sale. You can also find nice fringe at Hancock Fabrics.

Hot Glue Gun and LOTS of Gluesticks.

Maximum Adhesive Glue- I use E6000 (not pictured b/c I ran out, but you can get it at Wal-Mart or craft stores.)

Topper or Small Figurine- I pick up small figurines everywhere, even the Dollar Tree at times. I also like to use Christmas ornaments because they already have the eyehook in the top.

Drill- Ideally you would use a jewelry drill, but I use a regular drill and am very careful.

Since this is a Christmas party, I am gonna make a Christmas tassel using an ornament. I can skip the drilling part. Normally though, you would start off by drilling a small hole in the top of your figurine. I always put a little glue in the hole to make sure the eye hook stays in. Screw in your eye hook.

Next glue your topper to the candle cup. I use E6000 for this and usually let it dry for atleast an hour. Run a pretty ribbon through the eye hook and tie it in nice bow or knot. Make sure it is long enough to hang properly after tied. I cut my ribbon between 10 and 12 inches.

Now the fun starts. I line up my trims and get busy picking colors. I have found that my tassels look most balanced if I use the widest trims on the bottom and work to the smallest ones on the top. I line my trims up in this order.

Once I have picked the bottom layer, I take it and roll it up to see how much it will take to fill the inside of the candle cup. When I get a good idea, I cut the fringe at that length, add a strip of hot glue and roll it back up.

Then I thoroughly glue the interior of the candle cup, and stuff my rolled up fringe inside. It should be a tight fit.

I cut my ribbon in equal lengths and get it ready to glue. It typically takes between 4 and 7 strips of ribbon, depending on the diameter of the ribbon and the candle cup or dowel rod you are tasseling. The hot glue dries fast, so it is best to already have your ribbon cut. Make sure if you are making loops and your ribbon is printed, that you glue the printed side down so when you loop it the print will show.

Keep adding layers until you reach the top of your candle cup. At this point you will need something nice and fluffy to round out the tassel. I say fluffy, because that type of fringe is the most forgiving if you don't get it just perfect. It also covers the bond between the topper and the candle cup so you want something thick. You could also add bows or ribbon. The sky is the limit.

Last but not least, carry your new tassel into the bathroom and blow it with the hairdryer. This eliminates all those pesky hot glue strings. Now its time to find a home for your new beauty. Hang them on doorknobs, lamps, furniture, or even ceiling fans.

And just in case you need a little more inspiration to get you tasseling, here are a few favorites that I have made recently.

There you have it. The Ultimate Tassel Tutorial. I hope I was clear enough on my instructions, and if you make some tassels stop by my blog and let me know. I'd love to visit you and see them all!

Hugs! Mandi

12 Days of Handmade Christmas Tutorials Day 5 {Buntings}

2009-11-05T02:10:00.001-08:00

As I was humming the '12 Days of Christmas' last night while I was making dinner, my husband said to me,

"Um, do you realize you keep singing the 12 days of Christmas over and over. And over? And it's November 4?"

"Oh, sorry, see it's just that I'm having the '12 Days of Handmade Christmas Tutorials' on my blog, and it's so neat to see all these cool handmade things from all these talented women."

Emme chimes in, "It's really cool dad, did you see the birds Ms. Denise made out of fabric? We're gonna make those later for our art class. "

He politely {fake} smiles and prays that some other song----any other song-----will catch fire in my head. {5 minutes of restrained silence}

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!" I'm sorry. Now you're gonna sing that all day. I am loving this series and I'm contemplating my Christmas decor as we speak. If you're just joining the party, first visit Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4!

Welcome Heather from, All a Flutter Designs, who is a 30 something wife and momma, maker of handmade goods for children, a lover of all things vintage, and an amateur home decorator. She also has an Etsy shop so be sure to support her by visiting and shopping.

Hello all you beautiful Life in Grace readers!
My name's Heather and I 'm so excited to be participating in the
12 Days of Handmade Christmas!

For my contribution I'd like to offer up my

Simple Little Buntings

These are not Martha Stewart's buntings! No offense Martha.

I like having these hanging up in my house year round with fun and inspiring words.

I create these easy buntings using freestyle stitching and simple fabrics like burlap, seer sucker, and felt. Then I throw in a little velvet ribbon, vintage seam binding, and vivid vintage fabrics
to finish off their one of a kind look.

My favorite part is that you don't need to be a seamstress to create one of these beauties,
just some simple sewing skills will get you in on the fun.

Here are a few bunting word ideas-

For a child-

A Child's Name, Dream, Bebe, Learn, or a Child's Initial

For a family-

Family's Last Name, Hope, Live, Home, Merci, Love, Pray

For the holidays-

Joy, Noel, Jesus, Christmas, Peace

This photo shows some of the supplies you'll need.

You'll also need straight pins, your sewing machine, and a safety pin.
Just a note- when you make your letters out of fabric instead of felt you'll want to use lite heat-n- bond so that the fabric is stiff enough to cut, but light enough to stitch through.

You'll start by cutting your flags. Each of my flags are 8" high by 7.5" wide.

I use these corrugated cardboard scrapbook letters I found at the craft store.
I like them because they're a font I like, they're durable enough for repeated use, and thin enough that I can pin through them when I'm using fabric that doesn't show outlines very well, like felt.

Next you'll pin or outline your letters onto the fabric.

Cut each one out and set them to the side.

Fold the top portion of your flag towards to back to create a 1" seam.
This is the channel the ribbon or twine runs through for hanging.

