A simple craft for little hands.

The other day, mini came inside with a bunch of dandelions and asked me to make her a "hat".  Well, I totally took her hat, and raised her one full blown princess crown.  And by her reaction, I totally KILLED that request - you'd think I'd magically called some gold and jewels out of thin air or something - and I was pleasantly surprised at how a 5 minute "project" for me could result in something so fun, endlessly entertaining and cherished (we still can't throw it away) for her.

Once bug saw mini's awesome crown, he had to have one, too.  Hence our "nature crowns" were born.

I realized the potential to make this something super meaningful, though at the time it was just a simple, thrown together, very quick craft for us to do together.  I let both mini and bug "design" their crowns, collect the "ingredients" themselves, and help me pull it together.

 They couldn't stop collecting things, even after their nature crowns were complete!

The tutorial here is specifically for the Dandelion Princess Crown, but it's obviously very easily altered.

You need scissors, dandelions (buckets and buckets of dandelions), skinny elastic, ribbon and matching washi tape.

Also, and most importantly so I'm not sure how it managed to elude the list up there, you need a large piece of poster board.

Now, I can't, unfortunately, give you specific dimensions or anything, mostly since I didn't measure, but also because every kids head is going to be a little different.  So take these general instructions and run with them.

1. Start with your poster board laid out flat and begin your cut near one of the bottom corners.

2. Continue cutting up so that you have a half circle that's a little over 3/4 of the width of the poster board.

3. With the flat side facing you, a) bring the corners of the half circle towards the middle and b) then overlap the one corner and continue pulling it until the point of the crown is well-established and the bottom of the hat is fairly flat around.

4. Let go of the outer corner a bit, put on a lot of hot glue and

5. Curl it back up onto the cone and press down hard.

6. Pull the inner corner down away from the inside of the cone and

7. put on a bunch of hot glue, then

8. Push it back up against the cone and hold it for a few seconds.

9. Now your cone, or crown, is glued together.

10. It may be totally uneven or lopsided.  Just trim around the bottom to make it level.

11. Cut some elastic to fit snuggly but not too tight under your kids chin.

12. Dab some hot glue (which is really hard to see) on the inside of the crown at the side and

13. Press one end of your elastic onto it.

14. Then dab some more hot glue directly across from the first and press the other end of the elastic onto it.  Make sure your elastic isn't twisted before you glue.

Now, we decorate!

1. Wrap washi tape from top to bottom at an angle.

2. Continue wrapping pieces of washi tape bottom to top at angles and overlapping until you like the pattern.

3. Take the stem off of the dandelions.

4. Put hot glue on the back of the dandelion head.

5. Press the dandelions heads all around the bottom of the crown!

Now, I don't have pictures of this, but take your ribbon and cut it in three pieces.  Use your hot glue to glue one end of each piece into the inside of the point of the crown.  Hot glue another large dandelion over the point.

And now, you are The Dandelion Princess!  (make THAT into a movie, Disney...)

 I couldn't stop taking pictures of her smelling dandelions.  She was so funny!

When bug wanted in on the action, I charged him with the task of collecting items he might want on a prince crown.  He chose several long pieces of grass, some dandelion STEMS, some rocks, and a few leaves.  And I looked at the assortment and went, uh... (the dandelion one was pretty straight forward...)

 Ignoring the fact that he plucked leaves off of my hostas... It was kind of fun working with bug to come up with the perfect "plan" for his crown.  I made a cone like mini's and glued on the elastic.  Then I wrapped some green and white washi tape around it.
I started by gluing the 3 rocks in the front, like jewels.  Then I figured the leaves could nicely wrap around the bottom of the crown - and I like how the kind of curl together.  I glued some long grass and some dandelion stems into the inside of the point and then wrapped two dandelions stems around the point.  Voila!  A boy version!

He called it his "Crazy hat" - which I think is a compliment.

 And now, you are the Prince of Pebbles and Leaves!  Or something...

 What I think is great about this project, is how customizable it is.

