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My almost four year old daughter loves to run and check the mailbox. She also loves to write (okay, draw) little notes for everyone. The two loves come together with this super easy felt mail carrier set. Dust off the sewing machine and scavenge for bits of left over felt and you're on your way!
Supplies:
Felt (red, white, blue)
Thread (white, black)
Paper printout of the USPS eagle logo
Blue ribbon or nylon webbing, 30-inches or so
Optional gift idea: tuck a notebook, stickers, and a couple of pencils in the bag
How To - Mail Bag:
1. Out of blue felt, cut the following: one 11x12-inch rectangle, one 9x12 inch rectangle, and one 5x12 inch rectangle.
2. Scale the postal logo eagle, tip to tail, to about 8x5 inches and print. Pin the logo to a scrap of white felt and cut out just like a paper pattern. Lay the eagle one inch from the bottom edge of the 9x12 blue rectangle, pin in place, and stitch with white thread. Remember, this is felt and felt's pretty forgiving at hiding stitches. So you don't have to be super exact. But do give yourself at least 1/8-1/4 inch seam allowance throughout the whole project. And don't forget to backstitch! (I sound like my mother...)
3. With wrong sides together, stitch the sides and bottom of the blue 9x12 and 11x12 inch pieces together. Lay the blue 5x12 inch piece on the un-sewn edge of the 11x12 blue piece and stitch. Starting to see the bag? Good.
4. Securely stitch the length of ribbon or webbing to the back top corners of the bag forming the strap.
How To - Letter:
1. Out of the white felt, cut the following per envelope: one 5x8 inch rectangle, one 4x8 inch rectangle, and one 3.5x8 inch rectangle. Out of red felt, cut the following per envelope: one 1/5x1/5 inch square.
2. Cut a point in the 4x8 inch rectangle to form the flap of the envelope. Really, you can eyeball this. But I measured 1.5 inches down from the side edges and then cut in to the center from both sides.
3. On the 5x8 inch white rectangle, place the stamp about 1/4 inch from the corner of the envelope. Stitch in place with red top thread and white bobbin thread. This hides the mess of thread on the inside of the envelope. Swap your top thread to black and set your machine to zigzag. Zig zag the address and return address. No need to be precise there; it's just an abstract interpretation of the text anyway. Hint: I stitched all the lines of the address without stopping to cut my thread in between. I just lifted the presser foot and turned my fabric then dropped it again, trimming all the threads at the end. It just seemed like way too much work to keep clipping. It may ravel a bit, but I'm totally okay with that.
4. With wrong sides together, stitch the sides and bottom of the white, now stamped, 5x8 inch and the white 4x8 inch pieces. Lay the trimmed, white 3.5x8 inch envelope flap on the un-sewn edge of the x8 piece and stitch. Have you got an envelope? Fantastic!
I love finding these envelopes on my pillow with little love notes inside. I happen to think that they were delivered by the cutest mail carrier ever.
Get out! I WON!!! I happen to think it may have been my glittery destiny to have these little gold beauties on my feet, but you make that judgement for yourself. (Get it? I Need More Glitter = Glittery ballet flat giveaway) Whatever you may think, I am SO excited! Want a piece of the excitement, too? Swing over to Twigg Shoes quick-like, they're $5 off today. So stop reading this jibber jabber. GO!
Oh man, Twigg. I love you! :)
About a year ago, my southern California girlfriend introduced me to some fantastic shoes called Twigg. They are super cute and super affordable! (And, with styles changing faster than most can keep up, these shoes are perfect for the budget-conscious.) If you happen to be in SoCal, you're in luck because the company comes to your home Tupperware party-style and sells shoes in addition to their online sales. What could be more fun?
So, take a look at their cute styles and then quickly hop over to their blog for more information on a giveaway of their latest style - Glittery Gold ballet flats. (You NEED these...)
I have never reviewed a book on my "craft" blog before. I'm not even sure if anyone pays attention to my silly entries, but if anyone out there is listening...
