Homemaking Organized Blog

Archive for the ‘Crafts’ Category

So here we are next week and I have a whole 7 days to agonize over what kind of Housekeeping Card File I felt would meet my needs.

Mostly it needed to be pretty. Something lovely to the eye. And that I could keep out on my miniscule desk area. And I wanted to make or decorate it myself.

So that’s what I’ve been doing. We’ll call it Part 1. This part is finished and this is the result…

I took this picture with my computer camera so sorry it’s not the best.

Even though the card file is not that fabulous, it took me some time to get here. I bought a white tin from the store. I went about painting it a green I wasn’t too happy with. I was trying to get a more chartreuse green but that didn’t happen. Then I Modge Podge’d it and let it dry.Then the whole kit and kaboodle started to peel. So I peeled off the whole works. Some of the paint was harder to get off than the rest.

So I ended up with a blank slate again.

I decided I would Modge Podge some paper I had around the house onto it and then once that dried Modge Podge over it again to seal it in. Then I Modge Podged some ribbon and used the glue gun to add the ribbons and buttons.

Over the whole process I discovered and found out that I NEED a Digital Die Cut machine. If you have any recommendations that would be greatly appreciated.

So once I finished the file itself I’ve been working on the dividers and cards. We’ll call the cards part 2, and the dividers part 3. The cards are just about done but I don’t think I will unveil them until next week.

For more on this see Part1 and Part 2

 

So yesterday I mentioned that I’m going to be putting together my own housekeeping card file. Since I have so many irons in the fire I’m going to go about this slowly.

About the Housekeeping Card File System:

You may have heard about this way of setting up your household system from the SideTracked Home Executives.  I first read about in an old Emilie Barnes book but later read the SideTracked Home Executives version too. I tend to gravitate to Emilie Barnes stuff because of her views on making the homemaking process a beautiful one. Things are decorated and made to be attractive not just serviceable and that is how I feel about my Housekeeping Card File.

Yes I could do this in a day with the cards I have on hand and the plastic index card box I already have.

BUT!

I’m one of those that believe that housekeeeping and homemaking comes easier when it’s done with beauty and grace.

I do not want to just slap something together. It will need to be cute and appeal to me to make me want to open it each day.

I have a few of the items needed to put my file together at home. And of course the computer. But I won’t head out to the craft store until tomorrow (Wednesday is library and errands day).  This is going to take me a little while and maybe even a few mishaps. So until then I will give you some eye candy of chore housekeeping index card files (I really don’t know what to call them at this point) around the web.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I finally worked out what my husband calls my “time-and-worry-saving family cabinet.’* I bought a drawer, illustrated herewith, of 3 by 5 inch filing cards. The drawer will hold a thousand cards costing about 75 cents. I divided the cards under subheads which I will classify later, and which, of course, must depend upon the needs of the family. I keep this drawer on the top of my desk, where I can use it every day, and when you see how much information is packed away into that little drawer fifteen inches long I think you will be surprised.” ~Christine Frederick, The New Housekeeping

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By now I know, if you are a regular reader of the website or blog, that keeping up with things in the home goes a bit better with a Homemaking Notebook (or is it Home Binder? Or Housekeeping Notebook! Oh goodness I can’t keep track). What ever you call it it can make things run really nice and smooth.

Sometimes we think things like this are brand new and someone just thought of them in the past few years. But truthfully they have been around a while. They went forgotten when homemaking was no longer vogue. And have come out of hibernation again in the last few years because…well goodness it just works!

I’ve worked through a few Homemaking Notebooks in my home trying to improve on them etc. No matter how often I’ve tried though, for my day to day stuff, I need something small and compact. For long term records, schedules, appointments, the binder works well. But for day to day stuff I work within a small comfy cozy space and a spread out full sized binder is just too big.

So the past week or so I’ve decided I want to dust off the idea keeping house with the card file and make one that I LIKE!

I first read about them in my Emilie Barnes books Survival for Busy Women  and More Hours in My Day. Emilie discusses how to put a housekeeping card file together and use them these nifty boxes to organize your home and daily activities. I’ve also read about them in the S.H.E. (Sidetracked Home Executives) books. They are put together a tiny bit differently there. Not much to be an issue but I’m going with the Emilie Barnes version. I believe there are less divider cards and the less the better for me.

By the way if you want to know what I am talking about check out Spring Clean, Year Round. She has put a lot of work into these  lovely boxes.  Since I’m going to “try” to do some customizing in mine I thought I’d better go ahead and make my own. Besides I’ve been really crafty (for me) as of late and this is something I really want to do.

So far what I have in my head is an idea and some templates.

I’ll start talking about the process tomorrow and I’ll post some more about Housekeeping Card Files on the site in the weeks to come.

Stay tuned (oh the quote up top was the vintage part).

