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*A big thanks to Jo-Ann and Cricut for sending me the supplies to make today’s project! All opinions and hair brained ideas are 100% mine.. this post contains affiliate links** I seem to pop into Jo-Ann’s once every couple of weeks. I always think that I have enough of what I need for a project…
I like “doable” Holiday projects. As much as I love a completely styled, over-the-top Halloween tablescape, I know that for “real life” stuff, I need to do something that I’ll actually “get done.” These Halloween Dinner ideas are from some of our family’s “real life” dinners over the years. The traditions have changed as our…
Nail polish gifts for teens are a fantastic way to share and express their unique style. I’m sharing some of my favorite nail polish gift ideas along with a set of free printable gift tags with you today! I have a 13-year-old daughter who likes to paint her nails every day. Well, maybe not EVERY…
This week marks round 4 of the Cricut Design Team Star contest. For this month, our team was tasked with creating a Holiday Home Decor project. Our teams theme for this month “Gold”. When we were assigned a holiday project I first thought about making something for Christmas, but I think that Thanksgiving gets overlooked…
These easy DIY no sew trick or treat bags are created using a pre-purchased canvas tote and a bit of Cricut Heat Transfer Vinyl. Learn how to make one with our tutorial. We’ve even included a free Halloween SVG file so you can make the bag yourself! We have a fun collection of “Peace, Love…
Today I’m excited to show you how to make a Paper Crown that is perfect for a Halloween Party. These cute crowns also make adorable Halloween Photo Booth Props. A big thanks to Cricut for sponsoring this post by providing me with the machine to make this project! Today I have a couple of fun Halloween…
I love to create crafts for Halloween! I feel like you can never have too many Halloween decorations! This year I decided to make a fun DIY Halloween Candy bowl inspired by a favorite Halloween saying. A big thanks to Cricut for sponsoring this post by providing me with the machine to make this project! Halloween…
Learn how to sew an infinity scarf that is created from custom-printed fabric. Use your Cricut machine to create a stencil to create a custom fabric design. A big thanks to Cricut for sponsoring this post by providing me with the machine to do this project! Affiliate links are included in this post. Today, I’m going…
Today I’m sharing with you a free quilting tutorial for these Patchwork Quilted Christmas Pillows made from Christmas Fabric. If you like this project you may also love this Log Cabin Quilted Pillow Tutorial. I’m excited to share with you a tutorial for these cute Patchwork Christmas pillows. I made them as gifts several years…
For Christmas this year I felt like I made a MILLION zip pouches, in actuality it was obviously not that many, but I felt like it! I kept going back to the store to buy more zippers. I shared one of the projects with you here, today I’m going to share with you how I…
Seamstress, Sewist, Sewer whatever you want to call it if you’ve got one in your life they may be asking for new sewing goodies for Christmas. From cheap to expensive, here’s a roundup of some of my favorite sewing items that are sure to please! (affiliate links may be included). Books! Here are a few…
Today I’m sharing with you some fun Get Well Soon Care package ideas along with a set of free printable tags. This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Kleenex but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #KleenexTarget http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO It’s almost “that time” again, the dreaded cold and…
Use your Cricut Machine to turn your paper scraps into this cute DIY Paper Pennant Halloween Banner! It’s a great last-minute Halloween craft project! Last night, I was looking for some fun last-minute Halloween decorations and thought I’d make up this easy Halloween Banner. I’m about to mail a care package off to my college…
Today I’m going to show you how to use Reverse Stenciling to create a set of wood magnets. These painted wood magnets are made using images that are cut out from vinyl with a Cricut machine. They are so fast to make and would be wonderful gifts! I’m always looking for quick-fix projects that I…
Celebrate your favorite Graduate with this cute “One Smart Cookie” Graduation Party! When my kids graduated High School, we wanted to invite our family and close friends to celebrate with them. Each time we hosted a graduation party, I knew I did not have time to make any complicated decorations, but I still wanted something fun…
If you have a friend or loved one who is about to reach their 40th birthday (or another milestone), I have a fun and creative gift idea to share with you today! This week I turned 40 years old. To be honest, I’m really not sure how I feel about that; it could take up…
Today I’ve got a quick craft to share with you that I think would be perfect addition to a Mother’s Day present. These Chalkboard Silhouette Bookmarks, are made with chipboard to make them sturdy, and coated in chalkboard paint so you can customize them as you like. Here’s how you can make the bookmarks:…
