1 Seam Hat For the Crafting Impaired

Here is how to make a 1 seam hat. Perfect for Valentines or Christmas (Fits a Child 3-5)
It is super, super easy and super cute there is still time to get this hat made for valentines day..  it takes about 20min to make w/hearts and 1 hour with.


You will need the following:

1 yard of pink polar fleece (this is enough to make 3 hats) (a Printed Fabric is a great option as well)

thread

1/8 yard polar fleece assorted colors ( hot pink, purple, lavender) Optional if you want to add hearts

Pony beads (optional)


Tools:

Sewing machine borrow one

Scissors or rotary cutter/mat

Pinking sheers

Ruler

Straight pins


Cut your Hat:

Open up fabric- place the salvage (or short end parallel it the edge of the table)

Fold the fabric 9" in front the table edge on top of it's self .

Cut along the salvage making a rectangle 18"x36" (If you want to make for a bigger child make wider than 18")

Notch the center of the rectangle on the long or 36" sides at the 18" point to use as reference. (cut a small 1/8" snip ) 


Embellishing the body/crown of the hat:

Decorating hat with hearts… if you don't want to sew the hearts more skip to sewing hat steps

Using other colors trace a heart on a square and cut out hearts. 2" approximately 12 -20 (some can be saved for later in the project) I used pinking sheers so the hearts have a decorative edge

 

 

Place the hearts on either side of notch.. for brim place right up to the notch line for the crown hears place 5" off the center march line… (note place all hearts going same down direction, if you don't want the hearts being upside down)

 

 

Pin hearts in place and sew down

Sewing the hat:

Lay the hat down on the table place the 36" side together..face of the fabric (right side) together

Measure 6"in from the short end corner put a pin to hold the layers together (the pin will be on the 36" side)

Repeat from the other corner These 2 pins mark the starting and stopping points when you sew the one seam for this hat.Now pin in between the start and stop pins holding the fabric together getting ready for the machine


Go sew the one and only seam..Using a 5/8" seam allowance starting at the 1^st pin and ending at the last one… be sure to "back tack" the you stop and start. Backtack=(go forward and reverse with a few stitches - this creates a lock of overlapping stitches not allowing the begging and ending stitches to pull out)

Cutting the fringe:

Take the hat back to the table, cut 1" wide 5" deep slits in the hat (short side) repeat on the other side

Fold the hat like a tube so the fringe lay on each other

Tie the hat

Out of extra fabric cut strips of fabric 1" 12"- you will need 9-10 strips

Lay the one strip down parallel with the edge of the table

Then place the other strips alternating colors vertically on top of the parallel strip.

Lay the Hat on top of the strips straight out the fringe

 

 

Tie the parallel strip tightly dbl knot

 

 

Fluff the hat fold back the brim ready to wear …read on to find out how to embellish 

Embellishing your hat:

Use the extra hearts and add the heart to the end of the fringe

Or add beads…(not recommended for kids under 3 choking hazard)

You will need to cut the fringe down the middle so they can fit through the pony beads

Taking a straight pin..put it through the end of the fringe and pull it through the pony bead

Tie a knot on end of fringe so the pony bead does not fall off

 
Enjoy you hat… it would also be great if it was made out of a print…no embellishments need
This would be a great item for a beginning sewer to make or for valentines Christmas gifts.

   

Flower Pot Cupcakes or Cupcake Bouquet

Flower Pot Cake or Flowers in Pot Cupcakes I made my daughters Butterfly Princess Tea Party


I saw this idea at a bakery but the pot was plastic and it cost $30 for one pot with 6 cupcakes. I thought it was cool idea but cheap looking because of the plastic pot. So I decided to try it myself

2 boxes of cake mix (2 different flavors, I did white and red velvet
3-4 tubs of icing (I used white, strawberry- but you can get all white and use food coloring to make color of choice)
2 terracotta pots 4”x 5” diameters
2-3 Floral Foam small 3”x4”
Easter Grass or Paper Grass
6 Dowels small (1/4” or 1/3”)
1 foam brush
Wax paper
Paper towels
1 Bag of Large Gum Drops (I found them at Walgreens)
1 Knife

Cupcakes-
Make cupcakes according to directions on box made night before
Iced cupcakes (I used a pastry bag and tips for some of them then switched to the gold knife method.) I iced the morning of the party
I used yellow sprinkles and red hots for the red dot.

