How to Make a Pillowcase Dress

April 17, 2013 by

A Pinch of Joy: How to Make a Pillowcase Dress

Pillowcase dresses are so quick and easy to make!      They are cool and comfortable, perfect for warm weather!    You can make them from . . . tah dah. . . an actual pillowcase.  Or find  cute and colorful fabric and create a dress to match a personality.    Pillowcase dresses are so easy a beginner can make one.   

You will need approximately one yard of 42″ – 45″ sturdy fabric, and 2.5 yards of 1″ wide grosgrain ribbon for each dress you plan to make.  All dresses are made from the full width of the fabric.  Only the length will vary.    If the child for whom you are making the dress is available, measure from the base of the neck down to the point on the leg where you want the dress to end.  Add 5 inches *  to that number to allow for casing and hem folds.  That is the length you will need.  Or you can check the size chart here to determine the length of the fabric you will need.  

Disclaimer:  I recently made several of these dresses in one sitting so don’t let the different fabrics throw you.  I don’t think I remembered to take pictures of all the steps for any one dress!  Sorry – -

Preparing the fabric

Prepare the fabric.  This cotton fabric had a crooked end.  To straighten it, make a cut about  into the fabric about 1 inch from the edge.  Firmly grasp the fabric in both hands and rip it straight across.  The rip will follow the threads and create a straight line. You can use the same method on the other end only make the cut at the point that is the correct length for your dress.    Beginner note:  The white in the picture above is called a selvage (from “self edge”).  The weaving process creates a tight edge on the sides of the fabric that will not fray. (Not all selvages are white.)   Match the selvages together so the fabric lies smooth and the right sides are together.  

Ironing the seamStitch along the selvage, making a seam about 1/4 inch wide.  You will end up with a fabric tube with the right side of the fabric inside.    Press the seam to one side.  It will be in the center back of the finished dress.   You can press it down with your fingers, but an iron makes a sharper crease that will stay.  

cut armholePlace the seam you just sewed on the center crease of the fabric.  Beginner note: The center crease is the one that shows from when the fabric was on the bolt. If it doesn’t show, lay the fabric on your table to the stitched end lays flat and is on one side.  The fold  created on the other side will fall on the center.  Mark the fold with a pin or a light pencil mark. Place the seam at that point.  Keep the right sides of the fabric together.  Fold the fabric in half with the seam to the inside.  The armholes are cut on the side with TWO folds.  Mark a point two inches in from the two folds on the end of the fabric.  Measure 5 inches down and mark on the fold.  Connect the two points with a “J” curve as shown in the picture.  Cut the armholes. 

Press hems

  If you are making more than one dress, take thirty seconds to make a template for the casing and the hem.  The measurements for the casing and the hem are the same on every size dress.  Having a template will save you tons of time!   I used the back of an instant oatmeal box to make mine.    On one side, measure down one inch on the two ends.  Mark those two points and draw a line connecting them.   On the other side, make your line one and a half inches from the edge.  I recommend using an iron and doing these next steps on your ironing board or padded surface.  Pressing in the creases you need before sewing is another big time saver for all your projects. 

With the wrong side of the fabric still on the outside, place it on your work surface.  On the end between the armholes, use the one inch template.  Place it on the fabric near the edge.  Fold the fabric over and adjust the template and fabric until the fabric lies smooth.  The edge of the template should be in the fabric fold and the edge of the fabric should be on the one inch line.  Press the fold with an iron on medium heat.  Set aside the template and make a second fold toward the the center of your garment.  This fold is right at the cut edge of the first fold.  Press that to make a double fold.  This forms the casing for your ribbon.

Repeat this procedure at the bottom of the dress, using the one and a half inch template.  This becomes the hem of the dress. 

A note about hem widths:  I made my finished hems one and a half inches wide.  Many instructions only call for a one inch hem.  You can make hems as small as one fourth inch wide.   (*Note: adjusting the hem will change the amount of fabric required.  The five inches added to find the length of fabric above will become 2 inches for the casing folds PLUS double the width of the hem.  For example, if you make the hem one half inch wide, you would add three inches to your child’s measurement instead.)

If you are making just one dress, you can skip making the template.  Just measure the casing and the hem directly on the fabric, pinning it into place.  Pressing the folds before sewing will still give you a crisper, more professional finished look.

Phew!!!  That took way longer to explain than it will take you to actually do it!

