Kinzie's Kreations

Cowgirl Party

2012-01-31T09:00:00.001-06:00

Anyone who knows my daughter, knows she is a cowgirl at heart. It all started with an outing to the rodeo, and since then she has been hooked. She loves horses, boots and cowgirl hats. Every time she sees a horse or a barn, she shouts out its name with excitement. So last year, as her birthday approached (okay so several months before her birthday) she told me she wanted a cowgirl birthday party. I had been throwing around party themes, but that idea topped them all, and I was so excited to get planning. With a baby due just weeks after her birthday, I wanted everything ready way in advance. We planned, made lists, bought supplies, and crafted.

I had so much fun designing the invitations. When they were finished and printed, we drove to each of her friends' homes to delivered them.

When the day arrived I put up a few simple decorations and we had lots of fun activities to do.

As the kids arrived they got to dig through a basket filled with cowgirl/boy hats, handkerchiefs, vests, etc. and dress up as a cowboy or cowgirl.

We did a bean bag toss:

I saved a big piece of cardboard from some package we received way back when (finally justifying my oh-I'll-keep-that-because-it-may-come-in-handy-one-day hoarding mentality.) Then I sketched out some farm animals, then painted them in. Once the paint was dry, I cut out some holes and was ready to go. I made some bean bags out of scrap fabrics. Then, I just had some helpers hold up the board as the kids tossed the bean bags.

We did stick horse races:

I was originally going to make some simple stick horses then give them away as favors, but time got the best of me. Instead I borrowed some from my mother-in-law's prop filled Drama classroom.

We played pin the tail on the horse:

I used a piece of brown poster board to paint a horse on. Then I cut out tails from black poster board. Each tail was labeled with a child's name. The rest is self explanatory.

We played Pop the Pig:

This was the kids favorite activity (except a few of the younger kids.) I blew up a ton of balloons and drew farm animal faces on them (mostly pigs.) Then on the count of 3 the kids were to see how fast we could all pop the balloons. It was loud, crazy, madness, but the kids LOVED it.

After games and presents, we sang and ate cake:

This was my first time using fondant on a cake. It made the decorating process much easier. I made one traditional cake and then lots of cupcakes.

As the parents arrived, K handed out the goodie bags:

We filled each handkerchief with some horse stickers, sheriff badge, horse tracer & pencil, and some candy, then tied it all up with some string and a "Thanks Y'all" tag I designed.

My cowgirl and her band of buckaroos had so much fun, and I had fun putting it all together to make it a special day for my sweet little girl.

Pinterest Recipes

2012-01-25T10:00:00.001-06:00

This meal/dessert has been made possible thanks to Pinterest.

I have to admit, pre-Pinterest days, I never really got excited about cooking or baking. Finding a recipe was always hit or miss because oftentimes there wasn't a picture or it wasn't recommended by a person, so I never knew how a recipe would turn out. So most of the time I just made my set tried-and-true recipes and would venture out to try new things only every now and then. Thanks to Pinterest, I try new recipes every week. If I have a hankering for a certain food, I just search Pinterest and see which one was posted the most- thinking if it's common it must be good. So far, it hasn't failed me. Check out my board Yummy for the ones I love or want to try. Here are a few of the yummy recipes I've tried lately.

Crock Pot Baby Back Ribs

Wild Rice with Craisins and Almonds (this was incredible!)

Individual Apple Pies

A few other recipes I've tried and loved (but didn't take a picture of) are:

White Chicken Enchiladas (I make these almost every other week now)

Slow-cooker Salsa Chicken (this is another on the frequent rotation)

Biggest Loser Oat Pancakes (I omitted the sugar)

Lemonade Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting

What recipes have you found on Pinterest and loved?

I LOVE Sibling Shirts

2012-01-24T07:39:00.000-06:00

Ever since I created my I Heart Sibling shirts for my kiddos back when baby #2 was born, I've had lots of requests for custom sibling shirts. It's so fun to come up with fun color combos to make the shirts coordinate. Here is the latest set I created for a friend's two adorable little girls.

I was on a fabric flower kick back when I made these shirts, so I threw in some little hair clips to match.

I love the playful fun colors of this set! Happy colors for happy girls.

Big Boy Quilt

2012-01-18T12:56:00.000-06:00

I've been going through my photo files and came across pictures of my son's twin quilt. It's been done since last June, and he's been sleeping in it since then. So this is late in sharing, but with a project that takes that much attention, I have to share.

His nursery had the following color scheme:

I had painted this canvas for his nursery.

I wanted to make the painting and the other details and pieces transition right into his big boy decor. Here's a picture of his nursery to give you an idea. I wanted to reuse the navy curtains and all the stuff on his shelves.

So I headed to my favorite local fabric shop Cabbage Rose to see if I could find some fabrics that would work. I needed 9 different fabrics for the design I drew up, and I came home with 8. I had some Heather Ross fat quarters at home that I thought I could use if I didn't find anything I liked better. So all together I had my 9 fabrics: 3 dark blue, 3 light blue, and 3 green.

I got to work cutting my squares . . . I needed 100.

Then I laid them out on the floor. I didn't want the fabrics to repeat consistently, I wanted it random, so down they went.

Then I sewed each row together. Then two rows got sewn to each other.

After sewing my five, two row pairings, I sewed in some gray sashing, and a gray border. Then it was time to quilt it. I considered machine quilting it, but since I hand quilted my older daughter's quilt, and loved the look so much, I finally decided that was the way to go. Up went the quilt frame, and the hand quilting began. I finished it in 3 days- a little here, a little there, till it was done.

Then, I trimmed down the batting and quilt back, sewed on some binding (machine sewed the first round, and hand stitched the top round to avoid seeing any machine stitches.) Then it was done and ready to get put to use! Our little guy wasn't quite ready to sleep in the big boy bed, and for the first week or so, he would ask for his crib. We put his crib in the toddler bed setting, and let him sleep there until he was ready. I think the little doggies, fish, and campers on the Heather Ross fabric helped him come around!

So here's what his room looks like today. We originally had the crib on the opposite wall from his bed, but we decided to give baby brother his own room for a while. So the room decor is in a transitional state for now. There are two of those bed frames that were my uncles' when they were little. Then my sisters and I used them, then our older daughter used it, and now it's the boys turn. I dream of the day when my two boys have their matching big boy beds lined up on the wall, but for now, at least one big boy has a cute quilt to sleep under.

DeStash Sale: Baby Boy Ties

2011-12-29T11:56:00.001-06:00

Back in the Fall, I had an order for a few ties. While I was at it, I decided to make a few extras to sell. To make room for all the Christmas loot and give space to all of the projects I have going or planned, it's now time to sell what I still have available.

Each ties is carefully constructed out of soft cotton fabric and are lined. They have a matching neck strap with a velcro closure.

$10 each - including shipping if needed.

0-6 month ties available. These measure 7 inches from top of knot to tip.

l to r: damask- SOLD, aqua geo, dots- SOLD, argyle, green striped, black striped

6-18 month ties available. These measure 9 inches from top of knot to tip.

l to r: damask, aqua geo- SOLD, dots, argyle- SOLD, black striped

Comment on this post with your name, email address, and shipping address as well as which size and pattern you'd like, and I can send you a paypal invoice to that email address. I will not publish comments, so your information will not be visible to anyone but myself. If you'd rather, you can send me an email to: kinzieskreations (at) hotmail (dot) com

Tie availability will be updated as orders come in.

Crochet Crazy

2011-12-28T09:07:00.000-06:00

I've been a bit crochet crazy the past little bit, and I've been having so much fun with it. It is amazing how much more fun a skill can be, when you really figure it out and then go to town using the skill. I've finally learned how to read and understand crochet patterns about a year ago, and now I love the chance to learn new stitches and new ways of doing things. Anyways, enough of my blabbering, here are just a few of the projects I've been making. Forgive me, the picture quality isn't so great, but the faces contained are irresistibly cute!

This is my latest kreation- baby booties. These baby booties keep his feet warm and are cuter than plain socks, plus they actually stay on his feet! (I die over those perfectly chunky thighs!)

Here are the kiddos putting their new beanies to use- granted it was 57 outside and the hats and coats got torn off after 30 minutes of playing outside. But they sure did look cute!

Here are links to the patterns I used:

Shell stitch beanie

Ribbed beanie

Baby booties

Carmel Apple Chex

2011-12-22T09:56:00.001-06:00

Thanks so couponing, I had several boxes of Chex sitting in my pantry. When I got the boxes, I figured I could use it for making Chex mix of all varieties. Pinterest has several Chex Mix/Buddies recipes out there- one of my favorites being Lemon Buddies- so good! Today as I walked into the pantry, I saw those boxes staring at me. Though I've already done my share of baking this holiday season, I decided it was time to whip up a batch of Chex something-or-other. However, this time I was going to create my own recipe.

Introducing:

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp Butter

2 Packets Apple Cider drink mix

3 Tbsp Sugar

4 Cups Chex (I used rice variety)

1/3 cup Caramel bits

3 tsp water

Directions:

Put first three ingredients in sauce pan. Melt butter over medium-high heat and simmer 1 minute after melted, stirring constantly to combine.
Pour over Chex and stir gently to coat evenly.
Using same sauce pan, add caramel bits and water. Melt down until smooth. Drizzle over coated Chex.
Cool and enjoy!

Chester the Elf: Days 16-20

2011-12-21T09:07:00.000-06:00

Elfie Chester seems to be a foodie of sorts. 4 of the past 5 days, he's been found on the hunt for food!

Chester the Elf: Days 11-15

2011-12-21T08:53:00.000-06:00

We woke up and found Chester in a pile of snowflake cutting scraps, with swags of snowflakes hanging in the kitchen!

After making gingerbread houses the night before, we found Chester tasting the candy of our sugary kreations.

2012 Printable Calendar

2011-12-20T14:39:00.000-06:00

I am so excited to finally share with you my latest kreation. Okay, so it's not really my latest, seeing as I created last year as my personal 2011 Calendar. But it is latest in being made available to you in the 2012 version. It is just something fun I put together because I'm too cheap to buy a calendar from the store and I CANNOT function without the organization of a calendar. I must write everything down in order to remember it, otherwise I forget about appointments and even playdates.

So here it is for you to download and print. This calendar is available as a PDF file that includes all 12 months of 2012. Each month is sized to a standard sheet of 8.5" x 11"printer paper.

[ Download your 2012 Calendar now ]

Please remember that this calendar is FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY! Do not resell this file or prints made from it.

Two More Stockings

2011-12-15T10:25:00.000-06:00

When my husband and I were first married, I didn't own a sewing machine. For our first Christmas, I wanted to make our stockings. So I stitched every piece by hand. They were padded, fully lined, had heel patches and a top cuff. I think my hands were raw by the end. When my first baby came along, I finally had a sewing machine and could put hers together in no time. Two years later, I made our son's stocking. Check out THIS POST to see pictures of their stockings. This year we've added two more stockings. One for our new little baby, and one for Jesus. As I make each child's stocking, I don't give myself any restrictions. I don't care if one stocking matches another. I just pick fabric that reminds me of that child. Our daughter's is flowery and girly. Our first son's in cowboy themed- he was our first child born in Texas. And this last stocking is sock monkey themed, for our hairy, cuddly boy.

