Felt Robot

Our sweet babysitter is graduating high school. We love her dearly and she is so wonderful with our kids. I asked my son what he wanted to get her for her graduation. Robots. Always his answer. I thought about making a robot card, but still wanting to make her something nicer (because she always does cute crafts with the kids) I headed to Pinterest.

So there we sat, my son in my lap, scrolling all the ideas posted under the search “robot crafts”. Suddenly, my son pointed and yelled, “That one!” A beautiful picture of a felt robot from Mango and Passion Fruit.

I probably won’t ever scroll through Pinterest with my kids again saying I would make what they found. This project was hard. It looks easy and maybe for someone with bit more experience in sewing it would be, but it took me FOR-EV-ER. However, the finished product is great.

So great, that I now have to make another for my son. I had to promise to make him one so I could pry this one out of his hands for our gift.

You’ll need:

Felt (color of choice – I also used a heavier felt – I think the softer might be easier to work with)

Thread (contrasting color or blending color, I used upholstery thread)

Needle

Buttons (for eyes)

Filler (to fill your cubes)

Scissors

Ribbon (for a bow or maybe a bow-tie?)

Felt Robot: pinmethis.com

What to do:

Here are the measurements I used for my cubes:

Body = 8 cm square (6 squares)
Head = 6 cm square (6 squares)
Hands & Legs = 4 cm square (24 squares)

Measure out your squares on the felt and cut them out. I was glad that they didn’t have to be perfect. You want it to have a homemade look.

Start with the feet and hand boxes and a long strand of thread that is doubled. Sew one end of two pieces together. At the end of that end start the next square, it will usually be the top or bottom square. Repeat. Repeat. Until you have a cube. Remember to leave an opening big enough to add your filler.

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

Felt Robot: pinmethis.com

Once you finish your 4 small cubes for the feet and hands you can add your embellishments to the “face” of the robot. I added 2 black buttons for eyes and used my thread to make lashes. Of course, no girl robot is complete without a pink bow, right?

Felt Robot: pinmethis.com

I found a Pin on tying a small bow using a fork. It was easy enough, although mine didn’t turn out as cute. Again…homemade!

Then you can sew your head cube together using the same method as the the feet and hands.

Finally we get to the body of the robot. I started by sewing the four sides together, then adding the bottom square to the front square. Then I added an arm to each side. I sewed through the edge of the cubes onto the sides of the body. It felt most secure this way. I then repeated this with the feet. After those were on I finished sewing the bottom square to the other sides.

Felt Robot: pinmethis.com

Now for the head! I sewed the top square of the body to the front body square. Then attached the head cube to that. Once everything was secure, I finished attaching the top square of the body cube to the sides and stuffed.

Felt Robot: pinmethis.com

Here she is! Soon to have a brother! This really did turn out well. If you have a kiddo that loves robots this would make for a nice keepsake.

Felt Robot: pinmethis.com

We also made her this robot gift card holder. Hope she loves robots (ha ha ha)! (The gift card is on the robots chest under the “buttons”)

Make Your Own Felt Robot!

Teacher Appreciation Gift

Having both parents as teachers and several family members that are teachers, I know first hand that teaching is hard. No matter if it’s a 2 day a week preschool or a full time high school teacher, they work hard to help our kids grow. So on the last day of school, why not shower them with some love and show our thanks?

You don’t need to spend lots of money. Most teachers really do believe that it’s the thought that counts. I like to do something more homemade to show I put thought into their gift. Plus it’s fun to get the kids involved in making a “thank you” gift for their teacher.

As always, I searched through Pinterest for some ideas. There are so many great ideas! One that I loved had a card that said, “Thank you for helping me grow”. That was perfect. It really fit. You can find the post from Three Kids and a Fish HERE.

Here’s what I did.

You’ll need:

Clay pot

Flower

Spray paint

Stick on Glitter Letters

Ruler

Optional – Gift card

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Here’s what to do:

First you want to spray paint your pots. I LOVE LOVE LOVE chalky paint. If you haven’t tried it, you need to. It is amazing coverage and results! I chose an ivory color.

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Then you stick on your letters. First we were just going to stick random letters all around the pot. But then my son decided that we needed to put her name on it so she would know it was for her. (ahh, I just love him!)

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Once we got our letters on, we eased out the beautiful lily from it’s plastic pot and added it to our clay pot. I’m a bit of a neat freak, so I always line the pots with a coffee filter so the soil doesn’t come out of the drainage hole when you water it.

