Revamped Perfume Tray

You may remember this adorable pattern from the DIY Matryoshka and Owl Coasters.  I can't get enough of it, so I remade my boring old perfume tray with a little mod podge.  Ahh mod podge, is there anything you can't make prettier?  No, there is not.  This is a crazy-easy 3-step project, get the full Perfume Tray Revamp after the jump...
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Last day to enter: EASY QUILT PROJECTS

Thanks for playing!. Please feel free to drop your name in the hat one more time for a chance to win this excellent book from Better Homes and Gardens.

Oh and PS: Thanks to all of your comments, I could not resist Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane Oilcloth at City Craft today. Y'all are a bad influence. HA!

available here online.

How to Pepare Royal Icing

I'm a busy bunny making cookies for Easter (and for a special little girl's birthday gift) so while I'm at it, I'm going to give you the scoop on preparing royal icing. If you need to "supply-up," check out our list of 10 Tools for Decorating Fancy Sugar Cookies.


Find out how to prepare royal icing after the jump
And once you're done here, visit our new post: Decorating Royal Icing Sugar Cookies.
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Quick & Pretty Makeup Bag

I'm very particular about my shampoo and always drag the full size bottle along on my travels.  It never fits in a standard toiletry bag, so I decided to make myself a custom size and I love it!  This makeup bag is a simple gusseted zip pouch with lining. If you are nervous about sewing zippers, this is a great first project.

Also, if you do the lining in oilcloth, a makeup bag is a great way to store crayons! A common refrain in our house is currently "ME COLORING!" and ziplocs full of crayons can be found at random locations, including melted in the trunk of my car! Turns out that with a little treat of a bag to tote them in, crayons seem more special and no longer get lost.

Get the DIY Makeup Bag Tutorial after the jump...
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A Portable Herb Garden & How To Pick Basil

One of my greatest little pleasures in life is having fresh herbs at my fingertips. Clare and I took advantage of the beautiful weather this weekend and got our hands dirty. This portable planter is from FOODMAP DESIGN and we love it for it's modern look and portability (and they are having a 20%off sale right now) but you could easily make something similar at home... or, ya know, just use some pots. But trust me, there is nothing like having Sweet and Thai Basil, Oregano, Thyme and Sage ready and waiting. Oh and Mint too, but keep that in a separate pot, it spreads like a weed!


I'm sure all of you Prudent Mamas are in the know on the best way to pick your basil plant for optimum production but if this tip is new to just one of you, it was worth it!

Check out how to pick basil after the jump.
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Smocked Sundress with Pom Poms Pattern

I'm so thrilled some of you are finally able to shirr thanks to the little trick I shared with the Sweet Shirred Summer Dress Pattern.  I'm having so much fun shirring my heart out, I hope you are too!

Here's a take on the traditional smocked dress for summer, made with another gorgeous voile from City Craft which is available online here.  Get the full DIY Smocked Sundress Pattern after the jump...
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Prudent Project Round-Up from Flickr

Dianne made an awesome DIY Nursing Cover...
Stajahnke sewed the sweet DIY Swaddling Blanket...
Emi monogrammed our DIY Burp Cloth...
And Sarades created the cute owl Changing Pad Cover!

All projects from this round-up were found via the Prudent Baby Project Pool on Flickr...join and share your photos with us!

Your button beautifuls:

Prudent Project Round-Up

Taylor at Silas Jones made the crazy adorable cute Fabric Toddler Belt...
Karen at The Big Trade-Off used our Playpen Sheet DIY to customize a sheet for her super-cute bassinet...
Over at Lil Duckie Arts she was inspired by our Recipe Binder to create this organizational gem...
and Angki at And the Story Goes... crafted some treats with our DIY for Cupcake Toppers from stuff you have laying around the house!

Your button my dears:

Ladies we love seeing your projects so much, go ahead and send us pictures using this Prudent Baby Contact Form or add them to the Prudent Baby Project Pool on Flickr!

