One Happy Tree

Crayon Pucks!

2010-07-26T17:07:00.002-04:00

Today was a day to clear out the craft drawers and make stuff. I decided to make Crayon Pucks after reading the tutorial on a blog named, "Wanna Make Something Of It?". While my son played video games, my girls and I decided to clean our house out of all the crayons we can find and recycle them. We peeled the paper off each of the crayons (which was extremely tedious yet therapeutic), melt them in a mini muffin tray and viola! I call them Crayon Pucks. Call them whatever you want, I love this idea!

MATERIALS:

Old crayons (Crayola works best)
Muffin tray - keep in mind you'll be melting crayons in this so don't use something you'll use for food. I purchased a disposable mini muffin tray.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Peel the paper off each of the crayons. This may take some time so be sure to have some great conversation starters for you and your kiddos!
Break each crayon in quarters.
Decide which color combination suites your taste and fill the tray - Please note that in my muffin tray, the two center cups didn't heat the crayons too well so I left them empty on the 2nd and 3rd batch. I kept my color combination to two colors per cup.
Bake for 6 minutes total but checking after 3 minutes (checking at 1 minute intervals). The total time here refers to the mini muffin trays I got. Your baking time may vary based on your oven and the size of the muffin tray.
Remove after baking and let it cool completely. After they cooled off a bit I placed them in the freezer to speed up the cooling process.
When completely cooled off, carefully pop them out of the tray onto a soft surface so they don't break.

Peel them suckers!

Organize the crayons into what ever color combination fancy's you :)

Look how nicely they marbleize (real word?) when melted.

Oh no! We lost one... goodbye my sweet... wait, we can still use it! If they break, that's ok. They're crayons for goodness sakes. They work.

Ok now go makes some! I'm going to purchase muffin trays in different shapes and make more for the holidays. Our school is going food-free for treats and rewards (yay!) so this will be great giveaways for V's birthday!

Enjoy!

Thanita

This project was submitted to:

Wordless Wednesday - Follow Mama

2010-07-14T07:00:00.007-04:00

Except Mama's looking the wrong way.

Ellen DeGeneres Commencement Speech - Too Funny

2009-05-24T13:32:00.006-04:00

Saw a link to this in Twitter. I couldn't resist! It is so funny:

xoxo

A Funny Thing About A Not So Funny Movie

2010-07-12T07:28:00.000-04:00

It was Saturday evening and I had a migraine...again :( I felt well enough to switch on the TV. Well, it was on, but just for companionship. Victoria crawled in bed with me and loaded me up with hugs and kisses as she, what I thought, drifted off to sleep. In the background played a Discovery Channel show about sharks. I feel a tug on my back.

"Mom", V calls out.

"Yes?" I answer

"I THINK WE NEED A BIGGER BOAT!" she replies.

She has perfect comedic timing this one.

By the way just so it's clear, a movie rated PG in the 1970's would not be considered PG now. FYI. Jaws is as scary now as I thought it was when I saw it as a kid. Definitely NOT PG. Snow Dogs is PG. Race to Witch Mountain is PG. For goodness sakes, Madeline is PG. Jaws...not so PG. I think I scarred V for life. She may never enter the ocean to swim again. Lesson learned. 1970's PG movies = bad for 7 year olds.

Crayon Roll Pattern - Tutorial

2009-03-19T07:12:00.008-04:00

It's finally ready for release! I have completed the pattern for the most popular product offered by One Happy Tree. The Crayon Roll is an item that is repeatedly ordered by a local boutique in Virginia. I like to make them as birthday gifts for my daughter's friends, (I like to pair it up with a little tote bag and coloring book).

UPDATE: This pattern will soon be available on this blog. Please be patient as I figure all this out!

You can make this Crayon Roll for your little one!

Here's an image of a page taken from my pattern. It includes detailed pictures and explanations that are easy to follow.

