So, I have a little secret to confess…. I wear glasses.

Shocking, I know. But, I’ve been hiding it cause I don’t wear them in my pictures. I only got them a few weeks ago, and I still haven’t fully wrapped my brain around the fact that I probably need to be wearing them all the time. Life is kinda nice without stabbing migranes everyday

Since I’m not exactly excited about this turn of events, I thought I would do something to help me like my new glasses a little more.

That’s right, I beautified my glasses case. I saw tons of these cuties at an accessory store that shall remain nameless (cough, CC), for like $15 bucks each. As with my pleated bracelet, I thought I could do better!

SUPPLIES: Glasses case, fabric, scissors, spray adhesive, (optional, fabric glue)

Place your glasses case on your fabric and cut generously around it.

Spray the back of your fabric down with spray adhesive.

Fold over one edge to create a hem.

Line the hem up with the back of the case where the top and bottom pieces meet and press down flat.

Work the fabric toward the front of the case. Pull taughtly and smooth out any wrinkles or creases as you go.

(You will notice the liner of the case has been removed. Hopefully yours isn’t glued down as much as mine was and is replaceable…but I will show you what to do if yours gets distroyed like mine)

Smooth fabric all around until the corners. Pleat the excess fabric in the corner, add more glue, and flatten down. The rounder your case, the more excess fabric you will have….just keep stretching and smoothing, it will get there!

Now if you totally destroyed the inside liner when trying to remove it like I did, you’ll need to line the inside with fabric too. Simply spray down another piece with spray adhesive and work into the sides. I used fabric glue to aid in attaching it to the walls so I didn’t get spray adhesive all over the front of the fabric.

As with the outside, make sure you “hem” your edges so the fabric doesn’t fray.

That’s all there is to it! Well, that and some seriously sticky fingers

Accessory store cost: $15

My cost: using materials I already had (recognize that fabric from this little beauty) FREE!!! I like free

Still not sure I like my glasses.

Lately, LJ has become OBSESSED with letters. He has this amazing picture from my friend Rachel who works at Wheel Of Fortune hanging above his changing table.

He would much rather look at it and point out the letters than get his nasties fixed

And everywhere we go, he particularly likes to point out O’s… like this.

We’re working on it….

Anyways, I thought it would be a great idea to get him some of those little letter magnets for the fridge. Except, I can’t find them ANYWHERE! That’s what I get for thinking apparently.

So what’s a momma to do….craft!

Materials

Blank Magnet Sheet
Acrylic Paint
Painters Tape
Paintbrush
EITHER Die Cutter or Pencil, Letters to Trace, and Exacto Knife

I did stripes, so I started by taping off my magnet sheet.

Then painted on my red stripes.

I cut out my letters using my Cricut. You could also draw/trace letters onto the backside and use an exacto knife. This stuff is not hard to cut at all!

You can paint either before or after cutting, so I’m thinking of making LJ some shapes and stuff. I KNOW he would LOVE an Elmo

I’ve been DYING to make one of these for um….ever!

Only problem…what the heck was I going to do with a composition book, let alone a cover for it? Sorry LJ, you don’t get a designer scribble pad yet.

Now that I’m going to Bloggy Boot Camp in March, I’m going to need something to take notes on. So of course, I NEED to have my very own shnazy book cover…DUH.

I know, it’s amazing. I’m rather proud of myself

Materials:

Fabric (I used interior decor canvas)
Bias Tape
Composition Book
Thread
Pins
Scissors
Tape Measure

Measure your composition book. They are not all the same size! Mine is 9.5 by 7.5 (one side).

Double the width (15 inches) and add 9 inches. Add 1 inch to the height. My measurements are now 24 by 10.5.

Measure and cut your fabric. MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE….unless you want a super cool diapers and wipes pouch like me

At least it’s a stylish accident! And now LJ won’t have mashed Goldfish in his diapers.

Fold over a 3.5 inch section on either end to form the pockets. Iron a crease.

Sew bias tape on both of the vertical sides of the pockets.

You will now have four vertical strips of bias tape sewn on, but the top and bottom do not. The pockets are not sewn down yet.

Fold the bias tape over the top and bottom of the cover. At the corners, open and fold over the tape to create a nice edge.

Sew all along the top, creating the side seams for the pockets as you sew on the tape.

I added a snap to the inside edge of the pockets to secure my book

And just for fun, I added a few rosettes from the left over bias tape…gotta have a little BLING.

I LOVE how it came out and can’t wait to sport it at Bloggy Boot Camp!

You may have noticed this bad boy in my Santa Note post, but I thought he deserved a really introduction.

Ever since I designed my Santa stencil I’ve been dying to use it. I knew exactly how I wanted to show off the Jolly one.

I don’t know why I love this Santa canvas so much, but I just do! I love the colors, how cheerful Santa looks, how cute it looks with my few other Christmas decorations….but also how quick and easy it was to make!

With a toddler running around, I have to make sure that all my decorations are out of reach or safe if he does get them. So this fits the bill!

I can’t wait to Santa-fy a few other things. I’m thinking he would look really cute on some napkins or a tablecloth

Check out Santa and all my other Christmas stencils in my shop, Your Memories Captured. Enter “Santa30″ to receive 30% off any purchase!

Nothing like waiting until the last minute to finish a project that I started weeks ago.

If you’re like me and haven’t started your advent yet, don’t fret my pet (name that show!), I have one that is super easy, on sale, and turned out really cute!

I’m NOT a Halloween person. As a kid I loved it, but as a college student I got totally turned off because all I saw was an excuse for girls to dress highly inappropriately and it was acceptable. LAME.

So now that I’m a mom, I’m realizing I need to embrace Halloween again. Gotta make it fun for LJ.

Only problem…ZERO budget for Halloween tom foolery (as BSB would say).

So what’s a thrifty mom to do……get crafty!