Turn old Leg Warmers into Pants in under 15 minutes!

I have been itching to do today's craft for a long time and just kept putting it off for other things.  I don't know why I did this though because the entire project took only 15 minutes- start to finish!  And honestly, that was with me stopping to take photos so it's probably even quicker than that.  I absolutely *love* the finished product.

So here's the story.  I had these amazingly adorable little leg warmers that I never wore (because I'm not cool enough to pull them off).  I couldn't bare to sell them and have kept them around FOR YEARS waiting to find some way to re-purpose them.  When my little guy came along I decided that I would use them to make lounge pants for him.  It was perfect!  Pants are basically just two legs, which is exactly what two leg warmers are (I know, that was such a smart statement- ha!)

Depending on the fabric of your leg warmers, the size may differ but with no extra cutting down my leg warmers made pants for my (on the short side) one and a half year old.  If you want a smaller size, use the same instructions just cut it down a little.

{Seriously though, those leg warmers are totes cute aren't they?}

All it takes is SIX easy steps.  This post includes a lot of photos to help you along the way but it's super easy.

Step 1: Measure your pants.

Using an existing pair of pants, figure out how long the leg needs to be.  Place a pin on the leg warmer at the same spot as the groin where the two legs meet.  I used two different pairs of pants just to double-check the fit.  Both pairs had the groin seam (is there a better name for this?) in the same spot which is always reassuring!

Repeat on both leg warmers.


Step 2: Cut your opening.

Going from the pin that you marked, cut a straight line all the way up to the top of the leg warmer.  If they had a string running through the top like mine did, remove the string and cut the leg warmers with the hole at the cut.  This isn't of top importance but when you go to fold it down and re-string it as pants you wont have a random hole on the inside giving you trouble.

Repeat with both leg warmers.


Step 3: Pin the two leg warmers together and sew!

Don't forget to turn your fabric inside out before pinning.  If you have a design that needs matched together, now is the time to carefully line those up.  If you look at photos later in this post you will see that I neglected to do that on the back of the pants (arg! so frustrating) and was able to correct it by the time I got to the front.

Use your judgement on whether or not your fabric needs more reinforcement.  I thought this would be the case for mine but one straight stitch at 1/2 inch held strong!


Step 4: Measure the top of the pants/Make a casing.

Once finished sewing, turn it right side out again.  Hey... they actually kind of look like pants now!

Next, bring in your previously owned pants and figure out where the waist needs to be in relation to the split at the legs.

Fold the fabric down into the inside of the pants.  Sew another straight stitch along the entire waist at roughly 1 inch below the fold (where the dotted white lines are above).  If you want to make it fancy with a double needle, that looks very professional but if you don't really care (like myself) one stitch will get the job done.

If you are folding down several inches, cut some off before sewing.  Just make sure you still have enough left for the stitching to "grab" both layers 1 inch down.  This is going to be the casing for your drawstring.


Step 5:  Cut a hole for the drawstring.

On each side of the center seam on the front side of the pants, cut a small hole for your drawstring to come through (1 on each side, 2 total).

Step 6: Insert the drawstring.

Depending on your fabric you might want to add some fabric fray to keep the holes from getting bigger after wearing/washing.

Yea, I forgot to do this before inserting my drawstring.  I could have just taken it out but the babe was awake and trying to "help" so I didn't have time to dawdle.  Learn from my mistakes.

Use a safety pin on the end of your drawstring to make running it through the casing easier.  I used the leftover string that I took out of the leg warmers but your local craft/fabric store will have some as well.  You may sew up the ends if you like or you can simply tie the ends in a knot.

That's it!  So easy and such a fast project.  I kind of wish I had kept more of my old legwarmers around (not like the kid needs any more clothes!)

Because leg warmers are made of a stretchy material, these pants can stretch over little one's bottom without having to angle your pieces at all!

...and since the bottoms of leg warmers are already finished, these pants have a crisp cuff at the ankle that we never even had to make!  Gotta love projects that practically do themselves.

I love them too buddy.  Thanks for helping me keep this adorable fabric around just a little longer.

Happy Crafting,
Kelsie Ann

Silikids Review + $50 Gift Package Giveaway!

I'm ashamed to say it, but we throw away a LOT of trash in our house.  We try hard to recycle and since our toddler has become more picky (is that the right word?- he liked it 2 hours ago) we are starting back up with a compost pile (will he love it tonight?  Will we throw it all away?  Who knows...)  That's why I LOVE products that help us leave a little smaller footprint on our earth.

[Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one or more of the products mentioned in this post for free from the Silikids company to try out.  However, all opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.  Giveaway items are from the Silikids company and are not in exchange for a positive review.]

In comes Silikids- a company that creates products from... (did you guess it by their name?)  SILICONE!  "The Silikids mission is to be the alternative to plastic, bridge the gap between great design and affordability and improve the way we live!" As a sidenote from me, Silicone is also easy to clean and super fun (hello- you can draw on it!)

I tried out 3 different products from this company:

Silimap 
The first time I saw this I was in love. If you've been around this blog for long (or if you came over from our most popular post: DIY Photo Map) you might have guessed that our family likes to travel. What you may not know is that we love to take driving trips. Our favorite vacation ever was following historic Route 66 with (I swear to you...) literal HAND DRAWN maps that were not to scale and wonderfully imperfect. I love maps. I love feeling the paper in my hands as I unfold the roads ahead of me. I also love anything with states on it and am really digging this new trend of state pride apparel (I still need to get an Indiana love shirt!) So you can only guess that I had to have this map for my son.

 It also comes in this awesome container.  Yea, I'm excited about a container because (1) Kids love containers and this has become a favorite play toy for my son and (2) It's awesome for storing things on the go.  You can fit this map plus some spoons plus a bib inside of it, pop on the lid and toss in your bag.  Just FYI in case you want to make life easier.

Usually though I just fold up the map, toss it in my diaper bag and go.  The silimap actually folds up like a real map- so.stinking.cute.

Because it's silicone, your kiddos can draw on it with marker and it (very easily) wipes clean.

 As you may notice, my son is still a little young to understand the whole coloring concept.  Luckily in our home, we believe that making messes is a critical part of learning.

I'll admit, this product is not being used to it's full potential.  I think it would be better geared towards a slightly older child (my son is 1 and a half) but I am still glad that I have it now so we can start integrating it into his routine.

 Plus, if you fold it in half it really mutes the noise when your toddler bangs the salt and pepper on the table.  We use it for this purpose almost every single time we are out and about.  Maybe he will be a musician...

I can't wait until my son really gets into coloring on it, moving around snacks into the different states or (as I saw on the Silikids Instagram page) sticking stickers on it.  Why didn't I think of that?  He loves stickers!

He does seem to love it already though...

Next, I tried out the Siliskin Reusable Snack Bags

My favorite thing about these is that you can write on them. Remember me saying that we throw a lot of food away? It's not just because my toddler changes his mind on what he likes. No... it's also because I forget when I made leftovers and am too scared to try and eat it yet still keep it in the fridge for tomorrow- just in case I decide it isn't old after all (I'll let you in on a secret- I always throw it out). I've considered painting the lids on all our tupperware dry erase so I can put the date on everything.

Silikids did something to help fix this problem. These little bags are great for storing leftovers and you can write on them with marker! I like to write what is inside them as well, but even if you didn't they have a little peek through window so you can see what you put inside.

{I like to write on mine with washable Sharpie marker which comes off in the dishwasher, but regular washable markers work great too!}

 

They stand up on their own once food is inside them, are dishwasher safe (always a win in my book) and are microwave safe so you can heat your food up without switching containers.

They come in a 2-pack and lay flat for easy storage. I am hoping they come out with a "mini" version someday because I rarely every fill mine full. I could have an entire refrigerator filled with these bags. (As you can see from my photo above, I use a lot of mini containers). Even at their current size though, they are skinny so they don't take up much space at all!

The only problem with these is that the top doesn't create a tight seal. That's fine for regular storage but if you happen to put strawberries in them and put it inside your diaper bag, prepare yourself to be cleaning red juice off of everything (go ahead, ask me how I know.) Oh well, lesson learned.

Silispoons 
Lastly, we tried out Silispoons. Have I mentioned that these names are just fun to say?

I'll be honest- I wasn't really in the market for a new spoon. My son has several kinds of spoons that he seems to use just fine (and he mostly uses his hands anyways) but was given these to try out. I will admit that they are very different from the others that we own. For starters, the head of the spoon is shaped like a shovel so it helps little ones to... well, shovel their food. It does seem to do that.

 
What I do like about the shape though is how deep it is.  We have some spoons that are very flat and food falls right off of them.  The handle is kind of big too.  My little guy is small for his age (sorry kid- small parents) but has a little bit of trouble holding onto the spoon where it is widest.  He does like to hold it at the very end and push it forward though.  Hey, whatever works!

Lastly, the handle is made with textured silicone "bumps" to stimulate tactile experience but also to help when those poor little teeth are coming in!  Since we've been teething for eternity for a while now, this seems to be the real winner when it comes to these spoons.

