shoutingforha

Restoring Vintage Drums - How To Silence Buzzing Lug Springs

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 14:00:00 +0000

While restoring a 1964 Slingerland drum kit I ran into a problem I had never experienced before… Buzzing lug springs. When we purchased the kit it had all of the original drum heads. Judging by the amount of filth on said drums, I feel certain that the heads had not been removed in several decades if ever.

The simple act of removing the tension rods caused the springs to start buzzing inside the lugs. Unfortunately, we didn't realized this problem until new heads had been installed/tuned and my boy started playing. The buzzing was horrible.

Once again, the fellas at Fork's offered a solution.

Begin by carefully removing the screws that hold the lug in place. You will want to do this one lug at a time. Be especially careful not to mixup the top and bottom screws as they are self threading and will only go back into their original location.

Here is the inside of the lug and the pesky little spring that was making so much noise.

The easiest way to stop the buzzing is to use felt. The felt should be cut into squares that are the same length as the spring and wide enough to encircle it entirely.

My best tidbit of advice is this: Cut enough squares of felt to wrap all of the springs on one side of the drum before you get started. Once you have used up all of the felt squares you will know that it is time to flip the drum over and repeat the process on the other side of the drum.

In my experience it is easy to lose count and before you know it you are removing lugs that have already been wrapped. It doesn't seem like a big deal but old drum hardware can be temperamental, especially when it hasn't been removed in fifty years. You don't want to accidentally sheer off a screw and end up having to replace an entire lug.

Wrap each spring in felt as shown in the picture above.

Then place the spring back into the lug with the felt seam-side-down. This will ensure that the felt will never unwrap itself from the spring no matter how hard your kid pounds on his drums.

Finally, reattach the lug to the drum, again making sure that you put the screws back into the proper location. Repeat until you have wrapped every spring in felt.

Restoring Vintage Drums - Removing Excessive Rust From Tension Rods and Washers

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Thu, 29 May 2014 14:00:00 +0000

I hope you enjoyed last week's post on the basics of restoring vintage drums. As promised, today I am going to share Sam Bacco's secret for removing excessive rust from tension rods and washers. Here goes...

This pile of tension rods and washers were removed from the same 1964 Slingerland kit that you saw in the previous post. Pretty rusty, eh?

Despite a good scrubbing with the #0000 steel wool, much of the rust remained. I knew it was time to give Sam's tried and true trick a try. Here's what you need...

A large can of WD-40 and an old, clean jar. Squirt a sizable amount of the WD-40 into the jar and toss in all of the rusty tension rods and washers. Allow them to soak for a few days. You will want to shake the jar every so often to stir things up.

Some of the pieces were so rusty that I decided to let them hang out in the jar for an entire week.

Remove the rods and washers from the jar, give them a quick wash in a little soapy water (dish soap works great for this application) and then dry them thoroughly. Then give them a good scrubbing with the #0000 steel wool.

You will be amazed by the results. As you can see, the once rust-covered tension rods and washers look almost as good as new.

Check back next week to see one final tip for restoring vintage drums: How to silence the buzzing from lug springs.

Restoring Vintage Drums - The Basics

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Thu, 22 May 2014 14:00:00 +0000

One of the many benefits of living in Nashville is the abundance of used music gear. The hubby and I love a good bargain and have been able to pick up a couple of cool vintage drum kits on the cheap. There is only one drawback… Drums that have been stashed in an attic or garage for fifty years aren't always in the best shape.

Ask any Nashville drummer and they will tell you that the place to go for drum restoration is Fork's Drum Closet. Not only is Sam Bacco a world-class percussionist, his drum restorations are unparalleled. Unfortunately, the price of Mr. Bacco's restorations is not in the Ha family budget, but he and the wonderful guys at Fork's have been kind enough to give us a few pointers. Today, I would like to pass these tricks along to you.

The kit we will be working on is a 1964 Slingerland with gorgeous mahogany shells. Let's get started…

Step one is to remove the lugs, washers, metal rims, wood hoops and drum heads. I like to work on one drum at a time so I don't accidentally mix up any parts.

If you are lucky enough to find a vintage kit with the original drum heads, don't throw them away. The heads can be washed with a soft cloth and soapy water and either placed back on the drums or stored in a safe place. Remember that drums with all their original parts are more valuable.

Drum shells with wood veneer like this Slingerland kit should be wiped down with a damp cloth to remove any grime and then polished with a gentle furniture polish. Shells with a lacquer finish can be cleaned with a soft cloth and soapy water. Just try to avoid wetting the inside of the drum.

Once the shells have been cleaned it is time to tackle the chrome hardware. Here's what you will need: #0000 steel wool, rubber gloves and toothpicks. Do not use anything other than #0000 steel wool or you will risk damaging the hardware.

Despite being wiped down, you can see that this lug is still covered in grime and a few tiny spots of rust.

Make sure you lay a cloth or old towel underneath the drum before getting started. The steel wool will splinter as you work and, not only is it messy, the shavings can potentially harm your work surface.

After putting on a trusty pair of rubber gloves, tear off a small piece of steel wool and use it to polish the chrome. The steel wool is soft enough to avoid scratching the chrome finish while still removing the rust and grime from any crevices. Use a soft cloth to gently brush off any steel wool shavings.

A word of caution… Try to avoid rubbing the shells with the steel wool as it will scratch the finish.

Check out the finished lug. I am always amazed by how some steel wool and a little elbow grease can restore the chrome hardware's shine.

While you are working you may find that some of the nooks and crevices are simply too small to be polished using your fingers alone. In those instances, I like to use a toothpick with a little steel wool wrapped around the end.

