Eye chart + FREE download for cutting

I love the trend for bold, quirky eye chart art that I've been seeing around, so I thought I'd try to make one of my own using my Cricut Explore. I love it! I put it on my mantel and now that I have all the supplies to make it, I'll be switching out the phrasing from time to time. My kids (one of whom wears glasses) thought it was fun too.

I'm going to share with you how I made this, so that you can make one of them for yourself.

DIY Christmas Cushions

Just stopping by to share my latest DIY for Spoonflower - personalized Christmas cushions. These are a fun one. I used picmonkey to create my designs and they have some super Christmas and holiday themes at the moment. They are really easy to make and I even made you a step by step video tutorial so that you can make your own. I figured out the technical stuff so that you can just turn on your computer, create your design and send it off to Spoonflower, then sew up your fabric once you get it home.

DIY headboard #2

Do you remember my original headboard DIY? Well, I was lusting after a new look for our master bedroom and ended up browsing the selection of headboards over at furniture.com for inspiration. They have a giant selection of headboards - you should check it out because there's something to suit everyone and it's a great way to find LOCAL sales on furniture. I particularly fell for some grey, tufted linen headboards - so sophisticated and comfortable, and honestly, much more affordable than similar headboards I've seen in stores.

DIY Modern Wreath

I made this wreath using only a few simple supplies and it looks great hanging on the wall. The gold ring is by Darice from Joann's - they had a range of sizes and mine is about 8" in diameter. The faux berry sprays are also from Joann's. They have a large range of holiday florals, so this wreath could really reflect your own style - just look for what works for you.

DIY Bar Cart

Here's an easy DIY project I created for Fiskars recently - a DIY bar cart - perfect for parties and entertaining over the holidays. I used a white 6 cube storage unit as the base and added wooden planks to the top and bottom. Wheels make it perfect for moving from room to room, or even to the backyard if you're somewhere warm like I happen to be.

DIY Mason jar lid ornaments

Here's a quick DIY project I wrote for Create and Craft recently - mason jar lid ornaments. I have plenty of lids lying around in drawers and boxes, leftover from other craft projects, and I decided to put them to good use by turning them into tree ornaments.

DIY Candle holders

 I'm busy getting our home ready for Christmas and I'm sure you are too. I love adding little festive touches here are there and I feel that a few sparkly baubles and twinkly lights go a long way in creating a warm and cosy atmosphere. I made these wooden tea light holders for our dining table from birch logs and used a few Fiskars garden tools to help me with the task of lopping and pruning branches.

Handstitched festive banner

Stopping by today to share a tutorial I created for Spoonflower, and this is a project I love! I just KNOW I'm going to be making more banners for other holidays and occasions, using this method. I used picmonkey's free software to create the design for this and then Spoonflower printed it on to fabric for me.

Tulle skirt DIY

It's really quite simple to get into making your own clothes - even things you'd actually want to wear for special occasions. Here's a tutorial for a tulle holiday skirt I wrote for Fiskars. Tulle can be a little tricky to work with, especially if you're a beginner. My tip is to mist the tulle lightly with water from a spray bottle.

Mason jar luminaries

Since we're already in to November, I thought it was time to start sharing a few holiday project ideas. It's never too early to get a head start on the busiest time of the year. Here's my take on mason jar luminaries - I used frosted glass spray, gold spray paint and letter stickers.

Mr Nelson's Cookies

I had the good fortune to sample Mr Nelson's Cookies last week and wanted to tell you about them. Mr Nelson bakes small batches of the world's greatest cookie - and I have to admit - they are preeeeetty amazing. First off, they can be ordered online from Mr Nelson's bakery in Arizona and sent anywhere. And they are packaged so beautifully in this presentation box. Hello - perfect gift for friends and relatives!

2 really simple Halloween costumes

I made these kid costumes last year and may have to resurrect them for this Halloween since my son has no idea what he wants to be, and my daughter wants to be a cat....again.

You can read the tutorials here. 

Shoe refashion

This is such a fun idea and although I used a new pair of shoes for this project, how good would it be to breathe new life in to an old pair of shoes and make them last a little longer? I made these shoes back in May, and I'm happy to report that they are still going strong! Although I can't say I've worn

Figgy's Patterns

I recently took part in a pattern tour for the latest collection of sewing patterns by Figgy's Patterns. 

Little Fox

I recently sewed up this little jacket for my daughter - Simplicity 1477 designed by Molly Goodall from Little Goodall. It's adorable! One of my favorite creations of late. There's something about children in animal clothes - and with ears! - that makes my heart glow.

Roly Poly Pinafore

I've been wanting to sew up the Roly Poly all summer long, and I finally got around to it a few days ago. This pattern is by Rachael at Imagine Gnats. It's a pattern that has been popping up on a great number of sewing blogs recently and now that I've made it, I feel officially qualified to tell you how wonderful it is.

Super quick and very easy (so for those beginner seamstresses among you - this would be the PERFECT project). It's also reversible, which of course means FUN for your little one and NO EXPOSED SEAMS for you!

Birthday Party Dress

My daughter will turn 7 later this summer, and she's up for wearing anything I make her (at the moment...) I sewed up the Oliver+S Birthday Party Dress this week. I bought it a while ago (I have the paper copy and I see that's it's now only available as a digital download) and I've finally got around to making it. It's completely adorable :)

Colette Hawthorn

I have been participating in the Hawthorn sewalong by Colette Patterns, and here's my finished dress. I opted for the sleeveless version, but the pattern also has directions for two lengths of sleeve and also a peplum top too. I think I'll be making up a sleeved version when (if) time allows....

Handstitched belt loops

I just spent some time this morning stitchining belt loops to my new dress and just thought I'd quickly share the technique here because it's a nice way to be able to adapt an item of clothing and make it suitable for wearing with belts. Belts are a fun way to dress up an outfit or to create different looks. And these belt loops are very subtle, so you can still wear the dress without a belt too!

Wool felt no sew cushion

I really love this cushion I made for Fiskars a little while ago. I used their new...

Curly hair, don't care.

Truth be told, I'm not one to do a lot with my hair. It's long. It's thick. It's dry at the ends. It gets in my face. Don't get me wrong, I DO love my hair to look nice. It's just that the length of time I put in to styling my hair does not usually produce the results I'd like, and I REALLY don't have much extra time to spend only getting mediocre results. I'm a mum. I work. My kids do things. I don't have the luxury of hours to spend getting ready for a night out or...