Marshmallow Bunny Plushies

To make these little bundles of fun, click the button below to print the pattern and then continue underneath for a detailed photo tutorial. [I have attached the pattern as a Google Doc file; if this causes anyone problems, please let me know and I will attempt to attach it as a plain old pdf. Thanks!]

You will need:
* less than 1/4 yard of fleece or felt (I used fleece because it is softer and fluffier, but felt would work fine as well)
* matching thread
* polyester stuffing
* dark brown embroidery floss for eyes and nose

Fold fabric in half and cut fabric as instructed on pattern. You will end up with 2 body pieces and one strip that is 23 inches long (be sure to place the pattern on the fold of the fabric). 

Hand embroider eyes and nose onto front side (the thicker, "fluffier" side of fleece is the front) of one of the body pieces. I did a satin stitch in a small circle for both the eyes and the nose. Don't know how to embroider? It's easy: How to make a satin stitch

Next, fold the long strip in half (right sides together) and sew the open side shut with a 1/4" seam, forming a loop.

Pin the loop all the way around the perimeter of the front body piece (right sides together) and sew together with a 1/4" seam. This is a little tricky, especially around the ears, but if you take your time (and use lots of pins, lol!) it's not so bad.

This is what your bunny should look like so far.

 Now, pin the back body piece facing down to other side of the loop (right sides together). It should look like a bunny-shaped ice cream sandwich.  Sew around the perimeter, with a 1/4" seam leaving about 3 inches open at the bottom for turning.

Flip the bunny right side out, stuff with polyester filling and hand sew the opening closed. Your bunny is done!

See! I told you it was so simple!

Now go make your own

MARSHMALLOW CHICK TUTORIAL

To make these sweet little birdies, click the button below to print the pattern and then continue underneath for a detailed photo tutorial.

You will need:

* less than 1/4 yard of fleece or felt (I used fleece because it is softer and fluffier, but felt would work fine as well)

* matching thread

* polyester stuffing

* dark brown embroidery floss for eyes

Cut fabric as directed on pattern. You will end up with 5 pieces: 2 head pieces, cut mirror image to each other, 1 chest piece, and 2 body pieces (one with rectangular cut-out in center).

Hand embroider eyes - one eye on front side of each head piece (the thicker, "fluffier" side of fleece is the front). I did a satin stitch in a small circle for both of the eyes. Don't know how to embroider? It's easy: How to make a satin stitch

Now, sew the head pieces together (right sides together) and sew together along top side only with 1/4" seams.

Next, pin the chest piece (right sides together) between the attached head pieces and sew together with 1/4" seams.

Flip head right side out. Your chick should now sort-of resemble a dolphin... or maybe that's just because mine is blue?!

Now, pin head into the rectangle shaped hole in center of one body piece (right sides together). . .

. . . and sew together with 1/4" seams.

You're almost done!

Finally, flip head inside out again and pin second body piece (right sides together) to first body piece and sew together with 1/4" seams, leaving about 3 inches open for turning.

Flip the chick right side out, stuff with polyester filling and hand sew the opening closed. Your chicky is done!!

Sooo simple! :)

Now go make your own

Pee Pee Tee Pee Pirate Style

Can you guess what a Pee Pee Tee Pee is?  If you've changed a little boy's diaper, you'll guess pretty quickly:)  You put one of these handy little cones over the baby's wee wee as soon as you open his diaper to protect you from spray - genius!  These make a super quick and easy baby shower gift, and will be sure to bring lots of laughs!

I am using fabric from the Pirates Collection, designed by Emily Taylor - perfect for little boys!

Materials needed:

• 9" scraps of fabric in flannel or 1/2 flannel, 1/2 cotton
• scissors
• sewing machine
• coordinating thread

Okay, here we go!

Step 1.

Step 2.

Step 3.

Step 4.

Step 5.

Step 6.

Step 7.

Now just turn them right side out (so the flannel is on the inside) and you're done!  You can make a whole stack of them to give away in just minutes!

