Starting today you can use coupon code Summer in my Ravelry or Etsy pattern shops and you will get your entire pattern purchase!

This sale will run the entire Memorial Day Weekend, so just get your order in before Monday evening!!

Any Me Anything will resume next Friday, so if you have something you’d like to know leave a comment!

Right now Hubs is at school teaching his last class of the year! I am SO proud of him for getting through his first full year of teaching.

It has been stressful and very hard at times, but he has kept a good attitude and hasn’t cried once

I have a whole new respect for teachers after this year, from the things that they put up with from their students and there parents, to the incredible hours that they spend working on lesson plans, grading papers, and doing whatever they need to to help their students succeed.

None of this has anything to do with me or crocheting, but I couldn’t help bragging about him a little bit!

Happy Thursday Everyone!!

My name is Katy! My life centers around my 2 wonderful children (Noah and Hannah), my marvelous husband (Ed) and my business (KT and the Squid).

Tell us a bit about your business. What do you do? What got you started? 

KT and the Squid was born in November of 2009. You could almost say it was by accident. At the time, I was the manager at a gym for kids. When I was told the gym was closing I had no idea what I was going to do. I was pretty familiar with Etsy so I decided to try it out. I actually started trying to sell some sewn burp cloths, dresses and bibs. One day I added a cute little hat I made up. It sold pretty quickly and I had people asking for more! After a year or so I realized I had something here and started treating it more like business and less like a hobby.

My specialty is custom made crochet hats for kids and babies but I also knit and make other items. Most of the finished items I sell are my original designs and after receiving numerous requests for my patterns I decided to start selling them as well in November of 2012. I discovered I really LOVE writing patterns and see my business moving more in that direction. While I love making items to sell, I love seeing others selling items made from my patterns as well!

Where did your business name come from?

I am “KT” and my 4 year old daughter is the “Squid.” Why Squid? When she was born my husband looked at her (picture a brand new newborn baby) and said she looked like a squid. The name just stuck with her so it had to be part of my business name.

What is a typical day in your life? 

I am by no means an expert managing my life as a small business owner, wife and mother but I get better at it every day. I try to stay as organized as I can. Without my planner I would be lost! There, I keep track of exactly what needs to be done each day.

Typically, I spend most of the day with my kids like most moms. Whenever I get a chance I answer emails, work on items, get items ready for shipping (my husband does the Post Office runs!)…but I try to do as much as I can when they are napping or in bed for the night.

It’s hard to say how many hours a day I spend on work because I’m doing it off and on all day long. I probably spend 4-5 hours actually making items for orders but I also spend a lot of time on the computer throughout the day. I feel like I’m always working! I know a lot of people that do what I do stay up late at night working but you’ll find me in bed by 11 pm every night.

Late summer to mid-winter is usually the busiest time of year. I might have more emails to answer during the busy times but because I only allow myself to make a certain amount of items each day it’s all pretty much all the same to me. Plus, I keep just as busy creating new things during the off-season as well.

What is your favorite thing about running your own business?

I really love the freedom! I get to pick my hours which means more time to spend with my family. If we want to go on vacation it’s pretty easy for me to pack up the supplies I need and go.

I also love hearing from customers. I put love into every item and pattern I make so it means a lot to me when I know others like my work. Even if someone just comments on a picture on Facebook the simplest compliment make my day!

What is the hardest thing for you in running your business?

 Because I work from home it’s hard to just STOP. I also tend to get lost in all the numbers. All I want to do is create! I don’t want to have to calculate profit margin or figure out fees! I’m very lucky that my husband does an amazing job with our accounting and I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.

What advice would you give to other business owners out there?

            If you want this to be your business treat it as such and do your research. Don’t sell yourself short. Literally! In the business of crochet/handmade I see people barely charging enough to cover their costs. For a lot of people it might be a confidence thing (I know it was for me!) but know you’re worth it.  Don’t just charge for materials! If something took you an hour to make think about how much you think your hour is worth and add that to your materials, fees, etc. Even if you’re making something for a friend treat them like you would any customer. Heck, I make my own mom buy things through my Etsy shop!

Where do you get your inspiration?

            My inspiration could come from anywhere! The other day I had a bunch of scrap yarn from some orders I had just finished sitting balled up together and suddenly got inspired by the colors that were there. I have some newborn props that are based off real items like my doctor set and cop and robber set. Lately, I’ve been looking up vintage patterns and looking for ways to update them and make them more current.

