These paint skin tiles were lots of fun to make, and they are great for mosaics and collage work! I set up a tray with some parchment paper and spread some leftover acrylic paint on top. Then I invited Clara over to swirl the paint around using toothpicks and craft sticks! She thought this was […]
Kiss Flip Book
January 30, 2012 by
When my father was battling cancer, Emily wanted to make something extra special for him. Something that would fit in his wallet, so it would be easy for him to take it to chemo and radiation treatments. Isn’t she so thoughtful?? When I came across this post at Color Me Katie (I adore her!!), I […]
Kid-Friendly Printmaking
January 17, 2012 by
Clara and I did some fun printmaking to make greeting cards using some things we already had on-hand and a mini paint roller from the dollar store (they come in packs of 2 for $1!). This kept her happy and busy all morning long!! As soon as she saw me bring out the stickers and […]
7 Tips for Crafting with Cardboard
January 12, 2012 by
Know what I love? Cardboard!!!! Because it is supreme! Cardboard is cheap (or free!), readily available, recyclable, and generally easy to work with. Oh! And the possibilities!! Here are some of my favorite tips and tools for working with glorious cardboard. 1. Stuff ‘Em — In the case of the city blocks I made (shown […]
Pretend Pretzels Made with Cleaning Cloths
January 2, 2012 by
The kiddos have been enjoying their cardboard cafe immensely!! Since then, there have been some requests for soft pretzels. Well, they didn’t have to twist my arm! I’ve made pretend pretzels from felt before, but this version is SO much easier — no sewing!!! To start, you will need some microfiber cleaning cloths. I found […]
Cardboard Cafe
December 26, 2011 by
Want to go some place good to eat?? Some place that’s not too crowded? With good food, and great service?? I think I know the perfect place! A special thank you to 45Wall Design for inspiring today’s post, and to my amazingly awesome husband who gifted me with several rolls of gummed reinforcement tape as […]
Marbled Ceramic Ornaments
December 20, 2011 by
The girls have been busy crafting all kinds of festive gifts for family and friends this holiday season!! This afternoon, we painted ceramic ornaments using the same marbled-painting technique we used on paper here. They had so much fun with this! Instead of placing a sheet of paper on top of the paint, they placed […]
5 Totally Awesome Stocking Stuffers to Make
December 19, 2011 by
Please give a warm welcome to Stacy from Kids Stuff World (who is totally awesome) as our newest Pinterest contributor!! Stacy’s been on the look out for amazing stocking stuffer ideas from around the web to share, and here are five of my favorites: 1. Christmas Crayons — Made by recycling old, broken crayons. Get […]
10 Easy Last-Minute Gifts You Can Make for the Kids
December 18, 2011 by
Looking for some quick, easy, inexpensive gift ideas for the kiddos?? Here are some of our favorite DIY gifts to promote hours of imaginative play without breaking the bank! 1. Doorway Puppet Theater — Use tension curtain rods and a few valance curtains to make your own doorway puppet theater. 2. Lil’ Mushroom House — Recycle an […]
Day 13 — Creative Christmas Countdown
December 13, 2011 by
It’s Day 13 of the Creative Christmas Countdown and that means it’s my turn to share a special way to spend some holiday time with the kiddos! We chose to make handmade wrapping paper because it’s getting to be a real tradition around here. What I love about handmade wrapping paper is that there really […]
Stocking Stuffers You Can Make for the Kids
December 10, 2011 by
Here are five simple and easy stocking stuffers you can make for the kids. Added bonus — all of these are either free or very low-cost!! Yay for frugal and quick crafts! 1. Story Stones — A great way to encourage creativity and imagination! ((Thank you to Stacy from KSW for the idea to use […]
Handmade Pine Tree Holiday Cards
December 7, 2011 by
Looking for a quick handmade holiday card the kiddos can craft up using items you probably already have on-hand?? These pine tree cards are so much fun to make, and we are looking forward to mailing them to far away friends and relatives! Added bonus — the kids were SO proud of their finished cards!! […]
Quick Craft — Salty Snowflake Ornaments
December 4, 2011 by
Did you know that 32 oz Stonyfield yogurt containers have clear lids that are perfect for recycling into snowflake ornaments?? Emily had such a great time making these, plus they were so simple and easy to make! Poke a hole at the top. Use double-sided tape to form a snowflake design on the lid (older […]
5 Amazing Toys You Can Make from Cardboard
November 27, 2011 by
I love crafting with cardboard because it is cheap, readily available, and SO easy to recycle into amazing things! Here are five inspiring ideas from around the web to make some frugal toys the kiddos are sure to treasure. 1. This cardboard parking garage is sure to bring hours of pretend play fun! See the […]
DIY Holiday — Play Salad
November 23, 2011 by
Emily played a big role in crafting up this fun play salad set! She couldn’t wait to show it to Clara, so now the two of them have been making up salads all afternoon. This was so simple (and very frugal) to make!! Emily cut out arbitrary lettuce shapes of green craft foam for lettuce, […]
DIY Glass Magnet Gift Sets
November 22, 2011 by
These glass magnets were so fun (and very frugal) to make! I love that Emily had a very active role in crafting these and that each of them is unique. We had hole punches from colored paper that were leftover from another project. With a little Mod Podge, Emily adhered the dots to the flat […]
DIY Holiday Gift for Kids — Doll Bath Set
November 14, 2011 by
After the girls were in bed, it was my turn for a bit of holiday-making! I combined a few things I already had on-hand (empty travel sized shampoo bottles and soap leftover from a hotel stay, a sponge) along with a few things from the dollar store or Target — hand towels, a pack of […]
Play Donuts from Dollar Store Socks
November 10, 2011 by
There has been a LOT of holiday-making at our house lately — very exciting!! Now that Emily has one of her surprise gifts ready for Clara, I thought it would be fun to help Clara create a fun surprise gift of her own to give to her big sister. We had lots of fun sneakily crafting […]