I chose the picture above specifically so that you can see what happens when you fail to remove rust from drum hardware. The rust has caused the chrome plating to flake off of this tom mount. There are two ways to handle this problem: Have the piece replated or remove every trace of the rust and use a dab of 3-In-One Oil to prevent further rusting.

Take a look at that shine! As you can see in the picture above, the slight pitting caused by the rust is still slightly visible under the bright lights. It is best to avoid allowing rust to form on the hardware in the first place.

Now for the easy part… polishing the rims. Make sure you give both sides of the rims a good rubdown with the steel wool and then wipe off any dust/shavings with a soft cloth.

Good as new!

The last and most tedious part of the restoration process is cleaning the tension rods, washers and bass drum claws. In my experience, these are the pieces that usually have the most rust. My advice is to take your time.

As you can see, the slight pitting remains but the shine has been restored.

Remember, when restoring a vintage kit, it may not be possible to return everything to it's original state. This bass drum tension rod lost a portion of it's chrome plating due to rust. The goal is to restore the shine and prevent further damage.

A little time and elbow grease is all it takes to restore a vintage drum kit to it's former glory. As you can see, it is well worth the effort.

Check back next week to learn Sam Bacco's secret for removing excessive rust from tension rods and washers.

The Quiet Book - Made For An Elmo Loving Little Girl

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 15:00:00 +0000

I have been busy the past few weeks making another quiet book. This one was for my adorable niece Charlotte, a.k.a. Chachie. How cute is that?!

This time I decided to replace the usual grommets with a simple whip-stitched hole. I find that the grommets are difficult to install and they are quite costly.

I stitched the pages together and then used a good old-fashioned paper punch to make the holes. I was surprised by how easily the paper punch handled the two plies of felt.

I used embroidery floss and a whip stitch to reinforce the holes. I really like how it looks and am thinking of ditching the grommets permanently. What do you think?

This quiet book has all the standard pages.

This was the first time that I used matching buttons for all of the train wheels. I think it makes them pop.

The barn is one of my favorite pages.

I found some cute new animal fabrics to use inside the barn. I especially like the horses and the squirrel with the acorn.

I tried to use girly colors throughout the book. I found the belt at my local Goodwill for $0.99. Score!

One of Chachie's greatest loves is Elmo. She likes to watch Elmo on television, talks about him constantly and even dressed up like the furry red monster for Halloween. I decided to create an Elmo page specifically for Chachie's book.

Elmo's nose, mouth and the letters E-L-M-O are attached with velcro. Hopefully Chachie will enjoy making Elmo's expression change from happy to sad.

I tucked a picture of the cutie inside the tent just like in my other books.

All of the removable pieces are attached to the book with velcro. I always make sure that I put the soft side of the velcro on the pieces and the rough side on the pages.

I decided to forgo the use of grommets on the shoe as well. I think that the reinforced holes will be just as sturdy.

I really hope that Chachie enjoys her Quiet Book. I have a feeling that it will come in handy when her new baby sister makes an appearance in May.

Here's a supply list for those who are interested:

11 white felt sheets
4 red felt sheets
5 pale blue felt sheets
2 lime green felt sheets
1 lavender felt sheet
1 orange felt sheet
2 yellow felt sheets
1 black felt sheet
2 navy blue felt sheets
1 pale pink felt sheet
1 medium pink felt sheet
1 bright pink felt sheet
1 bright blue felt sheet
1 cream felt sheet
1 bright purple felt sheet
1 dark purple felt sheet
1 turquoise felt sheet
1 gray felt sheet
1 dark green felt sheet
1 army green felt sheet
misc. scraps of animal print fabric
4 1/2 feet of ribbon in a complimentary color
1 pkg. soft velcro
11 buttons
1 shoe lace
1 belt
3 snaps
1 short zipper
thread in a variety of colors
white and black embroidery floss
fabric paint in a variety of colors

To check out the other Quiet Books I've made click here.

*** Feel free to use my design to make a quiet book for someone that you love. That said, I request that you refrain from using my design to create products for sale. Thanks!

How to Clear Up A Dog's Ear Infection Without Medication

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 13:30:00 +0000

I've talked about our loveable mutt, Brick, quite a bit here on the old blog. One thing I haven't told you is that the beast's ears are prone to growing that smelly, black funk that is associated with doggie ear infections.

Our veterinarian isn't sure why Brick's ears are so susceptible to yeast infections. Most likely it's a combination of an unknown allergy (one that can only be diagnosed with high-dollar blood tests) and the likelihood that one of the dogs in his mysterious gene pool had some wacky ears.

During Brick's early years, I would drag the poor dog into the vet's office every time his ears became gunky. The solution was always the same - an expensive and ridiculously tiny bottle of Mometamax. Unfortunately the drops never worked and it would usually take two or three treatments to kill the infection once and for all.

At one point, the infection was so severe that the insides of poor Brick's ears had become red and raw. It was obvious that my poor dog was in pain. In an effort to ease his suffering I decided to try and clean some of the black gunk from his ears.

I armed myself with three things... A bottle of witch hazel, some Q-tips and a few wet wipes. Witch hazel seemed like a good choice because I knew it wouldn't sting Brick's sores and it's anti-inflamitory properties certainly wouldn't hurt.

I poured a little witch hazel into a dish and placed the ends of a small handful of Q-tips in to soak. I began by taking one of the wet wipes and tried to gently wipe away some of the goop inside Brick's ears.

Next, I tackled the maze of nooks and crannies that make up my dog's outer ear canal. Dogs have some crazy ears! Using one of the witch hazel soaked Q-tips I would gently clean each crevice, being careful to get a clean swab any time one became visibly dirty.