When I’m working on new items I usually sit with some yarn and keep playing with it until I get something I’m happy with. Sometimes I have a shape in my mind or I might be playing with a new stitch. It’s not uncommon that I end with something completely different than what I originally start with.

What do you do when you’re NOT working?

I answer a million questions a day from a 2 and 4 year old! I also like cooking and crocheting (yes, you read that right) for myself or loved ones.

If you won the lottery today what is the first thing you would do?
Easy, I would buy a house with a wing just for yarn!

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?

I have a serious fear of aquariums.

A BIG thanks to Katy for letting me interrogate her this week! You can find her on Facebook and Etsy

Do you know a business I should consider interviewing for an upcoming Small Business Spotlight? Leave a comment or email me with a link to their information and let me know! Wish I would have asked a different question? I will be changing up some of the questions in the future, so if you have something in particular you would like to know be sure to let me know! 

]]> http://sweetkiwicrochet.com/2013/05/21/small-business-spotlight-kt-and-the-squid/feed/ 0 sweetkiwicrochet KT and the squid (3) KT and the squid (1) KT and the squid (4) KT and the squid (5) KT and the squid (2) http://sweetkiwicrochet.com/2013/05/17/ask-me-anything-how-long-have-you-been-crocheting/ http://sweetkiwicrochet.com/2013/05/17/ask-me-anything-how-long-have-you-been-crocheting/#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 15:00:36 +0000 SweetKiwiCrochet http://sweetkiwicrochet.com/?p=1154 Continue reading →]]> “How Long Have You Been Crocheting?”

This is not me, but she sure is cute!

This is a hard question to answer, as I’m honestly not sure!

Some of my earliest memories are being at my Grandma’s house and playing with her Mile-A-Minute strips. She had a basket full of un-joined strips that she would let all the grand-kids play with and we loved to take turns tying each other to chairs with them. I also remember her and my mom teaching me how to make a chain with my fingers. My cousin and I would make long chains just because it was so fun. We thought we were awesome!

My mom was an amazing cross-stitcher when I was young. She would make the pieces that are photographed for pattern books, and I remember her teaching me to cross stitch. Though I always loved the finished products  I didn’t have a lot of patience for it, and I hated pricking myself with the needle constantly.

At some point my mom taught me to crochet. I’m not sure when exactly, but I know that when I was in the 7th grade I made a waffle-stitch blanket, and in 9th I made an afghan in my high school colors (blue and orange) for my best friend.

And that as it. I don’t remember crocheting anything but those 2 blankets until I was 19. There might have been more projects, but I have a terrible memory and don’t remember any of them.

One day during my freshman year of college I was at Walmart and I wandered into the yarn department. A skein of yarn caught my eye and suddenly I was fantasizing about what I could do with it. I ran to the front of the store, grabbed a cart, and 10 minutes later I was heading to my car with 15 skeins of yarn in my cart! My roommates all teased me, but I spent the 2nd semester of college making an afghan for myself. I remember being surprised that I was able to just pick up a hook and crochet without much trouble.

My sophomore year I crocheted a bit. A neighbor boy would come over to my apartment on Sunday’s afternoon and we would crochet together while our roommates made fun of us.

The summer after my Junior year started with a horrible break-up (with the boy I eventually married!). I didn’t want to leave my apartment at all, so I spent a couple of months inside just sewing. Eventually I had a bunch of stuff and nothing to do with it, so I got a booth at the local farmers market and sold some things there.

6 months after the end of the farmers market,  break-up boy and I decided to brave the long-distance relationship and get back together, and 6 months after that we got married. We didn’t have much money, or any job prospects, so the next summer I decided to try and make some money selling at the farmers market again, and Sweet Kiwi Crochet was born!

How did you learn to crochet?

My awesome friend designed my ad for the newsletter for me, and I’m a bit in love with it!

What did you think about this quarters Design Wars final products!? Be sure to vote and check back for the winners!

Tell us a bit about yourself:

I have more photos of other people than I do of myself (a true make of a photographer, I’ve been told).

I have two stomachs - one for food and one for dessert.

It is doubtful that I’ve ever been told to eat my veggies. Everything else on my plate, perhaps, but not the plant stuff.

I have a BA in English, as well as a Journalism diploma. I also studied music while at Uni.

I’m a country girl at heart (I grew up on a farm), but fell in love with New York the minute I touched down.

My husband Dave and I have been married almost four years. We don’t have any children yet, but are anxiously awaiting our turn!

Once Upon a Time is my guilty pleasure. When it’s on, no one talks to me.

We have four nephews and two nieces, all on Dave’s side on the family.

