Making life simple! Cutting tulle the FAST way!

So I recently have made two tutus!  One for an order and one for Lotte's Halloween costume.

For the Halloween costume, I bought tulle off of the bolt.  It is so much cheaper, and for Lotte, it's okay if it isn't perfectly cut.  I went to youtube and searched "cutting tulle from bolt"  there was a super great video tutorial HERE and I LOVE this lady because she saved me a BUNCH of time and effort.

I made the lady bug tutu before and didn't think about youtube-ing of googling the fast way to cut tulle from the spool.  So I think I'm pretty GENIUS for coming up with this.

I wanted an 8 inch tutu for a one year old.  So I cut a piece of cardboard 16 inches long {doubled}.  I made sure that it was wider than 6 inches.

I started the tulle at the very top of the cardboard and just simply flipped it around and around and around until the entire spool was wrapped around the cardboard.

I then took scissors and cut through all the layers of tulle at both the top and the bottom of the board.

I removed the board and had a beautiful and neat stack of tulle the exact length that I needed it for my tutu.

This made it super easy to keep the tulle really straight and "fresh".  I didn't want to send it out all rumply and crumply.

I hope this helps you shave time and hassle off of your tutu endeavors!

I'm linking up to these awesome hostesses this week!  Thank you ladies!!
Show and Tell @ Blue Cricket Design

Christmas Organizer & Make Your Own Tabs

This year I have printed out and am going to be using the Organized Christmas planner.

They have over 40 different printables that help you organize your Christmas Planner.

Some examples include:
Budgeting
Party Planners
Weekly Planners
Ornament Journal (My favorite...keep track of yearly additions!)
Decor Planner/Inventory/Storage
Gift Ideas and Master Gift List
Card List
Black Friday Planner
Meal Planners

I put all of my planners into a 1/2 inch binder and made a little cover page.

On the inside I separated my planner into 6 different sections.
Lists-all of my to do lists
Money-budgeting
Mail-card mailing lists
Food-baking and menu planning
Home-decorations and home chores
Journal-ornament and traditions

I am in love with how organized my Christmas is going to be.  It makes me feel relaxed and happy.

Do you like my tabs for my organizer?  I made them myself...sorry for the terrible pictures!  It was LATE!

Here is how I made them...I cut circles from my card stock and folded them in half.

I measured and drew a straight line where I wanted the tab.
Then I used my exacto-knife to cut that line.

Slip the circle into the cut line.  I used zots to secure the folded circle together.  Quick, Easy and perfect for my organizer!

I'm linking my Christmas Organizer to these LOVELY and GRACIOUS hostesses!
Get Your Craft on @ Today's Creative Blog
Strut Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple

Kid Gifts

I have a few things for my kids that I am going to be making.  The first up on my list is our new play kitchen.  We re-loved an old used one last year.  Lotte has been playing with it all year.  But last week we scored the biggest yard sale find EVER!  It's a new 3 piece wooden handmade kitchen.  I'll do a whole separate post and reveal later!

Here are some of the things that I have found around the internet that I plan on making as well.

Lotte LOVES to use a pop up tent in the living room for "movie night".

This one is compact, easy to make and adorable to boot!

This guy is going to be super easy to make.  I know that we will have lots of fun, especially now that Lotte is really using her imagination.  If this is as easy as I'm thinking, we might make one for a friend's daughter too!

THIS is from a series Skip to my Lou is doing.  You should check out the rest of her gift ideas!

These are too easy not to make.

Here is how Stitching in the Dark made hers.

This is going to be for my 2 older nieces.

HERE is the tutorial for what it all includes.

I also see some felt food in my future as my niece is getting our "old" kitchen for Christmas, and Lotte's bestie is getting a kitchen too.  There are sooo many patterns and coolness out there for felt food.

I'm sure as I spend the next day or two hammering out my list my gifts will get more narrowed down, and I'll maybe find some new ones.

What are you making for the kids?

*Spoiler Alert* Friend Gifts

If you are a close real-life friend or family member...PLEASE avert your eyes!  I'm going to be posting some of my favorite ideas for gifts and you might find out what you are getting.

I have a friend or two who would like this gift.

You Can Make This has a free pattern for this darling apron!

This one is for my adult girly cousins.

HERE is an awesome tutorial for making a braided scarf from t-shirts!

I definitely need to make a cute pincushion and personalized pins for my crafty friends.

HERE is a free pattern.

And No Big Dill has a tutorial on personalized push pins.

Co-worker gifts.  So easy and useful.

Here is a free tutorial.

These will be for some of my friend couples.

Everything Etsy has a cute roundup of embroidery hoop art.

Well if you are a "real-life friend" and read through this anyway, do you have any requests?

No Nonsense November

Are you tired of not getting everything finished on your Christmas list?

Are you like me and always scrambling to get it all done?

Are you spending the last weeks running around instead of with your family?

Well, I invite you to take the NO NONSENSE NOVEMBER PLEDGE with me!

I PLEDGE:

1. That I will not wait to make my Christmas list.  Staying organized is key to having a well oiled Christmas machine. I will finish my lists within the next week.

2. That I will make as many homemade Christmas gifts as possible.  There are so many advantages to making your Christmas presents.  It can save money, it gives the receiver something that they can't go out and get themselves, and I believe that it is enriching to know that someone is getting a gift that you personalized just for them.   I will give a majority of handmade gifts this year.

3. That I will not wait to begin my gift buying and making.  My biggest deterrent to giving homemade gifts is that I wait too long and it all piles up to an impossible mountain of unfinished work.  I will start making and doing NOW.

4. That I will take the time to enjoy my holiday season.  With the hustle and bustle of the season it is easy to focus on all that needs to be done and not spend enough time enjoying family and the season.  I will spend each day doing something fun with my family to celebrate and commemorate this time of year.

5. I will document through photos and journaling all of our family fun and traditions this year.  Last year I fell out of my regular December journaling habit {being hugely pregnant and running after a toddler isn't an excuse}.  I will write everything down, photograph as much as possible and keep up with family traditions.