Mad Men Party Wrap-Up

I did not want the night to end when we threw our Mad Men-themed birthday party a few weeks ago. There are more ideas in the first post about our Mad Men party and the retro menu can be found in another post as well. Here are some of the finishing details that pulled it all together – not the least of which were the fab costumes of our guests!

Lucky Strike cigarette boxes

Mad Men would simply not be Mad Men, without all the smoking, particularly the Lucky Strikes. At the same time, I’m not such a devoted fan of the show that I was about to start up a carcinogenic habit. As a compromise, I printed up some empty Lucky Strike cigarette boxes and filled them with Hershey’s Ovation Dark Chocolate Mint Sticks, which have that long thin cigarette shape.

There’s a great printable Lucky Strike box from Namida on Deviantart.com. It has a fun disclaimer on the side and otherwise looks quite authentic.

To save ink and paper, I printed two copies and then placed just the box images side by side, so I could make additional copies with two boxes per page. I printed mine on heavy Index Card Stock (110 lb paper) and then set them up in the front hall, under a vintage Lucky Strike ad, for guests to enjoy. I will say that this project was more time-consuming than I had anticipated, but they helped set the tone at the party and made a fun party favor, too!

Mad Men party.  Party favors: Lucky Strike boxes filled with mint chocolates and displayed under a vintage ad | Jewels at Home

Party favors: Lucky Strike boxes filled with mint chocolates and displayed under a vintage ad.

Mad Men Photo Booth

I love photo booths. I still have favorite strips from my school days and when Steve and I were young and goofy (now we’re not-so-young and still goofy). With today’s technology, it’s so easy to make your own photo booth, and that giddy sensation of not knowing exactly when the flash will go off, of trying to squeeze all your friends into the frame, is easy to recreate in your own home.

Mad Men party.  DIY photo booth with great accessories | Jewels at Home

DIY photo booth with great accessories.

To make the photo booth, I used

  • large cardboard boxes spruced up with fabric panels around the outside
  • a custom Mad Men photo booth sign
  • iPad with Picibooth app, attached to the inside of the box with Command Picture-Hanging Strips
  • three different backdrops

I hung all the curtains from our regular curtain rod, so it was easy to switch backdrops, just like the traditional photo booths!

Mad Men party.  DIY photo booth with iPad mounted inside | Jewels at Home

DIY photo booth with iPad mounted inside

Mad Men party.  DIY photo booth with three fun backgrounds hanging on a curtain rod | Jewels at Home

DIY photo booth with three fun backgrounds hanging on a curtain rod.

I provided some props, like costume jewelry, a fedora, fake cigarettes, and Lucky Strike boxes, all arranged under Peggy’s breakthrough Belle Jolie ad. Our guests had plenty of their own themed accessories, too!

Mad Men party.  Photo booth accessories | Jewels at Home

The photo booth got a lot of action that night. I loved going back later to see all the sassy poses, and I especially loved discovering that our seven-year-old had gone up several times to take pictures himself!

Mad Men party.  DIY photo booth with backdrops and accessories | Jewels at Home

Guys and Dolls – Fab Costumes

I cannot take any credit for the following photos, but I just had to share all the great looks that crossed our threshold that night. Honestly, it was like opening a birthday present every time I opened the door! It was enormous fun for us to see how much fun our friends had creating their costumes. From crinolines to bouffant hairdos, bow ties to patent pumps, every one looked perfect!

Mad Men party.  Costumes | Jewels at Home

Mad Men party.  Costumes | Jewels at Home

Mad Men party.  Costumes | Jewels at Home

More Mad Decor

I wanted to feel immersed in the Mad Men world everywhere I looked, starting with our front door, where I hung a large framed Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce logo:

Mad Men party.  Tons of ideas for decorating and entertaining! | Jewels at Home

Another logo was prominently displayed over the buffet table:

Mad Men party.  A complete guide to decorating and entertaining | Jewels at Home

This vintage typewriter sparked a lot of conversation!