I am a huge animal persons - Dave and I even had a chameleon once!

My husband is a chef (yes, a fantastic one!!).

I love kid jokes…. What do you call an alligator in a vest? An investigator!!

I would rather not eat than not have a camera.

Tell us a bit about your business. What do you do? What got you started?

I’m the owner/ main photographer for DearOne Photography. We’re based out of Northern Ontario we keep moving and we travel all over for weddings and events (and sometimes newborn and family sessions!) that we don’t really have much of a home base anymore.

I’ve always been ‘taking photos’ but moved up in the world when a friend of a friend asked if I shot weddings. I told her I honestly didn’t know if I did, but if she was willing to give me a shot I’d try it out. Before I knew it I had four booked my first year. We’re currently in our second (almost in our second, I really don’t know when our official anniversary is- maybe I should just pick a date!) and have five weddings this summer lined up. My chef husband (when available) acts as my second shooter (and driver and caddy and moral support and business advice) while we both try to balance running a small business and working full-time jobs. It can get pretty intense sometimes.

Each day is completely different (as cliché as that is). Right now I’m balancing time between DearOne Photography, waitressing, working on some business/ marketing/secretary work for my parents (they’ve owned and operated a farm, abattoir, butcher shop and store for the last 18 years or so) and have just been hired on as an assistant videographer for a company working on a documentary about family farms.

 Typically I start my day with breakfast and my Bible, then jump into emails. After that it could be any combination of editing photos, marketing (which includes promotion, products, networking….), research or any of the other jobs above. It’s nice to have a constant change of scenery, but also like that I usually know what’s coming. I’d love to say I have a 9-5 job, but I totally don’t. If I can’t sleep (which happens way too often) I’ll stay up editing or doing research until my eyes get heavy enough. I take odd breaks during the day (sometimes to go do one of those other jobs!) but I’ll sometimes be sitting on the computer literally for hours.

Where do you work? 

I would love one day to have a studio space. I’m a natural light photographer, so while it’d be great to have a studio for newborn sessions, it would have to have HUGE windows. Right now I work in my bedroom, at the kitchen table, in the living room, and sometimes in other people’s houses- kind of wherever I am. I do have plans for a studio after Dave and I buy a house [we’re waiting until after we get back from overseas,we are planning on heading overseas in the fall to teach English (me) and cook (him)], and thankfully Dave’s all for it (possibly because it’ll keep my photo gear and business stuff somewhat contained!)

What is your favorite thing about running your own business?

 The freedom and the creativity. I love being able to make decisions by myself. If I want to give a friend a free mini-session for their baby shower, I can. If I decide I don’t have enough traffic and I need to change something about my business model, I can. Plus, owning your own business runs in my family!

What is the hardest thing for you in running your business?

Probably having to make all the tough decisions myself and not being able to blame someone or something else. It sounds odd, but when you have an employer you can totally say ‘it’s company policy’ and not feel bad about it, but when you make the rules you have to be able to defend and stand by them!

What advice would you give to other business owners out there?

 The age-old standard ‘Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life’ is totally true. But you HAVE to work at it. Most photographers only spend 20% of their time behind their cameras and the other 80% editing or marketing or doing other business related stuff. Sometimes it gets hard. Sometimes you totally want to give up and throw it away and never look at it again. But remember why you started it in the first place, and what it is about your business that you love. And make sure to take breaks! Take a day where you aren’t allowed to do anything work related. Or take and afternoon where you can only do one business related thing. It works wonders, trust me, to just relax and not worry for a few minutes.

If your business revolves around some kind of craft, the only way to improve to get out there and practice. And whatever it is you do, you do because you love it. But you’re a business owner, so give yourself the opportunity to fall in love with the business side of things as well!! I never knew I enjoyed certain parts of running a business until I got into the thick of it!

What do you do when you’re NOT working?

Read everything. A little Lucy Maud, a little Suzanne Collins, a little Ray Bradbury. My parents gave me a Kindle for Christmas a couple years ago and it is filled with all sorts of classics and poetry and even my Bible. I pretty much never leave home without it.

As I type this I’m having a movie marathon with my sister. We’re re-watching the Harry Potter series, but we often find ourselves with the Disney movies we watched as kids or something we found in the discount bin.

If you were invisible, where would you go?

 Apparently the restricted section of the library (like I said, watching Harry Potter!). But I’d love to be invisible during weddings- I could stand right in front of the bride and groom and not be in the way!

What did you want to be when you were little and do you think you ever will be? 

