#MichaelsMakers - The Incredible Mounted Cat-Moose Costume DIY

So you all know me... you know I'm a cat lady.  Not quite crazy yet, but steadily approaching, I think. When the #MichaelsMakers challenges are posted, most of the time I immediately think of something insane I can make for my cats.  Well, this month's costume challenge was no exception!  I decided to turn my cat, Skilo, into a whimsical jackelope type creature... hence, I present to you Cat-Moose.

As you can see, Skilo loves me.  You can see it all over his face.  See...  That look says, "Mom, I love you, my life is better because of you and these antlers you've crafted with love for my adorable head." I know you're all dying to know how to make your own Cat-Moose or, dare I say, DOG-Moose... so let's get to the tutorial!

This is no sew - of course!  You will need:

Felt

Card Stock

Faux Wood Grain Paper

Glue Gun

Scissors

Paint Pen/Chalk

First and foremost, you have to sketch out your moose antlers.  Cut them out of cardstock, then use that as your stencil for the felt.  Make sure to leave about 1/8 inch between your chalk line and stencil because the card stock is going in between the two pieces of felt to give it some structure.  You want 2 sides for each antler (obviously).

Next, cut strips of felt about 3 inches long an as wide as the base of your antlers... you want 4 strips.  Glue one strip to each antler piece (about 1 inch overlapping).  Once that is done, glue the card stock and the 2 antler pieces together.  

Now you want to cut the band that will go around your pet's head.  Mine is about 1.5 in wide.  Find the center of it and cut 2 slits the width of the base of your antlers, about 1/2 inch apart.  Fit the flaps at the end of your antlers through the cut.  You will then fold it out and glue to the under side of the strap, then fold it up over the top and do the same.  Where the strip meets the antler, reinforce it with hot glue to make sure the antlers stand upright.

Next, make your plaque!  I cut mine out of card stock first then layered the faux wood grain paper over top.  Once that was done, I attached the antlers with a strip of felt and hot glue.

There you have it.  Now all you need to do is stick your pets head through the hole and you have a whimsical creature as a pet!

Can we give props to my Mum for modeling with my kitten??  

When I'm having a bad day, I put the antlers on my cats and just laugh hysterically at their expense.  Does that make me a bad person?  I think they secretly like it.

Make sure you check out all the other awesome costume ideas from the #MichaelsMakers!

An InLinkz Link-up

Wild + Free Doggy Hoodie: Iron-On Transfer

Project #2 of my iron-on transfer obsession.. a doggy hoodie for Atari!  I bought this hoodie at American Apparel and just gave it an extra little pizzaz with another doodle I did combined with the ever amazing Cricut Explore One.  I'm very fortunate that my dog actually likes wearing clothes. He's learned to associate clothing with going somewhere special.  This trip really was special because it was Atari's first camping trip ever!

I wanted something covering most of him while we hiked to give critters less furry goodness to jump onto.  Plus, he gets cold very easily and usually needs a jacket or hoodie on when it's chilly at night. So, I decided to make one of his existing hoodies twice as adorable.  (don't judge me, my dog is my child.)

Atari's first experience with a creek was interesting to say the least.  I put him on a rock in the middle of it and left him.  It took him about 10 minutes to muster up the courage to walk very slowly through 1/2 inch deep water to get to the bank.  Needless to say, I'm a horrible dog parent because I just stood there cracking up.

I guess this was his vengeance for my laughing at him and leaving him in the middle of a creek.  He tried for 15 minutes to wiggle out of the hoodie.  Below is the result.  Little booger!

His plan of revenge backfired because he got a bath under a cold spring water pump after the hike ended. 

I will be DIYing some more doggy shirts in the future!  I just think they're too stinking cute!

Michaels Makers: 1 Crate 2 Ways

This June, we've partnered with Michael's to get the word out on their new online shopping! Want to make something but have a hard time finding inspiration? You can now visit Michaels.com and browse a variety of different project by clicking on the "find a project" tab. Once you've chosen what project you want to make, simply click "add all to cart" to have all of the items needed for that project shipped to your doorstep. Don't you love easy? Oh, and did we mention free shipping for orders over $50? More money in your pocket for more projects ;)

Shannon and I browsed the projects and thought it would be fun for each of us to put our own spin on the stained wood crate project found here. Wood crates are SO versatile and can be made into anything under the sun.

IDEA #1 - Jen

For my take on this project, I decided to turn a wood crate into an organizer with built-in planter to give my crafting space a little extra zip (and clear up some of the clutter!)

