"We've Moved!" Announcements

Part of me still wishes that it was me saying "We've Moved!"

but alas... it is not.

My step-brother and his wife just bought their first home, though, and I'm super excited for them.

My mom, being the fabulous paper crafter that she is, made them some announcements to send out,

and they turned out super cute.

The first is one that my mom made a draft.

That's right, folks. Not only does my make cards for us

she makes multiple variations and we usually get to pick our favorites.

Anyway, this one was my vote.

It should really be noted that I had no vote... this one was just my favorite so I wanted to share. :)

You know I'm a stickler for twine.

And look! Matching envelope... so good. so good.

The second with the keys is the one that Daryl and Christie chose.

The crazy detail of the cut outs on skeleton keys is insane, trust me.

Both are so different and so great, right?

In other news, the doc says any day now for baby two to make his appearance, so I'm making no promises for frequency of posts.

I know, as if I ever do.

My Old Crib to Ben's New Toy Chest

 

 

 

 

 

I meant to write a post oh... a year ago about this transformation,

and you know... I didn't.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This turned out to be a good thing because Ben ended up breaking the thing anyway... more on that in a bit maybe.

 

 

I've written many a time about how awesomely creative my family is,

and here is yet another example.

My uncle, after hearing that I was expecting (the first time), offered to give back to me the crib that my brother and I slept in when we were babies.

And while I was tempted, it was only for sentimental reasons

as the thing is... well... old (we won't say how old).

It's been through at least 3 babies as a crib and had definitely seen better days.

Not to mention my uncle lives in GA. I live in PA. Shipping the thing to me didn't seem worth it.

 

So I moved on, my mom bought Ben his nursery furniture. Done and done.

Broken but not for long!

 

 

 

 

 

Then I get this toy chest in the mail.

My uncle turned (half of) my old crib into a toy chest.

He did the hard work,

and I put it together when it arrived at our house.

 

 

 

 

 

Clearly I didn't do a good job, because once Ben was climbing all over everything, it broke.

In a number of ways.

So while I've been getting prepped for baby number two,

I decided this thing must come back to life.



After first coat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wood glue,

some reinforcing screws,

some paint,

and we were back in business.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't usually paint wooden things, and in some cases am adamently against it.

However, this had so many scratches and teeth marks, it really had to be done.

 

 

Apple/ Fire Engine Red. Always a winner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the most part, you can see how it went from crib to toy chest above there.

I'm thinking that you could hypothetically squeeze two chests from one crib.

 

The bottom and the top are pieces of plywood.

 

The top, I upholstered with some 1 inch foam, batting, and coordinating fabric.

And added a handle with cotton strapping material.

 

 

Cute, yes?

And always nice to hide the ugly and obnoxious toys away.

We love it.

:)

Nursery Bedding Project [Links to Free Tutorials]

A friend asked me to make some custom nursery bedding for her firstborn.

She picked out all of the fabrics to match the nursery,

and I've been chipping away at making the different pieces for the past few months between other orders.

Nursery bedding, I have found, can be frustrating to purchase because the affordable sets are all pretty ugly, and the pretty stuff is expensive! I was lucky enough to have my mom make a whole set of crib and cradle  bedding with extra sheets and matching blankets to my exact taste. I know. She's the best.

So I totally understood the request for something custom made with her choice of fabrics.

Everything came out so well,

and, even better, I was able to use some free online tutorials for everything.

So I thought I would share the wealth and pass the tutorials along to you all.

Altogether, I made three fitted sheets, a set of bumper pads, a window valance, and an adjustable crib skirt. So here we go!

Bumper Pads

Had to start with these because they were the most fun to work on.

You can find the free tutorial here.

They were actually easier than I anticipated, and if you're a newbie to piping, this would be a great project for you to try it out, in my opinion, because you work with the piping in small sections instead of one long continuous strip. Also, if you want to make the piping super simple, you can use pre-made bias tape.

I also liked that you can utilize two different prints for the bumpers and a third fabric for the piping and straps.

Because the pads are separate, they are easier to fit in the washer, and if you're tired of one print on the inside, you can switch them around, alternate them, and whathaveyou. I know, I'm wild.

Fitted Sheets

These were pretty straightforward.

You can find the directions here.

The one thing I will say about these is that you want to double check that your fabric of choice is at least 45" wide, because you'll need all of it including the selvage.

Standard width fabrics won't cut it... Actually, you will have to cut it and piece it together and it's a pain... trust me. I did it.

