upcycled toddler gym shorts

I've been going through a lot of my clothing this year, and setting things aside to get rid of. However, instead of donating them or (horror of horrors) throwing them away, I've been coming up with ways to turn them into clothing for Jaina. It's been a fun puzzle figuring out ways to use existing seams, buttons, and collars. And the best part is, it's FREE! So throw caution to the wind, and cut up your old clothes for your kid.

For this project, you'll need:
- 1 pair of adult athletic shorts
- sewing machine
- matching thread
- scissors
- loose-fitting toddler pants or shorts to use as a template
- pins

I started with this pair of size Small women's jogging shorts. These have been sitting in my drawer since college. Time to embrace reality, and realize that these will never be appropriate for public consumption again. 

First, turn the shorts inside-and lay them on a smooth, flat surface. Take the time to perfectly center the middle seams and line up the front and back band. I also smoothed out all the wrinkles to point downward. You can't get rid of the wrinkles since it's all gathered in the elastic, so just try to make sure they're all pointing in the direction that you'll be cutting.

Next, lay your template pants over the shorts, being careful to line up the center seams and band. Toddler sweat pants would be best for this. (Don't use leggings.)

Rather than use chalk or a pen to make the outline, I just pinned the layers of the shorts together. MAKE SURE you keep both layers of the elastic band on the same level when you pin them, and PIN THROUGH THE ELASTIC, so it doesn't "boing" deep into the band when you cut through it.

Cut through all layers of the shorts about 1/2in. outside the line of pins. I pulled the waistband ties out to make sure I didn't cut through them. 

Next, sew up your seams with coordinating thread.

I went back and zig-zagged over the waistband seams for added durability. 

I had a little trouble with the bottom of the shorts since women's jogging shorts are longer in the back.

But a quick hem fixed that. 

 I would recommend taking in the crotch, just to make them fit better. Especially for girl shorts. Just turn them inside out, fold them flat along the horizontal crotch seams, pin, and sew. (Technically this should be done before you hem them.)

And there you go! 

Even if you can find toddler mesh shorts in fun girl colors (Target has zero, Old Navy has one), they're gonna run upwards of $12 each. These were absolutely free, and took less than an hour to make.

She's excited to play "bassetball" at the park with Daddy once the weather really warms up. 

While I was working on the project, Jaina was playing with the side pieces of the shorts that I had cut off. She kept saying they looked like mermaids, so I  sewed them up, and made a quick and dirty mermaid tail for her stuffed animals.

Didn't quite work out, but at least now I can say I upcycled the entire pair of old shorts. Pretty sweet!

So next time you're about to take a load of clothing to donate give it a second look. Or give it to me!

halloween '14

Happy Halloween, everyone! Also, happy finally-breaking-down-and-letting-our-toddler-try-candy day! We got to go trick-or-treating twice this year. First on Hanover's random trick-or-treat night which is always "the Tuesday before the Halloween parade which is the Thursday before Halloween" (seriously). And then we got dressed up again tonight to get our $3 burritos at Chipotle and to trick-or-treat with our Spring Grove friends.

So here we are! Another Hallead Family Group Costume. Here's hoping we can keep this going for years to come. ; )

 Little Red Riding Hood, Grandma, and the Big Bad Wolf in the woods

Not sure about Daddy Wolf

(Spinning) "I Wed Wiying Hood, Mommy!"

I had planned to make Jaina a simple Red Riding Hood outfit with a hoodie and a simple skirt, but when I saw this gorgeous outfit at TJMaxx with the crushed velour cape and cute little dirndl I just went for it. For me to make that would take hours and more money than the costume cost. So maybe next year she'll be Gretel and I can make Zach Hansel. ; ) And she is gonna have soooo much fun running around the house in that cape.

Now I could have very easily gotten ahold of a lovely full-length flannel nightgown from the thrift store for me to wear as the Grandma, but I refused to walk around like that. So I opted for a cardigan, a shawl, my great-grandmother's apron, and a simple mob cap that I threw together quickly the day of. Oh, and you simply must wear your glasses at the end of your nose. 

