Babs Projects

Two-Tier Server - Dollar Store Crafts Projects

2011-08-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

First of all thanks to everyone for supporting my new blog. Do check out my latest project "Two-Tier Server" on www.babsprojects.com

July Project - New Blog

2011-08-08T21:23:00.000-07:00

I am really, really excited to present my new blog. All through July I was working on developing and designing my own self-hosting blog. As a result of which I was absent from this one. As I am not technically savvy, it took me more time than I had anticipated. After going through a lot of frustrations, hair pulling episodes, sleepless nights, headaches and panic attacks, I am happy to share the results. The premise of my new blog remains the same, except I have included other categories I am passionate about. Design wise my new blog is still a work-in-progress so please bear with me. Check it out, like my Facebook page and let me know what you think. I am open to compliments, criticisms and tips; anything to make it better. Here is the link. Enjoy.

www.babsprojects.com

Note: I am still testing the comments section of the blog, so I would appreciate if you could leave comments and suggestions over there.

CD Coaster for Father's Day

2011-06-21T05:58:00.000-07:00

During the weekend my kids wanted to make something special for their dad for Father's day. I had a pretty good idea of what they could make. So on Saturday I took the girls to the basement. Gave them couple of old Cd's (still keeping with the Recycle & Re-use theme) and told them to do whatever they wanted. After an hour this is what I got from them...

A special gift for a very special dad.....:):)

I gave my little one, these colorful buttons and she randomly glued them. I think she did a pretty good job, considering she has trouble sitting in one spot for a long time.

I gave my older one some remnants of glass pieces left over from my Sheesh Mahal Project. After she had finished gluing all the pieces, all I did was apply a layer of grout and the Cd coasters were all done and ready for presentation.

Toddler Bike Project

2011-06-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I made-over my little one's bicycle. As you can see, it's a boy's bike given to us by our friend whose son had outgrown it. I transformed it to an all girly girl bike.

Before picture

After picture

Mystery Earrings Revealed

2011-06-14T06:09:00.000-07:00

The mystery part about the mystery earrings is, it's made from beer bottle caps...:):)

I hammered the back to make it nice and flat

I drilled a hole

Attached bead wire and earring hook

Glued some seed beads over it and voila...I have a brand new pair of earrings.

Mystery Earrings

2011-06-06T05:03:00.000-07:00

I made these. Can you guess what these earrings are made of ? Hint: Beer

Extension

2011-06-02T04:28:00.000-07:00

I came across this bench yesterday at the Monroe Community Center. It's made from recycled milk bottles. Isn't it amazing that something so beautiful can be made from the trash we throw away? I just thought I'd share this picture.

Anyway, since I had so much fun and success (self-proclaimed) with my Recyle and Reuse themed projects, I have decided to extend it for the month of June. I still have some ideas up my sleeve. So watch out for this space everyone!!!

Dupatta Dress/Top

2011-05-31T10:17:00.000-07:00

This kaftan gown is one of my favorite piece of clothing. I love to wear this loose fitting silhouette while lounging at home. This kaftan is one-size fits all and extremely comfortable. For my Recycle and Reuse series, I decided to make a trendy version of this kaftan with an old dupatta as my main fabric.

For those unfamiliar with dupattas, here is a little bit of info. They are long scarves or stoles worn mostly by the South-Asian women over the traditional Salwar Kameez. It measures any where between 3-5 yards in length and is available in variety of fabrics, colors and textures. It can be draped over the shoulder or across the chest. It is a very versatile piece of fabric and can be used to dress up or dress down your look. Below is the picture of my old dupatta. As you can see it is in perfect condition. I have not used it that often. I love the print of royal blue paisleys on it and knew if I cut it the right way I could get the look I want.

I made a paper pattern by tracing the kaftan. To really make it trendy I shortened the length of the dress/top and kept it knee length. I also changed the neckline from V to bateau and curved it up a little bit. It took me less than a day to finish the dress and just for fun I came up with these three looks.

For the first look, I paired it up with some skinnies and brown heeled pumps.

For the second look, I paired it with some knee length, black boots.

For the final look, I wanted a summery feel so I just matched it with jeans peep toe wedges.

The cost of this project as usual is zero and fortunately for me, I already had the accessories and shoes and as such did not spend a dime on them.

So what did you think of this project? I would love to have some feedback. Let me know which look you liked the best?

Decoupaged Folding Table

2011-05-17T03:54:00.000-07:00

This latest project is a borrowed one. I saw this DIY project in the April 2011 issue of Family Circle magazine. The author Suzonne Stirling, a blogger had restored an old folding table using gift wrap paper by decoupaging it over the table. I thought it was a brilliant idea, and was perfect for my "Recycle and Re-use" theme.

I have a folding table at home and I am not using it that much. It is in good condition, except for all the artistic doodling done by my kids.This is the BEFORE picture of the Folding table.