 

 

This is one of those “Where Have I Been!!?” posts.  Actually I already knew about these, I just didn’t know I could make one. I’m talking about Quiet Books. My sister has a Noah’s Ark one from her son’s baby days (he’s now 18) that she would let Sweet Peanut play with in church. She loved it so much I would kind muss about wanting more. But looking at the one she was playing with, with all the stitching, I knew I could never recreate such a masterpiece. That was before I discovered you could make them with felt. AND that I can sew a bit better than I thought. Still not great but passable.

Quietly, secretly, while I slept. Okay I’m being dramatic. But it seems that there is this whole community of women making these lovely books and expanding on the ideas. Using them as teaching tools and such for their little darlings.

Where have I been??!!

Anyway while browsing through some of these an idea hatched.

My  Sweet Peanut is an active six but I still think I would like to sew up one for her at times when we’re away from home and she may have to sit still or something. The beautiful darling has an affinity for things I make her so I thought she might like one to take in the car .

Some of the pages I’ve been thinking of are: Hair Braiding, Tic -tac-toe (when someone else can play too), the dress up doll one, writing or note taking. I would love to do a chess one but that might be too much.

I’ve rounded up some nice pages around the internet so you can have an idea of what I’m talking about.

 

 

 

Well as we were passing the exit of the store the other day my Sweet Peanut exclaimed loudly that she wanted the plastic Noah’s Ark so nicely displayed in the corner at kiddie eye level.

Now we are a simple folk who do not celebrate The Lord’s birth with gift giving and such so she wasn’t asking for Christmas she was just asking just because. So I quoted her the price and let her know in no uncertain terms that we would not be buying that big hulking thing that would just sit in the corner and catch dust. Besides she rarely asks for toys. It’s usually food because she’s a foodie.

So all the way home in the car she analyzed that she could have the full dollar amount by the next day (I’m not sure how she thought she could do this). While I tried to reason with a six year old.

So knowing how much most children just love the whole Noah’s Ark thingy I thought maybe I could make her one out of felt in time for her next birthday (early next year) and was kind of talking this over with my mother who thought it was a good idea. So she overheard me talking about this and announced she wanted the plastic one so she could play with it in the bathtub. Sigh! Oh well I still think she would like the felt one and frankly she’s getting old enough to help me make it. Which is my what I think I will do. Teach her to sew with this pattern. My thinking in the felt one is that actually it would perfect for future siblings, cousins etc.

I found a cute pattern at esty.com with BuggaBugs. I’ve also made the felt groceries, felt fruit, some of the homemade bread, and pies from her patterns.

 

My daughter LOVES craft kits. I suppose I fed that love years ago with a craft kit subscription. Well Kid’s Activities Blog is holding a Green Kids Craft Kit Subscription giveaway.

“Well what are these Green Kids Craft Kits anyway!” you ask.

Each Green Craft Kit is…

• kid-friendly, earth-friendly, and safe
• You receive 3 different craft kits once a month – that’s a lot of sustainable crafting!
• Each kit includes everything needed to complete the craft (you just supply glue, markers, and/or scissors)
• Every month will feature unique, multicultural crafts to enrich and entertain your creative child
• Great gifts for eco-conscious parents
• Customize your kits to reflect the holidays and cultures that you wish to celebrate

“What kinds of crafts will my child receive?”…

Some examples are

• canvas puppets
• worry dolls
• lizard puzzle
• airplane
• train whistle
• owl mask

and so on.

I tell you craft kits are FABULOUS gifts for busy kids and ultra busy parents. I’ve gone through my share of craft kits and when you find a good one they are worth every penny! They keep your busy child busy at something they can usually do with minimal input from you (so get that laptop out and start posting) and your child is being creative. Craft kit’s have inspired my peanut to some great things. Her grandmother currently holds the copyright to all photos and details so sorry about that. But back to Green Craft Kit. Go, shoo! Enter the giveaway busy mom!

 

Ends Monday September 12th (I think).

 

So to celebrate the upcoming holiday season Sweet Peanut has asked me to make her a fourth of July outfit.

So cute. She thinks mommy sews better than she does.

So I had a pattern and fabric for some cute pants (pic coming) although my brother-in-law did mistake them for pyjamas….

But I was at a loss for the top.

I still am at a loss but I happened upon some cute free tutorials that might help someone else out.

Makin’ it Immakulate: This was SOOO cute! I might try it later. I’m awed by her talent to just whip this up from one of her daughter’s t-shirts. Very cute and she makes it seem easy.

A Little of This, A Little of That: This is from last year but is so quick and easy you can make it in time for this year’s celebration.  A 4th of July t-shirt.

 

~Enjoy!

Yes I’m late with this. What else is new. With Father’s Day, gradauations, and vacations happening I’ve been ubber bizzy.

