This to That! Nasty old cabinet makeover to play kitchen

DIY Play Kitchen

 We had a tiny plastic play kitchen that Ava got a couple years ago which was great but they were quickly out growing it and as much as they play with it I thought about purchasing a good quality wood one but that just wasn't in the budget - so of course we set out to make our own(DIY)! I'll give you a quick break down to hopefully inspire you to do the same and keep the cost down :D
The nasty and I mean NASTY old cabinets are from Re-Store I paid $25 bucks for the pair. I picked the wider one for it's height which we took the kick plate off of so it wouldn't be too tall(we had to add a top and back to it with scrap ply-wood) and I picked the narrower one for the fridge and because it's front some what matched the other(I had my husband add a bottom to it to make it taller and cut half circles out of the front for a retro flair) I am fairly certain these are from the 70's!
Sink aka stainless bowl $7 - Cash and Carry restaurant supply store you'll pay about 30% less then retail.
Paint is country white color place satin - Walmart $16.97 for the gallon and we still have lot's to spare!
Pulls for "oven" and "fridge" Lowes $4.27 ea
Faucet also from restore $5 bucks(we had to check back several times to find one we wanted, so be patient!)
Oven burners are soccer ball wood things from Joann's $1.27 each flipped upside down and spray painted with black spray paint then nailed on with the nail gun.
Oven Light - Tap light from dollar store
Most everything else we had! So if your looking for something that I didn't mention please feel free to ask. Just takes a little creativity and man power to create your own custom Kitchen! And my kids LOVE this thing. The WHOLE neighbor hood loves it! 

So cost break down -

25
7
16.97
4.27x2
1.27x4
________
about 60 bucks!

In all fairness I did go a little crazy since it was a Christmas gift and purchased a few new things for them to enjoy! Like the tiny colander(TJ maxx 5 bucks) and kids cook book(goodwill) and I made them matching chef hats and easy Velcro aprons from fabric I owned. The pans are from dollar store and the felt cupcakes I mad too ;) tutorial for that soon! Again, see something I didn't mention just ask ;)


Special Thanks to Papa for coming down here to paint it - aka my professional painter! I don't think we would have finished on time with out him!

Valentine Felt Flower Headband Tutorial

Will you be mine?

Supplies:

Supplies(minus glue gun)

Felt scraps of pink, red, white and moss green(optional)
1/4 in Elastic(size chart below)
Hot glue gun
Sizzix (big kick)
3-D Bigz die flowers ( for this tutorial I used just the smaller flower)
Scissors

I rarely use my Sizzix for paper, usually just felt occasionally fabric. I use polyester felt a lot because wool felt is a little harder to come across in this small town(at least in any good colors). But it does work better on wool felt, with that said it still works great for any felt!

Size chart (this is the length of elastic you'll need to cut based on age)
Preemie: 12 inches
Newborn: 13 inches
Baby: 14-15 inches
Toddler: 16-17 inches
Child/Tween 18 inches

1 cut small squares of felt in pink, white and red just a little bigger then the flower on the die run all 3 pieces layered up through the Sizzix.

3 layers of felt sandwiched between to cutting boards and die

(don't mind my colors just what I had left in scraps)

2 Roll the flower holding it some what flat and starting with the little narrow part towards the outside of the 

spiral

begin rolling here

hold rose flat as you roll

3 Roll flower almost all of the way up leaving the rounded center to cover the bottom of your rose. Cover the bottom whith glue and press the center part over the glue Wa-La one rose done repeat for other two!

glue and cover with what was the center

flip down any loose parts and gently glue and press back together

4 Cut a small triangle and elastic according to size chart put a line of glue down the middle of the triangle and line up the ends of you elastic not overlapping(it will be too bulky and cause red spots or dents if you over lap) the triangle shape is KEY for the out come ;)

 

5 Glue roses to each corner making sure they are tight on the front and touching(if they are too close it might bow out but will lay flat when on :) just make sure you cant see the triangle from the front. And your DONE!  You can also attach small green leaf shaped felt if you desire or leave it the way it is. I added leaves for an example :D I hope you enjoyed! 

The important stuff! Please do not re-use this tutorial as your own idea - you may however share it all you want and are more then WELCOME to sell any finished products you make using this tutorial(if you have the time and patience to do so!) 

