DIY Pocket Calendar Cover

All you need is a pocket calendar with a plastic protector, markers, high quality copy paper and scissors. I found the calendars at the dollar store.

Make sure the calendar has a removable plastic cover.

Open up the calendar and draw around it to mark how big to make the copy paper, cut out.

Have your little artist color a fun picture. If you have loads of friends and family that would appreciate this gift, you can have your child draw one drawing and then make color photo copies. You might also consider cutting up artwork that comes home from school to fit inside the protector.

Slip paper around the calendar and place it back into the plastic protector. Now you have a thoughtful and useful gift that anyone would love to receive and a child would be proud to give!

If you are looking for more gifts kids can make, you won’t want to miss my e-book Gifts Kids Can Make! Kids will have fun making a wooden paper towel holder, and artistic key or jewelry organizer, keepsake magnets, whimsical note cards and a yummy jar mix! The e-book comes with printables and even editable gift tags, perfect for handmade gift giving. The ebook is ready for immediate Download.

You might enjoy browsing my Handmade Gift Guide!

Christmas is quickly upon us.  Are you still looking for a something to give those hard to shop for people on your list?  I consider one of the hardest age groups to shop for teen girls.  I wanted to share an easy and fun craft you can do with your kids that would thrill any girl this Christmas {even your own}. This picture frame bulletin board makes the perfect gift for a child to decorate their room. It would be an especially fun adult/child DIY project to make for a sibling or a friend!  You are never to young to start fixing up, remaking and giving handmade gifts!

This project starts with an old picture frame. We found ours at our local Goodwill store. You will also need a can of spray paint, beautiful fabric (mine is from Waverly), a ceiling tile cut to fit the picture frame, staple gun, glue gun, thumb tacks and a covered button kit.

Remove the picture from the frame and give the frame a couple coats of spray paint. Allow paint to dry between layers.

While the paint is drying make custom thumb tacks by covering buttons in a coordinating fabric (again from Waverly). Following package directions to cover buttons. Be sure to remove the shank from the back of the button before placing into the plastic piece.

Use hot glue or  an extra strong adhesive like E600 to fasten  a washer on the back and then  a  thumb tack. The washer will help raise the tack up so it is even with the edges of the button.

Cut the ceiling tile to fit inside the picture frame. Cut fabric big enough to wrap around the ceiling tile.

Starting with the corners staple the fabric around the ceiling tile.

Staple fabric all the way around. Staple on one side, then move to the opposite side.

Place fabric covered tile into the frame. Secure with duct tape or nails.

A perfect way to make an extra special bulletin board!

If you love Waverly as much as I do, you may want to pop over to the Waverly Facebook page  and enter to win one of the two $100 giftcards they are giving away right now.

Check out the other amazing blogger’s participating in this event.

Full disclosure: Waverly provided the fabric  for my use with this project along with compensation for the additional supplies I chose to use in the completion of  the project.

WOW!  Aren’t these luminaries beautiful?  They are made with water balloons as the form!  Follow the tutorial on Candletech.com and make a few for yourself or for an extra special gift.

Evie S. has a super simple tutorial on how to make these fab paper-clip earrings!  Any girl would love to find these in her Christmas stocking!

33 Shades of Green has designed a wine bottle sleeve that you have to see!  Wouldn’t you love to give this to your favorite holiday party hostess?

f you need more inspiration take a look at my handmade gift guide below….

Supplies to make a hair bow

24 inches of 1.5 inch wide grosgrain ribbon to make a 4 1/2 inch wide bow or 18 inches of 1.5 inch grosgrain ribbon to make a 3 1/5 inch bow

6 inches of fine gauge floral wire,

a hair clip

glue gun

scissors

How to make a hair bow

Fold the 24 inch (or 18 inch) piece of ribbon in half and crease with your thumb.

Lay ribbon out flat. Bring one edge of the ribbon to the center of the ribbon and lay on top of the crease to form a loop.

Repeat for the other side, creating a figure eight. Make sure ends of ribbon overlap about an inch.

Bring the outside edge of the loop to the center. From this point on it works best to hold the ribbon in your hands.

Bring the loop on the other side to the center. Be sure to adjust the loops so they are even.

Pinch the center together by bending the outside edge down first and accordion fold the center together, ending by folding the opposite edge down. Keeping the fold tight will create a nicely shaped bow.

Tightly wrap a piece of floral wire around the center.

Twist securely in the back and trim edges.

Slip the hair clip through the wire on the back of the bow. Make sure the wire is folded under so it doesn’t poke into the head.

Hot glue or sew a button on the center of the bow. Seasonal buttons, plastic gem and charms can be used. (Remember for young children to be cautious of items that could be a choking hazard)

With all of the beautiful ribbon and buttons that can be found, think of the possibilities for making stylish bows.

If you are looking for more handmade gift ideas for the holidays you might enjoy browsing my Handmade Gift Guide.

Fabric Flower Supplies

Scraps of fabric (I used a heavier weight cotton), scrap of felt,  3/4 inch covered button kit, hair clip

How to make a fabric flower

Download template and cut out fabric pieces. Cover one button for center of flower.

Fabric Flower Template

Gather straight edge of petal piece and hot glue to felt piece.

Continue gluing petals to felt circle until all five petals are attached.

Clip slits all the way around the edge of the center circle piece. Hot glue center circle on top of petals. Next, hot glue covered button to center of flower.

Glue the fabric flower to a hair clip, head band or pin back.

Finished!