Week in Review

DIY Tray |Sweet Shirred Summer Dress | 10 Minute Onesie Dress
Bird Prints | 5 Minute T-Shirt Tunic | Bibs Round Up
Easy Quilt Projects Giveaway | Business Card Holder | Martha Sneak Peek

Saturday Link Love

Hand Carved stamps class at Home Ec...
Plastic zip purse DIY at Simple Pleasures...
Super cute DIY for Anthropologie copy-cat earrings at Hello Marzipan...
And matchbox favor boxes how-to at Oh So Crafty!

And more...
100 upcylcing ideas here via Shelterrific
30 Quick and Easy Spring Dinners at Sunset Magazine
Our friend Kelly from Yes, Please featured on Martha Stewart Weddings
Fabric Easter Basket DIY on Moda Bake Shop via Cut Out & Keep
Sneak Peek of La Petite Magazine from Kenziepoo, we did a very special DIY feature we can't wait to share with you!

Have some links you want us to check out? Send them to us using this Prudent Baby Contact Form!

Sneak Peek

Here's a sneak peek of some treats we made for a little website you may have heard of called Martha Stewart...


The shoot, styled by the lovely ladies of Yes, Please and Bash Eco-events and photographed by the amazing Bonnie Tsang, is gorgeous.  We can't wait to share all the details with you!

Business Card Holder

To celebrate Prudent Baby's new business cards, I made myself a little card holder using some Anna Maria Horner Oilcloth in Little Folks - Forrest Hills Berry (from City Craft, of course.)

Get the Business Card Holder DIY after the jump.
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GIVEAWAY: EASY QUILT PROJECTS

Thanks for playing! Did our book review of Easy Quilt Projects get your mouth watering? Well, we have good news! The good people at Wiley Publishing have sent us a copy to give away to one lucky Prudent Baby reader. If you love quilting or think you want to give it a go or need a last-minute birthday gift for your sister, you want this book! Enter here by telling us your favorite fabric designer/collection. A few of my favorites are Heather Ross/Far, Far Away (Jaime, I want that dress), Joel Dewberry/Modern Meadow, Jessica Jones/Braemore and most recently I have a total crush on anything Anna Maria Horner. What do you love?  Like I need more fabric temptation. The giveaway will end at midnight on Wednesday, March 31st and is open to US residents only (but everyone can comment.) Feel free to enter every day with a new answer. And if you repost on your blog/facebook/twitter come back and enter again. Or if you would rather just pick up a copy RIGHT NOW, here's a link!

Bibs!

Why don't we all make up a few quick and pretty bibs?!
How about a Tie-back Apron Bib? or a Reversible Baby Bib with Free Downloadable Pattern? or my favorite the DIY Pocket Bib?  And while you're at it whip up a matching Burp Cloth!  Then go ahead and upload a picture to the Prudent Baby Project Pool on Flickr!

5-Minute T-shirt Tunic

Just when you thought it couldn't get any easier than Jaime's 10-Minute Onsie Dress, we present the 5-minute T-shirt Tunic.

You can you use a bandana, dinner napkin, tea towel, vintage hankie, or neck scarf for your skirt. Not only will you have an adorable top for your girlie but you will teach your child a valuable lesson at a tender young age.


Get the silly-easy 5-Minute T-shirt Tunic DIY after the jump..

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Nailed it

My husband is so pleased. I finally took a deep breath, nailed a hole in my beautiful new wall and hung a picture. Whatever. it’s only been ONE year in the house. HA!

How good do those little birdies look with my new shams!? (insert self-congratulatory pat on own back.)

Adding color? Hanging pictures? What’s next, unpacking boxes? These adorable prints are from Eleanor's Push Me Pull You Design.

Here is another from her Aesop's Fables series above the fireplace!

10 Minute Onesie Dress - Easiest Dress Ever

Hello, when you read this DIY you will be like "That's it, I'm buying a sewing machine." SO SIMPLE. It's a onesie with a skirt around it, cute AND comfy:

Find out how to make this 10 Minute Onesie Dress (with finished seams through no work of your own!) after the jump...
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BH&G EASY QUILT PROJECTS

