The King of Pop

Happy new week everyone! Just last Thursday, we threw a baby shower for a friend at work. She's expecting a baby boy in mid-November. As a gift, each member of the team had to decorate a plain onesie -- something that the baby could use and still had a personal stamp. Collectively, we would have 12 decorated onesies for her.

It was a little daunting at first, but everyone agreed that they had fun making their little outfits.

Here's how I turned a plain onesie from blah to TADA!

First, I decided on a concept. A repeating pattern like stars? Iron-on letters that spell "Adorable"? Some cute embroidery? Then I decided to tread on fantasy territory.

Why not make a Michael Jackson onesie?! Above are my sketches. I wanted the final look to be iconic Michael Jackson. You know, like his military jacket or the one he wore in his Thriller video. Or maybe his song titles that can cheekily refer to the baby like "Rock with You", "Dangerous", "Bad", "P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing)" or "Smooth Criminal". Or maybe his title as the "King of Pop".

But if one decides to make a Michael Jackson outfit, one rightfully has to go all out.

via Posh 24

Here is the photo that inspired it all. 

I sewed on gold buttons at the shoulders. Then I used a glitter gold fabric paint with a puffy finish for detail on the sleeves.

I used the same gold paint to embellish the chest/tummy area (make sure to put cardboard inside the onesie to keep the paint from seeping through).

Then I let the paint dry overnight.

I found this gold ribbon that I would turn into a sash.

I used glitter blue fabric paint to add the ticking detail on the sash (I also let this dry overnight). I attached the sash with safety pins so mommy can easily remove it -- I know it's not safe for baby.

And here it is, my mini Michael Jackson onesie! TADA!

To complete the look, I made some accessories, too. Stop by tomorrow and Wednesday to see!

The Rituals of Fall

Happy Monday! I hope you had a fun weekend. Here are some of the things making me happy these days:

 The vibrant colors of nature.

Pumpkins ready to be decorated.

A comforting cup of chai latte.

Freshly made apple cider doughnuts.

Anticipating the chilly weather with cozy scarves and sweaters.

Don't you just love this time of year?

Outdoor Art

Happy Monday friends! Instead of crafting this week, I thought I'd share some photos of some really cool murals.

The first two are from the Highline in Manhattan:

The ones below are from Red Hook, Brooklyn:

I would like to save a day or two just to walk through the streets of New York in search of these vibrant street art. Maybe I'll even get to meet one of the artists! They definitely turn blank walls from blah to TADA!

I wish you all a good week ahead.

Dainty Gift Tags

Yesterday, I played around with air dry clay and silicone molds. 

They're simple materials that allowed me to make these pretty little bows.

I glued them onto trimmed card stock to make mini note cards. I had a few more bows left over so here's what I did:

I took out my stack of  printed paper.

I'm head-over-heels in love with these prints, I get heart palpitations -- every.single. time.

I chose the triangle print. I turned the paper into circles using a craft punch and made a little hole at one end.

Then I attached the bows onto the card stock, strung on some yarn and TADA! -- I made a bunch of gift tags.

Here's a closer look.

I like to use them to dress up party favors...

...or gifts. TADA!

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Air Dry Clay...Hooray!

Hi guys! Thanks for coming over for another handmade idea.

Today, I'm playing with crafter's clay.

This kit comes with an assortment of colors that, when mixed together, produces new colors! I learned about it at this event. I enjoyed it so much, I bought some for my craft arsenal.

I also purchased these silicone molds with adorable designs.

Let's make yellow bows, shall we?

Open the package and tear off a small amount of clay. In between uses, don't forget to put the clay in a zip-top bag to keep it from drying out. This kind of clay hardens when exposed to air.

Knead the clay to make it more pliable and put just enough clay into the hollows of the silicone mold. 

Because the mold is non-stick, the bows pop out easily.

Make as many bows as you need and let them dry (I do it overnight). If you can't find crafter's clay, I suppose this or this are good alternatives. They're both air dry clay, too. I don't see why salt dough can't be used as an option (baking required).

Now, what did I use the bows for?

I used them to embellish some blah card stock. TADA! -- instant notecards!

They're perfect for small notes -- the ones you put in your child's lunchbox or to hand to someone to brighten their day.

Stop by tomorrow for another idea. See you then!

Bead Bracelets

Two Sundays ago, I had the privilege of teaching a group of young girls how to make necklaces. We were celebrating Sophie's sixth birthday. 

On a beach trip with her family this summer, Sophie learned how to make a necklace. She wanted to re-create this and share the craft with her little friends.

I love it when kids are enthusiastic about crafting and have a memory attached to what they make.

Everyone strung starfish pendants and colorful beads on a piece of string, which we then finished off with closure clasps. Even if they used the same beads, each necklace had their own personal stamp on it. They proudly wore their creations while eating birthday cake.     

This inspired me to dig into my bead box.

These are just some of the beads that I found.

And I discovered a few odds and ends like tassels and pompoms. Why not throw those into the mix?

Stretchy cord. Yes, I can use that, too.

Instead of necklaces, I decided on making beaded bracelets.

So I strung the beads onto the cord, getting lost in my thoughts as I went along.

A few minutes later, here's what happened:

I made a bunch of unique bracelets using my old, blah beads. TADA!  

Stack them together for a bohemian party on the wrist!