Le Petite Arbre

Moved!

2013-07-24T14:20:00.002-07:00

Sorry about the slow communication, I've been hard at work. With a new site, a desk job, moving my family to a new home, summer activities, sewing commissions, matron of honor stuff, establishing two vegetable gardens and tons and tons of pics I need to edit to show my cool crafts. So join me at the link above and we'll head in that direction.
Thanks again for looking

Have a Brave Birthday Party

2013-04-22T14:36:00.004-07:00

While browsing the internet for castles made of cardboard, I stumbled across this fantastic "Brave" birthday party over at Sweeten Your Day Events. A birthday party theme that any boy or girl would absolutely love.

Upon arrival, children were led by wisps across the lawn into the castle entrance. Each kid received Tartans, those plaid sashes, of different patterns for representing their chosen family clan. They played Scottish themed games such as Caber Toss, archery, and even a bean bag toss made of nylon and rocks. Their craft was to make a bear claw necklace which doubles as an awesome party favor.

I love the arrow tails in the cupcakes. You could take this a step further by adding some red gel or sprinkles in the center of each cupcake to make it look like a target. The food display table looked amazing with the wood stumps and movie prop background. The bear claw cookies look so yummy and I love the bubbling cauldron idea to serve drinks from. She includes a full list and recipes at the bottom of the post with all the delicious food they made.

Thank you Sweeten your Day Events for all the great ideas and sharing them with us. Make sure and visit their website for more pictures to all the games, themes and food they prepared.

It has been "Forever"

2013-04-11T21:38:00.001-07:00

I have been so busy moving and doing birthday parties, that I haven't "crafted" since Christmas!
Ok, so, I did make a quick costume and doll in there (I will post pics as soon as I feel I can breathe again from all the unpacking). My computer just got hooked up yesterday, after being without for two whole weeks. I felt a bit cut off from the world, despite having 4G on my phone.

I am scouring the internet looking for ideas to make my new early 19th century kitchen more user friendly. I finally have a useable space for my 1942 "Porceliron Stainless" rolling table. I also have a massively deep linen closet that I'm afraid to put anything in. My new work space is still in boxes. My husband said that we moved as many boxes for sewing/fabric/costumes as for everything else in the house. That might be close to true.

In the mean time, check out my new blog LePetiteArbre.com We will be switching over soon. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles yet. But it sure looks fantastic. Thanks to the graphic design help of Sharon over at Martastudios.com.

Momo "Fuzzy Tree" Pattern

2013-02-25T10:05:00.001-08:00

Since we are huge Sci-Fi fans in this family, I had to make this Momo softie from The Last Air-bender series for our daughter. I searched for patterns online, however, what I found was not size accurate nor ~~free~~ cheap enough for me. I found this image online that served as my inspiration to help me create my pattern to his correct size. You can see by the final product that I used the conservative ears, but I'd highly recommend going all out for the larger pair. It came together so easily for me and I hope it will for you too.
The pattern is available in my ETSY shop.

Create Spring Fairy Wands

2013-01-18T21:53:00.003-08:00

I was given some 2008 Summerset LIFE Magazines from one of my crafty friends. Inside were pictures of these cool Spring wands. These wands have been in the back of my head to make for six months now. Our daughter has several birthdays to attend this and next month so I finally decided to make some. This would be a great craft to do with your kids. Our almost five year old daughter helped a great deal.

This craft falls under the "Fast and affordable gifts." It would go great with the wings tutorial I posted before. However, these wands were a bit more money. I'd say each wand cost me about ten dollars. And that is with a bunch of items I already had on hand. But, they turn out fabulous and unlike anything you could find in stores. Plus, they are ultra durable and won't break like the cheap wands.

Here's how to make them.
First, I went to my local thrift store and purchased a junky dining room chair. Making sure the Spindles were turned (decorative) and thin. I gently disassembled the back of the chair to remove the spindles without breaking them. You could also order the spindles off ebay. But, I had a day to do these crafts so I shopped local.

Next, I washed the spindles before painting them. I used two coats of a metallic paint. I chose metallic silver, gold and white, alternating colors on each spindle. My daughter, R, was really helpful in deciding what pattern they each needed to be. Then we glittered them with bright colors, red, blue and gold.

We then cut some purple beaded vine wire in about eight inch sections. I made sure I had four branches per wand. When I went back to the store to get more, I bought a longer wire but the branches were further apart. So, I just looped the wire to keep the beaded branches closer to the wand.