Mad Men Party.  A complete guide to decorating and entertaining | Jewels at Home

Leading up to the party, I became obsessed with collecting vintage barware in thrift stores and on eBay.  I love the collection of Dorothy Thorpe silver-rimmed glasses displayed at our kitchen bar area and the classic California-themed tumblers gathered on a tray.

Mad Men Party.  A complete guide to decorating and entertaining | Jewels at Home

Mad Men Party.  A complete guide to decorating and entertaining | Jewels at Home

If you’re looking for some fabulous artwork to display, this book has fun illustrations Mad Men: The Illustrated World by Dyna Moe, including this one that I framed to put next to the dry bar area.

Mad Men Party.  A complete guide to decorating and entertaining | Jewels at Home

I said I didn’t want the evening to end, but it did end perfectly.  After most of the guests left, some of our college buddies hung out with us in the living room to catch up some more, and one of them snapped this pic of me and Steve at the end of the night.

Mad Men Party.  A complete guide to decorating and entertaining | Jewels at Home

Good night!

“Jewels”

Decoupaged Mirror Frame (Ikea Malma)

These wide-frame mirrors from Ikea have so many possibilities! You could hang them as they are, of course, but what fun to decorate them with a tile mosaic, paint, or paper!

In setting a theme for our tween boy’s new room, I found this fun and colorful Heroes and Villains wrapping paper. I’m using it for some DIY pencil tins and also covered some Ikea Malma mirror frames for his wall.

This is an easy project.  You’ll need a mirror, wrapping paper, Mod Podge, and a brush.  I started by using painter’s tape (okay, I guess you’ll need that, too) to cover up the mirror in the center, so it wouldn’t get glue on it. (pictured below, left).  I then spread a layer of Mod Podge over the mirror frame and carefully lay the paper on top, lining it up and smoothing out the wrinkles. (pictured below, right)

Decorating an Ikea Malma mirror frame.  Decoupage with wrapping paper.  {Jewels at Home}

Cover the mirror with painter’s tape (left). Spread Mod Podge over the frame and lay the wrapping paper on top (right).

To fit the paper around the mirror, I cut an “X” shape and then trimmed the paper with a craft knife (oh yes, you need that, too!).  (pictured below, left)  To wrap the paper around the edge of the frame, I cut squares out from the corners and then applied more Mod Podge and wrapped the paper around, smoothing out the wrinkles and bubbles. (pictured below, right)

Decorating an Ikea Malma mirror frame.  Decoupage with wrapping paper.  {Jewels at Home}

Cut an “X” in the center and trim the paper with a craft knife (left). Cut squares out of the corners and apply the paper around the frame with the Mod Podge (right).

I finished off the mirror with a few coats of Mod Podge to seal the paper and give it a glossy finish.  I hung the mirrors with my favorite Command Picture-Hanging Strips.

Here’s how the finished mirror looks:

Decorating an Ikea Malma mirror frame.  Decoupage with wrapping paper.  {Jewels at Home}

And below are some pictures of the entire wall.  Also featured on this wall are

Vintage comic-themed gallery wall with DIY mirror frame, wall initials, and gallery clip frames.  Includes link to a source for these beautiful vintage comic covers.  {Jewels at Home}

Vintage comic-themed gallery wall with DIY mirror frame, wall initials, and gallery clip frames.  Includes link to a source for these beautiful vintage comic covers.  {Jewels at Home}

Vintage comic-themed gallery wall with DIY mirror frame, wall initials, and gallery clip frames.  Includes link to a source for these beautiful vintage comic covers.  {Jewels at Home}

This sweet tween’s room is almost ready.  His desk is on order, and I look forward to showing you the completed space, soon!

“Jewels”

Ikea Expedit Hack: Compact Storage Bed

It’s happening… our oldest is officially a “tween” and has asked for his own room. The timing works out, as baby J and middle brother L are excited to move in together and play all day (hopefully not all night), so K can have the former nursery as his own.

