Sock Animal Rattle Tutorial with Guest - Jill from "Homemade by Jill"

ohhhh, i'm so excited for today's guest blogger - jill from the fab blog "homemade by jill"!!! i luv, luv, luv her stuff and her tutorial for today's post is no exception. i literally squealed in delight when it popped up in my inbox!!! so adorable!!! i just wanted to reach through the screen and grab this insanely talented ladies cute sock animal rattle and steal it! i don't think i could make one as cute as hers...it's so precious.

i hope you all enjoy it and please, go over and say hello to jill....her blog is addictive and filled with projects, crafts, sewing and lots of wonderful eye candy...trust me...you'll luv it and you'll luv her!!!! jill's also in her third trimester and i just want to extend a huge thank you for taking the time to do this fun post even though she is achy and very pregnant - big hugs jill!!!!!

now let's hear from jill............

Congratulations to Shannon! I am so honored to be part of the celebration welcoming baby Harper into this world.

I always find myself making little projects for babies, but being less than six weeks away from greeting our own baby girl, I am in full-fledged baby mode at this point. I'm really glad to be participating in the Babyhood Bonanza because it forced me to take a break from cranking out all my old stand-by projects and come up with something new.

Therefore, I bring you a new twist on a classic craft, the sock animal rattle:

These sock bunnies have all the makings of your little one's favorite first toy ... they are soft and squishy, have chomp-able, pull-able ears, and best of all ... make a pleasant jingle when you shake them.

The great thing about sock animals is that they are fully customizable - you choose the sock with your ideal pattern and colors, and can create just about any animal imaginable. My tutorial will show you how to make happy bunny rattles, but it can just as easily become a monkey, cat, dog, bear, (insert animal of your choice here).

The sock animal head each has a single jingle bell inside the stuffing, which gives it a pleasantly muted jingle.

I couldn't decide if I liked the straight handle or looped handle better, so I'll show you how to make both versions. You'll also learn two ways to sew the head.

Pop over to Homemade by Jill to see the full Sock Animal Rattle Tutorial HERE!

we've got lot's more goodies to come and even some sneak peek photos of the chaos that's been happening in our house lately....ok, yep there's been chaos and time outs and baby spit up and lots of dirty diapers and not a lot of sleep but to make up for it there is a whole lotta love...and i can't wait to show off harper to you all :) so stay tuned......and don't forget to sport our button that you can find on our sidebar to the left!

all images copyright homemade by jill

Diaper Pouch Tutorial with Guest - Anna from "Noodlehead"

our next guest blogger is ann from the fabulous blog "noodlehead". i go to anna's blog to drool, get inspired, laugh and just plain enjoy myself. you should see the goodies she's got going on over there, especially lately during her "spice up your kitchen" series!!! wowsa! if i wasn't so gibbled from giving birth you know i would be sewing up a storm!!! noodlehead has tons of eye candy and fun tutorials for any level of sewer. so pop on over and say hi to anna for me.....she's a sweetheart and i send her big hugs for all her kind emails the last few weeks :)

now let's hear from anna..........

First of all, I just want to say a huge Welcome to the World to Harper! Those sisters are bound to have a great time, my heart melts just looking at them together - so sweet. And thanks to Shannon for having her Babyhood Bonanza, such cool baby projects and don't we all love making things for babies?!

So the tutorial I'm sharing today involves the one thing probably on the top of most parents lists every time they good shopping. Yep, you guessed it, DIAPERS! I think I read somewhere that a child goes through several thousand (yes, thousand) diapers from birth to potty training. Whew.


Well, you might as well do it with a little style and a smidge of organization. So make yourself and your friends a spiffy new diaper pouch.


I love these handy diaper pouches. They're great for when you switch purses or diaper bags often, or to stash in the car. Of course you know you'll be putting them to use, so why not?


Head on over to Noodlehead for a fun Diaper Pouch Tutorial HERE!

