Binge Crafter

How to Clean an Iron

2013-03-27T13:00:00.000-04:00

I have an unfortunate tendency to ruin things very soon after I get them. In the past, I've always compensated for this by buying things that aren't too nice or too expensive. But every once in a while I decide that I'm going to buy something decent and THIS time, I'm not going to ruin it. Uh huh.

I decided a couple of years ago that it was time to buy a new iron. A decent one. Maybe it would motivate me to iron more, I thought. (Ha ha ha) Well, within weeks I had melted a pair of my husband's pants (also new) by ironing on the wrong heat setting. I tried to remove the stain, but nothing worked and it just got worse. Disappointed, I realized that this was just going to be another item in my long list of things I've ruined. The iron soon became my craft iron and my husband's clothes ended up at the cleaners.

For crafting purposes, the iron still worked fine, despite the stain. Mostly I use it to make my iron-on appliques and DIY Onesie kits. Well, I was working on one this morning and sure enough, I ruined it. Unfortunately I ruined it by getting iron on adhesive on the iron. This was the end of my iron. I'd have to break down and get a new one (to ruin).

Not so.

In one final attempt at salvaging the iron, I resumed my google searching for the perfect solution.

And I found one that's magic. The Magic Eraser, that is.

I'm pretty new to the world of the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I was pleasantly surprised to see how well it worked on hard water stains. But I never would have thought it would work on the iron, particularly the melted pants stain that nothing else could remove. But it did! A little elbow grease was involved, but check out how beautiful my iron is now!

Have you used the Magic Eraser on anything else? Let me know. I'm kind of obsessed with it now. Happy cleaning! :)

FREE Happy Easter Water Bottle Labels

2013-03-25T12:42:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! I know it's been forever since I've been blogging, so I thought I'd make a big comeback with some FREE Happy Easter water bottle labels. Click here to download a PDF file of these. Hope you & your families have a happy holiday!

Giveaway- Iron-on Appliques!

2013-02-25T13:00:00.000-05:00

Here is my first giveaway to celebrate 100 sales in my Etsy shop!

Okay, this giveaway is limited, so hurry up and enter! I'm giving away some of my iron-on appliques on my Facebook page! All you need to do is become one of my Facebook followers & comment! The first 10 people to comment will receive a free iron-on applique! These appliques are great, because they require absolutely NO SEWING! You just peel off the paper backing, and iron them for 8 seconds onto another piece of fabric (t-shirt, onesie, pillowcase, etc.). How easy is that!

What do you have to comment? Simply let me know which applique is your favorite & I will send you one!

Click here to check out the iron-on appliques in my Etsy shop.

Thanks again for all of your support! Be sure to check back later this week for more giveaways!

100 Sales! Time for some giveaways!

2013-02-24T10:06:00.001-05:00

Wow! I can't believe my Etsy shop has reached 100 sales! Thank you so much to all of you who have been so supportive during this endeavor. It's been such fun making new crafts to share with all of you. To celebrate, I've decided I need to do some giveaways! Make sure you keep checking in to my blog this week and follow my Facebook page for a chance to win.

So any input on what you'd like to see me give away? Appliques? A party banner? A party hat? Some customized printables? A digital scrapbooking pack? Let me know what you'd like to see me give away.

Baby Shower Craft - Onesie Making Kits with Iron-on Appliques

2013-02-09T19:22:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to now be offering baby shower craft kits in my Etsy shop! These are onesie-making kits and are a fun crafty activity for a baby shower or for a new parent to enjoy. I've made two of these so far for customers and am currently working on a third. If I had had a baby shower, this is totally what I would have wanted to do during mine.

So what does the baby shower craft kit include? First of all, it includes onesies! I include a variety of sizes and prewash all the onesies in Dreft so that they are ready for crafting.