Tip - You can go crazy with color's or cordinating these with out fits for you little one - not crafty?! feel free to contact me or check out www.fortheloveboutique.etsy.com you can see in the "supplies" picture I cut out a ton! Which means many are being listed soon!

Thanks A Bunch! Happy Valentines Day! 

~Mrs.M

Ugly desk re-hab!

Stenciled Desk

First off let me say that I CANNOT believe my husband actually made this craigs-list deal for me. (I hate dealing with craigs-listers as a buyer or a seller I have been flaked out or had an all out bidding war on my computer over a paper bag of baby pajamas!) I was sure he would take one look at it and run the other way but he made the deal and brought it home for I think 20 bucks(we have had it since the spring!) I re-painted it in an antique white paint which I bought for....wait for it......35 CENTS!!!!! Yep that's 35 cent quart of Dutch Boy  paint. It was marked down as a return at Walmart for 2bucks which I was more then OK with paying and it rang up at 35 cents! DEAL I'll take it!

DIY:

1- Find the uggliest wood piece of furniture possible

2- Strip it down with a nasty chemical. Don't by the spray can kind either it's a waste of money and won't strip more then a 2x3 area regardless of what they say. This thing had years and layers of paint! 

3- Sand it, a lot!

4- Paint it, a lot!

5- add new knobs

6- Admire - unless your me! Move on to step 7 ;)

7- Get out your stencil, I found this one at Micheal's its a Martha Stewart stencil(don't forget your coupon! this one is 16 regular price)

8. Gather a stencil brush, baby wipes, tape and paint I used a basic acrylic that was on sale at michaels.

9- Go to town( I mean follow the instructions for you stencil)! It took me a while and I now admire people who can do a whole wall!!!! But the out come is way better and hides the flaws of the old UGLY desk ;)

10- Wait a few more moths to decide if you want to clear coat it ;)

That's it!  A one of a kind inexpensive piece of furniture to fit your decor!

Celebrate Winter * FREE Pattern *

Celebrate Winter

Today was the mother of all storms so far this winter(school canceled, foot of snow, horrendous winds 60+mph and now rain!) ,  I thought why not crochet up something cozy for an up coming baby shower(flavor not known). I know from experience that working with this chunky yarn in a very small size can yield a pointy hat so I toyed around with it a little bit and found that this method is the best way to get a nice flat round top :D Enjoy my first ever published pattern....I have more patterns in the works!
I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. My mom and I operate a little Etsy shop BendBeanies.etsy.com (she writes patterns, I occasionally sell finished items - if I ever finish them ;)  But it looks like I am moving on to writing patterns as well! This was fun and if you try it let me know how it turned out!!!
Happy Winter!And Keep those little ones WARM*****

Super Easy and Fast, Soft, Warm Infant(Nb-3m.) Ear Flap Hat 

This works up in less then an hour!!!

Supplies: Hometown yarn or super bulky (6) yarn, size K crochet hook, and a large tapestry needle (the plastic ones seem best for BIG yarn)

Pattern: Abreviation DC = Double Crochet

Ch 3 

Row 1: In 3 ch. from hook 7 DC  join with Slip Stitch (8 double crochet)

Row 2: Ch2. 2DC in each DC around (16DC) Join with slip stitch.

Row 3: Ch2. *DC, 2DC* Repeat in each st. Join with slip st.(24DC) Join with slip stitch.

Row 4: Ch2.DC in joining stitch DC in ea stitch around join with slip st. 

Row 5 -7:DC in ea stitch around(25DC) (for a total of 7 rows, not including foundation row of ch 3.)

Do Not Cut Yarn - begin first ear flap. - *also make sure hat is measuring at what you need before going on to ear flaps see end for final hat measurements*

Ear Flap 1

Ch2. DC in same ch2.  DC in next 3 stitches (4DC)

Ch2. Turn. Dc2tog, Dc2tog cut yarn and tie off (first ear flap done)

Count 9 stitches and tie on(the 9 stitches is for the front of the hat(the back should have 8), in-case you want to add a flower or something, or so it doesn't go on backwards;)

Ear Flap 2

Ch2. DC in same ch2.  DC in next 3 stitches(4DC)

Ch2. Turn. Dc2tog, Dc2tog. DO NOT CUT YARN 

Ch1. Single crochet around entire hat and slip stitch in Ch1. Cut Yarn and tie off

Weave in lose ends.

