Refinished Vintage Bassinet

Finding additional sleeping room is a must with any baby.  With Miles, we put Clark in a twin size bed, and Miles took over the convertible crib.  With baby boy number three, we decided that the crib wasn't ready to be abandoned.  Despite the fact that Miles climbs in and out of the crib, he isn't quite ready for a big boy bed.

So, in an effort to find additional sleeping space, and spend as little money as possible, we refinished a vintage bassinet that my mom had.  Hopefully he can sleep in it for a few months at least.  

The bassinet is over 30 years old, and was in need of some tender loving care.  The base was pulling away, the paint was chipped, and the wicker was separated in places. My husband was also really concerned about the interior of the bassinet being scratchy.


So I busted out the staple gun, reattached the base.  Secured nails that were pulling out, and added a few coats of fresh paint.

In an effort to eliminate scratching, I added a bassinet liner.  I found some single layer quilted cotton fabric, and snatched up 3/4 of a yard.

I finished off the raw edges with serged seams, added some darts to the corner to accommodate the shape of the bassinet, and attached in with velcro. The lining should be breathable, and washable-two major pluses when dealing with babies.

The mattress itself could stand to be replaced, and I need to make a couple of extra sheets.  Before I do that though, I really need to decide on a color scheme for the nursery.

It still isn't perfect, but the facelift really did wonders for it. It should be a nice cozy place for this little guy to spend his first few months.  There is something so sweet about the idea of the baby spending his first months sleeping in the same place I did.

Repost: Chunky Braided Bracelet Tutorial

A few of you may be familiar with this tutorial, but I thought I'd re-post a favorite project from the past, for those of you that are new to the blog.

Yesterday in my post I mentioned that I really loved the bracelet that I was wearing with my "Warhol Top", well today I am going to show you just how to make it.  I had hoped to make a video on top of some step by step photos, but I had a migraine yesterday and it kind of killed that idea.  Hopefully the photos will do.  The bracelets are super simple to make, but maybe not so simple to explain.  I'll do my best.

After making my Yoga pants and my Warhol Top I was left with several half-shirts and strips of fabric.  I couldn't bring myself to throw them away so I held onto them knowing that I could make something wonderful out of them (originally I figured a headband-shocking I know), and I did-these simple braided bracelets.  I have been assisting our girl's camp director in  making friendship bracelets for our upcoming girl's camp-so it was fresh on my mind.  I sat down and was chatting with my husband and fiddling around with a scrap of knit fabric from my yoga paints when this little dandy emerged. Now let's dive right in.

Cut your fabric:  For the white bracelet that you will see I used three strips of 1"wide (this can be increased or decreased to vary the width of bracelet) fabric that was cut 69" long if you have small wrists your pieces of fabric could be shorter, but I'd try to have pieces that are at least 55" in length.

Fold your fabric in half lengthwise.  You are going to find the center of your strips of fabric and you will tie a knot about an inch down from the center of your strips of fabric.  This loop that is created by the knot is going to be the loop for your button closure. You will no have 6 strands of equal length fabric.

For the tutorial I've used Red, Yellow, and blue fabrics so you can clearly see which strands I am using-don't worry I will not be wearing this bracelet.

Braiding Step 1: Divide your 6 strands of fabric into three sections.  You will have a middle section that will act as the center of your braid (blue) and two strands on each side that you will use to form your knots.  Take the two strands on the left hand side (red) of your bracelet and create a loop by placing your strands across (on top) of your center strands (blue).  It should look somewhat like a number 9.

Braiding Step 2: Take the two strands of fabric on the right hand side(yellow) and place them on top of the tail end of your (red) left hand strands.  Now move your right hand strands (yellow) under the center strand and through the loop that you created with your left hand (red) strand. Pull both the right and left hand strands tight to create your first knot.

Braiding Step 3: Step 3 and 4 are going to be the opposite of one and two. We will start by taking our right hand strand (red) and crossing it's tail end over the top of the center strand, creating a loop on the right hand side of our center strands.  It should look like a letter P.

Braiding Step 4: Take your left hand strands and place them on top of the tail end of the right hand strands and move them under the center strands and up through the loop on the right hand side.  Pull tight.  You've just created the four basic steps for the bracelet.

Repeat braiding steps 1-4 until desired bracelet length is reached.

 

When your bracelet is the correct length you will want to tie a simple knot to the end, pull it tight, and trim the ends of your strings.

Now that we have our bracelet braided we are going to attach a covered button.  This is a super simple process, and I don't mean to insult anyone's intelligence, but I thought I'd show some basic steps to remove any fears that might be out there.  To cover a button this is what we need to do.

Gather your materials.  You can buy a kit at any craft store or craft department.  This kit cost just over a dollar for 4 buttons.  You will need your kit which includes the needed tools, and a scrap of fabric that is slightly larger than your button.

Place the scrap of fabric in the indentation of the white button covering tool. Place the domed shell of your button directly on top of the scrap of fabric.

Tuck in the edges of your fabric so that they are all pointed toward the center of the button. Place the back of the button on top of the fabric and front of the button.  Make sure that you can't see any raw edges of your fabric.

Take your blue push tool and place it on top of the backside of the button.  Firmly press down and secure your button.

That's it-you have a beautifully covered button.

Now it is time to attach the button.  I use a doubled thread and tie the button directly onto the knotted end of the bracelet (not the loop end).  Don't worry I am not going to show you how to sew on a button.  Do secure the button several times so that it doesn't pull loose.

You now have a beautiful braided bracelet, and better still you used up your scraps of knit (and no sewing required).

You can make variations to this bracelet by alternating colors of looping fabric, or using multiple colors as in the example (but please don't use yellow and red).