Back in January, we asked you what your crafting goals were for the year and it surprised me that so many of you were quilters. I’m not sure why it surprised me because quilts are awesome. It might be that quilting scares me... it seems complicated and time-consuming and requires extreme accuracy. But you see, there is this new addiction that I have, It’s purchasing fabric and well, quilting seems like the PERFECT excuse to buy tons of really beautiful cotton prints. So when my copy of the brand new book Better Homes and Gardens EASY QUILT PROJECTS arrived on the doorstep this morning, I handed the kids a string cheese and dove in. Anything that enables my fabric addiction is worth a shot, right? This book is just what I was looking for. The patterns are bold and simple, the directions are clear and concise and there are plenty of pretty pictures. Everything we love at Prudent Baby (except champagne!) It seems like the perfect book for a beginner or an experienced quilter looking for some simple, fun patterns, including great ideas for the kitchen, bag projects, gifts... oh and quilts, of course. There are even templates in the back. Take a sneak peek inside and then feed your own fabric addiction by picking up a copy here.
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Sweet Shirred Summer Dress Pattern

I picked up this pretty voile at City Craft during my visit to Dallas and was so excited to make a little summer dress for Scarlet (you can find this fabric online here).  I used elastic thread to create shirring, which is nothing new, except I figured out how to make elastic thread work in my drop-in bobbin!  Any of you that have a newer machine might be frustrated that elastic thread just won't seem to work!  I decided I couldn't take it anymore and camped out, messing with the machine until I had it figured out.

I'll tell you what worked for me as well as share this Sweet Shirred Summer Dress pattern after the jump...
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DIY Tray Part 2

I whipped up one of Jacinda's DIY Trays in an evening last week.  I had intended to use it for an easter basket, but I liked it so much (and I'm so sick) that I decided to treat myself and keep it as a little Thank-You-Note-writing station.  I love this project, you just need a wooden tray (this one is only $6), some paint, Mod Podge and a pretty paper (I used some leftover from the DIY Step Stool but I think it would also be awesome with some of your kids art a la the DIY Kid Art Trivet).  Get the full DIY Tray tutorial here.

Prudent Project Round-Up

Over at The Nilsen Nest she made our Fabric Flower Hair Clip...
Marie from Liberty's Belle used our pattern to make this gorgeous DIY Nursing Cover...
Over at Life as We Live It Abbi is ready to party with her boy-version of our DIY Potty Party Training Chart with free downloads!
And Kathryn from My Mommie Made It used our Free Recipe Binder downloads to create these beauties!

Now if you like, grab a button:

Ladies we love seeing your projects so much, go ahead and send us pictures using this Prudent Baby Contact Form or add them to the Prudent Baby Project Pool on Flickr!

Prudent Project Round-Up from Flickr

Smassini made the DIY Baby Legwarmers from a pair of socks...
Hesper Leigh made the gorgeous Cameo Silhouette, love the colors!...
Double Sided Tape made our DIY Potty Party training chart...
and CaitlinD made a whole stack of gorgeous DIY Crib Sheets!

All projects from this round-up were found via the Prudent Baby Project Pool on Flickr...join and share your photos with us!
Your button ladies:

2 Weeks In Review

Hipster Swing Dress for Baby | $10 DIY Sand Box | Alice Cookies
Ruffle Stripe Pillow | Crafty Dallas | Baby's Favorite Things Lollipops
Lumpy Icing Camouflage | Pillowcase Baby Dress Pattern | Best Books for Under 2


April Fools IRS Audit Downloads | Crawling Dress Fix | Baby's Breath Bouquet
Color-Your-Own Seder Plate | Homemade Granola "Bars" | Deer Step Stool Template
Quick Wall Art | DIY Sham-Style Pillowcase | Marshmallow Butterflies

Saturday Link Love

Bubble Skirt Tutorial at Sew Hip Mama via the Prudent Baby Project Pool on Flickr...
Big Green Bow Hairclip DIY from The Design Pocket...
Quick Leather Bracelet DIY inspired by our DIY Leather Baby Shoes at Between the Lines...
And super cute DIY Jewelry Holder tutorial at Knitsburgh...

And more...
How to transfer inkjet images to wood at Matsutake
Amazing FREE paper cutting templates at Papercutting (get your mod podge on!)
This is a great project:  Over at Lula in London she is collecting baby measurements so you will have a place to go find them when you're sewing, visit her and share yours!
Guinness cupcakes at Cut Out & Keep (yum)

Have a project you'd like us to share?  Tell us about it via the Prudent Baby Contact Form.