DIY Bath Rug

I'm always on a quest for the perfect bath rug. In our bathroom there is very little space for a rug because of the toilet and the dryer. All the other rugs that I've had have all been too big, so I had to fold them under, so then they look weird, and get wrinkled very easy. Enough I said, time to make one. I was super pleased at how it turned out. I'm thinking of all the Holiday rugs I can make. The rug actually cost me nothing because I had everything on hand, but if you were to buy the materials it would be under $10, depending on the towel and embellishments. Lets get started.

First I got a bath towel

Then I cut it to the desired size. I think mine was 18x26. I just folded it in half, and cut. Now you should have two pieces of towel. If you make a really big one you may have to buy two towels.

I decided I wanted to monogram mine. Here's where the ideas are only limited to your imagination :) You could leave it plain, make it for a holiday or monogram it like I did. I drew my letter, but if I were better at this computer stuff I would have printed me one out of a really cute font.

Now I got some fusible web. What I like to use is called Wonder Under. You can get it at Walmart for $1.87 or so a yard. You just need a little bit according to your design. This was less than a quarter of a yard. Trace your letter on the paper side of the web making sure you do it backward.

 Now iron onto the WRONG side of your material following the manufacturer directions. Don't get in a hurry, and let the iron do the work.

Let it cool for a minute, then cut out your design and iron it to one piece of your towel.

Now just sew around the design. I like the blanket stitch. One because it gives a nicer finish and two because it is fast :) Patience is not always my strong point. You can also do a satin stitch or a small zigzag all the way around. I used a darker thread to help make the letter stand out a little more.

 

Now pin all the edges together and zigzag all the way around.

You could be finished, but when I get ideas they just keep coming sooo, I had to add some lace. Just at the top and bottom. For one all the way around didn't look right and two I didn't have enough. I just straight stitched top and bottom of each piece.

Now We're all done! Look at those cute little feet :)

See how small the space is? I can't wait to make another one Maybe a turkey or falling leaves for Autumn?..... Oh by the way I've has this done for like a week and have tried posting this like 5 times but either my computer would get wonky because of all the picts or some little someone(s) would need some special assistance.:)

I hope you enjoyed this. I had a blast making it. I would love to see what you come up with or improve upon! Happy sewing!

Sewing Room Unearthed

     OK so for weeks now I've been saying I need to clean up this sewing room. Well, I finally got tired of not being able to turn around, much less find anything to sew or craft with so off I went to the Goodwill. The Goodwill, you may say? I thought you needed to clean not shop. Well I needed some shelves to get things up off the limited floor space. The most logical place to look is the Goodwill. Although I didn't find any shelves I did score some awesome deals. The first thing I found were these ADORABLE strawberry curtains, for $3.99! Aren't they so cute? I just love them.

These long ones cover the ugly wings of the air conditioner.

See the pretty detail?

One of these days Mr. is going to trim this window for me :D

 

OK, so that's deal number one. Now on to number two. There is this awesome shower curtain I found on Pinterest. (love that site) If you know me you can probably guess which one it is. Yep, you guessed it! I LOVE ruffles! I am going to make this. I also love the turquoise, nevertheless that is not what I found at the GW.



   What I found was a sunny yellow sheet. It looked brand new, and it was Nautica,not a cheapie. So I snagged it up only to find a darker yellow to match. All I have to do now is get a few lighter colors to blend it up. Should I be patient and get it all from the GW, or go to Hobby Lobby and get started? Probably a Hobby Lobby trip is in order :)

   Enough about that back to my sewing room. So after not finding anything there I went over to K-Mart. They had shelving and fabric drawers on sale! Yea! This is my lucky day. I got this cute little three cubbie shelf. Perfect for hanging my scissors and rotary cutter above the cutting board.

 Then I had Mr. hang this awesome thread shelf that someone made for my Mom years ago.

So here's the finished product.There's such a vast improvement take my word for it. If I would have taken before picts you would have been appalled :) I was.

Now it's time to go make something and a mess again!

Ultimate Pull-Apart Coffee Cake

This is sooooooo yummy, and it is prepped the night before which makes is especially good! Just grab a bunch of napkins and a tall glass of milk and you are all set! Just don't eat the whole thing yourself :) Enjoy!!

16-18 frozen dinner rolls

1 pkg of butterscotch pudding (cook and serve)

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c pecans

1/2 c. melted butter

The night before, place frozen rolls in well- greased Bundt pan. Sprinkle with dry pudding, then with brown sugar, then with nuts. Pour melted butter over all. Cover with a damp towel or cover with plastic wrap. Let rise overnight at room temperature 8- 10 hrs

Preheat oven to 350. Uncover and bake 30 min, Remove, cool 5 min. Invert pan onto serving plate and enjoy!!

Flower Power

        Aren't these flowers beautiful?! No, Mr. didn't get them for me :) I've been getting a bouquet quite frequently when I go to the grocery store just to brighten up the kitchen. I got these at Kroger for $4.99!! How do you beat that? They usually have some great looking flowers that are clearanced.
I just love fresh flowers. I love to get them, grow them and give them away. So next time you are at the grocery store grab a bouquet, you'll be glad you did!!

$1.99 at Kroger!!

My post wouldn't be complete without M's grass! ( Thanks Mrs. Michelle)

Here are my hydrangea's that did exceptionally well this year!

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Homemade Laundry Soap

Wow! life sure does get busy sometimes. I've barely had time to turn around lately. Oh well maybe I can get back into a "normal" routine this week. Which brings me to today's post. do you have 15 min a month? Well then you can make your own laundry soap. It's cheap, works great, and lasts a month! (and I wash a lot) Give it a try it's fun :)

What you need: Bar of soap, borax, washing soda, essential oil (optional) ,grater, and a 5 gal. bucket

Any kind of soap will work. I've used a variety of brands and the only difference is how they set up. You will need to grate the soap to make little curls. I like to leave part of the paper on so the soap doesn't get slick and hard to hold. ( yes, I have notoriously "clammy" hands)

It will look like this. Now get 4 cups of water simmering, not boiling because when you add the soap it will get too foamy and bubbly and bubble right over your pot. Not that I know from experience though :D

Now add the soap curls a little at a time and stir until they are melted. Then add more. DO NOT add them all at once or you will have a big glob of soap that will take forever to melt :) After it is all added you will have a nice looking pot of soap soup :)

 Now remove from heat and add 1 c. washing soda, 1/2 c. borax, and essential oil of choice. mixing until it is all dissolved. 

Put 3 gal. of warm water in your bucket and add your soap mix, making sure to stir well. Please excuse the 1970's green tub, we're currently saving for a bathroom remodel :)

Just add a lid, let it set for 24 hr. Although I have used it right away before be cause I was out, and laundry was up to the ceiling:)

The next day it will look like a solid bucket of soap jello. Just give it a good stir and it is ready to use. It will be liquid and kinda lumpy. That's normal, all the soap chunks break apart in the wash. Now put it in an old container and use 1 c. per load. The cap on my container holds 1/2 c. so I just fill it up twice.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

 Yum! This stuff is so good. This recipe was given to me by a good friend, and is perfect for those hot summer days. It can be eaten right away but is better if it marinates all day first. It does also need to be eaten within 3-4 days or the veggies start to get soggy.


Bunch of broccli
Head of cauliflower
1 c. raisins
1 c. nuts
6 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled

Dressing:
1/2 c. mayo
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. vinegar

Cut broccli and cauliflower into bite size florets. Add nuts, raisins, and bacon. Stir together dressing and pour over veggies. Stir well, cover and refrigerate. Stir throughout the day and before serving.

I like to make it in a bowl that can be covered so I can just layer everything in and shake it up to mix.

I even like to turn it upside down in the fridge so the dressing gets mixed in really well. I also like to add more bacon and double the dressing. Just don't quite double the vinegar :)

Enjoy!!

Mock Fishtail

I love the look of a fishtail braid, but I've never taken the time to master it. So I found a cheater's way to get a similar look with minimal effort and time. All you need is a brush and some clear elastics.

 1. Make a low ponytail. I like to do this on the side , but it can be done in the middle just as well.

2. Put your fingers through to make a hole. so you can pull the pony tail through.

3. Now pull it through. You will have the classic piggy flip or topsy tail or whatever you want to call it :)

4. Now just put another band below the first flip. Then you pull it through and flip again.You can tighten or loosen as needed to get it to flow together.

5.Now just repeat until you are at the end. I did three bands with Mallory's hair. I only can do two when I do it on myself.

As you can see it's not exactly like a fishtail but pretty close. Now just finish off with a cute ribbon and you're all set!