Attempting Aloha

I'm Back? And I'm curious...

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Tue, 29 May 2012 03:46:00 +0000

Aloha!

Well, I've been AWOL. Where have I been, you ask? Oh, you know...curled up in a ball on my bathroom floor, begging for mercy and praying my esophagus endures the 9 months of torture... Yeah. That.

For some reason, opening my computer made me want to vomit. Random aversion to blogging. Maybe my body's way of telling me to take a break from all my projects and just chill? Who knows. But at any rate, I'm approaching the mid-way point, and I'm still on Zofran but at least able to keep food down and am getting ready to start projects again.

SIDETRACK: I was sick with my first baby, and I was on meds all 9 months. But the second two were classic, textbook "morning sickness" pregnancies. I'd force myself to wake up early, eat a couple crackers, immediately jump on the treadmill, and push through nausea.I'd maybe vomit once in the morning, but then I'd be fine the rest of the day. Completely gone by 16 weeks.

All girls, so gender played no part in any of it. The only thing I can attribute it to is running... I was a lazy, lazy beast during my first pregnancy. I felt like it was my time to just kick back and take it easy. So I did. And I gained 40 lbs. And had a 6 lb. baby. That calculates into one disappointed mama after giving birth and expecting to fit right back into pre-pregnancy clothes and lifestyle. Boo.

So I bought a treadmill and started running. Like, a lot. Like 1/2 marathons. Then I got pregnant with baby two at 10 months post-partum, and all that misery was still fresh on my mind, so I was determined not to let history repeat itself. I kept right on running (with my doctor's approval). I eventually started slowing down my routines, watched my heart rate, ran fewer miles, etc. But I ran a 5K at 29 weeks and did it in 35 minutes (and only because I had to wait around for my sisters-in-law to catch up to me...lol...are you there Erin and Jami??). I ran three miles the day before I delivered.

I still gained 35 lbs. That just seems to be what my body needs to gain, but I was walking on my treadmill again within days and up to slow jogging within two weeks and full running by 6 weeks. I lost the weight so fast, my only problem was keeping up my milk supply...but I even worked through that.

Baby 3, repeat story with baby 2. Except I ran the morning I delivered this time. :) 40 weeks on the dot.

Then we moved to Hawaii, and my treadmill did not survive the trek. Something went haywire, and the belt keeps slipping when I get up to full running speed. Ummm...not safe. Being DIYers, we made many attempts at fixing it, but to no avail. I know lots of you out there are saying, "RUN OUTSIDE"! And that sounds fine and dandy unless you have a husband who leaves the house at 4:50 every morning, so there's no way of running "before the kids get up", and are too stinking scrawny to push a double or triple jogging stroller at a comfortable pace. Blah.

Yes, I bought one. And yes, I intended to run with it. But 65 lbs of stroller + 85 lbs of kids - 110 lbs of mama just wasn't happening. I walked a 5k with it. Once. Then I sold it because it was just plain ridiculous. I had to be let in the "vehicle entrance" if I wanted to use it at the zoo. lol

Add to all that the chaos of renovating the entire house in such a short amount of time, and exercise just got pushed to the bottom of the priority list. Then we moved. AGAIN.

Once school started, this might have been a good time for me to buy a single jogging stroller and started to run again. But frankly, I was out of the routine, and I hadn't gained any weight, so I was feeling lazy and unmotivated. If I had unlimited fundage (that's totally a word), I'd go out and buy another $700-1000 treadmill and start walking. Or if anyone on our local Craigslist would post one for free or even $100, I'd be all over it.

Baby 4. Lazy mama. Again. Sick mama. Again. Coincidence? Call it what you want, but I'm 100% convinced there's a correlation.

So I'm curious, did any of you exercise (specifically running) during pregnancy? And were you sick? I'd love to take my own little poll here. My husband is so convinced after seeing me all 4 times that he's using me as an example to try to encourage his OB patients to get a little exercise.

So hopefully we'll be seeing more of each other, and I'll be seeing less of the inside of the toilet bowl. You're much prettier. ;)

Aloha,

Charlie

Happy Martha's Day! Errrrr.... Mother's Day? ;)

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:28:00 +0000

Aloha!

If you happen to be my mother, you might want to skip this post, or prepare to ruin your surprise! One of the drawbacks of being a blogger is having to spill the beans about gifts before the holidays actually arrive. Good thing my mom barely even knows I have a blog, right? Chances of her popping in within the next few weeks are slim-to-none, so I think we're safe going ahead with this one.

If you've been following my blog for awhile, you've no doubt seen some of the clock make-overs I've done over the last 1.5 years. Such a simple way to personalize something that's used every day and is so inexpensive!

If you haven't seen them, here's a link to a girls' Parisian clock I did as well as a teacher subway art clock I did. Both have instructions on how to print and do the actual clock make-overs, so I won't redo that part of the tutorial here. I design the clock faces in Adobe InDesign.

I made this particular design before Christmas but wasn't completely in love with it, so I didn't end up sending it. It just felt like it needed something else.

Then I was sent some awesome supplies from Plaid's Martha Stewart line and asked to do a project for Mother's Day. Hmmmm...the wheels started turning on how to beef up the little clock...

I did another haul video for you, so you can see all the great stuff they sent.

All items can be purchased at Michael's and Joann's.

If you're looking through the supplies and looking back at my project, you're probably thinking, "she could have done SO many things with all that stuff!" Yep, I agree. And I have a million stenciling ideas bouncing around in my head, but somehow they all ended up being for things I want to keep! lol So I had to stick with the "Mother's Day" thing and make something for my actual mama.

You might also recall my coral wall art that I did for our half bath in Hawaii.

I decided to combine the clock and the three-board idea to make the clock have a bit more substance. I love the ombre trend but haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet, so I thought this might be a great time to test it out. The paint colors had mostly pastels in them, and my mom isn't much into pastels, but she likes pink, so I thought we'd test the waters with pinks and whites.

I was also very excited to try out those amazing paint brushes! I used the largest one, and it was fabulous! I am excited to try the smaller ones on some lettering later this week. Perfect!

I assembled it with paint sticks just like with the coral wall art.

Then I put one small nail in the front in order to hang the clock.

And here she is all finished!

I'm still not 100% sold on the pinks, but the fabulous thing about paint is it's super easy to change!

I should have moved the clock hands before taking the pictures. In case it's hard to read, it says, "The only thing better than having you for a mother is knowing my children have you for a Nana." :)

What are you giving your mama for Mother's Day? Does your mom still appreciate your hand-crafted gifts?

Aloha,

Charlie

If you'd like to see more amazing Mother's Day projects from Plaid's Martha Stewart line, you can check them out on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest!

This post was sponsored by Plaid and Blueprint Social. All opinions and crafts are my own.

A Spring Bouquet (( And a DIY Popsicle Stick Crate))

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 04:58:00 +0000

Aloha!

Today, we're doing a fun little craft. I was sent a box o' goodies from ScribbleShop.com and was challenged to create something using whatever random supplies they sent me. The blogger who can create the "best" idea, using the most supplies, wins a pony I think...at least that's what we're all hoping. If not, I guess we'll settle for bragging rights, and it was fun to have to think outside the box and without my usual go-to supplies and mediums.

Let me take a second to tell you that Scribble Shop has over 75,000 (yes, that many zeros) craft/art/teacher/educational supplies in their one online shop. When I was first given the challenge, I thought, "A new craft website? Scribble Shop? Their site is going to have like 10 things...this should be fun." Ummm...way off. Imagine Hobby Lobby and Michaels combined but all online. Awesome. If I had my say, I'd like them to have a better fabric selection because I'm real lazy like that and want it ALL. But I guess I'll have to settle for 75,000 items for now. ;)

And guess what, Hawaii friends...they ship to HAWAII!! I couldn't find it anywhere on their site, so I emailed and specifically asked them. They said a few of the really large items are only offered by UPS Ground, so those ones can't, but almost everything else can be shipped there! Woohoo! I know how frustrating it is to be limited to whatever Ben Franklin has in stock...

And I'll share a coupon code with you at the end of the post. Yeah. I love you like that.

So now on with the craft!

Here's what they sent me:

And just in case you like "haul" videos and are curious what my voice sounds like, I made this ~~awkward~~ awesome video for you. ;)

Yes, I sound like I'm 15. And yes, I may not LOOK much older on a daily basis (no make-up and all), and I may also get asked, "Is your mom home?" when I answer the door. Get over it. I AM the mom. Unless you're a salesman, in which case, "Nope, my mom's not here." Totally honest, and I don't have to go through the pain of turning them down. ;)

So my first real crafting question was, "How can I incorporate some power tools into my project?" Hmmmm...those ~~tongue depressors~~ popsicle sticks are made out of wood. I like to cut wood. And drill it. And build.

And thus, the idea for the crate was born. Once I had the dimensions figured out and knew I would need over 30 sticks cut, I was worried about what a pain it was going to be to cut them all. So I cheated. And stacked a ton of them together and tied them with elastics.

And chopped off the ends with my jig saw. :)

To keep it sturdy, I knew it would need some dowels on the inside corners, so I used a 3/8" square dowel and cut it to the size I needed. Scribble Shop has a decent selection of wooden products HERE.http://www.scribbleshop.com/category/art-supplies/surfaces

I used 4 posts for the inside corners and then two along the bottom to secure the bottom "slats".

At first, I was trying to be all builder/professional about it and was using Gorilla Glue and staples...that was a disaster. I finally gave up on that idea and assured myself "it's just a craft...hot glue is fine". So I used my high-heat hot glue gun, and whaddyaknow? Worked like a charm.

Don't look for the old staple holes too hard... ;)

I painted it with some random paints I had on hand. An Oops! paint in gray for the base, and an acrylic craft paint for the fleur de lis stencil. I then used the ModPodge as the sealant over top of my paint. It actually gave it a really nice, smooth feel! Scribble Shop has a HUGE selection of paint. My only complaint there is that they don't give you the option to see them all on one page. A few of us have requested they change that, so I'm hoping they'll hear our cries! Because no one wants to click through 24 pages of craft paints, am I right? But I guess if it keeps me from having to take my kids into a craft store, it's worth it. ;)

I used a brown mixed with water for the glazed/antiqued look. I don't normally love this look, and I still think I got too much on there, but I wanted to test it out, and since this was a small project, I thought it was a good one to practice on.

I have made crates before and used jute to make my own handles, so the raffia was a natural choice for the handles on this one. I just marked where I wanted the handles, drilled a couple holes, and got three pieces of raffia to stick through a hole and tie off.

Then braid your three pieces and stick the other end into your second hole, and tie it off and trim excess.

Let's not make fun of my wonky braid. I was never much of a "Barbie" fan when I was little, so braiding is not my forte.

Next, to give the pencils something to stand up in, I used the packing peanuts and glued them together and stuck them into the bottom of the box.

I tried just throwing them in the bottom and then putting the marbles on top, but the marbles just ended up sinking to the bottom, and I didn't like the look of the two mixed and jumbled together. So they had to be glued down. Then the marbles could be placed on top nicely. OCD? Maybe a tiny bit, but not really!

Wait...did you want to see more marbles? Okay. But just because you asked. Not because I took way to many pictures.

Those paisley stickers were a little more tricky than the rest of the objects. I had initially planned on just making a pencil holder and then trying to use everything else as decorations on the box. But I liked the simple fleur de lis so much that I didn't want to ~~defile~~ clutter it with lime green and hot pink. So they became pencil accessories.

First, I layered them, so they looked almost like a flower. The pack came with 5 of each color, and I think 6 would have been better for these, but they turned out fine. I traced along the edges of where the top one overlapped the one below it and then cut them all off on their own lines (make sense?).

These are stickers, so I just peeled off the backing and put them back down on my interfacing (it happened to be within arm's reach...felt or something else would also probably work fine). And in case you're keeping track, interfacing is ALSO found on the Scribble Shop site. Seriously...they have almost everything!

Trim down the interfacing, add a glittery dot button (with hot glue), and then glue them to some pencils and call it a day!

I tried to use the stamp pad to add some dimension to the flowers by giving them a contrasting color, but they seemed to be malfunctioning. At first I assumed it was a user error since I'm a novice when it comes to stamping, but apparently other people had issues, so I don't feel super inadequate. ;)

There you have it. A cute little colored-pencil bouquet.

