A Pumpkin for Toddlers

Felt Face Pumpkin

This year I wanted to get my boys involved in decorating our pumpkin.  On a recent trip to Target I found the perfect way a 2 and 3 year old could be involved and still keep it safe and super easy.  This fun little pumpkin face was only a $1 in Target's value bins.  There are several different designs, but my boys both agreed that the "Pirate" was their favorite;  I am sure in part due to the cartoon "Jake and the Never Land Pirates".

All you do is unwrap the package and stick the felt designs on.  My boys worked together, with some help, and this guy was ready in less than 30 seconds. 

To quote Michael Jackson, "Easy As":

#1

#2

#3

Simple projects like this free me up to do other fun things. Right now, I am adding the finishing touches to my boys' handmade costumes for trick or treating.   Their favorite cartoon right now is "Shaun the Sheep".  Needless to say I will have two little lambs running around this fall, post to follow.

----Laura----

Getting Organized in the Sewing Room

 A framed peg board to organize my sewing supplies

I am working to get all of my sewing materials organized.  After considering many organization methods, I decided that a peg board would be the most useful tool to help me get things organized and out of reach of my two small boys. My husband used some scrap wood to make a rustic frame for the peg board.  I painted both the frame and peg board one day while my two and three year old rode bikes (....multi-tasking mom).

 

Now I can keep my sewing tools out of my boys' reach , 

but visible and easy for me to grab.

Another handy item in this room is the new sewing table my husband made.  He just took 2"x4" boards for the table top and used plumbing pipes for the base.  To personalize the top he got the family to stamp their hand prints with different colored paint and then stencil painted our last name.  To keep the surface protected he used a thick clear glaze. This table is extra large to hold both my sewing machine and embroidery machine.  I also have plenty of room to layout and cut fabric.  This table is both functional and filled with personal sentiment...love it!

This little box with the sliding top keeps extra spools of thread handy

With the chest I painted to house my fabrics, things are really starting to shape up in this sewing/guest room.

I recovered this chair with a turquoise and white chevron fabric for a quick and easy update.

Who doesn't love getting more organized!  Has anyone else been organizing lately?

DIY Headboard and Customizing Stock Bedding

Our master bedroom is still very much a work in progress.  I would like to paint the walls and get rid of the "peach-toned" color from the previous home owner. I also want to get a rug, light/fan, and eventually replace or slip cover the stools at the foot of the bed.  With all that said and in the spirit of "working with what you've got", I am making progress in other areas.

First off, our headboard was a quick and easy DIY project that my husband and I collaborated on. 

Headboard Details:
We just used 1"x 2" wood boards (you can find these at Lowe's or Home Depot) to make a frame for the fabric and batting to stretch across. Our head board is approximately 72" wide (for our King bed) and is 36"high.  My husband also placed a 1"x 2" in the center for additional support.  We took the wood frame and then wrapped it with fabric batting (you can find this at Hancock Fabrics) and then wrapped it with the fabric.  I recommend picking a good medium weight upholstery fabric, so you don't have sagging or picking issues.   All you need is some lumber, nails or screws, and a good staple gun.  To attach the head board to the wall we used some extra heavy duty picture hooks.  The headboard and frame are so light that this works really well. 

The latest customization in this space, is the pillow covers that I just finished.  I used the same "envelope" style construction that I did for the pillows on the sofa in my family room. You can read all of the details on the "how to make an envelope pillow" post, here.  The fabric on the large pillows is "Momentum' s" Mojo, color: Cabana. The fabric on the headboard is "Momentum's" Telegram, color: Chocolate.

"Momentum" is a contract textile company that I use quite a bit on my commercial design projects.  You can see there full line of products by clicking here.

Last but not least, the pictures above the headboard were created by a past co-worker of mine.  We saw some similar prints on a trip we took to the "Neocon" trade show several years back in Chicago.  The talented, Becky O'Hatnick, then recreated the look using "Photoshop".  The prints were framed by "The Final Touch" out of Mountain City, TN.  This set of pictures was hanging in my office, but I recently decided I would enjoy these more at home.

All in all my standard cream duvet, which was a wedding present off our "Bed, Bath, and Beyond" registry (thanks Mom and Dad), is starting to feel more custom.