My Adorable Niece Modeling the Bloom Band

Look at my adorable niece wearing the Bloom Band I made her!!

She is just the most precious baby I've ever seen! 

And doesn't the Bloom Band look so good on her? 

I just cannot stop staring at the top photo! I think I open that photo on my computer about 10 times (probably more) a day and just gaze at her adorable-ness! Goodness, why does living so far away have to be so hard!!!??? 

She's a MUCH better model than a teddy bear or balloon!! 

Just added my first Bloom Baby Band to the shop today!

Hope to add more soon. I'm slow at getting things into the shop, I know!  

Cut Myself Bangs..

 Yep, tried the bangs thing again.. Not sure why I get in those moods and actually chop them. I usually regret it later... hopefully I can learn to work with them and not get fed up and just bobby pin them back all the time! 

Here's a photo before any hair destruction...

And here's the new... 

It'll just take some getting used to.. :)

Headband Challenge

This week I decided to take the headband challenge of Little Miss Momma. And that was to wear a headband every day this week. I thought that would be simple and fun :) 

So here's my week of headband wearing.

Day 1- Friday

I made this headband :) Simple and cute. Hubby and I went out with some friends from church to take some walks around some new places we hadn't seen before. Then came back to their place for a BBQ.

Day 2- Saturday
Went out to check up on a few job applications- not hiring :( Praying that the Lord opens up just the right job for me. We're planning on Christmas with my family in California, and it will be 2 years since I last saw them all! So we're hoping and praying I can find a job so we'll be able to make it out there!
I made this headband following Mandy's crochet headband tutorial. .. Mine didn't turn out as adorable as hers are!




Day 3- Sunday
I hate when my hair decides to be rebellious and unmanageable on church mornings. Is it just me, or does anyone else have bad days all starting because of their hair not cooperating?? I felt like such a grump sitting in church! Anyway..Well, guess what? I made this headband too- yesterday :) I don't really have a wide or large selection of headbands! I need LOTS more. But I found a tutorial on how to make fabric Yo Yo's. So easy and quick to dress up a little stretchy band!

Day 4- Monday
Finally I worked on my headboard makeover today! I'm such a procrastinator.. I shoved it in the car and drove the 2 minutes to Hubby's parents' to use their backyard for spray painting while they're away on vacation. It was such a beautiful day out! I hardly ever spend much time outside these days. Okay so.. I made this headband too.. months ago and never wear it. I'm running out of headbands for this challenge! .. Did I say already that I need a few more?? :) I guess I gotta get a little more creative for the rest of the week.

Day 5- Tuesday 
Hubby and I went to his parents' and stole some frozen blueberries to make blueberry muffins! YUM.
I made this headband too.. last month or so, just trying out my crochet. I didn't really like it after I made it, buuuut I needed another headband to wear this week and I think it actually looks alright. 

Day 6- Wednesday 
Tried something new with my hair... and I'm not really sure what to think about it.
I followed this braided updo tutorial, and now that I look back at the tutorial I realize I didn't do it right! I braided ALL my hair into two braids, she only does half her hair. Oops.. After doing my hair I realized the braids kind of make a headband look, so I wore my headband at the top of my forehead which I never do. I think I look strange. Not sure if it's the hairdo or the band! (these stretchy bands are so stinking tight, they hurt!)

Day 7- Thursday 
Yes, the last day of this challenge! I realize I don't wear my headbands like all the new trendy ways, and that my headband wearing is not exactly amazing, but just wearing a headband every day was a challenge and it made me feel a little more put together.
P.s... I made this headband too :)

Fabric covered button bobby pins and a button how-to

Recently I purchased some bobby pin blanks on Etsy, so the other day I made a few cute bobby pins with my fabric covered buttons.

Aren't they the cutest little things? 

I've been wanting to make some of these for awhile. These ones I made up for myself, but I'd love to make some sets for my shop.

They're so easy and fun to make. 

All you have to do is glue the fabric covered button right to the bobby pin blank. 

{I use E6000 glue}

How to Make a Fabric Covered Button

If you've never made fabric covered buttons, you don't know what you're missing! Here's a quick how-to for making fabric covered buttons. 

1. Outer button shell and the backing (there are flat backs or pronged backs for sewing onto things. If you have pronged buttons, just pull it off with some pliers)

2. Most kits come with these two pieces- the base and the little blue topper. Not sure what to call them! (you can find the kits at Walmart, or fabric stores and probably Michael's). 

3. The backs of the kit boxes usually have a circle chart. Cut out the right size you need for your button. And then trace your circle onto your fabric. Your circle will be bigger than your button. 