Flip the flag over to the right side and pin your letters to the center of each flag.

Time for the fun stuff!

You'll want to leave an 1/8" seam allowance around each letter.

Remember to stitch slowly! Even though we're freestyling we don't want to loose control.

When you come to a corner or curve be sure the needle is in the fabric
and then lift the foot so you don't skip a stitch.

I like to go around 2-3 times, sometimes switching up the colors in between.

Admire your work.
Sigh.
Finish the rest of the letters.

Pin decorative ribbon to the front of the banner so that it lines up with the bottom edge
of the back seam. This will seam up the channel for hanging the flags.

Pull the loose threads at the edges to create fringe.
This works with all fabric and makes for much cuter flags!

Tie ribbon or twine to a safety pin and feed through the flags.

Be sure to start with your last flag and work your way up.

Now make one for yourself, for your kids, for your kid's teachers, for your friends!

On second thought, you better just go ahead and make one for everyone you know because once

they see yours they'll be asking you for one.

Merry Christmas!

They also make sweet gift tags, too!

I can't wait to see all the fun buntings y'all make!

Thanks Edie for letting me share my simple little buntings with you and your readers.
This was really fun and I can't wait to try all the other amazing handmade goodies from these 12 days!

xoxo,

12 Days of Handmade Christmas Tutorials Day 4 {Fabric Birds}

2009-11-04T04:35:00.000-08:00

Sing it with me, "On the fourth day of Christmas, my blog friend gave to me, 4 calling birds", 3::coasters from Sandy, 2::garlands from Nester, and a dishmat made by Dar-by. My friend Denise has that song 'playing' on her blog and now you are lucky enough to get a tutorial of her famous birds. And you better act fast because I'm not sure she's gonna give us unlimited access to her pdf pattern. Print, people, print.

I am fortunate to be friends {in real life---aka---IRL} with Denise and always enjoy the chance to chitty chat with her about a myriad of topics from theology to blogging to crafting. She actually is partially responsible for my new life; she introduced me to blogging and has been instrumental in mentoring me as a homeschooler. I'm so excited she's agreed to show us her birds and even though I have one of the 'real' ones---made by her----I think I'm gonna give this craft a try! Welcome Denise and thank you for teaching me so many wonderful things!

PAPER AND FABRIC BIRDS

I created my version of the little paper/fabric bird after seeing some out of my price range on Etsy. It took many tries--which you can read about here, but I think I finally *landed* on the perfect little decorating accessory.

Step 1: Pick out cute fabric and cut out pieces.
(Get a PDF of the pattern here.)

Note: I would not attempt a paper bird first; but when you are ready, make your pattern out of something clear so that you can place it over the area of the map that you want to show. I used the plastic that was the window on some packaging. It is easier to see if you outline it with a permanent marker.

Note: I use quilter's thread, small black beads, and old lady glasses for the next step. And in case you are wondering, in the above photo, LB stands for Little Bird. There are BB pieces as well. I used a small hole punch to make a template for the eye placement.

Step 2: Sew on the small beads for eyes

Step 3: Line up the small head piece for sewing first.

Step 4: Sew in the directions of the arrows on the pattern.
(Back of head to front of head to back of head to tail to beak to middle of belly.)
Clear as mud?

Note: I'm not sure I have ever sewn a bird the same way twice. Do what works best for you.

Step 5: Stuff bird.

Note: Use a pencil to get the stuffing in the tail. Poly-fil works fine for the fabric birds, but you will want to use a pulled apart cotton ball for the tail of a paper one. The Poly-fil will just keep sliding out and it will bug you.

Step 6: Sew shut.

Step 7: Make legs.

Note: I use 24-guage wire, but I think a large paper clip could also work--not a small paper clip because the legs would be too short. I know that because I tried it today when I couldn't find my spool of wire. I use a jewelry tool, but needle-nosed pliers would probably work. I made the shape below out of a thicker wire to show the shape more clearly--actually, I made it because I couldn't locate the missing spool of wire.

Step 7: Glue in legs.

Note: There are dots on the pattern to give you an idea of leg placement. Believe me, this is not an exact science. Getting the balance just right takes a bit of patience. I roll the ends of the wire in some tacky glue and then shove them through the holes that I make using a bigger needle--you know, stick it in and then just roll it around to make a bit of an opening in the fabric. I make sure the legs are about the same length and then allow the glue to dry. I then balance the fellow by holding down the feet and making slight adjustments to the angle of the legs. Sounds more complicated than it is.

Step 8: Give as a present and make people smile. See for yourself here.

More birds can be seen in this post.

12 Days of Handmade Christmas Tutorials:: Day 3 {Coasters}

2009-11-03T07:11:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much to my friend, The Nester, for her great tutorial and for the way she graciously shares herself and her gifts with others. Day 1 and Day 2 were a huge success and I can tell by my emails and comments that you're busy already crafting away.
I'm so excited about 'Day 3' and Sandy's Coasters. I met Sandy {from 4 Reluctant Entertainers} last year at Blissdom. She is beautiful and gracious and I know you'll love her tips on how to become a welcoming hostess. Her posts make me wanna invite people over, make delicious food, and set a gorgeous table. The coasters project she is showing us today would be so fun to do with kids. And if mine weren't sick and whiny , I'd probably start today. Instead, I've propped them up in the craft studio, with blankets and pillows and tissues handy, and in between fetching them drinks and Halloween candy, I'm sewing up the cutest-somewhat-Christmas-y-tote {to be shown later}. So, make Sandy welcome and visit her blog for oodles of holiday entertaining ideas.

