Drink Cup Tray - Saves on dishes!

Last year my sister-in-law sent me an idea from Pinterest and since I have so much time on my hands, I finally finished the project - a year later.

Here is the picture and post that I got the idea from:

From Bee in our Bonnet

 I decided to do mine slightly differently.

Do you want to make one?

Here are the things that you need:

Wood glue
Modge Podge
Paint of your choice
Stencils
Scrapbook paper (or card stock)
Cabinet handles
Wood board of your choice
Small pegs for the tray to stand on

Instructions:

Paint the board whatever color you choose, let dry.  Paint the "legs" the same color - allow to dry.  Cut squares from your scrapbook paper.  Lay the paper on the board (once the paint is dry) and use a ruler to make sure they are the same length apart.

Now, grab your Modge Podge and "paint" the back of the squares and stick them on and then paint the front of the squares along with the top of the board - allow to dry completely.  Once dry, put another coat on and allow that to dry.  Once that is dry stencil initials onto each square and you can put one more Modge Podge layer on that after the stencils are dry if you want.

Once everything is dry, use your wood glue and glue on the little spindles or pegs you got for your "legs".  Once that is somewhat dry, use your wood glue to put the handles on each side.  Let dry overnight and then use it everyday!

I have had to remind the kids to put their cups on it when they are done but they are getting more used to it.  This lets us keep one cup the whole day - just rinsing it and when the kids say - where's my drink I say, "Check the tray."

I love it!

 Where I bought everything:

The wood board itself I bought for $5.99 at Joann's.  I bought the pegs,scrapbook paper, black paintm Modge Podge and stencils there too.  I bought the wood glue and and handles at Lowe's.  It was all very inexpensive probably about less than $15 to make and some things like the glue, paint, Modge Podge and stencils I can use again!

 

Sewing Project of the week - Quilted coasters and holder

I have finally given up the idea of ceramic coasters at least for a few years.  Ceramic coasters plus hardwood floors plus three children under 5 equals lots of broken coasters (although my husband did break one as well).  I stumbled on this sewing project over Christmas and I have wanted to complete it for a while.  Yesterday afternoon during naptime was the perfect time.  It doesn't take long, but if you wanted to really get it done quickly I would recommend doing all the cutting at night after the kids are in bed and then all you have to do is the sewing the next day during naptime.

If you are going to do this project I highly recommend these tools:

You can find a rotary cutter and mat at JoAnn's or any of those type of stores and they often go on sale for 40% off.  This is by far one of my best sewing purchases.  I cannot cut a straight line for anything, but I can with these tools.

I used Tater Tots and Jello's Quilted Coasters Tutorial.  I just used scrap material and batting that I had on hand.

I then used Sew Mama Sew's Happy Hostess Gift Box Tutorial for the holder.

Again, these were pretty quick and easy sewing projects.  And they won't break if we drop them which makes them very worthwhile.

I am trying to limit myself to one sewing project a week because I have a huge list of things I want to get done.  Lastly, I have to give a shout out to my favorite mother-in-law for buying me my lovely sewing machine a few years ago.  I love it!  Thanks MJ!

Happy sewing!

My Felt Advent/Jesse Tree

First off, if you don't know anything about the Jesse Tree, please go  here and read up on it.  I ordered the book The Advent Jesse Tree: Devotions for children and Adults to Prepare for the Coming of the Christ Child at Christmas.  I used this book plus this tree tutorial to make our family's own calendar.  Now if you go to this tutorial it teaches you how to basically do what I am doing but mine is tailored to the Jesse Tree and its symbols.  This blogger is Mormon and her's is tailored to that, just so you know.

You will need the following supplies:

Felt - several colors including orange, gray, black, white, green, blue, pink, yellow, brown, gold.
Felt by the yard - 3/4 to 1 yard of green and white
Heat n bond light OR fabric glue - you don't have to get the Heat N Bond but it makes things a lot easier
Hook and eye closures (25 of them)
Invisible thread (optional but easier)
Whole punch

To make this easier on yourself and not so overwhelming I will tell you what I did in order.  


