Spider Hair Bow (Itsy Bitsy's too!)

Morning Y'all...How was your Monday?

Mine was great.  I'm kind of a odd duck, in that way. I actually enjoy Monday's.  It's a fresh start to the week - a clean slate!  This is weird to most - I know!! ;)

As a lot of you saw; Yesterday was our kick off to some fun Halloween crafts I have coming up...So, today, I just had to share this darling spider bow with you!! Aren't these guys just the cutest?!!

You won't want to miss out on this tutorial, so lets grab your supplies, and get ready!!!

Today...

You'll Need:
3/8" Black Grosgrain Ribbon
3/8" Red Grosgrain Ribbon
Googly Craft Eyes
Marabou
Scrap of felt fabric
Needle/Thread
Hot Glue Gun/Glue Sticks
Lighter
Clothespin

Got your supplies?  Okay, lets get started!

1st - You'll want to curl your black ribbon.  To do this, please follow the easy instructions here.

After you have taken your ribbon off the dowels, you will set 4 pieces of (~12") ribbon (per spider) off to the side.  If you are creating the baby version of these cuties, you will cut the ribbon into 3rd's, and will still need 3, 4" pieces...

After all pieces have been cut, take your lighter, and slightly run them along the ends of the ribbon, making sure not to catch them on fire!  It just takes a quick swipe.  This method heat seals the ends, so that the ribbon will not fray.

Next, we're going to build the base.  The Legs.

With your needle and coordinating thread, thread your needle.  You will need at least 18-24" of dangling thread to complete this project. (It is ok to knot the end of your thread - I typically triple knot it.)

Once you're needle is prepared; Hold the lower middle of the needle and measuring to the center of your ribbon piece (for instance if you're using a 12" piece, the center will be 6" and so on) and place the middle directly down into the needle.  

DO NOT PULL THE THREAD THROUGH AND DO NOT MOVE YOUR HAND!!!!!!!  In fact, you might as well get comfy, because you're going to be here for a short bit.


Repeat the above steps, for all 4 pieces, staggering as you add them to your needle.

Once all your pieces are positioned the way you want them, cinch them down on the needle, holding the needle still with your right hand, and finish feeding the needle all the way through the layers.

Feed the needle through without pulling it all the way through.  You may have to scrunch your ribbon together to see the needle.

Pull the thread tightly, then feed the thread back through - going the opposite direction. So your sewing the middle together...

Continue sewing until the body is firmly supported.

Once you have finished sewing; Your body should look like this:

Before we move onto the body, now is a good time to plug in your hot glue gun.

Moving onto the body...

For the body, I used marabou.  Ever heard of it?  It's this lovely frizzy mess of fun that they make boa's out of! 

For the large spiders, measure out 5" of marabou, for the small, measure out 3".

Large Spider

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Now it's time to grab your scrap piece of fabric.  It doesn't need to be very large.  

Fold your cut marabou piece in half, so the ends are together.  On top of a scrap piece of paper, place a small amount of glue on your scrap fabric, and place the marabou ends into the glue, squeezing the scrap fabric sides up to get a good seal.

Make sure you pinch everything into the glue, so the pieces seal together.  

If you have questions, feel free to ask!

This is what the backside of your body should look like:

To continue gluing the body, you'll separate the middle of the body, and put a small amount of glue on the lower piece (where my thumb is). 

Using a clothespin or other object, press the marabou together for a few seconds so it can dry. 

Okay...so, now it's time to piece the body and legs together:

Place a small amount of glue on the lower middle of the body, then place the body on top, and firmly press into place.  I use a clothespin to speed things along.

By the way...I do not recommend using your hands here.  

Trust me...When I say "You'll burn yourself" :)

Let the hot glue dry for about 30 seconds, then place on your googly eyes...

This is what your spiders should look like...

Large:

Itsy Bitsy:

Scary little critters, aren't they?! 

Now...IF you know me, you know I'm all about the bling and the bows, so how could any spidey gal go without a bow herself? My thoughts exactly!