I then applied a bead of tacky glue around and on either side of the top of the wand to glue the wired beads. I had a spool of small gauge cotton coated wire that I used to wrap around the beaded wire tightly to the wand. Then tacky glue on top for good measure. We then used craft tacky glue and affixed rhinestones, sequence and beads.

The final touches; I tied one large bow and one small bow of sheer ribbon on opposite sides. This was to maximize coverage of the wire wrap job. I would also secure them with glue if giving to kids. I then glued a butterfly at the top. Any woodland animal or insect would work. I thought birds would be pretty too but we stuck with butterflies.

Post a photo on my facebook page if you make one of these Spring wands. I'd love to see what you come up with.

Avatar Apparel Toph

2013-01-10T13:34:00.001-08:00

I saw these apparel looks on Pinterest and looked at the links, clothes out of my budget. So I painstakingly put this together out of things in my price range. Total cost $220.00. Let me know what you think.

Belt

Shoes

Tunic

Skirt

Cuffs

Night Furry Softie Tutorial

2013-01-02T08:59:00.000-08:00

My kids love dragons. Don't we all? For Christmas this year I wanted to give my son a Night Furry. So, I went about looking for images to make my own and came across a free tutorial at Mostly Nerdy Crochet. I love free, and that also means less work for me to design something from scratch. It is a very simple pattern to follow and work with.

Of course, I did modify the pattern a bit. I moved the wings to the side rather than both coming out of the back like a dragonfly. I dragon rider has to sit somewhere. I also added the prosthetic tail fin, used vinyl for the toes and enlarged it by quite a bit. I added some extra spines like the one from the movie.

Next time, I'd make it much bigger. But this one is just the right snuggle size for an almost 3-year old boy.

Ninja Softies!

2012-12-16T00:52:00.002-08:00

A few years back I made all the little girls in our lives these simple dolls. Well, except one boy got a super quick black Ninja. Apparently, the Ninja was a big hit. So much so, that a second was requested.

These Ninjas are made of broadcloth, but you could use anything you have that is a solid color. The arms and legs are straight rectangles of equal size and length, easy smeashy. The body is a rectangle, maybe with a little taper at the top. The body is not too much wider than the two legs together. The head I made into a circle with a neck incorporated. The top is flesh colored and the back is Gi colored. I used scraps to make the sash, belt, and face pieces. They were are all appliqued once the body was assembled. I stitched on the sash in a criss-cross shape to give the appearance that he is wearing a Gi. I searched on youtube to learn how to properly tie his belt, because I'm all authentic like that, and then I hand stitched it on. The eyes are very small buttons, however you could use just a Sharpie dot.

Do make sure all the limbs are well attached. Ninjas fight all the time when they are not hiding or invisable. Surgical procedures may be required if your seam allowances aren't enough.

I'd love to see your Ninja creations if you make this. Please post a photo of your Ninja on flickr and send me a link. Or go onto my facebook page and post a photo on my wall.

Kai (red) Ninjago Costume Tutorial

2012-11-26T13:33:00.000-08:00

My nephew loves Ninjago. Really, what's not to like about ninjas and legos? Head over to mojoturbocostumes for detailed instructions on how to create a Ninjago costume for kids. Inspired by the Lego Ninjago toy, Kai. An inexpensive and manageable costume with minimal sewing skills. Leave a comment if you make this, I'd love to see pictures.

Enjoy!

LOTR Crib Bumper: Rohan

2012-11-09T13:31:00.001-08:00

We are huge Lord of the Rings fans! If you ever come to my house, you will see evidence of this by the posters, swords, books and decorations in our house. When we had our first child I decided to make our own custom crib bedding inspired by the movie. The bumper design was inspired by the flags from the main hall of Rohan. I blanket stitched all the appliqued edges of this all faux suede crib set with grosgrain ribbon piping and ties. This was one of those love projects that is so sad when they only get used for a short period of time. Have you done any custom bedding? Leave a comment below.

Peter Pan - Peter Costume Tutorial

2012-11-01T13:32:00.001-07:00

I love this simple Peter Pan Costume from mojoturbocostumes. Check out his site for some great close up photos and detailed instructions on how to make this yourself.

Lemon Meringue - Strawberry Shortcake Costumes

2012-10-31T17:38:00.002-07:00

A while back I posted about the birthday party that inspired this Lemon Meringue dress. Unfortunately, I did not include very many pictures of it at the time, so I'd like to take this opportunity to share it with you in detail.

