I Can Find The Time

Turn a used formula bin into Cute Storage

2012-02-15T12:30:00.001-08:00

So if any of you have little ones then you might also have a bunch of these formula bins laying around. As much as you can try to buy only the refill pouches of formula, somehow you keep ending up with new bins.

I always swap out the bin when we get a new one...but I couldn't bring myself to toss out the old ones. They are such a perfect size for craft room storage and made out of good solid plastic. So here is a quick tutorial I came up with for how to repurpose those formula bins into cute storage.

Supplies:

empty formula bins

spray paint made for plastic

pretty paper

spray adhesive

scissors/exacto knife

First you'll need to carefully remove the lids without breaking off the little sticks that hold it on.

Once they are off, clean them up and spray with spray paint that is designed to stick to plastic. I used Krylon Fusion in black because I had it left over from another project and this project only used a tiny bit of paint. Make sure to spray the top and bottom of the lid.

Next, measure the bin and cut your paper to fit. I was using 12" scrapbook paper and had to cut two pieces to get enough to cover the entire bin.

Make sure to measure where the two notches for the lid are and cut them out of the back piece of paper.

(sorry for the blurry picture...my one handed photography could use some work!)

Using your spray adhesive, attach the paper to the bin and secure with rubber bands while it dries. I was a little slow on adding the rubber bands to my bins and that's why you can see some wrinkles in the paper.

And that's all there is to it. Using supplies you probably already have on hand you can repurpose what would be trash into useful storage.

You just have to find the time!

I AM LINKING TO AS MANY OF THESE PARTIES AS POSSIBLE:

SUNDAY The DIY Showoff - Under the Table and Dreaming - Mad in Crafts - I Heart Naptime MONDAY Home Savvy A to Z - 1929 Charmer - Be Colorful - TheSouthern Institute - DIY Home Sweet Home - Singing Three Little Birds - Homemakeron a Dime - Between Naps on the Porch - Cottage Instincts - It’s So Very Cheri - Keeping it Simple - Making the World Cuter - Sumo’s Sweet Stuff - The Girl Creative - Sew Can Do - Skip to my Lou - Craft o Maniac - Trendy Tree House - BlueCricut Design - TUESDAY Me and My Boys - Home Stories A 2 Z - Bowl Full of Lemons - My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia - Coastal Charm - Confessions of a SAHM - Homework - Vintage Wannabe - Strictly Homemade - A Soft Place to Land - Hope Studios - Today's Creative Blog - CSI Weekly Challenge - Creative Itch - I’m Topsy Turvy - Sugar Bee - All things Related - Letting the Creative Juices Flow - Night Owl Crafting - Tip Junkie WEDNESDAY Momnivore'sDilemma - SouthernHospitality - YesterdayOn Tuesday - Blue Cricket Design - Someday Crafts - Domestically Speaking - Sew Much Ado - Seven Thirty-Three - My Backyard Eden - Take it from Me THURSDAY SavedBy Love - The ArtsyGirl Connection - MyCrazy Beautiful Life - DelightfulOrder - Fireflies and Jellybeans - Somewhat Simple - The Shabby Chic Cottage - It’s Fun to Craft - The Train to Crazy - Craftastical - Treasures for Tots FRIDAY SassySites - French Country Cottage - HappyHour Projects - Whipperberry - DesignerGarden - Serenity Now - Bacon Time - The Crafty Nest - delicateCONSTRUCTION- Young& amp; Crafty - Lolly Jane - Remodelaholic - 504 Main – Kojo Designs - Fingerprints on the Fridge – The Shabby Nest - Simply Designing – It’s a HodgePodge Life - J A Girl – Design it Chic – SATURDAY Tater Tots and Jell-O – Along for the Ride – Funky Junk - I Can't Stop Crafting

Stackable Bracelets now available at By Studio 13

2012-02-05T12:31:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to announce a new line of bracelets for sale in my Etsy shop By Studio 13...

Stackable Bracelets

I have always liked small simple pieces of jewelry that can be worn together to create a customized look. And that's just what these bracelets allow you to do! You can wear one or five and create a look that is all your own! I have come up with 7 designs to kick off this new line of bracelets and with prices between $3.50 and $7.50 you can surely enjoy one!

Silver Quatrefoil with Teal cotton cord

Black on Black

Teal Ombre - single strand

Teal Ombre - double strand

Awareness Ribbon & Hope - double strand

Awareness Ribbon - single strand

Black on Pink

I love each and every one of the bracelets and hope you do too!

And as always I am fully stocked on the super popular

Baseball String Bracelets!

Easy Fabric Silhouette Wall Art

2012-02-03T11:59:00.000-08:00

This tutorial is for one of my favorite projects and I can't wait to share it with everyone!

Silhouette Wall Art

I did this project in my youngest daughters room and absolutely L.O.V.E how it turned out! I've had this idea in my head forever and finally worked out the kinks to get it done.

I wanted to do some larger artwork above her crib, but wasn't comfortable hanging anything above her that was super heavy or had glass. My kids run tall and I know she'll be reaching over the side of the crib before she's a year old. What's so great about this project is the main material is foam board and weighs practically nothing. So if she manages to pull one of these little guys down it won't hurt her at all. Gotta love super easy, affordable, and safe projects, right? Every mother's dream!

So here are the steps you'll need to make this super affordable and customizable project.

Supplies:

foam board

fabric

exacto knife or box cutter

fabric glue

spray adhesive

First, you'll need to cut the shapes out of the foam board. I'm not gonna lie here ladies...this can be tricky! It took me at least 5 passes on each cut to get through all the layers in the foam board. And with some of my animals being about 2' wide/tall it took some maneuvering. But just be patient and go slow...you'll get through the foam board eventually.

Once you have your shape, lay it on the fabric and trace it out with at least 1.5" to spare all the way around.

**Note: make sure to trace your shape onto the back side of the fabric so you cut it out the right way...learned that lesson the hard way!**

Next cut out the fabric pieces.

Using the spray adhesive, attach the fabric to the front side of the shape. Make sure to get any bubbles out at this step before the adhesive dries.

Once it's dry you can start to wrap the fabric around the cut out. Slowly work your way around the cutout and glue the extra fabric down using the fabric glue. I tried to use a brush for this part...but quickly found out that nothing works better than the tools God gave you!

I found the best process was to (1) run a line of glue on the section you're working on (2) slightly stretch the fabric around the edge and over the glue (3) use your finger to smear/spread the glue as it seeps through the fabric.

When you get to the tricky areas where there are lots of curves you might need to add extra glue on the top of the fabric and smear it around to make sure it's all sticking down.

Your fingers will get really sticky...so make sure the kids are down for a nap and you've already gone potty before you start gluing! This is not an easy part of the process to hop up from!

I would also recommend lifting up the shape every once in a while to make sure everything looks good. Especially if you are using a striped fabric and you don't want the lines to get off center.

Once all the glue is dry you are ready to hang them up!

**Note: These foam board hangers work perfectly for a project like this!**

I went with a cluster/cloud shape centered over Baby Girl's crib. I also thought about a long photo shelf across the whole wall to stand all the animals on. Really, the options are unlimited!

I hope this project inspires you to add some easy quick artwork to your walls. The options are endless! You just have to find the time!

I AM LINKING TO AS MANY OF THESE PARTIES AS POSSIBLE:

Felt Placemat turns 3-D Wall Art

2012-01-18T11:49:00.000-08:00

For about 6 months I was on the look out for anything butterfly related to hang in my oldest daughters' room. I bought quite a few random items, and didn't really know how they would all work together to end up with the amazing "big girl" room I had for her in my head.

One of the best items I found was these laser cut felt placemats for $2.

Yes, only $2! I was so excited! They only had blue and green, but $2 for a 12" butterfly?!?! I had to get them and figure out the details later.

I could have just slapped them up on the wall and called it a day, but I really wanted to do something to make them special and stand out in some way.

So, here is a quick tutorial for how I turned 2 plain felt placemats into

3-D butterflies for my daughters room!

Supplies you'll need:
Laser cut felt placemats

wire (plyable but stiff enough to support the placemat)

wire cutters

hot glue gun

First, measure and cut two lengths of wire for each placemat. They should go almost all the way across the placemat about 1/4 of the way from the top and 1/4 of the way from the bottom.

Bend the wire into a slight curve where most of it will be hidden behind the placemat. I didn't try to get the wire 100% hidden because the parts that are showing are super tiny anyways. If your placemat has larger gaps it might be worth the time to bend the wire so its all the way hidden.

Using your hot glue gun place large drops of glue along the wire to secure it onto the placemat. To avoid the glue drops from just spreading out wider and wider I found that if you make a drop the size you want, then build on it once its dried, you can add height without adding width.

Once all the glue drops are completely dried lay your butterfly half way off the table and bend the wires carefully in unison to get the placemat to become 3-D.

Repeat with as many placemats as you have.

There you go, a super easy way to add a little something special to some $2 placemats for a girls wall art piece.

I have one more tutotial coming for the butterfly wall art in my daughters room, but here is a sneak peak of the placemats! I love how her artwork turned out and can't wait to show you all!

I AM LINKING TO AS MANY OF THESE PARTIES AS POSSIBLE:

Tissue Paper Decopauged Art Work

2012-01-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

Since we are finally all settled in the new house I have been trying really hard to get the girls' rooms decorated. My poor oldest daughter has never really had a decorated room. We hung a few pictures in the rental house, but I just never could get too motivated to do anything else. But now that we own again I am totally ready to give them both the special rooms they deserve.

