Perfect Picnic Tutorials

To me, nothing says "summer" like a perfect picnic! There is just something magical about a mobile meal and dining alfresco! I have gathered up some really great tutorials and ideas to ensure that your next portable dinner outing is equipped with the best handmade accessories! Bon appetit!

Try this eco freindly dish cover tutorial by Allison Hill for your fruit salad!

No picnic is complete without a comfy and durable blanket! Tutorial offered by Craft Stylish.

A great 2-in-1 project! A placesetting tutorail to keep your utencils handy from My Patchwork.

Give your basket a quick makeover with this tutorial by V and Co.

Make these portable cushions from the tutorial by Sew, Mama, Sew to ensure that you have the most comfortable spot at the park!

A tutorial for this handy little condiment caddy can be found at Design Sponge!

If you just want to eat out in the backyard all summer long, how is this little project? Tutorial provided by DIY Diva.

What's a picnic without the great food? Try out a few recipes from DeeDee Stovel's Picnic Book!

Children's Mailbox - Tutorial

Here is the mailbox tutorial I did for U Create. I was asked to wait to post this so that U Create could have exclusivity to it for a month and that it's readers would find it there first. I can't believe that was over a month ago, already! Whaaat? So, now I am presenting it to you...just in case you happened to miss it!

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My child loves to help us get the mail! He looks forward to the postman coming each day and delivering envelopes filled with what he believes to be invitations to extravagant parties and letters and pictures from Grandma! I don't dare spoil fun by telling him that what he is looking at are merely utility bills and grocery adds! The thought occurred to me that we could have this kind of fun all day long by making him his own little mailbox! Now I love to drop him a little note and picture and watch him pretend the day away and see his imagination run wild!

Materials needed:

1 sheet of poster board

2 sheets of 12X18 stiff felt (a.k.a. Easy Felt)

approx. 1 yard of ribbon (preferably canvas/cotton)

scissors

craft glue or hot glue

patterns printed off computer (provided at the bottom of the post) 

Step 1: After printing the provided patterns, cut 1 set of each piece in both your felt and your poster board. The poster board will provide durability and rigidity to your mailbox. The felt will then be the cover.  

Step 2: Cut a strip of ribbon to the length of the side of your back and front piece. Apply glue to the entire area of the ribbon. 

Step 3:  Glue your 2 pieces of poster board together. Allow glue to dry completely. 

The ribbon will act as a hinge and will allow you to fold and bend your pieces more easily.

Step 4: Now apply ribbon to the opposite end of your paper just as you did in step 3. Allow glue to dry completely. 

This is what you should have when the 4 steps are complete. The ribbons will be on the INSIDE of your mailbox.

Step 5: Apply glue to the entire exposed area to the back of the ribbon. 

Step 5: Fold your front piece over and adhere it to the glue covered ribbon. You will need to hold it down and allow glue to dry completely.

This is what it should look like after all 6 steps are complete.

Step 7: Cut 6 pieces of ribbon measuring 2" in length and glue as shown to the poster board piece labeled "bottom".  These will act as tabs and make it possible to adhere the bottom to the mailbox.

Step 8: Begin to glue the tabs to the inside of your mailbox.

This is what it should look like after the 8 steps are complete.

Step 9: Cut a piece of ribbon the length of the top lid of your mailbox and glue to the lid and the back of your mailbox as shown.

Step 10: Now glue all your felt pieces over the poster board for a more finished look.

Now you can add any embellishments you wish! I simply embroidered on a piece of canvas and glued it to the front. I added a ribbon tab under the lid to make it easier to open and I also used it cover my edges to give it a little detail. You can add a hook or loop of ribbon on the back if you want to hang it on the wall or just leave it as is if you are setting in on a flat surface.

*Templates*
Print out at 100%

Matilda Jane

I came across this clothing company that I thought was really cute and should be shared. Matilda Jane offers fashions for the little girlie ones and for mommies too! As far as I know, the clothing is not sold in a store but is sold online and by hosting private trunk shows. When I read the company's bio and how it all started by being just a vendor booth at various art and craft shows, traveling from town to town, I just thought about how so many of us start out making handmade items never knowing when, or if, it could really turn into something more!  I love that her talents and passions are now turning into a profit! Here is an excerpt from her bio:

I really like what she said about how she "can't stop her brain from spinning"! A blessing and a curse that many artists can relate to! I'm beginning to think that it is a requirement! I know there are several nights and early mornings that I wish I could just shut down for even a minute! 

Here are a few pieces from the website that I fell in love with:

For the wee ones

The Lacey Tank

The Tanna Linen Dress

The Frankie Dress

For the Mommas

The Haley Halter Dress

The Cher Dress

The Macey Skirt

The Natalie Skirt

All information on hosting a party and trunk show can be found on their website. Also, be sure to check out the company's blog for updates and additional information!

Calling All Crafters!