I also include pre-cut applique shapes. These have permanent adhesive on them so that they can simply be ironed onto onesies and require no sewing. The picture below is some gender-neutral shapes I made for one of my customers. Some of them are generic baby shapes, like a rubber duck or heart, but others are personalized for the new parents- like the Texas shape, lone star, and cowboy boot. I try to work with my customers to make sure they have a personalized kit. I can make any shape that looks good in a silhouette in a variety of fabrics to make a boy kit or girl kit as well.

I also include 8 1/2" x 11" fabric sheets so that guests at the baby shower can design & cut their own adhesive shapes.

Finally, I provide instructions on how to assemble the onesies, how to wash & care for them after they are made, and other project ideas to inspire guests.

As well as being a really fun activity for a baby shower, this is a great, inexpensive and custom way to stock a new baby's wardrobe with unique outfits.

Would you like a custom baby shower craft kit to make your own onesies? Check out this listing for a 10 guest baby shower craft kit or this listing for a 20 guest baby shower onesie making kit. Convo or email me at ilove2bake@yahoo.com if you'd like more information.

Nursery Rhymes Layout #3

2013-01-24T18:00:00.000-05:00

This is another layout I made using the K&Company baby girl scrapbook kit.

I love the Little Bo Peep 3D sticker!

Added a quick journal tab with some of the stickers.

And a "New Arrival" embellishment cut with the Cricut New Arrival cartridge.

I like the lime green and maroon together. Once I put pictures in it should help with some of the harshness of the green, but I really like this for a little girl layout.

Nursery Rhymes Scrapbook Layout #2

2013-01-22T18:30:00.000-05:00

This is another layout I made using the K&Company baby girl scrapbooking pack. This one features Little Red Riding Hood.

I love the cute 3D sticker embellishments that come with the kit.

I made some the "baby" embellishments using the Cricut New Arrival cartridge.

I had to use up the insides of the letters. Didn't want them to go to waste.

Finally a few cuttlebug flower embellishments in matching pink & green.

Easy & cute!

Nursery Rhymes Scrapbook Layout #1

2013-01-20T18:15:00.000-05:00

I wanted to knock out some quick scrapbook pages for my new baby girl's scrapbook before she arrived.

I found this cute scrapbooking kit a while back and knew it would be perfect for making some quick, easy, and cute scrapbook pages to fill in with pictures later.

I love the K&Company baby scrapbook products. They're sooooo cute.

Anyway, this page was obviously a snap- just put in some paper backgrounds & attach a sticker. I love these premade backgrounds!

I made this page to go opposite. I used the George & Basic Shapes Cricut cartridge to cut out the hearts.

Quick & easy! Come back later in the week for more layouts I made using this paper pack.

Scrapbooking Tip- Making One Patterned Page into a Double Page Layout

2013-01-18T18:00:00.000-05:00

I like scrapbooking a lot, but I'm also a Binge Crafter, so I don't just focus on one thing. This leads to me getting hopelessly behind with my scrapbooks. I finally caught up with my older daughter's just in time for daughter #2. But I've learned in my scrapbooking to calm down a little and take shortcuts. If I want the scrapbook to be done, I can't be spending time trying to make each layout look like a work of art. So I've done a couple of things to try to make my scrapbooking a little easier and faster.

One of the things I do now is buy the We R Memory Keepers photo sleeves which allow me to just put in a bunch of 4x6 photos and do only a limited amount of actual scrapbooking. By the way, Target carries a couple of these now, which makes life much easier than having to drive 30 minutes to get to Archivers like I was doing before.

Another thing I've started doing more is picking up scrapbook kits. I like these a lot because they are already color coordinated and have ready to go embellishments. There's just one problem I have with them. Often they only come with one sheet of a bunch of different papers. Since I like to do mostly 2 page layouts, this doesn't work for me.

So I came up with a practical solution for making one patterned page into a double page layout- split the papers! This is also a great way to use up those blank white 12x12 sheets that come in the regular scrapbooking page protectors. So here's what I do.

I pick out a cute patterned paper.