Finish armholes

There are two ways to finish the armholes.  Some people prefer to use bias tape.  I just put in a quarter inch hem.  Beginner note: While the fabric is still on the work surface, fold over 1/4 inch of fabric all the way around the armhole.  If fabric does not lie flat, use the point of your scissors to snip from the edge to the fold.  This will open the curve and flatten the fabric.   Repeat the quarter inch fold to make a double fold.  Pin if needed to hold fabric in place.  Press and then stitch hem in place.

Stitch hem and casing

Stitch hem near open edge.   Stitch each casing between the armholes in the same way.   Beginner note: At the end of each casing reverse the stitch without cutting the thread.  This means you will stitch backward for a few stitches.  Release the reverse button and stitch forward again until your needle is off the fabric.  The triple stitching that you create this way, makes the end of the stitching stronger.  It will be better able to resist tearing out if the ribbon is pulled too hard.  

Insert ribbon

Cut two pieces of ribbon, each 45 inches long.  Fasten a safety pin on one end of a ribbon and begin to work it through the casing.  

Scrunch ribbon

Push and scrunch the pin through the fabric, smoothing out gathers along the ribbon.  When pin and ribbon emerge on the other side, pull the ribbon through so that an equal amount is on either side.  Pull the second ribbon through the second casing and adjust ribbons if needed.  Find the center of each casing (measure or eyeball, either one).  Stitch from the edge of the dress to the line of stitching, reverse to the edge of the dress and come forward to the line of stitching again.  This creates a strong line of triple stitching to hold the ribbon in place so it does not come out when laundered. 

Done

 

D O N E !!!

Shown are three of the nine dresses I made in the last couple of days for a special donation.  Please join me in sewing for a cause.

Details are here.

You can leave your Pillowcase Dress plain as I did or your can add pockets, ties, ruffles and so much more.   Check out my Pillowcase Dress Board on Pinterest here for inspiration!

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Halloween Party Table Decorations

October 20, 2012 by

I needed table decorations for a quick little do planned for guests who are grade school age.  You could also use these decorations for any age group from grade schoolers to adult.  My main criteria was  inexpensive (aka CHEAP!).    I already had the large vase on hand and plan to put the candy corn to another use so they were the starters for my  table.  I added the candy corn to the vase, using an empty pint jar in the center  and pouring the candy corn around it.  That’s still five cups of candy corn!

A trip to the dollar store and seven dollars later . . . . I added the white bats to the side of the vase by wiggling them in with a table knife.  It would have been easier to have put them in as I poured in the candy corn!  The foam sign needed a mounting stick so I scoured the garage and found paint sticks would not go into the foam, but the pointed end of two skewers slid right in.  Add that to the vase. Still needs something more –

and my eye fell on these innocents  – remnants of another crafty project that hadn’t made it back to the basement storeroom, yet. Hmmmmm . . .I reached into the garage cupboard.

. . . and came up with a can of black spray paint.  Apply to the flowers lightly in a couple of coats, shaking the petals by holding the stem end so they don’t stick together.  Don’t try to completely coat the flower — just blacken it.

While rooting around in the spray paint cupboard, I spotted some matte nickel paint (left over from my venture in painting switchplates).   The skull charger from the dollar store was originally a see through smoky glass cheap looking plastic.  Don’t you think it is classier now???  The black  plate is also from the dollar store — it remains unpainted.  Check back next time to see what snacks go on it!

Also courtesy of the dollar store . . an ugly haunted figurine, the spider web and glow in the dark huge spider and the black tablecloth.  Don’t have a dollar store available??  Check out grocery stores, drug stores and other stores for inexpensive tableclothes and dishes.  Choose items that can be spraypainted — including faux flowers!  Make your own spooky sign from cardboard, an old piece of wood or cardstock.  Use what you have around the house . . . an old jar filled with wads of black paper  or old newspaper can hold your sign.  Get inspired and have fun!

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Halloween Party for Preschoolers: Snacks and games

October 13, 2012 by

Plan a fun Halloween play date with the preschool set!  Nothing scary for this age.   I’m a fan of decorations, snacks and games centered around scarecrows and spiders, pumpkins and cats for little ones. Parties should be simple, quick and colorful with the emphasis on the fun activities and playing with friends.

Mice made from donut holes A Pinch of Joy

These cute – and yummy—little mice are made with three simple  ingredients.  Glazed donut holes, chow mein noodles for the tail and sliced almonds for the ears.

