Repairing a damaged wall the proper way!

So many times before I have tried to fix holes in my wall. No not the little nail holes. I can fix those (at least I would hope so!) I mean the large ones that are too large to just throw some putty into it. Sometime ago I learned from a guy who came and did some work on my new home how to properly repair a hole so that it will be as sturdy as the reast of the wall. Recently, my darling sons decided to hang from one of my towel bars and ripped it clean out of the wall, I got to put my new found techniques to the test. Guess what--they passed. This will work for any large size hole.

You are going to need:

drill

drill bit-screw head

drill bit-hole borer (I used 2 1/2")

extra piece of wood (I used 1" x 2")

extra piece of drywall

drywall nails

spackle

sandpaper

primer

paint

First, use your hole borer and drill out the damaged part of the wall.

Cut out holes to replace damaged part of the wall from the new piece of drywall. TIP: Go slowly and it won't tear the paper all up. Set these aside for now.

Cut the wood down to to the size of the borer plus 2 inches. Since I used a 2 1/2 inch borer I cut my wood to 4 1/2 inches. Attach a screw about a 1/3 of the way down the wood. This will serve as a handle to hold the wood. Place the wood into the hole. Screw drywall nails into the top and the bottom of the wood. Remove the handle screw.

Use the handle screw to attach the new drywall to the center of the wood and center of damaged area of your wall.

Fill edges with spackle (first time does not have to be perfect). Let dry. Sand. Fill a second time with spackle (make this one a little neater). Let dry. Sand. Fill a third time with spackle (make this one thin and neat as possible). Let dry. Sand.



Once all three layers are dry. Prime the wall. Then paint. You are ready to hang things back in the spot that you just fixed.

Easter Carrots

I got this idea from my neighbor. Thanks Liz. Aren't these carrots cute. I might even eat my veggies if they were this cute! They are super easy to make.

What you need is:

3-5 different orange fat quarter

1 green fat quarter

Twine

Sewing Machine

Rubber Band

Lay your fat quarters on the bias (corner to corner). Lightly sketch a long "V" on it. I cut mine at 3 1/2 inches (folded--total measure across is 7 inches) and 20, 18, and 16 inches long. You can make more if you like just remember odd numbers look better.

Fold the fabric inside out longwise and sew edges leaving the tops open. Turn right sides out and stuff.

Tear strips from the green fat quarter. I made mine 1/2 wide and then cut them in half. Place in the tops of the carrots and stitch closed. Gather all of the green tops and rubberband together. Tie twine around the rubberband. Hang.

Happy St. Pattys Day

I wish I would have seen this cute craft before today. I will have to save it for next year. Thanks to www.blog.craftzine.com for the cute image.

SLC Marathon Here I Come!

I did it! I took the plunge. I am going to run a 5K in the Salt Lake City Marathon Circuit. OK, I know that it is not a marathon but I am getting ready for a future half marathon and possibly a Ragnar (neighbor has a group and will see if there are any spots). I also want to do the Crazy Bob's Bar Gutsman. This is a 11 mile run up the Farmington Canyon.

I am running 7.5 per day (6 days a week). I run this in about 1 hour 10 minutes. Not bad. First few weeks I was trying to get my milage up. Now I am focusing on getting my speed up. Then I will go back to distance. I don't know if I am training right but oh well! I am new to this. This is the first time I have had a chance to do this--Not Pregnant anymore . Seems I was always prego in the past. Wish me luck!

How many girl scout cookies did you buy?

That is exactly what my darling hubby asked me when he saw them sitting on the counter. I tried to be calm and said "Just 5 cases". "WHAT? How much did that cost?" I replied "Oh only about $200". He just looked at me. I tried to use the excuse that I HAD to buy them for our food storage. If disaster strikes a girl must have her cookies, right?!