I find a coordinating paper. (I like to use something more subtle if the first is really busy.)

Cut them both into 6"x12" pieces. Find 2 pieces of white 12x12 paper or cardstock. (I save these from the 12x12 page protectors and use them this way.)

Glue one pattern to the top half and one pattern to the bottom.

Make the other page the opposite.

And now you have a workable 2 page layout! This is a great way to get more mileage out of a 12x12 sheet if you only have one, and does help break up those cute but busy paper backgrounds. Obviously you can do this either vertically or horizontally. I'm going to share a bunch of layouts this week that use this technique so you'll see more of it.

$5 Knit Baby Blanket

2013-01-15T17:30:00.000-05:00

When I found out I was pregnant again, naturally I went right to my Pinterest pinboards to look for inspiration for some new baby crafts. I had knit my older daughter a blanket when I was pregnant with her, and thought it would be fun to make another one for my second child. I found this one on Pinterest which I loved, but the instructions require about $60 worth of yarn, which I thought was kind of a waste. AC Moore one week had a bunch of $1 yarns, so I went and picked up five (making this a $5 baby blanket) as well as some larger knitting needles. So my total cost for this project was less than $10, which is my kind of craft.

I thought it turned out really cute, but I also thought it turned out really masculine, so when I found out I was having another girl, I decided I'd better do something different. I made this chevron heart applique blanket with pink polka dot fabric and minky instead, which is definitely much more girly. Now I just need to figure out what to do with this one.... Someone needs to have a little boy.

By the way, I ended up using the leftover cranberry colored yarn to make this hat. I've got it in the carseat right now for her ride home. So at least she's getting something out of this. :)

Button Shapes Activity for Preschoolers

2013-01-13T19:00:00.000-05:00

My daughter is obsessed with my craft supplies. The button collection has basically become hers. She loves sorting them and putting them in different containers. I decided to make her some shapes to trace with buttons to keep her busy one afternoon, and she loves these! We've since expanded into other shapes, letters, and numbers, but I thought it was a fun new way to use the buttons and wanted to share. (Obviously toddlers should be supervised with small choking hazards like buttons.)

Ocean Themed Baby Taggie

2013-01-11T20:00:00.000-05:00

My second daughter should be arriving any day now. Even though she won't be able to enjoy it for a little while, I wanted to make her a special taggie that matched her ocean-themed room. I found these sweet ocean fabrics from JoAnn's along with some matching silky ribbon and thought this came out really cute.

Want to make one of your own? Check out my Taggie Tutorial here.

FREE Polka Dot Thank You Cards

2013-01-10T08:42:00.000-05:00

Ready for another freebie? I made these pretty thank you cards using my Baby Girl Digital Paper Pack. Aren't they cute? I had some of these printed on cardstock at Office Depot for my daughters. I think they are about $0.66 a sheet or $0.33 per card- not bad compared to the price of ink for my printer! Plus they had free delivery, so I didn't even have to go anywhere. They're not too baby-ish, I'm sure I can use them for both girls.

Want some? You can download the FREE pdf file by clicking here. If you have any problems, email me at ilove2bake@yahoo.com and I will send you the file directly. Enjoy and feel free to pin these or share with your friends. :)

By the way, if you'd like some of these personalized with a baby's name or in different colors, email me at ilove2bake@yahoo.com or convo me in my Etsy shop. I'd be happy to make you some inexpensive personalized cards!

Personalized Vinyl Water Bottles & Holiday Teacher Gifts

2013-01-09T19:00:00.000-05:00

This is obviously a bit belated, but these are the holiday gifts I gave to the teachers at my daughter's preschool. The water bottles came from the dollar store and I used vinyl from Expressions Vinyl to decorate them. These were cut using the Songbird Cricut cartridge, which I thought was really pretty for this kind of project. My daughter loves the Cricut, so she was a big help making these.