Wordless Wednesday - Cherry Pie-Cake

2010-07-07T07:00:00.001-04:00

God Bless America...and pie err...cake

Throw Pillows with Hidden Zippers - The Turorial

2009-05-21T12:45:00.026-04:00

I've been working on some throw pillows for my friend who lives down the street. She also happens to be an interior designer for the hospitality industry (hotels etc...) so she gets to play with some fabulous fabrics...which in turn allows me to play with them too!

Awesome friend who lets my play with her fabrics had commissioned me to make 2 sets of pillows each with hidden zippers. One was 20" x 20" the other 16" x 24". I had a great time making them that I wanted to share the instructions with you so that you too can make your own!

NOTE:

The following pattern is for the 20" x 20" pillow. You can adjust the dimensions as needed for which ever pillow shape/size. I used a 1 inch seam allowance. Try to use something heavier in weight like upholster weight fabrics or similar. If you will use a quilters cotton I suggest backing it with stabilizer for a nice crisp look (Pellon 931TD works well).

The finished measurements will be 20" x 20" but there will be a 1/4" top stitch seam which will allow the pillow to look full and poofy (technically speaking of course!). I made 2 different pillows in different fabrics and took pictures of the process. So the pictures you see may have different fabrics but the method is still the same.

Materials:

1 piece of choice fabric measuring 22" x 22" square, (this will be the front) A
1 piece of same fabric measuring 20" x 22" (this will be part of the back) B
1 piece of same fabric measuring 4" x 22" (this will be part of the back) C
1 - 22" zipper in coordinating color
thread in coordinating color
measuring tool
disappearing marker
small scissors (applique scissors work great)

Here's a PDF of the tutorial if you want to print the instructions. It's 11 pages long and I reduced the image size but it may still be a bit image heavy.

Directions:

It's important to finish your raw edges because you will be reaching in and out of the pillow cover and you want those edges to be nice and neat. Most of all you want them to stay intact! Here's how:

Attach your "edging foot" (you will do an overcast seam)
Adjust your stitch to a 3 step zigzag (not a normal zigzag)
Line up the raw edge with the foot's guide
Sew following the foot's guide
Do this for all the edges of all your fabric pieces
Continue following the directions bellow (don't forget to switch back your pressure foot now!)

PREPPING FOR THE HIDDEN ZIPPER

Take fabric pieces B and C and place right sides together matching up raw edges long ways (22" length)
Measure 2" from top edge and mark
Adjust your sewing machine to a straight stitch and the longest stitch length (I use 4.5), you will be basting at the moment
Sew along the line you just measured
open both sides so that you can see the right sides and press with iron
Adjust your stitch length back to normal, tighter stitch
Measure 2" in from each side
Sew a small stitch and back stitch to make sure the basting stitch doesn't unravel from that point
Do this for the opposite side

APPLYING THE ZIPPER

apply the zipper face down on the center of the basting stitch
pin in place
attach your zipper foot (I put it on the left so the bulk of the fabric is on the left and make my needle move to the left 2 times at -1.0)
with your zipper foot stitch on either side of the zipper while it is still facing down. Sew all the way to the end, back stitch and turn. Sew the other side.
flip fabric BC over so right side is facing up
with sharp, applique scissors or small scissors, carefully clip the basting stitches revealing the zipper inside (it's so magical!)
open the zipper about 2-3" wide so that it's easier to reach in when turning (ignore the pins in the picture please! No pinning here.)

CONSTRUCTING THE PILLOW

place fabric piece A face up
place fabric piece BC on top of A face down so that A and BC are together right side facing (opposite of the picture, make sure the zipper side is facing you in case you have some trouble)
stitch around the edges using a 1" seam allowance
clip the corners (I finished the clipped edges with another overcast seam for durability)
very carefully try opening up the zipper a bit more. Remember you are looking at the back of the zipper so it'll be tricky
turn right side out
push out edges carefully with a wooden dowel or chopstick
press with iron
top stitch a 1/4" seam all around
stuff with pillow
TADA! You're done!!!

Now make a whole bunch :) Make some with outdoor fabric to dress up your deck or patio!!! I'm going to for sure!!!