Valance

Sorry... the only pic I have of this is with my iPhone camera.
I have to say, while this one wasn't very complicated, it was pretty tedious... especially for the impatient sewist of quick projects (me).
The bright side, though, is that it is a genuine "real" window treatment, and you'll appreciate the quality the design even after all the extra steps and hand sewing.
Click here for the tutorial.

Adjustable Crib Skirt

This was SUPER simple. And great considering that more cribs nowadays have all different heights and stuff.

Essentially, you just make fabric panels for each side of the crib (be sure to get accurate measurements), and then you clip them or pin them to your mattress spring or board. Adjust as you go. Awesome.





How to measure for you fabric cuts: for the long sides of the crib, measure from one side of your mattress spring or board to the other. Add 2 inches. For the short side, do the same. These will be your cut lengths.
For the height, you'll want to measure from the floor to the highest setting of your mattress. Add 6 inches. This allows for your hemming and an additional 4 inches so you have something to clip underneath the mattress. The height will be the same for all four sides, obviously.
Cut your pieces, then finish each side by ironing over 1 inch (twice) and top stitching for each side. You should have four simple rectangles that fit nicely on the bottom of your crib. :)

So there you have it!

I'm happy with all of these tutorials, and I'm happy to pass them along to you!

Sewing for babes is fun, yes?



My Favorite Homemade Cleaning Products [Link Roundup]

Howdy strangers!

I'm back!

As I mentioned on our Facebook page, we've decided to list our house for sale.

More details on that later, I'm sure.

but for now, suffice it to say that "Meg's Projects" have been limited to cleaning and keeping the house straight.

Which includes my workspace! ahh!!!

Serious DIY neglect going on over here,

but I have managed to finish up some long-term projects

which I'll be sharing with you over the next few weeks.

In the meantime, it's all about keeping my house clean for prospective buyers.

Which also means I've been able to test out a TON of homemade cleaning products.

Some of them I've found online, and I'll include the links for you all.

Some of them are just tips I've learned along the way which I thought I would share.

Most of these require only a few common ingredients:
Baking Soda
Vinegar
Lemon Juice
Hydrogen Peroxide


Microwave and Slow Cooker Cleaner

Cut a lemon in half and squeeze a little juice into a large microwave safe bowl (or slow cooker).
Add the lemon halves and a few cups of water.

For Microwave, just zap it for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Everything should wipe effortlessly outathere.

For slow cooker, turn on high for a good bit (I just left it for a couple hours which was probably longer than necessary). This is great especially you have an older slow cooker which doesn't have a removable bowl.


Frontloader Washer Cleaner

Between the two adults, one cloth diaper-wearing child, and two big old dogs in this house, we I do a lot of laundry. I have a high efficiency front loader which I really like, but they do get funky after awhile (especially that front gasket which keeps the water in, and sometimes trapped). Even your laundry can start to smell funky. boo! hiss!

Source

I found this great post on maintenance and a cleaning solution using baking soda and vinegar.
I didn't use bleach on mine, although that is recommended if you have a lot of mold build up... ick. I hate even typing that.


Bathroom Cleaner

A lot of shower and tub cleaner can be pretty caustic... not a fan.
So here is the miracle recipe to avoid bleach and other fumey products...

Are you ready? 2 parts baking soda, 1 part hydrogen peroxide.

Yeah, I know. Complicated.

Is my tub new, you ask? No! just really REALLY clean. :)

Make a paste and cover any stained part of your tub, sink, whathaveyou. Let dry for about 30 minutes.
Scrub (honestly,  I barely had to even scrub mine), rinse, done.

This got my tub cleaner than soft scrub. Cleaner than bleach. Cleaner than anything!
No joke. Looks like new.


Grout Cleaner

Our kitchen and bathrooms are all tiled with ridiculously wide grout lines. The kitchen is also the path for people and dogs from the back yard, so my grout gets pretty gross.

I found this recipe, and gave it a whirl. And yes, it worked better than the expensive fancy special grout cleaner that I got from the home improvement store, using only baking soda, vinegar, water, and lemon juice.

Source

*you can also use ammonia, but that makes me sick even when I use all the necessary precautions.


So there you have it. Those are some of my favorites so far.

I'll let you know if I find any more gems.

There are more on my Pinterest board "natural cleaning" (please note that I haven't tried all of them out)
Anyone out there have a fav? Please share!

