Summer Hair Accessories

Summer is here and all the cute outfits are coming out of my closet. The ones that I wasn't able to wear last summer because I was post baby :) Now that I am feeling a little better with my body I got myself in the attic to pull clothes down :) So exciting! So I was out there looking around and came across some really cute hair accessories that could really make an outfit. I am a true believer of the simpler the outfit the better because once you had those amazing accessories...you get that hot outfit :) I love these because they are funky and fun...isn't that what summer is all about?

Hair Wreath by Dedicated

Summer Feather Hair Accessory by Beautiful Mess

Flat Pattern Hair Band by Jezze Prints

Father's Day Gift Ideas

 Father's Day is just around the corner ladies (and gentlemen)! Lets start getting our ideas together and start crafting for the special guys in our lives. Here are couple of things to get your creative juices flowing.

 Father's Day Key Chain by Aly & Ash

 I love you Father's Day Card Template by All About You

Father's Day Tie by The Purl Bee

 Crayon on Etching Metal Tins Tutorial by Roots and Wings Co.

Leslie

Pillow Week: The First of Five Pillow Tutorials

We are excited here at Mamma Tortilla because this week we will have five pillow tutorials and three amazing guest bloggers from Obsessively Stitching, Samster Mommy, and The Sewing Dork! Fun times=)

I am going to start off the week with this nifty little pillow...

The seams on this pillow are visible adding a fun texture to the pillow.

Needed:
fabric about 3x longer than your desired length
fabric backing
contrasting thread
pillow stuffing

1. Take your top piece and fold it over one inch so that the wrong sides are touching.

2. Sew a 1/4 in. seam. Take material and fold over 1 inch from your last seam and sew a 1/4 in. seam. Repeat for the entire length of material.

3. Iron all seams flat. Be sure to only iron in one direction so that all your contrasting thread can be seen.

4. This is what the back of your piece should look like.

5. With right sides together, sew the top piece and the back piece together. Be sure to sew in the direction that the seams lay. Leave a 3 inch hole for stuffing.

6. Stuff and then slip stitch closed.









This is a pretty simple pillow once you get the hang of sewing the seams. And the end result is so fun. Each angle of the pillow gives you a different look.

The feel of the pillow is pretty neat as well. I love to run my finger along it and boop, boop, boop as the seams pop back up =) Okay, maybe I do need to get out more...

Be sure to stop by tomorrow to see the tutorial from Care of Obsessively Stitching!

Make your life beautiful!

A Bright Spot - Tissue Flower Tutorial

More from my living room update! In the corner of my living room is my favorite piece of furniture of all time - a 1949 cabinet.  I found it at a yard dale for $40!!! I about fainted when she said the price.

Okay anywho, I needed a tall "something" to place on top and was coming up empty.  Then while browsing Martha Stewart's website I saw some wedding flowers made from tissue paper.  Brilliant!

So, I took some bright blue tissue paper and with an Easter bush in mind created this...

Not over the top but just enough "pop" to make it a perfect - and it looks great next to my new thrifted vintage hat box.

I loved the outcome!  It is so cheery and - bonus - I don't have to water them and they will never die=)

To create your own here is what you will need:
- Hot glue gun
- Tissue paper cut into small squares

-Branches

I first crumpled the squares of tissue paper to give it more depth

Then I flattened it out a little and grabbed the middle and "fluffed" out and up.

Add a little dab of hot glue (this is a little blurry because I was rushing to take the picture and get the flower on before it dried!)

And place on the branches...

repeat until your branch is full!

I also did little ones to look like buds=)

It was the perfect touch to my new fabulous living room.  Sigh...love!

Make your life beautiful!

Fabric Covered Frames

A few weeks ago I decided that I wanted to do a "little" redecorating before Bella's birthday party this weekend. Well a "little" has turned into a full blown bedroom and living room redo! But in all honesty it was looong overdue.
We moved in 2 years ago and my bedroom only ever received paint and a few badly placed pictures. My living room was, well just plain ugly and the rhyme and reason was nonexistent=)

Well no more my friends=) I love walking in my bedroom it feels so peaceful and complete. My living room is starting to look fabulous, bright, cheery, and I smile each time I enter.

So here is one of the few projects I have done for the living room - Fabric Covered Frames.

*Disclaimer* The pictures you are about to see are in sore need of help. I'm not sure what happened to me and my camera this time around=p Needless to say, they look much better in person!

I got these two frames when I was in High School, but I never knew what to do with them. They stayed in my bedroom when I moved out and every so often my mother reminds me they are there (in an effort to get me to take them) then I remind her that parent's house are free storage for at least 5-10 years after marriage=)

Well, I finally found the perfect spot for them=)


My first idea was to use these frames and little clothes pins to attach pictures. But once I hung them I couldn't bring myself to mess up the "art" with my snapshots. It just looks to clean and with the material I used I think it would have been too busy.