These might be a fun spring teacher gift, don't you think?

As promised here is the coupon information. It's good for 15% off your entire purchase now through April 30, 2012. Just enter ATTALOHA at check-out.

DISCLOSURE: I was compensated for my time writing this post and creating this project by Scribbleshop.com. The craft project and all opinions are 100% my own.

Aloha,

Charlie

Side-by-side Power Saw Comparison - Saw 101

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:55:00 +0000

Aloha!

I LOVE a good side-by-side comparison, don't you? Have you ever wondered, "What's the difference between a circular saw and a miter saw?" Yeah, it wasn't that long ago that I didn't know the difference, either. So I thought my first side-by-side would be about power saws!

This is just to give you a really basic visual of the tools and their names and how much they cost. The photos are all from Harbor Freight. They have the lowest prices on ALL these tools except the table saw. I recommend reading through all the reviews, though since many of their power tools need a tiny bit tweaking or adjusting. Some people don't want to deal with the hassle. For me, though, it's worth the huge savings on certain tools. ((I am not being paid by Harbor Freight. This post is purely informational and based on my own experiences and shopping.))

So let's take a look at each of these tools and what they're used for.

I've ranked them by how useful I think they are and the order in which I think they should be purchased for simple woodworking projects.

OSCILLATING TOOL - My #4

The most popular brand of oscillating tools is the Dremel, so most people actually call their tools Dremels even if it's not the Dremel brand. Most of them come with many different attachments you can put on them like a sander or different kinds of blades to cut through different surfaces. They vibrate back and forth and kind of sound like a power sander, if you've ever used one of those. Relatively harmless on the "accidents" scale. You could still cut through a finger, but it would be pretty hard to accidentally lose a limb with one.

These little tools are great for small jobs, but they're not very deep, and they really only cut INTO things. You're not going to be able to cut up through a piece of plywood with it, for instance. I've used oscillating tools a few times, but I haven't purchased one yet because the need hasn't really been there. Ranking these 7 items in order from "purchase first" to "purchase last", this one gets the number 4 spot.

JIG SAW - My #1

The jig saw is one of the two power saws that I use most frequently. If you're a beginning builder, I think this should be your first purchase. They're inexpensive, and they can be very multi-purpose if you're willing to take the time to change out the blade and build a rip fence (maybe we'll talk about rip fences another day?).

The blades for jig saws are very thin, and you can't really tell from that picture, but it faces out. So you push the saw forward with one hand. Different blades have different rigidity, so some are meant to cut more straight, and some are meant to do very intricate swirls and circles.

The jig saw can be a bit squirrely, though. You're not going to get a SUPER straight line like you will with a circular saw or a nice clean line like a miter saw. But it can get the job done in a pinch.

They're more noisy than an oscillating tool, so plan for that, but they're much safer than many of the other tools. You could slice into your finger and end up with stitches, but it would take some effort to go through bone. Too graphic? Sorry...

I purchased my jig saw for $5 from a pawn shop. Best $5 I've ever spent. ;) I build my doll beds using JUST a jig saw.

RECIPROCATING SAW - My #7

The reciprocating saw is similar to the jig saw in that the blade moves in and out (up and down) vs. in circles or back and forth. But the blades and power of a reciprocating saw are MUCH MUCH stronger. These bad boys take two hands to hold, and they're quite dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.

Sawzall is the most popular brand of reciprocating saws, so many people just call them that. We've used a cordless one to cut some small branches off trees and things like that, but mostly they won't be needed for the kind of building and woodworking I do. I have this saw ranked last and am pretty sure we won't be using one for a long time.

CIRCULAR SAW - My #3

The circular saw is a champ when it comes to making straight cuts up through a piece of wood if you know how to use a rip fence. They're easily portable, and some are even cordless. If you plan to do any woodworking with plywood and don't want to mess around with having the Home Depot or Lowes guys cut them down to size, this is a great alternative. The table saw also works, but I'll explain why I don't prefer them later. Jig saws can also do the same function, but the lines will be a little wavy with a jig...and it will take MUCH longer. Circular saws are fast and powerful.

This is a dangerous tool! If you've never used one, I recommend having someone who knows what they're doing teach you first. You can learn a lot from the Internet, but don't mess around when safety is concerned. Not all saws are the same, so you need to know the safety functions and quirks of your own tool before just starting it up.

MITER SAW - My #2

Miter saws are also called chop saws. You lay your piece of wood on top of that surface and then bring the blade down into the wood. Chopping it...get it? Some of them slide back and forth couple inches to give you some range of motion and make cleaner edges. If you want one that can cut at an angle (like for trim and molding), you'll be looking for a compound miter saw. I recommend a 10" compound sliding miter saw if you're going out hunting. These can be VERY expensive. But Harbor Freight has theirs on sale online for $120 for the 10" compound slider, so they CAN be reasonable if you're considering building furniture for your family. WELL worth the investment. :)

I LOVE the miter saw! It's fabulous. For any woodworking projects that you'd like a really crisp, professional finish to, the miter saw is indispensable. In the example of the doll beds I built with the jig saw, because the blade is meant to curve, the cuts on the 4 legs/posts weren't perfectly straight. This makes the bed sit uneven. Not a big deal for a doll bed. But for the toddler bed, I HAD to have straight lines. A miter saw was pretty much a must for that project particularly since it wasn't for my own kids. Ha! The quality of my work can be compromised for my own family. lol

Again, this one is dangerous! Have someone show you how to use it before going to work. If your arm is in the way...it won't be forgiving.

BAND SAW - My #5

The band saw is a tool I've never used or even seen used in person. I know a lot of people really like them, and they have their purpose in woodworking, but I think the other tools mentioned can get the job done and are much less expensive and cumbersome. The main unique feature of a band saw vs. a jig saw or a reciprocating saw is that the blade only goes in one direction. It loops up and around (in a band...get it?) and comes back around, so it's continuously cutting. No back and forth. But the width of the blade is much smaller than a circular saw or a table saw, so it can cut curves.

I'd still probably use this more than a table saw or a reciprocating saw for woodworking, but I'm not ready to fork out the kind of money needed for one when I can get everything done that I need to with my other tools. :)

TABLE SAW - My #6

The table saw is similar in function to the circular saw. They're designed to cut up through long pieces of wood/plywood. They're stationary, and you push the wood up into the saw. This is the most dangerous saw by far. Most power tool ER visits are table-saw-related.

Table saws are very expensive, and they're bulky. They're dangerous, and a circular saw can mostly do anything a table saw can do. That's why it's so low on my list. Unless you're building a bunch of cabinets, you probably won't need to worry about purchasing this tool.

And you've just completed Power Saws 101. ;)

For more classes, you can visit my friend, Brittany at Pretty Handy Girl. She has more explanations of each of these saws as well as videos of them in use.

How to use a miter saw

How to use a circular saw

How to use a table saw

How to use a band saw

How to use a jig saw

Was that helpful? Or were you already a tool expert?

Aloha,

Charlie

Saving Some $$ - Using Door Knobs as Finials

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:55:00 +0000

Aloha!

My toddler canopy bed post yesterday was getting a bit too long, so I decided to share the finials in a separate post.

I used mine as finials on top of a canopy bed, but this would also work at the ends of a wooden dowel as a curtain rod!

I bought my crystal knobs at Lowes for $8 (since it's a door knob set, it will give you two "finials").

I've also seen drawer pulls from Hobby Lobby used, but it's hard to find them this large. Any that ARE that large are close to $15 each. Sure, you can use a 40% off coupon, but I needed 4...I didn't really want to go back 4 different times and wait for a new coupon each time... Not super convenient. And gas alone would probably deplete the savings of the coupon. :(

There's a small metal piece that would slip through the door, and then you'd tighten each knob into the metal piece. You will not need the center metal piece, so feel free to recycle or re-purpose those. Here's how the knob looks from the bottom.

It has a tiny screw on the side that is meant to tighten into the metal piece, so I needed something to tighten that little tiny screw into in order to keep the knob tight. I decided to try a few different screws to see if they'd work. I just used what I had in our "scrap screws" stash, so I don't have the actual head size of the screws I ended up using. If I had to guess, I'd say it's a 3/4 or 1", #8 or #9 wood screw. It needs to be skinny enough to slide inside but not too skinny, or the tiny screw won't reach it to hold it in place. Make sense?

Then place the knob right on top of the screw.

And tighten that tiny screw, and you're done!

Super easy and looks great!

Have you used anything unusual for finials?

Aloha,
Charlie

How to Make a Toddler Canopy Bed -- Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:51:00 +0000

Aloha!

So today's plans are for a toddler canopy bed! How adorable is this:

Yep, it's a toddler canopy bed that matches the little American Girls doll canopy beds that I made for Christmas! I posted them on CL since I had some scrap wood and was hoping to earn some $$ to buy a few more tools, and I had TWO different people call me and ask me if I could make a similar toddler bed. Hmmm. Why not, right?!

So I got to work. Luckily my youngest is in a toddler bed now, so I used the dimensions from that bed to create this one.

I will be posting the Google Sketch Up plans to post on Ana White's site later this week, but I wanted to give you some pics and a run-down here as well.

UPDATE: As I was on Ana's site today, I noticed she already has plans for a toddler canopy bed! The result is very similar to mine, so you have a couple of options in building! But I will not be posting the Sketch Up plans there since hers are excellent (no need to reinvent the wheel, right?)

Here's a link to hers.

Shopping List:

2x2 - 2 @ 84" each

1x2 - 3 @ 84" each

1x3 - 3 @ 84" each

1x4 - 2 @ 84" each

1x17 (or larger if you can find them) - 1 @ 60"

#9 - 3" wood screws (at least 32--can use only 12 if you plan to put headboard and footboard together with finish nails)

#8 or #9 -1.25" wood screws (at least 22 to put together base and slats)

Gorilla Glue

Finials and headboard detail (if desired)

Cut list:

2x2 - 4 @ 47.5"

1x2 - 2 @ 52" (for top side rails)

2 @ 27" (for top head and foot rails)

2 @ 47.5" (for cleats for the base slats to lay across)

1x3 - 9 @ 27.5" (for slats that mattress will lay on)

1x4 - 2 @ 52" (for sides of base)

1x17 - 2 @ 27" (headboard and footboard)

Now, let's start with the base.

Glue and clamp each of your 47.5" 1x2's to your 1x4 sides. Center them from left to right, but make sure they're flush along the bottom. Let it dry completely. You want these to be nice and firm because all of the slats and weight will rest right on these cleats.

Now screw in two of your 27.5" 1x3's (using the 1.25" screws).

We made the cleats slightly shorter than our sides to allow for these two end pieces.

Now space out the rest of your 27.5" 1x3's along the base. When you have them spaced how you want them, use your 1.25" screws to screw them to your cleats. I just put one screw in each side.

Let's stick the crib mattress on there to make sure it fits...PHEW! Fits like a glove.

For the headboard and footboard, I just used a pencil directly on the board. I start in the middle and mark it, then go down the sides to see how far down I want it to be, and I kind of connect the two points on just one side. Then I cut out the one side with my jig saw, and then flipped that over to the other side and traced it to get the exact same pattern. :) It really is easy. I have no art skills. Erasers are wonderful things.

If you're using the decorative headboard piece, now is when you'll want to put that on, too. Just glue and clamp. :) I found mine at Lowes for just over $4.

Now glue and screw your 2x2's into your headboard and footboard. I wanted to give the illusion that my headboard was taller than the footboard (without having to purchase a larger piece of wood), so I placed the headboard up 6" from the bottom, and the footboard is only 3" up.

Since we're attaching a 1" thick piece of headboard to a 2" thick side post, it's hard to get it centered just right. I ended up setting up quite the work station to do this. I used some scrap 1/2" plywood I had in order to center the headboard on the 2x2.

You'll need to do the same with the 27" 1x2 pieces that will be flush with the top of your posts. Glue and screw. Sink all of these since you'll just be mudding and painting right over the top of them.

So here are two headboards that I finished:

After I had these three separate pieces built, I mudded all my holes with wood putty, let that dry, and then primed and painted them all before attaching them. I did NOT do the poly at this point, though. I left the slats and inside of the bed unpainted. After painting so many rooms in our Hawaii home, I'm pretty good at cutting a straight line, so I just used my angled 2" Purdy brush and made a straight line right along the top of those sides.

And I didn't catch a pic of the debacle that was the stack of boards I had to use to get the base at the right height, so I could screw in the headboard and footboard! That was quite a feat! I ended up placing it up 4".

Here, you can see how high it is on my toddler. Just right. :)

This is the best pic I could find of the headboard detail. I think it adds a nice touch.

HERE is a link for the tutorial on how to make finials from door knobs:

All done!

I had planned to sink the screws and use the wooden screw covers over them, but they were a HUGE pain o paint. Tiny little pieces of garbage!! Blah. But after getting it all put together, I decided the gold screws that I had chosen actually looked fine, so I kept them as is. :)

What do you think?!

Aloha,
Charlie

Simple Gift for Women - Sewing kit

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:45:00 +0000

Aloha!

Today is probably the easiest, cheapest, and cutest little gift I've ever given!

I gave these to the women I teach at my church this month. I thought it was a nice alternative to all the sweets you get for Valentine's Day, right? And seriously, who doesn't need a little sewing kit? Plus they're just SO cute in those tiny bags!

Confession: I didn't put the bags together, and I didn't have to do any sewing! I found the kit just like that at the Dollar Tree. I'd never seen them before (and I'm a frequent flier), so I may or may not have bought ALL of the ones available at my closest store ((sorry, local ladies...)). You just never know if some things are going to stick around with the Dollar Tree. They keep me on my toes like that. ;) Ours had this pink one, green, black, and purple, and they were right at the end of the craft aisle.

I bought sewing kits for my older girls for stocking stuffers for Christmas, and I bought two different ones from Wal-mart because I couldn't decide which one was better. One had a nice little container for the needles, so they wouldn't spill everywhere, but it was in one of those clear plastic boxes where the lid isn't secured, so even though the needles were safe, everything else spills out. Blah! The other one had a nice case, but the needles were just in a piece of paper. Also Blah. And they were each $3. So to find this kit for $1...?? I was thrilled!

Before I show you, though, I have to say that I was NOT paid by the Dollar Tree or given anything for free. I just found something I liked and wanted to share it with you. :)

Here's what's in it:

* Cute little bag--check
* Box with extra buttons, safety pins, and straight pins--check
* Thimble that I'll never use--check
* 5 different colors of thread, but I really wish there was a pink--check
* Needle threader that I'll also never use--check
* Tiny scissors that will barely cut anything, but do actually cut thread okay--check
* Paper tape measure that my kids will tear apart within 3 minutes--start the clock
* Pins in a spill-proof container--CHECK

Okay, so mostly I just wanted the thread, needles, box o' extras, and the bag. But for a dollar? Yeah, definitely worth it.

Here's a close-up, so you can see how the needle holder works. You rotate the clear part that has one small hole on the side:

And when you get to one row of needles, you shake one out:

Sweet!

So I made a cheesy little printable to go along with it in case there are any like me out there who like to change things up and go with a gift that isn't baked (can I get a WOOT! from the other crappy cooks out there?). ;)

You Are Sew Amazing B

Thanks for letting me be SEW cheesy. ;)

Aloha,
Charlie

American Girls Farmhouse Doll Bed (Cheater Cheater Version)

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:38:00 +0000

Aloha!

Well, with all the doll beds I've done, I finally decided to try a farmhouse bed like this one of Ana White's that got me started on doll beds to begin with.

I love Ana's version. But I've done lots of slats and railings lately, and I know what a pain they can be, so I decided to make my life a little easier by just doing a solid piece for the headboard and footboard. I also made mine the same width and depth as my canopy doll bed to cut down on bulk. I also made the headboard legs slightly shorter.

CUT LIST:

2x2 - 2 @ 4.5" each (legs of footboard)
2 @ 9" each (legs of headboard)
1x6 - 1 @ 9.5" (headboard center panel)
1x3 - 2 @ 18" each (side rails)
1 @ 9.5" (footboard center panel)
2 @ 15.5" each (top pieces of headboard and footboard)
1x2 - 2 @ 9.5" each (piece that goes under center panel on footboard and headboard)
4 @ 10" each (slats at bottom of the bed)
2 @ 12.5" each (top pieces that connect headboard and footboard panels to legs)

Now follow Ana's plans for connecting all the pieces. I'm lazy and didn't want to bother with screws, so I just used my nail gun and Gorilla Glue. The glue is really what holds it together. The 2" brad nails just barely connect the 2x2's to the other pieces (the actual measurement is about 1.5"x1.5") and hold it together until the glue dries. You'll also notice when building the base that I used 4 slats instead of 2. I did that to avoid having to find a small piece of plywood or something to go over them. With the 4 slats, I can just put the mattress directly on top of them.

I was in a big rush to get this ready for my daughter's friend's birthday, and I knew it would be dark by the time I finished it, so these pics are just of the primer finished. Don't look too close. ;) It really looked much better with the creamy white finish and the top coat of polycrylic!

I made a mattress, comforter, two pillows, and two removable pillow shams. I wish I had time to make a couple more decorative pillows, but we were on a time crunch.

I probably should have put the decorative piece a little higher. Or left it off since the pillows do a good job of covering it anyway. Oh, well.

My daughter chose the fabrics from our stash. I was pretty impressed with her choices (she's 5)! The birthday girl might have appreciated more pink, but I think they turned out lovely.

Considering we used scrap wood, scrap fabric, and scrap paint, I'd say it turned out to be an excellent birthday gift! Other than my hours of time creating it, it was free. ;)

Aloha,

Charlie

My Valentine's Mantel - I Know I'm a Little Late to the Party, but Humor Me ;)

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:44:00 +0000

Aloha!!

If you follow me on Facebook, you know that my computer got a virus, and I've been without a reliable means of blogging for the last little while. What a pain! But I'm back, and I have some catching up to do, so humor me if my Valentine's mantel is a little late. Better late than never, right? ;)

Yes, we're a girly household. So Valentine's is just an excuse for us to put pink in our living room (where my poor husband has officially banned pink for all other times of the year).

I saved the cabinet doors from our Hawaii kitchen renovation, and these three were the same 15" size, so I thought they'd be a nice little back-drop. I used them for our Christmas mantel with the words "For Unto Us", and then had a banner underneath that said "A Child Is Born". Saved myself some time by keeping the red.

The center heart thingie was a $1 yard sale score that I've never actually used but have had for years. The pink feather boa was from my girls' stash. They have about 8 of them. You may recall seeing a couple of them in the Flamingo Costume and the Most Glamorous Hobby Horse Ever. :)

This glass vase was also part of my Christmas display with the random little dollar store ornament things. I just tied some Valentine's ribbon around it and kept it!

I made the "stockings" last year after scoring some traditional Christmas stockings at an after-Christmas sale. You can read that tutorial HERE.

This one is my husband's. I spared him the sequin and flower humiliation. ;)

And here's a close-up of one of my girls' sequined ones. All of the girls have different flowers on each, so we can tell whose is whose without having a name embroidered on them.

The sequined frame was a thrift store find just a few weeks before VDay. I couldn't believe when I found it! I'm sure someone thought it was super hideous, but it goes just swimmingly with my sequined stockings! And for $.50, who can say no?

Since the only crafting I really had to do this year was the chalk letters on my boards, I decided to make some kissing balls to add to our Valentine's collection. I like the rosette kissing balls I've seen, but really, I didn't want to spend hours on this project. I had some tissue paper from the Dollar Tree on hand and just used two different shades of pink to make four 8" pom poms and then hung them from a plant hanger that was already there and waiting for us to use! It's right above a chair in the corner we don't use very often, so whenever someone sits there, they get a kiss!

Pretty simple decorations, but they make me smile every time I walk by! I'm taking them down today and have to admit I'm going to miss the pink in the living room. lol

Aloha!

Charlie

Think outside the {toy} Box - Over 50 Organizational Tips for Kids' Spaces

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:33:00 +0000

Okay, let's just get right to it. These are kids' spaces. Kids need and want to use their space for playing, right? They don't want their precious floor space crowded with boxes of their own toys! But heaven forbid they actually have to give up any of those toys!!! So what's a mom to do?

First, I have to say that I'm a big fan of the "rotate" idea. If you remember when I built our toy boxes, I built three of the huge beasts. But only two of them reside in the playroom. One of them stays in attic space, and the kids get to rotate toys in and out of it every 3 or 4 months or so.

I find this helps my kids realize just how LITTLE they play with certain toys and helps them let go of them later on. If they can see that a toy hasn't been "in play" for the last two or three rotations, it's probably time for it to go to another home, so another child can enjoy it.

That being said, the next thing moms are going to look for are space-saving and utilizing ideas. That's what we'll be looking for today!

Let's start with this great idea from Ana White. I'm the founder of the I {heart} Ana White fan club. She's amazing! While building may sound daunting to many, I can assure you, it's not as bad or hard as it seems. And you can always simplify an idea to suit your own skill level. Like, for instance, using pre-built shelves but attaching them to the back of a closet door instead of building this entire thing!

Source: ana-white.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And if you're really afraid of building (or are renting and don't want to put holes in closet doors), what about using a good ol' shoe organizer to store those barbies or action figures?

Source: images.containerstore.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Also a great idea for keeping track of art and school supplies. This comes from Jamie at Something to Do.

Source: blog.hellolittleone.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Another area that gets neglected or goes unused is under the bed. Or perhaps it's used...just not like you want it to be! Well, one of my blog bff's has come up with a great storage solution that's easy for kids to roll out, but won't require you to build drawers (I've helped build some drawers, and I'll admit I don't love it.)
These are an excellent and simple alternative! Go visit Jaime (That's My Letter) and tell her hello. :)

Source: thatsmyletter.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

If you're not ready to build, can I convince you to spray paint? Yeah, I thought you might like that. We're going industrial this year, and these lockers are perfect! I've seen some listed here on Craigslist, but they were just a little bit too tall for my SUV. I'm holding out for the perfect set! Love the open top shelves of this one and the different color inside!

Source: flickr.com via Attempting on Pinterest

If your kids are a bit older, and you love a good knock-off project, Ana White has some great plans for a similar teen storage tower. I haven't seen these in person, but I'm not sure I'd recommend them for smaller kids due to stability (and my children's affinity for climbing). But perfect for a teen girl's room! Here's a link for Ana's plans.

Source: pbteen.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And you can't do an organizational post without showing some pegboard love:

Source: houseonashwelllane.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

All kids love costumes, right? Simply gut an old dresser and build a cute little wardrobe!

Source: aturtleslifeforme.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Can we talk about stuffed animals for a minute?

Does your child have a serious stuffed animal problem? Just go ahead and throw them in the trash. No, really! Did you get the memo that industrial is in?! What's more industrial than a metal garbage can? This one was actually used as a trash in her home, but I think her "scrunchy" looks like a cute liner, and I can envision my 7-year-old having a good time putting all her buddies in the trash at night. I'm not sure what sizes are available, but this size seems more suited for older kids. It would just make the little ones really mad. ;)

Source: rebekahmerkle.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And this one has become a Pinterest phenomenon. Everyone's pinning it, right? But they're so cute! I have yet to find a similar wall basket, though. Has anyone seen one to give an idea of pricing?

Source: bhg.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Here's a good tutorial for the classic "stuffed animal net" that I remember friends having when I was a child (I wasn't much into stuffed animals. My kids love them, though!)

Source: alemonsqueezyhome.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

This one doesn't have a tutorial, but they seem simple enough to make!

Source: beeskneesbungalow.com via Attempting on Pinterest

This is another cute knock-off project with a good tutorial. I think my kids would love this one!

Source: onthebanksofsquawcreek.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Love this one! So simple! You could even just hang a rope from a plant hanger on the ceiling, and then clip the stuffed animals right to the rope with clothespins! Great way to utilize the higher spaces in the room. But be prepared to be called in to help the little guys get the treasures they can't reach! :)

Source: thetrendytreehouse.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Yes, yes, I KNOW this is a shower caddy. But can't you picture some cute little stuffed animals chilling on those shelves, tucked away in a corner??

Source: bhg.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And this one is kind of a combination of the trash can and the animal zoo! Very cute!

Source: blogs.babble.com via Susie on Pinterest

We can't neglect those small toys, though, right?

These clear toy storage bags from Make It and Love It are excellent! Kids can open them on their own, and they can see exactly what's in the bag, thus lessening the "throw it all out to see if my favorite toy is at the bottom".

Source: makeit-loveit.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Want more small-item storage ideas? What about some simple fabric boxes? These ones from Make It and Love It are so cute!

Source: makeit-loveit.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Love the color organization by I Heart Organizing in her playroom!

Source: iheartorganizing.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Source: themomcreative.com via Attempting on Pinterest

This site has free printables for these canister labels. She's used them on Folgers canisters, but I've been saving up my large cashew canisters, and I think something like this would be perfect! Great that the kids can easily see what's in the can!

Source: heartofwisdom.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Here's a tutorial for a fun little car caddy!

Source: homemadebyjill.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Source: womansday.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Are you cheap like me? What about taking some of those heavy-duty diaper or wipes boxes and covering them with cheap burlap? This has held up extremely well over the last year of use and even during our move across the ocean! Not bad for a $1 box. :)

Source: attemptingaloha.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Let's not forget all those board games! Beckie at Infarrantly Creative is a craft genius! Why not turn your usable board games into fun, colorful wall art? All the pieces are stored in the framed boxes! Excellent!!

Source: infarrantlycreative.net via Attempting on Pinterest

And here's one last art supplies idea. Also from Ana White.

Source: ana-white.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And on to books!

The Ardent Sparrow blog has a good little round-up of some book storage ideas if you want some more ideas.

Source: theardentsparrow.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Remember when we talked about utilizing your space wisely? This is such a good idea! Be cautious if you have little climbers, though! ;)

Source: onthebanksofsquawcreek.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

This is adorable, so I had to include it. My kids would probably drag that thing all over the place. Great if they have room to do it...our playroom borders on stairs. No bueno. But CUTE!

Source: coryconnordesigns.com via Attempting on Pinterest

These shelves are called "spine" shelves, and you can find them on Amazon for pretty cheap. Or it looks like a simple DIY. Looks like a 1x10 cut in 10" pieces and screwed to a 1x3, and the whole thing is screwed to a stud in the wall. Not sure how much weight it would hold on each shelf without a bracket, but you could add a bracket below each shelf as well...

Source: flickr.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And if you prefer sewing vs. building:

Source: spearmintbaby.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Turn an Ikea bookshelf on its side, put some legs (or wheels) and a cushion on it, and call it a day!

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And here's another one that I think is just beautiful, but I'm not sure of the practicality for a kid's space. Perhaps if you need something mobile?

Source: leberpr.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Or bring the shelves up off the floor!

Source: homespuntoronto.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Now on to paperwork and school!

Do you have some little artists in your house? Do you have a hard time getting rid of thsie masterpieces? Maybe you'd feel more warm and fuzzy if you did something like this and scanned the artwork and shrunk them to fit in cute artwork?! This display is just gorgeous!

Source: jengrantmorris.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Need some tips on going through school paperwork? Click on over to get some ideas from I Heart Organizing.

Source: iheartorganizing.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Or visit these cute "command center" boards from Delightful Order.

Source: delightfulorder.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And these chore charts were purchased from an Etsy shop, but I LOVE the idea of using magnets for chores! We've done sticker charts, and I get pretty sick of getting the stickers down for every little thing. I like that they could do this all on their own!

Source: theclayfamilyblog.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And if you're really looking to maximize kids' space, I recommend looking UP! Kids are so small. Do they really need 8" ceilings? Nah. Consider building in play areas or bunk beds if you live in a home and area that will almost always attract families (for resell consideration).

Source: decopeques.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And with three girls, I have to touch on hair stuff, right?

Here's how we organize our stuff:

Source: attemptingaloha.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And here's a little more of our hair stuff..

Source: attemptingaloha.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Source: google.ca via Attempting on Pinterest

And here are just a couple little tips from me that work well in our house that I thought might also help you!

Do your kids make a huge mess of their dresser drawers trying to find matching pj tops and bottoms? Or do they just end up wearing mismatched pj's instead? My kids used to just wear mismatched pj's, but maybe I'm a little OCD because it kind of bugged me. Nevermind the fact that I wear sweats and "paint shirts" to drop them off to school every day... But I just like it better when they match!

So here's what the good doctor came up with as a solution (he's brilliant, people!):

Folding pj tops and bottoms together! Duh!! This makes it so easy for the kids to just grab a pair and go!

And my next tip is another simple one. AND it also involves clothes.

With three girls (3, 5, 7), we have lots of clothing rotations and hand-me-downs going on around here. I used to have some stored in boxes, some in plastic tubs, and lots that didn't really fit, but I just kept them in their drawers was such a tedious process. I hated "wasting space" if one of those plastic bins wasn't completely full with one size, so there was lots of combining and mixing of sizes, and it was just a disaster.

When we made this last move (and after I emptied every single box and put our house together in 6 days), I decided it was TIME to do something about the clothing chaos.

I emptied every single bin and box we had into a huge pile in the middle of the toy room. YIKES!!

I had purchased some of these comforter storage bags from the Dollar Tree, and I decided to see if they might work for clothes. When I put the first few items in, I thought, "There's NO WAY all these clothes are going to fit in here!" But I stuck it out and kept squishing and cramming, and I was amazed at how much actually fit in them. Unlike the big plastic bins, since these are smaller, and the zipper only opens half way, it compresses a lot of the air out, so you have a nice, tight fit. Like those vacuum bags...but no vacuum.

Every single bag, I thought the same thing, "There's no way these are going to fit." But they did!

So I ended up using 10 of the storage bags. Grand total of $10. ONE of those plastic bins is around $6, and it would have taken at least 5 or 6.

Here are a few things I love about them:

* Since a lot of the air is squished out, it saves lots of space vs the bins

* Since they're smaller sizes, I can give each clothing size its own bag and not feel guilty about "wasting" space in a plastic bin.

* I can SEE the clothes! I considered putting labels on each bag for the different sizes, but since I can see the clothes, I know exactly what size is in it (after three kids wearing the exact same things and washing them a gazillion times, I'm VERY famliar with every single item of clothing in there)

* Again, since they're smaller, they're easier for me to move around, and I only have to take out one bag at a time!

Here's how mine are separated (in case you care):
1) 0-3 months
2) 3-6 months
3) 6-12 months
4) 12-18 months
5) 18-24 months
6) 4T (our 2T, 3T, and 5T+ are all in use)
7) Shoes
8) Soft shoes and socks
9) Winter coats and bibs
10) Receiving blankets

These two stacks take up an area 40" wide x 28" tall x 18" deep. Not bad for 2,000,000 items! ;)

If all else fails, just hide their messes with a cute curtain. ;)

Source: attemptingaloha.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Because sometimes it looks more like this:

And there you have it! Over 50 ideas to help get your littles organized!

If you're looking for other organizational tips, check out these great posts:

Monday - Master Bedroom with Mrs. Greene
Tuesday - Bathroom with HomeMadeville
Wednesday - Kitchen with The Country Chic Cottage
Thursday - YOU ARE HERE ;)
Friday - Garage with CondoBlues
Saturday - Maximizing Storage Space with Mural Maker

Do you have any organizational tips you'd like to share? Link them up! It can be anything to do with organizing...doesn't have to be kids' spaces. :)

And stay tuned! I have two REALLY BIG projects in the works that tie in nicely with organizing those kids' spaces!! Check back or follow along! I'll be posting links to them on FB, Twitter, and Pinterest, so you're welcome to follow along on one of those if that's easier for you. Links are at the top of this page on the right sidebar.

Thanks for visiting and aloha!

Charlie

It's been a rough week -- Doctor's Wife Poem {The Resident's Wife}

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:56:00 +0000

It's been a rough week. I know not all of you know my husband is in residency, but I know some of you have taken the time to read my "About Me" page and noticed that that's where we are in life. And I've been surprised at how many have emailed me saying their husband is in medical school or residency, and they connect with what I have to say.

So, if you're just here for the tutorials, please feel free to skip this one. But if you happen to know a doctor's wife, resident's wife, or med student's wife (or someone who likes to complain about their doctors), they might be grateful if you pass this along.

And if you're one of the ones who have emailed me and are in our same boat, perhaps you can appreciate it on weeks like I've had this week.

The Resident’s Wife

I miss you.
My companion. Love. Friend.
You’re never here.
But then you are, but not you.
Hollow. Lights dimmed.
Stress.
Fatigue.
Exhaustion.
Physically, mentally, and emotionally drained.
Then pieces of you shine through,
And I have renewed hope.
Then you’re gone again.
The sign above our bed taunts me daily,
“P.S. I love your laughter,
And I love the way you make me laugh.”
We did laugh once, right?
I miss you.

My life seems busy. But not.
I fill it with things to help me feel busy.
It pails in comparison to your daily dread.
Fighting, disobedient kids.
Dinner to cook.
Laundry. Groceries. Bills.
A house to clean.
Schedules to keep.

Monotonous? Yes.
Dull? Possibly.
Frustrating? Sometimes.

But there’s no one looking over my shoulder,
Watching my moves and critiquing my care.
No one waiting for me to make a mistake
And ready to sue.
Or criticize at my first falter.
No one competing with me to impress.
Well, maybe a few.
But only rarely do I have the fear that
I might mess up and truly ruin a life.
For a doctor, that fear is omnipresent.
Babies to deliver. Watching new life. And first breaths.
But also seeing death.
Suffering and grief.
Pain. And sorrow. And Fear.

Isolation.

Wounds to treat. Patients to heal.
Paperwork.
Paperwork.
Paperwork.
Notes.
Notes.
Notes.

You’re tired, so I’m tired.
If you’re miserable, I must be miserable, too.
Why should I be happy when my other half appears ruined?
“Just a few more weeks. Then a new rotation.”
“Just a few more years, then residency will be over.”
Will it be better?
Worth it?
At what cost?
The kids have stopped asking if you’ll be home for dinner.
I miss you.

You’re jealous of me. I get to have a hobby. And exercise.
Does it make you love me less?
Are you angry when the house isn’t clean?
When you wake at 3:50 am,
Do you stand over me lovingly?
Or do you resent that my alarm will be silent for another 3 hours?
I resent it for you.

Four days off per month is criminal.
80 hours? Ha.
Paperwork not included.

Holidays have no meaning.
Just another time to be reminded that other families are together.
Like weekends.
I only look for 4 chairs at church.
Remember church?
But you and I, we are still faithful at saying our prayers.
Do they count if you fall asleep during them?
And when you’re away, our prayers here always include,
“Please let daddy have a good day at work.
Please help him be a good doctor and to be happy.”
And I silently beg and plead that you will not fall asleep while driving.
The kids include, “Please let him come home early.”
And, “We miss him.”
They know.
I miss you.

No days off this week.
But we will savor those minutes from 7:15 to 8:15 pm
That the children have to jump on you and love you.
And I will try again to make you laugh.
And then watch you sleep.
And pray again that somehow He will make 6 hours
Of rest be sufficient for your tired body.

It will get better.
It will be worth it. It has to be.
I’m so proud of you.
Do I tell you enough? Do you believe me?
I know other people need you.
They need your naturally skilled hands.
They need the knowledge you’ve worked years to acquire.
They need your comfortable, easy attitude and manner.
They love you, too.
I will share.
But I miss you.

* * * * * *

Now, don't get me wrong and think that our house is just a big, black pit of despair. That's not the point I'm trying to get across. If you're a regular blog reader, you know humor is a big part of me and my house. But there are dark moments that outsiders may have a hard time seeing. My husband is on a demanding rotation and was on call (30+ hours at the hospital with no sleep) numerous times during the holidays, and has two more no-bueno rotations coming up back-to-back. So it's been a rough week, and the outlook for the next couple months seems dismal for spending quality time together.

I'm also not trying to say that doctors' (or residents' or medical students') families are the only ones to experience this. It may touch some whose husbands are deployed or maybe who have other high-stress jobs with excruciating working hours. But I can only tell my story.

Thanks for reading. And thanks for sharing.

Aloha,
Charlie

Plans are up on Ana White's site for the Canopy Doll Bed

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:09:00 +0000

Just a quick note to let you know I gave myself a quick crash course in Google Sketch Up today and hammered out the plans for the Canopy Doll Bed to post on Ana White's site!!

The headboard/footboard was a little rough, so let's all laugh at them together (but nice laugh, k?). I also somehow saved the files much too small, so you have to click to enlarge them, but it's 1:00 in the morning here, so I'm giving up for the day. :)

You can find the plans HERE.

