The Farm Chicks

Sixlets

What can you do with Sixlets?

Make yummy candy bracelets:

Festoon a cake!

Deck the walls.

And why not?

A sweet day is a happy day.

Hooray!

Flower Purse

I've been taking a walk down memory lane while going through some old files of Farm Chicks projects for something I'm working on, and thought it'd be fun to share some with you for the next while.

Here's one of my favorites: an idea composed for creative floral displays and gifts, for Country Living Magazine a few years back.

To create, place an old bread pan (you can find really inexpensive ones at thrift shops) filled with water-soaked floral foam into the base of the purse. Poke in flowers until the display is full. For gift giving, tie on a thoughtful tag.

What Can You Do With...

... candy hearts???

Skewer them:

Top them:

Hang them:

Give them:

Cookie Flags!

A few months back, I was inspired by Herriot Grace's Cookie Flags and knew I'd like to make my own variation for Valentine's Day.

I started by making a batch of my favorite cookie dough for these sorts of things. (It's important to use a recipe that won't rise and become puffy).

I rolled out the dough and cut out the flag shapes for the project. (Just freehand, with a small, sharp knife).

I transferred the dough to a parchment lined baking sheet and inserted little wooden toothpicks for the flags (about 3/4" of the toothpick).

I embellished some using some dough letter stamps and big heart sprinkles, just by pressing into the unbaked dough, and then baked them up.

 

 

Then I decided it'd be fun to sugar glaze some of them and add a few sprinkle dots, for good measure.

 

 

A soft pink sugar glaze is great too.

 

 

I kept some unglazed, because sometimes simple is just enough.

And then, well, it was really simple. I poked them into my little cakes.

But they're just as fun to package up as treats for the ones you love. Or better yet, just gobble them up. Because Cookie Flags bring happiness to all.

 

Cookie Flags Dough

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup confectioner's (powdered) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream the butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla, beating until well combined. Beat in the flour, just until combined. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Flour your work surface and roll out your refrigerated dough to about 1/4" thickness. Using a sharp knife, cut out the shapes of your little flags. (As shown above). Once you've cut out all your flags, transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. (The best way to do this is with a spatula). Repeat with the remaining dough scraps, until all the dough is used up. Insert toothpicks into the flags as described above, and adorn, if desired, as described above.

Refrigerate the Cookie Flags, on the baking sheet, for 15 minutes. While the flags are being refrigerated, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake the Cookie Flags for 12-15 minutes. Cool on pan. Once completely cooled, the flags are ready to glaze or use as is.

Cookie Flags Glaze

• Confectioners (powdered) sugar
• Milk

Add milk, just a wee bit at a time, until the glaze reaches your desired consistency. Add a drop of food coloring, if you'd like. Mix together with a spoon, until thoroughly combined and then glaze to your little heart's content.

Sources:

Mini Bundt Cake Pan: Target

Letter Stamps: William Sonoma

Big Crunchy Heart Sprinkles: Wilton

Mixing Bowl: Fishs Eddy

Mini Box of Donuts

I love each holiday, when the stores start stocking lots of different candies. Whenever I'm browsing the aisles, my mind is churning, thinking about what I can create. And more times than not, I dream in miniature. I'm not sure why, but mini is so darned cute, isn't it? This year, I dreamed up these teeny tiny donuts - perfect for Valentine treats.

To start, I whipped up a tiny bowl of icing. Just a wee bit of confectioner's (powdered sugar) and enough water to make it a nice consistency for dipping and glazing. And a bunch of Lifesavers candies.

Oh, and some sprinkles too.

All you need to do is dip the top of each Lifesaver into the icing and add a pinch of sprinkles.

A little..

..or a lot.

You can use teeny tiny heart sprinkles too.

I think the reds look like red velvet cake donuts. Let's pretend they are.

Oh! Look. Two lil' donuts sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G....

hee hee.

Then we need to box them up. Just like a teeny tiny bakery would. What kind would you like? The little sprinkleys?

Or the variety pack?

Then we just slip on the little bakery box cover. And they're all ready for delivery. (Make sure the icing is completely dry before packaging).

 

Note: These would make fun little birthday party favors or April Fools treats too!