J’s nursery was a small room – you may remember that it was converted from the former master bath – so I put a lot of planning into making a space-efficient layout that would be useful and not feel too claustrophobic. As part of the plan I needed a bed that was “zero clearance” – just the size of the mattress, and when I didn’t find what I was looking for shopping, I decided to get creative! As you know, I’m definitely one of those people who thinks everything is more fun when you make it yourself.

Awesome Ikea hack. DIY compact bed with tons of storage, using Ikea EXPEDIT. {Jewels at Home}

Here’s how we made our compact bed with plenty of storage space below.

Materials:

  • Two (2) Ikea EXPEDIT 1×5 bookshelves. Ours are black-brown
  • Ikea SULTAN LADE bed slats
  • Mattress (we used the one we already had)
  • Optional headboard: Ikea LACK wall shelf in the 43″ length for a twin bed – you could use the longer version for a full or queen bed
  • For hanging the headboard, Command Large Adhesive Picture Hanging Strips. I used these black ones to match the shelf.

Instructions:

  • Assemble the two EXPEDIT bookshelves, placing the felt pads on the long sides
  • Place the two bookshelves next to each other, with a gap in between. (pictured below, left)
  • Lay the SULTAN LADE bed slats on top of the shelves. (pictured below, right)

Awesome Ikea hack. DIY compact bed with tons of storage, using Ikea EXPEDIT. {Jewels at Home}

  • I moved my slats in 2″ from the edge, so you won’t see the slats when the mattress is in place. If your bed will be exposed on both sides, I would recommend trimming the slats, so the bed base is not too wide. Since our bed is up against the wall, I just shifted the slats over, and they hang off the edge next to the wall. (pictured below, left)
  • Since the EXPEDIT is just a couple of inches shorter than the mattress, I also let the slats extend about an inch over the bookcase at the head, for extra support. (pictured below, right)
Awesome Ikea hack. DIY compact bed with tons of storage, using Ikea EXPEDIT. {Jewels at Home}

Place the slats about 2″ from the edge of the shelf and hanging over the “head” end by about 1″.

  • You can paint the bed slats before securing, so they blend into the the shelves better, since you do get a little peek of the slats, even when the mattress is on. (pictured below)

Awesome Ikea hack. DIY compact bed with tons of storage, using Ikea EXPEDIT. {Jewels at Home}

  • Use four screws, two in each bookcase, to secure the bed slats to the bookshelf at each end and create a stable base. Then then screw down some of the slats in the middle, to keep them from slipping around.
  • For the headboard, trim off a few inches from the LACK shelf, so it matches the width of your bed. (pictured below, second picture)
  • Add the Command Large Adhesive Picture Hanging Strips to the back of the shelf. I used eight large strips, to make it very secure. (pictured below, third picture)
  • Attach the headboard to the wall above your bed. (pictured below, bottom)
Ikea hack: LACK wall shelf hung as a headboard for a compact bed. {Jewels at Home}

LACK wall shelf hung as a headboard for a compact bed.

I’m planning on this wide stripe bedding from West Elm to complete the big boy bed!

West Elm wide stripe duvet cover.

Here’s the finished bed. I’ll put up some more pictures as the rest of the room comes together!

Awesome Ikea hack. DIY compact bed with tons of storage, using Ikea EXPEDIT. {Jewels at Home}

DIY compact bed with tons of storage, using Ikea EXPEDIT.

Although the rest of the room is unfinished, our tween boy is very happy hanging out in his new room. This spot for the bed is perfect for our bookworm to read away the afternoons.

“Jewels”

DIY Paper Art – Heart and Butterfly Silhouettes

Just every once in a while, I plan a project, and then I actually do it!  Yes, really!  I recently collected some fun ideas for art projects involving paper, and now I’m excited to unveil my own paper creations.

