Mustache On A Stick

I found this great tutorial from Martha Stewart on Pinterest.  She has a video tutorial here, but doesn't include any pictures in her step by step instructions.  First, you start with fake fur, which is extremely cheap if you are only buying 1/8th of a yard.  I think I spent $2 or $3 on the fur, made three mustaches... and have plenty left over for more.  I also bought some cream color binding which was a couple bucks.  I had all the other supplies at home.

I printed off the templates on the Martha Stewart website, and traced them onto a box we had in the garage.  Martha suggests chip board... so either will work.  Cutting them out was a little tricky with my ginormous box cutter (old magazine under the cardboard to protect my counter) so, if you have a handy little craft knife it would probably be easier... but once again, either will work!



Next, cut a wire hanger as shown, keeping about 3 inches past where it bends on one side.  The bend is perfect for attaching the cardboard mustache!  Then, wrap the wire with the binding as shown, gluing with little dabs as you wind up the stick.  I used Liquid Fusion glue, you could use any strong craft glue.

Glue the wire onto the cardboard, apply pressure and let dry a little... then apply more glue, covering that same side of the cardboard.  Press fake fur (back of it, not furry side) onto glue and put something heavy on the top until dried, probably overnight.

Once dried, cut out the fur close to the cardboard... using only little snips and cutting the backing but not the fuzzy front part.  If that doesn't make sense, you can watch the Martha Video for a visual explanation.  Then, use hair gel or pomade to shape your mustache!  Awesome!  Its a fun and SUPER cheap prop or costume!

Costume Upgrade

Our elementary school has such fun, interactive activities for the students.  In the 5th grade, students gather facts about an explorer from the 1800's, create a costume, develop a persona... and participate in a Wax Museum day.  Parents and students from the other grades enter the classrooms and choose a student wax sculpture... by pressing their "button," the wax sculpture springs to life, reciting an informative overview about the explorer they are representing.

The first photo "Robert De La Salle" was taken 3 years ago when Bailey was in 5th grade.  Suit coat, velvet vest, and white blouse with ruffle sleeves were all purchased at the Good Will.  Now, with Berkley in the 5th grade, we revamped the costume into "Sir Walter Raleigh" by adding a white ruffle collar and a mustache-on-a-stick.  She made the hat in class out of newspaper and Spray Paint.  The ruffle collar was made by cutting a long strip from an old white sheet and doing a different ruffle effect down each side.  Then we simply wrapped it around her neck a couple times like a scarf.

The most fun part of this costume has been the mustache, in fact I made three different mustaches which have resulted in hours of fun (and crazy accents!) around here.  I will do a seperate post on making the mustache because they are so fun I think it deserves its own post!

I'm already wondering which explorer Austin will get, and what fun things we can do to upgrade his costume... but I guess Halloween is right around the corner and I should be concentrating on those costumes next!

Bling That Zipper Binder!

As the school year approached, I was informed that Bailey needed a new zipper binder because the one she used last year was broken.  Tight on cash for school supplies, I cringed at the thought of needing to spend yet another 20 bucks... but decided that since the other two monkeys were getting new backpacks, in the grand scheme of things, it would be a fair deal.

Fast forward a couple months to a room cleaning/overhaul... I find her old binder shoved into the top of the trash can.  Well, being the resourceful trash-digging type, I snatch it out just to make sure nothing valuable was still inside.  What do I find?  A handful of never-been-used lined paper, a perfectly good 3-ring zipper pouch for pencils and such, and what appears to be a fully functional (but not beautiful) binder.

"Um, I thought you said your binder was broken," I say in confusion... turns out the only thing broken about it was the zipper on the outside pocket which really doesn't have much use at all since you can barely squeeze your fingers inside.  Also, there were complaints that a "friend' had drawn doodles on the binder which made it an unsightly embarrassment.

I decided to try to cover the flaws... and create a "back-up binder" in the event that sometime in the near future her currently used binder became broken or doodle vandalized.

