We decided to have some fun with a “fish day”, so I took the girls to the local fish hatchery to learn all about the life cycle of trout. For just $1, you can buy a bag of fish food. Emily loved feeding the fish…. and ducks! Both of the girls had a great time! […]
DIY: Bamboo Knitting Needles
September 16, 2009 by
The arrival of Fall always makes me want to start knitting again, and I love the feel of bamboo knitting needles (although the store-bought ones can be rather pricey). Fortunately, I found an easy, and practically free way to make your own! These would make such cute gifts for any avid knitter. To make your […]
Easy Autumn Tree Suncatcher
September 15, 2009 by
This cute Autumn tree suncatcher is an easy craft that even the little ones can do, and it doesn’t involve any messy glue. To make your own Autumn tree suncatcher, you will need: clear contact paper, tissue paper, construction paper, and scissors. Pre-cut some leaf shapes out of tissue paper. I folded the tissue paper […]
Frugal and Useful — Post-it Bookmarks
September 11, 2009 by
Here’s a useful gift that even the smallest crafters can make — Post-it® Bookmarks! I am so guilty of folding multiple corners on just about every book I read and writing in the margins, so I really needed one of these. When Emily saw what I was up to, she wanted to help. To make […]
DIY: No Sew Pencil Case
September 10, 2009 by
Cuteness Alert: This may be the cutest little pencil case ever, and there’s no sewing involved! Emily is making a few more of these for some of her friends to take to school. To make your own super-cute pencil case, you will need two sheets of craft foam (5″ x 7″) and (3″ x 7″), […]
Easy Apple Printed Book Covers from a Paper Bag
September 3, 2009 by
One of the first homework assignments many kids need to complete is to cover their books. Why not have a little fun doing it? Using some paint, a brown paper bag or freezer paper, an apple, and a potato, you can make beautiful book covers! I see book covers at office supply stores all the […]
Tutorial — Apple Printed Lunch Sack from Old Jeans
September 2, 2009 by
We are still finding new uses for that box of old jeans from my dad. They make great drawstring lunch sacks! My sewing machine is by no means heavy-duty, but it didn’t have any problems sewing through two layers of denim. To make your own lunch sack from an old pair of jeans, cut off […]
Marbled Sunset Painting
September 1, 2009 by
While the sun was setting behind us, I thought Emily would like to paint a picture of a sunset. I wanted to use a technique that would be easy for her, but give great results. This one was a hit! To make your own marbled sunset painting, you will need: shaving cream (very inexpensive, make […]
Finger Painting Fun in the Sun, Sun, Sun
August 31, 2009 by
Just a quick reminder, today is the last day to sign up for our free online sewing workshop Sewing in Baby Steps. Today, we celebrated one of the last few days of Summer by finger painting Sun pictures! This was a particularly messy project, but a really fun one that both my girls really enjoyed! […]
Sewing in Baby Steps … the Workbook!
August 28, 2009 by
If you always wanted to learn how to sew, but were too afraid or intimidated, this is the workshop for you. The Sewing in Baby Steps workbook is designed to teach you how to sew one baby step at a time. The workbook is divided into 13 days. Each day contains a short baby step […]
Light-Up Fireflies
August 25, 2009 by
This was a fun before-bedtime craft that Emily enjoyed. It’s easy, and mess-free too! She loved seeing all the fireflies light up in the picture! To make your own light-up fireflies, you will need: black construction paper, yellow tissue paper, scissors, chalk, and tape. Cut holes out of the black construction paper for the bodies, […]
Easy Flower Painting
August 24, 2009 by
We have been enjoying these beautiful little pockets of time when Clara is taking a nap (hooray for naps!) and Emily and I find a fun project to work on. Emily enjoyed this simple painting project so much that she made two of them! To make your own flower painting you will need: a cork, […]
Crafting with Recyclables – Napkin Rings
August 21, 2009 by
Here’s a craft that is sure to make meal time just a bit more fun! Emily fell in love with this cherry-printed ribbon the minute she first saw it. The red napkins were a clearance bargain from Target during their after-Christmas sale. To make your own napkin rings, you will need a paper towel roll, […]
Modern Art
August 19, 2009 by
This was a fun painting project Emily and I worked on together while Clara took a nap this afternoon. We were thrilled with how this turned out! Mark said he wants to hang this painting up in Emily’s room once it is completely dried, and I couldn’t agree more. This painting was done on a […]
10! Show Nature Craft Round Up
August 18, 2009 by
What a fun day at The 10! Show in Philadelphia! Turns out their site is being completely re-done, so no clip is available online — Boo hoo!! But here’s the recap of the crafts that were featured: Strawberry Necklaces Leaf Prints Garden Stones Clover Collage Three Little Pigs Playset I love nature crafts because they […]
Pretty in Peach
August 11, 2009 by
Here’s a little sneak peek! This is what I made using some of this fabric and this pattern courtesy of the aptly named blog Make It and Love It. I did make it, and I do indeed LOVE it!! Ashley’s patterns are always so delightfully simple and easy to understand. Mine was made from a […]
Free Flowers and Hugs
August 7, 2009 by
One of Emily’s favorite things to do is “make deliveries”. This morning was spent preparing to make a special delivery to some of the residents at our local assisted living facility. We gathered up all the tissue paper and pipe cleaners we could find, and got to work making lots and lots of tissue paper […]
Strawberry Necklaces at the Park
August 3, 2009 by
We were blessed with gorgeous weather here, so the girls and I spent as much time as possible outside. A few weeks ago, we found this craft idea in the book Crafts to Make in the Summer. Sure, we could just go out and buy a bag of walnuts, but I used it as an […]