I have a great weakness for pretty prints on paper and fabric, and these easy projects were a great way to display them and create inspiration in my craft studio.

Art Hearts

I was feeling girly when I collected these pink and red papers – a mix of scrapbook paper, origami paper, scraps from card, and even some paper I made myself! (second row, center) – and cut out rows of matching hearts.  Very easy – I made a heart template out of scrap paper and then traced and cut out this collection.  I glued them onto a plain background and popped them into this frame I already had.  I had also thought of folding the hearts and making them three dimensional, but I’m happy with how this turned out.

Simple and pretty DIY paper heart art.  A perfect way to enjoy your favorite pretty papers. {Jewels at Home}

 

Butterfly Collection

No butterflies were harmed in the production of this pretty display piece.  While I have fallen in love with pink and red only recently (some kind of reaction to having three boys), I’ve long had a love for the color blue – in fact, my dad still talks about how much I love blue (do your parents also remember you exactly as you were twenty years ago?).

Anyway, unlike all the identical hearts, I wanted to make each butterfly unique.  Again, I love the mix of papers many of which have stories behind them – an old stationery set, some wrapping paper, and more paper that I hand made (second row, left).  These are mixed with some more scrapbook and origami papers for a soothing and pretty work of art.

 

 

 

Simple and pretty DIY paper butterfly collection.  A perfect way to enjoy your favorite pretty papers. {Jewels at Home}

 

And now, there is finally something to adorn the blank wall in my “studio.”  Along with my new paper art, I framed a section of the hydrangea wrapping paper that I used for my desk accessories and added some botanical prints from a calendar.

Create an inspiring art gallery with a mix of DIY paper art, framed papers, and pretty prints. {Jewels at Home}

 

I love how putting something up on the walls makes a space feel like home!

“Jewels”

Ninjago Party – Part 2: Activities

This past weekend, we put together a fun Ninjago-themed party for our seven year old’s birthday. I already posted pictures and ideas for the decorations, food, and party favors, and here are some details on the activities that kept our army of Lego ninjas busy!

Ninjago party activities and many more ideas from Jewels at Home.

Sword fighting against Ninjago enemies

I bought these foam swords at Hallowe’en for L’s ninja costume. They come as a mixed set of pirate and knight/ ninja swords. The pirate ones could easily be altered to look like the ninja swords by trimming the handles, but my kids didn’t seem to be particular about it. Our kids have played with the swords quite a lot in the past few months, and I’ve been impressed by how durable the they are and also how it seems pretty much impossible to hurt someone or break something with them (and I’m sure our good fortune will end with that statement…). Despite the fact that no physical harm has ever been inflicted, the swords have been the cause of some arguments and whining, neither of which I felt were suitable for a party, so I decided to direct the boys’ energy toward targets other than each other.

Luckily, I had just been to Ikea to pick up a couple of things, so I had two large cardboard boxes to turn into training dummies for the party. The Skulkin skeletons and the Serpentine are the main enemies of the Ninjago (I learned a lot to put together this party!), so I made one of each out of plain newsprint and glued them onto the boxes, adding some embellishment with markers. They’re each about five feet tall!

Sword fighting targets for a Ninjago birthday party activity.  Many more ideas from Jewels at Home.

Skulkin and Serpentine sword fighting targets for a Ninjago birthday party activity.

We set up the targets outside and let the kids take turns trying to knock them down. We quickly learned that we needed to draw a chalk line to delineate a “safe zone” for the kids waiting their turn, after the birthday boy got whacked by his older brother, who was aiming for General Skales. No harm done, but as I said, some – thankfully brief – tears and argument.

This activity was really beloved by our Ninjago guests. In retrospect, their war cries should probably have been saved for later in the party, as we may have woken some of our neighbors, but it was all in good fun.

Sword fighting targets for a Ninjago birthday party activity.  Many more ideas from Jewels at Home.

Sword fighting targets for a Ninjago birthday party activity.  Many more ideas from Jewels at Home.