I recently devoured a book called Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan. Within its pages is an account of one man's journey to find himself by taking a brief hiatus from a career to "self-indulgently" travel the world. What he discovered on this journey could not have been farther from the experience he had originally planned. Grennan fell deeply in love with the orphaned children of Nepal and was moved by their seemingly hopeless situation - lost, poverty-stricken, voiceless and afraid. He and a very small handful of friends began fighting the tide of child trafficking, a dangerous prospect in this remote part of the world. His story is remarkable and his work continues to this day.
Dust off your library card if you must, but buying this book is better! A portion of all book sales support Next Generation Nepal, the non-profit organization that Conor Grennan established to reconnect trafficked children with their families in Nepal.
REVIEW PROS: It will tug at your heartstrings and, hopefully, move you to action.
REVIEW CONS: It may not be the most eloquent piece of literature ever published, but the story is compelling. You will weep.
RATING: 4/5
Come on! This has to be the cutest picnic "basket" ever. Can't you just image my super-stylish spring picnics in the park? Me, in a June Cleaver cotton dress complete with crinoline petticoat, my daughter, gathering armfuls of dandy lions, darting back to our blanket only to snag a cucumber tea sandwich from our tiffin box. I have to wonder... would Yogi Bear tear right into the lunch inside or would he, like me, just stare happily at it's design?
Target, Tiffin Box, aqua link or yellow swirl, $24.99
REVIEW PROS: It's the perfect size for a generous lunch. It saves the earth from another jumble of plastic sandwich bags. It's top-rack dishwasher safe. It makes the user look hip.
REVIEW CONS: The compartments do not have an airtight seal. I know full well that my daughter will eventually find a way to pack her treasures into it and persuade me (with puppy dog eyes) to keep it.
RATING: 4/5
I love, love, love tiny things. Always have. I, of course, had a dollhouse growing up and my favorite part of it was the chimney. Not just the chimney, but the teeny tiny bricks that covered it. (I can still remember glueing them on with my mother and smearing the mortar between them...) Get it? I love little things.
I was growing a bit tired of my daughter's hair clips and stumbled across two new ideas on the web. Let me tell you, these are cute as they come! But the best part of these two new clips? They're tiny! Which makes them extra cute in my book. Give them a try - they're super easy, too! Here are photos of my versions of their fantastic ideas.
The Accidental Crafter: Ramblings of a Wannabe Crafter and Mother
Felt Flower
My notes: For a flower this small, invest in the Cuttlebug die cut that they recommend! Free-handing something this tiny is a hot mess. The die cut set comes with four flowers and I used the largest flower (1.5-inches) for the petals and the smallest (0.75-inches) on the back to cover stitches. Adhere with a dot of hot glue. If you do not have a die cutting machine - never fear! This "flower" could be made with felt circles, too.
Little Jenny Wren: Life and Dolls
Pinwheel Bobby Pin
My notes: My square measured 1.5-inches. I used HeatNBond to fuse the fabrics together and a clip rather than a bobby pin. Just as above, I glued a small felt circle to the back to cover stitches.
I have been involved in my church's Young Women program for the better part of my adult life and have loved every minute of it! Last fall, I was released from my calling/job and found myself sorting through all of the YW goodies that I had collected up to this point. It struck me that I had completed the Young Women Personal Progress program (designed to bring young women closer to Jesus Christ through personal study, learning experiences, and meaningful projects) almost FOUR times in my lifetime. I can only hope that I learn a little something new each time. :) But, I found myself with quite a few medallions and charms - awards for progress - in my jewelry box. What to do? What to do? I rarely wore any of the medallions alone as necklaces, but would I wear them if they were brought together in charm bracelet form? YES! So, here is how I [stylishly] wear my Young Women tokens now. What do you think?
P.S. There is one more charm destined for my bracelet. The Honor Bee. (See the gaping hole?) It is a darling little bumble bee that is awarded when you've completed the program and have worked another 40 hours above and beyond. (I personally think that I've earned that by now, but my current ward leadership thinks otherwise. Boo! I guess I'll just have to wait until the next time I'm called to work with the young women!)
