Author Archives: Margaret Muirhead

LEGO Birthday Party!

Posted in Free Tutorials, Holiday, Kids, Stuff to make by

If you’re wondering (in a few years), why I can’t afford to send my kids to college, the answer is simple.

We’ve drained the college fund to buy LEGOs.

But as they say, carpe diem. Seize the LEGOs. This is Zeke’s 6th birthday–but it’s his second LEGO-themed birthday party. And for the occasion, my mom baked LEGO cake!

For the record, it took her 7 hours. But she’s sharing her secrets on how to make a LEGO Birthday Cake here–so it won’t take you nearly as long. She also found help from Betty Crocker.

Other party highlights:

1. Pin the Button on the LEGO. By “button,” I mean those little knobby connectors on a LEGO brick. (Over the years I’ve learned that variations on Pin the Tail are always a party favorite. I’m not sure why!)

2. Wacky, Crazy LEGO contest. All contestants get a bowl of mixed-up LEGO pieces and they have to build something strange, weird and wonderful with them. We gave out minifigure surprise packs for prizes.

(Zeke is working diligently. Notice other revelers behind him are more intent on throwing balloons around.)

3. Goody bags. Candy LEGOs, free LEGO magazines (you can pick up a bunch at a LEGO store), and some grab-bag LEGOs (At the LEGO store near us, you can buy a big ziploc bag with an assortment of pieces for $7–a great deal.) Throw in some granola bars and sugarless gum for good measure.

Ruminations on photo albums

Posted in Paper, Photos, Stuff to make by

What do you do with your photos? I can’t seem to be satisfied with letting them linger in the ethereal digital realm.

I still go for the tangible: I order matte-finished prints with the white borders and then stick them in photo albums with little paper corners. (In case anyone’s wondering, I use Kolo albums.)

(Note Zeke & his pal Birdy looking at a photo of a Zeke & Birdy looking at a photo of Zeke & Birdy looking at a photo . . . )

I have accumulated a lot of albums! I am a sucker for arranging images–but is there a better way to go about archiving my life? Also, I’m perpetually lagging two years behind . . .

I really like this flip book of bicycles from Wren Homemade made with Iphoto and printed by Apple. Making albums with Snapfish, Shutterfly, Kodak, etc. is fun, too, but I don’t love the print quality in the final product. I’d be interested to hear your recommendations–please share!

Cute as a spare button

Posted in Fabric printing, Kids, Recycled materials, Stuff to make by

Buttons are cute. Even the word button is cute. So I figured I couldn’t go wrong printing an image of a button (using a hand-drawn and hand-cut freezer paper stencil) on this little muslin drawstring bag I had in my drawer. (Oh yeah, the bag once held the spare buttons to a sweater I had bought a while ago.)

Then I got really carried away and made this onesie. I realize the letters aren’t exactly centered, but I’m hoping you won’t notice. I don’t have any wee babies in my life, so if you do have one who happens to be 13 to 18 lbs., and who is verifiably as cute as a button, I will send this onesie to you!

Candy-Colored Chairs

Posted in Home Design, Stuff to make by

These hues are not for the faint of heart. While Brigit just painted her side table an elegant pale blue, I’ve been dipping my brush into Ben Moore’s Orange Juice, Tequila Lime, Pink Raspberry, and Summer Blue for a set of unfinished Adirondack chairs for my parent’s lake cottage. The Ben Moore online color gallery describes Orange Juice as a “deeply energizing” color that “captures the essence of early morning vitality and vigor.” How could I resist? And how can I get a job writing color descriptions for Mr. Moore?

Hmmm. Coffee and fish egg bait. Also known to be deeply energizing.

VW Bug Pillow

Posted in Sewing, Stuff to make by

Tell the truth: are you focusing on the VW bug pillow or are you coveting the vinyl chair held together with lime green duct tape? Sorry, but it’s a one-of-a-kind treasure that only the luckiest few can possess.

Summertime may not be optimal for freezer paper stencils–using an iron in 90-degree heat can be a wilting experience. But well worth it, of course. (Here are step-by-step instructions.) This VW bug pillow follows the VW bus pillowcases I made earlier this year in a series I’m now calling Vehicles I Have Known and Loved.

For the VW bug pillow, I used a pattern for an envelope enclosure. Beige linen in the front, groovy cotton print in the back, and orange piping.

Next up for the vehicle stencil series is the true love of my childhood . . . the 1974 mini Winnie (that’s Winnebago, for the uninitiated). Long before I grew up to own a vinyl chair, I longed for this camper.

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