1. Go for a "nature scavenger hunt" with specific items in mind.  Then use those items to create your Nature Crown!
2. Go on a walk around the park or neighborhood and see what items jump out at you.  There might be some really interesting things you never would have thought of that you find along the way!
3. Collect items when you are on a special trip - when you take a break to stretch your legs on a road trip, when you're picnicking somewhere special, when you take a day trip to a special place, when you go camping or bike riding or to the beach!  Use your natural "souvenirs" to make your crown!

Don't forget to stop and pick some dandelions along the way.

*Be sure to check below for all the fun parties I link to!*

Procrastination at it's finest.

After I made Zoe her heart-toe shoes for Valentine's Day, I figured the boy could use some shoes, too.  I had these plain tan slip-ons I got on clearance at Walmart and decided to make them fancy pants - in a "boy way" (Ezra insisted).
I decided on a fun, geometric print, almost tribal in a way.

Unfortunately, it took me so long to complete them (in true professional procrastinator fashion) that his feet grew out of them.

Yeah.

So these will end up being Zoe's as well, though they're just a tad too big currently.

Would you like to turn your plain shoes into a work of art?

All you need is a Sharpie fabric pen!  And a little creativity.  Possibly a ruler if you want your lines to be straighter than mine.

I basically just made them up as I went, starting at the toe.

Perfect for walking.


If you like these, check out my other shoes!

Heart-Toe Shoes
Glittered Zebra Printed Shoes
Sloppy Joe's Shoes 
Snappy Shoes

*Be sure to check below for all the fun parties I link to!*

It's a {yarn} WRAP.

I hope you've had as much fun with Yarn it All! 2014 as I have!  There's so much yarn inspiration with this edition of the yarn series, it'll keep you busy for loooong time.  Hopefully at least until next early spring when we do it all again!

In case you need an easy reference to all these awesome yarn projects, I've gathered them all together in one convenient location: here!  Let's wrap it all up with an awesome yarn bow!

Lace Knit Baby Bonnet from Melly Sews

Baby Headbands from Lanas de Ana

Boot Cuffs (and other favorite free patterns) from Try to Keep Up

Mini Easter Baskets from Cherished Bliss

Crochet Collar T Shirt Upcycle from Grey Luster Girl

Fabric and Yarn Gift Wrap from Just Make Stuff

Yarn Bracelets from A Girl And A Glue Gun

State String Art from Young and Crafty Sisters

Yarn Crafting and Sewing Projects from Simple Simon and Co.

Hula Girl Costume

Yarn Valance

Yarn Printing

Monogram Lamp Shades (2 Ways)

Carrot Sunburst

Yarn Flip Flops (3 Ways)

44 FREE awesome crochet and knitting patterns 

Fun and Unique Yarn Uses, Techniques, Storage and Parties

15 Crafts with Yarn (Wreaths and Patterns) from Hi! It's Jilly!

Don't forget to check out all the awesome ideas from our link party!

Yarn it All! Link party

Yarn it All! Link Party Features

Special thanks to all our guest post-ers and Call Her Happy for providing our awesome giveaway!  Go check out her etsy shop and all her super cute mini embroidery hoop necklaces.

 And that's a {yarn} WRAP!  Until next year...

*Be sure to check below for all the fun parties I link to!*

because we are dreaming of warm weather.

Today is my final tutorial!  I'm a little sad to see Yarn it all! go once again... I have so many yarn ideas yet to be implemented!  But we'll save those for another year.

Today, I'm dreaming of summer... or at least no snow.  I made something to help the weather along!

Initially this was only going to be a tutorial for the rainbow ones, so the pics are heavily weighted in that direction, sorry.  I found that when I started in on adding yarn to flip flops, I just couldn't stop!  And since I had several plain pairs laying around waiting for miss mini, I just went to town.

