Nursery Project Complete!

Natalia’s room is finally finished!!! I’m so proud of my hard work. I painted her entire room, night table and dresser, handmade her night table runner and most of her decorations. I also spent LOTS of money with all the “extras” to make this nursery absolutely perfect for my baby girl. Sadly, she will be 3 months in 3 days and is JUST now starting to spend time in her own room, lol!

Wall art that came with the set.

Baby boom zebra crib set from Walmart Online.

I love the crib skirt! The ruffles are so cute.

Excuse my zebra obsession, lol.

Her attached changing table with a velour pink pad cover.

Underneath the changing table.

Handmade baby keepsake box and night table runner. Aren’t those knobs the cutest?!

Inside the box. Yes, I still have the pregnancy test!

Inside the night table.

Zebra covered outlet cover.

Perfect curtain for her room!

The top of her chest.

Ribbons to decorate.

The left side of the dresser. The little pink things on the silk runner are light pink and hot pink crystals. ❤

The right side. Pictures of her first day in the world and her 1st day home.

I painted that and specially ordered the handles and knobs. (:

Decorated the mirror with her ultrasound pictures. ❤

Some of her gorgeous flower bows! I borrow them sometimes. ;D

Zebra print heart wall decals.

Zebra print light switch plate.

Hanging shelves came in handy. Decorated those with ribbon too. (:

My carter’s zebra print diaper bag! (:

Half her clothes, an unopened pack-n-play and some other stuff that I still need to organize!

Pinterest Cord Organization

This was one of my nesting projects that I made because I absolutely LOVED the idea! I am a very organized person, some people would probably consider me OCD about it, but nevertheless I like to be organized and know what’s what. I like the fact that I don’t have to unplug everything just to figure out what it belongs to. I’ve been saving all the bread bag clips and accumulated enough to use them for all my cords. I started to write on them with a sharpie but it didn’t work out too well. The sharpie doesn’t dry on the plastic, so I decided to use neon labels, write on them and cut them to size. I actually liked my idea much better because I used bright neon colors (my favorite!) and I could write on them neatly. Another thing about this great idea is that I can easily remove the label and put a new one on if I decide to get rid of that “whatever it is” that’s labeled. Not only that, but most of the bread bag clips had expiration dates on them that I could get off, so the labels cover them right up! (:

DIY Scarf Organizer

My supplies.

Nesting Project #3: DONE! I am really proud of myself for being on this roll of completing all the projects that I planned to make during my last weeks of pregnancy. I usually make a list of things to do and somehow always end up with things unchecked that remain unchecked for a looooong time.

Painting the dots using the opposite end of the paint brush for perfect circle results.

Letting the dots on the rings dry by hanging them so I don’t mess them up.

But lately I have been feeling little bursts of energy, feeling the need to occupy my boredom with fun, easy crafts. This is the third craft I’ve done in less than a week and it is so cute! I was inspired by Pinterest. I saw a few pictures of similar organizers but a specific one caught my eye due to its creative decor. I decided I wanted to make one that looked JUST like it, but a different color. I used a plain white hanger that I already had (otherwise you can buy a pack for a $1 @ the Dollar Tree), shower curtain rings ($1 @ Dollar Tree), Turquoise paint ($0.50 @ Walmart), & 2 rolls of sheer turquoise ribbon ($2 ea. @ Walmart). This inexpensive and useful craft took me about 2 hours to make including drying time. I think it turned out so good! I don’t even want to hang it in my closet because I want it to be out in the open where it can be seen by everybody! I’ve been using a lot of pink lately because that’s my favorite color, BUT that’s not my only favorite color. I also love turquoise and lime green. When I first moved in my house I bought turquoise paint to paint my walls. I haven’t painted them yet, but I plan to! So I made this project to match what the color of my bedroom will be. (:

The Finished Project. (:

 

Baby Keepsake Box

This is my newest baby project: Natalia’s baby box. I decided to make her a box that would contain all her keepsakes as memoirs. I wanted to decorate it to match her nursery which is all zebra print with light pink and dark pink polka dots. This is the completion of it & I think it turned out 10x times better than I imagined in my head! Even though I sketched it before hand. ;D

This is the second box that I’ve decorated and I did a wayyyyy better and faster job on this one than my first. It only took me 3 days to complete, but only because I had to wait to go to the store to get the rest of the supplies I needed. When I made my first box, I googled “how to decorate a box” and was disappointed not to see too many instructions on how to do that. So I am going to make my own instructions on box decorating!

