Our church has a great child care program and they often inspire me with their craft ideas. In my youngest daughter's class, they made these clever homemade harmonicas. When my daughters twin sisters saw her harmonica, a few fights occurred, so to keep the peace, I made them some of their own. They were super simple to make and my kids made more than one Homemade Harmonica. They had enough to start their own band. If you kids can't get enough of homemade instruments, check out Making Musical Instruments with Kids and our Didgeridoo Craft. How to make a homemade harmonica Supplies You Will Need: Craft sticks (tongue depressor sized)
Decorate your porch or backyard with these relaxing wind chimes to fill your space with beautiful meditational sounds. Follow our DIY ideas.
These coffee filter dancers are SO PRETTY! I really love how bright and colourful they are. And the best part is that you only need a few simple dollar store craft supplies - They're actually really simple to make! We used Crayola washable markers for this craft, but you can also use Mr. Sketch markers. (Do you remember those smelly markers?? I was so excited to see that they still sell them!!) Just make sure the markers are washable, otherwise the colours won't bleed. Even my 4 year old little guy wanted to make one (mostly because he reeeeeeally loves
It's not hard to sit down with your kids and make a list of things to do before the summer ends. (granted, some of these are still INDOOR activities). And THANK HEAVEN'S for Pinterest, so that my searching for activities was made easy! UPDATE: Our favorite activities we've done multiple times. And we're still making summer lists EVERY SUMMER. But here's some ideas to get you started. (I made the pics mini, because there's SEVENTY FIVE + of them, but if you click on them, it should show up full size!) 1: Glow sticks in the bathtub. (I had to cover the window with a blanket some days because they wanted to do it when it was still light out!). 2: Writing your ABC's with licorice strings! Learning and eating a treat could NEVER go wrong! (A fav)3: Photo shoot. Any mom can have a photo shoot with their children, and you can find tips and tricks on Pinterest on HOW to photograph your children.4: Cloud watching. I had to make two. And it teaches your kids the correct name of the cloud.5: Fossil Digger. They have dino bones at the Dollar Tree. Burry them, and get your paint brushes ready to dust away dirt.6: Sponge Finger painting. Cut and soak up ANY sponge. I used makeup sponges I already had.7: Mini rainbow volcanoes. Because science is AWESOME!8: Make a book + illustrations. I folded it and got it ready. They started writing/drawing. 9:Balloon tennis. We got free paint stick stirrers at Walmart and used our 'personality balloons' found below. 10: Ding Dong Ditch w/a gift. Any neighbor you choose or think needs a pick me up! 11: Teach diversity with eggs. We're all the same on the inside remember? 12: Teach about the moon phases with Oreos. Then get you each a mug-a-milk ;) 13: Hand shadows and other objects. This also helps my kids be less scared of the shadows in their room at night.14: Plastic sheet cover your homework sheets=dry erase. I use to scan them and print for my children, (which I don't think was stealing since I bought the book and let my children keep practicing the same page. It was for personal use only, I didn't sell them or give to other children. Just to clear things up for those concerned in the comments below. But I've found that making it dry erase is a better way to practicing the same page over and save paper and ink! 15: Puppet show. UPDATE: I have now made my own PVC PIPE PUPPET THEATER.16: Shave with daddy. With popsicle sticks of course. (my kids used my pink leg shaving cream:) 17: Play angry birds on the nook. (This was a mandatory pick, obviously by my kids)18: Pick any animal day. Pick ANY animal and teach them everything you can find about it. We've done Cheetah and ostrich and even crickets. 19: Play hotel. You can play ANY 'pretend' game, but my kids love to put mints or chocolates on their pillows with flowers, and vacuum the room. (I'm soaking up every moment while they're young enough to think that cleaning is fun). 20: (wow this picture is small). Make Japanese chain cut outs. The kids will be amazed that they're all connected. (I tried to make the people holding hands, and FAILED. The hearts were easier).21: Create a silly holiday. I got this particular idea from my S.I.L. We made August 20th our annual donut day. You can customize it yourself to anything! Dutch Oven Day, Smore's etc! 22: Floating raisins. We've all done this, but I have to be honest the kids weren't THAT into it. 23: Blow up a balloon with vinegar and Baking Soda! YES, the kids LOVED this one. 24: Grab your nets and go Creature Catching! We caught a frog, a praying mantis and a dragon fly all in one day. 25: Helping cook. Doing grown up things is funner than kid things right? Of course be cautious in age and working around hot stoves and knives. 