This is the Lemon Meringue character image that inspired this dress.

This dress style lends itself to using left over fabric to embellish, which is what I did. Lots of ruffles.

The peplumbs were borrowed from our Cinderella pattern. I appliqued yellow tear shaped spots on the peplumbs to make them look like lemon slices. The skirt is a gathered rectangle 2.5-3x the measurement around the child. Cropped sleeves and a zipper up the back. I bought these leggings, but these would work as well. I settled on some yellow jelly shoes.

Tick Tock Crocodile - Peter Pan Costumes

2012-10-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

This year, our son wanted to be Tick Tock the crocodile from Peter Pan. I spent a good deal of time researching other alligator or crocodile costumes and came to the conclusion that they all look like a dinosaur or some lizard man from an old space movie. My first piece to tackle was how to make the tail. I discovered this Etsy Crocodile costume which I liked alot.

First, I bought 2 shades of camo green fleece, along with a tan and a smidgen of white. I made these overalls (page 13)(or try this romper adaptation) in the lighter green. I made the tail and hand stitched it to the backside with extra spines in the darker green up the back.

The hood I debated about forever. To do it or not to do it. Over the top style or go simple. I decided to go with a combination of both. I found this simple hood pattern and I elaborated on it by adding the upper and lower lip and some spines to the back. The hood is lined in tan fabric and all around the mouth is a trim of white fleece and white stiff felt. The stiff felt helps hold the shape nicely. I cut shallow in some spots and others formed teeth.

The eyes are circles of white fleece I gathered, stuffed and sewed buttons to. I covered them with a scrap of green and stuffed it. I even hand stitched a grove down the top to make the eyes appear more separated.

To top it off, I wanted green leggings and a long sleeve shirt to wear underneath, which I could not find. However, I did find a camo pajama set for ten dollars, woo hoo. The best part is, once you take off the costume, he's already dressed for bed.

Costume Too Small? Make An Alteration

2012-10-26T16:25:00.000-07:00

This was a quick fix for a costume that was ordered and turned out to be too small. So sad! So, what do you do when there isn't enough time to send it back? We make an alteration.

I used the pattern shape above from a formal dress pattern. I then cut two panels out of some black fabric. I went with black because I didn't want to risk getting an orange fabric that did not match perfectly, thus looking obviously altered. I seam ripped the zipper out past the waist, but not completely out.

I made about 12 loops for each side and sewed them in at the alteration site. Then, I followed the "installing a zipper" instructions to close up the addition. Obviously, I didn't use all the addition. Just enough to make the dress comfortable. Once complete, have the model wear the dress inside out and pin it closed. I left a little room so that when it gets laced up it can still pull in a bit to make it more form fitting. Then finish with Zipper manufacturing instructions.

Peter Pan - Wendy Costume

2012-10-04T21:27:00.002-07:00

I have a daughter who is going to be Tinker Bell for Halloween. So, I thought we could have a family theme around Peter Pan. I'll be Wendy and my son will be the Crocodile. This Wendy costume was oh-so-simple and inexpensive. Especially when I found the fabric in the bargain bin. Try and get a heavy drappey type fabric. This dress is modifying a ballet pattern - Simplicity 5138 Style A. Modifying the shoulder (taking out the spaghetti strap) and adding a puffy sleeve with elastic. There is NO zipper or buttons. Elastic at the empire, with lining at the bust. Add a bit of Pixie Dust, think happy thoughts and you're off!

Rainbow Brite and Twink

2012-10-01T12:39:00.002-07:00

I wish I had seen this costume when my kids were super small. Rainbow Brite was my favorite character when I was young. So much so, that I remember having a discussion with my mom about wanting to change me name legally to Rainbow Brite. Why not? It is the coolest name ever!

Thanks pinksuedeshoe for the tutorial.

Willy Wonka kids costume

2012-10-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

I love this version of Willy Wonka and the Oompa Loompa. These were winners at the Sequoia Zoo costume party. I got these pics from their FB page. Wish I could have been there, these are awesome costumes. So, how you can make this costume yourself?

WONKA: First, the purple velour jacket could be a thrift store find with added trim. Second, you can use this vest pattern to create the purple floral on black vest. Any regular khakis pants along with black dress shoes. Watch this video to learn how to tie a big Tan Victorian Bow tie. Finally, follow this tutorial on deviantart to create a real gentleman's top hat. You could also make it a paper hat.

