InspireMe Crafts

Decorating a Mug {Gotta Make It…With the Kids}

"Grandchildren: the only people who can get more out of you than the IRS" – Gene Perret

Quick! Grandparent's Day is Sunday, September 11, 2011. I know, I know…when you hear September 11 you automatically think of something else, but that special day for those special Grandparents happens to land on that date this year. So if you are like me and cutting it close, go grab those kiddos, put a special Paint Sharpie in their hand and tell them to let their creative juices flow and draw one pretty (or "cool" as my little big man prefers) picture on a coffee mug. Every morning the grandparents will surely enjoy sipping some coffee, tea, or orange juice from their personalized coffee cup.

The great thing about the Sharpie paint markers is that it dries almost instantly and it is ready to go. It is even dishwasher safe…a must in this household!

I think I want one!

Now, let's just hope the Grandparents don't take a peek at my blog and see their surprise before it arrives in their mailbox J

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Kid’s Artwork on T-Shirt (Day 26 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer)

"I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich." Dan Wilcox and That Mumford, M*A*S*H

Can you tell what is most important to my hubby? His shirt will spell it out for you…F-A-M-I-L-Y. And I love him because he wears it out and about as a proud daddy should. Little big man and I wanted to make a t-shirt for him, but we were trying to figure out the best way to get the art work onto the shirt. Would he draw it on paper, then I scan to computer and print onto an iron-on? Or would I use the freezer paper technique that I love so much? That all seemed like way too much work….there is only so much time in a day! Luckily, I decided to try out these fabric markers for the first time. And as you can see…little big man drew his daddy a Family Man shirt. He has each one of us in the photo holding hands and then he decided to get fancy and write "Family" with each letter in different colors.

Now I want one! I mean look at that smile (I'm not biased or anything) I would wear or eat anything he made me!

And look at his determination (that ball is half his size)….

Gotta love them! Go give your family some extra hugs and kisses tonight!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Day 19 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Rocket Snack Cups

"They say genes skip generations. Maybe that's why grandparents find their grandchildren so likeable" – Joan McIntosh

We had a trailmix snack bar for our little space shindig. Each kid received a rocket cup to fill up with all the snacks they wanted from the "bar". We had pretzels, M&M's, goldfish, Funyons, Raisins, Marshmallows, etc. I saw the rocket ship idea here, but could not figure out the tops at 10:00pm they night before and decided they were not necessary (my sanity was).

The rocket snack cups are something quick and fun if you are having some kiddos over for a playdate.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Day 18 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Cardboard Box Space Shuttle

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity" – George Smith Patton

Y'all know that I have myself a space junkie… so you'll understand why I made this space shuttle out of a cardboard box for the kiddos. I've been promising it since May and our space party finally gave me a deadline to get it done. 1 wardrobe box, 5 rolls of white duct tape, black electrical tape, xacto knife and a couple hours and you have yourself a play space shuttle in your living room. I used these wonderful directions found here. They are a must have for this space shuttle/rocket ship project!

I'm not going to go through the directions on this post because she did a great job outlining them along with illustrations for you to follow. However, I will show you some pictures of my space shuttle attempt.

Tearing the seam of the U-Haul wardrobe box to lay it flat…

Taking the top flaps off….

Cutting slits and diagonals….

Fold it all together. I ran out of duct tape, then packing tape and finally found some electrical tape to hold it until I got more duct tape (ooops).

Boys already think it is the greatest thing ever…

But mom had to add some white duct tape to finish it up!

Notice my little big man's "astronaut" uniform. He has been asking for one for awhile, but he has to wait until his marble jar (our reward system) is full to get one. What I love about this age is their imagination! He went to the dress up box and found a sailor Halloween costume. He added his snow boots, black batting gloves, and the astronaut mask he made at pre-school (from a milk jug) and was happy as can be. Oh yeah…we added a "patch" with the Atlantis' final launch logo on it. This kid thought he was going for lift-off in 10, 9, 8, 7……

I love my kids and I love creating these experiences for them (it is worth staying up past my bedtime to get it done). My mommy superpowers didn't work to get him to the Kennedy Space Center for the viewing of the final space shuttle launch, but my mommy superpowers sure did put a smile on his face!

Liftoff…

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Day 17 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Mini Marshmallow Popper

"Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!" – Dr Suess

I know I didn't post yesterday, but I definitely kept up with the 92 Crafty Days of Summer challenge as I prepared for little big man's final shuttle launch party. To make up for the lack of project yesterday I'll add a couple today to make sure we stay on track!

Have Kids? Then YOU MUST MAKE THE MINI MARSHMALLOW POPPER. Did my point come across with the all caps? It is less than $2 for 12 and it is guaranteed fun. In fact, I might have had just as much fun as them. What is a marshmallow popper you ask? Well, it shoots mini-marshmallows and it can shoot them far. And the best thing is you don't have to worry about the kiddos getting hurt from something soft like marshmallows. I didn't want the kids shooting at each other so I made an "Alien" for them to shoot at. But after I made it I realized it looked more like a silly monster. No one questioned my alien and the best thing was that it was made out of some tissue paper I had laying around.

