Sew Darn Crafty Party...Week 60

Thank you for stopping by another Sew Darn Crafty party. Before we begin, I want to wish all of you a very Happy Easter! I hope you all have a blessed day with your loved ones!

I know you may be very busy today with family and friends, but stop by the rest of the week to join in on the fun.

If you're NEW to Sew Darn Crafty, then grab a cup of something tasty, sit back and join in on the fun (starts Sunday and lasts all week long here at Sew Many Ways).

If you want to add the button to your blog's side bar or your list of parties that you're in each week...Click HERE for a tutorial for adding a button

WHAT IS A LINKING PARTY...

I subscribe to a linking service, which provides the ability to link thumbnail pictures on my blog. The picture is a link that other bloggers provide to share their projects.

Two things can happen at a linking party...looking and/or linking

• you can be greatly inspired by wonderful projects, ideas or vacation pictures (looking) and/or
• you can share what you've been up to (linking)

If you want to be inspired by all the great ideas...just click on a picture and it will take you to that post from a wonderful blogger who was willing to share her thoughts and ideas.

HOW AND WHAT TO LINK TO THE PARTY...

Sew Darn Crafty is all about YOU!! Show off your projects, share a tutorial, show us your vacation pictures, share a family favorite recipe...share anything. Not only does linking inspire us all, it also brings lots of new people to your blog for a visit. Click here for past parties and lots of inspiration

Easy steps to join in on the fun...

• link up to the specific project post, not your whole blog. Makes it easier to link right to that post and not  search through all your entire blog. To find the http address to a specific post, just click on the Title of your post. Copy and paste the address that's at the top of your computer into the linky steps.
• link as many projects as you'd like...old or new
• anything goes...cooking, sewing, knitting, crafts, organizing, remodeling projects, vacations, parties etc...
• visit other links to share some blogging love! You know we all love comments!
• linking is open til Saturday night, so plenty of time to join in
• just click the blue "click here to enter" button below and follow the easy steps

Have fun linking up! Don't forget to come back and take a look at all the great projects during the week

~Karen~

Easter Egg Hunt Reminder...

Thought I would just post a little Easter egg hunt reminder...

We've always had egg hunts at our house each year with lots of children. If you want to make your Easter egg hunt fair and square...color code each child!!

Click HERE to go to the post and tutorial to see the How To!!

Hope you and your family have a wonderful Easter!
~Karen~

Find A Friend Friday...

What another wonderful Find a Friend Friday we had last week. So many great blogs joining in on the fun each time. I had asked last time whether I should have it once a week or once a month...one good point was it would be easier to look through the list once a week, rather than a much longer list once a month.

So here we are this week...hope you can join us again.

If you're new to FAFF, it's just a simple linking party to share your blog with everyone. It's a great place to not only "show off" your blog, but find a new one too.

If you tell your blogging friends about the linking party more will join in with us!

Welcome to "Find a Friend Friday...FaFF

This is an easy one to participate...you are just linking to your own blog. No projects to sew, furniture to paint or cookies to bake and take a picture off. You are just sharing your blog and then friends will stop by for a looksy.

• click on "click here to enter"
• copy and paste or just type in your blog address
• enter title of link...your blog name or phrase to grab attention
• add a photo of you, your profile picture or your blog button or whatever you think will grab some one's attention...(I'm thinking a picture of a big piece of strawberry cheese cake, but that just me LOL)

That's it...super easy. Just think of the possibilities of finding some wonderful blogs.

Thanks for participating,

~Karen~

Thoughts on Thursday...

There are so many different kinds of Easter candy in the world. However, there are some that are always in my daughters' Easter baskets...no matter what their age.

Yummy Cadbury Eggs (hey, who bit that one?)...I think these are always in their baskets, because they're my absolute favorite!!

Peeps are definitely in their baskets...not to eat, but to puff up in the microwave. I know this sounds crazy. We've been doing it since they were little. Just a funny little game to watch them blow up like balloons. LOL !!

Did you know just a few seconds (I think 10 or so seconds) in the microwave...depending on your microwave...will puff up these little cuties and then they shrink down to nothing. Don't go too long, may brown too much, smell burned and glue itself to the plate like hardened sugar!! This is experience talking. 

Don't let the kids do this though...adults only! The sugar can get hot. No eating after.

Great memories of 2 little girls laughing so hard as the peeps rise up in the microwave. They are 19 and 20 and we still do this! It's a tradition now.

Other must haves in the basket...