26: Make pony bead necklaces! My son loved this just as much as my daughter. (or pasta necklaces, tho ours always break.) And twice we've made fruit loop necklaces to bring and eat during church.27: Water paints are cheap and fun (for adults too).28: Lava floor. Dont touch the floor to survive. 29: Dry erase marker mirror faces! She's doing kissy lips...30: Melted crayon hot rocks. My sister showed me this technique. You bake rocks and then start drawing! Be careful to not touch the rocks though. 31: Teach and learn smallest to biggest. Have them organize objects like toys, blocks and talk about sizes. Most kids dont even learn this before school.32: Go camping :)33: Messless Makeup. I took empty makeup containers and pored in fingernail polish. My daughter still thinks it's real, and I dont have to clean up any messes.34: Balloon Characters. Draw a face and then name them. (WARNING: your kids will be crushed if these ones pop, tears MAY BE SHED).35: INDOOR Picnic. Make sure to use a NON favorite blanket ;)36: Play School. Learn while playing? okay.37: Make a band. My kids LOVE to make noise. Not recommended while husband is sleeping from working a night shift ;)38: Write and make letters to family members. use LOTS of stickers. 39: Teach you kids about the world.40: Teach your kids about outer space. 41: Exercise. You can be their instructor and try giving COSMIC KIDS YOGA a chance! They'll love going on a Yoga Adventure! 42: Make an obstacle coarse with crape paper streamers. I used our hallway. They crawl and step over all of it while trying not to touch the streamers.43: Act out a story. You dont need great costumes for this. Our bedtime stories come to life with T-shirts and sweaters. (wolf and lil Red below). 44: Make Dino fossils out of play dough and toy dinosaurs. Imprint and then let it dry. 45: Go to a fish hatchery and feed the fish bread :)46: Fly a kite. We did this a 100 times this summer. We went through quite a few plastic kites. Next year I'll be making fabric kites (with the left over kite sticks from the broken ones). 47: Make a Japanese Hanging Fish :) A big catch.48: Have a Tea Party. Mini foods and mini cups are a hit with BOYS AND GIRLS.49: Play dress up. See what your kids come up with. WINK~ 50: Go geocaching. My kids love 'treasure hunting' and BEG to do this EVERY single day. One of our favorite family activities. 51: Blow Wish Flowers. (AKA: dead dandelions). Or go Dandelion picking with baskets.52: Make popsicle stick puzzles. Storing a puzzle in a rubber band is brilliant enough I think. (using a photo is fun too)53: Make GIANT bubbles. Poke a hole in the bottom of a paper cup, or cut off the bottom of a water bottle. Dip. Blow. 54: Go swimming. My kids both did GREAT this year. We over came some MAJOR water fears.55: Color-Trace Leaves. If you haven't done this before...get to work. 56: Hand Print Art. Elephants, flowers, lions, reindeer, turkeys etc... it's endless. 57: Ice cube paint. Freeze water and food color in ice trays. Freeze with a toothpick or popsicle stick. Go outside if it's warm and enjoy some cold painting. 58: Play Mail Man. (with the mail you wrote and decorated earlier) 59: Go on a hike. Or run on a hike in my son's case... Nature hikes, scavenger hunts etc. 60: Make homemade lava lamps. Thanks to my friend Jess who taught me.61: Mini Marshmallow construction. Give them toothpicks and you've got a good hour of down time.62: Make mini bun pizzas. This way your kids can decorate their own.63: Paint and Roll Marbles. (Or in our case, hungry hippo balls)64: Make cookies. Let them do everything but work with the oven. Make matching aprons if your ambitious! (I got the kids aprons at the dollar store;)65: Potato stamps. (A fav) 66: Make a pinecone bird feeder. You'll enjoy the fruits of your labor all summer while bird watching. 67: Make and Play Play Dough. 68: Go through a car wash. (And if your in our family, tell scary stories:) This is a new major high-tech car wash in our area... 69: Have a water sprayer fight! recommended outdoors;) (also good to fill up with 1/4 vinegar and give your kids toothbrushes to clean the base boards...Yes I'm aware of child labor laws, but for now...it's a game to them)70: Scavenger Hunt. (A fav)71: A picnic. A regular one. Nothing's better than a spot of shaded grass on a hot day. 72: Build a fort! I wanted to post this one for inspiration because my blanket forts weren't picture worthy. My kids LOVE watching movies in a fort tho. 73: Write and send snail mail to loved ones. (That blue flying eagle is considered snail speed now thanks to the internet).74: Tear drop volcanoes. Put baking soda on a tray. Fill paper cups with vinegar and food color. Use a dropper to create fizzy foam!75: (no pic) Go Dollar Store shopping. Give them each 1-5 bucks and they're in heaven.
