No-Sew Trick-or-Treat Bag

My husband and I have been volunteering at our church's Fall Festival for years, and for the last two years, we had a little someone to take with us. And both times, we realized after we got there she didn't have anything to put her candy in. Okay, you got me. When she was 11 months old, the candy was really just for us! But now that Annelise is almost 3, she is definitely going to need a bag for her candy.

When I was growing up, you pretty much had one choice for trick-or-treating:

Source: Amazon.com

Well, that was fine 30 years ago, but I just had to make something cuter, right? Besides, storing a plastic pumpkin the rest of the year is not ideal. We already use up valuable closet space for Easter baskets. So here is a super easy, no-sew trick-or-treat bag:

Would you like to make one? Here's what you need:

Fabric Tote (mine were $7.99 for 4 at Hobby Lobby)

Scrap Fabric

Fusible Web

Ribbon

Fabric Paint

Printout of initial

For my letters, I used Janda Manatee from dafont.com. I made each letter using Word Art in Microsoft Word, and they are about 3" square. I also used a bowl to trace the background circle - the diameter was about 5 1/2". Trace your letter (in reverse) and circle onto the fusible web's paper backing. Cut loosely around each shape, remove one side of the paper backing (not the side you traced!) and set it in place on the back side of your fabric. Follow package directions to iron the fusible web in place.

Cut out your letter and circle along the traced lines. Remove the paper from the letter, center it on the circle, and iron it in place.

Then remove the backing from the circle and iron it to your tote.

At this point you could stop. The fusible web should hold everything just fine. But to add another dimension, I traced the letter and circle with fabric paint.

Here's a close-up of my edges. (Of course the closer you get, the more imperfections you see!)

I also made a simple bow and hot glued it to the bag. Now my 7 month old won't be carrying a treat bag this year, but I couldn't let her feel left out next year, so I made her bag now.

You could easily change up the look of this bag to suit your child - think superhero fabric for boys, their favorite colors, or something to match their costume. Or you could make one to use as a gift bag (that's a gift in itself) for another holiday - red and green for Christmas, cupcakes for a birthday, etc.

I'm super-excited to show you what I just made Caroline (the 7 month old) for Halloween. I just have to get a picture of her wearing it. Stay tuned...

Happy crafting,
Julie

Linking up here:
Sundae Scoop (I Heart Naptime)
Mop It Up Mondays (I Should Be Mopping the Floor)
Make It Wear It Thursday (The Train to Crazy)

Bed Rail Recover

Shortly after my oldest daughter's 2nd birthday, we moved her into her big girl bed. We bought the longest bed rail we could find - not just so she wouldn't roll out, but also to serve as a deterrent to getting out of bed. Don't get me wrong - she can still get in and out - but she knows when the rail goes up, it's sleepy time.

My problem came as a result of when the rail is down. Annelise's bed is so low that the rail doesn't hang straight down - it hangs at an angle where it hits the floor. So of course my daughter uses it as a ladder to climb into her bed. And after about 6 months of that kind of treatment, the top seam of the rail cover completely came undone. (She also kicks it before she falls asleep. I'm sure that had quite a bit to do with it, too.)

I found some white twill fabric at Hobby Lobby. I wanted a sturdy fabric that would hold up to Annelise, and possibly last long enough to use with Caroline in a few years. I thought about getting a coordinating color for her room, but went with plain white so it will go with Caroline's room later.

I laid out the fabric and traced the existing cover with the top seam at the fold of the twill. I cut the fabric about 1/2" outside the traced line. I thought about using velcro to fasten the bottom around the rail frame. But then I realized the zipper on the old cover was still in perfect shape. So I picked out the old zipper and reused it.

Here's a close-up of the new top corner. I started the side seam right where the frame started to curve down.

I also tried to solved the "ladder" issue. I gave Annelise a little window to put her foot in when climbing in. I cut out a 4"x6" hole on the inside and stitched bias tape around the raw edges.

And here's the new cover in place on Annelise's bed.

Here she is using the foot hole. Love that cheesy grin!!!

There she goes. Nap time!

And here is the reason I haven't A) posted lately, and B) had any time to make something to post about!

Our sweet little Caroline is 6 months old. She's crawling and pulling up to stand already (yikes!), and is completely a momma's girl. I'm thankful that she and her sister nap together most of the afternoon, but by the time I get them down for naps, I'm worn out from chasing them all morning. Whew! Together they keep me hopping.

I have lots of craft plans - a ton of things collected on Pinterest - I'm just looking for the time to get it done. One of the next things I'll be working on - Halloween costumes! I've completely sewn Annelise's first 2 costumes, but this year I'm going to combine some homemade items with store-bought things. Stay tuned...

Happy crafting,
Julie

Linking up here:
Sundae Scoop (I Heart Naptime)
Mop It Up Mondays (I Should Be Mopping the Floor )