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Lifestyle

Made With Harts: Ikatee Pattern—Helsinki

I’ll tell you what, as my daughter grows the need for versitile play clothes becomes ever the more important.

We juggle activities throughout the day, often coming from the playground or park and headed straight to a family dinner or activity. Sometimes it’s a huge benefit to have a garment that’s easy to play in AND presentable for grandmas to see.

I love the Helsinki pattern by Ikatee for those reasons. I chose the Nohara knit by Japanese designer Hitomi Osumi for Cotton + Steel paired with an Eggshell stretch denim from Harts selection. I just loved the whimsy of the knit print, soooo soft and cute 🥰

The pairing is great for allowing comfort and stretch while also guaranteeing a bit of durability with the denim on bottom.

The difference in fabric weight gives almost a hoop skirt affect which is just adorable on a baby (toddler 😭) Goldie’s age.

The pattern was relatively easy to work with and well explained. They had clear step by step instructions as well as the instructions for the optional alterations (like sleeveless or pocketless).

I found the sizing to run on the large side, but honestly that’s kind of to Ikatee’s benefit since kids grow like weeds!

I can’t wait to try more of their patterns!

This post is my honest opinion using fabric and a pattern I received free of charge from Harts Fabric as part of their Harts Fabric Street Team.

Lifestyle Motherhood

Family Life: Expectations VS Reality

Before the birth of your first child, how did you imagine life looking? Which expectations lined up with reality? If you’re honest, I’ll bet a fair amount threw you for a loop. This was definitely the case for me. Our family life expectations vs reality are sometimes two different worlds. Especially as a new parent.

You can’t know, in the months leading up to their arrival, who your child will actually be, and how you’ll actually respond to them. They are their own person, with preferences and opinions about the world you’ve spent hours cultivating specifically for them. Our babes do not always agree. Whether we like it or not.

In the nine months since my daughter was born, I’ve eaten my share of crow. Therefore, I write this to expose a glimpse into my truth. Whether you’ve been here and totally relate, are on the cusp of new parenthood, or (like I used to) enjoy a good laugh at parents’ expenses, behold my Family Life: Expectations VS Reality:

 

Expectation: My baby will eat only fresh/organic/no sugar/no additives/low sodium food, prepared with love, from scratch.

Reality: Who has time for that? Seriously? Parenting is a busy job, and sometimes, cubes of cheese is all my daughter will eat. At least she’s not hungry, right?

no vegetables expectations vs reality

 

Expectation: No TV until they are at least 2 years old.

Reality: Sorry, not sorry. My daughter loves Sesame Street. Using Elmo and the gang as entertainment so I can eat/shower/clean/do laundry/pay bills/finally call my mom back/go to the bathroom solo, is a needed reprieve. I play and engage all throughout the day, but Mama needs a goddamn break.

no TV expectations vs reality

 

Expectation: Days will be occupied with reading and educational toys.

Reality: I dreamed up BIG expectations about play time. We built our daughter a little library, sectioned out toys based on her age. Turns out, she could not care less about reading. In fact, books seem to annoy her. And the favorite “toys” are TV remotes and a set of plastic measuring cups. Not sure what exactly those teach, other than “this goes pretty far back in my mouth.”

childs library expectations vs reality

 

Expectation: I will not raise my voice at my kid.

Reality: I think children are born with an uncanny ability to test your patience. Occasionally, I react loudly. I lose my temper because I need her to “just give me a fucking break.” I’m human. To be fair, sometimes I raise my voice for safety. But more than likely, I’m saying “no,” which is my daughter’s least favorite word.

parent losing cool expectations vs reality

 

Expectation: We’ll create a magical nighttime routine to help baby wind down and sleep through the night.

Reality: Bath time, reading, singing songs, all the typical sleepy time routines, rile up my daughter. “Oh, these silly parents. I see where they are going with this, but I WILL FIGHT. YOU CANNOT NOT CONTROL ME. Also, I plan on waking at least every two hours all night long, so best of luck.”

crying baby expectations vs reality

 

Expectation: I’ll be a cool parent.

Reality: My baby is too young for me to embarrass her just yet. But wearing sweatpants in public in your 30s is cool, right? And “Baby on Board” signs? What about memorizing the PBS kid’s show songs?

cool mom expectations vs reality

 

Expectation: Instagram Parenting.

Reality: Whatever social media teaches us about what parenting looks like, the reality is definitely not perfect. Life isn’t one big photoshoot (though photoshoots with my baby are the most fun). I enjoy posting sweet moments, milestones, and funny glimpses into our life. That being said, I’m for sure not pulling out the camera when I’m covered in shit or my daughter is losing her mind because “no you can’t have that, its not for babies.”

fit expectations vs reality

 

Expectation: My house will stay clean and organized.

Reality: Sometimes. This is only sometimes true.

organized house expectations vs reality

 

Expectation: I will take time for myself.

Reality: My personal time is napping with my daughter (or laying down with her when she falls asleep and rewatching “Parks and Recreation” because it’s the greatest show). Driving the long route home from the grocery store to hear the end of that song I love. Reading instead of tackling the dirty dish pile. Personal time is about taking care of yourself, however you define it.

me time expectations vs reality

 

Expectation: I will love my child.

Reality: The love is beyond measurement.

love expectations vs reality

At the end of the day, parenting requires flexibility. Going with the flow, and whatnot. Family life is surprising, glorious, messy, and unpredictable. Laugh off what you can because it’s the most beautiful experiment in which you don’t know all the rules. Embrace the chaos. Learn to love reality not meeting your expectations because family life is so much better than what you imagined.

