Tomorrow is September 1st which marks the beginning of Halloween shopping for me!  Before I had kids I absolutely hated that Halloween stuff was out so early every year, but now I know it sometimes takes that long to find just the right costume for your little ghouls and goblins (or you know, Princesses and Buzz Lightyears).

One thing I never can seem to find is a good trick or treat bag for my kids.  We tried several different store bought bags, plastic grocery bags, and even the cheap plastic pumpkins, but never could find something that was comfortable to carry, didn’t drag the ground (for the little ones), and held plenty of goodies.  That’s why last year I decided to just make my own.

They were so fun and easy to make that I made up a bunch of them to sell and give away. My kids and my nephews all used them last year and they were a huge hit.

Each bag is reversible, as shown in the pictures above. Of course they don’t have to be used as Trick or Treat bags, they make great tote bags for just about anything!

And of course the reason I’m telling you all of this, is that I have 4 of these cute little bags left over and would love to get rid of them. I’m selling them for $10 each and I have 2 each of the two designs. Size may vary slightly.

If you are interested, please e-mail me at dee@gettingcrafty.com. I’ll take payments by PayPal only. If you absolutely cannot do PayPal let me know and we’ll talk, but I can’t guaranty that I’ll make an exception.

My mom and I have been searching all over for some little toddler sized purses for my daughter and my niece with no luck. I did find some on the dollar aisle at Target, but I’m sure they would be torn to shreds in no time. My mom wanted to give them to the girls as Easter gifts, but we just never could find the right thing so I decided to pick up some fabric that would match their Easter dresses and make them instead.

Since we looked all over for them and never did find any, I figured there has to be someone else out there looking for the same thing. I decided I would share how I made these in a tutorial so no little girls have to go without purses.

(My apologies ahead of time for the horrible pictures. I had terrible lighting where I was working.)

Supplies:
2 pieces of fabric 9 x 12 inches (fat quarters would work great for this)
2 pieces lightweight interfacing (iron-on)
approx 1 yard of 1 inch wide grosgrain ribbon in coordinating color
coordinating thread
fabric pencil or marker
fabric glue (optional for making bow)

1. Cut fabric and interfacing into two 9×12 inch rectangles each. Iron interfacing onto wrong sides of fabric.



2. Take one piece of fabric and pin a 9 in. strip of ribbon onto each end approximately 1 in. from edge.



3. Sew along the very edges of ribbon.



4. Make bow with ribbon and attach on top of ribbon stripe. I made a simple loop bow and attached it by sewing just under the top loop.



5. Fold in half length wise with right sides facing. Pin sides and seam with 1/2 in. seam allowance, leaving top open. Repeat with second fabric piece to make the lining.



6. Open seams and iron flat, making a point on the bottom edge.



7. Flatten bottom corners. Measure up 1/2 inch from point and draw straight line to box corners. Seam across line on all four corners.



8. Turn lining so that the right side is facing out.
9. Cut 12 inches of ribbon and pin one end along the top edge of each side, centering with seams. Sew ribbon to lining with about a 1/4 inch seam allowance.





10. Insert lining into outer bag with right sides facing (ribbon strap should be inside between the two layers). Pin around top edge to hold the lining and outer bag together.



11. Seam around top edge, leaving about a 3 inch opening to turn bag right side out.
12. Gently turn bag inside out through opening. Fold liner into outer bag.
13. Iron around top edge to flatten, then topseam around edge.



Now, sit back and admire your work!

This is what I did with a big chunk of my weekend:

Tutorial coming soon!

Bolsa Chica's Simple Clutch

The holidays are on their way and you know what that means, right? Parties! Save a little cash this year by whipping up this cute little clutch by Bolsa Chica to match all your pretty party dresses. I haven’t tried it out yet, but the tutorial looks very simple and can be completed in less than an hour. I’m thinking it would also make some great hand made gifts as well. (Did you know there’s only 12 weeks until Christmas?)

After you check out the tutorial, take a look at the Bolsa Chica Etsy site as well.  She has some adorable purses over there that I would be buying up if I had the extra money right now.

I’m still catching up from our trip to Dallas last weekend and haven’t had time to even thing about being crafty this week.  I have some projects waiting for me as soon as I find some spare time, but until I can get to them I’ll continue sharing some great things from around the web.

Art Tote by Five Flowers

I found this simple art tote bag over on Five Flowers.  I’m always stuck when it comes to birthday gift ideas and this one is just perfect.  When I saw it I had one of those, “Duh, why didn’t I think of that?” moments.  My nieces and nephews can expect to receive one of these filled with art supplies when their birthdays come around again!

Life with a new baby includes carrying around a lot of stuff. You need diapers, wipes, extra clothes, bottles, bibs, toys, pacifiers, along with all kinds of other odds and ends. That’s why when I found a super simple pattern for this cute little tote bag I had to buy it. I made the first one for my sister-in-law back in December. I thought it would make the perfect diaper bag, but she chose to use it as a purse instead.

After my own little bundle of joy came along, I decided I needed to make one for myself. Now, only four months later, I finally found the time to make my own bag (the pink/brown striped one). I also put one together for my sister (the underwater themed one), even though her diaper bag days are nearly over. I’m sure she’ll be able to find a use for it.

The bag is reversible, with pockets either on the inside or outside. I haven’t yet decided which way I like the best yet.