For the itsy bitsy hair bows:

Measure 5" of another color of ribbon.  I used red ribbon to mimic a black widow.  OoOoOOo...Scary! ;)

Don't forget to heat seal your ends.  

Now, thread your needle and thread.  Once again in coordinating colors.  You'll want approximately 10-12" hanging from your needle.  Go ahead and snip the thread, and tie into a double knot.  Sit aside.

Take your ribbon and fold the ends to cross each other.  

Holding the middle into place, take the top loop and press it into the back side of the bow to create a smaller bow.  

With your needle and thread, sew the center of the bow, going through the front and the back at least twice, then in a winding clockwise motion, spin the thread around the bow to create a complete center.  Once you get to having about 3" of thread left, go back through the front center of the bow.

Now, you'll need to turn your bow around and snip the thread that's attached to the needle, and double knot.

With your hot glue, put a small amount on the backside of your bow and attach to the spider, by pressing firmly into place for a few seconds.

All you have left to do is attach your alligator clip. 

This is what you're finished product(s) should look like:

Here is one of my friends daughter, sporting the Itsy Bitsy Spider.  

She is absolutely precious!!

 Oh Happy Day!

Wicked Witch Wreath & Witch Leg Tutorial

We've made it to October!  *Deep Breaths in* Can you smell that crisp fall air?!  It's wonderful!!

In celebration of such a fantastic month, I'm going to show you how to piece together this charming Witch Wreath for Halloween!

Isn't she cute?!  Poor thing was squished by the "ENTER IF YOU DARE" sign.  I guess she'll learn to pay more attention next time ;)

If you'd like to make a wickedly fun witch wreath too;


You'll Need:
1 Wreath Form
4 colors of Tulle, at least 6 yds each, cut down to ~15"L x 6"W pieces
rotary cutter/scissors
1 scary sign
1 witch hat
1 witches broom (Target)
Scrap Fabric
Polyfil or grocery sacks
Wire (I'm sure pipe cleaners would work!)
needle/thread
fabric glue (if you're not into sewing)
wood glue
straight pin

Separate all your tulle colors.  You're going to work piece by piece in a synchronized order...My order was Black, Green, Orange, Purple...Black, Green, Orange, Purple...

Now we're going to start wrapping the wreath:

It's almost like you're tying your shoes...put both sides of tulle together, and tie into a double knot

Continue all the way around, repeating the same pattern you've created, until the entire wreath is covered in tulle.

Now lay your sign crossed the top of your wreath.  Using wood glue, apply to the back of your sign, and press the sign firmly into place.  *Tip* Lay something of substance on top of the sign, making sure it's not too heavy and won't break through.  Leave to sit overnight.

This looks just as cute with just the tulle if you're wanting something on the quicker side.

While your sign is drying to the wreath, let's move on and start on the witch legs...

Cut your fabric scraps down to size.  I used 12x2, but use whatever looks best to you.

Fold, so that the wrong side of the fabric is showing. Now sew a straight line around the longest outer edge only.  Turn fabric right side out.  It helps to use scissors.  Check here for details...

This photo shows, what it should look like after being sewn, and what it looks like flipped right side out:

If you're not into sewing, just add fabric glue and stuff.  Easy peasy!

Start stuffing the legs about 1/2-3/4 of the way full with poly fil, leaving about an inch and a half at the bottom unfilled.  *Tip* This process goes faster, if you use a pair of scissors or a pen/pencil as an assistant.

Top shows 1.5 inch that was left unfilled. Additional half will be filled in a few minutes, but 1st...

We're going to add our wire.  To do this, run the uncut wire down the inside side of the leg.  You'll do one at a time.  Once the wire has about an inch overhang, snip with wire cutters.

Now continue to stuff the legs, until you (once again) have about 1.5 left un-stuffed.  So you should have 1.5" un-stuffed at the bottom, and now the top...

Choose an end to be the feet, and start to curl the fabric in a roll type fashion, tucking the fabric in as you roll.  FYI: You don't want a full circle...just enough to make it curl.  I wanted mine to resemble the Wicked Witch of the East, right after the house is dropped on her...hehehe

Now it's time to attach the legs to the wreath, which is really quite simple.  Just squeeze them in from underneath the sign, decide the placement and attach, using wood glue. 

