Summer Gift Party

Una ghirlanda ispirata all'Estate? Come resistere a questo divertente swap party ideata da Lisa @ Piccolecose ed Antonella @ Blog a Cavolo? Ecco qui la nostra ghirlanda per l'Estate:

Bunting with a Summer theme? How can you resist this fun swap party invented by Lisa @ Piccolecose and Antonella @ Blog a Cavolo? Here's our Summer Bunting:

Questa stoffa di Terrys Fabrics con le cabine da mare, era perfetta per una ghirlanda estiva e ci piaceva l'idea di trasformarla in una decorazione in divenire. Abbiamo usato questa bellissima stoffa di cotone pesante e la tela di iuta per creare le bandierine. Lo spago sotto ogni bandierina permette di aggiungere i ricordi dell'estate:

This fabric by Terrys Fabrics with beach huts is perfect for a Summer garland and we liked the idea of transforming it into an ever changing decoration. We used this beautiful thick cotton fabric backed with burlap to make the flags. The twine under each flag is for adding your Summer souvenirs:

dai legnetti "lavorati" dalle onde ai piccoli tesori naturali trovati in spiaggia,

from little sticks the waves have "smoothed" to natural treasures found on the beach,

dalle cartoline ricevute dagli amici ai biglietti dei musei visitati durante l'estate.

from the postcards friends have sent to tickets from museums visited during the Summer.

La ghirlanda diventa uno scrapbook appeso da ammirare tutti i giorni dell'estate.

The garland becomes a scrapbook to hang up and admire all Summer.

Speriamo tanto possa piacere a chi la riceverà: dal 3 giugno al 15 giugno inizierà lo swap ed i festeggiamenti!

We really hope the person who receives it will like it: from the 3rd to the 15th of June the swap starts and so does the party!

Partecipiamo a: /We're joining:

http://sadioni.blogspot.com/2015/05/summer-linky-party.html

Hama Bead Party Straws - DIY Kids Craft Tutorial for Homemade Spring

The Creative Factory is back with Homemade Spring. We've gone Hama bead (or Perler bead) crazy over here lately so we're showing a fun tutorial for making party straws with Hama bead flags. It's a fast and easy kids craft idea!

Here is what you need to make Hama bead party straws:

• Hama beads
• Hexagon Hama bead base
• Straws
• A glue gun

A note, here in Italy at the moment you can buy Hama beads at Ikea (the product is called Plyssa!) or you can find these handy packets at your local newsagent with different shaped bases to work on:

Make six flags at a time using the hexagon base, choosing your favourite designs. Iron the beads to fuse them, after placing baking paper in between your iron and the beads (don't forget or you'll melt the beads on your iron plate!). Wait till the beads cool down before taking them off the base. You can iron them a little on the other side too using the baking paper to reinforce the flag, if you like.

Using your glue gun, place a strip of glue along the line of beads you're going to stick to the straw. 

Wait until the glue is no longer too hot but is still sticky before gluing the little flag to the straw, leaving enough space from the top of the straw for drinking.

And there you are: Hama bead party straws! You can choose colours that go with your party theme and use one or more designs. These are so fun to make with children!
If you're looking for more ideas for using Hama beads then have a look at our Hama perler Pinterest board:

For more Spring ideas, don't miss The Creative Factory's lovely ideas on this link up:

An InLinkz Link-up

Fill My Pockets Bunting - Spring Party Garland Tutorial with free template

Spring weather here in the north of Italy at last! After all the rain… Makes you want to stay outdoors and celebrate! Here’s a quick idea for making colourful bunting you can use for a birthday party or even in a child’s bedroom to decorate and tidy up at the same time: Fill My Pockets Bunting (Spring Party Garland!). Download the free template to make your own!

Here is what you need to make the Fill My Pockets Bunting

•  8" x 10" of fabric for each side of the pocket that makes one flag (if you like, you can use a favourite print on the front and a solid for the back of the flags)
• Scraps of fabric for the appliqué
• Ready made bias tape, 1" wide and at least 75" long (minimum length of the bias tape for a bunting with five flags)
• Heat and Bond or other fusible web if you want to appliqué on the flags
• Any other embellishment you’d like to use: buttons, crochet flowers, trims or ribbons…
• A water soluble marker

Start by printing the template for the flags. You can cut out this paper template and use it to trace out the flag shape on a piece of cardboard. In this way you can make a cardboard template to use over and over again. Click on the image of the template below or here to download.