This year I also made a simple stocking for Jesus. I made this one our of natural cotton and some white linen. Simple, yet beautiful. Many of you may already have one or have heard of this idea. Sometime during the Christmas season (some do it on Christmas Eve) each member of the family writes something down on a piece of paper that they are going to "give" to Jesus. It's a resolution of sorts. Maybe you will try to serve others more, share more with siblings, and the like. Then the following year, we get to look back on our gifts and see how we've done.

Our stockings are hung, now it's time to fill them up!

Chester the Elf: Days 6-10

2011-12-13T07:34:00.000-06:00

. . . and the mischief continues.

We woke up one morning to find our stockings on the floor and socks hanging in their place!

Elfie Chester has been a big help around our house (besides the silly things he's been doing.) Whenever the kids act up, I simply remind them about Chester, and they immediately behave. One night we even got to call Santa on the phone! The kids haven't stopped talking about it since!

Chester the Elf: Days 1-5

2011-12-05T10:14:00.001-06:00

I packed up the three kids and went to the store with the intent of buying our very own Elf on the Shelf doll, only to find out that the coupon expired that morning at 2:59 AM. Have you ever seen a coupon expire at that time? I haven't. I wasn't about to pay full price for the little guy, though it would be a fun tradition. So I came home and got to work making our own unique little elf.

I had some red wool felt that I used for his outfit, and some other felt that I used for his face, hair, hands, boots, and hat. I put wire throughout his body to make him bendable and I put magnets in his hands so he could grasp things. After finishing him that night, I set him on my sewing table and went to bed. Sometime that night, Santa must have come to our home to take Chester back to the North Pole to finish up some gift making. The kids were thrilled that our little elf was already getting into mischief and had disappeared.

December 1st arrived at our home, and guess who had returned- none other than Elfie Chester! Look at what he's been up to the past 5 nights:

Wait and see as we discover what other mischief he'll be getting into until Christmas!

Nativity Free Printable

2011-12-02T10:16:00.000-06:00

At over 1,600 downloads, my Nativity Printable is still going strong. Have you downloaded and printed yours? It's free so click on the picture above to view the original post and all of the color options available!

May we all remember the true meaning of Christmas!

Christmas Wreath

2011-11-29T07:58:00.000-06:00

This year I was struggling to come up with a Christmas wreath idea. It seems as though every idea has already been taken. I was drawing a blank. Then, it came to me while crocheting some other project. (There are always about 3 crochet projects going on at the same time. They always get partially done, I get bored of it and move onto another crochet project . . .) So as I was making a scarf, hot pad, or beanie of sorts, I decided that this year, my wreath would be crocheted. You are probably envisioning something very grandmotherly, though there is nothing wrong with being grandmotherly- my mom is a grandmother and quite stylish, young, and modern. This is what I ended up with:

I used two skeins of yarn, in two different shades of green, and crocheted them together- I love the heathered look it gave. I used my wreath from last year- it was wrapped in aqua nubby yarn. I was lazy and left the yarn on the wreath- that's why you see bits of aqua peeking through. I'm loving the texture of this wreath!

*************************

Here is a brief non-technical pattern. I used a 12" foam wreath. You will have to adjust to the size of your wreath.

Chain 17, Turn, Skip first 2 chains, DC across, * Chain 2, Turn, DC across.* Repeat from * to * for 45 rows or until your rectangle is large enough to wrap the circumference of your wreath. Finish off, don't cut yarn.

Join short ends of your rectangle to form a big loop. I just threaded them on an embroidery needle and slip stitched through DCs and beginning chained row. Wrap rectangle around your wreath and now sew the long lengths of your rectangle together to connect around wreath. Knot and tie off, weaving in any yarn tails.

I then attached some felt flowers I made using this pattern: Not Martha's Felt Dahlia Flower

Now my door can MERRILY greet any Christmas time visitors!

Gingerbread Dice Game

2011-11-23T18:34:00.002-06:00

I've seen a fun gingerbread dice game all over Pinterest and decided to design my own to print. No, I did not come up with the idea for this game, just a printable so we don't all have to draw out a gingerbread man each time the kids want to play. So here it is for all of you to print and play. Enjoy!

Download Gingerbread Dice Game

Here are the rules for how we are going to play:

Going around in a circle, each player takes a turn rolling a dice (or die depending on what grammar rules you are looking at. Yes, I'm an English major, but don't go checking all of my grammar now!)

The player then gets to color in one of the segments with that number in it. Then, it's the next player's turn to roll and color.

The first player to color in their whole gingerbread man wins!

Have fun rolling!

Jingle Bells - free printable

2011-11-22T10:51:00.000-06:00

Normally I'm the one who doesn't allow Christmas to come before Thanksgiving is over. No music, no decorations, nothing. I want to enjoy Thanksgiving and give it is due attention. However, this year, with the kids getting older and catching the Christmas bug, the holiday is making its presence known. We listen to Christmas music every now and then, we've seen a few Christmas movies, and Christmas decorations are being made so that the second Thanksgiving is over we can turn our home into a Christmas wonderland.

Being in the Christmas mood, I've been working on a few printable projects. Here is the first, an 8x10 Jingle Bells print inspired by my daughter's favorite Christmas song, as of late:

Download JINGLE BELLS- Aqua

Download JINGLE BELLS- Blue

Download JINGLE BELLS- Green

Download JINGLE BELLS- Brown

Download, print, and frame! Enjoy!

My New Diaper Bag

2011-10-26T13:24:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it's not really new, new since I've been using it for the past couple of months since baby E was born. But it is newer than the diaper bag I used with my other two babes, and it's new to this blog. When I was expecting baby #3, I decided that I deserved to upgrade to a new bag. My prior diaper bag was a nice one from Kalencom that my mother bought me and I loved it. It is still in excellent shape though it's gotten a bit dirty. So instead of figuring out how to clean it, I decided I wanted a new one. After browsing for bags online, I always fell in love with the $200+ ones or I'd find one in a good price range and it wouldn't have all of the features (pockets, pockets, pockets) that I wanted. Thus, I decided it was time to pull out the sketch pad and pattern my own. I made sure to include all of the details I wanted: tons of pockets on the inside and out, longer straps that can hang over a stroller or shoulder, zipper top, sturdy yet soft structuring, fully lined, fun shape, detail trim, and awesome fabric. It took some brain power to figure out how to fully line it the way I wanted with no exposed seams white doing a zipper around the top curve, as I've never done it before, but I figured it out and here is the result:

Front

Back with large flat pocket

Side- both sides have a gathered elasticized pocket, perfect for water bottles, sippy cups, keys, etc.

Front flap pocket with magnetic closure. I drew in this pocket half for styling sake and half to function as a pacifier pouch. However, it's more commonly used as the library card pocket. I added the fabric flower just for fun.

The inside: there are 7 pockets around the inside edges- 3 smaller elasticized on one side, 2 large elasticized on the other size (great for diapers and wipes), and one flat pocket at each end. Plus there is tons of free space in the middle to throw blankets, nursing cover, toys, etc. It has a super stiff rectangle insert in the bottom to add to its sturdiness and help it hold its shape. The great part is that it zips closed for security.

Cost breakdown (most items were bought with a 40%-50% coupon:

exterior fabric- $10.50 for 1.5 yards [This was the biggest steal making my project much cheaper than it could have been. This Thomas Paul fabric is regularly $35/yard but I bought it during a store moving sale at Calico Corners and got it for $7/yard- that's 80% off!]

lining, piping, and straps- $5

fusible fleece- $5

elastic- $2

magnetic closure- $2.50

zipper- $3

Total: $28!

I love this bag! The super low price combined with the fact that I made it hence no one will have like it and that it actually turned out exactly how I envisioned and drew it up, makes me love it even more!

Halloween Rag Wreath

2011-10-03T14:19:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to make this wreath for weeks, but it's not everyday that I venture out with three kids to go fabric & craft supplies shopping . . . at least not lately. But today I finally got everyone ready early so that we could have time to browse. My daughter likes browsing the fabrics, searching through the pattern catalogs, and touching the yarn as much as I do. My son on the other hand, only cares about the snuggly fabrics and could care less about buttons unless they are in the shape of animals or cars. So I browsed quickly as to keep everyone, even baby in the moby wrap, happy. With supplies in cart, and "Grow a Skeleton" in the hands of my children, we checked out and headed home. After a quick lunch, the time had finally come for me to get my craft on.

Here's what I made:

And here's how to do it:

Supplies: 1.5 yards burlap

wreath form- I used straw because it was cheapest

scissors or rotary cutter & mat

Cut burlap into 1 1/4 x 17 inch strips

Grab your pile of strips and your wreath and get tying. Be careful as you tie- the burlap will want to fray and separate, I had a few break when I pulled too tightly while tying. Stagger where you knot it so that it is nice and full.

By the end, you will be covered in burlap strings and fuzz!

Then just add a ribbon (I stapled mine to the top side of my door) and admire.

Ghosty Printable Art

2011-10-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

Today we are finally busting out the Fall & Halloween decor at our home. Here's another piece of printable art I made for you to download, print, & display to help you get your spook on! It's sized to be an 8 x 10 print, but surely can be scaled down (and maybe up, but I can't guarantee great resolution at super big sizes.) Enjoy!

Download Ghosty Print

Conference snackin'

2011-10-01T17:55:00.000-05:00

We spent the day listening to General Conference (click for more information) I had a hunkering for a snack or some sort, preferably of the sweet variety, but I kept putting it off as the sessions went on. Then two little neighbor girls came over mid-way through the afternoon session wanting to play. So while the kids sat at the table coloring in pictures of ties to match the church leaders, I made caramel corn for us all to munch on. I shared this recipe a long time ago, but this was the first time I made it since posting way back when. So here's a friendly re-share of a quick and easy fall-tastic recipe: Caramel Corn

Halloween Spider Printable

2011-09-21T13:34:00.001-05:00

So ready for FALL, whether the Texas weather is or not. Halloween is around the corner, and I can't wait to bust out the decorations, costumes, crafts, and candy!

Here is a free printable I created, available in 3 colors and in both crisp and distressed finishes. It is an 8x10 print, but can be scaled down to whatever size you'd like. Enjoy and leave some comment love!

Download Spider Print- Black Distressed

Download Spider Print- Black

Download Spider Print- Orange Distressed

Download Spider Print- Orange

Download Spider Print- Purple Distressed

Download Spider Print- Purple

Don't forget to check out my You've Been Booed printable!

{ Download now }

Happy Haunting

Counting Filler Game- in action

2011-09-15T09:12:00.000-05:00

Just in case you were at all confused about how the Counting Filler Game works, here is a picture of the game in action. This week is the letter B week for our home preschool. So we used beans for the game. Next week, for C week, we may use chocolate . . . if it lasts!