Last year when I invited my Balcony Girls into my home, our craft for the day was to make coasters for the holidays. I even got in on the fun myself, and made of list of which friends to give to at Christmas.
So when Edie asked if I'd share with her readers, I was delighted because the process is so easy! And I found that my friends who received these gifts loved them!

The craft began as we created stamped coasters.

Using these supplies:

3 ¾” x 3 ¾” unglazed tiles

Rubber stamps and ink pads

Felt or cork (sticky sided)

Spray fixative/varnish

The cost per tile was 32 cents from Lowes. Each girl made "4" coasters!

We made fun designs

Spraying, drying and putting 4 felt squares on the bottom

All tied up, ready to give away!

I asked my Balcony Girls girls to think of grandparents, teachers, music teachers, a neighbor – to keep in mind who they’d want to give this gift to at Christmas!
What I love about homemade gifts is the love that goes into them. And when you're working with young girls, they take the task at hand so seriously!
Giving is a beautiful thing. And that is why I love the holiday so much. Not only do we get to focus on the Giver of Life, it's just way more fun to give than to receive!

12 Days of Handmade Christmas Tutorials:: Day 2 {Ragamuffin Garland}

2009-11-02T12:45:00.000-08:00

Wasn't Darby wonderful on Day 1? Why did it take me so long to find her? Have y'all been holding out on me?

And my friend Denise {who is guest posting soon} is 'singing' the 12 days of Christmas on her blog for us. It made me chuckle.

Our next guest poster needs no introduction. You know her and love her and I'm thrilled she's been so gracious to post her ragamuffin garland tutorial for us. I haven't tried this one yet but am gathering my fabric scraps as we speak. When I met The Nester last year at Blissdom, I was so impressed by her approachability and her kind, sweet spirit. She's the real deal. And we all have learned some valuable decorating tips from her, but more importantly we've learned to be content with what we have, to repurpose old/tired objects into beautiful new creations, and to shop the house before we shop the stores. I love her motto: it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. Thank you Nester for joining our party!

I'm thrilled to share my ragamuffin garland over here at Edie's blog. If I could pick 5 bloggers and visit their homes to get inspired, Edie would be one of them! I first published this tutorial in May 2008 at Blissfully Domestic and then I republished it on at Nesting Place in November, 2008. It remains one of the most popular posts. The beauty of the garland is that any fool can do this!

To make a plush, fat, beautiful full garland all you need is fabric, ribbon, ring clips and time--lots and lots of time.

Here's the finished product it is captivating, fluffy and adorable.

I make my garland with long strips of ribbon, fabric, fringe and anything else I can get my hands on. I never measure but here is a close up of a few strips so you get the idea of how long. I would err on cutting your fabric too long. That is if you had to err.

You want to have one base ribbon that is the one you tie everything else to. I used a long pink one here and I usually make it about as long as my arm. You can make them as long or short as you want.

And you tie the strips on. And you tie the strips on. And you tie them on. You keep doing it until you want to curse me and anyone who you are making this for and then you look at it and you are almost half way done. And you keep doing it. Your kids can help too. You cannot tie wrong.

For my boy's garland, I used some old shirts from my husband's teaching days. Look, there's a cuff. I also cut up some sweet little jeans they all wore and a blanket and even one of their little shirts. I even had extra fabric left over from a window mistreatment that I threw in there.

It's like making a big soup. You just keep adding all sorts of stuff until it magically looks right. You are thinking that I don't
really make soup and you are right.

As you are tying and tying and cutting more stuff because you didn't dream it would take so much fabric, just remember how adorable this is gonna look. You really want to pack the fabric and ribbon in. That's how it looks so fab. Do not skimp on this, you will just be wasting your time.

Once you get to the very end, you tie the ribbon that is the base onto the ring of a ring clip. Do the same for the other end. I actually do this first so I can see where my start and stop are easily.

I like to add clips or clothespins in every 6 or 8 inches so you can hang stuff in the garland. You can hang photos or baby shoes or grocery lists or Christmas cards or ticket stubs...
Look how cute this one is in my old kitchen. And yes, those are napkins used for window mistreatments. I'm so glad you noticed!

I hope you have fun with this project! It's like a quilt only easier and you don't have to sew and you can't cover up with it.

This garland would be adorable hung over a changing table, window or bed. Make a Chirstmasy one and hang your cards on it. Use your babies old clothes and hang it in the playroom.

This is the perfect time of year to make a garland for someone. Need more inspiration? Google "Ragamuffin Garland" and get inspired by what others have made as well!

Here are a few other ideas of what you can do with some ragamuffin scraps!

Our latest comings and goings.....

2009-10-31T18:03:00.000-07:00

I'm sneaking in a post because I'm very chatty and since my blog has recently been taken over by the 12 Days of Christmas {which I am thoroughly enjoying, BTW}, I haven't gotten all my words and pictures out lately. Steve was off work last Friday so we took the girls to lunch at the Tomato Head and then to the zoo. It was a beautiful day, the fall colors were shimmering, the animals were frisky and the weather was perfect.

We saw 'Edie--the Elephant' which inspired me to go for a run once we got home. I'm just saying. Maybe it was the line 'compared to other elephants, Edie is a medium sized, well-proportioned elephant with short tusks and little tail hair'. Nice.

