Reclaiming The Home

Sewing School Clothes (with tutorials)

Hello friends!  Its been much too long.  Things have been incredibly busy since Kevin has been on TDY to Ft. Knox.  We have been busy decluttering the house in preparation for the move, which has been such an encouraging thing for me.  I love looking around and feeling less burdened by the clutter, disorganization and an overwhelming amount of stuff.  Don't get me wrong, I can clutter-bug along with the best of them, but it is really refreshing to feel like things are where they should be and its less that I have to worry about.  *whew*.

We have been doing a decluttering challenge over at the Ravelry version of Reclaiming The Home.  If you are not a member of ravelry (or even if you are) feel free to to join us over at the Proboards forums for RTH as well for a decluttering challenge, or just write about your decluttering pursuits on your blog, and link it here so we can see what you're up to.  Photos of my decluttering successes to come soon. :)

A big part of getting everything ready for the busy upcoming months, as well as decluttering the stash, has been sewing up clothes in preparation for the girls to start school in the fall. 

Those of you who know me, know that I much prefer an open-ended tutorial to a rigid pattern, so that is generally what I work from. I find that they allow me a lot more freedom in interpreting things to my own design, and I feel less like I can fail at it, as well, since the instructions are usually pretty open and fluid.

This top for Anna was made using the peasant shirt tutorial over at Just Tutes.  I altered it a bit by not adding elastic to the sleeve. I figured that while things were still warm out it would give a little more ventilation, especially in this humid climate.

(excuse the wrinkles and the grass that needs to be swept.  With hubby gone i've let the yard work go a bit - oops.  Anna was also only sad because she couldn't find her shoes, and wouldn't believe me that they were in the car - which they were - about 2 feet away.  Tears ended instantaneously.)

To go with the shirt I sewed a ruffled skirt to match, from the tutorial over at Grand Revival Design.  I LOVE this tutorial.  I will be making a lot more of these in different girly fabrics soon.  This was my tester, and I used leftover scraps from the march quilt kit to make it.  Because I sold some kits using this fabric, the proceeds more than paid for the fabric so I'm considering the materials for this outfit "free."

Abbi's outfit started with the same peasant blouse tutorial, only I added the elastic to the sleeves this time.  It worked well with this particular fabric (an old, white sheet that I found at a thrift store for 75-cents!). 

The skirt was INCREDIBLY simple.  I bought an old valence for 99-cents.  The lace came pre-attached.  To create the skirt, I simply threaded elastic through the top casing and sewed the two short edges together.  Easy peasy, and now she has a beautiful linen and lace skirt to wear to school.  If you want to make something similar, but don't have a valence, the Twirly Skirt Tutorial over at House on Hill Road is *fabulous*.  We have used that tutorial several times for super-cute skirts for the girls (and will definitely be using it again!)

Total cost of the valence outfit? $1.74.

(oops - more grass to sweep! - sorry)

This outfit was made using a Women's size L tunic that I bought at the thrift store for 75-cents.  It fits about a 4T little girl (isn't she cute??).  The pants were made using sleeves.  Here's my tutorial for sleeve pants, as I did them.
 
The shirt was done without a pattern or tutorial as well.  I will be working on a tute for that coming soon, using the body of the shirt for the fabric, so keep your eyes out!

I also have two other tutorials in the works for clothes I made for Abbi recently, so those will be coming over the next couple days as well.  My hope is that others can feel inspired to make some clothes for the fall, and to not feel overwhelmed by the increasing prices of clothing for our kids, as school starts!  All of the outfits that you see in this post cost a total of $2.49.  One needn't break the bank to dress their children well.

Enjoy, and be sure to let me know if you use the sleeve pants tutorial !  I'd love to see what you do with it!

 

Big News!

Here at Reclaiming the Home big things have been going on behind the scenes.  The needles have been knitting, the sewing machine has been sewing, and bits of craftiness are showing up everywhere around the house, here and there.  Because of my cold, the only cooking that has gone on was done by the infamous Mr. Rose with some buffalo cheese dip that he was quite proud of.  I'll have to ask him for the recipe so that I can share it soon!

The big news though, comes in the form of the new public Reclaiming The Home forum! 

My goal for the forum is to be a community of people who care about their homes and the gentle home arts.  There will be tutorials, resources, and information that will help us all to learn to be better Reclaimers, while providing incentive and motivational games in a fun atmosphere where we share our love of the home with one another. 