I added in some water bottles with my Melted Snowman Water Bottle Labels (which you can download for FREE here) and some snowman popcorn sleeves- a craft I learned from one of my neighbors last year. They were really quick to put together & made a cute holiday gift.

Sorry these are so late getting up on the blog here, but at least you can always pin & save the ideas for next year! Hope you enjoy. :)

Ninja Valentine's Day Water Bottle Labels!

2013-01-06T17:28:00.000-05:00

So I decided the other day that I wanted to make some of my own clipart. Not being a great artist, I thought I'd start with something that I could make from some basic shapes and came up with this super cute ninja!

While he's cute and all, I thought he'd be much cuter decked out for Valentine's Day, so I made these.

Naturally, I had to put them on some water bottle labels. Wouldn't it be fun to have a Ninja themed Valentine's Day party? I'd better get started making more printables. :)

Ninja Valentine's Day Water Bottle Labels - Set 1- Click HERE for the listing

Ninja Valentine's Day Water Bottle Labels - Set 2 - Click HERE for the listing

I have two sets of these labels. They are only $2 for the printable in my Etsy shop. Print as many as you'd like. Send them to school with the kids, make them for your class, pack in your kids' lunchboxes as a Valentine's Day surprise, or hand them out to your coworkers. They're sure to make people smile!

Printable Treat Boxes/Bags

2013-01-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Here's a new party printable for you. Aren't these treat boxes cute? They're the right size for small treats like candy or mini bubbles or toys. For $2 I will send you a PDF file of the box with a pattern of your choice from the Baby Girl Paper Pack or Baby Boy Paper Pack and you can print as many as you'd like for your party. Then just cut and assemble with scissors and glue! They're a very easy DIY project for your next party. If you'd like them to display a name or photo, I will customize these for only $1 more!

Click here for the girl treat box.

Click here for the boy treat box.

Have a different theme you're working with and want a custom pattern? Send me an email at ilove2bake@yahoo.com or send me a convo in my Etsy shop, I'd be happy to make you a custom item.

Snowflake Digital Paper Pack

2013-01-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Are you snowed in and needing a craft? I made this Snowflake/Winter Themed Digital Paper Pack for your winter crafting. This pack includes 19 patterned and colored papers for you to make scrapbook pages, cards, party printables, home decor, etc.

Click here for the Snowflake Paper Pack listing.

Valentine's Day Water Bottle Labels

2013-01-04T09:23:00.000-05:00

I made these cute water bottle labels using my Valentine's Day Paper Pack. They are available in my Etsy shop for only $2. That price includes a PDF sent to your email which allows you to print as many as you'd like. These would make a cute, sugar-free Valentine to hand out to students, friends, classmates, neighbors, or coworkers, or just to send to school in your kid's lunchbox.

For the Etsy listing for these Valentine's Day Water Bottle Labels, click here.

Printable Party Hats to Customize/Personalize

2013-01-03T09:21:00.000-05:00

I'm taking a few weeks off from offering most of the custom items in my Etsy shop because I'm expecting baby #2 any day now, which includes the fabric party hats I make. In the meantime, I am offering these printable party hats instead. You can choose from a bunch of different patterns and receive a PDF file of the hat for only $2- print as many as you like! If you'd like them personalized with a name or picture, I can do that for only $1 more.

Girl's Party Hat - Click Here

Boy's Party Hat- Click Here

These are a convenient, last-minute way to add a splash of color to your party. Hope you enjoy!

Happy New Year! FREE New Year Digital Scrapbook Paper Pack

2012-12-31T13:15:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! Let's start the year off with another freebie, shall we? I made this New Year's paper pack for you all to help you with your New Year celebrating. :) You can click the link below to download. If you have any problems, let me know at ilove2bake@yahoo.com Enjoy!

Click HERE to download.

Valentine's Day Digital Paper Pack

2012-12-30T16:15:00.000-05:00

Do you like this Valentine's Day paper pack I designed? It's a mini pack- so there are 8 pages, available in my Etsy shop for only $2. Use these to make layouts, valentines, invitations, party printables, whatever! Click the listing here if you'd like to get a paper pack to make your own digital crafts.

