Getting Creative

Last week I was featured on Small Fry & Co. as a part of her Unsong Creative Mom Week. It was such an honor and I feel blessed to have had that opportunity. Here's the post I wrote:

I have to start by saying that I have been following Small Fry& Co for awhile now and find her to be an incredibly talented and crafty lady. So to be featured here for being creative feels like such an honor! 

Now that I have gotten the gushing out of the way, let me tell you a little about myself. As a stay at home mom of 3 boys ages 4, 3 and 10 months, blogging is one of my favorite outlets. I like to use my blog Chrystal's Corner to write about everything from parenting, to recipes we are trying, to the great deals I am finding. I especially like to share my craft projects. I mostly create things for my kids or my nieces as I find kids crafts to be so much fun. Plus, kids are so appreciative when it comes to homemade gifts.

What I love most about crafting is taking an idea that started in my head and making it come to life. So often these ideas come to me at the most random times. In the past year between the end of pregnancy and taking care of a baby, I have spent many a night awake at all hours. I have found myself using that quiet time to brainstorm.

Sometimes the projects I create are for a specific occasion, be it a birthday, a baby shower or a Christmas present. Here are some examples:

One of my boys' birthday invitations

A nursing cover for a friend's first baby

A tutu for my niece

A present for my husband's birthday from our sons

Sometimes what I make is for the purpose of re-using something I have laying around the house:

Turning broken crayons into new crayons

Making an old frame into a wipe-off weekly menu board

Re-purposing old CDs

Formula can turned into a centerpiece

Bamboo place mat transformed into a wall hanging

Whatever the project, whatever the occasion, whatever the material it feels good to create! I love knowing that I can take an idea and make it come to life. And isn't there just something so special about a handmade gift or a piece in your home that you crafted yourself? I hope some of these projects have inspired you to spend some time getting in touch with your creative side.

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Making Bean Bags

Let the 1st birthday related posts begin! We are going pretty low key when it comes to presents, seeing as he is only turning 1 and his brothers already own 75% of the toys on this planet. I did want one of his gifts to be homemade. I have been so good about doing that for my niece and for other friends and family but not so much with my own boys. So I decided to make him some bean bags...nice and easy but lots of fun for a 1 year old!

What you need:
~ Fabric
~ Beans. I used small white beans (no really, that's the name on the bag!) and it took about 7 1/2 cups worth.
~ Something to cut with
~ Something to sew with

Let's get started:
You'll want to start by cutting squares out of the fabric(s) of your choice. I wanted 10 bean bags made from 5 different colored pieces of fabric so I cut 4 5inx5in squares out of each piece of fabric for a total of 20 squares. I used a rotary cutter just because it made cutting nice and easy but good ol' fashion scissors work just as well:

I decided to make my bean bags a different color on each side so I matched up my color combinations and begin pinning squares together (the right side of the fabrics should be touching):

Now to begin sewing. You could easily do this project by hand but it is of course much faster if you have a sewing machine. You are going to want to sew along 3 sides of your square, leaving one side open so you can fill them:

Flip your square right side out and fill it with beans. I used 3/4 a cup, you can adjust that based on how full you want your beanbags:

You ready to finish 'er up? Fold down the open side and pin it shut. Then sew across the top and voila...you have yourself a beanbag!

I love this project because it took minimal time and very few materials. I am hoping that Isaiah loves them as much as I do!

Aren't they pretty?

If you are wanting something a little more elaborate, check out these counting bean bags.

This project was featured over at The Happy Housewife, Attempting Aloha, and Play Pennies:

Re-purposing Old CDs

 Awhile back someone on my Facebook posted this link that had a fun idea for re-purposing old CDs. I loved it so much I sat down and did it that afternoon! With the holiday craziness I am just now getting around to posting it, but it has been done for a few weeks. I had all of these items on hand so this made for an easy project and it looks really great when it's done. When I was pregnant with my first two boys, I painted wooden letters that spelled their names and strung them above their cribs.  I hadn't gotten around to doing anything like that for Isaiah yet so I decided to make this project for his room. So far I haven't punched holes in them but they are propped on his shelf and still look really good. Here's how mine turned out:

First I traced the CDs onto some card stock in the colors I wanted

Added some modge podge to CD, covered both sides with card stock, modge podged again to add letters

Finished project - Plain but cute!

This post was featured on Thrifty Northwest Mom:


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