The Mini Marshmallow poppers kept the kiddos busy and full of laughs while we waited for all the guests to arrive. I found the easy directions for the mini marshmallow popper here.

Be inspired, get creative and have fun!

Day 12 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Red, White & Blue Sprinkled Ice Cream Sandwiches…on a stick

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave" – Elmer Davis

So this post is going to be quick and to the point! Take ice cream sandwiches + popsicle stick + red, white, & blue sprinkles and you get this reaction...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adults and kiddos will enjoy this fun 4^th of July treat…we sure did tonight! I can't remember where I saw this idea, but who knew a popsicle stick and sprinkles could turn an ordinary ice cream sandwich into some extraordinary?! (Cheesy, I know…but you know I like to be cheesy)

I'm sure you can figure out how to do this on your own, but here are a few tips. I removed them from the wrappers and let them soften up just a bit. Then I put the stick into the bottom of the ice cream sandwich. Sprinkle the sprinkles and place on a plate. I put some wax paper in between different layers so I could pile them on top of each other. Enjoy. Fast, simple, and festive. That's day 12 of the challenge and I barely made it today. I had the project done earlier, but then we were having too much fun with friends that I am just getting around to writing this. But you have a couple days until the 4^th of July so you can still do it!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Day 4 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Eric Carle Inspired Art

"The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea" – Isak Dinesen

This Eric Carle Inspired Seahorse was not originally on my "To-Do" list, but when we brought home "Mister Seahorse" from the library I fell in love with the cover. It was so bright and beautiful and it just made me want to race to the beach. Well, we are not racing to the beach any time soon so we decided to make our own beach at home. So here it is – project number 4 of the 92 Crafty Days of Summer. The kids will love making this tissue paper wall art just as much as you J.

MATERIALS:

Tissue paper
Tracing Paper
Canvas
Paint
Paint Brush
Mod Podge
Sponge brush
Pencil
Scissors

HOW-TO:

1. If you are like me and not blessed with any drawing ability, then use the tracing paper to trace the shape/picture you would like. Cut it out. Place on canvas and draw around it so you have an outline of your shape.
   
   
2. If you want any background paint on your canvas do it now. I painted little "waves" like the cover of the book. Let it dry.
3. Cut various colors of tissue paper into little squares, half circles, rectangles – whatever you feel like. I just folded mine and cut snips off.

   
   
   

4. With the sponge brush, brush Mod Podge onto a small part of the shape. Start applying tissue paper where you want. Brush Mod Podge on top. Let Dry
5. Touch up where you may need to.
6. Go put it somewhere pretty and dream of the ocean J

Thanks Eric Carle for the inspiration!

Be inspired, get creative and have fun!

Gotta Make It: St Patty’s Mugs using Sharpie Paint Markers

"Our mistakes don't make or break us – if we're lucky, they simply reveal who we really are, what we're really made of" - Donn Moomaw

I need to re-name this blog to "lastminutecrafts.com" because I feel all my projects lately are being done last minute. Take these St Patrick's Day painted mugs for example. I found these glass mugs at the Dollar Tree two weeks ago along with the green Sharpie Paint marker from Michaels. The project was started last night and then I finished the adult mugs this morning. This morning is St. Patty's Day J. And now before I rush off to pick up little big man from pre-school I am quickly blogging about the project. Oh well. The little big man had fun painting his mug and I'm sure he will enjoy it even more when its full of green mint chocolate chip ice cream. The Sharpie Paint markers are great for the little ones to use to decorate their own cups/mugs. It is so much easier than a paintbrush for them….and me J. Plus it dries super fast.

We are lucky in love (cheesy, I know) so for the adult mugs one side says "Lucky Me" so its facing me when I'm drinking it. On the other side it says "Lucky You" so my hubby sees it when he's sitting across from me. His mug says the same thing. Don't you just love to be cheesy!

Here is little big man this morning with all the green we could fine. Looking at his fashion choices doesn't even faze me anymore since he has been dressing himself for awhile. The lacrosse helmet is a new addition to the wardrobe though. It was his show-and-tell and I'm not sure how much luck his teacher will have of getting it off of him.

Here is Little big man's mug. Name on one side and shamrock on other…

Little man is obviously not old enough to paint his own or to use a glass mug so we painted a shamrock on his for future use. But he sure does know how to look cute sportin' a green cap….

I love these boys! Lucky me for sure!!!! Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss: Bake a Cake

Little man's pre-school class is celebrating Dr Seuss's birthday all week and the teacher wanted a birthday cake today to add to the birthday celebration. So today we sent in a Cat in the Hat cake for them to enjoy. You could still do it this afternoon with your little ones or for them. With sick kids right now, I needed something quick and easy. Is the cake bakery perfect? Far from it! But it gets the point across, was fast, and put a smile on little man's face. Did I mention how much I love box cake mix? In the terms of little man, "it's easy-peasy".

