ellebee

because wipes should be pretty too!

today i finally worked on a project i've been wanting to do for quite awhile now! i was really itching to do something to this plain ol' little disposable-travel-wipes case, which was so plain it was almost sad! i figure if it's something you're going to use every day, it might as well be pretty. i don't know, i guess there's something about that wide expanse of plain whiteness that makes me want to break out some paper and glue....

diaper wipes travel case tutorial

you will need:

• plain plastic travel wipes case
• scissors
• patterned cardstock (just a scrap!)
• a paintbrush
• pen or pencil
• decorative scrapbooking rub-ons
• something to scrape/rub your rub-ons with (although they usually come with a popsicle stick for that)
• modge podge or some kind of decoupage glue (i like to use matte perfect paper adhesive because it makes such a nice, pretty, non-sticky finish)

step one:
open the little circular wipe-dispensing part and trace around as much of it as you can. you may need to use the edge of the table to make it lay flat. mine had a slightly raised edge that if i pressed it down on the paper, it left a slight indented ring that i could use to complete the outline of the circle.

step 2:
cut out the oval and trim the edges a little at a time until it fits perfectly into the little opening. glue it into the spot with a light layer of glue/adhesive, being careful not to glue any part of the opening closed!

step 3:
cut out and arrange the rub-on shapes or letters without removing the backing yet. move them around and get the placement perfectly where you want it. you can even cut some of the designs apart & mix & match them. try it out a few different ways & make sure you like it.

step 4:
when you decide on the design you like best, remove the backings and scrape/rub carefully to get the design to transfer. know that it might take a lot of rubbing! what ended up working the best for me was to use the back of a slanted pen cap. very gently peeling back the paper the design is on as you go (careful not to rip/break the design though!) can also help.

step 5:
when it's all done and looks how you want it to, use the paintbrush to paint a light layer of the modge podge or adhesive over your design and over the paper circle in the middle, again, being careful not to glue closed any openings that make the case functional! after the first coat dries, you might want to add additional coats until the edges of the rub-ons feel smooth.

and done!

tuck it in your bag and get ready to hear "where did you get that?" every time you whip out your wipes on the go!

all in all, i spent about $7.50 on this project, here is the breakdown:
-$3.50 for the wipes case full of wipes (huggies- you can keep refilling it)
-$1.99 for each of the 2 sets of rub-ons (if you can get away with only using one set the cost here would be even less! i think a monogram would be super cute too)
-already had the glue, scissors, paintbrush, paper scrap, and adhesive.

craft epiphany!

why is it that i have yet to, until today, discover the ease, simplicity, and pure joy of fabric covered buttons? i don't remember at the moment what it was that inspired me to try making these little wonders (except perhaps these adorable clips or this enticing mix) but i have found one of those delicious craft epiphanies where you want to make stacks and stacks of something... and who cares if you don't know what to make with them yet?

i had so much fun i even got inspired to make a tutorial! it's so easy that really you don't need 7 steps, but i was having a blast, and i love a super-detailed tutorial... i hate it when you feel like you're missing a step!

fabric covered button tutorial:

step one: purchase an obscenely cheap button starter kit set and extra refill sets if you like (got mine at hobby lobby for $2.99 and $1.99 respectively. having a refill kit on hand is highly recommended- see step 7 for details ).the starter kit will have one blue plastic tool (pusher) and one white plastic tool (mold) and the refill kit is just the metal button backs and fronts. my starter kit also included fronts and backs for 4 buttons.

 

step 2: cut about 1.5 inch circles of the fabric you'd like to use. there is a pattern on the back of the package, but you can eyeball approximately how much you'll need based on the size of your button (these are 7/8 inch buttons that i used). think of all the scrappies of fabric you love that you'll no longer have to waste!

 

step 3: center your fabric circle right-side down over the white plastic mold, and gently hold it taut with one hand. with the other hand, put your button top (the smooth side down) on your fabric circle and push gently down into the mold, making sure the edges all stick out around the button top like a little skirt.

  

 

step 4: now you're ready to add the little button back. if you plan to glue the finished button onto something, you'll want to pinch the little metal loop off with some pliers at this point. if you plan to sew the buttons onto things, make sure you keep the loops!

 

step 5: make sure all the edges of your fabric are tucked carefully under the flat button back (loop side up), and center the button back over the white plastic tool. you'll want to push the button back in until you hear a slight snap, either using the blue plastic tool or with your thumb (or a pen cap or any other tubular item that suits you). when it's all the way snapped, the button back should go all the way into the white plastic tool until the fabric edges are visible.

 

step 6: turn the white tool over and pop the button out like you would play dough out of a mold. you have a button!