A teacher. I almost went to teacher’s college, but God changed my mind and I ended up studying Journalism instead. Last year I took my TESOL course and am now planning on heading overseas to teach!

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?

 Even though all our family members are blood related, one day my husband and I hope to adopt! I babysat a little girl from Haiti when I was in Uni, and adopted touched my life so much that I can’t imagine it not being part of my life.

You can find Stephanie on FACEBOOK and on her WEBSITE. 

Thanks for taking to us Stephanie, especially for your awesome business advice!

Do you know a business I should consider interviewing for an upcoming Small Business Spotlight? Leave a comment or email me with a link to their information and let me know! Wish I would have asked a different question? I will be changing up some of the questions in the future, so if you have something in particular you would like to know be sure to let me know! 

Thanks Everyone! Happy Tuesday!

#1: I LOVE to build things!  For me one of the hardest things about our move last summer (besides moving away from my family) was knowing that I would no longer have access to my dad’s shop and mad wood-working skills! I haven’t built much, but the last couple of years I liked to imagine myself as the sort of person who could built things, and I had started dreaming about all the things I would build in the coming years! Moving away has definitely put that thought process on hold, but it has not died! I have a Pinterest board full of projects I want to build some day!

First on the list is this dresser from Old Paint Designs! Hubs and I have been without a dresser for a year now. He keeps hinting at buying one, but I really want to either build one or buy one from Goodwill and refurbish it! He’s so patient with me!!

And you can’t talk about a love of building things without talking about Ana White. I’m completed obsessed. I’ve been following the building of the Mom-Plex since the beginning and am constantly dreaming of building a coffee tables and bed frames. Needless to say, my place now is pretty devoid of furniture as I don’t want to buy anything, I want to build it all!!

#2: I’ve been obsessed with Embroidery for a while and need to pick a project and get going on it!! Big surprise, I have an Embroidery Pinterest board too

Polka & Bloom has my favorite embroidery patterns, I just need to decide which one to start with!

#3: And finally Quilting. It doesn’t help that I have 2 friends that are amazing quilters, and every time I see anything they’ve made it just makes me want to make a quilt too! These are some of my favorite from my Quilts Pinterest Board:

1. From Lovely Little Handmades

2. From The Crafty Cupboard

3. This was a user upload, so I can’t link to a site, but I LOVE it!

4. From Grand Revival Designs

Do you have a talent you’d like to cultivate? Please feel free to share so I don’t feel alone!

I often get asked if all the sewing I do makes my hands hurt at night.

I normally answer with the short answer, “Not really”, and then about my day. Today I thought I would share the tips that I use to keep my hands from hurting.

I spend several hours at a time sitting and crocheting, and while I enjoy it I often worry about what my body is going to feel and look like in 5 years. My main concern is the use of my thumbs, wrist and elbows, as losing use of them by the time I’m 30 would be a disaster!

Below is a short list of the things I do to keep my hands in good shape. (Note: I have absolutely NO medical background and these tips are only coming from my own personal experience. I have spoken with doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists about this, but only in informal ways. These tips are my personal opinion and what works for me. Always see a doctor if you feel pain!)

- I try to sit somewhere comfortable, but not slouch-inducing. Sitting up straight keeps my elbows and wrists in line, thus reducing the stress on my arms. If I can I usually will put a pillow under my left elbow for support.

- I crochet quite loosely now, but I didn’t when I first started. As I got started I noticed that my hands would start to hurt after just an hour or so when I was crocheting tightly, but that if I loosened up a bit there was no discomfort. I concentrated on loosening up my stitches and now that’s just naturally how I sew. When I occasionally work on amigurumi  the tight stitches hurt my hands, which is why I don’t do it often, even though I love it!

-I don’t sit for hours at a time, I try to break up my sewing time. As you read in last weeks post I try to work my schedule so that I only am sitting for 3-4 hours at a time, at the very most. Usually after 2 hours of sitting I will try to take a break and walk around the block, or get some housework done.

- If I feel ANY discomfort I take a break immediately and ice my hands. This may seem extreme, but pain is rare for me so I take it seriously. If icing doesn’t help I’ve been known to take 2-3 days off from sewing before going back. I’m a bit of a hypochondriac about my hands, but I think that’s better then running them into the ground just so I can get an extra hour of work in a day.

- STRETCH YOUR WRISTS!

 I found this great article 2 years ago, when my business was about 6 months old. It has some simple stretches you can do to ‘help prevent carpal tunnel’. Since I can barely touch my toes I can’t do the third one very well, but I do the first 2 a LOT throughout the day.

