Snow White Dress

My daughter's favorite princess these days is Snow White. I finally got this dress done for her and now the only problem I have is getting her to take it off!

I don't have a real tutorial for this but I thought I would still share how I made it.

I started with an existing Snow White dress that my mom found at Goodwill. It was in sad shape and one size too big for my daughter. I also found this red satin blouse for $1 at Goodwill because I knew I could use it to construct new sleeves, a cape, and a matching headband.

 For the cape, I cut out the back piece of the red blouse and hemmed the edges. For the collar, I cut out a collar shape from white satin and ironed on some craft fuse to the back to make it really stiff and stand up. I sewed the cape onto the collar and then the collar onto the sides of the shoulders of the dress.

I did not attach the collar all the way around the back of the dress because I wanted my daughter to be able to get into it easily. So, under the cape is the opening the back of the dress for her to get in and out.

For the sleeves I took some blue satin I already had and some red shirt material and used this tutorial from Craftiness Is Not Optional. Instead of putting a band around the bottom, I hemmed the raw edge under and then sewed elastic onto the edge (pulling it tight as I went so that it would pucker).

The tulle on the dress was ripping everywhere so I cut it off at the waist to leave the satin skirt on it's own.

For the headband, I covered an old headband with some red satin and then used this tutorial from Smile and Wave to make a big bow on top.  

 I ripped out the old stitching on the bodice of the dress and sewed on new silver trim that matched the glittery sleeves a little better.

Oh, and don't forget the red sparkle shoes;)



Happy Friday!

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DIY Clock from Saucepan Lid

This is probably one of the most random projects I've done...and one of my favorite!

I saw this saucepan lid at Goodwill and fell in love with the pattern. There was no matching saucepan to go with it, but I decided I still needed to bring it home for just $1.

That's when I got the idea to turn it into a clock!

DIY CLOCK (from a saucepan lid)

STEP 1: Remove knob from saucepan.

STEP 2: Remove motor and parts from clock.

(At this point, I reassembled the clock pieces again and tested them with a battery to make sure taking them apart didn't break them.)

STEP 3: Assemble clock pieces through the hole on the saucepan lid where the knob used to be. Glue the motor to the back of the pan if needed. I also cut out some numbers from the original clock to Mod Podge on the front.

Have a great Thursday!

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Tatertots and Jello

Creating Silhouettes (part two)

 I thought I would share a project that I did a while ago. Back when this blog was pretty new, I posted about creating silhouettes without the need of fancy software, or paying a company to make them for you.

Recently I made some silhouettes of the babes to put in our living room. I kinda love them a lot.

Eventhough I already posted how to do this...I will give another quick lesson!

CREATING A SILHOUETTE

STEP 1: Take a profile picture of your subject. Against a plain wall is best but not necessary. For the baby, (since he can't hold his head up yet) I had my husband hold him up against his shoulder so I could snap a quick picture.

STEP 2: Download the picture to your computer and enlarge to the size you want. Holding up a piece of white computer paper (or something similarly transparent) trace the outline of their profile. Cut out and now you have a template.

STEP 3: Use your template to trace onto another piece of paper or fabric, whatever your choice is for the finished silhouette.

I got the frames at the thrift store, painted them black, and then mounted the silhouettes onto white cardstock.



Candlestick Serving Stands

Since we are just having dessert at my daughter's birthday party, I have been thinking up ways to display all the sweets without just putting them in plain bowls. I came across these two glass candlesticks at Goodwill. I don't normally gravitate towards things like these, but I thought they looked so beautiful and elegant...perfect for a princess party, right?

I bought a set of two clear plastic bowls from the dollar store. I cut out pieces of white felt in the same circumference as the candlestick tops. I hot glued the felt to the bottom center of the bowls and then glued the other side of the felt to the top of each candlestick. I put felt in between because I knew the hot glue wouldn't stick to the plastic long, but it sticks to felt really well.

You can't see the felt when the bowls are filled either.

Fill with your favorite candy! M &Ms are one of my daughter's favorites.

I think they will look so pretty on the table with the tissue paper and tulle flowers I made earlier. Not too bad for about $1 a piece, right?

SOME NOTES: The bowls should not be much larger in diameter than the candlesticks, otherwise they could get knocked over more easily. Try to also keep them the same weight as the candlesticks. The glass of these is very lightweight, so plastic bowls were perfect on top. Basically, don't put a heavy bowl on top of a lightweight base, mkay?

