Cute as a Button

ex.cite.ment (noun)

- an excited state or condition, sometimes manifested by running, jumping, and giggling

- something that excites, like a new big boy bed

Excitement.  It's the prevalent emotion around the ArtsyFamily household at the moment.  Ever since Noah found out that his "baby bed" was getting traded for a "big boy bed" and helped us pick out the mattress {Elmo came along to help too}

he has been anxiously looking forward to the change.  Last night, it was finally delivered.

He immediately set to work helping Daddy take his baby bed apart.

Ah, life is sweet on a big bed...while we set it up he just had to call both sets of grandparents and his great-grandmother to tell them his bed had arrived.  Then, he tested it out, jumping, falling, and finally relaxing.

We put on the Lightning McQueen sheets {we're still waiting on the comforter} and Lightning McQueen pajamas and he was in love.

Meanwhile, we have some redecorating to do now.  Not only did all Noah's furniture get rearranged, his old decor of blues and browns didn't quite match his new Cars things.  My mom and I went to JoAnn Fabrics today and got red and blue fabric to make him a new valance and a bed skirt {which I'll be happy to take pictures of after a certain someone wakes up from his nap}.  I wanted to make him something new for on the wall too, and I was hoping to find something he coud help with.  I had seen a fun looking button monogram the other day on Pinterest and thought it might be just the thing.  We bought two packs of buttons; one was an assortment of reds and the other was blue, turquoise, and green, to make Noah his own "N."

Here's how you can make your own:

BUTTON MONOGRAM

Materials:

- cardstock, any color

- photo frame {a shadow box type works best, or else you can frame it without the glass}

- photo mat, optional {mine came with this 11x14 frame}

- assorted sizes and colors of buttons

- adhesive {I used glue dots}

- pencil, ruler



STEP 1: First, I taped my cardstock to the back of the mat so I knew what the visible area was.

STEP 2: Use a pencil to lightly sketch the letter.  You can freehand it, use a ruler, or trace a computer printout.

STEP 3: Adhere buttons in a random pattern around the outline of the letter.

STEP 4: When outline is complete, begin adding buttons inside the letter.  Don't worry about spaces, you'll cover those later with other buttons.

STEP 5: Go back and layer more buttons on top, covering all your gaps.

STEP 6: Insert into frame and display!

Noah was really excited about this project and he actually did an amazingly good job keeping the buttons along the outline; I thought I'd have to reposition them all, but he was really neat about it.  If an almost-3-year-old can do it, an older child surely can!  I think it has a great whimsical look about it and is a great, personal way to tie in the colors of his new bed set.

Stay tuned for more pictures of the new and improved big boy room!

PS - I could still use a few more guest posters with beachy ideas!  Email me!