My Latest Obsession

I don't have a craft today. I know, I know. It's crafty Wednesday, but we will have to play crafts later. I have something to show and tell you about that has me more excited about creativity than anything has in a long while!

Creative Types had better brace themselves.

I found a site called Spoonflower. Spoonflower is a fabric printing shop. A real fabric printing shop. I'm talking yards and bolts and fat quarters, oh my! The price of the fabric is not cheap, but it's less expensive than designer fabric (read: Lily Pulitzer) and the cool thing is that it IS designer fabric - YOUR DESIGNS!

You can sign up for a free account and start uploading your images. You can have fabric of a drawing, painting, photographs, graphic design… anything! Imagine an apron made with your child's drawings! Imagine that painting of a sunflower that would make the cutest pattern on a dress! Don't even get me started on Christmas gift possibilities!

Your image must be 150 dpi (dots per inch) whether your scanning or creating digitally and all uploads must be less than 30 MB. Prices start at $5 for an 8 x 8 swatch, so if you want some unique one of a kind quilt squares, just upload an 8 x 8 image at 150 dpi and, Ta-da! (sigh) It's so exciting!

And others can order your fabric too, and you will get a 10% designer comission. Your designs always remain your personal property and you may remove your "fabric" from the site at anytime and they will not reprint it unless you re-post the image.

I already have 5 fabrics posted and am eagerly awaiting their arrival in the mail! (eek!)

Here's what has kept me from my regular crafting - plus, it is easier for me to create digital graphics while nursing my baby than attempt other creative endeavors. Each week they have a contest for $100 store credit, and YOU KNOW I've been working on entries since I found this site!

This week's theme is puppet patterns. The deadline was Tuesday so you can't enter it, but you can vote! (this past week's contest , some very cool cocktail fabrics, may still be accepting votes but the puppet patterns should be up soon!)

Here's my entry for this week's contest!

Grab a vine and swing by www.spoonflower.com to learn more and to vote!

Easy Booster Seat Couture!

Today you will learn how to make your very own custom made booster seat cover. This project will involve an intro to pattern making too!

The booster seat I am using is the standard, bare bones "Costco" boosters that you see everywhere. I think mine were like $10- $15 at Big Lots, years ago and the price hasn't changed much. Odds are, if you have kids, you already have this exact model, or similar style.

Ok, Here are your needed supplies:

A Booster Seat

Fabric (1/2 - yard; or clean blouses/ shirts from the Thrift Store)

Batting (1/2 yard)

pencil/chalk

scissors

1 package Double Fold Bias tape

thread

1. Flip your booster seat over and detach the seat pad from the base.

If your plastic base is filthy, like mine was, run it through the dishwasher. You can even pull the cup holder off and toss it in detached so that all the crevices get clean.

2. Lay your fabric out on a flat surface. You will need at least 4 layers, a decorative top fabric, a bottom fabric and 2 liner fabrics. Here I am using a shirt that I found at a thrift store. I bought it b/c I loved this print. So I pulled the blouse apart at the seams and had a large enough piece for this project! Yay! Under my top fabric I have 3 layers of muslin. One of these layers will be used to line the top fabric. One will line the bottom of our new cover and the third will be the bottom of our cover.

With your pencil or chalk, trace 1/2" away from the edge of the original cover. At the bottom of the cover, don't trace around each tab, rather, trace down the exterior edge of the side tabs only. Then draw a line across the bottom of the tabs, basically extending the bottom edge of the cover to the end of the tabs.

3. Remove the original cover and cut through all layers of fabric along your marked lines.

4. Stay Stitch through all layers along the sides and bottom of your new booster cover. Do not stay stitch the top edge.

5. On the WRONG side of your cover, lay the original cover down and mark the bottom edge of the cover between the tabs. Also at the top of the cover, mark the placement of the holes (used to secure the top of the cover to the plastic base.)

6. Cut a rectangle shaped piece from your excess top fabric. It should extend the width of your cover and be at least 2-3 inches in length. Place this piece, right sides together along the bottom 1/4 of your cover. This piece needs to be "centered" over the markings you just made which indicate the placements of the tabs.

Sew a large button hole the length of each of the tab markings and cut open the holes; or

Sew a rectangle between the markings. Cut open the hole and be sure the cut into the corners (but not through the stitches.)

Cut the excess fabric piece between the tab openings, so you can turn that fabric piece inside out. Press and stitch around the rectangle opening for a clean finished look.

7. Lay your cover on top of 2 layers of batting. Cut out along the edges of the cover. Then cut and remove about 1-2 inches from the top edge of the batting, 1/2 inch from the side edges, and trim off any batting that hangs longer than your rectangle openings.

