Ruffle Edged T-Shirt

I wanted a cute/edgy shirt for my daughter to wear for the motorcycle themed pictures we were taking today...so I picked up a leopard print bandanna at Walmart this week. I intended to make a full top out of the bandanna...but last night (at 10:30pm) I was feeling uninspired...so I found an old shirt that had a stain on the bottom and decided to embellish that instead:)

The way I cut this was a little weird just because I wanted the longest possible ruffles. If you want to make something like this out of regular material off the bolt...then you can just cut regular rectangles for your desired length...but if you only have a bandanna like me...then here we go!

1. Cut the bandanna in half diagonally.

2. Cut three more strips on each side of your center cut. I made mine about 3" wide. Save the end triangles for a cute applique or something for later:)

Now you should have six strips in three different sizes (2 in each size).

3. Take the two smaller strips, fold in the bottom hem 1/4", iron, and then fold in another 1/4" and sew with a straight stitch.

4. With right sides facing, sew up the sides of the strips so that it is a rectangle. You want the finished size to be the exact width of the t-shirt.

5. Repeat with the other strips.

6. Take your medium strip, and with it inside out, place the raw edge along where you want it to be on your shirt. Match up the side seams on your strip with the side seams on the shirt and pin.

7. Evenly pin the strip across the front of the shirt and sew into place.

Here is what it looks like when it is flipped down the right way.

8. Repeat on the backside.

9. Now take the longest strip and repeat the same process.

Here is what it looks like after both ruffles are attached.

10. Take your smallest strip and fold in the other raw edge 1/4" and sew in place.

11. Place that strip right side out over the top edge of your top ruffle. Sew into place along the top and bottom of the strip.

The shirt still looked a little too plain for me so I added some elastic to the top to make it look more like a little skirt shirt (remember those from the 80s?? Awesome!)

I cut some elastic the same size as my daughter's waist, sewed the two ends together, flipped it right side out and sewed it on over the top edge of my top strip. I sewed along the bottom and top of the elastic.

And that's it!

I paired it with her faux leather leggings and headband for our motorcycle pictures tonight. They brought out a large toy Harley for her to pose with. I think it was the first time she cried when pictures were over!

Afterwards we went to McDonald's since it was my cheat night (yay!) and I didn't feel like changing her in the car...so we got a few weird looks (like..."you really put your daughter in leather pants?!") but a lot of compliments too:)

Total price: $1.00

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Weekend Wanderer @ While He Was Napping

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Blue Cricket Design

Crafting with the Stars!

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Hey, I am participating in Crafting with the Stars over at Sew Dang Cute. I decided to enter my daughter's Minnie Mouse Costume and shoes that she wore to Disneyland. There are some awesome projects linked up...so go check it out!

Crochet Cupcake Purse

With our weekend plans to visit a cupcake convention, the Little Miss needed a cute handbag for the event:)

I was going to make this out of fabric...but I decided to crochet it after all. If you can crochet in a circle...then this is the project for you! There are a few patterns for something like this that you can purchase online...but I am cheap and impatient...so I just sat crocheting until I figured out a pattern that I liked:)

I must stress first that I am NOT an expert at crochet. I taught myself recently through You Tube videos...and my skills are very limited:) I am sure I will not use the right lingo when explaining what I did...so take it easy on me:)

Materials:

small tupperware (for base of cupcake)

yarn for cupcake base

yarn for cupcake top

crochet hook (mine is a J)

hot glue gun

I started by crocheting a chain that would fit around my plastic container. I made it a little bit smaller since I knew the yarn would stretch.

Once I got the length I wanted, I slip stitched into the beginning of my chain, and then chained 2 and continued around with a double crochet.

I continued with that pattern until I got the right length (a little longer than the plastic container.

For the "top" of the cupcake, I repeated the same pattern, just a little wider and taller so that it would fit around the top of the plastic container.

To get the ruffle edge, chain 5, then single crochet into the next stitch, and repeat all the way around.

I wanted to keep it simple and use felt for the lining of the purse. I was going to sew up a nice cloth lining...but I took the easy way out:)

I had some felt that matched the base of my cupcake...so I cut out a strip that was long enough for the outside and inside of the plastic container...and two circles the same size as the bottom of the container.

