Baby Mobile

I used an oval picture frame, an old necklace, a curtain ring clip, and a few needle felted animals to create a special mobile for our little girl.

Frame and necklace before

I removed the clip from a curtain ring clip and wrapped the ring in fabric, similar to what I did for the closet dividers. (It's the same fabric I used for the curtains.)

I also added green pom pom trim to the inside lip of the frame, to give baby something extra to look at from below.

Free Printable: Thank You Postcards

We've received so many baby gifts from our generous family and friends. Instead of purchasing a box of thank you cards, I created postcards and printed them out at home on card stock. Postcards are great because they save paper and postage. (The same reasons we opted to send Christmas postcards a couple years ago). Download a free printable pdf here!

Felt Corsage Tutorial

Supplies and Materials

Cut the following pieces out of your main felt color:

Corsage ruffle- One 3" x 9" strip
Ribbons- Two 1 1/2" x 6" strips
Corsage backing- One 3" diameter circle

Cut the following pieces out of your accent felt:

Ribbon accents: Two 1" x 6" strips
Corsage face: One 2 3/4" diameter circle

You will also need:

6 1/2" piece of pom pom trim
1 medium sized safety pin
Coordinating thread
Scissors/rotary cutter
Chalk or marking pen
Ruler
Embroidery needle and floss/sewing machine with embroidery function

Directions

1. Embroider the message of your choice onto your corsage face, either by hand or using your sewing machine.

2. Pin the pom pom trim onto the wrong side of the face, near the edge.

3. Temporarily sew in place with a basting stitch. Remove the pins and set aside.
4. Fold the corsage ruffle in half, lengthwise. If necessary, pin to hold in place. Mark off 1" increments at the top of the folded edge. Using scissors, cut 1" notches at each 1" mark.

5. Pin the ribbon accent to the ribbons, lining them up down the middle. fold in half lengthwise and make a mark 1/2" up the folded edge. Cut a v-shaped notch in the bottom, up to the 1/2" mark, through both the accent and main ribbon.

6. Topstitch the ribbon accent onto the ribbon. Match your bobbin thread to your main felt color.
7. Pin the ruffle to the outside edge of the corsage backing. Line it up so the bottom of the ruffle
notches are just inside the edge of the backing. Sandwich the ribbons in between the backing and  the ruffle, overlapping the tops of the ribbons slightly (you may need to remove a few pins, but I found it easier to pin the ruffle first, then add the ribbons).

8. Next, sew a safety pin to the back of the corsage. I placed a small piece of felt on the inside for reinforcement. You can do this by hand or with your sewing machine. I used my machine and sewed one stitch forward one stitch backward, multiple times, at three different spots along the safety pin.

9. Sew along the edge of the backing circle.
10. Pin the face to the front of the corsage, centering it within the ruffle. Stitch around the edge with a zig-zag stitch. Match your bobbin thread to your main felt color. (You could also use a straight stitch but I wanted to make sure I caught the pom pom trim in my stitch.)

11. Remove the basting stitches from the face.

I made two of these for the grandmas to be at my baby shower, but they would also be great as name tags at a party or for birthdays or bachelorette parties.

You can purchase your own custom corsage in my etsy shop!

DIY fabric drawer liner

I prettied up the inside of the changing table with fabric drawer liners. Here's the how-to if you'd like to make your own.

Materials:

Elmer's Glue
Water
Scissors
Double stick tape
Iron and ironing board
Newspaper

First you will need to stiffen the fabric. You can by premade fabric stiffener, but Elmer's glue works just as well. In a large bowl, mix equal parts glue and water. Soak your fabric in the glue mixture until it is completely coated. Ring out any excess glue mixture. Lay flat to dry. When it is nearly dry, iron out any wrinkles. Your fabric should be stiff like cardstock.

Create a template of the bottom of your drawer using newspaper. Trace your template onto the back of your fabric and cut out.

Place a piece of double stick tape in each corner of the drawer and lay the fabric on top, smoothing it out and pressing down firmly in the corners so it sticks to the tape. You can also use spray adhesive to secure it to the drawer, which is more permanent than tape. Just spray the adhesive onto the back of the fabric and smooth it out onto the bottom of the drawer.

Closet Divider Tutorial

For each closet divider you will need:

Two 4 3/4" x 6" pieces of fabric
One 3 1/2" x 5" piece of firm/extra-firm interfacing
One curtain ring clip (large enough to fit around closet rod)
One 1/2" wide strip of fabric (length depends on size of curtain ring clip)

Other supplies:

Fabric turner
scissors
Embroidery floss
Embroidery needle
Embroidery hoop
Carbon paper
Iron
Fabric glue
Thread
Marking pen

I created 8 closet dividers in the following sizes: Newborn, 0-3 m, 3-6 m, 6-9 m, 9-12 m, 18 m, 24 m, and 2t. The finished size of each divider is 3 1/2" x 5".

You can freehand the sizes onto your fabric with a marking pen before embroidering. I chose to print the sizes on a piece of paper first so I could trace them. Pin the paper template onto the right side of your fabric. I positioned mine about 3/4" in from the sides and top. Slip a piece of carbon paper in between the paper and fabric, and using a retracted mechanical pencil or pen, trace the template onto your fabric. Hand embroider- I used a backstitch.

Once you have embroidered the sizes onto the fabric you're ready to start sewing. Pin your two pieces of fabric right sides together and sew 1/2" in from the edge, leaving the bottom edge open. Clip the corners and trim excess fabric from the edges. Turn right side out and press.

Fold the interfacing slightly and insert into the opening at the bottom of your fabric. Make sure it is neatly tucked inside, then topstitch 1/4" around all four edges.

To make the curtain ring clips, simply wrap your 1/2" wide strip of fabric around the ring, overlapping the fabric slightly each time you go around. Secure with fabric glue at the start and end of the strip.

Attach your curtain ring clip to the top of your divider and it's ready to hang!

I'm going to need more hangers!

Felted Soap

Felted soap is easy and affordable to make, and makes your bar soap last longer. It's like having a washcloth and soap in one! Wool also has the added benefits of being hypoallergenic and naturally antimicrobial.

There are a ton of tutorials out there on how to make felted soap. Basically, you take a bar of soap, wrap it tightly in wool roving, dunk it in hot water and start rubbing. To begin with, you can place it inside a piece of panty hose and tie off the ends, which helps hold the wool around the soap as you felt it. The whole process takes about 25 minutes. I used lavender scented bar soap, but you could use any type of soap. I did find it a little difficult to get good coverage on the corners. After I felted my bar for a few minutes, I added more wool to the corners and continued felting.

Gum Drop Ottoman

Two nursery projects down, two more to go!

• Curtains
• Ottoman
• Crib skirt
• Changing table

I made a 24" ottoman for the nursery using Amy Butler's Gum Drop Pillow pattern. I'll have to post another picture of it next to the chair for scale, it's actually quite large. I found the pattern to be simple and straightforward. There are only two pattern pieces, the side panel and top panel. 

The fabric I used is Zig Zag Village Green/Natural by Premier Prints.

Similar ottomans sell for around $100 on etsy, but if you're willing and able to make your own you could do it for around $40, depending on the cost of your fabric. This thing requires a ton of polyfil, which adds up. I was skeptical that I would need all 120 oz of polyfil recommended in the pattern, but you really do need that much. I found the best price at Walmart, where you can get a 50 oz bag for under $9.

I closed the ottoman up with a slip stitch but you could add a zipper if you wanted the cover to be removable.  I plan to use this as a footrest while nursing, but it will also make a great floor cushion when baby girl gets older.