Paper Garland Tutorial

Today, is my first time linking up at Life Made Lovely.

Stop by and visit her lovely blog.

  I adore all of the cute garland and party banners that are all over the place right now.  They're just so whimsical and fun.  I really wanted to make one as a little decoration for Katie's birthday party, and  I ended up liking it so much I included it in her birthday pictures as well.  It was so easy to make and I just love, love, LOVE how it turned out.   My original idea came from a paint chip garland I saw on pintrest. I didn't have enough paint chips to make it, but I did/do have tons, and TONS of scrapbook paper so I used that instead. 

First, I chose the paper and colors I wanted.  I used 6 different colors of card stock and  3 different, coordinating lighter weight, patterned papers.   

Next, I just punched out a TON of circles with a large whole punch  I purchased from Michael's.  

Using glue sticks Hannah and I glued a patterned circle onto the backside of a card stock circle.  You could make this with card stock alone, but I wouldn't recommend making it with just the light weight patterned paper.  I think  it could easily get jammed in the sewing machine. 

                          

Finally, I just sewed  them together in a long line using my sewing machine.   I found it helped to kind of push one through the machine with the next one.  Even though you can't tell from the pictures, I sewed them together in a rainbow pattern.                       

And that's it. Now, hang and enjoy!

I told you it was easy.  

I love easy!

Isn't it fantastic?

I even had enough circles left over to make a small garland to hang on my living room mirror.

Wouldn't this be cute on a Christmas tree in your Christmas colors, or for Valentine's Day in pinks, reds and whites.  The possibilities are endless.  I can't wait to make more!

Oh, it's the little things that make life lovely.

Birthday Time!

Along with Christmas season at our house, it is also birthday season! We have 5 birthdays within 6 weeks of each other. Katie kicked off  the birthday season off by turning  4  last week.

We didn't really plan it, but everything Katie got for her birthday this year was homemade. She got a giraffe she named Scott, a fishing pole and fish,  blocks, and Jarom made her cans to walk on.  

It wasn't long after she opened her gifts that the fish were roasted over the blocks fire.

Some how Katie got the idea a couple of days before her birthday, that she was getting a giraffe.  She really wasn't getting a giraffe, but she thought she was.  She was so excited that she told everyone she was getting a giraffe for her birthday.  The day before her birthday I decided that I better make her a giraffe or she was going to be awfully disappointed.  I started making this handsome devil at about midnight, and I finished him around 3am.  It's a good thing she likes him! 

Look What I Made!

 I have been wanting to make the little girls some dolls for a while now and when I saw these cute dolls Dahlia made I decided to get off my duff and make some.   I used part of the pattern from here and I used the instructions from another pattern here.  

 Meet Gracie Poo, Selina, and Tabetha.

This is Hannah's doll Selina.   She changes her name every other day.  Hannah insisted her doll have blue button eyes.  I tried to talk her out of it, but she was insistant.  Now, she doesn't like them.  She says her doll has "evil eyes", and she wishes she  had chosen black eyes, "like Katie's doll."

Katie named her doll Tabetha.  Real Tabetha felt very honored to have a doll named after her and so she named her doll Tatie Tot, is honor of Katie.  (Maybe Tabetha will post pictures of her dolls on her blog.  Her's turned out very cute.)

We named Mya's doll Gracie Poo.  One night we were having dinner and we were having Katie say every one's names.  It is so cute to hear her say her name is KateYin Yizbiff Yowry.  Anyway, She was going around the table saying everyone's names including last name and, then we asked her to say May's name.  She said her name is Mya Gracie Poo.  It was so cute.

 I think this doll looks like Cindy Lou Who from the Grinch.  Maybe it should be called Gracie Poo Who.

I had so much fun making these, and I have been making other things too.  I will post more soon.