DIY Recipe

How To Make Your Own Granola

Make Your Own Granola

For breakfast, I’ve always loved granola. As a kid, I had an Uncle who kept granola in his pantry at all times. My home was usually stocked with Grape Nuts and skim milk, so granola with yogurt was a huge treat! Since then, I’ve almost always kept granola stocked in my kitchen as well. However, I can’t believe I’ve been paying for it all this time when it’s soooo simple to make your own granola! For the most part, granola only requires ingredients that you’ll already find in your kitchen cupboards. So, I decided to learn (and teach you) how to make your own! Get ready to level up your smoothie bowl and breakfast recipes!

Recipes for granola all are very versatile because the main component is rolled oats! I read that you won’t want to use quick oats because they don’t hold up as well after baking. This recipe is a great activity to do with family or friends and—perhaps even more so—it’s a quick and easy option to impress some early (or entirely unexpected) guests! Let’s not forget it as a budget option either since granola works as a meal or as a simple grab and go snack.

To make your own granola requires as little or as many ingredients as you’d like and only takes about an hour to make from start to finish.

For my granola, I wanted something that was tropical and kind of sweet. I knew I’d be putting it over plain Greek yogurt and wanted to include what I already had too much of in my pantry.

In this recipe, I added an egg white for added protein. However, granola only needs a ratio of around 1:6 wet to dry. You can make a simple syrup or use honey/agave, egg whites, and oil for your wet ingredients like I did. If you’re adding dried fruits like raisins, goji, apricots, etc., you’ll want to wait to add those until the mix is baked through and transferred to a bowl.

Make Your Own GranolaMake Your Own Granola

Make Your Own Granola

Print Recipe
Serves: 10 Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup of extra-finely shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup of pepitas
  • 1/2 cup of crushed almonds
  • 3 tbsp. bee pollen
  • 1/3 cup honey/ agave
  • 1/3 cup warmed coconut oil
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • dash of cardamom
  • dash of cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup green raisins
  • 1/4 cup goji berries
  • 1 packet of Mango Açaí fruit snacks

Instructions

1

Pre-heat your oven to 300°F

2

Mix the oats, seeds, nuts, and other dry ingredients in a bowl

3

Add your spices and salt to the dry mix and combine thoroughly

4

Stir in your wet mixture until all the ingredients and coated

5

Spread your mix on a parchment lined baking sheet

6

Bake for 40-60 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes

7

Transfer your mix to a bowl and add your berries and dried fruits

8

Serve!

I hope you enjoyed learning how to make your own granola! Check back often for more recipes and kitchen tips Xo.

DIY

How to Build A Porch Swing

build a porch swing

Lately, my husband and I have been putting a lot of focus on making our porch and back patio more comfortable for entertaining. This has included a lot of things, such as purchasing new patio furniture and an ivy trellis, which I’ll feature in another post. Something I’ve always really wanted was a porch swing. I find something romantic in the safety and coziness of a good porch set-up. An ideal place to sip wine or coffee while cozied up to loved one. So after shopping some things online, I decided it would be best for me to learn how to build a porch swing.

I viewed lots of tutorials and different DIY porch swing options. There are quite a few beautiful tutorials on how to build a porch swing, but they aren’t accessible for the average person. Most people don’t have every type of saw available to them. Furthermore, even some of the more basic models needed pocket holes, which are great but I didn’t want to fork out extra money for a Kreg jig. I wanted to design something that was functional, cute and—most of all— one that required as few tools as possible.

I have a lot of experience with basic woodwork because of building frames, mural panels, and wall jacks for festivals I work. If there’s enough lumber available, I can build anything. However, you don’t have to have previous experience to build a porch swing.

When you build a porch swing, it’s of the utmost importance that it’s safe. Most of all, no one wants the embarrassment of having their swing collapse on a guest or family member. Trust me; my brother has had two hammock swings collapse on him at my place (I didn’t make those, though, and was using a Husky brand velcro strap to hang).

Before you tackle this instructional on how to build a porch swing, read through everything first to ensure you don’t have to re-do steps.


Release of Liability:

These instructions and guidelines are provided as a resource and general advice/ recommendations regarding installing a porch swing. Each situation is unique, and it is your (the reader’s) responsibility to ensure the safe installation of any porch swing in and out of your home. 

This notice serves as a release of liability for thornandthimble.com and Sionann Ghahremani.


How to Build A Porch Swing

DOWNLOAD PORCH SWING PLANS

SUPPLIES USED

  • Tape measure
  • Drill
  • 2.5″ Wood Screws
  • 1.5″ Wood Screws
  • 2″ Finishing nails
  • Hammer (or nail gun if you’re lucky)
  • Sand paper/ Electric sander
  • Exterior paint
  • Safety glasses
CUT LIST
  • (2) 2′ x 4′ @ 55″ (base frame)
  • (5) 2′ x 4′ @ 21″ (base frame)
  • (3) 2′ x 4′ @ 27″ (back supports)
  • (12) 1′ x 3′ @ 55″ (seat and back slats)
  • (2) 1′ x 4′ @ 25″ (I accidentally miscalculated and did 24″, whoops)
  • (2) 1′ x 4′ @ 13″
HANGING MATERIALS
  • (2) Packs of 15′ chain link (zinc coated) for 340 lbs, working load
  • (4) 1/4″ quick links with 880 lb, working load
  • (4) Nylon lock nut, coarse
  • (2) 5/16″ x 4″ Screw hook lag thread
  • (8) Fender washers 1.5.”
  • (4) 5/16″ x 4″ Eye Bolt with Nut

The entire project cost me about $90.00, but if you need to purchase essentials link screws, wood glue, etc., you may end up paying closer to $100.

