Soft Playing Blocks

I made these blocks for my son to build towers and knock them back down.  I used fabric that I had found in the remnant pile and went to town.

I wanted 4''x4'' size blocks or really close to it, so I cut out two 4''x4'' blocks and then a strip that was 4''x16''.

 I then took one square and the stripe of fabric and with the right sides together sewed them together going around the square.

I repeated the same thing with the other square and the other side of the stripe of fabric.

So it will look like this.

I sewed the ends together leaving a whole so I could turn the fabric outside out.

This is what it looked like after I turned it.

I stuffed the block as full as I could.

Then sewed it shut.  I made 6 of them and it took me about a hour to do all of them.

Matching Jammies for Christmas

I made these PJ pants for my kids for Christmas this year, I was able to get the fabric on clearance.

Wreaths Part 2

Yesterday I shared some wreaths with you and here are some more! I'm still amazed at the creativeness that they have.

Look at the size of those oyster shells! 

This house was so cool using horse tack with their wreath decor.

This one I loved the doors and the apples in all the little holes in the brick.

I would have never thought I using eggs and giant cinnamon sticks!

This was one of my favorites with the lemons, oranges and apples.  

These wreaths inspired me to try next year to make my own from products like these.  I hope that you enjoyed looking at them as well.

Wreaths

First of all I hope that everyone had a great Christmas.  I know that we did, it was our first time having Christmas away from family and we were able to create some new traditions.  I have been missing the last week and a half because one I had a couple of things to post but forgot to post them (they are coming later in the week) and second we spent the week before Christmas in Colonial Williamsburg.  We couldn't have asked for a better time and weather.  It was in the 60's the whole time we were there and sunny.  Colonial Williamsburg does some pretty cool decorating for the Christmas season and I couldn't help falling in love with some of them and want to share them with you.

The Governor's Palace was striking, many of the houses had simple wreaths on every window like here.  The wreaths are all created with things that they would have had during that time period.

I'm not sure how they created the C but it was cool looking.

This wreath was on the courthouse.

Apples were another thing that was used a lot.

I wish I could think of making something like this.

I have more to share with you tomorrow.

Apron for my Hubby

My husband loves to be making something in the kitchen.  So I thought for Christmas I would change up one of his aprons for him.  I used freezer paper for the stencils, and it cost me nothing I had all of the materials.

Christmas Onesie

Here is a onesie that I made for my little boy using freezer paper stenciling like here and here.

Matching Christmas Ties

I am so excited this year that I was able to make matching ties for my husband and son.  I think it is something that I'm going to continue to do every year now that I have done it and it was super easy!  I didn't make up a pattern myself, I used pattern Simplicity 4762.  I bought it a little bit ago when it was 99cents.  It took me not much time at all and I can't wait to see my men wear them.

Kid's Toy

The other day I was reading stuff about the development of kids and toys.  One specifically mentioned think about toys that aren't really toys that got me thinking.  We had an empty Parmesan cheese container and my son (7 months old) found it and had a blast playing with it.  So I washed it out and dried it out really well, then I put some beans that I had in the cupboard in it and glue the lid shut.  Now its a shaker/toy for him and its one of his new favorite toys.  It took me all of 5 minutes to put together.

Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies w/Peppermint

I saw a mix for this at the store that came with everything.  When I read the directions I thought that they were pretty much cake mix cookies and that I could make them with a cake mix and candy canes that I already had at home.  They were a hit, this is the last cookie they were eaten before I could take a picture of them.

Here is the recipe that I use for cake mix cookies.

1 pkg cake mix
1 egg
2 T water
1/4c softened butter

Mix all the ingredients.  Heat oven to 375degrees.  Roll dough into balls and place on a ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes. 

*Our variation for these is right when they came out of the oven we sprinkled crushed candy canes on the cookies.

Christmas Wreath

So I pulled out my wreath from last year and it looked pretty sad so I took it apart and used it the stuff around the house in decorating.  But then it left me without a wreath, I was at Walmart in the Christmas section (very dangerous) and found this:

It was around $2.50, I thought I could do something with this.  I looked at the bunches that they had in the store and they were more expensive then the wreath and I would need multiple of them.  I said forget this I'm sure that I have stuff around the house that I could use. Sure enough I did!!

The pine cones are from the backyard and the balls are from the wreath that I took apart from last year.  So it only cost me the wreath!!  I'll take that any day. :)