I can't help it, I got so used to the delights of White Wednesdays, I have to carry on for a little while longer. Whenever I am making something in shades of white, or listing something white, I think of White Wednesday. So today you get a whole bunch of pics in shades of white and cream, lol. I am working on a little project at the moment which called for this, a tiny little cone with the littlest frozen Charlotte doll - Of course I have also been making tags, lots of tags to go with customers' purchases, and a couple of tags going to friends. Friends first - Customer tags, not quite as lavish, but I hope they like them anyway - I also found myself making itsy bitsy envelopes to hold little punched out shapes and tiny buttons - And lastly, a couple of sweet white little treasures brought back from France- There, I am feeling much better now that I have posted some whites, lol. Wednesdays without white just don't feel right. I might not be able to find any whites for next Wednesday though, as I will be in France again for a little while, just for a week or ten days perhaps. We'll see. I don't think there will be any vide greniers to go to at this time of the year, but you never know, I might find something somewhere. Toodlepip xxx
Sontag shawl history and patterns. Discover the start of the Sontag shawl and how it became popular again with today's knitters!
Lamps even at discount stores such as Home Goods can cost a pretty penny! Here are 22 DIY Lamp Revamps for you to enjoy and be inspired!
8 More Earth Day Crafts for Kids
Wow do I have an a Fantastic Tutorial for you guys today.Martha Starke is a super talented designer who is going to show us how to create plantable paper.These can be used in so many ways and have grown popular as gift in weddings and any special event. Martha says:Making paper by hand is a...
Make this DIY Tattle Monster by Giggles Galore and help teach your kids to stop tattling and learn the value of problem solving.
One of my crafting goals that I set for myself way back at the beginning of the year was to learn how to spin. I had used a spindle on and off for a while, and felt that it was finally time to step it up a notch and try spinning with a wheel. It took a few bumpy starts, but once I got the feel for it I knew that I was completely hooked. I've been spinning up yarn faster than I can use it, and have gotten quite the ever-expanding fiber collection already! However, the one thing I have noticed is that I am still in the learning process for spinning with a specific weight of yarn in mind. So far, I have been spinning away, happy to see how the fiber twists up and plies together - all with no specific end goals or projects in mind. But for now, I am left with many skeins of yarn ranging from light sport all the way up through super bulky. So far, I've found myself spinning from 4oz. batts and rovings, which means that my finished product is going to be a single one-of-a-kind skein. This makes it tricky when it comes to using up my handspun yarn. I don't want to fuss with too many gauge swatches to find out what weight of yarn I have, since it is already a limited quantity. This is when I turned to wraps per inch as a tool to help me gauge my yarn!
Taken from the Llewellyn 2000 calendar for the month of August The last day of July is Lammas eve with tomorrow, August 1 being Lammas ...
