Dahlhart Lane

Bat Costume

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 19:45:00 +0000

Last year my oldest wanted to be a bat. However, I wanted more of a cuddly woodland theme so I brainwashed him into being a fox instead. I promised him that the next year he could be a bat and even though he loved being a fox, he never forgot my promise. All year he would talk about how he was going to be a bat and fell more and more in love with the idea the more he learned about these winged creatures. For his birthday I got him a book called, Bats at the Beach, by Brian Lies and that sealed the deal. Mason was especially fond of Little Brown Bats so there was no way around being brown. Also, as a last minute birthday present, I made him a little bat stuffed animal and my son couldn't wait to be dressed in a matching costume. The only problem was, the light brown flannel that I used for the stuffed animal's wings was not being sold anywhere so we had to dye our own for a look-a-like finish. My son got a kick out of the whole process, and even though he is now mistaken for a bear of a kangaroo, etc, he couldn't be more pleased with his costume!

Armadillo Costume

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 19:41:00 +0000

This year I couldn't decide what I wanted my middle son to be until I read him a little book about armadillos. The book showed pictures of little armadillo babies and when I saw them, I knew that he HAD to be an armadillo! With some leather-looking fabric (it wasn't thick like pleather but was some scaley printed brown fabric in some tribal collection at Joann's), anti-pill fleece and some stuffing, I was able to pull it off! In the end the fabric was a little too dark for what I was picturing, so after I sewed it all up, I washed it with some toffee colored craft paint and then added the eyes. I wish that I had more time to make the back just as I had pictured it in my head, but life happens. All in all, I am happy with out it turned out!

Skunk Costume

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 15:32:00 +0000

This year I decided that my youngest child had to be a skunk. There is something about his little upturned nose that made me think that he had to be some sort of cute furry animal and a skunk is what I came up with. It helped that my sons were obsessed with this stinky animal all Summer long so the idea became more and more appealing. After all, if you ever see a baby skunk you'll see that they are actually darling little creatures...just like my toddler.

Up until the day that we took pictures, our little stinker REFUSED to wear his costume. Every time I tried to put it on him he screamed like a mad-man! I nearly gave up on the whole thing until I told my husband my costume woes. To my delight and surprise, he packed our men in the car, grabbed the massive costume and drove us over to a pretty area down the street where he charmed our little skunk into smiling happily for a 20 minute photo shoot! Prayers are answered!!!

I made this cuddly creature out of fleece and fake fur and stuffed it with fiberfill for a round little look. The tail has copper wire holding it up and the pants are separate.

My husband is my dream come true

Dollar Tree Owls Revamp

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 19:56:00 +0000

The Dollar Tree has little ceramic owls right now that are almost cute enough to decorate with, but in the end are just a different look than I like. But that didn't stop me from buying a bunch of them for this Halloween season! I had just recently made owls out of paper mache (tutorials here and here) and decided that these little figurines could easily be covered with paper clay for a different look. This project is incredibly easy and very fast! You only use a small amount of clay so it dries in a couple hours and can be painted and finished in the same day!

For this project all you need is:

-paper clay (recipe here)

-water

-paint

-some sort of finishing spay or sealant

Because I knew that I would be using a very small amount of paper clay, I decided to forgo making my own batch and used my favorite Celluclay instead. This stuff comes in white or grey and all you need to do is add water to the consistency you like. I used to use it all the time but now that I figured out a much cheaper way of making it I don't use it as often.

To get started, I took my form and started adding the hooded brow:

I then filled in the rest of the head:

After adding a ring of clay around the eyes, I used a toothpick to give some detail by pressing it down and dragging it out to the sides:

Then I used my toothpick to make little feather patterns on the head:

I covered the stomach, added a little more clay to the wings and then used the toothpick again for more details:

I decided to add more clay to the neck in the end, but it isn't necessary to cover the whole form. The celluclay sticks so well that if smoothed down, it doesn't fall off once it is dried and painted.

Once I did the first, I went back and made a couple more in different ways:

The one on the left I added celluclay, painted black, and then added sparkles. The one on the right I just spay painted orange.

How to make an owl, Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 19:14:00 +0000

The second part to making your very own paper mache owl is even easier than the first. All you are doing is covering your form and adding detail. First, prepare or buy paper clay (celluclay works great). I used this recipe here. The paper clay helps give it a more finished look and makes it even stronger and long-lasting.

Once you have your paper clay ready, add a small amount to the bottom of your form and firmly set it in a shallow bowl. This helps it stay upright so that you can work on it without it moving around on you:

Before starting, I recommend filling a small bowl with water so that you can keep your hands wet while spreading the clay. This keeps it from sticking to you. Then start covering your form. A small amount is all you need for most of the areas:

Cover eyes and head with layer as well:

For the brow I added a little bit more so that I could give it detail. First I pinched the clay together to form a higher ridge:

Then, with a smooth knife (I use this dull red one nearly every time I sculpt so I finally decided to keep it with my art supplies instead of in the kitchen) cut in details.

With a wet hand, smooth face:

Add balls for the eyes:

Press down:

Add more and press again:

For the wings I built small ridges and then smoothed down with a wet hand:

After it is dry (or nearly so) cut the bottom and take the balloon out.

