Kids’ Closet Organization Tip

If you’re like me, organizing your kids’ closets is like…well, it’s like trying to organize your kids’ closets!

But I did come up with one awesome solution for storing blankets, crib sheets, changing pad covers, etc… I used a simple hanging shoe rack!

It’s perfect to fit all of those little things that otherwise don’t have a home (or would have to take up space in my already overcrowded linen closet). And I don’t use all of the hanging space in my kids’ closets anyway, so I have plenty of room for the “shoe” rack.

It simply velcro’s around the rod. It couldn’t be more simple! I think I bought this one at Ross, but you can find them anywhere (Target, The Container Store) for probably around $10.

Do you struggle with keeping your kids’ closets organized? What’s your best organizing tip?

Sharing my awesome tip with these wonderful ladies:

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Upcycled Pajamas

Now that it’s 120 degrees outside, my daughter desperately needed some summer pajamas. I don’t know about you, but it pains me to spend $20 for a pair of kid’s pj’s. So I decided to “make” my own.

I started by ransacking her closet and drawers and found a pair of winter jammies that was too small and some winter hand-me-downs that fit right now, but will be too small by the time cooler temperatures make their way here to Texas.

The T-shirt and shorts outfit could not have been easier to make. I literally just measured using some of her other pj’s and cut the arms and legs off. Seriously, that’s all I did. Since these are just pj’s and won’t last beyond this summer, I didn’t even bother to finish the edges. You don’t have to hem jersey material because it won’t fray. So they went from this:

To this:

The nightgown was still pretty easy, but did require some sewing knowledge. Here’s what it looked like before:

First, I cut off the long sleeves and I cut off the legs just above the crotch area.

I could’ve left it like this if I had another pair of shorts to go with it, but I decided instead to make it a nightgown. I had this scrap of fabric that was a perfect compliment to the colors and the apple pockets.

I didn’t take pictures of each of the next couple of steps, but you can see them all in the picture below. Here’s what I did:

- Cut your scrap into one long strip and iron it.

- Make your hem: Fold one long side up 1/4”, iron it, fold it up 1/2”, iron it and sew it down.

- Sew the 2 short sides together and iron the seam down.

- Serge (if you’re lucky!) or zig zag stitch (like me) around the unfinished, long edge (the top).

- Put your sewing machine at the longest stitch and stitch all around the top edge about 1/4” from the top. Then pull one thread, gathering it until your “skirt” is about the right width for your shirt. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be perfect. And yes, this step does take a little while and little finesse. Then pin your skirt to your shirt, right sides together, in preparation for sewing.

Make sure your jersey material lays pretty flat. I used a lot of pins to make sure it wouldn’t stretch too much while I sewed it.

To save yourself some time, stitch to the left of your gathering stitch and you won’t have to spend time ripping it out.

And voila! So cute and so easy!

I loved these upcycling projects so much. It was a great way to make use of what we already had, I had fun doing it, and it saved me some $$$! I liked it so much, I’m already planning my next upcycling project. My daughter has some little sundresses that are getting too short and I’m totally going to do this to them to make them last throughout the summer.

Do you upcycle your kids’ clothes? I’d love to hear what other projects you’ve attempted!

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Technorati Tags: sewing,clothes,upcycle,recycle,pajamas

Easy Bandana Skirt

My cousin asked if I could make some bandana skirts as favors for her daughter and her friends for her cowgirl-themed birthday party. They are pretty inexpensive to make since you just use one bandana per skirt and the sewing is definitely beginner level. So of course, I put together a tutorial for you :)

These will fit up to about age 6 or 7 with tights underneath. For older or taller children you might use 2 bandanas to make it longer, or add a strip of coordinating fabric to the bottom to add some length like V and Co did. I found the best selection of bandanas at Hobby Lobby. They have some really great colors and they were the cheapest.

Start with one bandana (unless using 2 as mentioned above). After you’ve washed/dryed and ironed your bandana, cut it in half. They are a rectangle, not a square so make sure you’re cutting across the short side (making each half about 10 3/4” long). Also they are a little wonky, so don’t expect your cut to be perfect. But you can correct it later. Just try to get the halves about the same.

Now with right sides together, sew a straight stitch down each side seam. Iron your seams to one side or open it up and iron it (I don’t think it really matters which way you iron it).

If you have a serger (lucky!), serge the top all the way around. For those of us (losers) without a serger, just zig zag stitch around the top (or you could probably use pinking shears to cut the top). See the picture below.

Now, depending on what size elastic you’re using, fold, pin and iron down your casing (my elastic was 3/8” so I folded over 3/4”).

Next, sew a straight seam around the top to form your casing. Make sure you leave about 1” opening to feed your elastic through. (I used about 20” of elastic for the birthday girl who wears a 5/6T).

Use a safety pin at one end of the elastic and begin feeding it through the casing. Once you’ve fed it all the way through, sew the 2 ends of the elastic together and then sew the opening closed.

And voila! You’re done and you have a super cute skirt for about $1. This was an easy and quick project. Perfect for a beginner!

And just in case you're not the sewing kind...and since you all requested it, I am now offering the skirts in my shop!


Linking up here:

Show and Share Day with Just a Girl
Show and Tell with Blue Cricket Design
Strut Your Stuff with Somewhat Simple