Not convinced? In comparison to plastic, silicone is:
- Always BPA free
- Always DEHP free
- Hypo-Allergenic
- Inert
- Resistant to High Temperature
- Dishwasher safe
- Microwave safe
- Freezer safe
- Does not harbor bacteria

[Overall, I love what this company is doing in terms of reducing waste and coming up with cute, innovative products.  I think some of the products will be used more as my son gets older, but I plan to keep these items in use in our home now and for as long as he uses them.  Just don't be upset when your 1 year old doesn't care about learning his states yet...]


Want to try it for yourself?

Enter to WIN a $50 Gift Package of Silikids products!

*There are FIVE ways to enter, so be sure to open up all your options.  Some can be done daily as well, so come back each day to enter!
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Crafting,
Kelsie Ann 

Scrapbook Layout for B&W Photos or Detail Shots

Two weeks ago I posted about wanting to get caught up on my scrapbook, especially since my little guy is a year and a half old and I'm still not done with his birth photos- eek!  Because of that, I wanted to share with you one of my all time favorite scrapbooking spreads.  These photos were taken when my son was less than 10 days old by Hartsough Photography (that's her facebook page- go show her some love).  I wanted to hang these photos on the wall in a collage but I also wanted to have them in a scrapbook.  I'm so glad I did.

I hope this simple but stunning layout will inspire you to  scrapbook your own black and white photos and/or detail shots.  Black and white photos are often difficult to use because we can get "stuck" using matching papers and decorations and end up with all black/white pages.  Creating a spread with a large number of photos (like you may have in "detail" shots of baby or wedding) can seem overwhelming and leave us with pages full of pictures and no "design".  This layout solves both of these problems...

and it's just so lovely...

Here are a few easy tips for creating this look.

1. Pick a subtle background in the "sort of close to white" category.  I used a creme/nude color with a faint floral design.  You don't want this to be your splash of color but you do want to have something outside of a solid white or black so that your photos stand out.

2. Pick a splash of color.  I chose a light blue because it stood out (without being gaudy) and it's perfect for my sweet baby boy.

3. On your first page include:  A large title that stands out, a "main focus" photo (I chose a black and white shot that showed his entire body since the rest of the photos were detail shots) and another photo if you still have space.

I've always wanted to frame a photo through the middle of a picture (is there a name for this?) but have never been able to make it work- either because my focus takes up the entire photo or because there was too much "background" for a frame to look right.  This photo was perfect and I love how it turned out! 

4. On the second page, make the focus the photos but keep it clean.  Using squares and rectangles, I filled the page with photos and papers in slightly different sizes that lined up in even rows.

5. Make sure to include a spot for a story explaining your photos.  If the pictures are self-explanatory, don't forget details like date, time and location!  You might remember it now but will you in 20 years?  I wrote a brief letter to my son describing our feelings the first time we saw him; how we fell in love with all his little details from the moment we met.


6. Lastly, include some sort of decoration.  I recommend making it fit in the square shape as much as possible to keep the shape.  I created this one with my Silhouette by simply typing up the words I wanted to use and trying to connect the letters as much as possible (because it looks neat and because it's less tiny pieces I have to glue on separately!)  Those words describe the pictures and all the little things we love about him.  It doesn't have to be fancy to make a big statement, especially on a page like this.

That's it!  Following these 6 simple steps you can create a crisp and clean yet warm and lovely scrapbook layout that brings out the beauty of black and white photos and displays a multitude of pictures without losing the design element.  I hope you enjoyed this post.  I would love to see the spreads you have created and always appreciate your comments!  Now, onto the other million photos I've taken of him...

Happy Crafting,
Kelsie Ann

Decorating Tips #6 & #7 {Collage Poster and Shelving Tips}

Oh my goodness, I am being bitten by the crafting bug BAD.  I don't know if it's the eminent spring time coming (although I do love a snowy winter!) or the fact that we've been on the nursery series since the new year or just because I'm feeling like I haven't created anything truly new in a long time but I NEED. TO. CREATE.

{Even little man wants to craft}

Whew... anyone else feeling this way?  I also set a "New Years Resolution" of sorts for myself to get caught up on my scrapbook.  I've decided to work on our wedding scrapbook later (it's fair to say I'm already behind on it.  We will be married 4 years this summer) and instead catch up on my son's scrapbook spreads before I start to forget all the sweet little details.  It does make me feel a little better than my mom is still working on pages from my childhood but not that much better because- well... the apple doesn't fall far from the tree (sorry mom!)  Needless to say, I'm feeling the crunch on that project as well.