1. Bake your cake.
2. Draw a simple outline just on the top of the cake (not all the way through in case you have to fix it). Once you have the outline you like, then cut all the way through to the bottom. Remove outer edges. In hindsight, don't cut the outline still in the pan like I did. I then had to transfer it to the baking sheet and worry about not breaking it. Take the whole cake out first, place on your plate or baking sheet and then cut out your outline.

1. Add some frosting. Or if you are really fancy and want a more professional looking cake you could used rolled fondant. I've never used it before so no tips from me L. I guess I'll have to give rolled fondant a try one of these days.
2. I was looking for easy-peasy so I just did red sprinkles for my stripes. However, you could use food coloring to die some of the frosting red.

It's not too late to celebrate Dr. Seuss and the happiness and laughter he has brought into our homes for decades. Continue to the celebration all week and enjoy a fun cake one day J.

Be inspired, get creative and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Pre-School Routine Charts

"The less routine the more life" -Amos Bronson Alcott

 

I've never been a big routine/schedule person, but as I navigate through this thing called mommy-hood I am quickly discovering that life without routines can often be more difficult and less fun.  When Lil Man started pre-school back in September (yes...it has taken me this long to post the pre-school routine chart) my biggest worry was getting out of the house in the morning and having his head hit the pillow at night without major arguments, meltdowns, and being on time since I HATE being late.  

I searched stores and the internet for a pre-school routine chart without much luck.  I needed a routine chart that was flexible because I wasn't sure how my first attempt at making a morning and evening schedule would work out.  My son is a dawdler so I definitely did not know if eating breakfast in 15 minutes would be realistic or not.  In addition, I wanted a chart my son could read on his own.  The solution?  Using pictures, putting them on magnets, and using digital times vs a traditional clock to keep him on track.  

We started with two magnetic dry erase boards.  One color for morning and a different color for night.  Then I had an outline of what our morning and evening times would look like.  The best part was getting Lil Man to help with the chart.  I wanted to include him as much as possible so he would hopefully buy into this new routine thing.  He LOVED going around and taking pictures of everything we needed to do in order to get ready for school and ready for bed.  I also printed out some pictures of TVs.  Some were just a picture of the TV and others were a big 'X' through the TV so he would know when the TV was not allowed to be on.  Print out some times, and you are ready to assemble your pre-school routine chart with your child. We put all the pictures on magnets so they could be moved around as we decided some things would work out at better times or in different orders.  

So....did all the work pay off?  You bet it did.  Less nagging, yelling, battles and a more independent 3 year old - who could ask for more?!  Instead of nagging at him to go do something, I would ask what was next on the chart.  He would go look and go do it.  Of course, we had a reward system if he completed the chart every morning and evening so you can do what works for your family.  

A year later, they still hang in the same place.  They don't get looked at every morning anymore, but the same basic routine is in place and has made mornings and evenings a happy time in this household.  Plus mommy and daddy are happy. And we all know that happy parents is just as important as a happy child.  

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

 

Gotta Make It: Terra Cotta Pot Easter Bunny

"If it weren't for the last minute, I wouldn't get anything done"

I must admit...I'm very proud of this project.  This was one of those accidental projects that was just meant to be. At the Dollar Tree I got 4 Terra Cotta Pots for $1.   I used one in my Easter Topiary project so I was trying to figure out how to use the other three.  Well..here it is!  The cutest Terra Cotta Pot Bunny ever. This Easter craft would be great to do with kids of all ages....my almost 2 year old son did the painting.  I just added a little 'touch-ups' when he was done. :)  I promise that its really easy, even if my "how-to" looks a little long. 

MATERIALS:

3 Terra Cotta Pots (I chose 2.5 inch one)
White (or off white) craft paint
Paper
Ribbon
Wiggly Eyes
Pink Pom-Poms
Cotton Balls
Glue, scissors, black felt pen, paintbrush

HOW-TO:

1. Start by putting glue around the large rim of one terra cotta pot.  Take the 2nd pot and immediately attach the large rim to the previous one (the second pot is basically upside down on top of the first). This creates the bottom portion of the bunny.  Then take the 3rd pot and apply glue to the small bottom portion.  Place on top of the 2 attached terra cotta pots.  Let dry.  Look at the picture if there is any confusion.  NOTE:  I chose to use the glue gun because I didn't have any other glue that was strong enough. It worked great if you are careful when you apply it.

2.  Paint the three pots.  Also paint the top inside portion of the top terra cotta pot.  Let dry (this doesn't take long).  NOTE:  I chose a slightly off-white color instead of a bright white and I really like how it turned out.

3. While the paint is drying start to cut out the body parts for the bunny.  You'll need two ears, two arms, and two feet.  Be creative with the paper you choose.  I chose an off-white paper and the pink and white polka dots.  I inked the edges of the paper with a pink inkpad (the kind you use with rubber stamps) to give it a softer look.  Draw in any fingernails or 'toenails' on the bunny.

4.  When the paint is dry, attach the bunny ears to the inside of the top terra cotta pot.

5.  Attach the top of the arms (shoulders) to the side of the bunny (leave the 'hands' unglued at this time).

6.  Attach the feet of the bunny underneath the bottom terra cotta pot. 

7. (OPTIONAL) I added a ribbon bow-tie to my bunny.  I first attached the ribbon around the 'neck' of the bunny (where the two pots meet).  I then created my bow-tie, by cutting the ribbon on diagonals and gluing them together.  Then I attached the bow-tie on top of the ribbon. 