I made Zach the Martha Stewart Big Bad Wolf Hoodie Costume with a $2 hoodie from the thrift store. M-Stew of course has printable templates and easy to follow instructions, so it was a breeze. I also added the faux fur on the sleeves and the backs of the ears.

Check out Fred, Wilma, and Pebbles from last year!

my top baby pinterest projects

Alright, let's round out this baby gear review sesh. Hopefully I can think of some grown-up things to write about soon.

 May 2012, the week before our scheduled c-section at 36 weeks. 

I was only 8 months along! Just imagine if they would've let me go full term.

I was on partial bed rest for over three months before I had Jaina, so I had plenty of time to make things. I was so bored, I was even crocheting things, then taking them apart - just for something to do (cuh-RAZY!). I came across lots of Pinterest projects. Some of them worked, some did not. Here are my top three.

3. This Baby Sling by Our Seven Dwarves was so easy, and takes just an afternoon.

Image and tutorial via Our Seven Dwarves.

I love that we've been able to use our sling at every stage of babyhood. When she was a teeny baby it was perfect for her to lie in sideways. Strangers are a lot less likely to come up and touch a baby who's all nestled in mama's bosom. When she was four or so months old she could sit up like the baby in the above picture. And now I just stick her legs through and let her butt sit in it as if she's riding on my hip.

 Three months ago, running errands.

I love that it folds up and can stay in the diaper bag, so it's always there. It's a lot easier to get around with the sling than a stroller. And if she's about to lose it in the grocery store I can switch her from the cart to my hip without much fuss.

2. I use this "Anywhere Chair" by Made By Marzipan all. the. time.

Image and tutorial via Made By Marzipan.

It's perfect for grandma's house or for restaurants that for SOME REASON don't have high chairs.

I used denim for the inside, and found this cute teal/navy zebra print for the outside. I love that it folds up flat, and, again, I can always have it in the diaper bag. No need to bring a booster seat on short trips.

1. But the BEST thing I made for Jaina was this Hooded Car Blanket by The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking.

Image and tutorial via The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking.

I really didn't want to put a blanket or some kind of snuggly completely over her, and blankets kept falling off. This worked so perfectly. It's just a hooded blanket with slits cut in the back. That way you can lay it in your car seat and pull the straps through. Then you just lay your baby in the seat, strap her up, then wrap her up like a burrito. Plus, you can actually kinda swaddle them in there if they're fussy. This stayed in our car seat from October to March - super useful.

This is one I made for someone a few months ago. Do you like my cheesy set-up?

Card table, comfy chair, and TV. Real classy.

Looks like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge could've used a hooded car seat blanekt to wrap up the royal baby. Have you seen how he was strapped in? Yikes. I would've made one for you, Kate! Might I suggest this cute snuggle flannel print from Joann's?

All this talk about babies is making me miss that stage already! Even though she's not walking, this little lady is all toddler. She keeps me busy, and I'm not sure which one of us is the most exhausted and grumpy by the end of the day.

But it is so fun to watch her learn. I can't wait till we can talk to each other!

matryoshka party - decor and a feature!

Today, Jaina's party is being featured on Hostess with the Mostess! They've graciously agreed to feature it in one of their weekly Party of Five posts. Pretty psyched about this! It's always nice to be recognized for your hard work. 

Click here to check it out!

I know it's been a while (over a month, whew!), but let's check out these party details.

The main decor inspiration came from all of Mom and Mimi’s vintage linens. These set that folksy tone I was after. 

I also used vintage cake stands for the desserts and these cute, old children’s chairs I have to set the drink dispensers on. 

I used lots of ribbon and ric-rac; from the drink tags around the jars to the ribbon tassel bunting I created for the pavilion and Jaina’s highchair. 

The cupcake toppers, favor bags, and invitations were made with kraft paper, rubber stamps, and black embossing powder. 

