Happy December everybody!

Slowly but surely, my Christmas decorations are going up around the house.  Having a very hands on little one has presented a bit of a challenge (both in finding time to work on it, and also in making sure that she doesn't actually eat Christmas.  As it is, I feel like she's going to be pooping glitter through the new year.)  As you can imagine, my decor is not just getting more kid-safe, it's also becoming a bit more kid-focused.  Piles of toys, bright primary colors and even a few St Nick pieces are making their way into the rotation and, I have to say, I Love It.  Kids truly do bring a certain magic back to Christmas.

This week, I thought I'd share one of my favorite DIY Christmas projects:  Sock Snowmen.  They're easy, inexpensive, customizable AND they make great projects to do with the kiddos.  It does require a glue gun (Not terrifically kid friendly), but fabric glue would work just as well.

So let's get to it!

You'll Need: 

Long White Tube Sock
1/2-1 c. Dry Rice or Beans, tied tightly in plastic sandwich bag
Christmas Socks (my local Dollar Tree had some cute ones)
Pillow Stuffing (Poly-fil, etc)
Buttons and beads
Twigs
Balsa Crafting Dowel
Sandpaper
Orange Craft Paint
Ribbon
Embellishments
Hot Glue Gun

The Process

Start by chopping off the top section of your tube sock (the tight elastic).  This should leave a good ten inches to work with.  

Next, place your bag of rice in the bottom of the sock (This will allow your snowman to stand up when he's done).  Fill the rest of your sock with stuffing, making sure to smooth out any lumps (unless you want a lumpy snowman.  In that case, go for it.  I'm a big proponent of positive body image).  Leave the top 3 inches empty.


Tuck the top three inches into the center of the sock. 


Next, cut the Christmas sock in half with the toe section separated from the heel and ankle.  Pull the toe over tucked in portion of the tube sock to make a festive winter hat. 


Cut or break a one inch section off of the balsa dowel.  Using the sandpaper, form a cone-like shape (it only takes a minute or two).  Once finished, give the wood a quick coat of orange paint.  Carrot nose, done.


Using a hot glue gun, adhere the carrot to the face.  Use your buttons and beads to create eyes, a smile, and, well, buttons.  Tie a length of coordinating ribbon around the snowman's neck for a scarf.  Glue twigs to either side of the snowman for tiny little arms (I try to push the sticks INTO the sock fabric to give them more stability).  Finally, use your crafting embellishments to personalize your snowman.  I added a tiny wreath and puffball to this snowman's hat, but I've also given snowmen glasses, aprons, outfits... you name it. 


That's it! How easy was that? 


Because I'm a bit of a softy, I decided to make a super tiny one for my munchkin out of her outgrown baby socks.  I've got to say, it's so stinkin' cute!!  I may be inspired to make the snowman version of our family (rest assured, her's will be the only one with used socks...)


My little snowdude is being added to the toy pile on the demilune for now, but I may make a few as silly gifts or for the shelves in the guest room.  They're so cheap, easy, quick and fun!  And, as an added bonus, the snowmen will NOT, in fact, come to life and wreak havoc on your home in the middle of night like other creepy little holiday toys.  (Looking at you, Elf on the Shelf.)


I'm hoping to have a Christmas house tour pulled together soon, but as of now, there are few more projects to finish up.  How are your decorations coming together?  Do you have any special Christmas crafts that make you smile? Leave me a note or hit me up on facebook!  As always, I love to hear from you!

Have a fantastic week and thanks for stopping by!!

I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!!! 

I'm sorry, was I yelling?  It's just that I get a LITTLE excited come this time of year.  I mean, pumpkins, candles, costumes, leaf piles, scarecrows, candy ("Candy, Candy, CANDY..." for all you Garfield fans)... What's not to love?!?! 

Added to the excitement is the fact that now I have my own pretty little pumpkin to dress up!!! And, considering there may only be a few Halloween's where she allows me to pick her outfit, she may wind up in 15 different costumes this year.  Don't judge me.  This may be the main reason I had a kid.  Well, that and to steal her candy when she's old enough to trick or treat.

Silly as it sounds, I wanted the very first thing she put on to be something that I created for her.  So this week I put together the girliest, sparkliest, froofiest Halloween tutu any little munchkin could ask for.  You know, if she could talk.

Though you can absolutely make this sans ribbon by sewing a piece of elastic in a loop, I actually love the big giant bow at the back that the ribbon provides.  In addition, this no sew version is super quick and easy for even the most inexperienced crafters. 

What You Need:  

Spools of 6" Tulle Ribbon I used Orange, Black, Purple and Silver Spiderweb.  The number of actual spools you'll need will depend on the length of the skirt, circumference of the waist and froofiness desired.  I had four spools for a 4 month old but probably only needed 2-3
Grosgrain or Satin Ribbon The length you will need will be the Circumference of Waist + 50 extra inches for a bow with long tails (25 extra per side)
1-2 Spools Coordinating 1/4 inch ribbon
Scissors

Let's Do This: 
 
1.  Measure 25 inches in on each side of the ribbon, and mark with a knot (This should create a section in the center that's the size of your baby's waist).  I needed 16.5 inches for my critter, so my ribbon was 66.5".  The knots take up a tiny bit of the ribbon, but not enough to make much difference.


2.  Decide what length you'd like your skirt, double it and add 1".  This will determine the length of tulle strips you'll need.  For example, I wanted something with a 9-10" drop, so my strips all needed to be around 20".  The great thing about this project is that it's REALLY forgiving.  By the end, I couldn't be bothered to measure too carefully and was just eyeballing the length as I cut.

3. Cut your strips of tulle.  Again, the number you'll need will vary with how large, long and poofed up you want your skirt.  I wanted something highly poofy, so I used around 90 strips (This, btw, is a great project while you're sitting watching tv at the end of the night!)

4.  Place two to three pieces of tulle on top of each other and then fold your tulle in half.  Starting at the first knot, slide approximately one inch of the loop under the ribbon.  Fold the tails of the tulle over the ribbon and through the loop (A Lark's Head knot...like you're tying a scarf.).  Pull the tails, tightening the loop and securing the tulle around the ribbon.  Every few bunches of tulle, attach 1/4" ribbon in the same manner.


5.  Slide your tulle tight against the ribbon knot and continue the process until your center section is filled.  Fluff the tulle, tie a beautiful bow, and you're done!!

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We dressed our little one up and took her to a local farm for some fall festivities (because nothing says "farm appropriate" like a highly colored tutu).  It made for great pictures and we had so many people stop to Ooo and Ahh over the Cute Factor. 

My favorite pumpkin!

 This technique was so ridiculously easy, I'm sure I'll be employing it for costumes and dress up in the future.  (Pink ballerina? Check.  Little black cat with a tail attached? Check.  Sparkle rainbow tutu for random tuesdays? Checkity check check.)

I'd love to see your super easy costume ideas (for little or big people!), so post them in my comments or on my facebook page.  Happy Autumn!!