Borussia Dortmund T-shirts a la Tanta Kelley

It is that time of year again!  Every spring/summer we make a pilgrimage to Germany to visit my husband’s family, and because I am so craftacular, I often make gifts (Not always, mind you) for my niece (9) and nephew (11). 

The past few years my nephew has been hard to shop or make things for.  He is not too excited about much, Kelley special or not.  Well, my Borussia Dortmund or BVB 09 (my nephew’s SOCCER team) scarf that I made him for Christmas was such a hit (incredible, right?), that I thought maybe a can’t-buy-this-anywhere-else BVB 09 t-shirt would be just the ticket.

I have been scavenging Old Navy to get the cheapest T’s when there are sales, and I just so happened to have a large and extra-large black boy’s t-shirt.  Remember, his team’s colors are black and yellow. 

What else did I need?

• yellow fabric paint.   check
• freezer paper stencil.  check

Tutorial: Baby/Toddler Duvet Cover Part 1

Like most first time parents, we bought the crib set with matching bumper (that we never used for fear of suffocating our baby), crib skirt, fitted crib sheet, super cute blanket (that I never used for fear of making it look bad after many washings), and diaper stacker.  Of all the things the came with the crib bedding set, we used the fitted crib sheet and the diaper stacker.

So, when my second son made the move from sleep sack to blanket, we chose a baby/toddler duvet and duvet cover from IKEA.  I mean, my husband is German after all

Even though I know that Americans use duvets, that is not how I grew up.  For me growing up, normal American bedding meant a comforter, blanket - maybe, top sheet, fitted sheet and pillowcase, and when we started our life together here in the States, that is how we made the beds, or rather how I made the beds.  This is not to say that my husband isn't a great help around the house, but he just didn't understand the bedding system, the hospital corners my mom taught me on the top sheet, etc.  He also hated having tucked in sheets, which I LOVE.  His feet must be FREE.  So we graduated to a duvet that covered the entire bed like a comforter.  Eventually, that was too hot (for him - being on the cold side, I loved the extra man heat).  Finally, we went totally German.  We each have our own single duvets with matching duvet covers, and this is how our children sleep as well.

I have to say that I quite like the German way as long as my duvet is long enough to be tucked in at the bottom, because this girl likes warm feet. 

Flat Book Shelf How-to

Our home is small, about 1600 sq/ft, so I am on a mission to create as much out of the way storage as possible.  It feels like a loosing battle, but I suppose with 2 young children most mothers feel like this with or without more square footage.  You might wonder why I don't buy furniture to solve my problems?   My answer to that question is that most of the furniture out there is too expensive, it doesn't fit the space available, and just doesn't suit all of our needs.  Most importantly, I know that I can make it myself, build it better, and use quality materials.  No particle board here, thank you.

So, my storage solution for my boys books was inspired by the Ana Whites Flat Wall Book Shelves.  I wanted to maximize my storage and make a good use of space in our already cramped home.

DIY Your Own Crib Sheet

Ever looked at crib sheets and thought, It costs that much? - and you're not even getting anything really special or cute - in my opinion anyway.  Crib sheets can cost anywhere between $8-$40, maybe more.  Ouch!  When you think about how many sheets a baby could go through and if you are a working mom, like me, you wash on the weekend, that can be a lot of crib sheets!

Even if you buy the cheapest ones, that can add up quick.

$8 x 6 sheets = $48

And that is just an estimate.  If you are like me and you want to take care of all contingencies - be that mom who says - It's okay.  I got this. - and whips out a fresh sheet, you might even have more than 6 crib sheets in your stash.  I know, I am likely a little too conservative in this regard, but I have been caught off guard before.  And I like being prepared.

Fixing a Knit Hole in a Soccer Warmup Suit

We inherited this great German soccer warmup suit from my nephew.  It has the logo of their local German soccer club, which is from the same little village where my husband grew up, so I know that it means a lot to my husband, and well it is just plain cool for any soccer loving kid.

There is just one teeny problem - holes - two to be precise.  Another addition to my Project Patch Series.

Who knew I would be fixing holes that other kids put in their clothes?  Granted, I am fixing the warmup suit so that my children can wear it.

Table Centerpiece

I started working on this lovely little candle centerpiece last fall and finished it a few weeks ago.  You might ask yourself why it has taken me so long to post about it.

One word, okay two - taking pictures.

We have a single table that we eat on, entertain on, do homework on, play on, etc, and since Christmas, it was cluttered with newspapers that didn't get recycled for a few days on end, Christmas legos, Thomas the train (including track), and other miscellaneous items that never seemed to be put away, or were brought back despite my efforts to put them away.

Recently, we had guests over, and I won my table back from the mess.  Phew!  So, now I could take pictures of my creation where it belonged, on the table.

Kids' Easy Bike Rack

A few weekends ago, I went into our tool house to get my bike out so I could ride to work, and I had to remove so many obstacles, that I was too late to ride to work, and as a result, boiling mad.  Several of the objects I had to move out of my way were my kids bikes that don't have kick stands, which my kids just haphazardly dump on their sides on the floor of the shed.

I had had the idea to build a bike rack out of spare 2x4s for the kids' bikes for a while, but this incident cemented my resolve to finish it quickly.