By the Way-I'm planning a post on how to sew with knit fabrics, if you have any helpful tips that I should share please let me know.

Boy Faves: Nurseries

I don't ever spend a lot of money decorating a nursery, but I love gathering inspiration, and picking a few favorite ideas to incorporate into the baby's space.  Baby boy nurseries don't have to be crammed with cars, dump trucks, basketballs, or camo.  You can easily make a nice space that will grow with the baby.

Do you have a favorite baby boy color combination or theme?  I'd love to hear your ideas, I haven't decided on anything yet.

(Don't mind the captions under the pins, I'm lazy about changing the original caption)

Here are a few of my favorites:

Nice and Neutral

Black and White







Bright and Bold







Getting Graphic

Snap Clutches

Mother's Day was pretty low key as far as gift giving goes.  I wanted to make something for my wonderful Mother and Mother In Law.  A clutch seemed like the perfect choice.  They are cute, practical, and quick to make.

I searched Pinterest for some free online tutorials, and found this cute little envelope clutch pattern.  It sews up really quick, and doesn't require any special supplies.  Sew on snaps, random buttons for the front, and that's about it.

I searched my stash, and found some of my favorite home dec weight fabrics, and sewed up these little beauties.

They are perfect for holding a pair of sunglasses, some cash, lip gloss, etc.  Great for stuffing in a summer tote or bag.

NOTE: The tutorial is written in Japanese ( I think).  Pay close attention to the photos and you should be alright.  I also printed off the pattern pieces at 150%.  Look for the link with the printer icon to access the pattern.

Looking for something different?  Search my To Make Board on Pinterest for some other cute clutch options.

Tutorial: DIY Cord Keeper From Fabric Scraps

Am I the only one that has a basket full of charging cords?  It seems that everything has it's own charging cord, and all of the cords turn into a jumbled mess in the basket.  I decided that some nice little cord keepers were in order.  All you need is a couple of scraps of fabric, some medium weight interfacing, about an inch of velcro, and about 20 minutes.  These make up really quickly, and are the perfect quick project to use up the last bits of your favorite fabrics.

Wouldn't these be so nice to keep your chargers nice and tidy in a bag or suitcase? 

Print off the Cord Keeper Template.  Apply medium weight fusible interfacing to the back of one piece of scrap fabric.  Cut one piece of interfaced fabric with the template, and one without.  You will need 2 total pieces of fabric for each cord keeper. Cut two small 1 inch pieces of velcro.

 Place the two fabric pieces with right sides together.  Stitch around the fabric pieces, 1/4" from the raw edges, leaving 2 inches or so open for turning.  Clip the corners close to the stitching line.  Notch the two curved ends of the cord keepers.

 Turn the cord keepers right side out through the open space.  Press.  Stitch 1/8" away from the pressed edges, to both secure the layers, and close off the open turning space.

Attach the velcro pieces to either end of the cord keeper.  One side should go on the front, and one on the back.

Wrap around your cords and chargers to keep things nice and tidy.  Who doesn't like a bit of organization?

Baby Shoes

Not baby shoes for my baby.  My husband wouldn't approve of ruffles and bows for baby boy number three.  I have taken a break from sewing baby shoes, as they take quite a bit of work, but something came over me, and I decided to restock baby shoes at the local gift bazaar.

Satin with ruffles.  What could be more fun.

I have some sort of need to make things for the baby, unfortunately there isn't much more to make for this little guy.  Instead, I get to focus on dressing other people's babies. Even people that know how to make baby girls! What a treat.

Mother's Day: Flower Pins

What mom doesn't love flowers on Mother's Day?  There are probably a few out there, but I always welcome flowers in May.  Unfortunately, I don't have great luck with keeping them alive.  My flowers, even potted, have a limited life span.

Give a bloom to your mom this Mother's day that will last though out the month and beyond.  A simple flower brooch or pin will bring life to a bag, scarf, sweater, or lapel.

I purchased all of my supplies from The Ribbon Retreat (flowers, pins), though this is not a sponsored post.  You could easily make your own fabric flower, and glue it to a pin, but this was a simple one step process. Turn on glue gun.  Add a small dot to the back of the felt circle, and adhere the pin.  Done and done.

Simple flower bloom to last all year long.

My pins are for sale locally at the Blackfoot Gift Bazaar, and used as scarf pins, a fun way to wear your shirred scarf (also for sale at the gift bazaar). Since these take no time at all to make, why don't you spend a few more minutes and make mom a nice sheer shirred scarf to accompany her pin, or even a handmade bag.  Perfect for the season.

Crocheted Baby Hats

After finishing up the crocheted afghan I had a bit of yarn left over.  I thought it would be fun to make a few baby hats for newborn pictures, heaven knows that the little guy isn't going to NEED a hat mid-August, but he'll be so cute with one covering his big head (my boys all have them).

These little aviators are adaptations of Repeat Crafter Me's Puppy Hat pattern. I just winged the little flap and added some buttons.

I attached the ears a bit too high-woops.

This little lamb hat is also from a Repeat Crafter Me pattern. I loved it when I saw it on her blog, so I made it.  The creamy silk color of the yarn was perfect for the pattern.  Gender neutral?  I'm hoping so. 

I also whipped up a blessing day bonnet from the aesthetic nest.  It really isn't photographed well, but you can see it sneaking in the corner.  Not a bonnet for the boy, but for the little girls that go visit my photographer friend.

I've found that I am really enjoying crochet.  It is easier to pick up and put down than knitting, and is the perfect  project to work on while letting kids play in the bath.  It travels well in the car, and is a good stress reliever.  Best of all, you can pretty much learn everything you need to know from youtube tutorials.