Start with building the frame.

Your frame includes the (2) 55″ 2′ x 4’s and the (5) 21″ 2′ x 4’s. There will be exactly 12″ of space between each seat support and the next.

First, I drilled pilot holes before I began gluing or screwing. For pilot holes, your want to use a bit that’s at least as large as the smallest diameter of your 2.5″ screw. Once that’s all the way through both pieces, you should use a drill bit that is the same size of your screw to re-pilot the first piece of wood/ entry point for the screw. The wider pilot hole here will allow the screw to pull the piece you’re attaching tightly, this eliminates any gaping in the wood. You can read more about why to use pilot holes here.

Once the pilot holes were complete, I applied wood glue to the seat support end and attached the screws, 2 for each piece. Then I repeated it on the other side.

Begin attaching the (3) back supports.

Now you’ll attach the (3) 27″ back supports. I used the same method of piloting, gluing and drilling here.  Instead of (2) screws, I used (4) for each support.

Lay your swing on it’s back to attach the front armrest support.

Next, I attached my (2) 13″ armrest pieces to the front of each side of the swing using (2) screws and wood glue. Make sure to use your smaller 1.5″ wood screws here to avoid hot-points.

Begin attaching (7) of the 55″ seat slats to your swing with the 2″ finishing nails.

You’ll nail them straight into all the base supports beneath them, being sure to keep the sides aligned neatly. I attached the back and front seat slats first, so each was flush with the back supports and front armrests, respectively. Then, I worked inward giving each slat a 1 1/4″ gap between them. I used (3) nails on the outside edges, and (2) nails per point of contact for the rest. Use your best judgment; things should be getting pretty sturdy by now.

Attach the 25″ armrest after nailing in the first two bottom (5) 55″ back slats.

I started with doing the top and the bottom slats first again. The top slat should be flush with the upper/ top part of the back supports, and the bottom slat should be flush and on top of the back seat slat.

The top of the second back slat from the bottom should be at exactly 8 3/4″, this will allow your to rest your 25″ armrest perfectly on that second slat for support.

Once that 2nd back slat is in, attach the 25″ armrest using finishing nails. Continue connecting the remainder of your backrest slats with equal spacing.

FINISHING

Use a piece of sandpaper or an electric hand sander to sand down any rough edges or pieces of wood. You want your swing to be splinter-free.

Paint your swing with whichever color exterior paint you desire!

HANGING

All of the swing hardware will attach to the swing itself except for the Screw hook lag thread, which will go directly into the ceiling/ beam you’re hanging from. If you’re drilling into a ceiling, make sure to use a stud finder. Measure your beam to allow at least 2 inches extra on each side of the swing to account for motion. So for a 55″ swing, you’d measure 59″ total. You’ll want to first drill a pilot hole that’s slightly smaller than your screw hooks threaded diameter. Then screw in the hook to complete.

For the hardware on the swing itself, you’ll want to use the same drill bit to create a pilot hole on the 21″ exterior of the swing base on each side. Use a washer as a guide to ensure the washers have room. Once the pilot holes are drilled, put a washer on your eye hook with the nut between the washer and hook, and screw in. You’ll cap the eye bolt with a washer and Nylon lock nut on the interior underside of the swing. Repeat on the other side.

Attach one quick link to each eye bolt.

For the chain, I found the center point of each 15′ chain and hooked that link onto the Screw hook that I installed in my beam. This gave me two even sides hanging down. Attach the hanging link to your quick link at the desired height. For reference, the front of my swing is suspended one link higher than the rear, with 57 links on the rear and 56 links on the front.

Ta-da!! Now you know how to build a porch swing! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Let me know how your projects went in the comments and reach out for any questions or concerns regarding this DIY.

DIY

Go-Bag for the Urban Witch DIY

go-bag

Lately, I’ve been trying to organize my life and efforts across the board. For the first time, I’m buying and using storage bins in my art studio. I’m categorizing notions and accessories and filing them away in their proper place. Part of this may be growing up, or an increased incentive to have a presentable and stress-free work/home environment. At any rate, I’m having a great time creating a place for everything and I’m super proud to bring you our first DIY tutorial! This DIY Go-Bag for the Urban Witch is a perfect weekend project and a great way to organize any magical supplies, sacred personal items, or even a small apothecary.

Sometimes you need to grab your supplies and hit the road in a pinch, whether it be the last minute work trip or a race to a sister in need, the best thing about this Go-Bag is that there are a ton of uses for it. It can serve as a sacred place for your travel altar or as a to-go apothecary/ medicine bag for when you’re on the move. The Go-Bag can even act as a general storage bag for magical items, stones, charms, and cards. The Go-Bag can serve whichever intention you choose. It’s up to you.

You can adjust the size of this bag based on when you intend to keep inside it. Increasing the 23″ measurement would make the bag taller/ deeper. Increasing the 15″ measurement would make the bag longer; you need the zipper to be 1″ longer than whatever your length measurement is.

GO-BAG SUPPLIESGo-Bag for the Urban Witch

  • Outer fabric 15″x23″
  • Fusible fleece
  • Inner fabric
  • Handle: 4×9 of exterior fabric and fusible fleece
  • Tab: 3×5 of interior fabric
  • 16″ zipper

Optional:

  • 4 flat bottom feet screws
  • 1 round stud fastener

GO-BAG INSTRUCTIONS

Part One:

A.) Collect all your supplies with your fabric cut to the correct size: 15″ x 23″ for bag “body” and fusible fleece and 4″ x 9″ of exterior fabric and fusible fleece for the handle. Fuse your fleece (also 15″ x 23″) to the wrong side of your handle and exterior fabric.