And if you used my tutorial and made a canopy bed, I'd love to see pics! If you have an account on Ana's site, you can post a brag post there and link to my plans as well.

Thanks everyone for being so wonderful!

Aloha,
Charlie

A Teaching Moment - And a New Series "Building and Sewing with Kids"

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:32:00 +0000

Aloha!

So over Christmas, we had a fun little experience that I thought I'd share with you since it was a really good learning experience for our family. I've never done a "personal" post on here before, so go easy on me. ;)

We are a crafting/DIY/fix it up kind of family. My husband has had construction experience in almost every field. He grew up helping on his grandparents' farm and raising animals, so he has lots of agricultural experience as well. And his dad taught him lots about fixing and rebuilding cars, so he has it covered in that area as well. When household things or auto things break down, chances are Scott can fix it (or he'll die trying). And I bought my first sewing machine about 8 years ago and slowly started teaching myself from there. I'm also the family electronics guru. My dad had a little side job of fixing home electronics when I was little, so tinkering is a natural thing for me. I've replaced the LCD on my iPhone (When "the middle child" threw it on the floor of Costco one day...those floors are deadly! If you're an iPhone.) I'm the one who hooks up all our gadgets and electronics, and I've repaired our laptops countless times. I'm currently working from a hybrid of two of our laptops that both had different components go out, so I Frankensteined them into one. No biggie, right?

I've always loved crafts but hadn't really thought much about it until we bought our first pet fish about 4 years ago.

"Fish? What do they have to do with crafts?" I can hear you asking through the monitor...

Gotta admire the kid's consistently crazy hair

Well, our first family pets were two betta fish. One was red, and one was blue. We asked our 3-year-old what she wanted to name them, and told her she could pick any names she wanted. She instinctively shouted, "Sparkles and Glue!" We chuckled, but we kept the names.

When I told a friend, she said, "You must've been doing crafts that day, huh?" And then it was my turn to be confused, "Wait...doesn't everyone do crafts every day?"

Apparently not.

Needless to say, my girls aren't strangers to glue, scissors, glitter, paper, fabric, sewing needles, and saw dust. We go to the lumber section at home improvement stores, and they sniff deep and say, "Mmmmm...it smells like our garage!" They could also recognize the logos for Home Depot, Lowes, Joann, and Hobby Lobby before McDonald's (don't get me wrong...we also visit the golden arches, but not with the frequency of the other places). Even my 2-year-old is good with scissors and knows the colors "teal, peach, maroon, brick red, and Benjamin Moore Metro Grey". Just kidding about that last one. Kind of.

This Christmas, I had the pleasure of taking all the girls to Wal-mart by myself on a weekend (I deserve a medal. Maybe for stupidity?) As we walked past the electronics section, my 7-year-old was looking longingly at the Wii's or DS's or something...I have no idea what they were. We're obviously not a "gaming" family. Glitter would probably jam them anyway. ;) But she said, "Mom, can we get a Wii for Christmas?" I told her they were too expensive, and she automatically responded, "Can't you just make one?" Cough. Laugh. Snort. Choke. Ha ha ha ha! "Well, honey, they have lots of little parts that are hard to get a hold of. They'd be very very very very very very hard for mommy to make and would probably take me a few years." (Notice the word impossible isn't used here. That word's not used in our house unless we really mean it.)

A couple days pass by, and we get a phone call from Santa!

My maternal grandpa has a deep, gruff voice, and he does a great "Ho Ho Ho", so he calls the grandkids and great-grandkids every year just before Christmas and pretends to be Santa. They have 10 kids (my mom's the oldest, and the youngest is just younger than me), 30 grandkids (I'm the oldest, and the youngest is still in utero), and 4 great-grandkids (my three kids are the oldest, and my brother has one).

He talks to each of my girls and asks if they've been good and told them they had to be good if they didn't want him to take away presents.

(Funny side story: My middle child is a bit of a stinker, and at that moment, she realized how naughty she is, and she had a melt down! "I'M NOT GETTING ANYTHING FOR CHRISTMAS!! I'VE BEEN BAD!!" Took me 30 minutes to console her, and we had to have Santa call back. lol)

So Santa also asked each of them to tell him what they wanted for Christmas. The middle child gives a long list. The toddler stares at the phone in disbelief and slight terror. And the oldest -- out of nowhere-- says, "I have a toy Rudolph that used to play music and walk, and he broke. I would like a new one. And that's all."

CRAP! It's 10 days to Christmas, and she throws THIS at me? Ugh. The Rudolph toy she's referring to was a toy my dad had purchased at a thrift store decades ago and then gave to her. Who knows how old it is or where it came from. I searched Ebay with no luck. I found some other Rudolphs that played music, but none identical. And even the other ones were over $40. I was looking to spend closer to $5... Blah.

Think. Think. Think.

Somewhere, somehow, my prayers were answered, and I thought of a possible solution. I found a cute little kid's tool kit at Lowes for $8. It had real tools (not those plasticy fake things), but they're smaller, to fit kids' hands. Very cute set! My only gripe is that they only come in yellow. Purple or pink would be much more fitting for our family, but oh well.

Then Santa wrote her a letter. I'll just go ahead an put it here for you to read:

She opened the gift first and then read the letter. I could tell she was disappointed. :( She really wanted that Rudolph and probably was skeptical about whether or not she could help fix her old one.

She set the tools aside, and we kept opening presents. But immediately when we were done, she picked up the tool kit, brought it to me, and said, "Ok. Let's fix Rudolph!" Now, if you're remembering, I'm usually the electronics one, but as soon as I was done helping her get the gear on, I got detained by one of the other children, and my husband was happy to help take over. He was going to start by sanding off the battery terminals since Hawaii is really humid, and they had rusted some.

I wasn't paying much attention until I suddenly heard Rudolph's music! He was back from the dead!! I looked over just in time to see my daughter's face. I WISH so desperately that I had known the momentous occasion it was going to be and had thought to have my video camera rolling. ((sigh)) The look on her face was priceless. THEY HAD DONE IT!! They actually fixed RUDOLPH!!! She was ecstatic! There aren't enough exclamation marks in the world to describe her face. Sheer joy.

So then she wanted to fix and build everything. She wanted to sleep in her tool belt and is even excited to go to Lowes to buy parts to "reupholster" one of their toy chairs (after all our whirlwind home renovations last year, my kids DREADED going to any home improvement stores, but we spent the most time in Lowes).

So there you have it. We've created a builder and fixer. Instilled confidence and hopefully changed how she views the world a little bit (buying new things isn't always the best answer).

Santa also brought the girls their own small sewing machine! So in honor of this increased love of creating and now building, I'm going to be starting a new blog series called "Building and Sewing with Kids". I'll take you through some of the fun projects I do with my kids that help them create things they can use in REAL LIFE. Not just things they can send to grandma or stick on the fridge for a couple weeks (although there will still be plenty of those in our house). :)

What do you think? Do you build and create real projects with your kids? I'd love to see!!

Aloha,
Charlie

Over 50 Great Crafty Valentine's Projects

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:12:00 +0000

Aloha!

You know you're a crazy crafter if...you start planning for Valentine's Day just 2 days after Christmas. ;)

But here we are, and I'm ready for it! Valentine's Day is probably our family's second-favorite holiday after Christmas. Maybe a close tie with Easter.

I've seen some great V-Day projects and thought it would be fun to do a round-up of some awesome crafts to get you feeling inspired.

WARNING: I may use the words "cute", "adorable", and "love" an extreme amount of times in this post.

Here's a cute classmate idea from Family Fun Magazine. I think my 7-year-old would love these:

Source: familyfun.go.com via Attempting on Pinterest

I also found this cute idea from Family Fun. See-through/Peekaboo Valentines:

Source: familyfun.go.com via Attempting on Pinterest

These super hero sucker templates from Zakka Life were originally for a birthday party, but they'd be really cute with a little note under the cape, right? "Justice is sweet!" or "You're super!" or "Sucks to be the bad guys". Ok...maybe not that one. It's late. Leave me alone.

Source: zakkalife.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

These felt fortune cookies from Martha Stewart are so stinking cute! What a fun classroom gift!

Source: marthastewart.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Wouldn't they be adorable in these mini Chinese take-out boxes I did last year? (There's a free printable included.)

My kids love stamps. And we have a million erasers sitting around, wasting space. So this would be a perfect craft for them! DIY eraser stamps from The Sweetest Occasion.

Source: thesweetestoccasion.com via Attempting on Pinterest

My girls would probably be mortified if I made them take these to classmates with "KISS" on it. But they might let it slide with a cute "Hug" tag and Hugs. Maybe? They're just too cute to pass up. These are from Cheri at I Am Momma Hear Me Roar.

Source: iammommahearmeroar.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And a Martha Stewart idea that I know my girls would think is just amazing. (They really love stickers and envelopes and hearts. Check. Check. Check. Maybe add some glitter and call it a day.)

Source: marthastewart.com via Attempting on Pinterest

"You make my heart glow" Valentine's from The Teacher Wife. Another adorable idea!

Source: theteacherwife.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And here's another classmate gift idea. Friendship bracelets with a great tutorial from Dandee Designs. Super cute that the kids can really get involved in this one by braiding their own bracelets.

Source: dandee-designs.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And how cute are these mustache and kissy lips suckers? Another great idea from Family Fun.

Source: familyfun.go.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Now follow me on this next one. I KNOW the bottom stickers are for a baby shower. But wouldn't it be fun to do hugs and kisses and do some fun cute words on the bottom for classmate gifts? Or even just some fun scrapbook paper or red and pink prints?

Source: google.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Here's a cute printable from Salt & Paper. Kids are more comfortable with the "like" cards than those mushy "love" ones, right? And they also have some green and blue ones if your little guy isn't down with pink and red. (note: even though it asks you to add it to your cart, they're still free. The price is $0.) :)

Source: saltandpaper.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Let's not forget the family V-Day fun, right? We always give each other gifts and cards and letters for the holiday. And we've done the small mailboxes before, and we sneak in and leave letters in each others' boxes. But they've never been as darling as these ones from The Anderson Family Crew. So cute!

Source: andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Our mailboxes bit the dust somewhere along the lines, so last year I improvised with some Christmas stockings I found on clearance and made Valentine's heart "stockings". :)

This wreath is from an Etsy shop, but it looks simple enough if you're willing to put the time into it!

Source: etsy.com via Attempting on Pinterest

While we're talking about wreaths, what about this cute one made from cupcake liners by Diary of a Wannabe Domestic Diva. Here's a link to her original tutorial on Catch My Party.

Source: wannabedomesticdiva.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

You know we can't get enough of pink feather boas in our house, right? This wreath will be made this year. That's a ~~threat~~ promise (my husband might think it's a threat). This cute one is from Simply B Creative.

Source: simplybcreative.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

This is a cute variation on a front-door wreath. The tutorial comes from Lasting Memories:

Source: lastingmemories.typepad.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And another cute one. This one by Then She Made:

Source: thenshemade.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

This printable from Peppermint Plum is sweet. And I love the little ribbon detail on the frame!

Source: peppermintplum.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Are you feeling super pinched for $$ after Christmas and not looking to spend any more on Valentine's decor? Do you have any of those old wire hangers just wasting closet space? Turn them into art! Love this LOVE sign by Family Chic.

Source: cfabbridesigns.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Amy from The Idea Room did this cute little Valentine art last year. I loved it so much that I made a similar version (but cheater printed version...cuz sometimes I'm lazy like that).

Wouldn't you smile every time you passed by these pillows if you had them? There's a free printable from Creature Comforts for the iron-on transfers.

Source: creaturecomfortsblog.com via Attempting on Pinterest

I can't promise that my house won't be covered in pom poms this holiday either. Love these pink ones from Etsy. I found them via Pinterest, and sadly, it links to Etsy home page, and I couldn't find the owner for the life of me to link to her shop. :( Let me know if you find it!

Source: etsy.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And if you're looking for a good tulle pom pom tutorial, Chintzy Couture has a good one using a cardboard circle!

Here's a simple way to gussy up your dining room from BHG. Their instructions say to use rivets, but I imagine doing them with a simple button hole stitch on my sewing machine would look equally elegant. :)

Source: bhg.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And this adorable card says it all for me and my sweetheart. He might not believe it if I gave it to him...

