Hooded Denim Jacket DIY

My husband has nicknamed me the "Lazy Seamstress." Maybe I should be horrified, but when he first called me that, it made me laugh for about 2 minutes straight. Why? Because it's true. So. Terribly. True. I'm not in love with sewing or anything, but it's definitely a very necessary means to an end. I tend to avoid any sewing projects that do not involve sewing in a straight line. Why am I telling you this? I'm telling you this because I made something amazing. Something that I've had on my list of Things to Make for years. It sat on my list for years, because I wasn't sure how I was going to make it. I just knew I wanted a hooded denim vest jacket. I found plenty of tutorials, but none of them were quite what I was looking for - an easy, minimal-sewing tutorial that didn't involve taking apart the jacket. All I wanted to do was cut off the denim sleeves leaving vest portion, insert a zip-up hoodie, and then find a way to attach them. In my head it seemed easy enough, but I just couldn't figure out how to make this without over-complicating it (I'm really good at this) until I talked it over with my mom, Aka Seamstress Ninja. Guess what? It was waaay easier than I realized! Major win for the Lazy Seamstress! ;)

Supplies needed:
- zip-up hoodie
- denim jacket
- basic sewing supplies (sewing machine, scissors, thread, and pins)

Let me first give you one quick note about matching a denim jacket with a hoodie. For the best rest results, it's important to find a hoodie and denim jacket that are close in size as well as the same sized sleeve openings, near the armpit, since you have to slip the hoodie into the arm hole openings of the denim jacket. Also, make sure both the denim jacket and the hoodie are freshly washed and wrinkle free. Got it? Good.

Start out by cutting off the sleeves of the denim jacket below the seam that attaches the sleeves to the vest. Trim as close to the seams as desired, but be sure to leave the arm hole seam intact.

The hoodie that I used in this project had a bunch of stuff sewn onto the front. I felt like most of it detracted from the jacket as a whole, so I ripped out the letter seams and removed the letters from the front.

Line up the seams as best as possible

Next, insert the hoodie inside the denim vest. For best results, work on a flat surface. Button each button and zip up the hoodie. Smooth out all the wrinkles and folds and line up the side and shoulder seams of the hoodie with the seams of the vest as close as possible.

Carefully, pin the hoodie to the vest at both arm openings. This portion is not hard, but takes a little patience. Be sure that the seams from the vest and hoodie line up as closely as possible while pinning. This is truly the most important step of this project.

Once the pins have been placed on both the left and right sides of the sleeve openings, sew the vest and jacket together at the sleeve openings along the seam of the denim jacket or in between the two seams of the arm holes. I began sewing at the armpit of the vest on the backside and worked my way over the backside towards the front. Repeat the same process on the opposite arm hole.

Additional seam sewn across back for added security

Once both arm holes have be sewn, lay the hoodie/vest on a flat surface again, front facing down. Pin the backside of the vest to the hoodie along the back seam that runs across the shoulder blades. Run the pinned portion through the sewing machine for a little added security, to keep both layers together.

BAM! That's it! After I finished, I just sat there, amazed and speechless over how easy and awesome this jacket turned out. I didn't even mess up!!! (I usually end up ripping out a couple of seams on each sewing project). Ha!

Love it? Guess what? Just when you thought this project couldn't get any cooler, it does. I have one more amazing upgrade for this jacket. Click here to see how I stenciled the back. I promise you won't be disappointed :)

12 Free Printable Paper Toys

Printable Toy Fans, Unite! I've been searching the Internet high and low to find a variety of fantastic printable toys to make with my kids. The problem that I came across was that several printables came with a small price tag. I'm not against paying for things (especially if they are awesome), nor am I against those who use their amazing talent to gain an income, but I do like FREE STUFF. So, I sifted through numerous sites and found an awesome collection of 12 Free Printable Paper Toys for both girls and boys. Rejoice with me, friends!

