My last installment included a grey linen camp shirt with buttonholes that were created by piecing a band to the center front. It is a little tricky to figure out how that happens just looking at the finished product. So here is how that happened.... I am using some 'loud' contrasty fabrics to make it easier to see what's going on...I hope it works! Pretend that the blue is the front of the shirt, the pink is the buttonhole band and the check is the binding. The buttons here are 3/4 inch, so I wanted a 3/4" finished band. You can decide what proportion looks best for your buttons and fabrics. I serged the edge of the blue because it will be turned to the inside to form the front facing. To get a 3/4" band with a bound edge I cut a strip 1 1/2" wide (if you are going to finish the edge with a slip stitch, add a 1/4" seam allowance...1/2" total... to the strip) If you are making the band a different size, double your finished width for the bound version and add 1/2" for seam allowances for the slip stitched version. Mark a center line on the strip, leaving spaces for the buttonholes. In this example the spaces are 7/8" long. Pin your strip to the shirt front matching the center marking with the center front of the shirt. Adjust the strip up or down to get the buttonholes where you want them! In this case I assumed a 2" facing would be turned back on the shirt front. Stitch the band to the shirt, leaving the spaces for the buttonholes unstitched. It's easier to see this from the back side of the shirt. Make sure to secure your stitching really well on either side of the buttonholes so it doesn't pull out when you button and unbutton your shirt! Now turn the 'facing' to the inside of the shirt and fold the band in half lengthwise along your stitching line. This is what makes the buttonhole. At this point you have a couple of finishing options... For this example I am using a 1/4" bound edge to finish the buttonhole band. I "stitched in the ditch" to catch the backside of my bias tape and finish the binding. On my grey shirt, I turned the raw edges of the band to the inside and slip stitched the edge. Sew your buttons to the other shirt front and you are in business! Obviously, this finish can be quite subtle as on the grey camp shirt... or fun and colorful as my little sample. Whichever version you pick, it does make a really clean buttonhole. Hope this is helpful! 😊

Free Knitting Pattern. 2 stuffed wool pumpkins, 5" and 6" diameter knit up using the same pattern but different needle sizes. These will be an awesome addition to your fall decor.

A couple of weeks ago we visited our nearby Science Center and Chuck fell in love with a small space shuttle toy. Of course, the wheels in my head began whirring and I knew that we could easily transform a paper towel roll into our very own rocket ship. So after a couple days of planning, cutting, and painting, we are now the proud owners of two cardboard roll space shuttles: Cardboard Space Shuttle Craft Want a ride to the moon on your very own cardboard roll space shuttle? Then keep reading to see how we made them (template included)! Materials to Make Cardboard Roll Rocket Ship: Cardboard space shuttle template Cardboard paper towel roll Cereal Box Scissors Pen Paint Paint Brushes Permanent marker Glue Mod Podge Sponge Brush Scrap paper Tray ( to hold paint and glue) Optional: Straw, tape, and yarn (if you want it to slide around) Directions to Make Cardboard Roll Space Shuttle: 1. Print out the template. Cut out the body/wing piece and the rudder piece. Trace them onta cereal box and cut them out. Two sets of pieces- One for my large shuttle and then a set of modified ones for a smaller roll 2. Then, cut out three slits in you paper towel roll. Cut out two approximately 2 1/2 " slits on both sides of your paper towel roll. Then, cut out one approximately 2 " slit on the top of your paper towel roll. (Confused? See the template for a diagram.) 3. Slide your body/wing piece through your cardboard roll. Its slits should slide nicely into your cardboard roll's 2 1/2" side slits. Then, slide your rudder piece in. The rudder's top slit should slide into your cardboard roll's 2" slit, and the bottom slit should slide into your body/wing's slit. (Again, the template makes this much clearer.) If the slits don't exactly match, cut them longer as necessary. Also, you can always add a dab of glue to make your pieces stay in place. 4. Once everything fits nicely, pull your pieces apart and paint them! We painted the bottom of the body/wing portion black. Then, after that dried, we painted everything else white. Then, I added the black details while Chuck slept. 5. I knew that Chuck would be playing with this toy, so we coated it with a layer of Mod Podge to protect our paint job. (If your kid has perpetually sticky hands like mine, I definitely recommend this step. It's always a bummer to see stains on your lovely paint job.) 6. Slide the pieces together and then play! (Once again, if the slits don't quite fit together because of your paint or Mod Podge, just make them longer or add glue.) No rocket fuel needed, these space shuttles are sparked by love and fueled by imagination! Want to make your cardboard rocket ships really fly? Ahh, I see you want to take it the next step further! Yes. We can do it! Tape a straw to the top of your rocket ship. String it through a piece of yarn. Then, tie a piece of yarn across the room. (I tied it from one door handle to another.) Slide it along the yarn to make it fly! Cardboard Space Shuttle from Pink Stripey Socks on Vimeo. Chuck really loved helping me making the space shuttle. (We both painted in white and covered it in Mod Podge to protect our paint job.) And I had a lot of fun designing the project too. Isn't it neat when a couple of simple materials are transformed into something really magical? Until next time, happy crafting! Psst- the fun doesn't have to stop. Looking for other transportation-related crafts? Check these out! Climbing Cardboard shuttle toy Toilet Roll Airplanes Cardboard Train and Car Bridge Cardboard Taxicab Bank Styrofoam gliders Shampoo bottle sailboat

