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 […]
Happy New Year!! — Jingle Bell Noisemaker Bracelet
January 1, 2010 by
Emily loved ringing in the new year with this fun jingle bell noisemaker bracelet! To make your own noisemaker bracelet, you will need: felt, thread, jingle bells, and a small button. Cut two long pieces of felt about 1 1/2 inches wide. Measure your child’s wrist and add about 2 inches for the length. Whip […]
Cute Marshmallow Snowman
December 29, 2009 by
I have been wanting to make marshmallow snowmen with Emily for some time now, and when I mentioned it to her, she instantly adored the idea of making a snowman out of marshmallows! We used jumbo marshmallows and pretzel rods. Push three marshmallows through one end of the pretzel rod, and stack them together to […]
Top 9 Posts of 2009 Round Up
December 28, 2009 by
Some of our very favorite posts for 2009: :: Easy Autumn Tree Suncatcher :: Gratitude Activity Jar :: Fun Autumn Treasure Hunt :: Cheap Thrills — Cardboard Box Edition :: Stunning Winter Tree Silhouette :: DIY Reusable 2-in-1 Sandwich Wrap and Placemat :: Modern Art :: Felt Fairy House Tutorial :: Laundry Day Fun We […]
Art So Easy, A Toddler Can Do It
December 26, 2009 by
We had so much going on during Christmas, that I thought the girls could use a little break from all the chaos today. Clara, in particular, seemed to be a bit over-whelmed with it all. So when Emily was off playing with all her lovely new toys, Clara and I snuck in a quick painting […]
Handmade Holiday — Meet Butter!
December 22, 2009 by
This sweet kitty cat was a late night sewing project I made using this free pattern found on Wee Wonderfuls, and I wish you could have seen the look on Emily’s face when she first saw him! She immediately named him “Butter”, and they have been enjoying many adventures together this morning. Butter’s made from […]
Handmade Holidays — Scented Bath Salts
December 20, 2009 by
It’s not too late to make some last-minute handmade gifts for that special someone on your list who is in need of a little pampering… (hint, hint). Mark and Emily whipped up a batch of lavender scented bath salts and it only took a few minutes! To make your own scented bath salts, you will […]
Gifts Kids Can Make — Chocolate Nut Bark
December 18, 2009 by
I found this recipe for Chocolate Nut Bark in an issue of Real Simple magazine, and it’s so simple and easy — a five year old can do it (with a bit of supervision). That’s my kind of “baking”! To make your own, you will need: one 12 oz bag of semi sweet chocolate chips […]
Adventures in Baking — Cornbread
December 16, 2009 by
Emily and I made cornbread to go with chili for dinner, and it was delicious, fun, and frugal! We followed the recipe on the back of the bag of Bob’s Red Mill Corn Meal found here. It was so simple, even I couldn’t screw it up. Emily had so much fun with this…. …and was […]
Gifts Kids Can Make — Chocolate Covered Pretzels
December 15, 2009 by
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 […]
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 — 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 […]
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 […]