Sources:

• Lifesavers Candies in Valentines colors: Target (These come in bags of individually wrapped candies).
• Sprinkles: Bake It Pretty
• Match box favor boxes: Martha Stewart Crafts
• Tiny pink bowl and little metal spoon: Fishs Eddy

Alternate Sources: Websites such as Etsy and Oriental Trading Company offer selections of blank match boxes as well.

Back-up Plan: Little treat bags would work great for packaging too.

Click here for more Valentines ideas, Farm Chicks Style! xo

Tiny Cookbooks

My boys enjoy baking and have a selection of favorite recipes they like to whip up. I decided to make them tiny cookbooks containing their favorites all in one place, that are easily grab-able when they want to attack the kitchen. They also make great little gifts for friends or for your child heading off to college. (And they're great for dads too!)

These little books have an oilcloth cover.  Here are the supplies you'll need:

• Oilcloth (or laminated cotton)
• Copy Paper
• Fabric Pinking Shears
• Scissors or Paper Cutter
• Two-Hole Punch or Heavy Duty Stapler
• Ribbon

To begin, make a template out of paper.

Trace the template onto your oilcloth, about 1/4" wider than the template, all around.

Cut the oilcloth using your pinking shears.

Take several pieces of paper (I used 3 per cookbook, as when the stack is folded, it makes six double-sided pages.) and trace the template onto it. Cut out the stack all together using a paper cutter or scissors. Fold the stack in half, in the center.

Place the paper inside the oilcloth cover.  Make sure the paper crease is pressed up against the center crease of the oilcloth and that the oilcloth cover is slightly bigger than the paper. If you need to, you can cut the paper down a bit more.

Fold the oilcloth cover over the paper, crease, and hole punch. (If you don't have a two hole punch, a heavy duty stapler can be used).

  

Tie off with ribbons of your choice. (Skip this step if you've stapled your little cookbook).

And then, add a little label.

Sources:

Oilcloth: Cath Kidston and Oilcloth International (via ebay)

Ribbon: Michael's

Sprinkle Toppers

Aren't big sprinkles adorable? The only problem is they're so hard to find. And then they're CRUNCHY, which isn't very enjoyable when you're taking a bite of a soft, fluffy cupcake, right? So, I've taken to making them myself. You can make different shapes, but today I really want to show you hearts. (Another phase of mine... Note the My Favorite Find logo, and this year's FC Show poster... :)) Love love love. It's what it's all about! hee hee

So anyway, they're really simple. Simply take a handful of candy melts in your desired color and heat for about 30(+/-) seconds in the microwave to melt:

Stir the melts until all smooth. Transfer mixture into the corner of a large ziploc bag and cut the tip off:

Line a tray with wax paper. Carefully squeeze out heart shapes, one side at a time. Squeeze briefly from the top, angling the heart side to the center, then pulling the shape, without squeezing any more out. Sort of just dragging what you've already squeezed:

  

Ohhh. So cute! And SOFT, so they won't break your teeth. Hooray!

Make as many as you like. zip. zap. zoom. And you're done! Then, top your favorite treats. Like cookies, sundaes, or cupcakes.

Just one.

Or lots. Why not? We're equal opportunity sprinklers!

.... and with a few sprinkles, she'll change the world.

Adding Christmas To The Cupboards

One way to add Christmas cheer (or any season for that matter) to your kitchen is to add wrapping paper to the cupboards.

You can line the back of the cupboards, inside the doors if they're glass, or line the inset panels on the front of your doors.

Simply cut the paper to fit the spaces you'll be covering and attach with removable double sided tape. It's quick, simple, and darling!

You can find this project and many more, as well as decorating ideas, recipes, and Christmas cheer in my book, The Farm Chicks Christmas.

Images by John Granen.

The Perfect Little Bench

I always find it interesting to watch the trends that come and go in the world of antiques. I remember when trunks were popular. Now they're not. But these old pieces shouldn't be overlooked. In fact, they are so useful for turning into entryway or mudroom benches. (And they have storage space!)

I bought this old trunk/box from my friend, Hollie, at her antiques show.

I simply topped it with a standard pillow covered in my favorite vintage Christmas pillowcase and it was instantly transformed into a little bench.

I can easily change the pillowcase to fit the season.