You might also enjoy these beautiful fabric flower tutorials.

I have linked this post to TidyMom

I originally was wanting to make the one from the Giver’s Log, but I couldn’t find the thrift-ed pieces.

The supplies for this project can be found at home improvement stores (like Lowe’s). The plastic plates are from Target. I also found some cool plastic plates at a local thrift store.

Supplies for Tiered Serving Tray

2 plastic plates

one knob that fits threaded rod

1 – 1/2″ X 3′ round aluminum tube (there are cool square ones too!)

1 – #8-32 X 3′ threaded rod

1 package of #8-32 X 1  1/4 combo round w/nut (or one nut to fit end of threaded rod)

2 rubber washers 3/16″ X 1/2″ X 1/16″

11/64″ drill bit

fine sandpaper

(we did not end up using the #10 flat zinc washers)

You will have plenty of supplies left over. These would make great gifts!

How to make a tiered serving tray

Cut aluminum tube with saw, making sure cut is level. You will need a 6″ length and 3″ length (these can be adjusted to your own needs)

Cut threaded rod into a 9 1/2″ length

Lightly sand aluminum tubes to make surface even and remove imperfections

Drill hole in center of two plastic plates. It worked best to place masking tape where the hole needed to be drilled and drill from the front.

Put 9 1/2″ threaded rod through bottom plate and put a nut underneath the plate.

Next place rubber washer on top of bottom plate, place 6″ aluminum tube around threaded rod.

Place next plate, a rubber washer, 3″ aluminum piece and then screw knob tightly to top.

The pieces can be easily removed and interchanged with other plastic plates to fit any party theme or color scheme!

All you need is

one piece of oil cloth 5″ x 8″ (outside)

a coordinating 5″ x 8″ piece (lining)

2 pieces 2 1/2″ X 5″ for inside pockets for the notebook cover to slip in

one 1 1/2″ X 3″ piece for the pencil pocket on the front

Sew pocket on front. Place it just shy of 3/4″ up from the bottom edge and over just over an 1 1/2″ from the side edge. Just eyeball where it works for you.

Sandwich outside piece right side face down, then lining face up, and pocket pieces on each end. Fasten with mini clothespins.

Sew all the way around the edge, removing clips as you sew along.  I sew on the top side.

The inside looks like this.

Get a mini composition notebook (found at Wal-Mart) and a mini pencil. I found my pencils at the dollar store. A golf pencil would work also.

Slip notebook into cover.

There you have one cute little cover!

So easy to whip up a bunch in no time!

Oven Mitt Tutorial

Supplies for making your own oven mitt

cotton batting

1/4 yard cotton fabric

1/4 yard coordinating cotton fabric

Insul-Bright Insulated batting

Directions for making a quilted oven mitt

Cut 2 each 9″ X 15″ rectangles of the cotton fabrics, cotton batting, and Insul-brite

Sandwich cotton fabric (lining) right side facing down, Insul-Brite, cotton batting, cotton fabric (0utside) right side facing up.

Sew together in stitching pattern of your choice. I made diagonal lines about an inch apart.

Repeat for other set of rectangles.

Oven Mitt Pattern Download – top

Oven Mitt Pattern Download – bottom

Download oven mitt pattern top and bottom.   Print patterns and tape pieces together.

Stack the two quilted pieces on top of each other, right sides together.

Place pattern on top and draw around the pattern.  This is the stitching line.

Stitch. I reinforce the thumb area so I can trim and make a slit right up to the stitching line.

Cut. Clip curves where necessary.

Turn right side out.

Cut a contrasting piece of fabric 7″ X 15″ for the band. Iron piece in half lengthwise, then open and bring edges to the center and press again.

Line edge of binding up with bottom edge of the oven mitt, right sides together. Turn edge up and being sewing in the first ironed crease.

Stitch all the way around, folding end over when finished.

Fold binding down.

Fold in the other half of the binding. Stitch all the way around in the ditch between the two fabrics, making sure to catch the binding on the inside.

Stitch along the place where the binding overlaps with one straight stitch, or whip stitch it closed by hand.

Finished!

If you love to sew you might also like these free sewing tutorials right here on Skip to my Lou! Every tote needs a matching pouch.

Pleated Zippered Pouch

Lined Zippered Pouch

Tote Patterns and Tutorials

1. Dish Towel Tote Tutorial

2. Tank Top Totes Tutorials (two styles)

3. Ruffled Tote Pattern

4. The Twenty Minute Tote Tutorial

5. Beach Bag Tote Pattern

6. Simple Lined Tote Bag Tutorial

7. Hobo Tote Bag Pattern

8. Pleated Tote Pattern

9. Pillowcase Tote Pattern

10. Oil Cloth Tote Tutorial

Welcome to Tuesday 10! This week I am sharing ten apron patterns! (In no particular order.)

10  Apron Tutorials

1. T-Shirt Apron Tutorial

2. The Ruffled Apron

3. Cottage Chic Cooking Apron

4. The Full Length Lined Apron Pattern

5. Reversible Scalloped Half Apron

6. Reversible Half Apron

7. Tea Towel Half Apron

8. Tea Towel Apron

9. Two Tea Towel Apron

10. Garden Apron Tutorial

An apron packaged with something yummy from your kitchen or a set of recipe cards makes a great gift. Print your own recipe card with my

Free Recipe Card Maker

If you are looking for more homemade gift ideas you might like searching the

Skip to my Lou Handmade Gift Guide!

Enjoy!