Hey Little Birdie | Shopping Blog

I haven’t actually completed any of these projects yet but wanted to share with you all the fancy things I am committed to creating in my home soon. Maybe you’ll want to join me? As soon as I check one of these bad boys off my list, you’ll be the first to know. Promise.

Ruffled Shower Curtain from Canadian House and Home.

Family Room Ottoman from Young House Love.

Clothespin Starburst Mirror from Country Living.

Bottle Cap Tray from Sweet Something Design.

and I have to find something to craft with this dreamy quatrefoil stencil. LOVE.

from The CSI Project.

Hope you enjoy my DIY inspirations. If you have any fun ideas you’re working on, then share them with me in the comments!

Hi dearest readers! Head on over to one of my favorite home/design/children’s blogs Ohdeedoh today to see Claire’s lemonade birthday party featured.

If you’ve never browsed through Ohdeedoh before, their site is overflowing with inspiration for nurseries, kids products, tips, tricks, you name it! I am a daily reader and constantly discover new things through them and their amazing contributors. A regular feature is called My Party, and it never ceases to amaze me how many creative parents are out there! Hope you enjoy the pictures and info on Claire’s special day. Thanks Ohdeedoh!

My daughter Claire’s party has come and gone but I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to show you how you can make unique, personalized invites for your next celebration. I was inspired by one of my favorite bloggers and party planner extraordinaire, Jordan Ferney of Oh Happy Day! Awhile back, she made this baby shower invitation:

Since the theme of Claire’s party was all about lemons and lemonade, I wanted to play off her creative genius by using lemonheads as well. While I couldn’t find the right kraft boxes anywhere like she used (and didn’t want to spend the money to order them in bulk), I was beyond excited to find the most delightful yellow and white polka dot tins during a recent Michael’s trip. And they were only a little over $1 each, making this craft super affordable! I also do not have her print and design making prowess- so I used some bright yellow cardstock, attached a simple printed white sheet on top with all the party info, and then just used a rounded corner punch to fit the tins perfectly. Then, I placed all of it inside the tins on top of a layer of lemonhead candy.

Instead of sealing it with a label like Jordan did, I tied a slim ribbon and attached a tag from Martha Stewart on the outside. Although I didn’t have to mail any of the tins (Claire’s party was small- just immediate family and local, close friends) it wouldn’t be too difficult to stick it inside a mailing envelope for long distance delivery.

I also can see a million ways you could make small changes to this invite for a different themed celebration! Use vintage tins or small boxes, metal tins, glittered boxes or brightly colored kraft boxes as holders. Fill them with sequins, magnets, jelly beans, mini jingle bells, coffee beans, a sachet of bath salts, bags of tea- I could go on and on! Then just make your own little info card on your computer, decide on a label or tag and you would have a one-of-a-kind invitation for your special event. Happy crafting!

(One last pic of them taken by my good friend (and Jina’s hubby!) Mike. Doesn’t everything look prettier through a photographer’s lens?)

I’ve made a new friend. She might not know it yet. But I have already declared my affection for Tiffany at Modern Thread. Maybe you remember, last month’s giveaway was an adorable bib from this clever etsy site. Why all the love and undying fondness for this bib’s creator, you ask? Well, here is one reason. When I received the bib in the mail from Tiffany, it was packaged in the cutest oversized envelope I’ve ever seen! Side note of explanation: I promise I didn’t have the bib sent to me in a ruse to keep it for myself. I just ordered it ahead of time, so I had it to send on quickly to our winner. Wow! You all are a suspicious bunch, aren’t you?

Back to the envelope… I quickly contacted Tiffany to thank her and to find out where she got these cuties. Of course, she is exceptionally crafty and makes them herself (reason #2). Then when I asked her how, she willingly accepted my pleas for step-by-step instructions for all of you to enjoy as well (reason #3). So, before we start comparing notes of gratitude for Tiffany, let me disclose that I don’t even own a sewing machine. Small hiccup… but I have a friend who does and I am pretty sure I will be sidling up to hers sometime soon to make some of these myself. So, without further ado, hugs and kisses to Tiffany for this…

STEP 1

Supplies needed:
Cutter
Ruler
Brown paper (or any sheet of paper or gift wrap)
Sheet of paper for envelope liner (choose a paper that is thinner than your outside paper)
Tape
Thread

STEP 2

Cut your paper to be the same size (you may have to cut some more off at the end to make all the edges even). I just used a basic 8.5”x11” paper size for my demo.

STEP 3

Fold your paper for your envelope. You can fold it once in half or fold it how the picture shows so that you have a flap!

STEP 4

Whip out the sewing machine, fold the main part of your envelope with the flap open, and sew around the perimeter. (You may need to trim edges to make them even.)

STEP 5

You are finished! You have a sewn paper envelope!! This is the basic idea; you can make your envelope any shape or size. Use it to mail a card, letter, or to ship a gift!! Great way to achieve a handmade look without spending a lot or nothing at all if you use what you have on hand!!

If you have questions along the way, leave a comment, and we’ll get you answers. And thanks again, Tiffany, I hope you are okay with us being lifelong friends from now on.

