Crafting

Discovery bottles are a great craft for a busy baby, toddler, or child. After Ellie started crawling, she would spend lots of time pulling my cookbooks off the bookshelf in our kitchen. I realized I needed to put something in that space that she could play with. Discovery bottles were a great answer. I cleared all the books off the bottom two shelves and they became her new play area. She would occupy herself while I cooked and loved that she could play all by herself.

This craft is so easy! Just put anything in the bottles that would be fun to look at, fun to hear, or fun to shake.…

Did you ever feel the need to jazz up the gift you were about to give a special friend and you were limited on time and resources? Continuing on the theme of making “something new” out of resources you already have on hand can add a special personal flair to a birthday, housewarming or hostess gift. What you will need for this quick, fun and easy craft might be right in your home……

scraps of material
ribbon
pins
thread and needle
sewing machine

Take a look around your house and see if you have a scrap of material, any size, I used a piece that was 24 inches by 10 inches. Lay it out flat and take a pair of pinking sheers and cut the long 24 inch top edge to make a decorative top edge.…

Car seats have changed so much over the years but they remain the most important safety device made for babies and children. The straps are an integral part of the safety each seat provides and it is very important that the straps are tight enough to function properly. The problem with that concept is that the webbing can potentially rub on a child’s neck and shoulders especially in the summer when kids are wearing short sleeved or scoop necked shirts or onesies. So, my daughter, Rachel and I designed some strap covers and made them out of a remnant, leftover from the fabric of her beautiful ring sling baby carrier.

I will walk you through our process step by step. You can use whatever fabric you want but a soft woven fabric is best because it is comfortable and breathable.…

This week I am going to post my pictures and the detailed description of how I made Rachel’s porta crib organizer. She will have to give us all feedback on how it is working to keep all her baby necessities in order.

Take a piece of flannel fabric 64 inches by 44 inches and fold in half lengthwise.…

Bucket Lists…What an amazing concept! A way to dream, be inspired to try new things, travel and learn about new cultures. But, here is a new twist to just writing a list!!

Materials:

-Open Back Frame
-Chicken Wire
-Staple Gun
-Fun Paper Punch (Optional- I have and used the Marvy-Uchida 2″ x 3″ Merchandise Tag Clever Lever Craft Punch. And, it comes in all different shapes and sizes)
-Small Clothes Pins
-Colored Construction Paper or Patterned Scrapbook Paper
-Letter Stickers, Contact Paper, & Scotch Tape (Optional)
-Pens or Sharpies…

What better gift is there than coupons! Coupons for quality time, coupons for a special gift, coupons for a favor, or coupons for a special event… They can cover almost any idea. And you can be creative as you want! They are “I OWE YOU”‘s, but it does not mean that it is a gift that should be forgotten. So, making actual tangible coupons makes sure that each specific coupon can be cashed out for the gift. And it makes the special birthday or holiday last even longer! For this blog post we are going to talk all about Father’s Day and what we can do for dads! You can make a sheet of coupons, a jar of coupons, a book of coupons, an envelope filled with coupons… the options are endless. Coupons are always one of my favorite gifts to give.  Because coupons usually end up in time spent together, which I love! But let’s make this Father’s day a special one by filling days and weeks with special things for dad! So here are some ideas.

 (not my picture)                                                              Coupon book from: http://create.northridgepublishing.com/wow-96-fathers-day-coupon-book/

Things to think about when choosing what to make coupons for Father’s Day:

1. What are dad’s chores and duties?
2. What are dad’s favorite things?
3. Are they coupons from a daughter or a son?
4. What is the age of the child giving the coupons (for you moms that are helping with gifts)?
5. How can a child help their dad?
6. What will make a dad’s day?
7. What is something a dad may not expect?

Chores Category

• Mow lawn
• Wash car
• Take trash out
• Vacuum
• Help in yard
• Help clean garage

Food Category

• Make him his favorite dessert
• Breakfast in bed
• Favorite snacks packed for work
• Packed lunch
• Pick favorite meat to grill

Special Date Category

• Movie date

Love is Action

A family tradition that we did each New Year’s Eve as our children were growing up was to make a family crest-(like the old fashion coat of arms on a shield that identified each family in the days of old). A fun and simple activity that only requires a piece of poster board, a few colored markers, a glue stick, a few pictures from magazines, photographs or paper to draw on, a bit of creativity and an hour or so of time.…

Do you love scrapbooking, but hate the time commitment? Then “once-a-month” memory books are for you! Even if scrapbooking isn’t your thing, this craft has a high reward for very little effort; sure to entice even the novice crafter.

The idea behind a once-a-month memory book is simple: you only do it ONCE a month! …