Upcycling Hats or Caps

When I included hats and caps in my list of clothing to upcycle, I didn't think they would draw such a blank when I started to search for ideas!

We have a LOT of caps, and since we only have 4 heads in our house, I thought I'd maybe find something useful to do with the excess.

Funnily enough - just this week in the Round Tuit linky party, there was an entry about upcycling a cap!

Joy from Joy's Jots, Shots & Whatnots, used an old cap as a threadcatcher for her overlocker (serger)

What a great idea!

She also thought of using a cap for a bedside pocket!

The only 2 other ideas I found were:

Stitching the opening of stretchy hats and stuffing them to make small pillows.

I used an old cap to make a frog headpiece for our froggy team to wear during a fundraising swim we did:

So there's the challenge to put out there - what uses can you find for old hats and caps? Ways to upcycle or reuse them? What do you do with yours?

I do have a Hats and Caps Upcycling Pinterest Board all set up but haven't found many pins for it yet!

To see ideas for upcycling other clothes - item by item, go here.

Or to browse the 600+ Clothes Upcycling projects in the linky go here. There are so many great ideas to inspire.

Happy Upcycling!

Like many people we now have tablets in our house, and although I still use my laptop more than anything, I want to make more use of my tablet. The tablet is smaller and easier to take out with me so I can work on my blogs in other places, but sometimes I need to type a lot and don't find this comfortable on the touch screen of the tablet.

So I've bought a bluetooth keyboard to use.

I used my own tutorial to make this case - it's actually the one I created when we first got this tablet almost 2 years ago now!

The fleece I used for the inside was from my scrap box. I like to use things up..

I cut lots of strips until I had enough to make the inside of the case:

So then all I needed was a little sew-in Velcro and I stitched it all together (it's a nice simple and quick tutorial)

and now I have a cute case for my keyboard!

What do you need a simple padded case for?

For this and many other tutorials go to

My Free Sewing Tutorials Page

There are around 80 tutorials there for all sewing abilities, please take a look!

Sunday Motivation

Upcycling pyjamas and sleepwear

What to do with those old PJs or nighties?
Ones the kids have grown out of, but are just too cute to part with?
Or ones that are too worn, or torn perhaps?

Looking around the most common thing I found to make with old flannel pyjamas were quilts! The soft fabric being lovely and soft and just perfect for this use! Great idea!

Take for example this gorgeous one made by At Home With Mrs H:

Other ideas I found are:

T-shirt, dolls pyjamas and a headband - all from one pair of pyjamas by Threading my Way:

Turning a pair of Pyjama pants into shorts by Happy Healthy & Domestic:

Kids do seem to grow 'up' before they grow 'out' and you get left with pants that fit around the waist but are way too short in the leg! I've done this for my girls with some of their pants too!

Or I used the pretty picture from the front of one of my daughter's old pairs of pyjamas to spruce up a bike bag I made her:

My Current Top 10 Motivational Quotes

1. “People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.”

- Zig Ziglar

I love this quote and do feel that it is absolutely true. That's why each day on my facebook page, I find and post a new motivational quote. It helps me start the day in the right frame of mind.

Over the past few weeks and months, a few quotes in particular have stood out and given me an extra push or inspiration. So here I've collected 10 of my favourites:

2. "Anyone can do something when they WANT to

do it. Really successful people do things when they

don’t want to do it."

-Dr. Phil

This is actually something I've learnt over the past year through

completing a couple of different workout programmes on DVD. I

committed to sticking to the schedule for several weeks, working

out even on those days when my muscles were so sore I didn't think

I could - and on those days when I just couldn't be bothered.

Learning to push myself when my mind and body said 'no' has

shown me what can be achieved with dedication and commitment.

3. "Whenever you find whole world against you

just turn around and lead the world."

-Anonymous

Instead of feeling like you're going against the general flow and

feeling pulled into the mainstream - ignore that pull and follow

YOUR dream and do it YOUR way!

4. "If you hear a voice within you say “you cannot

paint,” then by all means paint and that voice will

be silenced."

-Vincent Van Gogh

Don't let anyone - particularly yourself, tell you that you can't -

YOU CAN!

5. I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career.

I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been

trusted to take the game winning shot and missed.

I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life.

And that is why I succeed.

–Michael Jordan

It is normal to have failures, mistakes and to do things wrong - but

learn from it and persist and you will get there in the end!

6. If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get

what you’ve always gotten.

–Tony Robbins

I am constantly looking at what I'm doing, reviewing and adjusting.

I haven't reached my goals yet, so I will continue to change and

improve on what I'm doing until I get it right and find my own

success!

7. “Too many people are thinking the grass is

greener on the other side of the fence, when they

ought to just water the grass they are standing on.”

- Amar Dave

I'm a big believer in 'using what you've got' and this includes your

own situation and talents to achieve your greatest desires. Stop

envying others and start Creating your own Success!

8. The person who says it cannot be done should

not interrupt the person who is doing it.

–Chinese Proverb

Don't listen to those who put down what you're doing - believe and

persist and you will get there!

9. Build your own dreams, or someone else will

hire you to build theirs.

–Farrah Gray

So true - you have to know what your dreams are and hold onto

that as your motivation!

10. Nothing is impossible, the word itself says,

“I’m possible!”

–Audrey Hepburn

You said it Audrey!

Sunday Motivation

Upcycling Baby or Kids Clothes

One thing I really wish is that I'd discovered blogging and all the crafty inspiration there is out there when my girls were babies. There are so many things I wish could have made for them, like busy books and toys.

But the biggest regret I have is that I didn't keep all those cute clothes they wore that had happy memories of things they did or places we went.

The idea of making a quilt from your child's old baby clothes is so precious! I would have loved to have done that, but instead we passed our girls clothes on to friends or charity shops.

Still - I can pass on the ideas now, so that new parents and grandparents out there can save those clothes and precious memories to make something more lasting and practical with!

So here are some ideas for upcycling baby clothes:

You could use them to make dolls clothes with,

like Vixenmade did here: