Children's Art Tote Tutorial

Here's a nice little project to keep you busy this weekend! I don't know about the weather where you live, but I am looking out my window as I type and it is snowing, snowing and snowing some more. Ugh. 

Anyway....

What kid is not going to devour the goodness of this? 

F.Y.I. it makes a good church or preschool bag! Just insert a quiet book or flash cards and your kiddo is set!

Materials that you will need:

-sewing machine

-3/8 yrd. fabric (heavy and sturdy fabric is best!)

-fabric measuring approx. 14"X14" (a quilter's fat quarter is perfect!)

-ribbon (optional)

-scissors

-iron

Begin by cutting your main fabric to measure 41 3/4" x 13 1/2"

This will allow for a 1/2" seam allowance

HINT: When choosing fabric for this project, make sure you chose one that has a pattern that can work both horizontally and vertically unless you are using fabric from a 60" bolt or larger. 

Next you will want to cut out your small pockets. Cut 2 pieces measuring 13 1/2" X 6".

Now you will want to make a 1/2" hem on your main fabric's two sides that measure 13 1/2". 

HINT: A good seamstress always uses her iron to press down the hems before sewing. This will help hold your measurement and make it easier for you to sew.

Then, take the fabric for your small pockets and position them on the top of your tote fabric. Pin them down to hold in place.

Stitch along only the bottom edge. 

Be careful to not sew your large pocket closed. Only sew the bottom of the small pocket to the bottom edge of your tote fabric.

You should have something that looks like this when you are done.

Now, if you are wanting to add ribbon for an added detail, this is the time to do it. I folded over a piece of grosgrain ribbon, ironed it down, placed the fabric inside it and stitched along the top of the pocket. Not necessary, but nice! If you are not using ribbon, simply sew a small hem on the top of your pocket for a finished look. Iron.

It's now time to sew the dividers into your pockets. Measure and mark out how much space you think you need to hold the various art supplies. I made mine in all different sizes. Keep in mind that you need to allow room on the sides for a hem.

You should have something that looks like this.

After all your dividers have been sewn in, it's now time to fold the bag in and stitch it together to make the 2 large pockets. Fold right sides together so that each pocket measures 10". Sew only along the 10" sides. It should somewhat resemble a pillow sham that opens in the back.

By sewing 10" pockets, it will generate a much needed gap in the middle of your tote. This will allow the bag to fold up with the bulk of art supplies in it- much like a binding on a book.

After you are done sewing the sides together, turn your bag right side in. Be sure to poke out all your corners! Iron your bag open and press all the edges. Your almost done! You will have a small lip of fabric in the middle. Use fabric glue, hem tape, or a small stitch to fasten it down.

Make handles by cutting two pieces of fabric measuring 

12"x3" and sew right sides together. Next, turn your handles right sides in and fold raw ends under and press with an iron.

Measure 3" from each side and sew your handles onto your bag. I had to hand stitch mine because my machine was not strong enough to sew through 6 layers of denim. Go figure!

You're Done!

Now you can decorate the front of it to your (or your child's) liking! Feel free to copy mine. I simply cut out triangles of different fabrics to make a bunting banner and used heat-n-bond to adhere it to the bag or you can also use fabric glue. I used fabric glue to then stick the ribbon on. Easy, easy, easy!

How did you do? Were my instructions clear enough for you? I understand that this bag is a little more involved than previous tutorials. If you have any questions, please email me at the address listed at the top left of the page. 

Have a great weekend!

Chocolate Cookies, Oh My!

        

We went to my parents house for dinner last night, as usual. After the meal we sat around and talked about what dessert we could make that would be worthy to follow my father's homemade beef stroganoff. Dad said he wanted homemade brownies. Should he get what he wants for making such a tasty meal? Mom said she wanted cookies. Should she get what she wants for cleaning up the mess left from making such a tasty meal? I said let's have both! Here is what we made - a mighty fine combination to please all that worked so hard that evening!

