DIY Crib Sheet

I bought a crib sheet on Etsy for an insane $40 but let myself splurge because baby #3 will get lots of hand me downs. I figured I'd just have 1 nice crib sheet and find a neutral one at Target as backup because I couldn't stand the thought of spending another $40 on a sheet. Well... I was perusing Hobby Lobby and saw the exact fabric of the crib sheet on sale for $4 a yard. I quickly got the idea in my head that I could make my own and searched on Pinterest for a tutorial. I found this amazing and easy tutorial, bought my fabric, and was on my way. If you follow me on Snapchat (ruthiehart1) you get to see a lot of my embroidery projects but I am in no way a seamstress of any kind. I dusted off my sewing machine that is so old and basic and found that it was pretty easy to relearn, thanks to embroidery. Anyway, if you can sew a semi straight line, you can do this folks. And if I can do it, you can do it! 

Supplies

2 yards cotton fabric 

3/8in knit elastic

Fabric Scissors

1 Safety pin

Measuring tape

Sewing pins

Sewing machine

Cut your fabric 69" long, leaving the tag/edges on the side (approximately 45")

Fold in half twice (hot dog/hamburger or vice versus, one of each)

Go to the corner that has 4 separate flaps of fabric...aka no folds. For me it was bottom right. If you need help figuring this out, scroll down 2 pictures to see what it will look like once you cut)

Trace an 8"x8" square on the top flap of fabric

Cut out the 8"x8" square (you can dispose of the square)

 

Your fabric should end up looking like this

Fold the bottom corner of each of the 4 corners to meet the outer corner (think of a crib sheet now to help you understand how it will work... lots of visualizing for me! This will cover each corner of the crib mattress)

Pin the fabrics together (you should have the wrong side of the fabric on top). Do this for each of the 4 corners

Sew a straight line along the edges and then a zig zag to keep the seam from ripping. Repeat for all 4 corners. 

Fold down 1/4' of the fabric around the entire crib sheet. It is such a small mesurement, no need to be super precise. 

Then iron another 1/2" fold around the whole sheet. This is where your elastic will be encased. 

NOT PICTURED: Stick two sewing pins 2" apart along the fold to remind you not to sew that 2". This is where you will fish your elastic through. Sew a straight line along the edge of the 1/2" fold. 

Measure 62" of your elastic and mark it. Do not cut. 

Attach a long safety pin to the end of the elastic (not the end with the mark) and fish it through the edge of the crib sheet. This is what took me the longest. Once you get all the way around, you will have that 2" gap and a couple inches of elastic left over. 

Sew the elastic together at the end of 1 side and the 62" mark (pull it away from the crib sheet fabric). I made a couple of messy zig zag stitches to get it tight. 

NOT PICTURED: Sew the 2" portion of the crib sheet that is open. 

I played with the elastic a little and moved it evenly around the crib sheet. 

And wah-la! You are done!

I actually also made matching bumpers for the crib,...still can't believe they are fully intact and not ripped to shreds. To say I am proud of myself is an understatement!

Lucy's Nursery

A girl can never have too many headbands/wraps

Awkward picture but wanted to get the gold dots and plates in one picture. The 3 doors from left to right are her closet, door to shared Jack and Jill bathroom, and door to her room. 

I orignally made 2 of these chicken wire frames for Ford's nursery, now each baby has one right outside of their door. Lucy's displays her bows (this doesn't include the 8 I have packed for the hospital and a few more I am waiting on being shipped!) and Ford's has pictures and other fun things. 