Flower Stems
1. My hubby cut the dowels in 3 parts cutting off the stickers for varied lengths.
2. Cover an area of table with wax paper cover with paper towel
3. Then my son painted the poles with water /green food dyed mixture (I put a squeeze in the water) New foam bush to apply it.

4. Let dry it took about 15-20 min (again did this the morning of the party)
5. Then put the gum drops on the painted dowels slide down about 2-2 ½” down from the top (be sure to put the top of the gum drop on first so the flat side supports the cupcake) (point side 1st)

Flower and Pot assembly
6. Cut the foam and put in pots

7. Put some grass in the pot, (a little not too much) you can add more later if need but it tend to get in the icing, so a little goes a long way. Too much you wont because to get the dowels in.

8. Using the tip of you knife cut a small hole in the bottom of the cup cake so the dowel will slide in.

9. Put the cupcake on the dowel then the dowel in the pot varying heights (but so they feel stable. Put the cupcakes in as straight as possible, so they do not topple off the dowel. Note: Do not move the dowel if they are wiggle you would loose a cupcake.

Cost break down:
3.00= Cake Mix 2 boxes ( I used 14 for the pots but 48 cupcakes for the adults)
1.25=Cupcake liners
4.50= Icing (I probably could use less but I like icing)
6.00=6 dowels
3.00= 3 foam (purchased at “The Dollar Store”
4.00= 2 Terracotta Pots
.69= Easter Grass
22.44=Total cost

I know I could have made it for less if I looked for sales on the items and purchased ahead of time.

Added ideas.. Paint the pots ahead of time with the theme of the party, I would have like to put decorate butterflies flying over the flowers. Or I could have used found containers in my home like a tea pots. Also if you had a large party you could use a long window planter. Mix silk flowers in the base.

Bugs in My Tub!

How to make Insect Amber Glycerin Soap:

Clear Glycerin Bar Melt n’ Pour (40.00 10lb or 9 for 2lb)
1 Bag of Bugs 2” big
Soap mold (I prefer the bars)
Food Coloring (yellow or orange) (u can use really soap dye but not necessary, you use such a small amount it will not dye skin)
Spoon
Large Knife
Large microwaveable glass bowl
Microwave


Since I was doing this for my sons party I bought the large 10lb thing of glycerin soap at Michael’s. I used a 50% off coupon so it was $20.00. Tip also Michael’s will take competitors coupons on one item (so u can use ACMOORE or Joann’s) I also purchased the molds 3.69 for the mold you only need one. I preferred the bar mold with no design because it looked like real amber.

1- Take the block out of the plastic tub and using a knife cut in 1” slice. Be careful It is hard to cut straight the knife tends to slide.
2- Then cut the slice in smaller squares 1”x 1”. Try to make them similar sizes other wise the larger ones take longer to melt.

3- I cut 1 slice for every 4 bars.
4- Follow the directions to melt in microwave. I microwaved it for 1 1/2 mins stirred , 30 seconds stirred gently not to cause bubbles and repeated 15-20 second intervals to melted.
5- I then added the food coloring.

6- I pour the a small amount in each mold as a base and let it cooled. I did this because when I poured the mold full the bugs just sank to the bottom, because the soap is not a suspension formula. (the suspension formula is not clear and therefore ruins the effect of the insect suspended in amber).
7- Once base layer of soap cooled partially 15-20 min. I reheated the remaining soap and stirred gently not to cause bubbles..
8- Mean time my son was choose the bugs and placing them in the molds for there encasing in amber.

9- I poured the soap over the bug. Not to quickly because you will get bubbles. If the soap is still hot u can use a toothpick to move the bubbles to the side of the mold.

10- Let the mold sit, they can be pushed out of the mold at about an hour but I would let them sit for 2 hours o they can be hard.

11- I then repeated and made 36+ bars of soap .. my husband was playing with the soap also.
12- I wrapped my soap in plastic wrap.
13- I then use Microsoft word and the label feature to make labels, it even let me add clip art in through word of bugs. The label helped keep plastic wrap on.

Cost :
20.00 soap ($40.00 but 50% off coupon)
8.00 bugs
3.69 molds
1.00 (or less fro plastic wrap)
32.69= total made 36 + bars

.90 each for a real cool favor and also the soap did not turn cloud like the store glycerin soap (Neutrogena) so the bugs we always visible once in use in a kid tub time.

The only compaint i have hear from my freinds is once the soap is gone they get in their tub and bug is in there tub. Which can really suck at 6am when you don't have your contacts in.