Chalk Board Table DIY

The run down on how I did Addie's chalkboard table. I bought a sketchy table and chairs off Craigslist for 15 buckaroos. Apparently IKEA also has a 20$ kids' table and chairs set...unfortunately Idaho and Ikea still haven't met. Hence a slightly questionable Craigslist swap that went down in the Post Falls Walmart parking lot.

 Table and chairs before - I would say that the table used to be an "end table" of some sort. The lady who sold it to me used it in her day care as a craft table, the top was covered in wood glue and paint. 

So I sanded it down. I sanded off the wood glue spots and paint to make a clean smooth surface. I also sanded the legs so that the table as a whole would take paint smoothly.

 My super awesome boyfriend finished up the sanding, between football games ;), while I started on the chairs. (Excuse our messy garage.)

I unbolted the padding from the chairs, I wanted to re-upholster them. The chairs weren't exactly my favorite color. So easy fix, I spray painted them both. I taped the bottom of the chairs so that the feet stayed black. They also needed good cleaning before I started painting. 

After I painted, I cleaned the padding on the chairs. The padding and the chairs themselves were in great condition, just ugly. The padding was screwed into the chair frame so I was confident that hot glueing the fabric I wanted on to the seats and then bolting them back on would be perfect. The fabric is from Wal Mart, which is basically the only other thing I spent money on besides the table and chairs themselves. It was 7$. I had random cute fabric from previous projects but not quite enough to cover both seats.

I used acrylic paints from around the house for the legs of the table. Confession, I'll probably end up painting them a creamy white later. The final item I bought was unsanded tile grout from Ace, the key ingredient in creating chalk board paint. The grout cost about $3.50. Put 1 part of the grout to every 8 parts paint, and I totally eyeballed it.

I painted the top of this table with this mixture, 3 coats. I then chalked the surface of the table and wiped it off to "prime" it. Then voila!

DIY Graduation Invitations

If you're anything like me, your jaw dropped when you discovered Jostens is charging $131.95 for 25 graduations invitations. And if your family is the size of mine you tried to look away before you saw the fee's for 50 invitations, $237.95 (Reality check, you could buy a four day stay at top rated hotel in Guatemala with that kind of money). So the Flirt crew and I did a little pre-planning and got down to business with a graduation invitation party (hotline and Arby's included)....because nothing like sharing supplies saves ya money!

Before we even get started, here's the finished product. I'd definitely agree that it's not as "professional" as a Josten's invitation, but for a piece of paper that gets thrown away after being received...I could care less. Seriously.

The script is sneakily stolen from the Josten's cards, but obviously you can write whatever you'd like!

The white cardstock was $5.50 at Michaels, they also had black and cream. The brads had graduation caps on them, I got mine at Paper Pals, $10 for 36 of them. My friend got plain crimson ones for cheaper. I then purchased the Cougar stickers at Crimson and Grey, they were $2.95 a pack. I printed off photos at Wal-Mart, thankfully my photographer took them for free and sent them to me, so I just paid the print fee of $10. (You can have a friend, relative, etc take photographs easily. My friend did so, and they turned out magnificently.) I purchased a Cougar stamp at Paper Pals to print the card stock with, which came to $8.50. You can buy inidividual vellum sheets at any scrap book store but I'd recommend buying a pack and splitting the costs, which can be anywhere from 4-10 bucks. And finally, my friend brought the stamp pads in exchange for sharing the stamp and using my printer, and those ran her about 6 bucks a piece (again, sharing is caring).

We printed out our actual invitation on the vellum, four per page. We then cut them out, used the brad to attach the vellum to the card stock. We then added the Cougar stamp behind. My Cougar stickers will go on the envelopes. My total for invitations came to $43 dollars, $53 if you include the photographs...which you would need in addition to the Josten invitations too. It took about two hours total (and one thirty minute crisis call on the hotline) to make the invitations, if you want anymore specifics please let me know! Cheers Cougar graduates, 34 days!

