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Summer is drawing to a close and my darling Little C starts kindergarten next Thursday. We had a good summer. While we didn’t go on any extravagant vacations, we were able to head to the local beach a few times, hit up a lot of our local playgrounds and take a short trip to Calgary…
One of my most favourite and practical baby gifts to give and receive are flannel receiving blankets. And not just regular old baby blankets – extra large receiving blankets that are perfect for swaddling newborns. They’re hard to find in stores, but they’re so easy to make! I’ve made baby receiving blankets all sorts of…
This past Sunday, I spent a lovely afternoon with my beautiful little sister, my mom, and our friends celebrating my sister’s wedding coming up soon! My mom hosted a “vintage craft & tea” bridal shower in honour of my sister and it was so much fun. It was a simple event, but the food and…
Hands down, my most favourite social media platform right now is Instagram. There’s something about it that is so positive and inspiring. Unlike other social media platforms, negative trolls rarely gather there, and there’s just so much light-heartedness and support all around. I’m totally a visual person, and pictures everywhere just make me smile! Last…
The more babies I have, the more I realize that less is more when it comes to baby gear. If I can use one item for a number of uses, I’m all over it. That’s why I invented this 3-in-1 “super blankie” (as I used to call it when I sold it through Golly Gee…
It’s hard to believe that a year and a half has gone by since we started building Our DIY House. What a long process, an exciting adventure, and a labour of love! I thought it was time to post a quick update on where we are now with our home. We’ve done a LOT, but…
One of my favourite new mama essentials? Handmade, reusable nursing pads that are SUPER absorbent! I’ve used many kinds of nursing pads in the past from disposable to purchased cotton flannel ones, but I wanted to make some that were the best combination of the ones I’ve tried. These nursing pads are fantastic, and I’m…
With just over a month until d-day, I’ve finally found some time to sew for Baby Three! In line with her boho themed nursery that I’m planning, I made these uber-adorable fringed baby booties in a soft, champagne coloured metallic leather:
I’ve probably said it about a hundred times already, so I apologize in advance: I’m so excited for the first Christmas in our new house! So far, the Christmas season here has not disappointed me. We’ve had roaring fires in our fireplace, cookie baking sprees in our new kitchen, and enough room to spend snow…
Linen napkins are so sophisticated and gorgeous, and they’re a pretty way to formalize a table setting for Christmas dinner. I’m hosting my first ever Christmas Day dinner at our home this year (hooray for a house that can actually fit company in it!) and I wanted to make our Christmas table extra special. I…
Baby A turned 2 last month, and we had a super-fun party to celebrate! It was a “bake shoppe” themed party with lots of colourful, cupcake decor and toddler baking activities.
As my girls grow older, I’m finding that I really, really need to make a conscious effort to remind them what Christmas is all about. As soon as December hits (heck, November!) they (and we) are bombarded by Christmas-themed media and it’s usually the message of “getting”. What we are trying to teach our kids…
As soon as I told Little C that we were building a new house and that she was going to get a brand new bedroom, I could see the wheels turning in her little head on how she’d decorate it. There was no question at ALL that her wall colour was to be purple. She…
We spend a whole lot of time in our kitchen. Not only do we share family meals there, but the girls and I do crafts on the kitchen table, we have chats next to the island, and I day dream while washing pots (after a ceiling-high stack has piled next to the sink, of course)….
Ah, Pinterest. It’s the biggest time-waster in the world, but it’s oh-so-inspiring, right? I saw these clever candy cane heart pops via Pinterest on Bird’s Party Blog and I knew I had to try them. I had a case of candy canes in my cupboard from Christmas and they were red and pink – it…
Can you believe Christmas is in just over a week? I certainly can’t, and I’ve been busily finishing up some last minute handmade Christmas gifts for my family and friends. Something I’m making this year are piles and piles of infinity scarves (remember the tutorial I posted in September?). They don’t take very long, they’re…
Quilts are so beautiful. I’ve always admired people that can make gorgeous quilts with intricate piecing and meticulous machine-work. For my handmade Christmas this year, I decided to make a quilt for my one year old daughter. I’m a super-newbie quilter, so I thought it would be wise to start with something very simple and…
I have a “thing” for cream coloured, lacey knits. When the weather dropped to minus 30°C a couple Christmases ago (this is common up here in Edmonton, Alberta!), I decided that I could use a new pair of warm, wooley mittens. Rather than buying a pair, I decided to design some using odds and ends…
One of my friends needed an apron for a costume this month. It had to be red gingham with a white ruffle and heart applique, so I set to designing it from scratch. I absolutely loved the result and I think this feminine little apron would make an adorable Christmas gift for a friend (or…
by Christina Dennis This post on how to sew a generously fluffy boutique blanket has been quite popular for the last few months, and I’ve also received a few questions via comments and emails on how this blanket would work for babies (as a great shower gift, perhaps). When it comes to baby & toddler…
By Cheryl Sheeler What better way to keep your memories close at heart than by tucking a bit of nostalgia inside a small glass vial and turning it into a charm necklace?! Read on to find out how you can make your very own custom piece.
By Christina Dennis I saw these little grey, stretchy baby mittens at Walmart for $0.60 cents and I had an idea: They were little and sweet, but very plain and needed a little embellishment for my baby girl! I’ve never embroidered before, but I had some happy-coloured scraps of yarn that I thought would look…
With this free pattern and tutorial, sew a pink & white satin princess dress with gold ribbon and a rose embellishment for your toddler. She’ll love to dance and spin in this dreamy little dress that is perfect for dress-up time!
With this free tutorial, make an adorable soother clip for your baby or for a unique baby shower gift! These simple fabric soother clips are made with a scrap of fabric, a suspender clip and a pearl snap. Instructions for adding an optional ruffle or rosette embellishment are included.
I love soft, cuddly blankets! My favourite combination for a blanket is to sew it using cotton on the outside and buttery soft minkee fabric on the inside. The result is a substantial, high-quality blanket that is wonderful for a baby, for a living room throw, or for a bed! Minkee (or “minky”) fabric can be very thick and slippery. It also is a pain to cut because it can be so furry – fuzz can fly everywhere! In this tutorial on how to sew a “boutique” blanket, I’ll share how I work with this fabric. It’s a little tricky, but the results are beautiful.
by Christina Dennis My 3-year-old daughter loves her little craft scissors, and the other day when I turned my head for two seconds she cut several neat little slits in a pair of her cute leggings! After giving her a lesson on what NOT to cut, I decided to upcycle the leggings into a cute…
By Christina Dennis When it’s warm outside, nothing is more cute on a baby or toddler than a ruffly little dress! This dress design is based on the popular & very simple pillowcase dress idea, but I’ve added a unique ruffle embellishment. If you’re a beginner seamstress, this is a great starting project! The ruffle…
Update: You can now view a video tutorial for these soft baby slippers here. From what I’ve read, soft-soled shoes are the best for young babies (pre-walking age). I wanted some soft-soled shoes for my little daughter, but had a problem finding some that (a) were inexpensive and (b) didn’t fall off of her little…
By Christina Dennis Sewing a custom bib for your baby, or as a gift for a baby shower, is fun & easy! You can use scraps of fabric you have leftover from other projects, or purchase some special fabric, like laminated cotton, that works especially well for bibs.