So here is the deal.  I'm finishing up this nursery series in the next two posts (this one and the next) and starting on some new crafty crafts.  That's right, crafty crafts.  I'm excited to get back into the swing of things and get some new stuff made!  Whose with me?  I said... WHOSE WITH ME?!

Decorating Tips from our Nursery
Because I promised to share these ideas but because I'm getting crafty-anxious, I'm including several in this post.  Don't worry, they are all easy to do so you won't need a lengthy tutorial.  Enjoy!

"Magazine Style" Collage

Remember cutting out photos from your favorite magazines and putting them together in a collage?  It's the same idea but instead of snipping out pics of your favorite teen hearthrobs, cut out photos in the theme of your nursery (or whatever room you are decorating!).  This decor was a gift from my crafty sister-in-law and I love it so much!  She included different scenes from the Peter Rabbit story, plus a "Title" across the top.

This would be so easy to do with any theme- even with photos of scenery you like, places you have been or just general photos that make you happy!  Imagine one in the craft room with "crafty" images like fun scrapbook papers, plus pictures of scissors, hot glue gun, etc. or inspirational crafts!

Simple Ways to Decorate Shelves

I asked my husband to build two shelves on the wall because I felt like the space needed something there and because we needed a place to set all the random pieces of decor (such as blocks, china and display books).  With a few simple pieces, this space was used to not only house these items but to display them in the room.

We also have about 5 bins full of books- but that's a whole other story.

Add themed decor.  My mom made these wood blocks for my son and they are so pretty I wanted to display them.  What a simple way to show off the theme and nothing says "baby" like blocks!

Just behind the blocks is a Peter Rabbit china set from when I was a baby!

Tie in as many pieces as you have to create one larger theme.

{Once my son realized this *talking* Peter Rabbit doll was up there, it was no longer a decoration.  He loves to cuddle him!}

Signs take up a bigger amount of space and are perfect if you wanted something in that spot without adding another shelf.  I had my husband hang the shelves one higher than the other and then hung this sign from the higher one.  It created a more unique visual display than straight shelving and of course- it's Peter Rabbit themed!  (That's the first line from the story)  It's just painted wood with vinyl lettering.

As an easy last touch- add a simple vase with matching colored stems, flowers, etc.  We stuck with lots of green and beige/brown (Peter Rabbit color!) with accents of creme to pull in the wall color ["sugar cookie"]

If you still have some items you want to display, carry it on to tops of dressers as well!  Here we have a special book with his photo in it, his baby book, more china, etc.

Your Turn!
All it takes are a few simple steps to create a beautiful room with minimal effort (and cost!)  Starting from scratch can be difficult but hopefully you have found some helpful tips during this nursery series.  Head over to this post for last week's decorating tip.  Come back next week for our final nursery post on how to MAKE YOUR OWN changing table (with compartments!) out of an old desk!

Happy Crafting,
Kelsie Ann

Free Printables + b.box review & GIVEAWAY!

Whew!  The "construction" going on here at Cut, Craft, Create is (for the most part) complete and things are finally getting back into their normal patterns.  After you're finished with this post, please take a look around and let me know what you think.  We now have tabs to help you find what you are looking for faster and easier (excuse the "About Me" tab, it seems to have a glitch- I'm still working on it!).  I also need to go through all my old posts and re-label them to sort them in these tabs.  Because of this, check back over the next week or so to make sure you catch all the projects that are supposed to fall in those categories.  We also have a new design/color scheme.  What are your thoughts?

Now... onto the good stuff.  Thanks for letting me destroy and rebuild the blog over this last week and for being patient with me.  While working on this, I didn't work on a new craft but did want to offer you some FREE Printables and a GIVEAWAY of one of my new favorite companies.

[Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one or more of the products mentioned in this post for free from the b.box company to try out.  However, all opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.  Giveaway items are from the b.box company and are not in exchange for a positive review.]

b.box 
I was recently introduced to this company and I asked to revue the following products:
1. Sippy cup
2.Snack Pack

Sippy Cup
I'm always on the hunt for a good sippy cup.  My son is so rough with his cups and it's hard to find one that doesn't leak/spill, is easy to hold, and doesn't restrict the flow of water too much (he loves to take big drinks and some cups are frustrating!)

This {award winning!} cup is made with an innovative weighted straw so that babe can drink to the very last drop!  I hadn't even thought about that but looking back at our other straw cups, there was always water in the bottom that the straw couldn't reach.  Better reach means having to fill the cup less!  I've had friends with kids ask me about this cup and comment about how they've never seen anything like it!  The weighted end falls to the bottom no matter what direction the cup is tilted- cool huh?