If you have created a throw pillow following this tutorial, please show it off! Got my Flickr group and share with us!

Enjoy!

I entered this tutorial in:

Knit Washcloths

2010-06-30T19:26:00.001-04:00

Some of you may know that my youngest daughter, Victoria has multiple life threatening food allergies (among others). This past Thursday we took her to the allergist to undergo what's called a "food challenge" for her soy allergies. During this appointment, small amounts of soy will be digested to see how she reacts. It's a long, drawn out process as the doctors administer tiny amounts at a time and slowly increase the amount of soy if she doesn't have a reaction. After almost over 4 hours of this, Victoria passed her challenge. She is officially not allergic to soy anymore. :)

To reward her, we went to get her nails done but we arrived much too early for the appointment. So we browsed AC Moore Craft Store and found a lady, knitting at a table in the back of the store. On the table were a number of small, square, knitted and crocheted washcloths. I inquired about them and she said she was accepting donations for the Gulf oil clean up. The volunteers will use them to clean off oil from the wildlife. She will ship them out and have been doing so for a few weeks now. She also teaches a knitting camp for kids at the store :) I may sign Victoria up for this!

So what do you think I'm doing now? I'm making washcloths! It's very easy and fun to make as it's a quick knit.

Here's one that's done.

Another view (and a terrible picture at that!)

This is one I'm working on.

10" x 10" Washcloths

MATERIALS:

1 skein of Lily's Sugar and Cream yarn or the like (I used Lily's Sugar and Cream for the blue washcloth and Lion Brand's Organic Cotton for the cream. Both work fine)
Size US 8 straight knitting needles
Row counter

DIRECTIONS:

Cast on 3 sts
Increase in the first stitch by knitting in the front and back of the first stitch
Knit to the end and turn
Repeat #2-3 until 50 rows have been completed
Decrease by kniting the first 2 stitches together at the beginning of the row
Knit to the end of the row
Repeat #5-6 until 3 sts remain
Bind off
Weave in ends
DONE!

If you need help deciphering stitches, KnittingHelp.com is a great website for knitting resources. They have a video tutrial of the increase here (see KFB). See a video of the decrease here (see k2tog).

Now go and make a few washcloths!

Wordless Wednesday - Too Much?

2010-06-16T10:40:00.000-04:00

This picture, taken on an iPhone.

Summer Test Craft #1 - Terrariums

2010-06-11T11:42:00.002-04:00

Considering I want to hold a summer craft camp for my daughter and her friends, I figured I should test out some of the crafts I will make with the kids. The Terrarium was the first one Victoria and I tried out.

First you must find an open area where dropping soil and sheet moss particles won't bother you. (say "hi" V!)

1 bag of little rocks, charcoal (horticulturist charcoal) and sheet moss is enough for a whole bunch of little or medium size terrariums!

I don't have pictures of the process but you can follow the same instructions I used here. Look at them! So cute!

I found a little turtle figurine at the craft store. She looks so comfy in there! I think I'll call her Shelly.

Victoria decided to put a puppy in her terrarium! Woof! So cute.

There's a great lesson to learn about terrariums. As I explained to Victoria, they have their own ecosystem, like being in their own planet. Since it has an airtight seal, we only have to spray it with water once in a couple of weeks. The moisture in there now will keep the moss alive. The charcoal will keep it from molding and smelling awful. The rocks help drain excess moisture. In the medium size terrarium, I was able to plant a small piece of ivy. The ivy will survive on it's own with minimum help! This is a great lesson for the kiddos.

Enjoy!

My Container "Garden"

2010-06-10T08:49:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd share with you my new hobby. My container garden :) My pathetically, teeny, tiny veggie (one veggie btw) and herb container garden. I love it. It's small enough to manage and it has almost everything I want in a garden. I say almost because I would like to add peppers to the mix but hey, it's my first real garden. I'm getting use to it.

Before I show you my "garden" I need to show you the *giddy* cute, apple green watering can with which I use to nourish my herbs and veggie.