It was tedious work but I was surprised by how quickly the skin changed from an angry red to a healthy pink color just by removing the gunk. Once Brick's ears were sufficiently cleaned, I used another wet wipe to give his ears one last wipe. I repeated this process daily until any sores or signs of redness were completely gone.

To my surprise, Brick seemed to enjoy having his ears cleaned and the infection didn't come back within a few days like it did with the medication. In fact, his ears stayed healthy and yeast-free for several months.

I use witch hazel to clean Brick's ears on a as-needed basis. The telltale sign that some ear funk might be brewing is a sudden increase in scratching. As soon as I notice that back paw clawing away at an ear I know it's time to break out my tried and true home remedy.

If your dog suffers with occasional or even severe ear infections, I hope you will give witch hazel a try. It might just be the solution you've been looking for.

~~~~~

I am not a veterinarian and I make no promises or guarantees that this treatment will work on your pet. I am simply sharing something that has helped my dog in the hopes that it might help yours as well.

~~~~~

This post is part of Works For Me Wednesday over at We Are THAT Family. Pop by for some more handy tips.

How To Coax Peonies Into Opening Once They've Been Cut

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:33:00 +0000

Peonies are one of my favorite flowers. I have several bushes dotting the flower beds around my house and I look forward to their fragrant blooms every spring. The only thing I don't like is all the ants. Peonies are ant magnets.

Peonies release a sap-like substance on their buds. You can see the little bubbles in the picture above. As I understand it, the ants eat the sap which allows the buds to open up. Without the ants, the peony buds would remain glued shut so to speak.

I love having fresh flowers in my house so as soon as the blooms begin to appear I race outside, scissors in hand, and harvest flowers to enjoy indoors. There isn't a lilac, hydrangea or peony that is safe from my shears.

In an effort to avoid the legion of ants that call my bushes home, I tend to cut my peonies a little on the early side. The result is usually a vase full of buds and very few open blooms.

Never fear, dear readers. There is an easy solution for this problem. I gently wipe the sap-like substance off of the buds using a damp paper towel or cloth. The process only takes a few minutes and will need to be repeated every day until the flowers begin to open.

It only takes a day or two for the once tightly sealed buds to begin to open. Best of all, I didn't have to worry about those pesky ants infesting my house.

If you love peonies but are prone to bouts of impatience like me, give this little trick a try. Your home will be filled with their glorious aroma quicker than you can say, "Pesky ants love peonies!"

The Complaint Bucket

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I think I may have mentioned that my boy has been a wee bit of a complainer as of late. For a while, his whining seemed to be centered around certain tasks. Things like brushing his teeth, picking up his stuff or being forced to go to bed.

Oh, the humanity. Are we the meanest parents or what?

In the past few weeks, the hubby and I noticed that his grumblings had ballooned to a whole knew level. Nothing was off limits when it came to the boy's never ending complaints. It was almost as annoying as the never-ending drone of political ads and commentary. Almost.

After a little discussion, we came up with what we think was the perfect solution... The complaint bucket. It's an old metal tub where the items that cause our boy deep sorrow go to live for a period of time.

Can't stand the way those socks feel? Just toss them in the bucket.

Lamenting over the fact that you don't have the newest version of the iPod Touch? We'll just keep that crummy, outdated device in the bucket until a little thankfulness fills your heart.

Backpack bringing you down? Maybe your mind will change after a day or two of lugging that gigantic binder, lunch box, snare drum and bell set back and forth to school by hand.

It may sound extreme, but you would be surprised how doing without can turn even the grumpiest eleven-year-old into a veritable ray of sunshine. It's like magic.

I am happy to report that the bucket has worked even better than we hoped. In fact, it's been sitting in the corner, empty, for the past two weeks. These days, when his pesky socks are gouging his tender toes, the boy is quick to shout, "I love the way these socks make my toes feel!" He may not be entirely sincere, but at least he's not complaining anymore.

I only wish that we would have thought of it sooner.

~~~~~

This post is part of Works For Me Wednesday over at We Are That Family. Stop by and check out some of the other helpful tips.

How to Make Fire Starters

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Have you ever tried to light a fire in your fireplace or outdoor fire pit with no success? Well, today is your lucky day. I am going to show you a simple solution to this age-old problem... Homemade fire starters.

I have to give credit for this project to my mom. She always had a stash of these handy little guys within easy reach of our wood-burning stove and, as a result, lighting the fire was never a problem.

Here's what you will need:

A clean tin can
Remnants of old candles
A pot of water
Muffin tin
Paper muffin cups
Dryer lint or sawdust
A pair of scissors
Pine cones, pine straw, wood chips...

Let's get started...

Using a sharp knife, chop up the old candles and place the chunks of wax the tin can. Make sure to set aside the wicks as you will need them later on. Place the tin can in a pot of water and allow it to heat on the stove until the wax has completely melted.

Meanwhile, line a muffin tin with paper muffin cups.

Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full with dryer lint or sawdust. My mom always used sawdust, but since I didn't have any on hand I decided to use some of my never-ending supply of lint. Try not to be too grossed out by the dog hair and other bits of nastiness lurking in my lint.

Using your scissors, cut the wicks into 1.5 - 2 inch pieces and place one in each muffin cup. I like to make sure that one end of the wick is tucked underneath the lint or sawdust and the other is sticking out over the edge of the muffin cup.

Add a few pine cones on top of the lint. I'm using some of the tiny pine cones that fell off my neighbor's cypress tree. Feel free to substitute bigger pine cones or even a bit of pine straw or wood chips. Just use whatever you happen to have on hand.

Remember all that wax you melted? Carefully pour the wax over the dryer lint, wick and pine cones. Make sure you use a hot pad when you pick up the can as the metal will be hot. Allow the wax to harden before removing the fire starters from the muffin tin.

You can store the fire starters in a basket by your fireplace for easy access. If you plan on using your fire starters to light your outdoor fire pit, I would recommend keeping them inside during the summer months as the wax is no match for the hot temperatures.

To use one of these handy-dandy fire starters, simply place a few logs in your fire pit. Tuck some crumpled newspaper and a few twigs between the logs. Place one of the fire starters on top of the paper. Place one of your fire starters on top of the paper.

Light the wick and wait for the fire to ignite all of the kindling and the logs. It's that simple.

My fire looked like this within two minutes. The best part is that it only took one match.

I hope you will give these simple fire starters a try. They make a sometimes trying task so much easier.

