Norine sent us an email:"I have a ton of baby showers and kid's birthdays coming up. Somehow all of my girlfriends managed to have children around the same time! I was looking for a nice DIY item I could make myself that doesn't look cheap but won't cost me an arm and a leg to make.
Something that's fast and easy-to-make is also a plus. Oh, and sadly...I don't know how to knit. Any ideas?"
Good question, Norine!
The other day while we were half-dead on the couch wondering how we could have over 200 cable channels and still have nothing on, we ventured into the "On Demand" section and noticed Martha Stewart is now On Demand.
One of the featurettes we viewed showed a DIY for a simple, yet sweet looking, alphabet pillow. Made with a small amount of felt, a pillow and some buttons, Martha shows you step-by-step how to make one yourself.
We felt so inspired to make one, had we actually gotten off the couch we totally would have.
Readers, do you have other nifty suggestions for Norine?
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Painted wooden letters of the childs name to hang on the wall are a very popular item right now in most nurseries. If you know the childs name and the color scheme of the nursery, these could make a very thoughtful and beautiful shower gift!
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Please be careful as sewn-on buttons can be a choking hazard. Another easy cool gift are stuffed bunnies:
http://weewonderfuls.typepad.com/wee_wonderfus/store/wee-bunny.html
from Wee Wonderfuls.
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I've been thinking about making this cute hooded towel for a few baby showers I have coming up:
Hooded Towel tutorial at Skip to my Lou
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Sorry, the link in my comment above didn't work. Here it is:
http://skiptomylou.wordpress.com/2007/11/29/hooded-towel-tutorial/
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I recently appliqued a onesie and it turned out cute.
Here is a god link:
http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2007/05/spiffed-up-onesies.html
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I am a big fan of repackaging! Here's the coolest kit from Nicole LaRue for CKMedia. The full kit is here:
http://www.scrapwinks.com/searchdetail.php?psku=20418
and part of the kit is free to download here:
http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/mag/article.ihtml?index_field=2062
I filled a small white basket from IKEA with the onesies, felt animals, and repackaged Q-tips & spoons. It was totally cute, looked like I had spent hours working on it (it only took me 30 minutes) and can be adapted for the different moms and their lifestyles. Try it!
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Spiffing up an inexpensive (or thrifted!) baby shirt, pants, jammies or onsie is simple, fun, and supereasy (i.e.: craft newbies - you're good to go) if you use freezer paper stenciling or stamping.
Here are some resource links:
American Apparel: high quality, super soft baby wear - and pretty affordable, particularly in their three-packs: http://store.americanapparel.net/baby-packs.html
Jacquard Textile Paint - this stuff is amazing. You'd use it for either the stamping or stenciling. It really becomes part of the fabric and stays true to color even after many washes.
http://www.dickblick.com/zz012/08/
Freezer paper stencil tutorial here: http://angrychicken.typepad.com/angry_chicken/2006/03/little_elf_shir.html
(Picture of a shirt I made using this technique for my niece - a simple leaf: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=mabel%20leaf&w=49503002160%40N01 Other ideas for a sophisticated looking gift: first letter of the baby's name, a simple filigree [check out clip art sites], a motif they're using in the baby's space, etc.)
Martha Stewart potato stamping ideas here:
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/potato-print-baby-clothes
Or a rubber stamp block you can carve:
http://www.dickblick.com/zz404/00/
Best of luck - and have fun!
-Jessica
-Jessica
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