B.) Fuse your fleece (also 15″ x 23″) to the wrong side of your handle and exterior fabric. Now the wrong side of your handle and exterior fabric will be the fleece.

C.) Place your lining (interior fabric) right side up. Right side up means the side that will be exposed when finished is facing up.

D.) Open your zipper and line it up with the 15″ edge of your lining fabric and place it on top with the other zipper half hanging down. The pull of your zipper will be facing you. The zipper aligned as pictured, with stops 1/2″ away from the left side of the fabric. Align the exterior fabric face down/ wrong side up on top and pin for sewing. Sew your zipper with 1/4 seam allowance.

Go-Bag for the Urban Witch

Part Two:

E.) Keep your zipper open and flip the bottom raw edge of your top (exterior fabric) up so that it’s right sides are together and the bottom raw edge is now up with the zipper.

F.) Fold the outer fabric the same way to its right sides are together and its raw edge is aligned with the raw edge of the interior fabric. See in the photo below how each fabric is folded onto itself? Line up the zipper as before, this time with the zipper pull on the left.

Go-Bag for the Urban Witch

G.) Pin as shown below and sew with a 1/4″ seam allowance.

Go-Bag for the Urban Witch

Part Three:

H.) Turn the bag inside itself, so it appears as normal from the outside, with the interior fabric inside and exterior fabric outside.

I.) Top stitch your zipper on each side, going through both the exterior and lining, but not sewing it shut. You’ll have your zipper open to do this; it should end up looking top-stitched like pictured.

Go-Bag for the Urban Witch

Part Four:

J.) Now place your bag flat, zipped up, with the zipper down the center and pin through all fabrics as shown.

Go-Bag for the Urban Witch

Part Five:

K.) With your bag pinned, cut a 2 1/4″ L x 2″ H square at each corner.

Go-Bag for the Urban Witch

Part Six:

L.) Make your tab:

For the tab, fold each long edge to meet in the center and press.

Go-Bag for the Urban Witch

Then fold it in half width-wise, so the raw edges meet and press again.

Go-Bag for the Urban Witch

If you’re adding a metal tab, add it now.

Go-Bag for the Urban Witch

Top stitch the non-raw edges of the tab.

Go-Bag for the Urban Witch

Part Seven:

P.) Make Your handle:

For the handle, make sure you fused the fleece in Step One. You’ll do three folds. I find it helpful to press after each. Fold the long raw edges lengthwise to meet in the middle.

Then fold it once more in half, so your only raw edges are the 1″ ends and topstitch.

Part Eight:

Q.) Attach the tab and handle by first turning your interior and exterior fabric, so the wrong sides are out/ right sides together. Make sure all layers are aligned and unzip the zipper a few inches.

R.) Pin your handle on the end with the zipper pull as shown. Sew the aligned and pinned edge with a 1/2″ seam (or whatever your bag/ zipper allows if you resized or made mistakes it’s okay).

S.) Pin your tab upside down and “finished” end-inside in the same manner and sew the aligned edge.

T.) Turn your bag right side out through one of the square openings that are left unfinished.

Part Nine:

Now we’ll do a French seam on the square edges. A French seam is where you first sew a raw edge; then you sew over the seam from the interior to “trap” the raw edge completely. Here’s a link for french seams if it’s confusing.

U.) You’ll first want to reopen your square edge to create a box seam, this is accomplished by sewing from corner to corner, as shown. Pin each corner and sew.

V.) Trim the excess down. If you made mistakes or had rough cuts, you have had to increase seam allowance. Trim, so you only have about 1/4″ of a raw edge.

W.) Turn bag inside out. Push out your new square bottom/ corners. Use your pins to mark the seam allowance needed to trap the outer seam. Sew to complete.

X.) Your interior will look like this. Add your bag feet now if you wish, using a seam ripper to poke holes first where they will go through to the exterior.

Your completed go-bag will look like this:

Each Go-Bag will hold three or four 7 day candles, three large bundles of sage, one tarot deck, and other items as needed (crystals, pendulums, poppet, sachets, charms, travel altars, etc..) Check back here for more DIY’s and ideas for living creatively mindful.

*This post first appeared on I AM A HEALER.

DIY Lifestyle

Two Cute Ways to Repurpose Leftover Bunting

repurpose leftover bunting

We all have extra stuff lying around. Some of it is really useful, while some of it just takes up space. Anyone who has thrown a wedding or a big birthday knows that decor is no exception. I was eyeing all my extra stuff from our wedding and my eyes fell on all this extra burlap bunting we never used. There are quite a few tutorials out there on how to turn old wrapping paper and clothes into bunting. However, I couldn’t find many on how to actually repurpose leftover bunting.

I was thinking of various ways to use the bunting by folding it. Maybe a geometric ornament or putting a few together could make a hat or a lantern bag for a flameless candle? Eventually, I landed on an idea for a flat wallet and an air plant/ succulent holder; two cute ways to repurpose leftover bunting into new items and quick DIY projects.

FLAT WALLET

This project is great for a craft night or even for a kids party. You can complete the project by sewing OR even with a hot glue gun. Kids will love seeing how you can transform “junk” decor into something cool, useful, and personalized. Furthermore, with cute themed birthdays, the kids could end up with adorable spiderman wallets at the end of the party from the branded bunting.

I used a few items in the creation on my DIY Flat Wallet:

  • Burlap bunting
  • Scissors
  • Leftover random charms/ beads
  • Round bag making stud
  • Vinyl snap
  • Sewing machine (although you can hand stitch or use a glue gun instead)

Step One:

Collect your supplies. If you have a glue gun you’ll be using, plug it in! This is a quick project.

