Crafting for Cash Money Carlson

Update: my due date is thirty days from today - crazy! I'm not sure if it's that countdown or the early due dates shared with me from seasoned mamas, but our little one's arrival seems more and more real each and every day. As much as I cannot wait to meet him, he still has another week before he's considered full term so I'd like to at least wait that long.

With this excitement and anticipation has come a craftier side of Katie. This new-found motivation could be a product of my nesting phase, or it could be a preview of what motherhood will look like for me. Either way, I'm enjoying the adventure and learning a lot along the way.

The first project I decided to take on was upholstery. After searching far and wide, Alex and I finally found a glider that suited our nursery needs. We wanted something that was super comfy and we hoped to avoid the traditional wooden glider look. Of all places, we ordered our chair from Walmart.com but there was one problem; there was no matching ottoman. Thankfully, we had an ottoman at home that was rarely used, so we just decided to re-purpose it with a little paint and some upholstery fabric. The paint we already had and I picked up some great navy fabric for under ten dollars. The product?

Close-up of Re-Purposed Ottoman

Chair w/ Ottoman

The next project was nursery art. The bright colors and striped wall of the nursery provide a busy background, so we wanted something simple and cheap to don Baby Carlson's walls. Being that Alex and I are both fans of literature, we decided to take a creative spin on some of our favorite quotations. After we selected the quotations, we prettied them up in Photoshop and printed all three for under $3. Add in cheap white Ikea frames and the project total was $12. The product?

Finish Framed Product

The last craft is an on-going sewing project. In our infant care class, our instructor spoke in great detail about safe sleeping habits for baby. She discouraged blankets and swaddling for sleeping as they inhibit active sleep patterns and pose a suffocation risk. Instead, she encouraged something called a sleep sack. A sleep sack is basically a wearable sleeping bag that will keep baby warm without the above mentioned risks. They retail anywhere from $20-$35 a piece at Babies R US. Although I am not the most avid of seamstresses, the pattern seemed easy enough so I decided, with the help of my awesome mother-in-law, to make my own. I purchased a pre-made sleep sack at a local consignment store for $6 to use as a pattern and then I purchased enough fleece from JoAnn Fabrics to make five more. After purchasing zippers, the total cost of the project was $35 - that's a little under $6 a piece! Hooray for saving money!

Sample Sleep Sack

Fleece Assortment

There was one more craft that I wanted to complete but I sort of gave up on it. On Pinterest, I saw this cute idea to make your own hospital gown. The woman who did it wanted something that would be a little more glamorous, better fitting, more comfortable, and something that she could take home with her. She also remarked that the contrasting colors in the pattern were more interesting for her baby to look at and focus on than the typical solid scrubs. Although her final product was super adorable, the pattern looked too complex for me so I caved and bought one at a cute maternity shoppe my sister brought me to. Not only did I find one that matches our nursery motif, but it has great snaps on either side for ease of nursing, AND I even found a matching infant cap. Momma always taught me that coordinating is important!

Pinterest Example

Gown and Matching Cap

I can't wait to meet you, little one and I'm even more excited for all the crafts, projects, and activities that we can do TOGETHER!