Naptime Project Button Up Shirt Pillow from Grammie C

The Button Up Shirt madness continues... this time with an easy pillow design from Grammie C!

Button holes are a total pain to make, but I love the way they make a pillow look finished. Today I am going to show you how to make polished pillows with the easiest buttons ever- by using an old button up shirt!

You'll need an old button up shirt, and two 18x18 cuts of fabric (I used burlap, my favorite!)

Cut the button hole and button sides off an old shirt.  When cutting add at least a quarter inch.  I made an 18 inch pillow so button up the cut out strips and measure 18 inches, cut off excess. 

Cut two pieces of your pillow fabric in an 18 x 18 square. 

Cut one of the squares in half. 

With right sides together, sew the button hole strip to the pillow with a quarter inch seam, press.  Attach the button strip front side to the back side of the pillow with a quarter inch seam. 

Flip the button side strip over to the front of the pillow and sew down along the bottom edge to attach to the pillow, press. 

Button the strips together and attach to the back of the pillow, right sides together.  To turn the pillow inside out, unbutton the strip.

Insert pillow, and you're done!

Naptime Project- Craft Storage Tub From Grammie C

From "Grammie C" comes this adorable craft storage tub made out of an old oatmeal can:

Don't miss a great giveaway link at the bottom of the post!

Upcycled Button Up Shirt- Welcome Wreath

I'm on a kick of using old button up shirts after we did a "spring cleaning" of our closets- and today I have another really quick and adorable craft you can use your old shirts with.

To begin, you'll need:

-Grapevine wreath (can be found at your craft store for about $3)

-Old button up shirt, cut into long strips 2" wide
-Mod Podge
-Wooden cutout of your Last Name's first letter
-Decorative Paper
-Printout of your last name and "welcome" or any other saying
-Hot glue
-Ribbon

Brand New Banners!

A quick update for a monday afternoon- my Etsy shop, Sweet C's, is now selling Burlap Banners! "Just Married" is pictured, but they can be customized to your name or any saying!

Check out the new design here!

Naptime Project- Upcycled Button-up Shirt Napkin Rings or Candle Cozy

Today's naptime project is a continuation of yesterday's upcycled button-up shirt laundry bag. For this project, we will use the cuffs of the shirt.

First, cut off the cuffs from the sleeve.

Then, use a strip of burlap that is just longer and about 1" wider than the cuff when it is unbuttoned (I used longer burlap and then cut it down, but this isn't necessary).

Next, sew the cuff to the burlap. I tried to stick to stitches already on the cuff. Follow all around the cuff, but DO NOT STITCH END WITH BUTTON HOLES (I learned this one the hard way).

When you are done sewing, trim burlap so it is just at the end of the cuff on the sides where button and button holes are. The side with the buttons can have excess burlap, but the side with button holes needs to have as little burlap overhang as possible, as you will be buttoning the cuff, and excess burlap gets in the way.

Button the cuff.

I pulled out some of the burlap on the sides for more of a fringed look. This is a perfect napkin ring holder, cozy for a tall glass, or decoration around a candle (be sure to keep a good distance from flame as burlap is very flammable).  

Naptime Project- Upcycled Button Up Shirt Laundry Bag

I saw this idea in a magazine recently, and had to try it out. We have a TON of old button up shirts that don't fit but are too cute to part with (although we do try to give our unworns once a month to Goodwill). This laundry bag takes under 10 minutes to make, and is easily hung in your closet or on a doorknob.

Besides being totally adorable, this bag is perfect for delicates (including stuffed animals) or travel- you can easily add a drawstring by folding the collar down to make a channel, and dump the whole thing in the wash!

First, take an old shirt, and lay flat on the floor. Cut off the sleeves, and then  from the top of the shirt, cut a straight line down the body to make the bag straight. If you are using a shirt with stripes, this is very easy- just follow the lines!

Turn the shirt inside out, and sew up both sides. Then sew the bottom. (just like a pillow)

Turn rightside out, and you're done! If you want this to be extra secure, you could sew the front (next to the buttons) together- however I left it so that I can open up the bag easier.

I used a baby clothes hanger, as adult sizes didn't work for this particular bag. This was a women's size L- a Men's XL should be wide enough to fit an adult hanger.

To add a drawstring:
-Run a cord through the top of the collar, pin collar (underneath cord, so there is room for cord to move) and topstitch 3/4" from top of collar.

Don't throw out the sleeves! We have some more ideas coming up!

Quick and Easy Dinner- Shrimp and Grits (with bacon)

Full disclosure: this recipe is not a weight watchers compatible recipe. Sure, shrimp is healthy, and grits aren't bad either, but adding bacon and a ton of cheese doesn't help the waistline! Also, as someone who was raised in Colorado and southern California (whose grandparents are yankees and dakotans), I do not pretend to be an expert on grits so please don't compare mine to your grandma's old southern recipe :) !

You'll need:

-Quick Grits or organic grits, cooked according to the package directions
-1/2 pound shredded sharp cheddar cheese (more or less to taste)
-dash of milk or cream
-1/2 pound shrimp
-3 slices bacon, cooked slowly until crispy, then crumbled (optional)
-Garlic or garlic powder, and paprika, depending on your preference or what you have on hand

If you have some leftover bacon, this is a one-pot meal, which is perfect for me on a hectic weekday! Total cooking and prep time is under 15 minutes.

Start by cooking grits to the packages directions. The quick grits I used said to place in boiling water, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 5 minutes. After the grits started to thicken up, I added the cheese, crumbled bacon, garlic (although I think garlic powder works best for such a quick recipe in retrospect) and about a tablespoon and a half of smoked spanish paprika (we love paprika here- it can be easily lost in a rich dish like this so I added quite a bit. It helps balance the cheese's flavor). My grits got a little too thick (I like them pretty creamy) so I added a bit of milk to thin them out.

When the grits were almost done, I tossed in the uncooked shrimp. I let them cook for two minutes on the heat, and then took the pan off the heat to cool a bit. The shrimp continue to cook in the piping hot grits- so to avoid overcooked shrimp, either sautee them in the bacon grease (yum) and add them to the top of the grits at the end, or add them into your grits almost before serving. Shrimp should be opaque and pink, not grey, but should not cook very long after the whole body appears pink, or it will be rubbery and sometimes will taste fishy.