homemade picture valentines.

 i had so much fun making these... they were fast and easy!
happy valentine's day!!

birthday crafts- pennant banner, cake stand, homemade trophies.

Birthday Pennant Banner-
mine took 10 minutes.
i just used one black poster board.
cut it into 5 inch wide strips, piled 3 together and eyeballed cutting out triangles.
they don't have to be perfect, you can't even tell...
i had some bulletin board letters from a teacher's store that i stapled on.
glue is too messy and staples are easy to remove.
i folded my ribbon in half and counted out the middle of my sign.
happy (space) birthday! is 15... so letter 8 is the middle "i"
i started with the middle letter "i" and worked out- STAPLING each banner to the ribbon.
on one banner i stapled the ribbon on the back and the other i stapled it on front- just see what you like.
i hung them on my mantle/wall with thumbtacks or picture hanging nails.
easy. cute. simple.

Re-Usable Cake Stands-
i wanted different levels on the table.
sometimes is stick bowls or pots under the table cloth or table runner.
but, this time i just took a wide vase and a mug and placed plates on top of them.
it was an easy way to make things look a little fancy.

Homemade Trophies-
i've done this a few times for youth events.
i just find old McDonald's toys and hot glue them to a can of beans or baby food jars.
spray paint everything silver (or gold)
and TAH DAH!!  (you could print out a sign to glue or tape to the front of the can, if you want.)
easy, kinda cute, and the kids love them.
i do tell the kids not to keep them forever because there is still black beans inside.

once again, i feel silly sharing these ideas with you because they are so simple.
i don't have a lot of time or money to spend on decorations... so i am really fast and really cheap.
i also bought a bag of balloons that i just had my kids blow up and throw all over the basement.
the kids played with them all night long.
i don't think birthday parties need to be super fancy.
but, i might feel differently if i didn't have seven children.
have a great day!!

i MADE a circle skirt.

i always have ideas for things i want to make.
i've been trying to be better at just taking a couple hours and making something.
last week i made twirly skirts.
i used the instructions from MADE circle skirts- found here.

they were easy and my girls love them.

oh, did i say my girls?

well, i meant to make them for my girls-- BUT one came out a bit large.

i tried it on and i think it fits me.
honestly, tell me if it looks like i'm wearing my daughter's clothes.
i have a hard time taking pictures of things i've made.
all my craft pictures turn into family pictures.
i guess i like kids better than skirts.  :)

i'll definitely be making more of these skirts.

lily cries every night asking for her pink skirt...

i love that they are fun and twirly.

i love that all you need is wide elastic and fabric.

they are EASY.

i will say-- be sure to get enough fabric.

at first i bought one yard and it wasn't big enough for the whole circle.

i ended up with about a yard and a quarter (i think i just got a yard and a half to be sure.)

i also made this easy tiered skirt.

sorry- these pictures are after church, half dressed.
we had a Primary Pie Night at our house to thank all the teachers.
Probably more than 50 people.
the basement was wall to wall kids.  :)

while i was snapping pictures, the boys were finishing up the dishes from the party.

sort of.

back to skirts...
i had some old corduroy fabric and i copied a skirt that we bought from Crazy 8.

i just picked a length (8 inches).
The first layer was 8 inches tall by 45 inches wide (the width of the fabric).
The second layer was more fabric, a strip and a half.  So, 8 inches tall by about 60 inches wide.
The third layer was even more fabric, two strips sewed together.  So, 8 inches tall by 90 inches wide.
i don't have a serger so i just zigzagged the edges with a tight zigzag stitch (make the length smaller and width bigger).
and, when you gather each layer to attach them, leave the seam exposed.
can you see what i'm talking about?

it makes it look like a ruffle.
i just did a simple elastic waste, but a friend told me to sew right down the middle of the elastic to keep it from twisting around at the waste.
great idea.
easy.
cute.
modest.
my girls love these skirts (and so do i!).

i also picked up some clearance old navy shirts and i'm excited to fancy them up!
i'll show you those projects when i get to them.
AND i made a bunch of quilts for Christmas that i'm excited to share.
AND my girls sewed darling cherry apple dolls over Christmas break.
AND i have two really cute ideas of things to make with a whole class of kids.
more to come...

These skirts-- EASY and fun.

fall crafts with kids.

it's getting cold outside...

i can feel the change of the seasons in the rythem of my life.

we aren't picking and canning and exploring.

we are home, creating and reading.

one of my favorite things i have been doing lately is putting my kids to bed at different times.

the littlest girls go to bed first, and then i take some time with my middle girls, and then i take some time with my boys.

while the professor is reading to the younger girls, i have time to spend with anna and ellie (age 9 and 10).

they learned to knit in a church activity, and have been excited to work on their projects each night.

i taught ellie to crochet-- after an unfortunate accident with her knitting needles (being thrown across the room).

ellie fits better with crochet.

especially because anna is knitting.

the life of a 16 month younger sister.

drew wanted a project of his own... and he's taking off.

if i tell the truth, both jakob and drew sit cuddling with us while I read scriptures- from the Old Testament children's scripture books, and then chapters from The Little House on the Prairie. 

(i'm just reading a quick scripture story because i sometimes worry that my middle kids MISSED the stories because we study more in-depth with the big boys these days... i love those little story books to show us the whole picture.)

it's DELIGHTFUL.

and, such a calm way to end our busy days.

when the kids say, "Just one more chapter mom."  I want to read them one.  because I'm enjoying myself.

Can you believe I said that? 

I'm beginning to ENJOY BEDTIME.

This, has been a LONG, LONG, LONG, LONG awaited victory.

(bedtimes have NEVER been my favorite time of day.)

The only problem... all their crafting has made me YEARN to feel that yarn in my fingers.

It's calling me.

The whole time I read yesterday I was contemplating finding "The Little House" books on cd so my hands would be free.

But, oh how i love holding those books at night.

We'll see...

Ellie has always talked a lot about her day.
as in, everything her friends may or may not say about/to her.
she asked them if they think crochet is for grannies.
the ones she doesn't like said YES.
the ones she does like said NO.

she's speeding through her crotchet because her list of friends to crotchet orange and black Beaver scarves for is growing daily.

her first finished project is for leah, because red is her favorite color.

but, i really want that scarf. 

i LOVE it. 

I love every stitch of the fact that it is her FIRST EVER finished crochet project.

someday, i will find it and stash it away forever to show her daughters when i'm teaching them to knit scarves for their little sisters.

i love that girl.

I helped a friend with the wall hanging..

Her son just got home from a mission and she wanted to send a gift to Peru for the Mission President's wife.

i wish i got a better picture.  The back is striped.  It's darling.

i love this cat.  it came home from school with anna.  it's cute huh?!!

 i can't get enough of little kid art.  i love it.  i found these after one play date.

  my kids think "Cake Boss" every time the play-doh comes out.

 jakob went to his friend's house and came back with a hand painted t-shirt.
cute, huh?!

 love, love, love these guys!!

Have a great day!