Hawaiian Headband and AG Barrette

Hi everyone!  I hope it is warmer in your neck of the woods than it is in mine.  I don't know about you, but give me sun and 90 degree weather and I am a happy girl.  It has been unusually frigid this week, so to heat things up I decided I would break out the Hawaiian shower curtain I bought for $1 at a garage sale earlier this year and make some peasant dresses and hair accessories to match.  You can create one of a kind accessories for your girl without breaking the bank.  I just used things we already had at the house,so this project didn't cost anything to make.  You can't beat that with a stick.

In the picture above, you can see the peasant dress on Julie our latest favorite American Girl.  The child of the seventies in me wants to claim her for myself. The Hawaiian dress makes her look like something straight out of that Brady Bunch episode with the curse and the tarantula.  Yes, I love cheesy t.v. shows as much as you do.

Anyways, after I made the peasant dresses, my little cutie asked for matching hair accessories.  I know, she's not spoiled in the least, but like the crafty mama I am, my heart sang just a little bit.  Here is a better picture of the headband.  All it is basically is a Wal-Mart headband with two layers of fabric hot glued on and a jewel in the middle.  It will not take you more than an hour to do this. 

Here is a list and pic of the materials and pics of the tools you'll need:

Materials and Tools Needed:
Sewing scissors
hot glue gun
rotary mat (optional)
Circle template (optional)
pencil
headband

jewel or button for embellishment
scrap of felt
fabric to match outfit (six 3 inch circles and six 2 1/2 inch circles)

Are you ready to start?  Here are very detailed directions and plenty of pictures to help you on your way! Have fun crafting!

First, on the back side of your fabric, use a pencil
to trace six 3 inch circles.  If you fold over your fabric, you
can do several at a time.   This will be the bottom
fabric layer on your headband or barrette.  If you
don't have a template, simply use a jar lid or cookie
cutter the size you want the bow. 

Here is a better picture of the circles.  I cut them
four at a time by folding the fabric.  You only need
six 3 inch circles.

Next, just trace a 2 inch circle on your felt and cut it out.
  This is backing for your fabric so that it will be a bit sturdier.

Next, on the back side of your fabric, trace and cut six
2 1/2 inch circles.  This will be the top, smaller layer of fabric on
your headband or barrette.

Now take the 3 inch circles and fold them in half in
a taco fold.

Next, fold the right side up into a wedge, hot glue the
bottom only to hold it in place.

Next, fold the left side back into a wedge the same
size as the front and glue the bottom only to hold that
into place.

This is more than six, I know.  I wasn't sure how many
I'd need.  Make six of these double cone shapes

Glue your wedges around your 2 inch circle of felt.
Make sure the point of your fabric is in the center of
the felt so that it will not be lopsided or bunched up in
middle.

Here's what it looks like when you've finished the bottom
layer.

Here are the 3 inch and 2 1/2 inch circles side by side.
So make six of the 2 1/2 inch circles, then on top
of the bottom layer, glue them  in the middle to
form the top layer. 

Here are the six 2 1/2 inch circles glued on top.

Here is the view of the back.

Next, hot glue your jewel or button in the center.

Finally, hot glue the felt on the back to the headband or barrette.
You may want to try this on your model before you
decide where to glue it, depending on her bangs,
natural part and just taste preference.

Viola, you're done!  I hope your headband or barrette turned out well.  Please leave a comment and picture of your project and follow me so that you can keep up with all my projects.

Be blessed!  Courtney

Burlap: Simple Home Made Elegance

 Hi, friends!  Happy 2014 to you.  I hope this post finds you all well and blessed!!

I have jumped on the burlap craze like many of you and I have to say: the pillows are cute.

Here is an easy tutorial to help you make your own in less than thirty minutes.

Materials:
pillow form
1 yd. burlap
scissors
straight pins
sewing machine and coordinating thread

Step 1: Double over your burlap so that you can't see the pillow form through the loose weave of the burlap.  It just looks better.  Then lay your pillow form on the left side of the burlap.  Make sure the pillow form is less than half the size of the length of your burlap.

Fold the burlap over and check the size to make sure it fits.

Step 2:  Pin two of the sides along the edge of the pillow form to make sure the burlap will be snug around the pillow.  This reduces the appearance of wrinkles and folding lines in the burlap. After pinning two sides, leave one side open so that you can slide out your pillow form before sewing.  The fourth side is the folded edge of the burlap.

Slide out your pillow and then pin the last open side right along where the edge of the pillow was.  See the picture below. It was tough to get the camera to pick up the straight pin against the burlap.

 Step 3:  One side of your pillow is the folded fabric, so you won't have to worry about sewing that edge.  Sew two of the three open sides completely closed.  I like to leave the opening for the pillow in the middle of the fourth side.  Sew about 2 1/2 inches in from each corner of the fourth side.  This will give you four crisp corners when finished.  (See below.  This is the bottom edge in the picture.)

Step 4:  Turn your pillow case right side out so that your stitches are all tucked away neatly inside.  Pin the opening in the middle of the fourth side closed so that you can hand-stitch your opening neatly closed.  Make sure to tuck in the unfinished edges to form a straight and even fourth edge.  Use a thread that is a close match in color to the burlap and it will help give a neater appearance.  I use just a straight stitch about 1/2 inch from the edge to finish the pillow across the complete opening.

Here's the finished look! Happy sewing!!