Nursery details

Wall color- Olympic Faint Flicker

Crib/dresser color- Olympic Sweet Pea

Crib- Jenny Lind

Bumpers- Lou Lou Made

Tassel garland- Studio Mucci

Lucy Pillow- Anna Joy French Designs

Curtains/rods- Ross

Rocking chair- antique given by my grandparents

Lucy letters- handmade by me

Wall prints- Nicole Joelle Prints

Lucy Joy hoop art- The Bloom Print Project

Swaddle blankets- Weeamigo

Ernie glitter canvas- handmade by me

Small yarn wreath- handmade by me

Small gold deer canvases- handmade by me

Lace L- handmade by a friend

Lucy blocks- handmade by a friend

Hello Sweet and Beautiful Girl framed art- Hobby Lobby

Bunny plates- Pier 1

Wooden deer art- Crafted in Texas

Gold riesen bowl- Hobby Lobby

Lamp- thrifted

Pink Lucy Chair- Pottery Barn Kids

Gold dots- All Four Walls

Pink knit blanket- handmade by my Gram

Lucy Joy burp rag- Simply Made with Love

DIY diaper wreath

Yesterday I shared an easy tutorial for custom water bottle labels and today I have another DIY for ya! If you know me personally, you'd know I have a thing for themed wreaths. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentine's, generic spring....yep wreaths are my thing. My mom actually made this diaper wreath for my sister's baby shower a few years ago and I don't know why I had forgotten about it because it is adorable and easy!

Supplies
Small package of diapers (the bigger the diapers, the less you need, I used approximately 20 size 1 diapers)
Wire wreath (bought at a crafting store)
Scissors
Ribbon
Embellishments (I made a paper banner and paper pinwheels, you can use a wooden letter with the baby's initial, teddy bear, baby clothes/shoes, etc)
Wreath hanger

1. Depending on which side you want facing out (back of diaper, all white, or front of diaper with characters), open up each diaper, place around the wreath and tie with ribbon. You can use fun colored grosgrain ribbon or simple wrapping ribbon
2. Continue until wreath is overed
3. Add embellishments
4.  Hang on door!

DIY custom water bottle labels

Last weekend I hosted a baby shower for a sweet friend who will be welcoming her little boy into this world next month. I wanted to create lots of personal touches bur because the shower was so large, I knew I needed to put myself on a budget. Water bottles are always a lot easier to serve to a large group rather than filling cups and ended up with a pile of dishes so even though it's not the most "green" route, it is the easiest. I decided to make custom water bottle labels to serve at the shower that would also act as decor. Y'all. They are super easy and not too time intensive! They make any party feel a bit more special and intimate.

Supplies
Water bottles
8''x2.5" labels (I made mind in Word and printed from my home computer)
Paper cutter or scissors
Clear packing tape

1. Remove the labels from the water bottles
2. Create your custom label in Word or Photoshop using fun fonts, personal photos, or clip art. Be sure the label ends up to be 8"x2.5" or else the packing tape won't fit over it. Cut your labels into stripes.
3. Place the labels face down on a strip of clear packing tape
4. Wrap around the water bottle

Naptime DIY, painting bathroom cabinets

Last month I shared with you my first chalk paint project (IKEA hack table project here) and today I am here to tell you that chalk paint is addicting! A quart of Maison Blanche paint cost me $43 and I had half the can leftover after finishing 2 tables and 8 chairs. I didn't want the paint to go to waste. We recently had our kitchen cabinets painted white and it makes such a huge difference in the feel of our home! I don't mind wood colored cabinets but ours were such a dull color and 3 of our bathrooms have the same cabinets that I've been trying to figure out what to do with. Cabinets I hate, extra chalk paint, a couple hours during naptime. I decided to start with our upstairs guest bathroom since it gets used the most (and it's the one bathroom I have put lots of time and energy in decorating). Ford has a Jack and Jill bathroom attached to a future baby Hart room but he doesn't use it quite yet. This project took 2 hours top, the most time consuming part was taking off the hardware and removing the cabinet doors. Chalk paint is the jam y'all! I will let the pictures do the talking.
Before

Just like my IKEA hack table project, I decided to use a water based Polyacrylic finish vs. the chalk pain wax. A quart is $15 at Home Depot (vs. $50 small can of wax) and it is easy to apply and durable, especially in a room that will be exposed to water/steam. 

After

I don't think I have enough paint to do Ford's bathroom cabinets which is good because I'd like to try out another color. This project couldn't have been any easier and I am so glad I took the plunge! I think back to my pre-chalk paint furniture projects (desk redo here) and think how much time it took and mess I created sanding, priming, painting, and sealing. No sanding, no priming, thank you Maison Blanche for making my life so much easier! Next up are Ford's bathroom and the master bathroom... I'm sure I can find other pieces to slap some paint on too!

IKEA Hack: table makeover with chalk paint

Jon came into our relationship with an IKEA kitchen table and 4 chairs. I love the shape of the table, it is nice and sturdy, and I've always loved the style of the chairs. I am just not crazy about the color or the cheap looking IKEA finish on top. My original plan was to keep this table for a few years and then upgrade to a nice big round table when our family got bigger but I finally got sick of looking at the table. I should also mention, my mom bought Ford the exact same table but miniature size, I am obsessed. I've seen a recent obsession with Annie Sloan chalk paint all over the internet and when a friend posted a picture of the exact same IKEA table I have but restained and painted with AS chalk paint, I knew I found my solution. 
I did lots of research, planning, and talking to friends who were familiar with chalk paint because it is in no way similar to regular paint. I have redone a few pieces of furniture using thick and sticky primer, thin paint, and sealer. Too many steps. With chalk paint, no sanding or priming is required.. I am sold! When it came to a color, I wanted to restain the top of our table to match our dark wood floors but keep the legs light and bright so that it flowed with our new kitchen.

I decided I would paint the legs gray and  was bummed when looking at the color selections Annie Sloan offered. The only 2 gray colors looked purple and blue and if I was going to spend $50 on a quart of paint, I wanted it to be perfect. A friend told me about another brand of chalk paint called Maison Blanche and a cutesy junk/gypsy store in my area carried it! It's basically the same price, $42 for a quart, but there are so many more color and wax options. Now I live in a pretty big town and there is only 1 place in all of Austin and it's suburbs that carry Annie Sloan and only 1 place that carries Maison Blanche. If you live in a small town, you may have to drive a bit to find some, but it is worth it!

I followed directions from a friend of mine but also kind of winged it. I decided against using the tedious and messy wax specifically for chalk paint and improvised with using a water based Polyacrylic seal. I am incredibly pleased with the results of my first chalk paint project and wanted to share with you the easy steps. I refinished our large kitchen table, 4 full sized chairs, Ford's mini table, and 4 mini chairs. It was work....but fun! Considering I can't do much when Ford is awake, I spent almost every naptime and evening working on the table and it was done in 5 days. 

Step 1: Sanding

I chose to restain the top of the table and chairs rather than painting it with chalk paint. I borrowed a power sander and sanded the tops of the tables and chairs using 60 grit to get the varnish off, then 100 grit to smooth down, and finished with 150 grit. This was the most tedious part of the project but it was also the most invigorating for me ha! It took about 1.5 hours all together and I woke up sore the next morning. 

We covered our patio furniture which was key because the deck was caked in dust. 

Step 2: Staining

Next up I used a cheap economy grade paint brush and Minwax wood finish in Dark Walnut (2716)to stain the tops of the tables and chairs. The stain came out darker than I expected but we actually like it better because it ties in our black granite in the kitchen. I didn't worry when I dripped stain on the legs of the chairs because I was able to easily paint over. I did 2 coats of stain (24 hours apart) and let it dry for another 24 hours before starting to paint.

Step 3: Painting

I brought the tables and chairs inside and painted on top of a drop cloth in our kitchen. Again, I used a cheap, economy grade brush (which was recommended by the sales woman who uses chalk paint professionally for a living) and Franciscan Gray Maison Blanche chalk paint. I love using chalk paint because it is so thick and goes on so well (chalk paint is basically paint mixed with dry chalk, not to be confused with chalkboard paint). It also dries really fast which is nice because I was able to do a second coat quickly. 

*One of the draws of chalk paint is it is easy to distress if you want that antique look but I didn't feel like that look would go with the rest of my house. To distress, you can use a 100 grit piece of sandpaper and gently sand down a few areas on each piece, depending on how much distress you want. If you don't like it, you can easily paint over. Just be sure to distress before you wax or seal because once you wax or seal, you are done. 

Step 4: Sealing

Most people use Annie Sloan or Maison Blanche soft wax to seal their furniture projects. I have heard from many people that it is time consuming, tedious, and messy so I did some quick research to find an alternative. I had already purchased some Minwax Water Cased Polyacrylic Protective Finsih to seal the stained portions and decided to use that on the chair legs as well. It's easy and goes on clear with a cheap foam brush. I did 3 coats on the table and chair tops and 2 coats on the chair legs and backs. I let each coat dry for a few hours with the final coat drying for 24 hours before setting stuff on top. Another benefit for using this sealer as opposed to wax is that if I decide I want a different color, I can paint right over it. With wax, you would need to remove it before painting on top. 

The finished products

Ford's mini table in the front playroom