The Better Bread Box

New & Improved Bread Box

Happiness is Homemade

I came across an old bread box that looked much like the image below for super cheap. My first reaction was "Sweet, this would be handy in the kitchen". My second thought was "but it's dang ugly." I bought it anyway and it sat in the garage for a few weeks as a mulled over its makeover. 

 

The part of the bread box that put me off the most was the large "Bread" signature. It doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the kitchen. I set off to our very large collection of paint cans and dug out the white color to paint the entire lid piece. I'm about as much of a messy painter as I am a cook, so I put painters tape on the areas I didn't want the paint to get on. In order to totally cover up the "Bread" signature, I had to apply about 4-5 coats of paint. It was a lot. 

I then bought a bag of wooden letters for just under $4 to spell out "Happiness is Homemade". I painted the letters with the red paint used on the kitchen walls and also on the toy container I made. Once the letters were dry, I put a dollop of hot glue on the back and applied it to the bread box lid. 

The quote "Happiness is Homemade" was fitting because my husband and I work hard to make our home a happy place to be. We try to show the kids that we love and enjoy each other. It's not a coincidence that when we are at our best together, the kids' attitudes and behaviors are at its best too!

Carving Out Mommy Free Time

Oops I did it again... 

Over committed myself that it is! Deciding to do a craft show just seven weeks before the event is not a good choice - kind of stressful and takes away from the enjoyment I usually get from sewing. This post isn't the usual topic of this blog, but I'm certain that I'm not the only mom feeling this way. 

I read the short but helpful article How 5 Busy Moms Carve Out Free Time and found some of the suggestions helpful and practical to implement in my routine. I particularly like to idea of reserving one or two days of PTO to pamper myself - get a massage, read a book, pump out a sewing project, BUT I struggle with feeling a bit guilty for taking time for myself. 

In Dr. Phil's 4 Step Priority Plan for Mothers he says it's not selfish to make yourself a priority, so I'm going to work on that. On the bright side of things, I'm thankful to have steps 3 and 4 (discover your passions and gain support of your family) pretty well established!

Craft Item Pricing

When I attend shows and fairs, I like to have an idea of what's available and the costs, so I bring enough moolah to purchase my treasures (most vendors do not accept checks). I hope that you plan on coming out, so I want to extend the same courtesy to you. 

• Tie only Onesie: $12
• Tie & Vest Onesie: $15
• Dress Onesie- Short Sleeve: $17
• Dress Onesie- Long Sleeve    $18
• Audrey Cape: $23 - $25
• Pinafore & Diaper Cover: $18
• Neck Accessories: $10 - $12

* Special order requests follow similar pricing. Contact me for a more exact quote.

Sinclair Lewis Days Craft Sale

I hope you have a chance to come out and see me at the Sinclair Lewis Days Craft Fair. I'll be selling adorable baby couture and some women's accessories. Click here to see some of the Turbos-n-Tiaras items that will be available. Other items being sold by my uber talented mom are crocheted baby blankets and hats and sewn aprons and table runners.

Where: Sinclair Lewis Park, Sauk Centre MN

Date: Saturday, July 21st

Time: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Booth # 34

 

Wood Letter Plaques

Great photo prop or even as a wall hanging

As you might be able to tell by my previous Tutu post, I love celebrating my children's birthdays! I especially have fun designing custom party invites. The mission for my little girls' birthday party invite was to scream pink, pink, pink and that she's turning 1. For the invite I took some pictures of her in the pink tutu onesie and for an added splash of cute, I made these lettered oval wooden plaques - an "O", "N" and "E". I tried to get a picture of her holding each separately. I had all the supplies except for the wood plaques, so again, a pretty thrifty project.

Here's what you need to round up:

• Wooden Plaque(s) - These were 5" x 7" oval shaped found at Wal-Mart for .97 cents each
• Fabric - Enough to cover one side of the plaque(s)
• Mod Podge
• Foam Brush
• Glue bottle
• Foam - Enough for the letter(s)
• Picture hanging strips - Optional depending on what the use will be

Easy as 1, 2, 3...4...and 5. But still super easy :)

1. Place plaque on wrong side of fabric - trace and cut out
2. Smear decoupage on plaque and place fabric, right side up, on top. Press and apply more decoupage right on top if it doesn't look like it's adhering. The fabric will look a bit white, but no worries, it dries clear.
3. While the decoupage dries, trace letters onto the foam and cut out.
4. To make sure that the fabric doesn't fray, I ran a strip of glue around the edges, and it dried clear. 
5. Get the decoupage back out and brush onto the back of the letter and press onto fabric covered plaque. 

There you have it - a cute prop or wall hanging!

Tutu birthday bodysuit

If you can't stop time, might as well make a dress to commemorate it!

My baby will turn 1 year old in a month and a half. Believe me I'm not particularly thrilled about it - I wish for her to stay my baby forever! But being that it's inevitable that the day will come, I figured I best make a dress for our little princess' Pretty in Pink birthday celebration. I've seen some easy DIY tutu tutorials, but I wanted something that would not move and twist... plus I never make things easy for myself :P

I used the general idea/pattern for my craft show onesie dresses as a go by (sorry, I'm not so eager to offer those details up!) In short...

1. I measured the chest circumference of the bodysuit and multiplied it by two.
2. I cut a strip of fabric that length and about 2" wide and drew a line all the way along the middle - this is where the center of the tulle is placed. 
3. Then cut nearly 70 strips of 6" x 16" tulle, because it wanted it super full.
4. The next step involved pinching the middle of the tulle, placing it on the center line drawn on the fabric strip and sewing right over it to secure it in place. Repeat again and again and again.
5. Make a casing with the fabric strip the tulle is now one, add elastic (same length as the bodysuit chest circumference measurement) and sew to bodysuit.

As you can see I also dabbled in applique. I'm not a pro just yet. I cut out all the shapes and used Heat'n Bond Fusible Web to make it all stick together. The "1" was fused to the circle first, then appliqued. Next the letters were fused to the circle and "1", then appliqued. Finally the entire circle now containing the "1" and her name were fused to the onesie and appliqued. 

And that about covers it. This was a little more tricky and time consuming than the other onesie dresses I've been working on, but definitely worth it - anything for our little girl!