Preschool Printables: Counting Filler Game

2011-09-14T10:25:00.000-05:00

Here is another free printable for you to use with your child. There are two sheets to download (each is a standard 8.5 x 11 inch page.) I printed mine and laminated to make them durable enough to use over and over and over again. Then you just grab a bunch of any small object- think beads, marshmallows, beans, pom-poms, goldfish crackers... and have your child put the right amount of that object in the box next to the number. A simple game to get your child counting and thinking!

Download 1-5 Counting Filler Sheet

Download 6-10 Counting Filler Sheet

Preschool Printables: Cutting Mazes

2011-09-13T09:00:00.001-05:00

One of the skills kindergarteners should have at least some experience with is using scissors. This not only helps with cutting, but also helps develop hand strength and coordination that can help with writing and fine motor skills. I have to admit, scissors haven't been common in my daughter's hand, which is surprising considering how often they are in my own hands. So I decided now was the time to get her going. I bought her a pair of pink round-tipped scissors and put together a few worksheets to give her some practice. The first worksheets I created were cutting mazes. Children are to cut through the maze without cutting on the black lines. So here are the round and square cutting mazes for you to download, print, and enjoy!

Download Oval Cutting Maze

Download Rectangle Cutting Maze

Preschool Printables: Color Names Wheel

2011-09-12T13:42:00.001-05:00

Going off the same idea from the number wheel, I created a color names wheel. Just download and print the pdf sheet then cut out the circle. Laminate for durability and cut out again. Write the color names onto closepins and have your child match the name with the corresponding color by clipping it onto the wheel. Is your child not yet a reader? Color the corresponding colors onto clothespins and have them match colors. Makes for great learning or for a few quiet moments! Enjoy and leave some comment love!

Preschool Printables: Number Wheel

2011-09-12T13:35:00.003-05:00

I got this idea from somewhere off the internet. At first I just cut out a circle and hand drew dots onto the pie segments, but then I decided to make it more polished and created the wheel in photoshop. So now I am making it available for all of you to download and print- for free! Just print off the pdf sheet (I printed mine on cardstock) and cut out the circle. Laminate to make it durable and cut out again. Then write the numbers 1-10 onto clothespins (I used mini clothespins.) Now let your child have fun counting and matching by clipping the corresponding number onto the number wheel. Enjoy and leave some comment love!

Closet Dividers

2011-09-01T08:51:00.000-05:00

The addition of our little man to the family, means that he and big brother will eventually be sharing a room. Me being the organized maniac that I am, knew that I needed to get their closet in order. I dream of built in beautiful closet shelves, bins, etc. but for the time being, at least getting the hanging clothes in order was good enough to satisfy my ocd. Browse the internet and you will find tons of options for closet dividers. You can buy pre-made and designed ones, you can craft ones out of wooden shapes or letters- tho options are boundless.

Not wanting to put much into this project, I decided to just design and print up some simple ones for now. I measured my rod to make a center opening big enough, and I measured the space from the rod to the upper shelf to make the surrounding shape fit within that range. I could have got fancy with fun patterns on each divider, but I decided to keep it simple so that I could easily see the size text on each divider. After designing, I printed two of each size onto cardstock, used a circle cutter to cut out each one. Then I glued the two of each size together, laminated, and cut again. I was left with sturdy yet flexible dividers:

Here they are in use:

I am using up to the 3T dividers. But, as you can tell there are still boxes of clothes to put out, but we won't be using any of the 3-12 month clothing too soon. I keep all of their onesies and sleepers in their dresser to free up room to hang day clothes. It's nice to be able to see what we have in what sizes. In my dreams I'd love to have all store bought white hangers, but why pay when we get them for free. With the dividers I can ignore the sizes on the cheap-o hangers- so I can put a 2T top on a 3-6 month hanger and it doesn't get me confused.

The great part about my dividers is that I didn't have to spend a penny to be organized! Oh, how I love organization!

Not Just About Baby

2011-08-30T13:43:00.001-05:00

Just because a new baby was coming, didn't mean that the older two weren't included in the crafting madness. Both big sister and big brother got their very own shirts to proclaim their status of Big Sis & Big Bro.

To make these shirts, I used the same process as I described HERE in a mini tutorial post.

They wore these shirts to the hospital when they met little brother for the first time. Both are happily adjusting to their new roles. Big sis is a big momma's helper- holding baby more than anyone in the house, burping baby, finding burp cloths, throwing away dirty diapers, and most appreciated- entertaining brother. So my older two wear their shirts with pride, just as they hold and love their baby brother with pride. Love my kiddos!

Crafting for Baby | Part 2

2011-08-26T14:13:00.000-05:00

Here is another quick project I made for baby. Of course, it would have been even quicker had I not made a boy and girl version, but what fun would that be? I basically followed the tutorial over on Cluck Cluck Sew. All it took was two yards of fabric, plus a few scraps for the straps, some velcro and in 30 minutes you're done.

I've already put it to use, and it's already kept some grimy hands from touching my baby.

Crafting for Baby | Part 1

2011-08-25T16:20:00.001-05:00

With this baby's gender being a surprise until delivery day, crafting and planning was a bit limited. However, I'm an completely incapable of not crafting. So instead of sitting idle, I just made boy & girl versions of everything. It was rather fun and kept me busy when all I wanted to think about was getting this baby here so I could hold him or her. When this baby came (10 days early!) we welcomed another little boy into our home. Luckily all of the girl creations won't go to waste- I'll either use them as shower gifts or hoard them for any future girls in the family. Here are a few of the projects I worked on:

Baby bibs- here are the boy versions. The fronts are made of random boy fabrics I had on hand, and the backs are made of terry cloth. Snap closures since velcro isn't strong enough to withstand a two-year-old's powerful tugs.

Crochet beanies- I rediscovered my love of crocheting during this pregnancy. I made SIX hats, several flowers & headbands (now to be gifted!), and a few photo props. It was so fun learning new skills (check out YouTube for video tutorials.) Here are two of the boy ones:

Look how cute that owl one looks on my babe:

If you live in the Ft. Worth area I highly recommend our photographer- Pebblebrook Portraits.

It was so fun to make all of these baby things- more posts coming soon!

Chicken Wire Earring Frame

2011-08-08T19:40:00.002-05:00

I've had this project in my head for a while now, okay several years now. I don't own a jewelry box of any sort, so my earrings currently reside in a large cardboard jewelry box- you know the kind that a nice pair of earrings or a necklace comes in from the jeweler. They'd get tangled and I never knew what all of my options were. Since I'm trying to keep busy lately, I decided today was the day to finally just do this project.

I headed to a local thrift/antique store and bought a large frame without glass. It was sloppily painted white, so I came home and gave it a few more coats of white and topped it with a pearl finish.

Once it dried, I measured the opening, and cut some chicken wire [I bought mine at my local Home Depot. It's back with the fencing materials in the lumber section, but you can always ask an associate for help finding it.] about an inch bigger on each side. Then I used my staple gun and stapled it to the back of the frame. I didn't take a picture of this next step, but because the edges of the wire were scratchy and could scratch up my wall, I put some duct tape over the raw edges for some padding (I was going to hot glue some seam binding over the wire edge, but didn't have enough in the right color so I took the easy route with duct tape. I think eventually I'll take the tape off and do it right.)

Then I hung it on the wall. I just put a few nails in the wall and hung the chicken wire loops over each nail.

Then it was ready to get some earrings. After hanging them all up, I realized that my collection is pretty sad- looks like I need to do some shopping ;)

Finally, all of my dangling earrings are out where I can see them to quickly find a pair to match my outfit. I think I may get some S-hooks to hang up some bracelets, and I'm sure you could hang necklaces the same way too.

Bedtime Routine Canvas

2011-08-02T15:34:00.000-05:00

There was a little spot in the kids bathroom that kept asking for something to adorn it. So a few months back I made this bedtime routine canvas.

First, I painted the canvas black. When it was dry, I sponged the edges with gray to distress it a bit.

I cut out my letters using a Cricut, then glued them on the dried canvas.

Once done, I hung it on the wall and it completed the space nicely. And now my daughter has a little checklist to go through - she's got great teeth-brushing technique!

Grandma's 80th Quilt

2011-08-02T12:43:00.000-05:00

This past June, my maternal grandmother turned a beautiful 80 years young. My mom took part in organizing a party for her out in California. Part of the celebration was to be the presentation of a family heirloom quilt. Each descendent - child, grandchild, great-grandchild - contributed a square for the quilt. Then my mom pieced the quilt, had it quilted, then bound into one beautiful piece of art. One of the greatest parts was seeing the individuality of the squares. Some had pictures, some had patch-working, some had embroidery, some had drawings- together they made one unique quilt filled with the love of those who took time to show our mother/grandmother/great-grandmother our love for her.

Here are the squares that I made to represent our family:

For our family square I painted the shape of Texas. Then I cut little pieces of fabric to be our clothes, then I embroidered our bodies & our family name. For the 3 children's squares, I made a stencil and painted their silhouettes. Below each child's silhouette I embroidered their name and birthdate. (I blurred it for privacy.)

I wasn't able to be at the party when my mother presented the quilt to my grandmother, but I do have pictures. I love her facial expression as she lovingly touches the quilt.

I hope that every time she sees this quilt, she will know of the love her family has for her.

Happy 80th Birthday Grandma!

Spring Sewing

2011-06-02T10:00:00.003-05:00

I haven't been much at posting lately. Too many projects, too many favorites, too many pictures, and too little time to post any of it. So here are 3 of my favorite clothing projects that I've made for my daughter so far this Spring/Summer. Many more are in the making along with stacks of fabric just waiting to be made into something fun!

This one below, I made around Easter time. It was perfect for Easter egg hunts, though if any of you know my daughter well enough, know that she would have prefered the pants be a skirt instead.

I've made several skirts in the past few months and she is sure to wear them out. My girl can twirl in a skirt for hours on end. Here is one I made just yesterday. I'm loving the bow I attached at the waistline, and so does my daughter.

I always have a few unembellished shirts sitting in my craft closet just waiting for their chance to get stenciled, appliqued, or embellished in some manner. This one I made during naptime, and when my daughter woke up from her nap she ran in and put it on before I even told her about it. She has become accustomed to new creations waiting for her in the craft room when she wakes up from naps, and I love the challenge of creating something on a whim during that block of quiet time.

Now I'm off to imagine up my next project. I've recently been feeling the overwhelming desire to have a project going at all times because I know in a short couple of months my arms will be too full to craft everyday.

Father Son Ties & Matching Accessories

2011-06-01T09:40:00.001-05:00

Over a month ago, my two guys wore matching ties on Easter. I made the little one using my Toddler Tie Pattern, and the big one I made using the same technique, just on a much larger scale and without the neck strap. They sure did look handsome!

Us girls wanted in on the matching cuteness, so I made my daughter a flower puff headband and myself a flower puff necklace out of the same fabric as the boys' ties.

I love that Easter was a great excuse to match my cuties!

