Giveaway — Personalized Tote from Babyitzyou.com

It’s time for another fun giveaway — this one is courtesy of Babyitzyou.com, an online shop specializing in CUTE custom clothing and accessories for babies and children! Each piece is handmade by owner and designer Jenn Woolf, a busy (and very talented) mom of four boys.  I am in love with these adorable personalized tote […]

Photo Puppets

These photo puppets were so much fun to make, and I think the girls will enjoy making scenery to act out plays with them. What little girl doesn’t like to imagine herself as a flying fairy? For boys, try this same technique, but turn them into superheroes instead. Not that there’s anything wrong with boys […]

Last Minute Mother’s Day Gifts Round Up

In case you missed some of our FUN Mother’s Day gift idea posts, here’s a quick round up! From Left to Right:1. Super-Fun Tea Tags2. Lavender Scented Bath Salts3. Chocolate Nut Bark From Left to Right:1. Hand-Painted Pendants2. Ceramic Trivets3. Flower Printed Wrapping Paper From Left to Right:1. Reusable To Do List2. Laminate Bookmarks3. Recipe […]

Mother’s Day Gifts Kids Can Make — Hand Painted Pendants

I thought it would be fun to do a little series on frugal Mother’s Day gifts kids can make, so all you Dads out there… pay attention! (hint, hint) We enjoyed some warm sunshine this afternoon along with some messy art to make these BEAUTIFUL hand-painted pendants! You can find large washers like these at […]

Shop Update! Butterfly Play Set

Once upon a time, there was a little caterpillar who liked to eat lots of leaves. When he was full, he spun a cocoon, and went inside. He was in there for a long time! Then, the cocoon started to move, and…… out came a beautiful butterfly!! Emily had so much fun playing with this […]

Kid-Made Wooden Word Blocks

Ever since I first saw these blocks, I knew Emily would love to make a more kid-friendly version of them for her little sister. We had so much fun working on these while Clara was napping, and now both of the girls are enjoying this adorable new set of blocks! To make your own set […]

Will You Be My Paint Chip Valentine?

The girls and I were busy crafting up these handmade Valentine’s Day cards made from leftover paint chips (found free at any hardware or paint store). We had a bunch of different shades of red and pink, which made perfect Valentine cards! To make your own paint chip Valentine’s, place two paint chips back-to-back as […]

Happy New Year!! — Jingle Bell Noisemaker Bracelet

Emily loved ringing in the new year with this fun jingle bell noisemaker bracelet! To make your own noisemaker bracelet, you will need: felt, thread, jingle bells, and a small button. Cut two long pieces of felt about 1 1/2 inches wide. Measure your child’s wrist and add about 2 inches for the length. Whip […]

Handmade Holiday — Meet Butter!

This sweet kitty cat was a late night sewing project I made using this free pattern found on Wee Wonderfuls, and I wish you could have seen the look on Emily’s face when she first saw him! She immediately named him “Butter”, and they have been enjoying many adventures together this morning. Butter’s made from […]

Handmade Holidays — Scented Bath Salts

It’s not too late to make some last-minute handmade gifts for that special someone on your list who is in need of a little pampering… (hint, hint). Mark and Emily whipped up a batch of lavender scented bath salts and it only took a few minutes! To make your own scented bath salts, you will […]

Gifts Kids Can Make — Chocolate Nut Bark

I found this recipe for Chocolate Nut Bark in an issue of Real Simple magazine, and it’s so simple and easy — a five year old can do it (with a bit of supervision). That’s my kind of “baking”! To make your own, you will need: one 12 oz bag of semi sweet chocolate chips […]

Gifts Kids Can Make — Chocolate Covered Pretzels

The girls and I did some holiday “baking” this afternoon. These chocolate covered pretzels were so much fun to make! We made several bags of them for neighbors, friends, and family. To make your own, you will need: One 12oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 Tbsp. shortening Pretzel Rods Melt shortening and some of […]

12 Days of Handmade Holidays — Round Up

Some of our favorite Handmade Holiday posts: :: Fabric Dollhouse :: Dolly & Me Lounge Pants :: Felt Doll :: Snowflake Notecard Mailers :: Knit Hat (Free Pattern) :: Peppermint Hot Cocoa Mix :: Easy Felted Ornaments :: Festive Wrapping Paper :: Stamped Gift Bags :: Easy No Mess Snowflake Ornaments :: Felt Fairy House […]

Handmade Holidays — Felt Fairy House Tutorial

This little fairy house was an impromptu sewing project for two sweet girls (sisters) we were lucky enough to meet for a play date this afternoon. In mind was this fairy house from Imagine Childhood. Ours was made from this felted wool sweater, some other pieces of felt, a tiny bit of yarn, some buttons, […]

Handmade Holidays — Easy No-Mess Snowflake Ornaments

These beautiful snowflake ornaments (shown above) couldn’t have been easier to make! I love that the process was mess-free, very easy, and frugal. Plus, we have more ornaments to add to our tree that are not fragile!! To make your own snowflake ornaments, you will need: white model magic, snowflake cookie cutters, a rolling pin, […]

Handmade Holidays — Stamped Gift Bags

After yesterday’s drive through the neighborhood, we were inspired to make these gift bags with printed holiday lights on them. We used brown paper lunch bags, and we found that they are the perfect size for holding small mason jars of homemade peppermint hot cocoa mix! First, cut a potato into the shape of a […]

Handmade Holidays — Easy Felted Ornaments

We spent some time with our sleeves rolled up and our hands in very warm soapy water to make these beautiful felted ornaments. I found the process to be calming, and we were both quite pleased with the results! To make your own felted ornaments, you will need some wool roving and a dish of […]

Handmade Holidays — Peppermint Hot Cocoa Mix

Hot cocoa is a real treat in our household, and I’ve found that it is so simple and easy to make your own mix! Plus, Emily thinks this is a super-fun activity! We went the all organic route, but you certainly don’t have to. To make your own peppermint hot cocoa mix, you will need: […]