This beautiful post on A Creative Mint had me thinking about rich shades of purple, lavender, linen, and white. It reminded me of this pad of 50 sheets of cardstock I had picked up on clearance at JoAnn’s ($3.17) a long time ago. We put it to good use today! First, I cut each 8 […]
Handmade Holidays — Meet Rose!
November 18, 2009 by
As promised in yesterday’s post, here’s what we’ve been working on…. a doll made from felt! This handsewn doll became an instant treasure, and Emily has named her Rose. Rose was easy to make, though she did take a few days to complete. I made two dresses (one red, one blue), and Emily loves to […]
Handmade Holidays — Dolly & Me Lounge Pants
November 12, 2009 by
I had purchased one yard of pretty flannel fabric at JoAnn back when it was on sale, with the intention of sewing some cozy lounge pants for Emily. When the pants were done, I had just enough fabric leftover for a fun pair of matching pants for Dolly. Emily was so happy with these! Dolly […]
Gratitude Activity Jar
November 11, 2009 by
Around Thanksgiving we try to do crafts and activities that promote gratitude and focus on the things we have to be thankful for. Last year we did gratitude journals, but this year we’re trying something a little more active — Gratitude Activity Jars! I asked Emily to name some of the things she was thankful […]
You can’t catch me!
November 10, 2009 by
All four of us enjoyed some late night baking this evening. We made gingerbread cookies! This is an activity Emily has been begging me to do for ages, but I’m not much of a baker. At all. Clearly, it was time to call in reinforcements! Hey, I know my limits. First, find the perfect cookie […]
Handmade Holidays — Fabric Dollhouse
November 9, 2009 by
When I set out to do this project, I thought it would take me about a month to complete, or at the very least, a few weeks. I was wrong! Thanks to this wonderful (and free!) tutorial over at UK Lass in the US, I had almost the entire doll house complete before the girls […]
The Halloween Deal
October 31, 2009 by
Between Clara’s Little Red Riding Hood, and Emily’s Link from Zelda, we’re kickin’ it old school in our household this Halloween. Mark made the shield from cardboard, and I sewed the tunic, hat, and sheath for the sword ($5.00 fabric from JoAnn). The sword was a Target find ($5). Emily and I worked out a […]
Super Easy Marshmallow Pumpkins
October 30, 2009 by
Emily and I did some Halloween “baking” this afternoon. She thought these marshmallow pumpkins were the coolest thing, and they were super-easy to make. Each marshmallow makes two pumpkins. Very frugal! She made these with very little help from me whatsoever. For a slightly healthier option, try slices of banana instead of marshmallows. I say, […]
Hey there Little Red Riding Hood
October 29, 2009 by
I finished sewing Clara’s Halloween costume last night because there’s no sense in waiting until the last minute, right? Fortunately, this sweet hooded poncho for Little Red Riding Hood took less than 10 minutes to put together. I used 1 yard of costume fabric from JoAnn that was just $2.49/yard. Bargain! I love that her […]
Five Little Bats Finger Puppet Playset
October 28, 2009 by
Here’s a fun Halloween craft for preschoolers to foster plenty of learning fun. This Five Little Bats Finger Puppet Playset is a festive way for kids to work on counting and number recognition! The bat finger puppets are quick and easy to make. The kids may want to perform their own creative puppet shows too! […]
Last-Minute Goody Bags from an Envelope
October 27, 2009 by
Emily asked if we could make some special Halloween goody bags to give out to her friends, but I am too lazy (and far too frugal) to go to the store and spend money on goody bags. In the end, she liked these handmade ones so much better! I think they would be perfect for […]
Pumpkin Printed Halloween Treat Bags
October 1, 2009 by
Today’s project was inspired by Lisa Anne from Smell the Coffee, Lisa! She recently featured a great Halloween Spooktacular post with all sorts of neat crafty ideas. Lisa Anne plans to sew Halloween treat bags this year, and I thought that was a terrific idea, so we made our own too. I made a very […]
Spooky Spider-Printed Pumpkins
September 21, 2009 by
The only one who’s crazy about carving pumpkins in our household is Mark. Emily and I would prefer to paint on ours, thank you very much. These spider-printed pumpkins were fun and easy to make! Keep some baby wipes on-hand to keep the mess to a minimum. To make your own spider-printed pumpkins, you will […]
Splatter Painted Fireworks
June 26, 2009 by
Oh my, this was SO MUCH FUN! To make your own splatter painted fireworks, you will need sidewalk chalk paint (click here for directions to make your own, it’s very easy and inexpensive!), paint brushes, and a black asphalt driveway (or similar surface). Emily and I painted some firework designs and then I let her […]
Happy Father’s Day!
June 21, 2009 by
I was a little late in posting about this Father’s Day craft because Mark sometimes reads this blog (or at least pretends to) and I did not want to spoil the surprise! Emily used this stamp set by Melissa and Doug, some construction paper, a little glue, and some shiny star stickers to make this […]
Fabulous Keychains Your Kids Can Make
June 1, 2009 by
Tucked in among our craft supplies, I found some keychains I had ordered a long time ago from Oriental Trading Company. They weren’t much to look at, but they had little photo frames in them, and the kids could paint the frames. These would be okay for keeping the kiddos occupied, but personally I wouldn’t […]
Patriotic Wreath Craft
May 25, 2009 by
Happy Memorial Day! Here’s a simple craft Emily enjoyed in-between picnics, barbecues, and working in the garden. To make your own patriotic wreath, you will need a star-shaped hole puncher (I found this one at Big Lots for $1), some red, white, and blue construction paper, glue, a paper plate, and a pair of scissors. […]