Infant-Toddler Tie Patterns & Tutorial

2011-05-24T16:23:00.001-05:00

This has been a long time coming, and I am now excited to share with you my Toddler Tie Patterns & Tutorial!! I recently used my patterns and instructions to teach some ladies in my area at a Super Saturday crafting event, and their ties turned out so cute. It's fun to see the ties in all of the different fabrics that people choose, and even more fun to see the ties in action on their cute little boys!

All files are available for download as PDFs. This pattern is available in 4 different sizes:

Toddler Tie Instructions

The instructions go step-by-step and include pictures with each step. Hopefully this will make the process clean and easy. Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions for clarification.

As always, these patterns and instructions are copyright of Kinzie's Kreations. They are for PERSONAL use only. Do not reproduce this pattern or sell for profit. Do not sell products made using this pattern and tutorial. Thanks for your cooperation!

Enjoy!

Linked up to:

Infant Nylon Headband Tutorial PDF

2011-05-24T16:05:00.000-05:00

My Infant Nylon Headband Tutorial is now available for download as a PDF file. This allows you to download it and use it whenever you want, regardless of whether you are online or not. Click below to get your copy.

Infant Nylon Headband Tutorial

2011-05-21T20:56:00.000-05:00

Please bear with me as I upgrade my blog, photos, and account. In the meantime, many of my pictures and links may be down. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any questions regarding tutorials, downloads, etc. feel free to contact me via email: kinzieskreations(at)hotmail(dot)com

Infant Nylon Headbands {Tutorial}

2011-04-12T15:05:00.002-05:00

So my son has this cute friend. He is adorable and I think his parents should make 10 more just like him. As to the world's luck, his momma is pregnant with a little girl, coming in a few weeks. She claims she's new to the "girl" thing, but this momma is one of the cutest, most stylin' pregnant people I know (and she even offers to let me borrow her maternity clothes- lucky me!) and I know her daughter is going to be one well dressed little girl. So to initiate her into the world of baby girls, I made her a bow & headband holder and a few headbands and clips to go with it for her baby shower.

I think nylon headbands are the best option for babies. They aren't tight like some that leave indentions on your poor baby's head, and they are soft, not scratchy like some of the ribbon crochet ones. Rather than go out and spend around $5 a headband, I went back to my tried and true alternatives, and made her some myself. I've made them for several friends, and am finally getting around to a tutorial. There are probably a ton of tutorials out there, but this is how I made mine.

Nylon Headband Tutorial:

Needed:

Infant nylon tights-- I bought a 3-pack for around $3 and got white, pink, and black.

I used size 6-18 months tights. I would avoid the smallest size since they will be tighter once made up into a headband. One pair of tights will make 2 headbands, thus my 3-pack made 6 headbands.

Grosgrain ribbon-- I used 7/8 inch wide ribbon and used about 4 inches per headband. You can use anywhere from 1/2 inch - 1 inch wide ribbon.

Hot glue

Thread

Instructions:

1. Cut the leg just at the crotch line.

2. Cut the toe seam off.

Your nylon piece should now be a big tube.

3. Lengthwise, fold your tube in half then in half again, at both ends.

4. Overlap your two folded ends on top of each other and secure by stitching.

At this point, your headband will look something like this picture above.

5. Heat seal the end of your ribbon to prevent fraying. (Just grap a lighter and hold the ribbon to the flame for a second until it slightly melts.)

6. Hot glue the end of the ribbon to the middle of the stitched section.

7. Wrap your ribbon tightly around stitched section and hot glue.

It will now look like this, with the stitched, overlapped edges hidden by the ribbon.

8. Wrap ribbon around again, and cut ribbon to match where you first glued your ribbon (this will be the side against the baby's skin.) Heat seal this cut end, then apply glue and secure ribbon.

Your headband is now complete and the ribbon section will look like the above picture.

Below is a close-up of the ribbon from the side. The reason that you wrapped it around twice is so that you create a cleaner opening to insert your clips.

Now interchange all of those cute bows and flowers on your sweet baby girl!

If you use this tutorial, please leave a comment- I'd love to hear any questions and comments! Enjoy!!

He Is Risen - Easter Printable

2011-04-11T08:45:00.001-05:00

Happy Saturday y'all! I hope you've been enjoying your day as much as I have. Now that the kids are down for naps, and the hubs is out at the driving range (it must be Master's Week!) I am taking a little time to post. Easter is just around the corner, so here's a little free printable I've made for all of you. Choose from four colors, download, print, frame, and display- simple as that. Enjoy!

As always, remember that these images are created by me, and are my copyrighted property. Thus, these printables are for personal use only. Do not sell, redistribute or use for profit of any kind. Thanks!

Happy Easter!

Neglected

2011-03-31T10:36:00.000-05:00

My blog has been complaining of neglect. It's not that I don't care about it anymore, it's just that I've been busy, busy, busy. I have been crafting. In fact I've been sewing so much that there is thread coming out of my ears. The kids have new pajama pants, Kiera has a handful of new skirts, and a shirt, the craft room has new curtains, I've made a few throw pillows, and I've been working on some dresses for a bride-to-be. As if that's not enough, I have this list staring at me-

I have the fabric for most of these, but I have to finish the ones at the top of the list before I can get started on the others. Not only do I have this list, but I have a home project list too: put up moulding in craft room, build entry table (so those antique table legs I bought months ago don't get feeling neglected too), paint various rooms to get rid of random painted swatches, landscape the front flower bed, plant those beautiful flowers I bought last week . . . and half the time all I feel like doing is taking a nap.

So to my blog (and readers) sorry for the neglect, but posting pictures and writing up crafting posts is unfortunately, at the bottom of my list. When I get around to it, I'll try and catch you up on some fun tutorials and projects I've been working on. But I do warn, it could be months!

Lucky Art {Free Printable}

2011-03-07T13:50:00.001-06:00

Lucky You! I made a little St. Patrick's Day printable for you to download, print out, and display as you choose. It's sized to an 8x10 print, and I usually just print on regular cardstock on my home computer. Simple as that! Enjoy!

Just click on the picture to download your printable. I'd love to hear your comments and feel free to share pictures of your art in action!

LOVE Poster

2011-02-14T20:53:00.001-06:00

Lately, I've been adding a little yellow into my daughter's room (and all over the house for that matter.) I think I've been yearning for Spring and sunshine. I have a few other yellow projects in her room that I'll show once I take the time to photograph them. So for Valentines Day, I made my daughter this piece of art to hang in her room.

This frame is pretty big- the opening measures 20" x 28" I designed one digitally, but didn't want to have it printed on photo paper, and I didn't want to wait (or pay) to have it printed somewhere else. So I put my mind to work. I bought a sheet of white poster board. Cut out the L,V, and E out of contact paper, and stuck them on the poster board. Then I whipped out some yellow spray paint I already had and sprayed the paper until it was as yellow as I wanted it. I let it dry then peeled off the letters. Then, I cut out a heart from pink cardstock, stuck it on, then put the art in the frame. It looks so cheery to match the beautiful sunshine we had today!

Blog Background Design

2011-02-10T13:05:00.001-06:00

I don't know why, but when I figure out html code, it makes me so giddy. Recently I've figured out and become a bit obsessed with making blog backgrounds. Then I figured out how how to make the html code for you to add the backgrounds to your blog easily. So today I am announcing the newest part of Kinzie's Kreations: Blog Designs! Starting out there are just over 10 background designs, a few of which come in different color options. I've also linked up some of the buttons I've made in the past. Eventually I'm hoping to create some headers as well. So head on over and check it out. If you use one on your blog, I'd love for you to leave a comment below the design so I can see what people like. There is a new button on my right sidebar, so you can head there anytime. Enjoy!!

Handsome in a Toddler Tie

2011-01-31T11:20:00.001-06:00

About a year ago I made my bubs his first tie. He was so cute all dressed up with an itty bitty tie. Those first few ties usually ended up as something to suck on, and would become soaking wet by the end of the day. Now that he's a bit older, and past the I-stick-everything-in-my-mouth stage, I decided to make him some more. This time quite bigger. This tie turned out so cute, and he looked mighty handsome!

I know I said I was creating a tutorial in that post a year ago... we'll see if I can make one this time around.

That Calls for an Apron

2011-01-28T14:52:00.001-06:00

With all of the fun new recipes I've been trying out, it might be time to share some of the aprons I made last month. I made one for a lady who enlisted my help in creating a Christmas gift for her daughter-in-law. She was making her DIL a cookbook and wanted to give her an apron to go with it. I've only made a handful of aprons before, and didn't have a pattern for one. So what do I do in instances like that? Take something I have, lay it on top of my fabric, and use it as a pattern. My mom made me a really cute apron, and so I used it as my pattern. After making the first, I knew that a second one, using the same pattern would be perfect as a bridal shower gift for a friend. Thus these two cuties were created:

I love the flared ruffle at the bottom, the contrasting pocket and binding, and the fun fabric combinations. Wearing something cute makes being in the kitchen even more fun.

And in case you're stuck in a cooking rut, you might want to head over to one of my new favorite cooking blogs.

I think we may try their Chunky Monkey Pancakes for dinner or possibly some fresh blueberry pancakes since I just bought two big cartons... we'll see. Either way it will be YUMMY!

Cinnamon Rolls

2011-01-24T22:05:00.000-06:00

My hubs had been asking me to make some of my delicious homemade cinnamon rolls for a week or two, and I finally got around to making them this past weekend. Oh how glad I am that he asked me to make them, because I have been in heaven enjoying their deliciousness! A few friends have asked me to share the recipe, so here you go:

I halved my original recipe because it makes a ton. This halved version made 16 huge cinnamon rolls filling both a 9x13 and an 8x8 inch dish.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

1 1/2 T yeast
1/3 c. warm water
Dash of sugar

Combine the ingredients above in your mixing bowl and let proof for approx. 15 minutes until puffy.

Add:
2 c. milk
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 T salt
1 T lemon juice (I used fresh squeezed orange juice since I planned on making an orange frosting.)

-I then switched to a kneading hook on my KitchenAid before adding the flour. Add flour a cup at a time until the dough sticks together forming a ball and no longer sticks to the bowl. Don't add too much flour or your rolls will be tough instead of fluffy. I'm sorry I didn't keep track as a added, but I think it was somewhere around 4 cups, but I could be off.
-Cover bowl with tea towel or greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until dough has doubled in size.
-When dough has doubled, flour your surface, and place dough in center. Knead 4-5 times, and roll out into a long rectangle.

-Melt butter and spread on top of dough. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on top of melted butter. (I even grated some orange peel in there.)
-Roll up into a long roll. Cut into 16 rolls, about 2 inches thick.
-Grease pan and place rolls into pan squishing each roll down just a bit. Cover again and let rise for 30-60 minutes (however big and fluffy you want them to be)
-Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until lightly browned and no longer doughy.

Cream Cheese Orange Frosting

With electric beaters, mix 2 1/2 T cream cheese, 2-4 cups powdered sugar, 1-2 tsp. orange juice, and grated peel of one orange. Mix until smooth. I give ranges on each of these because I just added a bit at a time to taste. It's even better the next day because the orange peel gets more infused into the frosting- DELISH!