Cut off extra and clean up the bottom.

When it is all dry, paint however you please with craft paint. I was trying to make mine look like my sons costume from last year but any style, basic or ornate, would work! After I painted mine, I washed it with watered down black paint to make it pop. After that dried, I sprayed it with a finish. All done!

I had so much fun with this fast project that I turned around and made a black owl right afterwards!

How to make an owl, part one

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 19:20:00 +0000

Well, hello there blog world! Now that it has been nearly a year since I posted last, I figure it is high time I share a little something! I've been making things here and there but up till this point our little family has been far too busy for me to post anything! In January we found out my husband got into vet school and we spent the rest of the months since preparing for our move, visiting loved ones and settling into our new life here in Kansas. But now that it is Halloween season again, how can I resist posting more projects for my craft friends!

I have always been a fan of owls, especially around Halloween time, but after my son dressed up as an owl for his costume last year, our family has been especially fond of this feathered friend! For this reason, we decided that we needed to add owls to our Halloween decor. The wonderful thing about owls is that the shape is so basic that they can be made very easily. I had such a ball making mine that I ended up making two different large sizes and then made a bunch a little fellows that I'll share later. Would you like to give it a try?

Whenever sculpting something with any sort of real size or thickness, it helps to make a form first. This keep the drying time down and also allows you to not have to use as much clay as you would otherwise need. I find this step fun since you can be creative in what you use to build your form. Really almost anything will do so you just have to look for the right shapes. Honestly, nine out of ten times I use balloons to make my forms. They cheap and can easily be removed. As in most cases, I decided to use balloons for this project as well.

For this project I used:

2 balloons (blown up in different sizes)

-newspaper

-masking tape (but any kind will do)

-paper mache paste (my recipe can be found here)

First off, stack the two balloons with the smaller one on top and tape in place.

Then rip up your paper in strips. Different sizes of strips come in handy for the different stages of your projects. (Typically I start with large pieces to cover the balloon and then work smaller as I do more detail and need more smooth finishes).

Start covering your paper in paste and smooth onto your balloons:

In this case I decided that I wanted my owl a little more compact than I had originally taped the balloons so I pushed the balloons together and then used strips of paper and paste to hold them in place.

Next up were the wings. I took a large strip of paper, covered it with paste:

Then I rolled it loosely:

I then put paste on on side of one end:

and plopped it on to the side of my owl. Once I got it exactly where I wanted it, I then covered it with more strips to secure it.

From there I moved on to the feathery eyebrows. I took a long strip of paper, covered it with paste and then twisted it up:

After folding it to the right size, I pasted it near the top of my form.

I repeated that step for the other side and then secured them in place with more strips of paper and paste:

Next I did the eyes by twisting more paper and placing them in circles.

Then I covered them with more paper and paste:

For the beak I balled up paper with paste and then secured it in the spot I wanted:

Ta dah! There you have it! Your owl form is done! Now it just needs to dry! So set it out to dry in the sun and stay tuned for the next step on Monday!

Pretty please?!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:34:00 +0000

I know I haven't been posting lately. Sorry. I just have a HUGE favor to ask of you! If you have the time, could you please go vote for my faux union suit pajamas over in the Sew Warm Challenge at Instructables.com? They are giving away amazing prizes and I couldn't help but enter! Thanks so much!!!!!

My Paper Mache Nativity and thoughts on the Savior

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:11:00 +0000

Several years back, I realized that everything I made, and nearly everything I decorated with during this holiday season were based on the commercial side of Christmas. Now, don't get me long, I still adore Santa Claus, but I wanted my children to see that celebrating the birth of our Savior was what mattered most to me. I knew that I had to throw my heart into a project that would reflect that so I nervously started a nativity scene out of air drying clay and paper mache. Little by little it came to life until it now is my very favorite sculpted project yet. Even though it still isn't finished, whenever I take the time to stop and look at it, I am reminded of all of the feelings that I felt while I worked on it several years ago and the stress of the day melts away.

While I sculpted, I listened to one of my favorite Christmas songs, Mary's Boy Child (a song by Jester Hairston but performed by The Brothers Four). The lyrics, "Trumpets sound and angels sing, listen to what they say, That man will live forever more, Because of Christmas day" were so powerful to me while I worked on my little version of the Christ Child. How grateful I am to him for coming to earth in that humble setting so that someday he could redeem us all and give us reason to hope. Because of him, we have someone to turn to when we are hurting physically or emotionally and can be healed. And only because of him we can pick ourselves up from our mistakes and experience joy in this life and in the next. What a beautiful peace that brings to me! That peace, I imagine, was felt by all who witnessed that little baby in that stable setting on that sacred night of his birth.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

~Isaiah 9: 6

I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas season and that you feel that same peace and joy that our Savior offers to all who will listen.

Love, Malinda

I think I am going to do some sort of gold trip on some of the edges of their clothing, but should I change the colors?

As a mother of three sons, Christmas has taken an even deeper meaning to me and an even greater respect for that strong and trusting mother, Mary. This time of year reminds me that I want to be more like her as I mother my little men.

