Ruffled Zipper Pouch - Easy Peasy!

I like to sew.

I'd like to be good at it.

I am most certainly a novice sewer.

In middle school sewing class when most people were making pj's and pillowcases, I decided to make a robe for my dad.

And make a robe I did.

It was bad.

One arm was longer than the other, the collar was crooked, and there were holes in weird places.

But my dad still wore it. :)  He's great like that.

Well, Since 7th grade sewing I've tried to stick to easy projects.

The last few weeks I've started making these super cute, and super easy zipper pouches.

I love them because they are so fab, useful and can be whipped up in just a short time!

I like to add a little ruffle or something extra and cute to the front, and the matching printed lining just adds to the fab-ness of it all!

 Not sure if I can pick a favorite...

 I've made so many, and they are wonderful!  They make great gifts, and they are perfect for keeping things neat and organized for traveling.

I think the small one would be perfect to give as a gift with a gift card tucked away inside.

I don't have a tutorial for you because, well, I can barely sew, let alone sew while taking pictures!

However, it is super easy and chances are, you don't need a tut... however, if you want one, here is a super great one, that explanines it better than I ever could! :)

I hope you give it a try...

Happy Sewing!

12 Crafts of Christmas - Gift Idea - Mommy & Me Aprons!

Yes I know I've pretty much just skipped over Halloween and Thanksgiving, but we've all got to get started on those homemade Christmas presents right?!

Here is a great gift idea for a mother and daughter

{or any woman for that matter}

A set of Mommy & Me aprons!

What little girl wouldn't just love an apron that matches moms!

This creation took me a few hours of sewing, and $0.00!  Yep, zip, zilch, nada!

I made it out of an old shirt of the hubbys and a purple pillowcase.

One shirt made both of these aprons, Awesome!
{and remember. . .my sewing skills are limited basically to just sewing a straight line, so this would be an easy gift for anyone to make!}

I just love the little girl apron, so cute!

How much fun my little niece will have all dressed up like mommy in the kitchen!

I added these fun little flower pins that they can remove when they throw the aprons in the wash.

Add a cookie mix, a mommy sized spatula, and a little spatula and there you have one cute-thoughtful-made just-for-me gift!

PS - I don't have a tutorial for the aprons cuz I just made it up as I went along but I do know of this site with 50 free apron patterns.  Hop on over and find one you like!

So there you have it, one great idea to start making for someone on your list.

Merry preparing for Christmas. . . It'll be here before we know it!

Home Decor on a Dime *Pretty Pleated Pillow!*

I'm sure I'm not the only one who is always on the look out for super cheap crafting ideas.

If I spend as much as I'd like to on all my crafty ventures I'm sure my Stud muffin aka the man of the house would not be super thrilled. . . am I right?

I've got a couple guest rooms that need some decor and I've got some ideas that aren't gonna cost much at all!  

Here is what I started with

Isn't this such a cute pillow cover?!  Is it pleated or is it ruffled?  I'd say a little of both!

Total cost - $0

Ahhhh, Nice!

Here is a little 411 of how I made it.  It is super easy!  I can only sew in a straight line, which is good cuz that's all it takes!

I started with the pillow I was going to cover

and some fabric (I used an old sheet - perfect!)

Cut three pieces, two the same size, just slightly larger than the pillow.  Make sure to add a few inches for seam allowance.  Cut the third piece the same width as the first two but twice the length.  

First we are going to start with the longest piece.  First sew a basting stitch along both sides. (long stitches, low tension) 

Pull one of the threads and it will start to gather your fabric.

Gather both sides until it is the same size as the shorter pieces.  Pin the long gathered piece to one of the shorter pieces and sew them together.  

Now the ruffled/pleated side is the front (or the right side). We are going to sew it to the back.

The back is the last piece you have left (one of the smaller pieces).

Now, cut this last piece in half so you can just slide your pillow in when its finished.  

Now pin the back pieces to the front (the pleated side)  

Right sides together - remember the pleated side is the right side

Now sew it all together.  Flip it right side out, and put in your pillow!

Easy Peasy!  And oh so pretty! 

Old Jeans to New Skirt!

First things first. . . find your old, worn out, favorite pair of jeans.
We're gonna make it into a cute little pencil skirt!

Figure out how long you want your skirt to be and cut your jeans off about two inches longer.
Next cut along the inner leg seams. If you want your skirt a bit roomer you can rip out the seams rather than cut it.
Now, turn them inside out. We're going to cut out the crotch areas.
(Can I say crotch? Does that make this a PG-13 blog now?)

Put the side seams together. Now we have two crotch areas to cut out. Using a straight edge, mark a straight line in the front from right under the zipper to the bottom of the skirt. Make a straight line in the back. Now cut along the lines you drew.

That's the hardest part of the whole thing. It only gets easier from here.

Now sew together the front, and then the back. Make sure to re-enforce it a few times to make it good and sturdy.

Last step is your hem along the bottom. Fold up an inch, then fold over again.
Hem, iron if necessary (it was for me) . . .

. . . Then wear! (Please ignore the bad pic and the dust on my mirror.)
Now you've got a cute pencil skirt that flatters your butt just like it did when it was your fav pair of jeans!