I bought these rulers because they had a hole at the top, perfect for attaching my note. But they are a flexible plastic and it made it harder to get them to stand upright (you’ll see further down).

I created my own “thank you” tag. Below is a blank one you can print. To get the size I used, I printed 6 to a page. I also added a Starbucks gift card to the back.

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I attached the tags with a little ribbon and poked the rulers into the soil.

Here they are! I think they are so cute! What do you do for teacher gifts? Also check out our Lollypop bouquets! Easy to make and are sweet!

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$2 DIY Tiered Stand

I love DIY stuff. I love it even more when my completed project costs a fraction of a store bought one. A $2 tiered stand?!? So great!

This 2 tier stand was perfect for my cupcakes and mini Derby Pies for my Kentucky Derby Party.

You’ll need:

1 set of burner covers from the Dollar Store (they come in a 2 pack, one large & one small)

1 candlestick from the Dollar Store

Spray paint in your color choice (I used an oil-rubbed bronze color)

Super glue or industrial glue

What to do:

Spray paint all of your pieces. make sure to do a couple coats if needed to cover the design if any on the burner covers.

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Then glue the pieces together. I decided to flip the candlestick upside down to give more space on the bottom tray. You’ll want to weight it down and give it plenty of time to dry. I tried at first to glue it with hot glue, but that was a bust.

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Voila! A 2 tier stand for $2.

Also check out my DIY Cake Stand as seen above!

DIY Derby Trophy Decor

So if you are looking for a last minute centerpiece, look no further than your local dollar store! All you need are a few items to make your very own Kentucky Derby Trophies! Easy and cheap DIY trophy centerpieces!

You’ll need:

Dollar store items:

Candlesticks, bowl, vase, gardening pots (plastic or ceramic), a glass

Other items:

Spray paint

Hot glue gun and glue

Optional: Pipe clamps (got these in the plumbing section of a home improvement store)

Here’s how:

While you are at the dollar store, stack the items you find until you find one that is pleasing and looks balanced. You don’t want it to topple over at the first bump of the table. Also think about height. Are you doing a grouping? Vary the sizes and styles. Here are my combos:

The tallest is a plastic gardening pot with a tall vase (upside down) as the base. This one also has the pipe clamps I molded to make handles.
The middle size is a ceramic pot with a drinking glass as the base. This one was a trial as far as the handles go. I used pipe cleaners wrapped in washi tape and then spray painted and glued on.
The shortest is a ceramic bowl on a candlestick.

Trophy 1

Trophy 2

Trophy 3

Once I figured out my combos I started my spray painting. I painted first because I hadn’t quite figured out how I was going to add handles or if at all. However, doing this allowed me to get the perfect color with multiple coats.

I got my first coats finished and then hot glued the parts together. This is where I would suggest taking your time. Keep the glue lines smooth and even so you can paint over them. I had most trouble adding the handles but was able to add some layers of glue to smooth out the look and even trim up any drips with scissors after it was dry.

Spray paint again. I used several paints, seen below. I just lightly dusted the trophies again paying special attention to cover the glued areas. Mix and mix until you find a color you like. I wanted a vintage tarnished silver look.

Layer. Layer. Spray again…and again.

Last but not least I added roses to the centers. Bouquets and foam circles & squares from the dollar store of course.

So for about $10 I made 3 “Trophies” for my table. Then, I found a white ceramic “trophy” complete with gold roses from a local consignment shop! What a find! Follow my blog for final pictures of my party. I can’t wait to put it all together!

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Trophy 3

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Here are a few more links to make your Derby party a WINNER!

Easy Window Glass Art

I’m sure by now you assume I have oodles of time to sit around and craft but the reality is I do most of my stuff after the kids have gone to bed and hubby has fallen asleep on the couch. What’s a girl to do?

This next one came to me while I was working on said crafts one night at the kitchen table. I was looking at my sliding glass door that my son and I had colored on earlier that day.

Why couldn’t the windows be part of my decor for parties, namely my Kentucky Derby Party?

I printed up some wording that I created and also enlarged a picture of the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs. Oh, and some roses too. I taped them to the opposite side of the door and traced away using the Crayola crayons made for use on the windows.

So what do you think of my window art? Have you used these crayons?

Easy DIY Derby Wreath

So this is a continuation of my All Holidays Wreath.
I just removed the decoration from my daughters Purple Princess Party wreath and needed something for my Derby party.
I found some great looking rose bunches at the Dollar Store. There were 6 or 7 in a bunch for only $1! I also had my decorative nail heads that I use to attach my decoration.

