A Little Tipsy

Creative Tips & Ideas

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Bow Tote

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Hi there! It’s me, Terra from mama says sew. I’m here today to show you how to make this Bow Tote.
I gave it to my daughter to use as a dance tote {and she was so excited she immediately dumped everything out of her old bag so she could put it in this one}, but you could use it for just about anything. It would make a great last minute Mother’s Day gift as well.
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It’s a pretty basic project, but I love how the bow makes an ordinary tote into something special. Perfect for that special little girl or Mom in your life!

First start by cutting out your pieces. I’ve included the measurements I used, but you can adjust them to make the tote any size you prefer.
From main fabric:
Cut 2 bag pieces, 16.5 inches by 15 inches
Cut 2 handles, 4 inches by 20 inches
From lining fabric:
Cut 2 bag pieces, 16.5 inches by 15 inches
From contrast fabric
Cut 2 bow background pieces, 15 inches by 6 inches
Cut 1 bow piece, 6 inches by 11 inches
Cut 2 bow tail pieces, 5 inches by 16 inches
Scrap piece to wrap around the center of the bow

Cut a 2 inch square out of the bottom ends of the bag pieces.
Do the same for the lining pieces. All four pieces should look like this:
Fold the tail pieces in half and cut a triangle off each end, like this:
Now we’re going to make the tucks. Take one bow background piece, and iron a crease in it the long way, about an inch from the top. Stitch close to the crease, as shown.
Keep going, ironing creases and stitching close to the creases, until one of your background pieces is full of tucks. I didn’t mark them, because I wanted it to have a messy look.
Fold the long raw edges to the wrong side of the fabric on both background pieces so they are the same height.
Stitch the background pieces to the main bag fabric, making sure they are both the same distance from the top of the bag. Make sure to account for seam allowances when deciding where to position the background. 
Fold the bow in half and stitch around the three open sides. Clip corners.
Cut a hole near the center of the bow.
Turn right side out and press.
Sew your scrap piece into a tube.
Turn right side out and press.
Fold the tail pieces in half and stitch down the open long side and across the bottom. Leave the top open for turning.
Turn the tails right side out and press.
Hand stitch the scrap piece around the middle of the bow, making sure to cover the hole you made.
Hand stitch the tails to the bow {you may want to trim them to your desired length first}. 
This is what the bow should look like.
Hand stitch the bow to the front of the bag where you want it. Make sure to sew it securely.
With right sides together, sew the side seams and bottom seam on your bag pieces and lining pieces. Leave the square area unsewn.
Pull the square open and match the raw edges together. Do a double row of stitching. Repeat with the lining.
Fold the handles in half and stitch along the long edge, leaving the ends open.
Turn right sides out and press. You can topstitch along the edges if you want.
Trim the side seams close to the top on the bag and the lining.
Press the top edges down about a half inch on the bag and lining.
Turn the bag right side out and insert the lining into the bag so that wrong sides are together.
Pin the handles in place and stitch around the top of the bag.
I did a double row of stitching to make sure everything was secure.
Ta-da! You’re done!
Thanks Terra! This is the perfect little tote for dance, church or the library!

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Mother’s Day Gifts: Time Out for Mom

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Hi, it’s Amy from The Happy Scraps here again, sharing this fun Mother’s Day Idea.

What are you giving your mom this mother’s day? I wanted to come up with a gift that could be enjoyed my mother’s of any age.  Those that have young kids, those that have teenage kids, or those that have grown kids that don’t live at home anymore.  I asked my mom and mother-in-law for ideas, and what types of things they liked, and I also thought about what I might like for mother’s day and this is what I came up with.
Wouldn’t any mother you know love to be pampered, or take a break when they have a few minutes?  I know I would, and I know of others that would as well. I picked up a few things to put together for such an occasion.

I picked up some foot scrub, a pumice stone, a nail file, and some nail polish.

I packaged them in a cellophane bag, and tied it up with bakers twine.

Using my Cricut, I cut out some fun labels for these cute jars that I had, and then I put some bath salts and milk bath into the jars.

I spray painted the lids and then I used my circle punch to punch out some paper for the tops.  I finished off the bottles by tying baker’s twine around the bottle neck as well.

On the bucket, using the Cricut again, I cut out a label to match the others.  I also tied baker’s twine around the bucket.

I know I always enjoy reading a fun magazine, so I added one to this gift as well, and who doesn’t love chocolate? I don’t know any mom that wouldn’t want to “take 5”. 

