Blue-eyed Housewife

How to Make a Cookie Cutter

2010-08-05T08:00:00.003-06:00

On Tuesday, I showed you the lingerie cookies I made for a shower this past weekend. Today, I will show you how I made the bra and underwear cookie cutters that I used to make them. You can buy bra and underwear cookie cutters online but the cheapest I found were $10 each plus shipping. A little too much for me when I just wanted to play around with making sugar cookies and the use of a bra and underwear cutter would be limited to lingerie showers and bachelorette parties. I have also seen people use upside down heart shaped cookies as butt cheeks and chests that you can design underwear and bras on, it's cute but I wanted to try my own way.

If you want to make a cookie cutter here is what you'll need:

pliers
tin snips
bra and underwear template
flexible sheet metal or cookie cutter copper strips (I have only found this here)
riveter and rivets
metal hole punch
hammer

If you are using sheet metal you will have to measure an inch off and cut it with the tin snips so you have a strip of metal one inch wide. However, if you order the copper strips you can skip this step (although it costs a lot more then using sheet metal).

Next, using your template (check out my awesome design skills) take your sheet metal and decide on your design where you want the metal to start and stop. It really doesn't matter what you choose, however it is easier to do it on a straight edge instead of working on a curve.

Now using your pliers bend the metal along your design so that it takes the new shape. It should bend really easily and if you make a mistake it's pretty easy to fix so don't worry too much.

Keep working until you have completed your shape.

Once you have completed your shape along your pattern you will want to use your tin snips to remove any excess at the end. Don't forget to leave it so that you have overlapping pieces at the end so that you can attach it together.

Now that you have your two overlapping pieces at the end you will need to punch a hole in each end for the rivet to go through. This can be easily accomplished with one of these pencil looking hole punches they sell at Home Depot and a hammer. Make sure you line the holes up so it doesn't distort your design.

Once you have two holes that are large enough for your rivet to fit through, use your riveter according to the directions to snap off the rivet. You can see in the finished pictures that there is still a little knob left on the inside, that's fine, it will not affect the shape of your cookie since it will sit higher then your dough.

Tada! Here's the final product! Now go bake some cookies...

Lingerie Shower #2

2010-08-03T10:38:00.007-06:00

I guess since it's wedding season it only makes sense that it is wedding shower season too. Personally,I prefer to attend the lingerie showers over the bridal showers, they are more fun and usually a smaller crowd too. This past weekend I helped with yet another lingerie shower. First of all we used the Lingerie shower banner however since the color scheme was different at this shower I made a few green and blue bras and panties and just interchanged them with the red and purple ones from the first banner. Then we used the same pom poms from the first shower, but we added some blue ones to the mix. (Wish we had some pics of these, they were hanging really nice at the party). For food, we had an ice cream sundae bar, since the bride is a big fan of ice cream. To go along with the sundae bar I decided to try my hand at sugar cookies with royal icing. Sugar cookies can be adorable but frankly they taste terrible. It was definitely a learning experience, royal icing is a little tricky but I think if I try it again I will do a lot better. I made an underwear and a bra cookie cutter (tutorial coming soon) and attempted to decorate the cookies like lingerie. I definitely needed some smaller tips to make some of the designs I was trying, if I do this again I will definitely invest in a small icing tip first.

What's New, Cupcake?

2010-07-27T16:24:00.005-06:00

Sorry the picture is so dark...

Guess what I got this weekend?!? The sequel to Hello Cupcake! that I love so much. This book looks great too. This one is What's New, Cupcake? There are a few overlapping ideas and techniques but also a lot of other different ones too. From looking at it, it seems as though this second book may utilize to easier techniques, which I certainly appreciate! I can't wait to try some, I just have to decide where to start. More cupcakes coming soon...

Seriously, how cute are those rubber ducks?! Especially, that little booty one!

