How to Make a Fabric Yoyo

I feel like I've been away for ever!  Even with the unusually warm weather, the winter illnesses are here in full effect.  My kids seem to be sharing germs with each other, making it extra tough for me to find the additional time to work on my blog.  I'm finally here and able to get started on the project that I wanted to share using that fabric I showed you a while back.  The first part of the project  is a simple tutorial on how to make fabric yoyo's.  I love using yoyo's to make  hair clips and headbands, but they have been around for ages and others have used them to make blankets, plush animals for children, wall hangings, embellishments for pillows, dresses, and much more.

Things you'll need:

*Scissors or a circle cutter
*If you're using scissors, something circular (between 3 and 4 inches in diameter)
 to trace and a fabric pen or pencil
*Fabric
*Coordinating thread and needle

I recently purchased a circle cutter made by Olfa for about $17 with a Joann's coupon.  Most craft and sewing shops carry them.  Before I had this, I used an upside down cup to trace my circle and cut it out with fabric scissors.  The diameter of the circle should be double the size that you want your yoyo to be, plus you need to add an additional 1/4".  So, if you want a 2" yoyo, you need the diameter of your circle to be 4.25".  Trace and cut out your circle.

Next, thread your needle with a coordinating thread.  I like to double the thread, it just feels like it holds up better.

Take your circle and hold it so that the wrong side of the fabric is facing you.  Fold over about 1/4" of the fabric and begin to straight stitch around the circle, folding in a little bit as you go.  Stitches should be about 1/4" apart.  The knot at the end of your thread should be facing you so that when it's finished, it is on the inside of the yoyo. The picture below gives a good explanation of this.

I usually make about 9 or 10 stitches and then I pull the thread through, but do as many as you feel you're comfortable with so that the thread doesn't be tangled or knotted up.

Once you have made it all the way around, make your final stitch so that you needle is right next to your original knot, but pull the needle out on the right side of the fabric, (the opposite side of where your knot is).  Then pull the thread until the fabric all comes together like a little pouch.

  You can adjust the center and the folds with your fingers to make them look even.  Once it looks good and fairly tight, push the needle back through, right next to where the last stitch was made, so the thread comes out on the inside of the yoyo.  See below.

Now tie off the thread and cut it close to the knot.  You can used your needle to tuck the knot into one of the folds if necessary.

And there you have it, a cute little yoyo! 

Enjoy:)

I'm Back!

Ok, today I'm back on schedule.  Last week I had every intention of putting up a new post, but between having a huge cold and a bunch of orders, it just didn't happen. 

I'm sure some of you have heard of Pinterest.  It's my new favorite site.  If you haven't checked it out, I recommend doing so, I have found so many yummy recipes and craft inspirations there.  I was recently looking for a fun dessert idea for the kids and came across a picture of rainbow cakes in mason jars.  I thought I'd adjust it a bit and make rainbow cupcakes for my kids and I have to say, they came out fantastic!

Here's how I did it.

Ingredients:  A box of white cake mix, plus all of the ingredients it calls for
                     A can of frosting
                     Plastic zip sandwich bags (six bags)
                     Sprinkles for decoration
                   

First I prepared the cake mix as directed on the box.  Next, I scooped 2-3 big spoonfuls into each plastic bag.

I added food coloring to each of the bags to make a different color of the rainbow.  On the back of my food coloring box it tells the ratio of drops to mix to make the colors not included (orange and purple).
Once the colors were added, I sealed the bag and squished the color around in my fingers to mix it.  I had some trouble getting the corners of the bag to mix, so I used a little spoon and mixed it up.  A little messy, but it worked.

Next, I placed the cupcake liners into the pan and started layering the colors.  I started with purple so it would be the bottom of the cupcake.  I cut a small hole in a bottom corner of the bag and squeezed enough to cover the bottom of the liner.  I did the same thing with blue, then green, yellow, orange and last, the red.

 The box said to fill the liner half way and this would make enough for 24 cupcakes.  Maybe because this was my first try, I ended up filling my liners a bit more than 3/4's and ended up making 12.  If you hope to make 24, I would make two boxes just to be safe.

I baked them according to the box temp. and time and then checked them with a toothpick to make sure they were done.

Once cooled I frosted them.  My kids prefer vanilla or butter cream frosting.  I happened to have some pretty sprinkles in the cabinet, which I added to an extra special touch and I have to say the looked so pretty! 

Here's a shot of the inside.  The kids were really impressed.  They only took about 15 minutes more than the usual cake box cupcakes to make but they are so much more fun.  I will definitely try this one again.

Quick and easy strawberry banana smoothie

This super quick and easy recipe is a favorite in my house.  My kids are pretty picky eaters, one will not touch milk and so this one way I can get him to get at least one glass of milk a day.  It takes just a couple of minutes to make and they think they're having a really special treat!

