DIY: How to Make Pillow Covers! Cover the Outdated Pillows and Make them Brand new Again!

I love to create and I love to sew!

I am going to share my new creation that took about 

ten minutes to make -tops!

I've had my pillows on my couches for a couple years so they are looking a little aged - more like out of style. So I wanted to revamp.

Instead of buying new pillows I wanted to spend about 1/5 of the cost.

I made two of these for $6.00! 

Make sure you take a coupon and it is cheaper. 

JoAnn's and Hobby Lobby usually have great 40% off coupons online.

Also, on the pillows I didn't want to go 100% cotton because of the visual look. With these I used the canvas type material for home decor.

Here is the How To Make pillow covers for a NEW look! Hope you enjoy

For an 18 x 18 inch size Pillow
Supplies:
1 yd of fabric
Sewing Supplies and your machine

Directions:
1. Cut out 2 18 1/2  x 18 1/2 inch squares. (These will be your fronts)

2. Cut out 2 rectangles that measure 18 1/2 inches x 22 1/2 inches. (These will be your backs)

3. On the 2 that have the longer sides cut them in half.

4. Now roll over one edge on each cut half and pin. Since you cut these in half you should now have 4 pieces. Pin all four of these each on one side. Sew down these edges and set them aside. (This will be where they overlap on back to get the pillow in)

5. Grab you 2 squares pieces that you cut out first and lay them so the wrong side is on the table. 

6. Now you should have 4 extra pieces that each have one side turned over and sewn. 2 of each go with one square. Lay 2 of them on the first square right side down so the right sides of the top and bottom are touching. The two back pieces should overlap just and inch or two.

7. Pin all around the sides of your now newly made 2 layered square.

8. Sew all the way around. Trim the corners off. Turn it inside out. Iron and you are finished!!

 Place them on your pillows and enjoy the newness!!

Before    and     After

DIY: How to Make A Burp Pad from a Clothe Diaper

So simple to make!

That is my kind of project!

All you need to do is buy a pack of clothe diapers at Wal-Mart.

Cover the back side with cute material that you love!

Cover just the middle or do the whole side.

Sew around the edges with them tucked under or even just serge.

Do it your way and it will turn out so cute!

These work great because they are made to absorb, so of course they will absorb all that spit up just great!

DIY: Triangles/Squares Strip (Quilt)

I have this pattern for a quilt and it is so cute!

You wouldn't believe how easy it is so I want to share it with you.

Here are the materials you need and the directions on how to make it.

Have fun making this!

Materials:

• 48 Strips total

     - 16 Medium Colored 2 1/2 " x 42" Strips
     - 16 Light Colored 2 1/2 " x 42" Strips

     - 16 Dark Colored 2 1/2 " x 42" Strips

• 5/8 of a yard Binding Fabric
• 3/4 of a yard Border Fabric
• 3 5/8 of a yard for the Backing
• Batting that measures 61" x 73"
• Thread
• And your basic sewing tools and supplies

Cutting:

From the Binding Fabric cut 6 strips for the binding that are (3 1/2 inches by the width of the fabric)

From the Border Fabric cut 6 strips that are (3 1/2 inches by the width of the fabric). Join your strips and cut them to make 2 border strips each measuring 3 1/2" x 59 1/4 " and 3 1/2 " x 53 1/2 ".

Complete Your Blocks

You already should have 48 strips cut out. You can choose many fabrics on this and make it creative to fit your style. Just make sure there are dark, medium, and light color shades. By saying this you can use either only 3 colors or use 6 or 9 to make it look even more busy.

To begin select one of each: a dark, a light, and a medium colored strip. Sew these 3 together long ways to make a strip set. Press and repeat this to make a total of 16 different strips. You can switch up how you sew together the dark, light and medium colors. 

Now, here is the cool part. This is where you make it look like you cut a lot of pieces out for hours when you really didn't. Using a ruler, make a 45 degree angle line and cut triangles from the strip sets. *Note: You should get 3 triangles from one side of the strip and 2 triangles from the other side. 