DIY flat wallet

Step Two:

Fold the bottom of the bunting a little over 1/3 of the way up. Test the triangle flap to make sure it covers the amount of space you want it to and doesn’t overlap the bottom.

DIY flat wallet

Step Three:

Flip the bunting over while keeping it folded. Draw a line to mark where the edges overlap.

leftover bunting

 

Step Four:

Cut the bunting on the lines you marked.

DIY flat wallet

Step Five:

Line up your wallet how it will lay when complete. Line up where you want your snap to be.

DIY flat wallet

Step Six:

Line up your first snap and sew the snap down to the wallet body (not the flap).

DIY flat wallet

Step Seven:

Pin the edge of your wallet for sewing and sew.

DIY flat wallet

Step Eight:

Attach the second snap to the interior of the flap.

DIY flat wallet

Step Nine:

Begin to attached your embellishments/ charms/ decor/ or embroidery to your wallet. Use a needle and thread or a hot glue gun.

DIY flat wallet

Fin!

repurpose leftover bunting

Air Plant/ Succulent Holder

The second cute way to repurpose leftover bunting is to turn it into a cute geometric planter. You can hang it on the wall or put it on a shelf. I used basically the same process for the dimensions as the wallet, the only difference is that instead of cutting the extra from the sides. You bring the edges pictured with the pink markers together and top stitch to create a tiny planter.

I used a few items in the creation on my Air Plant/ Succulent Holder:

  • Burlap bunting
  • Scissors
  • Sewing machine (although you can hand stitch or use a glue gun instead)
  • A piece of coral I found on the beach in Bali
  • Neon Green Thread

reuse leftover bunting

 

Once you’re done with the stitching you can add some stitches in a cool color, or add fabric to the front. I even considered using paint or dip dye on mine. Have fun with it!

reuse leftover bunting

reuse leftover bunting

I hope you enjoyed these ideas on how to repurpose leftover bunting!

DIY

DIY Square Bottom Tarot Pouch

DIY Tarot Pouch

Sometimes you just need a tarot pouch! People choose to carry their tarot in different ways. Some, neatly keep the cards in their original box to bring out when they want to do a spread. Many carry their cards wrapped in a special cloth and in a pouch similar to this.

With the tarot often looked to for guidance in weighty decisions, why not treat your deck as the sacred item it is?

If you buy crystals, pendulums, and divination tools regularly, you’ll often have a small collection of velvet or plastic lined pouches at your disposal. These can be useful, but boring. For the urban witch, you might choose to carry your tarot cards in a more stylish and personalized way. That’s where this DIY Tarot Pouch comes in handy. It’s easy to make and requires very little fabric. Furthermore, this tarot pouch makes a great conversation starter, everyone will wonder where you procured such a cool bag for your cards.

This DIY will take about 30 minutes to complete depending on your skill level.

For this tarot pouch you’ll need:

  • (1) 10.5″ x 11″ exterior cloth
  • (1) 10.5 x 11″ interior lining cloth
  • Scissors
  • A sewing machine or needle and thread
  • Rope or extra fabric to create a cord
  • Set of tarot cards

Step One:

Take your lining fabric and your exterior fabric and place them with their right sides together. Pin the top edge (that will be the opening). Sew with a 1/4″ seam allowance and press the seam open afterward.

tarot pouch

 

Step Two:

Open your fabric so that the wrong sides are facing up as shown. Cut 1/2″ tabs on the sides of each fabric, this will mark where your cord will go.

tarot pouch

Step Three:

Press your tabs for sewing. You can do a double-fold hem or a single fold and keep the interior edges raw. I did a double fold because my fabric comes apart easily and I didn’t want any rogue string coming out the drawstring area.

tarot pouch

Step Four:

Sew the hem so it secures the raw edge of the fabric (or not if you don’t care).

tarot pouch

Step Five:

Fold your fabric in half length-wise to that the exterior fabric is exposed and the lining fabric is touching itself. Make sure your tabs line up. Pin the raw edges of the fabric together.

tarot pouch

Step Six:

Sew with a 1/4″ seam allowance. You can do a larger seam if it’s easier, you’ll cut the excess off anyway. Make sure to not sew over your drawstring opening. Otherwise, you’ll seal it shut!

tarot pouch

Step Seven:

Flip your fabric inside out so the exterior is touching and the exterior fabric is outside. This is a weird kind of double inside out. If you’re used to making bags, you know what I mean, but if not, I’ve attached the following video to explain.

Find the seam of the long edge that you just sewed (and trimmed down as much as possible) and pin it neatly.

tarot pouch

 

Step Eight:

You’ll now hide the raw edge of the seam by sewing down that same section (called a french seam), trapping the exterior seam inside. See, the drawstring opening is still open!

tarot pouch

Step Nine:

Turn your fabric inside out with the side seam directly in the center. At the bottom of your pouch, cut two small squares that are slightly taller than they are wide. I did around 1″.

tarot pouch

Step Ten:

Sew the very bottom raw edge of the bag closed, excluding the squares. Then, turn the squares so the bottom seam is in the center and pin them in a straight line. This will square out the bottom of your pouch. Sew each side to have squared edges. ***I should add that you don’t have to do a french seam here, I just didn’t want any raw edges on my interior, you could totally just turn the bag inside out and hem the bottom, making sure to turn the square areas.

tarot pouch

Step Eleven:

Turn the bag inside out once more and trap those raw edges with a french seam. You’ll do this on the raw edges you just sewed—so the bottom, and each squared corner.

tarot pouch

Step Twelve:

Now turn your tarot pouch inside out and insert your drawstring. It’s best to attach a safety pin to the drawstring and lead it through the opening as shown in this video. I couldn’t find a safety pin so I improvised with sewing needles.

