Buzz About Baby

Feather Headband Tutorial

2010-12-10T15:52:00.002-07:00

A feather headband is a whole lot easier than you think!

Here's what you'll need:
metal headband
ribbon or fabric to line the headband
feather pad (I got this one on etsy.com I've also seen some at Hobby Lobby)
felt
an embellishment of your choice: large button or gem, or fabric flower (I used my Oh Sew Easy fabric flower)

All you do is glue the ribbon on the headband with hot glue or wrap and glue some fabric on. Then hot glue the feather pad and embellishment on the headband and then cut a piece of felt to glue behind to help it be more secure.

You're done!
Happy crafting!

Rosette Headband

2010-12-08T21:27:00.004-07:00

I made this headband yesterday and had to share.
I think it's almost as sweet as my little Claire Bear.

After making a rosette out of three different mediums (satin, lace and tulle),
I hot glued them on some felt, cut out around them and then made a second felt shape just smaller than the first and glued the headband between the two layers of felt
so it was nice and secure.

Oh Sew Easy Flower Tutorial

2010-12-06T10:40:00.006-07:00

This is my newest way to make a fabric flower, and it's super easy!

Cut a strip of satin, or other "melt-able" fabric, about 1"-2" by 20"-30" (or wider and longer)
The bigger the width and length, the fluffier and bigger the flower.

Burn both edges of the strip with a candle or lighter.

To make gathering "Oh Sew Easy", set your stitch length to about 5 stitched per inch and adjust the tension really high. (Play with it by sewing on a scrap until you get it right.)

Fold the fabric in half with the shiny side out and sew right along the folded edge. Back stitch both at the start and the end. The stitch will gather it for you as you sew!

Once you have sewn the whole length it should be all curly,
all you have to do is twist, straighten and tighten it.

Make sure the front is looking good as you go along too.

Cut a small circle out of felt, or the same fabric with burnt edges to prevent fraying.
Put plenty of hot glue onto the bottom of the flower,
tuck the end piece in and press it onto the circle.

Ta Da! It's that easy.
Now all you have to do is use them, for a clip, headband,
or any other creative concoction you can muster.

Solution: Headband Storage

2010-11-19T13:55:00.005-07:00

Since I cut my hair short, I have started wearing and making headbands and flowers of all kinds. I am really enjoying it, but I had a problem, they were all over my bathroom counter!

So I came up with a solution! I took an oatmeal container and modge podged fabric on it!

There is even a place to put my spray bottle and hair brush.

It was pretty simple. First, I measure the canister's length and circumference. I added about 1/2 inch to both lengths so I could over lap the width and fold under the bottom. I sewed ribbon on the fabric, about 1 inch apart across the width. (Mine ended up a little tight, you may want to leave a little extra length of ribbon between each stitching.) Then I put a layer of modge podge on the canister (with the paper wrapper taken off), placed the fabric on and put another layer of modge podge on top, avoiding the ribbon. That's it!
Here's the finished product:
A lot better than a mess on the counter.

Here are a couple of my favorite headbands...so far. =)

Baby Leg Warmers

2010-11-11T11:39:00.002-07:00

When I first heard of leg warmers for babies I thought it was just a silly, stylish fad, but when I was dressing my little girl for church on Sunday I was frustrated at all the layers!
Ruffle pants, tights and a onesie, all would have to be taken off/undone, just to change her diaper. Then I understood: warm legs, but one less layer to worry about.

I used Sew Much Ado's Tutorial to make her some leggings. I used girl sized socks instead of woman sized because her legs are so skinny. I found them at Target for $4.99 for two pairs. The leg warmers they were selling there were $9.99 each! It only took me 5 minutes to make them. I think I'll make some for my 5 year old too.
Thank you Sew Much Ado!

Ruffle-butt Onesie Dress and Reversible Bonnet Tutorial

2010-08-24T14:39:00.007-06:00

If I have a girl, I will definitely be making some more of these.

I made this dress and bonnet for a friend of mine. I kind of made them up as I went along. I thought I'd share.

First, I sewed lace around the neckline and on the bum of the onesie, drawing and following lines just less than the width of the lace, above and below the top of the leg holes. This was thin lace so I did 5 rows.

Then I cut fabric to the length I wanted the skirt to be and 1 1/2 times the width of the onesie slightly stretched.

I used a large plate to round the edges to that the ruffles would show when I was finished.
Next I hemmed and trimmed the edge with lace and gathered the top edge.

Then I cut the onesie at the place I wanted the waist, sandwiched the fabric between the two onesie layers, making sure the right sides were together, and pinned all the way around, stretching the onesie slightly and loosening/tightening the gathers to be lined up.
I sewed the three layers together and added more lace to the waist.
It was very fun and simple to make.