Have a large trunk? Use two pillows or several toss pillows. It's as easy as that!

I found the trunk here.

My floor tile is from Daltile.

My beadboard wall tile, tile base trim, and tile cap is all from Dirk Elliot Tile.

I purchased my wallpaper from Wallflowers in Spokane. I'm sorry, I can't remember the brand.

Pumpkin Treatstands

A fun, quick, and easy way to display your seasonal treats is on stands. I happen to own LOTS of cakestands, but thought it would be fun to make some specific to the season. With pumpkins and paper plates.

I've found an abundance of little pumpkins left in the field from the pickers, who accidentally broke off their stems. Once the stems are gone, they're not really desirable to most people buying pumpkins, so there they sit - all broken hearted. In an attempt to rescue these orphaned pumpkins, I've discovered they're great for stacking on each other for decoration and for these cute little stands.

Step 1.) Start with a mini pumpkin. If your pumpkin has a stem, cut it or break it off:

Step 2.) Hot glue a paper plate atop the pumpkin. I've used a small salad-sized plate here, as the pumpkin is small:

This pumpkin is slightly larger, so I've used a dinner-sized plate here:

Step 3.) Fill plate with treats:

or stack the stands two high for double the treats - double the fun:

And there you have it. Changing the world - one pumpkin at a time. :)

Camp Tray

Re-purposing old objects into darling little trays is fun! My friend, Teri, and I found these old trail markers one summer and knew they'd be perfect for just that.

To make your own, search for any thick old wooden signs or boards that fit your style. Then choose sturdy handles - new or old, either will do - and screws for affixing them to your wooden sign/board.

Here's what to do:

1. Thoroughly clean the sign with a scrub brush and warm sudsy water.

2. Let dry. Sand any rough spots if necessary.

3. Place the handles on the sign, marking the holes for the screws with a pencil. Remove the handles and drill-start the holes for the screws.

4. Reposition the handles and screw them on.

Images: John Granen, from my book: The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen. To purchase, click here.

P.S. If you already have a copy of the book, I'd love it if you could provide a review here.

 

Pantry Jar Labels

Crafting material scraps such as wallpaper and fabric and be put to good use, while creating something useful for your home.

Labels! (This project is from my first book, The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen).

These labels are perfect for use around the home as they are wipeable, which makes them easy to clean. (Kitchens can be a messy place!)

1. Cut wallpaper or fabric into label shapes; I used rectangular on my jars shown here. To add a little charm, cut with pinking shears.

2. Cut two pieces of clear Con-Tact paper for each label, making them 1 inch larger in each direction. Sandwich each fabric/wallpaper label between the Con-Tact paper cut-outs; press together to seal. Trim the Con-Tact paper so that it makes a 1/4-inch border all around the fabric/wallpaper.

3. Use a Sharpie pen to write the name of whatever you are storing on each label. Affix the labels to jars or other storage containers with double-stick tape.

Sources:

Jars: Martha Stewart for Macy's.

Image: John Granen, from my book: The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen. To purchase, click here.

P.S. If you already have a copy of the book, I'd love it if you could provide a review here.

 

Food Covers

This week I'm going to be sharing some favorite projects and recipes from my first book, The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen. And the first project I'm sharing is perfect for this time of year when the bugs are beginning to become a bit of a nuisance.

Introducing: Food Covers.

To begin, choose any lightweight cotton or cotton blend fabric you like.

1. Spread the fabric wrong side up on your worktable. Invert your bowl on the fabric.

2. Measure out from the rim 1 1/2 inches and mark a circle all the way around the bowl. Remove the bowl and cut out the fabric circle.

3. If you wish, bind the edge of the circle with bias tape. (Bias tape is not necessary, it just gives the covers a more finished look). Then place the circle wrong side up in your sewing machine, with the edge under the presser foot. Lay a narrow piece of elastic on top of the edge and sew a few zigzag stitches over it. Stretch the elastic and continue to  zigzag it to the edge, adjust the elastic and your hands as needed until you've sewn all the way around.

Sources:

Fabric: JoAnn's

Bowls: Gooseberry Patch

Image: John Granen, from my book: The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen. To purchase, click here.

P.S. If you already have a copy of the book, I'd love it if you could provide a review here.

Cotton Candy Balloons!