Braided Ties:

Cut 6 pieces  of yarn  approximately 24 inches OR double the length you want (be sure to leave room to loop through and knot the braid)

Fold in half and pull loop through between the 2 DC2tog on the ear flap and pull all 12 tails through the loop, give a good tug(making sure you yarn loops over the outside of the ear flap)refer to picture.

Braid with groups of 4 strands together. and tie in a knot(mine might look different because I used a clear tiny hair tie then wrapped yarn around it just to see how it would hold up;)

*Finished hat should measure about 7.5 wide laying flat and 6 inches tall(not including the ear flaps) Adjust hook if needed.

TA-DA! It's fast, easy and warm! If you have questions feel free to comment or contact me :D

Yarn Wreath Inspiration

That Morris Family

 One of my favorite crafts is making these gorgeous yarn wreaths and I really think ANYONE can do it so instead of telling you how(because there are a million tutorials) I thought I would just leave you with a tid bit of advice and a little inspiration. Tidbit tip number 1 buy your wreath with a coupon(Joann's or Micheal's) they aren't much but every penny counts, Tidbit tip number 2 NOW is the time to stock up on trimmings, those "berry" stems are on super clearance after the holidays. You too can make one of these for super duper cheap I would say FIVE bucks (assuming you own a hot glue gun;). Enjoy and linking a tutorial very similar to my process.

That Morris Family

PS: That's all for now headed, to the Mother Ship tomorrow......IKEA! Hoping to find good stuff!

Welcome!

December 2011

That Morris Family: This is us!!!! Welcome to our corner of the World Wide Web :D Hope you enjoy our stories, our craftiness and thrifty ideas! I have inspired many a people around me(include the hubs and the little's) to  DIY more and be creative.....if you stick around it might rub off on you too!
The Mrs. interests: DIY everything, sewing, crafting and decorating. UPDATE: I forgot to include I collect yarn and love to crochet.
The Hub's Interests: wood working, hanging/repairing stuff for the Mrs., TOOLS and is learning to like painting. Enjoys all(ok maybe most, but I am the author here) things DIY too!wonder where he get's that passion from ;)

Little Man's Interests: Lego's (he can build just about anything) reading and coloring. Also has a knack for decorating.

Little Lady's Interests: crafting, jewelry making, painting, music and dancing. Could care less about decorating or DIY - 3 is a bit young I suppose ;)

Toddler Table DIY Tutorial

Before

After

EEEEEKKKKK a tiny UGLY toddler table covered in stickers and STILL had primary colored legs, pretty sure every other house has one! We have had this darling little table since our 7 year old was a baby but it is just so small barely fits  a coloring book let alone crayons! I have been meaning for YEARS to paint those legs but it wouldn't fix the size of the table. I also put it in the pile to be donated a few time but couldn't bring my self to part with it! Thank goodness.....after 10 bucks at Lowe's and 15 and the fabric store I turned it from small, ugly and useless to one of the most used pieces of furniture in the house!

My DIY directions:

What you need: a small table with removable legs, a 2x4 piece of MDF ($5.92) at lowe's, primer and paint, and 3/4th's yard of laminated fabric(usually comes on 50-60" widths), screws and a staple gun.
 (For this I only needed to buy wood, white primer, and fabric.)

Step 1: Remove legs - pay attention to how they are attached to your current table as you will want to re-create that. Mine were screwed to a small square of wood with threads for the screw on the end of the leg. I had to chisel of that small piece of wood for the new table top.

Step 2: Primer and paint legs ( I cheated :O I left the legs with white primer on them, no paint.....do as you wish here)

Step 3: Attach legs to MDF about 1 inch inside of the corner of the MDF (you need room to staple fabric on)

Step 4: Fabric wrong side up, place table upside down on the wrong side of the fabric, trim fabric about 1 inch wide/longer then table. Staple fabric to the MDF starting in all 4 middle of sides and work your way out. Work with your corner folds to your preferance and staple down.

Step 5: Turn table over and ADMIRE!!!!! Laminated fabric or oil cloth is ideal since it is super wipe-able! Totally amazing.....Right!

TIP: If you don't have legs I am sure you could use a one by one and have Lowe's cut it to the height you want (18-24 is ideal)and screw them in from the top of the MDF......