The girls and I did some holiday “baking” this afternoon. These chocolate covered pretzels were so much fun to make! We made several bags of them for neighbors, friends, and family. To make your own, you will need: One 12oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 Tbsp. shortening Pretzel Rods Melt shortening and some of […]
Napkin Doll Tutorial — Guest Post by Mark!
December 14, 2009 by
Back in October, our family made a Princess and the Pea Play Set as a birthday gift for one of Emily’s friends. For the doll, Mark created a miniature version of his napkin dolls, and I have since received numerous requests for a tutorial on how to make the doll. I must have bugged Mark […]
HELP! Advice Needed — Gift Ideas Kids Can Make
December 12, 2009 by
A few days ago, I received the following email from Sherry at A Little Fun with Me and Lu. I know Sherry is not alone in this dilemma, so I thought I would share her email with all of you, and together maybe we can come up with some options for the rest of us […]
12 Days of Handmade Holidays — Round Up
December 11, 2009 by
Some of our favorite Handmade Holiday posts: :: Fabric Dollhouse :: Dolly & Me Lounge Pants :: Felt Doll :: Snowflake Notecard Mailers :: Knit Hat (Free Pattern) :: Peppermint Hot Cocoa Mix :: Easy Felted Ornaments :: Festive Wrapping Paper :: Stamped Gift Bags :: Easy No Mess Snowflake Ornaments :: Felt Fairy House […]
Handmade Holidays — Felt Fairy House Tutorial
December 10, 2009 by
This little fairy house was an impromptu sewing project for two sweet girls (sisters) we were lucky enough to meet for a play date this afternoon. In mind was this fairy house from Imagine Childhood. Ours was made from this felted wool sweater, some other pieces of felt, a tiny bit of yarn, some buttons, […]
Handmade Holidays — Easy No-Mess Snowflake Ornaments
December 9, 2009 by
These beautiful snowflake ornaments (shown above) couldn’t have been easier to make! I love that the process was mess-free, very easy, and frugal. Plus, we have more ornaments to add to our tree that are not fragile!! To make your own snowflake ornaments, you will need: white model magic, snowflake cookie cutters, a rolling pin, […]
Handmade Holidays — Stamped Gift Bags
December 7, 2009 by
After yesterday’s drive through the neighborhood, we were inspired to make these gift bags with printed holiday lights on them. We used brown paper lunch bags, and we found that they are the perfect size for holding small mason jars of homemade peppermint hot cocoa mix! First, cut a potato into the shape of a […]
Cheap Thrills — Holiday Light Show Edition
December 6, 2009 by
We were delighted to see Danita’s girls at From the Land of Pleasant Living and Joyful Mommy and Joyful Child having fun while making their own salty snowman pictures! For a fun (and free!) activity this Winter, wait until it is almost time for bed, then dress the kids in their PJ’s with winter coats […]
Handmade Holidays — Festive Wrapping Paper
December 4, 2009 by
The girls and I made some wrapping paper this afternoon. It was so much fun, and a real team effort! We used ordinary brown grocery bags, and cut them to lay flat on the table. First, Clara got to work making “snowflakes” with her finger dipped in white washable paint. She loved it!Next, the paper […]
Handmade Holidays — Easy Felted Ornaments
December 3, 2009 by
We spent some time with our sleeves rolled up and our hands in very warm soapy water to make these beautiful felted ornaments. I found the process to be calming, and we were both quite pleased with the results! To make your own felted ornaments, you will need some wool roving and a dish of […]
The Ritual of Tea — Plus, a Giveaway!
December 2, 2009 by
It’s no secret that I have a deep love for tea (as mentioned here, here, and…. oh yes here). Tea has played a crucial role in my life since childhood. One of the first things I would do when I came home from school was heat up water for tea. My mom and I used […]
Salty Snowman Picture
December 1, 2009 by
This was a fun Winter art project Emily and I both enjoyed during a pocket of time while Clara was napping earlier this afternoon. Emily loved how the salt made the snow seem so “realistic”. I loved that this did not involve glitter (a.k.a. what I affectionally refer to as “the herpes of all craft […]
Handmade Holidays — Peppermint Hot Cocoa Mix
November 30, 2009 by
Hot cocoa is a real treat in our household, and I’ve found that it is so simple and easy to make your own mix! Plus, Emily thinks this is a super-fun activity! We went the all organic route, but you certainly don’t have to. To make your own peppermint hot cocoa mix, you will need: […]
Back to Knitting — Free Easy Pattern
November 29, 2009 by
I knitted this hat for Clara from 1 skein of Lion Brand Nature’s Choice organic cotton yarn purchased at JoAnn with a 50% off black Friday coupon for just $3.25. Bargain! The hat was a quick and easy knit, and is the perfect weekend knitting project! I even had enough yarn leftover to crochet a […]
Cheap Thrills — Jumping for Joy Edition
November 27, 2009 by
For a fun time, locate a mattress. Take it off the bed and place it on the floor. Jump up and down!!! For some magical reason, this activity never gets old. Have fun!! Note: Be careful not to fall off and bonk your head, or mama will call the doctor, and we all know what […]
Festive Thanksgiving Placecards
November 25, 2009 by
We were asked to bring placecards for Thanksgiving dinner this year, and Emily thought these turned out so cute! She cannot wait to show them to all our family and friends. If your child is old enough to write, this is a great way to get in some handwriting practice. Emily enjoyed learning how to […]
Super Fun Surprise Giveaway!!
November 24, 2009 by
I am going to let you in on a little secret — (some of you already know this, but…) from time to time we enjoy picking out some of our very special readers, contacting them via email to ask for shipping info, and then mailing out surprise packages. Just because! Sometimes I take the girls […]