- Last but not least, I take Fish Oil tablets pretty regularly, as well as my daily mutli-vitamin. Fish Oil is supposedly an anti-inflammatory, in addition to a having a lot of other health benefits. If you talk to your doctor and decide to take Fish Oil just be sure to get the ‘No Fish Burps’ variety. Trust me, you’ll thank me. And so will whoever you’re smooching.

And that’s what I do to take care of my hands! In addition, I also try very hard to take care of my body.

Sitting all day is bad for your body, and especially hard on my legs. If I don’t exercise 2 days in a row I can really feel it in my legs by the end of the 48 hours. So what to do about it?

I exercise 5-6 days a week, for at least an hour a day. Hubs and I usually walk 3 miles 5-6 evenings a week, which is great because then I start and end my day with exercise.

Do you have any tips or tricks for keeping your hands, wrists or elbows in tip-top shape? Please feel free to share in the comments!

]]> http://sweetkiwicrochet.com/2013/05/10/ask-me-anything-hand-health/feed/ 2 sweetkiwicrochet One-Arm-Assisted-Wrist-Stretch http://sweetkiwicrochet.com/2013/05/07/small-business-spotlight-avonli-cottage/ http://sweetkiwicrochet.com/2013/05/07/small-business-spotlight-avonli-cottage/#comments Tue, 07 May 2013 15:00:16 +0000 SweetKiwiCrochet http://sweetkiwicrochet.com/?p=1132 Continue reading →]]> I am SO excited for this first Small Business Spotlight! I roped my awesome friend Camilla in to being my guinea pig for the series. She has an AMAZING photo-prop business called Avonli Cottage. I’ll let her tell you about it!

Hi! My name is Camilla and I am the woman behind Avonli Cottage. I have a fireball toddler girl, and an amazing husband.

Tell us a bit about your business. How did you get started? 

I specialize in newborn photography props. I hand make bonnets, pants, headbands, etc for newborn photography setups. I was first a photographer, and when I began to specialize in newborn photography, I realized how much I loved the props, and knew I could make them. So Avonli was born.

What is a typical day in your life? 

Hmmm typical day. Because I have a daughter at home, I have to balance a lot around here. The size of Avonli requires that I work a lot of hours, but I’ve been implementing new ways to reduce those hours. I have two amazing women who sew for me, so between the three of us we can keep up with the orders, and two men who make props for the company. I also work with an awesome crochet vendor and a knit vendor who I do resale for. Monday and Wednesday my daughter is in preschool/daycare, so I try to pile the majority of my work into those two days. Those are my shipping days as well. On the other days, she and I have a morning routine that involves a walk and the park, and then she goes down to nap at noon. During her nap time, I answer emails, make items, and package. It is definitely a full time job, but one that lets me have flexible hours which I love. Some nights I’m up till two am, because I would rather play with my daughter that day, and that’s okay with me.

Where do you work?

I have a studio space in my house, thank heavens. I had a custom made cutting table that folds up into the wall, and a LOT of storage built into the closets, as well as a custom work table and wall storage organizer. I also put down hard wood for the flooring- I was tired of all the threads getting stuck in the carpet and vacuum, lol. It’s nice to have a separate room for that, it helps keep me sane.

What is your favorite thing about running your own business?

Getting to know so many awesome people. And seeing my items in use. That really is so gratifying.

What is the hardest thing for you in running your business?

Time management. There are times that I want to just quit, but I feel like we have been so blessed with Avonli, it is something I need to do. So as a family we make our schedule and do our best to stick with it. My husband has been extremely supportive, which makes it so much easier.

What surprised you the most when you started your business?

Fortunately, I had been a photographer before Avonli, so I wasn’t a stranger per se to small business. When I was a brand new business owner with photography however, I was surprised at how much it costs to effectively run a business legitimately. That means paying taxes, accounting, materials, equipment, etc, etc. My prices went up, fast. Lol. I didn’t want to be paying to work!

What advice would you give to other business owners out there?

Don’t undercharge. When you first start out in an industry, especially an arts one, its easy to mimic and undercut the competition. You will be kicking yourself later. I did. Lol. You will build a client base quickly when you are cheap, but when you actually have to charge what will make it worth it, then very few of that base come with you.  Sit down and really chart out what it will cost to have that business. What will be your start up costs? What equipment will you need? What is your gas cost if you travel? How much will you be paying in taxes? Do you need to charge sales tax?How much does it cost to set up a business legally with the state? Etc, Etc, Etc. Then when you’ve done that, you will know a little better about what you have to charge in order to make that money back quickly.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Everywhere. Movies, books, fabric. I walk down fabric aisles like a crazy person, touching fabrics, trying to find interesting texture. Seeing certain materials will help me visualize how that material will look in a design. I also love vintage- I use a lot of vintage designs to inspire new ones.