4. Place your fabric centered on top of rubber base along with the top of the button. Make sure it's centered.

5. Push the button shell down inside the base. 

6. With your finger nail, tuck the fabric down inside along the button shell.

7. Place the button backing on top

8. Take the blue thing and give a good push down on the backing until you feel a little click.

Then pop out the button and there you go!

Ready for embellishing anything you want!

I LOOOOOOVE fabric covered buttons! They are so much fun!

Crochet and Felt Hair Accessories

This past week I have been in this mad mood to make stuff. Do you ever just want to craft and make something, anything, but you feel stumped?? .. Does this even make sense? I get that way sometimes-- feeling stumped, not not making sense! I've been craving felt crafts, so I tried out a few little things. 

Little hairbows. The three bottom ones are my favorite style that I tried. To make those, I cut little rectangle felt pieces, then another little thin strip for the middle piece, and just hot glue the little piece around after squishing the middle of the rectangle together. (The top two bows are totally different and didn't really turn out so well!) 

I'd like to use the bottom ones for cute hair accessories. Like attaching them to skinny headbands or bobby pins. 

I think the simplicity of these little bows make them just so cute! 

I also made some little felt flowers pins too. 

To make these, I cut little imperfect circles out of the felt. Then to get the slight curled edges of the petals I held each petal over the heat of the flame (not too close!). This part is really cool! The photo below shows me holding the whole flower, but that was just to take the picture :) I did the petals individually AND I used my tweezers to hold the petal while melting the edges. After the edges are done, I took some white sewing thread and sewed the petals together in the middle and then sewed on a pearl bead.

They make for simple and dainty hair accessories too :) 

I cut a little circle of felt and cut a TINY little hole in it to slip the bobby pin through and then hot glued it down to the back of the clip.

I also worked on some new crochet flowers too!! 

I found a new pattern that I LOVE so I made a bunch up. 

 I recently  bought a pack of 100 fabric covered button blanks on etsy, so I made up some buttons to go with the flowers. I found a few fabric fat quarters the other day at the fabric store. I love going through the piles of fat quarters they have! I found the pink with white polka dots fabric there- I love how it looks with the white flower! These flowers are quite larger than the other little hair clips I make. About 4 inches in diameter.

I used a piece of felt for the back, by cutting a little slice in it for the top of the alligator clip to go through, then glued it down. I had to place the clip where it's at because of the type of crochet flower this is. Putting in the middle would show the clip through the petal holes, and it would also be a little too deep for the clip. If anyone has any better ideas for the placement of the clips, please share!

These big flowers could also clip onto purses, scarves or even used as brooch pins on shirts.

 So this was my fun for the week! 

{I also started on my headboard makeover this week, but another post specifically for that when it's finished!}

I added the large crochet flower clips to my etsy shop, along with a couple pairs of little crochet clips too!

Picture frame to Hair clip holder

For my cute little hair clippies, I thought I would make something to keep them together and displayed pretty.

Used acrylic paint first, then spray painted my 5x7 frame for a more even look. I couldn't get in all the cracks of the frame's design that great with my sponge brush.

Hot glued skinny black ribbon to the back sides of the frame, and then pulled the ribbon across the front side and glued it on the back of the other side (hope that makes sense). The ribbon is so skinny, so I used two pieces of ribbon on each line to make them wider just a little bit.

Dumped out my button collection and picked out little black buttons.. 

and glued them onto the ribbons to use as dividers for the hair clips. Why? Well.. hehe, because the clips kind of slide down the ribbon because it's so skinny. 

Ya, this is nail glue! haha! I ran out of my glue stick in the middle of this project, so I went scrummaging around for super glue, but didn't have any, and I remembered I saved this from my attempt to have pretty fake nails for Valentine's (didn't turn out so hot) ... I just knew I would probably need it for something!

See how I did the ribbon? It's on the outside and around the frame part? 

Oh ya, I cut out some scrapbook paper to fit in the frame. I picked black and white because of the striving-for colors of our master bedroom! {I've mentioned them tons of times..}

And it's all finished and ready for some hair clips!

My Hubby is so encouraging.

He said, "It looks like a prison cell."

 

He made me laugh. 

All decorated with my little homemade clippies... 

I think the only ones I've actually worn so far are the brown crocheted flowers!

I'd really like to start making up a bunch of fun hair clips to sell during the summer or fall time with another crafty friend. And I had the thought last night about making up some of these hair clip holders to sell as well.. Hair accessories and holders! Lots of fun colors! .. My mind was just going last night. 

What do YOU think???