~~~~~

This post is part of Works For Me Wednesday over at We Are THAT Family. Pop by for some more handy tips.

How To Stop the Insane Itch of Chigger Bites

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:55:00 +0000

Chiggers. One mention of the word is likely to fill southerners with dread. The itch of their bite is so intense that it can only be described as torture.

For those of you who aren't familiar with these evil little creatures, a chigger is a small mite that lives in tall grass or shrubs in damp or humid areas, a.k.a the south. During their larva stage, they leap onto humans or animals and feast on the liquid in the skin cells. Gross, right?

Unfortunately for us humans, the chiggers are so small that they can't be seen with the naked eye and a person won't know that they've been bitten until the itchy welt appears. They frequently congregate in the damp (sweaty) areas on the body: armpits, under waistbands or bra straps, groin and inside socks.

I had my first chigger encounter just weeks after moving to Nashville in 1994. Being the Colorado girl that I am, I foolishly assumed that the bites on my ankles were from a pesky mosquito. I applied a little cortisone cream and went about my business. The only problem was that the cream did little to stop the insane itch. I lost sleep and scratched my ankles until they bled.

One day as I was strolling the aisles of my neighborhood grocery store, a kind old lady noticed my plight. She explained to me who the real culprits were and suggested that I paint the chigger bites with nail polish. This seals the bites from the air thus reducing the itch. It helped a little, but I was still miserable for weeks.

Last week, the boy and I found ourselves in an area that unbeknownst to us was infested with chiggers. While the boy's bites were located all over his body, mine seemed to be clustered on the backs of my knees and in my groin. I was thrilled because nothing is more horrifying than the sight of a 39-year-old woman frantically scratching her crotch.

I took handfuls of Benadryl and tried applying calamine lotion, nail polish and the prescription cortisone cream that my doctor prescribed for my last bout of poison ivy. Nothing worked. Then a friend suggested I try something a little different...

...Anbesol (I bought the generic version). A little dab of the magical liquid seemed to numb the nerves and provide almost instant relief from the itching. I plan on keeping a bottle in my medicine cabinet in the event that I have another unfortunate encounter with chiggers.

If you find yourself plagues with bug bites that just won't stop itching, give Anbesol a try. It just might provide the relief that your skin so desperately desires.

~~~~~

This post is part of Works For Me Wednesday over at We Are THAT Family. Pop by for some more handy tips.

Pocket Hearts

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:30:00 +0000

My sister is the proud mama to three beautiful little kids, two girls and a boy. In addition to taking care of her brood and running her household, she works full time. I honestly don't know how she manages to get it all done. I know that I wouldn't last a minute in her shoes.

Her oldest daughter is an independent first grader that is overflowing with boundless energy, never runs out of things to talk about, is deeply thoughtful and loves to be creative. The wee man of the house is only sixteen months old. Although he is learning to talk and races around like a maniac, he still requires a lot of attention as all tiny people do.

The middle child, my niece, well... She reminds me of my boy. She is silly, talkative, feisty and, at times, highly emotional. She also has this incredibly tender side that loves to snuggle and longs to be near the people she loves every moment of every day. Needless to say, she has been having a hard time when her beloved mommy heads off to work.

My sister and I were discussing this situation last week (she always calls me during her commute home). Her desire was to find some way to remind her sweet little girl how much she loves her even when they can't be together.

I suggested a jar of pocket hearts.

I had remembered seeing the cute little felt hearts in one of our local shops several years ago, although I cannot remember where. The hearts can be tucked into a pocket within easy reach should a child need a little reminder of their parent's love. I thought they would be perfect for my niece.

My sister loved the idea, but since she works harder than anyone else I know, I offered to do all the crafting myself. To make the pocket hearts, I cut hearts out of different colors of felt, stuffed them with a little bit of polyfill and used embroidery floss and a simple blanket stitch to seal the edges.

The hearts are so easy to make that I decided to give my sister an entire jar full. With three kids, it's only a matter of time before a few disappear like so many socks in the laundry. Besides, sharing is highly overrated.

*** UPDATE: A friend told me that Curly Birds recently did a post on pocket hearts over at her blog. Stop by and check them out.

Removing Water Marks From a Table

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:30:00 +0000

Most of the furniture in my home is coated with a protective layer of polyurethane. The one exception is an antique library table that sits in our den.

When we bought the piece, it was clear that the table had seen a lot of use. The hubby and I were no strangers to refinishing furniture but, for whatever reason, we opted to just leave the table alone.

The hubby's favorite chair is within arms reach of the table. Most evenings you can find him, plopped in his chair, MacBook on his lap, with a ginormous cup of coffee or 40 liter bottle of water by his side. The table also happens to be my boy's favorite spot to rest a glass.

If you know anything about my boy, it will come as no surprise that he is constantly knocking things over. That, combined with the normal condensation that appears on glasses, results in a table that is covered with water marks.

An obvious solution would be to simply require the fellows to use a coaster, but to be honest, we're just not coaster people. I like being able to put down my glass wherever I want, whenever I want.

If you have a table that has suffered similar abuse, don't despair. I have a quick and easy way to remove those pesky rings. All you need is this:

That's right. Mayonnaise. Around the Ha house, Hellman's is king.

Don't even bother using Miracle Whip. Not only does the stuff taste terrible, but the high fructose corn syrup and food starch will just gunk up the furniture.

Slather a decent coating of mayonnaise onto the furniture. Make sure that the water marks are completely covered.

Now just walk away. You heard me. Go.

Be sure to keep your eyes out for this guy. He looks cute, but when you're not looking he will mosey over to the table and help himself to a lick or two of the mayo. The little stinker.

After a few hours, it will start to look like this. Notice how the oil in the mayonnaise starts to soak into the wood?

If you are fixing a severe water mark on a piece of furniture, like the one pictured above, it is a good idea to coat the table with mayonnaise before you go to bed and leave it over night. That way, the mayo has plenty of time to work it's magic.

Now for the fun part. Grab some paper towels and start wiping. Once the majority of the mayonnaise is removed, grab a clean cloth and give the table a good polishing.

Give it a try for yourself.