Snake made from string cheeseSammy Snake is made from pieces of string cheese alternating with cherry tomatoes. He has a cheddar slice tongue and eyes from black frosting gel. Instead of cherry tomatoes, use chunks of ham, mini crackers, carrot or green pepper slices.

Halloween snack spider made with round crackers Spiders made from round snack crackers are quick and easy. Use Ritz crackers as they are less likely to crumble as you work with them than are other brands (at least the ones I’ve tried!) Put 6-10 crackers on a microwave safe plate and place a candy melt wafer on top of each cracker. Microwave on 50% power for about one minute. Spread the melted candy over each cracker. Add eyes. I used candy eyes from Wilton, but mini M&Ms or other little colorful candies will also work. Let cool and harden. On a second set of crackers put a generous teaspoonful of peanut butter in the center of each. Add six thin pretzel sticks to make legs. (Yes, spiders have eight legs —but the cracker only holds six without looking weird!) Set chocolate covered cracker on top of peanut butter and push down gently. You may need to add more peanut butter to the bottom of the chocolate covered cracker to make it fit over the legs and stick together. If there is a peanut allergy to consider, substitute cream cheese for the filling. Older toddlers can assemble their own spiders as a party activity if chocolate has hardened ahead of time.

Decorations are best kept simple. Bright orange tablecloths make the table festive. Large and colorful cutouts from the dollar store or craft store “teacher” section add atmosphere. Friendly pompom spiders are quick and easy decorations to hang from doorways or light fixtures. You can make them different sizes from large to small. Their fuzziness makes them more cuddly than scary!

Plan for some active games and vary the pace with a few quieter games. Younger kids don’t always pick up on directions when they are excited. Have some games that are familiar to them and alter them just a bit to the season. Here are three possibilities:

1. Cat, Cat, Spider. Follow the rules for duck, duck, goose. It goes around the circle saying “cat, cat, cat, cat . . spider. The spider jumps up and runs to get back to his/her spot in the circle before the cat slides in. You can use any two Halloween creatures – ghost,ghost, witch for example.

2. Musical pumpkins. Make a circle on the floor by using a piece of orange construction paper for each child – minus one. Play a Halloween song such as “Monster Mash”. When the music stops the children set down. Remove a piece of paper before starting the music again. NOTE: For a small group, rather than having children stand on the sidelines, let them share seats. The more rounds, the fewer the seats and kids are still in the game if they are touching a child on a seat. At the last round all children are clustered in one spot.

3. Ring Around the Pumpkin. Circle up with children holding hands. All move in the same direction singing: “Ring around the pumpkin. We are spooky munchkins. Hop scotch, pumpkin. We all fall down.”

Tips for successful preschool party games

  • Have easy to follow rules, clearly spelled out by leader (repeated as necessary!)
  • Keep things moving.
  • Always have a helper or several!
  • Prizes aren’t always necessary. Little kids are pleased with just the game itself!
  • Plan for one or two more games than you think you will need. You will be prepared if kids lose interest. Don’t be offended some games just don’t “click” with some kids. Or you may need to fill a few more minutes while the snacks are being set up.
  • Become a Facebook fan to download Halloween Party Games! Click the Facebook button at the top to go to A Pinch of Joy page and then “like” for access.

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Top 3 things to look for when choosing a Day Care Center

August 16, 2012 by

A Pinch of Joy welcomes a guest poster!  Miss Angela, as she is known,  has 14 years experience working with older infants, toddlers and young preschoolers as a Child Day Care Teacher.   Today she shares her own list of important things to look for when choosing a day care center from an insider’s point of view.  These three things are not what most parents think about when choosing a day care, but looking for them can make day care a positive experience for parents, children and teachers.  Angela says to look for:

1.  Teachers who seem to actually enjoy working with children.     They smile when each child walks in. They offer hugs for the ones who are having a rough drop off. Certain ages will have those rough drop offs almost constantly. A teacher who reaches out and offers hugs to the child is  a good sign. Most kids in those rough age groups will calm down within a minute or so of Mom or Dad being out of sight and will be off playing happily.

