DIY Girl

That is what I have become! I have recently been introduced to the etsy website, and I have fallen in LOVE with a lot of the things on there. I have also NOT fallen in love with some of the prices. There are so many cute things that I would love to get for Brynlee or me, but it's just way out of the budget. But do I just look and be sad that I can't have them? NO! I decide, "Hey, this looks easy enough. Let's try it!" (with a ton of help from my amazing grandma of course!). I made my own car seat cover (saw someone selling it on facebook, didn't want to pay $30 bucks for it. After deciding it can't be that difficult, we went to Joanne's and found fabric that I liked and got all of the pieces. I think it ended up costing my like $15 to make and I sewed it all by myself! (Except for the bows. I would have done them, but Brynlee came a little sooner than expected and we didn't have time to finish so grandma sewed them on while I was in the hospital and brought it to us!). I'm REALLY proud of that one.

This is how far I got it before Brynlee was born.

The finished product!

My next project with my grandma was making Brynlee's blessing dress. While I didn't actually make any of it, I picked out the fabrics, the design, and sat and watched my grandma make it. She is seriously pro. I could never do what she does! She is teaching me her ways though so maybe one day I will be that cool.

I am in LOVE with this fabric. It's so feminine and pretty! We cut out one of the flowers and that is what is on the top :)

Next we decided she should probably have some shoes to go with this beautiful dress. The problem is, my daughter has the skinniest, longest feet of all time. I can't even fit her in socks. So we found a pattern online and decided to make her a pair of little slippers. Apparently this is really hard because the fabric we were working with was so small to be able to fit her that you almost didn't even have enough to hold while sewing. I watched my grandma do this part (again, leave the important stuff for the pros) and tried to learn as much as I could about the process. They turned out SO CUTE! Even though she couldn't even keep them on long enough to be blessed in them, but they will look so cute hanging up next to her dress!

Just so you can see how SERIOUSLY tiny these things are!

This beading matches the waist band on the top.

Once that was over, I decided that I wanted another project. I found some fabric that I really really love and decided I was going to make a nursing cover out of it! That project isn't quite done yet, we just have the straps left to sew on, but I have sewed this one entirely by myself!! Even the pocket! It was still a team effort though, grandma did all the folding and ironing. She set me up for success :).

This is the point where I found etsy. I found these little baby sandals that I just had to have but they were $18 a pair!! Even though I really wanted to, I just couldn't justify spending that much on something so tiny. Then my grandma and I had an idea...we should make our own! They look so easy! And guess what...they were! And so cute! Once we finished making them, we figured out the cost per pair based on how much we spent on supplies, and they each came out to less than $3 a piece! 

Original found on etsy

Mine!

I designed these ones, just added another flower!

Original found on etsy

Mine!

Original found on etsy

Mine!

Original found on etsy

Mine!

And the matching headband :)





I am so happy with how these turned out!! I even have some leftover materials so I am going to make a matching bracelet for the light pink flip flop looking ones :)

As some of you may know, my sister is getting married in about 3 weeks! It's crazy! I am throwing her bridal shower (with a TON of help from my aunts Amy and Sherry and my grandma :) ). Her wedding is picnic themed so we are doing her shower sorta the same way. My first project for the shower was the invitations. I can't take much credit for them, my aunts designed them. What I can take credit for is cutting out every single little flag. There are 7 flags on each invitation and 45 invitations. For those who don't have a calculator sitting right next to them, that is 315 1/2" x 1/2" triangles. It was a TON of work but it went fairly quickly and they turned out adorable :).

My Next Few Projects:

I found these shower games on etsy. It's crazy though, they were being sold for $25 just for the pdf, not even for printing them. I was in shock. They can't be that hard right?? So I am going to use this one as a template and just make it myself.

This one was being sold for $20...still ridiculous.

We were going to make these bags instead of buy them because they were $45 for 50 bags plus shipping. We decided though that we are going to use a clear bag and then just make a tag like this to tie around it.

These water bottle wraps were $5 for 12 wraps. That is paying 2.50 for a piece of paper. I think not. So I am going to make these too :). They are perfect for Whit's picnic theme don't you think?

I want to make one of these to frame and put in Brynlee's room. I can use the colors of her crib and make it look so cute! This was being sold for $15 printed on a onesie. I bet I can make it for less than $5

If I don't do the picture frame, I would love to put it on a pillow case that matches her room. Somewhere, I WILL have this!!

I think these are so cute! The lady calls them pickled pajamas and she they are just a pair of rolled up baby jammies in a cute jar. This would be a perfect baby shower gift and it's just creative. They were being sold for $10.75 but I think I can make them for much cheaper.

I am in LOVE LOVE LOVE with this onesie. I think it would be adorable around Christmas time, but it is being sold for $30!! I bet I could find enough Christmas ribbon lying around, loop them up, and sew them on a onesie. 

I think Brynlee needs one of these. She looks exactly like Spencer did when he was a baby, and even like he looks now! Most of the onesies were being sold between $15 and $25. That's so nuts...

This onesie was being sold for $25. HOLY. SMOKES. I am going to make Brynlee one that says Daddy's little KNIGHTS fan and on the back it will say HON 51 because that is Hayden's number! She needs some gear to wear to the games!

If I can convince her, I would love to have my grandma show me how to make this dress for Brynlee. I think it is so stinking adorable and looks fairly simple. This was being sold for $47.

This little picture outfit looks so easy to make. It is just a satin diaper cover with lace sewed across the bum. I could even use that lace to make a matching headband. So simple! SO. Tell me why they are selling it for $16.50??? It takes next to no fabric.

This headband is so cute! Once Brynlee's head gets a little bit bigger, I am going to make her one like this. Sold for $10.50.

Lastly is this adorable peasant dress!! I am thinking of finding yellow chevron fabric and keeping the red bow and using it for Whit's wedding!! :) It's gonna be so cute and I want to try and sew as much as I can by myself. Selling for $27.50.

Maybe I'm crazy...I know that people charge for their time and stuff, but to make those bead shoes it took me all of 15 minutes!! And I made them for $2 a pair! That makes their labor $3.20 per MINUTE. Plus they still make you pay shipping. I just don't understand. I would rather just make it myself and gain some marketable skills! Grandma says she is domesticating me, and if that's what's happening, I'm all for it!! I love seeing the things that I make turn out and I LOVE being able to say that I made something. I am officially a Do It Yourself girl!!!!