Homemade Foofa Costume

10.31.2012

This year my youngest (having just turned two years old) wanted to be Foofa from Yo Gabba Gabba!
I used Simplicity Pattern #2788 and lots of pink fleece.  The pattern sewed up easily enough, although it was tough to sew through so many layers of fleece since there is stuffing between two fleece layers.
 

When I put it on she HATED it.  But, you know, she's two.  Once we went to the first house and she realized what this Halloween business was all about she went from door to door proudly saying, "I Foofa! Gabba Gabba!"
 


I bought the classic. plactic jack-o-latern bucket (but in hot pink) and glued the remaining pink fleece around it, adding the Foofa scallops at the top.  It was so easy and it made a cute addition.

 Overall it was a success! 





Jo-Ann Fabrics steps it up

10.25.2012

Has anyone else noticed that Jo-Ann Fabrics has really stepped it up in the past two years or so with getting chic fabric?  It used to be a wheelhouse of old-lady fabrics and some good basics, but it's changing.
 
I spotted this fabric yesterday morning (on Cluck, Cluck, Sew) and pinned it to my FABULOUS FABRICS board on Pinterest.  Those little stores!!! Adorable!
 
( img via cluck, cluck sew)
Then I was on a mission. The shop fabric is by Alexander Henry and is available at JoAnns.  You can find it HERE on the JoAnn Fabrics website and search to find yardage at a store near you. Genius!  Here is what JoAnn Fabrics carries from this line...


Then into my car, with kids in tow, and off to JoAnns.  It is cutrrently 30% off so I snagged a few prints from the line.  A quilt adventure is in my future.



Kid's Bee-Day Party!

10.22.2012


This past weekend was my daughter Bianca's 2nd Bee-day Party. I chose a bee theme. Here are the invites I designed in Photoshop and sent out to her friends.


Each guest got a handmade Bumble Bee headband upon arriving at the party. These were so easy to make using pipe cleaners, black headbands and black pompoms. A glue gun makes magic!


I went a little berserk with the table. I made the tissue pom-poms from dollar store tissue paper and garbage bag twisty ties. Easy peasy.

The table had 5 small jars (purchased from the Dollar Tree) filled with yellow and black candies.  Lemon drops, scooters, black raspberry chews, black m&ms and yellow m&ms.


I purchased small sized vanilla sandwich cookies (fake oreos) at the Dollar Tree and dipped them in yellow candy melts (available at craft stores in the cake decorating department). Then I zig-zagged black candy melts over them to make cute little bees.

The beehive cupcakes were made by making standard cupcakes in silicone cupcake liners. Once baked I removed from the liners and flipped them upside down. Then I piped lemon frosting from the base upwards and added a black M&M for the opening.


I found the small raffia beehive at Michaels Crafts on super clearance. It was covered with fake cactus plants. Once I removed them it was a perfect table decoration! Add some quart mason jars with yellow flowers and it made the table super cute.  The yellow B was purchased from Michaels clearance and was just 25 cents.  It was originally red but I painted it with craft paint to match the color scheme.


The small black and yellow buckets were purchased at Target Dollar Spot and filled with black licorice and Bit-O-Honeys....both of which were rejected. Can you blame them? 


This tray of "Bee Stingers" was made by dipping stick pretzels in the yellow candy-melts and then drizzling with black candy melts. The kids loved them. (I saw this idea online and CAN'T find the original link now!  Sorry!)


I also bought three small picture frames from The Dollar Tree and added pictures of the birthday girl as a baby and two favorite photos from her recently.  I painted one of the picture frames yellow.


I made a beehive pinata (originally seen here via Country Living) with paper mache and a balloon. Then covered it with yellow streamers. Left over black and yellow pipe-cleaners were twisted around a pencil and glued on as little bees. I love how this turned out.


Because the kids were so young we didn't blindfold them or move the pinata. It took the oldest guest (my seven year old, Ella) to finally break it. Inside were individually packaged teddy grahams (for a healthy option).