****Here and here are links to what this project looked like when I was first starting on it.

Linked to: Skip to My Lou, Sew Much Ado, Southern Lovely

Faux Union Suit Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:58:00 +0000

Sorry that it has taken me so long to get this tutorial up for you! After losing all of my pictures from the first three I made, I sort of was dragging my feet until I thought about making a pair for my little three-month-old nephew. I now have made these pajamas in size 3-6 months, 6-12 months, 2T, and 4T. If anyone wants to help me figure out how to do a pdf pattern, I would be happy to share my patterns with whoever is interested but until then, this step by step tutorial will have to do.

I was lucky enough to have a couple knit footed pajamas around the house already to use as a basic pattern. If you have a snug fitting pair already, just turn it inside out and place on your fabric and cut out your pattern pieces. The size that I didn't have around, I used a top and bottom set and measured the torso length to make sure it would fit the same.

After cutting out your pieces, they will look like this:

Besides your fabric, you will need these:

The zipper I used on my last one was much too short. I suggest using zippers from 18-28 inches long.

Start with your long strip of fabric. This will be used as the trim for the neck and cuffs on the arms.

Then...

Set the sleeves aside and work on the main body. Be sure to line up the stripes when sewing your pieces together.

Place the flap about an inch up from the crotch and pin in place.

If you look closely, you can see that I sewed the closed edge to the body. Rats. I hate picking out seems on knit fabric.

Sew up the right leg.

Now put in your zipper. I have a zipper foot that made it easy to sew on.

Because my zipper was so short, it wasn't long enough to extend down the leg. But if you can get a long one, make sure that as the zipper goes down from the chest to the left leg, that you have it run along the last edge of the diamond piece in the crotch.

With ends folded in, sew on the neck:

My machine sews button holes (ignore the spelling error in the picture below) for me. All I had to do was mark where I wanted them, adjust my machine, and sew them in. I am totally spoiled. I hope you are, too.

Next are the feet. I am not going to lie, I HATED sewing these in. All four times. If you want to skip this part, just put more trim around the ankles and call it good. If you want the footed look, here is what I did:

Last but not least, sew on your buttons....

....Secure your flap....

and you're done! Hot dog! Now your little ones can stay warm and toasty all winter long! For more pictures, click here.

Linked to: House of Hepworths, Sew Much Ado, Making Lemonade, Skip to my Lou

Little Boy Bowties

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:19:00 +0000

Our family computer bit the dust so my posts are going to be few and far between. However, yesterday I was a guest post over at Simply Homemade as part of her bow series that she is doing. So much fun! Here is the post I shared over there but I recommend heading over to her blog to see her fun ideas as well as the other guest posts.

Hi, my name is Malinda from Dahlhartlane and I am tickled pink to be here on Amanda's blog today! Since I am a mother of three boys, when Amanda asked me to come up with a tutorial for her bow series the first thing that popped in my head to make were little boy bow ties. Now, I know tutorials on bow ties are all over blog land, but this version is a bit different then the rest and I love it's little double-layered rounded edges.

For these ties, you need to cut out four 3x4 slightly rounded rectangles and one long 2 1/2x 19 inch strip. Of course, you can modify this depending on the size of your child and how big or small you like your bow. You will also need a small strip of velcro (or some other type of clasp).

Take your little rounded rectangle-ish shapes and place them in two pairs with right sides facing in.

Sew each pair around the edges but be sure to leave one inch open in the middle of one side of the base.

Next, fold your long strip of fabric in half and sew along the long edge.

Turn everything right-side-out (I like to do this with a knitting needle) and iron them flat. Take your newly sewn strip of fabric and cut about three inches off and set aside. This little strip will be used to secure your bow in place later.

Take the long strip and turn the ends in by poking your finger into the tube slightly. Sew shut.

Sew on your velcro at the ends of your strip and you collar is complete! Hot dog! Now that aside while you finish your bow.

Now, stack your curved rectangle pieces and push your needle and thread through the centers like this:

Pull tight to gather and then wrap your thread tightly around the center several times.

Place your bow on top of the good side of your collar (the side without the seam running down the middle) and then wrap the extra little strip of fabric around both. Turn ends under.

Stitch it shut and your done!

Hot dog! Now your little man is ready for any holiday party thrown his way!

I started making these bow ties several years ago and haven't been able to stop ever since. Any sort of fabric can be used to get the exact look you are hoping for. In fact, come over to my blog to see how I made similar bow ties out of wool sweaters! Super cozy, amazingly easy, and incredibly cute. Thanks, Amanda, for hosting me today! I hope everyone has a wonderful day and holiday season!

Linked up to: Project Run and Play, Tatertots and Jello

Faux Union Suit Pajamas

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 06:01:00 +0000

I decided to make matching pajamas for my three little men and I have to say, this might just be my favorite project yet! It helps that my boys like them as much as I do! In fact, my middle son (the one who is never on here because he hates to be photographed) was so taken by his pair that he refused to take them off. As much as I hate hearing him tantrum, I can't say that my ego wasn't stroked a little. :) I took step-by-step photos, but my computer has since died and took my pictures away with it. If enough people are interested, I'll be posting a tutorial, but for now, here are some pictures of my cuties in their little flapped pajamas.

***Post edit: Tutorial is posted here!

Linking to: Sew Much Ado, Southern Lovely, House of Hepworths, Eye Heart, Making Lemonade, Nap Time Crafters, Project Run and Play, Tatertots and Jello, Whipperberry, The Girl Creative, Kojo Designs, Mommy by Day...Crafter by Night

Christmas Stockings

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 06:16:00 +0000

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, we can start celebrating Christmas guilt-free! I love everything about Christmas but one of my very favorite ways to kick off the yuletide festivities is with our family stockings. Growing up, one of my very talented aunts made each one of the members in our extended family a personal stocking that had our own fabric print and our name lovingly stitched on top. Now that I have a family of my own, I wanted to carry on this same tradition by making personalized stockings for my husband and our little boys. When our oldest was a baby, my aunt gave me her stocking pattern. This year I made my youngest a stocking of his own. He was born a few days before Christmas last year but I wasn't able to make his stocking in time for that holiday. Happily, this year it is complete (and I may just love it best of all). I love how cheerful it is, just like my little baby boy. Now that my stockings are out, let the Christmas fun begin!

The name was embroidered with a chain stitch that I learned from a library book. That was before I realized that youtube videos were the best way to learn anything new. :)

I found this friendly Santa print at Joann's and knew that I had to match it with my striped red and white fabric for his toe. And who doesn't love jumbo ric-rac?!

I think it is a great addition to our family of stockings.

My aunt made mine with the teddy bear stripes. The rest were made by yours truly. :)

Linking up to: Sew Much Ado, The Girl Creative

Felt Pilgrim Hats

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:06:00 +0000

Last Friday I got to be a creative guest over at Eighteen25. They were so kind and it was a real treat to be a part of one of my very favorite blogs for the day! In case anyone has a little extra time before Thanksgiving, here is the idea I shared over there:

My husband says that making my youngest wear this little girl pilgrim's hat is child abuse. Obviously I need to have a girl one of these days.

Last Thanksgiving I noticed that Pottery Barn had adorable little Pilgrim hats for sale. At the time I was on bed rest with our youngest little man, so I vowed to make some at a later time. This year we are excited to get to dine with the majority of our cousins on my side of the family. Since this might be the last time in a while that we get to all be together for this holiday, I wanted to make it special and decided that Pilgrim hats were a must! They are easy as pie and bring such a festive spirit to this great holiday. And best of all, since they are made with felt, they can be used for years to come.

Little Girl Pilgrim Bonnet:

This little hat is especially easy to make. All you need is a 12x19 inch piece of white felt and some ribbon. It can be done with a hot glue gun, but I sewed it up quickly on my sewing machine.

Make sure to leave a couple inches open at the folded edge.

Open hat up so that it makes sort of a triangle.

Turn hat right side out and fold front edge back about 2 inches. Place end of ribbon under the fold and stitch into place and your done! Now your little miss can enjoy her Thanksgiving feast in style!

Unfortunatly, it seemed that even my youngest could sense that this bonnet wasn't too many and I could catch a good picture of it to save my life! Very frustrating but I guess I really can't blame them.

Little Boy Pilgrim Hat
This hat takes a little more work than the bonnet, but it is still simple and if your little men love it as much as mine do, than it will be worth it.
Cut out your felt. The body of my hat is 8 1/2 inches tall and 12 inches wide (you need 2). In brown, the headband is a strip of 23x4 inches out of brown and then another little strip of 1 1/2x 6 1/2 for the belt on the hat. Lastly, the little yellow buckle is made by cutting a 2 1/2 square and then cutting out the middle.

Next, take your brown headband and fold in half. Sew along the long edge and then turn right-side-out.

I use a knitting needle to help turn out my fabric.

Pin headband to one of the hat pieces. Sew it in place but be sure to not sew it all the way to the edges of your hat. This helps it to hold it's shape when it is all done.

When you are done, fold both ends of the headband inward.

Place other piece of hat on top. Pin in place and sew along the edges, leaving a corner open so that you can turn it right-side-out.

Once right-side-out, stitch your opening closed.

Place second brown strip on hat and sew.

Place buckle on brown band and sew into place.

Fold in ends and sew shut.

Sew velcro onto the ends of your headband and your done!

Now your little men can have all the right accessories to gobble down their turkey dinner!

Happy Thanksgiving!

My youngest likes his manly pilgrim hat much better than the bonnet.

Linked to: Tip Junkie, Sew Can Do, Southern Lovely, Sew Much Ado

Bow Ties made out of Felted Wool Sweaters (Tutorial)

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:12:00 +0000

After finishing the Cashmere Neck Tie for my son, I started thinking of different things I could make with felted sweaters. Since I am taking part in a week all about bows over at Simply Homemade in the next little while, my next obvious choice was to make bow ties. I must say, I am absolutely smitten by these chunky little ties. And the fact that you can easily make one in five minutes makes them all the better!

