Make Archives • Page 8 of 20 • diy mama

by Shelly on September 4, 2017 1 Comment

Fall Leaf Garland

Fall Leaf Garland- I’ve noticed a lot of people saying they don’t decorate for fall because Halloween is right around the corner or the decorations are not their style. I say fall deserves it’s own decorations! When I think ‘Fall’, I smell pumpkin spice lattes and bonfires. I hear cheers during football games and the crunch of dried leaves. I feel the snuggles of a warm blanket while reading a favorite book and possibly sipping warmed cider. Guys, fall is awesome and it deserves it’s own decorations.

I made the most simple felt leaf garland that is super easy to customize by changing the colors to your favorite fall pallet. This fall leaf garland can be easily customized to suit your style.

This craft could not be easier or cuter! I love how happy these colors play together. These colors were inspired by a jewel toned hat I’d gotten one year. I always buy amazing hats but never wear them. Maybe this year will be the year of hat wearing!

If you follow me on Instagram, you’d have already seen these from last year but I wanted to be sure to do a tutorial this year.
Materials Needed:

Felt of your color choice
A piece of sturdy paper (for leaf stencil)
Scissors
Chunky Yarn
Tape

The first step is to cut out your leaf pattern and trace it onto your felt. Use fabric scissors for an easier cutting experience. Once all your leaves are cut, fold each leaf in half (hotdog style) and snip little holes down the middle of the leaf. I would start in the middle and cut 4 to the right and 3 to the left allowing my thread to start and finish on the same side of the leaf after it was threaded. I suggest to do small snips and make them larger if necessary to make it look like you really sewed the yarn through the leaves.

Once the leaf has it’s holes, use a piece of tape to make an aglet on the end of the yarn for easier threading. String all the leaves on your yarn and hang! Seriously. It’s that easy!

I also did the same method to make a mini garland for our family command center but cut the leaves in half.

The felt leaf garland was extremely simple to make but this bradded foam pumpkin was the easiest and fastest decoration I’ve ever made. I love his happy polka dots. It’s a nice change of pace from the orange/red/yellow standard fall decor I see in stores.

I used 7 pieces of felt from the store which allotted several garlands. I even had enough to decorate my blog/craft desk! What’d you guys think? Simple enough? What colors would you use to match your fall decor? I think this would be a fun craft to do with your kids! Maybe use it as a count down or add a leaf for every book they read in the fall!

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by Shelly on August 28, 2017 15 Comments

Love Letters Scrapbook

Love letters scrapbook is awesome to keep memories in one spot. My husband and I have a lot of letters, cards, drawings and tickets from the past 8 years. I had them all in two shoe boxes that we never looked at. I wanted to be able to have them in a place that was easy to pull out and flip through when I’m feeling especially girly and sentimental. I wanted this book to be all about the contents and not about the stickers, brads, gems and extra goodies I usually put into scrap booking, so I picked up a Smash Book binder from Michael’s and started loading everything in! Our love letters scrapbook is now one of my favorite keepsakes.

Love Letters Scrapbook

The first step was to sort through the most important memories. All of our memories are special but they can’t all fit in one book and I wanted them all in one space (up to this chapter of our lives). The next step was to attempt to put them into chronological order. This was, by far, the most time consuming step of the whole project. I didn’t stress out if I couldn’t remember when something had happened…I’d just throw it in somewhere close to that time period.

I loved that this book had a large pocket in the front and back to put larger treasures. I also used photos as pockets by adhering glue dots to the back and making it look pretty with washi tape on the front.

By layering pamphlets with their tickets, I was able to create a tangible layout. I’d kept the keycard holder from the hotel we stayed at and used it to hold the keys and tickets. I left everything in the envelopes accessible so we can pull them out later on. Envelopes also made for great pockets to hold letters.

I also bought a pack of hole punched folders to stuff holiday cards. I’ve saved all of the cards from flowers that Jeffrey has sent me and put them in the mini pocket folders. Anything that was a little heavier, I adhered with glue dots.

Anything that was double sided, I attached with washi tape so we’d be able to lift and read both sides. Again, in the above photo, I used an envelope that held a card because it had writing on the back that I didn’t want to be glued to the page.

In a few cases I had a lot of one thing (tickets, letters, art) so I made an envelope out of scrap paper and glue dots but covered with washi tape to make it a bit prettier.

