DIY Toddler Teepee

My friend Lucy sent me this teepee project on Pinterest and said "Let's do it!"

Amazingly, we set a date a couple weeks ago and...guess what? We did it!  I wish I could have a partner for every project I want to get done.  I seem so much more productive with partners. 

I won't be showing step by step photos for this DIY because  The DIY Mommy did a wonderful job in laying out each step with pictures.

If you have been wanting a teepee and not wanting to pay Land of Nod prices,  I say give this DIY a try!  Even if you aren't the best seamstress, it can easily be completed in an afternoon.  Even if you are pregnant, you can do it.  Just take a look at Lucy!

You just have to sew about 20 straight lines and you are done!

 The teepee was was made out of a drop cloth from Home Depot ($20) and some cotton fabric that I had laying around. (free!)  Lucy chose her fabric from my stash too.  I was glad to see it put to use.

**one drop cloth is enough to make two teepees-thanks for buying Lucy! 

 FYI:  I was not able to find round poles/dowels 6' long, so I bought 3/4"square and had them cut 4 of them to 6' right in the store.  ($20)  Round would have been easier to slip through the slots, but luckily my sewing was pretty straight, so I didn't have much trouble. 

I did do my own thing and add some fabric fringe at the top.  The origianl diy sewed on a circle of the coordinating fabric, which was very cute, but I think my embellishment is more teepee-like.  Right?

I cut fabric into long strips and tied them in knots across another strip of fabric that was long enough to wrap around the top. Easy.

Marcelo is modeling/playing here while Mateo was napping.  I thought I would use this teepee as a "house of presents" on his birthday morning.  Coming up in just 10 short days!  Wha what?  Mateo will be three?  Im going to have a 3 year old??  I don't want him to see it before then.  He is going to be so excited!  Priceless.

Have you guys tried and EASY DIY's lately?

Fabric World and a DIY Cribskirt

I have said it before and I will say it again!  I LOVE Fabric World!

Even though its a 30 minute drive from downtown Atlanta, it is so worth it.  My mom and I went last week and would you believe that we were there for 4.5 hours?!   It is totally disorganized with piles of fabric everywhere.  You have to dig, but we both love the search.  It is like a box of chocolates...you never know what you are going to get.  What you do know is that it is going to be CHEAP!  $2 a yard!  You just can't beat that....anywhere.

This is what our cart looked like before checkout

What variety in that cart! My mom picked up a lot of xmas and kids fabric for gifts.  I found a bunch of cute cotton fabrics for crib sheets and who knows what else?
Of course if I see any chevron I pick it up pronto. 

I loved this geometric pattern as well. It is a beautiful raspberry color.

We paired down a bit in the store, but still came home with a ton of fabric.

One of the fabrics I bought on my last trip was this gray and white print.  I knew I would use it for something in Mateo's nursery.

I decided I would whip up a quick crib skirt the other day.  There are a ton of tutorials out there, and I took pointers from a few different ones.  I ended up sewing a few edges, and ironing hems with  stitch witchery, but you could easily use it the for the whole thing (ie: no sewing machine needed)

I used a little less than 2 yards.  I started by cutting four panels. (2) 19w x 21h and (2) 52w x 21h
then ironed a one inch hem.

If you have never used stitch witchery, this stuff is magic!
 So easy and really holds.

I could have made pretty ties to attach the skirt panels to the frame, but alas it was easier to just use safety pins.  I can then easily raise the fabric when I lower the crib mattress.

I love how it turned out!

One more project to cross off the list. Yes, that is a Guyasamin print leaning against the wall. Still needs framing. Many, many things to do yet.  Im shooting for this nusery to be habitable before Mateo turns 5:)

Im partying over at :

savvy southern style

Sew Cindy- 1st Sewing Project

Finally! I got started with a project on my new sewing machine. Its funny what inspired me. My parents stopped in Atlanta for a couple days on their way home from Tampa last week and my mom and I went to Forsyth Fabrics. I have been hunting for something cool to recover my dining room chairs. (The boys went to the Albert for the delicious smoked wings)

As soon as we stepped in the door, there was a "free" box at our feet full of fabric sample books.

As you can see to the picture, we may have gotten a little greedy. We walked out with 13 books. ("waste not want not," as mom always says)

Our creative juices were flowing, and we knew we could somehow make use of these scraps. There was much laughing [at ourselves]. My dad just shook his head when we lugged it in the front door.

The first idea that popped in my head was to make a patchwork blanket for all the picnics E and I will be making this summer.

The books arranged the swatches by color. I went through and cut the ones that I liked, mostly cotton. I also arranged them by color and in piles of 10. Greens, tans, reds, pinks, black and white, and blues.

My mom taught me a lot about sewing back in high school, and a lot of it stuck! I started by sewing together each color pile length wise. I stitched each seam twice for strength. I will continue to sew all the squares into rows and then sew the rows together into one big square. I will finish by adding a durable canvas backing and border on the edges.

I will be sure to post pictures of the finished product. Have you ever taken something from a "free box" just because it was free? (mom, you don't have to answer)