1. Brainstorm! The first step is to think about what you want to have a box for of course. It could be to store things in, to give as a gift, or simply just for a decoration project when you’re bored!
2. Decide what size box you need/want, and go get it! I knew I needed a big box because I was going to store an entire baby book along with other bulky items such as her homecoming outfit and things of the like. I got my box for free at a shoe store because buying a big box would just be too expensive, and they are usually already decorated. What’s the fun in that?!
3. Sketch a drawing of what you imagine your box to look like. I always think before hand to save time. I sketched how I wanted the box to look like, what kind of fabric I would use, the colors, the accessories, and the font for the lettering.
4. Shop for supplies! This is my favorite part (;
   Buy everything you will need to make your box. I went to Walmart and bought zebra and polka dot fabric ($8), 3 packs of assorted pink buttons ($6; $2 ea.), a pretty pink bow clip in the children’s section ($1), and then went to Save A Lot for fabric glue ($2) because it’s just cheaper there. The other supplies, I already had, which include a sharpie, a pink marker, and card stock to draw the name, loose black glitter, Elmer’s glue, fabric scissors, and zebra duct tape ($3.50).
5. Measure and cut fabric to size of the box. I bought such a large piece of zebra fabric that I didn’t have to do too much cutting and it turned out looking so much better than if I would have had to cut it to fit around the corners because it wrapped around perfectly (conveniently for me). I started by gluing one side at a time and letting it dry before I went on to gluing the next side, this way when I pulled the fabric around the corner, I wouldn’t move the fabric I just glued out of place. Make sure you glue the very outside edges of the inside and the outside of the sides of the box. Otherwise, if you just glue the insides, you will have to come back around and glue the outside, but it will be hard to lift the fabric because it will already be glued around the box.
6. To give the bottom of your box a neat finish, fold the fabric as if you were wrapping a preset box and glue the trim down and hold it in place until it’s somewhat dry (It will completely dry on its own, but this makes the fabric completely flat because the glue will seep through the fabric).
7. You can use the same technique to fabric the lid, but the lid is easier because you can glue the edges of the top, place the fabric, let it dry, and then one by one glue each side down, folding the corners inwards to make it look neat.
8. Cover the bottom of the inside of your lid and box. I used the pink polka dot fabric to cover the inside of the lid, and zebra duct tape to cover the inside of the box. I used tape because it was easier to make stick, it would hold the bottom fabric in place and it looks good! I used the pink on the lid because I wanted it to be different. 😀
9. Lastly, decorate it however you like! I cut a smaller sized square piece of the pink polka dot fabric and glued (just the edges) in the middle top of the box lid. I then drew Natalia’s name in cooky, child like font letters. I used the elmer’s glue to glue a trim on the outside of the card stock and sprinkled glitter all over it to give it a cute border. Then I glued the pink buttons on the border of the pink fabric, after I arranged them to make sure they would all fit. I glued the pink box in the corner and then her name in the middle. Finally finished! Although I still want to get some black sequin ribbon to glue on the inside of the lid to border the pink fabric under there, but for now it looks good, and the ribbon can wait until next time I go to the store.

   

DIY Baby Door Muff

Nesting Project #2 Completed: My adorable handmade nursery door muff that I made for my baby girls bedroom. It was an idea inspired by Pinterest, but I’m sure you could’ve guessed that! It is similar to the photo I pinned to my nursery idea board, but I used different felt that would match the theme of Natalia’s bedroom. Everything in her room is pink and zebra, with some polka dot accents, so I had to make this project match. (:

The entire craft cost me a total of $3: $1 for the zebra print felt, & $2 for 2 yards of light pink satin ribbon all bought at Walmart. My Grandmother who is deceased spent her entire life being a seamstress, so my mother also sews and now I do too! I don’t know how to use a sewing machine yet, but I plan to learn. It probably would have cut the time in half but because it was such a small project, it didn’t take me more than 40 minutes to complete.

What you need:

• 1 sheet of felt (print/color of your choice)
• 2 yards of ribbon (also of your choice)
• Fabric Scissors
• Sewing needle
• Thread (preferably the same color as the felt or ribbon, I used light pink)
• Cotton pads (square would obviously be best, but I had round ones so I just cut them to size)

Directions:

1. Cut the felt into two of the same sized pieces. They can be as small or as large as you like. Make sure it will fit around the door from knob to knob.
2. Starting at one end, insert about a 1/2″ of one yard of ribbon in between the two pieces of felt and start sewing, making sure you keep the ribbon straight.
3. Continue sewing all the way around until you get to the other side, then repeat step 2.
4. Once you get around that corner, Insert your cotton pad (make sure it fits! If it doesn’t just cut it to size. I used two pads because one wasn’t long enough, which you can also do.)
5. After the pad(s) are in place, continue to sew all the way around until you run out of thread.
6. When finished sewing, just cut the thread and tie it into 2 or 3 knots and cut off the excess. You should not be able to see too much of the threading.
7. Finally you are finished and you can just tie it to your baby’s room door knobs.

My whole reason for crafting this was 1.) to cure my state of boredom, 2.) it was on my list of nesting projects to complete, and 3.) I thought it was a very creative, practical and useful idea to make this for the baby’s room so that it would not make any noise when I closed the door, this way it would not wake the baby.

Duct Taped Clipboard

So my first nesting project is complete! I bought some zebra print duct tape, hot pink ribbon and a $1 clipboard, put it all together and made the cutest decoration that is so useful at the same time! I can hang it on the wall because it matches everything else in my room, and use it for writing on, which I do everyday because I have an OCD about making lists and staying organized. Props go to Pinterest for the idea. (:

Nesting Projects

Well, since I need to start relaxing for my last 3 weeks of pregnancy, I figured I would get on Pinterest and find some inspiring ideas to occupy my time. I found quite a few amazing project ideas that I’m going to work on for the next couple of weeks while I wait on the rest of Natalia’s nursery decorations to come in the mail before I finish her bedroom!