I’d also gotten a clear photo holder that was by another company so I had to re-punch the holes. I wanted something clear that would hold photos, or in this case, movie tickets.

With the pack of hole punched folders I’d already mentioned, I added all of the remaining holiday cards. Another helpful technique was to accordion letters and tape one edge so you could unfold the letter to read it. I would show you a picture but I don’t want our love letters on the internet.

As always, a shot of my work area: messy. I was sure to include a few photos sprinkled throughout to show what we looked like during these memories. I have several photo scrapbooks already but wanted a memory album full of tickets and love letters. There are a few more pages left in the book but it’s so packed I can hardly wrap the elastic around it. I’ll just have to make a new one in 5 years! Have any of you made a memory album? What do you do with all the little trinkets you save from trips, birthdays and invitations?

Washi Tape Light Switch

Today I wanted to share with you how I did the quickest, quirkiest update on Soph’s light switch cover. Seriously, this project took 5min. I did a simple washi tape light switch DIY to add a little fun to her bathroom.

I have this thing about not buying new stuff until I really feel I’ve been using up my current supplies pretty steadily. I wanted to buy more washi tape but knew I hadn’t been using my current stash since my last smash book. This was the perfect solution!

Materials Needed:

Washi Tape
Scissors
Exacto Knife
Switch Plate

The first step is to figure out your color arrangement. I knew I wanted gold to be prominent so I started with it to ensure I’d have a full stripe.

I made a little gif of the process with the PartyParty app. I have no affiliation with this app or the producers but I thought it would be a fun time to try it out! It was a good thing I did because I forgot to take a ‘middle of the project’ photo!

The corners were definitely the hardest part of this project. I cut a diagonal slit in the excess tape and wrapped it the best I could to alleviate wrinkles. I don’t get too nit-picky on details like this because I’ve since realized that no one ever notices these details!

Once the entire plate is covered, it’s time to make the holes for the switches to fit. I used my exacto knife to make an X in the tape. Notice on the left hole I had to do an elongated X. This does not have to be perfect, it’s just a way to get the tape flaps back.

I also put a small slit in the screw holes. I was worried that forcing the screw through might pull up the tape or tear it in an area I could see.

I love how it adds a bit of fun to her bathroom. Don’t mind the teal tape on Oliver’s (the octopus) frame. I’d dropped him right before this shot and broke the frame! Have you ever done something to liven up a playroom or your kid’s room? Anyone do anything other than scrap book with their washi tape? How many rolls do you have? It’s addictive once you buy your first roll!

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by Shelly on August 20, 2017 4 Comments

Peanut Butter Jelly Waffle Sandwich

Peanut Butter Jelly Waffle Sandwich- This post has been sponsored by The J.M Smucker Company, Pepperidge Farm®, and Ziploc® brand. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It’s back-to-school season and for us that means figuring out what to add to our daughter’s lunchbox that will keep her satisfied until after school snack. Our picky 3 year old does not always eat her PB&J sandwich but if I make her PB&J in the waffle iron she can’t refuse! I’m also sure to make her lunch balanced with veggies, grain, fruit, dairy and protein. High fructose corn syrup seems to be in every dessert item and most shelf items. I make it a priority to only buy breads that do not contain high fructose corn syrup like Pepperidge Farm® Farmhouse Breads.

One trick we’ve learned is to put her lunch in a bento box so each food is in it’s own special container. She gets excited to open the lid and see what treasures are in the small containers. In Japan, the word of bento, the container itself, has been around since the 16th century. The act of making a special meal with love using the compartmentalized box is what I like most about using a bento box.

With school just around the corner I will be very diligent with my Sunday meal planning and prep. Meijer has our favorite selection of exotic fruits and vegetables. Each Sunday I’ll pick up our groceries, chop the fruits and veggies and divide them into food storage containers for quick healthy snacks. For long road trips we usually pack a bento box but for short trips to the park or museum we always use Ziploc® brand containers Go To Variety Pack. Our favorite is their 14 piece variety pack that has one medium square (salad size), one small square (sandwich size), two small rectangles (strawberries or carrots) and two extra small squares (nuts & granola). Being someone that does not like to spend time in the kitchen, having food storage containers that can be tossed in the dishwasher and easily stacked in a drawer once cleaned is key.