8.  Cut out an Easter egg.  I glued the bunny hands to my paper egg and the top part of the egg to the terra cotta pot. 

9.  Add wiggly eyes underneath the rim of the terra cotta pot.

10.  Add a small pink pom-pom as the nose.  Draw in the mouth with a black felt pen.

11.  Don't forget to add the bunny tail with a larger pink pom pom on the back. :)

12.  Put cotton balls in the top of the terra cotta pot. 

12.  And finally....enjoy! 

I hope my directions made sense.  I'm trying to improve my 'how-to' directions, but who knew it was so time consuming!  I like the creating part..not explaining how :).  Hopefully if there is any confusion the picture can clear it up.  I really hope you enjoy this one.  Please, please, please, send me some pictures if you decide to do it. I would love to see the creativity of everyone and possibly even share them with everyone! My email is inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com.

Take care and until my next last minute project comes to me...

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It…with the Kids: Fabric Heart Valentines

"A friend is someone who knows all about you, and loves you just the same."

You might be wondering why I'm posting a Valentine's craft idea today, February 15^th. Right now your thoughts are trailing off to something like this… "Who is this woman? Duh! Valentine's was yesterday. She is a total mess, at least I know when Valentine's Day is." Well…yes, it is not uncommon for me to be a total mess with my thoughts and projects scattered everywhere, but for once I did have my day's correct. I was just a little behind and figured it is better late than never, right?!

For Lil Man's preschool class we made these fabric heart Valentine's. I'm definitely a novice sewer so no "real" sewing skills needed. A bonus right there! In fact my 3 year old did help with a lot of this. It was not a project that mom just put together and sent to school with her son. However, after about the 5^th one he was losing interest and mom did pick up some slack.

 

 

I started by cutting out a template from a piece of cardboard. Then I traced the template with a marker onto the fabric. I used two different fabrics…one for the front and one for the back. This is where your Lil One can start helping! Let them pick out the fabric. We found the heart fabric together and then we actually had a blue design for the back until Lil Man discovered a new fabric while wondering around in the fabric store singing some crazy song and putting on a show for the shoppers. He came across the red polka dot and said, "Mom! Mom! How about this one?" The best part is this lil kid is a bargain shopper! It was half the price of the original one we had picked out. He's a keeper J.

Once the hearts were cut out from the templates, we took one heart from each design and placed them together with the design sides facing each other and the backs facing out. I used the sewing machine to sew around the heart and leaving an opening at the bottom.

I turned the hearts the right side out through the opening and then lil man started stuffing the hearts like crazy. Prepare for a mess if your lil one is helping J.

Then we cut out some small rectangles from an off-white fabric. Lil Man used some small single letter stamps to stamp "Friend" on some and then his classmate's names on others. This was perfect because he was able to refer to the class list from his teacher to stamp the name. He can write his own name (at least we, his parents, can decipher it), but we are not at the whole alphabet yet. Stamping was a perfect solution to have him really included. We tucked the "Friends" pieces of fabric into the opening and then using a needle and thread we sewed the heart shut and the "Friends" tag on. This was lil man's intro to sewing. With Mom's help, of course, he helped sew a couple of the hearts shut.

Next we cut ribbon and placed the ribbon with the child's name under a button. Sew the button on with the name and ribbon under it and you are set to go! Oh, and then have your child write his/her name on the back or stamp it! Hand out to everyone and enjoy. Of course this could be done any time of year, but Valentine's was perfect. I was surprised at how much Lil Man really likes it. He hung it up right away and is very proud.

Just don't wait until the last minute to do it like me J. Have fun!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It…with the Kids: Valentine’s “I treasure you” Treasure Box

I know I've been MIA lately, but I've been on a mission. It is time to de-clutter and organize our household before baby #2 arrives and it has been a top priority. In the meantime, the house remains a mess as I decide what gets tossed and what gets labeled and a new home. The thought of another mess from a project was just too daunting the last couple of weeks, but I did find some time to work on a Valentine's craft project with Lil Man the other day. The best part is that I went through my craft closet (a.k.a crap closet, as my husband calls it) and pulled everything out from there for the project...so in essence I was staying on track by getting rid of some "crap". J

I had leftover treasure boxes from when Lil Man needed some creative poopy training , so we started with that as our gift box to decorate. Then we found some Valentine's paper and he cut them into small pieces, applied with Mod Podge and then sealed with more Mod Podge and a little glitter mixed in. Add some XOXO's on the front and you are set to go. I thought we were done with the treasure chest when that cheesy light bulb in my head went off. I had to add "I treasure you" on the inside to make it complete. See….I told you it was cheesy! Add some chocolate and of course this gift from your child will be a hit!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Message Photo Blocks

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other, wings". – Hodding Carter

Christmas is just around the corner and I'm sure you are starting to look for some ideas for personalized Christmas gifts for your loved ones. We originally made these message photo blocks for Grandparent's Day, but it would really work for any holiday!

