As much as we love the idea of our little ones staying sweet and little, they grow up so fast and outgrow their clothes too quickly. There are certain articles of clothing though, like their personalized Big Sister Tshirt or Big Brother Tshirt, which you won’t want to toss. To avoid too much clutter in the house (no hoarders here, thank you very much!), we found these DIY tutorials for upcycling treasured personalized shirts for kids into useful items that will allow them to live on. And help teach kids a new skill, like sewing or cooking, while showing them to be resourceful and eco-friendly. Win-win!
TShirt Bag – This adorable, reusable DIY grocery shopping bag tutorial from Martha Stewart also features a how-to video.
Tshirt Pillow – A cute way to decorate big brother or sister’s bedroom is to turn their old T into a throw pillow using this DIY tutorial from the Maiden Jane blog. Doesn’t our Under Construction Big Brother Tshirt look great as a pillow too?
Tshirt Apron – Use this DIY tutorial from the Ruffles and Stuff blog to get kids into the kitchen by turning their personalized Tshirts for kids into aprons.
Which of these DIY projects would you choose when your little one outgrows (sniff sniff) their Big Sister Tshirt or Big Brother Tshirt?
NURSERY TREND: MONOGRAMS
We’re all about personalization, so it’s no secret that we love a monogram design. Whether it’s on a necklace, bath towel, throw pillow, wall stencil, big brother tshirt or a big sister tshirt, we dig it. Decorating your nursery or kiddo’s room with a monogram is a sophisticated way to accent the space while making it feel very personal. Plus, a monogram is timeless, so you never have to worry about it going out of style.
Here are a few tutorials we found to get you started making monogrammed accent pieces for your nursery or kiddo’s room, because it’s even more special when it’s handmade.
Tutorial for Yarn Wrapped Monogram Letter from Evie-S.com
Tutorial for Monogram Felt Pillow (would be cute on a chair or on their bed) from TheSweetSurvival.BlogSpot.com
Tutorial for Monogram Lampshade from DesigningDomesticity.BlogSpot.com
Tutorial for Monogram made from Crayons! Found on RainyTuesdayMornings.BlogSpot.com
To further personalize the room, add a personalized growth chart or an alphabet poster. We picked out a few personalized growth charts that would really accent any monogrammed décor pieces. Which of our personalized growth charts would you choose?
NOT TOO TUFF PUFFS – DIY TULLE PUFF TUTORIAL
With Easter right around the corner, now is the time to add fun, springy pops of color to your décor. We found this tutorial for tissue paper pom poms from Martha Stewart and adapted it by using light as air tulle fabric.
To make these pretty tulle puffs, you’ll need:
• 6″ spools of tulle (we used pink, purple, green, and yellow)
• scissors
• thread
Step One: Cut 12″ strips of tulle. We cut 30 lengths — this made our puffs nice and full. Cut your tulle to any length depending on how large you want your puffs to be.
Step 2: Cut the stack of strips in half, lengthwise.
Step 3: Fold the stacks in a loose, accordion fold. The fold won’t really stay in place since the tulle is very soft, but that is OK. Stack your 2 accordion-folded strips together.
Step 4: Tie all of the strips together in the middle with thread.
Step 5: Separate each layer to make your puff fluff.
Step 6: Display! We hung ours from our dining room chandelier to create the Easter brunch ambience.
These tulle puffs would also made a darling addition to a nursery — above a changing table or crib — right next to your personalized growth chart! Check out our entire collection of personalized growth charts here.
And if you’re still shopping for Easter goodies for your little ones, check out our Personalized Growth Charts and our brand new big brother tshirtand big sister tshirt collection!
GET THE LOOK: PAPER LANTERNS & POMS
We love the way Paper Lanterns and Poms light up a room with color and texture with such ease. Much like our personalized growth charts, Paper Lanterns and Poms have a way of turning a plain, boring corner in a nursery into a space with character, depth and real interest. They’re also a crowd pleaser because they’re relatively easy to make and friendly on the pocketbook, two qualities for which these mama’s are especially grateful!
You can get the look yourself with these four super-duper stylish Paper Lantern and Pom tutorials we found online:
(Darling fabric lantern tutorial from Lolanovablog.blogspot.ca)
(We found this paper pom tutorial on MarthStewert.com)
(Darling paper flower pom tutorial from PepperDesignBlog.com)
(This charming fabric pom tutorial is from OnceWed.com)
How cute would these Paper Lanterns and Poms look paired in a nursery with one of our personalized growth charts, like the Pennant personalized growth chart?
And if you haven’t already, be sure to check out our brand new collection of personalized shirts for kids. We couldn’t be more excited about the big sister tshirt and big brother tshirt designs our team of talented mommy and daddy designers created!
