Craft Corner: Anthro Baby Hair Clips

BEHOLD! Anthro baby clips!

If you're like me, you don't have a lot of downtime during the day, but still like to craft every so often and have SOMEthing to show for your creative efforts.
Other than producing a daily weekly monthly blog, I have found that making hair clips and other small things for baby SO fun and addictive.

Supplies:
Decorative Paperclips from Anthro or other paper goods stores
Small alligator/snap clips from Target, Michael's or Amazon. I got mine here.
Needle, thread


Step 1: Buy cute embroidered Anthro paper clips while they are on sale (in my case, they were $5 at the Black Friday sale). I got this idea from my supermom friend, Viv, who did this for her baby a year ago.

Step 2: Release the butterflies from their painted metal bonds. I.e. snip the paperclips off.

Step 3: Grab your alligator clip and stitch either in between, or through the top and bottom, securing the clip to the fabric.

And you're done! Wasn't that easy? And strangely satisfying? Don't worry. Now you can do 11-14 more (depending on the size of the box).

Step 4: Clip quickly and quietly on the head of the closest female baby you happen to see.

They will not mind at all, and they certainly will not tear it off as soon as they notice its presence. Nope, they sure won't.

Nor will they smear orange pulp into their hair as they try to claw it off after you've repeatedly played keepaway-with-the-clippy. It's fun. You should try it.

Happy Friday, dear friends--hope the sun is shining wherever you are.
xoxo,
shelia

Craft Corner: Wild Rosemary Wreath

Well, girls, we are now solidly in December!
With the holidays fast approaching, I'm trying to decorate the house with original and charming (read: inexpensive but beautiful) decorations for Baby's first Christmas. 


See what I did? First, I took a picture through the eye hole of our other door. jk. It's with a fish eye lens.

I already had this plastic mistletoe-esque wreath from last year. And we have a backyard full FULL of rosemary bushes, which are so fragrant and sprouting these delightful violet buds.


So we snapped a few branches off and used some yarn that our friend had left at our house (warning to all guests: if you ever leave anything cute or interesting at our house, you may find it incorporated into a plastic wreath from Target. That especially goes for children)


Behold. Ye olde plastic wreath.
So first off, get a good look at the wreath.

And now from its passenger side view.

Next, ravage your friendly neighborhood rosemary bush. I like the purple (verging on periwinkle, or azure, but not yet true blue) blossoms, so I searched out the ones that had those.

And also ones that didn't have spiders or bees.

Although, I did scare one bee off a branch. I don't know who was more traumatized--him or me.

Then, grab some twine, ribbon, or borrow some yarn from a crafty, artsy friend (hi Gabby!).

Make sure your Anthro catalog is lying nearby for inspiration. You never know when you need a quick Anthro-hit.

Then, start tucking the branches into the wreath, tying around the thickest part for sturdiness. Make sure your blossoms are facing up for the optimal charming effect.

I love that some of the blossoms are splaying outwards, lending to that wild, organic feel you can only get with... contrived art and plastic.

It feels so unplanned. I planned it that way.

Then, because I thought it would look even more wild and organic, I added my $4 Crate and Barrel bird ornament, buy here.

Craft Corner: Felt Hair Clips

 

Hi dear friend!

     Is anyone else obsessed with Etsy and all the crafting magic churning through there? One of my favorite new things is that felt hair clips I've seen. This sundropclip woman (whose clip is seen above) was featured in Lucky mag already is a felt animal GENIUS. 

     All the felt animals in the felt animal kingdom eagerly await her artistry. 

     Myself, not being particularly artistic or Mormon, am not so skilled...yet. But I did venture a few items without the help of a cricut...

Don't laugh.

I gave this one to a dear friend, and she was very kind. She didn't giggle or even smirk.

The birdie, I gave to Avery who is my own little babybird. 'Course, Avery has feet. This poor wee animal was wingless and footless.Which WOULD make things easier I guess come bathtime...

Not perfect. But I'm gonna keep going. Check out some more on my Pinterest board DIY. 

More ideas than time, I tell ya! THAT should be Pinterest's logo. In addition to these. I am starting to think this blog needs to be renamed PinterestLife. Or Etsy/Pinterest/Amazon/MediocreGardeningLife.
What do you think?

Anywho, maybe we'll do a tutorial if anyone wants. If you all want to make baby clips that look like they were made by a cross-eyed, sedated 4 year old, well then, I will be happy to oblige!

On the work front, I am cutting back for December, and we'll see how it goes from there.

And thank you for all the encouraging, kind words, both public and private. It's always nice to hear it from those who have BEEN THERE.

xo
shelia

Craft Corner: Pacifier Clips

Hey Anthrofriends!
     Do you ever wonder what to do with all the extra buttons that you LOVE from say, your favorite LiaMolly sweaters?
     Behold: My Glassflower Cardi, bought here, with its awesome buttons. They're wrapped with the thread around the edge, and then bejewelled with glassy beads in the center. Amazing. And totally wasted, sitting around in my sewing kit.
     Plus, sometimes I just have this NEED to do something, to create something. Other than this blog, that is. And it would be nice if the product were easy and usable.
     Do you, too? Well, here you go.

Seen in action, here:

 

With my fashionable friend, Kat. 

 

 Obligatory close-up of the button:

 

So, I had bought Avery a pacifier clip at Target to keep her pacifiers from falling onto the floor or worse. With this button, though, I made my own. 

And a few more to give to friends. But mostly to me, being that I am my own best friend.

 

Super easy to do: 

1.Pick out your button and ribbon. 

2. Cut ribbon to about 6 inches or less and create a buttonhole. 

3. Use Fraycheck (I used Singer brand) on edges of the ribbon and on buttonhole. 

4. Sew button on inner edge, about 2 inches from edge of buttonhole.

5. Stitch other end of ribbon around loop of the clip. I used the dangler clips from Joanne's, about 20 in a pack, made from nickel (neither Chris or I have allergies to nickel). 

 She loves the striped one the best, apparently.

Easy 10 minute project. Less cleaning up and freaking out about germs in baby's mouth.