~~~~~

This post is part of Works For Me Wednesday over at We Are THAT Family. Pop by for some more handy tips.

Fort Building Kit

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Are you ready for a new craft project? Great! I've got a really fun one today.

I'm going to show you how to make a Fort Building Kit just like the one I made as a Christmas present for my six-year-old niece. Don't tell my boy, but I made him a more manly version as well. I got the idea from Saltwater-Kids.

My niece is just at the age where she wants to have a little space away from her two younger siblings. This is especially true when her best friend comes over to play. It's can be incredibly hard to do big girl things when your three-year-old sister and one-year-old brother keep pestering you. My hope is that the Fort Building Kit will allow her to create her own special place that she can play.

Here's what you need:

I picked up two big sheets at my local Goodwill for $1.99 a piece. My niece is all girl so I tried to select some that were especially pretty.

I cut strips of cloth from one of my hubby's old T-shirts to make some tie-downs. I sewed one strip onto the each of the 4 corners and the midpoint of each side of the sheets.

The rope is simple clothesline rope that I picked up at the dollar store along with the clothespins. To make it a little more fun, I dyed the clothespins by letting them soak for a few minutes in a glass of water that I tinted with a few drops of food coloring. Once they had soaked up a little color, I laid the pins out on a few sheets of paper towels to dry.

The big metal clips are from Home Depot and only cost $0.99 each. The smaller clips and the flashlight were dollar store purchases as well.

I made a drawstring bag from one of my hubby's old dress shirts to store the rope, clips and flashlight.

The storage bag was made with more of the shirt fabric and a complimentary scrap I had in my fabric pile. The handles are made from an old piece of grosgrain ribbon. I liked the idea of using fabric that I already had on hand, and since my Christmas shopping has been done for weeks, I had more than enough time to get it done.

If you can't sew or simply don't have the time, you could easily use a bag of your choice instead. The whole point is to have some sort-of bag to keep all the fort making supplies in one place.

I hope you will make this Fort Building Kit for someone that you love. It will provide hours of fun and costs less than $10 to make. What could be better than that?

The Quiet Book - Girly Version

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:42:00 +0000

Today I would like to share another version of my felt Quiet Book. This one was made for an adorable little girl named Emmie.

The majority of the pages are identical to the other book, although you might notice a slightly pinker color palate.

I used an assortment of old buttons for the wheels on the train.

All of the removable pieces, like the moon and stars, are made from two pieces of felt that have been sewn together and are attached to the book with a piece of soft velcro.

A friend gave me the scrap of pink fabric with the farm girls on it. I thought it would be perfect behind one of the barn doors.

For this girly version of the Quiet Book, I decided to make a purple mitten. It's just the right size for a tiny hand to slip inside.

Even the shoe has a feminine flair. They eyelets of the shoe are made from grommets that I stitched around with embroidery floss to make them extra secure. I picked up the belt at our local thrift store for $1.00.

I used fabric paint to write all of the words and mark the places for the shapes. I also use the paint to add little details to the book like the friendly faces on the fish and the message on the letter.

When I make a quiet book, I like to personalize it to suit the child I'm making it for. In this case, the little girl loves to play with her mommy's makeup.

I hope she will enjoy pretending to put makeup on the lady's face instead of ruining her mother's expensive stuff.


© shoutingforha

One of my favorite pages of the book is the tent. Children love unzipping it to reveal their own sweet face. As before, the picture can be easily swapped out for another.

I hope that Emmie will get as much joy from her book as I had making it.

I've had a few people ask for a supply list. Here goes:

11 white felt sheets
3 red felt sheets
5 pale blue felt sheets
2 lime green felt sheets
1 orange felt sheet
2 yellow felt sheets
1 black felt sheet
2 navy blue felt sheets
1 pale pink felt sheet
1 medium pink felt sheet
1 bright pink felt sheet
1 bright blue felt sheet
1 cream felt sheet
1 bright purple felt sheet
1 dark purple felt sheet
1 turquoise felt sheet
1 gray felt sheet
1 dark green felt sheet
1 army green felt sheet
1 brown felt sheet
misc. scraps of animal print fabric
4 1/2 feet of ribbon in a complimentary color
1 pkg. soft velcro
11 buttons
24 large grommets
6 small grommets
1 shoe lace
1 belt
3 snaps
1 short zipper
fabric paint in a variety of colors

To check out a Quiet Book I made for a little boy, click here.