Now slather that frosting on your warm cinnamon roll and savor or devour each delicious bite!

LOVE Valentines Art Print

2011-01-21T15:09:00.001-06:00

We put up Valentines decorations on the 10th. My daughter had been asking about Valentines Day, so we decided to put up the fun a little early and enjoy it longer than a mere 14 days. Being in the Valentines lovey mood, I created this fun little 8x10 printable. For now it's $1.40 ...get it, like the 14th of February! I know, I'm so clever. Click Buy Now in the left sidebar, be sure to enter your email address, and your high resolution print will be sent on it's way to your email inbox for you to print from home or send to your favorite photo printer!

Yummy Recipe & Freebie

2010-12-20T09:23:00.002-06:00

I found this yummy and super easy treat recipe the other day and we've already made it three times! It's a fun one for the kiddos to help with and my little munchkin loved unwrapping kisses then later pressing m&m's into the melted chocolate. It's a Pretzel M&M Kisses (or Hugs) combo that I found on TaDa! Creations

We couldn't find the ring pretzels, but found the window shaped ones, and I actually like having more pretzel base to add a salty crunch- yum! These are a fun addition to Christmas goodie plates, or put a bunch in a bag and tie with one of the Christmas Gift Tags that you can download for free!

(These images below are low res copies, the ones you'll download are high res PDFs)

Just click on the design you like to download the PDF, then print out as many as you'd like for goodie plates, Christmas presents, or whatever else you're giving this holiday season.

Snowflake Shirt Stencil

2010-12-15T07:20:00.000-06:00

When I'm at a store and find plain t-shirts, (a pet peeve of mine is that you can hardly find a child's shirt without some crazy graphic on it, or even a simple graphic on it... I'm talking plain, solid, no embellishment shirts) I buy a couple because I never know when I might want to bust out a little craft project, and embellish it myself.

About a month ago, I had one of these urges. So I pulled out one of the plain, white, long-sleeved shirts I bought at Walmart (for $3.50!) Here's what I did.

1. Printed out a snowflake design onto the paper side of freezer paper. Just cut your freezer paper down to a standard paper size and run it through your printer as you would plain paper.

2. Using an exacto knife, I cut out the snowflake, being sure to keep the little circles and pieces.

3. Then, I iron my freezer paper onto my shirt with the waxy side down. Iron long enough that the wax melts and makes the paper stick to your fabric.

4. Paint your stencil. I just used regular craft paint. I love using the fabric paint because it washes up nice and soft, but if you don't have any on hand you can always use regular craft paint. It isn't as soft, and it may crack, but I don't mind the look it creates.

I did a layer of creamy beige, and then a layer of pearl finish to give it sparkle.

And a close up of it painted.

5. Wait for it to dry. I always get excited to see the results and peel it off before it's entirely dry, and it doesn't seem to hurt- just peel off slowly.

6. Once completely dry, no rushing it on this step, heat set your paint by pressing with a warm iron for 30 seconds over each portion. If you are afraid of paint transfer, use a pressing cloth in between painted design and iron.

The results:

We love this shirt because it's cute, yet neutral enough to wear with a lot of different things. Plus it works great as a layering shirt too. This is our little way of bringing a little snow to Texas!

Nativity Free Printable

2010-12-09T11:13:00.001-06:00

I just printed out my beautiful subway art from eighteen25 (one of my favorite blogs!)

It looks great on my mantel. However, it left the mantel feeling a little lopsided. So I created this little Nativity Silhouette to frame on the other side. Why I was at it, I created it in several different colors to match your own holiday decor. So click on the color you like to get your free download.

I'd love to hear your comments on how you're using yours!

Merry Christmas!

Advent Activity #1: Ornaments

2010-12-01T17:41:00.000-06:00

It's the first day of December so we got to pick out our first activity in the advent calendar. After featuring all of those fun advent calendars, I was itching to make a new one. But alas, I got busy with other projects, and our one I made three years ago was still cute enough :)

Tonight for activity #1, we are decorating ornaments. Last year we made our ornaments with a salt dough recipe. This year, I followed the same technique for making my pumpkin garland using oven-bake clay, and cut out some Christmas shapes. My daughter claimed the snowman already because she wishes she could have snow here in Texas.

What are you doing to kick off December?

DIY: Flower Roundup

2010-11-22T09:30:00.001-06:00

After creating my wreath, I had flowers on the brain. I thought it might be fun to do a flower tutorial roundup for those of you creating a wreath, making a headband or hairclip, embellishing a bag or pillow, making a brooch, or making one of the many infinite projects that may require a flower of sorts! Here are some of the best I've found!

I Am Momma- Hear Me Roar's Felt Flower

Little Birdie Secrets' Fabric Rosette

Betz White's Felted Brooch

MiaMoo Designs' Felt Flower

Not Martha's (via Holidash) Felt Dahlia Flower

Lorajean's Magazine's Glitter Felt Flower

The Purl Bee's Rose Barrettes

Little Miss Momma's Scrunched Fabric Flower

Creative Jewish Mom's Mixed Bouquet

Mrs Priss' Dainty Flowers

Reese Dixon's Organza Flower

Have a favorite that hasn't been mentioned, feel free to leave a comment with the link!

DIY: Wreath Roundup

2010-11-18T08:30:00.001-06:00

Cranberry Wreath

Want to make this beautiful cranberry wreath? Learn how over at The Idea Room.

Yarn Wreath with Felt Flowers

The options are limitless with this fun wreath. Use different colors of yarn and felt to make it for the various holidays! Learn how to make it at Take Heart.

Coffee Filter Wreath

This wreath is reminiscent of the book pages wreath, but uses a different material- coffee filters! You can make it with either white or natural colored coffee filters. Head on over to Polly Want a Crafter to find out how.

D.I.Y Pom Pom Wreath

The funky pom pom wreath is all the rage lately. It may take some time, but the results are so fun! Head on over to Bleubird for the tutorial.

Ballard Inspired Alphabet Wreath

What a fun way to use your monogram for the holidays. Head to Decor Chick to learn how to make your own alphabet wreath.

Holiday Yarn Wreath

If you're a knitter, crocheter, or crafter in general, this yarn ball wreath is perfect for you. Recaptured Charm shows you now to make your very own, no knitting needles required!

BUY: Advent Calendars Roundup

2010-11-17T08:00:00.001-06:00

So maybe you saw all of the fun DIY advent calendars and realized you don't have time or just don't want to make you own. Don't worry, there are a gazillion advent calendars out there to choose from and buy. I did the work for you and found some of the cutest on Etsy. Happy Holiday Shopping!

Magic Forest Advent Calendar

available at Dear Adam

Chocolates & Peppermints Candy Advent Calendar

available at Miette Shop

Candycane Drawers Advent Calendar

available at Polka Stripe Studio

Magnetic Nativity Advent Calendar

available at Some Bright Ideas

Burlap Stockings Advent Calendar

available at The Rustic Boutique

Retro Boxes Advent Calendar

available at Sweet Petunias

Farmhouse Garland Advent Calendar Kit

available at Hello Magpie

DIY: Advent Calendars Roundup

2010-11-15T08:30:00.001-06:00

December is just a few weeks away. Half of that time is spent eating during Thanksgiving. So that means you need to get a head start on your holiday crafting. First thing to make is an advent calendar so that you are ready with it on December 1st! Here are a few fun ones to make, complete with tutorials! Happy Holiday Crafting!!

Advent Calendar Pockets

Find out how to make this cute pocket advent calendar over at allsorts.

Felt Circles Advent Calendar

Each day when you grab these cute felt circles, a yummy treat comes down with it. Learn how over at She Knits Shizknits.

Baby Socks Advent Garland

Gather holiday colored baby socks, hang them on a line, and fill with goodies. Head on over to Martha Stewart to make your own.

Little Birdie Advent Calendar

How can you go wrong with these cute little birdies? Make your own flock with Skip to my Lou.

Simple Spool Advent Calendar

I love vintage wooden spools. This one is so unique! Make your own over at Just Something I Made.

Embroidered Felt Advent Calendar

A pocket full of goodies everyday! Make your own with The Purl Bee.

DIY Pottery Barn Advent Calendar

Forget forkin' out the big bucks. Head on over to Bumblebee & Sophie to make yours custom and on the cheap.

Thanksgiving Craft Roundup

2010-11-10T09:00:00.005-06:00

Oreo Cookie Turkeys

Wondering what to do with your leftover Halloween Candy Corn? I know I am. Head on over to The Idea Room to make these adorable Oreo Turkeys!

Thanksgiving Banner

Want to add some fun to your fall mantel or home decor? Leslie's Life gives you the FREE downloads and instructions on how to make this cute banner.

Give Thanks Banner

Here is another adorable banner. I am loving the shape of these cards! Head on over to At Second Street for your free banner printable.

Thanksgiving Subway Art

Even without vinyl, you can create and enjoy some cute subway art. Craftily Ever After provides us with this free (and adorable) printable!

Framed Pumpkin Patch

See this cute fall craft, and many more over on Embellishing Life.

Cards in Etsy & Coupon Deal!

2010-11-09T14:29:00.004-06:00

I have finally gotten around to adding some of the Christmas cards to my Etsy Shop. I only have a few listed, so send me a message to get the one you want listed, as I do take orders through email.

To kick off the Christmas Card season, I've decided to run another deal. The Fall Seasonal prints deals went pretty good, so we're doing it again. So if you're planning on ordering a card and want it at a discounted rate, pay attention.

Here's what to do:

1. Post a link to my etsy (http://txnmomma.etsy.com/) or my blog shop (http://kinzieskreations-shopping.blogspot.com/) on your facebook, or do a post on your blog including a link to either my etsy shop or blog shop.

2. Come back here and leave a comment on this post (or send me an email), telling me what you've done with a link so I can check it. Include your email address in the comment.

3. I will then send you a coupon code for 20% off any holiday card.

4. Head to my Etsy shop and choose your card or view the options on my Blog Shop, then enter the coupon code during checkout and you will receive a revised invoice for the discounted price. -OR- Email me at kinzieskreations [at] hotmail [dot] com with your order details and coupon code, and I will send you an invoice for the discounted price to be paid via check or paypal.

***

This deal will run for 10 days only- November 9th through November 19th midnight CST. So you must post this on Facebook or your blog by then!!

Newest Christmas Card

2010-11-04T11:25:00.001-05:00

With my little bubs being sick all night, I knew I wasn't going to get much sleep. So while he was in and out of restless sleep, I created this little number (notice a color theme going on with this card and the one in the post below... I think I have an obsession with those three colors together.) But it is available in two other colorways here. Make sure to scroll through and see all of the Christmas card options.

Holly Jolly Christmas Card- $12

Find out how to order a Christmas card, as well as additional information HERE.

Christmas Cards Preview!!

2010-11-02T10:04:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to share with you the fun I have been having creating some Christmas Cards. I have several completed and some more in the works. To see a few that I've finished, head on over to the shopping blog. If you are interested in ordering make sure to read the informational post as well. They aren't currently posted to my Etsy, so if you are ready to order now, please send me an email: kinzieskreations@hotmail.com

Give Thanks button

2010-11-01T08:30:00.002-05:00

Halloween has come and gone, that means it's time to get in the spirit of Thankgiving. Make your blog festive too, with my latest button.