Create a simple fascinator perfect for an “at home” or kids Derby party with our step by step Paper Flower Fascinator Tutorial. Okay, file this one under GO BIG OR GO HOME! I LOVE a cool Kentucky Derby Fascinator! Every year at the Kentucky Derby, the hats are the show’s stars, second only to the…
Hello! I hope that you’ve enjoyed all of the polka dot themed posts this past month. Today I’m going to show you how to make burp cloths. I know that I’ve had a great time thinking of projects to share with y’all and have really enjoyed seeing all of the great projects that our guest…
Spread some love this Valentine’s Day with one of our heart-filled and clever craft projects! Here at the Polka Dot Chair, we love a good seasonal craft project! Every Halloween and Christmas, you can find us happily tucked away in our craft room, working to create something to help us celebrate the holiday! I’ve always…
If you’re looking for a simple way to add a little bit of something “extra” to your Christmas gifts this year, then you may like these simple Canvas Christmas Gift bags! I always love finding new, cute Christmas gift bag ideas, and hope that you’ll enjoy this one! A few years ago, I decided…
I’ve had a great time this year making holiday t-shirts for my kids and thought it would be fun to make one for Christmas for my daughter. She’s 11 now and officially a “tween”… so we had to go with a more grown-up design. I got the idea from a napkin I saw at…
Create a fun handmade gift for a little one with this FREE On the Go Reading Pillow Pattern! This is the ORIGINAL reading pillow pattern. Why I Designed the Reading Pillow Pattern A few years ago, I decided to revamp some pillows I made for my nephews a few Christmases ago. I did them quickly…
I’m Melissa Mortenson! Hello, I’m Melissa Mortenson, a “creative mama,” published Author, Content Creator, Licensed Fabric Designer, and the Polka Dot Chair blog founder. The Polka Dot Chair is a place for Creative Moms and Families to come to find simple and inspiring DIY projects for their home, sewing projects, Holiday crafts, and family recipes. Its…
Turn a plan notebook into a DIY planner using printable calendar pages! I like to use a desk calendar to keep track of my blogging commitments and content timing. I use my iPhone primarily for family scheduling, but I needed something to keep near my desk to keep track of projects, due dates, etc….
Learn how to make custom cording that you can use for home decor projects, like throw pillows with our free how-to make cording tutorial. What is the Difference Between Cording and Piping Generally speaking, cording is used for larger home decor projects. You will see it in the seams of throw pillows, couch cushions, and…
Create a unique and personalized graduation banner out of fabric. You can easily customize this banner with your child’s school colors and graduation year. My sister-in-law is the photographer for her daughter’s Field Hockey team. She came with a great idea to make a banner with “Class of 2012” to use for photos of the…
Use a bit of paint, burlap, and freezer paper to DIY a cute Pottery Barn-inspired Halloween table runner with our free tutorial! I’m a big fan of Pottery Barn’s Halloween decorations! A few years ago they had a burlap table runner for sale as soon as I saw it I thought “hey, I can make…
Looking for a fun craft idea for back to school or a teacher appreciation gift? You may enjoy making this Back to School Ruler Wreath. If you like this project, you may also enjoy this Personalized Teacher Appreciation Banner tutorial. A couple of days I posted on the Polkadot Chair Facebook page asking for ideas…
Today, I thought I’d share with you what my kids made for their Dad for Father’s Day last year… They made him a Super Dad t-shirt, using freezer paper stencils. It was a super easy project and the kids were able to do a lot of it themselves (I had to help with the iron)……
It’s Spring here in Kentucky… which means one thing… Derby!! This also means it’s time to make my kids their own Kentucky Derby T-Shirt! Anyone who has seen the movie Secretariat this year probably has heard a little bit about the “most exciting 2 minutes in sports.” Well, it’s a pretty big deal here! The…
I feel like I’m sewing all the time but I don’t have much to show for it… do you ever get that feeling? But I did want to share with you today some of the stuff I’ve been working on: For family night before we left for spring break all the kids made t-shirts…
Learn how to make a book page banner using a cricut machine, an old book and a bit of glitter! We will walk you though the steps to create an upcycled book page banner for Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas or any other Celebration! Recently I made a “Believe” book page banner for Christmas, I didn’t…
Mallory’s cute fairy shirt, got to Traci’s blog to see photos of the other shirts she made. fairy image from A Childs Year cartridge So let’s continue the Valentine’s day crafts with a quick and easy freezer paper stencil tutorial. OH!!! Remember this year’s Valentines Banner? A tutorial is coming and ONE will be given away next…
If you’d like to make your own vintage-inspired Halloween banner, it’s pretty simple. Just gather a bunch of black and white paper, ink the edges with walnut ink to give them an “old” look, use LOTS of black and orange glitter, and raid your scrapbook stash for any Halloween-themed embellishment you have. Celebrate Halloween in…