OK, don't hold your breath anymore. Here is THE "garden":

Tada! What? You were waiting for something a bit more extravagant? Sorry, I did say it was a pathetically, teeny, tiny garden! Still it's perfect for me :) I made the chalkboard terracotta pots. Get instructions here and make one for your teeny, tiny garden!

OK you see that?? That yellow flower??? That's my tomato plant!!! I'm so excited. I've never grown tomatoes before. Rather, I should say, "I've never SUCCESSFULLY grown tomatoes before". This is the only veggie (or is it a fruit?) in my garden. The rest are herbs.

Here's another tomato plant I am growing. See the green flower bud in the center? Soon I'll have tomatoes for my salad :)

A look at the patio set my husband refinished. It was THE ugliest shade of orange. He bought a can of Krylon paint for plastics in a wonderful red color (my favorite). I found the pillows at Pier One Imports. I need to go back and get more for the rest of my deck accessories.

This stuff is like plastic magic in a can. Read more about it here.

Here's a closer view of the pillow and chair (and rain drops) :)

Here's a better look at my chalkboard terracotta pots.

Ciao!

The Granny Bag

2008-03-19T15:17:00.007-04:00

Here's a new item in my shop. This ain't your Grandma's bag that's for sure! It's hip and up to date. With it's wide bottom and functional key clip you can throw in everything you need!

:Features::

♥ Pleated front ♥ Boutique quality fabric ♥ Matching interior and trim ♥ Key clip attached to th$e interior ♥ Dimensions are 14 1/"w x 9"h ♥ It has a 10" drop ♥ A wide bottom allows enough room for a variety of personal items! ♥ Reinforced with stabilizer ~~Create your very own today! Email me or visit my Etsy shop to place an order.~~

New Fabrics To Choose From!

Just in! Joel Dewberry fabrics to choose from! Why not customize your Granny Bag with these fresh, bright, colors of spring!

xoxo
Thanita

Custom Order

2007-09-06T21:59:00.001-04:00

I love creating custom orders. It's great to be able to see through other people eyes. What fabrics will they choose? Will it match? WILL THEY LIKE IT?! This order was no different. The customer was great and her fabric choices were awesome! Take a look for yourself:

As you may guess, my customer's name is Jessica! Thanks Jessica! :o)

One Big Thank You!

2008-01-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

So I had a customer who's daughter loved the custom made blanket I made her that she had to email me a couple of times about it! I love that! This was her first email on January 2, 2008:

I just wanted to tell you I received the blanket today. Thank you, thank you!! I love it. It is so soft, the pink is perfect, the stitching is great, the size is just right. My baby Naomi (in my avitar) will be snuggling under it tonight. Thank you again for the wonderful work and service. If I could give your shop two hearts, I would! Happy New Year!Elena

Then I had to contact her because I forgot to add the washing instruction in the package! I received this on January 3, 2008:

Hi,Thanks again! Naomi had a very cozy night under her blankie and when she first saw the monkeys, she ran over and was pointing to them and smiling. I took a picture so I will send it when I get a chance.Take care, Elena

Well, you get the picture! This led me to "think"! I'm going to start keeping track of all my happy customers. How their words just make my day! Between 3 kids, a hectic schedule, house chores and 2 business something like a nice note of thanks just puts everything in perspective and makes me smile!

Anyway, how cute is the precious little one and her big sister???!!! Thank you Elena, you are a kind soul.

Trifold Wallet Order

2009-02-20T09:46:00.000-05:00

This is going out to Jessica in Florida. She custom created her wallet using Amy Butler's fabric in Tree Peony Lime. I love the way it turned out! Very sturdy. It has 4 credit cart slots which holds about 3 cards each which is a total of 12. And if you have 12 credit cards in this economy I feel for you! Anyway, it also has a cash pocket, zipper coin pocket in the back, a check book pocket (great for recipets too) and a pen holder. Closes with a snap button (very cute I might add)!