Click here to visit Michael's and easily add the crate, paint, and paintbrushes to your cart. All supplies for this project include:

SUPPLIES: wood crate, Martha Stewart multi-surface paints in chestnut brown and pea shoot, paint brushes, jigsaw, drill, 150 grit sandpaper, compass, measuring tape, plant in a planter with built-in drain tray.

First, grab your potted plant and use your measuring tape to measure the circumference of the area (in centimeters) that you want to fit into the hole that you will be drilling into your crate. Remember, anything below where you measure will be sticking through the hole, so don't measure too far up. I went about 1 1/2 cm from the bottom, and my circumference was 14 cm. A nice round number.

Now, you're going to have to do some math to figure out how to make the circle that your planter will fit in. And if you just groaned a little, just know that math was my least favorite subject in school too, so I feel your pain. Take your circumference in centimeters and divide by pi (or 3.14) to get your diameter. Take that number and divide by two to get your radius, which is the length from the center of your circle to the outside.

For me, my measurements were: 14 cm (circumference)/3.14= 4.46 (diameter)/2= 2.2cm (radius). This is the length that I am going to make my compass so that I can draw my circle. Got it? Ok, let's do this!

Now that you know how big you need to make your circle, you're going to mark where you want your circle to go. Rather than setting my crate on its side and having more space lengthwise, I decided to set my crate on its end and put my planter off to the left (which was more visually pleasing and provided more surface area for display on top.) This also provides more stability for the plant.

Since I now know the circumference of my circle, I eyeballed it and made a mark in the upper left side of my crate based on my measurement, but if you'd rather be more scientific about things:

ONE: set your crate on its end.
TWO:  measure the distance from the edge of the crate to the edge of the crate's handle and draw a line marking the center.
THREE: measure the other direction and make a mark in the center.
FOUR: where these lines meet is the center of your hole.

FIVE: adjust your compass to the radius measurement you got above (for me it was 2.2 cm.) Set your compass point on the mark you just drew, and then trace your circle.
SIX: here is your finished circle. Yay!

  
SEVEN: now get your drill and drill a starter hole close to the edge of your circle. This will help you make your starting cut with your jigsaw.
EIGHT: use your jigsaw to cut around the circle you drew.

NINE: place your planter inside your hole to make sure you're happy with the size. Make additional cuts as necessary if you'd like a larger hole.

TEN: paint the outside of your crate with the chestnut brown paint and let dry. Paint the inside with the pea shoot color.

Now I have a pretty little organizer with built-in planter to add some fun to my crafting space! I love how it's both functional and decorative. It also gives me an excuse to show off my trinkets like the gems I got while gem mining in Asheville, NC 3 years ago, the embroidery hoop I made from this tutorial (PS it's a free pattern), or the fun silver feather book ends I got while estate saling.

I love how the bottom of my plant peeks out inside the crate. Maybe I should paint it in a different shade for a fun pop of color? The Martha Stewart multi-surface paints really are fantastic. The colors are really rich and smooth (and they have fun names like "Wedding Cake" and "Cloud"). I watered the brown down a bit before painting to make it look more like a stain and so that the natural grain of the wood could shine through. Love.

The perfect addition to pretty up my crafting space!

IDEA #2 - Shannon

As soon as this lovely wooden crate arrived at Chateau de Venanzio, the cats wasted absolutely no time in declaring it belonged to them.  Within minutes, Skilo was inside the crate clawing at the wood while Sparta was outside, swatting at Skilo, trying to get in.  The cats pretty much told me what I was going to do with this crate. Make them a bed.  **cue angelic choir accompanying grand revelation**

This may seem somewhat daunting because power tools are involved, but trust me... it's a cinch!  Building the actual bed took less than 20 minutes.  The hardest part was the painting/staining.  Here we go!

First up.. supplies!

1. Wooden Crate
2. Martha Stewart Satin Craft Paints
3. Painters tape (I ended up not using this)
4. Paint Brush
5. Pencil
6. 4 Legs with pre-installed hanger bolts (I got mine at my local hardware store for less than $2 each)
7. Drill & Drill Bits
8. Hammer
9. Blanket

Next, set your crate on the edge of a table, letting the first plank overhang as shown above.  This is where you get to use your hammer!  Rest your arm/body weight on the top of the crate and use the hammer to knock off the overhanging plank.  Do this with the top 2 on one side.  It came off extremely easy, but if any staples stick to the crate, use pliers to remove.

To install the legs, I used a circle template as a guide.  I lined it up on the corners of the crate and marked the spot I wanted to drill, making sure the leg would not go past the edge of the crate.  To properly choose a drill bit, hold it against the hanger bolt.  It should be slightly smaller than the bolt to assure a tight fit when screwed in.  It's better to start off too small.  If the hole you drill isn't big enough, go one size up in drill bit.  If you start off too big, your leg will fall out and you'll have to move the location of your hole.  