Before cutting out your shapes, you need to wash your wool sweater and dry it. This makes it felt and it also becomes thicker so it holds it's shape wonderfully well. I got my sweater at our local thrift store but this could be a great project for an accidently shrunken and sweater done in a laundry mishap.

After you sweater is ready, cut your pieces. Because of the nature of felted wool, you don't have to worry about fraying so you don't have to cut any extra seam allowance to turn under. Just cut it the size and shape you think will look nice! As you can see, my shapes are two curved rectangles about 3 1/2x2 inches, a strip for the collar that is about 14 inches long and another small strip for the bow.

Take your two rectangle shapes and stack on each other. Tread your needle and push it through the center of both shapes.

Pull tight to gather.

With the needle still in your hand, wrap it tightly around the center several times.

Place the bow on top of the center of the collar strip. Push needle through both

Put the last little strip on the center of the bow and wrap it around both the bow and the collar. My strip is longer than it needs to be so that it is easier to work with. I just trim what I don't want after it is in place.

pull it tight and sew it shut. If you are like me, cut off the extra length.

Sew your velcro to the ends of the collar and you're all done! See what I mean? So easy and so fun.

In a matter of minutes, you can have a handful of handsome bow ties to dress your little chap in all Winter long!

Linked to: Under the Table and Dreaming, Tip Junkie, Sew Can Do, Southern Lovely, Sew Much Ado, Tatertots and Jello, Project Run and Play, The Girl Creative, Kojo Designs

Little Boy Cashmere Neck Tie (Tutorial)

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 06:27:00 +0000

With the holiday season right around the corner, who doesn't need a new neck tie for their little man to help wow family and friends at your next gathering? I recently saw a picture (or at least I am pretty sure I did. I can't find it anywhere to save my life) of a cashmere necktie in an Anthropologie magazine and was smitten. But spending an arm and a leg for my four-year-old to look dapper wasn't going to happen this year (or probably ever). Fortunately, I remembered that I had scraps of a cashmere sweater laying around and decided at once to make my own version in a little boy's tie. I am so glad I did because he is incredibly charming in his knew neck tie.

The tie is very easy to make and very affordable. First off, hit the nearest thrift store and buy a cashmere sweater (usually a couple bucks). Wash and dry your sweater so that it felts slightly so that it doesn't fray. Then cut your tie out. My scrap piece wasn't long enough so I had to make two pieces and sew them together in the middle. The entire length was about 28 inches long. Make ends come to a side point. Cut matching pieces of lightweight interfacing and iron on to the back.

Sew flat ends together to make the body of your tie.

Next, fold over the edge of the bottom of your point and iron flat.

Fold end up, making a point. Iron flat. Repeat on skinny end of tie.

Fold over sides of the body of the tie till they are touching in the middle. Iron flat again. Then stitch up the center.

Hand stitch end closed.

Set body of tie aside and cut out a strip of about 3 1/2x16. Cut matching piece of interface and iron on back.

Fold in half with right-side facing in and sew up the long end.

Turn right-side-out (with the help of a knitting needle or pencil and iron flat with the seam down the center.

Fold in ends and sew shut. Sew on your fastener of choice. I am a velcro lover so that is what I used.

It should look like this from the back.

With collar closed, do the following:

Then:

All done! Now your little man is set to impress!

What I like most about making ties like this is that they are adjustable in every single way. When my son grows bigger, or if I want one of his younger brothers to wear it, all I have to do is untie the knot, reajust it, and tie it again. I hope you like it as much as I do!

Linked up to: Nap Time Crafters, Making Lemonade, Tatertots and Jello, Mine for the Making, Under the Table and Dreaming, Tip Junkie, Sew Can Do, Southern Lovely, Sew Much Ado, Project Run and Play, Kojo Designs

Yoda Softy

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:46:00 +0000

My oldest with his new Yoda friend

Out of nowhere, my oldest son has become smitten with Yoda from Star Wars. I don't know how this happened (since he has never seen any of the shows) but I can't say that I blame him. I was always rather fond of that green cutie when I was little and spent many hours playing with my Yoda toy with my brothers. Yesterday, while my babies took their naps, My four-year-old and I got to work on making the Yoda softy that had been on his mind. He was in charge of removing all the pins out of my way while I sewed it on the machine and helped with all of the stuffing and turning of the fabric. He was thrilled! Who needs a daughter to have a sewing partner?!!

If you are wanting to make Yoda of your own, here is how we did it:

First, we made a quick pattern and cut out our pieces:

I conveniently had light green flannel already on hand so we used that for his skin.

After ironing all the parts, take two ear pieces and layer with wrong sides facing out. Add one piece of interfacing and sew around edges (as shown on left). Turn right side out (ear on the right).

Iron ears again and fold base inward:

Sandwich ears in between the two head pieces. Pin and sew.

Turn out (I had to do this several times since my years were WAY too long):

Set head aside and take the back piece of the body and sew together the V shaped cut together at the top of the neck. This creates Yoda's hump on his back. A must-have for any Yoda fan.

When done, place right sides of body together, pin in place and sew around edges. Then turn right side out and stuff. Stuff the head as well. My trusty helper and I like to use knitting needles to help push out all of the tiny edges and stuff in the hard to reach places.

