Picnic Roll Tutorial - Look what I made Monday

I love Picnics.  When my husband and I were dating, our first Christmas together he wanted a list of things to get me. The only thing I could decide that I wanted that Christmas was a Picnic Basket.  I was pleasantly surprised at the basket that he picked out. I love it! It is currently in storage, but this spring I am going to pull it out and use it with my new Picnic Roll.

Here is my very own tutorial on how to make your own.  First, what is a Picnic Roll you might ask? It holds all of your silverware (or plasticware) for you to easily throw into your basket and take with you.

First, buy a kitchen towel from the dollar store. This one is from Dollar Tree. Cut the towel in half,

You will need to fold the towel over twice on the cut edge and iron it so that you create a clean edge just like the other three on the towel.

Sew down your iron hemmed edge.

Turn your towel so that your fresh sewn hem is at the bottom, closest to you. Then fold the towel up about two thirds of the way.  I stuck a fork in at this part to test the height. I wanted part of the towel on top to still be able to fold down.

I pinned the towel and also pinned in a ribbon into the right side so when I sewed the sides up, the ribbon was sewn in. The ribbon is used to tie your roll into a roll shape. :D  Kind of like the crayon rolls everyone has brilliantly been making!

Then, starting at the fold, after I had, I sewed up the two sides, and then down the middle.

After the middle, I measured in between the middle and the edge and sewed up that middle on both sides.  Thus, creating four pockets.

This will complete your picnic roll. Simple enough. A hem stitch, and five stitches to create the pockets with the ribbon tie.

Here is the picnic roll with silverware: forks and spoons.

I like to fold over the top before I roll up the picnic roll.

The picnic roll, all rolled up and ready to be thrown into your basket or into a lunch box.  Great for a family of four, or you can fit more than one set of plasticware in each pocket.

Enjoy making it!

Also, for those of you who dont have the time or don't want to sew your own, you can always find some at my Etsy shop for $7. 

Nap Time Crafts- Ornament

Isn't this the CUTEST ornament you have ever seen?  Check out Nap Time Craft's Santa's Belly Ornaments Tutorial.  I have fallen in love with this and need to go buy some sqaure ornaments!

Still working on that party!

Hey everyone! Jesse's first birthday party is only a week away and so Im really busy working on puttin gall the final touches on the goodies I am making.  I will also be posting a tutorial soon.  It involves a baby food jar. Could you believe that I just cleaned out the cupboard and threw away all my baby food jars! DANG! so I ran to Walmart to get one just for this tutorial. Now in order to make more I need to find someone who will donate empty jars to my cause ;)

P.S. Check out Fab Friday Newz!  The button is in my sidebar!

Swagbucks ShoutOut

I recently joined Swagbucks.  What is it?  Its a search engine that rewards you swagbucks.  You can earn swagbucks all kinds of ways-- my favorite is when Im searching for something and a little swag dollar is just presented to me on my screen. Its fun.  Well, in the past couple of months that I have had it, I have earned enough swag dollars to redeem them for $10 amazon gift cards (where I bought my mod podge) and tomorrow I am going to have enough to get a  $5 amazon gift card (to go towards the payment of That 70s show season 8).  Im excited because you can use it as your regular search engine (I use it at work-- if I had it at home maybe I would earn more swag faster).  Well, Check it out HERE and I would get credit as you as a referral. Its nice to get referrals because some of the swag dollars they earn, you earn too!   Who doesnt love earning free stuff? And this is so easy!  Well, hopefully you check it out and then spread the word to others so you can get some referrals too!  Have a swag-tastic day!

Birthday Party

Still working on his party. :) I think I am officially obsessing over this!I was hoping I could get some input.  I am having the extended family over. Lots of them.  There will be about 15 or 16 kids there, if they all show up. Ages range from newborn to 9 years old.  I am having a couple of games and I'm thinking of having some prizes for the games (baseball bean bag toss; pin the ball on the outfield...) What would be something easy as a prize that any age kid could like?  I haven't decided to buy it or to make it. 

Also, Im going to have little goodie bags.  Jesse is going to go trick or treating and we are going to put his candy in the goodie bags (what I decide not to keep ;D).  Im thinking of maybe bubbles, a pencil (I always got one when I was a kid).  What are other things that go into goodie bags? Its been a while since Ive gotten one, and Ive never given one.  Thanks for all of your help and hopefully I get some good ideas!

First birthday

My son doesn't turn one until November, but I am already planning his birthday party! Oh how excited I am. First will come the ideas and the lists. I am definitely a checklist girl! I will write and re-write and the categorize my lists. My husband and I have decided on a baseball theme party (even though it is after baseball season, we are huge Dodger fans). I am going to make some home made invites, a 3d baseball cake, and have hot dogs. Those are just the tentative plans but I am so excited to start planning!

Comment Help! eek!

Okay, so i thought I wasn't a blog novice. But I must be! I am having trouble leaving comments on some type of comment forms. If the posting comment opens up into a new page or into a pop up box, then I don't have a problem.

But, when the comment roll is at the bottom of the blog post, and you have to choose between Google Account, Open ID, Live Journal, Word Press, etc. IT WON'T LET ME POST!! I get so aggravated! For example, I wanted to post a comment here so that I could be included in the giveaway, but for some reason I can't. I always write what I want to post, then click on Google Account, and then post my comment... Nothing Happens!

Someone PLEASE help me! Tell me if my settings are wrong or what I am missing. I hope it is an easy fix - something I am just easily forgetting.

a BIG thank you to my younger sister who made me a new header. I wanted a fuzzy bee with a trailing tail and I love it! Thank you!



Since this is a new blog, I just want some feedback-- What are some things that you would like to see on your new favorite blog? I have some more craft tutorials I would like to post. That just means I have to get the time to make them and take pictures as I do it so you can have an awesome tutorial to look at. Okay, expecting some good ideas of other things you are interested in!