Fluffy Wall Clouds with Teddy Bear Pockets

I wanted to incorporate clouds on my daughters wall so that the blue looked more like a cartoon sky, but I had to think hard about how to do this, as I didn't want anything that was going to be a pain to paint over when my daughter decides she wants skulls and crossbones instead. 

I knew it had to be

• Something tactile for her to touch, helping with those baby sensory skills 
• Easy to pull off the wall at a later date
• Washable (well at least wipeable) if she gets mucky hand prints on it

and this design meets all those aspects so I think its a winner.

Before I start, this is just one tutorial in a range that will help you make a whole woodland nursery so if you would like to see the others then click on the image below

What you will need:

• White Felt
• Toy/Cushion Stuffing
• Chalk
• A couple of different sized circles (I used mugs)
• Needle and Thread
• Scissors
• Sewing Machine
• Command Strips

Step 1 - Create your Cloud Shape

Taking your felt and making sure it is folded in half, draw on your clouds with chalk. I used mugs to get the curves but you could draw it free hand

Then pin the material together (remember that it should be folded in half) so when you cut out the cloud, you have two the same size

I also cut out a circle and then took the top off it to make a pocket shape for the teddy.

Step 2 - Add the Command Strips

Unpin your cloud shape and take the side of the cloud that has the chalk on it, sewing half of a command strip on it, so the Velcro side is facing out (the other other part of the command strip will go on your wall). I used 1 strip for smaller clouds and 2 for bigger ones. They are light enough that 1 command strip should be fine but I wanted to make sure they sat flush against the wall by placing one at either side.

Take the other side of your cloud, that doesn't have a command strip and sew your pocket on, using your sewing machine. 

NOTE: Make sure when you put the cloud sides together that they line up with the pocket and the command strips both being on the outside. You don't want to end up wit the pocket accidentally being on the inside of the cloud.

Step 3 - Sew the Cloud Together

Pin the two sides of the cloud again and then sew around the edges, leaving a gap big enough to put the stuffing in.

Normally when sewing a cushion you should sew it inside out and then flip it out so that the seams are on the inside but I found it made a better shape with the seam outside and less hassle, therefore yours command strip and pocket should be facing out the way when sewing.

Step 4 - Fill it Up

Fill the cloud with stuffing, making sure you get into all the bumps. You don't need to put a lot in, just enough so that the cloud looks puffy.

You can then sew your cloud closed. You might wish to do this by hand but I found it easier to finish it up with my machine. I moved the stuffing into the middle as I stitched and then flattened it back out once finished.

Step 5 - Add your Teddy and get it on the wall!

What cloud would be complete without a teddy. My daughters have mine and my partner's childhood teddies as long as the first one we put in her cot, so that its a nice way to show off her extra special ones.

Then put the backs on the command strips so the Velcro sticks together. Following the instructions of your strips, remove the backing paper and push the cloud against the wall holding it on firmly for 1 minute.

And there you have it - fluffy wall clouds that are a cute storage idea. Hope you have fun adding a bit of 3D fluffiness to your room!

 I'll be back,

Patchwork Woodland Tree Decal

I spent ages thinking about how I could make a tree on the wall for my little girls room. I've painted murals before and also thought about making one out of cardboard but when I found out you could stick material to the wall using cornflour - I was sold! My daughter loves looking at all the patterns on the leaves and the owl perched in the middle so I'm glad I made my own, rather than buying an expensive decal.

Before I start, this is just one tutorial in a range that will help you make a whole woodland nursery so if you would like to see the others then click on the image below

What you will need:

• Thin brown material - I used linen
• Different coloured material for the leaves. I bought some fat quarters as it was a cheaper way to get a few different patterns
• Cornflour

Knot in tree for owl (optional)

• Same brown material as above
• Oval or round plastic container ( you could make it out of cardboard as well)
• Wadding
• Cardboard
• Glue gun
• Drill & screw

Step 1 - Make your paste

Mix a cup of cornflour with boiling water until you get a thick wallpaper paste consistency and then leave it to cool to room temperature. 

I didn't do this before I started and then was frustrated that I had to wait for it to cool so please remember to do it first!!!

Step 2 - Carve out your tree trunk

I bought 2 meters of brown linen and then just cut my design out freehand, although we may want to draw your design on the material before you start.