In other news, we've been studying the Vikings in history and made these darling little Viking boats. I started a book on the Norsemen called "West Oversea" by Lars Walker. Very interesting historical fiction about the Vikings. And lo and behold, that same week, Issues Etc interviewed Lars Walker on the Vikings and on his book West Oversea!!! I was completely wowed by that. I mean, I love Issues for a variety of reasons but sometimes their timing is impeccable.

And I'm not gonna lie, we are huge Minnesota Vikings fans! How 'bout that FAVRE? Truthfully, we have loved Brett Favre forever. A rugged man's man from Mississippi. What's not to love? Who doesn't love Brett Favre? Doug and Andrew---don't answer that.

I'm pretty sure my girls may be confused and think that Favre sailed from Norway to Iceland.

On the photography front, I've been experimenting with the manual settings on my Nikon d90. I took this pic with a iso of 1200, white balance of 'flourescent' and now I can't remember the aperture. I love how it turned out though. I really don't know any other way to learn than to practice with different settings and take tips from friends like Darby whose pictures are inspiring. {Click on her photography icon}

Then, there were the trick or treaters making their funny faces.

So, now you know the rest of the story.
I should also let you know that I just became the newest contributor to the Blissfully Domestic Online Magazine. Any ideas what I should write my first post about?

12 Days of Handmade Christmas Tutorials:: Day 1 {Dishmat}

2009-10-31T03:22:00.000-07:00

It's finally here! The 12 Days of Handmade Christmas Tutorials! Thank you for stopping by and don't forget to grab the button to your right and let your friends know that we will be featuring 12 creative and talented guest posters today through November 12. I also have been asked several times to host a Mr.Linky after this is over so that you all can show us your homeade/handmade goodies. Let me know if you'd be interested in that.

I'm so excited about today's guest and I know that after you visit her site, she's gonna be one of your favorites. Please make welcome the ever gifted Darby from Fly Through Our Window. Her blog is a treasure of great resources from how to make crock pot apple butter {which I'm currently trying} to how to make a professional looking roman shade. Through her exquisite photography, we get to 'fly through her window' and be blessed by her mother-love, her refreshing perspective on being a follower of Christ and her abundant tips and tutorials on all things 'home'. She is the mother of three adorable children, wife to Justin--her college sweetheart and archeologist, a member of a PCA church {her motto is 'I'm a big sinner with a bigger Saviour'}, twin sister to Erika {interior designer---whose blog I also love} and we are so blessed she has opened her life to us through her wonderful blog. So, now go, be a fly on the wall! Take it away Ms.Darby!!!

While I wish that I could take full credit for this creation, I must admit that the idea sprouted from something I saw on the SouleMama.com blog for a bathmat that was altered to make a dish mat using recycled towels. I loved the idea and if you’re anything like me, you always place a dish towel above the dishwasher as you unload for those pesky plastics that never dry. This version is a combination of terrycloth and 2 fun fabrics. My dish mat has become a permanent fixture in the kitchen and has been put to very good use!

You’ll need:
5/8 yard of main fabric **PREWASHED**
5/8 yard of coordinating fabric **PREWASHED**
5/8 yard of terrycloth or a recycled bath towel **PREWASHED**

Instructions:

::All seam allowances are ¼” unless otherwise noted.

::Cut or tear main fabric {with grain} into (4) 5 ½” x 22 ½”
strips.

::Cut or tear coordinating fabric {with grain} into (5) 3 ¼”
x 22 ½” strips.

::Starting with the thinner coordinating fabric, piece the front of the dish mat together, sew with a straight stitch
& press seams towards/under the main fabric panels {this will build bulk and give an appearance of fabric being inset}.

Once you’ve pressed the seams. Top stitch with a 1/4” seam allowance, using a triple stitch along the inside seam of the main fabric. A triple stitch will give you a thick & substantial looking stitch. If your machine doesn’t have a triple stitch a straight stitch would work just fine, but be less “substantial”.

Note how the weight of the triple stitch makes the smaller strips look inset.

Now that you've pieced the top together, lay it on top of your bath towel or terrycloth {with right sides together} cut the terry cloth to size and pin together around the edges.

Using a 1/2” seam allowance, sew around the outside of the dish mat with right sides together, be sure to leave an opening large enough on one side to turn the dish mat right side out. Once you’ve sewn around the outside with right sides together, trim your seams and clip your corners.
Then you can turn your dish mat right sides out, press, and hand sew the opening shut. Finish by top stitching around the outside of the finished dish mat using about a 3/8” seam allowance.

The terrycloth does tend to pucker a little around the edges. After the first wash it will lay completely flat. These will make wonderful Christmas gifts, hostess’s gifts, and if you have time, make one for yourself-- you will put it to good use, especially if sippy cups come out of your dishwasher regularly!

The {pdf} tutorial can be downloaded and printed here.

I know, she's so darn crafty and tech-y and cute and fun! Maybe she'll give us tutorial and how to make such an awesome pdf file tutorial!

Just so you know, I've made two of these already and can't wait to give them as gifts. I'm not an experienced seamstress and it took me just a little over an hour to finish one! I feel so indebted to Darby for doing this for us----even while she was sick this week. With three sick kiddies. Thank you Darby, I am so grateful!

BTW, she will be back for our grand finale on day 12! I can hardly wait. Coming up tomorrow, The Nester!!!

Here We Stand

2009-10-31T03:20:00.000-07:00

Why did Martin Luther nail those 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg? Why did he risk his very life so boldly at the Diet of Worms when he said, "I cannot and will not recant. Here I stand. God help me"?

One reason.

For the sake of the gospel of Christ.