The first thing I did was apply primer. Instructions called for sanding it lightly before using primer. I skipped that part, because I did not have any sandpaper at home.

Next, the author instructed to use two coats of semi-gloss latex paint. I have a confession to make. I did not find the color of my liking, so I chose to go with acrylic paint in chocolate color. I applied two coats of this paint, allowing it to dry between coats.

I spray painted it with an acrylic sealer and this is what it looked liked when it was all finished.

After the sealer had dried and as per the instructions, I applied Mod Podge to the top of the table and allowed it to dry again. After about 20 minutes I applied another thin layer of Mod Podge.

I had already measured and cut the gift wrap paper of my choice. All I had to do was slowly apply the paper on top of the table, pressing it firmly and making sure there were no air bubbles.

Finally, I applied 3 to 4 coats of Mod Podge on the newly covered tabletop, allowing it to dry in between coats. I sprayed it with the acrylic sealer to seal everything up. Below are the AFTER shots of the table.

My total cost for the project was around $10 for the Mod Podge, Acrylic paint and sealer.

Jeans Skirt

2011-04-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

This next project is an absolutely fun one. It was born out of frustration. You see, my four year old has a very, very, let me emphasize...very tiny waist. I cannot find any age-appropriate pants or skirts for her. Waist wise, she still fits into a 12 mths to 2T pants/skirts. As I was cleaning her closet, I came across a couple of rarely used jeans which were in excellent condition. The size 2T jeans were short in length, but fit her perfectly at her waist. So I borrowed and idea from my earlier project the T-Shirt Dress Project and decided to remake the jeans into a skirt.

I began by cutting off both the legs of the pants.

From the top edge, I measured about 5" all around and re-trimmed the jeans.

I cut a piece of fabric that was leftover from the T-Shirt Dress Project

I double folded it, wrong sides together....that way I did not have to hem the bottom. I ran a long stitch all along the top edge of the fabric. Pulled the threads to gather the skirt to the appropriate width.

Pinned it to the bottom edge of the jeans, adjusting as I went along. Once I got it all pinned, I sewed it twice to secure it. This is how it looks all finished.

My little one modeling the jeans skirt for me.

Cost of this Project: NIL

Floral Refrigerator Magnet

2011-04-07T19:44:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't have CDs, DVDs & other discs lying around at home? I know I have. Dozens of them!! Infact when my DH was about to trash some of them, I told him to hold on. I knew I could reuse them in some way. I had some fabric flowers at home and had no use for them. So I came up with the idea to combine the flowers and the discs and create the Floral Refrigerator Magnet.

The first thing I did was to remove all the flowers from the stems.

As you can see below, I cut the flowers further and divided them into single petals. Flowers like sunflower & pansies are perfect for this project.

One by one I glued the petals on the top of the disc. You can use tacky glue or any other kind of permanent glue. I worked with the sunflower petals. My daughter used the cut-up pansies.

I cut out a small, circular felt of matching color and glued that to the center.

On the back of the disc I glued two pieces of magnetic strips. I took these strips from an old mini calender.

Here it is, a final look. They complement my black refrigerator perfectly. Reminds me of Spring with flowers blooming everywhere.

Note: Except for the glue, everything I used was either old or something I that I had no use for. This a fun project for the kids. Its super easy and quick. My 9 yr old had such a great time making this, that she wanted to do more.

Recyle & Reuse Projects

2011-04-04T06:32:00.000-07:00

Since spring is upon us the theme for the month of April and May is 'RECYCLE & REUSE'. It is a perfect time for spring cleaning. My workspace is filled up with all kinds of scrap fabrics, crafting supplies etc. I am challenging myself to use the stuff that I already have at home. I think it maybe a difficult as I am always itching to go shopping. I am bursting with few ideas...so watch out for this space PEOPLE !!!

Pink & Orange Dotted Tote

2011-03-28T04:34:00.000-07:00

I'll pick up from where I last left. As you can see, I sewed the lining as well as the main fabric with all the panels. I must say this part was not easy. I was glad to be done with that.

The next step was to attach the main fabric and the lining. I struggled with this step so much that I had to rip it open twice. I almost felt like throwing a fit like my toddler. All I had to do was insert the lining into the main fabric and sew it all around the top with a 3" opening. I did it wrong and instead of a clean finish; it exposed all the raw edges. Finally on my third attempt I was able to get it right.

I cut out two strips of fabric and 25" x 4". Attached an iron-on fusible interfacing to give it some thickness. Folded it and sewed it into straps. I love how the two straps turned out to be of two different colors.

Finally this is how the bag looks like from the inside after the the straps were sewed in. All neat and clean.

A look at the completed bag.

I made two different sized flowers from the leftover fabric and attached them to the front of the bag with a matching button.