Cougar Nails

Instructions for the awesome Cougar nails follow as per request of my lovely Michelle. Paint the nails a shade of grey. I used two coats of OPI. Apply Cougar decals, mine were from Crimson and Grey and approximately 3 bucks for a pack of 12. I guess 12 is just in case your were born with extra appendages or something awesome like that. Apply the decals and then finish with a clear coat and voila! Go Cougs!

Infinity Scarf

I made this about a week ago and now I'm finally getting the chance to share. What you need:

J hook
3 skeens of light weight worsted yarn (I used Vanna's choice)

And now, the stitch!
The first step is to understand a double crochet decrease stitch. Decrease double crochet into the first loop of the chain, and then finish the stitch by completing the decrease in the second loop of the chain. This will result in a single stitch so to regain the correct number of stitches complete a full double crochet in the second chain (there will be two stitches in this loop, the second of the decrease double crochet stitch and then another double crochet stitch). Try this site if you're confused: double crochet decrease instructions.

Chain 120 to 159 stitches, loosely. The site I found this pattern on says 120, I did 159...I think something between the two would be most ideal. Make sure that you do an odd number of stitches to avoid a left over. Chain three to create a double crochet stitch and then begin the stitch into the chain. The website I read said to do 14 rows, I did 12. Your call! Her instructions are here:

http://crochetincolor.blogspot.com/2011/10/soft-stitch-cowl-pattern.html

Vertical Scarf

Cougar Style! So the trick with the "vertical scarf" is that the rows are long ways instead of short ways....meaning you've got your work cut out for you with this one! So here's how I made mine:

I chained 260 in heavy crimson yarn. After the chain, the pattern you will use through the whole scarf is one single crochet, followed by a chain stitch. The next row will continue the pattern BUT you will crochet your single stitch into the chain stitch from the previous row and then chain over the previous rows single crochet. Following me? If not leave a comment and I'll do my best to help!

The color scheme is as follows:

6 crimson rows
3 ivory rows
2 grey rows
3 ivory rows
6 crimson rows

This pattern was sent to me by a sweet friend, here is the link she found it on. I obviously switched up my pattern slightly and used a heavier yarn for the Pullman snow but if you would prefer a lighter scarf definitely check this out!

http://www.eatingoutloud.com/2010/11/vertical-stripe-crochet-scarf-unisex.html

Owl Hat

I winged this pattern entirely, in fact, I made it up as I went along. So it may take a practiced crocheter and some creativity to get this one done! Measure the circumference of the child's head, subtract one inch (crochet stretches) and divide by 3.14. Yep, I said divide by pi, welcome back to geometry! This is how large to make the diameter of the hat, so increase evenly until this size is achieved, I used a double crochet stitch with a H hook. After the initial crown of the hat is created, continue evenly, for six rows. I did a lighter shade for these parts. After the six rows from the initial crown, I switched to a darker stitch for four more rows. I then cut the yarn and stitched in the extra. To make the horns on the top, I used a double crochet stitch in the dark shade, about an inch and half from the center of the crown of the hat. I crocheted into the hat, around previous stitches. I crocheted three stitches, turned for three more stitches and then turned for two more stitches to form the pointed top. I tied off and then stitched back down through the horn and back into the hat for extra anchoring. I repeated this process on the other side to form two even horns! For the beak I did four double crochets, turned and decreased by one stitch on each turn until I finished with one stitch. Once I finished the beak I stitched it onto the hat. For the eyes I used a white yarn, formed a loop and then double crocheted into the loop to form a tight circle. I did this twice and stitched these two eyes onto the hat. I then added eyelashes with black, and black buttons for eyes. For the ear flaps I laid the hat flat and with the front facing towards me. I marked the edge on each side of the the bottom of the hat, and then did five double crochets on each side of the mark, to make a total of ten stitches in a row. I decreased each row by one until the flap ended with three stitches and then tied off. I then did this on the other side of the hat too. Add yarn to the sides and braid to create the tails and viola! Good luck, feel free to let me know if you get stuck!