I originally got the idea after seeing this blog post on Brassy Apple. Instead of framing the photos, I made photo blocks out of them. I did one block for each grandparent, so each block contains the picture of Lil Man with 'I', 'heart', 'U', and 'I heart U'.

MATERIALS:

1 wood block ( I chose a 4x4 inch)
4 photos (need the letters you want to take the photos). I had photos printed at store for top quality.
Mod Podge or your favorite decoupage
Black paint
2-4 Foam brushes
Scissors

HOW-TO:

1. Paint your wood block black (or your chosen accent color) on all sides. Let dry
2. Cut your pictures to size.
3. Apply thin coat of Mod Podge to back of picture. Adhere to wood block. Smooth out bubbles by using a cloth over the picture. Repeat on each side. Let dry according to directions on decoupage. Usually 20 minutes.
4. Apply coat of Mod Podge over the top of picture and block. You may have to do a couple of pictures at a time, let dry and then do the others. Make sure to get the corners and sides of the pictures as well.
Note: It helps to rest the block on a cup upside down or something similar so the Mod Podge doesn't adhere to the newspaper you may have underneath for dripping.
5. Let dry overnight.
6. Give to a loved one. J

I hope you enjoy as you prepare for the holidays!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Frankenstein Takeout Box

"Hold on, man. We don't go anywhere with "scary," "spooky," "haunted," or "forbidden" in the title". ~From Scooby-Doo

 

Our happy Frankenstein Takeout Box is easy, inexpensive, cute, and quick to make! We are going to fill them with some yummy and fun Halloween treats and give to Lil Man's pre-school teacher. Here's what you need to get started:

MATERIALS:

Green Chinese takeout boxes (found at Michaels or another craft store in the gift packaging area)
Black & White Felt
Black Permanent Marker
Wiggly Eyes
Brads
Glue & Scissors

HOW-TO:

1. Cut out black felt so that the top edge is flat and the bottom edge is in a zig-zag. Glue the black felt on the top portion of the sides for his hairline.
2. Glue two wiggly eyes on.
3. Push the brad through the takeout box to make a nose. On the inside secure the brad in place by separating the metal parts.
4. Draw a smiling face (or mean one if don't want a silly Frankenstein) and a scar above his eye with a black marker.
5. Cut out little teeth with the white felt and glue to the drawn in mouth.
6. Fill with Halloween surprises.
7. Give to someone special.

Enjoy!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Silly Monster Halloween Treat Boxes

Lil Man and I had lots of fun making these Silly Monster Treat Boxes for Halloween. Plus, every time he starts to show a hint of being afraid of monsters we just say "it's one of those silly monsters" and it seems to calm those fears before they jump out of the closet. All you need are some craft supplies you probably have laying around your house. Here is what you need for your next Halloween Craft….

MATERIALS:

Small Boxes with lids ($1 at Michaels)
Craft Paint
Craft Supplies (Wiggly eyes, felt, small pom-poms, pipe cleaners, straw, yarn, buttons, feathers, etc)
Markers, Glue, Glue Gun, Scissors

HOW-TO:

1. Paint your treat boxes your favorite colors
2. Start cutting, gluing, coloring, and get creative!
3. Fill with yummy treats
4. Give to your family and friends

Button Billy Monster

 

Triple Eye Timmy Monster

 

Pink Paulina Monster
(Lil Man's Creation)

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It….With the Kids: Handmade Gift Wrap & Gift Bag

"The manner of giving is worth more than the gift".  ~Pierre Corneille, Le Menteur

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ever get tired of going to wrap a present and having the wrapping paper at the end of its roll….just short of what you need to succesfully wrap your gift? Or how about this…you go to wrap a Birthday gift and you have 3 rolls of Christmas wrapping paper, but no birthday paper. Ahhh!!! Have no worries because after we did this handmade gift wrap for a friend, I'm not sure we'll go back to store bought wrapping paper anytime soon. This was a nice creative twist to traditional wrapping…and thoughtful J. Lil Man had a birthday party to attend and in true fashion, we devoted plenty of time to picking out just the right presents, but not enough on how we were going to wrap or bag it.

My "Ah-ha" moment came when I looked up and saw a painting by Lil Man on his painting easel that had been there for a little while. I had him add some final touches to it and voila, we had creative DIY wrapping paper. If you don't have a painting easel with a roll of white paper, but do have that leftover Christmas paper, just use the white side of the wrapping paper to paint.

Then came the next challenge. We had this large flying disc thing-a-majig and did not have a bag big enough for it and wrapping it seemed too daunting for an 8:00a.m. project. We needed a handmade gift bag…

 

To make our handmade gift bag, we took some white paper from a roll of paper, cut a piece about 6 feet long, layed it on the kitchen floor, and started coloring with markers. Lil Man drew a humpback whale (see it J), some squigles, and his favorite –circles. We folded it in half and then used a hole punch to punch holes along the sides. We grabbed some scrap ribbon and tied knots thru each hole to secure the bag. Add a couple holes at the top and a ribbon to make the gift bag handles. And once again, a creative and handmade gift bag for that special someone.