To add a button to your blog:

1. copy the text code below the button

2. go to your blog and "add a gadget"

3. select the "HTML/JavaScript" gadget

4. paste code in the box & save

5. ta-da you've got my button!

Button

2010-10-30T22:00:00.002-05:00

Here is my new blog button.

Feel free to add it to your blog!

To add a button to your blog:

1. copy the text code below the button

2. go to your blog and "add a gadget"

3. select the "HTML/JavaScript" gadget

4. paste code in box & save

5. ta-da you've got my button!

The Blog Guidebook

2010-10-30T21:36:00.000-05:00

After having a blog for quite some time now, so for you well informed/ well advertised bloggers, it may be surprising that I'm just now figuring out how to spread the word. Up until now, I've just run via word of mouth... no linky parties, no sponsering, no blog listing sites. My most recent discovery is The Blog Guidebook. I always love browsing crafty, mommy/homemaking advice, or other inspiring blogs. The Blog Guidebook has it all. If you are searching for a blog, you are sure to find several incredible blogs focused on any particular topic... another way for me to ~~waste time~~ be inspired on the computer! So if you're looking for some parenting advice, a craft project, couponing tips, or home design ideas, head to The Blog Guidebook, because they are sure to have what you are looking for!

Giant Ruler Growth Chart

2010-10-27T08:30:00.008-05:00

As a parent, it is so fun to see how your child is growing... though I often wish they would stop growing and stay little forever. Alas, they continue growing. So why not keep track and remember how little or big they are as they grow from a little infant to an independent child. There are so many growth charts out there. Many are really cute and unique, and you can find them to match practically any decor scheme. I however, wanted something simple, that wouldn't scream "child's growth chart!" So I set out to make one.

I went to a two stores, Home Depot & Michaels, and grabbed my supplies... thankfully those two stores are right next to each other.

Here's what you need:

3/4" x 10" x 6' wood board

Paint

1 pkg. black carpet tacks. They are about 3/4" tall and look like this:

Number stickers (mine are about 2" tall)

Scrapbooking tags (mine are circle tags with prepunched holes and sticky backs)

Ruler

Permanent marker

Instructions:

1. Paint your board and let it dry.

2. Distress your board (optional) I sanded the edges and then applied a brown watered-down paint to the exposed wood.

3. I wanted my chart to measure up to 6'6", so I started my markings at 6". Lay a measuring tape or ruler on your board and use a permanent marker to mark every inch. Make the foot markings larger.

4. Apply your number stickers next to your foot markings

5. Securely attach to your wall at the correct height from the floor. (ie. I started my board at 6", so I attached it to the wall 6" above the floor.) Make sure it is level and straight.

6. As your child grows write their name, age, and height on a tag, and attach to board using a carpet tack.

The best part is that you can take it with you if you move, without having to tear out a door frame!

Linking to:

Pumpkin (Choco-chip) Bread

2010-10-25T08:30:00.005-05:00

After searching 3 stores, I finally found canned pumpkin. So I bought 12 cans... I still don't think I have enough! Once we got home from the store, and the kids went down for naps, I decided to use up my first can and make pumpkin bread. Not just any pumpkin bread... pumpkin bread with chocolate chips in it. How can you go wrong with chocolate?!

(This is a mini loaf... your loaves will be much bigger. But bigger doesn't mean it will last much longer! This bread goes quick!)

Pumpkin Bread

1 (15-16 oz.) can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 2/3 cups sugar

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla

4 large eggs

3 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup - 1 cup chocolate chips (or nuts or raisins for a healthier version)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans (I used foil ones and it actually made two regular loaves plus one mini loaf.)

2. Mix canned pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs. Stir in remaining ingredients adding chocolate chips at the very end so that they don't get too crunched.

3. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place foil over the top if it starts to get too dark. Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan and continue to cool on wire rack. Slice once completely cool (or if you are like me, remove and cut immediately to enjoy your bread fresh and warm!)

Try this: After bread is completely cool, especially the next day, toast a slice and spread a little butter on it- YUM!

Ghostly Reflection

2010-10-21T14:53:00.000-05:00

My daughter likes ghosts. We have three ~~kinda tacky~~ festive trash bag ones hanging in our front yard. We made them and she loves looking out the windows at them blowing in the wind. Today she requested an inside ghost. Less than five minutes later she had her wish.

Can you spot our ghost friend?

All you have to do to have your own mirror/glass dwelling friend is grab some clean contact paper, cut your ghost shape, and stick him on.

Happy Haunting!

Tweet-Tweet

2010-10-21T12:37:00.000-05:00

I rejoined the Twitter world... come follow me to receive the latest updates!

Oh So Savvy Mom Giveaway

2010-10-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Amy, a college friend who has recently started an incredible blog: Oh So Savvy Mom is hosting a Kinzie's Kreations giveaway! So hop on over to check it out. While you're there take a look at all that she has to offer on her blog: reviews, giveaways, coupon/deal spotting, and plentiful information and discussions about a variety of topics that mommies all over care about.

Seasonal Prints SALE!!

2010-10-18T18:13:00.000-05:00

With just under 2 weeks left before Halloween, all of my Autumn seasonal prints will be on crazy sale!

This deal is only valid towards the following prints. If you see a print below, but don't see it in my shop, convo. me and I'll get one up for you!!

Tomorrow is Tuesday so this deal starts tomorrow!! Hurry and get them while their cheap!

Pumpkin Garland

2010-10-14T12:16:00.001-05:00

I love this time of year. The weather is perfect, the windows are open, and pumpkins are everywhere. When we got around to decorating for autumn, I could only pull out a handful of pieces... I guess we just don't have much autumn decor. Not wanting to spend much money (I have a big project list that I'd rather spend money on) I decided to make a quick mantel garland. After falling totally in love with Sweet Something Designs' Maple Leaf Garland, I decided to make my own version using a different method. I still suggest heading on over to her blog to see how she made her beautiful version.

Pumpkin Garland

Oven bake clay (I bought the cheap stuff at walmart)

Pumpkin or other autumn themed cookie cutter (I think bats or ghosts would be really cute! I chose pumpkins so that I could use it on into November too)

Drinking straw

Jute

1. Knead your clay until it is soft a pliable.
2. Roll it out to about 1/4 inch thickness.

3. Using your cookie cutter, punch out as many of your shape as you can fit.

4. Using a straw, punch out holes to thread your jute through later.

5. Smooth rough edges with your finger and place them on a baking sheet.
6. Bake according to package instructions to make them hard.

7. You can paint them different colors if you want, or you can just apply a coat of sealant. I didn't do anything, I left them as is, but I think it could be cool to distress with a brown glaze. Some other options could be to add texture before you bake it. Think of the possibilities!
8. String them on some jute rope and hang for all to see!

(okay, so mine kind of look like sand dollars... at least I like the look of sand dollars...)

The best part is that this project takes very little materials, time, and clean-up and your options are limitless!

200+ Downloads

2010-10-13T16:14:00.000-05:00

At over 200 downloads, this BOOED printable has raced into the lead with the LadyBug invites behind in second place with over 140 downloads. If you haven't done so, go ahead and download your YOU'VE BEEN BOOED flier and spread some October love!

Newbies

2010-10-13T11:24:00.000-05:00

Check out the newest Kreations on my shop listing blog... soon to be posted on Etsy. Just been having a little fun playing. Hope you like them!

I'm Back!

2010-10-12T08:07:00.000-05:00

I'm back from vacation in paradise. Have been for a couple of days now... still haven't done the laundry. Nonetheless, the etsy shop is reopened! I have a few more fun prints headed your way... that is as soon as I finish all of this laundry!! For now there are still lots of fun alphabet silhouette prints available. The ones below remind me of how badly I miss our trip already.

Halloween Rewind

2010-10-01T09:00:00.003-05:00

I'll be M.I.A. for the next week, so to help you get ready for October and Halloween, check out my past Halloween/Fall posts.

Halloween

We especially enjoyed making Pumpkin Sandwiches, they were a huge hit!

And don't forget to spread the Halloween cheer, by downloading my You've Been BOOED flier!

Winners & Free Printable for All!

2010-09-27T09:00:00.002-05:00

First, thank-you to all who entered! It has been fun seeing what everyone likes best in the shop and I'm glad there are different things for everyone. Now on to the three winners! I used Random.org to generate our winners. They are:

Melissa P.

JamiLeigh

Amy (from Oh So Savvy Mom)

Congrats winners! Please contact me (kinzieskreations@hotmail.com) to let me know which art print you would like. Remember each listing on etsy has several print options in the additional photos- so check out all the possibilities! Or click on the Go Shopping button on the sidebar to view all art prints at once.

Now for those of you who didn't win, don't worry because I have a freebie for everyone! With October just a few days away, I thought I'd help everyone get in on the Halloween fun with this printable. If you've never participated in You've Been Booed, then now's your time to spread it to your neighbors and friends!

The file is sized to be printed on a standard sheet of 8.5x11 paper. Click on the link below to download (The image on this blog is a low resolution file, so make sure to download the real high res version that does not contain the watermark.)

You've Been Booed flier

Giveaway's Last Day

2010-09-25T12:17:00.000-05:00

Just a little reminder that today is your last day to enter the giveaway and win one of these, or many of the others available in the shop:

Happy Saturday everyone!!

Diaper Cake {with Tutorial}

2010-09-23T10:00:00.014-05:00

I have always wanted to make a diaper cake. They look so fun all loaded up with baby goodies. The problem is that I would always come up with something that the new mom would need for their boy or girl... a personalized onesie, a ruffled dress... But when it comes to the mom that already is stocked for both a boy and girl (because they already have one cute son, and one darling daughter) I figured the thing this momma really needed was diapers. Buying a package of diapers and sticking it in a gift bag is just not how I roll. So the time finally came for me to attempt my first diaper cake (and I was secretly grinning inside with excitement to go gather all of the cute things and put it all together.)

Come join me as I make my cake!

First, I gathered the following items:

This is for a medium sized, 3-tiered cake. If you want to make a smaller one, buy less; if you want to make a bigger one, buy more of each item.

1 package of size 1 diapers (50 count)
1 empty paper towel tube (half of a gift wrap tube works too)
a scrap piece of cardboard to make about a 12" circle (I cut mine out of another diaper box)
packing tape
spring form baking pans (optional but VERY helpful)
grosgrain ribbon
curly ribbon or string
1 flannel receiving blanket
baby goodies (I used 2 pairs of socks, 3 bibs, 2 rubber animals, 1 baby ball, and a bottle cleaner. Other ideas include teethers, rattles, bows, diaper cream, etc.)
roll of tulle

1. Cut 1/2" slits on one end of your cardboard tube

2. Bend slits out and center on cardboard circle. Using packing tape, secure tube to circle base.

3. Remove bottom of spring form pan and place it around your cardboard base. (This picture doesn't have the circle cut yet, I took this picture after finishing my first cake because I didn't take pictures of this step.)