What is one thing you would have done differently in the beginning?

Be true to who you are. This is easier to apply to an arts business. I wish I would have specialized immediately in photography- I tried to do everything, an never turned down paying jobs. I burned out quickly. It took a long time to get back to why I loved photography in the first place. So now I only shoot two types of photography, and having Avonli, a specialized organic newborn prop company helps a lot. I don’t try to do it all. I stick to my style and brand and it takes a lot of stress away. I think specializing can apply in a lot of fields.

What do you do when you’re NOT working?

Roasting marshmallows on a campfire, hiking, swimming, reading, and anything that doesn’t require a camera or sewing machine.

If you won the lottery today what is the first thing you would do?

Jane Austen country baby. Hahha. I SO want to go to Europe, England especially. After that, I’d wait for the real estate market to burst again and buy a ton of rental properties.

What did you want to be when you were little and do you think you ever will be that?

I wanted to be an attorney. Yea, I was a weird little kid. Maybe someday. At the end of my bachelors degree I was prepped and ready to start applying, but I just didn’t feel good about going to law school at that time. Maybe in the future it will open up.

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?

I’m bilingual. Also, I had a parasite once. His name was Benji.

Where do you hope to take your business in 5 years? 10?

I hope to still be kicking in 5 years, and still be growing.  If I’m not, then I hope I’m at least doing something I love like I love Avonli.

Thanks so much for having me!

Want to see more amazing props from Avonli Cottage? You can find her on Facebook and her Shop

A HUGE thanks to Camilla for letting us talk here! 

Do you know a business I should consider interviewing for an upcoming Small Business Spotlight? Leave a comment or email me with a link to their information and let me know! Wish I would have asked a different question? I will be changing up some of the questions in the future, so if you have something in particular you would like to know be sure to let me know! 

Thanks everyone! Happy Tuesday!

So here is some DIY inspiration for all your Mothers Day gifts, all of which can be done by next Sunday!

Click on the photo’s below to be taken to the instructions.

Super Cute Crochet Coasters

Subway-Art Style Framed Prints

You can find both of these great (and FREE) prints at Eighteen25. They have multiple color options, and directions on how to order prints so they are on glossy photo paper (Costco or Walmarts 1-hour photo makes this a quick gift!). Just buy a 16×20 and an 8×10 frame and you’re ready to go!

Or you can grab this awesome Subway Art ‘Year Long Gift in a Frame’ set from them and Mom can have a gift to use all year!

Crochet Picture Frame

I’ve been meaning to make these forever! Would be a great custom frame for a family photo

Yarn Ball Wreath

If you have a fiber-loving Mom in your life, this is a great quick craft that doesn’t require any actual sewing on your part!

Pretty Pillow Cases

You can NEVER have too many pillowcases! Who wouldn’t love some new pillow cases to match their bedroom?!

“Bubble Gum” Jar Candy Dish

Though I love the look of this black “Bubble Gum” machine, the picture this site comes from doesn’t have the tutorial. You can find a tutorial to make this out of terra cotta pots and saucers, and a round glass vase HERE

Memories Plate

There are SO many different things you could do with this idea. Write your favorite memories with Mom in story format, scatter adjectives that describe Mom around the plate, or have your kids draw pictures! You could present it with cookies, or just a set of plates from the family, with 1 plate from each member. This is a gift any mom is sure to love, especially from grandchildren!

The tutorial here has nothing to do with Mothers Day, but the idea and process is the same!

And finally…

Great Crochet Pattern Mothers Day Gift Round-Up

I can’t pretend that I’m not crocheting my Mothers Day gifts this year! If you plan to do the same here are some great patterns that will work up quickly:

It’s finally starting to feel like summer (some places anyway!) so why not crochet Mom a pair of flip flops from Smecky Bits?

Or a cute summer hat from The Hat & I

The Oma House Slippers from Mamachee is the first crochet pattern I ever bought and I STILL wear the slippers I made from them! They’re comfortable and simple to make. You can add appliques to decorate them if you want!

As for my Mom and MIL, they’ll both be getting their own Kiwi Tote!

Good Luck with your crafting, and Happy Early Mothers Day to all!