Ikea Hack: Kid's Activity Table

Hello again, friends!

In an effort to come to grips with the fact that my little tiny baby is gone

and now I have crazy active toddler,

and also to make our living space more toddler-friendly

I've been searching for the perfect little activity table for Ben.

Not too big, not too small.

DEFINITELY not too expensive.

Not too primary-color-kid-decor, not too blasé.

And here's what I came up with:

A lot of people have this kids' table from Ikea, yes?

I think it's called 'Latt' or somethingorother?

Anyway, it's inexpensive, especially considering it comes with two chairs.

But it's a little boring (white and blah).

Simple fix.

I 'upholstered' the seat with a home decor fabric

and then covered that with vinyl so it will wipe clean easily.

Before assembling the table,

I also painted the table top with some chalkboard paint I had left over for a few other projects.

Easy enough.

Here are more details for the chairs:

Take the seat portion of the chair and cut your pieces of fabric and vinyl.

Note: don't use anything too think.

You want to make sure that it will fit into the slots that hold the seat in place.

Place them right sides down on a work surface.

Cut notches out of the corners as shown.

This helps it all fit together in the end.

I glued the pieces in place,

pulling them tightly.

Repeat with the vinyl

The glue is mostly to hold it in place until you get the chair assembled.

Be sure you don't gunk it up with a ton of glue.

This thing needs to be svelte.

Since this may be a tight fit when you go to put the chair together,

you may consider using a rubber mallet to gently tap the pieces in place.

Just be careful.

The pacifier isn't necessary.

Done. Repeat for the second chair if you wish.

Now let's color!

DIY Rain Barrels

We finally got a new roof with nice new efficient gutters and downspouts

which means that rain is now very specifcally directed right into my new rain barrels.

Collecting rain is great for a number of reasons.

Here are a few starting with my favorite:

1) Rain water is free. I love free.

You can use it to water plants and such, rinse off outdoor items, bathe dogs. You get it.

Note: Do not drink it.

2) Using rain water relieves some of the stress on the environment when utilizing in place of public works water.

3) Collecting rain in barrels allows you to choose where the water goes,

which is really nice especially if you get heavy downpours which can cause runoff and such.

4) It's the cool thing to do.

So, you're convinced? Awesome.

Before you run out and pay a hefty sum for a rain barrel (some are around $100! huh?), consider making one yourself

and upcycling a barrel that has already been used.

It's cheaper and it's better for the environment.

Win/win.

Where to find a barrel:

First things first, you want to find/buy a "food grade" barrel.

I should mention, also, that "food grade" speaks less to what was in the barrel and more to what was not. i.e. no harmful chemicals and such that should not be injested.

They can come in different shapes and sizes. The most common is this 55 gallon.

I found some at a flea market that got them from an olive importer.

Only $15 a piece!

Tips for finding barrels near you:

1) Check craigslist. In my area, there are A TON listed.

2) Check food importers (they probably use them, and who knows? Maybe you'll score some for free!)

3) If you live in a "rain barrel community" like I do, ask your neighbors where they got theirs.

4) If you can't find a barrel, consider using a large outdoor trash can. Not beautiful, no, but just as functional.

 

Alright! Here we go:

DIY Rain Barrel How To:

Step One: Gather your supplies.

Once you have your barrel, the only other items you'll need is a rain barrel kit (sold by many home impreovement retailers online) and a diverter.

Diverter

The diverter isn't necessary, but I highly recommend it. If you're barrel fills up, a diverter will divert the excess water down the downspout instead of  flooding out the top of your barrel, or worse, backing up your downspout.

The kit that I used is by EarthMinded, and guess what? It comes with a diverter.

I also love this one because it comes with absolutely everything you'll need including three different hole saw bits and crystal clear instructions.

You just need a drill and a level. Easy peasy.

*If you want to hook your rain barrel right up, go ahead! :)

Just follow the instructions with your kit.

It will look something like this:

*If your barrel is in a more visible area and you want a more finished look, check out these steps:

Step Two: Sand

I used a 60 grit sandpaper just to rough up the plastic surface a bit so the paint would stick more securely.

 

Step Three: Paint

I used a textured biege Krylon spray paint, one color for the lid and one for the barrel because I wanted it to match my other outdoor stuff since the barrel in the back yard is in full view when you're sitting on the patio.

 

Step Four: Attach your Spigot and Drain

(you'll want to drain it in the winter if you live in a freezing climate)

Be sure to place your spigot about 12 inches from the bottom of the barrel if you want to get a watering can underneath.