2 .   Cameras in each classroom. This one has a couple of reasons.  If the Director has monitors in their office, it’s easy for parents to watch their child’s class for a while if they want to. Not sure that your child really is “fine” as soon as you’re out of sight? Stop and watch on the monitor. In the better centers I’ve worked in, you would have seen your child hugged and snuggled until they wanted to go play very happily with their friends. The other reason comes from the other side- knowing when something negative is happening in a classroom or center. This happened to me at one center I worked at.  Without cameras to “back me up” when I reported someone for negative actions, I wasn’t believed by the owner of the center. After that experience, cameras are very high on my own list of things to look for.

3.  Lots of children’s art on the walls.   From “scribbling” with crayons, markers and chalk to finger painting, painting with brushes, sponges, even fruits or veggies,  art is especially important in the younger classes. All of that “random scribble” is a huge part of how your child learns the small motor skills required to learn to write in a couple more years. It’s not about the “finished project” at those younger ages. It’s about exploring different colors, textures, objects, even sounds as they “splat” at paint or whatever it is. The cute “handprint and footprint” stuff that the teachers “help” with is fun too. They are some of those things many parents keep as reminders of how little those hands and feet were as their child grows. However, especially in the younger classes, you do not always want to be able to tell what the “project” was.  If you can, for a child under 3 or 4 years old, the teachers are probably directing the art. It teaches the child very little, and doesn’t allow them to explore or learn. Better teachers will be able to find ways to do a “project” or a theme that still allows each child to do their own art.

Those are the 3 biggest things I personally want to see. There are others, such as – Is the classroom clean? (This one doesn’t count if you’re visiting a center during or immediately after meals. It doesn’t matter what the ages in the classroom are.) Glance at the floor & trash can area. Are there ants?   If you’re in a room during diaper changes or potty time, are the teachers washing their hands? The kid’s hands?   Are they wearing gloves? Are they CHANGING their gloves between diapers?  (Yes, I have seen someone do 12 diapers without changing the gloves!  See above- about the cameras.)  Do you get any kind of “funky feeling” about the center, owner, director, teachers?   Trust that.  Do you get the feeling that certain teachers absolutely adore the kids they work with?  Trust that too.  There are many names and faces I’ll remember for many more years to come. I talk about them often, I miss them greatly and hope they’re doing well as teenagers (*gasp!*).   There ARE great centers out there. There are wonderful teachers who love their jobs and the kids.   Day care is a transition, for you and for your child.  But hopefully with a few things to look for from someone who worked in the field for almost 14 years, it will be an easier transition for all.   Good luck!

Thanks, Angela, for sharing your expertise!   If you found this post helpful, please  let Angela know in the comments where you can also add your own tips.  It would be great, if you also give it a Stumble, Tweet, Pin, or Facebook Like.

 

 

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18″ Doll Sleeping Bag

February 21, 2012 by

Sleeping bag and pillow for 18" AG Doll

With Valentine’s Day and birthdays this month, I am still in doll mode.  All three dolls need sleeping bags.   Well– more like I bought a new sewing machine and  needed to do some straight stitch practice.  And what better way to practice than by making sleeping bags?

First to determine the size of said sleeping bags.  This is an admittedly arbitrary process, at least the way I did it. But I’ll tell you the thought process so you can change if needed – or you can skip right down to How to. . . ..  Either way, you will save you a lot of time.  I figured an 18” doll would need a couple of inches on either end  or 22 inches.   And, more importantly,  my fabric happened to be just that measurement!   How wide to make the sleeping bag?  Hmmm  — dolly’s body is about 7 inches across so multiply that by two for top and bottom – that’s 14”.  She’ll need “uppage” too – add another 7 inches for dolly thickness.  I know she’s not that thick, but it’s a nice round number.  And another few inches for wiggle room.  Hey!  The fabric piece I had in my hand measured 54 inches wide and half of 54 is 27 inches.  I can make two sleeping bags from one 22 inch by 54 inch piece of fabric!  I cut the third bag using different fabric with the same dimensions.

Batting would give it a more realistic look – but make it harder to handle when tucking Molly (or Samantha or Robin) in.  So I decided to use batting only in the lower section.  The top could be folded back to keep the doll’s face uncovered. A pillow would compensate for lacking of padding under the head.  Again the measurement was arbitrary – based totally on the dimension of the fabric I wanted to use for the inside.  It was also 54 inches so it matched that of the outer layer and both were cut in half  – but the other dimension was 18 inches so that became the length of my inside layer and the batting.