What do you think? I don’t know any mom that wouldn’t love to receive this gift!
I know as a mom I definitely have some times where I would like to give myself a timeout! Thanks Amy for such a cute Mother’s Day gift idea!
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Gifts for Mom: Easy Photo Magnets #12MonthsofMartha

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Disclosure: Martha Stewart provided product for this post. All ideas and opinions are my own.

I find gifts for mom to be somewhat of a challenge. My mom is not the “crafty” type but I still like to give her something that is personal. My parents are leaving on a mission for the LDS church right before Mother’s Day so I wanted something I could ship easily and would not take up a lot of space. My kids adore their Grandma so I thought it would be great to make something with their cute little faces for her to take along, but would also be useful. I thought handmade photo magnets would be the perfect gift.
Not only are they super cute, but they were unbelievably easy to put together. You can get the jest in the photo below.

Gifts for mom have never been so easy! Now if you are the type who likes a bit more detail I’ll include the full tutorial below.


SUPPLIES:
  • Martha Stewart Crafts Layering Punch {Flourish Frame}
  • Martha Stewart Crafts Craft Glue
  • Martha Stewart Crafts 12×12 Essentials Paper Pad {Brights}
  • Cricut Magnet Material (I am a Cricut affiliate)
  • Clear Contact Paper
  • Picasa (or other collage software)
  • Printer
  • Tin, Ribbon, Sticker and Gift Card Optional
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Find some pictures of the kids and put them in a collage using Picasa or another software making each picture a little over an inch. Print the collage.
2. Using the Martha Stewart Flourish Frame Punch on the setting shown below, punch the pictures. You can slide the pictures in upside down and look through the bottom to make sure they punch in the right place.

3. Punch a piece of magnet material for each picture. I couldn’t believe how easily it punched through this thick medium!

4. Peel the white layer off the magnet to expose the adhesive and carefully place the picture on it. Switch the setting on the punch and cut a little frame out of the paper.

5. Use the Martha Stewart Craft Glue to adhere the frame to the picture. This glue is great for this because it is a little thicker so it doesn’t wrinkle paper and it has a really thin nozzle that is the perfect size for the tiny frame.
6. Punch out a little piece of clear contact paper to finish off the magnet and protect your mini photo and frame.
7. Wrap them up however you like to make the perfect little gift for mom or grandma! I put them inside a little tin with a gift card and tied it up with a bow.

Michaels has a great coupon for US and Canada right now for 40% off a Martha Stewart Crafts Item if you need anything!

Any One Regular Price Martha Stewart Craftsâ„¢ Item. Excludes Martha Stewart Craftsâ„¢ Jewelry

Do you find it hard to decide on gifts for mom? What is one of your favorite things you have given or received as Mother’s Day gifts?

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Mom’s Guacamole

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With both Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day approaching, I think it’s a perfect time to share one of my favorite recipes with you!
Why is it called Mom’s Guacamole? Well, the answer to that is as simple as the recipe itself. My mom taught me how to make this exact guacamole years (and years) ago, and because of the great big avocado tree I have in my front yard, I make it constantly! 

Since the recipe and ingredients are so simple and easy, I just know you’re going to love it too!
Here’s what you need: 
(Note: get this stuff together first!! Making guacamole can get a little messy, so it’s best to have everything you need right at your fingertips.)
How much of each ingredient do I need, you ask? Well, in the wise words of my mom, “However much you like!” Oooohh let me tell you how much that frustrated me in the past. As a borderline perfectionist, that’s not a sufficient answer! But, she’s completely right. Using these ingredients, season it to taste just as you like. Start with a little and add more after a taste test. I find that a dash of the dry ingredients will do. I usually add a tablespoon of salsa and I find it to be just the right amount of spicy “kick”. OH- and here’s an awesome tip! The olive oil not only makes the guacamole a little creamier, it also helps prevent the leftover guacamole from turning brown! 
There you have it! Mom’s Guacamole is an easy recipe with simple ingredients that you most likely already have in your kitchen. Are you eager to make the guacamole but your grocery store only has unripened avocados for sale? Well, take a brown paper bag and let the avocados sit in there for a few days. The darkness helps them ripen faster! 
Thank you so much for having me again here at A Little Tipsy! I’d love for you to swing by my blog Smart School House to see what other crafts and treats I’ve been up to lately, like this picture perfect pink treat called Frosted Ice Cream:
Thanks Kelly! I love the tip about the olive oil! DYK if you leave the big avocado seed in the guacamole until ready to serve it keeps it green?! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
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