  

  

step 7: squeal with glee and imagine all the lovely things you want to attach them to! immediately make 10 more...

a new craft, too!

i've shied away from pmc (precious metal clay) in the past, but this just seems too cool to not at least try! pmc is like clay that you can stamp, sculpt, and squish back together if you mess up and to keep from wasting the scraps. after you fire it (like pottery), the binders that make it clay-like burn off, and you're left with something like 99.9% fine silver, better than sterling!

i found a great tutorial video to walk me through it, and i can't wait to try this when i get everything organized in the new studio! i've got lots of new ideas for ellebee studio, and will probably end up completely revamping the jewelry selection by september or so (at least that's my hope!). i'd also like to extend the "nesting" section to include more coasters and other fun stuff, and hopefully to really get petite bee going and possibly even extend that into it's own etsy shop! additionally, if i can get enough money saved up, there's the potential to purchase a space in a marketplace co-op here in wake forest, which is definitely my long term goal! that one may have to wait until after i get settled with the baby, though. i've got lots of ambitious plans in the works, now all i need is the time and organization skills to pull them off!

Diaper Cake!

i'm still absorbed in all things baby over here... we had our first ultrasound last week, and now are waiting the excruciating 3 or 4 more weeks or so until we can find out our baby's gender. i need, i need to know whether i should be crafting in pink or blue! because i leave it in the bathroom all the time, i'm about halfway through a second reading of what to expect when you're expecting and am seriously thinking it might be time for some non-baby fun reading.

in the meantime, i found this fabulous tutorial for a diaper cake that i had to share! it's very detailed and turned out absolutely beautiful! she also used the martha stewart pattern for those gorgeous pink coffee filter roses, which she also included a tutorial for. And to top it all off, she included pictures of the unbelievably beautiful tea party baby shower that she made both of them for!

be sure to check out her blog, homemade by jill, to see the other lovely craftiness she's up to!






my new favorite fabulous little bit of inspirational eye-candy to check out is oh joy! for beautiful styles and designs for home, clothing, jewelry, and other fun stuff! she posts pictures in that beautiful blog-collage style that i love.

in other fascinating news, i have a new job! i will finally be escaping my local target and rejoining the "real" workforce as an office manager for a dental school! if you love target (as most of us do) don't ever work there, it will ruin it for you. i used to always wonder if you worked at an ice-cream shop would you eventually grow to hate ice-cream, impossible though it may seem? well, the answer for me was yes, and i'll be incredibly happy for this new job to start on monday so that target can go from a place i love to shop and hate to work back to just a place i love to shop!

no-sew monogram!

i've lived in the south for almost 20 of my 24 years, so of course i grew up with the concept that nice girls have all their possessions monogrammed. (why? i don't know) but it's definitely a big deal around here, especially through the high school and college years. i can't remember a single girl in high school that didn't have one of those sterling silver monogrammed rings  (if you grew up in raleigh, you'll know exactly what i'm talking about!). another thing that was popular when i was in college at nc state was carrying an l.l. bean tote as your book bag. i, of course, got mine in nc state red and dutifully had it monogrammed.

before:

now when you fast forward a few years and get married, all these monograms become somewhat of an issue. the silver ring can be buffed down and re-monogrammed with your new initials, but what to do with the rest? you don't want to throw away a perfectly functional tote just because it has the wrong monogram! i even considered taking a red sharpie and drawing a little permanent line between the "d" to make it a "b" to reflect my new last name. then i got an ingenious idea from a great crafting blog to use heat n bond to make an applique! basically, you iron it onto the back of the fabric, cut out whatever shape you'd like, and iron it on!

after:

the heat n bond basically turns it into a big sticker you just stick on and iron- no sewing required! i think i'll use a little clear-drying washable fabric glue around the edges though to keep it from fraying (normally you would sew around the edges to prevent this). it's so easy now i'm wondering what other shapes i could make and what things i could "stick" them to!

thinking christmas yet?

if you're planning ahead enough to actually make some of your christmas gifts by hand this year and need some ideas, inspiration, and maybe a few detailed photo tutorials to tell you how to do it, i highly recommend checking out the sew, mama, sew! blog. the ladies over there have put together an incredible handmade gift-making guide... not just one gift idea for each day through november, but one gift theme each day with multiple gift ideas! my favorite so far is november 16th, gifts for the crafter (mostly because i really want to make myself a roll-up keeper for my crochet needles. shame shame! i'm supposed to be making gifts for others). but there are tons of ideas for several types of recipients that are probably on everybody's list (ie: crafty things, baby things and clothes for the kiddos, super-organizational things, and home decor things). there are direct links to the tutorials, most of which are super detailed and have step-by-step directions and photos, which is good for me. if i see pictures i can generally figure things out or flub my way through it, but if i have to read instructions i'll just glaze over them and never really understand what they're saying (cough cough **visual learner** cough cough).

even if you're not planning to make them in time for christmas, it is a good reference to have some great tutorials all gathered up for you. i've posted two of my favorites below on the left hand side under "patterns and tutorials" for my own future reference, the book cover and the dishtowel potholder. enjoy!