It's also from an Etsy shop, but $3 is super reasonable for this cute card. And you peeps are crafters. You know how to make it your own if you want to.

Source: theglamlamb.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

I'm going to call it a night, but this post is far from being complete. If you have a project with a tutorial you'd like me to include, please send me an email. I'd love to see!

Aloha,
Charlie

Ten of My 2011 Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:22:00 +0000

Aloha!

2012 is just days away, so it's round-up time in blogland. Everyone's sharing their favorite projects of the year, so I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and share my favorite posts of 2011. With our ginormous home renovations in Hawaii, then finding tenants, packing our stuff up to move across an ocean, staying with family for a month, then heading here to the east coast and finding a new home and settling in; I'm actually quite surprised I did ANY projects!! :)

But here they are:

I made this "Love Your Laughter" sign for my husband for Valentine's Day out of some free lumber I found in a scrap pile at Re-Use Hawaii. I made the stencils myself because I wanted the letters to fit perfectly across the board and line up just right. It now hangs above our bed, and it still makes me smile. Every. Single Day. :)

In February, I showed you how we organize some of our girly hair stuff with these fab wire baskets I designed along with the pleated basket liners. There are links for tutorials on both the baskets and liners in this post also. The wire basket tutorial was one of my most popular posts with readers this year as well. :)

Another popular post that makes me laugh is this one where I showed you how to gussy up your potty with $7 by replacing the toilet handle in about 7 minutes. :)

If you're on Pinterest, chances are good you've seen this pic at one point or another sometime this year. This is the one where I taught you how to make your own chalkboard paint in small quantities in ANY COLOR, using basic acrylic craft paints and some non-sanded grout.

For the first time in my 7-years of sewing, I FINALLY ventured into clothing and did this revamp that I still love today. Ugly skirt and shirt get made over to paper bag skirt and cute shirt. This link is for the skirt, but there's a link in the tutorial for the shirt as well.

I dabbled in art a little, and let me tell you, I'M NO ARTIST! But if I can do it, you can do it! Here's my shabby chic coral wall art also made from reclaimed wood from Re-Use Hawaii's free bin.

My playroom Scrabble wall art is also a favorite in our house! It makes such a statement and was so cheap (but quite time-intensive...be warned).

Also a playroom project, the kid's reading nook is another family favorite. My girls read in there every day. It's their own little sanctuary. ((cuz they have it so tough and need a place to escape to, right?)) ;)

I'm not sure if this one is a favorite because I love the project or because my wee one looks so stinking adorable in this pic?! But it was among the most popular posts this year, so here's the fabulous Halloween flamingo costume.

It wouldn't be a blog year-in-review if I didn't show off a building project. My doll canopy bed plans was such a fun project! And with Christmas just finished, it's been SO MUCH FUN for me to see the beds you've made using my plans for your little ones! Nothing makes me happier! Except maybe the look on my daughter's face when she saw her own canopy bed... :)

Check out the Attempting Aloha Facebook page to see some of the beautiful fan beds that were done these last two weeks.

And there you have it! Ten of my favorite posts of 2011!

I wanted to take a second to say thanks for following along. Even with the giant break from May to October. :) I'll confess that I'm HORRIBLE at finishing projects, and having a blog really helps me get things done. It also pushes me to try new things that might otherwise seem too intimidating. Not all of my projects turn out, and maybe in January I'll share some flops with you. I haven't shown them mostly for the sake of time. They're funny and all, but it takes lots of time to take pics and make posts...it's hard to find that extra time when you know you're not really teaching much other than, "uhhhh...keep trying!" :D

Here's to a fabulous 2012! If you noticed, I just started ads on my blog this week. I've been blogging for just over a year and am hoping to make it a teeny tiny drop in the med school debt, so thanks again for your support!

Aloha,

Charlie

I'll be linking to Sarah's Before and After party:

Angry Birds Small Bean Bags - Free Printables

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:44:00 +0000

Aloha!

Just in case you're still looking for that fun gift for the guy in your life, I thought I'd share what my girls and I made for my husband today. Angry Birds rice-filled "bean bags" for launching with a sling shot into our pig towers!

These are SUPER cheap, too! The cutting is a bit tedious, but I had my little elves helping me out, and they were more than happy to help cut while I did the sewing and hot gluing. ;)

SUPPLIES for all 6 birds:

Patterns (at bottom of this tutorial)
Rice (or other filler)
Hot glue gun and sticks
Sewing machine / needle and thread
GOOD SCISSORS!! Lots of cutting
1 sheet red felt
1 sheet yellow felt
1 sheet orange felt
1 sheet white felt
1 sheet black felt
1 sheet blue felt

optional -
1 sheet gray felt -- I didn't have any on hand, so I used the light blue for the Bomb Bird's accents. I think it looks fine, but gray would be more accurate.
Thread in coordinating colors - I had white, red, blue, black, and yellow on hand, but just white would be fine if that's all you've got. They're just toys, right? :)

I picked my sheets up at Hobby Lobby for $.25 each. A whopping $1.50 for this project!!

STEP 1: Print your pattern and cut out your pieces. Cut just inside the lines for the best fit. I'd do it one bird at a time to keep all the tiny pieces straight. It's annoying to lose a little piece!

STEP 2: Cut out your fabric. Be sure to cut two of the main pieces (circles for Bomb, Blue, and Red -- triangle for Yellow).

STEP 3: Sew your two main pieces together with 1/4" seam allowance. Keep an opening to turn it right-side-out.

STEP 4: Turn it right-side out and round your edges. Don't iron!

STEP 5: Lay out your face how you want it.

STEP 6: With the pieces all in place, take off one piece at a time to glue down. Trust me. It will make your life much easier. And BE CAREFUL with those tiny pieces and hot glue gun. I highly recommend using a small, craft low-temp gun. You can buy them at Walmart for $2.

STEP ...uhh...I forget what I'm on: Fill with rice. Felt isn't super stretchy, so it should keep a fairly flat shape.

My craft room was completely overtaken by birds and kids, so we dubbed it the "Build-A-Bird" workshop for the day. lol Then (of course), my kids wanted to put little hearts in them. Since they're ANGRY Birds, they got black hearts. Ha ha

Then fold the top down and sew closed with the "hair" piece or bomb in place. Easy peasy!

As I mentioned, these are supposed to be for my husband for Christmas. We'll be heading to the Dollar Tree to find a sling shot like Meg at Brassy Apple used for her game.

And we'll be making these cans tomorrow for our towers.

Source: cutefoodforkids.com via Attempting on Pinterest

I also love these plushies from Obsessively Stitching! But they seemed like much more work thank I was looking for and wanted the kids to really be involved. Plus they were a little larger than what I had in mind for the game. They are DARLING, though!

Source: obsessivelystitching.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

My kids wanted to make their own to keep and play with, so we ended up making 8 birds today!

Here is the pattern. Angry Birds is copyrighted by Rovio Entertainment. These patterns are my own. They are not to be used for commercial purposes. Personal use only. Live aloha. Play nice.

And if you do use my pattern, I'd REALLY love it if you'd leave me a comment letting me know. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. I'd love it even more if you sent me a pic! ;)

All 4 patterns are included in this one download.

Other fun things to do with these:

* HAND WARMERS (Be sure not to microwave longer than 45 seconds. And if this is your intended use, I recommend using fleece and hand stitching the faces on rather than using hot glue.)
* JUGGLING BAGS
* And just plain cute little TOYS

Aloha and Mele Kalikimaka!

Charlie

Last-minute Gift Idea - Simple Flower Earrings Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:54:00 +0000

Aloha,

Here's another easy peasy gift idea that won't break the bank!

I bought some earring posts on Ebay just after my daughters had their ears pierced in September with the intention of making some cute Halloween earrings. We ended up buying the hook-style earrings at Walmart, so we could make dangling ghosties. They were cute, but then I had 24 posts just chilling, waiting for me to come up with something.

Then today I was wrapping gifts to mail to my sisters-in-law and wanted another small something to include. "Hmmm...I DO have those earring posts just sitting here. Maybe I could do something with them?" thought I. Nothing cheesy. Something they could wear anytime.

I love this necklace from Little Miss Momma and have had the image from Pinterest floating around in my head for months, so it was naturally one of the first things I wanted to try with my earrings.

Source: littlemissmomma.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Her tutorial is great and just uses circles to make the poms. Feel free to try her version but using these smaller sizes to make the earrings. I chose to give the petals a bit more definition, but I love both ways, and the end result is very similar.

SUPPLIES:

Small piece of felt
Fabric scrap (about 2" x 5" for one pair of earrings)
Sewing needle and thread (I don't recommend hot glue for this small of a project...unless you have fingers of steel)
Earring posts
Scissors

You can purchase the posts at craft stores and Walmart in their jewelry section. Just make sure they have the flat, rounded ends and not the little loop to hang things on.

STEP 1: Cut your felt into 1/2" circles. You will need two pieces PER EARRING, so 4 pieces for a pair.

STEP 2: Cut your fabric into 10 squares 1"x1" (5 squares per earring).

STEP 3: Cut out the clover-type shape by folding one square in half, then folding it again, and cutting out a heart shape out of the folded piece.

STEP 4: Once you have your pieces all cut out, thread your needle and make put your needle through the center of one of your felt circles.

STEP 5: Refold one of your flower pieces OFF CENTER from how you originally folded. This will give it more of a natural look.

STEP 6: Stitch your petals onto the felt right at the center. I turned the petals on their sides (so an edge faces the felt rather than the bottom or top facing the felt). Then do the rest the same way, working around in a circle. I alternated the folded side up, then the folded side down (that will make more sense when you start making them).

STEP 6: Secure your thread and cut off the excess.

STEP 7: Poke your post straight through the second piece of felt.

STEP 8: Put hot glue over the post and felt.

And sandwich the round post end between the two pieces of felt.

That's it! You've made your very own ADORABLE earrings! I think I will be making these as gifts for my girlfriends as well since they were so simple ((and inexpensive)).

I also used a piece of cardboard and poked holes in it with a pen to make my own custom earrings holder to gift them on. ;)

Aloha and mele Kalikimaka,

Charlie

FREE Kids' Sleep Mask Pattern and Build-A-Bear / Doll Sleep Mask Pattern

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 04:40:00 +0000

Aloha!

This week is CRAZY for me (as I'm sure it is for all you Christmas crafters who play Santa's elves this week). So this tutorial isn't going to be as detailed as most of my others, but I wanted to get it up in case someone was looking for a last-minute girly gift and already has some sewing skills. :)

I'll just post a couple pics of the item and the pattern and a few simple steps today. If you'd like a full tutorial for it, let me know, and I'll get one up after the holidays if you'd like.

My 5-year-old specifically asked for a sleeping mask for Christmas (yes...she's my "fussy" child). And if you've been following me at all, you know I'm not one to leave a simple project simple, right? I had to take it a step further by making a matching one for her favorite Build-A-Bear doll. Awwww.

I used a basic quilter's cotton for the fronts and minky for the backs of mine. On this one below, I made a casing to go over the elastic band of the kid one for my daughter, but when I tried it on, I felt like the plain elastic was actually more comfortable to sleep on, so I recommend just leaving the elastic as it is. Plus that took this project from a 20-minute project to a 5-minute project! The hardest part for me was choosing which of my fabric scraps to use!!

You might need to adjust for your child's head, but I used 12" for the kid size. I made a Skippyjon Jones mask for my 7-year old, and that's the length I used for that one, and it fits both her and my 5-year-old just fine.

I did a 1/4" seam allowance for the kid and 1/2" for the doll. You could also just cut on the dotted line for the doll pattern and use 1/4" allowance, but I was too lazy to print another pattern and wanted to keep this one in tact.

The doll elastic will also need to be measured. My girls love Build-A-Bears more than any of their dolls. This one needed a 7" elastic, but my other daughter has a Hello Kitty, and her head is GINORMOUS! So sneak a tape measure into the toy room when your kids aren't watching. ;)

I wish I had a pic of it on my daughter, so you could really get a feel for how small and cute these are, but alas, it will have to wait a week. When you're done sewing you'll be like, "OHHH...it's so CUTE and WIDDLE". ;)

TIP: Even if it just shows "processing" on your screen (and you might not see the downward-pointing arrow to download), you should still be able to right click on the square and select "download".

