quick and easy mask

Halloween is only a couple days away.  Are you ready?

I must confess, at this point, I'm usually scrambling around trying to get costumes completed and the candy bought.  This year, at least the costumes are done.  That's the most important part anyway, right?

This year we have a zombie, a vampire-sort-of-thing (this one is still confusing me, but she is happy), a witch, Batgirl and Spiderman.  The costume that has required the most work is Batgirl.  This is a hard one to find on the shelf at the store, so I went into 'I can make that!' mode.  (Nope.  I haven't changed that much over the past year.)

The  Batman symbol was easy.  A Google search brought up this template.  Craft felt and Tacky Spray worked great as my materials. Then I just pinned it on the front of a black shirt. Very easy.

The mask was a little more difficult to figure out.  I wanted something that would stay in place, be easy to see out, and not have to be tied.  Ever tried tying something around a little girl's head and not getting hair tangled in the string?  Close to impossible.

An easy alternative came about while playing with some recently purchased knit headbands.  I believe these were found at Walmart, but I'm sure they can be found at many different stores or online.

So.  Let's get started.

Take your headband and put it on the face/person who will be wearing it.

As you can see above, once the headband is in place, you can trace for the eye holes.  (The white showed this better in a picture than the black.)  On lighter colors you can use a Mark-Be-Gone or similar fabric pen.  I used chalk on the black to outline the eyes.  Remember you are wanting to be able to see out of this mask easily, so make the eye holes a little bigger than the actual eye.

I soon realized the mask fits better if you make an indentation for the bridge of the nose.  Yes, that is sidewalk chalk in the picture above.  I recommend using regular chalkboard chalk, but all of mine seems to have walked off.  All by itself, too, I'm sure.

Next, do a quick zig-zag stitch around the eye area and along the nose.

Get your scissors and start cutting the openings open and trim any strings once the stitching is done.

Now, it's ready to try on.

I've had requests from all the other kids for one in their favorite color just for fun.  I think the hardest part was getting my little model to lay still while I traced around her eyes.

Let me know what you think.  Or, if you are able to improve on this, share with us what you did.  I'm sure I'll be making more masks in my future.

Ladybug Applique Tutorial

Well, I've been able to get a few presents put together and finished.  This bag project took me much longer than expected. {Isn't that always the way it goes, though?}  I'm very pleased with the overall outcome even if it took more time.

You want to know where I got the idea, right?  About 6 or 7 years ago, one of my sisters made a bag for me and my oldest child.  I LOVE this bag!

I get complements every time I take it out.  Unfortunately, I've had a diaper bag slung over my shoulder instead of a purse for the majority of the past 8.5 years.  That will change soon enough, though, my friends.
This is the bag she made for my oldest.

Colorful and fun - just perfect for her!

Here's the secret behind these bags.  They are made out of placemats!  Yep.  Couldn't tell, could ya?  Such an easy project.

Now, I'm not going to give you a tutorial on the bag itself, since there is a perfectly good one right here at JCaroline Creative.  I will give you a short tutorial on how I did the ladybug on the front of one bag.

**Any embellishments will need to be done before sewing the bag together if you will be using the machine.**

What you need:

*Sewing supplies - scissors, thread, sewing machine, iron and ironing board, etc.
*2 Fabric colors (mine were red and black)
*Iron-on adhesive - I used Heat n Bond lite - follow the directions that come with whichever brand you get when ironing
*Ladybug printable pattern {I apologize.  I can't remember how to put it on my website, so you will have to get it off of MediaFire.  It's 11pm and I'm tired.}

1.  Download and print off the ladybug pattern on card stock.

2.  Cut out the pattern pieces and trace them on to the paper side of your iron-on adhesive.

3.  Iron the pieces on to the corresponding fabric colors on the wrong side of the fabric.  Don't worry about cutting out the individual pieces - you will do that in the next step.

 4.  Cut out each of the pieces of your ladybug.

 5.  Peel the paper backing off the fabric.

 The shiny side will now stick to whatever you are embellishing.