Take pins and place them where you want your eyes to be. Once you are satisfied, make very small holes with small scissors.

I bought a pack of animal eyes. They came in a pack of 6 for 99 cents at Joann's. I like them because once the back piece snaps all the way down, I don't have to worry about my little men pulling them off and chocking on them.

I didn't want his eyes to be so wide open, so I took a small piece of green flannel, folded over one edge and super glued it in place:

After that was done, I carefully cut and glued and cut and glued until I got it just right. I went through several eyes because I had it too bulky on the back with all of my fabric and glue and it wouldn't snap down far enough to hold in place.

Put your eyes in your head and snap the white plastic pieces onto the backs so that they hold in place.

I used embroidery floss to make wrinkles and his nose and mouth. My son wanted him to be happy. Needlework is not my finest strength so I did the best I could. :) Then I stitched the head onto the body.

At that point my babies started squawking in their cribs upstairs so we had to move fast. That meant that there are not anymore pictures of the creation process from here on out. Sorry! While the babies played in their cribs for an extra ten minutes, we whipped together his clothes and a sword (at the request of my son. I know his sword is supposed to be green but he loves the color blue). The sword is held by the wise Yoda with velcro so that he can hold it when he is ready to fight but take it off when he is in need of a good snuggle.

Now my son is in hog heaven with his homemade Yoda. It was all done in one nap session and would be easy to make for a Star Wars fan in one (2 hour) sitting. If you are going homemade this holiday season, I certainly recommend this snugly little friend!

Linked to: Sew Can Do, Making Lemonade, Tatertots and Jello, Nap Time Crafters, Southern Lovely, House of Hepworths

Turkey Hands

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:57:00 +0000

Ever since my oldest son was born, we had a Thanksgiving tradition of tracing our children's hands every year for Thanksgiving and writing on the feathers and neck the five favorite things that they are (or would probably say if they could talk at the time) thankful for. I love this tradition because not only does it bring a spirit of thanksgiving and it's easy, but it also is a nice way to a record the things that they loved while their hands were so small. My oldest is now four and I am amazed at how quickly his little hand print turkey has grown already! This year, I decided to take it a step further and put my three son's turkey's in a frame to decorate our home with. As I was getting this post ready, I was surprised to see that one of my favorite blogs, Eighteen25, posted a similar idea. I love how theirs turned out and I'm glad to see that I am in good company! This is how I made my turkey hand print art.

After I helped the boys sketch around their, we colored them in and then wrote on each one the five top things in their life at this time. I then cut them out and set them aside while I got the rest of the project ready. I wanted to have the word, Thankful, as part of the framed piece but since I didn't win a Silhouette machine during this last round of giveaways all over blogland (poor baby me), I decided to use the old fashioned method of Freezer paper and paint. Normally I only do this when I am trying to make a custom t-shirt (like here and here) but luckily it worked! I typed out the word in a font that I liked on my computer (this time on picasa but I regularly scan the internet for free fonts that I like) and then used the computer screen to help trace the word on a piece of freezer paper with a pencil. Then I used an x-acto knife to carefully cut out each letter.

Be sure to only cut on some sort of cutting board or cardboard and also be sure to keep the center shapes from letters (like "a" and "o", etc.) that you will need later.

I decided to use watercolor paper for this project. After placing the freezer paper in the exact spot I wanted, I ironed it on my paper (with the shiny side of the freezer paper facing down) with my iron on the cotton setting and no steam. I then added the center of the letter A back into place and ironed that.

Once I got that done (although I obviously didn't iron down the beginning of my word too great) I used a paintbrush to lightly paint over my stencil. I used a very cheep and watery paint but I would recommend a thicker craft paint so that it doesn't run like mine did.

After it dried for a moment, I peeled back the freezer paper:

(The heavy paper made it so it didn't rip when the freezer paper pulled off)

Ta-da!

I then got my turkey hands and added a little tape to the back....

...and stuck them into place!

I stuck my turkey's in a frame and plopped them in my kitchen where I have been enjoying them ever since! Not only does it decorate my kitchen, but it also is a wonderful reminder of three of my greatest blessings of all.

Linked to: Southern Lovely, Sew Much Ado, Making Lemonade, Passionately Artistic, Tatertots and Jello, Junk in their Trunk, House of Hepworths

How to make a Giant Pumpkin

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 21:53:00 +0000

Several years ago, I found a tutorial on how to make giant-sized jack-o-lanterns on a website called, Stolloween. Since I was enchanted with the huge pumpkins outside of Hagrid's cottage on Harry Potter, I knew that I had to try my hand at making my own jumbo pumpkin at some point. This October, I spotted a large fake pumpkin at Hobby Lobby for about $140.00 and was so shocked at the steep price that I went straight home and started figuring my own out. In the end, my pumpkin did not end up being as big as I wanted (which is probably a good thing since I really don't know how I am going to store it) but I still got a kick out of making something this large. Whether you are wanting to make a lasting decoration or a seasonal photo prop, hopefully this tutorial helps!