Help us Lord to stand with You, to hold firm to Your eternal truths, to be captive to the gospel of Christ---which is the power of God unto salvation.

Lord God, who after long ages of darkness delivered the church from the bondage of error, we thank You for those faithful witnesses through whom you restored the gospel of Christ to men and we praise You that this blessed light has been preserved for us to this present age. We thank You for making known among us the Holy Scriptures which are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, our only mediator.
Defend Your church against all her foes. Seek and save the lost and all who have gone astray. Preserve among us the pure Word and holy sacraments; turn our hearts from false and pernicious doctrine. Direct and strengthen us by Your Holy Spirit that we may abide in the confession of Your word all the days of our lives and in the end, by Your grace, obtain everlasting life. This we pray in the name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Do-Si-Do

2009-10-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

My best friend from high school celebrated her 40th birthday this weekend. Shawna (shown middle) also happens to be my sister's (shown on your left) sister in law. I know, I know. But it's the south, remember? And how did she celebrate this milestone, you ask? With a real life ho-down square dance -----in a barn. Now you're starting to be jealous that you don't live below the Mason-Dixon! It was unbelievably fun. We laughed at old pictures of big hair and blue eye shadow. We learned how to 'alabama{allemande}-left' and 'rip-and-snort'----that's square dance lingo for all you northerners reading. And I think the best part was that the teenagers and small children had just as much fun as the adults. Though they probably won't be as sore tomorrow.

I spent the night with my sister, who lives at the Foothills of the Smoky Mountains and we enjoyed some good food and good fellowship before the party. That's my brother--in all his Volunteer glory---who, as you may or may not remember, won $25,000 in the Poker World Series this summer.

Sis made these little pumpkin yummies and I took about 53 pictures of them.

The kids had a blast at the square dance. It reminded me of days gone by when this is how 'we' entertained ourselves and our youth. Nobody said 'bored' ----not even once!

Shawna, Gina, and I and all our girls (minus my little Caiti---who would've had a ball). It was so nice to be together again. Happy Birthday Shawna!!

Uncle Mark, who said before we left for the party, "I don't why this family has to square dance everytime we get together," seemed to be having more fun than anyone.

My wheels are turning now 'cause Steve and I are renewing our vows this summer and plan to celebrate a little. I may just have to 'grab my partner and do-si-do'! You gotta love the south!

The Morning After

2009-10-29T13:23:00.000-07:00

The cups of coffee I've had so far today:

If we're friends on Facebook or you follow me on Twitter, then you may know that we just purchased a ~~crack pot~~ espresso machine. I'm on a 36 hour bender. And when I crash, it's not gonna be pretty.

If I hit rock bottom and come begging you for more coffee beans, don't enable me. As it is, I'm typing 600 words a minute. And Stevie must like me jittery 'cause he just made me another
latte.

Oh, wait here he comes with a mocha. {Pause for a taste---and a longing look into his eyes} Be still my pounding heart.

I promise I'll cut back. I can control it. Just one more cup. I'll quit tomorrow.

The evening the machine arrived, we felt compelled to try every last possible combination of
coffee, espresso, milk, half and half, cream, chocolate syrup, and various liquors. I stayed up until 2:30a and was back making espresso at 6:30.

This machine could be my undoing.

It's a Jura Capresso machine (fully automatic) and uses whole beans. It makes perfect crema and is a refurbished model---which makes it half the price that it would normally be. It may not seem so inexpensive when I'm in the ER for an arrhythmia!

How to Enjoy Carving Pumpkins with Small Children

2009-10-28T16:47:00.000-07:00

In my naivete' as a young mother (many years ago), I would often save the pumpkin carving for Halloween night.

Because small children jacked up on chocolate in layers of netting and green paint isn't stressful enough.

I've since learned that pumpkin carving can be enjoyable-----under the right circumstances.

::And here are those circumstances::

You need not go to a certifiable pumpkin patch. One of our local churches has made their front lawn into what for all intents and purposes is the perfect pumpkin patch. And it's right in town. There are no farm animals or funny smells. And it's close to TCBY.

TCBY makes children compliant and agreeable if not down right giddy.

Take your perfect pumpkins home and quickly get those seeds out, wash them thoroughly, removing the stringy mess of pumpkin-stuffs. Preheat your oven to 275 and spread your pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a pan ---ready for roasting.

Then sprinkle my new friend 'Jane' liberally over the seeds and roast for 45 minutes---shaking the pan periodically to keep them from browning too much on one side. I was introduced to 'Jane' by a new blogger friend and I can't wait for you to meet her on Sunday as she kicks off our 12 Days of Handmade Christmas with a wonderful tutorial. I know, the suspense is killing you.

But you'll just have to wait.

After they finish roasting, pour them into a bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil and add more Jane's to taste. Only after you're enjoying your wonderful--popcorn like- pumkin seeds with a tasty beverage (Mike's Hard Pink Lemonade for me) may you continue your carving duties. This little treat will have the same effect on you that the TCBY had on the children. Now everyone's happy and agreeable.

Carving pumpkins has never been so good.

For those of you who aren't sure how you feel about christians celebrating Halloween, you will enjoy this segment by Jennifer Roback Morse on IssuesEtc. For those of you who would love to poke fun at my southern accent (when I called into to Issues today as they were interviewing Gene Veith about homeschooling), click here.

12 Days of Handmade Christmas {Sweater Stockings} Preview

2009-10-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the preview of the 12 Days of Handmade Christmas Tutorials! Join me next Sunday November 1 and meet one of my favorite {new to me} bloggers. It's a secret until then but you're gonna love her. To give you a taste of what's in store, I thought I'd do a tutorial on how to make sweater stockings from old sweaters.