So I think I’ve fallen in love with the store Paper Source, and since they aren’t in Arizona (fingers crossed that maybe someday they will be), I have to explore their options strictly online. But don’t worry, I have already started shopping. Some of my favs are…

…These 2 calendars…

The first one can be re-used as a file folder or pillow box. Thanks to the templates printed on the back. The second has quotes, which I am always a sucker for.

Sticker Frames

Floral Garland Kit

…And some of the best wrapping paper I’ve ever seen… which could totally be used in traditional or non-traditional ways, including lining simple white frames or a tray you picked up at your last thrift store excursion.

Happy Shopping!

Love party planning and DIY? Then why aren’t we best friends? Those rank extremely high on my Nicky’s favorites list (slightly behind espresso and cupcakes but you know how it is with priorities!) Anyway, now that we have that established, get ready to jump up and shout for a new website, Hip Hip Hooray!

I got the scoop from a blogger I admire, Jordan Ferney (she is a contributor to the new site) and I have already bookmarked it as a must read. I like that they are focusing on creativity and style when it comes to childrens’ parties because lets be honest… there is a lot of cheeseballness (new word) out there. Plus, they keep affordability in mind which is always welcome! There are only a few posts since they are just starting out, but trust me- you will already like what you see. I cannot wait for more party planning inspiration to drop in the coming months!

I don’t feel very creative today. Do you ever have days like that? I feel totally unmotivated and slightly incoherent. So, that should make for a fun blog post, right? Anyway, when I do feel inventive again, I intend to purchase this.

I mean, I love typography and graphic elements in any form, i.e. decorating, gift wrapping, anything. (See, I could come up with more than two examples if today held any more imagination for me.) Maybe you could help me out, what would you do with such an amazing collection? Inspire me… please.

Oh, and totally check out everything at Three Potato Four. They are incredible!

Father’s Day is fast approaching and that means spoiling the dads in your life. But why DIY? Well because if you are like most of us, spare money is a little tight currently (and now we have to save up for the new iphone. Again.) Plus, we all know that homemade presents mean so much more! Here’s a few ideas to get you started on your Father’s Day project:

1. Custom labeled snack box- treat dad to “hero supplies” by marking his favorite foods and drinks with these fun labels. Buy his favorite beer, make his treasured cookies, throw in his beloved beef jerky and display it all in a wooden box available at any craft store. Here’s the detailed instructions and free label templates.

concept and photo by Jordan Ferney

2. Beginner’s gardening kit- maybe your guy wants to cultivate his green thumb or perhaps he loves to cook? A starter herb garden would make a perfect gift! Purchase a container (this one is a metal caddy from Target. I spotted it at the store in four colors), add small planters holding an array of his favorite herbs, and customize it with a handmade gift tag (here are the instructions on how to make this version but get creative and make up your own!) I would also toss in some gardening gloves, an herb snip, as well as label the planters with a permanent felt tip marker and include care instructions.

concept and photo by Abbie Hendrickson

3. Memory flip book- honor a special time for Dad by ordering a custom flip book of any digital video clip under 30 seconds. From your little one’s first laughs and steps to the father/daughter dance at your wedding- the possibilities are endless! Flip books are available in many sizes and covers at FlipClips. And they are affordable too!

photos by Martha Stewart

I hope these ideas help inspire you or your children to make something unique and full of love for dear old dad! If you still need further inspiration, Martha has a fabulous DIY resource with many more options here like monogrammed ties and crafted cuff links. Enjoy!

It’s official!  School is out and summer is here!  One thing I always loved in the summer was the increase of daily ice cream cones and/or popsicles (especially otter pops).

Dear My Kids has this adorable Felt Ice Cream Pattern to create your own goodies for $5.99.  Not only would these be great for pretend play during summer, but what a fun craft day with the kids!

For the second installment of my do-it-yourself series, I want to give you the how-to on making your very own fabric memo board. I have spotted these bad boys for sale in the chicest baby boutiques for no less than $100. That is a travesty! You can easily make your own custom version for 1/3 of that cost. I recently started on one for a friend’s baby shower. (Her nursery theme is vintage John Deere in case your were wondering about the fabric choice.)

First, I purchased a frame at IKEA and removed everything from it, saving the back insert. I hot glued a layer of cork (available at any craft store) to the back insert.

Next, I covered the cork with 2 layers of thin batting (also available at most craft stores) and hot glued it around the back of the insert.

Then, I laid the fabric across the canvas and hot glued that to the back of the insert as well.

Next is the most difficult part. Select a ribbon that coordinates with your fabric and cut it into strips to fit diagonally across your board. Then, lay out your ribbon in a grid like so:

It may take a few tries to get it looking the way you want but you basically start at the corners and go from there. It all depends on how big of “slots” you want for your memo board. Next, I stuck mini pins that I found in the sewing aisle at an angle into the “x” sections of the ribbon. This secures your grid pattern. Then I simply hot glued the edges of the ribbon behind the board.

Lastly, I stuck it all back in the frame!

The only thing I have left to do now is find some coordinating buttons and hot glue them onto the ribbons. But here is a version I did for Claire’s nursery so you can see the button placement.

Fabric memo boards are perfect for kids’ rooms, offices, kitchens, just about anywhere! You can make them as modern, fancy, simple or vintage inspired as you like. Give it a try!