I just put this together today and it turned out so cute that I had to share! I had wanted to try some "Rolie Polies" by Dana for Christmas gifts, but after ordering the pattern, I started pricing it out and realized each Rolie Polie would cost near $100. Soooo, that wasn't going to work for frugal me. :) Darn, b/c I think they are SO cute!
Luckily, a friend found this great floor cushion pattern on Living with Punks! I bought the supplies, then was able to put the whole thing together today in under 2 hours. I bet the next one will go faster. I added a zipper to the side panel so that the stuffing can be pulled out and it can be washed. It would have been best to make an insert for it, but the zipper hole wasn't big enough, so oh well. It took less than 2 minutes to stuff it, so I'm sure the new owner won't mind taking 4 minutes to un-stuff and stuff it back up for an occasional washing. :)
The whole project cost less than $15. I got the fabric on sale for $6/yd at JoAnn's. I used 36 oz. of polyfil for the stuffing.
Happy Floor Cushioning! :)

Fun for you AND your kids - if you let them use your face for a canvas. ;) I painted E's face first, then consented to letting her do mine. It tickled! But what tickled more was seeing that adorable smile of pleasure on her face, and bonding with my sweet girl.

I didn't like this watercolor much when I did it in college, but after not seeing it for years, I actually like it quite well. I think I'll hang it in my laundry room to remind myself how lucky I am. :)

E got a cute Easter dress, but it quickly became a bit too immodest for my little Miss Long Legs! Rather than give it up after only a couple months of use, I decided to make it into a useful skirt. Just cut off as much of the bottom as possible, added a wide waistband to make it longer, and sewed in an elastic. Easy and cute - just what I like!

I started working on my quiet book like what, 4 years ago? I've had these pages "done" forever, but finally buckled down and bound the edges and added the eyelet tape. Now I just need to sew together a zippered pouch, add some D-rings, and set the pages inside. My kids were pretty excited to see the progress I had made, though! Any bets on how long it will take to REALLY finish it? :)
By the way, the page that looks all blue is an ocean scene - the fishies are in the pocket - I forgot to pull them out for the photo.
PS-
In case you're wondering where I got the pattern for these... I didn't. I just made them up, inspired by my friend Billie's beautiful homemade patterns. Most of these are my originals. I tried to make a pattern for many of these pages and thought about selling it on Etsy... but need a guinea pig to try out my pattern and make sure it makes sense.

I'm LOVING these aprons! I can only take credit for the fabric combinations. The pattern I used was McCall's Fashion Accessories, #3979, view E. It is pictured as being made from only ONE fabric, but I mixed it up a bit by doing the pockets, bottom trim, and ties in a coordinating fabric. 1 yard of fabric was enough to cut out two aprons (the main, top, and side pieces). I played around with my coordinating fabric choices, but you'll probably want about a half yard of that. The pattern calls for covering EVERY seam in bias tape (6 yards!). Um, no thanks. I used coordinating piping instead, on the pockets and V's, and loved how finished it turned out! I just did a regular rolled seam for the rest.
Which one's your favorite? I think I'm keeping the blue and red one for me. It makes me happy!

E started begging me last year to buy her a Snuggie - you know, those super ugly "blankets with sleeves!" that are all over the stores. The Snuggie site tells you how to make theirs: cut 2 "T" shapes from fleece, sew around shoulder and underarm seams, cut a hole for the head, and voila! You've got a Snugly - I mean, Snuggie. ;)
So to improve on the idea, I went more for a robe look but longer and roomier - with a zipper instead of ties. In a nutshell, here's what I used and did:
NewLook Kids Pattern 6641
1 1/4 yds Ultra Cuddle fabric from JoAnn's
matching 7" zipper
thread doesn't need to match b/c it gets lost in the soft fabric

So, I used the nightgown pattern pieces, extending the length as I cut it out. I also cut the front piece in half, and added about an inch of width on each half to make space for the zipper. I used the long sleeve pattern piece as well. I cut it 3 sizes too big, to make it roomy, but made a mistake on the green - notice the ultra large neckhole for a 3-year-old? Don't cut the neckhole too big, or it won't even stay on your kids' shoulders, and that's not cuddly at all. I'll have to fix that somehow. :) I adjusted for that on the pink one and made the neck the correct size.
The green one was my first attempt, so took a little while to figure out... hopefully, you'll learn from my mistakes, though. :) The pink one was done in a flash - probably an hour or so from start to finish.
Can't wait to see my kidlets in their not-so-ugly robes on Christmas Eve!

We made these at Girls' Camp this year. They are a cinch! My friend told me about the idea and then I practiced a few and made it very simple. You can add these to headbands, hairclips, and pins for your blouse or purse.
You'll need:
silky fabric (only a teeny bit, if it's just for you!)
a candle and a match
scissors
needle and thread
hot glue gun
beads, sequins, etc. for flower centers

To make:
Cut circle or oval shapes in varying sizes out of the fabric. Probably about 5" wide at most. Do NOT worry AT ALL about making these perfect or smooth - you'll just be wasting your time if you do. Once you have a stack of circles, light your candle. You might want to be near a sink or have a tub of water handy, just in case. Be careful! Carefully hold the fabric circles, one at a time, next to not in the flame. You'll see the fabric melt - usually quite quickly. Rotate the circle around so all the edges are melted. Repeat for all circles. Now layer the circles together until you get the look you want. Use and needle and thread to sew them together in the center. Add beads or sequins as desired. Attach to pins, headbands, elastics, purses, etc!

I made Grahm's name for wall art in his room, and sewed him up a sock monkey for Christmas last year. I thought they turned out pretty darn cute. For the sock monkey, you'll just have to browse the internet for directions. I borrowed my friend's, and it was quite easy and fun!
The letters are pretty self-explanatory, but here's a quick how-to just in case:
Large, pressed cardboard letters from Hobby Lobby
12"x12" scrapbook papers (one per letter)
ModPodge
Acrylic paint
Turn papers right side down, with letters right side down on top of them. Trace around letter with pencil. Cut out on inside of pencil line. It's okay if the edges don't match up exactly when you glue it on, b/c the paint will cover it up. Glue on, and then paint sides of letters and dry brush a little on front and edges for a distressed look. When dry, cover the whole thing in Mod Podge. Great project for a quick punch of color wherever you need it!

I made these ultra-simple capes for my preschool kids when we were learning about letter S - for Super Heroes. :) Star glasses are from Walmart's party section.
For capes:
sparkly fabric (got mine at Walmart for like $2/yard)
thread
Cut rectangles out of fabric. Any size you want. Cut off the selvaged edges. Use the selvaged edges for the tie - just roll shut and sew. Then sew to a small side of the rectangles. If you don't want to have to tie them on, then add a small piece of velcro to each end of the tie piece. I didn't even hem this fabric. We've had 'em over a year and no fraying at all. It's great! And the fabric "flows in the wind" really well when the kids are running around!