How to turn a stuffed animals into a puppet

I am a firm believer that every education major (from preschool to elementary) should be handed a puppet while crossing the graduation platform. 

Alas, this is not the case. So tonight I will teach you how to turn an ordinary stuffed animal into the perfect teaching tool.

You'll Need:

-a stuffed animal 

- scissors

-needle and thread

-fabric

Now this photo is not for the faint of heart.

You're first step is to cut a slit into the bottom of the animal. Make sure the slit is long enough for your hand to fit through.

Remove some of the stuffing but leave enough in for the animal to hold it's shape.

Now cut a square (large enough for your hand) out of the fabric. Sew along three sides.

Its okay if your stitching is ugly. It will be hidden inside your stuffed animal's body.

Now stuff your square, wrong side out, inside the slit and sew along the edge.

Once your fine and dandy stitches are done, your work should look like this.

Give yourself a pat on the back!

Add a bow or two as a final touch...

There you have it!

Your very own customized puppet ready to teaching! 

Wedding Card Book DIY

Sigh, what to do? What to do with all of those beautiful wedding cards?

The ceremony is over. You've returned from your fabulous honeymoon and you find over a hundred cards waiting for you on the counter.

Here's a simple solution for the sentimental girl, turn them into a keepsake book. 

No, you won't pull it off your self every day. But once in a while you'll find yourself browsing through the little notes and be glad that you kept them. 

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You'll need:

-hole punch

-ribbon (your wedding color perhaps)

-scissors

-candle

Step one is to punch two or more holes in the cards. To make sure all of my cards lined up correctly, I used one card as my master. I slid one card at a time under the master card before I punched the holes. 

Some cards are very thick. You'll either need a lot of elbow grease to get the punch through, or try to punch one layer at a time. This particular card was lightly glued together. I was able to lift one layer at a time and punch through with no difficulty. 

What about those tini tiny cards you ask? Just punch a hole in the middle of the card and they'll be just as dandy.

Is your hand sore yet? 

No worries, we're jumping right into the fun step.

When you start "sewing" everything together, do not thread one set of holes at a time. This will only cause you great headache.

Threading both sets of holes at the same time keeps all of your cards neatly stacked while you work. 

So much easier and much friendlier to you as the busy new wife.

Here's a photo of one of the smaller cards in the stack.

Of course you've set aside your favorite card while "sewing" everything together. And now it the time to add it to the top of the stack. This card will act as your cover so make sure it's beautiful!

Tie a double knot loose enough to flip through the cards but tight enough to hold everything together.

Once you have your bows at the proper tightness, burn the edges of the ribbon just a tad with a candle. 

This will keep the ribbon from falling apart.

Congratulations you little crafty wife!

Be sure to store this little treasure with your wedding album.

What I want in 2013: in photos

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I want to keep my "new-teacher" enthusiasm up and constantly bring new ideas to my classroom. 

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I find drifting off into those pages quite relaxing, so this year I would like to read at least 10 books. 

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Sometimes the best coffee shop is the one that no one knows about. This year I want to visit more nooks and hole-in-the-wall type places. 

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2013 will be the year that I crochet myself a sweater! Thanks to my mother-in-law, I will be visiting Ravelry.com for help.

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I would love to create a work of art to hang in my home. Maybe this year I'll get a chance.

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Lastly, I want to get a pet. 

It doesn't have to be fluffy, but reptiles are off limits!

Happy 2013!

Anyone else out there care to share their hopes and dreams?