I glued one strip to the inside of the container and one to the outside:

Then I glued the bottom circle on:

Don't worry about getting it perfect...the crochet base will cover it all.

Then I glued the edged of the felt together all the way around.

Next, I glued the other circle into the inside bottom of the container...and trimmed the outside strips about 1/4" from the edge of the plastic cup.

Then I slipped the crochet cupcake base over my container and glued it into place.

Here is what it looks like on the bottom. See how all my felt imperfections were covered?

You really don't have to line the container with felt or fabric at all...I just wanted to fill in the little gaps between by crochet stitches.

For the top, I thread some ribbon through the top edge. You can also see in the picture that I had sewn on some beads for "sprinkles".

I stretched out the top as far as it would open, then tied the two ends together in a bow. I secured the bow with hot glue so it wouldn't come undone.

Finally, I took the easy way out and hot glued the top of the cupcake to the base (on the felt that was still exposed). I was going to sew it on...but hot glue bonds like cement to felt...so its a much stronger hold this way.

That's it! I am not wild about the color scheme going on...but I just wanted to use up some yarn I already had and I am sure Miss S will love it anyway:)

Price:

5pk of plastic containers: $1.00

beads: $1.00

I had everything else

Total: $2.00

Plus now I have 4 more storage containers, which I needed anyways...yay!

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Best Whipped Frosting...EVER! Part 2

We have had cupcake fever in this house lately! Since my last post about my whipped cream frosting, my husband has now banned all other types of frosting from our home:) He even gave up his beloved butter cream frosting that has reigned in this house since we got married.

So...now I am on a mission to try all different variations of the whipped cream frosting. Today was cream cheese frosting.

I mixed the whipped cream and a half a can of whipped cream cheese frosting (the larger can by Duncan Hines) and slathered that on top of spice mix cupcakes! YUM!

But they were still missing something...

Oh yeah...cinnamon:) NOW they are perfect!

My husband just made "yummy noises" while eating one...so I guess that meant it was good:)

I have to say...if you want more of a cream cheese taste (this frosting tastes pretty light)...then mix a whole small can of regular cream cheese frosting with a tub of whipped cream.

Oh...and I discovered a new, stress free, way of decorating cupcakes I want to store in tupperware. I put all the cupcakes in my storage container and then iced them! No mess and all I had to do was slap the lid on without messing them up!

I now have 22 cupcakes that need new homes...cause I am still working towards my weight loss goal...so these babies gotta go! Any takers?:) My husband made sure that I kept a few for him...but the rest are getting new families tomorrow at church:)

Oh...and we are taking the Little Miss to a cupcake convention this weekend...so more cupcake crafts to come!

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Tatertots and Jello

Foam Chair Slipcover

My daughter had this old Elmo chair and it was starting to look a little tired...OK...it was pretty disgusting:) She had worn it way out! Plus, she is slowly moving on from Elmo these days so that meant a chair makeover!

Materials:

1yd of fleece

(mine was a remnant and I used every bit of it...so you may need more for a larger chair)

snuggle flannel (for the "S" applique)

matching thread

First I started by taking the slipcover off and cutting the pieces apart on the seams and I laid them out so I could remember what pieces went where.

Then I used those pieces as patterns to cut out my fleece. I cut out my pieces about 3/4" larger all the way around. The cover ended up being a little more loose than I wanted...so I could have cut the pieces smaller.

Next I made an "S" applique for the front back piece of the chair. You can read more on making an applique here. I ironed it and sewed it to the right side of my top panel.

Finally, I just started piecing the chair back together the way I took it apart.

I found it easiest to keep placing it on the foam chair shape so I could figure out how the pieces fit back together.

I cheated at the end and just hot glued it to the bottom of the foam. I was going to put elastic in the bottom so it would be a stretch slip cover...but after this cover gets worn down...I think it's just time to get rid of the chair:)

I also added a little satin bow to the "S". I hot glued it on.

I love that her favorite chair has a new clean cover...and fits better into the decor of our living room and I also made it to match her room:)

I thought she might get sad when she woke up and saw that Elmo had been removed...but she didn't even say anything. She was so excited to have a chair with her initial on it!

Price:

fleece remnant: $2.50

snuggle flannel: $1.00

Total: $3.50

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Someday Crafts

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