Dollar Store Flowers

Nail Heads

First, I pulled the roses from the stems.Then removed the green plastic base from the flower.

Rose removed

Remove the green base

Next, I needed to remove the small green stem in the center so my nail head would reach. If you’re using longer stick pins you might be able to leave them.

Center stem removal

Add your nail head to the center of the flower and press onto the wreath. Repeat until all flowers are added.

Add nail head to center

Pin to foam wreath

It looked great with just the flowers but i also had a red and neutral burlap bow to add. It just twisted on around the wreath. Here it is!

I’m still looking for a small horseshoe to add but I’ll probably end up making one.
Be sure to check out my other posts for all your Kentucky Derby needs:
Derby Party DIY
Derby Hats, Etiquette
Derby Hats, Making a Hat
Derby Hat Tutorial
Derby Printables

Derby Party Printables

I’ve been working on some printables for my party and thought I’d share.

Here are some menu tents. One set plain and one set with a menu. You can find a few of the recipes at the Kentucky Derby Official Site. Be sure to print them on card stock so they stand up well.

Below are some print and frame ideas.

Always think of other places you could add a touch of decor. Maybe on the bathroom sink or even outside on the deck or patio table.

The watering trough sign is perfect next to your drink station.

Also, If you are looking for some great stuff for the kids, I found a great site, Coloring Panda, that has cute Derby themed coloring pages you can print and have ready for the pint sized racing fans.

Why not put crayons in Mint Juleps cups or spray paint small clay pots silver to hold markers?

Coloring Panda

Derby Hats 101: Tutorial

It seems that my previous post about making a hat was popular, but it was lacking a step-by-step tutorial. So I thought I’d share how I made this years hat.

You can easily make a hat that looks like you spent a fortune or had it made. This year I found my hat at Target! $14.99 for a cute black and white stripe hat. It fit well and had a good shape.

I then went to Hobby Lobby, 40% discount coupon in hand, and wandered the store.Go with an open mind. You never know where you will find inspiration. I honestly went thinking I wanted to do big flowers. Then I found feathers. RED feathers. I gathered some that went together, knowing that if I needed more I could always go back. Since I already had red ribbon at home, as well as hot glue, thread, and extra decor, the total I spent at Hobby Lobby was no more than $10.

$24.99 for a Derby hat? You can’t get those prices at Kroger! I know for sure; My aunt sent me this picture while she was shopping:

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The Fit

First get comfy in front of a mirror and position and reposition your hat to find the most flattering style. If it has a wire brim you can play with the curves of the brim. I love the dip over one eye. Some prefer to have it sit back away from their face.

If your hat is a solid style with out a noticeable front or back, although they usually do, rotate your hat around to see if one side fits better. Once you’ve decided, if the front you are using is different from the true front you might mark it with a safety-pin. So you remember where you plan to put your decoration.

Styling Step-By-Step

I have the black and white stripe hat, a few large bunches of red feathers, several small bunches of black and white feathers, red ribbon, and a peacock feather that has also been dyed red.

**If you are making a fascinator, all of the same methods apply,however, you may want to use smaller feathers. If you are using a headband, cut two circles from felt and hot glue two sides so you can slide the headband through the circle, one felt piece on top to hold your decoration and one on the bottom that sits against your hair.

I also have at the ready, a hot glue gun, needle and thread, tape, and scissors.

Also, find something you can set your hat on as a stand so you can really work on it with the brim as you need it. I used an upside down clay pot that is in the process of being made into a cake stand.

OK, this is the fun part. Just remember that you can always redo, change, alter, or even start over. There is no right or wrong way to do this. Just let the creativity flow.

If you want to put a band of ribbon around the crown do this first. You can tack it on with thread if you plan to remove it or hot glue it for a permanent solution. I like to pin/safety-pin it to the hat to hold it in place as I go. After much debate, I decided to do without this year.

However, I decided that I wanted to make my decoration removable because I liked the hat so much. Super great for a summer hat! If you are going to do this you can follow what I did and make a ribbon base (see below) for all that you will glue to it or cut a small piece of felt in the same color as your primary decor or hat color.

This is my base: I looped my ribbon around a few times and then attached the loops with thread. Once I had that together I used hot glue to attach a few more loops with single strands of ribbon.

Next, I took apart the feathers to separate the long feathers from the short and to remove the long wire stem.

Once I decided the angle on my hat I wanted for the long red feathers I hot glued them to my ribbon base. I then attached a few single sprigs of red, white, and black feathers around that with hot glue.