First, I used a black Sharpie to cover most of the evidence of doodle marks.  This worked quite well, except for the problem which became apparent after handling the binder for a while... my finger tips began to show signs of staining.  Ooops.  I applied a coat of Mod Podge over the Sharpie.  For now, that seems to be working.  Here is a picture of the binder after Sharpie application:

Next step, I thought it might be fun to add a little ruffle along under the zipper, leaving a little exposed zipper detail which is kind of still in style, right?  I'm sure there are lots of great ruffle tutorials out there... I basically just took a long strip of scrap fabric I had, and ironed over a little edge for a hem.  No measuring or pinning or anything like that... if a sewing project takes that much precision, then I probably don't have the skills or patience to  complete it.  As a rule, I only sew crafts and costumes... neither of which involve durability or much accuracy.

 

Next step, sew along the folded edge to make a hem.  I'm just going to make a little confession here... as I am typing the word hem, I am questioning whether that is actually even the correct term.  Obviously I am no seamstress, and obviously I have an ugly ironing borad.

 

Next, thanks to my friend Trish who taught me how to make a ruffle a while back... on the opposite side of the fabric strip I sewed two long parallel stitches down the edge being careful not to cross them... and not back stitching them on either start or finish:

Next is the fun part, you carefully pull on the threads and scrunch up the fabric into a ruffle.

Next was the tricky part, (only tricky because there wasn't much room to get the pins stuck in) find the middle of the ruffle and the middle of the binder, start there and begin pinning outward, the ruffle into the zipper pocket, and then hand stitch it on.

Once the ruffle is sewn on, all that's left is to cover up the weird red insignia with a flower.  Fold a long strip of fabric in half and sew edges together to create a long thin strip with one finished edge, cut a circle out of felt, and sew the long strip into a messy spiral... starting on the outside and working inward.  cut off any extra fabric in the middle, and adhere a gem or button or whatever center you choose.  E600 glue works well to glue on the bling, and affix the flower to the binder.

I think Berkley likes it more than Bailey does, but a zipper binder isn't very conducive to elementary school.  Recycling is fun and free.  I love free.

What do you have hanging in your tree???

If you've been to my house in the last few months, surely you've questioned the dangling CD's in my pomegranate tree.  Some have been so brave as to inquire about the odd trinket display, but most have probably just silently wondered about my taste and/or tolerance for such oddities.  After all, if you didn't ask me WHY I had a tree decorated with CD's... one might naturally assume that I thought it was a pretty and sparkly addition to the backyard.  Perhaps a product of some child's creativity?  Or, that I've taken recycling too far?  I can only guess what has gone through peoples minds, but I know I haven't explained the monstrosity to every visitor.  Truth is, I hardly notice the sparkling circles at this point.

You see, every year we hope for some edible pomegranates to be produced off that tree.  Every year, more red round fruits are produced, and every year each one is destroyed with a hole created by birds.  Lots of birds with strong beaks who are beckoned to my backyard by my neighbors tempting display of various bird feeders.  There they sit, side by side... a smorgasbord of bird seed possibilities, and my pomegranate tree loaded with tempting red globes filled with deliciousness.

Can you blame me for attempting to scare the birds off with laser beam prism light flashes?  When I read the harmless and chemical free anecdote online, I hoped it would be the answer to our pomegranate dreams... and a tree full of pomegranates would be well worth the humiliation of what others might think of my decorative choices.  I am sad to report that my not yet ripe pomegranates are beginning to get holes in them.  Oh the agony of defeat.

Does anyone have any other ideas?  Help!  I'm desperate!  Also, I just wanted to say I really do love the birds that the bird feeders bring, I just want to eat pomegranates and enjoy the birds too.  Is that too much to ask?  In the couple short minutes that it took me to snap these pictures, I saw three hummingbirds!  Three!  How can I possibly complain about hummingbirds and songbirds dancing and singing in my backyard? 

Also, while examining my newly uploaded pomegranate photos, a certain little something caught my eye in my neighbor's backyard... heres a magnified view, look closely:

I guess my CD's aren't the only white trash decor in the neighborhood!  Hahahahaaaa!  Cactus in a TOILET?  Wow.  Just Wow.