Sleeping Girl Owl Hat

I have a friend that's having a baby girl soon, and I made this hat to help keep her little head and ears warm this winter. If this winter is going to be as extreme as this summer has been, she'll definitely need it.

These hats are so cute on sleeping babies, and the softness of the yarn is sure to keep them cozy so they stay asleep.

Big Flower Beanies

I think these little beanies are adorable on their own, but even more adorable on a baby or child. I've seen beanies with flowers on them, but the flower is always a small accessory. The flower is definitely in full bloom and steals the show on these little hats.

There are a ton of different color options, and I think it would be cute to do a football team color combo.

Source of pattern: CrochetMyLove etsy shop

Rosette Hair Pin

These little rosettes are so cute, and they don't even require a needle and thread. All you need is a hot glue gun, and you're set. There are several you-tube videos that show great tutorials on how to make these. I used THIS one. The lady in the video is correct when she says you'll get glue on your hands and you may get burned.

I used gray dupioni silk for this flower. I also sandwiched some feathers between a piece of gray felt and the rosette. I'm really into feathers these days. I'm already looking forward to making many more of these with different types of fabrics. I've seen several necklaces decorated with these little rosettes, so that may be a fun project. These will also be great embellishments on purses, clothing, shoes, purses, and headbands. The possibilities are endless.

Banner Card

I got this card the other day from a sweet and crafty friend of mine (thanks for sharing your craftiness with me, Elisabeth). She is one of the most creative people I know, and I'm totally going to borrow this idea for making my own stationery.

She just cut small triangles out of some scrap fabric and put some fray check around the edges (to keep from fraying). Then she used a sewing machine to sew them on like a banner. Genius, right?!? I thought so!

Source: Elisabeth Conger

Little Miss Ali

One of my best friends has a 4 year old little girl. I made this doll for her since she has a new baby brother now. I wanted her to know how special she is and that her roll as a big sister is very important.

I had so much fun making this doll, and I wish I would have had her when I was a little girl. Back when my mom and dad used to sing me to sleep, I would have a ribbon in one hand (the grosgrain was my favorite) and the thumb of my other hand in my mouth. I would rub the ribbon together until I fell asleep. This doll's hair would have been perfect for me. :)

I'm not sure how long it took me to make her since I worked on her a little bit on the weekends for several weekends. I had so much fun sewing her together and adding the small details to her face.
 

Below is a picture of Bella with her doll. She named her Ali

Doll pattern is from Wee Wonderfuls by Hillary Lang (Little Miss Storybook pattern)

Crochet Owl Hats

I fell in love with these owl hats when I saw them. They have so much personality, and they look great on babies and children. I made this particular hat for a newborn baby boy. A good friend of mine that I've known since middle school had a baby boy, and his nursery has sort-of an owl theme. I showed her this hat, and she fell in love with it, too!

Another friend of mine had a baby girl, so I made a baby girl owl hat. I think she's so cute with the little flower.

Sources: I used a combination of 2 patterns from the following etsy sellers: RAKJpatterns  and  Angelschest

Framed Peg Board

I'm loving my new framed peg board. I found a stellar deal on a black custom frame at Hobby Lobby, and I immediately knew what I wanted to do with it. I stopped by Lowes on my way home to get some supplies, and then I got to work. By the way, if you don't have a saw, the guys at Lowes will be happy to cut your wood for you. Just bring your frame into the store, and they can measure it out for you.

Here are the supplies I used:

• Primer (I used Rust-Oleum spray primer)
• Spray Paint (I used Rust-Oleum High Performance Enamel in White)
• 1 picture frame (mine was about 29-in x 34-in)
• 1 peg board (cut slightly smaller than the frame)
• Staple gun 
• Staples (my staples were 3/4-inch... make sure they're long enough to go through the peg board)
• 2 (1x2 board cut slightly shorter than the width of your frame)
• Hammer
• Nails (I used 1-inch nails... make sure yours are long enough to hold everything together but not too long that they will go through the frame)
• Picture frame hanging kit

I couldn't believe the deal I got on this frame... Originally $165 on clearance for $20.

The first thing I did was prime the peg board. This is important because the peg board is porous, and you don't want your white paint to soak into the board giving you a splotchy look.



Once the primer has dried, you can spray paint it white. I did a couple of coats on each side.

Once the white paint has completely dried (overnight), staple the peg board onto the back of the frame. I put a staple every 4 or 5 inches around the peg board, and I feel like that is sufficient. By now you should have a beautifully framed peg board.
But wait...
We're not finished yet.

You don't want the peg board to be flush with the wall because you need to stick the little "pegs" into the holes. You don't want the pegs scratching up your walls, so you need to place a piece of 1x2 wood on the top and bottom part to give you room in between for hanging the pegs.

Make sure the wood is straight, and nail it on. I used about 8 to 10 (1-inch) nails just to make sure it stayed on.

This is what it should look like now... a piece of wood on the top and bottom of the frame.

 The last step was attaching the frame wire onto the back of the peg board. Now it's ready to hang.

See; we have plenty of room in the back for the pegs.

Now your frame is ready for decorating with your favorite craft tools.