I also made matryoshka doll banners using black and white printouts of Jaina’s face and patterned paper. I got the idea from this adorable face banner on Pinterest. (My friend, Holly, from Curious Sprinkles, also made one way back for her son's first birthday. Super handsome.) 

I used several sets of matryoshka dolls as decoration. The boys especially liked the set of sailors and pirates. Jaina’s special present this year was a stuffed doll that I made. She was the star of the dessert table!

 Everyone loved the painted matryoshka cut-outs.

And the kiddos had fun hunting for these adorable matryoshka eggs.

There is no one photo that can adequately sum up how hilarious it is to try to get seven children five-and-under, holding bubbles, to pose for a picture, so here's a little montage. I should make a flip book of these.

The boys all got "Russian hats" (newsboy caps from Hobby Lobby), and the girls got babushkas (plain bandanas). I also found bubbles at the Dollar Store that looked an awful lot like nesting dolls.

The grown-ups got Russian Tea Cakes.

I put them in cellophane bags and stapled cute paper to the top. Totally my go-to wrapping choice from now on.

And you wanna know the coolest thing about this party? Not counting the items that I'll be using over and over for years to come (like the drink dispensers and jars), the decor and favors for this party only cost me $35. I'm not kidding. I used so much of what I already have that I only needed a few special items to bring it all together.

Check out more of the decor and Jaina's cute matryoshka outfit!

And check out my feature on Hostess with the Mostess! Woohoo!


Vendor Credits

Party Styling: Kara of Kara’s Domestic Life

Photography: Faith Scheuerman

Cheesecakes: Carol Scheuerman

Linens: vintage

Fonts for invites and signs: Free Fonts for KevinandAmanda.com

Drink dispensers: Target

Stamps: Hero Arts from A.C. Moore

Candy melts and lollipop sticks: A.C. Moore

Kerchiefs, newsboy caps, patterned paper, cellophane bags: Hobby Lobby

Fabric for matryoshka outfit and invites: Joann Fabrics

Mason jars: Walmart

Matryoshka doll pattern: Sew Daily Shop on Interweave Store

Bubbles, plates, napkins: The Dollar Store

 

matryoshka party - jaina's outfit

Well, if the theme of your party is Russian nesting dolls you've gotta come dressed as a little doll, of course. I had a fun time making a little outfit for Jaina to wear. If you didn't catch the first round of pictures from her Matryoshka Party make sure to check them out!

I made her appliqued onesie, her apron, and her babushka. I knew she wouldn't leave that kerchief on for long, so we took as many pictures as we could.

 

Aren't those little feetsies just dear?

For the kerchief I just measured a bandana (they're 22x22", by the way) and cut a piece of fabric just a little bit bigger. I pressed the edges down about 1/4" all the way around. After that, I just zig-zag stitched around with colorful thread.

 I used this adorable calico from Joann Fabric for both her outfit and her doll.

For the apron, I used her denim skirt as a guide. I just kept cutting a square of pink fabric down until it seemed like the right scale for the skirt. I pressed and hemmed the edges and sewed a cute piece of ric-rac to the bottom.

The waistband was, again, trial and error. I used the waistband of the skirt as a guide and cut a strip of fabric long enough to tie a bow. It was about 3" wide and 43" long. I folded it in half, long ways, with right sides together. Then I sewed along all edges, leaving a gap right in the center a little wider than the lap of the apron. I turned the band right side out, ironed it, then tucked the apron in and sewed the rest of the band closed.

Sorry I don't have any progress pics of all that. I was totally in the zone, and never thought to pick up the camera. Here are some shots of the individual pieces.

Make sure to check out the tutorial for the appliqued onesie.

I also made a pair of bloomers for her to wear to eat cake.

I made the same cake the week before on her actual birthday. This time I used a 30oz. can, and I liked the size a lot better. 

Nothing like eating cake in your bloomers, under the trees, with all of your parents' friends watching. ; ) Now she'll think she gets cake every weekend!


For more photos and a full vendor list click here.

(Linked up to Sunny With a Chance of Sprinkles Trendy Littles link party.)