When you finish cutting your will get 5 triangles from 16 strips which will give you 80 triangles. 

Select four different-color triangles and join them together with their points inward to make one square block. Do this with all of your triangles and you will finish by having 20 blocks for your Triangle/Square Strips Quilt. Your blocks will roughly be around 11 3/4" x 11 3/4". The quilt size will be 53" x 64 3/4" big and remember you will have 20 blocks so the quilt will be 4 x 5 blocks. 

Sew your blocks in strips of 4 and then sew those strips of 4 together to get 5 rows. Sew your border around the outer edge, lay it all and finish it. Completed. And it turns out beautiful!

Adapted from Quilter's World Magazine

also found at http://www.e-patternscentral.com/detail.html?prod_id=9380&cat_id=4 

DIY: Dishtowel Bibs

These are amazing!

All you have to do is wipe everything up after you feed your child and you are done! These cover your baby so no food gets on their clothes at all.

You just toss it in the washer afterward and clean it.

Especially great for baby showers!

Materials Needed (For 3 Bibs):

3 Dishtowels

1/4 yard of stretch ribbing

pins

thread to match the ribbing

Instructions:
1. Begin by cutting a hole 4 inch in diameter about 1/4 of the way down your dishtowel.

2. Cut a piece of ribbing 15" X 3" so it stretches parallel with the long side. (This may sound small but it stretches on the bias so it fits!)

3. Fold the ribbing down 3/8" on each of the long sides. Then fold the ribbing short sides together  
   and sew using a 3/8" seam. 

4. Fold the ribbing "ring" in half and iron.

5. Pin the ribbing around the hole sandwiching the dishtowel between the ribbing. Make sure to 
    stretch the ribbing evenly around the hole. 

6. Once pinned, sew along the edge of the ribbing. Make sure that you catch the dishtowel and the other side of the ribbing.

*Note: The measurements for the hole can be adjusted smaller or larger for different children, just make sure the ribbing is shorter or longer for the circumference of the hole. This size has worked great for a 3-9 month old.

Hot Pads!

I received a set of these from a friend when I graduated high school!

I still have them and they are my most favorite 

hot pads to use in the kitchen!

I have been looking for the instructions to make them and I finally 

found them. I have been working on some this past week and they are a lot of fun to make. They are pretty simple and don't take too long to make. 

This could be a fun Christmas gift, birthday gift, wedding gift, graduation gift, or any kind of gift you want it to be. Have fun making it!

Instructions for a Fun Christmas Gift!

This makes one pair.

Supplies:

• Enough fabric to cut four 4"x7" rectangles and four 4"x 2 1/2" rectangles; half a fat quarter would be more than sufficient

They can be all the same fabric or all different, depending on your preference.

• Cotton batting - about 1/4 yard

• Insul-Bright - enough for two 4"x7" rectangles

• Binding/bias tape - about 1 yard of 1" single fold (or 1/2" double fold)

Instructions

1.  For each PAIR of hot pads, you'll want to cut:

2 BODY pieces from Fabric 1
2 BODY pieces from Fabric 2
2 BODY pieces from Insul-Bright
4 BODY pieces from Batting
2 POCKET pieces from Fabric 1
2 POCKET pieces from Fabric 2
2 POCKET pieces from Batting

Here are pictures of the pieces for just one pad.  

         

Take one of each of the POCKET pieces.  Place the fabric RIGHT sides together.  Then take one piece of batting and place on bottom.

Stitch along the straight edge, leaving a 1/4" seam allowance.

Turn the right sides out, and press.

Top stitch along the bottom, leaving a 1/4" seam allowance.  Set aside.

Make a sandwich of BODY pieces in the following order:

Fabric - right side DOWN
Batting
Insul-Bright
Batting
Fabric - right side UP

   

     

Quilt together.  You can do this however you prefer - straight lines, criss-cross, swirls, circles, etc.  You may want to trim the edges after quilting.

Baste the pocket piece along one end of the body. 

      

Apply your binding. 

Here it what it looks like after you sew all the way around with the binding unfolded:

           

The key is, when you're folding the binding over and stitching the second time, you want it to be folded over just enough to catch the back edge, but you don't want it folded so far over that you end up with a flap, like this.
        