Bird Finger Puppets from Mr. Printables

3D Paper Lizard from Skip To My Lou

Spiderman from Mini Paper Craft 

Papercraft Alphabet from Digit Prop

Elastic Powered Duck from Creative Park

Fairy Tale Dress-Up Paper Dolls from Tip Junkie

Angry Birds from Little Plastic Man

Paper Owl by Craft and Creativity

Paper Dolls from Weelife

Puppies from Paper Replika

Snake Finger Puppets from Mr. Printables

Robot from Lou Lou and Tummie

Looking for more? Joel and I have started making a nice little collection of our own. Check out the Paper Animal Rings, Silly Shape Finger Puppets, Printable Train Tracks, Jack-In-The-Box, and the Printable Roads. I also have a board on Pinterest dedicated to a large variety of printable projects. 

How to Make an Infinity Scarf

Have you ever seen The Sound of Music? Remember the part when Maria von Trapp sewed play clothes for the children out of the drapes?  The idea of turning window dressings into clothes, has always amused me. One day, while rummaging through some fabric scraps, I found a forgotten set of curtains that were given to me several years ago. The problem was that they didn't match anything, so I never hung them up. So guess what I did with them? Did you guess, "Make play clothes for your children?"  Ha! Fooled you! Well, I didn't make clothes play clothes for my boys out of drapes (that would be weird), but I did upcycle an infinity scarf from a curtain.

After I came up with this idea, I planned out each step in my head and then proceeded with the project. Little did I know that my plan was unbelievably flawed! Really and truly this shouldn't have been a difficult project, but somehow I managed to over-complicate this project by leaps and bounds. So, after ripping out the seam (probably about 10 times), several phone calls and Skype sessions with my mom (I had to ask her for help. She's like the Sewing Master), I finally figured out how to make an infinity scarf. Now, I have good news for you - it's not hard, but I had to make 934,283 mistakes before I realized this. So, now that I know the right way as well as the easy way to make this, I'll show you how to make an infinity scarf.

You will need:
- fabric (mine was 24 inches x 70 inches)
- sewing machine
- matching thread
- scissors

If you plan to use a curtain like I did, make sure to remove the back panel of the curtain.

Fold the fabric in half lengthwise (the longer side) so that the backside of the fabric faces outwards. Pin and sew the long sides closed using a straight stitch to create a long "tube". Pull the fabric tube right-side-out.

Bring the two un-sewn ends together, making sure that the seam from both ends line up. Fold approximately 2 inches of the edge of Side B inside the tube. (tip - I had to iron the fold to keep the fabric in place). Slip the end of Side A (unfolded) into Side B and pin together, leaving an opening of approximately 5 inches (or more, if needed.)

Sew the ends together as far as possible. You won't be able to connect the entire circle using a sewing machine. Hand stitch the remainder to close the opening.

That's it friends! Now, go and make one!

Onesie Decorating with a Stencil - There's A Nap For That

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen this photo pop up recently. We painted onesies for the mother-to-be at a friend's baby shower recently. Yeah, I know: genius! Why didn't we think of doing this sooner??? So anyway, after scrolling through Pinterest to gain a little inspiration, I came across the phrase, "There's A Nap For That." "How perfect is that?" I thought. And so, I painted a onesie with that phrase, and added a thunder cloud and a lightning bolt. I loved it so much, I decided that I REALLY needed one of these for my own munchkin. So, I put together a stencil pattern in Silhouette Studio (the program that came with my Silhouette Cameo) and had the Cameo cut it out using freezer paper. Super easy. Do you want to make one too? Awesome. I knew you did. Wait, you don't own a Silhouette? No worries. I've also included a way to make this hysterical onsie without a Silhouette, too. See? I've got you covered.

Oh wait, did you guys even know that I have a Silhouette? I do! You want to hear the terrible part? We bought it about two and half years ago, but I haven't used until a couple of weeks ago. Gasp! I know! The reason I hadn't used it until recently was due to the fact that it was purchased about a month prior to the day Cheese was born. I had serious pregnancy brain back then and there was no way I could think about anything creative. Yeah, so my husband used it a couple of times to create a couple geeky role playing games and it got set aside until recently. Such a sad story, but the good part is we are back in Silhouette business now! Woo hoo!

