Just Jen

Easy Last Minute Teacher Gifts

If you're like me, the end of the school year sneaks up on you. And it gets CRAZY busy...or maybe it's just me that gets crazy... This week I needed teacher gifts QUICK. But still I wasn't willing to just phone it in with a candle or something I picked up in a hurry at Target.

 

Then I came across these super cute cups - $1.99 each. WINNER. I filled them with tropical starburst and jelly beans. The jelly beans help to fill in the gaps between the wrapped candy. I only used the white, red, orange, yellow, and pink jelly beans so the colors would match. Then I ate ALL the black ones, because I am the only weirdo on the planet that actually likes black jelly beans.

Here's a little trick for filling the treat bags - Start out filling just the bottom of the bag with a little bit of the candy, then drop it in the glass and finish filling it to the top. If you try to fill the bags up first, you'll have a really hard time getting it back down into the cup. Give it a shake to get everything to settle. Then close the top with a twist tie and finish off with a tulle bow.

I made cardstock tags and hot glued the gift card envelope directly to the card. Then, to make it a little more personal, I added my kids' favorite happy hour drinks. Tie it on with the twine and DONE. Super quick, super easy, and at less than $10 each, super easy on the wallet.

Have fun, and HAPPY SUMMER!

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Mini Birdseed Wreath Tutorial

Mother's Day is in just a few days, and this year I decided to make little gifts for all the moms on our block. After all, they've all watched my kids at some point... It takes, a village, ya know? These are simple to make, but it does take a little planning ahead. You don't want to try to start these on Saturday night.

I followed This Moment is Good's recipe and tutorial for the birdseed mixture, and it worked really well for me. I used this mini bundt mold for the wreaths. The silicone makes it really easy to pop them out once they set up. I let them sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes before removing them from the mold, then I let them dry out on the counter for about 48 hours. You don't want to rush this part, or they could fall apart on you. Be patient! (Just like mom ;) Once they're all dried out, you are ready for the fun part!

What You'll Need:

tulle (or ribbon - you don't want to use rope or wipe because it will cut through the wreath)
scissors
hot glue gun
bird seed wreaths (see tutorial)
artificial flowers

Cut the tulle into 36" lengths. Cut a piece of cardboard about 9" long (taller if you want a bigger loop to hang from). Tie the tulle in a bow around the cardboard, trim the ends of the tulle, and slide off.

Insert the loop end of the tulle through the BACK of the wreath.

Pull the loop all the way through the hole so the bow end is near the back of the wreath. Take the loop up and over the top of the wreath, thread it back through under the bow, and (gently!) pull to snug everything up.

You should end up with the hanging loop caught under the bow facing the front on the top of the wreath.

Finally, hot glue your flowers on top of the knot in the bow to finish it off. I clustered 2 hydrangea blooms on each of mine, but you can use any flower you'd like. Done! They are ready to give away. Happy birds + happy mommas = Mother's Day success!

Wood bead t-shirt necklace

Jack has a few special friends that we made (ok, I made...) these cute necklaces for as Valentines. It's never to early to start training him that girls love to get jewelry on Valentine's Day...right?

Here's how to do it:

Paint wooden beads with acrylic craft paints and spray them with a clear acrylic sealer when dry.

Cut a 1.5" wide strip horizontally (so it will have some stretch) across the bottom of a white t-shirt. (You'll want to cut off the bottom hem of the tee first and then cut your strip. ) You'll end up with a big loop.

Cut into the loop so you end up with one long strip.

Center the first bead in the middle of the strip. Knot the fabric on each side to hold it in place.

Add the remaining beads to each side, knotting as you go.

Tie a simple double knot at the top to close it, and done!

Of course, we had to make one for little sister, too!

Valentine Crochet Heart Tee

I've been crocheting a lot of little hearts and flowers lately - mostly for little headbands and clips for sweet little heads. I was wandering down the yarn aisle at Hobby Lobby last night in search of the perfect yarn for Valentine hearts, and came across this. I thought it would be fun to use it to make a larger heart and applique it on a tee for Andie.

I wanted the heart to be a little wobbly and imperfect, and this yarn was definitely perfect for that with all its thicks and thins. I followed this crochet pattern for the heart, then I laid it on the tee where I wanted it to end up and sketched around it with my black Sharpie fabric marker to add something fun and unexpected. (Have I mentioned how much I love my Sharpie fabric markers?) Then I pinned the heart in place, turned the tee inside out and stitched the heart down by hand so the thread would be hidden. This was a really quick, easy project that turned out almost as cute as the little sweetie that gets to wear it!