A few times I would group together single strands of feathers and hot glue ribbon around the base to keep them together and to keep my fingers from getting singed…again. I also used the end of a plastic fork to lightly press down on the feathers as the glue dried.

You want to keep following this process until you are happy with the spray of feathers or flowers. It doesn’t have to be even or symmetrical. My final addition was the peacock feather for my boost of luck!

I then added the half-moon of black feathers to the bottom of the ribbon so they would rest on the brim of the hat.

I was really liking my finished product, but something about the ribbon just wasn’t sitting well with me. It just needed something more. I think if the ribbon was wider or had pattern I would have liked it more.

So I dug through all my brooches and hair clips and brought several to the table. One worked out to give it the WOW factor. It also had a pin on the back as well as a hair elastic.

I pinned it on the center of the ribbon and voila! GORGEOUS! How to add the entire decoration to the hat? A safety-pin of course. I just have one holding it in place right now and may add another before May 7th, but it seems secure enough.

So what do you think?

It’s Derby y’all!

GO BABY GO!!

Click below for more Kentucky Derby fun:

Purple Princess Party

Purple Princess Party! Try saying that 3 times fast!

My daughter turned one and I had the hardest time deciding what to do for her party theme. After much debate I decided to to create my own purple princess party. Here is how it turned out!

One of my favorite decor items was the chalk board I made with all of her stats. I included height and weight, her words, likes, and number of teeth. I used my chalk method to easily transfer the wording to my board.

I LOVE the fan and tissue puff decor posts I have seen on Pinterest and had to do one for this party. I was going to make my own tissue puffs, but decided that I needed to spend my time elsewhere, so I purchased these great white and silver puffs and purple chevron fans from Oriental Trading. My table cloths and runner were also from Oriental Trading.

I also found purple hand held collapsable fans in their “Less than perfect” sale section. They were perfect and the price was even better! Always check this section!

Most of my time went into making my cake. I found a pin for an ombre cake from Passion for Parties. It turned out ok…I think with a bit more practice it could be great. But for my first time, it looked good and tasted great! Plus I got to set it on my new cake stand that I made previously!

Of course, I made her a tutu, that you can find here, and a matching tutu wreath to welcome our guests! For the crown on the wreath I traced the outline onto silver sparkle paper with this image:

Making a custom candle is easy too! I spray painted a cheap dollar store candle silver and then added my purple scroll work by hand with a sharpie.

Easy DIY Cake Stand

This is now in my top 5 favorite crafts EVER! Seriously easy. Seriously fast. Seriously CUTE!

So this project started because of back to back parties that I have, one for my daughter’s 1st birthday and then my Kentucky Derby Party. Decor and themes are easy to create, but what about all the serving dishes?

Serving dishes are tricky when it comes to parties. You want something that matches your decor, but at the prices of things, you want something that you can use over and over again. Am I right?

I saw this pin from Refresh Restyle that sparked my creativity. Turning clay pots into serve ware! WHAT?! I loved the blue/green ocean color they used but it wasn’t quite practical for what I needed. Then I remembered my galvanized metal serving tray. I could make a cake stand to match!

I stopped by Walmart and picked out an 8″ clay pot and 10′ saucer. I played around with them while I was there looking at the different heights and sizes I could do. I chose these and home I went.

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I already had gray chalky paint that I used for my Laundry room decor project so I gave both pieces a good coating of that.

Clay pots with chalk paint

I then used acrylic paint, a brush, and cheese cloth to transform my clay pots into galvanized metal.

I put some blobs of paint on top of a plastic bag. I like to use the plastic because it’s easy clean up and I like it better to mix my colors.

Then you want to dab paint, in small sections, on to the surface of the pot with the paint brush. You don’t want it to be uniform and it’s better if you mix the colors as you dab.

Do a small section of paint, then use the cheese cloth, again in a dabbing motion, to lightly blend the colors. Keep in mind the final look you want. The idea of metal. Mostly gray with flecks of white and tints of black. You want the white to peek out from the gray.

Continue this all the way around, in small sections, until it’s covered. I then hot glued the two pieces together. I’m sure there is a better glue (Refresh Restyle used E6000 glue) but hot glue I always have on hand and it works for now.

Easy DIY Cake Stand

I LOVE the way this turned out. I already had the paint and glue so all I spent for this project was $5!!!! No way can you get a substantial cake stand like this for $5 at the store.

I’ve had some ideas stem from this that I think I’m going to have to make. This was so much fun that I may clean out the garden department of their clay pots and saucers!! Stay tuned for my posts on the coming parties to see my new serve ware in action!!