As far as decorating goes, I am a huge fan of a few styles/items:

Monograms

(as you can see here: Wine Cork Monogram)

Simple Silhouette/cut out designs

(as you can see here: Painted Mirrors - Felt Silhouette Pillows)

Large personalized artwork

(as you can see here: Scrapbook Paper Artwork)

And for this project I combined all three of those things into my

Tissue Paper Decoupaged art work

Supplies you'll need:

blank canvas (any size or shape)

colored tissue paper

scissors

Elmer's glue & water or Modge Podge

Foam brushes

I snagged a three pack of flat canvases at Michael's with my 40% off coupon for this project so the art work could easily become the monogram for Meredith's room. Bonus!

If you are going to make your own decoupage solution simply mix 1 part Elmer's glue with 1 part water. It's cheaper than Modge Podge and works perfectly for this kind of project.

I prefer to do a background before my tissue paper silhouettes to help the art work look a little more finished and not just slapped down on the canvas. I cut a bunch of 6"-10" squares out of a lighter color of tissue paper and decoupaged them on the canvas. Make sure they overlap and that you cover the entire canvas with extra to wrap around the edges. My tissue paper is very light pink and you can hardly see the color on the final project. But, it does make a big difference in the texture of the art piece and helps you not see raw canvas between the silhouettes.

Now you need to cut out the silhouettes to be decoupaged onto the canvas. I decided on 1 butterfly canvas and 2 flower canvases. I made sure to cut out three different sizes of each pattern in three different colors of tissue paper. I also laid them all out before I started attaching them to make sure I had a good looking balance of the colors and sizes.

Then it's just another round of decoupaging to get all the silhouettes in place.

TIP: Be very careful when decoupaging tissue paper,

because it will tear very easily!

Once they are all attached I did a final 'top coat' of decoupage to help seal the edges.

Depending on what you are making this art piece for you can stop there and have a great personalized piece of artwork.

Since I wanted these canvases to be the monogram in my oldest daughters room I attached letters over the silhouettes. (I am still undecided about the fonts I used so they are not decoupaged on yet...just stuck on temporarily)

I really like this project because it's super easy and can be modified a million different ways! And with all the colors of tissue paper out there the options are endless!

You just have to find the time!

I AM LINKING TO AS MANY OF THESE PARTIES AS POSSIBLE:

25th Hour To Do List

2012-01-08T03:47:00.000-08:00

For this weekend's 25th Hour To Do List I'm going to focus on my master bedroom. It always seems to be the most neglected, least 'decorated' room in my house. And I'm on a mission to change that. I got some great fabric at Joann's on Black Friday and the color palette is set. Now to get all of this done...

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I really really really want a new black bed...but the ones I like are not cheap (which is exactly my budget since I just stopped working). So I've been looking at these projects that use a wood door to create a new headboard. I love that if you can find the right door you get lots of architectural details...which will look great when I paint it black. Black furniture is a big part of this rooms revamp, which brings me to my next item...

Source

Once we get the new bed/headboard I want to try to paint the other pieces of furniture from our original bedroom set using this tutorial on Just a Girl. If I can get my furniture to look like this dresser/buffet she repainted the we are in business! And her tutorial is for us "I am lazy and hate to sand before I paint" people...even better!

{I just noticed that this post is from October 2009! Where have I been! I have tried and failed to paint a few pieces since then and wish I had found this post earlier!}

And finally, something a little easier that I can maybe even get done this weekend...PILLOWS! I have never really had many pillows on my bed, but always wished I had more. Here are some links to my favorites out there in DIY land:

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So there is my major Master Bedroom to do list...lets hope today has 25 hours so I can get some of it done!

Felt Silhouette Pillows

2012-01-04T06:40:00.000-08:00

One of the easiest ways to change out the decor in a room is by making new throw pillows. A bright fabric or design can make a plain tan couch the rooms focal point. Or can add a temporary holiday theme without spending a ton of money.

I decided to do just that with my plain tan couches by adding some new pillows. I love the look of a bold silhouette design, and decided to use that style for my pillows. I have some fleur-de-lis decor in my living room, so that's the bold design I decided on.

Now...how do I get a good fleur-de-lis cut out of felt? I could try to free hand it, but we all know that will turn out...wonky! So I began the clip art hunt. I found quite a few options that would have been OK, but it was too hard to print the images in the size I wanted. So I did some more exploring and remembered one of my favorite tips for finding silhouette images: wing ding fonts.

If you don't know what a wing ding font is...get ready because this is gonna change your crafting life! Wing dings are fonts where each character is a picture, not a letter. So when you type 'A', you get a smiley face, or a flower, or in my case an amazing fleur-de-lis!

And from my experience the best place to get free fonts is at www.dafont.com . I don't get anything for saying that, they really are my favorite free font resource and have tons of wing ding fonts.

Once I downloaded and installed The French font I was ready to go.

I printed out my favorite wing dings to make a pattern on plain paper.

I chose my favorite two for the pillows and cut them out of chocolate brown felt. (I saved the other two patterns for other projects)

Now for the slow part...applique the felt cut out onto a 17" square piece of fabric that will be the front of your pillow. Very slowly sew all the way around your cut out as close to the edge as possible. Since felt does not unravel, you don't need to worry about finishing the edge.

Once the applique is on, have two options to finish the pillow. If you are going to want to change out your throw pillows, finish the back with an envelope closure or a zipper to allow for easy removal. If this is a forever pillow you can stuff it and sew the whole edge shut.

And there you go...a few simple steps to get really special throw pillows to spice up your home decor. And the best thing is that the possibilities for this project are unlimited. You can make Felt Silhouette Pillows for every season and every room in your house.

You just have to Find the Time! :)

{Note: the Fleur-de-Lis pillows featured in this post are currently for sale in my Etsy shop: By Studio 13 along with other great gift ideas!}

I AM LINKING TO AS MANY OF THESE PARTIES AS POSSIBLE:

SUNDAY The DIY Showoff - Under the Table and Dreaming - Mad in Crafts - I Heart Naptime MONDAY Home Savvy A to Z - 1929 Charmer - Be Colorful - TheSouthern Institute - DIY Home Sweet Home - Singing Three Little Birds - Homemakeron a Dime - Between Naps on the Porch - Cottage Instincts - It’s So Very Cheri - Keeping it Simple - Making the World Cuter - Sumo’s Sweet Stuff - The Girl Creative - Sew Can Do - Skip to my Lou - Craft o Maniac - Trendy Tree House - BlueCricut Design - TUESDAY Me and My Boys - Home Stories A 2 Z - Bowl Full of Lemons - My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia - Coastal Charm - Confessions of a SAHM - Homework - Vintage Wannabe - Strictly Homemade - A Soft Place to Land - Hope Studios - Today's Creative Blog - CSI Weekly Challenge - Creative Itch - I’m Topsy Turvy - Sugar Bee - All things Related - Letting the Creative Juices Flow - Night Owl Crafting - Tip Junkie WEDNESDAY Momnivore'sDilemma - SouthernHospitality - YesterdayOn Tuesday - Blue Cricket Design - Someday Crafts - Domestically Speaking - Sew Much Ado - Seven Thirty-Three - My Backyard Eden - Take it from Me THURSDAY SavedBy Love - The ArtsyGirl Connection - MyCrazy Beautiful Life - DelightfulOrder - Fireflies and Jellybeans - Somewhat Simple - The Shabby Chic Cottage - It’s Fun to Craft - The Train to Crazy - Craftastical - Treasures for Tots FRIDAY SassySites - French Country Cottage - HappyHour Projects - Whipperberry - DesignerGarden - Serenity Now - Bacon Time - The Crafty Nest - delicateCONSTRUCTION - Young & Crafty - Lolly Jane - Remodelaholic - 504 Main – Kojo Designs - Fingerprints on the Fridge – The Shabby Nest - Simply Designing – It’s a HodgePodge Life - J A Girl – Design it Chic – SATURDAY Tater Tots and Jell-O – Along for the Ride – Funky Junk

By Studio 13 - Baseball String Bracelet with Monogram Charms

2012-01-02T12:15:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to let everyone know that I added a great new item to the shop today...

Baseball String Charm Bracelets!

It can be for a name, a school, a mascot...anything you'd like! All Charms are sterling silver and are made in the USA. The are 1/2" tall and vary in width depending on the letter. Each charm is woven into the bracelet without a jump ring to ensure they don't fall off.

I currently have the following letters in stock and ready to ship:

A B C D E H J K L M N P R S T

And the best part is...this Baseball String Charm Bracelet is only $13! That's right, for the price of lunch out you can have your very own personalized Baseball String Charm Bracelet!

I hope you all enjoy this update to my most popular item as much as I do!

25th Hour To Do List

2011-12-31T11:12:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of my blog's theme:

Finding the time to do the projects we love

Here are the projects I would love to work on...if today had 25 hours in it!

source

I have two plain white bookcases that could use some major TLC...especially since my plan is for them to serve as a quick, cheap, 'DIY' buffet in the dinning room until we buy a real one! And this wallpaper would go perfectly with the amazing Pier 1 table/chairs I scored off Craig's List last month!