It is a place of friendship that welcomes people from all walks of life, where we all get to be ourselves, get to know one other better, support each other, and share our joys as well as our sorrows.  You don't have to be a mother, a wife, or stay at home to enjoy homemaking.

I know you will find real community here, grow friendships, build each other up, learn new things, and just enjoy hanging out at the forum.

If you have a moment, stop on by and take a look. There is so much to be found there and so much more to come, including a big surprise event for all of the forum members that will begin within the week! 

This idea has been in the works for some time, and I am so pleased to say, has finally come to fruition.  So many people were involved in its creation.  A big thank you to Caitlin, Pam, Diane, Audrey, Rachel, Robyn, Danna, and SO many more lovely women who helped to make this part of my dream a reality!

Knit (or Crochet!) Your Bit

After a long, incredibly difficult day today, I sat down at the computer tonight, wiping away the tears of sadness and frustration, fully intending to catch up on some work.  Thankfully my deadline isn't for a while yet, because I found myself lost somewhere in the depths of the World War II Museum website, reading stories of the heroes and heroines of the past.   

It made me think of my grandfather who served in WWII as a fighter pilot.  It wasn't something that he talked about often, but I do know that he believed in selfless service and cared about the men and women of the military in a very deep way.  Since Papa passed away last fall, my mind has drifted quite often to the things I wish I could be doing with and for him if he were here.  I see so many beautiful patterns that I would love to knit for him.  His feet and head used to get so cold in his final years, and a pair of hand-knit socks or a cozy nightcap would do wonders for him if he were still here to wear them.  I decided that since I couldn't knit something for Papa, I would knit for another WWII veteran in his honor. 

Having also just read Knitting for Peace, I was incredibly inspired.  If you haven't read this book yet, please do.  You won't be disappointed.

I was so pleased to see that the National World War II Museum has organized a Knit Your Bit Campaign that knitters (and crocheters) everywhere can donate handmade scarves to.  They will be donated to a Veteran's center by the Knit Your Bit Campaign and given to a WWII veteran.  If you wish, you can include your name and address and they will send you a certificate of participation to thank you for your donation and will let your recipient know that you are the one who sent the scarf.  You may also give anonymously if you would rather.

If you have a moment, go check out the specifics on the campaign.  There are also several free patterns available for both knitters and crocheters. 

I am going to be working on some scarves this month, as time allows, and will update with pictures accordingly. 

If only I could sit and knit all day, there would be a Veteran's center full of cozy hand-knit scarves this month... hopefully the couple I am able to finish will make a difference to that one man or woman who needs that bit of extra warmth right now. :)

Fresh Air and Green Things

It has been unusually warm here, getting up over 90*F yesterday, and that has left us all wanting to get out and enjoy some of the fresh air before it becomes so hot that our only outside experiences are running from the house to the car in search of air conditioning.   In Oklahoma spring usually lasts about a week before the blistering heat comes in and takes over.  We have been enjoying the pretty weather while it lasts by spending a good portion of our days playing outside in the yard.  The little ones are especially enjoying Spring's brief interlude into our lives, asking for "ou-siiigh?" every chance they get and being reciprocated with a resounding "sure! lets go play!" at nearly every opportunity.

Being outside so much this week has made me want to start the seedlings for the garden.  I'm a little later this year than I usually am, but I'm not too worried.  Autumn lasts just about as long as spring and usually doesn't show up until the end of November, so we probably have a little more time for harvesting at the end of the season than most areas do. 

I'm thinking of starting a paper gardening & sketch journal for this year.  I have some ideas in the works for how I'd want it to look, since I am going to be making it.  I always wonder if others do things like that, or if its one of those "Kristin's dreaming again" things.  Anyone else journal their gardening experiences?

Chalkboard, Pillowcase Shirt, and Twirly Skirt Goodness

I have been truly enjoying all of the submissions so far for the Grand Giveaway!  You all have such fun ideas for names, and such interesting stories about what you named your own cars.  Thank you so much to those of you who have joined in on the contest, and for those of you who have not done so yet, be sure to pop on over and put in your entry by Friday!

Sadly, with the sun shining through the windows on to all the laundry waiting for me to fold it up, I simply can't spend much time here today.  (Secretly I love the soft feel of clothes all cozy warm from the dryer, and the smell of fresh laundry!) 

Before I run off to fold however, I did want to share some creative goodness that I whipped up last night while the babooshkas were sleeping.

