Nativity Finger Puppets - a Free Pattern

I few years ago, I created these nativity finger puppets for my grandchildren.  Since they take a little while to create, I thought this was a perfect time to share this project with you.  I bet you're wishing that I would make a set for your little ones too!  Sorry, not going to happen but I will provide you with a pattern so you can make them instead.  This free pattern is my 2014 early, early Christmas gift to all my readers as my way of thanking you for your support and encouraging comments.  Make sure you print this full size by making sure the "fit to paper" is not checked.

• Free Nativity Finger Puppets Pattern Page 1
• Free Nativity Finger Puppets Pattern Page 2

To create your finger puppets, start by cutting out the pieces from felt.  Joseph's hair is 1/2 the head, with a triangle cut from the center straight edge.  Cut from brown felt.  Next, assemble your pieces by sewing (using 1/8" seam) or glue the bodies together. I will show you how to put this project together using glue. 

Next, hand stitch the details like wobbly "sew on" 7/8" eyes, sequins and the raffia (hay) under baby Jesus' bed. Here's a little tip to make your finger puppets dimensional: I added a tiny bit of batting under the noses. Please look at the photo for the details.  

I enjoyed this message about Christmas time and thought I would share it with you:

"Create a spirit of love that will “fill our homes and our lives and linger there long after the tree is down and the lights are put away for another year.” 

"Let it be a time that lights the eyes of children and puts laughter on their lips,” he said. “Let it be a time for lifting the lives of those who live in loneliness. Let it be a time for calling our families together, for feeling a closeness to those who are near to us and a closeness also to those who are absent.  “Let it be a time of prayers for peace, for the preservation of free principles, and for the protection of those who are far from us. Let it be a time of forgetting self and finding time for others. Let it be a time for discarding the meaningless and for stressing the true values. Let it be a time of peace because we have found peace in His teachings.

“Most of all, let it be a time to remember the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds and the worship of the Wise Men.”          Thomas S. Monson 

Have fun creating these finger puppets for your little ones.  May they be a reminder of the real reason for Christmas!   xoxo Grandma

Etsy Shop: xoxo Grandma

Linked to:  Threading My Way, Nap-Time Creations

Do you want to Sew a Snowman? Doll Outfit Tutorial & Pattern

Do you want to sew a snowman outfit doll size?  After making my grandson's Olaf, snowman costume, I had some white fleece leftover. Using my experience from making his costume, I created a snowman costume and pattern for a doll. Sometimes it's fun to have matching costumes, you know?  If you don't want to sew your own Olaf looking doll outfit, you can purchase one HERE.  You had until November 13th to download this free pattern.
The pattern is available for purchase at xoxo Grandma Etsy shop HERE.  

To make the costume extra cute, make pants from white fleece too and maybe a white shirt that has brown long sleeves.  Oh and what about brown mittens too?  (To make mittens from a sock, see THIS post.) 

I hope you have fun making this snowman costume. If you hadn't already guessed, its supposed to look like the popular Olaf from Frozen. Hopefully you already figured that out though!  Would love to know who downloaded this pattern, so for those who do, please leave a comment.  Thanks!

xoxo Grandma

Linked to: Nap Time Creations

A Pinkalicious Outfit - Kids Sewing Week

Last week, I sewed along for Kids Sewing Week where you commit to sew 1 hour a day for 7 days.  I'm taking Sunday off - it's my official "day of rest" but trust me, I've put in way more than an hour a day sewing. I spent one of the days doing nothing but cutting out fabric for projects, which is definitely my least favorite part of sewing. 

Anyway, here's one of my latest creations I concocted for my very girl granddaughter. Its a pink fleece jacket, a pink and white shirt with lace accents, and pink tutu pants, which are a staple in her wardrobe lately.  She likes anything frilly, pink and with ruffles. So these items fit that mold. I try to accommodate her likes into what I sew for her as she has developed quite the opinion lately.  