Also, obviously you can't soak these in the sink to wash out, so only put in food that can be wiped out later with a damp cloth.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, to achieve the pink and purple small M & M bowl, I combined two packs of Valentine's M & Ms, one in milk chocolate variety and the other in dark chocolate. I just picked out the red ones. I also bought a back of Valentine's peanut M & Ms and also picked the red out of those.

 Don't ask what happened to all the red M & Ms...:)

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I Gotta Create

Tatertots and Jello

Creative Me @ The Southern Institute

Vintage Finds (February Edition)

My husband and I came up with a system a while ago where we both get a monthly "allowance". This is just a set amount of money that each of us get to spend however we want. It keeps my husband from raising his eyebrows when he sees a Goodwill bag and I have to keep my mouth shut when he comes home with beer and more parts for his RC truck. It's a great system:)

Anyways, my monthly allowance normally gets given to a thrift store of some kind. So I thought I would share with you what I have found lately that I love!

The cutest shoes for my daughter. I would love these in my size.

Milk/juice glasses for breakfast.

I actually found 4 of these guys and I plan on giving them to my mom for Mother's Day. I have the same glasses and she loved them..so I hope she enjoys having her own set;)

I'm not a tea drinker...but I couldn't resist this teapot. It sits nicely in my kitchen.

My mom actually spotted this large bowl at rummage sale. It is now serving as a fruit bowl on the kitchen table.

I really can't resist vintage wrapping paper. It is my weakness for sure. All these lovelies were $.10 each! I loved the little brunette girl on the right so much, I had to make her my twitter background.

Vintage sheets. Love. The two on the bottom are twin sheets for my daughter's bed and the top two are pillowcases.

I think this bag is my favorite find yet. It is the prettiest grapefruit pink color and works perfectly as a diaper bag.

So, this last item isn't vintage...but I love it anyways. I have been wanting a mustard colored purse for so long and it's perfect for days when I need a bigger bag for the kids.

So, those are my recent finds...how about you? Do you like to thrift? I'd love to see what you have discovered!

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Tatertots and Jello

Motorcycle Onesie Redo

 I was productive today...and it was exhausting. I got 6 projects done and didn't realize how long I had been on my feet until I saw they had swelled to about three times their normal size. Oops.

One of my projects was this motorcycle onesie refashion.

                        

I started with a small romper with a picture of a motorcycle on it that I got for $.99 at Goodwill and a plain onesie that I picked up for $.50 at another thrift store. The romper had a glittery heart on the top that said "biker baby" so it was not approved for regular wear by my husband...so that just means I got to do something crafty with it!

I cut out the motorcycle from the romper and turned it into an applique by using the same method as my daughter's Minnie Mouse shirt.

Then I lined it up along one side of the new onesie and sewed it into place. At first I wished I had a white onesie or at least a contrasting color...but once I sewed the applique on, I ended up liking the gray on gray after all. I did use white thread for contrast...and because it was already threaded into my machine and I was too lazy to change it:)

I keep thinking if I make more things for this baby...maybe he will come out already! Oh well, I am only 38 weeks, so I know, I know...my chances of him coming out soon aren't great...but a grumpy swollen girl can dream, right?

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Sugar and Dots

DIY Play Kitchen (from a nightstand)

I am finally getting around to posting the play kitchen my dad (and husband) and I made for my daughter! I am really ashamed at how long it has taken me to finish this. Oh well...it's done now, right?

I started with a nightstand that I got off craigslist for $5 and pulled the drawers out. Luckily there was a board between both drawers..so we didn't have to build one for the "oven" bottom. My dad took the front off one of the drawers and attached it to front of the nightstand with hinges at the bottom so it could swing down like an oven door.

The backing of the kitchen is just a large piece of wood with two smaller pieces nailed in through the back for shelves. My dad already had the wood in his scrap pile...but I also priced it at Home Depot for about $5.

Here is a view of the top. I used a wooden letter "J" from Joanns for the faucet and a round cake pan from the dollar store from the sink. I didn't want anything too deep, otherwise nothing would fit in the oven compartment. Also, here are the burners I showed earlier. The burner knobs were also made with pre cut round pieces of wood. I just layered them, glued them, and then cut pieces of a dowel to put down the center to make them look more like knobs. The faucet knobs were something I already had. All the knobs are attached through the bottom with a screw and a washer so that they can turn.