Step 3 - Cut out your leaves

Cut out leave shapes from your patterned material, trying to do different sizes with the same colour so it looks more realistic. I arranged mine round the trunk on the floor as I was going, so I could see how many I needed.

To save a bit of time you could layer up your material and cut a few leaves at the same time.

Step 4 - Paste the tree onto the wall

Now as you can see from the pictures below I brushed the paste onto the wall but this left a slight mark on the wall as it didn't dry completely clear so I would recommend applying the paste to your material, putting it on the wall and then brushing another layer of paster over the top of the material.

I'm not very good at cutting straight so I let the bottom of the tree flap over the skirting board and then once dry I cut it with a craft knife

Good news is that this paste does come away with a clean cloth and bit of warm water so I was able to wipe away some of the excess but be careful as this will lift some of your paint as well. you can also use this method to remove your decal once you no longer want it on your wall

I also put a sheet on the floor round the tree so that any paste dripped onto that, instead of the carpet

Step 5 - Making the knot (optional)

Cut a bit of cardboard that fits neatly inside your plastic container (it doesn't need the cross cut out inside, that was already on my piece of cardboard). If you don't want to use a plastic container then you could make an oval shape from a long strip of cardboard but it would be more flimsy over time.

Using the left over scraps of material from your tree trunk, cut a piece that is a bit bigger than your cardboard and you can either glue it down or do a drawstring stitch round the material and gather it all in, like I have. You can see once you turn it over, you have a backing for your tree knot which will cover any screws etc.

Then cut a piece of wadding that is double the hight of your container and glue it all the way around. Fold the wadding over the top of the container, gluing as you go and then repeat the process with more material from your tree trunk (making sure its slightly more than double the width of the container this time). You don't need to glue the material on the inside the container as your cardboard backing will hold it in place.

Place your tree knot on the wall and then screw it in place using a drill. Then making sure all the material is folded into the middle, insert the backing to hold it all in place and hide that screw.

Step 6 - Add your animal

My friend Tatum bought this gorgeous patchwork owl from Monsoon, which fitted perfectly in our tree but you could add in any woodland creature, or even have a go at making your own sock animal!

 I'll be back,

Newborn Snail Costume

My daughter is now almost 10 weeks old but she really is the most tiny baby (still only just 5lb) so finding a Halloween costume to fit her this year was pretty impossible. I set myself a task of creating my own but it had to be something simple enough that I could fit it in between the little ones feeding, sleeping, pooing...you get the idea. Then it hit me that since she already had a woodland themed room it would be great to use that as the background and that's when I thought of a snail costume.

This costume really is simple. I completed it in half a day but it only took about an hour in total to pull together. I'm so chuffed with the results and hope that it helps someone else out how is stuck for a quick and cute costume this Halloween.

What you'll need:

1/2 meter of Jersey Material (I chose grey but you can be more adventurous if you want)

1/2 meter of any other material for the shell

bubble wrap (or another very light material)

Fabric snap fasteners or velcro

sewing machine

NOTE: you might need more or less material depending on the size of your child

Step 1 - The Hat

Step 2 - The Body

Step 3 - The Shell

And if you are felling really adventurous, you can create a little woodland scene for some super cute photographs.

I've also created a image tutorial card that you can easily share and store the instructions

I'll be back,

Cutest Baby Costumes EVER!!!

Today I am looking for inspiration before I immerse myself into the world of costume making for kids. I've scoured Pinterest and I thought I would share my favourites with you!

Queue the "AWWWWWWWS" - there are no more words

Duck Costume from Costume Works

If you can find a baby grow with a hood then this is an easy costume to get started with - remember Barney was purple so think colourful :)

Dinosaur Costume from Hello Bee

I love this Kermit costume, pretty simple but sooo effective and it's an easy one for your little one to move around in as well

Kermit the Frog from Costume Works

In contrast this one isn't as easy to move in but gosh isn't it gorgeous...and if you baby is too young to move anyway then don't let that put you off!! I love the colours in the wing and guess this could be adapted into an owl as well

Flamingo Costume from Elise Blaha Cripe

Every time I see this costume I just start singing "Because I'm happy..." and isn't that just what your little one should make you want to sing

Minion Costume from PDS113

If I ever get pregnant I'll be suffering from withdrawal symptoms from sushi - so much so I might end up making this costume whist pregnant!

