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Hex Pencil Case Tutorial

August 13, 2013 By Michelle Barneck Leave a Comment

Hi again, A Little Tipsy readers! I’m stopping by from mama says sew again to share the tutorial for this zippered pencil case with you. Don’t let the zipper scare you! It’s actually really easy to sew up.

See the full tutorial.

It’s the perfect time of year to make one! My kids are getting ready to go back to school, and what better way to show their personality than to make them their own pencil case? Okay, really, I’m sure there are lots better ways to show their personality, but it’s still fun to have something that no one else will have.

I appliqued hexagons in a honeycomb pattern, but you could do whatever you want. Here’s what to do.

You will need:

Fabric (scraps work great)
7 inch zipper
Sewing supplies, such as scissors and thread

First, cut out your fabric. My rectangles are 6 inches by 10.5 inches. Also cut out your applique pieces {here is a hexagon template if you want}, and some scraps for the zipper ends {to make the zipper long enough for the pouch}.

First, stitch one of your scraps to the bottom of the zipper with right sides together, like this:

Trim off the end of the zipper.

Repeat with the other end and the other scrap piece. Your zipper should now be 10 inches long, including the fabric {or the total length of the top of the pencil case, if you made it different dimensions}.

Next, applique your case. I arranged the applique pieces how I wanted them.

Then just stitched them in place.

Line up the zipper with the top of the pouch. The zipper should be face down on the top of the pouch. Stitch the zipper to the pouch along the top edge of the zipper and pouch.

Then stitch the back of the pouch to the zipper the same way. When you’re done, it should look like the picture below. Press flat and topstitch along the edges of the zipper if desired.

Fold the pouch so that right sizes are together and stitch it down one side, across the bottom, and up the other side. Make sure the zipper is open when you do this so that you can turn the pouch right side out! You can zig zag the raw edges to help keep them from fraying.

Ta da! All set for school!

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Thanks Terra! I love the pattern and colors you used and it’s so perfect to use up those scraps we all having hanging about!

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Back to School Teacher Gifts

August 6, 2013 By Michelle Barneck 7 Comments

It’s Amy here again from The Happy Scraps. I’m so excited to be here at A Little Tipsy sharing a very simple and easy Back to School Teacher Gift Idea. The best part, there is a printable!
What teacher wouldn’t like a set of colorful Sharpies at the beginning of the school year?

ABC Letter Chips

July 30, 2013 By Michelle Barneck Leave a Comment

Hello Little Tipsy readers! I’m Kelly from Smart School House and, as I’m sure you can imagine, I love educational crafts. The other day my toddlers (2 and 3 years old) were playing with their play-dough while I was preparing their lunch. My daughter, Stella, absolutely LOVES those unbaked tortillas that you can find in the refrigerator section of any grocery store (or Costco in our case). It dawned on me that I could combine the play-dough activity with lunch for an educationally fun experience!

Read more of this fun tutorial…

These fun chips are made from play-dough letter cutters! The play-dough cutters make creating shapes and letters in uncooked tortillas so easy. In fact, the dough of the uncooked tortillas is thinner than play-dough, so this educational craft is as easy as can be for mommies. Be sure to scrub off any play-dough with some soap and water before making your ABC chips (play-dough is not fun to eat hehe!).

To make the ABC chips, simply place the letters on the tortilla like so:

Next, place the letters on a griddle and cook the letters according to the directions on the tortilla package. In this case, I cooked the letters for about 30 seconds on each side (so easy!!).

The neat thing about these chips is that they aren’t too crunchy for the little mouths of toddlers. Yet, they are crisp enough to dip into any fun dips that your toddlers may like. My little ones, Stella & Mitch, absolutely loved “playing with their food” so to speak. It was the perfect time for me to sit with them and teach them letters.

Stella is 3 and recognizes most of her letters. So for her, I would say things like, “Where is the letter T, can you find the T?” Mitch is 2 and still learning to identify the letters of the alphabet. So for him, I lined up a series of about 4-5 letters and pointed to each one while saying its name. For example, “This is the letter I and this is the letter L.” What I love about these ABC chips is that the activities can be modified for different ages. If your child is having a difficult time learning their letters (or maybe reversing their letters), then this is a perfect activity for them!

You can even use the letters to form a series of words that will put a smile on any beginning readers face:

If you are looking for more educational activities for your little ones, feel free to stop by Smart School House and say hello! Check out this other fun DIY activity that can help children learn their letters:

Thank you for having me here!

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My kiddos love helping cook and my little guy starts kindergarten this week so it is the perfect back to school activity! Thanks Kelly!

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Honey Sugar Face Scrub

July 23, 2013 By Michelle Barneck Leave a Comment

Hi Friends, it’s Aly from Entirely Eventful Day again! I am happy to be here to share with you a Summer-time life saver. Seriously though, it may not actually save your life, but it will save your face (which is pretty close).

I’m a big believer in Natural Beauty Treatments, and this face scrub is one of my absolute favorite! There are a lot of sugar scrub recipes out there, and all I have tried are great. But this one (which I’m pretty sure I invented) is the best, best, best!

If you have never tried a honey facial, I highly recommend it. Turing honey into a scrub is just a little bonus to all the benefits of slathering honey all over your face; it is sooo moisturizing and soothing.

Click for the full tutorial.

Here’s what you do…

You can either make it as you go (which is what I usually do) or you can make a whole batch and package it up cute (I even created a little printable label for you).

1. Use new-ish (not old and gooey) honey (the honey in the squeezy bear bottles works best because it’s so soft). Fill a container 2/3 full with honey.

2. Add white granulated sugar a tablespoon at a time until you achieve the right consistency.

3. Use as you would use any other facial scrub to exfoliate your face and neck (don’t scrub too hard).

4. Leave the honey mixture on your face for 5 minutes to receive the hydrating benefits.

5. Rinse and enjoy!

The printable label is formatted to fit the lid of a mason jar. I used one of the short Mason jars to package my facial scrub. It turned out so cute. I also wrapped a little washi tape around the outside of the lid. I was happy and surprised to find that it was the perfect width! Bonus!