This cute little chalkboard was picked up at the thrift for 59-cents!  A quick coat of paint and a little personalization and it is now a great sign that will be hung by vintage ribbon next to the girls' bedroom door.

This cute little outfit took a total of 90 minutes to plan, cut out, and sew.  I didn't use a pattern really.  I did use the tutorial for the twirly skirt from House on Hill Road as a guide for the skirt (though I altered it a bit).  The top is based off of the basic pillowcase dress, only shorter and with a little added trim. 

What is even better is the fact that this entire outfit cost less than $2 since those fabrics were snagged off of the discount table at the fabric store!

I am also going to be stalking Sew, Mama, Sew for the Girl's Clothes Tutorial Round-Up, and the Boy's Clothes Tutorial Round up (friendly stalking of course)!   Such cute, fun, and easy ideas to help me in my destashing efforts!!

What crafts do you do?  Sew?  Paint?  Knit?  I'd love to hear it!  Also - what projects do you love to do to help destash a bit?

homemade gifts, painted toes, and SOS

A certain two year old is getting mighty grown up, and I am loving every minute of it.  She is so girly and so so sweet.  I could just nibble those little toesies but I won't.  She absolutely adores getting her toes painted.  Her daddy usually does it for her, but she insisted I do it today, and well.... who am I to argue with cute toes like that staring me in the face?  She wiggles her toes when she gets them painted, so they're all sorts of silly, but I think that's just part of the awesome fun-ness of being two and having pink painted piggies.

Right after we finished her mini pedicure, the mailman brought me some amazing goodness!   My dear, dear friend Robyn sent me some awesome birthday presents - a Priority flat rate box stuffed full!  Here are just a FEW of the goodies she put in there for me!

Let me tell you, there was so much more, but for the sake of those of you on dial-up I'll just tell you - the package was FABULOUS! :)   Thank you Robyn!  You're such a sweetheart!  I had so much fun going through everything, and the girls and I spent the afternoon batting the balloons around the apartment together... at least until Anna crashed on the couch for her afternoon nap and Abbi got distracted with a movie  :)   Thank you, my friend :)

In other news, I sat down tonight and made out the grocery list for all of the recipes from the Recipe Contest!   As I was on my way out the door  to go shopping I realized that I didn't have my wallet in my purse.  We looked *EVERYWHERE*.  I mean ev-e-ry-where.  Not one stone left unturned. 

Under the couch - *check*
Peek in the laundry - *check*
Look in the fridge? - *check*
In every possible hidden crack in the car?  - *check*
Inbetween kids' mattresses - *check*

Its probably someplace obvious.

I had to call and cancel my cards and will be ordering a new license and all of that soon.   :(   Poo.  That said, I will have to wait to go shopping until this weekend when hubby can go with me and use his card.  I'll start making the recipes then.   I'm so so sorry for the delay - I am craving them.  Big time.

Since I couldn't get to the store tonight, we had a staple dinner for most any Army family.  Sh!t on a Shingle (also known as SOS).  Its basically beef & gravy over toast.  It may not look delicious (or sound so, by the name), but it REALLY is comfort food, SOOOO tasty, and cheap to boot.  I used *THIS RECIPE* just to make sure I was getting proportions right.  I hadn't ever tried it with worcestershire sauce before - it was a nice addition!  If you get a chance, give it a try!  Its also GREAT for breakfast using sausage instead of chipped beef or hamburger.  (note: chipped beef is the "traditional" way of fixing SOS, but that's mostly because it can be dehydrated and rehydrated easily.  I prefer the taste and texture of hamburger or turkey burger, but you can use whatever strikes your fancy! - ENJOY!)

Much to Tell

Lots has been going on here in the Rose household!  I have been doing a lot of reclaiming, in many, many different ways.   Come on in for a visit, grab a warm cup of coffee, and I'll get the cookies.  Feel free to pick up your knitting if you like.  Won't bother me a bit.

The past week has been a big one for us.  While there hasn't been a defining moment so-to-speak, I would definitely say that the events of this week have helped to define some deep parts of me.  Its helped me to focus on what is important, and to continue moving forward with ideas and plans for my future.

To start the week off, the mister went out to the field to work all week.  For those of you not associated with the Army, in military terms "the field" refers to on-location work, literally out in the middle of the wilderness, practicing missions.  Being with such an active unit is a wonderful thing for Hubby, and his recent promotion has given him a new role and perspective of the Army.  As always, the kids and I are incredibly proud of him and all that he does.  He continues to amaze me every day with everything that he is able to accomplish and do. 