4. Fold your receiving blanket to approximately match the height of your diapers. This doesn't have to be perfect. Wrap the blanket around your tube and use a pin to temporarily secure in place. This step helps add thickness to the first layer. If you want it wider, add a second blanket.

5. Take 25 of your diapers and fan them out around the blanket, using the pan to help you keep it circular and tight.

6. Tie your grosgrain ribbon tight around this layer of diapers. Remove pan.

7. Place a smaller spring form pan on top of this layer. Using 19 of your diapers, create a second layer fanning the diapers as you did in the first tier. Secure with grosgrain ribbon and remove pan.

8. Using the remaining 6 diapers, stand them up tall (you can do them on their side like the previous layers if you like that look better) and fan them around the remaining cardboard tube and tie with ribbon. It should now look like the picture above.

9. Now the fun part begins! Tuck in baby goodies around cake. Stick them in the ribbons, tie them on the extra length of grosgrain, or use curly ribbon or string to secure bulky items (if you look closely you can see it tied around the rubber animals.) I stuck a bottle cleaner in my cardboard tube to act as a cake topper.

10. If necessary, trim the cardboard base. Use the roll of tulle to wrap your cake- this helps keep everything together and even more secure.

11. Head to the baby shower and show off your Kreation!!

Now I excitedly await the arrival of this new boy into this sweet family! Congrats W family!

Baby Dresses in the Shop!

2010-09-20T12:42:00.001-05:00

I have a few baby dresses made and two are now in the shop! Go and check them out!

Strawberry Lemonade:

Chocolate Floral:

They are small and bitty with super cute ruffles, just perfect for your bitty bundle!

Art, Announcements, & Invites in the Shop (GIVEAWAY!)

2010-09-15T10:26:00.002-05:00

I've been keeping pretty busy with the computer lately, and have been creating a lot of fun new projects. Visit the shop to see just a few of the things I've been working on. You'll find lots of Alphabet Silhouette prints, Baby Announcements, and Birthday Invites. But best of all, because I'm so excited about all of these new things, I've decided to do a little giveaway!

There will not be one winner, or even two, but three, yes three winners! Each of the three winners will be able to to pick one art print from my shop- there are several inspirations sayings and silhouette prints to choose from. Be sure to check the extra pictures in each listing as you will see some other prints that aren't currenly listed in the shop.

Here's what you do to enter:

Visit the shop and let me know what's your favorite item, then come back and leave a comment telling me your name and which item you like best (don't worry you can change which one you want if you win). Make sure I have an email address to contact you with.

You can receive up to 3 extra entries by doing the following:

-Becoming a fan on facebook or leave a comment on facebook if you are already a fan (1 entry).

-Become a blog follower on the sidebar (1 entry).

-Blog about this giveaway on your blog - be sure to leave me a link to the post (1 entry).

Come back an make a seperate comment for each entry!

Giveaway runs through Saturday, September 25th at midnight CST. The 3 winners will be announced Monday, September 27th so be sure to check back!

{Giveaway is now closed! Thanks for all who entered.}

Fall & Halloween Printables [Now in the Shop!]

2010-09-11T12:35:00.001-05:00

Over the past few months I've been working on some fun digital projects. The first 10 of these are now available in my shop with TONS more to be listed soon.

Pass the word along to your friends, as there may be a giveaway in the near future!

Sunburst Mirror

2010-09-04T09:30:00.004-05:00

Once I finally found and completed our bedding ensemble, the next task was filling the space above our bed. We don't have a headboard as of yet, and I knew exactly what I wanted above the bed. So far, the rest of the items in our room are all square, and straight. So a sunburst or round mirror of sorts was what I envisioned. Everytime I found one I liked, I always reasoned with myself that it wasn't perfect for the price. Then I stumbled upon Sweet Something Designs tutorial for a sunburst mirror. It was destiny! I ran out the following morning to buy my supplies. I crafted during the kiddos naptime and after they went to bed at night I finished it up. In the morning I hung it on the wall and am in love. I'm not sure if I'm totally sold on the color, but that can easily be changed... however the room really needed something metallic so it really looks great.

So thank-you Michelle for filling the void with your crafty tutorial!

SUPER-KID!

2010-09-03T10:10:00.012-05:00

My cousin's son was having a party. We've been recently initiated into the world of boy-ness. So recently, that I haven't had much practice in creating gifts for little boys. I hardly ever just go to the store to get a gift, and since it was my cousin, there was no doing it the lazy way. So I went to my fabric shelf and had a looksee.

One of my daughter's favorite things to do while we're playing is to fly with her stomach on my legs, "Look Mommy, I'm not holding on!" Little broter is starting to find the joy in this too. Seeing my cuties soaring in the air was inspiration, and I knew what my fabric would be used for- a SUPER-KID cape!

When he pulled it out at the party, at first he wasn't quite sure what it was (he's three, can you blame him?) But once us big kids told him what it was, he wanted to put it on and have his mom fly him around. Then the other kids wanted their turns wearing it and flying. I think that's a good way to get a good arm workout. So there's my SUPER-KID cape, that also gives you a SUPER workout!

Hair Flowers

2010-09-02T09:07:00.003-05:00

My friend had her sweet baby girl. I went to one of my go to bow shops, and wanted to buy a bucket full of them for her. But alas, $4.99 for a flower and $2.99 for a little ribbon bow seemed a bit absurd especially since I wanted to get her stocked on lots of colors. So, as is my motto, I decided to DIM (do.it.myself.) The kiddos and I got back in the car (not an easy task) and headed to the trusty HL(Hobby Lobby.) In the end I turned out these:

And because my daughter would hardly loosen her grip on the flower, I told her if she was good, I'd make some for her. I made multiples of some of the colors- so, a few for the new baby, and a couple for the big girl.

Oh, and did I mention that the headbands were $2.99 also, but I made 6 for $3... 50 cents each! Score!

Best part of all of this, is that I made them for super cheap in hardly any time at all (and in my opinion, they look better than the $4.99 ones!)

So here's to putting a huge flower (that's practically the size of the baby's head) smack dab on that girly girl's head!

Babies!

2010-08-25T20:30:00.001-05:00

It's baby season! But when isn't it baby season? These babies have been keeping me busy, and I love being busy making cute baby things. Two of my friends are having girls, and here are the gifts I made for them.

This set was made for a friend I've know since high school. Her daughter is due in a month, and will be her first born in Texas. She'll be one cute Texan!!

This next creation is for one of my great friends. She threw my baby shower for me a year ago, and now she is having a sweet baby girl (literally right now baby L is making her debut, if not already!!) It is her first girl, and I had to go all out. I sketched up this adorable dress, and it came out even cuter than I imagined- I'm a sucker for ruffles. After making it, I was tempted to keep it for myself because it was so darn cute! I had to make a matching hair goodie, because a girl's just gotta have some hair accessories!

Oh, and I almost forgot, I topped this off with two matching burp cloths! Got to be styling even during those icky moments.

Now I can't wait to see and hold these two sweet baby girls!

Digital Art in My Etsy Shop

2010-08-23T08:50:00.000-05:00

Check out the newest addition to my shop: 1st Year Monthly Photo Cards. My little guy just turned a year, and the collage of his 12 photos is so fascinating to look at.

Now you can have your very own photo cards for your growing bundle. They are at a special introductory rate, and print yourself, so you can have them right away! Here is what the bright colorway looks like:

They are available in four differnt colorways. Go check 'em out!

Couch Pillows turned Floor Cushions

2010-08-17T08:20:00.000-05:00

When you buy a couch, you often get a bunch of coordinating throw pillows. I don't really like to use the term "coordinating" when it comes to these freebie pillows, because they often have a random pattern on the back. Such was the case with our throw pillows. We bought a brown couch, and the pillows that came with it were these beauties:

Okay, maybe the stripes are fine, and in fact the colors aren't horrible, they just aren't my color scheme. Another thing is that I much prefer a down pillow insert. These babies were stuffed with fiberfill fluff, so they're shapes weren't too fab. So, what is one to do with these big pillows that take up tons of room? There were four big, fluffy, uncoordinating pillows just sitting there taking up space.

I've been wanting some floor poufs for the playroom for a while now. I had considered these Land of Nod cushions, but then it came to me... two of these big fluffy throw pillows stack up to be kind of like a floor cushion. I unzipped the pillow covers (Freecycled the pillow covers) and found that the fluff was free flowing, and not in a pillow form. This would be perfect for removing and filling my own pillow pouf. From four pillows I made these:

The kids absolutely love them. My almost-one-year-old loves wrestling them and attempting to pull them around. They even make good bowling balls to rolls across the floor (and they may or may not knock over three-year-olds!) That same three year old sits on them to read books, pulls them up to a chair and uses them as a foot rest, and I myself use them as a back/neck rest when we are playing or reading.

I bought my heavy weight decorator fabric from Calico Corners for $2.99/yd. I bought 2 yards and made 2 cushions with enough left over for a throw pillow. So $2.99 for the fabric + 2 free pillows worth of stuffing = $2.99 per cushion. I'd say that's pretty darn good compared to the alternative price.

Here's the basics on how I did it.

Materials:

2 yards of home decor fabric it is usually wider at 60 inches or so (you need the length of two yards to get the full circumference of the pillows.)

Tinsy bit of contrasting fabric for pull handles (optional)

Fiberfill

Brief instructions per pillow:

I didn't take pictures as I went because I wasn't sure if it was going to work.

1. Make a 21" circle pattern for the cushion top and bottom. I used freezer paper taped together for mine.

2. Cut out one long rectangle measuring 10.5" x 66"

* make sure the layout of the large rectangles and the circles lays out to allow for each piece. I cut my two rectangles (for two pillows, if you're making one, you only need one rectangle) along the selvedge down the length of my two yards. Then the circles were staggered on the remaining fabric.

3. Cut two 21" circles per pillow.

4. Cut one 4" x 8.5" rectangle for pull strap or constrasting fabric or same fabric.

Very brief sewing instructions:

1. To create strap, sew 1/2" down length of small 4" x 8.5" rectangle with right sides together. Press seam open and sew down only one end. Turn right side out and fold under open edge. Pin to middle of 10.5" x 66" circle and sew both ends securely to fabric.

2. Fold under one short end of large rectangle and sew rectangle to circle circumference edge with right sides together using a 1/2" seam allowance. Overlapping ends at the end. Strengthen seam by sewing again around circle 1/8" from previous seam

3. Sew overlapped rectangle ends together using a double top-stitch.

4. Sew other side of rectangle to the other circle using a 1/2" seam allowance, leaving an opening to turn and stuff. Strengthen seam and sew around circle again. Backstitching at beginning and end.

5. Flip right side out, and stuff until full and firm

6. Handstitch the opening closed.

Enjoy!

Jonathan Adler Rugs

2010-08-13T20:25:00.000-05:00

If you haven't heard, Jonathan Adler rugs are 20% off until August 15th. That includes custom designed rugs. Here are a few I created...

for my daughter...

for my son...

for fun...