This helpful serger guide was submitted by Sarah from Sewing Parts Online. If you're ever in the market for a special sewing foot, pedal, bobbin, instruction manual, etc. be sure to check out their website. They even have parts for older machines like mine. Sarah hooked me up with some great darning feet! And now she's been kind enough to share this amazing guide with us. Enjoy! ... Learning all the new options a serger brings into your sewing life is a challenging and rewarding experience. I know most of us are intimidated by just the appearance of a serger, let alone figuring out what heck you can do with it! However, with a little time and patience, your serger will add all whole new perspective to your sewing. Successful sewing relies on a great community we all make together, so if you know any special tricks or have a few questions, leave them in the comment section below. Someone may have the same question or your trick might save us all a little more time! Firstly, mentally prepare yourself for a little confusion. When you're learning new serging techniques, you will find yourself adjusting, rethreading, crying, readjusting, switching needles...it's a lot to take in. This is because, just like a conventional machine, your setting have to be altered to fit different stitches, fabric, and thread weight...x4 (or x3 or x2 depeding on your stitch, but we'll get to that later). It takes time, but it does get easier and is well worth it! Secondly, give yourself time to really experiment with your serger before starting any projects. Trying to complete a project and compute all your serger settings will more than likely overwhelm brain circuits and cause spontaneous combustion. For me to understand my serger, I used my manual, library books, and surfed the internet to create a Serger Scrapbook. I tried out each stitch and different techniques one at a time. Once I had a stitch or technique done correctly, I glued the fabric swatch in my scrapbook, recorded all my settings as well as some tips and adjustments for different threads. Because there is so much to learn, having a scrapbook is an easy and fast way to recall information. While learning, I would limit myself to a couple hours of serging at any one time and just walk away when you feel the urge to break something. Give yourself time to learn in a stress-free environment and don't judge yourself if you mess up. It gets better! A few things to remember: Use good quality thread. Back away from the bargain bin; it will only end in tears. Sergers have fast moving parts and inferior threads cannot keep up. Maxilock and Toldilock are great options. Do whatever you can to ensure the thread is feeding evenly and consistently off the spool. Any wiggling will cause hiccups in your stitch. I have had to stuff my thread spools to secure them tightly. The thread nets are also very helpful. Use the Stitch Finger as a guide for sewing. Keeping an eye on the Stitch Finger (or the needle when the Stitch Finger is on R) will prevent the material from getting wrapped around the Upper Looper. Love thy Tweezers! I literally cannot thread my machine without tweezers. Tweezers also help if you are trying to detangle thread that wraps up where it shouldn't. Keep those pins far, far away from the cutting blade and the needles. You know how on your conventional machine you can get away with sewing over a pin or two? Not on your serger. You can always use basting spray to secure your fabric. If you must use pins, place them three inches away and parallel to the blade. Oil every 15 hours of serging and dust frequently. That cutting blade makes one heck of a dust pile. If a thread breaks in the upper or lower loopers, I rethread both of them in order just to be safe. Remember to keep your manual handy. I know we all hate trying to read manuals, but they really are a helpful reference. Here we go! Construction A four Thread Overlock stitch is ideal for constructing your projects. It'll finish the edges and hold your fabric securely. This is your basic starting point. You can serge in twill tape or ribbon into the seam to prevent stretch (like in shoulder seams). However, I recommend reinforcing heavy activity areas of clothing on your sewing machine after you have serged (like the crotch area of your pants). I have felt the wrath of not securing this area on a conventional sewing machine...in public. Settings for four Thread Overlock on Muslin using Regular Serger Thread: Left Needle- 5.5 Right Needle- 5.5 Upper Looper- 4.5 Lower Looper- 4 Length- 2 Differential- 1.0 R or S- S Blade- Engaged (Can you spot the spelling error? Thank goodness for spell check!) Corners Serging an outside corner is basically serging a straight line. You can't pivot the material as you would on a conventional sewing machine. You simply serge a 3 inch chain past the end of the fabric, lift the needle and presser foot, and reposition your fabric to serger another straight line. The ends of the chain get secured in the stitch. Serging an inside corner requires you to bunch the fabric in to a straight line and serge normally. Don't worry, your fabric won't stay bunched. Try to get your line as straight as possible. Curves The trick to serging curves is all about control. Make sure you have a firm hand on the fabric and are controlling the feed with purpose. Try to slowly serge until you get the hang of it. Circles To successfully serge a circle, you need a starting point. Cut out a one inch long notch in the edge of the circle. The notch depth should be equal to your finished edge. So if I am cutting off 1/4 an inch, my notch will be two inches long, 1/4 inch deep. Just like serging a curve, maintain control of the fabric. You may find it helpful to draw your hem line and follow it as your serger. I always find it helpful to watch the needle(s) as I serger. Flatlocking Consult your maunal and adjust as needed. The trick is to have no tension in the needle and high tension in the loopers. Also, you want to examine your stitch finger and make sure the thread is hanging about 1/8 an inch past the edge of the fabric to ensure the fabric will lay flat when pulled. I especially love flatlocking with nylon thread in the upper looper. Here are my settings for three Thread Flatlocking with Nylong thread (on muslin fabric): Left