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Since none of our 'kids' rooms in the new house have ceiling light fixtures {WHAT?!?! That's right, no light or fan wiring in the ceiling...I couldn't believe it!} I have been thinking that some sort of painted chandelier swag lights might be needed because the small desk lamps are not cutting it. And a little bling is always nice for little girls!

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Brownies in a waffle maker! WHAAAAAT?!?! I am so dying to try this (and all the "cookie in a waffle maker" ideas I have seen), but we need to eat all the Christmas treats first before I make more! I wonder what else you can cook super fast in a waffle maker? :)

So that's my 25th Hour To Do List for this weekend...so many projects so little time!

Car Seat Slip Cover

2011-12-28T07:29:00.000-08:00

We all have them...car seats. And if you're like me, you are using an infant car seat that was bought for an older child and the pattern is getting a little old.

Booooooring!

And if you are also like me the thought of tearing apart the padding and making a completely new one is a little daunting. So why not just make a slip cover that goes over the existing fabric padding and gives the car seat a new look? Brilliant!

Here are the steps you need for a quick slip cover to put over you existing car seat padding for a quick new look!

Supplies:

Car Seat Padding

coordinating fabric/thread

basic sewing supplies (scissors, pins, etc.)

First you'll need to take off you car seat padding and make a pattern. My car seat padding was two large pieces sewn together at the seat. I simply laid the cover down as flat as possible to trace each piece onto a big piece of muslin. (You can always trace the pieces right onto your fabric and skip the step of making a pattern. But I like the idea of having a pattern available to make other slip covers later on.)

Next, cut out your pieces with as much seam allowance as you can spare. I added at least 4" all the way my pieces.

Do a quick basting stitch where the two pieces meet.

Lay the pattern in the car seat and center.

TIP: I learned while making this slip cover that the best option was to have elastic only on the top and bottom of the slip cover, and not on the sides where the handle moves up and down. As little bulk as possible will make moving the handle easier.

Using a marking pencil and straight pins, work your way around the car seat marking off where the slip cover should be and where the elastic should be sewn in. Make sure that the elastic is going to go low enough behind the car seat that it will hold in place.

TIP: It's also helpful to put something heavy in the car seat while you're marking it to make sure you keep it centered and don't lift the fabric up.

Trim the excess fabric based on your markings.

If using muslin: lay pattern on fabric and cut out both pieces.

Double check the pattern in the car seat, and pin all seams and elastic casings.

Sew hems on sides and elastic casings on top and bottom.

Attach elastic.

Once the hems and elastic are all in place put the slip cover on the car seat and mark the shoulder and seat belt openings.

Using the button feature on your machine, sew button holes for all strap openings. Make sure to go slowly to get a really solid hem.

Trim any excess fabric from strap openings.

Finally, install the slip cover in your car seat.

I hope this project helps those of you that are bored with your car seats and only have time for a quick slip cover!

DIY Jewelry Holder

2011-06-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

I know there are a TON of tutorials out there on how to make your own jewelry holders, but I have something new to add to the mix that I thought I'd share with the world.

Here is a quick tutorial on how to make a jewelry holder that allows you to hold way more earrings and necklaces than any other holder I've seen.

Supplies you'll need:

picture frame (mine is 8 x 10)

1 sheet of plastic canvas

thin dowel (I used one that was 1/8")

wooden beads that will fit on your dowel

hot glue gun

hand held drill

First you'll need to cut your plastic canvas to fit in the back of your frame. This is super easy since the grid pattern guarantees you'll have a perfectly straight cut.

Using the plastic canvas is my way of creating a jewelry holder that allows you to hold way more earrings than the holders with the horizontal wires. Plus, you can arrange your earrings in any possible pattern to fit the various sizes and shapes of earrings you have. Perfect!

Once the canvas is cut, use the hot glue to secure it in the back of the frame. I glued mine in multiple times to make sure the hold was secure enough to support a lot of earrings.

You can stop here with your jewelry holder if you only want to store earrings, but keep going for my solutions to storing necklaces and/or bracelets.

Next, you'll need to mark out the placement of the necklace holders on the bottom on the front of the frame. The number of holes will depend on the size of your frame and how close together you want them to be based on your jewelry. (For example, if you are going to store bangles you might want the hangers spaced a little further apart)

Once the spots are marked you'll want to slowly drill into the frame on each mark, but do not drill all the way through.

Next, cut your dowel into 1 1/2" pieces to go into each hole. Use the glue gun to securely attach one piece of the dowel in each hole.

Attach the wooden beads to the end of each dowel using the hot glue.

Finally, paint your necklace pegs to match your frame, or in another fun contrasting color to finish the project.

That's all there is to it! A large capacity jewelry holder made from supplies you probably already have in your craft stash!

I hope you can find the time to make one!

I will linking up to these great Link Parties:
Link Parties

Custom Curtain from a Flat Sheet

2011-06-09T10:33:00.000-07:00

Today I'd like to show you all how to make simple custom curtains from flat sheets. I have to tell you, I love re-purposing flat sheets into all sorts of projects. When you do the math, it can be one of the least expensive ways to buy fabric. And with so many options out there you can always find just the right color and/or pattern for the project.

This curtain is for my daughter's room, so I'm using very bright colors. The green solid sheet is from Wal-Mart, and the pink striped sheet is from Goodwill. They aren't very heavy (probably only 250 tc), but since this project isn't going to be touched a lot they will work perfectly.

First things first, measure your window.

Remember: "Measure twice, cut once"!

Since this curtain is designed to hang flat over the window I cut my fabric to be the exact width of the window plus 1" for seam allowance. The length is up to you. I didn't need this curtain to do much since we have blinds behind it to block light so I cut the fabric to be about 3/4 of the height of the window.

For the main curtain I cut two huge squares to match my windows' measurements, one from each sheet. Then I sewed them together like huge throw pillow, turned it right side out and closed up the gap.

Super simple, right?

Next is the ties. Since I knew that the striped fabric would be facing out I cut the ties out of the contrasting green fabric. They were 2' wide and super long...about 24" longer than the curtain. This was on purpose so I could trim them later if need be.

To get two bows on the final curtain you will need 4 ties, which means 8 strips of fabric.

Sew them together in pairs and turn right side out. You'll want to iron them flat so they lay flat on the curtain.

Now it's time to assemble the curtain. My goal was to have about a 4" strip of the green fabric showing at the top of the curtain, and the ties coming out of that. So I laid the curtain on the floor and folded down the top about 4".

I tucked all 4 of the ties under the fold and pinned everything in place. This will mean that two of the ties will loop up over the curtain rod and come back down the back side of the curtain to create the ties. If you don't like this look you can attach the back pair of ties to the back of the curtain when you sew them on.

Once I had all the pins in place I ran one long straight seam across the entire width of the curtain, making sure to catch all 4 of the ties.

And that's pretty much it. The loop at the top of the curtain that allows the green fabric to show also created the pocket I needed to hang up the curtain.

Once the curtain is hung up you simply gather the fabric and use the ties to tie the curtain to the right length. Of course, you can let out the ties at any time to fully cover the window, or raise them up to let in more light.

I will be linking up to as many of these awesome Linky Parties as I can

Linky Parties

Hand Towel Seat Belt Covers

2010-09-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

Today's post is a great project that my sister thought up to help solve a very annoying problem...and I know you will all love it!

Hi everyone, I'm Kathryn's sister, Stephanie, and I thought of making a seat belt cover from a hand towel that can help avoid getting your seat belt sweaty after a great workout (especially Bikram yoga!) or after getting caught in the rain.

Supplies you’ll need:

- 1 hand towel (makes two seat belt covers)

- 1 package of 36” sewable Velcro

- scissors

- thread

- sewing machine

Instructions:

So, I’m making two sets, one for me and one for friend I do yoga with. I bought two 2-packs of hand towels at Wal-mart for $3 each. I liked them since they had the corresponding stripes down each end and that is where I’ll make the cover. I like the use of hand towels since there are lots of nice, finished edges. I’ll be making two seat belt covers that are 16” long since I’m using the width of the small edge of the towel, along the stripes. So that means I am only spending $1.50 in each set...what a great frugal gift idea!

First, cut the hand towel in half along the short length.

Cut each piece of Velcro in half, leaving approx. a 15” length. Place one of the halves of the Velcro (I did the Velcro hook side first) towards the finished edge of each half of the towel. I centered it on the width and just behind the finished edge, about 1” from the bottom of the towel.

Sew down the Velcro tape using a sewing machine. I used white thread for the top thread and blue for the bobbin so that it was as hidden as possible.

(Don't you love the Sewing Machine Pin Cushion she has on her machine? If you'd like one click here)

For the next part, you need to choose the finished width of the cover that you’d like and sew the finished edge. Standard seat belts are 2” wide, so I was shooting for 2.5” to allow for seams on each fold later on.

Fold over the seat cover to the desired width to determine where you should trim the extra. I measured 2.5” from the final fold and marked it with a pin. I think I measured an additional 1” for seam allowance. The pins are in the picture at 2.5” and 3.5” pins. I did this on both ends and then cut off the raw edge at the second pin.

After trimming the raw edge, turn up the edge 0.5” twice and pin it in place. Then, sew it in place to create a hem. I switched the top thread to blue to hide the seams.

Then, place the second piece of Velcro tape (make sure it’s the opposite type!) just inside the seam you just sewed. I placed mine as close as possible to the new seam and I folded it over to ensure that the Velcro parts line up to make a 2.5” wide tube. The hem is pretty thick (3 thicknesses of terry cloth), so you’ll probably have to offset it a bit from the hem to allow you to sew around the Velcro tape. Pin the Velcro tape and sew it down like the first strip. I switched back to white as the top thread to hide the seams.

Finally, there is just one step left. I decided to sew two extra seams on each cover to help stabilize the tri-fold of each cover. I sewed in about 3/8” on each edge with a single straight seam so that the cover would always fold to the same place no matter how many times you put it on and take it off the seat belt. This wouldn’t be possible if I hadn’t made it 2.5” wide in the first place.

Once all your velcro is on and your folds are sewn your seat belt cover is all done! Here are the two sets I made, one blue and one red.

Here are my new seat belt covers in action!

I hope you all like my sister's project...and that it will help all the exercisers out there protect those seat belts!

Featured Projects

2010-09-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

(Sorry I have not posted in for ever! We were in St. Louis for a week over the Labor day holiday...and I came home to a killer cold. I'm still a little under the weather...but I promise I will get back on ball soon!)

I wanted to post a special thank you to some of the amazing blogs out there that have featured my projects.

First, my Drum Light Shade was featured on:

504 Main

Someday Crafts

And, my Pillowcase Shopping Tote was featured on:

Women Who Do It All

Thank you all SOOOOOOO much for featuring my projects! It really gives me motivation to make more and more creative projects to share with the blogosphere!

Scrapbook paper 3D wall art

2010-08-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of ideas out there on how to use scrapbook paper in the decor of a room. I love that you can get some beautiful 12" x 12" pieces of artwork

{because let's be serious...some of those pages are closer

to art than craft supplies}

for less than a dollar! And you can buy the pre-made collections of paper and have them already perfectly coordinated for your color scheme and style. Love it!

I found a lot of projects online with multiple pieces hung in a collection...but I wanted one final piece hung in a frame. I found some good inspiration at some local stores {Hobby Lobby} and online...and here is what I made:

If you want to get the same look here are the steps I took

{sorry there aren't more pictures}:

Supplies you'll need:

-frame

-poster board (optional)

-foam core board

-paint (optional)

-scrapbook paper

-hot glue gun and glue stick

First, you'll need to decide how many panels you want and what size they will be. My frame was 16" x 20", so I choose 6 panels that are 6" x 7". Cut your paper and foam board to the same size and to the number of panels needed.

Based on the color scheme of your papers, you might want to paint the edges of the foam board. I wanted them to look like shadows, so I painted all the edges of my foam panels black.

Once the paint is dry, use the glue stick to attach the paper to the panels.

I used black poster board as my background, so I cut it to 16" x 20" and put it in the frame. You could also paint the cardboard that comes with the frame to get the right background color.

Now all you have to do is hot glue the panels onto the background and hang it up. Super easy right?

With all the scrapbook papers out there the possibilities are endless! Let those creative juices flow find the time to make some art!

Studio 13 Giveaway

2010-08-22T21:41:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! I just had to write a quick post to let you know about the first giveaway from Studio 13!

{In case you don't know...I just started an Etsy shop with my mom

called Studio 13 and it rocks!}

I am an advertiser over on Clean Mama {LOVE. THIS. BLOG} and thought that doing a giveaway on this amazing blog would be a great way to kick off the store opening.

I hope you all hop on over to check out the giveaway and leave a comment to enter!

Good Luck!

How to Make a Drum Light Shade

2010-08-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

I have a fun project today to share with all of you who are looking for a way to cover or hide a hideous light fixture. Since we are currently renting a house we are stuck with the old ugly shiny brass light fixtures that were here when we moved in. I know we can replace them easily enough…but it’s more work and expense than I want to tackle right now. We probably won’t be in this house past the year lease, so I need a DIY solution to beautify my dining room and cover the ugly ‘chandelier’.

So I did some internet shopping and decided my only hope was a drum light shade….but I’m too cheap to go buy one and recover it in the fabric I wanted. So here is my solution…a tutorial on how to make your own drum light fixture for less than $10!

Supplies you’ll need

-embroidery hoop (I used an 18” hoop from Joann’s for $5)

-fabric (I used a flat sheet I got from Goodwill for $2.50)

-ribbon or fishing line to hang it up

-large staple gun

-sewing machine & thread

-scissors

The first step is to alter the embroidery hoop. Once you know that the hoop is large enough to fit around the widest part of your light fixture, you will need to remove the two wooden blocks that are stapled to the outer hoop. There isn’t really a trick to getting these off, just go slow to make sure you don’t damage the hoop. These hoops are made with very light weight wood and will split pretty easily.

Once that blocks are removed from the outer hoop, you will need to make a cut the inner hoop. I used an Exacto knife and it took about 6 passes to get through the wood. Here is what your hoops should now look like.

To make the shade, you will need to cut a piece of fabric to fit your fixture. Measure how tall your light fixture is {making sure to cover all the ugliness!}, and measure the circumference of your hoops. This will give you the height and length of your piece of fabric. Add at least 4” to the height of your shade for seam allowances. If you want to have a gathered shade like I made you can make the length of your fabric anywhere from 1.5 to 2 times your hoop circumference. Once you have your final height and length, cut out a rectangle of fabric.

Fold and iron down 2” on the top and bottom of the long sides of the fabric. You will need to create a rod pocket at the top and bottom of the fabric for your embroidery hoops to go into. Measure the width of your hoops and add at least ¼” to make your rod pocket. The wood that these hoops are made out of will not slide easily against most fabrics, and a too small rod pocket will make it impossible to get the hoop through. {Trust me because I had to sew this seam 3 TIMES to get it right!}. Repeat these steps to make a second rod pocket on the bottom of the fabric.

Now you need to feed one hoop into each of the pockets to make the shade. I did both at the same time and inched them along to the end. The wood does not slide well against fabric, and it can take a little bit of tugging to get all the way around the hoops. I also had one side of the fabric cross the gaps in the hoops to help hold it all together. Once you have the fabric on the hoops in a way you like, use your staple gun to staple the two ends of the hoops back together. It is tricky to line them up perfectly for one staple to catch both ends of the hoops, but it’s the best way I could come up with to secure the wood hoops.

You should now have a finished drum shade…on to the installation. I used thin black satin ribbon to install my shade, but thicker ribbon or finishing line would also work. Using the staple gun, fire 4 staples into the inside of the top hoop of the shade (through the fabric). Make sure to get them right across from each other…it will help you get the shade hung up evenly. Loosen the staples just enough to thread the ribbon through and tie a piece of ribbon to two of the staples. Thread the ribbon through the chain on the light fixture and attach to the staple on the opposite side of the shade.

You could also use a much thicker ribbon and attach four pieces to the shade and create a large bow where they meet in the center. Or using fishing line to hide the installation and not draw away from the shade. Whatever works the best for your design.

Once the shade is hung up you might have to tweak it to get it level, but that’s all there is to it! A quick and cheap way to cover an ugly light fixture without making permanent changes. I’ve already got my eye on some other ugly lights in this house to cover up!

I hope this helps some of my fellow renters!

200 Followers and a Grand Opening!

2010-08-16T11:30:00.000-07:00

First of all, I have to stop and catch my breath…I have passed 200 followers! What?!?! That is so amazing! I am so glad that even one person out there likes my projects and wants to see more…let alone 204 of you! I am inspired every day by the super creative blogs I follow, and I am honored to add to this community in any way!

Now for the Grand Opening announcement…I would like to introduce everyone to Studio 13!

This Etsy shop is a long time in the making. My {super creative and talented} mom and I have wanted to get together and sell our projects for a long time. She used to sell at craft fairs and expos all the time when we were growing up, but this is our first venture into a digital storefront. We are still getting our inventory sorted out, and working on what products will go up for sale…but we are officially open for business! Here’s a sneak peak of what you can find at Studio 13:

Sewing Machine Pin Cushions

These little beauties are my pride and joy! A truly unique idea that has saved me so much stress while sewing! You will never have to deal with trying to find the best spot for your pins, and moving a pin cushion around your machine as you sew. With a Sewing Machine Pin Cushion tied to your machine your pins will be right by your side every step of the way!

Handmade Greeting Cards

{My mom is amazing!} She has made some of the most amazing custom greeting cards you will ever see! And for about half of what a greeting card costs from the big stores you can’t go wrong with one {or a dozen} of these beauties.

Wine Cork Trivets

This design is a favorite of mine, and would look great in anyone’s kitchen. No two trivets are the same, and are perfect for a wedding gift or hostess gift.

Felt Applique Pillows

These pillow slip covers are each hand cut and sewn for a truly unique look. All of the pillow slip covers are the standard 18' x 18" size so you can use them on your existing throw pillows for a quick decor update. And if you see a design you like, but want different colors, please don't hesitate to ask for a custom order!

We are also working on some baby/kid items and will have those listed soon!

I am really excited for this new adventure...and I hope you all like what you see!

Featured Projects

2010-08-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

It was another exciting week for I Can Find The Time! Three of my projects were featured on some really amazing blogs...

My DIY Matchbook Notepads were featured on

And my favorite project, the Growth Chart I made for my daughter, was featured on

And my quick tutorial on making a Shopping Tote from a Pillowcase was featured on

Thank you very much to all these great blogs for featuring my projects!

Make a Large Shopping Tote from a Pillowcase

2010-08-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick tutorial on how to re-purposed some of those old pillow cases into a large shopping tote.

