Hope everyone is enjoying a lovely weekend! Here’s a fun post from our archives. Our entire family enjoyed many memories of hockey tournaments on our homemade table, and when we were done it was so simple to convert back to our regular coffee table. Be sure to check back tomorrow for a great giveaway from […]
Penguin Playset Tutorial
January 5, 2010 by
We were going through the girls out-grown clothes and deciding which ones to donate to Goodwill, when Emily spotted these old microfiber tights. She declared we could make a penguin from them, and of course I had to agree! To make your own penguin playset, you will need: some felt, thread, old microfiber stockings, and […]
Snowman Vase from Recyclables
January 2, 2010 by
We filled this sweet little snowman vase with some evergreens from the yard to bring some green into the house. He is made from recyclables (aka FREE craft supplies)! To make your own snowman vase, you will need: an empty cereal puffs container (or other container of similar shape), Sharpie marker, construction paper, felt, and […]
Macho Manly Man Pocket Hand Warmers for Men
November 7, 2009 by
This little project combined two activities Emily has asked if we could do recently, but I had to give the “yes, we will do that later” answer. A good tip — Keep a list of requests your child makes to be done “later”. When boredom starts to creep in, break out the list! In this […]
This Bakery is for the Birds
November 2, 2009 by
We thought the birds could use a little love this time of year, so we made a fresh batch of bird seed cookies! While we were “baking” these, we could hear birds chirping loudly outside our kitchen window. Emily kept telling them to be patient! First, Emily traced a heart shaped cookie cutter onto corrugated […]
Cheap Thrills — Cardboard Box Edition
October 14, 2009 by
For a fun time, place a preschooler inside a large cardboard box. On the box, draw eyes, a nose, and mouth. It helps if it looks angry. Pretend to eat things!! Nom nom nom! Pajamas were just the beginning…. this box was hungry! (Burp!) On to The New Yorker….. Oh no…. he can’t be stopped! […]
Coffee Cozy from an Old Sweater
October 8, 2009 by
Here’s another cute gift idea that is super-frugal and extremely cute — handmade coffee cozies! Isn’t it adorable? It’s reusable, eco-friendly, and it keeps your drink warm too. You won’t believe how quick and easy this project is. First, find an old wool sweater and put it in the washing machine using hot water, then […]
Eliminate Plastic Bag Clutter with this Easy Craft
September 26, 2009 by
We recently borrowed Ed Emberley’s Picture Pie (Ed Emberley Drawing Books) from our local public library, and it inspired this quick project for a plastic bag organizer that uses an empty tissue box! We used a large circle cutter to cut all the pieces quickly and easily. Then Emily chose a design from the book […]
Simple Tip to Reuse Workbooks
September 17, 2009 by
We go through several workbooks in this household, so I was trying to come up with an easy way to reuse them and save them for when Clara is a little older. This seemed to work the best, and it’s also very frugal. To reuse sheets from a workbook, tear out the pages, and place […]
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 […]
Write to Grandma Kit
September 9, 2009 by
Emily loves writing letters to Grandma, so we put together a little letter writing kit to encourage this important task! This is a fun way to celebrate Grandparent’s Day (Sept. 13th). Somehow I had accumulated a tremendous amount of stationery over the years, and Emily enjoyed going through my collection to pick out cards and […]
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 […]
Pillowcase Pajama Pants
August 26, 2009 by
Emily loves that her new pajama pants are so soft and comfy, since I made them from an old pillowcase. I used a technique very similar to the one found in The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule. These were made in just a few minutes! By using the existing hem on the pillowcase, I […]
DIY Reusable 2-in-1 Sandwich Wrap and Placemat
August 22, 2009 by
Here’s a quick eco-friendly weekend project, just in time for back-to-school! These reusable sandwich wraps/placemats are made from cereal box liner bags and a little fabric. Mark made fun of me for saving these cereal bags, but I just knew I could find a way to reuse them. I made these sandwich wraps using some […]
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 […]
Important Info and Frugal Fun with Cardboard
August 17, 2009 by
First, some important announcements: I won’t keep you waiting any longer! Click here to register and for more information on our Sewing in Baby Steps online workshop — it’s FREE. I’m so excited about this, and it’s going to be so much fun! I’m scheduled to appear on tomorrow’s 10! Show on NBC for a […]
Wanna Beat the Heat?? Build an Ice Castle!
August 6, 2009 by
Think it’s too hot to craft? Think again! To build your own ice castle, you will need empty milk cartons, some paper, a couple of rubber bands, and some ice pops. Fill the milk cartons with water (and food coloring, if desired) and freeze the night before. Keeping the ice pops in their wrappers, roll […]