Toddler Crochet Hat

Instructions: 

I used a H hook, using anything smaller would of course make your hat slightly smaller and the same goes for using a larger hook to increase the size. I used a heavier weight grey yarn.

To begin, chain five with the grey yarn. Form a ring round/loop. For the second round: chain three, and then 11 double crochets into the ring, join with a slip stitch. Meaning your second row should appear to have 12 double crochets (the chain of three is a replacement for 1 double crochet stitch). Third row: chain two and then double crochet into the same stitch as the chain. Double crochet two stitches into each stitch of the previous row. This will increase your total stitches around to 24, finish with a slip stitch. Your hat will start to look like a little bowl (Can you tell that I’m a person who needs instant results?) Onto round four, you will double crochet one into the first stitch, two into the second stitch, one into the third stitch and so on. Finish with a slip stitch. This alternation of one and two double crochet stitches will allow your hat to increase but not so much that it turns into a giant coffee coaster, heh, maybe learned that from trial and error. You should have a total of 36 stitches. For round five you’ll double crochet into the first and second stitches, on the third stitch double crochet twice and then just one double crochet for the fourth stitch and fifth stitch. Double crochet twice in to the sixth stitch and continue this pattern for a round resulting in 48 stitches, finish with a slip stitch. You’ll want to continue with rounds of 48 for another 6 to 8 rows depending on the length of the hat you desire (I did 7). 

For the flower: I again used an H hook, formed a chain of 8 and created a round using a slip stitch. I then chained 9 and double crocheted into the ring. This forms your first petal (remember the 9 chain actually represents 1 double crochet and 6 chain stitches). Chain 6 (from the double crochet) and then double crochet into the ring again. This should form your second petal. Continue another three times. You should now have five petals. For your final petal you will not double crochet into the ring, but instead slip stitch into your first chain of 9, at the third stitch up from the ring. Ta-da, flower power! 

Head Band Mania

It's that time of the year folks! Turn your thermostats down to fifty to save money, invest in an over priced North Face jacket and gawk at ladies on campus who elect to face the chill in bare legs. Oh wait, that's just at college.But a recent new fad I see extending beyond the campus this year are custom crochet head bands. I found a nifty, easy little pattern that I thought I would share. Of course I made some tweaks and what not, but the directions below will be exactly how I made these awesome toasty ear warmers.

Instructions

Use a H hook, heavy worsted yarn. If opting for lighter weight consider using two lighter yarns together.

ch = chain         dc= double crochet

Row 1: ch 4. Then dc into the chain, adding one dc. This is the equivalent to chaining three, double crocheting into that stitch, and then performing three more double crochets in the remaining 3 stitches, so one each. You should have 5 double crochets (remember a chain of three = 1 double crochet). 

Row 2: Turn (aka flip your work around so your hook is back to the same side you started). And then dc in each stitch again while increasing by one dc. (Again increasing by one dc means that you will perform your chain of three first, and then dc into that same stitch, result in an extra stitch for the next row).

Continue dc'ing and adding a stitch on each row until you have 9 stitches. Continue rows with 9 stitches for anywhere between 18-24 rows. I try it on as I go and use my best judgement, it hasn't failed so far but for you sticklers out there I do about 20 rows. 

For the final rows, dc and then decrease by one dc in each row until you are back down to four dc stitches like in the beginning. I'm not so hot at explaining how to decrease a dc, so click HERE for instructions that I used to learn. 

At this point you can connect the two ends if you like, and voila you are done.

I personally don't connect them just yet. I dc all the way around the top and bottom edges to create a kind of cinch on the top and bottom of the headband that will help hold it tight on your head. Adding these extra dc's along the top and bottom also increase the width of the band. 

For instructions for the flower technique I used, look below at the toddler crochet hat.