I first saw this lovely idea at an antique store downtown. There are so many things to love about the sweater stocking. You can use old/sentimental/colorful sweaters to make the most lovely and meaningful Christmas stockings. And then embellish them with almost anything you like. There are no rules and no two need be alike.

Start with a stocking whose design you love. I used this one {for the large size}

that I bought at the antique store. Just find a stocking you love and use it as a template.
This particular sweater was one of my favorites {from Gap} for several years and then I accidentally dried it. Its' colorful stripes are perfect for a stocking.

1. Turn the sweater wrong side out and use the band of the sweater as the top of the stocking. Lay your template down and use a rotary cutter to cut around it leaving about 3/4inch of fabric all the way around for the seam allowance.

2. Sew the stocking {leaving the top open, of course} using about a 1/2 inch seam.

3. The stocking will then look like this. Turn it right side out......

and let one of your sweat shop helpers demonstrate its' loveliness.

4. Embellish 'til your hearts' content. The girls and I used felt flower pins and initials for this one. We bought these wood letters at Hobby Lobby and then spray painted them, drilled a hole in the corner and then hung them from the stocking. I used a cut piece of the arm band of the sweater as a 'hanger' for the stocking----but you could use any ribbon or fabric.

Your helper will then proceed to find every old sweater she possibly can

and stockings will begin to take over your life.

She may then have the brilliant idea of using her sentimental baby blanket

to make another gorgeous beauty.

Warning: This activity is highly addictive and may result in a VERY cold winter. Hope you enjoyed and let us know if you make some stockings! No children were harmed in the making of this tutorial.

This is a teaser/sampler of what you can expect during the 12 days of handmade Christmas tutorials that begins next Sunday November 1. I'd love it if you shared this adorable little button on your blog. {Thank you Darcy}.

<center><a href="http://lifeongrace.blogspot.com"></a></center>

Any contributors to the '12 Days' who haven't emailed me lately with a post update, please do so. I'm trying to stay kind of organized but it's not my strong suit.

Love to all and happy crafting! Visit Kimba's and Kim's and Kris's sites for other fun DIY projects.

Visit here to for the 12 Days of Christmas Tutorials.

Sewing machines, fake greens and fried dough

2009-10-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

The sale was supposed to start at 8am. By 7:45, 1/3 of my stuff was gone. Just like that. No time to mourn. No time to reminisce. Just gone. And by 11:30, we were packing up a small load for Goodwill and headed to the local fall festival. It was nearly the perfect yard sale. Caiti might dispute that there is such a thing.

My friend Denise, and her daughter Kelly, came and like a true blogger she strolled up the driveway taking pictures. I finally managed to get a few too but only after the crowd subsided.

In short, I drank too much coffee, ate too much sugar and sold more fake greenery than any person should ever have in their possession. The fake greens ruled the day. Or was it the donuts?

I finally coerced my neighbor Renee to buy my ever-so-eclectic planter. She's a hard sell. She came back for a second look with her measuring tape and her beautiful daughter Natalie. Natalie must have made her buy it.

And then we were off the fall festival where we saw some talented dancers....

and continued the dietary disaster with chili cheese fries and a funnel cake.

I'm collapsed on the sofa and can't decide if my headache is from the caffeine, sugar or possibly from the various makes and models of embroidery/sewing machines that are swimming through my head. Should I buy a slightly used Bernina Artista 180 or a brand new lesser model? If you have any advice on which machine I need or would like to comment on the outrageousness of todays' eats or would like to contemplate buying the last few fake greens,

please chat away!

It's my Yard Sale and I'll cry if I want to........

2009-10-23T04:42:00.000-07:00

disclaimer: neither the weeping small child nor the wonderful knitted hat are for sale

I found this {and many other wonderful pictures} the other day when I was preparing for the yard sale. And I feel a little like this today. Now I remember why I don't like having yard sales----it's a lot of work and I really like my stuff. Even the stuff I don't use anymore. And inevitably when I swipe the dust off and take a 2nd look, I wanna keep it.

But sometimes the stuff can be suffocating----and my girls are working toward getting a new embroidery sewing machine---so I guess I'll keep pricing. If you live in the area, head over to my place tomorrow from 8-12 and enjoy some coffee, muffins, hot chocolate, and donuts as you shop.

Now, I'm off to sort through the mountainous amounts of Christmas decorations (there will be 2 decorated trees for sale) and bake some pastries for the girls to sell. Taylor and Caiti are coming home this weekend too---to help with the sale and to go to the local fall festival with us. Pray the rain holds off but we'll be here rain or shine!

Other items for sale:

sofa, fabric ottoman, bedding, pillows, a few dining chairs, lots of home decor, seasonal decorations, clothes, shoes, a tv/dvd/vcr combo, dishes, and lots lots more!

Note: This coming Monday, I will launch the 12 days Christmas tutorials with the cutest little project and the cutest little blog button you've ever seen. That'll give us a week to spread the word before the 12 days officially starts on November 1.

A man after God's own heart.....

2009-10-22T04:48:00.001-07:00

{glazed apple bars} and a friendly family feud

2009-10-21T06:37:00.000-07:00

I found this {glazed apple bar} recipe at Meg's blog. I will repost it here for the ease of my readers but please visit her site and be amazed and inspired. I am posting it for two reasons. One is because they are absolutely delicious---made with a short bread crust, then a layer of apples, sugar and cinnamon, and then topped with shortbread crumbles. Divine, I tell you. Divine.