I hope you found this DIY Tarot Pouch useful! I’d love to see pictures of the pouches you create! Tag me on IG: @thornandthimble

DIY Lifestyle Motherhood

Building a Nursery: How I Saved on Cost and Space

Building a Nursery

What do babies need? I asked this as my husband and I set upon preparing and building a nursery for our first child.

Car seat, definitely. A crib? Or basinet? The nursery is small. Oh, it turns out we both want to share a bed with the baby, that solves it. High chair, but not for a while, right? When do we start solid food, again? What about a changing table? I think they are unnecessary; he likes the idea of a diaper station. Bottles, pacifiers, toys, socks. We need to get socks.

So, I began compiling lists. You might not think it, but babies need a lot of stuff. Or so we’re told by advertisements and baby stores. Children’s furniture is shockingly expensive, especially considering the size. Tiny people require tiny things, but eventually, all too quickly, they outgrow the tiny things. It seemed absurd to spend hundreds of dollars on any one thing that might last a couple of years or even a couple months. I started researching and asking advice from other parents. What we needed versus what we wanted. What was a life saver, and what we could do without. Slowly, items were being crossed off my lists.

We began making room. As my due date approached, we brought out the gear, clothes, furniture, and all things baby related we’d been collecting. I nested. I cleaned, organized, and folded tiny socks. We bought paint.

I began building a nursery.

Building a Nursery

This is what you see when you first walk in the room. The end result came after several rearrangements, adding/taking away accent pieces and furniture. I’m sure it will continue to evolve as my daughter grows.

  • One of my favorite parts about the nursery is this Alphabet I found on Etsy. I love the illustrations, and the set only cost $32. It was my first purchase specifically in mind for a baby’s room.
  • A friend gifted the fish mobile in the upper left corner.
  • The square floor shelf was pulled from another room because we decided furniture in the nursery looked better white. The colorful shelves were around $3 each on clearance at IKEA. Actually, the shelf came from IKEA, too. We super love IKEA.
  • A friend gifted The Pack ’n Play because her little ones grew too old. We’ve yet to use it for anything other than storage, which is a nice dual purpose. The room is a small space, 10 x 10 feet, so it’s nice to quickly pull her tummy time mat off the floor and out of the way. When I’m carrying around a crying baby, I don’t want to trip on “stuff.”

The Dresser:

Building a NurseryI saved on cost by buying used and fixing up. This is the before/after of the dresser I bought on craigslist for $40. I only have this photo from my Instagram of the “original” blue. It took FOREVER to finish this 3-foot tall dresser. Or felt like forever because I was working in a hot garage at the end of summer while 8 months pregnant. Unfortunately, I never took progress pictures. So I’ll give a description of my work:

  • Sanded down the blue paint (with help from my husband).
  • Painted several coats of white, excepting the back and bottom, and the yellow fronts of the drawers.
  • Painted several coats of the yellow.
  • Taped off the sides of the drawers and painted the black stripes.
  • I found an image online of a cat silhouette, then birds, and I drew onto the dresser. Full disclosure, I just copied a cat image from Google because it’s not like I’m trying to sell this. Then, painted in the black.
  • The knobs were a dollar each from Home Depot.

When I put the shelves back in order, the two smallest with birds didn’t fit. After a week of working on this, usually in a couple 2-3 hour blocks each day, I thought I might die. I cried a lot. After a small breakdown, I swapped drawers, and tada—they fit! Good enough. I spent so much painstaking time getting everything just right during two days of touch-ups using paint dipped q-tips, that I was done. Other than that tiny mistake, I really love it!

Building a Nursery: It’s all in the details.

Building a NurseryIn the photo on the left, I fixed the alphabet to the wall with adhesive photo corners from a local craft store. They didn’t stay stuck, though. After a couple of days, the cards began falling off. So, I got some sticky tac, and they’ve been up without issue since. I really like the finished look of the photo corners, which saved on cost. It gives the illusion of framing, without the expense of actually framing.  

 Building a NurseryTo the right, the 3×3 feet “you are my sunshine” painting. I used the paint we’d purchased for the baby furniture, plus a little orange I found in the garage. The leftover plywood came from my husband building our platform bed. Upcycling is a great way to stay within a budget!

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                                       Building a Nursery                 Building a Nursery

The handmade blocks and “Grace’s First Library” are two aspects of the room which came out of our baby shower; therefore costing us nothing. Instead of decorating onesies, I wanted something my daughter could get use out of years down the road. We set up a station with crafts and paint, and guests designed these special toys just for her.

On the shower invitation, I asked that each person brings their favorite children’s book to start her collection. We now have over 40 books, and she’s 5 months old.

Rocking Chair Project:

Building a Nursery

Here, I again did not take progress pictures. I didn’t expect to be sharing any of this with the public, so it never crossed my mind. The chair cost $12 at a local Habitat for Humanity store. We’d been searching for months, so when my husband showed up with that sweet deal, he found me elated. Until I realized he brought me another painting project. I love how it turned out, though, so we both did a good job.

  • My husband took apart the chair and helped me sand. Sanding sucks, even without a huge belly.
  • I painted 3 coats, and it was all tedious. If you look really close, which please don’t, you can see where I got tired of painting and got sloppy toward the bottom. Whatever, it looks way better than the original brown, right?
  • I purchased the cat pillow a couple years ago, and now it fits perfectly with the unintentional animal theme.