Supplies needed:
- onesie
- fabric paint or acrylic paint (I used acrylic)
- sponge brush
- freezer paper (one 8" x 8" square)
- Silhouette (or printer, exacto knife, and cutting mat/board)
- iron

Ok, friends, you have two ways to make this: with a Silhouette or with just a Printer. Obviously, if you don't have a Silhoutte, you should go for the printer option.

If using a Silhouette, download this file. Place the sheet of freezer paper onto the cutting mat, shiny side up. Cut the freezer paper using the Silhouette. Carefully peel the freezer paper stencil off the cutting mat, making sure not to tear the freezer paper.

If using a printer, download this PDF and print it. Tape the printed template onto a cutting mat, place the freezer paper (shiny side down) over the printed template and tape it down as well. Using an exacto knife, cut around the printed letters and shapes to create a freezer paper stencil.

Ok. So, at this point, you should have a super awesome freezer paper stencil that was either cut with the Silhouette or by hand. It should look like the one in the photo above. Cut the cloud, lightning, and letters into three separate sections.

Arrange the letters and cloud freezer paper stencils (shiny side down) on top of the onesie and iron with dry medium heat until the freezer paper adheres to the fabric. Be sure to iron over all the corners and small cuts. (Side note: I hate small intricate details, so I chose not to use the center cut outs for letters the R, A, P, and O. However, if you prefer to use the center cut outs for the letters, go for it and iron those on! P.S. I admire your patience!!)

Place a piece of cardboard inside the onesie, underneath the stencil area, to prevent the paint from bleeding through onto the backside. (I didn't actually do this, because I forgot. I totally lucked out because the onesie fabric was thick enough to not allow paint to bleed through.)

Using the foam brush, paint a thin and even layer over the letters and cloud in an up-down motion. (Side-to-side motions tend to make the paint seep underneath the stencil.) Avoid painting a thick layer of paint over the stenciled areas. Leave the stencil on the fabric and allow to dry. Add additional coats, if needed.

Once the paint is completely dry, gently and slowly peel the stencil  freezer paper off the fabric. Press your fingers on the the painted shapes and letters as you peel the stencil from the fabric to prevent the paint from peeling up, also.

Gently iron the lightning bolt freezer paper stencil to overlap at the bottom of the cloud. Paint the lightning bolt and allow to dry completely before removing the stencil from the fabric.

So much fun, right? I had a ridiculous amount of fun making this onesie. I could hardly wait until the next day to put it on Cheese!

P.S. If you don't have a Silhouette Cameo, but you'd like to get in on the stencil-creating fun, Amazon has a great deal on a Starter Kit Bundle for under $300!  This awesome tool can be used to create custom vinyl wall clings, cool printables for the kids and you can even swap the blade out for really awesome glitter pens and stuff to make super-creative crafts.

Please remember that you're free to use the ideas and materials in this blog for your personal use, but not for commercial use.

Turn a Beanie into an iPad/Android Case in 30 minutes or less

So, let's talk about iPads. Wait...you don't have an iPad? Oh right, you're on the Android team. It's cool. We don't discriminate in this house. We use both Mac and Android devices. Joel has an iPhone and an Android tablet. I have an Android phone and an iPad mini. The boys inherited the first generation iPad. (Don't tell them that it belongs to them, we haven't disclosed this information to them. They still think it's mine. Ha ha!) We just can't choose a side in this house! It's crazy, but we are ok with this impartiality. Anyway, so last month my awesome husband gave me an iPad mini (!!!!) for Valentine's Day. Yeah, I was unbelievably excited to have my very own iPad all to myself - no more sharing the iPad sharing with the Preschool Patrol. So, one of the first thoughts I had after I got my iPad was, "Oh wait, I don't have a case for it! I can make one!!" This realization was followed by feelings of excitement. Oh yes, I was definitely excited.