Ingredients:

A blender or processor
4 or 5 strawberries
1/2 of a banana (I use a slightly over ripe banana, it's super sweet and blands easily)
1 cup of milk
1 cup of ice cubes
1/2 Tbsp of sugar

For my daughter's last birthday, she was given a slushie maker, which came with flavored syrups.  It was a great gift and we used it quite a bit this summer.  I like to use it for this recipe because it is a bit smaller than my regular blender and it comes with its own tall cup and lid, plus it has a long staw with a spoon on the end that the kids love.  I bought a second cup set for my son so they can both have one.  It's similar to a Magic Bullet, which could be used to this recipe just as well.

First, add the milk and icecubes into the cup.  Next, wash the strawberries and chop them into small chunks.  Add the strawberries, then add the banana and sugar. 

Now screw the bottom, blade portion of the slushie maker onto the top of the cup,  put the cup onto the base and blend for about 30 seconds or until all of the ice is chopped into slush.

And there you have it, super quick, easy, delicious and healthy!

Enjoy!

How to Make a Bow Tie Hair Clip

These little bow tie bows are fairly simple to make and look so cute.  In this tutorial, I'm attaching the bow to a hair clip, but it can also be attached to a headband or even used as a decoration on a gift box.

First,  you will need the following supplies:

1.5" Ribbon
3/8" Ribbon
A piece of thin elastic or a piece of floss
Lighter
Scissors
Glue gun
Hair clip
A cutting mat or a work surface where it's ok if a little glue gets on it.

Measure the ribbons and cut them into the following lengths:

• The 1.5" ribbon:  6.5"
• The 3/8" ribbon:  4.5"
• A second piece of 3/8" ribbon:  3"

Take your lighter and run it past the edges of each ribbon.  Keep it steady and keep it moving so it doesn't burn the ribbon.  This will seal the ends of the ribbon so they don't fray.  I apologize, I wasn't able to get a good picture of me doing this step.  It was too hard to hold the camera and the lighter at the same time.

Now take the 1.5" ribbon and make it into a loop by putting two small dots of hot glue on each corner of one end of the ribbon and then press the other end of the ribbon to it to form the loop.

I like to use my cutting mat for the next step to make sure that each side of the bow is the same size.  If you don't have a cutting mat, you could use a ruler to measure.  I place the seam (where the loop if glued) on one of the vertical lines on my cutting mat.  I then flatten the top of the loop down and adjust each side by sliding the ribbon so that there is an equal amount of loop on either side of the vertical line.  Once I feel like both sides are the same length, I add a small drop of glue in between where the top and botton of the loop meet.  It makes things stay in place when tying the bow.

Next, take the loop and pinch it in the center where you just added the drop of glue.  Make sure the edges are flipped in the direction that will be the underside of the bow.

Now this takes a bit of practice, but with the other hand, loop the elastic around the pinched part, pull it tight and make a tight knot in the back.  If you need two hands to do this, try using the hair clip to pinch the center while you tie the knot.  Once the knot is tied, clip the ends of the elastic.

Now you need to line your hair clip.   I like to use the double pronged metal clips because they have a stronger hold than the single prong clips.  You can buy the clips online or if you have a hair supply store near you, they usually carry them as well. 

Lay the longer piece of 3/8" ribbon horizontally and add two lines of glue (or one if you're using a single pronged clip) approximately 1.25" across the the end of the ribbon and then press it up to the underside of the top portion of your clip. 

Put a thin strip of hot glue on the top of the clip and carefully flip the ribbon and lay it down on top of the clip.  Smooth it gently with your finger and then wipe any excess glue off that may have squeezed out of the sides.  If the excess glue is too hard to remove, you can carefully warm it with the lighter and then wipe it off.  Just be careful, it will be hot and can burn your finger a little.  Once that is done, flip the clip over and line the remaining part.  I leave the bottom prong unlined, but if you use a longer piece of ribbon, you can fully line your clip.

Now that the clip is lined, back to the bow.  Put a dab of glue on the top center of your lined clip and press your bow onto the clip.  Hold it there for about 10 seconds while the glue sets.

Add a dab of hot glue to the elastic in the center of the bow.  Then take the short piece of 3/8" ribbon and press it on the the elastic.  This will cover up the elastic and finish the center of your bow. 

The ends of the ribbon only need to be long enough to wrap around the bow and overlap slightly on the underside of the clip, so you will probably need to snip off a bit on each end and then re-seal them with the lighter.  I often leave them longer and then cut them at this point so I can make sure they"re going to be long enough and I can make them just the right length for each particular bow. 

Wrap one end of the center ribbon under the top portion of the clip.  Add a little glue and press.  Now do it to the other side of the ribbon, overlapping the first one.

And that's it, you have an adorable little bow!  Again, if you would rather attach it to a headband, just skip the clip and wrap the center ribbon around a headband in the same way.

Enjoy!

~Erica