Every year, I love creating a fun photo opportunity for visitors at the entrance of The Farm Chicks Show. This year, I constructed a big bunch of cotton candy balloons.

For me, cotton candy is fun. And happy. And wouldn't this be fun to make for a photo op (or decoration) at your next party?

To construct:

1. Hot glue paper cones to bags of cotton candy.
2. Affix long strings to the cones.
3. Hot glue bags together to create a huge bunch of "balloons".
4. Hang bunch from ceiling with several pieces of clear heavy duty fishing line.
5. Once hung, tie all the loose strings (hanging from the bottom of the cones) together to create a knot, just as a balloon peddler would.

Tip: I repackaged my bags of cotton candy using clear bags, rather than the clown themed bags they came in. (It just fit better with what I had in my mind).

Special thanks to the wonderful Samantha Cabrera for these images from the show.

An Ordinary Can

You've got lots of cans passing through your house everyday, right? Did you know you can re-purpose them into many different nifty things? Here's one very simple idea.

Start with a can.

Spray it with an adhesive spray and cover with the fabric of your choice. Wrap the rim with seam binding and hot glue into place.

Fill it with supplies like fabrics...

...or pens

or buttons, stamps, patches, ribbons, whatever you'd like.

Or make a bunch and fill them all.

Notes: The vintage can shown here was shown only for an example, as this project was done a few years ago and I didn't have a before shot. :) I prefer to use new cans that I'd be recycling anyway. (Old cans are so pretty!)

This can was spray painted so the bottom teeny tiny rim didn't distract from the project, however, it's completely unnecessary.

 

Pitchfork Banner

I love to greet guests who are coming to our home. To make them feel welcome. What could be better than a pitchfork banner?

Here's what you'll need: 2 pitchforks or shovels or large dowels, fabric, iron-on papers, self-adhesive velcro tabs or a glue gun.

Step 1: Select fabric for banner and cut to desired size. Hem all edges, if desired.

Step 2: Print greeting of your choice onto iron-on paper, using a large font. (I like to use the Arial Black font as the thickness of the letters are suitable for this project). Carefully cut out letters and iron onto the fabric, following iron-on manufacturer's instructions. Tip: if you set your printer to landscape (rather than portrait), you will generally get at least two letters per page.

Step 3: Place pitchforks in the ground and attach the banner using the velcro tabs or hot glue. (If you don't mind marks on the pitchforks once you're done, the hot glue is a quick and easy option, as it will peel away from the fabric and handles of the pitchfork with a little pressure.)

And just like that, you're set to welcome your guests to your next party or gathering.

Treat Bags!

Well hello! I have sweet treats on my mind.  Oh my, how I love sweets.  You know what else I love more? Cutely packaged treats.

Oh friends, I sure have some fun (and sweet) things in store for you this year. I've been hearing from lots of you, missing my online shop. And although I won't be selling things online anymore (we just couldn't keep up with the demand), I thought about something that would be even better. Free things. Cute things. Sweet things. So, for my first treat just for you, with Valentines Day in mind, I give you..... Treat Bags!

Perfect for packaging any little things you like.

Here's what you do:

Step 1.) Download my treat bags file onto your computer and print.  Follow my instructions (provided in the download) for cutting and glueing.  Click here for the download.

Step 2.) Gather up your favorite treats or doo-dads or whatever you love:

Step 3.) Plunk your treats into your cute little bags that you just crafted, all by your little self (or with your best pal or sweet children):

And then give, give, give! Make someone's day.

Or wait for Valentines to pass out your surprise treats, Farm Chick Style.

Happy day, sweet friends. Happy day.

Note on directions: If you're not crazy about glueing the bags, double stick tape is a great alternative.

Candy sources: The Sweet Sticks are from Trader Joes.  The Valentine M&M's are from Target.

Special thanks to Elle's Studio, for bringing these bags to life for me to share with you. xo

Woodsycake

I love the fun treats that can be found during the holidays and am always inspired to use them to make something special.

I started my Woodsycake by baking three chocolate cake layers. I frosted each layer, as well as the outside.

The fun part is the candy that makes it woodsy:

Duplo Wafers and Meiji Chocorooms...

Sugar cones and sprinkles.