#1. Cord Labels – I definitely need to organize my cables because I have so many that I have NO IDEA which is which! So this will be an easy organization project that will save me a lot of time and frustration. I have plenty of bread bag clips that I’ve been collecting since I pinned this, so I have enough to get started! I might decide to make mine extra cute and color them with a hot pink sharpie! ;D

#2. Toiletry Travel Case – Since I went to Gainesville over the weekend and me and my baby’s father are hours apart, this is the perfect travel case for me to make so I can bring it with me! I can foresee myself traveling a lot in the mere future, so this is definitely a must have for me. I already have cute colorful towels, sewing supplies and ribbon, so there’s no additional shopping I need to do to make this project. (:

#3. Scarf Organizer – I absolutely LOVE this idea. I’ve seen quite a few of these on Pinterest, but this one is by far the cutest one I’ve seen. I want to make one JUST like but in Pink or Turquoise! I can get the shower rings at the Dollar Tree and the pretty ribbon at Walmart. I already have bright colored paint to paint polka dots and the white hanger. So this will be an easy project to organize my scarves. Then once I hang them I will have an extra drawer of space in my closet to add other stuff, like all the additional craft supplies that I have!

#4. Duct Taped Clipboard – This is a simple 5 minute project that I want to make. I just need a clipboard! (Dollar Tree) I have the duct tape, But I also want to add a pretty pink ribbon at the top just to give it my personal girly touch! Then I can hang it on my wall so it will be an easy grab and go kind of thing and also add decoration to my plain walls. ❤

#5. Decorative Storage Tins – Another cute idea I came across that will be easy to make! I like the cheetah print and the black, but I might change it up. I’m not too sure exactly what colors or patterns I want to use, nor what to use them for, but I will figure it out once I start making them. So far, I’m thinking of decorating them with the theme of Natalia’s room and putting them in there for storage and decoration. I could put all my baby-related samples in them, or coupons, maybe even hair bows (although I would rather hang them on the wall). The idea will come to me! I don’t have popcorn tins, but I do have empty coffee tins that I could use.

#6. Oatmeal Can Headband Holder – This idea is very similar to the one prior. I kind of like this one a little better, so I might just blend the two ideas together! I like the fact that you can wrap headbands around this and still be able to open it up to throw in the clips, hair ties and other hair accessories.

#7. Baby Room Door Muff – Awesome idea! I love how cute and purposeful this is. It’s also very easy to make and I have all the materials needed to make it, so this is definitely on the project list!

#8. Convenient Bib Hanger – This is so perfect and what a great place for them to be! Very convenient baby bib organization. All I need is a large stick-on hanger that I can get very cheap pretty much anywhere. *Added to the grocery list. (;

#9. Maternity Photo Idea – I plan to take some professional maternity photos with my baby’s father’s uncle for free and this would be the perfect idea for it. Especially if it is an all black and white photo with the color splash ribbon. This is more of an idea/plan than a project, but it’s definitely on the to-do list!

#10. Healthy Carbonated Beverage – Last but not least an easy delicious beverage recipe to satisfy my sweet tooth and still get the nutrients I need. This delicious blended fruit soda blend will be on my list of drinks to try before I have this baby. (:

So these are my top ten nesting ideas & projects that I want to do while I wait for Natalia’s arrival. I will start my shopping tomorrow afternoon and my next post will look exactly like this one, except they will consist of all MY personal project photos. ♥

Natalia’s Nursery Project

The process of painting the walls.

Wall Pops!

Here is the project that I have been/will be working on for the next two weeks: Natalia’s nursery. I still have quite a few things to add to complete her bedroom, including decorating and hanging her name on the wall, ordering and hanging the matching curtains, finishing putting the crib together (after I order the bumper that I thought came with the bed set but didn’t!), decorating the dresser and shelves, and organizing her things in the closet and dresser drawers.

Zebra Organization Storage Bins.

I still want to order a few little things for her room, like a zebra print light switch plate and outlet covers to match everything else in the room, a couple of cute matching picture frames, some zebra fabric bins to organize the changing table, and some wall pops! I already have everything I want in my shopping cart, now I’m just waiting for the money to be there, lol!

Light Switch Plate.

But Once I finish her bedroom, I’m going to spend the rest of my pregnancy organizing her baby book and making a baby keepsake box. This should keep me plenty busy until Natalia finally arrives! I also have to install the car seat and pack my hospital bag sometime between all that, but everything will get done just like it has been. I am very excited about how her room is turning out and I am so proud of myself because I did everything by myself. I moved the furniture, painted the entire room and everything in it, put the crib, changing table and stroller together, and the end result is very rewarding. Natalia is so spoiled already! She has the cutest room and the cutest clothes to match. I will continue to take pictures of everything I do so I can someday show Natalia how hard mommy worked to make everything perfect for her beloved daughter. ❤

Not quite finished yet, but making good progress!!! (: