One seam PJ's and a use for old bed sheets, a Camera phone tutorial!

Only I can take the easiest PJ tutorial, and find a short cut. But I personally am proud because I am calling it a repurpose (sneaky cheat move).

I have accidently held on to some bed sheets that just don't fit any of the beds in the house, and my eldest daughter has grown out of a set too. I also didn't want to spend any money on making PJ's pants. I had some old Nightmare before Christmas sheets and I knew I had to use them for something. I was also hanging on to a link for a 'one seam PJ tutorial' link off Pinterest. I had to give the tutorial a try before I moved to the sheets. I used some remnants I had to make my son some. He was in a growth spurt so I had to make some things to hang out in the house. Because I would be washing the few pair of nice pants constantly (he is the spit up King). They were easy to whip up. After that I was hooked! Holla! <---Said that!

The tutorial calls for a cute cuff that you can make in different but coordinated fabric. I was like, “Nuh-uuuhh, this is supposed to be The Lazy Mama's tutorial!”. Then I was like, '”Ah-ha!”. You know why? Your old flat sheets and pillow cases already come with a ready made hem, and cuff. And if you have an older nicer flat sheet might have that ribbon detail! There you go I just Lazy-ified easy! I mean I got crafty on crafty!



Lay out your fabric, or flat sheet. You will be tracing plus a bit (seam), around a pair of pants, or other PJ's. 

Fold your fabric lengthwise, this will create your first leg, and one less seam! Pa-pow!


At this moment I realized I am wearing the pants I want to trace... so it is now a, 'ass out' tutorial!

Fold your pants in half and trace and cut. You now have your pattern, use the one you have just cut, and trace again on another folded area of your fabric.




When I am winging it making my own pattern I do take a moment to pin it the two legs on top of each other just to trip up and make sure it's not all out of whack!

Now you should have two legs! Open them up, sew just the crotch on either side.


Open them up! Then stack them.


When they the two legs are on top of each other make sure they are inside out! Because next you will start to sew.


The pins mark where you will be sewing


Pins show where you will be sewing first. Remember you are only sewing the rise first.

Now fold them back so you are looking at the front of them, you now have PJ chaps! Just sew the inseam of each leg. Remember you already have your bottom seams done :-)


By now you are on the radar of your kids, they will be such great helpers (ahhhh!). There ya go, the rise (crotch) sewn, and folded back to look like pants.

To make a waist band, simply fold over the width of your elastic with a little room for your seam. Too much you risk rolling elastic, to tight, well your elastic just won't fit :-) Sew all the way around leaving about an inch to feed your (measured to your PJ recipients waist) elastic through by using a safety pin.


Measure your waist band.


Sew around creating a waist band, leave room though! You have to thread your elastic.


Sew your elastic together, before you sew up the opening.

When all the way through sew your elastic together, then sew up your hole.



DONE!


Then I ran downstairs to my daughters room, only full length mirror with space. Love the haze? The toddler happened all over it! HA!

To see more pictures, or the tutorial with the cuff go HERE.

Cherry up for spring! Add a DIY carpet deodorizer to match the set ofyour DIY supplies.

Hello Spring. Although it was warmer before you arrived here in Colorado, (that's just how we roll) it's time for those big clean outs you inspire. 

 I walked in to my toddlers room and wondered if I had a toddler or a teenaged boy living in there. Peeeeeeew! Stinky children. Well it was time for a new batch of fabric softener, fauxbreeze, and carpet deodorizer.  Using my trusty old recipes I made up a batch of softener, and then used that to make the spray. The only difference is this time in the softener I used strawberry conditioner and added some cherry essential oil (Add 15-20 drops). Yummy! You can find cherry scented conditioners out there, but I am sticking to my dollar a bottle of 'what ever'!

 Time for new carpet deodorizer. I love the scent of cloves, but I thought it would be fun to keep my cherry theme and turn that teenage smelling room back to my pink loving  girly toddler room.

There are two methods I used for the carpet deodorizer:

Go nuts with the clove. It's  Dollar Store Clove!

Baking soda and spice

Start with a cup of baking soda, then add your spices. You can use, Cinnamon and Allspice, or straight Clove. Which I love for the rugs coming in from the garage. Essentially add as much or as little as you can stand.

