Great Gift ideas!

Today I thought I would share a few crafts I have made in the past that would make great and inexpensive Christmas gifts.  

I shared this idea a couple of years ago on my blog when I had like 5 followers.  I think it's a great gift idea, so in case you didn't see it, I will share it again!   Who wouldn't love a personalized note pad?  I would love one:)

It's hard to see, but I rolled a piece of matching paper up an stuck it inside the pen barrel.  I love how the pen matches the paper pad.  Click here to see the tutorial I posted on Oopsey Daisy.

Flour sack towel

I LOVE giving these these for gifts, and they are SO SO easy to make! I think I need to make some for myself!  See my tutorial here.

Little Girls Rosette headbands

I know there are tutorials for these all over blog land.  My daughter has been giving these to her friends for b-day gifts and they LOVE them!  Easy too!  This is a great tutorial.

Super cute little pouch purse.

This pattern is from Ali Foster Patterns.  It is really easy to make....Pinky Promise!

Rosette Bookmarks

These little bookmarks are so amazingly easy to make!  I love the easy tutorial I found on Noodlehead.

I  hope this gives you some inspiration this holiday season!  

Thanks so much for stopping by:)

Lamp Shade cover Redo Tutorial

First I have to tell you I am by no means a expert in sewing.  I can do the basic stuff, and I have made costumes for my kids in the past, but usually they don't turn out the way I want them too!  I have very little patience with a pattern.

I have had these lamps for about Mmmmmm 17yrs!  I am really sick of the early 90's look of the fabric.  So the first step was taking the cover off.

See how ugly that fabric is?  I LOVED it when my friend first made them.  They were gorgeous and I was a newlywed who was clueless about stuff like that.  That is my lamp shade next to the fabric.  See all the lovely pleats?  I didn't want them there anymore, so I ripped them off too. 

Here's what it looked liked as I was ripping it off.  I admit I was a little scared that I may be ruining the shade, but I was willing to take the chance.

After the pleated stuff was off, then I picked the fabric.  I chose some Amy Butler fabric. 

Isn't it perdy?  Now, the next step I didn't take any pictures of, but I measured
around the lamp shade and took my fabric and kind of eyed it (like I said, I don't have a lot of patience and I am not a perfectionist). 

I liked the style of the old lamp shade cover, so I just copied it.

I sewed 2 basting stitches (don't backstitch) around the top (where the ruffle will be, about 1/4 inch apart) and on the bottom (about 1/4 inch).

Oooo, not a very clear picture, but I thought I should take one of me on the sewing machine!

This is what the 2 basting stitches look like.  Remember not to back stitch! 

Here is what it looks like after I pulled the gathers on the top.  It takes a while, and I am not a pro at gathers, so it took me like an hour....I didn't want to break my threads and have to start over!

Next, I pulled the cover on top of the shade and hot glued it in random places.

For the Rosettes, I just ripped strips (about 8 or so inches long and 2 inches wide) of a coordinating fabric.  I didn't include how to make a rosette, but there is a great tutorial HERE.

Next, I sewed a little pucker in 3 places around the cover to glue my rosettes too.

Here's what it looks like after you sew the pucker.

There is the finished rosette glued on. Cute, right?  I didn't include how to make a rosette, but there is a fabulous tutorial HERE.

There is my new lovely lamp shade cover!  I have more pictures to show you of my lamps new color!  See the black lamp?  It's not black anymore:)

Thanks so much for stopping by!!