Use Clothespins To Protect Christmas Ornaments

Have you seen or made any of those cute Christmas "clothes pins" as decorations or advent ideas? Well here is another use.

I have many valuable (monetary and sentiment) ornaments that are a bit heavy or fragile. I have sometimes had them to slide off our live tree branches and tumble to the floor. I have been lucky so far with no breakage, but some close calls! Take the decorated clothes pins and clip them to the ends of any branches holding such treasured ornaments. If they do slide, the clothes pins will act to protect them from sliding off!

Source: I came up with the idea when taking my trees down this year!

Vintage-y Napkin Rings

Let's get started:

Materials:

1 package wood/plastic napkin rings (I used unfinished wood, found at Hobby Lobby)

1 roll 2" wide lace

1 roll 1" wide ribbon, any color

Glue Gun

Measure around the outside of your napkin rings and add 1/4". Cut strips of your lace and ribbon to this length. Cut as many strips as you have rings.

Tip: use pinking sheers to cut the ribbon to keep it from fraying

Place a small strip of hot glue along the width of the napkin ring and attach one end of your lace. Make sure it overhangs on both sides evenly.

Wrap the lace around the ring, and secure the other end with a strip of hot glue.

Do the same with your piece of ribbon, centering it on your napkin ring.

Now you have sweet and vintage-y napkin rings to adorn your table setting!!

I like the look of the natural wood, but you can certainly paint your napkin rings before covering them if you prefer white or another color!

I can't wait to show you pictures of everything together at the Tea Party!

Easter Jelly Bean Feeder

 

This is a VERY easy Easter idea...

This is a chicken feeder

that you can buy at any feed store

like Tractor Supply

I spray painted it with

everyone's favorite

heirloom white by Rustoleum

I used a quart jar for the top

filled it with pastel jelly beans

you can use this idea 

at Christmas just use

red or green spray paint

and fill with M&M's

or any other holiday

Sock Bunny

Reuse your old socks. Don't throw them away. Learn how to create a cute Easter decoration using those socks. A sock bunny will definitely attract the kids.

Materials:

• STYROFOAM* Brand Products:
  • 3" and 4" eggs, one each
• White stiff felt, 6" x 3"
• White pom poms: 1/2", two; 1/4" and 1", one each
• Pink socks, one pair
• Spring print cotton fabric, 18" x 2" strip
• Acrylic paints: boysenberry pink, lamp black
• No. 6 shader paintbrush
• 3/16" wooden dowel, 4" length
• Plastic-coated wire: 24-gauge marshmallow white, 9" length; bubble gum pink, 18" length
• Craft wire, 24"
• Serrated knife
• Candle stub or paraffin
• Glues: fabric glue, white craft
• Scissors
• Fine-line black permanent marking pen
• Toothpick
• Ruler
• Wire cutters
• Paper towels
• Disposable palette
  Pattern

Steps:

1. Wax serrated knife with a candle stub or paraffin. Use knife to cut 1/4" from bottom of 4" ball so it will stand upright.
    
2. Applying glue to one-half of wooden dowel; insert into 3" ball, letting unglued portion protrude. Apply glue to remainder of dowel and then insert into 4" foam ball. Squeeze additional glue between balls to strengthen bond forming bunny's head and body. Let dry.
    
3. Cut top off each sock and discard cuff section. Slide bunny, 4" ball first, into sock until flush with toe. Do not tie off end.
    
4. Cut remaining sock in half lengthwise for bunny's ears. Fold each ear in half lengthwise with right sides together. Glue cut edges together, leaving open at one end. Turn. Drybrush along center front of each ear with boysenberry pink. Let dry.
    
5. Cut two 12" lengths of craft wire and bend each in half. Insert a wire into each ear and then poke ends in center top of foam head. Spot glue, if necessary. Bend wires inside ears to shape as desired.
    
6. Cut three 6" lengths of pink wire. Gather sock at top of head around base of ears and wrap with wire to secure. Curl ends of wires around a paintbrush handle.
    
7. Paint 1/4" pom pom boysenberry pink and let dry. Glue two 1/2" white pom poms side by side to center of face with pink pom pom at center top for a nose.
    