This is a free download, but it takes me time to make these and upload everything and write my posts. I'd love it if you'd share the aloha by leaving me a comment or becoming a follower of my blog! Mahalo! :)

Aloha,

Charlie

Doll Bedding Tutorial 2 - Jelly Roll Pillow {and Tootsie Roll pillow}

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:19:00 +0000

As promised, here is the doll bed jelly roll pillow! I have a confession. I had already put the first doll bed and bedding in the "stash" when I went to make this. My 2-year-old was hovering around, so I didn't want to blow my cover, so I thought I could just guess the size of the jelly roll to make another one. As you can see in the pic, I underestimated the length. lol So I'm calling the big one the jelly roll pillow and the little one the Tootsie Roll pillow. I'll give you dimensions of each, but the process is the same. :)

For the smaller pillow, cut out one piece of fabric at 4" x 6". The longer one would be 4" x 10". Fold and iron each of the two sides (the 4" long sides) and hem them at 1/4". As you can see from my second pic here, it was a little difficult to back stitch such thin fabric so close to the edge. To alleviate this prob, you can either adjust your fabric width and make a wider hem, or just don't back stitch. :)

Then you'll fold it in half the long way with right sides touching. Sew that edge all the way.

It should look like this when you're done:

Then fold it right-side-out. It should look like a little sleeve or tube with two sides open.

I have two here since I was making these for bunk beds. Don't let that confuse you if you're just doing one. Sorry!

Then take one end and pinch it closed. My Tootsie Roll ones are about 1/2" in, and the longer one is about 1" in.

Then stitch it closed where you had it pinched.

I find it easier to do multiple front/back stitches by holding my fabric like this. But be CAREFUL!!! Please do not stitch your hand!! :)

It might seem a little flattened out when you're done, but we're going to be putting a ribbon on it anyway, so it's no big deal.

Now use that one open end, and stuff it with fluff. As mentioned in the other small button pillow tutorial, if you're just doing a couple of small projects and don't want to fork out the $$ for fiberfill, you might want to try just using cotton balls from the Dollar Tree!

I packed mine pretty tight since these are decorative pieces, and you want them to keep their shape. Leave a bit out at the end, so you can get ready to pinch that side and sew it closed. Then sew it just like you did the other side. You can push your filling down a bit and then refluff after you're done sewing it up.

Then you'll want to cover it up with some thing pretty. I really like using sheer fabrics for these pieces. My white one shown above is from the tulle that was part of my wedding dress. And this pink is an organza. Since the color really varies depending on how many layers you put on it, I'm going to leave the length up to you to decide. My white one only needed to be rolled twice, so the original length was probably 10" x 8" or something close to that. But this pink needed to be rolled quite a few times to get it to look the right shade of pink for me. I also realized it was looking pretty stubby, so I chose to widen it by giving a couple inches on the sides. So this piece was about 6.5" x 17"!

When you're starting to roll, be sure you match your new seam with the seam on the pillow. Then roll it up!

And tie some pretty ribbons on the ends. :)

I hand-stitched the ribbons right onto the pillow.

And I may have broken a needle going through all those layers of fabric and ribbon! lol

Then trim your ribbon, and you're done! I also opted to seal the edges of my ribbon with a candle lighter to keep it from fraying, but be careful with your sheer fabric when doing this! Most of them are very flammable!

And there you have the jelly roll pillow AND the Tootsie Roll pillow. ;)

Aloha,

Charlie

Here is the link for the doll bedding small button pillow. And I'll put up links when tutorials for the other bedding items are finished. :)

Doll Bedding Tutorial 1 - Small Button Pillow {Great for Beginners!}

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:18:00 +0000

Aloha!

I was FINALLY able to finish the bedding for the doll bunk bed this weekend. Since I was just making things up with the first bedding, I didn't really take great pics for a tutorial, so this time I did. :)

I'll be posting them separately, but I'll try to get as many up as I can today for those of you planning on making these for Christmas presents!

First up is the small button pillow. Remember this one from the canopy bed?

For all the basic white bedding on the doll beds, I've been using an old sheet. You can find them new at Walmart for $5, and it will give you way more yardage than trying to buy similar fabric at the fabric store. Plus it will seem more realistic since it's the exact weight and feel that you want, right?

I'm going to make these steps pretty basic and assume you're new to sewing. If you're an expert, by all means, feel free to use the dimensions and ad lib. ;)

Step 1: Cut out two pieces of fabric 3" x 2.5".
Step 2: Put the right sides together (doesn't matter so much if using the plain white sheet) and sew around the edges with 1/4" seam allowance. Using fabric this light-weight and so small, it was hard to do a reverse stitch without having it bunch up and catch the fabric, so I chose not to back stitch on this little guy. Be sure to leave an opening. To make my life easier, I start my stitching about 2/3 of the way down one of the long sides. Then sew all along the edges. When approaching a corner, slow down, and stop at about 1/4" from the end, with your needle DOWN IN THE FABRIC. Then lift up the presser foot, and rotate your fabric, so the next side is in place. Leaving the needle down will help keep you in the exact place you need to be. Then just sew down that next edge and repeat until you're back to the side you started on.

Once you're on that same first side, stop again about 1/3 of the way down, so you have the first 1/3 sewn and the last 1/3 sewn with a hole in the middle 1/3.

STEP 3: Turn it right-side out, and iron. The iron is one of your sewing machine's best friends. Its true bff is the seam ripper in my house...lol. Be sure you iron the two sides of the little section you left open, so it looks like a continuous piece. This will make your stitching much easier after you stuff it.

STEP 4: Stuff it. I used the guts from an old decorative pillow since fiberfill can get pretty pricey. If you don't have any on hand and only have this one small project to do, I might also suggest using cotton balls! Just de-fluff them a bit and spread them out! I'm pretty sure you can buy them at Dollar Tree for...$1. ;)

STEP 5: Sew up your open edge. You can either hand stitch it or use your machine. I stink at hand stitching, so I use to use the machine. I shove as much of the fluff into the corners as I can (since those are harder to fill in after it's all closed up) and push it away from where the seam will be. Then just sew it right up. Once it's sewn, you can refluff it back to prettiness.

STEP 6: I didn't have any cute pink buttons laying around, but we have a gagillion broken necklaces!! So I used a couple of beads from a cheap-o kids' necklace. Unless you have a magic sewing machine, this will need to be done by hand.

TIP: To hide your knot, start on the side where your button will be. Just stick it straight through to the back side, then back to the front, and your "button" will go right on top of it.

Just keep stitching. Down through the pillow, up through the pillow, across through the bead. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. I think I did that about 6 times and then ended it behind the bead (again to hide the end of the string).

Here's how it will look from the back and from the front:

And there's your tiniest pillow!

Up next is the jelly roll pillow!

Aloha,

Charlie

READ Bag - Simply Screen custom screen-printing kit review

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:42:00 +0000

Aloha!

So remember when I did the reading nook, and I made the custom "READ" letters to mimic the look of the famous Robert Indiana LOVE sign? Well, I really love my sign. I've done lots of crafting projects around my house, and the ones I have out, I'm okay pleased with, but there are a few that just make me smile every time I see them. And the READ sign is one of them.

My girls and I love the library, and they've each just received their own cards, so they like to check their OWN books out and carry them themselves. I decided they each need their own library bags, and the READ sign was the perfect option.

Originally I had intended to use freezer paper for the project. Print my READ sign on it, cut it out with an exacto knife, iron it to the bags, paint in the letters, and remove the freezer paper. No big deal.

But then Plaid offered to send me one of their new custom screen printing kits, and I thought it would be a great way to make my bags!

I'll give you details about my trials and errors at the end of the post, but I wanted to start with my (hopefully) clear tutorial, so you're not left totally in the dark.

The kit comes with everything you should need to create your own silk screen. Keep reading, and I'll describe it better (for you left-brained crafters out there -- I know there are a few of us).

If you're not familiar with silk screening in general, I think Plaid's video does a decent job of showing just how that part of it works. It's not like a regular stencil where it's just cut out/hollow where your design is. It's actually a SCREEN (I see the wheels turning...you now get why it's called silk screening. Clever, right?)

Aside from plain one-colored options, you can also use multiple colors at once, or use their glitter or foil that are purchased separately. You can CLICK HERE to see some of those techniques in use. Pretty cool!

Now, keep in mind that the $9.99 price she mentions is for buying a pre-made "stencil" screen. What we're talking about today is their kit that allows you to print your own designs from your computer and then burn them into your own screen. It looks like this:

You can buy it at Hobby Lobby for $39.99.

It comes in that weird trapezoid box that will actually be used as the light kit later on, so don't throw it away!

Here's my kit. It comes with the light cord, a bulb, a wash basin, sponge, 3 tubes of paint, a paint brush, the squeegee applicator, and the light-sensitive screens (housed in a black-out envelope). The screen sizes are: 1 (7.5" x 10.2"), 1 (6.7 x 9.2), 1 (6.7 x 8.4), and 1 test screen (4 x 3).

I wish the screens would have come in standard paper sizes. It was fine for me since I can cheat and change my paper sizes with InDesign, but I know the average crafter isn't going to have InDesign. You don't actually print ON the screens, but it would have still been convenient while designing.

So you take all those things out, and it will look like this:

Now flip it upside down and pop open the top. Put the light bulb housing socket in the top:

Screw in your light bulb:

And close it up. You now have a magic light box:

Now you're ready to print your own design. Unfortunately, I have no idea what weight my paper is. This is one time when being organized didn't pay off. LOL I remove my paper from the packaging right when I get it home and throw the packaging away and put the paper in it's home. Ugh! They recommend 10 lb. printer paper but say most copy/printer paper should work.

IMPORTANT: THEY GIVE YOU THE TEST SCREEN FOR A REASON!! USE IT!

I had two failed attempts at this project because I didn't do a test strip to see how long to leave my screen in (since my paper was obviously different). Very sad face at losing out on two screens. :(

Once you have your design printed, remove one of your blue screens from the black-out envelope and peel off the white backing:

Now stick your artwork to that somewhat sticky side with the artwork face down:

Rub it on there a little until it's nice and smooth.

This next step isn't in the instructions that came with the kit, but Plaid mentioned it to us after a few were having a hard time getting good results (me included) by just taping it down. In order to keep the artwork right up against the screen, they suggested putting a piece of glass over it to hold it down. Brilliant!

I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that if you're reading my crafty blog then somewhere in your house you have a framed picture, right? Just borrow the glass from a pic that's close to the size of your screen (doesn't have to be exact). And if you're anything like me, you might want to wash it first (cough cough). Oops!

Then close it up.

((SIDE NOTE: I took these pics on the carpet, but I actually moved it up onto a flat surface to keep the screen more even.))

Then turn on the homing device, and the mother ship will come down and turn your screen into your artwork using laser beams:

I jest. But really, here's how the process works for those left-brained people like me who really want to know a bit about the process behind it. The screens are covered in a light-sensitive film. If you just placed it in the light box with no artwork on top and turned on that light, the entire screen would start to harden. When you print your design and place it on top of the screen, all of the blackened areas don't let much light pass through, so the white areas harden, and the blackened areas stay filmy. When the white parts are done "baking", you simply wash off the filmy areas!

When I finally understood that process, I was much more excited about the project. My poor brain doesn't work well on projects that seem vague and mysterious.

When your time is up, remove the paper, and your screen will have a yellowish tint where it was blacked out. This pic doesn't do it justice, but it's really yellow. You can see the letters, but it's definitely still opaque.

Then you place it in the wash basin filled with warm water. The wash basin has little bumps in the bottom and was really flimsy. I wasn't super impressed with that and decided to use one of my Pyrex pans instead. I'm sure this product wasn't meant to be cleaned in food dishes, and the FDA is going to be after me now, but I was really thorough about cleaning it afterward!! ;)

I first placed it in upside down (letters still backwards). You can see the outline of the letters:

Start rubbing the letters with your sponge:

Once you get that side going, you'll be amazed at how it comes off and might think you're done:

But then if you flip it over and scrub the other side, then you'll be like, "OH!! It's CLEAR!" :) And you'll do a happy dance that it worked!

See the difference between the E and R? E has been scrubbed on both sides.

Let's go back to the part where I told you to do a test screen. My first try, I let it sit for 40 minutes because I didn't understand how it worked and thought, "the longer the better, right?" WRONG! It hardened the areas even below my lettering, so I scrubbed for 40 minutes, and it was still a disaster.