Look at Lil Man! He is so proud of his creation and ready to give it to his lil buddy. Can someone talk this kid into a haircut?!?

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

The Diaper Pirates: Creative Potty and Poopy Training

Lil Man is officially a pre-schooler, but before he could throw on his backpack and participate in show and tell, we had to overcome one obstacle standing in the way - Poopy in the Potty.  Lil Man had been potty-trained for a long time (even sleeping through the night in his underwear), but poopy in the potty was absolutely frightening to him.  So for way too long he'd say, "Mommy, I need a pull-up".  We'd slide one on, he'd go to the living room rug and the "poopy face" showing just how much he was working would takeover.  When he was done, he'd lay down and get his bottom cleaned, put on some underwear and be off on his merry way. He was happy. Me? Not so much. 

We tried everything...bribery, sugar, talking about it FOREVER, rewards, and at one point did not give him the pull-up when he needed it hoping he would go poopy in the potty.  But instead he decided to hold it for days until we decided to give in afraid he would hurt himself.  Needless to say, I'm sure we did several things completely wrong so this next time we were going to get it right. 

Lil Man was very interested in Pirates and we painted the pirate ship birdhouse one day as a project.  About a week later he was having a daddy-son day.  While they were out is when the magic took place.  The pirates had come to our house :). 

Here was the story the hubby and I were sticking with.....the Pirates came to the house and stole all his pull-ups for Poopy time.  In place of Lil Man's pull-ups in the closet, the Pirates left a note and a treasure map.  The note would say that after he went poopy in the potty he could go look for the treasure chest. 

Lil Man came home and told us he needed to go poopy.  I told him to go get his pull-up out of his room.  He went to get it and instead of finding his pull-ups there he found the ship with the note and treasure map.  I stayed in the other room until I heard , "Mommy! Mommy!  Come here.....look!".  We pulled out the pirate note:

I started with a cream piece of construction paper, ripped off the edges and used brown and tan ink pads to give it a worn, distressed and old look.  I added a few Pirate stickers just to make sure my 3 year old knew exactly who it was from :).

The note said:

*************

Ahoy, Matey!

Are you ready for a swashbuckling pirate adventure?  The Cap'n tells us its time for me hearty, Lil Man, to go Poopy in the Potty.  The shipmates have stolen your pull-ups and taken them out to sea.  Yarrr! But, Matey....a Pirate's treasure awaits you after you go Poopy in the Potty.  Cap'n says ye can open the treasure map after you go poopy in the potty.  Follow the map to "X" marks the spot for ye treasure!!

Farewell chump,

The Pirates and Cap'n Scallywag

*************

Needless to say he was super curious about where that treasure map would take him and what would await him in that treasure chest. 

The inside of the treasure map....

 

I rolled up the treasure map and used a Jolly Roger glued to a paper ring to keep the map rolled up.  Then Lil Man just slid it off to open the treasure after the big "Poopy in the Potty" event.

 

It took a hot second for Lil Man to start his treasure hunt after the big deed.  We followed the map until he came upon his mini treasure chest. I found a paper mache treasure chest at Michaels, painted it tan and added some gold glitter and pirate themed stickers. 

 

He opened it up to find a Pirate necklace, gum, killer whale stickers, and gold coins that the Pirate's had left him.  However, my killer whale obsessed son said "Look Mom!  Tickets to the Killer Whale Show (a.k.a. Sea World)".  As my son is jumping up in joy I had to break it to him that I was pretty sure they were just Killer Whale stickers...not tickets to the "Killer Whale Show".  Luckily, 3 year olds get excited over stickers as well and he seemed just as excited.  Phew! 

 

And as expected we celebrated in style. In our family we celebrate the little victories along with the large ones with a little song, a little dance, and a little silliness.  Lil Man is seen here singing his "Poopy in the Potty" song and groovin' away on our living room rug....proudly wearing his pirate necklace:). 

 

 Transferring the blame of the disappearing pull-ups to the Pirates instead of the sweet and innocent parents was key for us:).  We were on his side and helping him through something we couldn't control.  We went with the story and improvised.  Lil Man asked at one point why the Pirates needed his Pull-ups.  We told him that they tied them all together and threw it overboard to use it as an anchor and that all the killer whales in the ocean were swimming by and looking at them.  He thought that was cool.  Yay!

If you are getting ready to do the potty training thing or overcome an obstacle in the potty training process...good luck and make it fun! 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It...with the Kids: Egg Carton Caterpillar & other Egg Carton Crafts

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."  ~Richard Buckminster Fuller

 

My son, like so many children, adores any book by Eric Carle.  However, The Very Hungry Caterpillar always seems to be a favorite.  To celebrate spring and the story, we decided to make a craft to go along with the book.  At some point, you are sure to have an empty egg carton so when that time comes, be sure to throw it in that "I might use pile".  Then when the lil bugger is looking for something to do, sit him or her down with some paint, glue, wiggly eyes, markers, straws, etc and let them make their very own caterpillar to decorate your window sill. 