My Craft Room: Before and After Paint

2010-07-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

I am blessed to have a room all to myself for crafting, sewing etc. Well, sort of all to myself... there is a bed in there, but it's our second guestroom so it's not used too often. I wanted to make the craft room into a crafty/girly space before we even bought this house. However, my constant plague of indecision has put that on hold... until now. In an odd act of crazy decisiveness I bought a gallon of paint and went to work. Which hasn't exactly been met with the positive reinforcement I was hoping for. Basically, I mean that I'm not totally in love with the color... but if you know anything about me it's that I'm frugal, it's in my blood, so it will be awhile before I change the color to something I love. For now, I'm going to try hard to make it work.

Here are the before pictures:

I was originally planning on painting the room a cheery yellow however after further study into color theory I learned that long exposure to yellow causes anger in people, and well I don't need any of that. So, I got the nifty idea to look up what color invokes creativity according to those color theorists... and the answer was violet. So here you have it, my violet room...

After:

The paint color is Majestic Mount by Behr

It's not some sort of optical illusion, the bed is now a double. Before I could even let the paint dry we had acquired a queen bed for our guestroom, causing a whole shift of beds throughout the house. It's going to change some of the ideas I had for this room, but hopefully I can make it work. This room still needs a lot of work, so stay tuned!

My Summer Mantle

2010-07-19T08:00:00.000-06:00

One of the things I love the most about our house is the gigantic mantle we have in our great room. It is definitely a focal point as soon as you walk into our house and it is important to me that it looks good. Having said that, I really have no decorating talent whatsoever. I'm hoping it can be a learned thing that I can develop through the years (fingers crossed!) I am terribly indecisive so to feed that terrible trait in me I have decided (hmm...) to change the mantle up every few months and make it themed to the season or current holiday. To be honest, this is actually the third mantle I have done since we moved here a few months ago, first was an Easter/Spring mantle, then I did an anniversary tribute mantle (for lack of a better idea). Right now, I am going for a summer theme... although it's definitely subtle. No bright colors and Hawaiian flowers here! Just a simple sailboat and a touch of blue. I like it, in a simple way. I wish it had a little more color... maybe blue candles or something. I do find it peaceful and sweet so it will stay... at least until the Fall.

Cupcake Butterflies (Hello Cupcake!)

2010-07-14T08:00:00.003-06:00

This book is my latest obsession. Hello Cupcake! is an amazing cupcake book that if you have never seen, you must check it out! I often find myself flipping through the pages of my book with wide eyed wonder, I love it. I have always dreamed of someday making my children fun birthday cakes but I don't know where to start. I figure if making cool cakes is something I really am going to aim to do, then I should start now learning the patience required for cake decorating, so that I'm ready to go when children come around. (For some reason I doubt there will be much time for practice then!)

So, this past weekend I tried my hand at something from Hello Cupcake! for the wedding shower I helped throw. The bride is a big fan of butterflies and the color purple so it only seemed fitting to top the cupcakes with purple butterflies! The book has a great tutorial for how to make them and I was so excited to try! There is definitely a learning curve for these butterflies (it took me 5 hours to make 25...) but I learned a lot and I know that if, nay when I try these again, they will be much easier.

I recently learned that there is a second book What's New, Cupcake? that I can't wait to get my hands on! Oh, I may be going shopping soon!

Party Pom Poms

2010-07-13T08:00:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, I showed you the lingerie banner I made for the wedding shower I helped with this past weekend. The other main decorations we made were tissue paper pom poms. I personally love tissue paper pom poms for all sorts of occasions. We used them at our wedding over the candy buffet table for some sweet color. I've seen them used at little kids birthday parties for some whimsical fun and at an anniversary party for some romantic appeal.

The best part is that they are super simple and cheap to make!

Here's how it's done:

Begin with 8-10 sheets of tissue paper depending on the fullness that you want, I personally am a big fan of 9, not too full, not too sparse. Layer them on top of each other lining them up as best as you can. Don't worry too much about the tissue being perfectly lined up, it makes it easier for cutting later, but has a minimal affect on how the pom pom actually looks in the end. If your tissue paper is rectangle than beginning with the short end and using a ruler as your guide make accordion folds back and forth (making a fold then flipping it over and folding again.) You can see I used a yard stick, I don't recommend this, it's too thick to make a sharp fold, a thin ruler would work perfectly.

Once you have folded your tissue paper the entire length you will have something that looks like this.

Once your paper is completely folded find the middle and using some wire (strong string would work too) wrap the middle of the tissue paper tight securing it with a few twists.

Now it's time to decide how you want your pom pom to look. Above you can see too cutting options for the tips of your tissue. The black tissue is made pointy to give the finished product a more spiky look. The purple tissue I tried to cut more round for a more soft, luscious look to the finished pom pom. Pick one or create your own, but definitely cut the tips, it looks funny without it!This is where I like to spread the fan open to see how my cuts look. Without sharp scissors it can be very difficult to get through all the folded layers of tissue so I spread it open and cut a little more individually as needed to get more definition.

The fluffing part of making the pom poms is the only part with a learning curve. I have found the easiest way to separate the layers is to stick my entire hand between the sheets and spread them apart slowly. Do not grab the edges between your fingers and pull them apart, that is the easiest way to rip the delicate tissue and leave your pom pom with a funny looking piece of hanging tissue. However, even if you stick your hand in between be sure to be gentle and deliberate about it, especially if you have nails!

Here is the pom pom with one side fluffed

Once you fluff both sides you are ready to go. I am a big fan of pom poms hanging on string at varying heights above a table or focal area. However, you can also stick them to a pole, wall or whatever you want for a different look.

Lingerie Shower Banner

2010-07-12T10:39:00.017-06:00

This past weekend I had the honor of helping a friend throw a lingerie shower. She dealt with the color scheme, the menu and the invites and I just helped her with a few of the details. For decor we went simple since we were throwing the shower in someone else home and didn't want to completely go to town turning their place upside down. One thing I made was a simple lingerie paper banner to spruce the place up.

If you want to make one here is what you'll need:

Black card stock
Coordinating scrapbook paper (I used 7 different patterns)
Bra and underwear template
Your choice of string
Hole punch
Decorating supplies as desired

Start with your scrapbook paper, black card stock and your bra and underwear template. I created my template by hand so my bra was a little abstract (i.e. differently shaped and sized cups). I'm usually picky about things like this but the more I thought about it, I really liked the "abstract" look of it, it kind of adds some character. My templates are approximately 5 inches wide, but you can do whatever fits your plan. Using your template, cut out 7 bras and 7 pairs of underwear from the various scrapbook paper.

Then cut 7 bras and 7 pairs of underwear approximately 1/4 inch larger than your template from the black card stock.

Glue the scrapbook paper to the black card stock, centering it.

Once it dries, punch holes in either end of the bra top as well as at the bottom of the bra cups and at the top of the underwear. Using ribbon, string, lace, a strand of fake pearls or whatever suits your fancy cut short strings approximately 3 inches long (you'll need 2 for each set of lingerie you make). I used a white cording that I had on hand but in the future I would use ribbon, it would have helped add a sweet feminine touch. Or if you are looking for a more subtle look between bra and underwear a thin silver ring would be a good option. Thread your string through the hole you punched at the bottom of the left bra and tie a knot to secure it. Thread the other end through the left underwear hole and again tie a knot. Repeat on the right side. Then repeat for all 7 bras and underwear.

Next, cut 8 strings each 1 foot long and use them to link the bras together. Thread a string through the side hole of the bra and tie a knot in the back to hide the knot and link it to the next bra, repeating until all the bras are connected and there is a string on either end for hanging.

Preferably hang yours in a much more attractive location...

Now is the time to get a little creative. You may be able to see that I didn't do many embellishments just a few cut out flowers and hearts to give a little more design to the various outfits but the possibilities are endless. I was trying my best to resist the urge and not run to the store for cute ribbons, pearls, or lace to add some ruffles and frill to the outfits and opted just to use what i had. But have fun and make it your own, personally I'm more of a lace and pearls girl, but you could always go with feathers, sequins and beads.

If you try it, I'd love to know!

Pot Holder Tutorial

2009-04-30T15:11:00.029-06:00

This week I have been playing around with making pot holders as a tentative gift for my mom for mother's day. I have actually been having a lot of fun with it. One of the reasons I love making things is because I can make them cute and to my tastes rather then having to hunt for something cute only to find out it's ridiculously overpriced. So, today I'm going to show you two of the variations I made.

First, cut two square pieces from the fabric of your choice. Also, you will need two quilt batting pieces the same size. I used 9" squares the first time and 8" squares the second time because I was limited on my fabric. Both sizes work well, but I think I like the 9" better.

If you want to try a patchwork pot holder you will need four 5" square pieces, one 9" square piece for the back and two 9" square quilt batting.

You will need to lay two of the 5" squares on top of each other, right sides together and pin one side. Do this with the two remaining 5" squares as well. (Apparently, I didn't take a picture of this- sorry!) Then sew the two squares together along that one side.

This is what it will look like after you have sewed them together and pressed the seam. Do this to both sets. Take one pair of sewn together squares and place them on the edge of one of the batting pieces.

Next, take the other pair of sewn together squares and place them on top of the other pair, right sides together and pin the inside edge. Then sew the edge you pinned and press the fabric open against the batting. From here on out, the patchwork option will be the same as the solid side option.

Lay one piece of quilt batting on a flat surface, then put one of your 9" squares on top of it right side up. Next, put the other 9" square right side down on top followed by the last piece of batting and pin all the way around. (If you're doing the patchwork version, one piece of your batting will already be attached to the patchwork, and this will be the second 9" square that you lay right side down- are you with me??)

Take approximately 5 inches of a coordinating ribbon and pin in between the two pieces of fabric to form a loop for the corner of you potholder.

Sew the edges all the way around starting in the middle of one side and ending approximately 2" from where you started.

Be sure to trim off any extra edges you may have left. Also, clip the corners, this will help to ensure your corners are more crisp.

Now turn the pot holder right side out by pushing the material through the hole you left.

Iron it down and sew around the edges, this will seal up the hole you left.

Now all you have left to do is the quilting! This is the easy part, just stick it under your sewing machine and sew away! You can get creative here! On the blue one you can see I tried horizontal lines, but on the patchwork one I did a flower. I really think I like the lines, it gives it a crisp look, but the flower was fun to try nonetheless. You could also mix it up by adding a bold colored thread for your quilting. Why not try a heart on a Valentine's pot holder or a leaf on a fall one? Or maybe even a monogram?

If you guys try this, I'd love to see them!

Covering a Lamp Shade Tutorial

2009-04-22T08:25:00.009-06:00

A couple of months ago I bought a lamp from Goodwill for $2! Ever since then I have been looking for a cute lamp shade, but all I could find were ugly expensive ones. I knew I wanted to cover my own with some sort of print fabric, so I lucked up when I saw a plain lamp shade in the clearance aisle at Walmart a couple weeks ago for all of $2.50. Here's my tutorial:

First, you need a lamp shade. *Surprise, surprise* If you can find a plain one it will be cheaper, or you can get a fabric one and either remove the fabric or just cover it up. Or you can buy a plain one with adhesive already on it from Joanns, but they are a little pricey for needing to be covered.

I laid my fabric out, right-side down and placed the seam of my lamp on the edge of the fabric. I then traced the lamp on both ends as I rolled it along the fabric. Next, I measured an inch out from the line I had drawn so that I had some fabric to wrap around to the inside. Now, if I had some sort of newspaper or tracing paper I would have actually made a pattern, but I didn't. I took my chances and I think it still turned out.

After I cut it out, it just needed to be ironed. I folded one edge down and ironed it so that I would have a clean edge for the finished product. However, in the rush of trying to get it done, I ended up cutting off that edge because my piece was too big... and by the time I realized that I had lost my edge it was too late to iron it again...

Then I busted out my good friend and yours, Spray Adhesive, and started spraying the back of the fabric. I laid the fabric out and rolled the shade over it, pressing with my hand firmly to assure their were no air bubbles. Finally, I tucked the edges over with spray adhesive and stuck some clothes pins on the edges to hold it while it dried.

Here is the finished product as it sits on our dining room table( don't worry it's not staying there):

There are definitely a lot of things I will do differently the next time I make one, I have some mixed feelings about the choice of fabric but for now I like it. I may add some embellishments in the future if I want to change it up.