Pinterest Post - Stuffed Ninjas

About time I post about some of the Christmas crafts I made last month. My favorite project? A stuffed toy weapons project based from this popular pin on pinterest. It's a pillow fight, get it?

Since my nephews are pretty big into things like Yu-gi-oh and Pokemon, I decided to hone in on the ninja stash. So, that means ninja stars and nunchucks for all. 

For fabric, I had an old bed sheet that needed new purpose. It was a little worn through, but since I quilted the designs, that provided plenty of reinforcement so the toys will (hopefully) stand up to a solid, little-boy pummeling.

A couple quick google image searches and I had two fun ninja star designs and a simple idea for a nunchuck. I cut stencils into paper box lids, which kept the spray paint contained when I was transferring. Fun trick? I used toothpicks stuck into the corrugated cardboard to suspend the center holes on the stars.

I used regular standard cheapo black spray paint to transfer the design. This should be fine as these toys won't get a lot of washings. (Though, I imagine they are pretty machine washable.)

 

Cut matching batting for each piece (there are two matching stars/chucks per stuffed part) and machine quilt a quarter inch outside the stencil design. Initially, I tried a black thread for the quilting, but I much preferred the monochromatic look. It adds dimension and strength but doesn't make it look busy.

 

Once the quilting is done, sew the right sides together, leaving a 2 in. gap to turn the toys right sides in. Use a pen or chopstick to straighten out the seams. If the seams are too bulky, or not evening out, you might try scoring them (cutting little snips in the excess fabric) at 1/2 in intervals.

For the nunchucks, I used a heavy wool yarn. Single crochet the "chain". I did a little research on the dimensions of nunchucks. The branches (the stick part) are supposed to be about the length of the user's forearms. The chain is supposed to be about the width of the user's palm below the fingers.

Making the nunchucks is a more integral process than the stars. The chain needs a lot of reinforcement. I'd say 4-6 go-overs is probably enough. The fabric, batting and yarn will make this bulky work. If you're anywhere near as impatient as me- be prepared to break a needle. You will sew, reverse and stuff the chuck and close the whole shebang from the chain end.

 

Once you stuff the stars you can either machine stitch or hand sew to close. I stuffed the nunchucks so that they felt sturdy and kept shape when flailed around. The stars I left a little lighter, since I didn't want them to break things when they take flight. (Because, you know, they will fly across the room, ALOT.)

 

I'm not big on gender divisive toys, usually. But I also don't think my 3 year old niece stands a chance in a nunchuck battle with her 3 big brothers. She's a real girly girl. She loves princesses so much. I totally cannot relate, I was such a tomboy. Anyways, little Lily got a fairy princess wand from Aunt Sarah for Christmas. Wand of massive cuteness instead of weapons of mass destruction. I just kinda tossed it together from some sweet little scraps and some lace.

 

And it had to be well-stuffed and highly reinforced as well. Just because she's cute and girly doesn't mean that this little girl isn't going to be waving her wand around at mach speed. And I've already witnessed a battle between a ninja and a fairy and the fight wasn't so mismatched.

I got to watch the kiddos open their gifts the morning of Christmas Eve. In seconds the wrapping paper was strewn about the room. There were only a couple wide eyed and mouthed moments before the first battles began. It was a major success. Even Isaac, the 8 1/2 year-old, gave the gift rave reviews. Welp, there's nowhere to go but down from here. Guess I'm sticking to books and socks from here on out.

The Phoenix Shirt - To the Scrap Bin & Back

You know that feeling when you have nothing to wear? I know you do. Well, I was feeling that the other day. It was hot and sticky, and my jersey tanks weren't gonna cut it for the comfort OR the cute. I considered taking on another structured alteration ala my last pinterest shirt project. But I didn't have the time or patience for a long project. That's when I stumbled across an old tattered, too small, rejected button up shirt of mine at the bottom of my scrap bin. 

The primary reason I no longer wore the shirt was some unfixable holes along the neck line. But the other problem areas are slightly more universal. I outgrew the shirt. I mean, I got a bit pudgy for it. Or maybe it shrunk, but let's get real. The sleeves were too tight and puckering. The front buttoned but not well or without gapping. Basically, it wasn't a flattering shirt.

I wore this shirt to tatters sometime around 2007 and then loved it so much I couldn't part with it so I folded it and stored it where all beloved patterns wait to become quilt squares. Thank goodness I never got around to dissecting the shirt for parts. Turns out, it has plenty of life left in it. And the redesign was simple. (SO simple.) And only took about ten minutes from start to wear. (if that)

There are three easy steps to redesign any slightly snug, neck-tattered, button-up shirt into a breezy summer tank. 

1. Cut the sleeves off. Be careful not to cut the seam off. This will keep fraying from happening. I decided against finishing this edge, but you can if you wanna take the time. (Yeah, this step is silly easy.)

2. Sew the shirt up the middle. (Warning: this won't work if your shirt is WAY too small for you, just if it's snug and gapping.) Just turn it inside out and sew the button side to the button hole side- good sides in. I only left a little seam allowance -maybe a 1/4 inch- to make sure the shirt was as loose as possible. 

3. Cut out the neck. I used an old hatbox as a template for cutting out the neckline. A mixing bowl could serve the same purpose. For this project, I just cut the front and back the exact same way. The result is a loose, sometimes over the shoulder, tank. You can leave the back straight across or cut it less deep if you want the neck to retain more structure.

So now I have this great pull-over style cotton shirt for the hot summer weather. I'm happy to have given this old favorite new life. It makes me wonder how many other gems I have waiting to be re-envisioned in my drawers and closet.

Pinterest Project #1 - Crochet Wreath

Like many ladies out there I am currently wrapped up in a brand new obsession: Pinterest. I love the feeling of being a part of a vast community of stylish and crafty people. And I am collecting a list of projects to tackle in the near future. Feel free to follow me if you wanna, and if you are in need of an invite, I still have 3 left so give me a heads up.

I saw this post on Pinterest about a crocheted wreath. The gist was to single crochet around the girth of a foam ring. The lady had also added some flowery bits around the edges. It was super pretty and inspiring. I pinned it. And then what? I MADE IT!

I didn't have a big ring, so I took the styrofoam packaging that held a large glass candle in it and cut it into 1/2" rings with a bread knife. I think you could have the same kind of effect (a little more rounded) by using dessert-sized paper plates with the middles cut out. 

I had an old pair of magenta tights that had seen their last wearing (RIP- you will be missed) and I cut them into 4" tubes and stretched them around the styrofoam rings.

 

Half of the rings I left bare (the ones that turned out the best). The other half, I crocheted around with a pretty matching boucle yarn I had in my stash. Because I wasn't planning on adding any scallops I hid the bumpy seam in the back of the ring.

I wound more yarn through the rings to connected them in a large circle and tied a little teal bow on. (Sorry the pictures are so icky, I should have waited to take them in daylight but I was so excited!)

 

I like the jewel tones on a Christmas wreath. It's festive but unpredictable. Like me!