Honestly, how can you put a price on such wonderfulness? I love, I mean LOVE girl scout cookies. The hard part is trying to decide which ones to eat! How do you eat them? One box at a time or do you mix it up? I have to mix it up! They are to yummy to just choose one flavor.

Of couse, I had to get the classic! Thin Mints, who doesn't like mint and chocolate together. Along with the crunch of the chocolate wafer cookie in the middle. MMMM!

Peanut Butter, sweet, Peanut Butter! Oh how I love the Do-Si-Dos. Peanut Butter has to be the best taste next to chocolate. My daughter ate a whole box of these delicious babies all by herself already. I love the creamy peanut butter in the middle.

I get the Trefoils as a reminder of my childhood. I remember my mom always ordering these shortbread cookies. The melt in your mouth texture of this cookie. Butter--need I say more. As my mom would say--"HANDS OFF THESE ARE MINE!"

I tried a new cookie this year. The Lemon Chalet Creme. I love lemon and sugar. I have high expectations for these cookies. I have not tried them yet but I am going to right now! Hold on just a second. Oh yeah! De-lish.

I think I saved the best for last. SAMOAS. Oh my word. How can something so little pack such wonderful flavor. Chocolate, caramel, coconut, crunchy cookie. I am feeling lite headed. I don't know if it is the SAMOAS talking or if it is a sugar rush! Maybe my blood sugar dropped, I doubt it, but just in case I had better eat just one more cookie--OK, well, maybe 2 or 3 or 4 more. Somebody stop me!

Altered Mens Shirt to a Sundress

I am going to attempt to give a tutorial on my conversion of this mens shirt to a sundress. I made it for my 11 year old daughter but you could make it smaller. If you want to make it bigger you will need to shirts that coordinate, one for the top and one for the bottom. If you need help contact me and I will try to walk you through it. It seems hard until you get going.

What you need:

Old mens shirt

Thread

Sewing machine (duh moment)

Serger if you have one

Measurments (TO TAKE THESE MEASUREMENTS I HAD MY DAUGTHER PUT ON A TANK AND PLACED PENCIL MARKS ON IT SO I KNEW WHERE THE "EMPIRESS WAIST" MEASUREMENT FELL AND WHERE THE "BELOW THE COLLARBONE" MEASUREMENT FELL. THIS WAY I HAD A REFERENCE POINT):

Chest circumference

Underarm to underarm

Center of chest to collarbone measurement spot

Spot where you want the opening to come down to in center of top (button area)

Just below the collarbone center down to empiress waist point (Sternum)

Underarm to empiress waist point (around the sternum)

Just below the collarbone to the back where the underarm falls (for strap make a little larger to accomodate any measurement error.)

First lay your shirt out and straighten it up.

Cut across the shirt just below the collar buttons (or collar if no buttons).

Cut the length you need for the skirt from the top down. Cut the shirt from the top to the bottom at an slight angle to cut off the edges. If you have a younger girl you might be able to get two lengths out of it to make a full skirt.

Using the lower part of your the shirt. Place the center measurement of chest (buttons)measurement on shirt. From that point put your measurement from underarm to underarm on the shirt (centered across from buttons both sides). Place center of chest to collarbone measurement on shirt (centered across from buttons both sides). Place the height from waist to collarbone on the shirt above the collarbone chest measurment. Draw a line from the height measurement to center point of chest. Should make a triangle shape (to cover breast area). DO NOT CUT YET.

Cut the side seams off of shirt section. To have two different pieces. Front and back. Now cut out the front--keeping the button section lined up (I pinned it together to keep in place). Measure the height of the underam section and cut the back to that height and then cut the half of the circumference measurment for the back. Cut straps from sleeves or other section usable for the length. I cut mine about 1 1/2 inches to fold over and make a 3/4 inch strap.

Serge around all edges. Top, back, skirt front and back (DO NOT TO HEM AND REMEMBER TO LEAVE BUTTON AREA OPEN, IF YOU FORGET LIKE I DID JUST SEAM RIP IT OUT AND REDO THE BUTTON EDGES). Fold straps in half. Stitch edges with serger also. This will give you a raw edge on all sides.

