Winter Fun For Kids

My son, Eugene, is obsessed with snowmen lately, and no, not because of Frozen.  Wisconsin got dumped on with snow once so far this year (odd) and I took Eugene outside to make a snowman.  It was roughly 2 inches in totality (the snow was not packing snow) and melted within the week.  It hasn't snowed since, so paper snowman crafting it was!! We had a blast making this and Eugene is very proud of his work.

Bat and Owl Buddies: Printable Tracing Templates

Greetings friends! There is nothing too spooktacular (sorry!) about the owl and bat that Eugene and I created one rainy afternoon.  However, I like them because it is a good reminder of how simple materials such as paper, glue, scissors and sequins can come together to result in an awesome, fun project.  Not very crafty?  Not to worry, here are free printable bat and owl templates you can trace to make this project even easier.  Cut a bunch of these guys out and make Halloween garland to hang around your home.  Enjoy and have fun getting creative, friends!

Autumn Fun: Leaf Art Project for Kids and Adults

It's that time of year again...YAHOOOO! The leaves are turning colors and are beginning to fall from the trees.  Why not grab a few of them next time you are outside for this fun sensory project?  You can go also on a nature hike to gather leaves/weeds which is what we did.  Leaf art can not be any easier to do with your wee ones.  Eugene dipped the leaves in paint and went crazy.  We leaf-stamped, used the weeds as a paint brush and got messy with the paint.  The point of this project is to use different textures to create a design and introduce your child to using nature as a tool.  The end results are always awesome.  I ended up framing Eugene's work and he is so proud of himself! Enjoy 

3-D Hanging Bird Project for Children

Hi friends! I have another fun and simple project that you can do with your kids. These will be sure to brighten your child's day and your house.  Enjoy!

To assemble birds start by cutting out various bird shapes using any cardboard type of material (we used a cereal box).  Paint both sides a fun color and let birds dry.  Poke a small hole in the middle of the bird and insert feathers on each side. We added sequins for the eyes and then hung them using lace and washi tape.  Eugene is loving pointing to them and saying "birdie".  Another fun project would be to make a bunch of trees that could house your birds.  The possibilities are endless!

Paper Bag Owl Craft Project for Children

This is a pretty self-explanatory activity to do with your littles.  It turned out really cute and was easy enough that Eugene, who is 22 months old, was able to help.  I started by tearing two holes where the eyes would go and tearing the wings out from some scrap paper.  Eugene and I used a glue stick to attach the wings.  I let him go crazy with the pink paint (acrylic...gasp! It's not washable but we were careful, sort of).  I let Eugene scribble all over the owl and I added the details using a black Sharpie.  Any number of materials can be used, including kid-friendly ones.  You could get über creative and add sparkle, sequins, feathers etc...

DIY Ombré Woven Flower Pot

 Good morning, all!  I hope you had an enjoyable, warm, festive 4th of July. We headed to Lake Michigan as soon as Josh got done with work to watch the waves & let Eugene play in the sand.  We had a quiet night of grilling out, baths & watching Justified. Today I am sharing a very easy, inexpensive DIY with you:

 

A colorful ombré flower pot for less than $10. 

 

Supplies:

 

-Woven basket (mine was $2.00 at a thrift store)

-White & blue acrylic paint (or any color you like)

-Paint brush

-Potted plant

 

1. Start by cleaning the basket to rid it of dust/dirt. 

2. Then apply 2 coats of white paint, letting the first coat dry completely.  I used Martha Stewart Acrylic Satin paint which cost about $2.00 per bottle.  I got the paint at Michaels, but most craft stores carry it.  I have found this paint to work the best & last the longest.  

3. While the last coat of white is drying, start painting the bottom of the pot with the colored paint. 

4. Next, start working your way up the bottom half of the pot with the colored paint. Add more pigment at the base of the bottom & less as you go toward the top to create the ombré effect. I used a dark blue color which you can see turned a nice light blue as the white & blue blended.  You can get as creative as you want.  You can also simple paint the woven pot one color.  I like how the paint brings out the detail of the weaving.

5. Put up in your place & enjoy! Or give it away as a housewarming gift!

 









A Birdy Told Me...

Yesterday, while I was stalking, I mean looking at Pinterest I came across the adorable bird mobiles first made famous by Michael Fulkerson.  Check out his brilliant designs at his Etsy site, ohmyeye & drool a little at where these might fit in your home.  I hadn't sewn in a while (practically since my 7th grade home-ec class) so I decided to try my hand at these birdies.  When the Spirit leads, follow... I found a free printable pattern with east-to-follow directions from the nice people at Spool & went to work, with my cute helper, Cali, sitting by to cheer me on!  Here are the results:

Fun fabrics.




Patterns.




Cali, my sweet helper!



Go!

Don't let her get this 'dog toy'...

Find him a nice home here...

...or maybe here?



Presto...here!

 It was a huge success & really quite easy...& this is coming from novice sewer, me!  I had a blast expressing my creativity through the sewing machine.  This project got me thinking that it would be cool to spray paint branches from my backyard white & hang Christmas colored bird buddies from them for a jazzy holiday decoration.  Perhaps I will do that later today.  Keep an eye out here to see my holiday twist this craft, although I must say my perched guy up there already has a winter feel to him.  I like!