It was shipped out yesterday, the 19th. So if you're reading this Jessica your item will arrive shortly! :)

Sling Hobo

2009-05-29T07:00:00.002-04:00

New Product Alert!

The Sling Hobo is one of the newest products to hit One Happy Tree! The big sister to the Hobo, the Sling Hobo has all the great features of a functional bag and style to boot. Sling it over your head and you are ready to go! Sits right at your hip, it's easy to run around town (maybe after the kids!) hands free! The interior key clip is long enough to use to open any door while still clipped. The exterior pocket allows for easy access to your cell phone or anything you need to reach quickly...like snacks! What's ever better? You choose from a wonderful selection of boutique fabrics!

Below: the interior key clip

Below: the interior zipper

Check it out. The model on the left is 6' tall. The model on the right is 5' tall (tee hee hee, yours truly!!!). Both are able to wear the Sling Hobo comfortably!

Well I hope you enjoyed the new featured item! I had a ton of fun making it. I am not sure if I'll sell this one. It's in one of my favorite fabric print and I just LOVE it! ~~So this one's mine...customize your own~~!

xoxo

New Product: Picnic Lunch Tote

2009-06-17T08:42:00.014-04:00

New Product Alert!

The Picnic Lunch Tote is a must have this season! Pack your snacks or lunch and get out of the house! Tote your lunch in something cute and functional. The interior has a vinyl film for easy wipe up of spills. Also features an expandable top for the days where you may pack just a wee bit more food usual. Select from either the Flower or Heart Apple applique to adorn the front. Want a different applique? Customize your own! Email me for details.

(click image to go to product page)

Want to make one of your own? Get the pattern! Includes both the Flower and Heart Apple applique templates. For personal use only please :)

(click image to go to pattern page)

Enjoy!

BTW - Narrowed down the selection for the Name That Product Giveaway! I will announce the winner by Friday June 19th.

Accordion Pocket Wallet

2009-06-30T16:49:00.006-04:00

Hi all! I've been very busy. I have been filling orders from the Chick's Picks show a few weeks ago. It's been pretty difficult as guilt always seems to set in when my kids are stuck in the house so I can bust out the orders! LOL! I try to keep a good balance. Waking up early to fill orders and leaving the afternoon free for my kiddos.

Never the less, I have introduced another wonderful product to my line of accessories. The Accordion Pocket Wallet is one of the cutest and my most favorite thing to make (that and the Picnic Lunch Tote). I have one of my very own and I love it!

It boasts plenty of open pockets (4 to be exact) and a zipper pocket for coins. The accordion style allows for room to grow too!

Look inside. It's pretty roomy with lots of pockets!

A view from above.

Well the Independence Day is almost here. I hope you all have your American flags out! Can't believe June is just about over. See you in July!

xoxo

Reversible Fabric Headband

2010-06-05T13:14:00.000-04:00

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am NOT a morning person. My son had an super early morning flag football game and my husband usually takes him. Not this morning. My husband was sick so I had to fill in! That's where the headband came in. Waking up late, I had no time to shower and do my hair. I threw on the headband and I looked fantastic, if I do say so myself :) Here's a how I made it:

MATERIALS:

2 coordinating fabric pieces (you can purchase fat quarters as it's enough to make two or so)
elastic hair ponytail holder
coordinating thread
interfacing or stabilizer (to stiffen the fabric a bit)
This template: http://freepdfhosting.com/dae318cc35.pdf

DIRECTIONS:

Print and cut the template

I used the same method of cutting multiple fabrics found here.

Fuse the stabilizer to a fabric of your choice.

With right sides together, fold both fabrics in half and lay the template on the fold.

Pin then then cut all three (this is not the best way to pin FYI). Remove the pins.

I don't have a picture of this next step sorry! Take each fabric piece and fold the raw edge towards the inside center of the wrong side 1/2 inch. With wrong sides together, place one fabric piece on top of the other and pin in place.

Starting from one end, sew one side then the other keeping the ends open for the elastic. Don't forget to back stitch!