*** Feel free to use my design to make a quiet book for someone that you love. That said, I request that you refrain from using my design to create products for sale. Thanks!

How To Embellish A Onesie - Girly Version

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I've previously written a post about embellishing onesies with cute little neck ties for your little boy. Today, I'm going to share a few examples that would ideal for the fairer species. I don't have a daughter myself, but I sure enjoy making girly things for my nieces and friends who are expecting a little pink bundle of joy.

Unlike the last time I did this project, I didn't have any of my handy-dandy fusible web sheets. I did, however, happen to have a roll of stitch witchery tape.

When using fusible web, you simply cut your embellishment, in this case a heart, out of the fabric and an identical piece of the web. When using the tape, cut multiple strips and arrange them on the back side of the fabric.

Carefully flip the fabric over and place it on the desired location on the onesie. Using the heat from your iron, press the fabric until the tape fuses it in place.

While this step is a little tedious, it makes sewing the garment much, much easier. You'll thank me for it later, I promise.

Set your machine to the zig zag stitch. You can adjust the length or tightness of the stitch to whatever you like. I opted to keep it on the standard setting.

Place the onesie under the presser foot and slowly stitch around the edge of the applique. If you have a more complex design, you may have to lift the presser foot and adjust the placement of the onesie in order to navigate the perimeter of the fabric embellishment.

Your finished stitching should look something like this. As you can see, I used a complimentary thread to sew the heart.

In addition to pink plaid hearts, you can embellish onesies with countless other designs like
a monogram or first initial.

You can even layer multiple fabrics.

Or, if you want to get really fancy, you can make this cute little owl, my personal favorite. One thing to note, I used plain white thread to sew all of the pieces in place. If you prefer, you could use a different color for each fabric.

As you can see, adding an applique is a quick and easy way to add a special touch to a plain old onesie. Next time you need a baby gift, I would encourage you to give it a try.

To check out some onesies I embellished for a little boy, click here.

How To Remove Water From Your Car

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Last Thursday we had some torrential rains in our neck of the woods. According to the weather service, four inches fell in just an hour. It was enough to cause flooding in some of the same areas that were hit last year.

I happened to be out running errands when the downpour started. Things have been really dry around here so it didn't take long for the roads to pool with water. As I was navigating my way through the rising flood, I drove through a particularly deep spot; one that made me pause and question, "Should I really drive through this mess?"

Like the ninny that I am, I drove right on through the water. Unbeknownst to me, some water managed to wash inside the back doors of my Suburban. It wasn't until Sunday that we noticed what had happened thanks to the lovely sour smell permeating the entire car.

Thankfully, or maybe not so thankfully, this wasn't our first time at the rodeo. We knew exactly how to fix our smelly, soggy problem... Cat litter.

The hubby zipped to the store and purchased a giant container of cat litter, specifically the clumping kind. We poured the entire jug into the back of the truck, spreading it to make sure that all of the damp carpet was covered in a nice thick layer. Then you wait.

We left the cat litter in the back of the truck for two days. After all of the water had been absorbed, we simply vacuumed out the litter and the truck was stink-free and good as new. It's that easy.