But a little family feud {I think I said 'violent conversation' on facebook} ensued about whether or not these bars are better than apple pie. To be fair to my husband, he was reared by a woman who makes the best pies I have ever tasted in my life. This woman knows the temperamental nature of pie crust {and dough in general} like nobody's business. She has a sixth sense about all baked things. She makes comments about the humidity is affecting her crust and the tapioca pearls are not quiet the right size. She is the pie whisperer. So, for the sake of our argument, I think I'm going to have to exclude her pies from this discussion. Because we can only get her pies about once or twice a year. Unfortunately for me, in this battle of the baked goods, he just had her pie a few weeks ago.

Here's a snippet of a recent conversation about the apple bar/apple pie showdown:

Me: Honey, did you taste the apple bars I made today?

Stevie: {engrossed in his iPhone and watching Glen Beck and therefore doesn't look up to answer} Um-hum.

Me: Well?

Stevie: They're alright. {looks up at me, thinking that the 'alright' might get him in trouble}. Yeah, they're pretty good.

Me: Whaaaaatt? Pretty good? Really? Because I think they're possibly the best non-chocolate baked good I've ever tasted. Even better than apple pie.

Stevie: {he laughs uncontrollably} Better than apple pie? Are you kidding me? That's outright blasphemy.

Me: Okay, well maybe not your mother's apple pie but it's better than every other apple pie.

Stevie: Iiiiiii don't think so.

Me: What bite did you taste?

Stevie: What do you mean, what bite did I taste?

Me: I mean, was it a bite from the edge where there were not as many apples? Did you try a whole piece or just a bite? Did your 'bite' have the shortbread crumbles on it or was a stripped down bite?

Stevie: {looking at me and realizing that I'm armed for battle here----and hoping to pacify me, put this all behind him and finish watching his news in peace} You know what, it was just a bite from the edge. I'm sure the rest of it is just as wonderful as you say.

And to be fair, he did love it once he had the complete apple bar experience. But I wouldn't let it go. So, I took a plateful of them to the dance studio {where my girls dance and I sit and knit and chitty-chat} and passed them out to get the response of the public at large.

The results of my intense double blind study: woman prefer them to apple pie and men do not.
In fact, one of the men ate the bar, said it was 'good' and then proceeded to eat a whole, raw apple. That would not be my first inclination after eating these buttery delicious bars but whatever. Marcus {Steve's son and self-proclaimed foodie} responded to my facebook update about this ongoing apple battle and said he would be the judge when he comes to visit this weekend. I'm a little nervous. Because Marcus just had the best apple pie in the known world too. But I'll report the results to you without bias.

I think you should make them and weigh in. {although don't literally 'weigh in' because they have 3 sticks of butter)

Here's the recipe:

{glazed apple bars}

First you combine 4 C. flour, 1/2 t. salt and 2 C. sugar.
Then, cut in 3 sticks of butter. The mixture will be crumbly and Meg recommends you use your hands. I wholeheartedly agree. I first tried my mixer and it didn't work well. Press about 2/3's of this crumbly mixture into a jelly roll pan.

Peel, core and slice 4-5 Granny smith apples and layer over the shortbread mixture.
Combine 1/3 C. sugar and 1 t. cinnamon, sprinkle it over the apples.
Crumble the remaining flour/sugar/butter mixture on top of the apples.
Bake it at 350 degrees for 50 - 60 minutes...until it is crispy on the bottom.

After it bakes, let it cool.
Make a glaze with 1 C. powdered sugar, 1 t. vanilla, 1 T. water.

12 Days Tutorials Teaser

2009-10-18T19:01:00.000-07:00

what I need to be doing is pricing items for the

tag sale (ie yard sale)

i'm having this saturday.

instead, i've been making stuff

all weekend.

with the most wonderful

fabrics and wools

you've ever seen

some from my very own closet

some from Goodwill

and some from talented designers

like amy butler

i can't wait to show you

what we're making

and you're gonna love the guest posters

my little elea has knit

her little fingers

to the bone

on her red scarf

we're so jazzed about the

12 Days of Handmade Christmas Tutorials

that our creative juices are more like spritzers

bubbling over

making us merry

and distracting us from

things like

laundry

and toilet scrubbing

and yard-sale pricing

So, Save the dates

November 1-12

with 11 days of guest posters

hosted by me here at

i'd be so thrilled if you'd help me

get the word out

oh yeah, and the proceeds

from the tag sale?

an embroidery/sewing machine!

next monday, we'll have a special

blog button for the occasion that you

can share with your friends.

hugs and happy monday!

p.s. I loved your 'uni' stories! y'all are funny.

Visit Kim at Today's Creative Blog for more crafty goodness!

So, what does your winter uniform look like?

2009-10-17T06:20:00.001-07:00

As the cooler weather sets in and I am rummaging through my closet to find my boyfriend lounge pants, I am reminded of this post from last winter and thought I'd share it today. It's another tribute to my love for make up. I am indeed a southern girl through and through. Visit my friend Denise's blog and laugh and cry with her as she shares her trip to the MAC counter.

I have a good reason for posting these pictures. I'll tell you momentarily.