8. Using photo as a guide, drybrush cheeks on each side of white pom poms with boysenberry pink. Dip paintbrush handle in lamp black to dot two eyes close together. Let dry. Dot a white highlight on each eye with a toothpick.
    
9. Cut six 1-1/2" lengths of white wire. Shape soft ripples in wires; glue three on each side of white pom poms for whiskers.
    
10. Draw tiny eyebrows and a mouth with black marking pen.
     
11. Tie fabric strip in a bow around bunny's neck.
     
12. Using patterns, cut feet from white stiff felt. Glue feet to bottom of body with toes at front.
     
13. Glue 1" pom pom to bottom back of bunny for a tail.

Fabric Easter Eggs

Easter is in the air

I had one of those moments in Target the other day while walking (well running, actually, as I had a screaming toddler in my cart) by an endcap, and instinctively, reflexively even, bent down and grabbed this fantastic cake platter as we sped past. The first thing that popped into my head to describe it was "Barnyard Chic" -- check out the chicken wire detail on the foot! Completely fantastic --

Driving home, this strange urge to make Easter eggs came over me. Strange in that I don't usually get this kind of inspiration until either, a) after the holiday has passed, or b) it's so close to the holiday that there isn't enough time to complete the project. In any case, not only did I finish the eggs in time, but I've come up with a little tutorial (my first!) far enough in advance for anyone else who wants to make fabric Easter eggs, too. These are just a bit bigger than real eggs and a terrific way to use up those fabric scraps! Please be sure to tell me if you have any trouble printing the pattern (it should be 2-1/8"W by 4-1/4"h) or if any of the instructions are confusing so I can fix them!

Fabric Easter Egg Tutorial

Materials:

10"w x 5"h Quilting cotton, linen or other non-stretchy woven fabric in one or more prints
Thread
Fiberfill, Nature-fill or other similar polyester or natural stuffing
Disappearing Ink Pen
Scissors
Pins
Hand sewing needle
Pattern (I recommend printing it on card stock for easy tracing)

Seam allowances are 1/4"

1. Cut out the pieces. Place pattern piece perpendicular to the fabric selvedge, trace the pattern with disappearing ink (see photo below) and cut four pieces from desired fabric prints. You may cut multiple pieces simultaneously from the same print by folding the fabric over one or more times, cutting up to 4 pieces at once. (Tip: If you're using a scrap and don't know which way the selvedge is, test which direction the fabric is stretchiest. The fabric is stretchier going perpendicular to the selvedge, and less stretchy going parallel with the selvedge; you want the stretch going from top to bottom of the egg, not side to side, so your egg doesn't get too "fat" when you stuff it. Hopefully that makes sense.)

2. Place pieces together for sewing. Always keeping track of which end is "up", place 2 fabric pieces, right sides together, pinning if desired. Do the same with the remaining two pieces. Transfer the two dots from the pattern to the fabric pieces on top. If using two different fabrics, make sure both pairs have one of each print and that the same print is on the top of both sets.

3. Sew a seam along the right side of one set of egg pieces, from top dot to bottom dot, backstitching at the top and bottom. Do the same with the second set of pieces.

4. Put the two halves together. Turn one set of egg pieces right side out, and place inside the other set of egg pieces, so that right sides are together on the inside.

Match the seams at the top and bottom and pin. (Note the purple ink marks on the lower righthand side in the photo below that indicate where I will leave a hole for stuffing)

5. Sew the two halves together. Sew around the outside edge of the egg, leaving a 1" hole on one side for turning and stuffing, backstitching at the beginning and end of the seam.

6. Trim the seam allowances, taking care not to snip into the stitches and leaving the seam allowances wide around the open hole.

7. Turn the egg right side out through the hole and it will look something like this

8. Stuff the egg firmly with poly-fill or other stuffing, and close the hole with small slip stitches/ladder stitches.

9. Voila! You have a completed egg.

I hope you have as much fun making these as I did!

 

By: http://retro-mama.blogspot.com