Do It Your Freaking Self - DIY Archives - Page 4 of 5

13 Vintage Aprons to Make and Buy

on April 15, 2016

I’m not gonna lie you guys… the idea for this post came to me while I was binge watching Young and Hungry. I’m a bit in love with that show… especially Gabi’s Aprons. Seriously? I know its TV magic, but how does someone that broke afford all of those super cute aprons?!? Priorities man!

I personally have quite a tidy collection that I’m very proud of. I tend to get them from discount stores like TJ Maxx and Ross, but I’ll admit I’ve been weak and bought one from Anthropologie for way more than I should have. Honestly, I know it might sound sexist or whatever, but I think every woman that likes to entertain should have at least one hostess apron. They let you look cute while not messing up that cute party dress you spent hours picking out… Or just threw on because you just took a shower and are running late getting things out of the oven. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on one either. In fact there are a fair few in this list that you can make for super cheap.

ByChelsea

Celery Rose Stamp Tea Towels

on April 12, 2016

Mothers day is coming up and I’ve been racking my brain trying to come up with a mothers day craft for the kiddos to do that is classy but not just a simple handprint.

So, the story is that I was babysitting the littles one night and they asked for some Ants on a Log. You know… celery and peanut butter topped with raisins? No? take a look.

Anyway, I cut the stalks off and said to myself “huh? You know that base looks a lot like a rose”. And so I’ve had that in my head the whole time for when I needed to stamp something.

The kiddos LOVED that their snack was also their craft and the towels ended up looking super cute and elegant.

ByChelsea

Homemade Rice Heating Pad

on April 10, 2016

Few things are quite so lovely as waking up at 4:30 am to cramps and a hearty HELLO from your period. Yes ladies, I went there, sorry dudes.

So what do I do? Well, I usually down some alieve, grab the rice heating pad and make sure I have some Halo Top Ice Cream on hand (4 carbs/serving is a low carbers DREAM! and oh so delicious)

If you’ve never had it, Halo Top is the BOMB for those of us that are doing low carb but can’t quite give up the ice cream. I’m currently rocking the vanilla bean. SO GOOD.

But anyhoo, on to the rice heating pad thing. See, like any quintessential single lady, I happen to have a cat who can sometimes be an awesome if unreliable heating pad. Unreliable in that she either lays on a difficult spot, doesn’t want to cuddle at all, decides she hates me, or makes biscuits at the site of a particularly bad cramp. no, cats do not make great heating pads at all. So I’ve had to resort to more traditional means and make my own.

I adore my heating pad. Not only is it great for cramps, but its also perfect for pre-warming the foot of your bed on a cold night (Just like in Downton Abbey!), back pain, and well, pretty much anything. My favorite thing about it is the essential oil aromatherapy that helps relax me!

ByChelsea

DIY Flower Crown

on April 6, 2016

Festival season is upon us which means, if you live in SoCal, Coachella! If you don’t, there are a million festivals going on all summer for you to go vibe out at. If you’re a mom, dad or nanny to little girls, it means tea party picnics and pretending to be a pixie among other things.

That being said, I am anxiously awaiting all of the bohemian fashion posts that I will assuredly see on various fashion blogs.

One of the staples that I’ve seen every year are beautiful flower headbands and crowns. I’ve seen them retail for upwards for $50, but today, I’m going to show you how to make one for under $5. Yep, under 5. Let us all say thank you to the 99¢ Store powers that be.

ByChelsea

10 Must Have Items for the Creative Babysitting Bag

on March 30, 2016

As I learned from reading the Baby Sitters Club as a child, having a bag is VERY important. Like, life changing important. As a crafty nanny, its even more important to have things on hand to create an activity at a moments notice. It has become so (need a word for this) that a lot of my kiddos call it my “Mary Poppins” bag, and since I’m still convinced that Mary is a time lord, I take it as the highest compliment.

How does she fit it all in there? Seriously!
Photo (c) Disney

But really folks. Who here that babysits or nanny’s doesn’t try to roll up like Mary Poppins and just blow everyones minds? If only it were as easy and practically perfect as she makes it look. I mean… I want to jump into a chalk painting and hang out with my chimney sweep best friend while I’m playing with someone else’s kids…. moving on.