Then I got the tip on how the process works, and I kept it in exactly 25 minutes. This time it came off MUCH better. But still had some uneven edges around the letters that were a little hard to scrub off:

THIS ONE WAS A FAIL!!

20 minutes was ultimately what I ended up needing for my particular kind of paper. It came off like butter after that! I was sad I hadn't taken the time to use the test screen and had wasted two of my big screens. :(

Now on to the painting! I taped my screen down onto the bag I made out of the extra length on some Ikea curtains I purchased this summer. It's a nice, sturdy canvas, and I wanted red stitching to go along with my red print.

Their instructions don't mention taping it down, but I'm a little sloppy, so I know the project would have been a disaster without taping it. I even taped the bag to the counter (and I'm glad I did).

Confession: I watched that video above AFTER doing my bag, so I didn't use enough paint the first time I did it. See how skinny my little paint line is there? Oops.

Since I hadn't made a thick enough line, when I removed the screen the first time, it was a little faded in some areas:

No worries, I hadn't washed the screen, so I just put it right back on and did a thicker coat. Much better!

So, going back to my freezer paper comparison. Assuming I was only going to do one or two bags, and if my design was simple like this READ bag, I would say to stick with freezer paper and save yourself some $$. It will take time to cut out your letters, but $40 is a lot for a couple of bags, right?

BUT...the magic of having a silk screen is that you can wash it off and use it again and again and again. Not gonna happen with the freezer paper you've painstakenly cut out.

ALSO, you'll be limited in your design to things that are connected. Think back to the video and how you can't really have a circle within a circle unless you're prepared to also cut out the centers and iron them on in the exact location as well. Not a big deal if you're just doing one letter O, but if you want a design with any kind of detail, the screen kits are the way to go!

So I do recommend this product if you're willing to use the test screen and not waste your precious screens like I did! I'm VERY excited to do some more projects with more details now!

For washing and care instructions and other helpful tips with regards to screen printing, visit the Simply Screen FAQ page.

Aloha and ho ho ho,

Charlie

Possibly the Most Glamorous Hobby Horse Ever

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 04:49:00 +0000

Yeah, you read that right. Glamorous hobby horse. You may laugh, but take a look at this awesomeness:

Awwwww yeah! She's so pwetty. I wish I had some awesome pics taken outside with a little tyke enjoying her new friend, but alas, this is a Christmas gift, so these pics of the poor horse propped up with my feet while I click away quickly (hiding upstairs while my daughter watches Dora downstairs) will have to suffice. :)

If you follow my blog, you might remember the hobby horse I linked to in my 25+ Gifts for Boys Round-up. That hobby horse by Dandee Designs really lit the fire for me. I was hoping to find a cute girly hobby horse or unicorn or something and kept browsing Pinterest and Google, and I found another good hobby horse tutorial! This one is from Family Fun:

The two tutorials are pretty much identical, and while I like the concept, the lazy mom in me kept saying, "I REALLY don't want to cut and thread a million pieces of yarn!!" So I kept brainstorming for something else to use as hair. What better way to get my creative juices flowing than to clean!! Yippee!! (where's that sarcasm font when I need it?)

But this time it really worked! I picked up one of the 1500 feather boas we have in our playroom and was like, "LIIIIIIGHT. BULB." (in my best Gru voice) HAIR!!!

So please feel free to use either Dandee's tutorial or the Family Fun one, and I'll fill you in on the differences I did.

Supplies for my Girly Hobby Horse:

1 fluffy sock (bought my Aloe-infused ultra moisturizing socks for women at Walmart near pharmacy for $3 -- ummm...that would be for two)
Filling of some kind (I used an old pillow's guts)
Googley eyes (or those button eyes, but I kinda think they're a little creepy)
Eyelashes (found at Dollar Tree in make-up section)
Glitter foam or felt for ears (found my glitter foam at Dollar Tree in craft section)
Hot glue
Yarn (for nostrils, bridle, and to attach reigns)
Yarn needle (found mine at Walmart near yarn -- go figure)
Regular needle and thread (to attach feather boa)
Feather boa (mine was about 60")
Wooden dowel (I used what I had on hand, and I think it's a bit small. I would recommend about 3/4" wide and cut it to 2.5' long)
Beaded necklace (Dollar Tree sells a pack of 10 for $1)

Like any obsessive crafter, I had all these supplies on hand except the fluffy sock. Here's my fluffy sock. It looks sparkly. I've seen other fluffy socks at the Dollar Tree, but this one is like snow. I love it.

Follow their directions and fill the end of the sock first.

Then thread your yarn needle and make a couple of nostrils.

I used the googley eyes and eyelashes from one of our two FLAMINGO COSTUMES since I knew they probably wouldn't be needing two of the costumes at once again. One glamorous flamingo is sufficient. I also used the glittery beak as the ears. I set my eyes back 5" from the front. My first instinct was to have them set back farther, and no one really explained where to put them. I decided to check with the "mane" on, and I definitely needed more space for the coiffure.

Bust out your 5th grade skills and trace out some ears. Then cut them out and pray it doesn't look like a demented rabbit.

Pinch each ear together in the center and hot glue it. Don't glue too far down the sides. You don't want it closed completely...just a nice center crease.

Since the foam is stiffer than felt, I propped mine straight up and just stitched straight through the foam and then went back down through the sock. The fluffiness of the sock meant that I could be a little sloppy. He he

Plus I knew the mane would be covering it...

I tried braiding a few pieces of yarn for the bridle but decided I liked the simple elegance of four pieces of yarn next to each other. I believe I started with 15" pieces and then trimmed down. I hot glued them right to the sock (underneath the chin to keep it more hidden).

Make sure your lines are nice and straight and not crossed over each other and then glue the second end on top of the first and cut your ends, so they're nice and straight.

Our beaded necklace was 30" long once I cut it. And I just whip stitched it right to the face. Don't be scared if she whinnies a little. Just assure her that lots of women go under the knife for vanity's sake. ((cough cough))

I opted for the yarn to attach mine since I knew my kids would probably be using the reigns to drag it around everywhere. I stitched between beads 1&2, 2&3, and 3&4.

For the mane, I took one 60" feather boa and cut it in half. I laid the two pieces next to each other and folded the one on the right down to the right until the top side was almost lined up with the bottom.

Then I took the piece on the left and also folded it down to the right like a rainbow on top of the first piece. I made them cascade down, so the top piece was the shortest, and it got longer from there.

Then I pinched it at the top where the two pieces met and then whip stitched that one spot right behind the ears. That way she can change her hairstyle as she pleases. She's going for the "bangs in the eyes" look today. ;)

And OF COURSE she needed a flower in her mane and a ribbon around her neck!

I made this for my 2-year-old, but I'm debating whether or not to make them for my older daughters as well...I think they might have just as much fun as the little one! Plus now that I've got it down, they'll only take me about 20 minutes ANNND I've got that one lonely sock laying around now...

I think the fact that her mane is a feather boa might also qualify her as part pegasus. So magical powers are sure to be part of this horsey's future...

Aloha,

Charlie

I'm linking to Sarah's Before and After Party at Thrifty Decor Chick:

Psssst

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:09:00 +0000

Pssst...we're playing "Guess What I'm Making" over on the Attempting Aloha Facebook page right now. Anyone have any guesses? You get two guesses, and we've got 1.5 hours left!

Aloha,

Charlie

Ballard Hack: Burlap-covered tree stands tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:27:00 +0000

Aloha!

Today's going to be an easy tutorial on how to gussy up your plain-Jane small Christmas trees. And it may involve kitty litter...

Like most crafters with a love of home decor, I'm a faithful subscriber to Ballard Designs. And I LOVE their Christmas stuff. Their prices make me roll my eyes, though.

Exhibit A:

Ballard Designs

Cute little 3' tree in a nursery sack with some twinkle lights. I'm thinking, "It's Ballard, so this is probably like $45." WRONG. Try more like $99. Seriously? Who buys this stuff???!!! And will they adopt me??

Just kidding.

Kind of.

Someone who actually purchases from Ballard would probably scoff at all my attempts to knock them off. lol

But it's not going to stop me from trying! So here's what I came up with.

First, I found this awesome store here called Christmas Tree Shops. When I first saw it in July, I thought, "Strange that people would buy Christmas trees in July and even stranger that that store is ginormous." But then I got one of their mailers, and their store has EVERYTHING. It's like a Dollar Tree but with more home decor and only slightly more expensive. It's awesome!

Anyway, when November rolled around, their mailers included...wait for it... CHRISTMAS TREES! Go figure, right?

They had a 20% off entire purchase coupon, and these 4' flocked trees were marked $10 each. I snagged the last two (on November 2) and brought them home (along with my pre-lit 6.5' tree for $39). Total cost for two small trees and the pre-lit tree = $48. Awesome!

I originally intended for these little guys to go on my front porch and was going to just leave them as is (cuz sometimes I get the lazy bug). But when I put the poor things out there, they toppled right over with the tiniest of breezes. Lame.

So I knew I needed to beef up their bases, and I knew the Ballard way had to be hacked.

I had some burlap that I had purchased from Hobby Lobby. I believe it was $4.99/yard. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. And don't forget to print your 40% off coupon. You can always find them on their website. :)

I knew I needed something heavy in mine to weight it down. We have some rocks in the yard, but it was cold, and I wasn't in the mood to play scavenger hunt. So I searched our garage. WOW! There's a whole stash of failed bunny supplies in here!! Sweet! We have a rabbit, and our girls want to keep his cage in their bedroom, but he really stinks. So my husband keeps purchasing all this stuff to try to see if it will help the cage smell better. None has yet satisfied him. So I was VERY happy to find some scented kitty litter AND a ginormous bag of cedar chips. Awe. Some. The cedar chips alone would work if you're not trying to weight down your trees (ie, if you're keeping them indoors), and that HUGE bag cost $7 at Walmart in the pet section.

If you cross your eyes at this pic, it looks less blurry. ((cough cough))

I knew the kitty litter would go right through the burlap holes, so I first took two plastic grocery bags and layered one inside the other and then place the tree stand inside the two like this:

STEP 2: Pour in some kitty litter (or whatever other thing you've chosen to weight down your tree if you're using them outdoors). You can skip this step if you're keeping them indoors.

STEP 3: Add cedar chips to bulk it up sufficiently.

STEP 4: Take the two sides of the bag handles, and tie them in a knot as tight around the base as you can.

STEP 5: Pick up the tree (holding on to the bag also, so the tree doesn't come out of its stand) and place it in the middle of a piece of burlap. I didn't cut my piece until after I had it wrapped up, so I don't know how large they were, but I would guess 1/2 yard to 3/4 yard. It will depend on how bulky you make your base and how much excess you want sticking out around the top.

STEP 6: Take a piece of jute and wrap it around a bunch of times (real tight). Be sure to keep your first end a little longer, so when you're done wrapping, you have something to tie the two sides together with. I left mine in a simple bow. You could, of course, embellish with a flower or something.

STEP 7: Cut the excess burlap down until it looks even and just how you want it. :)

I liked their twinkle lights, but I decided to keep them off and added these pinecones that I scored for $1 also at Christmas Tree Shops.

I simply hot glued them on. All 85 of those bad boys.

Once I had mine indoors, I decided I really liked them by the fireplace, so they're staying there this year!

Who knew kitty litter would come in so handy in home decor, right?

Ballard definitely has one on me as far as staging and photography goes, but at a savings of $170+ ($85 PER TREE)?? I'm pretty proud of mine.

Aloha,

Charlie

Canopy Doll Bed Headboard Printable

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:26:00 +0000

I FINALLY got the canopy doll bed headboard/footboard printable ready. It only took me 1.5 weeks. ;)

Click the downward-pointing arrow to download (or right click on the pic if you can't see an arrow...some browsers are different).

You may use my printable to build doll beds by hand and sell them, but this may not be used for large commercial projects. The actual printable may not be used on any other websites or printed for any purposes other than to build personal or small business projects.

A lot of time and effort goes into my projects and printables. I'd love it if you would take a minute to follow my blog. And if you build one, I'd REALLY love to see pics either by email (attemptingaloha at gmail dot com) or on my Facebook page. Thanks for living aloha!

Here's the original canopy doll bed tutorial in case you missed it.

Aloha,
Charlie