After folding it over, pin it like crazy.

Once that's done, you have hot pads!  

From: http://craftyasiangirl.blogspot.com/2009/12/hot-pads-tutorial.html and greatastestuesdays

Strawberry Cheesecake Pie, Christmas & Sweepstakes!

It's Tuesday! And this is our recipe find for the week!

This cheesecake is awesome! 

If you love cheesecake, 

but sometimes it is just a little too rich for you - try this combination.

This tastes great, but isn't so thick and rich that it is too much. 

The strawberries at the bottom bring a fun surprise for those who don't know they are there! Also, here are some fun Christmas ideas to make for your home!

Strawberry Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients:

2 cups of Sliced Fresh Strawberries

¼ cup chopped Almonds, toasted

1 Tbsp. Sugar

1 Graham Cracker Crust (9 inches)

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup of Cold Milk

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix

Whipped cream and strawberry slices optional

Directions:

In a bowl combine your strawberries, almonds and sugar. Pour this into your crust. In a mixing bowl, beat your cream cheese until it is smooth and gradually add in ½ cup of your milk. Add the pudding mix and remaining milk with the cream cheese and beat for 1 minute or until it is well blended. Pour this over your strawberries that are already in your crust. Cover your pie and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until it is set. You can put your whip cream and strawberry slices on top if you would like.

Enjoy your pie!!!

*Note: Make sure your cream cheese is all the way softened. If it isn't  you can put it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it. If it is hard right out of the fridge or isn't soft it won’t blend well. You will have many small chunks of cream cheese in your pie and it won’t taste like it should. (I have learned this from experience)

Adapted from Best of Country Pies
Place Mats!

1. For each place mat you make you need 

     * 2 pieces of fabric that are measured 14 x 20 inches.

     * Fringe 2 pieces 14 inches long for each place mat.

     * Batting you would use in a quilts 14 x 20 inches for each place mat.

2. Cut out your fabric, fringe and batting.

3. Pin all of these together how they would be when you sew them together.

4. Now you need to sew all of these together so the place mat doesn't ever 

    bunch up in the middle. Draw on your fabric with a white sewing pencil 

    where you would like to sew. These could be diagonal lines, swirls, or

    anything you would like. If you look closely you can see that I did two 

    rectangles around the outer edges and then swirls in the center.

5. Now iron all the sides under 1/4 inch and pin it all together.

6. Pin you fringe inside to the two shorter sides.

7. Now sew all the way around your place mat.

8. You now have a pretty place mat! 

* You can use any kind of material to go with any holiday or occasion!!!

   

  

Santa Hats!

Look how fun these are!

1. Measure the back of your chairs at your house - the width and the length. 
    (these ones are around my dining room table) 
2. Go buy red and white material to fit your chair - as much as you would need 
    for as many chairs you want to do. (these are made out of felt) 
    Don't forget a white ball to use for the top of the hat! 
3. Draw out a Santa hat pattern to fit your chair. (newspaper is easy to use 
    because it is big enough)
4. Trace this pattern onto your material and cut out two sides for the hat. 
5. Measure the bottom of the hat and cut two white strip out for the bottom 
    that will fit the hat. 
6. Sew both white strips to the bottom of both red tops. Then sew around the 
    entire hat to complete it. 
7. Don't forget to finish it with a white fluffy ball on top!

Fun to have for the holidays!

    

greatastestuesdays SWEEPSTAKES!
Win a handcrafted table runner for Valentines Day! 
+ Plus there will be a second and third place prize!

Rules: There are many chances to get a chance to put your name in the drawing. The first and the easiest way is to find us on face book ( Great Tastes Tuesdays ) and "Like" our page. This will give you your first chance to get your name in the drawing. 

The other way to get your name in the drawing is to come on our blog and make a comment on any of our posts. At the end of each post put your first name and last initial. You can post up to 10 comments!! These comments may be about a recipe that you have tried on our blog and want to write about, something you want us to improve on or see different on the blog, or maybe a recipe you would like to see on it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated - and hopefully keep them positive comments. 