Oompa Loompa: Get or make white, fleece overalls. Get a brown turtleneck then paint white stripes at the top. Spray paint a wig green, paint the face orange and make white eyebrows. Follow the instructions on Coolest Homemade Costumes for her step-by-step instructions.

If you have a bigger group and want more Charlie and the Chocolate Factory cast members here are the other costumes.

Alice in Wonderland

2012-10-01T11:40:00.000-07:00

I adore the new and the vintage Alice costumes.

Here is a tutorial for both the Tim Burton by googiemomma

And Disney Classic by danamadeit

My Fair Lady Ascot Dress

2012-09-30T16:18:00.001-07:00

Here is a beautiful up-cycling costume for girls. The Beautiful Ascot horse race costume from My Fair Lady, one of my favorite movies. This tutorial is here by Googiemomma. Great job.

Dr. Horrible Kids Costume

2012-09-30T13:17:00.002-07:00

This is Awesome!

Simple, inexpensive and creative!

I see Rain Boots, Rubber Gloves, Welding Goggles,

Coat is modified from Simplicity 3650 Toddler Costumes Chef E

Purchase here From poppyswickedgarden or Here are some Step by Step Pics from Starr Capps

Dr. Who Kids Costumes

2012-09-29T00:55:00.001-07:00

Your Kids can't verbalize what they want to be this year? Or better yet they can and this is WHO they want to be? Check out this cool dad RDEWALT.

Or crochet an Ood Mask at Ravelry wear a suit, and join them. That's simple.

I like to see everyone join the fun. Thanks Solitaire for sharing your thrift store alterations.

I especially like the Andipose softie tutorial from imaginarybf.

Dr. Who Sonic Screwdriver DIY

2012-09-29T00:25:00.001-07:00

We have been Dr. Who watching like crazy round here as well as thinking of crafty gifts to start on for Christmas. Thanks Doodle Craft for this DIY Sonic Screwdriver craft for those Dr. Who/ cool pen people in your lives. I know my dad would like one!

The Toy Society

2012-09-28T23:16:00.002-07:00

My First Submission for the Toy Society. This was a toy I made from a class drawing. I made a few too many. I love this Idea. Giving away your work. Especially if you Just can't help but make more than you know what to do with.
I planned on leaving him in the children's section at the library, but I forgot him when I went. So he got left in a tree outside Ikea, in the family parking. Hope he goes to a good home.

Thanks Maria for giving him a good home!

Comb Over Shower

2012-09-08T22:57:00.000-07:00

I just got back from the cutest Baby shower, totally Pinterest inspired. Each guest got to take home a mason jar with an etched mustache that was prefilled with our beverage. We were asked to decorate onesies. I've done this at another shower, but we used mainly fabric markers at that one. Here, we had some pre fab bits, gel paints, and fabric with double sided transfer sheets. Note for future onesie craft: prewash all your onesies and fat quarters. Iron them as well. Pre iron the fabric to the transfer sheets, then guests can just cut, peel and Iron. I did the hat one, do you like it?

We had phrases and mustaches to take pictures with all over the table and on our cupcakes. We were then given a website to mail our own pictures to so they will be in an easily shared location. Ours went to Flickr.

Another parting gift was some homemade chocolate staches to take home. Yummy!

I gave mine to my babysitter, thanks mom.

It was great, maybe it was so great cause I was out of the house with friends and not kids. Thanks for the grown up party. And I still got cupcakes!

Dorothy Costume

2012-09-04T15:08:00.002-07:00

I know not everyone can be as lucky as me and be able to raid your mothers' closet for free fabric and then decide what to make. That is how this costume started. I had a monkey costume for the baby and needed something to match. My mom had tons of inexpensive, blue checkered fabric. So, I modified a vintage dress pattern my mom had to make the Dorothy costume.

I made an additional bodice to attach and wear underneath. I made the middle bigger because it gathers around the neck. Don't forget the blue ric-rac around the neck and sleeves.

She loved it and wore it for 2 Halloweens. Why bother to make her a different one, right?

My matching costume as the witch, came from a grownup pattern for Snow White, but all black. I bought a black thrift store button up ladies blouse that looked like silk/rayon. I took off the sleeves and hemmed them. I cut the bottom to be more box shaped, like that of the tops of European castles. I didn't get around to making the laced belt but, I was happy with how it came out.