I lightly frosted the cones by holding them with my fingers inside the cone and spreading the frosting on the cone with my other hand.

Then I sprinkled.

For a smaller tree, I broke off the bottom of a cone to make it smaller.  Then, I frosted and sprinkled as I had done on the larger cone.

And then I placed the logs and trees all about the top of the cake

and scattered a few chocorooms around the base.

And here comes the fun part: Cake Sparkles Edible Glitter!

Sprinkle Sprinkle sprinkle *shake* *shake* *shake*

So pretty.  So Christmasey.

So *yummy*.

xo

Cake (and Cupcake!) Flags, Part 2

I got so carried away with the cute little cake flags that I started thinking about other ways to make them, but quicker.  (I love quick and easy crafts!)  Wouldn't they be so cute on cupcakes?  Yes!

And, I have lots of cute tape on hand....

   

Adhere a piece of decorative tape, centered, onto the top of a toothpick.

Fold tape together, over the toothpick, sticky sides together.

 

Snip ends into a flag shape that you love.

And now you have a cute little cupcake flag.

Or two!

The cute tape I used can be found on my website (while supplies last).

Cake Flags!

I've been inspired by a big collection of vintage party supplies I picked up at a recent estate sale.  And it made me wonder... why don't we see any cute little cake flag picks sold in stores any more?  And after making some flag picks, I thought, why not make a banner?  A cake flag banner.

Cut strips of cute paper.

Cut strips into rectangles.

Fold rectangles in half.

Cut into pointy little flags, or any other shape you prefer.  Leaving them as rectangles is cute too!

After I cut the first flag, I found it useful to use it as a pattern for the rest.

Next, cut a piece of string or baker's twine, a few inches longer than the width of the cake.

Tie ends to wooden skewers.  (Toothpicks are shown here, but I discovered they were too small for this project).  You'll need to break the skewers in half.  Clean up the jagged skewer edges with a pair of junky old scissors or garden snippers.

Arrange the flags, sandwiched over the string, in a pattern you love and then glue into place.

Place into your cake.  Isn't it so cute?  Do you still want to add more?

Okay! Here goes... add little individual ones, made with toothpicks, onto the sides!

So sweet.  But do we need a little more still?

Sprinkles! That's the ticket!

Now you're all complete.

Post Edit:

Special thanks to blog reader, Rachel, who pointed out some very similar (but much cuter) cake flags on etsy.  (They call them Cake Buntings).  You can find them here.  I LOVE them and think the multiple layers are amazing!  Thank you for the tip, Rachel!

Post Edit #2: The cake plate is from Rosanna, Inc.

Easter Platters

Adding an Easter egg-themed touch to your dinner table is really simple. Simply take platters and cut colorful paper napkins in the shape of an egg to line the platter. Use for serving rolls or other dry items. To use for serving veggies, simply cover the paper napkin with the same shape cutout of white parchment. The napkin will still show through and will appear pretty and toned-down pastel and it won't get soaked.

Easter Place Settings

Cute little place settings are such a fun addition to the Easter table.  For these little egg cup markers, I simply filled each one with rice, topped them with moss and poked little handmade toothpick flags in with each person's name. 

Table Covering

So many of you have contacted me in regards to the covering on my kitchen table.

My table, featured on page 140 of The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen, has been in our home since Colin and I were married.  And after many years of use, it began to show some wear.  But rather than replacing it, I decided to cover it with oilcloth.  Here are my directions, as described in the book:

1. Spread oilcloth over the top of the table, right side up.  Using the table contour as a guide, make sure the pattern is centered nicely; weight the cloth with bowls or books to keep it in position.

2. Cut the oilcloth to size, allowing an overhang on all edges that is long enough to wrap around the edge and staple to the underside of the tabletop.  The overhang was approximately 2 inches for my table.

3. Using a hand held heavy-duty staple gun, attach the oilcloth to the underside of the tabletop.  First staple the middle of 2 opposite sides, then the middle of the remaining opposite sides, pulling the cloth taut.  Continue all around the tabletop, pulling the cloth taut while making sure the pattern remains straight and even.

