How to Make a Lei with Real Flowers

Making leis from real flowers may seem daunting at first, but those blooming flowers in your backyard may be the perfect way to bring a little “aloha” into your school day! One of the many joys of homeschooling is the freedom to travel. When we travel during the school year, we just take our studies […]

50+ DIY Costume Ideas for Kids

If you don’t plan to make costumes for your kids this Halloween, you may have second thoughts after seeing some of these lovely ideas on our Pinterest boards! Let’s begin with the wee little ones, shall we? Easy DIY Costumes for Baby — I know, right?? Can they get ANY cuter???? The baby turtle almost […]

Catch the Comet

Using some leftover scraps of felt in lots of bright colors, I sewed a super-easy comet ball that has been used for several games of catch around here! I have seen much more expensive versions in toy catalogs, but it was a lot cheaper (& more fun) to make our own. It is SO much […]

First Sewing Basket

I recycled an old basket and some other on-hand household finds to make up a sweet toddler-friendly sewing kit for Clara. It’s been a big hit around here, and it was practically free to put together! I completely under-estimated how ridiculously happy she would be to have a sewing basket of her very own, and […]

Top 10 Posts of 2010 — #6

We’re continuing with our countdown of the top 10 posts of 2010, and while this next post features a super-fun sewing project, you could easily make something similar from cardboard for a no-sew version. Coming in at number 6…. DIY Travel Play Kitchen Set!! It’s now several months later, and the kitchen set is holding […]

Top 10 Posts of 2010 — #9

We’re counting down the top 10 posts of 2010! Doll houses of all shapes and sizes were very popular in our household. Here’s a look at some of the ones we’ve made this year, most were made from recyclables. Coming in at number 9….. doll house posts!! Psst! They’re not just for girls!! With the […]

Around the Web — Handmade Holiday Gifts for Baby

Now is the perfect time for some quick weekend sewing projects. Here are some frugal handmade gift ideas for the littlest ones on your holiday list! I used this free pattern from Stardust Shoes to make several pairs of cloth baby shoes as gifts, and it is one of my favorites! Aren’t they just the cutest?? […]

Lil’ Mushroom House

This sweet lil’ mushroom house was so easy and so much fun to make! Plus, it’s made using recycled materials — making it a super-frugal project! It would make a great handmade holiday or birthday gift, and there is only a little hand sewing involved. I used an empty oatmeal canister for the base, and […]

Handmade Holidays – Soft (Felt) Pretzels

I sewed some quick and easy soft pretzels for the girls using just two 9″ x 12″ sheets of craft felt and some stuffing. It’s been a great addition to their fold up kitchen set! The pretzels are just long skinny tubes sewn from the felt (no measuring, just eyeballed it), stuffed (by Mark, thanks, […]

Weekend Rewind — Pumpkin Printed Treat Bags

Emily still has this trick-or-treat bag she decorated last year, and she plans to use it for trick-or-treating again this year! We have some great posts lined up for next week, so be sure to check back. You won’t want to miss it! Today’s project was inspired by Lisa Anne from Smell the Coffee, Lisa! […]

Around the Web – Owl Crafts

Some fun owl crafts for the kiddos (and grown-ups) to make…. Enjoy!! This owl snack by Christy over at Superheroes and Princesses is cute and nutritious! Whooo whooo! These stuffed owls look like so much FUN to make! Find out how at Elsie Marley. I’m loving these cupcakes by Almost Unschoolers! Cute and EASY…. my […]

Weekend Rewind — Back to School Edition

It’s that time of year again — time to get the kiddos ready to go back to school, and here at FFFB we’ve got you covered! From the archives, here are some super-fun (and frugal) crafts and activities just in time for back to school. We’ve got lots of exciting NEW things planned too, so […]

Quilted Color Match Game for Tots

I sewed up this little color match game for Clara to practice identifying her colors. It ended up being a great quiet game for keeping both of the girls occupied while I was in the kitchen making dinner. It is so colorful! I sewed the color mat using pieces from fat quarters (very inexpensive), and […]

Simple Farm Take-Along Toy

I had a bit of red and white wool felt leftover from the fold up kitchen set I made last week, which worked out perfectly to make this sweet travel farm set! It was an easy, quick and very frugal sewing project that gave the girls hours of imaginative play! The animals are the free […]

DIY: Travel Play Kitchen Set

This travel play kitchen set was super-frugal to make, and is perfect for small living spaces since the entire set folds up! I’m thinking we’ll take it with us for trips to the garden plot, visits with grandparents, or just playing outside in the backyard like we did this afternoon. I used an ordinary folding […]

Dear Tooth Fairy (and a Giveaway!)

There has been much tooth fairy excitement in this household today! This morning, Emily lost her first tooth!! Think she was a little excited? To celebrate, she wrote a short note to the tooth fairy during Clara’s nap time. Dear Tooth Fairy, Here is my 1st tooth! No cavities!!! Please bring 2 cans of tuna fish. <3, […]

Pretend Play on a Dime — Donut Shop

It rained all day today, so while Clara was napping, Emily and I had a nice pocket of time for some crafting. She worked on some adorable paper dolls, and I put this together — A Mini Pretend Donut Shop! I used tan felt to sew the donuts (and batting to stuff them), then cut […]

Cheap Thrills — Simple Bean Bag Game

For a fun time, sew up a few easy bean bags. Then take them to your driveway for a test run with some targets drawn with sidewalk chalk! It’s so much fun, and a great way to practice addition by keeping score! It’s not solely about the execution…. bonus points for style! Extra bonus points […]