Flashback Freecycle Friday AND A Flickr Feature

Hi all!

Well, I've been super-busy this last week doing some rather time-consuming projects (yes, I will show you later :)

So, I thought today I would flashback to some of my past "Freecycle Friday" projects!!

Oldies, but goodies....if you will.

Save those toy machine containers to make fun lip gloss necklaces for your kiddos

Also, salvage those sundae cups from McD's and make cute see-through ribbon dispensers for all those scraps you have.

Or take those drink coaster home from the restaurant with you and make a great photo album!!

AND......

Don't forget to use your old makeup containers to make your kiddos some faux makeup (and not the real stuff they get ALL OVER THE HOUSE :)

Also, don't foget to upload pics of the projects YOU'VE done here, so I can show them off for you :)

Like  these cute projects from The Green Bean's Crafterole!

You can find the tute for the decorated tealights she made here :)

Have fun!

Share Your Stuff!!!

Hey all!

Just wanted to let you know I've FINALLY created a Flickr group so you can all post pictures of all your FABULOUS creations for alll the world to see!!

So click here to start!! (or go to http://www.flickr.com/groups/notsoidlehands/)

I also get SO many emails from you guys showing me the GREAT stuff you make from my tutes.......so I'm gonna pick from the Flickr group each week and post some of my favs!!

Have fun!!

Sweet Organizing Contest And Reader Giveaway x 2!!!!

Hello all! 

Still doing your Spring cleaning?

Well, The Lean Remodeler contacted me a few days ago to let me know about a sweet contest she's runing right now!!

She's partnered with Wilsonart International for a Spring Cleaning Contest that will help families organize the Family Room by offering unique storage solutions and designer-inspired countertops. Maybe it’s installing a basement bar or perhaps a new way to store all the odds and ends that always pile up in the toy room. If you have a bonus room you use for all your crafts, you can submit that, too!

The contest runs through April 30th (so hurry over!), and one winner will receive expert design advice, as well as a customized cabinet/countertop organization utopia for your room valued up to $5,000!

Here's how to enter:

•  Take a photo of your family room, craft room, or basement. Whatever you think needs some organization love.
• Post the photo on a blog post and tell us more about the room. Who uses it, what takes place in that room, etc. Also include what you’d like the design team at Wilsonart to help you accomplish with the Spring Clean.
• Submit the link to your blog post here: http://ilnk.me/lremodeler  on my blog, the Lean Remodeler, and you’ll be entered to win the $5,000 Spring Cleaning Room Makeover!

 

I don't know about you guys, but I NEED to enter my craft room!! 

Granted....these pics were taken a few months ago, but almost all the crap stuff is STILL in the same place it was then!! I could use the help :)

 So hurry on over and enter!

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Also, I got some more fun stuff from the folks over at MyBlogSpark (and Seventh Generation and Shell Lubricants and MotorOilMatters.org).

So, I wanted to tel a little about them and then give some stuff away to 2 of my awesome readers!!


First, I am so happy with the Seventh Generation products!!

I love them because they are Earth-friendly AND the smell doesn't give me migraines!! I've been using their hand sanitizer for awhile now because of that :)


"Leading the “responsible cleaning” charge for the past twenty years, Seventh Generation has tapped into the disinfecting power of the herb thyme, to introduce an EPA registered line of disinfecting sprays and wipes that kill germs* naturally! The new line of botanical disinfectant cleaners includes a multi-surface cleaning spray, bathroom cleaning spray and wipes.

The disinfectants contain thymol, a component of the herb thyme, and can be used on hard surfaces including counter tops, plastic cutting boards, highchair trays as well as children’s toys. Best of all, they kill over 99.99 percent of germs* naturally and are effective against the Influenza A Virus, including H1N1." 

MyBlogSpark and Seventh Generation are letting me give away a prize pack with everything you need to get started replacing your old cleaning products: 

 Seventh Generation “Disinfecting Cleaning Kit” that includes a disinfecting multi-surface cleaner, bathroom cleaner, wipes , a copy of The Conscious Kitchen, a cleaning caddy made from recycled plastic, and two rolls of 100% recycled, unbleached paper towels.

So, Congrats

 Maggie from Smashed Peas and Carrots!!!

  You will be getting one of these awesome kits!! 

Next, did you know that April is National Car Care month??

And also that in the United States the average age of cars and light trucks on the roads today has reached a record high of 9.4 years? That means it’s more important than ever to take proper care of your vehicle.  

With the informative Web site www.MotorOilMatters.org (created by the maker of industry-leading brands Pennzoil and Quaker State) you can easily locate key information about how quality motor oils can help prolong your engine’s life and improve overall efficiency, as well as help answer other questions you may have about motor oil. In addition, the site offers a fun, educational game for you to play called “M.O.M. Knows Best” where you can put your motor mind to the test with an interactive quiz.  

So hop on over and poke around on their site to get some great info!!


Also, MyBlogSpark and Shell Lubricants with MOM are letting me give away a $35 give card to Jiffylube!


Congrats to 


Life with the Lees!!!
 You lucky duck!!

So, gals.....please email me with your info so I can send it along and get your stuff on it's way to you!!! 

Have fun! 

Freecycle Friday.....On Saturday!! More Re-Purposing With Kids Clothes

Happy Friday!!! (uuhhhh......Saturday :}

I was too busy yesterday and most of today enjoying some fun migraines (and 3 sweet, needy kiddos).

SO.......

A treat for you guys on this fine weekend.