Since the crate is made of pine, the wood is relatively soft and should allow the bolt to screw in easily if your hole is the right size.  Remember, you want it slightly tight to hold the leg in place.  You'll need to apply some pressure in this process.  

Voila! Pet bed!  Now it's time to make it pretty.  I used the Satin Martha Stewart Craft Paint in Acorn.  I wanted this to look more like a stain, less like paint, so I watered it down a bit.  Since Pine is so soft and porous, watery stains tend to run quickly.  To prevent feathering, start from the inside of the shape you are filling in and work your way out, allowing the wettest part to be the middle.  (Can you tell we like triangles over here at ESM?)

The finished product!  Just add a blanket or cushion and let your little ones make themselves at home!

It took Skilo not long at all to acquaint himself with his new bed.  He seemed quite pleased!

Sparta on the other hand... it was quite a process getting him to accept it.  He's the skeptic in our house... not very trusting of anything. Especially, wooden crates, apparently.  But, he finally realized this could work in his favor and had a minor meltdown from the excitement (see last photo).  He's our special cat. 

We couldn't be more excited to be part of such an amazing group of bloggers!  Talk about inspiring!  Make sure you check out all the other amazing projects from the Michael's Makers. 

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*This post is in conjunction with the Michael's Makers blogging collaboration. All opinions are our own. You can find our full disclosure here.*

An InLinkz Link-up

DIY Sushi Costume for a Dog

Can you believe Halloween is in 3 days?? My kids have already gotten over a pound of candy each from a parade and church event we attended this weekend, so I know we're going to be up to our eyeballs in candy come Thursday. Not that I'm complaining. I'm actually eating one of the kids' Twix bars right now because I had to make sure it was safe. You know, for the kids.... Unfortunately for them, it seems all the Reeses cups and Twix bars are unsafe. And the Snickers. And pretty much everything that involves chocolate in some way, those were all confiscated.

You can never be too cautious ;)

After finishing up Connor's hooded dragon cape, I called it quits on costumes for season. Then, while I was pinning stuff on Pinterest (you can follow us here!) I came across this adorable DIY baby sushi costume. Right then, I decided I needed to make a sushi costume for someone, and who better than Shannon's little black jack russel/black lab mix, Atari? I used some of the leftover orange and green felt from Michael Levine and put this together in a little over an hour.

SUPPLIES: 1/4 yard green felt, 1/4 yard orange felt, 1/4 yard white felt, 1/4 yard white cuddle fabric (you can use felt for this too, bu, 1/4 yard black fleece, disappearing ink marker, small amount of polyester toy filling, velcro, sewing machine and supplies.

ONE: since I didn't have the dog handy to measure, I used a dog shirt as a template for my measurements. First, measure how long and wide you'll want your sushi roll to be. (Mine was 12 inches long and 8 inches wide.)
TWO: cut out a green rectangle of fabric in the measurements you wrote down.
THREE: next, draw a shrimp template. I just drew half of a shrimp so I could lay the pattern on the fold and get a uniform shape.
FOUR: lay your pattern on the fold of your orange felt and trace around. Cut two shrimp from your orange felt and one from your white felt.

You should now have 2 orange shrimp, 1 white shrimp, and a green rectangle.

ONE: place the white shrimp on top of one of the orange shrimps. Pin, then sew all the way around.
TWO: on the orange side of your shrimp, draw V's on your shrimp with disappearing ink marker. Sew on top of the lines you just drew.
THREE: use a pair of scissors to cut away the top layer only of your V's to reveal the white felt underneath.
FOUR: here's what it should look like as you cut.
FIVE: with the "V side" facing up, place your other orange shrimp felt piece on top and pin all around. Sew to attach, leaving a 1 inch hole for turning.
SIX: turn inside out and stuff with polyester filling.

ONE: cut a rectangle from your snuggle fabric as long as your green felt but slightly less wide (I chose snuggle fabric because it has a texture that looks just like rice!) Pin and sew around the edges of your snuggle fabric to join.
TWO: use your scissors to cut small slits along the long sides of your green fabric.
THREE: cut a long strip of black fleece for the seaweed band that will hold everything together.
FOUR: sew the hook portion of your velcro to one end of your band and the loop portion to the other.

Place your shrimp on top of your snuggle fabric, then wrap your seaweed band around and you're finished!

Then all you have to do is attach your sushi roll to your victim, er dog.

Atari was clearly thrilled about my decision to make him into a sushi roll ;) I had a lot of fun making a costume for my little fur nephew, even if he wasn't as excited to wear it.

Check out our Link Party Page to see where we link up each week!