Next time one of your kids dumps an entire beverage in the floor boards or you leave the windows or sunroof open during a thunderstorm, don't fret. Just grab some cat litter and let it clean up the mess for you. It works every time.

~~~~~

This post is part of Works For Me Wednesday over at We Are THAT Family. Pop by for some more handy tips.

The Tennessee Salt Map

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Fourth grade is a time for learning long division, fractions, the history of our great country and writing book reports. If you happen to live in Tennessee, fourth grade also means making a Tennessee Salt Map.

The map is designed to teach the children the geographic make-up of their home state and the locations of all the major cities and rivers. It is the biggest project of the year and is intended to be worked on over the course of several weeks. From what I can tell, kids love the project but it's one that many parents hate.

Before the boy began work on his map, I decided to get some advice from my neighbor, a mother of three older girls and seasoned salt map maker. I feel so thankful to have friends who have gone before me and are willing to point me in the right direction.

While she had plenty of wisdom to share, her best piece of advise was to ignore the recipe provided by the teachers. It apparently called for too much water which prevented the dough from retaining it's shape. I have no doubt that countless hours of frustration and tears were averted thanks to her handy tip.

With all of the advice and a sheet of foam board in hand, we were ready to get started. My boy, of course, wanted me to whip up a batch of dough so that he could hurl it onto the board and start molding the great state of Tennessee. I knew that he would benefit from a little bit of planning, so I insisted that he slow down and draw things out ahead of time.

To make things a little easier, I pulled out an old Tennessee map and had the boy trace around it onto the foam board (he just pressed really hard with a pencil). Next, he used a Sharpie to go over the lines so that they were clearly visible. The last thing he did was to draw in all of the landforms and rivers.

Once I had mixed up the dough, my boy slowly began building his state map one section at a time. He started in the west with the West Tennessee Plain/Gulf Coastal Basin. He then made his way east, building each land form at the appropriate height and using a toothpick to mark where the three major rivers flowed.

We then set the map aside to dry. This spring has been especially rainy and humid so the map took an eternity to dry. By eternity I mean over a week. Then it was time for the fun part... paint.

Most of the students paint there map three distinct colors marking the three regions of Tennessee, West, Middle and East. The boy had other plans. He wanted to paint his salt map so that it looked more like a satellite image. It took several shades of green, brown and black to get everything just how he wanted it. I think he did a wonderful job.

Leftover fabric paint from the Quiet Book was used to make the rivers. Push pins, hand-numbered with a Sharpie, were used to mark the cities, rivers and landforms. The boy decided to print out his title and map legend so that the project would look nice and neat. I was actually blown away by how great it turned out.

The project was so much fun that I'm a little bummed out I won't get to do this again with another child. Maybe we could make salt maps of other states, just for fun... I'm sure the boy would think that was a great idea.

For those who asked, the recipe for Salt Dough is as follows:

1 c. flour
1 c. salt
1/2 - 2/3 c. water

Combine the flour and salt. Add the water, starting with about 1/2 cup, adding more until the dough just comes together. The dough should be pliable but not sticky or crumbly.

How To Make A Rainbow Cake

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

You longtime readers are well aware of the fact that my boy was born on St. Patrick's Day. The child has wholeheartedly embraced the holiday as his own and loves to incorporate as many shamrocks and leprechauns into his celebration as possible.

Since the boy could speak, he has requested a green birthday cake with buttercream frosting. This year I decided to surprise him with something a little different... a rainbow cake. I thought it would fit perfectly with the whole St. Patrick's Day theme, and boy, was it fun and surprisingly easy to make.

I started off with a batch of basic white cake batter. I made mine from scratch but you could certainly use a cake mix. I decided that I didn't want my layers to be too thick, so I used a single recipe. Evenly divided the batter into six separate bowls.

Add dye (I used gel food coloring) to tint the batter into the six colors of the rainbow. You can make the colors as pale or vibrant as you want. Just make sure the dye is well incorporated. You don't want any white patches in your cake.

Pour the batter into prepared cake pans, spreading to ensure that the layers are even. Because the layers were so thin, I opted to put a round of parchment in the bottom of my cake pan.

Bake the cakes at 350 degrees for around 10-12 minutes. Depending on the number of cake pans you have and your oven space, you will need to repeat the process with the remaining batter. Allow all six cakes to cool completely.

Now you are ready to assemble the cake. Place the first layer on your cake stand. I decided to put the red on top, purple on the bottom.

Spread a thin layer of frosting, in my case buttercream, over the cake.

Top with the next layer.

Repeat the process until all six layers are assembled. Isn't it pretty?

Take a small amount of frosting and give the cake a thin crumb coat. That way you won't have any crumbs visible in your frosting.

Top with a final layer of frosting and then decorate as desired. It's that easy.

For the record, the cake was a huge hit. In fact, the boy has adopted the rainbow cake as his official birthday cake going forward.

Next time you need to make a cake, give this a try. A rainbow cake is sure to brighten any celebration.

How To Make A Paper Ninja Throwing Star

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

The boy asked me the other day if he could have a real ninja throwing star. After I quit laughing, I told him ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Being the kind-hearted woman that I am, I decided to give him the next best thing... A great big stack of paper ninja throwing stars. They are so easy to make, the boy has been making piles more.

Start with a square piece of paper.

Cut the paper in half. You should have two identical rectangles.

For this demonstration, I am going to use two different patterns of paper. This should make it much easier for you to follow along.

Fold the each rectangle in half lengthwise. Arrange the pieces so that the fold are both facing inward.

Fold both pieces in half vertically.

Once you have made a crease, unfold to the previous step.

Taking the piece on the right, fold the top half down diagonally and to the left to meet the crease made in the last step.

Then fold the bottom half up diagonally and to the right. Your piece will now look like a Z.

Repeat the process with the piece on the left, except fold in the opposite direction. This piece should be a mirror image of the first piece.

Turn both pieces over.

Now fold the outside corners in to meet the vertical lines on the back of each piece.

Each piece should have two sharp points, one pointing up, one down. Be sure to make sure that the pieces are mirror images.

Fold the outer triangles that you just created in toward the middle forming a parallelogram.

Repeat with the other piece, forming another parallelogram that is a mirror image of the first.

Partially unfold the last step so that the points are facing up.

Turn one piece over so that the points are facing up on one, down on the other.

Lay the pieces on top of one another.

Now fold a point from the bottom piece across the top. Tuck it into the pocket in the middle of the top piece.

Repeat with the other bottom point.

Flip the entire thing over.

Tuck both remaining points into the pocket in the middle.

Press the entire throwing star with your fingers to make sure that the creases are smooth.