As I am looking over my calendar for the month of July, I am noticing that there are very few days that I will be around! Which brings me to the need to call on you - my readers, my fellow crafters and my saving grace! I don't want H is for Handmade to be neglected so I am looking for innovative, modern and "out of the box" creations done by YOU! Because after all, in the divine words (kind of!) of Abraham Lincoln, this blog is of the people, by the people and for the people!! 

Just what do I need, you might ask? I would love to have some guest bloggers do any of the following:

- Spotlight your handmade items 

- Provide a tutorial

- Introduce us to either your Etsy shop, blog or website

- Provide great recipes

- Host a giveaway

- Contribute helpful crafting tips or your favorite craft supplies

If you, or anyone you know, would be interested in being featured on H is for Handmade in the month of July, I would love to hear from you! Please contact me at hisforhandmade@yahoo.com. Or, if we are friends or family, I may be bugging you (again!) to help me out!

I know there is some serious talent out there so I hope to hear from you all!

DIY Club and Skirt Tutorial

I am a fortunate soul. You see, I have this great group of gals that I get to meet up with once a month and have what we call a DIY Club! It is a club where we craft handmade items that have been inspired by fellow bloggers and online tutorials. I really look forward to coming to our group for several reasons. A) It is a great way to meet other woman who have similar interests, B) it's fun to get out of the house and take a break from mommy/wife responsibilities  C) it's therapeutic to create handmade items and D) it's always more fun to craft with someone than craft alone! 

This past get together was a fun one because the ever so popular Susan from Freshly Picked is in our group so we decided to make an elastic waist skirt from a tutorial she has posted on her blog.  

For the full elastic waist skirt tutorial click HERE.

Here are a few photos from our stitch filled night! 

I did mine just a little differently. I took all the steps from the tutorial to make the body of the skirt, but made a drawstring waist instead. I also didn't do inverted pockets because I found a fabric that I really wanted to show on the outside. This will definitely be my "go to" skirt for the summer!

If you are interested in starting a group in your own area, here are a few tips that have made ours a big success:

-Choose crafts that are not too complicated so that all skill levels can enjoy
-Send out an email a week or two before with an attachment of various crafts and links to tutorials for everyone to vote on
-Once the craft has been voted on and chosen, chose a date and send out a list of materials that everyone will need to bring
-Either pick one designated house to meet at each month or rotate houses with different members of your group
-Bring treats and have fun!

Check out the blogs of some of the other busy and brilliant ladies from our DIY Club!

Nicole with Elsa Bags
Susan with Freshly Picked
Madeline with Uber Chic for Cheap
Caroline with Caroline's Bake Shop

Winner!

Congratulations to Angie who is the lucky winner for the May giveaway! With Katherine's great pricing on her jewelry, you are sure to load up on so many great things from Pretty Little Me! Keep checking Katherine's shop as she is always updating it and creating new things for it! A big thank you to everyone who entered, who reads and follows this blog and for supporting all that is handmade! Also, I am so grateful to Katherine for hosting such a great giveaway! I am tremendously a wee bit jealous of the winner!

I am really excited for the holiday weekend and am looking forward to blogging again and offering more tutorials for you all next week. 

-Amy

May Giveaway - Jewelry by Katherine Wallin

Dear Readers,
I would like to introduce you to a wonderfully talented and amazing person: Katherine Wallin

I like hot chocolate, even in the summer. I like doing yoga with my wii along side my husband, who is so awesome. I like putting puzzles together with my children. I have a 3 year old daughter who is my best little friend, and a sweet dreamy little 18 month old son, who has a mild case of cerebral palsy. I love my church. I like to travel. I like laughing, and I think I am funny (because one of my sisters tells me I am). I like photographing glimpses of my life as the days go by. I feel more like a cute mom with a pair of pretty earrings on.  And I really like singing loud to any song sung by Kelly Clarkson.

you can find my true colors here wallin-family.blogspot.com

capturing pretty photos here wallinphotography.blogspot.com

creating pretties to dress up my ponytail, and yours too, here prettylittleme.etsy.com

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You see, Katherine is the whole package. She is beautiful, artistic and sweet as can be! If you are not already friends with this girl, you will want to be! Trust me!
I contacted Katherine a few weeks ago to see if she would custom make a cuff for me. After a few emails back and forth, the cuff was designed, produced and presented to me. I could not be happier with the result! I'm not sure what she named this design, but I think "The Amy Cuff" sounds good!
See for yourself!

Here are some of my other favorite pieces at the Pretty Little Me shop:

Katherine is here today to offer all the sweet H is for Handmade readers a fantastic giveaway.  Everyone is a winner with this one!

-One sweet reader will receive $40 of in-store credit to Pretty Little Me, plus free shipping!  

-Everyone else can receive 20% off, via paypal refund.  Just mention "H is for Handmade" in the checkout notes to me. Offer expires June 4, 2010. 

Rules of the contest:

1. Leave me a comment

2. You must have an active blog

3. You must be a US resident

4. Extra entries for becoming a follower of the blog or fan on Facebook

5. Make sure you have an email address listed either on your blog or in your comments so that I can contact you if you win.

This giveaway is now closed.