{I realize that it looks like the cup is tilted to the right and the straw isn't.  That's my "creative" photo skills- ha!  The cup is flat.}

The top of the straw has a + shaped opening which closes back up when babe isn't drinking from it.  That means less spill (especially when your kiddo likes to turn it upside down and shake it... go ahead, ask me how I know).  Even though the straw is skinny, my son has no trouble getting enough water out of it when he drinks, which makes my water-loving-babe very happy.

My only concern is proper cleaning.  Straw cups always make me nervous because it's hard to really get in there and clean it.  Right now we only put water in it but I still wonder.  The great thing about this cup is that it's dishwasher safe and the company makes replacement straws & cleaning tool so I feel a whole lot better about it than I do with most other sippy cups!

The last part that I love love love is the lid.  It screws onto the cup so it STAYS ON (!!!) Oh, pardon my excitement.  My little guy is super into throwing things.  It's our one real battle right now (well, that and sitting during meals) and I can't count the number of times he has thrown a cup and the lid pops right off- spilling water everywhere.  That doesn't happen with this cup.  The lid also slides closed so I can easily shut it and toss it into the diaper bag or my son can slide it open to pop the straw out.  Lastly, the lid has 2 handles that stick out the side, making it easy for little ones to hold while drinking or while walking around.  That's important you know, because we must be able to hold our teddy bear and our sippy cup and scoot around on our tractor all at the same time.

Snack Pack
Now onto this little helper!  Kids (or adults if you are like me) always seem to be snacking.  It's hard to be "out and about" without stopping for a snack break between meals. It can get expensive (and often results in unhealthy options) to always run through a drive through for a snack.  This little snack container is awesome.  Since I've received this product, I have used it literally every time we've gone out, and many times at home!

Here's why I like it:
First, it has two separate compartments.  I like to bring a couple different snacks for a little variety and let's be fair- toddlers can be picky every now and then. (ha!) I used to pack several mini-containers but this is way easier.  The two compartments are connected and the lid covers both sections at the same time.

{This was ours the other day as we were waiting on lunch.  Yes, Mr. Alligator had to come along}

Secondly, it has a silicone bottom that prevents it from slipping around.  Oh, and it's also just really neat looking... but I'm sure the no-slipping thing is more important.  I love the green color on ours!

It also comes with a spoon in case you are traveling with a snack like applesauce or leftovers.  The spoon fits right into the lid so you wont lose it- what a neat design!

Some of our favorite combinations are:
Quesadilla bites + Grapes
Cheese + fruit (blueberries, strawberries and apples taste great with cheese!)
Dip (like hummus) + strips of toast or veggies

Everything I've shared is dishwasher safe.  That's a biggie for me because if I can't wash it in the dishwasher then it's probably going to stay dirty somewhere in our house (gross but true).

New Stuff

I'm so glad I've been introduced to this company- they have such neat innovative products!  At the end of this month (February) they have three new items coming out: (1) bowl & straw (2) divided plate (3) cutlery set.

This bowl & straw is made so that little ones can drink up liquids (such as soup) and then use the spoon to finish what's left at the bottom.  It also comes with a "snack" lid so that you can use the same container to carry snacks around on-the-go!  Lastly, it comes with a closed lid so that you can store any leftovers without getting a new container.  3-in-1 means less dishes.  That = great for busy mamas and papas.

The divided plates are made with silicone sides for easy grip and three compartments to keep food separate.  My kid dips everything into everything else, but I know some kiddos who hate having their food touch- this would be perfect for them!  I think this would be great for teaching portions as well.

I'm most excited about this cutlery set.  The fork is made with 3 prongs sort of in a circle and the spoon is made to not only use as a spoon but to help babe scoop food onto the fork as well.  I love how this company comes up with such unique designs for their products.  I will definitely be trying these out soon!

Stay tuned for these items to go live on their website.  Click the individual links above to see more or just head over to bboxbaby.com to check out all their products.


Want Your Own?
Of course you do... these products are so cool!  Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win your very own sippy cup & snack pack.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Free Printables Too!
Thanks for hanging tight while I revamped the blog.  As a special thanks, here is a quote that struck me this week in a few different designs.  Sized to fit in an 8x10 frame.  Enjoy!

Click HERE to download

Click HERE to download (white background)

Click HERE to download (white background)

Click HERE to download (transparent background- print on any color paper)

Happy Crafting,
Kelsie Ann