 6.  Do a dry run.  Place all the patten pieces on the front of the bag (shiny side down) making sure to leave room for seams.  Also, take the time now to make a mark down the wings with an air or water soluble marker, if so desired.

 7.  Leaving the head and body pieces in place, remove the wings carefully.  Iron down both the head and body.  Place the wings back on the body and head and iron in place.

 8.  Do a dry run with the spots.  You can always leave the line off and keep all the spots whole.  However, if you choose to have overhang, now is the time to trim the spots before ironing them down. Once you have them the way you like, iron them down.

 9.  Next is the process of satin stitching around all your pieces.  Each machine is different in settings and temperament with this stitch.  I highly recommend using some scrap material to get the setting the way you like - stitch length, stitch width are both factors.  When the stitches look the way you like on the scrap switch over to your project.
Stitch in this order - antenna (starting at the head and moving out), head, body

       all spots - notice I did not stitch all the way around the spots that were trimmed.  You don't want to have a doubled up stitch.

 Lastly, you will stitch down the wings.  Start right behind the head down the center of the wings flowing all the way around.  This will give you one long continuous stitching.

There you have it!  Once you get the hang of it, it goes pretty quickly.  The spots are more of a challenge, but can be done.  This gives such a nice finished look to your project.

Any one, young or 'old' would be please with such a gift!

What Now?

Halloween is over and my life is no longer consumed with costumes and candy - well, at least the costumes are out of the picture.

Pirate, Lanie (AG), Cinderella, Dora and Special Forces

The kids had a blast and everyone was pleased with the final costume.  (A huge relief for a stressed out momma.)  The candy haul was extreme this year, too.  We have some of the most wonderful and generous neighbors!  Although, I'm trying to decide if I need to remind the kids or the husband that trash goes in the trash can.  Hmmmm........

So, now I'm on to crafting and sewing whatever I want, right?  Definitely true - to an extent.  I have Christmas on the brain and that makes it hard to think of much else.  'What about Thanksgiving?', you ask?  I really enjoy Thanksgiving, but I don't feel the need to DO anything for that holiday.  Thanksgiving is just a great time of the year in which I know I get to spend a lot of special time with family.  Christmas is family time and stress time.

Now that you all know where my mind is, you know where this blog is headed for the next couple of months.  (Really - 53 days?!)  I've got some new ideas of my own and lots of ideas rounded up from other places I'm hoping to share with you during this time.  {If you are family, don't read this for the next month or so if want to be surprised.}

I've already started.  Here's a sneak peak at one Christmas project/gift idea I'll be sharing with you all very soon.

If you haven't yet, now is a good time to like This Too! on Facebook.  I'll be on there quite a bit adding little snippets and comments (or questions!) as the time goes by.  Feel free to post any of your own links, pictures, questions and comments, too.  Just please keep it craft related and G rated.  Maybe we can help each other make it to the end of the season with our crafts all wrapped and ready to give!

Halloween Decor

Truth be told, I'm not big on decorating for Halloween.  There is just such a short amount of display time in which some of those decorations are acceptable.  It just isn't worth the effort to me.  On the other hand - I love how some people just go all out to let everyone know how much they love the holiday.

My kids have been pestering me to get into the spirit.  {And to finish their costumes.}  After doing some thinking and coming across these ideas here and here, I came up with this cute, inexpensive and really quick idea.

 Cute, right?  Now, I know they don't look like much.  But, turn off the lights and they glow! (Ahahaha!  Couldn't resist!)

Wanna make one - or a couple dozen?

Here's what you will need:

* Large canning jar
* Tissue paper
* Ribbon  (about 23" to tie a bow)
* Construction Paper
* Tape
* Flameless candle
* Scissors

First thing to do is cut out a face from the constrution paper.  I chose to use black, but any dark color would work, I'm sure.  Need some help figuring out a cute face?  Check out some of these or these.

If you have double stick tape, that would be easier.  If you are like me and are doing good to find any tape at all, it still works.