I used the book "Pinkalicious" as my inspiration.  This particular two-year-old loves this book.  After I made this jacket, I found out she also loves to practice her zipping skills. The jacket is modeled after this one I made her older brother, included with the letter "A" for her name. 

After the jacket, I made her a white and pink long sleeve top.  I inserted a three inch lace strip onto the top of the bodice for some extra girly flair.  For the tutu pants, I gathered some pink lace and pink netting, both of which were the same length and width.  When I cut out these leggings, I eliminated the waist band so that the lace could be inserted into the top of the pants.  I then cut out a wide waistband and sewed it on top of the tutu. This cute little lady owns a few other pairs of tutu pants, and wears them almost daily. I was happy to help expand her wardrobe a bit with this new pink pair. 

After she received her box of new clothes, included with a few Halloween surprises, she called me to thank me for her outfit.  She said she would wear it.  For an opinionated little girl who has three favorite outfits, that is huge news!   

I'd like to thank her mother for taking these photos of her.  She's not easy to get to hold still, unless she's being read to or looking at books in her comfortable pink chair.

Are your children or grandchildren opinionated too? Heaven help us all! - xoxo Grandma

Tickle Monster - a GIVEAWAY, Costume Tutorial & Free Pattern

My Halloween costume-making frenzy continues!  Check out this post and this one to see other costumes I've made this year. 

This next costume has a GIVEAWAY included, so read on my friends for a wonderful surprise that could be yours! 

This particular costume is for my rambunctious two-year-old grandson. My daughter suggested that I make him a monster costume for Halloween.  Knowing how two-year-olds can act, I decided he needed to be some type of kind or silly monster, so he wouldn't torment his baby sister. Then the idea hit me, why not make a Tickle Monster costume? Have you ever heard of the Tickle Monster? I hadn't either until my daughter received this book and Tickle Monster gloves as a baby gift: 

It's a colorful, whimsically illustrated book about a monster that tickles. The boxed set comes with Tickle Monster gloves too, so you can tickle your little one while you read to them. Isn't that the cutest idea for a kid's book?  I love it. The set makes for a fun interactive read.  It can be purchased from the publisher, COMPENDIUM INC. The exciting news is, you'll have a chance to WIN this gift set... so keep reading to find out how!

Firstly, here's a photo of the Tickle Monster, so you can see what I used as a guide to make the costume.

Next, was the fabric selection; I found a colorful stripped shirt which I used for the horns and tail. I used some scrap white and black fabric for his eyes, turquoise fabric for his ears and then purchased soft blue fleece, orange fabric and red fluffy yarn. I drew the pattern for his horns, ears and eyes HERE. (Free download, just make sure the "fit to page" is not checked...print full image.) 

From the shirt, I cut a squiggly shaped tail as wide and long as possible, making sure the stripes matched up.  Once that tail was cut, I then cut out the horns.  The nose was an oval, 6 1/4 inches x 8 1/2 inches. The hood pattern came from the crab version of Butterick #5597 pattern: 

Here is a step by step tutorial of that process:

1. Cut out all the pattern pieces.
2. Cut out the nose.
3. Sew the following together, once sewn, turn right side out: 

•  the black pupil onto the eyes. 
•  add the batting to the ears and stitch together.  
•  sew the horns together, clipping the top so it'll have a pointy top. 
•  sew the tail together, matching the stripes.  

    4.  Sew "ear" details using a sewing machine.

5.  Make a gathering stitch along the orange oval nose. Pull the stitches enough so that fiber fill or batting can be added to make the nose a nice round shape.

6.  Stuff the horns and the tail.

7.  Pin on extra wide white rick rack - 3 teeth per side.

8.  Here's how the back side of the rick rack looks before it's sewn to the hood.

9.    Decide where on the hood you want the eyes to be sewn.  Using pins, mark the spot.            Now, cut straight across the place you marked.