Place your flag template on the print fabric and trace around it with a water soluble marker. Repeat on the fabric you’ve chosen for the back of the flag. Cut out the two pieces of flag using your rotary cutter or a sharp pair of scissors.

If you’d like to add some appliquéd letters (or shapes) on your flags, then use letters printed in the right size as templates or draw them freehand on your scraps of fabric. Iron the scrap of fabric on Heat and Bond or other fusible web, following the instructions of the producer. Remember to use baking paper between the iron and the fabric to protect both! Now cut around the letter (or shape). Peel the paper off the back of the fabric and iron into place on the print flag fabric, making sure to leave at least ½” from the edge of the fabric for the seam allowance. Sew around the fussy cut fabric using a matching (or contrasting, if you prefer) thread. Try to stitch as close as possible to the edge of the fabric.

Fold the print fabric (front piece of the flag) along the wavy line indicated in the template and sew at ½” from the folded edge to hem.

Place the two fabric flag pieces right sides facing, with the points and long sides matching. The piece of fabric for the back of the flag will be longer than the front piece. Now sew around the two long edges. Sew backwards and forwards a couple of times at the beginning and end of the pocket edge to reinforce the opening of the pocket.

Cut off the excess fabric on the point of the flag, cutting diagonally and not too close to the stitches. This will make the point of the flag sharper.

Turn the flag right side out and iron. Repeat to make another five flags (or the number of flags you need). 

Take your ready made bias tape and iron in half, wrong sides facing. Start sewing the bias tape from one end, folding in the end first. This will hide the end of the tape and stop it from fraying. Sew the bias tape folded in half as close as possible to the open edge. Sew the tape closed for at least 15" inches (you will need this part to tie the bunting when you hang it up).

After sewing about 15" of the bias tape closed, insert your first flag. You will be inserting just the back piece of the flag into the folded bias tape. Continue sewing the bias tape making sure not to sew on the front piece of the flag. 

Leave at least 1/2" space after your first flag before inserting a second flag and continuing to sew the bias tape. Continue for all the flags you've made. Sew the last 15" of the bias tape as you did at the beginning, folding and sewing in the end to stop it from fraying.

Now hang up your bunting and fill the pockets!

Linking up to:

Ella's Pocket Bunting

I really enjoyed myself making Ella's Pocket Bunting! It's really for her bedroom, to put odds and ends in order. There's a lot of them in her bedroom... odds and ends that is, not order!

Mi sono veramente divertita a cucire il Festone con Tasche di Ella! In realtà è per la sua camera, per mettere in ordine piccoli giochi. Ce ne sono tanti nella sua camera...di piccoli giochi, ma non molto ordine!

I thought it would be a good idea for a party too (hence the photo!), with the Birthday Girl's (or Boy's!) name and some handy things you need for the party. Decorative and also very useful. What do you think?

Ho pensato che sarebbe stata una buona idea anche per una festa (ecco spiegata la foto!), con il nome della festeggiata (o dello festeggiato) e degli oggetti utili per la festa. Una decorazione ma anche molto utile. Cosa ne pensi?

The idea is from Marie Claire Idees, a French magazine I have been reading for years. There are often brilliant craft ideas and always exquiste French taste!

L'idea è da Marie Claire Idees, una rivista francese che leggo da anni. Ci sono spesso delle belle idee creative e c'e' sempre il buon gusto francese!

A word about The 2013 Let's Get Acquainted New Blogger Blog Hop: this is sadly the last week. It's been an incredibile experience and I feel honoured to have been able to take part. I see the wave of this Blog Hop is already echoing into new ideas and projects and this is fantastic. We will continue to surprise you (and ourselves!) in the near future! Please join us then this week in visiting these great blogs:

Due parole sul The 2013 Let's Get Acquainted New Blogger Blog Hop: purtroppo questa è l'ultima settimana. E' stata un'esperienza incredibile e mi sento onorata ad aver potuto partecipare. Sento che l'onda di questo Blog Hop continuerà a diffondersi verso nuove idee e progetti e questo è fantastico. Continueremo a stupirvi (e noi stesse!) nel prossimo futuro! Per favore unisciti a noi questa settimana per visitare questi fantastici blog:

A Quilter's Mission

RobinSue Quilts

In the Boon Docks

Sew Fresh Quilts

fabric and flowers

Sewing by Moonlight

Lovelea Designs

A Note to Follow Sew

Sew E.T.

P.S. Thank you to Daniele Di Ciccio for the first photo of Ella's Pocket Bunting!

P.S. Grazie a Daniele Di Ciccio per la prima foto del Festone con Tasche di Ella!