8. Stuff batting into your cover through top opening (remember, we didn't stay stitch that end)

9. Fold the bottom flap up, wrong sides together, with the tab openings at the fold. Sew your double fold bias tape around the perimeter of the new cover, but NOT along the bottom edge, which is on a fold/ tab openings.

10. Sew 2 straight lines along the width of the 'stuffed' cover. Each stitch line should be at least 3"-4" apart. This will aid in keeping your batting in place while in use.

11. At top of the cover, where you've marked the holes from the original cover (see step 5) sew in tiny button holes. Cut open stitched button holes.

12. Slide your original cover's tabs through your new cover's tab openings.

Secure your new cover, which is covering the old cover, to the booster base with the original tabs and top holes (and your new top holes secured should connect to the base right over the originals.)

VIOLA! You are Done!

Fabric Button Earrings

I love covered buttons. They are fun and super easy to make. Plus, the finished product is, well, cute as a button.

Today we are going to make covered button earrings.

You won't need any special equipment.

The list of necessary items is pictured and listed below:

1 pair flat front post earrings

covered button blanks, size #24 (or 9/16")

wire cutters

scissors

fabric

1. Cut the button shank with your wire cutters. The shank should fall out of the button (the shanks are usually held in place via pressure.)

2. Thread your earring post through the opening on the button back. The post should be pointing upright through the back so that you can read the letters stamped into the button back.

3. On the back of your button package, you will find directions on how to make a covered button, including a circle template for cutting out your fabric.

Cut out your fabric using the provided template.

4. Center your button on the fabric circle and push the raw edges into the center of the underside to catch them under the teeth.

5. Place the earring/button back over the gathered fabric and push into the center until you hear a snap or a pop sound.

6. Ta-Da! Your one of a kind, hand made by you, earrings!

How super cute are these?

Enter the drawing to win these earrings by posting a comment this week on the blog or on the Jumping Monkeys Facebook page!

The winner will be announced on Monday!

Up-cycled Bottle Cap Magnets and Pendants

Jumping Monkeys love to live green! Here is a great and FUN craft that the entire family can enjoy. You probably have all the supplies around your house, but you will probably need to buy Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel. You can find it at your local craft store in the rubber stamp section - be sure to get CLEAR.

This craft is fun for the whole family! All ages, but there will need to be some adult supervision and assistance. Especially when using the oven!

Supplies:

Used Bottle Caps

Needle-nose Pliers

Magazine, old cards, children’s books etc..

1” hole punch -OR- Scissors, a quarter and a pencil

Glue Stick

Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel [UTEE] in CLEAR (found in the rubber stamp section of your local craft shop)

E-6000 Glue -OR- any heavy duty super glue

Strong magnets -OR- Hammer, Nail, Woodblock and Jump Rings

Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 300 degrees

Wash your bottle caps in warm soapy water to remove any sticky drink residue. Dry completely.

Use your needle nose pliers to pull out the rubber insert. This will either be fairly easy or nearly impossible. Keep trying, it is worth it. The most important thing to remove is the outer ridge. I promise, this step is the most difficult. The rest is super duper easy!

Choose your paper image from a magazine, card or book. Punch out your desired image, or, if you don’t have the proper size then lay a quarter over your image and trace the outside of the coin. Cut out along the trace line.

Using your glue stick to secure your image to the inside of the bottle cap. Finger press the image flat into the cap.

Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel. You can find it at your local craft store in the rubber stamp section - be sure to get CLEAR.

Scoop some UTEE powder into your bottle cap, fully covering the image.

Place UTEE filled cap on a piece of cardboard cut to fit a metal cookie sheet. Place in your oven until white granules melt clear - about 2-3 min.

Remove from oven and allow to cool. This should not take longer than a minute or two.

For MAGNETS:

Secure your super strong magnet to the back of your bottle cap with E-6000 or another freakishly strong glue. Allow glue to dry and you are done!

For PENDANTS:

Hammer a small nail into the lip of your bottle cap.

Make sure your hole is at the top of your image for proper pendant placement.

Add jump rings and thread onto necklace.

EMBELLISHMENT IDEAS

*Before covering image with UTEE*

add a thin layer of glue to the lip of your bottle cap and sprinkle with glitter. Shake off any excess. Then proceed with UTEE - but pour granules into cap rather than contaminate your clear UTEE with glitter.

glue in mini sequins/ confetti or other teeny tiny items. Then proceed to UTEE.

*After removing and cooling from the oven*

use your hammer and nail to pound a hole and add beaded dangles to the bottom of your magnet bottle cap or pendant.

Make a set of the same bottle caps to create earrings!

You could also tether a washer onto a necklace to turn your magnet into a pendant!