Pencil Pens

For those of you who don't know, my brother is hilarious

When he was 5 he made a magic carpet

by tying a piece of paper to the ground above the heater

When he was 10 he created a whole game

out of finding used staples underneath bulletin boards

And now at 15, he sent me out the most awesome Christmas gift.

Check these out!

The Pencil Pen

It's made from Staedtler Fimo Soft Polymer Clay and baked in a conventional oven (after taking out the ink tube of course...)

Don't you wish you had a brother as cute and creative as mine?

Tiny Crocheted Bows

My husband's first reaction to my hair bows...

"Why did you crochet a bone for your hair?"

Oh boys...when will you learn!

Crocheted Bow (or Bone) Pattern

Materials: 

Any kind of yarn

J hook (because that's my favorite one...)

Instructions: 

First Row: Ch 10, turn and dc into 2nd ch from hook, dc into remaining ch stitches to the end of the row. Turn

Second Row: Ch 2, hdc across the whole row. Turn

Third Row: Ch 2, hdc across the whole row. 

Finishing: sl st around the entire perimeter of the bow. This will give it a rounded "finished look"

Bow Center: Chain 6, hdc into 2nd ch from hook. Continue to hdc into the remaining stitches. Finish with a sl st

Putting it together: Stitch together (or hot glue...because I have no patience) and finish with an alligator clip

Hair Rosette Tutorial

Have you ever wondered how to make these fabulously cute 

Hair Rosettes that everyone is wearing?

ME TOO!

Of course when I saw someone wearing one at church last week, 

I bombarded them with questions

How did you make it!? How much material?! How does it stay put?

I got straight to work last week, and am IN LOVE with these flowers!!

 And now I get to pass on my new found knowledge onto you...

HAIR ROSETTE TUTORIAL

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 20 minutes

Cost: Maybe 50 cents? Seriously CHEAP

Fun-ness: You're going to have a cow!

Materials Needed

1/8 yard of fabric

Felt (any color)

Alligator Clip (found at Sally's Beauty Supply - 100 clips for 5 bucks)

Scissors

Glue Gun

Iron

Step 1: Cut Fabric

Cut the fabric into a 4 x 36 inch strip (or whatever the width of the fabric happens to be!)

Step 2: Iron

Take the fabric, fold it in half (length wise), and iron the fold. This will make it easier to create the flower

Step 3: Twist up that Flower!

When you start off, you need to make a flower "center" you can do this by folding a small triangle (bud) like me, or I've even seen people make a small knot. It's up to you! Once you have your center, start folding the fabric around the center, and and slowly turn the flower, and create another fold. Continue this process - Fold, turn, fold, turn, fold, turn. There is no right or wrong way to do this! No two flowers should look the same :)

Step 4: Hot Glue like there's no tomorrow!

Hot glue between each layer. Be careful not to take your flower apart too much! I generally start by gluing the end in place, and then go back to the middle, and work my way out. You only need to use dots of glue in each spot. To check if you have glued it enough, tough at the middle, and see if it holds up. If not, keep on gluing!

Step 5: Finishing it up

To finish, cut a 2 inch circle and hot glue to the back of the flower. This will keep the back all together and give it a finished look. If you plan on using it for a hair clip, hot glue an alligator clip into place

And that's it! You're done! See, that wasn't so hard!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

From our family to yours!

I hope your Christmas is filled with family, friends, and yummy food :)

Speedy Beanie...

Three posts in one day? Is that a record? Absolutely

I was just so excited to show you my brand new love!

I've been working on it for quite some time...

The first time I made it, it would have fit perfectly if my head was the size of a watermelon. 

The second time, it would have fit perfectly if my head were the size of a smaller watermelon... 

I just couldn't get it right, but 6th time's the charm. 

So here it is! My average sized adult head fitting beanie which would not fit a watermelon. 

Look out for my tutorial, coming soon to a computer near you!

Young Women's Survival Kit

My mom just got called as the Stake Young Women's President  

If you knew my mom, you would know she is perfect for the calling. 

For Christmas this year, I made my mom a 

Young Women's President Survival Pack

I filled it with all sorts of goodies... 

Notebooks, Pens, Scissors, Gum, a scarf (some of those wards get cold!), treats, magnets, sticky notes, etc etc. 

Everything she will need to run from building to building during Ward Conferences. 

Simple. Practical. Meaningful. She'll love it :)

Who doesn't need a giant rice bag?!

I seem to be freezing pretty much ALL of the time. 

You see, my husband happens to be one of those men who make a game out of how long they can go without turning on the heat... 

I was FREEZING this morning. 

Which is why I made this audaciously large rice bag

So large in fact that I used an entire box of rice to fill it...

 But 5 minutes on the machine and 3 minutes in the microwave later, I am TOASTY warm and smell like rice

It's a good thing my husband likes the smell of rice...

Vinyl Album Clock Tutorial

Last February my husband and I made a trip to London

(I know what you're thinking...and yes, it was FREEZING). 

While there, I happened across this cool little stand in one of the outdoor markets selling these Vinyl Album Clocks for 55 bucks!!! 

The only way I would spend 55 dollars on a clock is if every hour it popped out fresh bacon. And I'm not talking Canadian Bacon. 

So I made one 

It was easy, and I found all the parts around my house 

It's the perfect gift for Dad...or that weird brother who locks himself in his room and listens to Metallica all night long.

Vinyl Album Clock Tutorial

 Difficulty: Easy

Time: 20 minutes

Cost: $5 (unless you already have the parts...)

Fun-ness: You have no idea...

Materials Needed:

Old Clock (or parts from Michael's)

Old Record

Glue Gun

Spray Paint

Step 1: Take apart the clock

Taking apart a clock (especially an ikea one) is not a science. I used a hammer...and a screwdriver, and broke the plastic cover until it came off. I then pulled off the clock hands, and pulled the motor off of the back. Just be careful not to bend the clock hands (or at least bend them back if you do. 

Step 2: Spray Paint the Hands

Grab the hour and minute hand, and spray paint both sides. Allow to dry for at least 10 minutes.

Step 3: Level and Glue the motor onto the record
Put your record in the position you would like to see on the wall (check to make sure the words are all straight). I used a level for this step. Place your motor on the back, and use a level to make sure if that is in the right position. Once you are satisfied with the position, glue the motor into place. 

Step 4: Put the hands back onto the clock

Make sure to place all hands at the "12" spot, so they will meet back up. You can now set the clock to the right time

And that's it my friend! 

Great gift for the music lover (or weird brother) in your family :)