You can also build a stand to put the barrel on.

 

Step Five: Attach your Connector Hose









Make sure that the hose is level. If it travels down to your barrel, it will overflow the top when it is full. If it travels up to your barrel, the water will bypass the hose and go directly through your diverter and down the downspout.

Total Costs:


For the unpainted barrel- $42
For the painted barrel- $67
Not bad.

Now I'm just waiting for rain!

Ben's Wooden Crate Bookshelves

They're finished!

I finally got around to completing Ben's bookshelves yesterday

all thanks to my in laws taking Ben for the night on Wednesday.

It was truly glorious. I haven't been able to work on a project uninterrupted for that long in...

well I don't even know the last time, to be honest.

I had seen this picture a couple of months ago of front-facing bookshelves

made from a wooden pallet, and I knew that's what I wanted for Ben's room.

So after sucking up to my roofers, and after their speedy delivery of a nice clean pallet,

I decided to go for it.

 

I'm including my tutorial below if you're interested.

This project was virtually free for me.

The crate was certainly free,

and I had everything else.

I did buy some extra pieces of lumber (3 1x3's) for the bottom of the shelves

that didn't break the bank at about $1.50 a piece.

Oh yes, and a couple bucks for the mounting hardware.

That's it! So cheap.


I kept the "pallet look" by just using a pickling stain instead of paint,

and I did not fill any holes from the nails.

If you wanted a more finished look, I would fill those with some wood filler

and then either paint or stain darker.

But I decided I that I wanted to be able to tell that it used to be a pallet.

And it seems to fit in well with the other furniture in Ben's room.

I also added some quotes (listed at the bottom of the post) about reading that I love, some serious and some silly.

I found a TON, and it was difficult to narrow my favorites down to three,

but I did, and they're great.

And the best part of the whole thing?

Ben LOVES to take out the books.

(We'll have to work on putting them back in)

And the bottom shelf is just the right height for him right now.

He loves to read which is exciting

because I have always had a love affair with books

and I know that the love of books had a HUGE positive impact on my life.

I certainly hope this trend continues for him.

So here's how I made them!

Pallet Bookshelf Tutorial

Step One:

Hack up your pallet.

I was able to get three shelves out of mine.

Depending on the construction of the pallet, you might only be able to get two.

Step Two:

Pry off one of your boards.

You could try and use this board as your bottom piece.

I didn't for two reasons: the board was too wide and I couldn't seem to get the boards off without them splitting and I wanted a nice strong board since that's the piece on which the books will sit.

Be sure to take out all of your nails and such.

 

Repeat for all of the shelves.








 

Step Three:

Sand it down. I sanded mine thoroughly first with a coarse, then a medium, then a fine grit sandpaper.

I hate sanding. Hate. But I would rather sand than pull out splinters from Ben's hands later, yes? yes.

 

Step Four:

Cut the lumber for the bottom of the shelves.

Again, I used a 1x3 for each.

My shelves were about 4.5 feet long, so I cut a piece to match with my mitre saw.

 

Step Five:

Attach the bottom piece.

I glued mine and then nailed where the bottom piece met the braces (four).

Step Six:

Final sanding and cleaning of the shelves.

You want to make sure that you have a clean, dry, smooth surface to paint or stain.

Almost there!
Looking good, yeah?

 

Step Seven:

Stain.

I used a white pickling stain by Minwax.

There are so many different stains out there, it's crazy.

I think it would be fun also to do a colored stain, especially since these are for a kid's room.

Follow the directions on the label of whatever product you use,

and keep in mind that you might want more coats,

the more coats, the more saturated the color.

Step Eight:

Once my stain had dried, I added my quotes.

If you have a fancy Silhouette machine of something like that, this would be really quick and neat.

I've also found this technique.

But in the end I just printed my quotes in a couple different fonts and used those as a reference to free hand the words.

I drew them on with pencil first, and then painted them on with a watered down acrylic paint.

Step Nine:

Attach your mounting hardware,

and mount to the wall.

Please use extra care when selecting your hardware and mounting furniture in a child's room.

You don't want anything to fall down on anyone,

and it's always best practice to assume that it will be pulled on.

 

Done.

Fill that thing with books and cozy up with a good one.







"Let us read and let us dance- two amusements that will never do any harm to the world." -Voltaire

"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." -Frederick Douglass

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." -Groucho Marx