MATERIALS:

Egg Carton
Paint
Paint Brush or Foam Brush
Wiggly Eyes
Straws or Pipe Cleaners
Markers
Scissors
Glue

HOW-TO:

1. Cut Egg Carton in half length-wise.  Paint and let dry.
2.  Glue on Wiggly Eyes.  Use Markers to decorate and draw on face
3.  Using scissors, make two incisions on the top.  Cut two straws to about 2 inches in length.  Insert straws into incision.

Pretty easy, huh?  If you are egg lovers like us and are looking for some more egg carton craft ideas take a look at these links....

Egg Carton School Bus

Egg Carton Alligator

Egg Carton Kitty

Have fun re-using those egg cartons!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Hugs & Kisses Gift Bag

"Hugs & Kisses"

 

We did it!  We got the Valentine's gifts in the mail in enough time for them to reach the grandparents on the other side of the U.S. before Valentine's Day (hopefully :)).    Since its hard for us to give real hugs and kisses to them every day, we decided to do a Hugs & Kisses theme.  The lil man decorated the bag with X's and O's and inside the bag are a few surprises.  We filled it with Hershey's Hugs & Kisses, some Valentine cards the lil man picked out, some decorated cookies and then some action photos we took of lil man blowing kisses and giving hugs.  We figured pictures of him giving hugs & kisses to them was the next best thing to the real ones :). 

If you are looking for some last minute ideas this is definitely quick and easy and something that will keep the little ones occupied. 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: No-Sew Felt Clutch

"May we always laugh together, cry together, and be there for each other...."

I bought some felt to make some little Valentine's for Lil Man's friends and somehow I ended up with a felt clutch!  Luckily, one of his girl friends loves to carry around purses so this became her Felt Clutch/Purse Valentine.  It will be the 'wrapping' to her little Valentine's gifts, but will also be the most useful 'wrapping' she's ever seen! 

MATERIALS:

1 - 8 1/2 X 11 piece of felt
Glue Gun and Glue sticks
Ribbon
Embellishments
Velcro

HOW -TO:

1.  Take your piece of felt and place it front of you, with 8 1/2 being the width and 11 being the length (vertical).  Gently fold it into thirds starting by folding the bottom third up and then the upper third down. 

2.  Glue the bottom third into place be gluing along both sides.  Do not glue the upper part because that is the space in your clutch.  When using the glue gun with the felt, be careful not to use too much because it will seep through the felt. 

3.  Add Velcro to the bottom third and the inside of the upper third (see pics for better description). 

4.  Add some ribbon, buttons, flowers, etc for embellishments.  I also cut a couple slits on the fold of the upper third and slid ribbon through the two slits to create an arm strap. I secured the ribbon on the inside with the glue and covered it with another piece of felt to cover my mess :).

Obviously, this would be really cute with stitches in it if you are good sewer, but if you are like me and want quick and easy the glue gun will do!  Now fill your Valentine clutch with some surprises and give it to your little princess.  Considering that felt is about 25 cents a piece your little girls who love to dress up can have one to match every outfit! 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It...with the Kids: Paper Love Chain

"It doesn't matter where you go in life.  It's who you have beside you."

 

It's officially been over a month since Christmas and I'm still on my mission to end the nightly question of "Santa not coming tonight?" from my 2 year old.  I'm starting to come to terms that it may not end until we start talking about the Easter bunny making a visit, or even more daunting...until next Christmas (eeek!).  Until then, I figured the more Valentine's Day projects and decorations we do, the greater chance that after we finish reading his 10th night time story he may just go to sleep without asking the THE question.  We'll see...

This is a 4-material project and most likely ones you already have in the house.  I LOVE those projects!  Plus its super easy and you can make it as simple or as extravagant as you like. 

MATERIALS:

Paper
Glue Stick
Scissors
Pen

HOW-TO:

I think everyone knows how to make these paper chains. Cut paper into equal widths and lengths using either a paper cutter or scissors.  Make a circle and secure it by using the glue stick.  Take another piece of paper and place through the circle and then secure with the glue stick.  Continue as you make a long love chain. 

To finish it off we wrote a name on each loop of a family or friend that we care for.  If you are going extravagant you could use stickers, add pictures, embellishments, etc. 

Here are some other adorable paper chains, garlands, banners for Valentine's day..

Be Mine Garland by bekahjennings

Love Banner by StoriaHome

String of Hearts Felt Garland by BranDesign

And you have to check out all these paper chains in this photo.  Get the kids to work and you too could have a wonderful window display like this one.  :)

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Happy Holidays!!

 

I know I'm a few days late wishing everyone a Happy Holiday season and Merry Christmas, but this has really been the first chance I've had.  The hubby and I came down with the flu right before our holiday guests arrived so that put us behind on just about everything.  Luckily lil man didn't catch it, but we quickly realized that's just as bad because he's running around wild while we can't even get off the couch.  Luckily it was only a couple days and then the lil man had his partners in crime back in action :).  We are extremely thankful that we were healthy for the holidays so that we could begin some new holiday traditions and carry on the ones from our families.

