No-Sew Child Camera Strap Tutorial

My 3 year old has been obsessed with cameras and taking pictures lately.  So, it was pretty exciting for her when her Nana and Grandpa gave her her very own camera for Christmas.  It was exciting for us, too. No more worrying about her dropping OUR camera and breaking it!

For safety reasons (I'm assuming), this indestructible camera did not come with a camera strap.  Not that it needs one.  I mean, the picture on the front of the box shows the thing getting chucked down some hardwood stairs.  I'm sure if it can make it through that, that we don't really need a strap or bag for "protection."

BUT, I have had camera straps on my mind as I was asked for ideas on how to make some for teens on a Teen Craft Night at the local library.  I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to try it out.  Why not?  So here goes...

No-Sew Child Camera Strap

Step 1 - Gather Materials

 You will need:

camera
1 yard cotton twill tape (mine is 1" thick)
1 yard decorative ribbon (mine is 7/8")
1 yard daisy lace (or other embellishment of your choice - sequins, etc)
Self-stick velcro
hot glue gun (or Fabri-Tac permanent adhesive)
scissors

Step 2 - Attach Velcro

My Velcro came in 1/2" squares.  This was too big for the area I wanted to attach it to the camera.  So I had to cut my Velcro in half to make it fit.  Just cut a piece of Velcro to fit on each side of your camera.

 I also forgot to buy the self-stick Velcro (which would make this step easier).  Peel the backing off of your Velcro and position it in the middle of each side of your camera.  I used Fabri-Tac at this point (it held better than the hot glue on the plastic of the camera).

Take the other pieces of Velcro and attach them to the ends of the twill tape (on the side you want to be the back).

Step 3 - Attach Ribbon to Twill Tape

Cut a piece of ribbon to the size of your twill tape (if this is not done already).

Place dots of hot glue down the center of the twill tape. Center your ribbon and press onto the glue.

 Continue until the entire length of ribbon and twill tape are glued together.

 Step 4 - Attach Daisy Lace (or other embellishments)

Now repeat for the lace (or anything else you would like to attach).

Step 5 - Dry, Attach, and Shoot!

Allow the glue to harden before attaching the strap to the camera.

Then let your little one get to the picture taking!

PS - I used Velcro on purpose.  I know that it doesn't seem very strong.  This is to decrease the risk of strangulation.  The strap will easily come off the camera were the camera to get stuck on something.  If you are using this for an adult camera, I would simply use binder rings at the end of the straps or a loop of embroidery floss. Also, you would need a longer piece of twill tape and ribbon.  Good luck!! :)

An Apple for the Teacher

Well, not exactly.  Or at all.  

Disclaimer: There are NO apples in this post.

This week I feel it is appropriate to blog about showing appreciation for our teachers and everything that they do for our children.  Isn't that what our gifts really say?  We appreciate you!!

I really had a hard time deciding what to get for my 3 year old's pre-k teachers.  For starters, there are 3 of them.  I was going to do gift cards, but couldn't decide where the gift cards should be for.  Some swear by DD, some by Starbucks and SOME by McDonald's coffee (not me - bleh).  And then there's Panera or Cosi's or....and on and on the list goes.  I really wanted to try and think of something that I felt good about.  I also wanted my daughter to have a hand in the planning and making of it.

About a week ago, we were getting our hair cut and I was talking to my hairdresser about this dilemma.  She happened to have a craft book on hand so we were looking through the book and discussing options as she cut.  We came across a reusable lunch bag and I knew I had my idea.

When we got home, my daughter and I went through the fabric that I have in my stash.  She chose a fabric that she wanted to use for each of her teachers.  I also found a great heavy black denim that could be used as the inside of the bags.

Now, I would like to say that I was very methodical in my planning and making of this bag, but I wasn't.  I did it on the fly and made them a size that I thought "looked about right."  Thank goodness it really is "about right." :)  

As you can see, I appliqued each teacher's last name initial on the front of the bag in the black denim.  I used a nice, big, black button with a ribbon for a simple closure and folded the bag to look like a lunch bag.

 The bag has a flat bottom and the denim makes it nice and sturdy so it can stand on its own.

Now comes the part where my daughter REALLY took part.  She made the goodies for the inside (and I made sure she didn't wipe her nose or lick her fingers while making these, I promise!).

She put a Hershey's Kiss in the middle of each pretzel.  The white and red ones are the candy cane Hershey Kisses (white chocolate and mint).  Then I put the tray of pretzels with Kisses in a 400 degree oven for 2 minutes.  When they came out my daughter pressed an M&M into the middle.  Yummy!

When they were all cooled down, they went into a plastic bag and into the lunch bag.

Three teachers gifts down - about 100 more to go (over the years, that is)!!

PS If this gift goes over well, I think I might just recycle the idea and give every teacher each year a lunch bag.  Why not?