How to make sleeping bag:

  • Each sleeping bag outer layer is 27 x 22inches before stitching.
  • Each inside layer was 27 inches by 18 inches before stitching.
  • Batting dimensions equal that of inside layer – 27 inches by 18 inches

Making 18" doll sleeping bag

Making the sleeping bag was much simpler than figuring the dimensions.  Since grain doesn’t matter in this project, lay the 27 x 22 inch fabric out on the table.  Pin the 27 inch side of the inside fabric and batting to the 27 inch end of the outer fabric, right sides together.  Using a one fourth inch seam allowance, stitch together.

Keeping right sides together, fold the entire piece in half.  Pin and stitch both sides, again using one fourth inch seam allowance.

For the bottom straps  Cut dollar store elastic headbands in two equal pieces,  make a loop and place it between the two right sides with the loop upward, before stitching.  I also notched the batting around the ends of the loop so the layers were not so thick.  (I swear I took pictures of that but Yahooti ate them – nowhere to be found!)  You can use grosgrain ribbon to tie or Velcro or omit this altogether, if you like

At the bottom on the side where the straps are located,  stitch halfway across.  Leave the other half open.

Trim corners across on an angle to reduce amount of fabric in corners. Turn so the right side is outward.  Pin the opening closed and top stitch.

18" AG Doll sleeping bags with pillow

Fold the sleeping bag in half.  The dimensions of the folded bag will be approximately 22 inches high and 13 inches wide.

Pin bottom together, right sides facing outward.  Pin sides together, beginning at the bottom corner, about halfway to two thirds of the length of the bag.  Push fabric back toward the bag center to keep seams tight and as thin as possible.  Place pins fairly close together to keep the layers from slipping.  Top stitch, beginning at the fold on the bottom and ending at the opening near the top of the bag.     Done!

Sleeping Bags for 18" AG Dolls with pillow

How to make pillow:

  • Cut one piece of fabric to 8.5 inches by 10 inches.
  • Fold right sides together to form 8.5 by 5 inch rectangle.
  • Stitch one short end and the long end closed.

  • Turn so right sides are out.
  • Cut three layers of batting 8 inches by 5 inches.   More layers = fatter pillow.  Stack layers and slide into pillow case.
  • Fold open edges into pillow and top stitch closed.  I used different decorative stitches on the two pillowcases going to the same household, so they would know which is whose.

 

Be sure to check out Busy Monday Link party for great ideas from around the web!  Previous parties are archived under the Connecting button on the tool bar at the top — just waiting to inspire you anew!

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Have a joyful day!

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American Girl 18″ Doll Clothes with pattern and tutorial

February 6, 2012 by

18" Doll Clothes from Dollar Store Items -- pattern and tutorial

I walked into the Dollar Store to pick up sandwich  bags.  As I passed a rack of scarves and hats, this teal and lavendar color combination caught my eye.  Hmmmm . . . I also had doll clothes on my mind as there are three little girls on my list that absolutely adore their American Girl and My Generation dolls!  I picked up the bags and returned to the rack of hats and scarves.   An idea had begun to blossom and as I sorted through the offerings, it began to take shape.  A ribbed hat that was pretty stretchy, a big scarf as wide as the doll body and a striped kid’s scarf to tie the colors together.  For only a $3 investment, I decided to see what that nubbin of an idea would turn into!

HAT:  Sorry –I got so wrapped up in making things happen, I forgot to take a picture of it before cutting.  But you get the idea of what it looked like.  The 18 inch dolls have a head that is 12 inches around.   This hat would stretch that far folded flat which meant it was 24 inches around so I knew it would make two hats.  I cut the top of the hat off as shown above, using about 5 and a quarter inches from bottom of hat to make the doll hat.

Knit cap cut to make doll hat

 For the individual hat, I folded the piece in half as shown and then cut the excess off the bottom side so both sides matched.  Then I stitched around the open sides with a straight stitch as a way of basting them together.  This knit was a double layer so I had to be sure I caught all the edges.  Then I zigzagged over the cut edges so the knit would not ravel.  And all done!

SCARF:  From the striped scarf that measured 22 inches by 5 inches, I made two doll scarves.  Fold it half, cut in the middle so you have two 11 inch long pieces, trim the cut ends to match the scarf’s ready made ends and zig zag.  Done in one sentence.

JACKET – CUTTING:    Making the jacket was a little trickier.  The scarf was 8 inches by 54 inches.   I wanted to use the finished edge as the edge of my garment.  I didn’t have a long sleeved jacket in my pattern stash,   but I found a couple of patterns I could alter and mash together.  And then to figure out how to maximize the finished edge.   I began by using the ends and side to form the front of the jacket.