This is how I made it:

I got the largest trash bag I could find and stuffed it full with newspaper, plastic bags and pages from magazines.

Then I knotted it up:

Next I used masking tape around the sides to create the ridges:

Once the general shape I wanted was formed, I used my paper mache paste recipe and added several layers of newspaper strips over the form. After I had as many layers as I wanted, I let it dry in the sun with a heavy can set in the center to help it keep its pumpkin form:

(And I might add, what a fitting can to use for this project)

After it dried, I decided the ridges on my pumpkin were not as big as I wanted, so I crumpled up more newspaper and magazine pages, covered them with paste, and added them to the pumpkin:

After each crumpled up pasty piece was added, I glued it down with a strip of pasty newspaper so that it would hold in place. I did this until the entire pumpkin looked the way I liked.

Once all of my additions had dried, I mixed up paper clay and applied it in a thick layer over the top 3/4ths of the form:

Once it was hard/dry enough (several days later), I tipped it upside down on an empty bucket (so the stem wouldn't break) and cut a hole at the bottom...

...and took out all of the newspaper stuffing. This way it would be lighter and also would be able to dry at a faster rate:

Since all of the paper clay was so heavy, it sort of flattened the bottom of my pumpkin. To fix this, I cris-crossed the opening with more tape (so that my additions wouldn't fall inside) and added more crumpled pieces of newspaper and put more paper mache over them. After that, I added more paper clay to the bottom half of the pumpkin:

Once that all dried fully, I sanded down my pumpkin and then painted it orange. I decided to use a sample-sized can of Gliddens Pumpkin Patch Orange from The Home Depot (since it is so inexpensive). I finished by using brown and green craft paint for the stem:

After my paint dried, I covered it with a marine/indoor/outdoor varnish like Jackie Hall suggested on The Paper Mache Recourse so that it would be able to withstand the elements on my front porch.

Now that it is starting to frost outside, many of our pumpkins have already turned to mush. However, our great big paper mache pumpkin is holding it's own and keeping our front porch festive despite the November chill! It was well worth the adventure.

Linked up to: Making Lemonade, Tatertots and Jello, The Girl Creative, Southern Lovely, Sew Much Ado, Passionately Artistic, The Artsy Girl Connection, House of Hepworths

Owl costume

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:04:00 +0000

I finally finished my son's owl costume! Let me just say, designing a costume for a two-year-old is not my favorite thing, especially when that two-year-old tantrumed every time I attempted a fitting. But seeing my little man in it made it all worth it! Earlier I came across a little owl bank from Urban Outfitters on Pinterest and used it for my inspiration as I made my own flannel version.When it was all said and done, I think even my costume-hating son liked it since he proudly paraded it around for the rest of the night. I am now fully convinced that Halloween was made for mothers.

Source

The leggings were made out of an old orange and white striped polo t-shirt that I died yellow and then made into matching pants. Here is how I made them.

Linked up to: Eighteen25, Sew Much Ado, Tip Junky, Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky!, Nap Time Crafters, Tatertots and Jello, Under the Table and Dreaming

Fox Costume

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 05:11:00 +0000

Earlier this Summer, My oldest son told me that he wanted to be Batman for Halloween. Since I was hoping to do a woodland theme this year with my three boys, I made him a quick Batman (here) costume in hopes that it would satisfy his superhero needs. Since then, I have been trying to change his mind by having him watch old episodes of David the Gnome on Youtube and telling him that fox's get the most candy when trick-or-treating. Some would say that this is slightly dishonest, but since this is probably the last year that I can pull this trick, I feel completely justified! To make our fox costume come true, we died our fabric orange, made up a fox pattern and crossed our fingers in hopes for the best. I just finished it today and am thrilled. I was a little worried that I bullied him into it until I watched him race happily around for the rest of the day and hearing him say, "I want to wear this costume forever!" Needless to say, I am pleased as punch and would recommend ~~poisoning~~ molding your child's mind with the help of David the Gnome to anyone. Now just one owl costume to go and we'll be set!

Linked up to: Skip to my Lou, Eighteen25, Sew Much Ado, Southern lovely, Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky!, Nap Time Crafters, Tatertots and Jello, Under the Table and Dreaming

Some tips on dying fabric

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 03:50:00 +0000

In case you are wondering, this is part of the headpiece of my son's fox costume

I am almost done with my last costume of the year and I am pleased as punch (besides the frustration of having to go back and fix a major mistake. D'oh!)! My last costume is for my four-year-old son who wanted/agreed to be a fox to fit in with our woodland theme. I was having some major issues trying to find the right color of fabric for my little man's fox so I finally decided to dye some flannel myself. For some reason, even though I paint and am quite familiar with mixing colors, it didn't really occur to me to come up with my own color since fabric dye is so unforgiving. Since I didn't see any fabric dye in the stores that fit my fancy, I hopped on Rit Dye's website and saw that they offer recipes for nearly any color you could want! Hot dog! In case anyone else is working on a project that needs a custom color, here is what I learned:

Go to Rit's website (I haven't checked if any other dye company does this too) and the Colorit Color Formula Guide at the top of the page:

Once there, go down to the bottom of the page and click on the basic color family you are looking for. In my case, it was orange.