 Roll your tape and stick it on the backs of your face shapes.

 Place the shapes on the outside of your canning jar.

 Now, find the middle of your sheet of tissue paper.  (Eyeball it.)  Gather the edges up around the mouth of the jar

 Tie the tissue paper in place with a length of ribbon.

 Turn on a candle and put it in the jar.

Turn off the lights and enjoy!

 Would you like to make a friend for your pumpkin?  Use white tissue paper and make a ghost.

 He really shows up in the dark!

Do you want to take the really easy way?  Just skip making a face and wrap the jar in some decorative tissue paper.

 This one looks cute in the dark, too!  See the pumpkins all lit up?

Go ahead and make several to light the way to your front door.

How many of you out there decorate for Halloween?  All out or just a little?  Or does the 'Autumn' decor cover your bases for Halloween?


*Linked to Skip To My Lou's Made by You Mondays

Kid's Reversible Water Bottle Cozy

I did this little tutorial up for Crystal over at Fussy Monkey Business last week.  Now posted here for you crafting pleasure.

What you need:
Fabric A:
1 piece - 6" x 2"
1 piece - 6" x 2 1/2"
2 pieces - 4 1/2" x 2 1/2"

Fabric B:
1 piece - 6" x 2"
1 piece - 6" x 2 1/2"

Elastic:
1 piece - 1" wide cut 2 1/2" long

Ball Point Sewing Machine Needle  (needed later on in the tutorial)

Seam Allowance is 1/4 inch unless otherwise stated.

You will also need your usual sewing notions, iron, sewing machine, pins, ect.

Let's get started.

First things first - if you decide to do some machine embroidery to decorate your bottle cosy, you might want to do that prior to cutting your fabric.  I think this was the second time I've actually used the embroidery setting on my machine, so I am nowhere good enough to use a small piece of fabric in the hoop.  If you are doing the decorating by hand, feel free to add it whenever it is easiest for you.

Here is mine.

Once you have your pieces cut, take the 6"x2" fabric pieces of both fabric A and fabric B and iron down 1/2" on both sides (lengthwise) of both fabrics.  (Ignore the stabilizing material you see below.)

Next, pin these pieces down in the middle of your 6" x 2 1/2" pieces of contrasting fabric.  (A to B and B to A)  Do a top stitch along both lengths right at the edge of your center fabric.  If you click on the picture below, you can see mine just at the edges.

Put right sides together and stitch along one length.  Then open and press the seam to one side.

Turn your fabric over and press the ends down about 1/4".  (This will make your job easier in a couple of steps.)

Now, put right sides together (again) and stitch down the other length and turn right side out.  Go ahead and press the seams and edges under really good at this point.

Okay.  Now grab those 2 pieces of 4 1/2" x 2 1/2" fabric.  Pin them right sides together and stitch down both lengths.

Turn this right side out,  press the seams and add a top stitch down the seams for a little decoration and to help it stay looking nice.

Now is the time to change your machine needle to a Ball Point Needle.  If you don't, you could end up with some really hairy looking stitching on your bobbin side.  Not Pretty!

Take your little piece of elastic and stick it in the middle of the little tube you just created.  Line it up with one end and place it in the middle.  Stitch this end closed making sure you stitch through the elastic.

Flip it around and do the same thing on the other end.  (The fabric will need to be scrunched down.)

Now, slip one end of your fabric covered elastic piece (until the seam is covered) and stitch it in place.  This is a lot of fabric to put through the machine, so take your time and work it through.  

 Once that is done, stitch the other end just like the first.  It's a tight fit, so once again, take your time.

And there you have it!  One bottle cozy to put on your little one's water for snack time or lunch.  Now no one will be able to say they don't know who that bottle belongs to!

And don't forget, we made it reversible!

Hope you all have enjoyed this.  If you have ANY questions, please feel free to email me.

Once again - Thank you, Crystal, for letting me crash your blog!  And to all you readers out there, come on over and have a look around This Too!.  I would love to have you!