Baby Shower Water Bottle Labels

2012-12-29T16:13:00.001-05:00

One of the things I decided to make with my Baby Girl Digital Paper Pack and Baby Boy Digital Paper Pack was some cute waterbottle labels. I made these to take with me to the hospital. :) But they would be so cute for a baby shower or gender reveal party. I sent some personalized ones to a pregnant friend who was recently hospitalized for dehydration to encourage her to stay hydrated. I also thought they would be cute to hand out to visitors who come to see the new baby. Of course, I'll probably keep a bunch all over the house when I get home. After my first baby when I started nursing, my husband's job was to make sure there was always a full cup of water everywhere I might sit with the baby. These will make it cute and easy.

I made a generic set that says "Welcome Baby" for both boys and girls. (Would

n't this make a fun guessing game for a gender reveal party to use both and have guests choose which they predict the baby will be?) They're available in my Etsy shop for $2 apiece as a digital file. You'll receive a PDF file via email within 24 hours and can print as many as you like! For only $1 more I will even personalize them to say "Congratulations (names)" or "Welcome Baby (name)" or whatever you like. I could even put a picture on them! When you get them all you have to do is print, cut, and tape them onto your choice of water bottles. It's that easy.

Baby Boy Waterbottle Labels

Baby Girl Waterbottle Labels

Enjoy!

Emergency Moustache Kit

2012-12-27T08:41:00.000-05:00

This was a gift I made for one of my nieces who thinks moustaches are really funny. Cricut was offering their digital Moustaches & Glasses cartridge one week for $1.99, so I downloaded it and made all of these easy crafts for her out of vinyl. I picked up some matching duct tape as well. Most of these items I was able to pick up from the dollar store (mirror, frame, mug, and waterbottle), and the vinyl I purchased from Expressions Vinyl. I definitely think my favorite item is the mirror. If you hold it just right it really does look like you have a moustache. Hope she'll have fun with these. :)

Emergency Moustache Kit

In case of moustache emergency, break glass

Moustache Mirror

Moustache Mug

Moustache Embellished Vinyl Waterbottle

Extra Vinyl Moustaches (for her locker or wall)

Baby Shower Printables

2012-12-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

Not sure what to do with a digital paper pack? How about make your own party printables! I used the baby girl paper pack I designed to make waterbottle labels, party hats, and treat boxes. Wouldn't these be adorable for a baby shower? I'm taking the water bottles with us to the hospital when I have baby #2 next month. :)

Party Hats

Treat Boxes

Waterbottle Labels

Want to purchase this digital paper pack so you can make your own? It's only $3. Click HERE for the listing. If you're interested in me making you some of these cute party printables, email me for more information at ilove2bake@yahoo.com or convo me at my Etsy shop.

Enjoy!

Baby Girl Digital Paper Pack

2012-12-25T12:52:00.001-05:00

I am so excited about these baby boy & girl digital paper packs. I just love the way they turned out. I'm using this pack to make my daughter's birth announcements and thank you cards next month. The thing that I love about digital papers is that you can use them for EVERYTHING. You can make blog headers, buttons, or facebook timeline backgrounds, you can use them to make digital scrapbook pages that you can print anywhere into one of the cute photo books or calendars, and you can use them to make party printables- cupcake wrappers, decor, party circles or cupcake toppers, party hats, favor boxes, or whatever other kinds of projects you'd like. In the next week or so I hope to show you some examples of these.

Interested in purchasing the baby girl paper pack? You can purchase it HERE. It's only $3 and comes with 23 patterned and solid colored 12x12 digital papers in jpg format (300 dpi). When you purchase you'll receive all these papers in a zip file within 24 hours of purchase and I'm even throwing in a cute free project for you! Hope you love them and hope they inspire you to create something beautiful for your favorite little girl.