• Russell Stover's solid bunnies...one milk chocolate and one crispy
• hollow chocolate bunnies so they can bite off the ears and see inside
• peanut butter eggs
• Easter M&Ms

Not so many toys any more, now that they are in college, but I still add something fun just for old time sake.

What's always in your Easter Baskets?

Thinking of you on Thursday,
~Karen~

Last Chocolate Spray Painting Project...I Promise

I know...more chocolate spray painting, but it's Easter this Sunday and I'm trying to sneak in this one last project. You can click HERE and HERE for the other 2 posts if you missed them.

Chocolate anyone?

This is the before...for $1.00

Takes 2 thin coats of paint. Just spray the front...

the back and then each side for total coverage. I sprayed 2 thin coats.

So cute!

Great plastic eggs to hold treats...like money.

My 2 daughters in college love the money eggs!!

You can add candy too, but make sure the paint smell is completely gone.

Great for small toys and then package them in the egg carton.

You can also decorate with them too. A little nest with a confused chick..."did I come from a chocolate egg?"

Fun Easter grass...

Don't forget all the projects together!!

There's still time to paint...so HOP to it!! Lol

Have a great day,
~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Magnetic Business Card To Bookmark

Happy Tuesday everyone!! You all know Tuesday's projects can use just about anything from anywhere. Well, today is no exception. You know those magnetic business cards you receive in the mail or from businesses around your town...we're recycling those into this cute bookmark!!

All you need is...

• one square of fabric 5" x 5". Great for charm packs. You can also use left over jelly roll fabric
• one magnetic business card
• sewing machine

If you don't have any magnetic business cards, you can buy a box of them in office supply stores or online.

They are sticky on one side to attach your business cards to. We won't be using the stick feature today, but you could use it as a short cut with just ribbon and no sewing.

I'm cutting the magnet in half, but you could use 2 whole ones. Just adjust your fabric needs for that.

Cuts easily with scissors.

To start, fold the 5 inch square in half, right sides together.

Pin. Lay magnets on top just to make sure they fit on your fabric.

Make sure there is about 1/4 inch of space between the 2 magnets and enough seam allowance all the way around.

 Sew with 1/4 inch seam on the 3 sides, not the fold. Turn and pivot at the corners.

Leave opening big enough for magnets to fit.

Turn right side out.

Poke out corners.

Iron flat and then insert first magnet piece. Push to the top.

Add the second magnet. ****Make sure you have the magnets going in with the same side up so they attract to each other.****

Whip stitch or machine stitch the opening closed.

Fold in half and pin to find the center.

Push the magnets to either side to give you stitching room in the center.

Sew down the middle. Keeps each magnet on each side.

All Done!! Clip the magnet over the page. Grabs onto the other magnet through the paper.

Make sure you have the magnets facing the same way though!

Great little gift...

I know with the popularity of electronic books, bookmarks are becoming extinct (Lol), but this is perfect for...

• book club friends
• quilting bee friends for quilt book and magazines...make the fabric match a gift basket you give them with sewing goodies.
• people who love to cook...for their cookbooks
• great teacher's gift
• religious groups for bible study

I'm sure there are so many more great ideas to give this quick and easy project...

Happy sewing,
~Karen~

Upcycle One Lone Berry Garland...

I know it's April 2nd and that means spring cleaning. However, my spring cleaning usually starts after Christmas. You know that feeling you get when you are putting all your decorations away...you just want to clean and organize things to get your house back to normal.

I've been doing my basement for a few months now. Long process of clearing things out, throwing things out and moving things around. I should have a post on it soon. Nothing earth shattering...just a few tips on organizing. Our basement is unfinished, so it's truly for storage.

While purging things, I found one fruit garland. One small, short garland won't help me in decorating anything, but I couldn't throw it away. No surprise there. Here's what I made with it. The word "made" is used lightly. I actually just threw them in the vase.

Look for them in the clearance section of craft stores. This isn't a Christmas garland. It's fruit that I bought in the summer a couple years ago.

Sometimes when you see something in the clearance section, you only see it for what it is and say..."oh, I don't need "one" small garland". Don't look at things for what they "are"...look at things for what they "could be"!

They look like crab apple buds

Just snip the string...and slide them off into your container.

Just a simple vase with a candle. (click HERE if you want to see the makeover I did a while ago for the coffee table in this picture.)

You could also put a smaller vase inside a larger glass container. Surround it with the berries and then you can put fresh flower in the center vase.

Hunt through your things. You might find something fun to put in a vase too!!

Have a great start to the week,
~Karen~