Sword fighting targets for a Ninjago birthday party activity.  Many more ideas from Jewels at Home.

Stick the ninja star on the Ninjago

For this activity, I made a bunch of these origami ninja stars and put 3M clear mounting squares on the back.

Origami ninja stars.  Ninjago birthday party activity and party favors.  {Jewels at Home}

Origami ninja stars for Ninjago birthday party activity and party favors.

I made a giant poster of Ninjago Lloyd ZX. It was very easy to print this image across multiple pages using a downloadable program called Poster Razor, and then I taped the pages together and and placed the outline of a ninja star in Lloyd’s hand. I laminated the front of the poster with clear contact paper, so the ninja stars could stick without damaging the poster.

Stick the ninja star on Ninjago Lloyd.  Instructions and many more activities for a Ninjago birthday party from Jewels at Home.

Stick the ninja star on Ninjago Lloyd.

Not all the kids wanted to play this game, but those who did played over and over! We had to experiment with a few blindfolds and locations for the poster, as we had some very sneaky ninjas!

Each Ninjago guest got to take one of these little stars home, too.

Ninjago Skeleton Bowling

Lego actually makes a Skeleton Bowling set, so I took this idea and decided to make a life-sized version.

I was able to borrow this Little Tikes Totsports Bowling Set from our neighbor. I then printed two Ninjago skeletons side by side across regular sheets of paper and wrapped and taped the paper around the bowling pins.

DIY life-sized Ninjago skeleton bowling game.  Many more ideas for a Ninjago birthday party from Jewels at Home.

DIY life-sized Ninjago skeleton bowling game.

DIY life-sized Ninjago skeleton bowling game.  Many more ideas for a Ninjago birthday party from Jewels at Home.

I have to admit that the bowling game did not get a lot of attention at the party, although I suppose I can understand that the opportunity to whack things with swords was a bit distracting. Our toddler did have a lot of fun playing bowling the next day, though, as you can see. I think the kid has a future in pro bowling.

DIY life-sized Ninjago skeleton bowling game.  Many more ideas for a Ninjago birthday party from Jewels at Home.

Finally, let’s not forget the Lego itself! While we may grumble about how commercialized it has become since our childhood, I still think Lego is one of the best toys. Our kids can be occupied for hours making their own creations. Not surprisingly, the boys spent a lot of the party just hanging out with this classic toy. Looking for Lego sets for your kids or gifts? I have found great Ninjago and other Lego toys at big discounts on Zulily.com!

Lego Ninjago birthday party.  {Jewels at Home}

Lego Ninjago birthday party.

Well that’s the round-up of activities and fun at our Lego Ninjago birthday party. Don’t forget to check out the previous post for details on the decorations, food, and party favors.

Lego Ninjago birthday party.  Don't miss these ideas for decorations, activities, food, and favors.  {Jewels at Home}

“Jewels”

Ninjago Birthday Party – Part 1

Pulling off a birthday party is like an athletic event (or at least I imagine it to be, not actually being athletic) – I work like crazy and then crash afterward. It’s always worth it to give our boys a day to remember. Here’s the first post on our seven year old’s Ninjago birthday party. I put details on the party activities in a separate post.

A complete guide to a Ninjago birthday party, with ideas for decorations, activities, food, and party favors.  {Jewels at Home}

Ninjago birthday decorations

I still like the feel of a paper invitation, like the ones I made for our firefighter birthday party, but sometimes the convenience of an online invitation is hard to resist.  Luckily, evite has this Lego-themed invitation, and I added a Ninjago drawing by our birthday boy, to complete the look.

Ninjago birthday party blog post with decorations, food, and activities, from Jewels at Home.

Customize an online invitation for your Ninjago birthday party.

For decorating the house, I hung our reusable birthday banners, customized with pictures of green Ninjago Lloyd ZX.  I had in mind to do balloons with stuck-on Ninjago eyes, but I ran out of time!