First up, 

1. Cut red, orange, yellow, green, blue and indigo yarn all the same length - quite long.  (if you have violet, throw that in there too!)
2. Line up your yarn in rainbow color order.
3. Fold your yarn in half.
4. Put some hot glue on the end of one side of the flip flop strap where it goes into the sole. 
5. Lay your yarn bunch down on the hot glue, right in the center where you folded it.
6. Put a little hot glue on the outside of the strap.
7. Wrap the yarn that's on the outside under the strap to the inside.
8. Wrap the yarn that's on the inside over the other yarn, under the strap and to the outside.
9. Pull it tightly.
10. Take your first color - indigo - and separate it from the other colors.  
11. Cross the two indigo strands over the other yarn and pull them to the opposite sides.
12. Take your next color - blue - and do the same thing; cross the blue strands, making sure they are over all the other colors.
13. Do this with your next color.
14. And your next and next, until you've crossed each color individually.
15. Now you need to wrap each color individually behind the underside of the strap.  If you skip this part, you'll end up with a weave on top of your strap instead of around your strap.
16. Wrap each color underneath, crossing them to opposite sides of the strap until you've done each color.  
17. Now start over crossing the individual colors on top again.
18. And go through all the colors until each has been done in order.

19. Continue in this way - crossing colors individually first on top all through the rainbow, then underneath all through the rainbow - until you get to the toe separator. 

20. Put a dab of hot glue on top and press the yarn from the outside down.

21. Put a dab of hot glue underneath and press the yarn to the inside down.

22. Pull the yarn from the inside of the flip flop under the strap and to the outside.  

23. Pull it tightly against the hot glue area.

24. Repeat steps 1-22 on the other strap of the flip flop.

25. When you are all finished, just trim off the ends of the yarn.

And try them out!

Next up:

So easy and don't require any glue at all.
All you need are cheap flip flops, two yarn colors, scissors and... uh, that's it.

1. Measure how long you want your yarn.  Make it twice the length of the whole flip flop top.
2. Cut five strands that long.
3. Tie the strands together at the end with the second yarn color.
4. Braid.  Use the five strand braid.  You can find a tutorial for a 7 strand braid here, just omit two of the strands.
5. Cut a long piece of the second color and slip it under the end of the flip flop strap where it goes into the sole.
6. Lay your braid down on the strap and use the strand of yarn under the strap to tie the braid down.  Use a double knot and tie right over the existing yarn and knot on the braid.
7. Move down the strap about an inch or two, cross the ends of your yarn strand under the strap, then cross them above the braid.
8. This is what it looks like on top.  Just pull the strand tightly.
9. Cross the strand ends below the strap then on top once again.  Then do this again, right next to the toe separator.
10. Pull tightly.
11. Cross the strand ends below the strap, on the other side of the toe separator.
12. Mimic what you did on the first strap to the second strap, crossing the strand of yarn under the strap and over the braid.
13. When you get to the end of the strap, tie a secure knot.
14. And this is what it will look like.

 15. Then just trim the ends on both sides of the flip flop!

When you are wrapping the braid on there, make sure to straighten it and pull it flat as you go.

If you are anything like my daughter, it will be fairly impossible to get a decent picture of them in action.

And finally:

You need cheap flip flops, yarn, a darning or doll needle, two focus buttons (like big with bold patterns) and other buttons in different sizes.  I used about 14 buttons on each flip flop (besides the giant ones in the center.)

1. Thread your needle with a long piece of yarn.
2. Tie the end of the yarn to the end of the strap where it goes into the sole.
3. Hold the short tail of the yarn down.
4. Wrap the yarn around the tail and strap for about an inch or two.
5. Thread your first button onto your yarn.
6. Pull it tightly up against the flip flop.  Wrap the yarn around the strap on either side of the button just a few times.
7. Thread on your next button.
8. Pull it tightly against the flip flop and first button, then wrap the yarn a few times very tightly.
9. Continue doing this.  When you get to the toe separator, add your large focal button and wrap the yarn around the strap a few times.
10. Add your last button about an inch or two before the strap ends.  Then wrap the yarn around the end of the strap.
11. Stick your needle into the yarn.
12. Pull it through.  Knot it to the wrapped yarn.

 13. Then trim the yarn.  Done!

 My favorite part?  I didn't have to know how to crochet to do them!  And they still look cute!  
Here are the pretty new yarn flip flops all ready for summer.

Although the weather's not quite there yet...

And this guy?  He was remarkably pleasant and not up to any mischief, surprisingly!

Stay tuned for one more round up, some features and a wrap up!  Woo hop!

*Be sure to check below for all the fun parties I link to!*