Toddler Craft Time: Popcicle Pumpkins

My 3 year old is quite the busy bee. She always has to have something to do. I am always looking things up to do with her that keeps her learning. Since Halloween is just around the corner, I have come up with some fun activities that are centered around Halloween and Autumn. Here is one activity that focuses on Pumpkins.

Materials

6 orange popcicle sticks (I bought mine already colored from the dollar store)
2 green popsicle sticks
1 green or brown pipe cleaner
1 washable marker
hot glue gun

Take 3 orange sticks and hot glue them together, repeat with the other 3 sticks. This is your pumpkin.
Glue to the green popsicle stick (this is your fence)

Let your child draw the face of the 2 pumpkins with the washable marker.
Then, glue the pipe cleaner to the top of the pumpkin for the stem.


After we did this craft, we made these yummy pumpkin cookies. While the cookies were in the oven we read this cute book....
The Runaway Pumpkin

My First Tutorial: Bow Bag

When I was expecting my second little girl, I wanted to find a diaper bag that didn't look like a diaper bag.  I wanted something cute, but functional.  I am sure many can relate.  So, I searched on the internet but the ones I found were so darn expensive.  After looking and looking, I found a bag that I really liked on Etsy (that wasn't a diaper bag) but it was just too cute.  The more I looked at it, the more I realized that I could probably just make it myself.  One day I was at Walmart and found some thick canvas material for $4 a yard (all I needed was a yard).  I bought a yard of navy and a yard of black.  2 bags for $8, I think so!  I already had some pink material that I was going to line the bag with, so I was set.
Here is how it went........

I started with a piece of black canvas 35 inches long x 19 inches wide.

I folded the fabric in half so that it was 17.5 x 19.

At the fold, I seperated it & made a new fold that was   inches long & pinned it.  This will be the bottom of the bag

I then sewed the right & left sides of the fabric, leaving the top 5 inches unsewn.
Then I took the bottom of the bag & created a point on each side and sewed down the middle.  This will help the bag to have a sturdy bottom.

When you turn the bag right side out this it what the bottom should look like.

Now for the bow!

I turned my bag back inside out.  I took a strip of my black canvas material (17.5 inches l x 8.5 w) and pinned it on the inside (which  will be the front of the bag). 

 I sewed up the sides and turned it right side out.  

Now for the inside lining of the bag.

I had a piece of fabric 34 inches long x 18 inches wide.  

I folded it in half & sewed up the right & left side.  

I made 2 pockets.  1 elastic pocket & 1 regular pocket.  

For the elastic pocket, I took a piece of material (  4.5 x 4.5 )  folded over one side of the material as if I were hemming it.  I pinned it & sewed it creating a place for my elastic to go.

 I then took a piece of elastic, attached a safety pin to it and strung it through my hole. I gathered the fabric to the tightness of my liking and and pinned it on both open ends where my elastic is strung through. 

 I then sewed up the open ends and pinned the pocket to my lining and sewed it on.

  Voila... a pocket where you want it!

Once I was done with the pocket I inserted the lining into the bag.  You want the lining to be inside out when you insert it into the bag.  I then started rolling over the canvas bag material (like a hem)  to finish up the edge of the bag.  

I took my straps (16 inches long x 1.5 wide)  and pinned them where I wanted them (inserting the edge underneath my hem.    Next, I sewed up my hem!

The bow.....

Take a 1/2 inch x 2 inch piece of material from your canvas and hem the edges.  Gather your thick strap that is attached to the front of your bag and wrap the piece of material around, creating the top of the bow. 

 Then, take another strip of fabric ( 24 inches long x 2inches wide) for the bow tassles and hem the sides again. 

 String through the loop you made & attached to create the top of the bow and now a completed bow!

Here is the completed Bow Bag!

<a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/" ><img src="http://www.skiptomylou.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/button2.jpg" /></a><br /> 

Ric-Rac Flower

I am a big fan of headbands for my girls. First, because they have very little hair when they are born, Second, because I never want them to be mistaken as a boy and Third, well its just too darn cute!  With my first, Grace, she never left the house without a headband on.  I was always making new headbands for her. This time around, with my second little lady, it is definitely a little harder to make sure she has a headband that matches all her outfits, but I am slowly building up the headband loot, again. I came up with this ric rac flower by making those cutie pinwheels with ribbon and thought why can't I do this with Ric Rac?  And, here is what I came up with...

I love it because it looks just like a flower and it naturally makes a flower shape as you coil it around.  I just LOVE it!

Here is the how to....
Dab a little glue from your hot glue gun on the end of the ric rac and start coiling around

Dab glue every once in awhile as you go around in a circle.

It will naturally make a cup shape.

When you are done coiling dab a little glue in the back to attach the end of your ric rac.

Add a cute button or accessory of your choice

Then attach (with hot glue) to some stretch lace and Voila!

Isn't it just darling?