butterfly puppet :: diy :: kid projects

we have a little girl who is hosting her 6th birthday party at the shop tomorrow. it's a butterfly themed party and so i made her this little puppet as her gift! cute right?! and so simple. i had everything already lying around the back room!

i think this could be a great give-away to any spring birthday party. or as an impromptu toy for the kiddos at a backyard cookout. can you think of other ideas for this easy gift?

happy weekend friends! xo

take-out art :: kid project

next time you get carry-out, keep the styrofoam containers they come in! this is a fun way to teach kiddos about pressure, texture & printing/stamping. you can use a pen or pencil to create a pattern or drawing on the styrofoam and it will leave an indention. then by brushing over with paint and transferring to another service, a design is created.

so... now you have another reason not to cook tonight! {wink, wink}. happy weekend friends!

story rocks :: imagination inspiration

here's a fun diy that your kiddo will love! collect some rocks together (or purchase at the craft store) then paint different objects on them. when finished up, your kiddo can pull out a rock one at a time and create a story around each object. talk about imagination inspiration! xoxo

cardboard box ramp :: diy :: inspiration

snow day valentines :: kid projects

the kiddos have been off school the last couple days. the first day, we could play outside in the snow. today, however, the temps have dipped below zero so we're stuck inside. are you? if so, i thought i'd provide a little inspiration for you and your bored little ones.

both crafts are super simple. the first uses a toilet paper roll as a paint brush or stamp. just fold the tube as a heart and dip in paint. my boys stamped heart shapes all over construction paper and then we used that as a background for multiple valentines.

the second involves cutting, so it is best for 4-years and older. we folded a piece of paper and then traced our hands, with the thumb and index finger pressed against the folded side. then cut and unfold. when turned upside down, the space between these two fingers creates a heart shape.

what have you been doing to pass the time?

tp snowman :: kid projects

remember when we were kids and had "snow days"?! this meant, the snow was so plentiful that the buses simply couldn't pick us all up. we would wake up late, eat cereal on the couch while watching cartoons and then our parents would kick us out to go play in the snow. well... that doesn't seem to happen much anymore. instead, my kids have "cold days". meaning... it's too cold to go outside! days off school have become really boring. it's too cold to even walk to the car and drive somewhere to do something. brrrrr

if you have experienced this over the last couple months, and/or are experiencing it this weekend (as we are), i have a little project for you and the kiddos that will at least pull them away from the tv for a little while. the greatest thing about this project is that you have pretty much everything already in your house somewhere! so, show the kids this list:

• tp roll
• white paint
• paint brushes
• cotton balls or craft puffs
• pipe cleaners
• googly eyes (optional)
• ribbon
• buttons
• glue
• hole punch

then, make them find all of these items in your house. don't tell them what you are going to do with these things. the anticipation will be heightened and they'll excitedly go about your silly scavenger hunt.

after everything is gathered, sit down and make a little tp snowman. you can share your childhood stories of "snow days" while they craft away.  and, of course, you'll be helping them make their own memories of "cold days".

happy weekend friends. xoxo

derby car :: projects with kids

"the monster" has his first pinewood derby tomorrow! he is out-of-this-world excited! in fact, i'm pretty sure it's the only reason why he joined cub scouts in the first place. when he found out that there was a parent/sibling division, i couldn't say "no" to his little face as he pleaded with me to do a car.

and so, began the stress of figuring out how to make a race car out of a block of wood... while simultaneously teaching my son to use a saw and not loose a finger. after a couple of failed attempts to hook up with a friend of a friend who has said "saw", we opted for the pre-cut version that you can buy at the hobby store. relief!

once "bump" saw the fancy race car pictures, he too wanted to make a derby car and enter the race. our finished (and in "bump's" case, mostly finished) cars are above. although we used the pre-cut blocks, all other details were chosen and attached by each of us to create our original cars. i was proud of myself for not jumping in and trying to do the boys' cars for them (as i'm sure many parents do). by making my own car, i was able to work along side of them and teach them instead. i am also incredibly proud of "the monster" because i think his car turned out pretty good!

anyway, the race is tomorrow. i'm sure we won't win any prizes, but if we do i'll be sure to brag about it on here next week. xoxo

paper trees :: kid project

are you ready for tomorrow?! if you are like me, you will spend most of the day in the kitchen (both cooking & grazing), while simultaneously ushering the kiddos out of the way.  here's a fun and easy project for them to do so they won't be under foot. you probably have all of the supplies (paper sack, glue & paper) around your house anyway! and what an adorable little decoration for when company arrives.

enjoy friends! xoxo