Note: my favorite source for oilcloth is ebay.  There are a couple of ebay stores from the U.K. that sell adorable oilcloth that I love, and ship worldwide:

http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/tablecloth-co

http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/fabric-factory/

Cath Kidston is also another favorite source of mine for oilcloth, but the prices and shipping can be really expensive.

Image of my table was taken by the super wonderful John Granen.

Christmas Star Cookie Wreath/Centerpiece

I love any decorations that involve cookies or give me an excuse to bake.  I've been dreaming of making a cookie wreath and was so happy to create such a fun project.

I decided to make the wreath and cookies out of gingerbread cookie dough so that it would smell especially Christmasey.  I used this recipe (minus the black pepper) for the dough.  And this recipe for the icing.  Here's how I made my wreath:

I cut out the shape of a wreath using a mixing bowl for the outer circle and a cereal bowl for the inner circle, using the rims as an easy guide for my knife.  I baked the wreath (as indicated in the recipe) until it was really hard, but not burned.  After it was completely cooled, I covered the wreath in green icing, and sprinkled it with Wilton light green sugar sprinkles.  At this point, the wreath needs to sit for several hours until the icing is completely hardened.

In the meantime, I baked my cookies (I chose two different sizes of stars) and prepared the icing.  I added a few Tablespoons of cold water to the icing to make it almost drizzley (just not runny to where it can't keep it's shape.  See images of icing below).  I divided the icing and colored each batch the colors I'd be using for this project.  I spooned the different icing colors into Wilton squeeze bottles, and a tiny squeeze bottle I found at Daiso.  (The tiny squeeze bottle wasn't necessary, but I love teeny things, so why not?)

To ice the cookies, I used a technique called "flooding" where you outline the area and then "flood" it with the icing.  It's such a fun technique that makes cookies look really impressive.

Step 1)  Outline cookie:

Step 2)  Flood the cookie, using the same icing.  You can use the tip of the squeeze bottle to help spread it around if necessary:

 

Step 3) Add dots by squeezing contrasting dots of icing onto the icing already on the cookie.  (The icing dots will sink in together and all be flush after a few minutes):

Step 4)  Allow cookies to dry completely (This will take several hours, but time really depends on how much icing is used).

Step 5)  Attach cookies to wreath using the icing as glue.  Let sit for 24 hours or until really hard.

I hung my wreath directly onto a nail, however, this will only work if the wreath is really hard.  The wreath can also be hung by attaching a colorful ribbon and hanging it from the ribbon, or simply display it on a shelf, ledge, or window sill. Better yet, if you're looking for a cheery holiday centerpiece, this is just the ticket!

 

 

Thanksgiving Garland

I don't really do any decorating for Thanksgiving but like the thought of making our house feel a teeny bit more festive when we're celebrating a holiday.

I created this fun little garland by punching out colorful paper leaves with a Marvy paper punch.  (It punches out the paper and embosses little veins into each leaf at the same time).  Then I hot-glued the leaves to bakers twine.

Recipe Box Re-do

Mr. Blue Sky went to make some cookies last night and was a little surprised at the state of the recipe box.  "How do you find anything in here?", he asked.  It needed a fix-up.  But I was tired of the boring little dividers and thought that I should make new ones that were pretty and colorful.  Because color is happy, just like Mr. Blue Sky.

 

And I've started writing out all of my recipes on my collection of recipe cards.

I made the new dividers from scrapbook paper, simply by tracing the old dividers and cutting out.  Isn't scrapbook paper one of the best creations ever?!

I'll be hand-printing the different section titles when I'm all done with this project.  And I'll be sure to use a permanent marker on the dividers and recipe cards so the ink doesn't smear if it gets wet.  My favorite pen for this is a Sharpie, in fine point.  And they come in zillions of colors.

Other sources:

The darling vintage tablecloth is from Retreat.

The recipe box is from Martha Stewart's Macys collection.

The Farm Chicks recipe cards are available on my website.

The Sweet Potato Bake recipe is available here on my blog, and happens to be one of my very favorite Thanksgiving side recipes EVER.