You can make throwing stars out of a variety of papers and in just about any size that you would like. Once you've made the first star, whipping out a whole arsenal is a snap.

The Quiet Book

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Sat, 08 May 2010 11:00:00 +0000

One of the young fellows that works for my hubby has a deliciously adorable little boy named Harvey. The Harvster turned one on Thursday and his parents are having a party this afternoon to celebrate the momentous occasion.

At the hubby's request, I have been working on a quiet book for the little man. It's a close replica to the one I originally made for my boy's first birthday.

The book is made almost entirely of felt. In my opinion, it is the perfect material for this type of project. Here's why...

First, felt is incredibly durable and doesn't fray like other fabrics. Second, it is inexpensive and comes in a million different colors. And third, the pre-cut sheets are the perfect size for the pages of the book.

Hidden inside the pocket is this little note. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

I used my sewing machine to secure many of the pieces, like this train, to the pages of the book. I prefer to use matching thread whenever possible. The process is rather tedious, but is well worth the time and effort.

Old buttons were used for the wheels.

The belt is from my boy's closet. It no longer fits around his waist, so I cut it to fit this tiny pair of pants.

While the sides and top of the baseball glove are securely attached to the page, the bottom was left open. It forms a pocket that is just the right size for a tiny hand to slide inside.

When I made my niece's quiet book, I replaced the glove with a brightly-colored mitten.

The doors on the barn can be opened to reveal cute little animal friends.

All of the removable pieces, like these shapes, are made from two pieces of felt that have been sewn together. They attach to the book with velcro.

The eyelets for the shoelace were made using grommets. I also placed three grommets down one side of each page. They make assembling the book and turning the pages a snap.

Harvey is already being indoctrinated into the St. Louis Cardinals fan club. I decided to make a miniature Albert Pujols so that Harvey can help the MLB star run around the bases after a grand slam.

All of the words, with the exception of those on the cover, were written with fabric paint. It is relatively inexpensive and comes in a rainbow of colors.

Inside the tent is a picture of the birthday boy (I told you he was adorable). The photo, which rests in a pocket, can be easily swapped out as desired.

Once all the pages were completed, I paired them up and sewed them back-to-back. A coordinating ribbon was used to tie the whole thing together. I placed a few quick stitches into the knot of the bow to ensure that the book doesn't fall apart.

After my boy examined Harvey's completed book, he asked me to retrieve his own quiet book from the top of the closet. It was carefully packed in a box along with some of his most precious keepsakes. He flipped through it's pages, removing and replacing each shape and unzipping the tent to reveal his once chubby cheeks.

I hope that little Harvey will enjoy his new quiet book.

I've had a few people ask for a supply list. Here goes:

10 white felt sheets
2 lime green felt sheets
3 red felt sheets
2 yellow felt sheets
5 pale blue felt sheets
1 orange felt sheet
1 purple felt sheet
1 turquoise felt sheet
1 bright blue felt sheet
1 bright pink felt sheet
2 dark green felt sheets
1 black felt sheet
1 gray felt sheet
2 dark blue felt sheets
2 brown felt sheets
1 cream felt sheet
misc. scraps of animal print fabric
thread in matching colors, although you can sew everything in white thread
4 1/2 ft. of ribbon in a complimentary color
1 pkg. soft velcro
1 shoelace
3 sets of snaps
1 short zipper
11 buttons
24 large grommets
10 small grommets
1 belt
1 photo for inside the tent
fabric paint in a variety of colors

To check out a Quiet Book I made for a little girl, click here.

*** Feel free to use my design to make a quiet book for someone that you love. That said, I request that you refrain from using my design to create products for sale. Thanks!

Balm for Cuts and Scrapes

noreply@blogger.com (shoutingforha) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:30:00 +0000

While I have never been a huge fan of taking over-the-counter medicine, the birth of my son sparked a desire to find alternative treatments for common, everyday ailments. A wonderful resource that I stumbled across was Aromatherapy for the Healthy Child, by Valerie Ann Worwood.

This book is an indispensable guide when it comes to the proper use of essential oils and their uses, especially as it applies to children. Valerie's other book, The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, provides countless information on the use of oils to "create health, beauty and a safe home environment." I highly recommend including both books in your home library.

One of my favorite things from Aromatherapy for the Healthy Child, is a recipe for Balm for Cuts and Scrapes. As the mom of an active eight-year-old, I always have a ready supply on hand. I have found that cuts heal three to four times faster when applying this Balm over the use of Neosporin.

Balm for Cuts and Scrapes

1/2 oz. beeswax
1 c. carrier oil, like Apricot Kernel Oil or Sweet Almond Oil
20 drops Tea Tree essential oil
20 drops Lavender essential oil

Before you begin, you will need a clean jar that can hold a little more than 1 cup of liquid. I found this cute one at Hobby Lobby for a whopping $1.99.

The whole balm-making process takes just a few minutes, so set it aside until you are ready to pour in your finished blend.

To start, you will need a microwave proof dish (I'm using a measuring cup), a fine grater and a block of beeswax. The block shown is 1 oz., so I will only be using half for this recipe.

Grate the beeswax into the measuring cup. Beeswax is very hard and sticky, so be patient. Once you have grated 1/2 oz., heat the wax in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 3 minutes at medium power until the wax is completely melted.

As a side note, if you prefer to skip the grating part, you can use beeswax pearls (they look like tiny beads) instead.

Now it is time to assemble the oils. You will need a carrier oil (I am using Apricot Kernel Oil), Tea Tree essential oil and Lavender essential oil.

Pour 1 cup of the carrier oil into a clean measuring cup. Add 20 drops each of Tea Tree and Lavender essential oils. Stir gently to combine.

Once the beeswax is melted and the oils are blended, it is time to combine the two. Gently pour the oil into the melted beeswax and stir until the mixture is thoroughly combined.

I store my essential oils at room temperature. If it is a particularly chilly day, I will often warm the carrier oil in the microwave for just a minute. I have found that having the beeswax and oils at similar temperatures makes the blending process much easier.

Pour the blend into the storage jar and set aside, uncovered, to cool completely. The once liquefied mixture will thicken to the consistency of a salve.

I like to attach a decorative label to the front. Isn't it pretty?

Tea Tree oil's antibacterial and antiseptic qualities combined with the pain relieving and calming qualities of Lavender oil, make the balm a welcome addition to any medicine cabinet. The uses are virtually endless. It also makes a great gift for any new mom.

I am fairly certain that I am going to get a few comments inquiring where the beeswax and oils can be purchased. You can find all of the ingredients at your local health or natural food store.

I, however, I prefer to use the online shop at Camden-Grey. They provide an incredible selection of high-quality products at an affordable price. I can honestly tell you that I have been thrilled with each and every purchase I have made.

~~~~~

This post is part of Works for Me Wednesday hosted by We Are That Family. Hop on over for other great tips.

*** The fine people at Camden-Grey have not paid or compensated me in any way. I am simply recommending the products that I have come to know and love over the years.