The final Look:

Update on the T-Shirt Dresses Project

2011-03-13T13:42:00.000-07:00

Finally, I have an update for the T-Shirt Dress project. All the clothes have been packed and shipped to Evelet in Mumbai. I did hit a road block when it came to shipping the package.The quotes, I got from UPS and DHL were simply ridiculous. For that price I could have booked a ticket to India and personally delivered the package to Evelet. Mentioning that this was for charity was no help at all. Anyway, I finally shipped it through the Postal Service (USPS). Here is a look-see.

These are all the T-Shirt dresses I sewed. I was able to make about 17 dresses in a month. It was an absolute delight and fun project. I wish I will have more opportunities to do this kind of project in the future.

The boys t-shirts were donated by my friends. Thanks to Prathima Lal, Sudha Laxminarayan and Pallavi Rahate for their generosity.

I will have more updates once the clothes have been delivered. Thanks again Evelet.

Second Tote

2011-03-02T19:41:00.000-08:00

I am making a second tote. I need a bag for gym as well as the library. I want an over-sized bag, so that I can stuff anything & everything in it. Gone are my days of carrying a pretty little handbag. Nowadays I need something that resembles a sack. It has to accommodate everything....water bottles, snacks, my kids books, tissue, first aid kit, stuffed toys....you get the picture.

Anyway, this is my main fabric. The one which will be on the outside. Isn't it really pretty? I love all the orange and pink dots on this fabric. It has quiet a modern look to it. It is 100% lightweight cotton.

I cut two 18" x 18" pieces for the front and the back of the bag.

Repeated the same steps for the lining. The fabric I used for the lining has a faux suede look with ribbed texture like corduroy. It is a medium weight upholstery fabric, so it is nice and thick. Once I line the bag with this fabric it will hold well.

I wanted the tote to have a boxed look, so I cut up single strips of both the main and lining fabric. They are for the side & bottom panels and measure about 56"L x 5"W.

That is as far as I got. Will update tomorrow....:)

Totes Project

2011-02-22T20:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, I need totes! There are all kinds of beautiful and lovely totes available in the stores....but making one is far more gratifying than buying something generic off the shelf.

I found this beautiful table runner at TARGET. I decided to use this as my fabric for the tote. It is thick and sturdy. Once finished, I knew it would hold well.

I cut it to size. The length was around 18" and I kept the width around 14". I made adjustments to those measurement as I went along.

With the right sides together, I sewed on the wrong side all around except the top side. That was the opening where I was going to sew the straps later.

Clipped the corners.

This next step is important. I pinched the corner and shaped the the fabric like a pyramid.

Opened the edges and laid them flat. Measured and marked it about 1 1/2" from the top.

Sewed it on the marking. Cut the excess fabric. Repeated it on the other side too.

I cut two strips of fabric measuring 20" x 4". Folded them and sewed them into straps.

Attached both the straps to the bag on the inside.

Made a pom pom flower from some leftover wool. I attached it to the front of the bag with a button to accessorize it.

This is how it looks all finished and ready for my older one to use as and when she needs it.

Totes

2011-02-17T05:52:00.001-08:00

I need Totes...more information on the way...

Kid's Apron

2011-02-07T04:38:00.000-08:00

I finished sewing the apron for my niece. I found a beautiful purple fabric with prints of yellow cupcakes. I am sure she will love the fabric. She wanted a purple apron. Since my little one is of the same age, I asked her to model the apron for me.She was very willing, although at the end of the photo session....she did not want to part away from the Apron. So now I have to make one for her too.

Anyway this one is for you Vibali......

T-Shirt Project Update & Child's Apron

2011-01-21T07:06:00.000-08:00

I will be absolutely honest. The procrastinating devil in me has been raising its ugly head. I don't know if it is the weather (had 2 snowstorms so far) or maybe, I am just being lazy. I kept putting it off. So today I have forced myself to sit down and give an update.

Well, I have finished sewing all the T-Shirts dresses. I am happy to say that I did it on time. This was one of those projects that gave me a tremendous amount of joy. I hope I will have more opportunities to do this in the future. As I was doing this project, I was constantly thinking about the boys. I did not want the boys to feel left out. I don't know how to sew boy's clothes, so I asked my friends if they were interested in donating boy's T-shirts. A couple of my friends have been generous and volunteered to do the same. In the meantime, I am shopping around for economical ways to ship the package to India. I am hoping to send the package to Evelet by the end of this month.

As for the project for the month of January...I have to say that for some reason my creative juices have taken a haitus. Even though I have a lot of things to do around the house, I don't consider them to be project worthy for this blog. The only thing I can think of right now is to sew an apron for my 4 year old niece. After seeing all the aprons that I had made for the Nov project, she wants me to sew one for her.She specifically wanted a purple apron.