Take a ponytail holder and cut it in half. Stick one end of the ponytail holder in the opening of the headband and sew it shut. Now sew the other end of the ponytail holder to the other end of the headband.

Viola! You have a reversible fabric headband!

You may be asking yourself, why did she cut the ponytail holder in half? Well in my first try I didn't cut it and it was too tight. so I had to cut it in half.

Now go make a few to match some outfits! There will no longer be a bad hair day!

Teacher Gift - DONE!

2010-06-02T09:36:00.000-04:00

Guess what I did? I finished my daughter's teacher gift nice and early. Take note because I NEVER do anything nice and early.

It's a supply, tackle box! I got the idea from eighteen25.blogspot.com. The example in that blog looks so neat and pretty and her pictures are so clear. Mine isn't as nice and the pictures were taken from my iPhone but I do love the stuff inside!

My favorite item is the "oops" eraser! I have an empty spot to the right that I need to fill up. Maybe some mints or something. I got all the items at the dollar bin at Micheal's Craft Store. This project was very easy.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Jewelry tackle/organizational box
1-2 inch grosgrain ribbon
Coordinating scrapbook paper x3
Stick on letters
Coordinating pencils, clips, magnets, erasers etc...
Glue gun

DIRECTIONS (my half hazard way):

Glue gun the ribbon to the center of the tackle box
Glue the scrapbook paper however you would like it to appear
Attach the letters
Fill 'er up!

For better pictures and instructions visit eighteen25.blogspot.com!

Ciao

Chalkboard Terracotta Pots

2010-05-27T10:17:00.002-04:00

My youngest daughter and I have always loved gardening. We've been gardening together since she could walk. It's been difficult with her environmental allergies but we manage. This spring we decided to make a herb garden for our deck. But to have an herb garden, you need cute pots to put them on right? Solution? We made them! Take a look what a bit of primer, chalkboard paint and time can do (all in one day).

We planted container tomatoes but I realize that it may need to be replanted in a bigger container once it grows bigger. For now it works :) Here's how we did it:

MATERIALS:

Terracotta Pots w/ Plates
Spray Primer (the directions for the chalkboard paint called to prime before painting but I think you can skip this but I haven't tried...proceed at your own risk!).
Chalkboard Paint - I bought can of this stuff that I had to paint on but later I found that there is a spray paint! Ugh wish I had known, it would have gone faster but oh well!
Good quality Foam Brush - omit if you happen to find the chalkboard paint in a spray can.
Painters Tape
Drop Cloth (or newspaper)
White Chalk

The Lineup

DIRECTIONS:

Tape off the top brim of the pot (see above picture)
Place the pot upside down (super important!)
Spray paint the bejesus out of it with the primer *NOTE* When spray painting, use even strokes around. It doesn't matter if your first stroke doesn't cover the pot completely (it shouldn't) because you'll do another pass over it. The idea is not to place the spray can in one area and continuously spray that one spot. It'll create a leaky mess causing your pot to have a blob of drippy paint.
Let it dry
While upside down, paint the chalkboard paint with the foam brush. Use even strokes going in one direction, from the bottom to the top. You'll see some stroke marks but no worries. It'll be hidden once you go over it again. Yup I said "again". You'll have to let the first coat dry and repeat 2 more times for a good all over cover
Once all 3 coats have dried, carefully peel off the tape.
Write on your pretty new pot with white chalk!

Upside down is muy importante

Mama went mid-evil on the pot with primer!

Let your little one paint until she's bored and decides to cover herself with sidewalk chalk *off to shower*

Viola! Basil, Tomato & Thyme

Cioa!

Rainbow Day Applique

2009-04-06T12:58:00.006-04:00

Last week my daughter's class held a "Rainbow Day" where all the kids had to wear all the colors of the rainbow. I took it a step further. I made a t-shirt using the same techniques as my applique tutorial (click here). I'll have to write out directions for this particular shirt because there is a slight variation but I'll explain:

Basically you don't want each applique to touch. No Touchy! Keeping that in mind I cut out strips of different colored fabrics for each ray of the rainbow. I did the same for the cloud. Then appliqued it onto the shirt. I stitched around each ray using a coordinating colored thread. The zigzag stitching covered up the empty space (remember "no touchy"?). Tada! You're done!

