Whew!

Well that was fun!

Lots of behind the scenes going on, but we're back online and ready to roll up the shirt sleeves and get some serious crafting done! 

Thanks for hanging in there everyone!  More big changes to come, but for now... 

ON WITH THE SHOW!

Easy Pillow Mat Tutorial

Free Tutorial from FUZZYSHEEPCRAFTS

Way back when I first discovered Pinterest there was a popular pin showing these cool stuffed mats for kids to lounge on.  I followed the link and it was to a free tutorial that, while cool, was overly complicated and expensive to make.  That original tutorial has been removed from the Internet for some reason.   BOO, I say!

So, I came up with my own easy (fast and cheap!) way to make them.  You may even have everything laying around the house already.

Materials:
One (1) FLAT twin sized bed sheet
Five (5) standard pillows
A measuring stick/tape
Tailors chalk (or your kids colored pencil, ahem)
Sewing pins
Sewing machine

Steps:
Lay your sheet out flat and carefully fold in half lengthwise.  You'll be sewing across this width to create 5 pockets

Starting at the hem stitching line at the top of your sheet, with your chalk, mark every 18 inches and pin across the line so nothing moves when you pick it up.  Your last seam will be at the bottom hem.

Sewing from the folded edge to the opening, be sure to do solid backtacs at the start and finish of each line of sewing.

Repeat with all the lines. As you move across, roll your sheet, so that it fits under the arm of your machine.  On your very first and last seams, just sew right along the existing hemline stitching.

 You'll have a top flap that is perfect for the kids to grab to move it around, or perhaps attach something to help roll it up for storage

Stuff each pocket with your pillow. These are the pillows I picked up at WalMart. The everyday price is $2.50. If you've got extras around the house, use them! The beauty part of this mat is that the cover can be removed easily to wash it.

We plan to use our mats for movie nights, even tossing them in the back of cars for road trips, drive in movie nights and fort building.

If you make one please send me a picture. We'd love to see it!

(If you have an questions, let me know)

Easy Home Tip: Move Your Shower Caddy

Admit it, you just smacked your forehead and said "WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT!!!!"

One of the biggest challenges of the bathroom is the shower.  Where do you put all the stuff?!  Most people (like me) buy a cheap shower caddy, hang it from the shower head and just deal with the soggy, sloppy, mildewy mess.

Well, NO MORE!

Run out and buy a $3 coat hook and install it just above your shower surround.  Hang your caddy on the hook.  Now it won't be covered in water, your razors and poufs will actually dry and you'll be happier.