So there it is; my project for this month ending Jan 31st will be a Child's Apron, specifically for my niece 'Vibali'

T-Shirts Dress Project.

2010-12-14T06:23:00.000-08:00

Since my saga with the aprons is all done and finished, I’ll update my project for the month of Dec. I already hinted that it has to do with giving & charity. Well here it is. I have decided to sew and donate T-Shirts dresses.

Initially I had planned to make these dresses and donate it to girls in Africa through the group ‘Mothers Without Border’......but, then I thought of my friend Evelet Sequeira in Mumbai. Her job as a doctor in 'UNICEF' allows her to travel to the far off villages in India. Evelet has graciously volunteered to donate the dresses on my behalf to the children there. Since this is my personal donation, I have until Dec 31st to sew about 10-15 dresses. So far I have made two of them and I am shopping for more materials. What can I say......I LOVE SHOPPING !!!!!

This is what the dresses look like:

Aprons are here

2010-12-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

I was finally able to finish the photo shoot...:) of the aprons with the help of my two friends. They graciously volunteered to do the assignment. Thank you guys!!!!!

Here are the images. I hope you have as much fun viewing them, as I had making them.

All the above aprons have cotton blend fabric with vinyl lining in the back.

I made this apron a little bit different. I used a silk fabric and lined it with black cotton lining. I am going to call it my "Diva Apron". Anyone who loves cooking and entertaining guests & having all the fabulous parties...this one is for you. I, for one will be using this to bring out the cooking Diva in me. Smiles & more smiles.

December Project

2010-12-01T06:30:00.000-08:00

Okay...now that all the festive occasions are over, it is time to reveal my project for the month of December. I am really, really excited about this project. Since this time of the year is all about giving, I thought about doing a something that involves words like 'Charity & Donation'. I still have to workout out some of the details. I will come up with an update next week. So please look forward to it.

As for my Apron project....I assure you I have not forgotten about it. All 10 Aprons are ready. I am looking for Size 0 models to show it off. Anyone interested????

The first one

2010-11-03T05:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have finished sewing nine aprons. Not bad for 15 days of work. I will be posting pictures of them in the next couple of days as right now I don't have the time. I am really, really busy with all the Diwali preparations. As for my tenth apron, I have run out of fabric...so I have to shop and hopefully I will complete it and post the pictures along with the others.

In the meantime, I am going to at least write up about first apron. As usual when I don't have things at home, I improvise. In this case I did not have draft paper, so I used a gift wrapping paper to draw up the pattern for the apron.

I pinned it and cut out the pattern on the fabric with an inch of allowance on all sides except the top....

I used the same method to cut out the pattern on the vinyl sheet too which I was using as a lining. The reason for this is......I use an apron mostly while I am loading the dishwasher. I hate it when the fabric apron gets all wet after I am done. I searched all the stores for an apron with vinyl lining but could not find any.... Its either the fabric or the vinyl. So I decided to make my own. Now, I have the beauty of the fabric on the front side and the functionality of the vinyl on the back.

I will call this particular apron my lazy version of the same. That is because I wanted to finish it really quickly. So all I did was, I stitched the wrong sides together and kept 4" opening on the top. Inverted it to the right side from the opening and smoothed it out all the way. I then sewed the straps, without really measuring...just eyeballing it. I attached the straps to both the sides near the waist and then both sides around the neck area and finished it with a top-stitch all around.Voila here it is...

Except for the sewing part I have repeated these steps eight more times.

On a side note I would like to add that I am not going to do any project for the month of November. I won't be free because of Diwali and Thanksgiving. In the meantime watch out this space for the pictures of the aprons.

Aprons

2010-10-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

My project for this month is going to be aprons. Not one but ten. No, I am not crazy. Sometimes I just like to challenge myself. I have about 15 days to finish 10 aprons...Let me see if I can do it.

Cafe Curtain Adventures

2010-09-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

Before I give any update about my cross stitch project, I have to tell you all about my 'Cafe Curtain Adventures'. Since I added the back-splash in my kitchen, the existing curtain started looking like a rag. Thus started my adventure.

What started as a one day project eventually ended up with three days' worth of work. The fabric that I chose was sheer. It had all the colors that matched with the accent tiles on the back-splash. So I decided to bold it up and pair with red lining to create a dramatic effect.

What was I thinking? For some reason, I imagined Simon Cowell of 'American Idol' judging the panels as "Ghastly" & "Horrendous".

Anyway I removed the lining of both the panels. I decided to go for the sheer look. I went ahead and fixed them up with some grommets to run through the rod. When I held it up against the window I was not at all impressed with the look. It just did not work.

Finally I removed the grommets.....sewed both the edges....hooked on some curtain rings & guess what?? I liked the way they looked. It allows enough light to come through without being obstructive and given its sheer factor I can look out the window and have a beautiful view of my neighbor's homes ..:)