Finding Pins and Needles

Cake decorating, no needles but it's crafty, right? In the past few years I've dabbled in cake decorating. With 3 kids, 3 birthday cakes a year, and a number of showers in between I don't have a lot of experience, but wanted to share the one I whipped up last week because it was seriously fun to make. As I mentioned , my niece had a 1st birthday party and I was asked to make the cake with a ladybug theme. I did, but I surprised everyone by making the inside p o l k a - d o t t e d ! Here's how it turned out... It's crazy how easy this  p o l k a - d o t  technique is. First, I used the   red velvet cake  recipe that came with my  Babycakes Cake Pop Maker  machine which I ordered from Amazon. Once the cake pop balls were cool, I placed whole and half balls in the cake pans and poured the cake batter (white and chocolate ) over them. Bake. Surprisingly, they don't overcook being baked twice! So fun and I love the contrast of ...

Because you asked for it... here is the FREE vest pattern & tutorial from my Sew Cool for School post. Click here or on the image below to download the PDF. And a thanks to  CraftGossip.com  for showcasing this post! Please join our flick r group and upload pictures of your preppy girl vest or any other Finding Pins and Needles projects. I'd love to see them! For info on the other clothes pictured, visit my  Sew Cool for School  post.

My four year old son is absolutely obsessed with PEZ dispensers, he has 30+ and his collection is always growing. It's actually a fixation  due to his Autism , but we love to encourage him since it's age appropriate and I'm just happy he's over his whisk and kitchen utensil phase!! I scoured the internet and found PEZ fabric (found on eBay)! When it arrived, he was so excited. But he'll have to wait until Christmas to get what I made... Here's a tutorial on how to transfer a word to fabric. For this application, I used felt, since it doesn't require hemming. You'll need a few supplies... Supplies Felt Iron on transfer pen  (I love these babies!) Computer/printer/paper Scissors Iron Pillow fabric Sewing machine and materials Piping and bias tape or pre-made piped bias tape (optional) Print Words For starters, find a font that you love and that will transfer well, I used the PEZ font  (it's a free download). Because the P...

I've been haunted by this tutorial , and have wanted to do it for months. Thanks Pinterest. Our guest bathroom is a nautical theme and when I found the the Anchors Away line f rom Dear Stella Designs , I couldn't help myself.  To be honest, I didn't really use the tutorial, I did it my own way. I cut a 16" x 16" square out of each of the contrasting fabrics. Right sides together, I sewed the sides, leaving 2 inches on either side open. Next I folded under the (8) 2 in flaps and top stitched them, but not together. Last I folded under and top stitched the long open sides. That's it. The dowel rod and double drapery rod brackets were both from Lowe's. I'm super pleased with how it turned out and my hubby helped install it above the toilet. I love the nautical ropes holding the magazines and the peek of anchors when you look inside. Happy sailing and happy reading.

I have a niece turning one and every little girl needs a dolly. I found the  "Jean"  pattern at  Bit of Whimsy Dolls  and fell in love. The pattern has simple directions and she's a super sweet doll. I found the pink flower fabric, "Flight of Fancy" at  Joann's .  It has the perfect scale for doll clothes.  

A mamma's got to be organized so there's more time for fun stuff, like sewing. Here's a Cleaning Calendar and Meal Calendar  I created to organize my day to day.  I like the 4 week rotating cleaning schedule instead of just 1 week because there are some things you just don't need to do every week. I also looked at actual calendars with dates, but I figured that's a lot of hassle to create new ones each month. The downloads: My family's calendar for your viewing pleasure. A blank calendar for customization. 8.5x11in. Click picture to download the pdf. Meal calendar 4x6in.  Click picture to download the pdf.  To display your calendar here are a few ideas... 1st  option is what I use, on the fridge in  magnet sleeves . I can easily update or change the calendar and also use a dry erase marker to cross off chores. 2nd  great option would be to  laminate  them. I've got that laminator and I love it. 3r...

Make a SWEET treat to say thanks to your bus driver for keeping your child safe this year. Feel free to use my free printable stop sign card and mason jar lid label! Materials Mason jar  (I used  half pint Ball jars ) Wide Gumball's 1st School Day School Buses  Fabric Pinking Sheers Ribbon or twine Candy Examples: red and yellow m&m's, 1/2 in gumballs and I used  Jolly Ranchers  and  Twizzlers Rainbow Twists . Optional: Rectangle hole punch A little tip for the Jolly Rancher jar: I used a cut piece of paper towel roll to create the inside structure, it makes it much easier to create a design. I used pinking sheers to trim out the cardboard edges and then stuffed it full of more Jolly Ranchers.  Click for PDF. Stop sign card and mason jar top are for personal use only, do not redistribute. If you use them and share pictures, please give credit back to FindingPinsAndNeedles.com. Thanks and enjoy! Please ...