First, let me say that one of the major roadblocks for me when I was deciding to homeschool was what I'd like to call the denim jumper road block. Or what I call the 'buns and jumpers' factor. I do not own a denim jumper and if I did, trust me, I would not wear it well. I envisioned that everyone who homeschools wears denim jumpers and tight librarian buns and grows their own wheat and takes vows against electronics and laughter and makeup; none of which I was willing to do. Imagine my surprise when , after reading a few ~~hundred~~ blogs, I realized that it takes all kinds.

As it turns out, ex-doctor/ADD/obsessed with all things fashion and decorating/ moms like me have our little niche in the homeschooling world. I found that there are in fact plenty of fun-loving, hip, classical- book loving women who have journeyed out into the homeschooling wilderness with nothing but our dry erase boards, laptops, lip gloss, a lot of good books.

So when my 16 year old daughter commented on my 'uniform', it gave me pause.

Who is she to criticize my 'uni'? She often mistakes my closet for the dressing room of Target. She shops, she tries things on, she leaves things lying on the floor, and never brings the number back. So when she meandered in to 'try on' a few things and came out wearing part of my 'uniform', I was aghast. My uniform is not a denim jumper, but it is a pair of lounge pants from Victoria's Secret; the boyfriend pants with the bedazzled 'PINK' on the rear. And a stretchy mock turtle neck and wooly warm sweater from Target. I often vary the color of the mock turtle. But the rest stays the same. I wash it, of course---maybe twice a week. But that is what I LIVE in people. Everyday, until I have to leave the house.

So when Caiti said to me, "You can't wear these EVERYDAY!" I say,

"Ummmm.....Yes. Yes, I can. I can...... and I do. And this is the one thing in my closet that is off-limits. Take the Fry lace-up knee boots and the Rock 'N Republic Jeans and the Micheal Stars t-shirt and what-have-you......but for the love of all things cozy and comfortable.......back away from the lounge pants."

And when the girls and I go to ballet or to Hobby Lobby, I exchange the lounge pants for jeans but often leave the top ensemble in place. This present lounge wear addiction that I'm nurturing did not come about overnight. I didn't purpose ahead in my mind that when I started homeschooling, I would forsake all cute clothes and resort to one pair of lounge pants as my official 'uniform'. It just happened. I do make an effort to change out of the lounge pants for a short time in the evenings. So my poor husband can at least get glimpses of the fashion guru he once knew.

So I don't judge anymore. I've lost every judging right there is. I wear a loose (fairly fun and fancy free) bun almost everyday and my own special 'uniform'-----lounge pants with a limited variety of tops. My very own version of buns and jumpers.

So scroll back up to the top and see my bun and then take a gander at the top half of my uniform. There you have it. Maybe I've just given up. Or at least given in----to comfort.

Please advise...... before I start selling all my clothes and boots on Ebay. Is this a phase? Am I just taking advantage of wearing lounge pants because I can. Will I grow weary of lookin' like a lazy college student who doesn't understand that PINK flannel PJ bottoms does not constitute proper outerwear? BTW, there is nothing more disappointing to any husband than to see a Victoria Secret bag that houses oversized lounge pants and a hoodie. Look on the bright side, it could be worse. It could be a matching track suit. I see a good new years resolution coming on here.

And if I seem a little over-dressed for church.....well, cut me a little slack. I'm making up for a weeks' worth of lounge pants. If it's any consolation, I'm still wearin' plenty of makeup. And all manner of hair products. When that ceases, by all means, intervene.

What do ya get when you take two girls thriftin' downtown?

2009-10-16T15:15:00.000-07:00

A little bit of this......

'Down down baby down by the roller coaster

sweet sweet baby I'll never let you go
Shimmie shimmie cocoa puffs

shimmie shimmie wow.....

Grandma grandma sick in bed

call the doctor and the doctor said,

Let's get the rhythm of the head (ding dong)

Let's get the rhythm of the hands (clap clap)

Let's get the rhythm of the feet (stomp stomp)

Let's get the rhythm of the ~~~hotdog~~~~ (swirl up and down)'

And thank you Savannah!

and a little bit of that.....

and not much shopping for these......

okay, so maybe we found a couple of things.......

todays' treasures total $28

hope your friday was full of treasures......

happy weekending!

check here, the flea market magazine, for other nifty/thrifty finds.

So you don't start calling me Fatty McButter Pants.....

2009-10-13T04:43:00.000-07:00

.......I'm trying to get back into my fitness routine. Summer stress and difficult goodbyes has put a bit of a damper on my running and bit of muffin top on my yoga pants. Nothing motivates me more than a fresh playlist on my iPod. Here's what currently playing:

1. Long Way Home :: Nora Jones (if that seems like a slow running song, it is)
2. Blue Eyes :: Cary Brothers (if that seems like slow running song.....you get the idea)
3. Creepin' In :: Nora Jones (yeah, it's not that fast either)
4. Her Name Was December and Lives Entwined :: both on the new EP from Matthew Mayfield---he is definitely my favorite new artist of 2009
5. Fair ::Remy Zero (you know how sometimes the music---even more than the exact words---speak something to your soul----that you can't even fully explain----like the song 'gets you' ?)
6. All of the fantastic programming from Issues Etc!
Now, you tell me, what's playing on you iPod these days?
7. Brandi Carlile's new CD is out, what I've listened to so far is fabulous!
And, lest I should forget to thank you for all your kind remarks and responses to the giveaway,

Thank You!
And thanks to Ms.Lisa for sponsoring a giveaway for us!

The winner of Lisa's 'my heart' necklace, chosen by the random number generator, is

:::Mrs. Dunbar:::

from Lady Dunbar Living Life Intentionally. Visit her blog here and see her adorable boys!