The guests colored a beehive coloring page and also did this bee craft, which I made up. All of the pieces were self sticking craft foam, so we only needed an adult to help glue on the pipe-cleaner antenna and glue them to the tongue-depressors. It was a hit!


This was my FAVORITE craft from the party. Before the party I designed this beehive printable and printed at at 8x10". I used a yellow stamp pad (purchased at A.C. Moore for $1) and had each guest place their forefinger on the pad and add it above the hive. Then we used a sharpie pen to add a black stripe, wings and other bee details and then added their name. I put the finished poster into a black 8x10" frame from Dollar Tree and hung it in my daughter's room as a keepsake from her birthday. So simple, inexpensive and cute!


Here's a close-up of the little fingerprint bees.


Guests got a gift bag with a small yellow party blower, a yellow bubbles bottle which I added a strip of black and white paper to and a small wooden bumble bee (which i bought at the craft store).


Their bags also had the treats from the pinata. I tied the bags with yellow bakers twine which I made using the tutorial found here.  I wrapped my string around an empty CD case instead of a ruler to make more at one time.

Just wondering...would a video on making the tissue pom-poms be helpful?  I couldn't find a good one when I started out making them.  Anyone interested?



Currently Working On . . .

10.10.2012


as well as 
yellow, black and white tissue pompoms
beehive cupcakes
a beehive pinata
tiny chocolate bees
games
and other bumble bee themed crafts for Bianca's party this Saturday.

More details soon!



Handmade Halloweens Past

10.08.2012

It's that time again to plan Halloween costumes for this year.  I never make all three of the kid's costumes. We do a blend of homemade and store bought so Mommy doesn't tear her hair out.  I choose based on what each girl wants to be.  The harder costumes get store bought.  Yes, it's all about my sanity!
 
Here are some glimpses of Handmade Halloweens Past.
 
 
2006
I made this costume for Ella. A sweet angel.
 
 
 
2007
Eva was Eva Las Vegas. My favorite ever.  
I sewed it, bejeweled it, styled her hair. It was awesome.
 
 
 
2008
 Eva was a Woodland Sprite. I added leaves to a Flower Girl dress I had sewn for a Summer wedding she was in and made a crown
 
 
2009
Evangeline was obsessed with Toy Story 2 that year. I made this costume of Jessie, the Yodeling Cowgirl.  I loved how it turned out.
 
2012
This year both Ella and Evangeline wanted store bought monarch butterfly costumes, but I am homemaking a costume for Bianca. She will be Foofa from Yo Gabba Gabba, her favorite obsession.  I have already purchased pink leggings and a long sleeved match pink long sleeved shirt. Today I am heading to JoAnn Fabrics to get some pink fleece, interfacing and velcro. I am winging this...Wish me luck!
 
Do you MAKE or BUY your kid's costumes?



Kids Clothes Week Challenge 2012

10.06.2012

I just heard about the Kids Clothes Week Challenge 2012 challenge yesterday, but I am SO in!  I have a never ending stash of fabric and patterns and a box of thrifted clothes to be refashioned for my kids....an I NEVER just sit down and do it.
 
Head over to the Elsie Marley blog for all of the details.
 
Are YOU in? 



this blogging break brought to you by . . .

10.05.2012

my hubby's new job | moving in early july | a two week trip to utah | unpacking | sucking at unpacking | realizing while unpacking that i may have a hoarding problem | a summer reading program for my daughter who is struggling | prepping two little girls to be "the new girl" this school year |  still unpacked crafting boxes | one crashed hard drive | back to school night | volunteering for the PTO | canning summer veggies while they are in season |  a family wide flu | a horrid cold
 
whew!
 
don't worry.  i feel the chaos starting to lift.
just in time to whip up a homemade halloween costume for my little bianca.
and a whole lot more crafty goodness.
 
i promise.