What you need:

Needle and thread

Material

Bottle caps

1. Cut circles out of your material about 2 inches in diameter.

2. Using your needle and thread, pucker the fabric around the bottle cap.

3. Pull the thread tight and knot.

4. Sew 6 fabric covered bottle caps together like a flower.

5. Cut a 5 inch square.

6. Start folding the fabric under the bottle caps, making a hexagon shape.

7. Sew the bottle caps to the hexagon fabric.

And that’s it! You are done!

Now make 3 more and you have a set!

 I’m busy writing stories, editing photos, finishing up Christmas gifts, and creating new ones. I also am trying to fight off these parasites that seem to enjoy using my body for their home.

My husband and I were invited to the Japanese Ambassadors house yesterday to celebrate the Emperor of Japans birthday. There was a full table of lovely looking food and as we stood and listened to the ambassador speak I was checking out the buffet table, excited to try some new food. As the speech was coming to an end and the sushi was being brought out, I was off to find a bathroom. I came back to find the line super long and my husband had not got in line cause he was waiting for me. With my current condition, we thought it best we leave. I did offer to sit and wait while he ate but being the smart man he is, he said “Using the toilet 2 times in one visit to anywhere is acceptable but beyond that it looks suspicious.” So we left and went to the pharmacy for more medicine. I am hopefully on the mend, because we fly back to the states next week.

So on to something not so personal….

Can you guess what these are or what they will become?

 

 

 

On my trip through Mozambique I found some beautiful Capalanas. A capalana is a length of material about 2 metres by 1 metre. It can either be used as a wrap-around skirt or can become a baby carrier on the back for ladies.

I am so excited for this, I think it actually turned out ok. I cant wait to finish it.

All I need now is some flannel for the back.

For the tutorial click on this link: Make Your Own Baby Stuff.

I love this idea of bunting flags on canvas but my first attempt was not up to par(as you will see below). I am making this for a my great niece and want it to look superb! So I will try it for a second time, and will not drawing the string on but glue actual string on. If you have a steady hand and a great permanent marker y0u will probably do fine.

This was my inspiration:

Thank you to House Pretty!

Start with a plain canvas and cut out some bunting flags from paper.

Arrange the flags where you want them and then draw a line on the canvas with a pencil.

Mod podge the flags to the canvas using your line as a guide.

Draw a line with a permanent marker.

And your done!

 Its such a cute idea for baby rooms!

As you know recycling here is, well, not as popular as in Oregon where I am from. I cringe at the thought of throwing all these items that could be recycled in the trash. So I have come up with another way to use that trash.

I saw initial ornaments/ gift tags on pintrest and came up with my own version.

Open up your cereal box.

Trace your letters onto the inside of the box.

Cut out your letters.

Modpodge or glue old book pages or craft paper onto each letter.

Decorate with glitter and punch a hole in the top.

Add a star or other shape if you want.

Its that simple! Enjoy!

I love how simple this was. I just cut the shape of Africa out of a map and put that onto some cardstock for the background and stuck it in an old frame. If you want you can add some black paint to the edges with a sponge like I did to add some depth.

Easy!

Give it a try with your state, the USA or another country you have fondness for.

Have a lovely weekend!

Yep I made these, not perfectly square by any means but I love the colors and pattern from the capalana that I used.

These were really easy, just two square pieces of fabric sewed right sides together and then turned right side out and sewed around the edge with a simple stitch. You could use a zig zag stitch and that would look nice, but I prefer the simple.

I was watching a program with my daughter and one of the characters on the show had a tee with slashed sleeves. I loved the look so I tried it out on one of my own tee’s.

Before

1. Cut the sleeve at a diagonal.

2. Start cutting slits in the sleeve.

3. Hand sew a piece of elastic down the center of the slits.

After

I have made another 10 Africa shaped Ornaments. I added some bead-bling to some of them and moved the heart to the side over where Mozambique is on the continent. I really like how these ones turned out.

I still have a lot more to make but I’m on my way.

Super easy and super cute!

Tutorial coming next week!