See how happy you can make your little one???

Have fun!

Sew In Labels Tutorial - Half Fold

2008-07-28T12:56:00.025-04:00

The Story: It's been a while since I've posted anything! So many things happened since my last post but I have something new to show y'all. I wanted to give you something that I have been doing myself for a few months now. I have been creating my own sew in labels! Once I figured it out, I don't buy them anymore! I saved a ton of money!!!

Cost Analysis: To show you how much I saved, here's what I've been paying for in the past. I use to purchase my labels at $10 each set plus shipping and handling. Each set came with 30 labels. Total cost was: $11.00

Now I create my own. I purchase the photo fabric sheets at around $10 + tax so lets say $11.00 per package. Each package comes with 6 sheets and I can make 30 labels in one sheet. That's 180 labels for $11.00. That's a savings of $55.00!!! If that's not an incentive to create your own, then I don't know what is!!!

The Materials: To get started you need to go to your local craft store and purchase Photo Fabric. I use Crafter's Images by Bluementhal Craft. There are different sizes but I suggest getting the 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheets. 6 comes in a pack. It cost me about $10 + Tax. They are made from Cotton Poplin and are very durable.

Photo Fabric (for inkjet or your printer type)
Paper Cutter
Fray Check
Paper Towel(s)
Microsoft Word or similar program
Inkjet Printer

The How To

Creating the Software Template: I created my labels to be 1.5"High x 1.5" Wide. They are to be folded in half and the raw ends sewn onto the project. In MS Word (or similar) open an new document. Then insert a table with 6 rows and 5 columns. Now here's the tricky part. I can only tell you what you need to do with MS Word but if you are using another program I suggest playing around with your settings.

Next highlight all the cells and right button click on them. This will bring up a list of settings. Click on "Cell Alignment" and then click on "Align Bottom Center".

Now got to the first cell. Right button click on it and got to "Table Properties". In the first tab called, "Table" check the box that says, "Preferred Width" and set the width to 7.5". Now go the the "Row" tab and check the box that says, "Specified Height" and make the height 1.5" high. Next click on the button below that called, "Next Row" and do the same thing. Continue clicking "Next Row" until all 6 rows have the settings of 1.5" high.

While still in the "Table Properties" box, click on the tab that says, "Column". Just as you set the row height, you are now going to set the column width. Check the box that says, "Preferred Width" and set the width to 1.5". Click on the button below called, "Next Column" and set all the columns. Once complete, click OK.

Now you'll see that the cells are set but it's in 2 pages.

We want to fit everything on one page to get the most of your paper fabric. Go to the left most part of your screen. Now click on the last white "box" until you see a double arrow and drag it until you fit your cells appear all in one page. See example image below:

You'll then see them appear in one page just as the sample image below shows:

Customizing the Label: Now for creating your labels. If you have an image use may insert it and minimize the size. For my labels, I have an image of my tree (my logo) and the words, "OneHappyTree.com" following it.

Click on the first cell and insert your image (for me it's my tree). Then set the font as you'd like, mine is Arial Round MT Bold. Set the colors etc. Type the name of your business, I typed "OneHappyTree.com" (minus the quotes). I then resized my image, highlighted my text and set the font to size 8.

You will need to leave room for sewing the label in your project. To do this go to the end of your shop name and hit the return or enter 2 x's. The text and image will move up but make sure you don't have it in the middle part of your cell. You'll want to leave enough room to fold this label in half. Hitting return/enter 2 x's will leave a good 1/4" raw edge to sew in.

Now highlight the entire cell and copy it. Now go to the next cell and paste it. It should look like your first cell. Continue pasting it into each cell until your entire page is filled.