Crochet Beaded Necklace Tutorial

My mom's birthday was this past week, and I wanted to give her something special. I couldn't think of anything to buy, so I decided to make her gift. I didn't have much time, so I immediately thought about making her a necklace. Now, I am not a jewelry maker. At all. But I do love to crochet! I have made these necklaces in the past, and have always gotten lots of compliments. The best part? It's WAY easier than it looks and goes MUCH faster than you would think. I'm guessing it took me a total of about 2 hrs. or so start to finish - all while holding a baby and feeding her at the same time! You only need the most basic crochet skills (and pretty good vision - it's tiny work!). If you can make a chain stitch (and you can!), you will have no problem making this. A quick trip to Hobby Lobby (if there is such a thing), and I had all of my supplies.

Here's what you'll need:

Cotton crochet thread - I used size 20, but the size is not critical as long as it fits through your beads

Small crochet hook - I used a US C2/2.75mm. Again, you can use a little larger or smaller size if you prefer, but note that it will change the size of your stitches. I worked my stitches more loosely.

Assorted beads - I found mine in a pre-mixed package, but you can make them all uniform, mix and match your own, add charms, etc.

Beading needle - trust me, this will make the stringing process much easier!

Jump rings and a toggle clasp (optional)

Step 1: String all of your beads onto the cord using a beading needle. You can arrange them in a pattern if you want, or more randomly like mine.

Step 2: Follow the normal steps for beginning a crochet chain, leaving a tail at the beginning. Make several stitches, then slide a bead up and catch it in your next stitch. Continue this process, alternating with a few stitches and adding beads until the necklace is the desired length. Finish off with several empty stitches, and leave a tail at the end. It will seem ridiculously long - mine was 90+ inches when I ran out of beads.

Step 3: Tie the two ends together securely. Now, you have a couple of options here. You can just wear the necklace as is by looping it around your neck several times. I've found that it can be quite tangly, so I looped the necklace together to make the layers then attached a closure using jump rings and a toggle clasp to make it easier to manage.

I was excited about how it turned out. I love that every time I make one of these it is different from the last one. It is one of a kind - for a one of a kind mom. :)

And she loved it, by the way. Happy Birthday, Mom!

 

Fabric Gift Card Bag Tutorial

The other day I was in Anthropologie and signed up for their Anthro card. The cashier handed it to me in this cute little bag. I thought it was such a nice touch and would be a fun way to present gift cards or other small items like soaps, nail polish, and jewelry for a friend's birthday, hostess gift, shower gift, etc. It looked simple to make too, so I gave it a try! Here's how it's done:

Cut a piece of fabric 7.5"w x 6"h. Make a quarter inch snip on each side of the fabric 1.25" from the top. Fold the wrong sides together and press.

Fold the top down on itself about 1/4" and press, then fold again on itself even with the snips you made, hiding all the raw edges. Press again. Cut a piece of cord at least 16". Hint: It is easier at this point to insert your cord before sewing the seam instead of trying to thread it through after. Sew along the bottom edge, being careful not to catch the cord in your seam.

Fold the right sides together and sew a quarter inch seam around the two open sides.

Turn the bag right side out, tie your cord together at the ends, and you're done! I added a little bead to mine to finish it off. There are so many things you can do with this little bag! You can make up several in no time at all and keep them on hand for your next special occasion.

 

Homemade Tap Shoes

I love this idea! I was always tempted to get some of those little squeaker shoes for Jack, but I knew they'd only be cute for about 5 min. - and even less than that for those shopping in the grocery store with us. These are a fun alternative, and easy removable and thus, easily silenced. Here's the how-to from Martha Stewart:

Clack out a beat with dancing feet: Bottle caps transform everyday footwear into ear-pleasing tap shoes. Use two same-size metal tops about 1 1/2 inches wide. With an awl, punch two holes through the top of each cap; they should be about 3/4 inch apart. Thread string or twine through the holes so both ends come out on the inside of the cap. Attach string to shoes by weaving through shoelaces and tying securely.

Fabric Tape Tutorial

This week I came across a great tutorial for making fabric tape and stickers on Natalie Jost's blog. I've seen this done before, but never this easy - can't wait to try it!