Front of doll jacket made from scarf

Fold the scarf in half, taking care to match the corners (or rounded corner) exactly.   I matched the front edge of the pattern with the long edge of the scarf and the bottom edge of the pattern with the end of the scarf.  Cut out the other two sides — around the neck and shoulders and around the sleeve and side.  Do not cut anything on the bottom or  front of the jacket.

Front of doll jacket

This is what the finished cut will look like.  Note the finished edges do not match the square bottom of the pattern.

 

Fold the scarf as shown and place the back pattern on the fold with the bottom edge on the finished edge of the scarf.

The cut out piece will look like this — note the finished edge on what will become the jacket bottom.

 

Fold scarf again so you can cut two sleeves.  Place pattern so bottom of sleeve is on finished edge of scarf.

JACKET ASSEMBLY:  Match front shoulder seam to back and stitch. Repeat for other side.  Match notches on sleeve to notches on armhole in jacket, placing right sides together.  Gently ease fabric around curve. Repeat for other side.  Beginning at bottom of jacket, place right sides together and stitch a continuous seam to bottom of sleeve.  Repeat for other side.  Turn jacket right side out.  Finish neck by running a zig zag stitch on the edge.

Done.  I cut both jackets out at once — but if you want to be really accurate or don’t want to handle  that many thicknesses at once, you can cut the first and then cut the second one from the second half of the scarf,  following the same sequence as above.  Repeat assembly directions for second jacket.

Two outfits, two hours and three dollars.

Jacket, scarf and hat for any 18″ doll.

Download jacket pattern here.

Have fun — you know the little one who receives this cute outfit will!

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Valentines Day ideas for kids of all ages

February 6, 2012 by

Just a week until Valentine’s Day!  I debated whether to make this Busy Moms on Monday post about Valentine’s Day, because it is only a week.  But I can’t be the only one who gets things done at the almost last moment!  Besides I found some great Valentine printables to share with you — and they shouldn’t have to wait until next year!

 

Not 1, not 2, not 3 but 4 sets of Valentines Printables available for you to print, absolutely free, at Iced Jems.com!   They include:  cupcake wrappers and toppers, candy wrappers, Food Tents, Invitations, Drinks Flags & Tags.  Plus  Valentines Banner, Food Tents, Cupcake Wrappers, Favour Box, Cupcake Stands & Tags.   AND more!  In four different designs.

 

 

Carla, at Preschool Powol Packets, designed this game thinking it would be great for Valentine’s Day, but that heart cookies are good anytime of year. Directions are simple and the game gives your child practice counting, sorting, reviewing colors, taking turns, and more!

This pre-kindergarten printable pack found at Over the Big Moon includes

Prewriting Practice Sheets – Cutting Practice – Which one is different?

Finish the Pattern Sheet – Size Sequencing Sheet -Valentine Strip Puzzle

4-piece Puzzles – Sorting Practice – Counting Practice Cards

Color the Heart -  Letter and Sound Finding Cards

2-Part Vocabulary Cards – Shadow Matching

Letter Vv Identification – Valentine Matching

 Valentine Magnet Sheet – Letter Vv Sorting Pages

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Celebrating Ground Hog’s Day

January 29, 2012 by

Groundhog’s Day is always on February 2nd. The official groundhog is called Punxsutawney Phil because he lives in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania in a burrow on Gobblers Knob.     According to legend, carried from Germany by early settlers, if the day is bright and sunny and Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of wintery weather. If the day is overcast and he does not see his shadow, the weather will begin to warm for an early spring.   The customs and stories make it a fun day to celebrate with kids.

Kidzone.com has a little Itsy Bitsy Book about Groundhog’s Day for younger kids to color and for adults to help assemble.  You can find the link to print it here.    Easy to follow directions are found here.

 

 

Make this sandwich with dark  wheat bread, peanut butter and jelly, a banana, a dark grape , and edible grass, such as shredded lettuce or tinted coconut.  Kitchen Fun With My Sons has  complete directions for this clever    Ground Hog lunch.

First little groundhog digs a home in the fall,
And curls up all winter rolled up like a ball.
Second little groundhog comes out of his lair,
On February second to get some fresh air.. .
To see the rest of this song and find  templates and suggestions to make groundhog figures to go along with it, go to DLTK kids.

