Minnie Mouse Clippies

A friend of mine asked if I would make her a pair of these mouse clippies. I can't believe how cute they turned out. I got the instructions to make them from the Girly Things website. All their instructions are free, and they have some cute stuff!

Tutu Tutorial

With these instructions you will be able to make a very lovely tutu for anyone of any age. Even the beginner can make something to be proud of. No sewing machine required!

Supplies

about 4 yards of tulle in color of choice

{get a few different colors for a real cool effect!}
1 inch wide elastic (enough to go around the waist of the person the tutu is for)
Scissors
Ruler
Sewing Machine (optional)

Step 1

Measure around the waist of the person the tutu is for. Add 1 inch and cut the elastic to that size. Over lap the two ends together (about 1/2 inch) and sew them in place either by hand or with a sewing machine. Make sure the elastic is not twisted. Sew over it several times to ensure that it will not come apart.

Step 2

Cut the tulle into strips. I recommend cutting them 5 inches wide by 24 inches long. The finished tutu will be a little less than 12 inches long. Adjust the length as desired. Just remember to double it when cutting. Example: If you want your tutu to be about 10 inches long, then cut the strips 20 inches long by 5 inches wide.

Tip: Tulle is much easier to cut when it is folded into a strip.

Step 3

a. Fold one piece of the tulle in half. Hold one end in each hand. Put it through the middle of the elastic and hold it with your first two fingers like the picture.





b. Grab the two long ends of the tulle with your two fingers and pull it through the loop. Tighten it around the elastic.


c. When tightening the tulle the elastic will be squished together. This is okay. It creates the look of a round waistband when the tutu is finished. The elastic will twist as you keep adding strips of tulle. This is okay as well. It does not matter which side, top or bottom, the tulle is put on...just be consistent.

The right side of the tutu will look like this picture....


The underside of the tutu will look like this picture....


d. Continue adding the strips of tulle until you have gone all the way around the elastic, making sure the tulle is close together. Adjust the strips as necessary and fill in any gaps with more strips of tulle.

Your finished tutu will look like this...


Add some style!

Want a more unique Tutu? Alternate two or more different colors of tulle as you put the strips on.

To add a little flair to your tutu, tie a bow with a piece of matching satin ribbon and sew it onto the tutu. Or tie long pieces of satin ribbon around the waistband.


That’s all.
Congratulations! You did it!

These are my instructions on how to make tutus. You may do as you wish with the tutus you make but please do not copy these instructions or pictures for any reason.

Copyright November 2011 by Jen Smith, All Rights Reserved.

Christmas Place Markers

This is another idea I got from Pinterest. A friend came over and we got busy making these cute candy pouches.

I thought it would be fun to put everyone's names on them and use them as place markers for our Christmas feast. I'm sure my kids will rip them open fast and munch the M & Ms I stuffed inside!

Click here to go to the tutorial!

Christmas Table Runner

Every year growing up I was always in charge of setting and decorating the table for big holiday meals. I really got into it! I folded the napkins in fun different ways and just had a ball doing it! This year I wanted to make my Christmas table really shine! First step, table runner.

Now, I have kids. They can be messy. So the table runner had to be small enough to fit in the middle of the table where messy hands couldn't reach it. I looked for one at the store, but there weren't any I liked. So I made one. I like the fabric. It has little gold flecks in it.

The candle thing I found at Ikea. Love Ikea!

The santa's were a nice festive addition!

I've got some pine cones I need to turn into Christmas trees and I'll be about done. I think I may run out of time!

Holiday Card Display

First of all, can I just say how much I L.O.V.E Pinterest? It is the best invention ever! There are SO many good ideas, I wish I had time to make them all!

Here is one idea I saw floating around Pinterest.

I love it! I finally have a really cute and creative way to display all the Christmas cards we get every year. It was so easy to put up there. All I did was tape the ribbon to the inside of the cabinet doors and used clothes pins to hold the cards to it. Now my kitchen is a little festive too!

Absent Minded Reason #2

Sometimes it is necessary to take my driver's license and my credit card out of my wallet. Like when I don't want to take my huge bag in with me to the store or restaurant. I did this one day when I took the kids by myself to Wendy's. That night I changed my clothes and threw my pants in the laundry. A couple days {yes a couple days!} later I was at the grocery store ready to purchase my items. I opened my wallet and my driver's license and credit card were NOT in there! I remembered I had taken them out but thought I had left them in the pocket of the diaper bag. Fortunately I had another credit card with me so I could still buy my groceries. Now I have to drive my car home without my license like I had been doing for the past couple days.

I...looked...everywhere! They were not to be found. I practically emptied the diaper bag, searched every counter in the kitchen, it was nowhere. I was telling my husband about my dilemma and he calmly says, "I bet it's in your pants pocket like it always is." I doubted it was there. I didn't remember putting it there. I looked anyway.

Guess what.... it was there. Every time, people. Every time.

Christmas Clutch

A couple weeks ago I found this pattern from Living with Punks and was dying to make it! I finally found some time to give it a go. I'm really quite tickled with how well it turned out! I've never made a clutch before, and I really liked the idea of using scraps to make things. Such a brilliant idea! Since Christmas is fast approaching I thought it would be fun and festive to carry around! Plus, that's the only fabric I really had that I thought would go really well together. And it turned out so cute!

Christmas Planner

I LOVE this Christmas planner! I think I need to make myself one this year. I've got a house full of guests coming which definitely calls for some organization!

This planner is SO cute and such a good idea. I thought of making different themes for it too: homework planner, art book {you'd have to find a composition book that is unlined though}. You could really do anything with a cute book like this.

I found it on the eighteen25 blog. They have step by step instructions and a free printable to help make it easier.

So cute!

Eggs with Peppers

I saw this cool idea on Pinterest. Sadly, I did not save the pin to my board so I don't know whose idea it was. I will be better about crediting my sources in the future.

We've all used different things to cook eggs inside of to make cool shapes. I liked this one because you can eat your egg mold with your egg. I'm generally not a huge fan of peppers, but I think I'm coming around.

All you need to make this intriguing dish is a pepper and an egg. A frying pan, a little olive oil, and a spatula will be helpful too!

Cut your pepper so it's about 1/2 inch thick. You want it to hold all the egg. Cut out the insides.

Place the pepper in a hot skillet with a little olive oil, then crack the egg inside. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cook till the egg is firm enough to flip. Flip over. Then cook till desired doneness.

That was easy! Enjoy!

If We Do Not Doubt

Visiting Teaching Message from the October 2011 Ensign

by Julie B. Beck

"In the Book of Mormon we read about exemplary young men who were exceedingly valiant, courageous, and strong. “Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him” (Alma 53:21). These faithful young men paid tribute to their mothers—their examples and teachers."

I love the story of Helaman's 2000 stripling warriors. It reminds me that I need to be a strong, courageous, and valiant mother. The 2000 young men did not doubt God or that He would deliver them from war. They knew God would protect them and their faith was exceedingly strong!

In Alma 56:45-48 it says:

"And now I say unto you, my beloved brother Moroni, that never had I seen so great courage, nay, not amongst all the Nephites.

For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.

Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea,

they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying:

We do not doubt our mothers knew it."

Mothers and all women have a huge responsibility for raising the next generation. We have the power to influence our children for good. These faithful mothers of the 2000 warriors were teaching their children so much. I hope I can teach my children to never doubt so that they to can confidently proclaim "We do not doubt our mother knew it!"

I also want to add how much I love Sister Julie B. Beck! I love her boldness in speaking! She is so inspired to teach in such a way.