After sifting through several items, I realized one of the easiest ways to make an iPad case is to make it from an unused beanie. (Yeah, I have more than one unused beanie. Remember the beanie that I embellished with pearl beads?) So, today I'm excited to show you how I made case for my iPad and how unbelievably quick and easy it was. I'm talking 30-minutes-quick. You should definitely make one yourself, as well. Also, here's an added bonus: this beanie will probably end up getting far more use as an iPad (or Android) case than actually wearing it as a hat. You only wear it a couple months out of the year anyway, right? Score! So, are you ready to make one? Let's do it!

You will need:

- beanie

- twine

- 5 buttons

- needle

- thread

- chalk (or washable pen)

- star shaped cookie cutter

- scissors

- pins

- sewing machine (optional)

Start out by turning the beanie inside out. Lay the tablet on top and centered on the beanie. 

Mark an outline onto the beanie with chalk around the tablet. Pin around the chalk path. 

Sew along the chalk paths and cut off the excess fabric. 

Stitch two buttons at the top of the case, on both sides of the opening. Cut two strands of twine, each approximately 6 inches long. Tie each strand between the buttons and the case on the back side. 

Lay a star-shaped cookie cutter on top of the front of the case and trace along the edges with chalk. 

Cut a strand of twine long enough to fit around the outline of the cookie cutter. Stitch the twine onto the outline traced onto the front of the case. (Obviously, I did not follow the exact outline of cookie cutter, but the important thing is stay as close to the corners of the outline as possible.) Finally, sew a button onto the center of the star. 

Unbelievably easy, right? Quick, look at the clock. It took you less than 30 minutes to make this, didn't it? Well, if it didn't, you should definitely blame it on the kids. ;)

How To Make a Lightning Bolt Shirt with Transfer Paper

Greetings, my crafty-loving friends! Want to make something for your kids today? Quick and easy? How about a shirt with an iron-on design? Yes? Ok, good. I'm glad you said, yes, because I really wanted to show you what I made for my preschooler. A couple of months ago, I was watching the movie Meet The Robinsons with Mac. Have you guys seen that movie? Love that movie. While we were watching it, Mac noticed Wilbur Robinson's lightning bolt T-shirt (the son of Lewis) and asked me to make a shirt like that for him. Well, of course I had to oblige!

Wilbur has the black shirt on

source

You will need:

- Ink Jet Hand Iron Transfer Paper for Dark Fabrics

- black t-shirt (Hobby Lobby sells them for about $3)

- iron

- ink jet printer (not a laser printer)

- this lightning bolt PDF

Before we begin, there's a couple of things I need to let you know about making the lightning bolt shirt. First of all, make sure to use transfer paper for dark fabrics, if you plan to iron the image onto a dark shirt. The image will not show up correctly if regular transfer paper is used. Got it? Ok, good. Next thing - this project can only be done with an ink jet printer. For real. So, if you have a laser printer, like we do, I recommend finding a friend with an ink jet printer and using theirs to print the image onto the transfer paper. Ink Jet transfer paper will not work with a laser printer. It will melt inside. So don't do it! Laser printer transfer paper is available on Amazon, BUT in order to get the image to adhere onto fabric, a super fancy and expensive ($200) heat press machine is needed. Irons will not work. Frustrating, I know. Because of this, I recommend finding a friend with an ink jet printer, like I did. (I have nice friends.)

Due to copyright issues, I chose to vary the lightning bolt slightly from Wilbur's shirt

To make this fun shirt, print the Lightning Bolt PDF onto a sheet of transfer paper, cut out the image, and iron it onto a clean (duh), pre-washed t-shirt. Be sure to read and follow the ironing instructions from the transfer paper package closely. Usually, the shirt needs to be washed and dried again after adhering the image onto the shirt before wearing, but you need to wait 24 hours after transferring the image before washing it. Crazy, right? Anyway, following the instructions for image transferring is important, but the results are well worth the small amount of effort it takes. 

And now, my friends, you have a super awesome shirt for your kids. This usually results in feelings of shock and awe from the children after they have realized that you have made this for them....all by yourself...well, maybe...

Ha ha!