Not One but TWO Video Collabs with Gorgeous GloZell!
What's better than doing an amazing DIY collaboration with GloZell? TWO collaborations with GloZell. We got together and I taught her two simple projects that she could create for her daughter or her daughter's friends. Keep reading if you want step-by-step instruction on how to make these cute and easy projects for your own kiddos!
Whether it's for one of the many kid birthday parties you attend or for your own wonderful child, it can be a lifesaver to have a DIY, affordable way to create a gift. That's where the project I first showed YouTube icon, GloZell comes in. I'm including all of the steps here, but if any of it is confusing, I recommend looking at the video, since the process can be a little tricky to explain in writing.
1. Pick out a piece of clothing. It can be a shirt or onesie or even a dress! Carefully trace a shape, name or anything else you want to have on the clothing out on the front. This is your cutting line.
2. Pin a contrasting piece of fabric to the inside of the clothing. Make sure the contrasting fabric is much bigger than the shape you selected. Eventually this will be the fill of the shape. You can look at the shirt we made for GloZell's daughter, O'Zell. The blue fabric on the inside of the two is the piece of fabric you just pinned.
3. Stitch. Take a needle and floss (or some other type of thick thread) and carefully stitch around the lines you drew on the outside of the piece of clothing. Make sure your knot is on the inside and does not show! You want to stitch a fair distance away from your original tracing so that you can still clearly see the pen or pencil outline you made on your fabric. Once you've stitched all the way around your shape, make sure to tie a knot to finish off the stitch.
4. Cut! Now, carefully cut away the top layer of fabric, following along on your outline. Make sure not to cut all the way through both layers of fabric! This will allow your contrasting fabric to show clearly. Once you've finished with this, carefully cut away the extra parts of the contrasting fabric on the inside of the piece of clothing. Don't cut too close to the seam. Leave about a 1/4 inch of fabric around the stitching.
And voila! Just like that your amazing DIY project is done! GloZell was a little hesitant at first, but she handled the project like a pro! Stitching and sewing doesn't have to be complicated. This is a really great way to create something beautiful and completely unique.
BONUS: If you want to add another little personal touch, watch the full video to see how I taught GloZell to chainstitch a name on the back of the outfit!
How cute is that top? If you try out this method, be sure to let me know on social media! Now, on to Round 2!
Children are sources of so much amazing creativity. There are the cute little handprints, gigantic paint splotches, and of course, the tiny doodles on various scraps of construction paper. We all know these pieces of art and praise the little artists who created them. But in the back of our minds, looms the all-consuming question: what to do with these abundant and special creations. There’s only so much room on the fridge and no one wants to throw it all away. Never fear! For our second collaboration, I taught GloZell some of my favorite tips and tricks for keeping a “Baby Binder” in a brand new collab video. We used products from my collection with Avery. Of course, the whole experience was a blast and you should definitely check it out, but if you don’t have time, I’m highlighting three major tricks for keeping your mini-artist’s work in a safe place to preserve all the special moments forever and ever.
Use plastic sleeves. Let’s face it. Childhood is a messy time, especially when glue, glitter and paint are involved. A lot of your child’s creations have already been through a lot. The best way to protect them from the elements is in plastic sleeves. This also maximizes space. For pieces that are only one-sided, you can double-up two creations in one sleeve.
Try out date stamps. You may be wondering how to keep it all organized. Well, I like to organize mind chronologically. That way, you can keep track of how much your little creative has grown and changed over time. The best method I’ve used is a simple date stamp. It always looks nice and neat and that way, you don’t have to try to remember when something happened. Of course, you won’t be able to accurately date stamp every single thing. If that happens, use your best judgement and try to fit pieces in based on where they look best.
Make it fit. Some creations will be on tiny scraps of paper and some are on huge swathes of construction paper. Don’t sweat it! This is an opportunity to consolidate a bit. The smaller pieces can be glued or taped to an 8.5/11 piece of scrapbook paper. It looks so cute when it’s all assembled. For large pieces, you can always cut it down to size or cut it in half and create a spread with plastic sleeves. This is a great option if you feel as though every part of the artwork is too beautiful to throwaway.
If you'd like to give the Baby Binder a try, I'm including a list of some of the products we utilized in the video to make the binder beautiful and tidy. You can find my entire collection with Avery here on Amazon and be sure to use the promo code AVERYHEARTSAMY for 15% off:
· Avery® + Amy Tangerine® Designer Collection Durable View Fashion Binder retail for $7.99
· Avery® + Amy Tangerine® Designer Collection Big Tab™ Fashion Dividers retail for $4.49
One of the things I loved about this collaboration with GloZell was her suggestion of looking through the Baby Binder with her daughter and using the binder as a chance to bond. Clutter can be stressful and sometimes, there’s a temptation to let that emotion override the beautiful moments your child creates. The Baby Binder is a really good way to combine clean-up with quality time. In the long-run, it’s the memories that matter.