FUN FREEBIE – OWL MOBILE FOR VALENTINE’S DAY
Even if owls weren’t such a big trend in décor, we’d still love this adorable Owl Mobile in sweet pastel colors.
Want to recreate this mobile? Download our free PDF here with step by step instructions and print.
Still can’t get enough owls? Check out the Hoot Hootpersonalized growth charts in four color options or Woodland Funpersonalized growth charts in Pink or Aqua.
Happy crafting!
Petite Lemon
FREE DIY – HEART CHAIN FOR VALENTINE’S DAY
Start celebrating Valentine’s Day this weekend with a DIY project we’ve created for you to do with your little love bugs. This Heart Chain is simple, easy and adorable – sweet!
You’ll need:
- scissors
- color printer
- card stock or thick paper
- stapler
Download our free PDF hereand print. Here’s a step by step with pictures:
Want even more fun project ideas to do with the kids?! Click here. And if you’re still shopping for your lil’ Valentine, why not surprise them with one of our personalized growth charts (like All About Lovein Pink or Violet or Balloon Party in Primary or Sherbert) or a photo poster like Just Say It that expresses what you love most about them.
XOXO!
Petite Lemon
IT'S ALMOST TURKEY TIME!
Thanksgiving is coming up and we’ve got a fun Fall craft for you to do with your little ones. Our paper bag turkey is an easy after school or weekend to-do.
You’ll need:
- a small paper bag
- scissors
- color printer and card stock
- glue
- a little hand to hold the turkey!
Download our Thanksgiving Turkey here, or download our pink Turkey here. And as you prepare your pumpkin pies and stuff your turkeys, remember our personalized growth charts, alphabet posters, as well as a big brother tshirt and big sister tshirt make great holiday gifts for the little ones in your life.
Gobble, Gobble!
Petite Lemon
DO IT YOURSELF TSHIRT TRANSFER
Making your own tshirts is a fun craft to do with the kids, but transfer paper can be pretty pricey so we’ve scoured the internet to find some do-it-yourself options. Enjoy!
The Crayon and Sandpaper Transfer
We found this DIY on AlphaMom.com. It’s easy and toddler friendly — would make for a great weekend or rainy day project!
You’ll need:
- quality crayons, like Crayola
- a clean tshirt
- an iron
- fine grit sandpaper (the more coarse the texture the more texture on your transfer)
Follow the steps here and viola!
- clean tshirt
- Sharpie or fabric markers
- tracing box (instructions included in the DIY — 2 push-on lights and a clear storage container)
- masking tape
Check out the entire tutorial here!
The Freezer Paper Transfer
We found this tshirt DIY on LimeLady.LiveJournal.com and it’s not meant for tshirt transfers but fabric instead. Great for making custom quilting squares and such. We thought it was a great find!
You’ll need:
- fabric (thread count of 200 or more)
- freezer paper
- iron
Hope you enjoy these do it yourself tshirt transfer ideas. We can’t wait to share with you our collection of personalized onesies and first birthday tshirts that are sure to be a hit with you and your loved ones. And, a big sister tshirt and big brother tshirt collection you’re sure to cherish!
Cheers!
Petite Lemon
SAY HAPPY HALLOWEEN WITH MASON JARS
With Halloween just around the corner, we’re heading out to pumpkin patches, sewing costumes and loading up on candy. If you’re looking for some fresh, spooky decorations or a bright way to light up your porch, mason jars are the way to do it. They are charming, vintage, and easy to come by. Here are some fun things we’ve seen done with mason jars just for Halloween …
(Have a monster mash with these Mason Jar Monsters, tutorial from According-to-Kelly.com)
(Spooky Mason Jar “Spider Cider” holders, found here at SewDangCuteCrafts.com)
(Hang out with these ghost and jack-o-lantern mason jar lights, available at Etsy Shop TreasureAgain)
(Light the way for little trick-or-treaters with these glowing jack-o-lanterns found on NotSoIdleHands.blogspot.com)
(Candy corn + candle + mason jars = a festive Halloween light, found at MakeMineEclective.WordPress.com)
Happy Halloween!
Petite Lemon
TURN A TSHIRT INTO A TOTE BAG
We recently came across this awesome tutorial on how to turn an old Tshirt into a grocery tote bag on DownToEarthNW.com. We loved it so much we thought we’d share. What a great activity to do with your kids this fall!
(Image and tutorial thanks to DownToEarthNW.com)
This is such a great way to “keep” your favorite Tshirts forever and put them to good use. You could make little totes out of your little one’s tiny tees and let them decorate with ric rac, jewels, buttons or puff paints.
Our new collection of personalized onesies and first birthday tshirts are arriving soon as well as a big brother tshirt and big sister tshirt collection that is oh so darling. We can’t wait to share.
Cheers!
Petite Lemon