My Family Peg People

Are you a goodwill shopper?  I am very occasionally and more than not I return out of the store empty handed.

Well, I was looking for something very specific (for the second time) one Saturday and let my eight year old play in the toy section.

When I came over to retrieve him, my heart stopped (probably) as I saw this Gorgeous Castle from Melissa and Doug.  I flipped it over to see a $15 price tag and snatched it up as quick as a lick!  Not only was it the castle, but it included furniture pieces. I was thrilled!

Now, mind you it was dirty and dusty to pieces.  But nothing a little elbow grease couldn't solve.

As I came home beaming to my husband about my new purchase I quickly added, "You wouldn't mind if I spray painted the whole thing white and repainted it all....right?"

He somehow convinced him that this would not be the best use of my time and that it was cute enough, as is.  

So we settled on the idea of me just painting some peg people.  That seemed to make everyone happy.  (And as I was finishing painting the peg people during nap time an hour before she was to open the present, believe me I was happy with this decision.)

So, as you know I've made peg people before.  I casually asked my daughter which kind of dolls would be funner for a castle, for example-- Kings and Queens, or like Princesses, or like dolls of the family?

She let me know dolls of the family would be quite fun.

Thus:

So, I painted our cute family.  And as I've explained to the family a few times, it's everyone's likeness, meaning, no, those aren't actual outfits we own.

The three kid peg people came from JoAnns.  

The two adults and the baby peg people came from Michaels.

These little people and castle really lend themselves to some really fun playing.

This has been such a great toy that has been played with almost every day, even the boys really like playing with it.

Who wouldn't want to play with a little peg version of yourself?

How to easily alter your Jeans into Shorts

Do you ever buy clothing without trying them on?  Often, says I.  Mostly, I know my size, so we're good.  But every once in a while my laziness causes problems-- like when I buy $12 Gap jeans that are equal parts too short and waaaay too tight on the calves.  Sometimes when stores say "skinny jeans"  they mean stick jeans.

But all was not lost, I'm always in the need for shorts.  I like them long, to my knees, and purchasing long jeans is near impossible.  So turning jeans into shorts is really my best option, anyways.

It really is quite easy.  I did this yesterday after while the babes were napping.

STEP ONE:  Determine desired length of shorts.  Add 2 " and cut off bottom of jeans.

STEP TWO:  Turn shorts inside out and fold up jeans 1".  Iron in place.  Repeat, again, by folding 1" more and iron.  Pin in place, if desired.

STEP THREE:  Grab coordinating thread and for greatest success a denim/jean needle.

I used yellow thread, which I had on hand from IKEA.  While sewing around, it probably broke about 17 times-- so that was not thrilling.  For best results by strong thread!

 

STEP FOUR:  Sew using a triple straight stitch for added security.

STEP FIVE:  Sew around the top of the fold.  You can stop here with just one row.  But I always like to go twice, for a double needle look.  Just line up the first set of stitches in the middle of the left point of the sewing foot.

STEP SIX:  Press everything really well!

STEP SEVEN:  Using sand paper go around the bottom edges of the shorts and rough them up.  I used the sandpaper sizes 150 and 340.

All done!  Now enjoy those new professional looking shorts! 

Changing Up the Rocking Chair

Several years ago I inherited a rocking chair, which used to belong to my sister, which used to belong to my mother, which used to belong to my grandma, which used to belong.... who knows where else?

It creaks with each rock and the handles are completely worn down, but I really love it because of all its history.

When I inherited it, it came with a lovely pale blue and light pink pad from the 80's that my Mother had made (wish I a picture of it).  I probably had it about 3 days before I took it all apart, bought some new fabric + buttons and made new pads.  In an effort to be cheap thrifty I even reused her cotton, plus added my own.  I did this when I was expecting my first child.

I picked the color red because I liked it and the blue buttons because it was going to go in a boy's room.

Seven years later it resides in my girls' room and the bright red was offending the rest of the pink room theme.

So last week I gave the pads a makeover.

First thing I did was paint my star buttons.  As you can see above they were navy blue.  I wanted to reuse them so I painted them about 4 or 5 coats of white-- well, white with a teeny bit of red + orange, to match the chair.  Once I was satisfied with all the gobs of paint I had added, I sealed them with Mod Podge Glitter for a girly shine and seal

Then I measured around my existing pads and cut out material to make new pads.  Then I sewed them up, adding ribbons so I could tie them on the chair, and stuffed them with the same cotton as before.

Next I had to decide where the buttons were going to be placed.  I made a little mark on the pad where they ought to go.

 

You can see below what a big difference adding those buttons does to the pads.  They look so much better with the buttons.  It's not very easy to do, but totally worth it.

For the front buttons, of course, I had the newly painted pink buttons.  For the back I reused buttons I've saved up from my husband's extras short's buttons. 

 For my thread I used super sturdy and thick button thread.

To attach the buttons I first used my hands to divide up the cotton through the pad, then following my marks I attached the button on the back and pulled through to the button in the front using an extra long needle.  This process is very tricky and merits lots of patience as you try to find your way through all the cotton into the other side, blindly into a teeny hole.

But It's worth it.  I love how it turned out and it matches so lovely with all the other pinks in the room.