                                                                                              

                                         

After reading the recipe card, my mom said that she had some white chocolate but that it was just in a little different form than "chips". Yeah, no kidding!

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A friend had given her some white chocolate and a nativity candy mold for Christmas this past year. After my mom made it, she felt guilty about eating it so she put it in an air tight container and sealed it up. I guess there is something a little disturbing about biting into baby Jesus and saying, "Mmmmm! It's soooo good!"

I'm not afraid. I broke the heads off of the Wise Men, the shepherd, and Jospeh and broke up all their bodies and threw them in the dough. Sorry fellows but you have a greater purpose now!

Completely unrecognizable and delicious! The men of ancient times saved the day and made our cookies the best they could be! 

What's Your Type?

There is something brilliant that I am going to share with you! My sister sent me a link to an interactive video done by Pentagram that determines "what kind of font type are you?" It is amazing and surprisingly dead on...well it was for me, at least. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and I think the brains behind this needs some sort of big, fat, shiny medal! 

http://www.pentagram.com/what-type-are-you/ 

I am Pistilli Roman. I heart this font! It is a classic with clean lines but still has an edge to it. Perfect fit! I found more info on the font from the Walker Art Center. Very interesting indeed!

So....What type are you? 

Judge A Book By It's Cover

Who knew that a book could have so many purposes? Maybe someone should write a book called "101 Things To Do With A Book" and when you are done reading it you can make it into something! I am always amazed at the talent and creativity in this world and a few short minutes on the computer reminds of that every day! I am feeling a very strong urge to go buy up all the old books from my local thrift store and do my part in recycling, repurposing and reusing! 

Have you seen the designs of Laura Cahill? Lovely, right? Well, you can be a top designer too with this simple tutorial from the eye pleasing blog of Sweet Paul.

This bird house is right up my alley. How clever is this?! Create Studio was kind enough to give us all an online lesson on how to make one! Lucky us and lucky her for being so stinking awesome! 

I have seen book page wreath tutorials on various blogs before, but I think this one takes the cake on loveliness! Katydid and Kid shows you how to do it quite nicely!

              This floral find was spotted at Rag and Bone. I am thinking these will be great attached to a tree branch and placed in a large vase on my credenza. Yes, yes, that is what I will do! Find the tutorial at Folding Trees.

What a great little box to hold the treasures that have captured a young one's mind! Makes a great gift box too!

Check out more from Those Northern Skies.

Did you need to make this bunting to adorn your hallways? I think you do! Tutorial found at Two and Six. Think of how cute it would be made from an old atlas? 

And finally, enjoy this animated story book video to help bring a smile to your face today!

Love those Elsa Bags!

I just wanted to give a nice shout out to my lovely and talented friend, Nicole from Elsa Bags! If you are a local here in Utah or even a fan of Shade clothing, you will be happy to know that Elsa Bags are now available in Shade stores for the next 10 weeks!  Nicole is a gem of a seamstress and her bags are all handmade, sturdy and built to last! They are perfect for the many occasions in a lady's life and with all the different fabrics, there is sure to be one (at least) to fit your need! Oh, and P.S. They make great diaper bags for all you preggers out there! 

Nicole has also started a children's line (I don't think this girl sleeps!) and you can check her Etsy site to see what other creations she has whipped up for your little one! Congratulations Nicole, I have a feeling this is just the beginning for you!

Nice Feature!

I have a routine for my day. It's not exciting or unusual. It begins with watching a little Today Show right when I wake up (because I really like Matt Lauer!) followed by a breakfast for the family and then sitting down at the ol' Mac to see how many of you have tuned into H is for Handmade in the past 24 hours. This morning as I sat down at my computer, I had to take a few looks, rub my sleep deprived eyes and question if what I was looking at was real! My numbers had skyrocketed today due to a nice post on Tip Junkie that featured my felt chrysanthemum pillow. Thank you to all who tuned in and a very BIG thank you to Laurie for showcasing my tutorial! What a privilege it is and I can only hope that I can continue to make things that so many more people can enjoy! 

P.S. How awesome is this comment left by one of my readers to start my day out right?:

".....God is good, and I'm glad He blessed you with such creativity".

Dear Cynthia, I think the same thing and thank him for that every night! You are very kind!

One Rockin' Puppet Show!

I stumbled upon this great video and thought I would share it with you. It not only made me smile, but made me want to make some marionettes (would that be hard?) to perform my very own suitcase puppet concerts! I don't think I have the guts to stand on the streets like these lovely gals, however. Hats off to them! 

(P.S. These girls have style for miles!)

Photo taken by A little Hamster on Portobello Rd. in London.

Customized Journal Tutorial

  "There is a saying that “paper is more patient than man”.…Yes, there is no doubt that paper is patient and as I don’t intend to show this cardboard-covered note book bearing the proud name of “diary,” to any one, unless I find a real friend, boy or girl, probably nobody cares. And now I come to the root of the matter, the reason for my start ing a diary; it is that I have no such real friend."
-Anne Frank

So heartbraking! Hopefully you will not find solace in this journal craft because you lack friends, but rather something that can be shared with them! Think happy thoughts!
I taught a class on this project a few years ago to a group of women and it went over really well! I hope you like it too!

      

Materials you will need:

Fabric (size depends on your journal size)

Journal (I found this fugly less attractive one at the dollar store!)

Scissors

All purpose craft glue

Elastic

Embellishments of your choice

Matte board or thin cardboard (cereal box/cracker box is perfect!)

1st step: Lay your journal flat on your fabric and cut out with a 1" allowance on all sides and set aside

Measure the inside cover of your journal and cut 2 pieces of cardboard out to that size.

Lay the 2 pieces of cardboard out on remaining fabric and cut out with a 1" allowance on all sides. Set aside.

This is where you are going to get a little messy! Take your glue and apply a liberal amount to the front cover of your journal. Use your finger to smear the glue around on the cover making sure there is an even layer. Clean off fingers with a wet paper towel...hurry!

Lay your fabric on your glued surface and gently smooth out any ripples, creases, or bumps. Allow to dry and then proceed to do the same steps to the back cover and binding. Allow to dry.

Once your glue has had time to dry, open your journal slightly to find the line of the binding. Make 2 small cuts in your fabric stopping at the edge of the book. Apply a very small drop of glue to the fabric and use a toothpick to tuck the flap of fabric into the binding.

Next, apply a line of glue to the edges of the inside of the cover and fold fabric over. You may need to use your finger to smooth the glue down again to assure even coverage.

         

When you get to the corners, fold them in like a present and glue down and continue to glue the remaining edge down.

        

If you are wanting any kind of ribbon on your journal, this is when you will need to adhere it. Glue the ends of your elastic to the inside and back of your journal. Glue the ends to the inside cover and entire length of the ribbon to the front of your journal. See below:

Now you will want to get your cardboard and fabric. Notch out the corners of the fabric and begin to apply glue to one entire side. Again, gently smooth away any bumps or imperfections. Allow to dry.

Then apply glue to the edges (like you did to the inside cover of your book) and fold fabric in. Allow to dry.

    

After glue has dried, glue your cardboard onto the inside cover of your journal to hide the mess and decorating the inside! Close journal and stack heavy books on top to weight down all layers for a more finished look. Add any embellishments or notions of your choice to the cover and you will have one darling diary! 

Congrats! You are done! If you are going to be having a baby you can use it to write down all the milestones and memorable moments If you are going on a trip you can use it to hold postcards, ticket stubs, and mementos to look back on one day. Or if you are like me, you need to carry one of these around with you to jot down any ideas, creative thoughts, inspiration that strikes you! 

    

            

Journal: $1.00

Fabric: $5.00

Elastic: .30 cents

(glue and embellishments I had on hand)

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Total cost: $6.30

Total time to complete project: 1 hr. 20 minutes