Again, you want something that has some weight to sit on top (vegetable can), so they don't move. They will need to sit overnight.

Once that's dry, we're ready to attach our broom and hat.  I purchased the hat at Hobby Lobby.  Got a steal of a deal.  They wanted something like $3.99 for 4 of them!  Craziness, I tell you...craziness!!!  I'll show you what I have planned for the other 3 coming up soon :) :) :)

So lets start with our hat, shall we?

It's quite simple.  Grab your straight pin and your hat, find the placement you like, and at an angle, insert the straight pin into the sign.

Now onto the broom:

You'll need your hot glue gun...
Put a decent amount of hot glue on the beginning end of where your brushes on your broom stick begin.

Press firmly for a few seconds into place.

Now moving back to your wood glue.  I wanted my broom staggered, so I put mine at an angle.  So I put the glue directly on my sign and pressed the broom firmly into the glue.  Again you'll want to sit something with weight on top.  This time I used a bag of rice.  Wood glue takes FOREVER to dry, so once again, I left it overnight.

Woke up, the next morning...and Viola!

One completely spooky holiday wreath! EEK!!

Happy Crafting...

Lighter Side Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

Good Morning Doll Face!  Are you with me when I say THANK GOSH IT'S FRIDAY!?!! :)

Simplicity is a necessity at our house, at least 2 nights a week.  We are a busy, moving family, and even though I LOVE to cook, sometimes you just need to throw something in a pot and forget it!

Well today, I'm here to share a lighter version of this recipe, that does just that!  

So grab your Crock Pot and let's roll...
  
You'll Need:

1 cup salsa

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 packet taco seasoning (I buy bulk, so just cover the chicken completely)

1/2 cup sour cream (lighter side - use yogurt)

6 tortillas (lighter side - use brown rice or lettuce wraps)

*I also like to pump up the volume with additional seasonings. Like garlic, cumin, chili powder, and I'm known to throw in a bell pepper, onion, and japs too.  This is also great with black beans and corn if you're feeding a crowd.*

Place chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker. Sprinkle taco and additional seasoning over your chicken. In a bowl, whisk soup, salsa, and yogurt (if going light - if you're doing regular version, you will stir in sour cream at the end).

Pour soup mixture over chicken, and top with additional vegetables. 

Cover, and cook on low for 7hrs, or High for 4. 

When the chicken is done, you can easily shred the chicken with two forks.  

If you're using sour cream, stir in now until well combined, and serve on tortillas, rice, or wraps!

 

Good Eats! 

TGIF Y'all!! ;)

Honey Lime Shrimp

Here's to adding another recipe to my "Under the Sea" category...

Today's specialty?  Honey Lime Shrimp!  Mmm...This was quite tasty.  After making this recipe twice now, I highly recommend letting the shrimp marinade for 90 min's.  The 1st time, I let them chill for just over the 30 min's and that extra marinade time, really made all the difference.  It went from a "Meh...It's good" recipe, to a taste bud explosion!

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it comes to you from The Dough Will Rise Again.

Honey Lime Shrimp
(serves 2)
1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T honey
juice of one small lime, or half a large lime (2-3 T)
zest of one small lime, or half a large lime
2 cloves garlic, smashed (I used minced)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (I used about 1/2 that the 1st time, and the full amount the second time)

To start, grab a bowl, and combine all the marinade ingredients, and add shrimp.  With a spoon I tossed the shrimp to cover them completely.  As the original author mentioned, a Ziploc bag is also a great way to go, but I tend to skip that method unless I'm traveling...

My additional tip for you today is about using honey...Honey is such a simple ingredient to use, and many vere from it, because it can be such a mess to clean up.  Well I promise you, if you use this technique you'll never stray away anymore.  It's simple...just spray your measuring spoon with Pam before pouring.  This helps the honey not to stick. It's as simple as that!

Once everything is in the bowl and marinading, you can run off and watch a movie or better yet make a delicious dessert.