Needle- 4 Right Needle- - Upper Looper- 5 Lower Looper- 9 Length-2 Differential- 1.0 R or S- S Blade- Disengaged We see flatlocking often on active wear, but it also adds a great decorative element. With the wrong sides of the fabric together, you get the serging stitch in the right side of the fabric. But if you serge with right sides together, you will get a cool ladder stitch on the right side of the fabric. This is great for weaving in ribbon or yarn or beads. Spread or Two-Thread Converter Talk about a great way to save thread! A spreader, also known as a two Thread Converter, fits into the upper looper, making it think it's working when it's not. The same technique for sewing a three thread flatlock applies to sewing a two thread flatlock. Remember to let the fabric hang over. I find it most accurate to follow the stitch finger as I serger. I aim to have the edge of the fabric meet with the inside edge of the stitch finger. I keep my eyes glued to that and I get the best results. Inserting Spreader (Pardon my dust) Settings for two Thread Flatlock using a Spreader (serger thread and 100% medium weight cotton fabric): Left needle- - Right needle- 1 Upper Looper- Spreader Lower Looper- 5 Length- 2.5 Differential- 1.0 R or S- S Blade- Disengaged Rolled Edges Rolled edges are so beautiful! Especially with decorative threads and on lovely sheer fabrics! Rolled hems are the stitch of choice for light-weight decorative fabrics, but require a few extras to be successful. Regarless of the stitch width, I recommend using some form of stabilizer on the lighter fabrics. You can use water soluble stabilizer or ribbon. I have actually heard of people using plastic wrap to secure the stitch of super delicate material. If you don't have any stabilizer available, you can simply fold the edge on itself and serger. You just need to go back and trim the extra fabric that's left over. Settings for Rolled Hem on Muslin using regular serger thread: Left Needle- - Right Needle- 3 Upper Looper- 9 Lower Looper- 9 Length- F Differential- 1.0 R or S- R Blade- Engaged Settings for Rolled Hem with Nylon Thread on Muslin: Left Needle- - Right Needle- 2 Upper Looper- 2 Lower Looper- 5 Length- 2 Differential- 1.0 R or S- R Blade- Engaged Remember, you will have to adjust your settings to accommodate for fabric weight and the type of stabilizer you use. Gathering You can buy a Gathering Foot for your serger, but it can be done with the general purpose foot, it just needs a little tweaking. I found I get the best definition using lighter fabrics, but you can increase the volume of your gathers by simply manually pulling on the needle thread after you have serged. Settings for Gathering with Nylon Thread: Left Needle- 5 Right Needle- - Upper Looper- 4 Lower Looper- 3 Length- 4 Differential- 2.0 R or S- S Blade- Engaged You can adjust the width as you please. Lettuce Edges A lettuce edge is an awesome decorative edge! You will get the best results from ribbed knits because they have a great stretch and bounce back quality. I tried a lettuce edge on other knits and wasn't pleased with the results nearly as much. The trick is to stretch the material from front to back as much as you can. Really pull on the fabric to get a great lettuce effect. You aren't going to hurt your machine. Slowly sew until you get the hang of it. Keep a firm grip and control the fabric. Settings for Lettuce Edges on Ribbed Knit using Embroidery Thread: Left Needle- - Right Needle- 2 Upper Looper- 2 Lower Looper- 6.5 Length- 2 Differential- 0.7 R or S- R Blade- Disengaged Making Waves There are a couple of ways to make your stitches look like waves. To create a wave look within your stitches and the create a wave effect with multiple rows of stitches. Wave Illusion within the Stitch: If you own a Babylock machine, you have a wave stitch built in. For the rest of us, you will need to do it manually. First, start with your manual's recommended settings for a three-Thread Overlock and make slight adjustments to fit your thread and fabric weight. User your left hand to guide the fabric. With your right hand, loosely hold lower looper thread between your pointed figner and thumb. Count 1-2-3 out loud and sqeeze your finger at the intervals beween each second. So you are literally pinching the thread for a millisecond as it comes off the spool. This takes a lot of practice. I'm still working on my precision. Settings for Manual Wave Stitch on Muslin using Nylon Thread: Left Needle- 5.5 Right Needle- - Upper Looper- 3.5 Lower Looper- 4 Length- 1 Differential- 1.0 R or S- S Blade- Engaged Wave Illusion on Fabric: To create a wave look on your fabric, you serge multiple parallel lines using a shortened three-Thread Overlock Stitch. It looks best when you use decorative thread in the Upper Looper and thread matching your fabric in the Lower Looper. Then, on your conventional sewing machine, you sew a grid of alternating lines that intersect the serged lines. For example, you serge five parallel lines one inch apart. Then you go to your conventional sewing machine (match your thread to the fabric), sew five more parallel lines that cross over your serged line. You alternate the direction you sew to create the wave look. Basically, you are sewing a grid. Settings used on the Serger on medium weight fabric using decorative thread in Upper looper: Left Needle- - Right Needle- 5.5 Upper Looper- 4 Lower Looper- 4 Length- 1 Differential- 1.0 R or S- S Blade- Disengaged Blind Hem Yes, it can be done! This works great in place of a cover stitch on knits. Start with a Flatlock. Adjust your settings to match your fabric and thread. Fold hem to the wrong side of fabric, then back over to the right side of the fabric. For a truely invisible hem, extend the raw edge past the fold and stitch on the extended hem edge (1/4 inch part), allowing the machine to just barely catch the fold. Sew slowly and keep your eye on the needle to make sure it is catching the fabric. Match your needle thread with the color of your fabric. Setting for Blind Hem on muslin using Nylon thread (increase tension in upper looper for regular thread): Left Needle- - Right Needle- 1 Upper Looper- 4 Lower Looper- 4 Length- 4 Differential- 1.0 R or S- S Blade- Disengaged I hope you found this article helpful and good luck with your serger!
This sculpture was made from reclaimed books that would have otherwise been thrown away. But look! They can have a second life...as something utterly captivating. What could be better than having your favorite stories immortalized forever and hanging on your wall? What if the words that helped define and shape your life could be forever felt with their essence locked into a sculpture? When you install this artwork in your home...people will gravitate towards it. Is it fabric? Is it water? Woodland mushrooms? What IS it? They'll want to touch it, to make sure it is real. No one has ever seen anything like it. What is that I see? Beethoven? Handel? Kayne? Is that a handwritten note on a page? Its the most amazing thing to look at from afar as well as up close. This piece was roughly 4 feet high x 4 feet wide. The interior is comprised of various different sizes of books, between 5.5" all the way down to 2" inches depth and was created for a specific place in the client's home in Chicago. You may send me the dimensions you would prefer. All sculptures are custom created. I incorporated books that represented her family: music! I can use your old books or look for specific titles as well. This buyer wanted a square-ish sculpture. Each page is folded, tipped, quilled, wrapped, rolled, pulled by my two hands, for a very intricate unique, artist-led design. Your artwork's patterns and layers will emerge organically and will be incomparable to any other sculpture I create or anything that can be bought elsewhere. Featured In: http://www.ruemag.com/home-tour-2/an-eclectic-greystone-in-chicago http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/fashionable-new-york-style-collides-with-traditional-chicago-architecture-in-a-couples-dreamy-forever-home-238873?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=managed#comment-form Check out social media to see what I am up to: https://www.instagram.com/nickliovich/ Shipping is FREE for this piece in the continuous United States. A beautiful, custom wooden crate is crafted around the sculpture and it is suspended within for safe travel to your desired destination. The entire shipment will have a scheduled delivery (you get to schedule it) and it weighs 150-250 pounds, depending on size (the sculpture alone will weigh less but still be 100-150 pounds). These are both massively heavy and delicate. Never was there such a fun paradox! Unboxing and Hanging Suggestions will be sent after purchase and most customers hang themselves with 2-3 friends to assist with a simple drill and screws. People have hung them on anything from Florida plaster to drywall with wood studs to concave stairwells to drywall with metal studs, etc. Handmade in my studio, on a little southeast barrier island in the USA. Inspiration comes from my micro-homestead, the woods, the salt marshes I travel over and the salty sea we frequent weekly. Designers & Curators please contact me with any questions. Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. ~Charles W. Eliot Copyright 2012.
It may be wet and gloomy outside, but it doesn’t have to be inside! Keeping kids in the house all day can lead to us mamas feeling claustrophobic and well,…
Spread holiday cheer this season with these fun DIY 15 super cozy, stylish knitting projects to keep you warm and busy this winter. Great gift ideas to wear or for the home. #10 is my favorite!