Covered Button Cuteness

Just recently, I showed you the little covered buttons I made and added to a summer jacket.  I love how simple it is to makeover clothing pieces and add my own personal touch.  I purchased a heavy winter coat from Forever 21 and knew some simple covered buttons would be perfect.  Here it is before:

 

I use Dritz Cover Buttons because they work really well and have simple, easy instructions on the back. The first time I made buttons, I bought the kit, and now I can just buy the refills for future projects:

To start, cut the button pattern from the back of the package:

 

Trace the pattern onto the fabric.  I knew I wanted simple buttons with no pattern, and chose red wool, since the coat is heavy and wool is an appropriate texture match:

 

Cut out the fabric:

Center fabric, wrong-side up over the little mold that comes in the kit and place button shell atop:

Press button shell into mold:

Tuck fabric into button shell and top with button backing:

 

Take the pusher that comes in the kit and place atop the button backing.  Press into place.  If the fabric is really thick, (as in this case with wool) you might need to use a rubber mallet:

And voila!  A darling new button, completely your own style!

Then, just sew the little cuties into place and you're all done!

Button Love

I love clothing that has a unique touch, or something just a little special to it.  I'm pretty sure that's why I love Anthropologie so much.  But I also don't enjoy spending lots of money, especially for something that I know I can specialize on my own.  One of my favorite things to transform is buttons, because I can take an ordinary piece and make it pretty special.  This summer, I wanted a fun little jacket for our trip to Nantucket.  I went to TJ Maxx and found this little jacket on clearance for $5.

I removed the boring buttons it came with, made some fabric-covered buttons, and added them to the jacket.  (I'll have a tutorial for the buttons in a few days).

 

And now, it's completely my style.

Menu Board

Every week, I make a menu for the upcoming week's meals.  I make my grocery list based on those meals and then post what the choices are for the week.  It's a great way to stay on budget and be organized at the same time.  I've always used a chalkboard to post the menu for my family, but thought it would be really fun to make a board using the vintage plaster pin letters I found recently at an estate sale, rather than writing it out each week.  And, a bonus is that I moved the chalkboard to the front porch for messages and greetings.  I love how tidy the new menu board looks.

To make it, I purchased a new cork board

and a tiny can of spray paint.  I also went to my fabric stash and selected a fabric that I liked for this project.

I spray painted the frame (covering the inner corkboard with newspaper first).  After the paint dried, I cut the fabric about 1/4" bigger than the cork, all around, and pushed it under the painted frame.  I used my stovetop scraper to push the fabric under the frame, but a thin, dull knife would work well too.  I made sure all edges were snugly tucked under the frame.

And now, we're all set!

Curtain Crush

I love simple curtains and I have to admit, even after all these years, I still have a crush on them.  And here's the good part:  I made them out of vintage sheets.  It's true.

I LOVE good cotton sheets (vintage) that have that sturdy, yet soft feel.  And whenever I find them at estate sales, I buy them because they're good for so many projects.  For my home and style, the twin sized sheets are the perfect length for my windows.  And exactly right for my sliding glass doors too.  I use them in my kitchen, living room, and master bedroom.

To make, I just sew ribbon tabs to the top of the sheets, and hang.  Whenever they need to be cleaned, I can just throw them in the washer, and they're as good as new.  And since they're white, the best way to perk them up if they're a bit yellow-ish when I purchase them, is to give them a quick soak in Rit Color Remover.  It turns them perfectly crispy white.

And honestly, it doesn't have to be limited to sheets.  I've found darling blankets that I've turned into curtains for the boys rooms too.  And colorful, patterned sheets are great as well.  But best of all, they're so easy and inexpensive too.

Pocket Journals

One of the boys has a habit of writing on his hands, which I really don't like.  But I understand that his mind is constantly whirring away, and he wants to doodle and write random things.  So, I came up with an idea for tiny pocket journals that he could keep in his pocket - available whenever he'd like.

To make the journals, I drew out a small rectangle (3"x7.5").  I cut a small stack of printer paper into that shape, as well as a heavier scrapbook paper in the same size for the cover.  I stitched a straight line down the middle and folded it in half.

 

When his brother's saw the journals, they wanted some too.  Now they're all sporting pocket journals and are as happy as can be.

Embellished Tank

I buy a lot of vintage linens and really love retro prints.  I love the big flowery prints because they're perfect for making plain tank tops look cute.

 

Start with a plain tank top, fusible iron-on web, and your choice of fabric for embellishing.

Directions:

1.)  Cut out fabric and fusible web for embellishing.

2.)  Fuse onto tank following instructions provided with the fusible web.

You're done!

Quilted Babydoll Smock

Recently, I was inspired by a $900 Tsumori Chisato dress, and figured I could create my own version for much less.

A recent find of a huge bag of antique quilt and floursack squares at one of my favorite thrift shops worked perfectly for this project.

Supplies:

• Target Cotton Tank Top - $6
• Men's XL or XXL Fruit-of-the-Loom Cotton T-Shirt - $5
• Thrift Store Quilt Squares, Floursack - $1

Directions:

1. Pre-wash and dry tank and t-shirt
2. Cut tank top straight across just under chest.
3. Cut t-shirt straight across just under arms.
4. Gather t-shirt on raw edge to fit tank top.
5. Pin tank top and gathered t-shirt, right sides together and stitch.
6. Affix quilt squares and floursack materials using a decorative top stitch or hand-embroidery stitch.

Total Cost: $12

Style Tip:  This smock can be worn alone as a cute little summer dress or over your favorite pair of slim-fit jeans or leggings.

Happy Little Spice Drawer

I talked about my spice drawer not long ago, and how much I love putting all my pantry and baking supplies in pretty containers.  Of course, I also want the containers to be practical.

I love the little baking powder containers, as they have great lids and a metal lip inside for scraping off each teaspoonful.  So, each time I buy one at the store, I save it for my spices that get a lot of use, like baking soda and salt.

To make them cute, I just cover them with my favorite polka dot wrapping paper and clear Con-Tact paper.  Simply measure out the wrapping paper to cover the canister and cut out.  Do the same with the Con-Tact paper, cutting it just a little bit wider to overlap the paper and hold it in place.

When baking, if the canister gets messy, you can simply wipe it off with a warm soapy cloth and it looks like new again.

I also add a colorful label to the top, cut to fit just inside the recessed circle, and attach with double-stick tape.

Make Do

We've been working on some new projects for Country Living.  A new section they're doing each month is Make Dos.  Lots of little recycling, earth-friendly projects.  Our first project is in the December issue:

Magnetic Knife Rack

Finding a cute way to store your knives can be tricky.  This is the perfect solution.  I started out with a magnetic knife rack from Ikea and covered it in a cute calico fabric.  Now, the rack is just as darling as the knives!

1.) Iron fabric, and lay out wrong side up. 

2.) Place knife rack face down on fabric.

3.) Cut fabric all around rack, about 3/4 of an inch larger than rack, or wide enough to be able to pull fabric over the inside lip of the rack.

4.) Pull fabric over the inside lip of the rack, glueing into place as you go.

5.) Mount according to package instructions.

Materials needed:

Ikea (Asker) magnetic knife rack

Material of your choice

Hot glue gun

Sources:

The knives were purchased at William Sonoma and TJ Maxx

Pretty Little Magnets

A while back, Betz White pondered what to do with all of the caps she'd been collecting when she recycled her plastic.  It got me to wondering about it too.  Since the caps can't be recycled (at least where we live), I knew there had to be something I could do with them.  When working on a recent recycling project for Country Living, it occurred to me.  Why not make pretty little magnets?  They are incredibly simple to make and really useful.  Here are the easy steps:

Select your fabric and caps that you'll be using


Draw a circle around cap (allowing enough fabric to cover up and over sides of the cap).  Cut out circle.


Apply hot glue to the top of the cap, all around


Flip cap over and press onto wrong side of fabric circle


Cut lines in the fabric to the cap edge, all around

Apply hot glue to the tips of each little fabric section.  Pull each section tightly up and over the side of the cap, and press into place.

Continue gluing each fabric section into place, until every piece is set and cap is completely covered.  Glue magnet onto the bottom of the cap, and you're done!

Update:  If the magnets you use are thin and get swallowed up by the cap, simply glue a smaller cap, turned right-side-up to the interior of the cap.  (See below).  Then glue magnet on top of the smaller cap.

Sources:

The darling green dotty fabric is from Sandi Henderson for Michael Miller Fabrics
The red daisy fabric is from JoAnn Fabrics
The tiny red/white flowery fabric is from Hancock Fabrics
The pink notepad paper is from McMaster & Storm
The shopping paper is from our website