One of our preschool educational game downloads in a PDF file. Here is what you get! 1 France themed What Comes Next preschool educational game that prints 1 game board and 4 game pieces. We use these types of educational games in our learning center with children ages 2-6. The games are designed...

It is time to move on to block 13, of the I dropped the button box crazy quilt. I know many people enjoy monotone crazy quilt blocks and I hope people will enjoy seeing it in more detail over the next week or so. As you can see there are 6 …

Help kindergarteners compare length & use appropriate vocabulary with this FREE "Shorter and Longer" activity. Great hands on practice for comparing length.

Pencil Names - Name Building Practice Printable comes with eight editable pages, containing two pencils. Each pencil has pieces for two letter names up to nine letter names. Getting Pencil Names - Name Building Practice Printable

I put together a simple and fun Humpty Dumpty Craft for my kids yesterday. You can download and/or print my worksheet HERE. Directions: Help put Humpty Dumpty

Love cute foxes? Then why not grab this printable build a fox craft to decorate and make your own cute little fox at home!

This Pomegranate print titled "Pom - Center" is an original block print inspired by the graceful leaves and seeds of the pomegranate. I create each print by inking and hand pressing a block that I designed and carved. This artwork is signed and numbered and released in a limited edition of black and white prints. This Pomegranate artwork is hand printed on Japanese paper. Choose from 8" x 10" with leaves atop pomegranate - or 11" x 11" with leaves at top and bottom. Slight print and color variations may occur since each artwork is handmade to order. Interested in ordering multiples of this print or have a custom color request? Just message me - custom orders are welcome! Check out my shop home page for more botanical block prints! etsy.com/shop/SarahHessArt

You cut a few pieces out of craft foam, print the printable build a letter puzzles, and you are ready to get started building letters.

These 28 printable puzzles for toddlers and preschoolers aged 2-6 are perfect for enhancing fine motor skills. Ideal for home or classroom activities.

This style of bench has been around for yonks. This is my version of it. I hope you find these plans useful and easy to understand. Easy step-by-step instructions with plenty of drawings

I'm a literacy lover...getting my Masters of Education in Reading makes that pretty evident. So, when it comes to teaching math in the classroom I often felt like I was doing a terrible job. My brain does not go the math route. And trying to convince my learners that math was amazing got a little

We are getting geared up for learning about 2D and 3D shapes in my classroom! Let's keep this low-prep, rigorous, and FUN! These activities are from my NO-PREP Shapes Printables and also my Common Core Math Centers Bundle. Here are a few examples from these packets! And a few centers from my Common Core Math Centers... Download them HERE!

Creative Play Challenge No. 2 – Nature/Organic; Kawandi Style Quilt

Instead of throwing out those old puzzles with missing pieces, repurpose them with these DIY upcycled puzzle piece projects.