For the bonnet:

You need:
~two fabrics, lined with interfacing measuring the width of the baby's head from jaw line to jaw line and from hairline to mid-back of head, plus 1 inch for seam allowances. I made mine 16" by 6" for a smaller baby (3-6 months?) 17.5 x 7 is a good size for 6-12 months. Add any trims you wish now.
~fabric for the Brim - two pieces, lined with interfacing, 3" by just shorter than the width of your bonnet. I made mine 3" by 15" (I think I even ended up cutting some width off so the brim didn't stick out as much). Round the corners using a plate or cup as a guide. Sew them right sides together, leaving the straight bottom open. Flip and press. Top stitch about 1/4" from sewn edge, just for a finished look.
OR
~fabric for a Ruffle- 44" by 3" - fold in half, wrong sides together (the strip will then be 44" by 1 1/2"). Fold in and top stitch the small edges to enclose the raw edges (don't worry about the long part, it will be sewn into the bonnet). Sew a gathering stitch along the length of it and gather to just shorter than the length of the bonnet.
~60 inches of coordinating 3/8" grosgrain ribbon.

Layer the pieces together, brim/ruffle centered between the to rectangles.
Now only sew the top and bottom for the bonnet together, not the shorter edges.

You will end up with a tube that you flip right side out and press. Now fold and press in the sides about 1/4" making sure they line up really well with each other.
Now make a casing for the ribbon on the opposite side of the brim/ruffle, by sewing a line about 1/2" from the edge. You will thread 21" of the ribbon through this casing, pin a safety pin to the end of the ribbon and work it through. I like to sewn a few stitches right in the center of the bonnet so it won't slip out. It might look a little short right now, but it will be drawn up and you will have plenty to tie it in a bow.

Place 19" of ribbon on either side of the bonnet, just to the sides of the brim/ruffle, pin in place. Sew a top stitch down the two sides to secure the ribbons and finish the bonnet edge, do not sew onto the casing, the ribbon needs freedom to be gathered.
Burn the edges of the ribbon to prevent fraying, a quick swipe over a lighter is all it takes.
You will also want to top stitch along the brim/ruffle side for a finished look.

You are done! Just pull the back ribbon to gather it into a nice round head shape. Have fun playing with the brim folded back or left out and the reversibility!

(Example of one with a ruffle brim.)

My Baby Room

2010-07-13T11:50:00.000-06:00

I have always wanted to paint and decorate a nursery for a baby. Curtis feels all the walls in the house should be the same color: off white. He has not allowed me to have fun with paint. Well, this time I didn't let him stop me. We still don't know if this baby is a girl or a boy so I chose colors that I felt were neutral and not too babyish. I want the room to grow with the child no matter what gender.

I found a really neat shelf tutorial here and loved the colors too. So I started with that.
Then I really liked a lot of vinyl wall decor that had branches and birds, but I didn't want to pay the high price tag, so I borrowed an overhead projector (thanks Kelsey) and paid 81 cents to make a transparency. I traced this onto the far wall:

Then I saw this tutorial and knew I just had to do it. I originally planned on doing this in my bedroom, but Curtis was not so keen on the idea. I felt it went well with the theme of the room.

From blue tape...

To green trees...

Cool, huh?

I also used freezer paper to cut out the bird shape in the corner of the shelf on the top picture. I just ironed it on the wall and painted over it. The wall was not smooth, so some paint "leaked" around the edges, but at a distance it looks great and won't take much to touch up if I feel like it.

Last Saturday I went shopping with my mom and found all sorts of treasures for the shelf.

and these sweet birds. It has several "hooks",
though I'm not sure what, if anything, to hang on it.

Today I found these frames and printed baby pics off the web,
someday they will be pics of my own baby.

The ribbons are actually taped behind and the frames are hung with screws, I'm so tricky. =)

All I need now is a window treatment of some sort, oh, and finish the two quilts I started.

I really like how it turned out. It makes me smile.
Thank you Curtis for letting me be creative and helping me put up the shelf.

Stuffed Owl Pattern and Tutorial

2010-07-12T15:17:00.003-06:00

I made a blanket for the baby and got the urge to make a "matching" stuffed owl. I used this tutorial and I think it turned out pretty cute. Very easy, thank you "Toad".

About Buzz About Baby

2010-02-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Buzz About Baby!
This site is a work in progress, I plan on making and featuring tutorials I love!
Enjoy!

I love comments, so feel free to leave your tips, advise and so forth.
To buy the products I make visit www.BuzzAboutBaby.com

What to do with all those art projects?

2010-02-17T11:05:00.001-07:00

Audrey keeps bringing home page after page of special art projects she has made at school. I don't have room for them on the fridge, so I came up with this solution:

Magnetic Strips!

It was very simple, first I found 1 1/2" by 24" metal strips at Lowe's (they come in all sizes). They are actually called straps and are in the hardware section.

I cut fabric strips twice the width of the straps, in this case 3". Then I Mod Podged the fabric to the straps and put a layer on top and bottom.

Then I made magnets using large glass pebbles, Amazing Goop glue (or E6000), scrapbook paper and small round magnets.