Ninjago birthday party blog post with customized decorations and tons of ideas.  {Jewels at Home}

Customized Ninjago birthday banner.

I printed signs for the activities using Bonsai font and mounted them on green scrapbook paper.  Each child got a Ninjago eyes T-shirt to wear when he arrived.  This was their main party favor, and the shirts were a hit!  It was really fun to see all the little Ninjagos running around the house together!

DIY Ninjago T-shirt party favors and many other ideas for a Ninjago birthday from Jewels at Home.

Celebrate your Ninjago fan's birthday with the DIY Ninjago eyes shirts!  Tutorial and more ideas from Jewels at Home.

I failed to capture the partying kids in any decent poses – they were moving too fast! but here’s the birthday boy’s little brother sporting his custom shirt. You don’t need to make your own shirts to have great Ninjago accessories.  I have definitely picked up a lot of Ninjago and other Lego shirts and toys at great prices on Zulily.com!

DIY Ninjago eyes T-shirts and many other ideas for your Ninjago birthday party.  {Jewels at Home}

Ninjago birthday food ideas

As you can see from the sign in this picture, I had wanted to arrange fruit into a Serpentine, one of the Ninjago enemies, but due to limitations of daylight savings time, I just piled the fruit on a plate, and it was all gone in an instant anyway – I told you those Ninjago are fast!

For lunch, we had a variety of Japanese and Japanese-inspired fare, including California rolls and avocado rolls from the local supermarket, homemade Spam musubi by Steve, and plenty of gyoza dumplings, which were the kids’ favorite.

Ninjago birthday party ideas, including decorations, food, and activities.  {Jewels at Home}

Ninjago birthdy party food: gyoza, musubi, and rolls.

Ninjago birthday party ideas, including decorations, food, and activities.  {Jewels at Home}

Instead of a cake, I made sushi using Rice Krispies.  These Rice Krispy treat sushi are decorated with fruit roll-up for the “nori” and Swedish fish and fruit gummies for garnish.  They were a lot of fun to make, though time-consuming.  If you do it, I definitely recommend making a half batch at a time, as the Rice Krispy treats kept hardening before I could shape them all, and I ended up with several leftover globs.

Rice Krispy Treat sushi made from Rice Krispies cereal and candy.  More ideas for a Ninjago birthday party at Jewels at Home.

Rice Krispy Treat sushi made from Rice Krispies cereal, fruit roll-up, Swedish fish, and other treats. So cute!

Tons of ideas for a Ninjago birthday party, complete with decorations, activities and food, from Jewels at Home.

Happy birthday boy at his Ninjago-themed party!

Ninjago Birthday Activities

These were a blast, and you can read all the details in this post!

Happy birthday to our dear son!  I am glad it was such a fun day.

“Jewels”

Kids’ Reading Nook and Clubhouse

When we installed the Ikea Pax built-in closets, it created an alcove in the corner our boys’ room.  Some day, I think this might make a good place for a desk, but for now, it makes a cozy hideout for reading, games, and “K+L+J” club meetings.  This is an easy project, with a fun twist with its starry ceiling.

Materials:

  • 2 tension-mounted shower curtain rods
  • Tab-top curtain panels
  • String lights
  • Large floor cushions – we were lucky to inherit this great beanbag chair, part of our friend Victor’s bachelor decor that he had to part with when he moved in with Nicola 🙂
Great kids' reading nook with starry ceiling.  Jewels at Home.

Great kids’ reading nook with starry ceiling.

Great kids' reading nook with starry ceiling.  Jewels at Home.

To close off the alcove, I mounted one tension rod at the front, holding the curtain panels, and the other at the very back of the alcove.  For the starry ceiling, I wrapped the lights around the two rods, weaving between the curtain tabs.

Easy starry ceiling for a cozy reading nook.  Jewels at Home.

Easy starry ceiling for a cozy reading nook.