Print: Now you can print it! Read the manufacturer's instructions on printing. I used my inkjet printer and it came out great! You'll want to "test" the settings so I suggest you go into your printer properties and set your printer to "Draft" and use regular paper first. I worked for Hewlet Packard and Savin companies and I know that almost all printers have the "draft" settings. It may also be called, "sample". You want this setting because it uses less ink. This will allow you to see/test your page.

Print it out on regular paper first and see if you everything the way you'd like it. Cut it out, fold it in half and pretend to place it into your project. If all looks good, place a sheet of your photo fabric in the printer according to the manufacturers directions.

Don't forget to go to your printer properties and reset it to the proper settings, (basically this is your final copy so you don't want to select "Draft"). I have a Epson CX7800 and I set my properties to "Text & Image". Now you can print them!

Cut and Prep: Ok so you've gone through the trouble of setting your labels in MS Word and printing them. Don't forget to save your document!!! You can go back and print them out as many times as you want with out having to reset everything!

Now you need to cut and prepare the labels. I like to cut each label using my page cutter and cut them horizontally as seen below:

It doesn't matter if you can see the black lines on the bottom and top of your label because these are the areas that will be sewn into your project. Continue to cut the sheet of labels into strips.

Once complete, you will have to now cut each strip into squares, thus creating one label :) The tricky part is you have to cut out the black lines on the right and left side of your label. These parts will show.

Now you have a bunch of little fabric labels.

The next step is to peal off the paper backing. This is placed there to stiffen up the fabric for printing. You don't want it. Peal the sucker off!

Oh, how cute. Look at the curly little labels you've made! Next we have to prep each label. If you are sewing the labels into an item that will be washed as in a blanket, follow the manufacturer's directions for washing each label and laying them to dry. I put my labels on items that will not necessarily be washed so I skip this part.

Applying Fray Check: Lay out a sheet or two of paper towels. Take one label and apply Fray Check on all 4 sides. I apply Fray Check on pretty thick. Lay them on the paper towels and allow to dry. About 1 hour or more.

After they dry, you may now fold your labels in half, press with an iron and sew them into your project! Congratulations you made your very own labels!!!

Hope you find this tutorial helpful. If you have any questions just drop me a line at : OneHappyTree@gmail.com!

xoxo
Thanita

Summer Craft Camp Ideas

2010-05-24T08:24:00.011-04:00

So I'm thinking of hosting a craft workshop during the summer for my daughter and her friends. I'm calling it, Summer Craft Camp. Original I know. Problem is I'm lacking ideas. I have a few but I need more.

Here's where you guys come in. I need craft ideas that follow these guidelines:

Geared towards 7-9 year olds
No use of foods as many of the kids have food allergies
Low budget
Must be fun!

If you can suggest some great craft ideas for my kiddos & friends, please add them to the Linky list below. Just click on the "Click Here To Enter" link. By the way, the easiest way to add a picture is to click on the "Web" option. You'll get list of images from that particular link for you to choose from.

Luck 'O the Irish - Applique Tutorial and Template

2009-03-17T08:00:00.006-04:00

I'm finally finished! Not that it should take weeks to create but...it took weeks to create. I am having so much fun creating the templates, printing them and making them into appliques. I made some t-shirts; one for Valentine's Day, a few for a school function and this one for St. Patrick's Day. I wish I could have finished this last week to offer it on time but better late than never. Sorry about that folks! With that said, let's get down to it.

Materials Needed:

Scrap fabric (approximately 5 x 5 inches)
Pencil
HeatNBond Light (with “Sewable Bond”) cut to fit (approximately 4 x 4 inch square)
One Happy Tree Clover Leaf Template and tutorial.
T-Shirt - I used a child size medium but a small would be fine

Tutorial:

Click for the TUTORIAL.

Click for the TEMPLATE.

They both are in PDF format.

Here are my girls wearing their Weller Wildcats "W" made using the same process as the tutorial. The school colors are blue and gold. I used blue cotton fabric and gold thread. Looked awesome!

I hope you all enjoy this tutorial! It's so much fun to make. I'll post more templates soon!

xoxo
Thanita