Boy Sock Monkey Hat

I've been friends with April since 6th grade. We met in drama class, and we just clicked. We've been friends ever since. She is due with her second child in April, and she is having a boy. I made this hat for him, and I'm sure he will look so cute in it. I can't wait to see pictures of a baby underneath that hat instead of a lamp.

I used the same pattern as the girl sock monkey hat that I made another friend's daughter. I used red yarn for the boy hat instead of pink, and I replaced the flower bow with a pom-pom on top of the hat.

Source for pattern: Sock Monkey Kook

Vintage Jewelry Magnets

I made these magnets for a special friend for Christmas this past year. We went to Anthropologie and saw some adorable magnets that had an un-adorable (if that's not a word, it is now) price. It looked like they took vintage jewelry and glued a magnet on the back.

So that's exactly what I did! I bought some vintage clip-on earrings and used pliers to carefully take the earring back off. Etsy and the thrift store... or even your grandmother's jewelry pile are great places to look for earrings, brooches, necklaces, etc.

Once I took off the back of the earrings, I glued a round magnet to the flat surface with a hot glue gun. I think they turned out really cute, and I almost didn't want to give them away. I'll surely be making more of these in the future. They make great gifts, and they look so pretty on the fridge.

Bear Earflap Hat

My friend from high school is having a baby girl, and I made this hat for her. I made it a little bigger than a newborn size, but it will be perfect for next winter and maybe the one after that, too!

I wasn't able to go to her baby shower, so I mailed the gift to her. I started the hat one day last week after work, and I stayed up until 2AM finishing it. There's nothing like being a procrastinator. I should have known better than starting it the day before I had to mail it.


I know Melissa's baby girl will look precious in this hat, and I think it will keep her head and ears warm.

If you want to crochet this hat, you can get the pattern from this etsy shop.

Sweet N' Spicy Brown Sugar Scrub

I made several of these sugar scrubs for Christmas gifts. I tried some out as I was making it, and it left my hands feeling so soft. It smells delicious, too! It reminds me of those scrubs at Bath and Body Works, and most of the ingredients are probably already in your pantry. The only thing I may try differently next time is using something other than almond oil. I had a hard time finding it in the grocery store, and it was almost $7 for an 8.45-ounce bottle. I may try peanut oil unless anyone has any other suggestions.

Want to make one of these for yourself? You'll need the following:

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 cup almond oil (or more)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 (16-ounce) glass container with lid (I got mine at World Market)
1 Cinnamon stick

In a medium-sized bowl, combine all ingredients until thoroughly blended. Be sure to break up any lumps from the brown sugar or from the spices. Spoon into the glass container and secure with lid. Scoop a teaspoon or two of the scrub on your hands and gently massage in circular motions onto your skin. Leave on for 3 to 4 minutes before thoroughly rinsing. The scrub will tighten on your skin.

Source: Domino Sugar

Girly Sock Monkey Hat

Meet Maggie! She is the precious daughter of a dear friend of mine (hi, Alison). Her birthday was in November, and had this hat in mind for her. In order to get a picture of her, I had to bribe her with juice.

I bought the pattern from the Sock Monkey Kook store on etsy. It came together pretty quickly, and I was so happy with the finished hat.

Above is a picture of miss. sock monkey about to be wrapped up for the birthday girl.

Mr. Monkey loved the hat!

Headband

I sent this headband to go along with the shoes I made for my cousin's baby girl. I love the way the flowers curl up and look like they have petals.

I couldn't find any baby headbands, so I bought an adult one and re-sized it. I just cut a chunk out of it and sewed it together.


There are so many possibilities of crafts (besides headbands) using these flowers. You can use them to embellish pillows, sweaters, lamp shades, and purses. You can also use a large bead or rhinestone for the center instead of seed beads.

You'll be surprised at how easy these are to make. The only tools you need is a hot glue gun and a pair of scissors.
If you want to make these, you can find the tutorial at Make It and Love It.

Auburn Baby Shoes

I actually made these little shoes a while back ago, and I had plans to post them right when college football was first starting. Procrastination gets the best of me sometimes. I made these for my cousin's baby girl. My cousin and his wife met each other while attending college at Auburn University. Needless to say, they are huge Auburn fans.

I wanted to make something fun for their daughter when football season rolled around, but it was painful for me to use these colors.
See, I'm a University of Alabama fan. Auburn is our biggest rival. But I set my color pride aside and brought out the orange and the blue. It wasn't so bad, and I think they turned out quite cute.


I love the felt buttons. It's almost like they were made just for these shoes. I was at the store looking for regular plastic buttons, and I came across these.

Stay tuned for more Auburn attire.

Baby Boy Blanket

A friend of mine had a baby boy yesterday, and I made this blanket as a gift. This was my first "big" crochet project and it took me about 5 nights to finish it. I travel for work sometimes, so it's nice to have a project so I don't get too bored.

I was really pleased with the end result. I've never worked with yarn so soft before. You can almost see the softness in the picture below. Since this is for a baby, I used an organic blend. Organic blend yarns are more expensive, but the results are worth the price.


I love the color combination in this blanket. It's perfect for a baby boy, but the color combinations are endless. My mom suggested a white and linen color to throw on her couch.

If you'd like to make this blanket, you can find the pattern on the Lion Brand website. It's free!