The Closet

Building a Nursery

This is the back wall of our nursery. A closet is not particularly eye-catching, but this shows how we utilized room in the small space. We spent a lot of time organizing. Everything has a place, and we do our best to put things where they belong. This is a huge help in keeping the room decluttered.

  • Her diaper bag and stroller hang on designated hooks, which makes it easy to always put them away after each use. Less clutter for the ground.
  • We took the door off the closet to make the area feel more open.
  • Shelves are great for decorating and storage. Above the tiny TV, we have a little family photo section. Plus The Hulk piggy banks from when my husband was a kid. Passing down = cost saving. Inside the closet, each shelf contains similarly themed items (work out gear: yoga mat/hand weights, canned cat food/treats, breastpump/accessories).
  • To the right we have our laundry baskets, both purchased on clearance. The larger one for the adults, the smaller for our daughter.  Fabric makes them look a little fancier than plastic, and since they are exposed and easily accessed, instead of crammed in a closet, we keep dirty clothes picked up. Again, less clutter in a small space is key to having the room feel big. 
  • The stuffed animal corner cost us $20. My husband found another sweet deal on the large bear, and the rest were free from the local “Buy Nothing” Facebook group, or gifts.

Building a Nursery
This is another example of how I saved on cost while building a nursery. I bought these picture frames at Goodwill and painted them black and white (again, using what we already have). I drew digital pictures of our cats, framed the first ultrasound pictures of our daughter, and printed a couple photos from when my husband and I were kids (our favorite of each other). One of a kind, personal artwork makes the room unique, and this section cost less than $10!

The moral of my story:

It’s relatively easy to spend a lot of money building a nursery. If done right, it can be incredibly easy to save. Everything pictured that we bought specifically for the nursery, totaled under $200. You’ll notice no crib is in the room. We decided to co-sleep with a family bed, so our daughter sleeps with us. Good thing we own a king sized bed. I convinced my husband we don’t need a changing table. Instead, we change her on the bed, which is more convenient for us anyway.

  • Bringing what you can off the floor is going to help save space when building a nursery.
  • Use your own crafty ways to decorate the nursery (or any room) to save on cost.
  • Upcycle.
  • Check out local groups online.
  • Browse craigslist every day.
  • Find a friend, like I did, whose kids are slightly older than yours, and take all their hand-me-downs.

We’ve paid for almost nothing full price while prepping for baby and building a nursery. Except for socks. We totally bought socks. 

DIY Lifestyle

Envelope Style Pillow DIY

Envelope Style Pillow DIY

In our home, we have a problem that my husband affectionately calls “pillow hell.” I do purchase an excessive amount of throw pillows…but there’s a method to my madness! When it comes to decorating, like many people, I like a strong neutral base. Having a gray couch instead of a green one allows me to use pillows and various other decor to set the tone. When I get sick of it, I can just swap it out for what’s in style or season. Which brings me to my inspiration for doing this Envelope Style Pillow DIY!

The other day I saw a tutorial for a Cactus Pillow Outline DIY on A Beautiful Mess and a lightbulb went off. I’d been going about this all wrong! Instead of being a weirdo pillow hoarder I can just make different pillow covers to switch out, saving space and lots of cash!

Lucky for me, I’m also a fabric hoarder. Whenever I’m at a fabric store downtown like Michael Levine, I always pick up a yard of a few Ikats and styles that speak to me. These types of fabric can get really pricey (like $18 a yard, that’s pricey, right?) so I love the option to pick up a little bit to use as a chair cushion cover, purse, or as part of a handmade gift. My textile obsession definitely paid off when I went to create my Envelope Style Pillow DIY. I had quite a few Ikats and other fabrics to choose from. In the end, I chose a beautiful earth and jewel toned Ikat and a bright orange cotton duck for my Envelope Style Pillow DIY.

I already had a pillow (as evidenced from my pillow hoarding), this one came with a comforter set from Ross that I’d just been clinging on to. It’s been traveling aimlessly around our bedroom floor forever and I thought it deserved a better life.

Let’s go, Envelope Style Pillow DIY!

You’ll need:

  • A pillow you hate
  • Fabric, I used two kinds one for the front, one for the back
  • Scissors
  • Pins
  • A sewing machine (or the patience for hand sewing)

Step 1:

Mark the fabric for the back/ envelope side of the pillow for cutting. Gave an extra 1″ on each side of the pillow to allow for the height/ stuffing. I just eyed it, it isn’t rocket science.

I used a white fabric pencil to mark my cuts.

Step 2:

Once you cut out the fabric square for the back, cut it in half just a little off center.

Step 3:

Repeat the process of marking and cutting the front piece of fabric. You can use the back piece as a guide for the height, but the width will be uniform (since you won’t be doing an fabric overlap in front).

Envelope Style Pillow DIY

Step 4:

You can see that the front piece is less wide than the back piece.

Envelope Style Pillow DIY

Step 5:

Pin your back pieces for a hem where they’ll “meet” (if you’re doing a hem).

Envelope Style Pillow DIY

Step 6:

Sew your hem. You can match the thread color if you’re OCD, but I don’t care and my husband won’t notice, so I just used what was in my machine. Pin the fabrics with the right side of the fabrics facing each other and with the fabric for the back of your pillow overlapped as shown. Sew around the exterior border with a 1/2″ seam allowance.

Envelope Style Pillow DIY

Step 7:

Look, you completed my Envelope Style Pillow DIY!

Envelope Style Pillow DIY

Step 8:

Stuff your pillow in your new Envelope Style Pillow Cover.

