Scarlet's How to Sew a Heart Pillow Tute

My daughter is the light of my life, and nothing sounds more lovely to my crafty ears than hearing her beg "mama, I want to sew! puhhhhleeeaaaassseeeee!!!"

But also it's sort of a double edged sword, because 3 year olds can't really sew. What they can do is bounce about a room filled with scissors, needles, and heavy machinery, pulling any remotely-pink fabric off the shelves and squealing with glee and determination to help while unraveling every roll of sparkly thread and pom poms they set their little eyes on. In this case, I told her we could sew a new naptime pillow for school. All of my suggestions for pillow styles were rebuffed, as she had already designed the perfect pillow in her head. Her description was clear: "Mom, I want a pillow in the shape of a heart. I want a heart pocket too. I want a plain pink heart pocket and I want a tinkerbell on it." Umm, ok. I told her to pick out her fabric and we got to work.

She really liked the results.

I also thought it turned out pretty cute, so we made a few more (including one for her cousin JoJo). So Scarlet has created her first design, what do you think? Let me share with you How to Make a Heart Shaped Pillow after the jump...
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Sweet on Paper: Paper Bias Tape Bags

Here is a quick way to make little paper bags for sweet treats! It uses the same technique as bias tape (with a little cheat) but made with paper. I used my new 11"x17" All-In-One Printer from Brother. The same printer that we are giving away in our contest, to scan a beautiful vintage (and possibly hand-made?) doily from my mom and got to work!

Read on to learn how to make Paper Bias Tape Treat Bags.

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Last Minute St Patrick's Day Treats w/ FREE PRINTABLES!

We loved the little Jelly Bean Pods from the 4th of July so here are more for St. Patrick's Day! This time we have free printables to make us all look extra Mom-tastic. But really they take like 3.5 seconds to make. Shhhhh...


Get the FREE PRINTABLES and EASY INSTRUCTIONS...
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Start Stitching! (A Beginner's Embroidery Tutorial)

It is National Embroidery Month, don't you know? So we asked Cornflower Blue's Rachel Hunnicut, a talented knitter, crocheter and embroider-er-errrrr, to create a beginner embroidery tutorial for Prudent Baby. And look at the little beauty she came up with! Ahhhh, crafting in bed at it's finest.

Take it away Rachel!

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Valentines Poems: Love Poems for Every Personality

As you ladies know, I have been collecting my favorite poetry for years, some of which is included in my book and on my other website. In honor of Valentines Day I’ve collected some favorite Valentines poems for your perusal. I’ve included Valentines Poems for lovers, friends, exes, children, photographers, cooks, and all sort of personalities. Print one out, or better yet write it by hand on a lovely Valentines Day card and watch your loved one swoon (or giggle). Find a compilation of Valentines poems, from funny to sweet here: Valentines Poems: Love Poems for Every Personality. Also, you can find the embroidery pattern for that awesome anatomical heart at sublime stitching.

Sweet Swirl Cookies of Love

Here's a super easy, extra pretty Valentines Day treat you can whip up in a jiff for Monday's school parties: Sweet Swirl Cookies!

Don't they look deelish? They're plain old sugar cookies, rolled, sliced, and baked.

Get the recipe and tute for Sweet Swirl Cookies of Love after the jump...

I hope the other parents don't mind the sugar... what are you making for your Valentines parties?  Leave us a comment, and you might win an adorable embroidery pattern!
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Keys to My Heart Lollipop Valentines

Scarlet holds the key to my heart, obvs.  This year she is very excited about her Valentines Day party at school, and she insisted there be lots of pink.

She also adores lollipops, so it was only natural to make lollipop valentines.

With a few paper cut outs and some time, we pulled these little Valentines together.

Learn how to make Keys to My Heart Valentines after the jump...

And be sure to leave a comment, because this week's surprise prize for fave comment wins that amazing embroidery pattern!
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The Easiest Valentines Day Treat

I wanted to whip together a quick Valentines Day treat for Scarlet's school party and card exchange. And since next week is looking like a busy one, I wanted to create something I could make now that would last until then. So I went with Powdered Sugar Party Mix! Making this is pretty much the easiest thing you will ever do in your kitchen, and it's crazy delicious.

I'll show you how to make powdered sugar party mix and how I packaged it up. Get the full scoop on The Easiest Valentine's Day Treat after the jump...
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Color-in Valentine's Day Cards: Free Download!

Aren't these color in Valentines Day cards we posted last year the sweetest? This would be a fun little activity to do with your kiddos this week, so I wanted to remind y'all about them. Get the full details and download these cuties here: Color-in Valentine's Day Cards: Free Download!

Sweet Strawberry Crepes

MMM, nothing says love like strawberries and cream. I love making crepes, and these are so easy to get right. Find the recipe here: Valentines Day Food: Sweet Strawberry Crepes.

Valentines Day Raspberry Mint Sugar Hearts

How sweet are these little sugar hearts?  My swell sister-in-law whipped them up and is sharing a tute with us on how to make 'em for our little sweeties.  My SIL, Stevee, is married to my husband's identical twin, mom to my sweet little niecey JoJo, resident expert mom of Nashville, and you can catch her blogging about her current pregnancy (a boy this time!) at Babble's Being Pregnant. Also, she's ridic gorg, I mean, really...

These sugar hearts are so much easier to make than I thought they would be, and how sweet for a little Valentines Day tea party? Take it away Stevee!

Learn How to Make Valentines Day Raspberry Sugar Mint Hearts after the jump...

And remember any comment you leave could win you some super sparkly Kreinik thread!
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Top Ten UnRomantic Valentine's Day Gifts for Men

So I told you about Unromantic Valentines Day and you all shared tons of great ideas! Here's my top ten picks for Unromantic Valentines Day gifts for manly men. All these are prudent-husband-approved. Find out where to snag them here: Top Ten Un-Romantic Valentines Day Gifts for Men.

And please share your ideas in the comments, you could win some sparkly Kreinik thread!

Scone Sweet Scone

Heart-shaped scones are an easy-peasy Valentines Day breakfast treat (or really an any day, anytime treat). Many Prudent Mamas are obsessed with the recipe Jacinda posted last year for Kevin's Famous Scones.  I used to dislike scones (because I was used to coffee-shop-chain, dry, day-old-biscuit tasting suckers), but these are moist and flavorful, and most of all, EASY. If you are part of our facebook circle of love (join the party at facebook.com/prudentbaby) you know that I made a batch with frozen raspberries last saturday and my husband and child ate EVERY SINGLE ONE before I got to snap a pic or even taste one!

Since they were so well received and so darn easy to make, I whipped up another batch on Sunday. This time I was out of frozen fruit, and actually out of real fruit too, actually pretty much out of everything because I hate going to the grocery store...

...but, my point is, I had to scrounge the cupboards for scone flavors, and I ended up using dried yogurt cranberries and a tangerine from our tree.  Super deelish!  You can make yours with any filling ingredients, and the heart shape will just make them that much sweeter.

The whole thing takes about five minutes to mix together and a bit more to bake, making these scones a simple sweet treat for a lazy morning. THANKS KEVIN!

Get the full Scone Sweet Scone recipe after the jump...And tell us if you abhor or adore scones in the comments. Remember that any comment you leave this week could win you some super-sparkly Kreinik thread!
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Un-Romantic Valentines Day is Back!

Throw your guy an Un-Romantic Valentines Day and fall in love all over again!

We told you about our tradition of Un-Romantic Valentines Day last year here: Un-Romantic Valentines Day, and y'all seemed to like the idea. The re-cap: My hubs and I started this tradition eight years ago, after he made it clear he thought it was a little unfair that men are expected to wow us ladies on Valentines Day AND anniversaries, while we all just sit back and wait to be showered with romance of a sort men don’t usually enjoy that much. I thought that was pretty reasonable, so we made a deal: On our anniversary he would plan something special for the two of us, and in exchange I would take on Valentines Day and plan something HE would think was fun. Turns out, Valentines Day is his favorite holiday!

The whole point of the day is to plan something you would not ordinarily want to do, something ridiculously manly and out of your comfort zone. Then smile the whole time and act like you love it. And buy him a treat you don’t approve of, like beef jerky sticks or an axe, but more on that in another post.

Take a look at some of some of the things pictured above that we've done for Un-Romantic Valentines Day (and get inspired for your own Un-Romantic date) here: Un-Romantic Valentines Day: Do it for the Man You Love.

Do you think this is something you would do? Do you have any ideas to suggest for Un-Romantic Valentines Day dates? Share in the comment and you might win some purty fabric and bias tape!

DIY Blooming Heart Valentines Decoration

While I was "working" (i.e. scoping out the web for cute Valentine's day tutes) I came across this gorgeousness on Punkin Pattern. I'm so glad I discovered this site, there's so much cuteness there!

I asked the creator, Vanessa, if she would share the tute with us, and she agreed.  I see so many variations on this, I just love how it's sweet but not as saccharine as some traditional Valentines day decorations.

Get the full Blooming Heart Valentines Decoration tutorial after the jump. What are you planning for v-day decor? Let us know in the comments, you could win some pretty potholder fabric and bias tape.

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How to Make a Wine Gift Bag

Oh wine, how I love thee.

And how I love the anthropologie-rumpled look of this cotton-linen blend Heather Ross fabric for a gift like this. I imagine toting it to the park for a picnic where all the ladies are wearing forties-inpired high heels while casually sipping Malbec as the sun sets.

Or you know, a last minute dinner party gift, maybe with a few pretty wine glasses.  Learn How to Sew a Wine Bag after the jump...

And remember to leave a comment, because our favorite commenter is winning that super cute key fob set!
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Operation Sleep Cute: Sleep Shorts

I actually took a picture of the giant pile of sweatpants that I usually sleep in, but it's too embarrassing to share.  Point is, I'm trying to cute up the whole sleep situation with some quick sewing projects.  It also makes lounging around the house feel sort of special and less, I don't know....gross.  I started with some sleep shorts in our beloved Nicey Jane (ooo, it's on sale right now at Fabricworm).  I also made a matching top which I will share with you once I get up the nerve to have my picture taken in it.

If you have any tips on sleeping a little bit cuter, tutes to point us to so we don't look like such slobs, or general whining about why it is that we have to look cute while we freaking sleep, leave them for us in the comments and you could possibly win the Heather Ross Double Gauze up there on the left.

Get the full Sleep Shorts Tutorial after the jump...
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DIY Lullabies

I wanted to share this with you before Valentines Day but I didn't quite pull it together.  But love songs and lullabies don't require holidays, right?  So I present to you this little Prudent Baby lullaby kit, including downloadable playlist and free label templates to make your own CDs.  First up is this playlist of sweet & sleepy indie love songs.  You can listen to snippets of them in this widget, and if you like, you can download them through it.  I had to take the Beatles out because they don't sell MP3s and I couldn't include mock-Beatles, I just couldn't do it.  

Next are the free downloadable CD label templates. They feature a couple lines from the songs on the album and print on standard CD labels you can get anywhere, Avery 8692 (Available Here) if you want to get specific. If you like this idea, I'll follow up soon with a kit for Dance Attack.  
Get the Kids Lullabies CD labels after the jump...

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DIY 5-Minute Toddler Legwarmers

So we shared Stevee's DIY for Baby Legwarmers from a pair of socks and I was jealous!  I wanted some for Scarlet, but she's almost two and ladies socks would be too small.  So I was at Target recently and I found a pair of women's thigh-high socks, yay!  It took literally less then five minutes to make these.  When I gave them to Scarlet this morning her eyes got all wide and she said "MOMMY!  PRETTY!" *pride*

Get the full DIY Toddler Legwarmer 5- minute tutorial after the jump...
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Valentine's Lullabies

Some love songs for my little one to fall asleep to tonight, maybe your baby would enjoy them too.  Much love to you and yours.

La La Love You, Pixies

In My Life, The Beatles

Love is a Place, Metric

Heartbeats, Jose Gonzalez

Five Years, Seu Jorge

Knocked Up, Kings of Leon

Catch the Wind, Donovan

The Fox in the Snow, Belle & Sebastian

The Happy Birthday Song, Andrew Bird

To Be Alone With You, Sufjan Stevens

One April Day, Stephen Merritt

I Will Follow You Into the Dark, Death Cab for Cutie