He and I are so different in so many ways, with him loving working outside in the heat and the dirt with big mechanical equipment that makes things explode... and me working indoors with the children, my sewing machine and small kitchen appliances.  Still, at the end of the day we come together to form this amazing complimentary team.  It boggles my mind, and I find myself reflecting on my blessings in him, and in the relationship we have had together over the past ten years.  Yes, I am one lucky woman.  In any case, its wonderful to have him home again.

While hubby has been gone, I have been busy planning my garden (this photo is of last year's seedlings).  He said that before long he will build me a few Square Foot Garden plots for my organic veggie garden!  I am so excited.  In late March I can start planting outdoors, so I am going to be starting my seedlings in a few weeks.  I'm also hoping to add a gate to completely fence in the side of our house so that we can get chickens this spring.  More to come on that later!

The kids have been on a fruit kick (which I love for several reasons, not the least of which is that its very easy to fix, and healthy to boot).  Still, even with all the extra vitamin C, the poor chillins have come down with the flu, and have spent the majority of the day today in their pajamas, snuggling and watching their favorite movies, or reading books. 

Besides getting in as many snuggles as possible, I've been busy finishing up some crafty goodness.  I've added a few items to The Shop, and am sending out several packages for orders tomorrow.  I've been amazed at how the Amore Quilt Kits have gone so quickly, and how much people are loving them.  It just makes my heart smile to share some creative goodness with others who find it fun as well. There are only a couple left if you were wanting one, and unfortunately this is one item that wont be restocked once they're gone.

We've also been busy this week handling some medical stuff going on.  Many of you know from our conversations over at Ravelry, that our beloved little retriever, Buddy had to make an emergency trip to the vet this week (that's him above, helping me pick out fabrics). He was in severe pain on Wednesday night, and I couldn't get the emergency vet on call to return my messages.  First thing Thursday morning the kids and I trucked him over to Sheridan Road Veterinary Clinic (a different clinic than the one that would not call me back all night).  The vet was wonderful with him, gave him a thorough examination, and helped us all to stay at ease.  He was even patient and understanding about my oldest, Abbi, having a total meltdown for the majority of time that we were there (its tough for her, sensory wise). 

Thankfully, it turned out that there were no fractures or internal injuries.  He was experiencing what we believe is the onset of a tough bout of canine arthritis.  The vet put him on pain medication to see if it would help, and it really has made a big big difference for him. He's still tender and sore, but acting much more like himself. Hopefully the medication will help this to become more manageable for him.

Lastly, this weekend is my birthday (on Sunday), and as a present to myself (and partially from the amazing Hubster as well), I upgraded my photography equipment to a new Nikon D-80!  It arrived today, along with my new lenses, flash, tripod, and accessories.  I am loving it so far!

That said, I will probably not be around much this weekend between playing with my new equipment, and celebrating another year of life with family and friends. 

I hope you all have a MARVELOUS weekend, and that you enjoyed your visit, and your coffee this time around.  See you next week!

New Look, New Crafts, New Kits!

Reclaiming the home is partially about the ways we bring joy and beauty into our homes with our own two hands.  In celebration of this act of love, I have redecorated the blog!  The color scheme and banner are both based upon our first Reclaiming The Club Kit! 

The kit will give you enough fabric to make a mini or doll sized quilt in the pattern of your choosing.  It will include 18 strips of fabric 9x2", backing fabric, quilt binding, and batting!  The only thing you will need to provide is a needle, thread, and a quiet corner to sit and stitch. 

I decided to go with a very simple patchwork design using this month's kit, but you could use any number of patterns, or even just create something totally unique and your own!  I will include instructions on how to create a patchwork quilt like this one with the kit!  Also with the pattern instructions, I will include tips for those who may be new to quilting and want to try it out.  A mini quilt is a great starter project, and also so much fun for those with more experience!

The kit will be available in The Shop within the week, so be watching for an announcement!  A surprise contest will also be posted that day for those who receive Reclaiming Club Kit, so there will be lots of fun ahead!

Drop a line sometime, and leave a comment if you like!  I always love to hear what you all think, and will be happy to answer any questions you may have too! :)

Audrey's Knitting Needle Tutorial!

We have been very fortunate to have  a guest speaker today!!  Audrey, a dear friend, inspiring crafter, and world-class relcaimer, has agreed to share her knowledge and skill in creating her own knitting needles!! 

If you've ever wanted to give this fun craft a try, it is truly worth it, and with Audrey's instructions, completely doable for anyone at any crafting experience level! 

Here are Audrey's wonderful instructions!

To make my DPN’s: I used common household bamboo skewers. Sharpened both ends in a pencil sharpener, sanded the shaft and points until smooth, and then polished them with a white crayon and a sheet of notebook paper.

Materials:

Dowel rods or skewers (chopsticks could work too)

Sandpaper: 100 grit – 400 grit (3-4 different grits)

Plain paper

White crayon or wax

Knob or button to top the needles. (In a pinch a rubber band)

Pencil Sharpener

Choose Your Weapon

When choosing your dowel rod you may find it helpful to have some sort of measuring device. In this way, you can get exactly the size you want. I did not measure mine at all, so whenever asked, “What size needle is that?" I told people “skewer”. Please learn from my mistakes. It will make me feel better.

If you purchase your dowel rod from a large chain store, they can cut it to your specified length. I used kitchen scissors, and had to deal with splintering.

Getting to the Point

Once you have your rods cut, you will run them in a pencil sharpener. Do the same to both ends for double pointed needles, just one end for standard needles.

True Grit

Next is the sandpaper. In this step, you will sand the needles using progressively finer (higher #) grits. By doing this you will get the rid of the splinters and burs in the wood. Be sure to sand the shaft and the point, paying special attention to the tip. The tip and the point receive the most activity when knitting and it would be a shame if your yarn kept being snagged. I found out how frustrating it could be to have to go back and sand each of my DPN’s. I have already made all the mistakes for you.

The Debate

This part is optional. I have seen some who do not polish their needles, yet I cannot tell you which way is best. If you choose to polish your needles, here’s how. Rub the entire surface of the wood with a white crayon. Then use a sheet of paper to smooth the needle, just the same as when you were sanding the wood. Once again, pay careful attention to the point and tip. 

 

The End

This is the last step, unless you have made DPN’s. This must be my favorite part. Finding that special something, that tells the world “This is custom!” Make your needles as unique as you want them to be. Glue a river stone, glass bead, or drawer pull to the end. Shove on a plastic toy or pencil eraser. Let impatiens rule your life and twist a rubber band to it. I have done that.

Congratulations

You now own, custom, one of a kind, original, not to be found in stores anywhere, hand crafted knitting needles.

When I asked Audrey to share a bit about herself with you all, here is what she said!

Name: Audrey

Husbands Name: Brian

Age: 36

Occupation: Stay at home mom/Homeschool mother

Hobbies: Knitting, crocheting, cooking, gardening, and sewing

Number of Teeth: 28

Allergies: Cats, mold and people who don't cover properly

Favorite Food: Sushi

Favorite Color: Green

Favorite Movie: The Wizard of Oz

Favorite Animal: Cat

Favorite Candy: Chocolate peanut butter cups

Her husband was able to add a bit more about her, so that you all can see a piece of the amazing gal that she is.

Audrey grew up in Brooklyn and Coney Island NY. As an adult her family moved to Hillside NJ where she attended Kean College. She earned a BS in business management with a minor in technology. She met her husband, Brian, in college and got married in 1995.

 

In college she worked for Adolph Gotcho as an assistant purchasing agent and later moved onto working for American Products as a purchasing agent and expeditor. She additionally held jobs as a sales rep in a sporting goods store, as a teacher’s assistant in a grammar school, as a worker in a laundry mat, offered a job making costumes for the renaissance festival and co-owner of an organized recreational camping business.

 

For most of her married life she has been a full time home builder (mom). Audrey began homeschooling her children in Kindergarten and continues to homeschool them today. The managerial skills she learned in college and her business life greatly help her run the home school.

 

Being a housewife and a homeschool mom she has taught herself how to hand sew, machine sew, crochet, knit, become computer savvy, repair almost everything broken in the home, cook like a short order chef, learned how to cut corners and save money, and much more.

THANK YOU Audrey!! :)  We surely do appreciate your contribution to the group!

(a few tips after trying this with the tutorial!!  You can find pre-cut dowels in some craft stores, so you may not have to cut them yourself!  You could also use candle wax or beeswax to finish off your needles if you would like to do that instead!)

Ladies (*and gents*), be sure to leave her a comment if you found this to be fun, informational, interesting, or any other number of adjectives!  :)  Thanks

Mutt Muffins and Crayon Cookies

The holidays are upon us and the gift making rush is a big part of that for me (and a part that I love, I might add).  Our family is coming to stay with us this Christmas, and they have two lovely little doggies they're bringing with them as well.  I say little, but one of them weighs more than my husband!  Anyhow, all this means that we will have four dogs, one cat, four adults and two kids here for Christmas!  My goals are to do something handmade for everyone!  I'm going to share what I've been doing for the doggies and the kiddos since they are slightly less likely to read the blog!

I have been really trying to find a good doggy treat recipe that both of my boys love.  I tried a new recipe the other day, called Mutt Muffins.   As usual, I made a few changes based on what I had on hand.  Instead of honey, I used sweetened cinnamon applesauce in place of plain to make up for the sugar. This also substituted the spices since the applesauce was already spiced!  They turned out wonderfully, and I wound up with about 4 dozen small Mutt Muffins. 

I would recommend using only one heaping tablespoon per muffin cup, like I did with these.  Even with these smaller muffins my Golden Retriever, Buddy found them to be a bit chewy (which he liked) and quite the mouth full!   We got two-paws-up from Buddy, though Jack (our Terrier) was not nearly as impressed with my baking today!

I have also been working hard on some unique gifts for the kidlets!  I have really been looking forward to making them each a set of Crayon Cookies (called such not because they are edible, but because of their shape and size)!

Many of you know that my oldest daughter has developmental delays and Autism.  She has a hard time with her fine motor skills so its hard for her to hold a crayon correctly.  These will hopefully help that, as they are bigger and easier to get a grip on!  Here is how you make them!

STEP 1: Find yourself a lot of crayons!!  I got my bag at Good Will for $2.99.  There are enough in there to make at least a dozen crayon cookies!  Probably a few more.  What you see here is what is left after making one batch of 6 crayon cookies.  The crayons do not have to be new, and actually, it is usually better if they are not, since I love to look at this as a way of recycling and reusing as well!

STEP 2: Peel the paper!  To do this you will have to follow two steps.  One might ask, "What is so hard about peeling crayon paper?"  Let me tell you - after the fourth or fifth one, I could tell you exactly what was so hard about it!  Some of the crayons were very tightly wrapped, others seemed almost glued on (most likely from heat melting the wax of the crayons to their papers).  I have also learned that Crayola crayons are the most difficult to unwrap.  I still managed however, and its okay if there is a little bit of residue.  It does not have to be perfect.  The easiest way to get past this is to A) Cut down the side of the crayon, very carefully with a knife or pair of scissors (adults only please - no kiddo injuries!).  B) Peel away the paper from the slit that you cut down the side of the crayon.

STEP 3: Put It In the Pan!   BUT! Before you put the crayons in the pan, you will want to spray your muffin tin with non-stick spray.  It is also important to choose a pan that you don't mind using solely for crafts.  I chose one that I have been using for crafts for a long time (and looks pretty pathetic, so please excuse its condition - it works for this purpose LOL!).

Then you will need to decide how you want your crayon cookies to look.  Do you want them to be a big jumbled bunch of colors, showing every color in the box?  Would you like them to be sorted by color exclusively?  Do you want a few hints of like colors together?  (i personally chose to put like colors together.  So for example, my yellow crayon cookie has some orange and some green in it.  my blue crayon cookie has some purple and some green in it.  My red crayon cookie has some purple and some orange in it, and so on!)

(again i'm sorry about the ugly pan!  believe it or not, i'd washed it just before this picture... its mostly stuck on glue or paint or ink... its not gross, i promise!

STEP 4: Bake it Baby!  Set your oven to 400* and immediately put the crayon cookies in (do not preheat).  Let it bake for 10 minutes and remove immediately.  It is totally fine if they don't melt completely.  Let cool until they are no longer runny.  Here are what mine looked like as they cooled:

STEP 5: Freeze It!  Put the entire pan in the freezer.  DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE THEM WHILE WARM!  I made the mistake of trying to remove the crayon cookies while they were warm, thinking they would be easier to get out.  FALSE!  They fell apart.  I put the remaining 3 in the freezer and went back to them 2 hours later.  They popped out VERY easily, by just tipping the pan upside down.  If you DO get some that break, don't fret!  spray your pan again with non-stick spray, and re-bake them to melt together once again in the proper shape, and freeze. 

Here are some photos of what they look like in their finished sizes!  Notice how they nest in one another and stack so well!  Imagine the wrapping possibilities!  You could also probably store them in a reclaimed and decorated Pringles container!

Have fun reclaiming, and do let me know if you try either of these crafts! :)