Materials:
Chicken Wire - I technically don't need this now because I'm not going to clip pictures - but I like the look)
staple gun
frame
fabric
wire cutters

1. Lay out and staple chicken wire to the back of the frame.
2. Cut off extra wire around the frame - be careful the wire tends to pop up and cut your fingers=p
3. Lay fabric over wire, staple, cut off extra.

Wha La! Easy, easy, easy=)


Stay tuned for more living room projects!


Make life beautiful,

Birthday Banner Tutorial and Download

Bella's birthday is in just a few weeks and I have been wanting to make a birthday banner for a while - so here was my perfect opportunity. My sister made one a few years ago and I have been drooling over it for a while. So, I called her and got some measurements(thanks Andrea!) and since I had to make a template to print I decided to share it here for all you lovely readers=)

I used a jean skirt I bought for $2.00 at goodwill, ribbon from my wedding, and scraps for the letter.
I love it so much. I especially love that it can't be ripped like a paper banner and will last for years - one of those things that has to be at every birthday.

Sigh=) Love.

Okay it's pretty simple -

Triangle Template
Letter Template

1. Cut out the paper templates for the triangles and letters.
2. Cut out 13 triangles
3. Trace letters unto fabric and cut - Use bright colors that don't blend with the jean. Also you will need to trace some of the letter twice like "A"
4. Topstich letters unto the triangles
5. Sew triangles to tie. For the tie at the top you can use ribbon or bias tape. I didn't pin I just eyeballed it as I sewed=)

Ta-da ready for years of memories!

Make your life beautiful,

Puffy Pouch at Pink Penguin

Saw this tutorial at Pink Penguin and its definitely on my to do list.  It's super cute and a great purse for the spring :).    I hope everyone is having a wonderful Monday!  We are finally feeling better at my house!!

Finally Something for my Husband!

Sorry we were missing for a few days!  Both Les and I had sickness running rampant in our houses.  But we are back!  I can hear you all cheering... oh, no that's the radio...oh well.

My poor husband! He puts up with so much for my crafting obsession but rarely benefits.  Well today I rectified that.  He is outside most of the day and doesn't really like wearing a big ol' scarf around his neck.  So, I made him a fleece neck warmer.  It couldn't have been simpler (shh, don't tell him!)  It probably took close to 20 minutes, and that was while Bella was awake.  So here is is:

    1.  Cut a piece of fleece 22x20 (making sure the stretch is along the 22 inch length)


 
 
  2.  Fold cloth in half (right sides together) so it measures 10 x 22. Sew along the long edge to form a tube.

  3.  Turn the tube in on itself so the right sides are together.(this step is hard to explain in words and my  drawing is really bad.  You are basically taking the tube and making a tube half the size)
    4.  Sew around the circle leaving a opening to turn.  Only sew two layers together - not all four.  That would leave you with no hole for the head!

  5.  Turn and hand stitch opening closed.

Sorry that I didn't take step by step pictures.  If you have any questions let me know.

Tada!  That should hold him over for a few months=)

Make your life beautiful!

Cute Little Girl Dress

Ooooo pretty little girl dresses!! That's my new thing right now. I  want to be able to open Chloe's closet and see that every dress in there I made. Well, that's the goal anyway. A couple of weeks ago Melissa and I went to the thrift store and found this beautiful old vintage bed sheet. I decided to make a dress for Chloe out of it. Oh my, did it turn out super cute! It is super easy and the design possibilities are endless.

Materials:

1- bed sheet
1- dress for pattern
scissors
pins
sewing machine
matching thread

Step 1-Take the old dress and rip the seams out. Once you have the seams ripped, cut along the shoulder creating two pieces, a front and a back.

Step 2. Lay out the two pieces on top of the sheet. Pin the front and back pieces to the sheet then cut around. The pictures doesn't show it but I made the length longer because Chloe had grown out of the dress I was using for the pattern.

Step 3. I folded the arm sleeves and the bottom of the dress (both pieces) down creating a hem. Iron them down before sewing, its a lot easier that way. Then sew your hem. For the neck line you could do the same thing or add some hem tape or ruffles. The possibilities are endless.

Step 4. Once you have sewn the hems. Place both pieces right sides together. Then pin the dress together.

Step 5. Sew at the shoulders and the sides of the dress. Don't sew the neckline, the opening of the sleeves, and the bottom of the dress :) I've done it before.

Step 6. Turn the dress right side out. VIOLA!! beautiful new dress.

Creative Vibes To You,