A cute ground hog made from a fun sized candy bar perched atop a chocolate cupcake surrounded by  frosting.  Sweetology has how to directions and links to the inspiration along with cute photos of her adaptations.

Happy Ground Hog Day — sunny or cloudy!

Like A Pinch of Joy on facebook for access to a free  (and adorable) ground hog printable I whipped up for you this morning!   If you are already a facebook follower, look for the exclusive down load link on the left!  You can also get new posts by email, follow on twitter or RSS feed or find us on bloglovin’.  Sign up for one of them so you don’t miss a thing!

 

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Ode to Joy – and egg in a mug

January 22, 2012 by

Egg in a Mug - A Pinch of Joy

Have you seen this nifty little way to fix a quick breakfast for one?     Grab a mug or ramekin.  Spray it with cooking oil and line with a piece or two of deli meat.  Break an egg into the middle of the deli meat “dish”.  Poke the egg yolk with a fork.  This is important!  Repeat:  poke the egg yolk with a fork twice to be sure it has a hole in it!   Microwave for 90 seconds.   I like to break it in to two segments – 45 seconds on 50% power and 45 seconds on full power – exact timing will depend on your microwave.  Check to see if the egg yolk is done to the firmness you like.  If not add 10 seconds as often as needed to get it there.  Make a mental note of how long you cooked the egg for future reference.  Because you will want to do this again and again!

In the meantime:  Load your toaster with an English muffin or two slices of your favorite bread.  Put away the lunchmeat and eggs, get out the butter and a slice of cheese, your choice.  When the toast pops, butter it lightly.  Or you can skip that step.  Place the cheese on one of the breads.  When the egg is done to your liking, upend the cup over the cheese.  Egg and meat slide right out.  Cap with the other slice of bread. Slide the bread, butter and cheese packet into their storage place.  Grab a cup of your favorite drink and you are ready to go.  Literally.  Or set down at the table and enjoy.

Excuse me.  I’m taking mine and a cup of spiced chai, along with the fat  newspaper, back upstairs.  Fluff the pillows just right, add serene music for a luxurious breakfast.  A pinch of joy for a couple of hours on a snowy Sunday morning.

This recipe was mentioned at Petite Hermine

Print
Ode to Joy – and egg in a mug

Prep Time: 1 minute

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Yield: 1

Ode to Joy – and egg in a mug

Ingredients

  • One egg
  • One slice of deli meat, as ham or turkey breast
  • One slice of cheese, as cheddar or colby jack
  • One English muffin

Instructions

  1. Spray straight sided mug with cooking spray
  2. Line mug with deli meat
  3. Break egg into center of deli meat.
  4. Pierce egg yolk twice with fork
  5. Microwave 45 seconds on 50% power and 45 seconds on full power. Check to see if egg is done to your liking. Add 10 second bursts of power repeatedly until desired firmness is reached
  6. Toast bread while egg is microwaving
  7. Make sandwich by layering: bread, cheese, egg/meat and bread.
  8. Enjoy leisurely or on the go!
  9. One serving. Repeat as needed for additional persons.
http://www.apinchofjoy.com/2012/01/ode-to-joy-and-egg-in-a-mug/

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Valentines Day printables

January 16, 2012 by

Valentine’s Day is only a month away!  Forever in Mom time almost–but coming soon.  Moms on Monday has rounded up  some ideas early so they are ready when you are!

 

Catch My Party has tons of free Valentine printables.  There is everything from invitations, to party printables, valentine cards and a valentine banner!    Good for classroom or any Valentine party.

 

 

 

 My Computer is My Canvas includes a free printable tag.   She filled snack-sized zip baggies with Valentine Bark (recipe link included), then  stapled the printable tag to the top!  Perfect treat to give to BFF’s, teachers or as favors at a party!

 

 

From Martha Stewart comes this simple idea.  Cut a fat heart from paper that is patterned on one side and white on the other.  Write a message on the white side.  With patterned side of the paper facing down, fold as shown and seal with a sticker. Easy peasy!

 

 

 

Add an adorable touch to your Valentine’s Day with cards featuring Mickey & Minnie. Disney Family has a set of eight different valentines on one sheet.  Free printables using regular paper or cardstock.  Follow the links to find other Disney character Valentine cards.

 

 

 

Pumpkins and Posies has a set of four contemporary printable valentine cards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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