My baby Elise is four months old now. She can hold her toys in both hands and sit up assisted. I think this big girl is ready for some colorful jingly oversized 5″ x 5″ baby blocks! I am really loving the colors that I chose …which sort of was a fluke. I just went …
DIY Tutorials
Hearts is the theme of two easy Valentine’s Day gifts perfect for spoiling the sweet toddler and tween girls in your life. First is a teeny pouch bracelet perfect for storing candies or tiny love notes. You can make it with either heart-shaped velcro and button closures …and you can hand sew it too rather …
Years ago I bought a vintage kissing couple pendant at a Manhattan summertime flea market. I wore the sweet thing ad nauseum, which you can see here in this summer cider and berry smoothie post that includes this photo of me fawning over Stephanie and Dale at the Green City Market. See also: ‘Make Valentines …
My niece Madison is universally and deservedly spoiled by all members of our family. I try to make her special handmade Christmas and birthday gifts like this one and that one. With our cross-country family — Madison in Arizona, me and Shane in Chicago and the grandparents in Michigan — I decided to make Madison …
When Shane told me that he wanted to host our sixth annual Thanksgiving dinner I didn’t quite know what to say. Baby Elise was born on October 20th and I was crazy sore and beat. Flash forward a month and we’re all starting to get the hang of things as a family. So what better …
My coworker Danielle recently came back to work after the birth to her first child, son Otto James. We work together at a web design company in an industrial part of Chicago near Oprah’s TV studio and the legendary Chicago meat markets. So I thought it would be fun to make a book for Otto …
Today I’ll show you how to make a DIY crib bed skirt with a gathered dust ruffle. We’re in the middle of converting our den into a baby’s room. We’re keeping it simple — borrowed our niece Madison’s crib, kept the room painted light gray — and have begun accenting with oodles of girly fabric. …
Make this easy fall DIY leaf wreath idea to properly welcome autumn! It’s a simple DIY fall wreath idea that you can make in less than 1 hour. Hang it on your front door or inside your home to decorate for autumn. I love this time of year …changing leaves, football, pumpkins, cider, late-afternoon sunshine, …
Here’s an easy, fun and practical gift for new arrivals: Planes, Trains and Automobiles burp cloths. Friends Tamara and Jon recently welcomed Lucas, little brother to adorable Sienna, and I made these especially for him. Now while this craft has little to do with the classic movie, the idea of using it as a theme …
During our recent weekend visit in northern Michigan, my friend Jennie and her two girls made this flower-topped chocolate iced birthday cake for me. Pretty, yes? Ten-year-old Elizabeth did much of the baking, mixing the batter… …and pouring it into pans… …with eight-year-old Mary serving as “official taster.” While Jennie made rich chocolate icing, Elizabeth …
Canning has been a theme the past few weeks so I’m excited to share these free printable canning labels with you. My pretty floral printable canning labels come in five colors — red, blue, green, purple, and yellow — for your jams, salsa, and relish. You can print my free labels for mason jar lids, …
These no-sew felt 4th of July napkin rings really brightened up Shane’s Fourth of July Birthday BBQ – no sewing machine required! I made a variety of star shapes using star cookie cutters and various loose buttons. Here they are all piled up before setting the table… And even more DIY napkin rings And yep, …
Last year I made a personalized birthday rhubarb berry pie for Shane’s annual 4th of July birthday barbecue. So this year I wanted to make something equally festive …but keep the baking to a minimum. Back during snowy holiday time I saw this great idea from Martha Stewart (how completely cute are those jumping reindeer …
I made this fabric napkin rings recycled craft from an empty Saran Wrap tube. A few months ago I was getting ready to throw away an empty Saran Wrap box and happened to notice how the cardboard tube inside was oh so strong and sturdy. What useful thing could I make with such a pretty?? …
Want to sew a gift for your favorite kid? See how to make a DIY fabric memory game for kids. You can use your own photos or you can download my Chicago photos that I took all over the city. You’ll print the photos onto super cool printable inkjet fabric. Yep, you can print onto …