First, I used Shannon's page to cut out all of the ornaments.  You may go here to print it and the ornament is at the bottom of the paper.  Once printed, you will need 25 white ornaments (or you can use cream).  You will need 25 colored ornaments.  You may use any colors, but don't use green (something I did at first) or white.  I used orange, red, blue, purple, yellow and pink.

Next, find your symbols.  I used several of the symbols from here.  Just print these out and hold onto them.  You won't find all of the symbols on here.  I will list the symbols that you need.

1.  A globe or picture of the earth
2.  An apple and a snake wrapped around it
3.  An ark with a rainbow
4.  A camel and a tent
5.  A lamb
6.  A ladder
7.  A colorful coat
8.  A tablet with ten numbers
9.  A cluster of grapes
10.  A sheaf of wheat
11.  A slingshot
12.  A scroll or Bible
13.  A stump with fresh shoot or green leaf
14.  A lion and a lamb
15.  A dove and a crown
16.  A lamb and a shepherd's staff
17.  A cross
18.  A heart with writing on it
19.  A Bethlehem town silhouette with a star
20.  A fiery furnace
21.  A brick wall
22.  A star
23.  A candle or light
24.  An angel
25.  A baby in a manger

I used the book that I ordered and traced a few in there.  If those were too complicated, I just used ClipArt from Microsoft Word.  I just kind of played around with it until I had all of their symbols and MAKE SURE they will fit onto your ornament.  You will need to do the numbers next.  You may use Shannon's or make your own from the internet.  When you trace the numbers onto the Heat N Lite they have to be traced backwards.  They have to!  The symbols don't matter because it doesn't matter if they are backwards or not.  You will want the numbers to be gray and you will iron them on the colored side of the ornament (I did this wrong as you see in my pictures but it doesn't really matter).

When you have all of your symbols on paper, get your Heat N Bond Lite and trace all of your symbols onto it.  Then you will want to iron them onto the correct color of felt.  When using your iron, put it onto the steam setting even though the Heat N Lite instructions say not to.  Use a tea towel or something over the felt as your ironing it because felt will burn.  Yes, I said felt will burn.  Now some symbols have a few colors like the earth.  You can see an example here as I did the earth.   I made the circle blue and then I did the continents in green and ironed the green on the blue and then ironed the whole thing onto the ornament.

This is what takes the most time is putting the ornaments together.  As I said, I did it after the kids went to bed and during nap times.  When you have the symbols all done and the numbers done and ironed on the correct side of the ornaments (Don't forget to iron the symbols onto the white ornament - I did this wrong in mine.), then sew your two sides together.  I just put them together and sewed around the ornaments leaving a large opening in the top.  Theoretically, you could type up each day's devotion and fold it and put it in there, but since I am using a book I am not going to do that.

Once the ornaments are sewn together get out your whole punch and punch wholes in all of the ornaments one side at a time.  I used a scrapbooking whole punch and it seemed to work well.  I did have to trim the wholes a little.

Now is the time to make your tree and such - go cut out the tree, the angel and the stem if you haven't already from Shannon's blog.  Use the colors that she states.  Lay out your ornaments onto your green felt and cut out your tree per Shannon's instructions.  Then connect the two sides at every indent with a seam.

Once you do that you have a guide for where to put your ornaments.  I laid out my ornaments onto my tree and then pinned them on so I could tell where to sew the closures at.
 
This takes time so be prepared but you can do it while you are sitting on the couch watching TV - hand sew your hook closures on.

After I did that I laid out my tree on my white material.  I pinned the tree and the trunk and sewed around the tree.  After that, I pinned the angel and sewed that on.  Then I sewed the trunk and sewed around it and the X on it.

I then hemmed it on both ends.  I hemmed it about one inch because I'm not sure how I'm going to hang it up yet whether I will use a dowel rod like Shannon or not.

Then try it out and your done!

I realize this was not a thorough tutorial but Shannon's is very good and if  you still have questions, just leave me a comment and I will do my best to answer it.


This post is listed at Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family and