I’d like to add a few more things to the walls of the alcove, but for now, there’s a world map that fits with the other travel-themed decor in the room.  It looks like the boys are having a good time in their new space already!

Create a cozy kids' hangout with just a few simple materials.  Jewels at Home.

Create a cozy kids' hangout with just a few simple materials.  Jewels at Home.“Jewels”

 

Fabric-covered Decorative Boxes

It’s a bit silly that I avidly study “styled” displays of decorative items, because I have three boys who consider it their role to re-style any arrangement I make. Nonetheless, I keep my eye out for great objects and projects to bring beauty into our home. And for now, these are all placed well above the reach of little hands.

Some staples of a beautifully accessorized room are framed art, vases, books, trays, and boxes… I love the look of a stack of beautiful boxes!

I was pondering how to make a set of boxes when inspiration came from the most unexpected source! Remember those three little boys I was talking about? At the start of summer, I ordered three pairs of sandals for them. After they arrived and were unpacked, I found myself with a set of three perfectly matched boxes in small, medium, and large!

With the addition of some gorgeous fabric I found for just $2.99 a yard, those plain shoe boxes became a beautiful display!

Tutorial for DIY Fabric-covered decorative boxes from Jewels at Home.

DIY fabric-covered decorative boxes.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • box(es)
  • fabric – I used only 2/3 yard for all three boxes. That’s a $2 project!
  • scissors
  • glue stick – I used this on the outside, for a smooth finish
  • tacky glue or white glue – I used this to glue the inside flaps, for extra security

Here’s the step-by-step:

Tutorial for DIY fabric-covered decorative boxes.  From Jewels at Home.

Above left: Fill in any holes in the box design with scrap cardboard.

Above right: Cut out fabric to fit wrap around box, including the sides and allowing about an inch extra to wrap to the inside.

Tutorial for DIY Fabric-covered decorative boxes.  From Jewels at Home.

Above top: Use the glue stick to lightly attach the bottom of the box to the fabric. At each front corner, cut diagonally to the bottom corner and trim, as shown. Apply glue stick lightly and fold up the fabric onto the front of the box. Fold flaps from the front towards the side of the box and glue them down securely with the glue stick.

Tutorial for DIY fabric-covered decorative boxes from Jewels at Home.

When cutting the flaps at the back of the box, make sure to leave some fabric to wrap the edge of the lid.

Above bottom: Apply glue stick lightly and fold fabric over the back of the box. At each back corner, cut diagonally to the bottom corner and trim, as shown. Again, fold a flap towards the side of the box and glue it down securely with the glue stick.

Tutorial for DIY fabric-covered decorative boxes. From Jewels at Home.

Above top: For the side flaps, fold in the excess, so that a finished edge lines up with the edge of the box.

Above bottom: Apply glue stick liberally, and fold up the side flaps.

Tutorial for DIY fabric-covered decorative boxes. From Jewels at Home.

Above top: Apply glue stick lightly and attach fabric to top of box.

Above bottom: At the top corners of the lid, cut the fabric diagonally to the corners and trim. Left: Apply glue lightly to the front of the lid and then glue a flap securely towards each side. Right: fold the side flaps, so a finished edge lines up with the edge of the lid. Glue securely with glue stick.

Tutorial for DIY fabric-covered decorative boxes. From Jewels at Home.

Above left: Trim excess fabric.

Above right: Use tacky glue to secure the loose fabric to the inside of the box and lid.

And you’re done!

Tutorial for DIY fabric-covered decorative boxes. From Jewels at Home.

Tutorial for DIY fabric-covered decorative boxes from Jewels at Home.

I’m so happy that these boxes are going to add a wonderful touch of color and style to our living room. So, while my newly-crafted accessories have to stay high out of reach for a few more years, I’m tickled to know that those rambunctious boys who usually mow down all my decorating projects can be credited with inspiring this one!

What ordinary objects will you turn into the extraordinary?

Love,
“Jewels”

Onesie Decorating Party

When I first saw the idea of doing appliqué onesies at a baby shower at the Cutting Table, I immediately thought of doing this project at Nicola’s baby shower. I did have some trepidation about having to stitch around the appliqués, but thankfully my co-host Maura convinced me that it would be worthwhile, and it certainly was.

Here’s what you’ll need to do this at your party:

  • blank onesies. I was unable to find these in any color besides white in local stores, but I ended up getting a good selection between Rock Bottom T-Shirts and these Disney solid bodysuits. These MoonTree Kids Bold Colors Bodysuits are very cute as well! I got a range of sizes from newborn to 18 months, because we all know how fast babies grow!
  • fabric – I pulled a bunch from my stash, and Maura brought an adorable charm pack
  • fusible webbing – I used Heat ‘n Bond Lite Iron-on Adhesive
  • iron and ironing board
  • pencils
  • scissors
  • optional: stencils or objects to trace (cookie cutters are good for this), examples of appliqued onesies
Supplies for a DIY Onesie Party from Jewels at Home.

Supplies for a DIY Onesie Party.

I wrote up a set of instructions with a storybook theme that you can download here: DIY Onesie Instructions from Jewels at Home. It also helped to show the first people step by step, and then they helped the next group. It all went quite smoothly, and there were just two that I needed to fix up afterward, because the Heat ‘n Bond didn’t stick. I’ll show you the “rescue” tips later in the post, but first, here are the step-by-step instructions for decorating the onesies.

DIY Onesie Tutorial

  • Choose a design and fabrics.
  • Sketch your design onto the paper side of the iron-on paper. Note: your drawing will be reversed when the design is finished, which is important for letters.
Sketch your design onto the paper side of the Heat 'n Bond.

Sketch your design onto the paper side of the Heat ‘n Bond.

  • Cut out the paper with your design with a small margin around it
  • Place the sticky side of the Heat’n Bond Lite facing the back side of the fabric and iron for just 2 seconds.
Cut out your design and iron it to the backside of the fabric.

Cut out your design and iron it to the backside of the fabric.

  • Cut out the design exactly along the lines you sketched
  • Peel off the paper backing
  • Place your design on the onesie and iron for 8-10 seconds
  • Optional: Add words or details with the fabric markers. We signed the “bums” with our names!
Sign your DIY onesie.

Sign your DIY onesie.

DIY Onesie Party from Jewels at Home.

Onesie decorating party. I love how each one is unique!

DIY Onesie Party from Jewels at Home.

DIY Onesie Party from Jewels at Home.

Finishing the Onesies

After the party, Maura and I split up the onesies to take home and sew the edges. For the simple outlines, I used a small zig-zag stitch, which I think is the most secure. For the ones with fine details, I used a straight stitch, so I could follow the shape more neatly.

DIY Onesie Party from Jewels at Home.

Finish the onesies by sewing around the appliques with a zig-zag or straight stitch.  I used a zig-zag for the simple shapes, as I think this will be the most secure.

DIY Onesie party from Jewels at Home

Finish the onesies by stitching around the edge of the fabric. I used a straight stitch for more detailed designs like this one.

If you end up with some onesies with appliques that didn’t stick, I thought of two ways to rescue them.

  • Pictured below, place the fabric on the sticky side of the Heat’n Bond Lite. Use some glossy paper (this is from some contact paper) face down on the fabric, and iron. Cut out carefully.
  • You could also place the fabric on they sticky side of the Heat ‘n Bond, trace around the design with pencil, and cut out the paper. Then iron the fabric onto the cut-out paper.
Adding Heat 'n Bond to the fabric, after it is already cut out.

Adding Heat ‘n Bond to the fabric, after it is already cut out.

This was a lovely project – it was wonderful to see so many people try it, even those who don’t usually do craft projects, and it was fun to see how each onesie reflected a little bit of the artist’s personality.

Can’t wait to see these on the new baby!

“Jewels”