Piles of Projects

Okay, so it really isn't 'piles' of projects, but I had a handful that I worked on between Thanksgiving and Christmas that I thought I'd share.  I have another project going now that will probably take a while, but I'll share it too when it is given to it's intended recipient :-)

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My first project came about because the kids had holes in the knees of their jeans.  (All the left kneed too...not sure what that's about?)  Morgan had just about grown out of hers' and would probably be getting more for Christmas, so I wanted to make the jeans at least last until then.  I found a butterfly and heart template to use as patches to make them fun.  What's funny is Morgan did end up getting new jeans, but she still doesn't want to get rid of these because she loves the patches!  LOL!

Blake had several usable pair of jeans, so I only patched one pair of his.  I just used a coaster that was sitting at my mom's sewing machine for the template of this patch.  Like Morgan, he is still wearing these too despite having new jeans.

 

Morgan has a shirt that she designed online and then was made for her.  (It's called Fashion Playtes, if you want to check it out!)  Unfortunately the lace had pretty much come off the bottom after being worn a couple years, so while I was mending, I also fixed up her shirt.

 

Every year, sometimes a couple times a year, I sew our bedspread back together to keep it from getting in too rough of shape.  One year we'll just get a new one, but I'm all about making it last as long as possible and saving the money.  (I'm really on a kick right now to save for a 'new' house!)

 

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I had seen this advent to go along with The Jesus Storybook Bible last year, but never got a chance to make it.  I decided I was going to go for it this year!  The kids and I loved it!

The "ornaments" are pictures on magnets that go along for the story for the day.

 The ornament pictures then go on a tree.  I made a tree out of scrapbook paper and just used poster tack to put it on the refrigerator.  This tree is different that the original directions, but if you'd like to see how to make it all, check it out at Joyfully Weary.

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The last project I worked on came about because Morgan really wanted this canopy from Magic Cabin.  At the time it was $100!  There was no way I was paying that for a piece of purple mesh!  LOL!  (It's come down to about $80 now.)

 

 Not long after she showed me that, I saw a pattern in the FamilyFun magazine for a Reading Nook Canopy that looked super easy to make.

So, I searched the internet for a full-size sheet as a reasonable price and found this one on eBay (used).  I spent a little over $10 on it, two pillowcases and the shipping.  It was $4 for the quilting hoop with a 40% coupon at Hobby Lobby, $3 for the 50 lb fishing line and since we had pillowcases, I got a $5 pillow to make it a little more comfy.  (I already had white felt for the triangles and the house came with a hook in the ceiling over the couch.  What luck, right!?)  The only thing that I realized afterwards, and could still change, is the princesses are upside-down.  LOL!  There was only a hem at the one end to put the fishing line through and didn't notice what that meant for the princesses until it was all put together.

 Morgan is super happy with it!  She says it was one of her favorite gifts this Christmas.  I'm happy that I could make her happy and save $80ish at the same time! ;-)  Oh!  And she's perfectly content with the princesses being upside-down. :-)

 

So, that was part of what kept me busy leading up to Christmas.  I hope to share about our Christmas soon...since it's almost been a month already!  Time flies way too fast!