We started off by decorating a mailbox for Santa.  Lil man then told me what to write to Santa and personalized his letter by drawing what his daddy use to call "bookas" a.k.a circles, circles and more circles.  We put the letter in the mailbox and on Christmas morning he went to see if Santa had taken it.  Of course he did :) and left him his special ornament to add to the tree.  He also made cookies for Santa, or should I say a plate full of sprinkles?  I can't believe the sprinkles actually made it to the cookies because lil man has a natural reflex that takes the sprinkles from the hand to mouth over and over again. 

I hope your family and friends had a wonderful holiday and Happy New Year to you!  Now that our house is in the transformation of post holiday chaos back to regular chaos, I should be able to post some more ideas for you shortly.  Until then have a fabulous New Year!

Be inspired, get creative and have fun!

Gotta Make It...with the Kids: Button Snowflake Ornament

"Let it Snow!"

 

Here's an easy one for you!  Just a few supplies and your little ones will create some masterpieces to showcase on your tree.  They will be so proud of their button snowflake ornament they'll want to make one for everybody.  Hang them on your tree, attach them to the ribbon on gifts, or if you don't think you'll see real snow this year, just hang several from your windows! 

MATERIALS:

Popsicle sticks (3 for each ornament)
Buttons (I chose white ones so I wouldn't have to paint them)
White glitter
Glue
Ribbon

HOW TO:

1.  Glue the popsicle sticks together one on top of the other, attaching at the middle.  Space them out to make the shape of the "snowflake".  Let the glue dry.
2.  Spread glue over the top of the popsicle sticks.  Apply the buttons.  Let dry.
3.  Spread a light coat of glue over the buttons or use a spray adhesive.  Apply glitter.  Shake excess glitter off.
4.  Glue ribbon in a loop at the top of one of the popsicle sticks. 

Enjoy and maybe you'll get to see some real snowflakes this Christmas!  In the meantime, we'll keep dreaming for that White Christmas :) !

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Dollar Diva: Tin Advent Calendar

"Life is a constant Advent season: we are continually waiting to become, to discover, to complete, to fulfill. Hope, struggle, fear, expectation and fulfillment are all part of our Advent experience."

 

Thanksgiving is over and now that the beginning of December is upon us its time to start the countdown to Christmas. And of course we have to do it in a fun, creative, and personal way and that is how the Tin Advent Calendar was born.   While doing a little online research I found out that the word 'Advent' comes from the latin word 'andventur' meaning 'arrival'.  Ahhh...itall makes sense to me now!  Now that I'm responsible for teaching the little man some important stuff I figured that I better fill in some of those blanks in my information bank so when the lil man asks "Why" or "what's that" I'll be equipped with something besides "I dunno" or "Go ask your dad".  Hence the little research. I love the internet :). 

I finally got to my project and as you might notice its not quite an Advent Wreath like I had planned, but more of an Advent calendar.  The original plan was to cut out a circleout of some cardboard I had and then add the tin cans around the circle like wreath decorations.  But as I sat there decorating every tin I decided to change my game plan.  I really liked how they looked next to each other so I wanted to keep them in the grid.  Lucky for me the DollarTree came to the rescue again!  The circle tins, cookie pan, and ribbon are all from the Dollar Tree.  The paper that was used was all left over Christmas paper from last year.  This creative and fun Advent Calendar can be made for under $10 if you already have paper and stickers and could probably still be made for under $15 if you need to buy paper and stickers.  Here's what you need:

MATERIALS:

Circle Tins(I found mine at the DollarTree in packs of 4.  They can also be found at Michaels for a lot more money)
Cookie Pan
Ribbon
Paper
Stickers
Glue Gun
Tape
Pencil
Scissors

HOW TO:

1. Trace the circle tin onto a piece of heavy cardstock.  Cut it out.  Use this as your template.  Trace around 24 pieces of paper and cut out.  Have fun!  This is where the kids can help if they are old enough.
2.  Once the papers are cut out lay them out in a color grid that you like.  Then apply number stickers. 
3.  Keeping the papers in the order you like start inserting the paper onto the inside of the tin.  You may need to tape them in place on the inside.  Put it back in its grid place and move on to the next.  Do with all 24.
4.  Take your cookie pan and arrange all the tins onto the cookie pan so they are equally spaced.  Start using your glue gun to glue the bottom of the tin to the cookie pan.  Continue with all 24.
5.  Use your glue gun to attach the ribbon to the back of the cookie pan.  You can make a bow or just a loop to hang it. 
6.  Fill your advent tins with lots of treasures!

This year we are going to do a treasure hunt advent calendar.  Since Lil Man is 2 and not the brilliant girl on the Today show that can already read, we are going to simplify it for him.  We are going to take pictures of places where the present might be hidden and he has to go find it.  For example, we may take a picture of shoes so that he has to go look in the closet to find his gift.  We're doing a combination of this and putting little surprises in the tin like chocolate and stickers.  Other ideas might include inspirational quotes, a little part of the Nativity Story, chocolate, stickers, or clues to where the little gift might be hidden. 

Enjoy and YAY! for the Holiday season!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!