Thanks again to Shannon and I wish you and your family the best! You know I love baby girls.

a big thank you to you too anna! i luv this tute and will surely be making a few of these adorable goodies!!!! who can resist the Amy Butler fabric you used as well? if you're gonna carry diapers they might as well be carried in style right??? so fab, i even have a bit of that print just waiting to be sewed with!!!

and don't you all forget we've got more goodies to come your way! the bonanza is going till the end of june so keep on dropping by! lots more fabulous bloggers & tutorials to come! you can find our button on the sidebar on the left if you would like to show your luv!

all images copyright noodlhead

Baby Mobile Tutorial with Guest - Katie from "Blue Eyed Freckle"

our next fabulously talented guest blogger is katie from the "blue eyed freckle". now if you are a reader of my blog you all know i love, love, love katie's headbands. in fact, i am addicted to them. but you know what else is great about katie? her blog. yep, this girl is super talented and a sweetheart to boot. she not only has a kick ass accessories shop, but she also sews, creates artwork, has addicting tutorials and still finds time to be a mom. so go check katie out at her blog and her etsy shop and show some love!

now let's hear from katie......

When I was preparing for the birth of my daughter Olivia (who is now 9 months), I made every single thing I could think of for her bedroom and layette. In all my reading I learned that babies enjoyed high contrasts, and that initially they could only see in black and white. Being an artist (and at the time a high school art teacher) I wanted to fill the room with original art and objects that were in black and white for her enjoyment and stimulation.

Soooo... in addition to the artwork on the wall, I decided to create a black and white mobile to hang over the crib. And I am sharing the tutorial with you all today because let me tell you, she LOVES it. she loved looking at it when she was small, and I still find her gazing at it now. The accordion circles spin around too, which she likes. And she gets giddy when we let her touch it as we pull her out of the crib. So here you go!

BLUE-EYED FRECKLE BABY MOBILE TUTORIAL

Materials:

branches
paper (mine were 5 1/2" by 8 1/2")
sharpies (different widths)
hot glue
thread
branches
spray paint (or reg. house paint)
twine
screw hooks (to hang it up)

1. draw simple shapes on your 5 1/2" by 8 1/2" paper. I did 9 different designs.

2. Photo copy each design as many times as you like. Keep in mind that to create 1 circle, it takes 4 pieces of paper (when you photocopy them, just cut off the excess white around the design).

3. After cutting out all of your pieces, hot glue (or elmers, spray adhesive, etc) two pieces together. They can be the same design or different.

4. create and accordion, pressing down each fold.

5.Bend the accordion in half and hot glue in the center.

6. Hot glue down the bottom part too, just to make it more secure.

7. Hot glue 2 sections together down the long end.

8. cut 1- 2 ft lengths of string (so that you can cut it to the right size later), and insert them into a crevice between two folds and apply hot glue.

(Leave the long end of the string hanging)

9.Spray paint your branches, turning them to get all sides. You can also just paint them with house paint like I did with my original mobile.

( Here is a photo of all my designs and the branches after I have spray painted them.)

10. After the branches are dry, take a long length of twin and wrap it around the bundle one time and tie a knot. Then continue to wrap it around, under and over all the branches in order to make it a tight hold. You wouldn't want a branch to come loose, esp. if you are hanging it over a crib!!. Also, break off any little branch pieces that you think could be dangerous if for some horrible reason this thing fell (I have never had a problem).

11.Attach 2 pieces of twine on two areas of the branch bundle. Then, put the screw hooks into your ceiling, right where you want the mobile to hang. Our hooks were about 10 in. apart.

12. Create a secure loop at the end of each piece of twine and put them on the hooks.

13. Standing on a ladder, ( I had my husband do this part while I stood back and told him how high or low to go) attach each piece of string, by looping it around a branch and tying it off. Cut the tails.

I tried to vary the height of each accordion and the spacing of them as well.

This is a unisex mobile (don't be confused by the coral walls behind it...). and really, even if you don't have a baby, this could be used anywhere in the home!