PPS Like this bag?  Why not get one for yourself or someone you love and appreciate!  These are currently available in my Etsy shop, LittlePunkin'Pie.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/118517779/reusable-fabric-lunch-bag-with-initial

If Your Name is Maria....DON'T READ THIS :)

Awww...isn't she cute??  This picture actually has NOTHING to do with this post.  Just wanted to throw Maria off.  Heh heh. And I wanted a thumbnail photo.  If you are my sister-in-law and you are reading this, I am no longer responsible for you finding out what you are getting for Christmas.  I warned you...

Ok, folks.  It's getting down to the wire, here.  I decided about a week ago that I was changing what I made for Maria.  Problem was that I had already made a gift for her.  I just decided that (cute as it is) what I made for her was just not "right."  As in, the colors were off.  I noticed at Thanksgiving that she was eyeing that bag I had in my shop.  Remember this one?

Messenger Bag

So I decided to make her one of these for her birthday in January, but one that is in colors that she chooses. She told me that she tends to lean towards blue and brown.  And that's what she is going to get.  A blue and brown print messenger bag.  I figured if I was going to make her that bag for her birthday, then I might as well use the same fabric to make her a matching clutch and wallet.  That way she will have a complete set.

I started with the wallet. This is my own design.  I was asked by the Bristol Public Library to do a craft night with teenagers in January.  This is a variation of the project I will be doing with them.  I will probably post a tutorial for this at some point, but not today.

I used burlap for the outside, corduroy for the initial, and the blue/tan floral pattern for the credit card pockets, inside fabric, and trim.  The wallet closes with a magnetic snap.

Considering that I just had a lay-out in my mind and had never made it before, I'm happy with it.  Wallet...check.

Now on to the clutch.

  I had originally made this one:

Cute Clutch

Cute, right?  But not matching.  So this one is for sale in my Etsy shop.  Check it out.  :)

So, I went back and made this one out of matching fabric:

The wallet fits inside perfectly.  I'm very happy with how this one turned out.  The colors are very "Maria". :) 

Here is the inside:

I will show you the messenger bag some time in January when I am done with it.  

DONE!! (with Maria, that is)

PS I used this tutorial to make the clutches: http://fromanigloo.blogspot.com/2010/03/scrappy-clutch.html

It's a bird! It's a plane! No...no...it's just Papa...

Aren't you just the LEAST bit curious what the heck I'm talking about?  This week we delve into the process of making a gift for my dad.  So, Dad, I know you probably don't read all my blog posts.  BUT, if you are reading this - this is NOT the week to start.  No reading beyond this point.

Alright, here we go.  This year, I have decided to make my dad the most amazing, meaningful gift that I could possibly thing of.  A superhero cape.  Yep.  You read right.  I'm not kidding, either.  For those of you who don't know my dad, it would be hilarious to see my dad in a cape.  Upon meeting Dad, he seems to be a quiet, serious, and (to his kids at least), maybe a little stern.  Being a dutiful teenage daughter, I thought him quite straight-laced when I was growing up.  Well, ever since the girls were born, it has become increasingly apparent to me that he will do almost anything for them.  They have him wrapped around their fingers and I love it!  Also, it has come to my attention that my teenage-view of my dad may not have been 100% accurate. Go figure.  He has quite the sense of humor.  Over the past couple of years a family inside joke has emerged.  I'm pretty sure it started when Mom would acknowledge that Dad was correct about something and Dad would say, "I know.  I'm awesome."  And thus he became not just awesome but AWESOME.  I think we hear this phrase at least once every time we are over at their house.

Ever since I started making superhero capes to sell on Etsy, my mom has jokingly told me that I should make one for Dad because he is awesome.  Over the span of a couple of months, this idea has cemented itself in my brain.  And here we are.

Dad is now officially awesome.  He has a cape to prove it.

Now, I wanted to make this cape really special AND I wanted to include the girls in the making of it.  So I bought white muslin for the backing of the cape and had the girls put hand prints all over it.

As my husband helped the 1 year old put her hand prints on, it was a family project.  Now the cape is personal and something that I know my dad will love and cherish (as odd as it sounds).

I initialed one of each of the girls' hand prints so that they could be identified in years to come and dated it.  Done!  One superhero cape for my awesome Dad. :)

PS: I insisted that my husband model the cape because it is WAY too big for the girls to model.  He refused (and I mean emphatically refused) to model it out in our backyard in case one of the neighbors should see him.  So this is the best I could get.

PPS: I sell custom-made super hero capes in my Etsy shop.  They are great for boys and girls alike and make great Christmas or birthday gifts!  Here are some pictures of capes I have made.

Over the River and Through the Woods

Hello everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I know that we did. :)  I always love spending time with family and extended family. Too much good food, good conversations, and people I love - what's not to like about that?

Well, I'm plugging along on my journey to Christmas.  I did not participate in Black Friday because all of my relatives are getting hand-made gifts that I expect them to at least pretend to like while we are there.  So there.  I'm sticking with the hand print theme on this one.  Remember that?  Well, here are those cute little hands again.  I saw a pillow like this that a woman had made online somewhere.  I think it was here: http://fromanigloo.blogspot.com.  Yep, it was - I just checked.  Anyways, I saw it and thought "I can do that..."  So I did.  I lucked out on this one, because a friend of mine is an Interior Decorator and had all this fabric lying around that she offered to give me.  How could I say no to that?  Free fabric is always a plus and I will find something to make with it all.  This is the first project.

I used a 12x16 inch pillow form from JoAnn Fabrics.  I just measured 1" inch extra for the material all the way around for seam allowances.  So, I wanted a middle panel with borders.  I figured I should have a 2" border all the way around so I cut 2 pieces 3" wide x 13" long for the side borders.  Then I cut 2 pieces 3" wide x 12 " long for the top borders.  The middle panel I cut 9" wide x 12" long.  I cut out enough pieces for the front and the back of the pillow.  In other words:

2 - 9x12 inch panels

4 - 3x13 inch side borders

4 - 3x12 inch top borders

Then, before I sewed them all together, I traced the girls' hands onto some poster board I had laying around.  I cut their hands out and used the poster board patterns to trace the hands onto some Steam-a-Seam double-sided fusible webbing.  That was then stuck to the blue fabric and cut out.  The paper backing was peeled off, stuck to the pink pillow fabric, and ironed on.  I used a simple zigzag stitch to secure the applique to the front panel.  I used the same fusible webbing to create the black felt letters for the girls' initials and the year.  The pieces were sewn together to form the front and back panels.  The panels were sewn together, leaving one side open for the pillow to go in.  I folded over a 1/4" seam on the open end to make closing it up easier.  The pillow was shoved in and a slip-stitch was used to sew up the pillow so that the seam is unnoticeable.  And there you have it...one hand print pillow for Nana and Grandpa (hence the title - sorry, it was the best I could come up with).

And here is the back...

One more gift ready!  Woo hoo! Have a great week everyone - can't wait to share my next one.  Here's a hint - it's AWESOME (and if you are in my immediate family, you will get this right away). ;)

Miracle of Miracles

If your name is Geoffrey Smythe, I'm going to ask that you stop reading this...pronto. Have you stopped yet? STOP - unless you want to see your Christmas gift.

Alright, now that he has left, we can all talk about what I made him for Christmas.  I've decided to go with a hand print theme this year.  No, I don't have themes every year - I'm not that organized.  It just worked out this time.  Well, except for my sister's present.  Sorry.  You know what you're getting, anyways and it would look silly with random hand prints on it.  Anyways - onward to the gift.  I was really at an impasse with my brother.  I just had no idea what I could possibly make him that he would actually want.  Couple that with the fact that he would have to get it back to Japan with him in a CARRY-ON and it really complicated things.  As a side note - I have absolutely no idea how he is going to be able to fit everything he needs for two weeks in the States into a carry-on bag and then fit in all the gifts from Christmas on the way back.  I guess he is an amazing packer.  Way better than me!

After much thought, I came up with a plan.  A messenger bag.  It's useful, manly, and he could use it to pack all his Christmas gifts in on the way home.  We have a winner!  The only problem?  I have NEVER (and I mean NEVER) made a bag that I am happy with.  But as I had no other ideas - it was going to have to do.

I started to make him a bag.  I cut out all the pieces and even put interfacing on them.  Then, I really looked at them.  Huh, they seemed a little small to me.  I asked my husband.  He took one look and said, "Becca, you're making your brother a purse."  Oops.  I'm guessing my brother really doesn't want a purse - of any kind.  Back to the drawing board.  The purse was put aside for a future project and I went back to making a much larger bag that didn't remotely look like a purse.  I used brown corduroy for the outside of the bag and lined it with a brown denim that I had laying around from who-knows-what project I had done in the past.  I also used fusible fleece for a nice, sturdy interfacing.  This is what the finished bag looks like:

I'm really happy with the way it turned out!  

Are you wondering what happened to my hand print theme?  Just lift the front flap and this is what you see:

Two big pockets.  Each pocket has a hand print on it, sewed on with orange thread for contrast and to make them a little more interesting.  The pocket is lined so you cannot see the orange thread on the inside of the pockets.

Here is the inside of the bag:

There are three pockets and a roomy interior.  The only thing missing is a clasp or closure for this bag.  I'm going to add some velcro to this one, but in the future I plan on installing a zipper at the top (or maybe a magnetic snap...).

And here is the strap of the bag.  I put a D-ring on it to make it adjustable.  Some people like it higher and some lower.

One  last finishing touch: a key ring holder on the side of the bag.

That's it!  One more Christmas present done and ready to be given!  I hope he likes it!

PS Like this bag? I just finished another one (with a zippered closure and a large pocket on the back).  It is now for sale in my Etsy shop.  Check it out!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/115668991/messenger-bag-with-adjustable-strap