10.  From the right side, push the eyes through the opening you just cut, leaving the bottom of the fabric 1/2" past the hole. Sew the eyes in place.  ow stuff those eyes just a little.  Fold down the overhanging fabric and stitch closed. This step will hold the stuffing in place.

11.  Onto the lower middle of the hood, hand stitch the nose in place.

12.  Sew Velcro to the chin strap on both sides of the hood. 

For the yarn, I used Yarn Bee, Fleece Lite, color Stoplight #62, all of which I found at Hobby Lobby.  Then I made some light blue shorts.  Onto those shorts I attached this tail.  My grandson got shorts because he lives on a tropical island and I didn't want him to be too warm in his costume.  I was told he likes chasing his tail, around and around in a circle.

The jacket was an easy sew, I used a size 3 from this pattern:

The only thing I changed was to make the back one pattern piece instead of two.  My little Tickle Monster told me his jacket was soft like his blanket. 

 

If you have any questions, please let me know and I'll answer as soon as possible.  

I'm now done with my Halloween costume making for another year.  May all the sweet, little monsters in your life enjoy Halloween!    

Now, for the giveaway: to enter to win this Tickle Monster Kit (a $34.95 value), follow the rules below.  This kit has graciously been donated by COMPENDIUM INC..    If you don't win or want another kit for a gift, Compendium is having a sale starting November 1st for all their family and friends.  You can save 30% off your order by entering the code "thankyou30".  I was told that this is one of the few sales they have all year.

GIVEAWAY RULES:

1. Follow this blog.
2. Follow xoxo Grandma on Pinterest.
3. Pin your favorite image from this post.
4. Leave a comment & let me know who you want to read this book & tickle.  Include your e-mail so I can contact you if you're the winner. 
5. U.S. Resident only, DPO & APO welcome to participate.

You have until October 31, 2014 to enter. The winner will be announced on November 3, 2014 at 8 a.m. Eastern Time.  Best of luck!  - xoxo Grandma

Update:  November 3rd, The winner of the Tickle Monster Gift Set was Natalie Gleaves.  Congratulations and thank you to all that entered and left such kind comments.


Linked to: Project Run & Play, Totally Tutorials 

 

How to Make an Olaf Snowman Costume

If you haven't checked out my post on Halloween costumes yet, check out this one. That'll give you a little bit of background on my love for making Halloween costumes. It'll also show you a cute costume I made for one of my granddaughters.   

The second Halloween costume I created was for my grandson. He requested a snowman costume. Not just any snowman, of course. It had to be one like Olaf from Disney's Frozen, which is a current obsession with him and his sister (and every other child worldwide, right?).  I had hoped he would request a costume I actually had a pattern for, unlike the Very Hungry Caterpillar Costume his sister requested.  Luckily, I did have a snowman pattern. But I was instructed specifically to make it like Olaf.  

Here's how I made my snowman costume look like Olaf:  
I started with the following supplies:

• White fleece
• 2 - 1 1/2" wiggle eyes  (if making for a doll use 1.1 inch)
• Brown felt
• 2 pipe cleaners
• Black fabric for buttons
• Orange felt for nose

Patterns used: 

Simplicity #9347 - hood pattern piece only...I'm guessing that any hood pattern would work.  

• Simplicity #8833 Available from my Etsy Shop- view 1
  

• I used this pattern for the basic snowman portion of the costume.  To make this snowman look like Olaf, I added a large black dot (button) onto the top ball and two black dots onto the bottom ball of the snowman.  Since I needed a size 5, I made all the seams 1/4" instead of 5/8". 
• To the hood I added a semi circle piece that was about 9" wide by 10" high. I sewed the curved portion together, leaving the straight edge unsewn.  I stuffed that piece with batting and hand sewed it onto the top of the hood.  This because the top of Olaf's head.
• I made a half circle from fleece which looked like a visor pattern to sew onto the hood.
• I made a rectangular tooth from a scrap of shinny fabric.  I added some thick interfacing into the layers along with a little bit of batting so that the tooth had dimension.  This tooth was sewn into the middle of the visor.
• I next used the carrot pattern from HERE, enlarged it so that the carrot pattern was as large as possible from a 9" x 12" piece of orange felt.
• The carrot, nose, was sewn onto the head, resting on the visor piece.
• I cut our felt circles that were slightly larger than the wobbly eyes and sewed the felt onto the head right above the visor and close to the nose.
• I hot glued the wobbly eyes onto the black circles.
• I made brown eyebrows from felt and stitched those above the eyes.