Or if you are like me and your regular sheets aren't the most fun fabrics head on over to Goodwill to look for bright and fun pillowcases to make into a large tote.

(Here's a tip: Sheets/pillowcases are really just huge pieces of fabric that can be used for tons of sewing projects. Next time you see a bright colorful sheet set think about how it might look as drapes, or throw pillow, or even a custom shower curtain. The possibilities are endless, and the price/yard is usually a great deal!)

Supplies you'll need:

- 1 pillow case (regular or queen)

-seam ripper
-scissors

- sewing machine

You'll start by ripping out both side seams and the end seam if necessary. All the pillow cases I own are really just one piece of long fabric folded in half so there probably won't be a third seam at the bottom to rip out.

After the side seams are ripped out fold the fabric back in half and lay it flat on the table. You will make two cuts here. The first is to cut the fabric in half along the fold at the bottom. And a second cut diagonally through the rectangular pieces. To do this you will need to cut diagonally from the lower right corner to the upper left corner. After both of these cuts are done you should have 4 right angle triangle shaped pieces of fabric.

Here is what the pieces will look like after one has been flipped upside down to show the shape of the tote.

Next step is to iron and sew a hem on the angled edge of all 4 pieces.

Once the seam is done you will need to sew two of the triangles together in the layout above to form one side of the bag. Sew along the angled edge, following your seam as a guide. Repeat this step with the other 2 triangle pieces. You can see where my pins are above to follow the seam.

Now you will need to sew the front and back of the bag together. Line up each piece with the right sides together and sew the two side seams and the bottom seam to form the bag.

Once the front and back are sewn together you can stop here, or add box pleat corners like I did. Adding box pleats is super easy and I like the squared off look it gives this large tote.

To make box pleat corners you will need to sew one seam in each corner perpendicular to the seam that made the bottom of the bag. The length of the seam is up to you, but I used 3" as my guide for this project.

Once the box pleats are done all you need to do is turn the bag right side out and tie the two sides together for the strap.

And that's all there is to it. A few cuts and sewing a few seams and you have a reusable (and cute) large shopping tote.

I hope you can find the time to make one!

Blog Swap with Sumo's Sweet Stuff

2010-07-30T07:19:00.000-07:00

Today is a very special day here at I Can Find The Time...my first blog swap! And how lucky am I to be swapping with Summer from Sumo's Sweet Stuff?!?! Crazy, I know! She has such a great blog and is a real inspiration to me! I hope you check out all her great projects!

Hello everyone!

I'm so excited to be guest posting over here today!

I'm Sumo, from Sumo's Sweet Stuff!

My real name is Summer, but my husband nicknamed me Sumo when we were dating. (Should I be offended?) Now he's got all of my family, as well as lots of our friends, calling me Sumo. I think Aunt Sumo sounds pretty great, don't you? I live in Utah with my husband, and our two beautiful daughters - Reece and Remi!

Growing up, I never used to be all that domestic or crafty, so I think no one is more surprised than my mom at how I've ended up where I am today! I started Sumo's Sweet Stuff last May as a place to keep some of my crafting projects so that my personal blog wasn't overrun with them. Somehow, that developed into a place to host giveaways, share tutorials, share recipes, and feature fellow bloggers' ideas and blogs! I also use my blog to promote my etsy shop, so if you're ever in the market for some baby girl accessories, come on over! Every Monday is Market Yourself Monday, where you can link up your latest projects, and visit other blogs to get some inspiration!

Here's a little peek at some of the things you can find on my blog:

Zipper Flower Tutorial

Easy (and tasty!) Bon Bons

Feather Wreath

Chalkboard Block

Seasonal Wood Board

Three Tiered Shirts
T-Shirt Dress
Fabric/Elastic Headbands
You can find something every day of the week at Sumo's Sweet Stuff:

Market Yourself Monday

Tutorial Tuesday

Mouth-Watering Wednesday

Things to Try Thursday

Feature Friday

Showcase Saturday

Sponsor Sunday

I also am involved in a joint blogging venture - Win, Lose or Blog. If you aren't following already, you should get on over there and do so! We have a lot of great sponsors, and not all of the prizes donated are going to the contestants - they are also going to people who comment! Plus it's just nice to cheer for those lovely ladies. We're also starting to do some giveaways, so what's not to love? We'll be doing more seasons as well, so if you think you want to participate, you may get that chance in the future!

Thanks again for having me! I hope to see you all over at Sumo's Sweet Stuff soon!

How to make a Personalized Growth Chart

2010-07-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

I am so happy to finally share with all of you one of my all time favorite projects. This project is a big part of why I decided to start my own blog...it really made me feel like I had something unique and special to share with the world. I want to show you how easy it can be to make a truly one of kind gift for your children....

a Growth Chart!

I used to love being measured as a child, and comparing the marks with my siblings and parents. Maybe it’s because we are all so tall (my sister and I are both 6’ tall), but I’m excited for my children to relive all those fun days we had with a pencil in the laundry room. There will be one major change though, this growth chart will be hung on the wall, and can be moved into a new house at any time. No more cutting out drywall, or worse: crying on moving day from leaving behind growth charts written right on the wall!

(Yes, you are seeing that correctly. My 17 month old is already around 2' 9" tall!)

Since I finished this project before my blog existed I don't have a lot of good pictures to share with you of the step by step process, but I will sum it up here with any tips I learned along the way.

Supplies you'll need:

-a long and thin piece of wood. I used an 11" x 48" piece of unfinished pine from the hardware store. It was only about $7 and was lighter than the white finished shelving pieces I also considered. Check out the scrap bin for even cheaper options.

-wood cutouts to spell your child's name (not required, you could always paint the letters on. I got my 4" white letters from Michael's for $2 each)

-paint and brushes

-ribbon to hang it with

-other wood cutouts to match your theme (also not required)

The first step should be drilling the holes for the ribbon to hang the growth chart. I did not do this until after Meredith's chart was painted and the drill caused a few splinters and the paint lifted off. You definitely want to do this first!

There are an unlimited number of designs and patterns that you can use to paint your growth chart. Any google image search will give you lots of options for children's themes. To paint the board, I needed three white base coats to cover the wood grain, and then two coats of blue for the sky. Next I added some simple green hills at the bottom, and some clouds at the top. A very simple background so the name and decorations will stand out.

For the letters, wanted a bright and eclectic look to her name, so I opted to paint each letter a different pattern using bright pinks and greens. This kept the look somewhat uniform, while adding a lot of charm and whimsy. And if you do a quick Google image search for painted wood letters you will get TONS of ideas on patterns and designs to paint on your letters.

(Can you tell how much I love Google images?)

Here are some close ups of Meredith's letters...feel free to copy any of the patterns I used.

Once the letters are painted you can attach them to the background. I used a piece of blue painter’s tape to make sure the letters were straight and attached them using hot glue.

Once the letters are on, you can finish the rest of the chart. I added some 3-D flowers and butterflies painted to match the color scheme of the letters. These were less than a dollar from Michael's, and come in various shapes and sizes. I also painted one large flower right on the board.

When the background is all done, you’ll need to add the ‘ruler’ for the measurements. Since I am expecting my daughter to come in at least 6’ tall…I used 6’2” as the tallest height on the chart and went down from there. I only added numbers next to the foot increments, but you can label every inch if you’d like.

When the chart is all painted, spray it with a few coats of clear coat to seal the paint.

That's all there is too it! One piece of wood and some paint and you can make a very special gift for a very special child in your life!

You just have to find the time!

How to turn anything into a Wristlet

2010-07-20T21:23:00.000-07:00

I have a confession. I am addicted to deals!

I have been on a 'Junking' bender these last few weeks to try to finish decorating this new house. I am constantly on Craig's List looking for the perfect console table or arm chair. I am in Goodwill every other Saturday hoping to score a deal during the 50% off sale.

Side note, if you haven't been to Goodwill on the 50% off sale day it is an experience. People are lined up before they open and it's a great way to get your "Black Friday" rush all year long. LOVE IT!!

And since I'm usually scouring through racks of vases, or sorting through the mirrors stacked in the corner I have found that the big purses I adore are not working out so well. Enter the wristet.

I. Love. Wristlets!

They are super functional and a great way to have everything you need with you and still use both hands to shop. Genius.

While shopping at my local Target I stumbled upon their back to school section and what would soon become my favorite wristlet. This beauty is being sold as a "multi zipper bag", but I saw potential for so much more. I love the larger than normal size, and the 3 individual compartments.
All that for only $2.50? SOLD!

So here is a quick tutorial for how you can turn any small pouch into a wrislet in no time!

Supplies you'll need:

-small pouch

-coordinating scrap fabric (around 5"x16")

-seam ripper

-sewing machine

First, cut your scrap fabric to measure 5" x 16" (or as close as possible). Fold the fabric in thirds length-wise and iron. Fold the piece into thirds again and iron again. You should now have around a 1/2" x 16" strip of fabric.

Sew the strip of fabric right down the center with a straight or decorative stitch. You can also use contrasting thread for a little more unique design.

Now that the strap is done, you'll need to attach it to the bag. I recommend adding your strap to a seam near the top of the bag. I prefer to have my strap near the zipper pulls when the zippers are closed, but you can add it to either side.

Turn the bag inside out and find the seam where you want to attach the strap. Using your seam ripper, open up the seam in the bag to the width of your strap. Thread your strap into the opening, and leave about 1/2" to 3/4" of the ends sticking out.

Resew the side seam of the pouch with the strap in it. It will probably be pretty thick, so some hand sewing may be necessary.

Turn the bag right side out and there you have it. A quick sewing project to turn the perfect zippered pouch into a functioning wristlet.

You could use this idea to turn any pencil case, small makeup bag, or even a homemade pouch into a great wristlet.

You just have to find the time to make it happen!

Featured Projects

2010-07-20T13:48:00.000-07:00

I have been very lucky to have quite a few of my projects featured on other blogs since I started I Can Find The Time…and I never really gave proper thanks for receiving such great praise. So I wanted to take a second to mention some of the amazing ladies out there who took the time to feature my projects this past week.

A HUGE thank you to Bree at My Crafty Crap for not only featuring my Sewing Machine Pin Cushion…but already making her own!! I was so excited to see her awesome orange pin cushion that I could hardly contain myself!

Simply Amazing!!!

Other great blogs who featured my Sewing Machine Pin Cushion:

My Matchbook Notepads also received some blog love from

Thank you all very much for featuring my projects…It really means a lot to me!

DIY Matchbook Notepads

2010-07-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that most of you have lots of paper scraps laying around your craft room. Some are worth keeping because they will end up in another scrapbook page, or on another handmade greeting card...but let's be honest...

Most of them never get used!

Maybe it's because the paper is too specific (Graduation Class of 2010, Silver wedding anniversary, etc.), or the scrap is too odd of a shape...or more likely because out of the million other scraps you have what are the odds you'll come back to that one? :)

So I came up with a project that anyone can do to reuse all those paper scraps...

Matchbook Notepads!

These notepads are perfect to keep in your purse, and in the glove box, and in your desk drawer, and by the phone. Or as a set they can make a special hostess or white elephant gift-exchange gift. So many uses that you won't have any problem cleaning out your scrap bin to make a few dozen!

Supplies you'll need:

- Decorative paper scraps (heavy or normal weight)

- Less pretty paper scraps (at least one blank side)

- Paper cutter or X-acto knife & ruler

- Sewing machine

Here are the paper scraps that I used from my daughter's 1st birthday party decorations...aren't the lovely?

The top 6 sheets were from an 8" by 8" paper pad, and were similar size scraps, so I decided to use them for this set of notepads. You will want to cut your scrap pieces into a rectangle that is as close to a 1:2 proportioned ratio as possible. For example, I ended up with an 8" by 3 3/4" strip of paper for each notepad.

Now that you have your outer strips you need to fold them twice to get this shape:

I always fold the short end first around 3/4" in from one end, then fold the other end of the paper to come about 1/4" inside that fold. Once you've done the first one, use it as a template for the other pieces so they all create the same size middle section.

Now that you have your outer strip folded, measure and cut between 6 and 10 individual pieces of the less pretty paper to make the stack of paper in the notepad. Again, make one to fit and use it as a template for cutting the rest. The number of pages you can add per notepad will depend on your sewing machine, so you'll have to guesstimate the first time.

Here are my inner pieces:

(a special thank you to the free notepad from the off-site conference for having such perfect orange lines and for sacrificing yourself for the good of crafting! :) )

Now you will place 6 to 10 of the inner pieces in the small fold of the outer strip of paper and sew them into place.

**What did she say?!?! You want me to sew...through paper...?!?! Yes! Don't be afraid, sewing paper is awesome! Use your normal sewing machine, with a heavy duty needle and heavy duty thread. I always loosen up and widen the stitches to make sure the tension isn't too high. You should also back stitch at both ends of the seam, just like when you're sewing fabric.**

You will want to make sure that you sew at or inside the 1/4" mark so your paper flap will line up right and not pucker when the notepad is closed.

And the best part about sewing these together is that now each sheet of paper is perfectly perforated and will tear out much more easily than if you stapled or glued them. Genius!

And that's all there is too it! You now have a great idea for using up your paper scraps and making some great Matchbook Notepads!

I hope you can find the time to make some of these!

Sewing Machine Pin Cushion

2010-07-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

I have had this idea rolling around in my head for quite some time and I finally found the time to make it.

I want to show you how to make a super easy pin cushion that attaches right to your sewing machine.

If you are like me, you always pin your fabric before sewing to make sure it won't slip or bunch as you sew. Well, I never had a convenient place to put a pin cushion so I could quickly remove the pins right before the needle went over them. I was always fiddling with the magnet 'pin cushions' and trying to get them as close to the machine as possible so I could quickly drop the pins and not loose my spot sewing.

So here is my solution...a quick tutorial on how to make a pin cushion to fit your machine that will tie right onto the arm of the machine and keep your pins close at hand.

Supplies you'll need:

-scrap pieces of fabric

-matching ribbon

You'll have to choose the shape for your pin cushion based on your sewing machine. I utilized the long flat section under the reverse button on my machine to place my pin cushion, so I cut two pieces of scrap fabric to fit that shape.

Then I measured around the arm of the machine where the pin cushion would be tied, and cut two pieces of 1/4" wide satin ribbon to a total of 1.5 times the circumference of the arm. This will allow you ample room to tie the pin cushion on to the machine.

Once you have your fabric and ribbon cut, pin the fabric right sides together, adding the ribbon to the seams. You'll want to sew about 90% of the outer seam (including over both ribbons), leaving the last inch or so open to stuff with stuffing. It's really like making a throw pillow, but a miniature version with two ribbons sticking out.

Next, you'll turn the pin cushion right side out and use your scissors to push out the corners (if you have a square shape).

Add the stuffing through the opening and fill it up as much as you can. Don't worry about putting too much stuffing in it...you can't go wrong with really stuffing it full.

Finally, some quick hand sewing to close the seam and you're all set.

In a few minutes you have a great accessory for your sewing machine that should make sewing that much easier.

I have since found out that I can also change the way my pin cushion sits and line it up on the inside of the arm. This will probably be useful if I do any really intricate sewing and need to have the pins right next to my hand.

Here is a view of the back of the machine where the pin cushion is tied...you can see how you might have to account for the power cord and on/off switch when you choose your pin cushion placement.

I hope you enjoy this project and can find the time to make your own sewing machine pin cushion!

There has to be a better way!!

2010-06-29T09:29:00.000-07:00

...To track all the *AWESOME* comments on my blog.

I'm still really new to blogging so I'm just going to throw out a big S.O.S. into the blogosphere and hope that someone can help me!

What is the best/easiest/quickest way to see my *NEW* comments?

Right now I am going to the 'Edit Post' page in Blogger and scrolling down the list of all my posts trying to remember if the post on how to make a Monogrammed Wine Cork Wall Hanging had 36 comments yesterday or 35?

If there are new comments (or if I think there are because I can't keep track of 20+ posts in my head anymore) I click on the link to the comments and scroll to the bottom to see if I recognize the last one on there.

And if I have linked up to a Meme for a certain project it gets even harder to keep track of the new comments. I'll get a dozen in one day, but I'll have to reply directly from my posts' comment stream...not fun!

I love all the comments and I want them to keep coming, but I know I'm slacking on replying to them all because I have no idea what's new and what's old.

So if anyone is out there reading this and laughing at my ignorance please throw me a line and share your infinite wisdom!

HELP!

I Can Find The Time is now on Facebook!

2010-06-22T16:03:00.000-07:00

Hello to all my lovely readers out there...I have an exciting announcement to make!

I Can Find The Time is now on Facebook!

I have had a personal FB page for a while now, but I'm really liking the great possibilities for feedback and comments for having a page dedicated to my blog. I will also post some pictures of my works-in-progress...and maybe even a few of my projects that crash and burn.

(I hope I'm not the only one who has projects that just don't turn out right and end up going right back to goodwill!)

If you are on Facebook I would love it if you'd stop by the new page HERE (or you can find the link in the sidebar) and tell me what you think!

Tour de Thrift and 100 Followers!

2010-06-20T12:47:00.000-07:00

What a crazy week this has been! We moved to a new rental house, and my MIL is in town visiting for 10 days because we have no day care. And I have to train for my next triathlon in 2 weeks. Oh, and that full time job won't go away...and the husband and kid keep insisting on eating every day and living in a clean safe house. Crazy, I know! But I had to get on Blogger and post something...I miss it! Sadly I don't have anything crafty or creative to share. Boooooooo!

I did want to share with everyone the awesome event I attended yesterday:

hosted by Aly and Ash and Cute as a Fox.

Jax and Ashley did a great job putting together this event and scoring some great swag for all of use who attended. (I'm ashamed to admit that their goody bag contains my first ever bottles of Mod Podge and Gorilla Glue...shocking I know!)

We all met up at Mimi's Cafe in Ahwatukee, AZ (yes that's how it's spelled and yes it's awesome) which was great because I just moved here 4 days ago.

Side note: the move went crazy fast and my office/craft room is in complete disarray! We got the computer up, but I am sitting on a step stool right now writing this because the chair is buried under boxes. I need to get this room in order so I can get back to my crazy long to-do list of crafts/projects! Which, by the way, has gotten a heck of a lot longer since we moved into this "all white walls" house. It really needs come TLC and style...I hope I can get it looking good ASAP!

Anyways, after a great breakfast at Mimi's we headed to the local Goodwill. We got a $5 gift card as part of our registration for the event, and it went even further than you'd expect because we showed up on their everything in the store is half off "Super Sale Saturday". I was able to score a few items that will be re-finished or re-purposed in the near future:

Two large candlesticks in need of some paint and glaze, and a coffee mug tree that is going to become my sisters new jewelry holder:

I also found four pillowcases in fun fabrics that I'm sure can be used for something super cute in the near future. Maybe a valance in my daughter's room for the pink striped one?

Plus at 50% off $1.49...who could resist?

I am so glad that I found this Goodwill near the new house...it is huge! The furniture section had some promising items, but I just couldn't fathom bring home furniture when the house is so crazy.

I'm not kidding about the mess...I feel like I'm living in an episode of Hoarders!

The Arizona Blogger's Tour de Thrift continued on to more great Goodwill stores, but I had to head home at this point to get some unpacking and organizing done. I wish I could have caravaned on with the other ladies, but maybe next time. It was such a great experience, and I got to meet some really fun ladies. I hope that Jax and Ashley plan another event soon!

I just have one more thing to add to my random post...

I hit 100 Followers!!

Of course, it happens when I'm not able to get on the computer for almost 2 days! But I'm so happy for all of you who take the time to read my blog and comment on my projects. I hope you like what I've done so far and that I am able to keep making projects that interest you!

I just need to find the time!

Trendy Treehouse Photography Contest - Smiles

2010-06-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

This weeks theme over at The Trendy Treehouse's Photography contest is "Smiles"...and boy do I have some great pictures of baby-girl smiling!

I chose to enter this picture because it's from Christmas morning and I love that you can see the Christmas tree lights in the background. So cute!

If you want to check out all the other great pictures in this weeks link party click HERE.

I Heart Faces Contest - All About Babies

2010-06-13T21:58:00.000-07:00

This week's photography contest on I Heart Faces is titled "All About Babies"...so I just had to enter. The hard part is picking which photo of baby-girl to enter. I have thousands!

I decided to go with this picture of my Mother in Law and Meredith because it's not blurry (like so many of the pictures I have from my daughter's first few months on this Earth before I got the Canon Rebel)...and it's very sweet. I really miss her being this small!

If you want to check out all the other AMAZING baby pictures cruise on over to the I Heart Faces weekly competition HERE.

Ribbon Socks featured on Craft Gossip

2010-06-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

I just found out that my Ribbon Socks tutorial has been featured on

Craft Gossip

This is an amazing website with so many projects from all over the blogger world. I have already added a few to my "When I Find The Time" to-do list!

And, I am so in love with these ribbon socks and I'm so glad that lots of other crafters are getting the chance to make them!

Yea!

Baseball String Bracelet

2010-06-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

I've got a great idea to share with all of you for a super easy and cute way to make a bracelet out of the strings of a baseball. My college girl friends and I all made these to wear when we went to games...and I still wear mine to the Diamondback's games every chance I get.

It's a great way to show your love for baseball!

Supplies you'll need:

Baseball (you can get 2 bracelets from each baseball)

Xacto knife

First you will need to cut out the stitches all the way around the baseball. It's hard to see in the picture below, but there is a tiny line tracing the stitches from where I cut the leather. Try to get your cuts as close to the stitches as possible without cutting them. But don't worry, you can always trim off any uneven parts when you're all done. You will have to apply a fair amount of pressure, and maybe even got over each line twice to cut all the way through the leather.

Once you have cut all the way around the stitches you'll need to remove the leather pieces. The leather is stuck onto the ball inside with some adhesive, so it could take a little elbow grease to get it off.

Once you take both leather pieces off you'll need to remove the strings. They will still be in once piece and should be easy to pull off.

Here's is what your baseball should look like at this point:

You won't need the ball or leather any more for this project. Locate the point on the seam where the stitching begins/ends, this is where you should cut the remaining leather. Be careful not to cut off the excess string, you'll need every inch! What you should have now is one long seam with two ends that look like this:

Find the middle of the seam and cut it in half. Each piece should be around 8 inches long. Begin unraveling the stitching at each end of the bracelet until you have about 4 inches of string unwound. This should leave about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of leather sticking out.

Cut off the excess leather without cutting the strings. You should now have two ends that look like this about about 5 inches of seam in the middle.

The best closure I found for this bracelet is simply tying the two ends into a knot each time I wear it. To do this you will need to braid each of the loose strings and secure with a knot. The strings will be gummy in the beginning from the adhesive used to attach the leather to the ball, but this will go away after you wear the bracelet a few times. You might prefer to make a loop and bead closure, or come up with something else unique.

If you notice that the leather is twisted from it's shape on the ball, don't worry. You can stretch the bracelet and gradually force it to hold a straighter shape. And as the adhesive wears off it should loosen up a bit.

You can also trim the leather at this point if they are uneven from your cuts with the Xacto knife.

And that's all there is to it! In only a few minutes you have two authentic baseball string bracelets! I love wearing mine and I hope you can find the time to make one!

My First Photography Contest

2010-06-05T15:46:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm getting into photography I seem to keep finding all these photography contests out there for non professionals to enter. Of course some are WAY out of my league...

...oh, how I dream of being in National Geographic

or Smithsonian magazine...

But I did find one contest that I just had to enter. The great company where I have my 9-5 "Day Job" puts on a yearly photography contest for all employees. And since all of us are professionals in something other than photography I figured I might even have a chance at winning! The winners in each category (there are 12 total categories) make it onto the yearly company calendar that is given out to all 1000+ employees.

Here are my entries (I did some last minute photoshop work and cropping before they were submitted that is no shown below):

Category: Children

This is my daughter on Christmas morning...need I say more?

Category: Still Life

This is a shot from the World War II American Cemetery in Normandy, France. There are over 9000 soldiers buried here.

Category: Landscape

This is a shot from a trip to the Machu Picchu ruins in Peru. To explain the scale of these awesome ruins...the 'steps' you see are actually agriculture fields for crops and are each about 6 feet tall.

(and yes, we climbed all the way to the small house at the top!)

Category: Animals

This is a shot from the St. Louis zoo...it was so hard to get one of these guys to stand still! But when they did it made for a great shot.

Wish me luck!

Girl's T-Shirt Dress

2010-06-01T21:38:00.000-07:00

We are in for a treat! I have another guest tutorial from my super talented mom! She made my daughter about 5 of these super cute (and super easy) t-shirt dresses, and I just had to get her to write this tutorial so you all can make one!

This tutorial is for these super cute t-shirt dresses I recently made for my granddaughter. I bought some t-shirts off the clearance rack (these were all $3.00 each at Kohl's) and matched each one with some cotton fabric I already had. I used the overall measurement of 17” for all the dresses I made (we measured from my granddaughter's shoulder to her knee). You can use the size of the fabric scrap as the main deciding factor for how much of the dress was t-shirt and how much was skirt, but I also let the design on the t-shirt guide me. Most of the skirts are placed 1/2 to 1 inch below the design (remember to add seam allowance before you cut the t-shirt).

Once you have the general layout in mind, use a rotary cutter to trim of the bottom of the t-shirt to the desired length. When cutting the skirt fabric, be sure to add allowance for both the seam and the hem before you cut. For the desired fullness of the skirt consider cutting your fabric so that it is 1.5 to 2 times the bottom width of the t-shirt when not stretched.

Next, I hemmed the fabric for the skirt by folding the fabric under 1/4 inch and then another 1/2". You can hem it with just a straight stitch.

I then used a gathering stitch to finish the top of the skirt.

Putting the rights sides together, I then gathered the skirt to fit the size of the t-shirt and pinned it on. Using a stretch stitch, I attached the t-shirt to the skirt. I practiced on the t-shirt scrap to ensure it would stretch enough to make it comfortable to put on a squirming one-year old!

(We actually found out the hard way that you will need more stretch than you’d think in this seam. Also, as nice as it looks, do not top stitch this seam because it will take away the stretch and make the dress near impossible to put on!)

And for a second variation on this project use a onesie instead of a t-shirt. I figured out this variation on the second set of dresses I made that using onesies for the top of the dress allowed me to make a pair of panties that are perfectly coordinated. After you cut the onesie in half just fold down the top edge of the lower half and sew a casing (again use a stretch stitch). Next, measure a piece of elastic to fit your little one’s waist and feed it through the top of the onesie. Secure with some quick stitches over the seam and you’re all done.

I hope you all have fun with this project! They are so easy and quick and make a wonderful personalized gift without much expense.

Well there you go...another great project we can all find the time for!

Monogrammed Wine Cork Wall Hanging

2010-05-25T20:41:00.000-07:00

I have one more great project to show you for using up some of your wine corks.

Although if you are like me and you've already made more than one Wine Cork Board and/or Wine Cork Trivet you are running low on wine corks! That just means it's time to open another bottle...I love it! :)

This project is much more a piece of art than a practical and useful cork board, but still a very nice effect. It's a Monogrammed Wine Cork wall hanging.

Supplies you'll need:

- wine corks (a variety of sizes and colors)

-hot glue gun

-frame

-foam board (if your frame doesn't have a back)

-knife

The first step will be to glue the back onto the frame. My frames were the $2 ones from Ikea, so the didn't come with usable backs. I substituted some foam board that I cut to the right size and painted black. Using your hot glue gun make sure to get a good seal all the way around the frame.

