DIY Craft Punch Stationery Part 2

One of the nicest headaches of being a new mom is ALL THOSE THANK YOU NOTES. Put those Craft Punches to work with 10 minute (or less) custom stationery. More fun ideas to come this week...

What you need:
• Pretty cardstock (or in this case recycled calendar page) which will be the back of your card
• A second (front) sheet of paper for writing (if there is print on the back of your cardstock, check that there is no unwanted show-through)
• Paper adhesive (xyron products are awesome, come in a range of prices and are readily available at your local craft store)
• x-acto blade
• cutting mat (or cardboard)
• straight edge
• craft punch
• pen
• envelope

1. Cut your cardstock (which will be the back of your note) to a size slightly larger than your envelope.


2. Apply adhesive to back of cardstock and adhere to back of second (front) sheet of paper.


3. Measure paper to 1/4" less than envelope and trim.

4. Punch through card with Craft Punch


5. Glue your punched shape to your envelope (optional)

6. Write your salutation and note.

7. Pat yourself on the back for actually using that rocketship punch that you bought on clearance for $2.99

Baby Food Jar Projects: Pretty Pesto

I've been wanting to come up with realistic ideas for how to re-use baby food jars- things I might actually do.  Here's the first one that just struck me as I was attempting to use up the overgrown parsley from my garden in a pesto for dinner - Pesto Jar.  Cute for a dinner party gift.  Get the recipe after the jump...
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DIY Fabric Lunch Bag!

A custom fabric lunch bag takes 20 minutes, is adorable, and you can make one to match any outfit.  These are fantastic thoughtful gifts (or gift wrapping) too.  And they cost virtually nothing - you'll even save money (and trees) on paper bags.
Get the DIY after the jump!
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Custom Art Easel for $26!

And it's brand new.  How is this possible you ask?  These things are usually upwards of $100?  Find out after the jump...

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DIY: Framed Butterfly Specimen

Nerd Alert: I have had a love affair with origami for 22 years. I have boxes filled with random folded creatures, I had origami cranes on my wedding invitations and 1,000 folded cranes at my reception. I have at least 10 origami books and boxes (sigh) of origami paper which I would roll around in naked were it not for the wrinkling (that's how much I love it) so I was happy to have come up with this little project as a way to display a few pieces in baby's room. It seems so obvious, has anyone seen it done before?

Instructions after the jump

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DIY Cameo Plaque

There's something about cameos that I find a little bit spooky. It might have something to do with Disney's Haunted Mansion. Regardless, I LOVE THEM and decided to try one out for Miss Quinn Frances. And then we decided to use a cameo in our new banner (see above) and then I decided to use my new cameo plaque as part of my Halloween decor for a bit before it takes up permanent residence on one of my bare walls (hence the weird photo with skeleton.) This was super easy and inexpensive! These would look really cute printed on mugs, totes, t-shirts too...

DIY after the jump

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DIY Canned Food Cake Stand Part 2

I loved Jacinda's quick homemade cake stand so much I had to try it out.

It was so easy! I also learned a valuable lesson about reading the reviews before trying a new recipe...if I had I would have known this recipe from Cookie was mis-written and only made half a cake!  oh well, the frosting was good!

My version after the jump...

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DIY Cute Crib Sheet

You know the nesting urge set in and you invested in a giant crib set only to find out within a few months that it was virtually useless.  The bumpers are dangerous and come off before the baby even sleeps in it, and the skirt lasts a few months but comes off as soon as she learns to sit up.  And if you're like me, your child has one special blanket she insists on sleeping with, so you are left to play around with fanciful sheets.

With so many adorable fabrics available there's no reason to stick to store-bought crib sheets, especially when it's so simple to make them yourself.  I made my first crib sheet today and I think I'll do it a little differently next time, but it turned out great and took less then an hour!

Get the full Crib Sheet DIY after the jump...

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Circus Party!

To celebrate Miss S' first birthday last April we threw a legendary circus party and had a blast!  These pics have floated about the Internet and I've had many emails requesting more info & how-to's so I'll post a bunch in the coming weeks, but for now check out some pictures and links to where to buy...

a simple homemade pennant...

favor bags in neon bandanas also made bright decorations...

Jacinda made and shipped these amazing cookies all the way from Texas!

my first homemade cake...

these party hats were insanely fun to make, get the DIY Party Hat Template here...

popcorn boxes and raffle prizes make everyone smile..

especially the birthday girl herself...

more after the jump including the invite...
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Friday Treat: Butterfly Pancakes

Nothing like whipping up some funny shaped pancakes to make a toddler smile!

Easy as 1-2-3 check it out after the jump...

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Giraffe Softy

My super crafty sister-in-law made this gorgeous giraffe softy for Clare using Vogue Pattern 8349. It now resides in Quinn's room, given the color scheme, and I've been feeling a bit guilty about the theft so I just ordered a copy of the pattern to make one for Clare. I would ask my sister-in-law to make another but she is working on her PhD (smarty-pants) so I'm guessing she has a 1-fabulous-giraffe-softy-per-year limit.

I also ordered this pattern which I think would look really cute in felt or a sweet cotton print. There are alot of new babies around. These would make a-dor-able holiday gifts.

Funny how the fabric choice truly makes-or-breaks these, no?