Last but not least email us your first and last name and your email address underneath it. This won't be used for anything else but to contact you if you win. If you don't do this last step, and you win, we won't be able to contact you. 
email address: greatastestuesdays@gmail.com

So, "Like" us on Facebook and write up to "10" comments on our blog gives you "11" chances to win in our Valentine's Day Sweepstakes drawing! Stay in watch on our blog too! There might be even more chances to get your name in the drawing before January 22nd 2013!

The last day to post a comment will be Tuesday January 22nd 2013. We will draw for the Sweepstakes the next day on Wednesday January 23rd 2013 and contact the winners then.

Post comments today! We would love to hear your input! And maybe you will even see something on our blog that you may have suggested.

DIY: Raspberries, Christmas and Quilts!

It's Tuesday!

On Tuesdays the recipe of the week is posted!

So be ready every week!

This recipe is so delicious! It is great to make with Sunday dinner or even to take to a Christmas party this year! Try it for yourself!

Also, today we have some Christmas and gift ideas!

Have you ever thought you couldn't ever be a quilter?

Here is a pattern that any level of sewer can make in just a few days!

It doesn't take long - maybe you can make a quilt for someone for Christmas.

Sweet Raspberry Jello

2 cups Crushed Pretzels
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1/2 cup Melted Butter

Mix these together and spread them in a 9 x 13 pan.
Bake these at 350 degrees for 7-9 minutes.
     (*Note: if you forget to bake these your pretzels will turn out soggy and that is not appetizing at all!)
While your pretzels are cooling mix:
1 8 oz. package of Cream Cheese
8 oz. of Cool Whip
1 cup of Sugar
Spread this over the cooled pretzel crust.

- Dissolve one 6 oz. pkg. of raspberry jello in 2 cups of boiling water. 
- Add 2 packages of frozen raspberries to your jello.
- Pour this on top of the pretzel and cool whip that is already prepared in a pan.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours and then enjoy your fruit jello salad!


Wrapping Paper Gift for your Friends and Neighbors

Give a gift to your friends now before the holidays get even more crazier!

Just put some ribbon around a roll of wrapping paper and attach the saying!

This is low cost, cute and easy.

If you would like to use this for next year, look for wrapping paper that is on sale the day after Christmas and that will cut your cost way down!

Here's a gift that's from our heart.
Maybe it will help you get a start
Wrapping presents for the day,
That's only a few weeks away!

It won't make your waist increase,
Like so many delicious treats.
You'll throw it out when you are all finished,
And will not have to go and see the dentist.

So, have fun planning what you'll do,
As Christmas will be coming oh so soon.
We're thankful for your friendship dear,
Especially at this time of the year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love, The ___________ Family!

9 Square Design Quilt

Try this quilt for yourself - it looks so hard, but is pretty simple!

Supplies Needed:

- 9 different patterns of material of 1/2 yard each

- Scissors and measuring tape or just a rotary cutter and mat

- Sewing machine

First cut out your material. You need 9 different patterns and you cut 12 squares for each pattern. All of your squares will be 8 1/2 inches by 8 1/2 inches.  

1. Each set of 9 squares will look like this:

 Now on these I have used leftover material that I have so I don't have 9 different pieces of material, but remember it looks the best when you have 9. You can choose however you do this.

2. Next you will sew each strip together so that you have 3 strips of 3. On all of these squares you are going to use 1/4 inch seam. On most sewing machines this is just lining up the edge of the fabric with the edge of the foot on the sewing machine.

3. Third strip will be to sew your 3 strips together to make one large square block.

4. Now either with your scissors or rotary cutter you will cut right down the middle of one row of squares.

5. You will do this again by turning your square and cutting down the middle going the other way.

6. Now rearrange your 4 squares by twisting and moving them to how you would like them. 

7. Now sew each of them together.

8. You are finished with your 12 squares and they look like you cut every little piece out!

Now you can either sew the 12 squares together 3 x 4 squares or put other material in between each one of them like Levi