After about 90 min's, heat a skillet on Medium-High Heat. I used about a tsp of the marinade in the skillet, to have a base (so they wouldn't stick), but they really have plenty of oil already, so this is optional.

Once your skillet is hot, add the shrimp, and cook 1-3 min's per side, depending on the size of shrimp you have.  You'll know they're ready to flip when they start to look less translucent and turn pink in color.

They're ready to flip

What I love most about these?  The more batches you cook, the more caramelized the pan gets, and OH.MY.GOSH (!!!)  The sweetness from the honey and the acidity from the lime, was something to keep me daydreaming about!!

Thanks The Dough Will Rise Again, for sharing such a great recipe!

Simplest Way to Open a Stubborn Jar

This is a handy dandy trick that my Momma taught me as a child, and now I'm passing it onto you! I was reminded of this, when my neighbor saw it this weekend, and expressed that it was the  "coolest thing ever", so I hope that you enjoy it too!

All you'll need is:
A jar and a spoon from your utensil drawer

Holding your jar with one hand, place the spoon under the the lid.  You'll want to place your spoon in the deepest ridge, then simply pull the spoons body closer to the jar to pop the top.

 See...Top's Popped!

 Now that took all of 3 seconds. 

This is so much easier than waiting around for someone's help! ;)

How to Curl Grosgrain Ribbon

3 o'clock is creeping up.  Are you awake?  *Taps Screen*

I sure hope so, because this afternoon, I'm going to share with you a quick tutorial on how to curl grosgrain ribbon!  It's so easy, and once you try it, you'll be searching to find more projects to try this tactic on!

To start;

You'll Need:
3/8" Grosgrain Ribbon
Dowel Rods
Clothespins
Scissors

Foil covered Cookie Sheet (A jelly roll, or foil pan can also be used)
and your oven

Preheat your oven to 225 degrees, and line a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with foil. If using a foil pan, you can skip this step.

With your 1st dowel rod, take the very tip of your ribbon and secure it with a clothes pin.

 Twirl the ribbon around the rod until you've reached the very end.  *TIP* The spacing you wind the ribbon around the dowel rod, will dictate how tight the curling will be.  For instance, if you space the ribbon closer together, the curl will be tighter.  If it's spread further apart, it will be loser.  Make sense?

Once you've twirled your ribbon to the very end of the dowel rod, snip the ribbon with your scissors, secure with clothespin, and add to the cookie sheet.

Repeat these steps,  until you've reached the appropriate number of ribbon to make your bow.  For Korker bows, I typically use 17-25 pieces total.  (These pieces are are all cut down into different lengths from one dowel.  From one dowel, I usually cut that down into 3 pieces, so you would need at least 9 dowels to make one korker bow. Capeesh?)

Place cookie sheet into your preheated oven, and bake at 225, for 30 minutes.

When the timer goes off, take cookie sheet out of the oven, and let them sit for a few minutes.

It doesn't take very long at all, so once they're cool to the touch, take each ribbon off the dowel, one by one.

To do this; un-clip the clothespins, and on a flat surface, push/pull the ribbon downward.

 You're ribbon should look like this:

Oh Yeah...YOU just did it!

Pardon me, while I break out the McHammer.  Peace!

Matt's Game Day Kielbasa

My husband whips up this recipe, typically as an appetizer, but he's been known to throw it together for a quick dinner with rice, or on a jack pot night, he'll serve it with the blue box mac and cheese on the side. Yep - He's awesome! :)

You'll Need:
Butter
Your favorite Kielbasa
Chopped Vegetables (Onion, Green Pepper, etc), optional

Cut your kielbasa into 2.5-3" pieces and cut them in half.

Heat a skillet, on the medium - medium high heat.  When your pan is hot, add 1/2tsp of butter, place kielbasa down into the pan, and turn heat down to medium.  *This cooks REALLY quickly.  About a minute or two, so don't walk away!

Place toothpicks into the sausage, and serve with BBQ or sweet & sour sauce.

Good eats...We Love Our Game Days!