3-Piece Set Upcycled from a Onesie

Awhile back one of our sewing friends in the CKC patterns group, Mary Lockhart Shoemaker, shared a clever upcycle she does to turn a baby onesie into a 3-piece dress set. Check these out:

Aren't they gorgeous?!  The post was so popular that we've had multiple requests since then for a tutorial. Mary has been kind enough to let me go for it and share with you!  I got to make my first set today and I have to say, that not only did it turn out super cute but it was also really fun to make!

This tutorial will work for any size of onesie. Whatever size you choose is what the finished dress size will be. (That may seem obvious, but some upcycles end up shrinking sizes. This one stays true to size.)  I used a size 3-6m onesie for my tutorial steps. 

For supplies you will need a onesie, some fabric, and 1/4" wide elastic.  If you're using knit fabric, that's all you need. If you're using woven fabric for the skirt, you will also need 1/4" clear elastic to use on the skirt seam.

No-Sew *Shabby Chic* Fabric Wreath

One of my favorite things to create is holiday decorations. They add a little festive flair to the house  and the kids get excited for upcoming fun. A few weeks ago we showed you how to make super cute flag pillows, and now today we're going to add a little more 4th of July decor to your collection! Of course the tutorial can be used for any holiday but right now just happens to be prime time for a little red, white, and blue.

As much as I love love love to sew, sometimes it can be fun to have a quick project that uses few supplies and can be put together quickly.  I decided to make this project a no-sew one, but it still has fabric and sewing written all over it.  I was SO excited to hang it on my front door! Let's get started! 

All you will need for this project is an 18" craft wreath (any kind), straight pins (with flat heads), scissors, and 1.5 yards fabric.   If you want to use three different fabrics like I did, you will use half yard of each. That amount includes the bow too. Or, if you want to use up scraps from your stash to make your wreath, that's totally doable too! 

Types of Fabric: Lyla Knows Best #notmyarms

You might have seen the "Not My Arms" Challenge videos floating around YouTube. They're hilaaaarious.  Well, we've had a lot of questions asking us about the different types of fabric available, so we enlisted fabulous Lyla (the face) and her also-fabulous sister Kylie (the arms) to help us out today!  

We hope you enjoy!  

https://youtu.be/FKi9QJ5NI1M

There you have it!  Here's an easy link to CKC Fabrics.  And of course we'd love to have you share, share, share this video! If you like it enough, we might just have to do a sequel. :) 

Let's Create! ~ Kristen 

Raeanne's Fast Fat Quarter Bonnet

 Nothing says "Summertime" sweeter than a little girl in a precious bonnet. I'm so excited because today we have Raeanne Kufeke from BeforeNAfterDesigns here with us to share a free {adorable} bonnet pattern! 

Isn't it perfect?!  I love how Raeanne gave it a classic bonnet look, then added a little boutique flair to it with the ribbon ties in back. 

The ties also allow the bonnet to be adjustable for a good range of baby-to-girl sizes. Raeanne's cute daughter here is 4 years old and has been wearing this same style/size of of bonnet since she was a baby -- plus it fits her older sister who is almost 8! Who doesn't love a pattern that can be used over and over and over again? 

Another thing I love about this bonnet is that it's a quick project and can be made with just one fat quarter and some ribbon! Wow! I'm pretty sure you don't need any more convincing that you need this pattern, plus it's FREE!  So here you go:

Cutting Machines: Cricut Explore vs. Silhouette Cameo

Hey everyone, Nikki here! For the past few months since we started releasing cut files, I have wanted to compare the Cricut Explore and the Silhouette Cameo machines.  Now that I have both, I decided to do some videos and a blog post to compare them.  I hope it helps as you decide which one to buy.

First, let’s start with some specifications of each:

It's Crop Season!

It's crop season at Create Kids Couture- crop top season, that is! We recently held a contest in our Facebook fan group, and our testers and fans really went above and beyond with their creativity. I am so happy to get to share some with you today- as well as some tricks and tips so you can start cropping on your own!

Camping Bag for Roasting Sticks

Just a little over a week until Father's Day! So far we have shared some really great free patterns with you for gift ideas. If you're running short on time now and still want an awesome gift for that outdoorsy man in your life (or at least one who eats s'mores), you're going to love today's free pattern! 

Welcome to my paradise!  This is where our family likes to wind down on summer evenings after a hard days' work/play.  Hot dogs and s'mores by the campfire can't be beat. And what's that you see in the corner of the fire pit area up there? 

Just our handy dandy Camping Bag for Roasting Sticks, which YOU are going to learn how to make today! 

Fun, right?! 

 All you need is an old pair of men's jeans, two red bandannas (or 1/2 yard fabric), and a denim needle for your sewing machine!  If you don't already have some, you will probably want to buy some roasting sticks too -- I bought these at Walmart for Father's Day forever ago. And because they are kept safe and sound in the awesome bag, they have lasted a loooong time. 

Dopp Kit [Travel Case] for Men

Father's Day is right around the corner and we have a handy free pattern for you today that would make an excellent gift for the men in your life! I got the idea for this one from none other than my own husband who said he would love to have a handmade Dopp kit to take with him on trips. If you're not familiar with the name, a Dopp kit is a little travel bag for men's hygiene items: razor, shaving cream, toothbrush, cologne, etc.  They tend to be squarish and sturdy, with a zipper. There's a little more background behind the name if you want to read it, but for today all that really matters is that we learn how to make a really awesome gift that the men in our lives can use! 

Doesn't it look masculine and sturdy and useful? We love how it turned out.  

You can make this project using faux leather, denim, outdoor fabrics, PUL, laminated cotton, or even regular quilting cottons if you use a heavy interfacing with it. Just be sure to use an equally sturdy needle for this project, such as a leather needle or denim needle.  You will also need a zipper that is at least 12" long. (It will be trimmed to the right length.)  If you have never sewn on a zipper before, that is no problem at all. This project does it a super easy way! Are you ready to get started?

Tips for Coordinating Outfits

 

Hello from Yellowstone!  I'm on vacation with my little family and we're having a blast so far. As you can see, I made some fun coordinating shirts for us before we left, and they have been a hit! I don't always make matching stuff for the whole family of course, but for special occasions it can be super fun. (And for the younger kids, every day IS a special occasion, right?)

 

 And that's what we're going to talk about today!  How to coordinate outfits.  There aren't any set rules for making sibling sets, parent/child sets, or family sets of course. But there are some helpful tips that we have put together for you, to make it a little easier to plan for your next matchy matchy project.