Envelope Style Pillow DIY

 

Envelope Style Pillow DIY

 

Let me know in the comments if you liked this Envelope Style Pillow DIY tutorial!

 

Attempts DIY

DIY Ritual Bath Bomb

DIY Ritual Bath Bomb

This DIY Ritual Bath Bomb is ideal for a ritual soak/ cleanse. With the New Moon today, I thought I’d share this recipe to aide you in any intention setting and spellwork you might do. It’s a New Moon in Pisces/ Solar Eclipse and it’s a perfect time to set intentions rooted in emotion and honesty to oneself. Furthermore, you can take advantage of the new moon’s energy for a couple of days afterward, so please do! You’re not too late.

I recommend charging some amethyst or citrine under the new moon tonight for use in your future DIY Ritual Bath Bomb. You can use the charged stones as part of your rituals throughout the month. Oftentimes I strategize what color, essential oil, and crystal are best suited to my intention before making a bath bomb that reflects those things.

When I first attempted to make my own DIY Ritual Bath Bomb I was filled with such feelings of grandiose, it’s embarrassing. Like all of us, I’ve seen at least a dozen tutorials for bath bombs over the years. I figured they were missing something, though. As a witch and budding herbalist, I had a ton of ideas for bringing more intention and herbal remedy to the notion of a bath bomb.

I want to be 100% real with you here, I was certain that I was on the cusp of starting my DIY Ritual Bath Bomb empire—before I’d even tried to make a single bath bomb. The problem was in the execution.

I think I used a recipe that had too much moisture, which resulted in my bath bombs drying up and cracking and generally crumbling apart. I was pretty devastated. In the end, I used a recipe that makes smaller batches (2 large mold or 4 small molds) bath bombs. I’m so happy with the result! This is a perfect device to help you clear yourself of negative energies and to activate your intentions, inviting the things that you want into your life. Enjoy!

 

DIY Ritual Bath Bomb

You’ll need round metal bath bomb molds, mixing bowl(s), a whisk, and a foil wrapped cookie sheet for drying.

 

DIY Ritual Bath Bomb

Start by mixing all of your dry ingredients in a bowl. If you’re using dry herbs, you can mix those in with your dry ingredients or create pockets later. If you’re using powder color pigment, that counts as dry. However, if you’re using food coloring, that will go with your wet ingredients. Use your whisk to combine all the ingredients until it’s pretty uniform

DIY Ritual Bath Bomb

Mix your wet ingredients in a separate bowl. That’s your essential oil, almond/ coconut oil, water, and optional food coloring. Use a spoon to slowly add drops of your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients. Whisk as you do this to combine them. If it starts to fizz a lot, slow down.

DIY Ritual Bath Bomb

Once all your ingredients are combined you add any flower petals or herbs you’re using. Then you can begin to make the molds.

DIY Ritual Bath Bombs

Press a handful of your mix into a mold until it’s flush with the top and smooth. Smooth around the sides of the rim to eliminate a rim from the final product. Each half should be just a tiny bit heaping.

DIY Ritual Bath Bomb

Press each half together firmly. Flip so that one-half is sitting on top of the other. Carefully take the mold off the top half and set the bottom half down so the ball can begin to dry. That should take 15 minutes or so. After the DIY Ritual Bath Bomb has been drying a little bit, carefully flip it over so the exposed half of the bath bomb is down and carefully take the other half of the mold off.

DIY Ritual Bath Bomb

Allow the totally exposed bath bombs to dry overnight for at least 8 hours before using or wrapping them.

Enjoy this DIY Ritual Bath Bomb recipe!

DIY Ritual Bath Bomb

Print Recipe
Serves: 2 Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 oz. of baking soda/ sodium bicarbonate
  • 2 oz. of citric acid
  • 2 oz. of corn starch
  • 2 oz. of sea salts or Epsom salts (sea salt is more mineral rich while Epsom salt is just magnesium. Both will aide aches and pains, sea salt is better for clearing negative energy as you would before a ritual)
  • 1-1.5 tsp. of water
  • 1 tsp. essential oil (10-15 drops)
  • 1 1/4 tsp almond/ coconut carrier oil
  • Molds or cookie cutter shapes
  • Optional: Color pigment or food coloring and dried herbs

Instructions

1

You'll need round metal bath bomb molds, mixing bowl(s), a whisk, and a foil wrapped cookie sheet for drying

2

Start by mixing all of your dry ingredients in a bowl. If you're using dry herbs, you can mix those in with your dry ingredients or create pockets later. If you're using powder color pigment, that counts as dry. If you're using food coloring, that will go with your wet ingredients. Use your whisk to combine all the ingredients until it's pretty uniform

3

Mix your wet ingredients in a separate bowl. That's your essential oil, almond/ coconut oil, water, and optional food coloring.

4

Use a spoon to slowly add drops of your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients as you whisk to combine them. If it starts to fizz a lot, slow down.

5

Once all your ingredients are combined you can begin to make the molds. Press a handful of your mix into a mold until it's flush with the top and smooth. Smooth around the sides of the rim to eliminate a rim from the final product. Each half should be just a tiny bit heaping.

6

Press each half together firmly. Flip so that one-half is sitting on top of the other. Carefully take the mold off the top half and set the bottom half down so the entire ball can begin to dry a bit (15 minutes or so). After the DIY Ritual Bath Bomb has been drying a little bit, carefully flip it over so the exposed half of the bath bomb is down and carefully take the other half of the mold off.

7

Allow the totally exposed bath bombs to dry overnight for at least 8 hours before placing them into a bath, cellophane, or packaging/ wrap.