The holes in the straps made it possible to just use thumb tacks to hang them on the wall.
Audrey loves having a place to display her art work and it is out of my way! =)

Things I might have done differently:
Pick a cuter fabric
Glue an extra layer of white card stock to the back of the scrapbook paper circles, so the magnets don't show through to the front. I guess the glue makes the thinner paper a little see through.
Someday I might add a 4th of 5th below. The strips are already full! =)

Ice Pop Cozy Tutorial

2010-02-17T10:37:00.004-07:00

My kids always need to have something on their ice pop to keep their hands from freezing. Usually they drag around a dish rag, but not anymore. I came up with this idea a while back, but only this morning came up with how to make cozies like this. Quick and easy, enjoy!

You will need:
a fabric scrap about 5" by 10"
batting, felt, terry cloth, any layer to help with the cold 5" by 5"
something to help turn the "tube" - ruler, pencil, long scissors
and of course the basics: sewing machine, thread, scissors

Cut the fabric and batting to specified sizes.

Place the batting on the wrong side of the fabric, lined up with the bottom edge.
Fold lengthwise and sew down the length of the fabric,
including the batting and across the top making a long tube.

Flip the whole tube so the right side of the fabric is showing.
Now push the top end down into the center of the tube, but only half wa, making sure you go between the batting tube also. The top seam will line up with the bottom opening.

You should end up with something like this.
You will need to fidget and straighten out the layers of fabric.
Line up the top end that was pushed through with the open end and sew across.
Snip the corners and flip one more time so the end seam is on the inside.

Ta-Da! No more frozen fingers!
Now come on warm weather!

Car Seat Canopy Tutorial

2009-05-01T09:19:00.003-06:00

You asked for it so here it is! (Okay, so no one technically asked for it, but I do get people who find my site by searching for a Car Seat Canopy Pattern all the time, so I thought I would share with all of you crafty people out there.)

This Tutorial is for a basic flip up Car Seat Canopy.
This is also the first tutorial I have ever written. Tell me what you think!

Materials needed:
1 yard and 4 inches of Fabric A (top layer)
1 yard of Fabric B (bottom layer)
Matching thread
Sew-on Velcro (I prefer 2 inch wide)
A rotary cutter is very helpful, but you can just use scissors

I always pre-wash my fabric and then iron it before I start a project. This ensures no weird bunching or shrinkage.

Trim rough edges of fabric.

Then cut both fabrics A and B to the same size. Some fabric are a little wider than others. Because of shrinkage you will most likely end up with both layers about 35" by 42" but any size with in a couple inches of that will be just fine.

You should have about 4 inches of fabric A left. Set it aside for the straps.

Lay both fabrics right sides together, making sure that they are nice and smooth. Cut all corners to make them rounded. I use a large dinner plate as a guide.

Sew around both fabrics leaving about 8 inches so you can turn it right side out.

Before you turn it snip the corners so there is no bunching.

Press the turned cover making sure the top layer is slightly over the bottom layer, so it doesn't show from the front.

Top stitch all the way around, this also sews shut the portion left open for turning.

Now on to the straps!

Cut two pieces 4" by 17"

Fold them in half, right sides together.
Sew around all three edges, leaving a couple inches for turning.

Turn, press and top stitch all the way around.
Sew on velcro. I use 1 1/2" by 2".
Make sure the hook side of the velcro is sewed on one end and the fuzzy side sewn on the opposite flipped side so it with attach around the car seat handle.

Now to sew them on the main canopy!

Find the exact center of the fabric canopy by folding it in half one way
and then in half the other way.

Most car seat handles are about 5" wide, so I sew each strap on about 2 1/2 to 3 inches from center (leaving about 5 to 6 inches between them).
Pin center of strap to center of canopy.
If the pin is centered you can sew with the pin still in.

Sew them onto the canopy. I make a 1" by "width of strap" box around the centered pin.

You are now done!!!
Unless you want to put bows, buttons or flowers on the straps! Have fun!

Learn to Walk Belt

2009-04-11T17:15:00.002-06:00

"Learn to Walk" Belt

I really enjoy this blog: www.makeitandloveit.blogspot.com. She does great tutorials on create useful things. You will probably see more of her creativity here.

Testimonials for www.BuzzAboutBaby.com

2009-04-01T21:42:00.002-06:00

"I looked everywhere for soothie binky clips. All I could find were the bulky ones, like the Winnie the Pooh from Walmart (ugly!) and the flower from Babies 'r us (talk about huge-it covers half the baby's face). I wanted something that was simple, but worked. That's what I found from Sarah's binky clips. They stay put and are simple, yet stylish. I love Buzz About Baby's binky clips and will continue to buy them from this site. Oh, and I also love the grab and go bags. I keep one loaded and ready to go under the front seat of my car. I'm always ready."

Becca, Oregon

"I absolutely love everything I have gotten from Buzz About Baby. I refer all my friends to this website. Everything is so affordable and great quality. I have a binkie holder to match every outfit and I can’t believe I survived through my first baby without them. But the carseat canopies are my favorite. It is my signature baby gift! I get compliments on mine wherever I go."

Shannon, Utah

"I absolutely love the pacifier clips I purchased! I could not find a pacifier clip to fit my son's Soothie brand pacifier until I found your website. The clips are so cute too with so many different ribbon choices to choose from! Thanks again!"

Heather, Rhode Island

To purchase my products visit: