For Baby

Baby Zeke was born a month early, so his baby shower ended up being a welcome baby party! Either way, I had fun sewing up these cuties.

I didn't get creative with patterns either, I used tutorials from some of the greats in blogland. I got this adorable (but still boy) fabric at Joann's.



First up, this handsome elephant. I didn't want to sew on buttons because of the choking hazard, but I wish I would have made some cute felt eyes now that I think about it. I used Simplicity pattern 2613 for the elephant. I'll admit, I didn't love the pattern and it was kind overly complicated. Next time I make one, I will just use it for the shape and sew it up more logically, lol.
Note: I use machine washable stuffing, so this guy can go right in the laundry:)


A handsome bib with a felt Z for the little man. I used Homemade by Jill's great Bib Tutorial and printable pattern here. In true Jill fashion, the directions and photos make it simple.

The back side I used a yellow ribbed knit. Jill uses terry cloth, but I had the knit on hand and I love the colors together.

Car seat strap covers- especially for those tiny little heads:) I used Ashley at Make it and Love it's tutorial here. I cut my squares to 5 1/2x 5 1/2 and they fit a graco snugride car seat strap perfectly. I love these:) And again, her directions are so easy to follow.


So there, throw in some baby wipes and I've got a perfect gift for little Zeke. Welcome to the world little man!!

April Scripture Sticker

We really want to reward the kids in our primary who bring their scriptures, you know? But I hate giving candy, cookies or a button in a jar.

We decided on scripture stickers, one per month. Each week we have a scripture that we look up and mark with a red pencil and on the last week we give a scripture sticker to each child that has their scriptures. (This may seem mean, but if you forget them you can always get it the next week. We got a stack of free Book of Mormons from our local DI and so there is no child in our primary that doesn't have their own. This is something every child can succeed at!)

April Scripture Sticker: Isaiah 1:18

These stickers coordinate with my week 3 lesson found here where we discussed repentance, the atonement and how we can be clean white just like clean laundry.

I made these scripture stickers on my computer, cheaper than the ones you buy at Deseret Book and perfect because we need 40 of each one. Make sure you buy CLEAR envelope labels, not white.

I used the Avery brand Clear Mailing Labels. The package says size 18660, 1 x 2 5/8 inches, 30 labels per sheet. To design I used my favorite scrapbook program that had the built-in layout called Avery 8160. I checked Microsoft word and they also have a template for Avery 8160, so they will print correctly. Scriptures are so small, so I cut each label in half. They look great in color and the kids really love them.

Click here to download the above jpeg. You will have to set up your own template to match the labels you get. Remember each label is in half, so there are a total of 60 on this page. (My printer lets me choose under properties to only print 40 o r 20 or however many you need, so you save the extra labels for later, just run them back through your printer.)

Any questions or problems just email me or leave a comment.

April Sharing Time Week 2 and 3

The April outline has 4 lessons and with conference there are only 3 weeks. I am going to teach the topic from week 3 so the last week of April we can focus on Easter. I created a really fun lesson in July about how Jesus went about doing good with free printables, click here to view that lesson if you need ideas for the week 2 topic.

Theme: We believe that through the atonement of Christ all mankind may be saved.

Materials: Yarn or string, 8 clothespins, 8 t-shirts printed on red cardstock, 8 t-shirts printed on white cardstock, handout t-shirts with scripture for each child, picture of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Click here to download my free printables. There are 6 pages here. Page 1 is the t-shirt handout, pages 2 and 3 are the white t-shirt printables, pages 4 and 5 are the t-shirts that need to be printed on red paper, and page 6 is a large, blank t-shirt that is optional if you want to color or need additional.

String your yarn across the primary room and hang up clothes pins. Tell children that today you are going to clean some dirty laundry, but you will need their help. Begin by reading Isaiah 1:18. What is scarlett? What color is snow? What does that mean? Even though we could be bright red with sin, through Jesus' atonement we can become clean and white like snow, like the red was never even there. Display picture of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and describe.

In a basket show children the red t-shirts, scarlet like the scripture taught us. Each one contains a sin that needs to be wiped away and made like snow through Christ's atonement. I'm going to choose 2 children at a time. One will pick a red t-shirt out of the basket and clip it to a clothespin so everyone can see. Discuss how it's a sin, how it makes us feel, how we want to be clean again. Have the 2nd child choose a white t-shirt from another "clean" basket that is pure white and place it over the red t-shirt. The white t-shirts have the scrambled words from the 3rd article of faith.

Once all 8 red t-shirts with sin have been replaced with white t-shirts have the children try to unscramble the 3rd article of faith. Read and discuss together.

Handout little t-shirts with the Isaiah 1:18 scripture to each child and let the children share what they love about Jesus Christ's atonement for us. If time remains, children can color their handout t-shirts, or you can copy the large blank t-shirt and children can draw a picture of Jesus inside and color.

I love the scripture from Isaiah and I'm going to challenge my senior primary kids to memorize it. The junior primary kids can probably at least memorize the bold portion in the middle.

If you have questions or great ideas please leave me a comment or contact me at camillescasa(at)yahoo(dot)com. If you use my idea I'd love to hear how it went!!

Check out my matching scripture stickers here!

April Sharing Time Week 1

Theme: Jesus Christ was chosen to be our Savior

Materials: 10 hide/seek pieces hidden around the room, wristband printed for each child

Click here to download my free printables. 3 pages total; 2 pages hide/seek pieces and 1 page of coloring page wristbands.

Optional object lesson: Have one child come up and give them one of those giant Hershey's kisses. Tell them that the kiss is theirs, they can have it at the end of sharing time. Have them return to their seat and keep the kiss under their chair or in their lap. At the end of sharing time, have the same child come up with their chocolate kiss. Tell them that they have a decision to make, similar to Jesus' decision. They can either have that kiss themselves and nobody else gets any candy, OR they can give back the kiss and everyone can have a small hershey kiss. Discuss how Jesus sacrificed for us.

Lesson: I'm going to explain to the kids how I thought of everything I wanted to teach them today about Jesus and realized that it was all in a primary song. Today we will be studying and learning from the words of the song I Lived in Heaven. Print out and hide (in advance) the pieces of the song. Children will follow the clues to find the pieces, and discuss that line of the song and what it means.

I Lived in Heaven

1. I lived in heaven a long time ago, it is true;
Lived there and loved there with people I know. So did you.
Then Heav’nly Father presented a beautiful plan,
All about earth and eternal salvation for man.

2. Father said he needed someone who had enough love
To give his life so we all could return there above.
There was another who sought for the honor divine.
Jesus said, “Father, send me, and the glory be thine.”

3. Jesus was chosen, and as the Messiah he came,
Conquering evil and death through his glorious name,
Giving us hope of a wonderful life yet to be—
Home in that heaven where Father is waiting for me.

Words and music: Janeen Jacobs Brady, b. 1934

My clues fit my primary room, but make up your own if these don't fit. I will choose one child at a time, give them a clue, and let them search for the piece of the song. Here are the clues I'm using:
1) Under a sunbeam chair
2) Beneath the microphone
3) CTR 5 teacher
4) Where the child giving a talk sits
5) Near the window
6) In a doorway
7) Near a garbage can
8) Under a valiant chair
9) Near piano player's shoe
10) Near picture of the prophet


Sing I Lived in Heaven.

Hand out "Jesus was Chosen" wristbands and in remaining time children can decorate and assemble. Just roll around their wrist and secure with scotch tape.


It should be a fun week! If you have any questions leave a comment or email me camillescasa(at)yahoo(dot)com. If you use my lesson I'd love to hear how it went, leave me a note!

Janette's Quiet Book

Are you in to trading and bartering? I made a sweet deal with my friend Janette. She is a photographer and we needed new family pictures. She wanted a quiet book for her little boy, but didn't know how to make one. Ta da - the trade! We got family pics for free, she got a custom quiet book for free.

The adorable chocolate colored tree fabric for the cover is from Joann's. I made the actual pages on felt, and then hammered in grommets to attach the rings. This way, if she wants to make more pages she can add them in, or if both kiddos want to play with a page.


Here is the classic Noah's Ark page with a zipper pocket. Simple.



I had a lot of fun making the fish page. The end of the fishing rod (shoelace) has velcro so it can "catch" a fish. The boat opens at the top so you can put your catch of the day there. The apples button on the tree and fit in the basket.


Every boy needs a road page! The red, yellow and green light pieces have velcro and the car parks in the garage.


The barn page is so fun with opening doors and animal finger puppets. Janette got married in the Idaho Falls temple, so this page is perfect. Each of the squares and Angel Moroni detach, so you can rebuild the temple. The little buttons open the door and inside is a piece of vinyl above the felt so Janette can put in a wedding picture.

I love this peek-a-boo page, it's one of my son's favorites. If you pull back the mittens I stitched on a piece of vinyl with an opening at the top so Janette can slip in a family picture. And of course, a little pocket for paper, pens and treats.

Quiet books are so much fun to make! If you haven't seen mine yet or want detailed patterns click here.