This month there are a couple of resolutions in our house, that may or may not work. Firstly my husband thought it would be a good idea if we did not eat any processed sugar during May. I do not …

Photo Source: Finally in First Fractions can often be a difficult concept for students to grasp. Jenn over at Finally in First was finding that her kiddos needed a little reinforcment working with fourths/quarters and so she created this fun pizza fraction craftivity. Activity Prep Jenn prepared a brown crust cutout and yellow cheese cutout, as well as 1 1/2" x 12" strips of red, green, black, and light brown paper for each student. Completing the Activity Photo Source: Finally in First First, Jenn invited her students to cut out and assemble the crust and cheese. Next, she demonstrated how to cut the toppings from the strips of construction paper. [NOTE: In her FREE activity packet, Jenn details how she cut each of the toppings as well as how she describes the process for her kiddos!] Then, once the pizzas are fully assembled and dried, Jenn has her students cut their pizza into four equal pieces and paste them onto a piece on construction paper. Finally, they complete the writing prompt... "My pizza is divided into ___________ (fourths) which are also called ___________ (quarters)." ...and, once completed, the prompt paper is glued to the craft! [NOTE: The prompt paper is included in the FREE activity packet!] We think this is a great way to help reinforce some of those tricky concepts! To grab a copy of this great math craftivity freebie, be sure to visit Finally in First!

Activities that develop early math skills are our favourites! We love working on our number recognition, counting skills, subitising and 1:1 correspondence. This “Build a City” activity…

Crochet flower can be a beautiful home decoration or an applique. In this post you will find lots of ideas and free crochet patterns!

Help your kids learn the story of Job with this fun printable Job mini book - Easy to make from one piece of paper! Perfect for home or class.

Have you ever wondered what Johnny Appleseed carries in his knapsack? My students answered this question inside these knapsack crafts!

Here is a fun printmaking project inspired by artist Paul Klee and his painting Castle and Sun. Do your kids watch Little Einsteins? My little girl loves them and was watching them the other day. If you do watch them, you know that they feature an artist and a composer each episode. Paul Klee was […]

Hi Folks, It's Cathy Victor from Me and My Mum Quilting. I am so pleased to be sharing another quilt design with you. I call this quilt "Web Weaver", as the design was coming together I felt like a spider making its web. The quilt has a modern setting with lots of negative space to play in. The block is assembled in 3 rounds. You can stop with the central block, continue with the second round for an equally stunning block that would still look awesome as a quilt.

IDEA #1: King and Queen of Measuring This is so cool! There are many ways to present this to meet specific ages. I love the idea of the crowns and even doing non-standard measuring! For more details go to: Deceptively Educational IDEA #2: Measuring Playdough Worms Any math that involves playdough is a winner in […]

Operation Instruction:Machine washAll-season:WinterHeavy Weight:Medium WeightSpecial Features:Other Special FunctionsTheme:FantasyPattern:Geometric-patternStyle:ContemporaryRecommended Usage:MultipurposeCover Material:100% PolyesterFilling Material:100% MicrofiberWeaving Method:KnittingPrinting Type:DigitalFabric Type:

Learn to make an origami lion by T Gotani. This is a hard model so be prepared. Free origami instructions for lots of models

Print This CraftMake a Blackfoot Paper Teepee to add to your Thanksgiving decorations. Native Americans were an important part of ... Read More

Beautify Your Space With This Stunning Bird Song Knit Afghan

We began this lesson by perusing a variety of scientific illustrations of insects, observing the realistic elements such as the presence of a head, thorax, and abdomen and a total of six segmented…

L'artiste vietnamien Hoang Tien Quyet va vous suprendre avec ses origamis très réalistes d'animaux en tout genre. Un véritable travail de professionnel !

This chart is a digital file that contains the design for Evergreen Needlepoint's floral flag, designed by Molly Hurd. It's recommended to handpaint the design using acrylic craft paint on an 11 in by 9 in  piece of 13 count mono-deluxe Zweigart canvas, centering the design. It can also be painted on 18 count, or you can stitch from the chart if you are planning to use a full coverage tent stitch.  Your purchase includes the full flag chart in two views (block and canvas) and is available for immediate download.

I have recently begun a new series on my Facebook page where I post one or two photos each day, and it has become very popular. These are pictures of the little Invitations to Play that I have set up for our girls in various places in our home. I’m hoping through this series to...Read More »