Connect the front of the skirt to the back of the skirt, overlapping the front raw edge over the back raw edge. Then attach the front traingles to the back, overlapping the front raw edge over the back raw edge. Measure it to make sure that it will fit the circumference of the chest (make sure to overlap the button area.)

You will have the top and the bottom and the straps. Attached the side seams of the skirt to the sides seams of the top. Wit the extra fabric make pleats. I did two in the front and one in the back. The front ones I made to face out and the back is folded into each other.

Attach the straps. Have daughter try on and make the measurements to complete the fit. Then attach. Either put buttons with button holes on top piece (if no buttons are there already) or put some snaps in place. I put two snaps on the top to keep closed. See final photo (top of post) as a final reference.

Dog-Gone cute kennel pillow

Isn't my puppy dog cute? Ever since we got our dog he loves to sleep in his kennel however, I always put a towel in it for him. I thought it sure would be nice for him to have a pillow to lay on. I think it turned out cute and it seems as though he likes it.

What you need:

Fabric (enough to accomodate the size of your kennel)

Batting ( I used the thicker stiffer type and I double it)

Thread to match fabric

Sewing machine

Patience!!!

Measure the floor of your kennel. Add two inches to both length and width. Cut 2 lengths of fabric to the size you need. Cut the batting a 1/4 inch less than the measurement you need. You can either use one layer of thickness (I used two but it was hard to sew through).

Starting from the bottom-layer the batting, then one piece of fabric right side up. Then lay the next fabric piece wrong side up. Pin the fabric and batting together at the edges. Sew these together batting side up (catching the batting). LEAVE YOURSELF A WIDE ENOUGH OPENING TO FLIP INSIDE OUT (the opening size will depend on the length and width--mine was small but I left a six inch opening to get all of the batting through).

Flip inside out (or is it outside in??) Then pin the opening closed and sew (you can whip stitch if you want but I am lazy and just used my sewing machine). Then stitch a edge around the pillow.

Draw a faint line from opposite corner to opposite corner (both sides making a X). Then find center on the top and bottom and sides (making a +). Stitch on these lines to create the design. This is so the batting does not shift around.

Done! You have yourself a cute kennel pillow!

Toasted Marshmallow Brownie Bites

My son had his last basketball game this weekend. Since his dad was the coach I wanted to bring something fun for the boys. I made these super easy but delicious brownie bites. Here is what you need:

one box of brownie mix

one small jar of marshmallow creme

cupcake liners

cupcake pan

Mix the brownies to the instructions on the box. Place the liners in the cupcake pan. Spray with cooking oil. Fill cupcake liner half way. I use a medium size ice cream scoop to get them in the cups.

Place a spoonful of marshmallow creme on the top of the brownie mix. Place a scoop of browine mix on top of marshmallow creme. I use a small ice cream scoop to get the brownie mix on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 28-30 minutes. Take out and cool. They taste like a toasted marshmallow that was over the campfire. YUM!

Altered Soup Can

This is my first attempt at altering a soup can. I did it for a birthday party my daughter was attending. I think I was more excited about the party than my daughter-just so I could do this craft. When I first saw the altered can idea I knew I just had to do one, finally I got the chance. Too cute!

These are the steps:

Take the bottom of a pull top can off with a safety can opener (it will only work with this kind of can opener), leaving the pop top intact. Empty contents. Clean out can and dry. Remove any labels.

Measure the length and width of can. Cut out desired papers to use to wrap around can. I used glue dots to hold in place. They held better than regular scrapbook tape.

Place contents inside the can. Replace bottom on can. I used super glue hold the bottom in place (use sparingly). Put a bow on top to decorate the lid. When the person is ready to open the gift they will have to "pop" open the can to get the contents out.