Sushi Costume from She Knows

This costume is too cute but I can see it being a bit frustrating for your little one when they can't move any more

Shark Costume from Dear Goodness

Gizmo is the perfect choice for all those who get geeky over movies. This costume is super cute and will keep your baby cosy in the cold autumn weather (or at least it is cold for us Scottish folk!!)

Gizmo Costume from Costume Works

and I couldn't show Gizmo without sharing this cutie! Marshmallow man is one of the more difficult costumes on my list but I think you'll agree the results are worth it

Marshmallow Man Costume from Brit + Co

Have another bun in the oven? Well this is a cute way to match yourself to your wee one so that both kids can take part in the fun

Skeleton Bump Costume from Little Us

And if you want to go all out then start sourcing those feathers and get crafting to make this piece of art. 

You're baby would definitely be belle of the ball!!

Big Bird from Dollar Store Crafts

I'll be back,

About to Pop Baby Shower

Before last month I had never thought about themes for a baby shower before...apart from ehh baby themed! But the fabulous Jileen at work opened me up to a world of possibilities.

After searching through lots of themes (which we found on Pinterest) we settled on "About to Pop" and I wanted to share a guide to how we put it together.

Invites

Because we were doing this at work, we just sent out an email to invite people but there are plenty of ideas online on what you can do for your shower - Pinterest again is great for this

Decorations

Balloon Popcorn Picture

We bought Red, White and small Gold balloons and stuck them to the wall to make a popcorn image. Because we were doing this at work we were worried about sellotape etc ripping the paint of the walls so we used blue tac to stick up large pieces of white paper and then stuck the balloons on that with some sticky dots. Also because I'd put the balloons on white paper, I could draw round them to emphasise the shape.

Bunting

I made the popcorn bunting using my Cricut but I've also created an image file as well so that you can just put thin card in your printer and then cut out the shapes yourself.

Cut out as many as you need for the name you are using and "About to Pop" (I put the word "to" into one popcorn box). You will also need to cut/print all your letters as well. Then take a piece of string and then attach them all with gaps in between the words.

Signs 

Around the room and one the food/drink we placed about to pop signs to tie the theme together.

                          Large Popcorn Box                                   Small Circle Image

 

     

     

For the .svg files you will need to build up the layers yourself to look like the images above!

     

Food

We themed all the food and drink around things that pop:

• popcorn
• lollipops
• cocopop cereal bars
• popping candy
• soda pop (cherryade & lemonade)
• cake pops

         

We also bought some pieces to display it on the table:

• Popcorn boxes
• Straws
• Large & small Vases

We used the popcorn boxes as display stands for the cake pops as well - by placing polystyrene in the bottom of the box, the cake pop sticks fitted in and kept them upright.

We bought our cake pops from Blissful Bakes in Livingston - if you guys are local to the area then definitely check them out because they tasted great!

Presents

We got the baby momma lots of little gifts but my favourite by far was the nappy cake! Jileen put this together based on the theme and added in flowers, ribbon and tissue paper to jazz it up!

Games

The girls came up with lots of fun games to play on the day as well.


Guess the Baby food

Each jar had a letter stuck to the front of it and they also printed of answer sheets for people to fill in.
The answer sheets and jars were passed around and each person tasted the food before writing down their guesses.

Pin the Sperm on the Egg

Everyone in the room was asked to draw a sperm on a post it note. We then took turns getting spun around with our eyes closed and placing our sperm as close as we could to the egg on the wall.

We had winners for:

• best sperm
• closest to the egg
• furthest away from the egg

Don't say the B word

Everyone in the room got a disposable bib at the start of the shower. Then if you said the word "Baby" you had to remove your bib and put it on the washing line of shame.

By the end of the shower, those with these bibs remaining had to play one final game.

We each had to blow up a balloon and then put it up our top - not easy when you are wearing a tight dress! Then a load of toys/baby items were scattered on the floor and the person who picked up the most toys was the winner

These toys/baby items can then be given to the baby momma or you can just print off pictures of toys and place them on the floor instead, if you want to save a bit of money.

Hopefully this has given you some baby shower inspiration - they really are so much fun for everyone and a good way to spend some quality time with your friends before the baby comes along.

I'll be back,