When you see a color that you like, click on it and they tell you exactly what dye to buy and how to mix it. I imagine that once you get the idea of your recipe, you can use any brand that has the same basic colors.

Once you get your colors, get your fabric wet with cold water and wring excess water out. From there, I follow the basic guide that Dana gives on her blog, Made of dying your fabric in your sink instead of over the stove. However, I like to start off by boiling water in a large pot and then pouring it into a large bucket or basin in your sink. Add more hot water (as hot as it comes out of your tap) to fill the rest of your basin. Add your colors and mix well.

Add your fabric and mix every ten or so minutes until you get the color you want (in my case, I did it twice because once my fabric dried, it wasn't quite as dark as I wanted the first time). If you are wanting a light color, stick around 'cause the color will finish rather quickly, but if you want something dark, you have time to get other things done while it soaks. Because I was wanting a more muted tone, I only had to dye it for about thirty minutes.

When you get the color you like, take it out, rinse it and pop it in the washer to get out the extra dye. After it dries, you are ready for your project to move forward! Good luck!

****I'll be sharing my son's fox costume next in a couple days. Wish me luck on the finishing touches!

Linked to: Sew Much Ado

Hedgehog Costume

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 04:46:00 +0000

Forgive me for putting his face make-up on after I took the pictures....how could I have forgotten that every self-respecting hedgehog has a little shiny nose and whiskers.

This year I decided that my littlest man HAD to be a hedgehog for Halloween. There is something about his cute little upturned nose and sticky-outy ears that remind me so much of the endearing hedgehog that I just couldn't picture it any other way. With a little (or a lot) of felt and some anti-pill fleece, his snugly Halloween outfit came to life. I am thrilled and luckily, he doesn't mind it to much either.

Hop over to Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky! to see a guest post I did where I showed a simple way of making the leggings for this costume out of a t-shirt. Also, stayed tuned for two more woodland-themed costumes! Hot dog!

Linked to: Eighteen25, Nap Time Crafters, Tatertots and Jello, Sew Much Ado, Southern lovely, Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky!, Under the Table and Dreaming

My Round Little Pumpkin Costume

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 03:41:00 +0000

My sister was incredibly thoughtful to have snapped some photos of my little man in his costume. They still warm my heart every time I look at them.

Of all of the costumes that I have made, this round little pumpkin may very well be my favorite! Everything from the plump little cap to the striped suit underneath made my heart go pitter-pat. As luck would have it, my little boy started walking just the month before Halloween so I got to watch him toddle around in all of his glory! And best of all, I didn't have to worry about him hurting himself as he tripped around since the whole costume was one big puffball.

Linking up to: Eighteen25, Tip Junkie, Sew Much Ado, Tatertots and Jello

Personalized Halloween figurine

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

In 2009 my oldest son was an adorable little clown for Halloween. I was so smitten by him in his clown duds that I decided to try my hand at sculpting an 11-inch figurine in his likeness. For nearly two years it sat on my shelf while I took care of more pressing matters (like having another baby). Last week I put some finishing touches on it and I am so glad to have it be part of our Halloween decor this year! I like the idea of making personalized figurines of my boys as they grow over the years, but seeing as this one took forever to make, they might have to wait for when I don't have two kids in diapers.

Linked to: Sew Much Ado, Passionately Artistic, Tatertots and Jello

Candy Corn

noreply@blogger.com (Malinda Jane Sieg) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 23:31:00 +0000

I decided that I needed something to place on our table to help celebrate the festive month of Halloween. Since we are all about candy in this home, large candy corn bowl fillers were a logical choice. They are friendly and fun and keep us in the mood for Trick-or-Treating at the end of the month. Thankfully, they are also very easy and inexpensive to make. In fact, since they are made out of paper mache, they make recycling incredibly fun! Here is how I made ours:

First, take a section of your newspaper and fold a corner of the folded edge down into the middle of your newspaper at an angle:

Fold over (or sorta roll) again while holding on to the top. By doing so, you create your candy corn point. The looser you fold, the more square and plump your candy corn is:

Fold over remaining corner:

Tape in place:

Turn form so that the point is facing down. Fold the raw edges into the cone:

Tape folds down:

Start taping over corners and holes:

Also, cover the base with multiple strips of masking tape until it is covered fully:

You don't have to cover the entire form with masking tape but make sure the holes are covered and the shape looks the way you like:

Cover your entire form with paper clay. I cover mine with about 1/4 an inch of paper clay:

After smoothing, let dry (if you don't have any sunshine, placing them in the oven on warm works like a charm). When they are all dry, paint in your candy corn colors (I forgot to show that part....woops). To get an antiqued look, add a couple drops of black paint to a Tablespoon of water and wipe on your form with a damp rag (I have now also used baby wipes and it worked great). Do sections at a time and blot off with another damp rag (or wipe). Continue to do this until you get the look you like.

After that antiquing drys, spray with a clear coating (like this)and your done!

Linked up to: Tatertots and Jello, Eighteen 25, Tip Junkie, Sew Much Ado, Southern Lovely