Placemat Totes

Also made these last spring. Inexpensive, especially when you find placemats on clearance (or use one you already have!). Great for mommies who need a small handbag but not the mega-diaper bag; great for kids for scripture totes, "treasure" bags, etc....lots of uses! We also made awesome little tri-fold scripture pockets--but I didn't make one and don't have a pic. If someone has a pic of theirs, email me and I'll put it up!

I don't really sew very well, but here are some basic instructions. If these confuse you, just Google "placemat totes" and you'll get some great instructions from others who are better at this project than I am! :)

Go get a placemat and some ribbon, and you're halfway there. (The wider ribbon makes for more comfy handles, I think.) If you're going to sew any handles that show in the front (as opposed to just sewing the ribbon on the inside, which is the way my BACK handles are on the brown and pink ones), sew those on first. Sew on any decorative ribbon next. Turn placemat inside out and sew up sides. Turn right-side out and, voila! Done...unless you want the extra seams on the bottom (like the one with the multi-colored ribbon). Basically you have to just pinch the corners (while still inside out) and sew one straight seam (perpendicular to the ones you did to close the sides--you will cross those seams).

The multi-colored ribbon handles are just one, continuous ribbon--start at one end, stitch across placemat (lengthwise), form handle, stitch across again, form other handle...

Enjoy.

"Button Me" Jack-o-lanterns

It feels strange posting about Halloween in February, but here's what we did last October! :) We made "button me" jack-o-lanterns out of felt. They're so simple...and a fun skill-builder for kids. Just cut a pumpkin shape out of orange felt. Cut eyes, nose, and mouth from black or yellow felt, depending on whether or not your jack-o-lantern is "lit" or dark! Cut slits in the face pieces, and sew buttons in corresponding locations on your pumpkin shape. Viola! Halloween buttoning practice!

"Teach the Children" - Symbols of Christmas

Another Christmas project...

Many of you have heard the story where Santa comes to visit shortly before Christmas and admonishes the storyteller to "teach the children" the true meaning of Christmas. He explains the symbols of the season and whence they come. So a year ago, Christmastime, we made these little bags to go along with the story. We sewed simple drawstring bags and filled them with items that illustrate the story.

For your own kit, you would need the following:
-a bag for everything
-a star
-a red ornament
-a mini tree
-a bell
-a candle (bday cake candles work well)
-small gift with a bow
-candy cane
-wreath
-the story! You can download the text HERE.

I loved having a kit like this when I was a kid. There's wonderment in pulling all of the miniature ornaments from Santa's little bag, and learning about what each one means! It's a fun thing to share with family during the Christmas season.

Gracious George, the Gingerbread Man

In December this past year, we made a cute little family service helper named Gracious George the Gingerbread Man. He's made from felt, stuffed with split peas, and decorated with dimensional fabric paint (puff paint). His story follows the traditional "gingerbread man" story, but before he runs away from people, he helps them with something first. (He might wash the old man and woman's dishes, weed a farmer's garden, help a boy tie his shoelace, etc.) In the end, he arrives at...your house! Here he stays, to help your family serve one another. One person begins by doing a service for someone else and leaving Gracious George "at the scene" of the service. When the service recipient finds Gracious George, he then does something for someone else, leaving Gracious George for the next recipient to find. And the good deeds continue on!

On George's back is a little pocket, with the following poem tucked inside:

I'm Gracious George, the Gingerbread Man! You and I should make a plan. We'll do something kind, so no one will see, and then see just how happy they will be!

You can include a space to mark Xs each time someone does a service, or you can leave it plain. You can have a separate chart to keep track, or you can just let Gracious George secretly travel from person to person. The details are up to you!