With the Thanksgiving holiday right around the corner, the kids and I wanted to make some special handmade hostess gifts for my mom, who will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year. ((Thanks, Mom!)) These pumpkin spice hand soaps fit the bill perfectly! They would be lovely gifts for teachers, neighbors, or friends too! First, you […]
10 Amazing Toys You Can Make For Your Kids
October 5, 2012 by
It’s no secret that we love making our own toys around here! Many times, these are the toys the kids play with the most, and in some cases the kids have played an active role in helping to make them. Here are ten of our all-time favorite homemade toys for kids to inspire imagination and […]
Kid-Made Fall Leaf Coasters
September 25, 2012 by
Please give a warm welcome to our new sponsors, Mod Podge, who generously supplied us with plenty of craft supply goodness!! When the package from Mod Podge arrived, I had a difficult time trying to decide which products to use first. So many interesting and pretty things — I already have several projects in mind […]
DIY Doll Lunch Box from a Mint Tin
August 29, 2012 by
Is your doll ready for back-to-school? Does she get hungry at lunch time? Do the other dolls make fun of her lunch box because it’s old or out-dated??? Then this project is for YOU!! To make your own doll lunch box, you will need an empty mint tin and some colored duct tape. Am I […]
DIY School Supplies: Modern Notebooks
August 22, 2012 by
It’s almost time for back-to-school, and the kids have been hard at work making many of their own school supplies for the upcoming year! This was one of Emily’s favorite projects because (just like her mother) she seems to have inherited a love of decorative tape. Oh, how I LOVE beautiful tape!! Did you know […]
DIY Pretend Spy Kit!
August 16, 2012 by
Wondering what to do with the kids? Wish you could go on an exciting adventure? Do you yearn to be a secret agent?? Then this activity is for you! The best part is that most of the components for this Pretend Spy Kit can be found at your local dollar store or you may already […]
DIY Cardboard Construction Play Set
August 10, 2012 by
Do your kids love to play with large cardboard boxes? Do you wish you had more room to store them? Want to create a play set that allows them to build and rebuild imaginative play structures?? Then this project is for you! To make your own cardboard construction play set, you will need a large […]
Make Your Own Sponge Blocks
August 2, 2012 by
Do you have quiet time at your house? Looking for a little activity to keep the kids entertained, but also quiet?? This little activity for the kids is so simple, but my girls enjoyed playing with these sponge blocks for a good part of the day! Added bonus — very quiet! While we were making […]
How to Build a Simple Shadow Puppet Theater
July 28, 2012 by
I completely underestimated how much the girls would enjoy playing with shadow puppets. Whenever something so simple makes them so happy, I can’t help but smile!! And this was SUPER simple. Added bonus — the perfect entertainment for whenever a power outage occurs. Our little shadow puppet theater was made from an empty cardboard box […]
Sponge Bomb Yo-Yos
July 10, 2012 by
There was renewed interest in the sponge bombs when we made them into yo-yos! This time I held the sponge bombs together with ouchless hair elastics instead, and they worked very well indeed. A piece of elastic attached made them instant yo-yos!! (As with anything else, be sure to supervise the kiddos while playing.) When […]
Building Fairy Houses
June 18, 2012 by
Just as I was about to tackle the pile of dirty dishes in the sink, the girls asked if they could do some crafting. Well! They didn’t have to twist my arm!! Those dishes can wait. Instead, I put together a super-quick, CUTE, tiny, fairy house building kit for them. It’s made with some leftover […]
Father’s Day Gift Kids Can Make — BBQ Sauce
June 12, 2012 by
Looking for an easy Father’s Day gift idea that the kids can make?? The girls and I have been hard at work making and canning batches of homemade BBQ sauce for a gift to Mark this Father’s Day! ((Shhhhhhh… it’s a surprise!)) Mark loves to cook on the grill. I’m pretty sure this is because […]
Easy Botanical Prints
June 10, 2012 by
The girls and I made some pretty botanical prints with the help of the Sun, some water, and a Sunprint Kit similar to this one. They were so proud of how nicely their prints turned out! We used natural items we collected from our yard — sticks, flower petals, and leaves. A few things I […]
Kid-Made Patriotic Note Cards
May 25, 2012 by
I’m guest posting for my friends at Melissa & Doug today — come see how Clara and I made Patriotic Note Cards (while sneaking in some learning fun too)! Wishing you and your lovely family a wonderful holiday weekend!!
How to Make a Doll Clipboard and Pencil Set
April 10, 2012 by
It’s official — Emily has inherited my love for office supplies! Know what’s cuter than office supplies?? MINI office supplies!! What I love about this project is that Emily (now 8 yrs old) could make the little clipboard and pencil set for her dolls with very little help from me, and she was inspired to […]
Valentine Pencil Toppers
February 9, 2012 by
Looking for a fun, useful, non-food Valentine treat to give to friends?? Something that’s super quick and cheap to make?? Then get yourself over to Target’s dollar section where you can buy pencils in packs of 10 for $1. Make some fun tags to go along with them! Want to make some of your own?? […]
“Tiled” Photo Frame
February 3, 2012 by
I saved some of these paint tiles the girls made the other day for some late night crafting of my own — with a cheap clear acrylic photo frame from the dollar store. After a bit of experimenting, it turns out the “tiles” can be glued to plastic with a bit of Plaid Mod Podge (I […]
Fun Valentine’s Day Gifts and Treats for Kids
February 2, 2012 by
Know what I love?? Surprising the kiddos with little gifts and treats for Valentine’s Day to let them know how special they are! And you don’t have to spend a lot of money to do it. A BIG thank you to our lovely Pinterest contributor, Stacy from Kids Stuff World for pinning these inspiring ideas […]
