New Project Pictures from Featured Readers

I love getting pictures back from my readers showing me the projects they've created using my tutorials. Here are a couple I'd like to share...

Kristen from Illinois made a fitted sheet for her toddler bed using this tutorial...

And Krysten from New York made this cute Yoda Ear Flap Hat using this tutorial...

Thanks for sharing gals! :D

DIY: Turn Any Blanket into a Carseat Canopy

Today's post is a quick fix to turn any baby blanket into a carseat canopy by sewing on two little loops. 

What you'll need:

• One baby blanket that's a good size to drape over your infant carrier
• two scraps of fabric, 6" x 10" each
• two big buttons
• velcro

Easy DIY Infinity Scarf / Nursing Cover

Today I'll show you how you can turn one yard of fabric into an infinity scarf. If you happen to have a baby, it can double as a nursing cover. 

All you need is a yard of fabric (plus yarn and preferably a sewing machine). I chose a t-shirt type knit material which doesn't fray. This is fabulous since I don't have to hem the edges, and it's light and breathable. 

Tracy's Treasury of Sturdy Books for Babies & Toddlers

Today I'm sharing a book list that I've thought about posting for the last few years. It's been tested in our home and only the best-of-the best remain! Whether you're building your own family library or gift giving, these are our tried-and-true, absolute favorite book choices for the littlest readers. (Remember to grab a couple for baby shower gifts!) They all fit the following criteria:

• They're sturdy (no paper pages) to better stand up to the rough handling from the littlest hands.
• They're enjoyable. (That's important!) Some children's books are awkward to read or are... well... annoying. Those books don't stay on our shelf! If I'm going to read it 100 times, it's got to be enjoyable. Also, I'm pretty picky about quality children's books, and these make the cut. 
• They've been absolutely loved by our four babies. 

The Cutest Little Baby Food I Ever Saw!!!

After making my own fresh baby food purees for three babies, I think I may have it figured out.  Just as I'm about finished... isn't that how it usually goes?

Calming Cream for Cranky Monsters

Do you ever have cranky kids? Or how about a crying baby?

Do you OR your kids ever need a little help unwinding to go to sleep at night?

If so, then today's post is for you. Here is my recipe for our calming cream. We use it especially at bedtime, but also for crying or crankiness.

Calming Cream for Cranky Monsters

• 1 oz coconut oil* OR your favorite herbal base
• 5 drops Peace & Calming essential oil blend**
• 5 drops Lavender essential oil

This calming cream can be used all over the body, but it's especially helpful when applied to the big toe (vita flex point for the brain), feet, back of the neck and wrists. It's great to work into a massage before bed time.

*When shopping for your coconut oil, the key words you need to see on the packaging are: organic, cold-pressed or expeller expressed, and unprocessed. Also on the shea butter, it should NOT be bleached. 

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**All essential oils are NOT the same... please read this before buying any! 

 

Gentle Baby Diaper Rash Cream Recipe

Today's recipe comes from the book Gentle Babies" by Debra Raybern. It's an excellent diaper-rash cream, and completely organic! And did I mention that it WORKS?!

Gentle Baby Diaper Rash Cream

• 2 oz herbal base of your choice
• 4 drops Gentle Baby essential oil blend
• 2 drops Lavender
• 2 drops German Chamomile
• 1 drop Melrose
• 1 drop Cypress (I omitted this because I didn't have it.) 

Rit to the Rescue!

Whether you are having your third baby and your white onsies and burp rags aren't quite so white any more, or you have some brand new whites you want to make look cuter... it's Rit Dye to the rescue! Today's post isn't a rocket science project. It's just a quick little fix-up that gave new life to our third-time-around baby whites.

A lot of our white baby onsies and burp rags were all splotched up with yellow stains. I dyed the mostly-white looking whites "Aquamarine" and I dyed the ones with yellow-stains on them "Apple Green." I hoped that since green has yellow in it that it would hide the stains better, and I have to say that I am pretty pleased with how they came out. Not a stain in sight! And now they're so pretty! I wish I would have dyed at least the burp rags the first time around.

While I was at it, I also threw in a pink shirt of mine from Old Navy to turn it purple, but it didn't absorb any of the blue dye!

I don't know WHAT Old Navy did to that shirt to make it so resistant to dye, but if it is half as resistant to baby spit up, then it just may be my new favorite! :)

DIY Baby's Sleep Sack (Sewing Tutorial)

When our little guy outgrew his 0-9 mo sleep sack at age 6 mo, I came up with this pattern for a new one that will be plenty long for his growing little legs. 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR DOWNLOAD TUTORIAL!

 
One of my readers, Sarah S, used my tutorial to make a sleep sack for her son. She wrote me back, glad for the  "super easy sleep sack pattern". She's a beginning seamstress and thought it was very easy to make. Here's hers, modeled by her sweet little Sammy:

Thanks for sharing Sarah!

DIY Custom Artwork for the Nursery

Just because you're not using a store-bought set doesn't mean you can't have some coordinating artwork in the baby's room. In our first son's room I accented with Curious George, who was on a wall clock, some fabric I used in his quilt, and displayed a bit on a shelf. For the artwork, I used a couple Curious George calendar pages, trimmed them to get rid of the little nail hole, then glued them down to a piece of 12x12 scrapbook paper which looked like matting. Then I painted wooden frames, and voila! Curious George artwork! 

Another option is to make some custom artwork, using Mod Podge and a little creativity. For this project, I found a pack of coordinating scrapbook papers that also coordinated with the fabric colors I was using in in my second son's nursery.  I bought a 12x12" paper pack to cover the 8x8 canvases, since I needed extra inches to go around the edges. Then I drew out the designs I wanted  (based on my favorite images from a google image search), cut them out from the scrapbook paper, and mod podged them to art canvases. Here they are:  

Have you made your own cute nursery wall-art? Email me your photos and I'll share them here! 

Fitted Crib Sheets for Baby & Toddler (Sewing Tutorial)

Don't be intimidated!, these are a cinch to make! This is a super simple 20-30 minute project that will make you never want to settle for store crib sheets again!!! 

Here's how they look all snug on the crib mattress:

Pack & Play Sheet (Sewing Tutorial)

These are surprisingly simple and quick to make. Just cut your fabric to size, sew a couple quick seams, and you're done! These snug-fitting sheets don't even need elastic. 

DIY Flat Top Sheets for Toddler Beds (Sewing Tutorial)

This is quicker than quick and easier than easy. You can make the sheets large enough to tuck under the toddler bed so they actually stay in place (store-bought toddler sheets don't measure up in this area!). 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR DOWNLOAD TUTORIAL!

I also have a fitted toddler sheet tutorial here!