NOTE: The accordions on my mobile are not double-sided unfortunately. Your mobile will look better, because you are gluing two sheets together. I didn't think about doing that until after I had already hung mine!

thanks so much katie! this looks so fun and there are so many fun ways to personalize it as well. i can't wait to try it out! thanks for being part of the bonanza!


and don't you all forget we've got more goodies to come your way! the bonanza is going till the end of june so keep on dropping by! lots more fabulous bloggers & tutorials to come! you can find our button on the sidebar on the left if you would like to show your luv!

all images copyright blue eyed freckle

Toy Caterpillars Tutorial with Guest - Disney from "Ruffles & Stuff"

i apologize in advance that for the next few weeks that my introductions to these fabulous guest bloggers is not up to par....i'm still not up to par myself so just typing this is a feat in itself, but enough whining from me....please welcome disney from the fantastic, lovely, gorgeous, tutorial filled, addicting blog "ruffles and stuff". i luv her and her blog - thank you so much for inspiring me daily disney and for being part of the babyhood bonanza! i just adore this cute, fun tute and hope you all enjoy it as well.

now let's hear from disney......

BABIES.

There is nothing sweeter, nothing more special, nothing noisier, stinkier, or fussier....and nothing more precious, than a brand new baby.

I remember having my daughter like it was yesterday (which might be why I still just have one), and even with all the crazy nights, the frustrations, and sleep-deprivation, I wouldn't trade those memories for anything. Nothing shows us our true strength more than getting through those weak times, right?! So here's to all the new moms! And especially to you, Shannon. I wish we could all change a diaper for you, and lighten your load a little! :o)

And speaking of lightening the load...nothing says "rest for mommy" like a nice, entertaining, attention-holding new toy! So I whipped up a little pattern for us all!

Something soft, something crinkly, with fun little ribbons to grab at and teeth on! Perfect!

Caterpillars are cute and curious little creatures, that can be found in all sorts of places in nature!

They love to hide under logs, and climb trees....

And rest in the cool grass on a warm sunny day. They are always munching on things.....

And dodging predators, like larger insects, and birds.

But deep down, every caterpillar just wants a nice comfortable place to call home...

Where they will find lots of love....

And spend their days dreaming of what will be:

And you can bring one home of your very own, to love and cherish!

1. Just print this pattern:

(Click to enlarge, and be sure that your print layout is set to "landscape".)

2. And use it to cut two fleece caterpillars, and four layers of batting.

3. Cut six-4" lengths of ribbon, and fold them in half, pinning two to the back of each of the last three bumps of the caterpillar.

4. Then cut a small circle of felt (you can use your pattern for that, too!), stitching it on by hand or machine.

5. Lay the back piece of your caterpillar down, with the layers batting on top, and a crinkly wrapper between the batting layers. The best wrappers to use for this are plastic microwave popcorn wrappers, and Sunchips bags, but in a pinch you can use pop tarts, or whatever you have that sounds good!

6. Lay the front caterpillar piece on top, and pin well.

7. Use a small zigzag stitch to sew all the way around, fairly close to the edge. If your batting tries to sneak out, tuck it back inside as you go.

All done!

Now you have a sweet new toy, with fun sounds and ribbon to play with,

drool on, and love dearly! :o)

A great big thank you to Shannon, for letting me come visit today! I was so flattered to be invited to take part in Babyhood Bonanza! Happy mothering!

Take care, everyone!!

-Disney

thanks disney!!!!!!!!!! it means a lot to me to have you over! you can find more from disney on her gorgeous blog ruffles and stuff. i hope you all stay tuned for more babyhood bonanza goodness to come. don't forget to sport our button and show your luv! it's on the sidebar to your left.

all images are coyright ruffles and stuff

moments in the mommyhood - she's here!

guess who's here?

harper helena mae cook
born on may 14th,
weighing 8lbs 5oz



we just got home from the hospital yesterday, yes we were there a long time and i promise to write more about her birth if i ever get over the trauma of it...haha, but in the meantime big sister mackenzie is happy to have her new baby sister here and mom and baby are both healthy and happy.

i'll be busy recovering from an emergency c-section (again, more on the birth story later), revelling in that sweet new baby smell and the fact that i get the hubs home till tuesday, so no posting for me, but in the meantime the babyhood bonanza will still be going on so don't forget to stop by the mommyhood to check out all of our fabulous guest bloggers!!!

all images luvinthemommyhood

Embellishing Shirts & Onesies with Guest - Vanessa from "V & Co."

ohhhhhh, this week is so fun! first dana and now vanessa! two ladies who need no introduction from lil ol me, but i can't just can't seem to help myself from gushing about how much i love them both.


the lovely, sweet, hilariously funny and uber-talented vanessa from "v and co." is here today to share a fun tutorial on how we can all spruce up those boring onesies we have kicking around the house! from funny tales of her life with 4 kids (yes, 4 kids!!!!) & hubby, her insane quilting skills, patterns, sewing & craft tutorials this ladies got it all! you can drool over her lovely patterns for sale in her shop here and read about her adventures and tutorials on her gorgeous blog here!

her pretty aesthetic is so addicting and it just makes me want to run and beg the hubs to take my daughter so i can just sit and sew some of her fabulous creations!!!! vanessa - you're the best and big hugs to you for being part of the babyhood bonanza, and for all those late night vents we've had....motherhood is so much more fun having people to laugh about it with like you - luv ya!


now let's hear from vanessa........

hello luv in the mommyhood-ers! i'm Vanessa from V and Co.

i was very excited that shannon asked me to be part of her line up of guest bloggers while she takes a little bit of time to get ready to push out that little baby in her tummy. babies are amazing aren't they? i have 4 and it seems like it was forever ago that i was in the hospital pushing and cursing at the man who was delivering my baby and the other man that put me in that predicament. it seems like a lot of my friends are having babies now. and well i find myself getting giddy every time i find out what they are having so i can make them something. onesies are one of my favorite things to give at the moment.


onesies are a must when you have a brand new baby. i remember many times when my babies would be stripped down to just their onesie for some reason or another. whether it was too hot, or if they got something on their clothes, or... well lets be honest sometimes a onesie was all we had time to get into.

i love the plain white onesies the best because it gives me an open canvas on what i would like to do to embellish it. today i'm going to give you a few suggestions on how to dress up a little white onesie. all these suggestions would work great on a toddler shirt as well!

using my ombre style onesie tutorial, make this lovely little lady! add little t-shirt flowers or ruffles to dress it up even more!

using my flower (ring) tutorial make a few rosettes and sew them on the onesie by hand.

using my heat press vinyl tutorial make these two awesome shirts. buy the vinyls here.

with satin ribbon you can use my flower corsage tutorial, or make this cute bow:


first make sure you use fray check on the ends of your ribbon. this stuff is wonderful. and it will keep your ribbon from fraying.


your first option with the satin ribbon and flower would be to attach a pin onto the back of them with hot glue. if you don't feel comfortable putting a pin on a onesie your baby will be in you can follow these following instructions:


first make a knot in the middle of your satin ribbon. then take corresponding thread and start from the wrong side of your onesie. go through the knotted part of your ribbon.


go back through your ribbon knot. do this a few times to secure the ribbon. tie a knot and cut off the extra string. then finish tying your ribbon.

and here it is on katie's shirt now. (we're just waiting for the freezing temps to go away!) these are just a few ideas i've come up with. really the possibilities are endless!!!

well, thanks shannon for letting me come over here for the day! i'm sending "baby get out of my body!" vibes over to ya and i hope you get to push out that little one soon enough!!!! best of luck and can't wait to see baby pics!!!!

ok, folks...get sewing, get creating! have some fun! join in on the party!!! what have you been loving from the babyhood bonanza?


more fun to come next week so stay tuned!!! don't forget to grab our babyhood bonanza button on the sidebar and join the party!

p.s. if you're looking to find out more about vanessa, check out our interview with her as part of our "moms in the mommyhood" series from last year!

all images are copyright vanessa christenson