This straw pan flute is so easy to make that kids can make it all on their own! This post contains affiliate links, which means that at no extra cost to you I can make a tiny bit of money to help support this blog. Thank you! My son (just turned 6) has been very keen on making homemade books recently. He's made books with seasonal themes, or vehicle themes, a math book and even one for our dogs! The latest idea that he presented to me was '5 Things That You Can Make Yourself'. He immediately started work
Ah, nothing holds more creative possibilities than an empty cardboard box. Come on, that’s not really a box. Sure, it is a shipping parcel, but it can be so much more. It’s…
A few years ago, I thought that it would be so fun to make Joe a kissing thaumatrope for Valentine's Day. Like so many of my BRILLIANT ideas, I promptly forgot all about it. Until recently, when I saw this thaumatrope-on-a-stick on Made by Joel, and it reminded me that I had to try it. Even though they're not done, I'm showing you my work in progress now, just in case you want to use this idea to make your very own thaumatrope valentines. Are you wondering what I am talking about? On one side it looks like this: On the other side it looks like this: When you spin the stick, it looks like this: Movie magic! Persistence of vision!!! Kissing!!!!! Does it get any better than this? I'm making some for my three little Valentinos, too. Isn't it funny that no one in my family even asked what I was doing when I said, "Here, stand against the wall and let me take a picture of you kissing something." They all just did it. If you do make your own, please send me a picture! Wouldn't they make sweet wedding invitations or favors? Materials: Paper, cardboard, double-stick tape or glue, round chopstick or kebab stick, photo prints or drawings of kissers in profile. Line them up carefully so that they work together when you spin the stick, and test it out before you glue!
So I made an entire pattern in one livestream! Someone suggested I make a Bananya, so here is what I came up with! You can use the same pattern with different colors to make the whole Bananya famil…
Teach your kids how to make their very own marshmallow catapult using common household supplies. How to construct a marshmallow launcher.
Looking for the perfect activity for a breezy summer afternoon? Fly a kite! This tetrahedral tissue paper kite tutorial from Sabrina at Neverland Nook
Here are the best summertime scrapbooking ideas for kids and the whole family. These projects, like a travelogue or school scrapbook pockets, are the perfect ways to commemorate your cherished memories.
i recorded the video, i can watch it on my camera....but i cant get the f*&^%@#! thing off my video card! i am going to breath deeply and put it in a bubble and blow it away, so all i...
We've rounded up 10 projects from place settings to decor that you can do yourself to add a personal touch to your party!
15 Ways to Play with Cornstarch (Cornflour)
1. You don’t particularly like to tell your husband how much you spend on crafting supplies. 2. You always keep the door to your crafting room shut because . . . 3. You believe embellishments…
As a novice sewist, I find that I keep coming across words I just don't understand. To me, bias is not liking someone because they're a Vikings fan, and the
Remember those simple little diamond shaped yarn weavings we all made at summer camp with just two popsicle sticks and a some colorful yarn? Who knew that god’s eyes, which originated from Mexico’s Huichol Indians, can be so beautifully…
done. blogged
The name of a repeated tesselating design, like the one Jane has used in this design, is called an ‘Ogee’ pattern in Arabesque design. It took Jane a few weeks to get the design of these blocks right; initially she came up with lots of really complicated ways to create this motif, but in the end it was so simple - funny how sometimes a design process can take so long and then the outcome can be so easy to make! The pattern for the lantern shape motif is based on a granny hexagon pattern, but Jane has made a few changes to come up with the curved design that tesselates. The stitches used in this project are ch, ss, dc, tr and dtr (UK terminology). Size of the blanket approx. 155cm x 100cm Three new colourways were released in 2023 and the yarn substitution document for Beatrix, Orcadia and Avice is available to download from the Janie Crow website.
These coffee filter dancers are SO PRETTY! I really love how bright and colourful they are. And the best part is that you only need a few simple dollar store craft supplies - They're actually really simple to make! We used Crayola washable markers for this craft, but you can also use Mr. Sketch markers. (Do you remember those smelly markers?? I was so excited to see that they still sell them!!) Just make sure the markers are washable, otherwise the colours won't bleed. Even my 4 year old little guy wanted to make one (mostly because he reeeeeeally loves
These coffee filter dancers are SO PRETTY! I really love how bright and colourful they are. And the best part is that you only need a few simple dollar store craft supplies - They're actually really simple to make! We used Crayola washable markers for this craft, but you can also use Mr. Sketch markers. (Do you remember those smelly markers?? I was so excited to see that they still sell them!!) Just make sure the markers are washable, otherwise the colours won't bleed. Even my 4 year old little guy wanted to make one (mostly because he reeeeeeally loves
The most adorable miniature banjos made from recycled jar lids and loom bands. This is a great way to upcycle and a fun STEM DIY toy for kids!