Then you will start laying out the letter for the monogram. You'll need to cut about 7 corks into discs if you're using an 8x10 frame. I usually get 4 discs per cork. And depending on how you lay out your letter you may need more or fewer discs. But make sure to have fun with this part, and add a lot of visual interest to the wall hanging, by using corks with logos on the ends, or that were stained by red wine. I also used a champagne cork with a star on it for the top of the "C" for another special touch.

Once you have the letter laid out, you'll need to fill in all the surrounding area with corks that have been cut in half length wise. I always try to keep the logos whole when I cut corks in half, so my wall hanging will be very busy and graphic. Unless you are squaring off the letter in your wall hanging, you will end up with a ton of usual angles that need to be filled by very rectangular corks. It's not hard to get the entire background covered...just filled in as many whole corks as you can fit first (using the best designs, or course), and then started cutting them to fit. I ended up with one row on top of the "C" that is only 1/4 of a cork, but as long as the black is mostly covered you'll get the right effect.

Once you have your frame filled in the way you like simply glue each cork down one by one. You might have to make some adjustments as you glue, so keep all your left over cork pieces handy to fill in any large gaps.

I made a second wall hanging for my brother-in-law and used a slightly larger frame. The process was the same, but I liked how I added a row of 3 cork discs to each end of the "K" in this version. I think it makes the letter look capitalized and more like a traditional monogram. I'll definitely use that technique again when I make more of these.

Of course these wall hangings could be used as cork boards, but I think they are too nice to cover up. I added picture hangers to the back of each one so they could go up anywhere the recipient has a photo grouping.

I hope you like this idea for a way to repurpose used wine corks into a custom wall hanging...and that you can find the time to make one!

Photography by Kathryn

2010-05-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

I have been slowly getting into photography these last few months...

{of course buying myself a Cannon Rebel XSi might have something to do with it…}

…and I have been debating whether or not to add some photography posts to my blog.

I like posting tutorials and how-to’s because I like to think that it can inspire people to make beautiful and fun items for their homes.

But if I can be honest…I like looking at good photographs as much as I like reading a good tutorial! So I’m going to take the plunge and start posting some of my photographs out here in the big world wide web and hopefully show you all something you haven’t seen before!

I’m going to start by using the Shutter Love weekly Link Up at Trendy Treehouse for themes on what to post and we’ll take it from there.

Today's theme at The Trendy Treehouse is Nature...and I'm going to link up this shot from a trip we took to the U.K. in 2004...

We were in St. James Park and I just loved the structure of this shot with the posts in a perfect line and all the ducks sitting on top, and the reflection highlighting the center of the shot. Not too bad, if I don't say so myself! :)

Photography is another one of those things I'd love to Find The Time to do more of...

Wine Cork Cork Boards

2010-05-11T21:00:00.000-07:00

How many of you have a bowl or jar of wine corks sitting around? Well, we have had a collection going for about 5 years and I am finally doing something with them. I have quite a few projects in the works now to repurpose my wine corks, and the first I'm going to share is two different ways to make wine cork cork boards.

Here are the supplies you'll need for either cork board:

- lots of wine corks

-unfinished wood frame (with back)

-paint or stain for the frame

-hot glue gun

-kitchen knife

The first cork board is my favorite becasue I haven't really seen anything like it out there. I started by spray painting the frame black, followed by clear coat.

While that was drying I started on the corks. I knew I wanted to use the corks laid out on their ends instead of sides, so I started cutting them into 1/4" discs. I tried a few different knives/tools to cut the corks and found that a non-serrated edge kitchen knife works the best. Be careful, because some of the corks are harder to cut and they could slip out of your fingers. I also like that using the corks in these discs allows me to use the champagne corks in my projects. Those are all the slightly larger discs you see in the board.

Once I had a large pile of corks I started laying the out in a random pattern on my frame. I mixed the real corks in with the plastic ones; and mixed in some larger champagne cork discs as well. You'll have to work with fitting them in to get as many as you can in the space. I also cut some of the discs in half to fill in the larger gaps.

Once I had the layout I liked I used hot glue to attach them one by one. Be careful not to use too much glue or it will squeeze out around the cork and look sloppy.

And there you have it...a "Disc" wine cork cork board.

The second board I made is a more popular use of wine corks...and a little easier since you don't have to cut the corks.

I started with another unfinished wood frame, painted black.

I had a harder time arranging the corks for this board, and you will find that using the same length corks for each row will help you avoid large gaps. I wanted the corks to fit as closely as possible so I fiddled with the layout a lot longer than necessary.

Once I finally found a look that I like, I again used hot glue to attach the corks to the frame. You don't have to worry as much on this project about using too much glue, since the curve of the cork is better at hiding the glue than the flat discs.

So there you go, two quick projects to help you use up all those wine corks you've been collecting.

There will be more wine cork projects up soon...if I can find the time! :)

Ribbon Socks

2010-05-05T12:40:00.000-07:00

The following post is a tutorial from my awesomely creative mom. She has made quite a few of these Ribbon socks for my daughter, and they are so cute! Pretty soon she will have one for each outfit!

A Special Thank you to Summer over at Sumo's Sweet Stuff

for featuring me on her Showcase Saturday!!

I thought I would share a great, easy and FAST baby gift idea…Ribbon Socks. I have made a bunch for my granddaughter already…and I’m sure I’ll keep making them for her through the toddler years!

Supplies you’ll need:

• A sewing machine
• Thread
• Socks
• Ribbon (not the kind with the wire in it)

I have found that beginning at the back of the sock works best. I use socks that fold down as it highlights the ruffles and gives you more room to work.

Fold the straight cut end of the ribbon under, about ¼ of an inch. Pin this starting point in place at the back of the sock. I usually pin the first inch or so, as you see above. Set your machine for a zig-zag stitch. With my machines, it works best to hold the sock stretched tightly between by thumb and finger. I start about ¼ of an inch from the end. I then stitch forward about 5 or 6 stitches and then back up to lock it in, and then move forward from there.

As I sew slowly I continue to stretch the sock and make sure the ribbon slightly overlaps the sock.

As I near the starting point, I slow down until I am about one inch from the beginning ribbon. Cut the ribbon about 1/4" to 1/3" longer that you need so that you can tuck the raw edge under. You will see I overlap both the beginning folded ribbon edge just under the ending folded ribbon edge. I sew past the end and back up again to ensure it is really secure. I then pivot the sock and sew the two edges of the ribbon together.

This project works well on solid or printed socks. If you watch the sales or shop the discount places, this is a great, inexpensive, simple and very quick gift that you can personalize. Most socks cost less than $1.25 per pair and you will need less than 2/3rds of a yard of ribbon per pair. I love the $1 bins at Target, Michaels, and Joanns for socks and ribbon!

-JoAnne

Isn't that a great project to do for the next baby shower or kids birthday you are attending! Love it!!

Painted Mirrors

2010-04-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

So we've all seen these great Malma mirrors at Ikea, right?

They are super cheap and give you lots or room for customizing...which us crafters love! I bought a bunch of these a while back and hung on to them knowing they would come in handy for later decorating projects.

Well, when we decorated our second bathroom I had it in my mind for some sort of leaf theme. I didn't want a very floral look...and I had a hard time finding the right accessories. So I took matters into my own hands and came up with a quick relief painting technique to use on 3 of the Malma mirrors that was perfect for the space.

A Special Thank you to Summer over at Sumo's Sweet Stuff
for featuring me on her Showcase Saturday!!

First you'll need to pick your color theme, and paint the background color(s) on the frame of the mirrors.

Then you'll need to cut out your shapes. I used some basic printer paper and cut out a couple different leaf shapes. You may need to make new ones as you go because the paint will begin to deteriorate the paper. If it is important that the shapes be identical, I would recommend cutting out extra at the beginning and replace as needed. Or you could go so far as buying the customizable stencils and making a real stencil.

Once your base coat is dry, hold one cutout down and dry brush in a contrasting color around the edge. You might want to practice before you go to the mirror to get the hang of how much paint to use and what technique works the best.

I overlapped the cutouts and filled in as much of the frame as possible. I also liked the look of some of the leaves being partially off the frame...as if they were all falling.

Of course this technique can be used on all sorts of projects...from scrapbook pages and card making...to painting furniture and frames. I hope you are inspired to paint something in your house!

Have fun with it!

Quilted Coasters

2010-04-19T21:42:00.000-07:00

One of my very good friends just bought her first place and I've been working on some ideas for homemade house warming gift. I have seen tons of these quilted coasters on Etsy, and I noticed it here on MarthaStewart.com, so I though I'd give it a try.

A special thanks to Jill from Women Who Do It All
for featuring me in her post on Mother's Day Gift Ideas!!

First you need some coordinating fabric

Cut out a 10" x 4.5" piece for each coaster. You'll also need a 4" square piece of batting for each coaster.

Fold each fabric strip in half and stitch down each of the sides with a 0.25" seam allowance.

Turn the square right side out.

Place the batting square inside the fabric 'sleeve' and work with it until it's lined up all the way in the bottom without any wrinkles.

Turn down the open edge, making sure one side of the fabric covers the batting.

Line up the open edges to get a perfect square and pin in place. Since I was going to do a simple square pattern with my stitching I was able to work my closure into the pattern. But I'm sure all you super creative crafters can come up with a ton of different quilting patterns for these coasters...the possibilities are endless!

And there you go...In less than 30 minutes you have found the time to make a homemade housewarming gift! I can see many more of these little beauties in my future...

UPDATE:

I will be submitting this to the CSI Projects Martha Stewart Challenge...