Before I shipped this costume to my grandson, I had a friend's grandchild try this costume on for me, hoping he'd know this was supposed to be Olaf. He recognized this popular snowman, so that's a good thing.  

 When I showed my grandson the costumes progress while Face Timing, he exclaimed, "Grandma, it looks just like him!"  I have made a 5 year old happy, my work is done!  

Under the snowman costume he is wearing his new dinosaur shirt.  I made him a brown, long sleeve tee shirt with a mostly white body. That way, after Halloween, he could still wear it. To see how this shirt was made, go HERE.  Happy Halloween!                               
xoxo Grandma

Shared: Project Run and Play, Nap Time Creations

Designing Boys Shirts With Bleach Pens - FREE Patterns & a Tutorial

I've been working on a way to combine my love of art with sewing. I came up with a fun, artistic way to do it in designing t-shirts. It's been so much fun creating these! 

I decided to ask my grandsons, who like to receive gifts, what creature they'd want on a tee shirt.  The above image is what they asked for: a dinosaur, a snake (side note: the grandson that wants a snake has a Dad that hates snakes & when his mother reminded him of that, he giggled and said, "Do it Grandma!"....he's a bit of a tease)! The next grandson wanted a sea creature and since the hermit crab his mother suggested was just "okay" looking when I drew it, a shark was what that boy got instead.  My youngest grandson won't care what I draw for him, because he can't talk yet, so I decided to make him a moose just because.

I've seen a lot of cool looks that others have achieved from using a Clorox Bleach Stick to decorate fabric and when I saw a bunch of men's tee shirts in my charity pile, well, I'm sure you can guess what I used to test out this technique.  If you'd like to make a shirt or two, or practice this technique, I've saved my drawings for you to use. Let's get started!

First choose an image: 

• Dinosaur bones image HERE 
• Rattlesnake - (a non-scary one) image HERE
  
• Shark image HERE
  
• Moose image HERE

-Print off the image - remember to not print it using the "fit to page" selection. 
-Cut out the knit fabric a little larger than the image you choose.  NOTE:  this technique did not work well on light colored knits unless you want a very subtle look.
-Lay the fabric onto a stiff surface.  (I used my cutting mat.)
-Lay the paper image on top of the knit.
-Using the small tip of a Clorox Bleach Pen, draw all the lines.  (I purchased a new pen and found that an older one actually worked better.)  
-Let the bleach lines sit on the knit fabric for several hours or overnight. 
-Rinse off all the bleach first in cold water and then in warm water with a lot of good smelling soap.  You don't want any of the bleach residue left on the fabric.  

-Once the fabric dries, trim around the image leaving a 1/4" border.  
-Spray the back of the image with a basting spray. (This will keep your image in place while you sew.)
-Place the image onto the desired position of your tee shirt.  I purchased my tee shirts for $3 from a local craft store and cut out the sleeves and added colored sleeves, and made a sleeveless shirt for the little grandson who gets to live in the tropics for a few years.

Using the same color thread as the border of your image,  sew all around the image.

Easy peasy! That's all there is to it!  Your fun boys shirt is ready to wear! Or in my case, ready to mail to my grandsons.   Oh look, the rattlesnake shirt arrived:

And the shark shirt made it to Japan:

 xoxo Grandma

Shared: Nap Time Creations, Threading My Way, Sewing Gossip, Project Run and Play