Okay so this week’s link’s are Father’s Day and Graduation crafts you can make in a jiffy and also some delicious treats to eat. I know you can make them in a jiffy because I did. So without further ado…

Door Hanger: Help dad find his keys in the morning. This easy to craft together door hanger organizer can be put together with a small amount of fabric that you may have lying around already. Make in an hour or so. I made three.

Scrapbooked Graduation Card: We attended a very special Homeschool High School graduation ceremony this week. Not being on the same page I made this card while my husband bought a card…what??!!! Anyway all were impressed. It is really very easy and looks quite nice. In the hands of the graduate right now and since it just dried as we were headed out the door. I’m sorry I have no pics.

S’mores Whoopie Pies: I need to lose 10 pounds and these are not helping. I’ve made these twice so far and they are delicious. I do use all butter and cut that back in the filling so as not to be overwhelming. The cookies are delicious by themselves but with the chocolate etc. yuuummmm!!!

My goal is to link to just a few nice sites I’ve visited and partaken of during the week. If you have some that you think I might like send me a note (contact) I hope you enjoy.

From looking on my blog and sites you may get the idea that I’m not all that crafty.

I’m not.

I craft when need be.

And now the time has come that I’m fed up with what I find in the store to clothe my little girl (I have to dig up my modesty button for the blog) and I’m going to attempt to sew up what I can for her Peanut self.

As my daughter gets older I find that the clothes in the stores become more inappropriate and the ones that are appropriate make it  not cost effective (is that a sentence?) to buy something she will grow out of in 6 months. She is growing very fast and I’m having a hard time keeping up. While fabric is expensive I have a bunch already purchased and my mother has been throwing fabric at me. She doesn’t need a whole lot because it she will grow out of it quickly.

What am I looking for? Simple dresses for church mostly. I like things below her knees not gracing her behind (pardon me). She is very active and I like her to be clothed enough to help keep her modesty. I’m also looking into making her some pants one I find a style I think fits with her.

I learned to sew in middle school. Tabled it until sometime in college when I wanted this beautiful jumper from Laura Ashley that I couldn’t afford on a student part time working salary so my aunt took me under her wing and helped me fashion one closely resembling but in a heavier fabric. I still have the jumper to today and added 3 more to it.

So fast forward about 10 years. I have an old Singer Slant machine and a Singer serger (recent purchase) so I thought I REALLY should use these and do what I did years ago. Make what I couldn’t buy.

So….

I recently found a very cute pattern. Oliver + S Music Box Jumper Pattern . I liked the simplicity of this style. We (Peanut and I) like jumpers. She LOVES pink and I like that it comes in various sizes.

I made it in pink corduroy .

My issue is button holes.I have an older Singer so buttonholes are not the quick and easy press a button method. BUT I did find that there is this buttonhole machine for sewing machines such as mine. I found one on eBay and IT WORKS! This was so marvelous I can’t tell you. So easy. I just sat there and watched the buttonhole sew!

I really liked the blue on on the Oliver + S blog so I found the fabric (kind of hard since it’s an old pattern and the new spring stuff is out) and so I’ll make her one for Spring/Summer in the light blue fabric.

The Oliver + S Music Box Jumper Pattern seems true to size. I made size 6 for my daughter. The length is nice and mid-calf. The bodice just fits her so I’ll be making the 7 with the light blue.

So what do you do when you have a multi size paper pattern and you want to use it for several sizes? Trace the size you’ll be using on pattern tracing paper or even butcher paper or something.

What patterns do you use to fashion clothes for your child?

This is an updated version of a post I did last year around this time…okay a bit later than this.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. It’s a good time to start fine tuning your plans if your home is THE home this year.

Listed below are some links to free downloads and printables to help you pull off a great Thanksgiving dinner, a memorable holiday time and new traditions to try out.

CRAFTS

Favecrafts free Thanksgiving Crafts ebook

Free Natural Health Ebook: The Big Guide of Thanksgiving Crafts: With some holistic health thrown in here is a big book of crafts for the coming holiday season.

FOOD

Paula Deen – Paula has a great Holiday ideas pdf. Complete with recipes, gift ideas, and decorating tips. Nicely put together. Pick up your copy here (downloads the pdf).

Martha Stewart – Martha Stewart’s Hotline cookbook. Another 7 mb of recipes and a few entertaining tips. Get your copy here.

Ocean Spray – This is a really cool one. Ocean Spray make your own holiday ebook. Just select the features you want and click ‘create’. Get yours here.

Our Own Vintage Thanksgiving free ebook (the download is on the sidebar) : You know I like vintage, victorian, what have you. The old days. I won’t say ‘good’ because I DO know they were hard. Anyway here’s a cute little Thankgiving download with some recipes and tips from the past.

Related articles

• Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes (suite101.com)
• 200 Creative Thanksgiving Day Ideas (momblognetwork.com)