Simple Customizable Diaper Shelf

This morning OhDeehDoh scooped me by featuring the loop-de-loop lace shelf from Urban Outfitters that I've been meaning to share with you.  I use mine as a simple diaper shelf because my changing table doesn't have one, and it's worked out perfectly.  With a quick coat of spray paint it blends into her room...

Prudent Price
Shelf - $24.99 at Urban Outfitters
Spray Paint  - $0 leftover from the frame project

DIY Cake Stand

Amesh from Indonesia shared an adorable project with us today and it reminded me of a tip from one of my cake decorating classes. Using canned goods to create DIY cake stands! Instructions after the break...

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Mango Sorbet in a Minute

Last night my husband gently suggested I remove the ice-cream-maker-bowl from the freezer to accommodate actual food.  How dare he, I exclaimed, for I need that bowl frozen should I decide to make frozen treats! I couldn't possibly wait 24 hours for the bowl to refreeze, as the inkling to make ice cream is something that strikes at random and must be satisfied immediately!  Doesn't he love my ice cream?  Does he not want me to make ice cream anymore? How could he suggest such a thing?  Well, OK, maybe I hadn't made ice cream in...how old is my daughter...eighteen months?  So it was time to fix that, if only to prove a point.  I didn't have too much in the way of ingredients so I threw together this super simple delicious mango sorbet, get the recipe after the jump...

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Crochet Donut

Now that it's getting all Fall-ish, I'm thinking of getting back to yarn crafts. If you need a sweet handmade something for a little person, I highly recommend this. A simple and satisfying beginner project. Wrap it up in parchment paper and tie with baker's twine for additional themey cuteness. These would also be super cute in multiples if you're feeling ambitious. The pattern is free, courtesy of KTBDesigns.

PS. I sewed a few jingle Bells inside before closing mine up.

One Frame Three Ways

Buttery yellow with wallpaper in my daughter's room

Vintage turquoise as a chalkboard via Little Green Notebook

White as a display sign for Cuppielove via Yes, Please

Before & After pics and where to get it after the jump...

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DIY: Easy Drawstring Bag

Perfect as a re-usable gift wrap, themed to tote party favors, or as storage for wayward blocks, this super-simple drawstring bag DIY from favorite site Purl Bee is a satisfying project to whip out after the kids go to bed:  

Etsuka Furuya Echino home-decor weight fabric in yellow $16.95 per yard at superbuzzy...

...and in pink and a variety of other patterns and colors for $19.50 a yard right at Purl Soho

I made mine with leftover scraps of decor-weight fabric and ribbon I had on hand, but how cute would it be with thick rick-rack or this Matryoshka Ribbon from Reprodepot?

DIY: Boy Tee into Girl Dress

BEFORE:

AFTER:

The husband, baby and I headed back to Nashville last week to visit our amazing new niece.  We had to stop by Jack White's Third Man Records shop where we picked up this toddler tee that was far too large for our girl.  I thought I'd try to make it into a dress. I'm a beginning sewer and have never worked with jersey before, so this is a super simple project that took about an hour; I think it turned out pretty cute in a rocker kind of way.  Check out the DIY after the jump...

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Prettier Formula

I saw this post over at OhDeeDoh and I finally knew what to do with this Jonathan Adler container I picked up for $7 at Homegoods a while back:  Ditch the ugly tub and store powdered formula in it.  It feels good to make a cute container useful, no?  Here's a few I dug up:

Ceramic Bisque Cupcake Jar $18.00 from dmkarlik Ceramics ebay shop

Parasol Bone jar by Roost, $49.95 at Well Dressed Home

Wood Grain Box by Micheal Aram for Waterford $95 at Macy's 

Vintage Greyhound canister $19.50 on etsy

Vintage Ceramic Tea Set $43.00 for 5 pieces at jwhite2

Bluebird and Trees Canister $26 at Three Potato Four

Ceramic Owl Jar $49.99 at JC Penney

Ceramic bird canister $19.99 at Target

Chalk Talk Storage $6.99 at World Market

Or grab a few great fabric scraps and follow this step-by-step DIY from Jackie at Crafting A Green World to customize a plain container.

Freshening the Bed

Jenny over at DOS family took a used find from a swedish craiglist-type site and created this adorable bed for her son in just a few steps. Visit her site to check out the before and after pics.

DIY: Modern Mobile

Kelly over at Yes, Please posted a great DIY Mobile whipped up by our friend, Babble columnist and Pump Station teacher Heather Turgeon, for her little guy. Click on over to get the how-to.

DIY: Pom Pom Curtains!

I came across these pom pom window panels from Pine Cone Hill while browsing through House Beautiful on a plane recently. They're so girly without being frilly - perfect for my daughter's room:



I fell in love with them instantly, but with two windows to cover I couldn't shell out the $250 for something that seemed simple enough to make on my own. So that's what I did:



Get the DIY after the jump...

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Let's get started!

Nesting urges, wondrous inspiration, endless exhaustion: The sparks our children set off in us...
Since pregnancy we've been discovering the handy crafters bubbling within. We've scoured the universe uncovering DIY projects that marry drool-worthy modern baby-cool with minimalist new-mom budgets. They don't always succeed, but we've learned a few things along the way and we'll give you the scoop. Give the plans a try, let us know what you think, send us pictures and links to your own DIY babies, and look for them here. This is the place to satisfy the impulse to create for your kids (prudently)...DIYs for the little guys!

jaime & jacinda