MORE cute accessories from my kids clothes (and even something for me this time :)

I used the tulle from the bottom of this skirt that I used in last week's post.

To make the cute hair clips flowers, just take that tulle and cut some different sized circles.

Using your handy lighter (or, to make things easier light a tealight and use that) to singe the edges of each circle. This will make them curl up nicely. I've seen the singed edge flowers all over blogland, but not yet using tulle (using satin~y polyester fabric, like here)

This tulle is made from polyester (it's the kind of tulle that's softer and flowy) and that's what makes the edges melt nicely.

If you're lucky (and better than me), you won't blacken the edges like me!!

I used these cute pearl brads for the centers. And then hot glued them all onto my re-purposed hairclip that I covered with ribbon. Next time, I won't use black since it kinda shows through.

Very Nice!!!

Doesn't the back of my hair look SO CUTE?!?!?!

BTW.....it was very hard to take the picture over-my-shoulder-in-the-bathroom-mirror :)

For the rosettes, my friend Katie told me how she made hers, except she used wired ribbon and no sewing (way easier :)

For mine, I took strips of tulle 15" x 3-4" and folded them in half.

Sew a straight running stitch down the open side (don't backstitch).

Then, just pull one of threads to ruffle it right up nicely.

Make a few knots and make sure it's tight and then fluff it up and twist it till you like the rosette.

I attached a small piece of felt to the back with hot glue and attached a pinback to each one.

That way I can glam up any cute shirt and not worry about ruining these flowers in the wash.

AND to make sure I used EVERYTHING (like he does with the buffalo in Dances With Wolves :)......

I cut the waistband right off the skirt and it makes a perfect headband with NO SEWING!!!! I like that :)

So.....
....Have fun....
......cutting up your little ones' clothes :)

Don't forget to visit my fun, awesome sponsors over on my sidebar....

Like Firefly Tutus!!

She wanted me to let you all know that she just started making pettiskirts and they are stocked and ready for your sweet little girls to dance around in!!!

Plus, enter the code "notsoidle20" and get......yup! you guessed it!! 20% off your order :)

How To Make Your Own Fabric Buttons..........and Tink Unearthed!!!!!

Yay!!! We found Tink!!!

And her friend Silvermist or "Sil" as my girls call her (That's what her nickname is on the movie, but it's still cute)

They had been stowed away in one of the drawers in the kids' craft table.......a place that we NEVER think of searching for lost things.

Not that it does me any good now, but it was really bugging me since we had searched so hard :)

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Now, I have gotten some inquiries about how to make fabric button, like the ones I used for these cute hair posies.

The great thing about these.....is they are SOOOOOO easy!!

This is what mine package looks like (except this is the refill package......just had refill buttons, not the white and blue thingy)

You can find the button kits anywhere that sells fabric and maybe at Michael's or other craft stores (I haven't looked to see yet)

This is what you will need to make one.....the kits come with several button sets and the white and blue thingy (sorry, don't know what to call them :) since you need those too.

You start by cutting a piece of fabric to size.....there is a pattern on the back as well as a diagram of how to make it in case you forget :)

Center the fabric over the hole on the white piece and then place the button on top (rounded side down).

Use the blue thingy to push it down into the white piece.

The excess fabric will then be sticking out......

.....Now tuck it all inside the button.

Place the back of the button on top (shank side up) and use the blue thingy to push it down till you hear it kinda "click" into place.

It should look kinda like this.

Now, pull the button outta the white thingy and..........

Ta~Da!!

You very own matching fabric button!!

these are SO easy to make and you can use them on all sorts of projects.

Like here!!!  I just took the shank off and made a push pin out of the button to match my cork board.

Have fun!!

P.S. I got an ouchy yesterday..... just shows that no matter HOW OFTEN you craft, you can still burn yourself on the glue gun :(

Hubby thought it was funny since I burned 4 of my fingers, but my thumb was the worst.

Ice Cream Man, Come Here!!!

Apparently my kids think they are deprived!
We hardly ever buy ice cream from the ice cream man (maybe once or twice in their lives).

I'm cheap AND it's SO terrible for them.

But here in SoCal.....the ice cream man comes year-round (except for when it's freezing cold and he knows there's NO WAY anyone is gonna buy ice cream)

So, a few weeks ago, When Maddie was off for Spring Break, since it was so warm, I had kicked sent them outside so I could get some stuff done inside.

Then, I saw Aislyn standing on the sidewalk and yelling something into the street. 

She was yelling: "Ice cream man.......come here!!!"

All the people in the cars driving by were giving her strange looks and then looking at our house as if to take note of where NOT to let their kids come play.....

Then, Maddie ran inside and a few minutes later went out again.

I had the front door open, so I could make sure no one snatched my kids, and when I peeked out next, I saw her parading around with a piece of paper attached to a popsicle stick  handwritten sign......

Apparently the yelling down the block wasn't garnering the results they had hoped for and Maddie had to resort to drastic measures.

I was almost in tears and sprinted back into the house to get my camera!!!

As I was taking pics, they kept asking me if I would call the ice cream man and tell him to come here.

Aislyn had a sign too, but I guess she got tired and decided to sit in the car and hold her sign up to the window.

Maddie was more persistent.

To be fair.....They had some $$ they had earned and I told them they could buy ice cream if he came by that day.......and since this was a SUPER rare thing for mom to let them do.......they wanted to make sure it happened.

BUT.....
.........sadly, even after all that, they didn't get their ice cream that day......and it just hasn't worked out since then :(

 There's always tomorrow.

Have fun!