Everything is new again…
It started because Bug wanted to learn how to sew. She had tied a ribbon onto a pick-up stick and was threading it through an old knitted beanie when it dawned on me that maybe I should teach her how to embroider. That is what they used to do for fun back in the House on the Prairie days before ipads and iphones and streaming episodes of Phineas and Ferb were invented after all. Sometimes it worries me how much we are plugged in and turned off to really fun old-fashioned things.
I used to LOVE embroidering. Sit me down with a hoop, some muslin and a rainbow of pretty floss and I was a happy camper. I wish I could find my old projects. I think I covered a pillow case in free-handed frogs for an ex-boyfriend even. I wish I could see that again. But of course it is long gone. I’m not saying I’m some kind of amazing artist embroidering fine tapestries or anything (I don’t even remember more than two or three kinds of stitches) but stitching is a fun medium that shouldn’t be left to Miss Moffet and her poffet or however that old nursery rhyme goes.
So off to the craft store we went to get another hoop (I only had one and I’m not about to sit back and let Bug have all the fun) and some new floss. I had enough in my collection but I thought it would be fun to get some fresh colors.
Who has a collection of embroidery floss? I do! I do! I know. I’m a weirdo who is going to have to start letting go of things if I think I’m going to move into a tiny postage stamp-sized studio apartment at the beach this summer but that’s another blog post. I just happen to have it on hand. These things come up from time to time and I have aunts and a mother who gift them to me.
Anyway, the craft store had NEON and GLOW IN THE DARK embroidery floss!!!! And it was only 35 cents or something. My mom tells me that’s an exorbitant amount of money but to me I’m thinking, all that pretty color for only 35 cents? Bring it on! Tubes of paint in those colors cost me eight to twelve bucks!!! This is CHEAP fun!
Of course I had to make some friendship bracelets with that neon floss. I know that was a fashion statement last summer but I never got around to making any so, in my book it’s STILL cool and will be cool for a long time even if I hated the eighties.
I tried to get Bug into making a bracelet with me but I kinda need to teach her how to tie her shoes before I try to get her to tie tiny knots in tangly thread. And I think my enthusiasm over the neon may have been a tad over the top and consequently bored her to death. I swear she’s a little mini Miley Cirus sometimes, rolling her eyes at me and making jokes about Bon Jovi calling and asking for his jeans back.
Anyway it was super fun for me. I even made a special rainbow one for Bug and convinced her to wear it to school. Sidenote: She’s been having another bout of anxiety lately (brought on by THREE kids puking in one day. THREE!!) and I told her the bracelet could be her lucky charm and whenever she looked at it she could know that I was praying for her etc etc. She wore it but she wasn’t that into it. I told her I would even make some for her friends if they wanted. And they did! She came home with two requests so I made them up and then put them on fun little cards:
Super simple. Just cardstock punched with two holes and then a squiggly little hand drawing. Then you thread the bracelet through the holes like the hand is wearing it and write some kinda cute friendly phrase.
Tape it with some Japanese masking tape on the back and voila! A fun little gift. I know I should have saved this for Friendship Day and posted it on Alpha+Mom but Friendship Day is all the way in AUGUST and as you can tell I want to relive my youth right now!
Like, totally, Dude.
18 Comments
bethany actually
Dude. How have we never made friendship bracelets together? I LOVE making friendship bracelets. The little cards you made for giving them away are perfect.
Susan:)
I love making friendship bracelets! I love embroidery floss! I have that same clear plastic case full of it. I’ve inherited floss from my grandma! How cool that Bug is learning. I want to teach my nieces but I think they’re still too young. Although the four year old might be able to learn. After all they learned that young back in the old days.
Sarah
LIKE :) I hate that my first instinct was to comment with just a Facebook reference … I think that in itself is a good sign that I need to get myself some floss and a safety pin :)
Bethany
Can you guys make me one? I would like to request the colors black, grey, and white. If/when you have time of course. Thanks. :)
Kuky
Huh? Embroidery, what a good idea. I should try that with Isabelle. She enjoys sewing but for some reason embroidery did not even enter my mind. Friendship bracelets however did. Just a few days ago I saved a page showing how to make a friendship bracelet with hearts. Added that to my never ending list of projects.
K
I have a collection of floss from the 90s!! I used to make bracelets all the time. I probably still have some in progress.
OMSH
I loved Friendship Bracelets, and embroidery, and cross-stitch, and all that stuff when I was little. I filled days doing that! So much fun!
Emelie and her girlfriends jumped on the Friendship Bracelet brigade last summer and the summer before and really got into making all types. Emelie was even making some spelling out everyone’s names!
Jennifer
I still have a box of floss, some I bought when I was a teen and some given to me by my momma. I am going to be on the looout for the neon colors and glow in the dark! I never did embroidery… but I think Gracie would like to do something like that :)
nicole @ deliajude
my kids are friendship bracelet making machines..especially Jude…they are working on some fancy chevron designs these days. the hand eye coordination has gotta be great for their brains!!
Madge
Pix and Emily have embroidery kits. They love them. They also have this really cool friendship bracelet maker that my MIL bought them. It keeps all the thread in place when you make the bracelet and also has a nice storage compartment. Pix is a big fan of repetitive projects so it’s a favorite of hers.
I think my mom still has my embroidery sampler I made when I was little. It’s fun to see our kids doing these old fashioned projects :)
Shanee
Um, why yes I do still have my collection of floss, looks just like yours! LOL.
susie
OMG, I totally have a collection of embroidery floss! I have boxes and boxes of the stuff and I love it all. I love to organize it by color, label the little cards… I’m a big old craft nerd. I love to make friendship bracelets and, of course, embroider. I think it’s one of the greatest hobbies — it’s super cheap, and you can do it anywhere. FUN!
Sally
I have a big collection of floss that we found in a closet at my in-law’s house. It belonged to my mother-in-law, who I never had the pleasure of meeting. The receipt from when she purchased it is taped inside the lid. She got something like 150 colors for 5 bucks ten years before my husband was born. I really love using it to make things and thinking about the kinds of things she embroidered with it for my husband and sister-in-law when they were kids.
Amanda
I used to make so many friendship bracelets…all sorts of different designs. My favourite was one that use 5 pieces and my toes to braid it. Maybe I should do a post on it. :)
Melissa
You are so cool! I wish my mom had engaged in stuff like that with me. I played around with embroidery floss and hoops, but I remember my mom always saying she was terrible at stuff like that and so she left me to do it in solitude! I bet Bug will have great memories of that.
BeachMama
I love friendship bracelets! J bought me a kit for Christmas so I really should break it out :)
gingermog
When I was around Bug’s age my mother used to make me wolly dollies out of oddments of wool. They weren’t knitted, but rather knotted to form legs arm body and hair. Next time I see her I should ask her to show me again :)
As usual you think up rather lovely packaging to hold your crafts.
Sleeping Mom
Very, very cool! I love the bracelet on the drawing of the hand.