Remember these cups, saucers, and canisters? I love they way they look on the shelves:)

The nightstand had two drawers...so for the bottom part, we took the drawer out and I made a little curtain to go across it for storage. My daughter keeps her play food in there. I attached it on the sides with sticky velcro so that it can come off. I got the material while in California. I think it adds to the retro look of the kitchen.

Finally, on the inside of the "oven" we painted everything with silver paint:

I really love the way it turned out! My daughter loves playing with it too...so that makes me happy:) I am in the process of making her some more accessories to go with the kitchen for Christmas such as oven mitts and dish towels....but more on that later:)

Price:

nightstand: $5

spray paint (2 cans): $6.00

wood for burners and knobs: $3.50

letter "J" for faucet: $1.00

material for curtain: $1.50

cake pan for sink: $1.00

all other materials I already had

Total: $18.00

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Sugar and Dots

Someday Crafts

Sew Much Ado

Tatertots and Jello

Pillowcase Wall Art

I have mentioned my never ending love for crewel embroidery before and although I still have yet to run into my love match in that department...I did find a way to ease my need for vintage wall art.

Enter vintage pillowcase wall art:

I found this vintage pillowcase at Goodwill a few months back knowing that I wanted to frame it right away. It got stashed in my fabric drawers until I found the right sized frame (for the right price).

Finally I came upon the perfect sized frame (with art and glass) for $1 at Goodwill and the rest of handmade wall art history!

I took the art and glass out of the frame (I saved the art for another project coming soon...) and stained the frame to make it darker. I cut the pillowcase in half (the design was also on the other side...which will also get used later) and wrapped it over the cardboard that was already in the back of the frame.

I chose not to put the glass back in the frame...just the pillowcase because I wanted the texture to show through. I keep thinking that I might get brave someday and actually embroider on it as well to create my own version of crewel. But for now it satisfies my need for vintage wall art (for under $2) and makes me very happy:)

What are some different things you have used for wall art?

Summer Thrift Store Finds

I haven't been out much this summer looking for good thrift store finds. There is just something about 115 degrees that makes me want to hurt everyone in public...so it's best if I just stay in:)

I have found a few good things at my local Goodwill Saturday sales (seriously...who doesn't love those?) and a few other vintage shops.

One rule I have when it comes to getting anything at the thrift store (or anywhere else for that matter) is that it has to serve an immediate (or almost immediate in case it's a project) purpose. So that means leaving some gems behind because I just don't have the room for them.

One thing I was SO happy to find was this tin recipe box. One of my summer goals was to organize my recipes so finally they are all in one tidy space!

I fell in love with this jewelry box almost immediately. All that scrolling detail just makes me so happy! It does have a broken foot on the front...but it will get fixed up and repainted this week. I just can't decide if I want to give it to my daughter for her jewelry...or be a selfish mom and keep it for myself:)

I did find something for my daughter. I am putting together her Christmas present right now, which is basically just some accessories for her play kitchen (which I will share soon). These mini salt and pepper shakers made me so happy...and for $.35 each...I couldn't resist bringing them home to paint and let her play with.

I would have to say my biggest soft spot when it comes to thrifting is vintage owls. It's like I can't say no! The brown owl is an iron trivet that I found at a vintage store in a nearby retirement community. The silver owl is another trivet I found at Savers, and finally the yellow framed owl is a greeting card that I found in a different frame at Goodwill. I painted a little frame I had yellow and put him in there.

They live together on my living room wall:

This next find took a few weeks for me to purchase. I saw it a while ago at Goodwill with no price tag. The cashier priced it at $7.99...but I was too cheap to spend that (it has a small crack on the back). So we went on vacation and I regretted leaving it behind.

Another sale day rolled around at Goodwill and it was still there! I put my own lampshade on it and I love it! I was so blinded by my affection for it that I realized (on the way home) that most likely my husband was going to hate it. He was so nice when I asked him, "What do you think? Can you believe no one bought it for three weeks?" that he said, "I think it was just so beautiful that no one else wanted it." He is so nice to me...even if he is being sarcastic:)

It makes me so happy when I see it each day...I think may even say something like this when I walk past it. Here it is in our living room on my grandma's old dresser:

I also picked up some lovely vases:

And finally, my favorite piece of the summer has been my Drexel chair. It was priced at $30 but I asked if they could go any lower and they went down to $20!

It lives in our room right now...but my mom has already offered me more than I paid for it:) It's nice having a chair in the bedroom to sit and talk and also for my husband to sit and put his shoes on. Does anyone else hate butt marks on a newly made bed as much as I do??

So, have you found any good finds lately?