I want to be practically perfect in every way. © Disney

I want to be perfectly perfect in every way.
© Disney

Now, that being said, these are the craft staples of my nanny and babysitting bag. I buy most, if not all of these things at the dollar tree to cut down on costs. Other things change out from day to day and week to week, depending on what I’ve got going on. These items stay in there though because they’re great for a quick activity in any combination!

Want to survive the summer? Check out the Summer Survival Babysitting Bag too!

UPDATE: I’ve just added this adorable DIY Emoji Pillow Busy Bag to my babysitter bag staples!

ByChelsea

Fabric Decoupage Easter Eggs

on March 24, 2016

Spring is in the air! Full of flowers and sunshine and allergies. Ugh.

I’ve been working on a lot lately and honestly, I feel like I’m spinning my wheels? Anyone else feel like they just overcommit without any really payoff? On top of that I haven’t really made time to craft. And non-crafting Chelsea = a stressed out Chelsea. Funny how that works.

So, in an effort to be festive, cause I LOVE Easter, get rid of some fabric scraps and work on a craft that I can really spend some time on I’ve been decoupaging like a mad woman. Go me!

ByChelsea

DIY Spin Art Easter Banner

on March 21, 2016

Does anyone remember spin art as a kid? I’m pretty sure we used everything the kit gave us and more on the first day, sorry mom! I just remember hours of fun experimenting with colors, patterns and the like to make some pretty awesome art work. However, I also remember the ridiculous amount of clean up that went with all the tiny parts… guess you win some, you lose some.

While those days may be gone, I still like to do my fair share DIY Spin Art and I adore doing it with the little ones. I come over an they ask for it! They can experiment with colors and using the salad spinner method helps the toddlers work on fine motor skills. Win Win! Honestly though, even though there is a some clean up with this (parts) it is relatively mess free when it comes to kids and hands.

ByChelsea

DIY: Watercolor Coffee Mug Tutorial

on March 2, 2016

I took a huge step this week in my journey. I quit a part time job that I’d had for almost 2 years… but it was time. Anyone else have experience with this? Quitting a job to pursue something else? Creatively or otherwise? Leave me a comment! I’d love to know!

For those of you that know, I took a break from the social media agency world to work with kids. It has been insanely rewarding and I’ve made so many friends. Some that I now consider family.

But it was time. I knew that if I kept this job, I’d always be scared to move forward. I would keep burning myself out. I would become resentful of everything that I was doing, and that’s the last thing I want. So I took the step. I’m not sure how everything will work out, but I feel like this was the best decision for me.

So, when I left I wanted to thank all of the wonderful women I worked with. I wanted to give them something special to tell them how amazing they had made my last few years and how much I appreciated the work that we all did (and they continue to do).

ByChelsea

End of the Rainbow Paper Plate Craft

on February 29, 2016

The kids have been asking a lot of questions about St. Patrick’s day recently. My favorite story to tell them is about when I had braces. I would get green rubber bands and not wear any green on my person. Then if someone tried to pinch me, I’d smile at them. It was all kinds of hilarious to me at the time.

Anyhoo, we’ve been reading The Night Before Saint Patrick’s Day and the kiddos have been asking lots of questions about leprechauns and rainbows and pots of gold and the like so I’ve been trying to incorporate some fun St. Patrick’s day crafts into our days.

My favorite thing about this paper plate craft was that it kept Peyton (2.5) busy for more than 10 minutes at a time! Babysitter win!

ByChelsea

Animal Butt DIY Magnets

on February 25, 2016

A large part of this blog is about trying new things and creating things that make me happy. Its really been an amazing journey so far… just living in a creative space.

A few years ago I was trolling Mod Cloth and became obsessed with these Animal Butt Magnets… Why, I have no clue. Its not like I used magnets for anything anyway! I realized that I could probably just do it my freaking self. And so I did. And they made me happy. Its always hilarious when people come over and see them. A lot of times they do a double take, not expecting butts.

Want to make your own? Check it out!

ByChelsea

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