Head on over before time runs out!

Cupcake

2010-08-04T10:41:00.000-05:00

This is a little random project that I wanted to post just because it's cute. My sister challenged me to make a cute cupcake pincushion and this is what I made.

My daughter now wants to claim it for her play cooking stash.

For now, it's sitting in my sewing room, collecting pins. It makes sewing that much more fun when you have a cute pincushion beside you.

Sis, I'll bake you another tasty one and send it your way!

Printing on Fabric

2010-08-03T09:00:00.003-05:00

Did you know that you can print on your own fabric without buying those expensive packages of printable fabric from the store?

I made this project a year ago and found it in my files the other day so I wanted to share this simple tip with you.

I wanted to have some words on fabric to make a pillow for my daughter, but I didn't want to have to stencil or anything. I wanted quick, easy and simple. Here's how I did it:

Materials:
Freezer paper
Lightweight fabric

Instructions:
1. cut your freezer paper to an 8 1/2" x 11" size (yes, just like a standard sized sheet of paper.)
2. iron your freezer paper to the wrong side of your fabric, with the waxy side of your freezer paper facing down. about 30 seconds on all areas of your freezer paper or until the waxy side has melted and adhered to your fabric.
3. cut your fabric down to the size of your freezer paper.
4. feed your freezer papered fabric into your printed and print as normal.
5. after done printing, let it sit to dry for a few minutes.
6. heat set your ink with a hot, dry iron- no steam.
* your printed fabric may be affected by water, so don't get it wet or the ink may run.

Lemons Part II

2010-08-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

After making lemonade you will have a pile of lemon peels staring you in the face just begging to be used. Every morning for breakfast I eat a yogurt parfait. I was putting my parfait together with those lemons staring me in the face. So what did I do? Pulled out my grater/zester. The result was DELICIOUS and so fresh and refreshing!

Strawberry Lemonade Yogurt Parfait:

1 individual strawberry yogurt
1/2-1 cup fresh cut strawberries
1/2-1 cup granola
lemon peel zest

Layer strawberries, yogurt, granola, and sprinkle some lemon zest then do another set of layers until you've used all of your ingredients. I always end up mixing it all together so that the granola gets a good coating of yogurt. This works really well with the lemon zest because it mixes throughout the whole bowl and tastes perfect! Enjoy!

When Life Hands You Lemons...

2010-07-30T10:00:00.003-05:00

It's summertime and lemons seem like the perfect summer taste. I bought a big bag of lemons and have been using them all over the place.

But the first and most obvious thing we made was LEMONADE! YUM!

Homemade Lemonade

Mix together the following ingredients:

1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
4 cups of water
1/2 cup sugar

You can play with the proportions until it's just how you like it! We've been gulping this stuff down faster that we can squeeze those lemons- it's the perfect summer heat refreshment!

The Birthday Dress

2010-07-29T10:00:00.002-05:00

Being birthday time, that meant this momma needed to make a special birthday dress for our little lady. She has so much pink and purple in her wardrobe and life, that I felt the urge to swtich things up a little. So I found the green fabric and decided to combine it with some black and white prints. I drew out how I envisioned the dress on paper. I got a dress from her closet that currently fits her great, and used that to check measurements as I created the pattern. This is the end result:

It turned out exactly as I envisioned!

The skirt was so full and perfect for twirling- my daughter's favorite thing to do in dresses!

Ruffles and girls go perfectly together, and our little lady loves a bit of ruffles! She looked so cute on her birthday!

Ladybug Party: Printables

2010-07-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

I love a reason to create something digitally. I do plenty of sewing, but making something playful and unique without using up tangible resources is always fun. So for my daughter's birthday I had the perfect excuse to create an invite and some other printables. You are the lucky beneficiaries of my after-the-kids-go-to-bed digital creations!

I created a page of punchables that you can use as cupcake toppers, favor tags, or whatever else you can think of.

Ladybug Punchable Printable

After designing my daughter's invitation, I just altered it slightly to make it usable by all of you.

They are sized to be printed as a 5x7 image size. I made a generic one for any age, as well as customized invites for ages 1 year through 5 years. You can just add the party specifics, and even a photo of your cutie, in the empty fields.

**As a reminder, these printables are copyright and property of Kinzie's Kreations. These are for private, personal use only. Do not use for commercial use. Do not sell these files or printed creations.**

If you do end up using any of these, I would love to see how you use them. Feel free to email me pictures to be featured on this blog! ENJOY!

Ladybug Party: Cake

2010-07-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

I've never been an adventurous cake maker. I've made a few cupcakes in my day, but never a full on cake. To be honest, I've never really liked cake. In fact, every year for my birthday I always have cheesecake in lieu of the traditional birthday cake. One of my daughter's biggest requests for her birthday was a strawberry cake, so I decided to get a little creative with her cake. My sister helped me bake up a bunch of cakes in different sizes, plus a bunch of mini cupcakes to use up the left over batter. After baking, mixing up some fluffy frosting, and decorating, I created my first birthday cake and was so excited for my daughter to see it.

She loved it! I asked her what part she wanted to eat and she was happy to claim the head!

We can't forget about the mini cupcakes. They were the perfect size to pop in your mouth (maybe too perfectly sized because I may have eaten one-too-many!)

How I made the ladybug dome cake:

Generously grease and flour a pyrex glass bowl. Fill with about 3 inches of cake batter (we made strawberry cake for ours.) Bake until done- sorry I can't remember how long it took. Just bake it similar to how long you would bake an 8-9 inch cake round adding as much time as you need so that the center is cooked. If you need, put tin foil over the top to prevent burning.

You will also need one larger cake for the base. We used about a 12 inch round, but you could use a rectangle as well. For the head we used a cupcake and shaved off the bottom edge at an angle and around the edges to make it nice and round.

How to assemble and decorate:

1. Place base cake on cake stand or serving platter and frost with green frosting. Don't worry about getting it smooth because you then texturize by patting the entire cake with your spatula.

2. Frost large domed cake for ladybugs back. I did the red first and then filled in the small area with black. Then add your black spots on the red.

3. Carve your cupcake and place it on the base cake and leaning of the ladybug's back. Frost with black frosting. Use white frosting for eyes, add a round sprinkle on each eye. We used pull-and-peel red licorice for the mouth. We wanted to use black shoestring licorice for the antenna but couldn't find any and ended up using a black pipe cleaner instead. If you have time to let some of the red pull-and-peel dry out a bit, you could use those for the antenna.

Ladybug Party: Tutu

2010-07-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

My daughter's third birthday party theme was ladybugs. Lately, she's been a bug lover, so lady bugs seemed befitting for our little lady. And what does every little lady need on their birthday? A tutu of course! I made this simple tutu spending very little money (mine cost around $6) and very little time- perfect when you have lots to do!

Front:

Back:

Just in case you wanted instructions here they are. Sorry that I didn't take pictures because I wasn't thinking about giving instructions.

Materials:
4 yards of red tulle
2 yards of black tulle
1/2 inch elastic
red thread
ribbon

Instructions:

1. align the selvedge edges and cut your 4 yards of red tulle in half to make 2 two-yard pieces. Stack the two sections on top of each other and then on top of the black tulle. All layers should still be folded and 2 yards wide. Pin the layers together around the edges to keep them aligned and neat.

2. Cut along all of the folds so that each layers is now it's own piece and not connected with a fold. With black tulle layers on top of stack (or in whichever stacking order you want), fold in half lengthwise (black tulle will be sandwiched in between several layers of red.) Pin along the fold to hold all of the layers together.

3. Set your sewing machine to a short stitch length. Sew close to the folded edge (about 1/8th to 1/4th of an inch away from edge.) Now sew another line 5/8 of an inch away from that first seam. Be sure to backstitch.

4. Now that it's sewn you can remove all pins. Lay out and trim to make all the layers even on bottom edge and two side edges. (Or you can just leave it for a more wild look.)

5. Feed elastic through the casing you created. Adjust elastic to fit the child around their waste. Secure elastic by sewing across both ends.

6. Cut 2 pieces of ribbon 20 inches long each piece. Heat seal the ribbon edges to prevent fraying. Sew the end of each ribbon piece to the casing edges over where you sewed the elastic in. DONE!
Now tie it on your child and twirl the day away!

Freedom Free Printable!

2010-07-02T08:21:00.001-05:00

Happy Fourth of July weekend to you all! I hope you have some fun plans to enjoy this weekend with family and friends. In the spirit of Freedom, and to help get the party started, I've created a printable for you guys! Just download and print, then punch with a scalloped cutter or cut out and use as cupcake toppers, goodie plate cards, or whatever else you can imagine!

Have fun celebrating our nation's independence!

Wedding Workings: Dressed Up - Update

2010-06-02T09:20:00.000-05:00

I got some pictures of the kiddos in their wedding duds. I thought you'd enjoy seeing the outfits on cute kids more than on a hanger! We really did have so much fun celebrating my sister's big day and partying in up!

I kinda wish there were more occasions where the bubs could wear bowties, cuz he looked mighty handsome!

Wedding Workings: Dressed Up

2010-05-18T08:59:00.000-05:00

When searching for the perfect children's outfits for the big wedding day, I knew I would never find them in a store. So, I did what I always do in situations like that... do it myself. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to find fabric in the right color, but I walked into the fabric store and the perfect color was available in a variety of dressy fabrics. After dreaming up a dress style and pattern I knew I wanted a pretty sash with the dress. To save myself time and any stress I decided to enlist the help of the Etsy shop Beadle-Bop to make the sash for me. The end results were just as envisioned.

Now that big sister had an outfit, we couldn't leave little brother out. So using some of the same bodice fabric, I created a handsome little bowtie for my little man.

The results were to-die-for! My kiddos enjoyed struttin their stuff and big sister enjoyed getting her groove on and twirling in her dress on the dance floor! Cute outfits for a fabulous day and lively party!!

Wedding Workings: Mossy

2010-05-15T09:00:00.001-05:00

Glass, champagne picture frames, apothecary jars, and moss = a perfect combination if you ask me. I had seen some moss covered letters somewhere and thought that they would be perfect for the wedding. I bought paper mache letters and moss cloth from JoAnn.

Moss cloth can be pricey so make sure to use a coupon. One package of moss cloth covered the entire 12" letter with some to spare. You will also need mod podge (or other adhesive/glue), hot glue, and scissors.

Here are some brief instructions:

1. Cover your work area with plastic, this project is very messy.

2. Paint front of letter with mod podge and stick in the center on the back of the moss cloth. Use hot glue to secure all edges of the front of the letter.

3. Slowly work your way around the letter (like wrapping a tricky present). Brush on some mod podge, line edges of letter with hot glue, and stick.

*If some places are tricky, just use trimmings to patch in holes. I also used some of the fluffy debris to blend moss seams to make the letter look seamless, just put a little bit of mod podge and then sprinkle the moss over it.

The end result looked like this:

The texture is really cool...

We hung these from shepherd hooks at the entrance of the building. Another personalized touch for a beautiful reception.