For a video on how to make a Peanut Butter Jelly Waffle Sandwich click ‘play’ below or continue down to the recipe:

Peanut Butter Jelly Waffle Sandwich

Ingredients:

Jif® Peanut Butter (we use creamy for her but I would prefer crunchy)
Smucker’s® Seedless Strawberry Jam
Pepperidge Farm® 12 Grain Farmhouse Bread

Directions:

While the waffle iron pre-heats, spread the Jif® Peanut Butter and Smucker’s® Seedless Strawberry Jam on two separate slices of Pepperidge Farm® 12 Grain Farmhouse Bread (or any flavor you choose).
Close the Peanut Butter Jelly sandwich together and place in center of hot waffle iron.
Slowly press handle down until iron is mostly closed.
Cook for approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute or until you can smell the toasty goodness of PB&J.

If you’re frantic with what to eat for dinner or what to put together for school lunch, I highly suggest my Sunday Meal Plan/Prep routine. When you shop at Meijer, be sure to use these special offers and your mPerks:

Jif®- $0.35 off any Jif Peanut Butter 16 oz or larger 8/27 until 9/17
Smucker’s®- $0.65 off any Smucker’s® Fruit Spread 12 oz or larger 8/20 until 9/17

I’ve always been a Jif® and Strawberry Smucker’s® girl. Isn’t it strange how you continue to buy whatever you ate as a child for your children? I’m thankful my parents fed us Jif® and Smucker’s®! What is your go-to for school lunch?

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by Shelly on August 16, 2017 4 Comments

Tie Dye With Your Toddler

Tie dye with your toddler can be tricky but I’m not one to shy away from a craft project for fear of a mess. Starting my toddler off experiencing different art forms is more important than the mess. We went to the Farmer’s Market this past weekend and stopped at a Tie Dye booth swooning over their toddler summer dresses. I caved and bought one for Sophie with a $20 price tag. Thankfully she wants to wear it every day but that was a really hard purchase. She loves the swirly colors in the dress so I thought she’d enjoy making her own tie dye clothes.

There are several different ways to approach tie dye but I’ll be showing you the easiest way to tie dye with your toddler.

Tie Dye With Your Toddler

What you’ll need:

White clothes, bags, bananas etc. washed and dried
Tie Dye Kit (I used the Tulip brand bought at Hobby Lobby but it is less expensive on Amazon)
Paper towels
Extra rubber gloves
A wire rack
Plastic tablecloth
A nearby hose

Step 1: Rubberband all clothing items. This step will mostly be done by an adult but you can ask your toddler what designs they want on their shirt. For example, I did a Mickey Mouse on my daughter’s shirt per her request.

Step 2: Lay your wire rack on top of a few layers of paper towel. We started on the table but moved to the grass once we saw how much dye gets on the table. I recommend wiping off excess dye between projects to avoid muddling of colors.

Step 3: Put gloves on yourself and your toddler. We used rubberbands to help keep the giant gloves on the kids. If you have kid gloves it would be much easier.

Step 4: Place the white clothing item on the wire rack and show your toddler how to squeeze the bottle on the shirt. I really enjoyed this video on simple swirls and this video on Earth Day shirts.

Step 5: Wrap clothing in plastic wrap or bags and let sit for 6-8 hours.

Step 6: Put on gloves. Rinse clothing in cool water until the water is murky. Remove rubberbands and continue rinsing until water is almost clear.

Step 7: Throw all tie dye items into the washer with a minimal amount of all® free clear detergent. I only use this detergent because it keeps the colors vibrant while still being gentle on my toddler’s sensitive skin.

Step 8: Hang tie dye out in the sun

Step 9: Go out and PLAY!

Do you have any tie dye experience with your kids? What worked best for you? What do you find to be the best way to keep your tie dye colors bright?

Related Posts:

Snack Necklace

Modern Crayon Holder

How to Make Time for Creativity with Kids

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Fall Leaf Garland

If you follow me on Instagram, you’d have already seen these from last year but I wanted to be sure to do a tutorial this year.
Materials Needed:

Love Letters Scrapbook

Love Letters Scrapbook

Washi Tape Light Switch

Materials Needed:

Peanut Butter Jelly Waffle Sandwich

Peanut Butter Jelly Waffle Sandwich

Ingredients:

Directions:

Tie Dye With Your Toddler

Tie Dye With Your Toddler

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