Make your own AllSpice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves or 1/4 teaspoon clove
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Just add Cherry EO, or any other EO of your choice. I just like matching my house hold scents.

For Cherry carpet deodorizer (or any scent)

1 cup of baking soda

15 drops of your favorite EO

Mix in bowl, and stir with metal fork. Let sit for 24 hours to make sure your EO infuses into your baking soda.

The popular container is the parmesan lid on a mason jar. But if you're like me you have a hoard of jars, or prefer to reuse what you have. To reuse a jar with it's lid is as simple as hammer and a phillips head screw driver. Put several holes in the top by using a small phillips head. I do it on a rug so when you hammer through there's less noise, and no damage.

Nin-ten-do, It's for breakfast now.

I ran into this this evening. I just want mine back. I miss it so! I remember playing endless hours playing in insane chunks of time. I remember playing Super Mario Brothers ALL THE WAY TO THE VERY END, AND DYING. Yeah the first taste of that just still resinates deep in my very soul.  After doing that several times I stopped playing. But then I found Simons' Quest. Damn that kicked ass. I got do good at killing stuff with my whip. Then my first taste of  RPG on a console, Ultima! I still have to get my kicks every now and then and load up some Ultima on DosDose.com. 

I was so attached to my console I remember coming home after school. I had got it for Christmas so I played for two weeks straight. I came in my room and got ready to settle in. But I felt a strange feeling in my gut when I walked past my TV. There was something amiss in the Force. I felt it. I felt the violation. I shrugged it off and started playing. Later I found out my mum was vacuuming and gave gaming a go for the first time!

So I found this lunch box below. I was a little sad because I really want a working console... But I soon started to seep into my consciousness... how would I change it. Now I am thinking it needs a woman's touch.  I would start with a nicer handle, the dad case handle isn't my cup of tea. Then I am thinking a make up case, put dividers in it... No wait, a craft box... well any way. I was looking at prices at my local store, I could buy two. I will let you know if I beat that final level of Mario Brothers.



I would so remove the hardware, find something in the more brushed silver look. It needs more of a design to it. Something that matches! I need to charge my power tools. 

My Use and Re-use day...

Lids Lids Lids!

Feeding my 7 month old is a fun and easy task, no really. After we have tons of these great little tubs. We moved from the jars, and found Parents Choice stage 2 foods are an amazing deal. Other than popping them in the recycling bin I have been using them for the usual; kids craft, togo snack packs, and starting seedlings. But I started saving the heck out of all my plastic lids. You'd be amazed what they fit on when you need to save food in the fridge short term. Save that foil, plastic wrap, and save a wash load of plastic wear.



Shots any one?

Then I was digging through my parents basement and I scored tons of plastic and paper ware. There are some weekends I just don't want to see a dish! I also found all of these plastic shot glasses they are perfect for toddler feeding. Not only for portions, but what toddler doesn't love dipping food:-)

I also saw these shot cups at the Dollar Shrine, I mean Store.



Left over shelving paper from the Dollar Store...

I bought the kids a table from IKEA. Unfinished pine, yay! So I was going to do that trick with DIY stain, but I didn't want to buy steel wool. If I didn't have it laying around the house, forget it! So I had some left over paint samples for the house, and this paper. An accidental black and brown mix I ended up loving. No more light wood, and no more scrubbing out food and paint stains.

Love!



Need a reason to save more?

Save your medicine measuring cups! If you are anything like me you are making natural concoctions in your bathroom. And you have another pantry in there. Well instead of getting another set of spoons use those medicine cups. Not only great for measuring liquid, but much easier for doing those shots of ACV (apple cider vinegar).

In the beginning my husband asked if I was making salads in there. Almost! I used to have olive oil in the bathroom, it's the gate way natural remedy.

Kramers' garbage disposal in the shower would be the natural best step for those cucumbers ;-)

I am only missing my sunflower seed oil in the picture, I am still running downstairs to get it in the morning... Why!!?? Yes, note my Zombie Awareness bracelet. May is Zombie Awareness month, Just saying. :-D