Kid Craft: Tree Artwork
After Thanksgiving the kids helped me with a little holiday decorating project – painted tree artwork. Usually I keep sketches my mom made in fashion design school in the 1970s in these frames (shown below in our last house), but I wanted to switch them out with something more festive for the holidays. My two little artists-in-residence would be perfect for this job. I covered our dining room table in a plastic tablecloth – always necessary when paint is involved – and let the kids go to work painting trees on regular computer paper. It was easier for them (or me) to sketch a tree first and then for them to…
Dining Room Shelves Decked Out for Christmas
I’m having more fun with holiday decor than I’ve ever had! For real. That’s not my usual sarcasm talking. I barely recognize myself. Enough about me, let’s talk shelves! The built-in shelves in my dining room received some holiday-ifying. I still don’t quite know what to do with these shelves, but I’m learning to appreciate the process. You’ll recognize the dry snow globes that my kids and I crafted together. I made the two prints in the middle and the rest are items pulled from around the house or my Christmas bins. I have a fair amount of sentimental home decor. This was my grandfather’s water can. You can still see…
Scrapmaster Project #4: Dove
Last year, Handy Husband decided to rip all of our random scrap wood into 1 inch wide strips. Out of that, we made rolling milk crates, arrow art and a growth chart. There was still a little bit of wood left, but the lengths were all pretty varied. I wasn’t sure what to do with it all, so the wood sat in our garage waiting for inspiration. In the meantime, my kids decided the wood made for excellent swords. I’m sure nothing can go wrong with that game. One day, inspiration finally struck and mommy took away all of the kids’ fun (and quite possibly saved an eye or two). A wooden…
Our New Christmas Stockings
Way back in November I confessed our Christmas stocking situation. In short, I had a long con running that was about to come to an end. Have you been holding your breath this entire time waiting to see what I would do? Yeah, I didn’t think so. 🙂 I tried and tried and tried to purchase the knit stockings from Joann’s, but when you end up ONE PENNY short of free shipping, it kind of chaps your hide. Or, at least, it chaps my hide. Instead, I purchased 4 white knit stocking from Target for $13 each. They are almost identical. My plan was to have my super talented friend from Blue…
Yarn and Felt Holiday Wreath
I’m already looking forward to summer. I know, I know…it’s not even technically winter yet. It’s just that we have almost reached the milestone where I can press pause on the constant paranoia of drowning and simply enjoy our days at the pool. It’s liberating when your children learn how to swim. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be vigilant, but I think I can step it down a notch and at least let my eagle eye blink every now and then. 😉 All of that was a roundabout way of saying, do not throw away those worn out pool noodles. They make excellent wreath forms. Since I’m dispensing advice today, I will add…
No Sew Holiday Pillow
I can’t think of a sad story that starts with “I went to TJ MAXX/HomeGoods.” Can you? That’s how this story starts. I went to my local TJ MAXX/HomeGoods store and found an over-sized Christmas dish towel for $2.99. I wasn’t looking for it per se, but I find it hard not to walk down every single aisle when I go in that store. Don’t judge. Now, when I commit to something, I really commit to it. I’m not going to go halfway…I don’t want to be a slacker or anything. So, I’m committed to avoiding the trouble with my sewing machine and the mess I made of the bobbins.…
Candy Cane Advent Calendar
Of all the ideas I’ve dreamed up that my husband has built for me, the giant chalkboard is still one of my favorites. Plus, it’s not just a chalkboard, it’s a magnetic chalkboard. It’s constructed out of sheet metal with a wood frame. I got the impression when I went to the sheet metal manufacturing place to buy this randomly-sized piece of sheet metal that they don’t get many walk-ins. And the walk-ins they do get must be a certain type because the only thing the man who helped me said was, “you must be using this to homeschool your children.” Ah, no. Can’t a girl just want a giant magnetic chalkboard? However, I took…
Mason Jar Snow Globes
I have been meaning to make snow globes for years, people. YEARS. I have the fake snow in my craft bins to prove it. Except, I wanted to make a lot of snow globes. That type of commitment makes me commitment-phobic about the permanence of such a gesture. Did that sentence make sense? Imagine being inside my brain… So the kids and I decided to make dry snow globes. Well, I decided, but they happily went along with the idea. This idea is not new or unique and you can find how-to posts all over the ol’ Internet. Basically, it boils down to this. Hot glue a fake tree to the lid…
Christmas Countdown Lunch Notes: Free Printable
Ho, ho, ho! Tis the season where your kids ask every 5 minutes how many days until Christmas! Before you can reply for the umpteenth time, one of them will volunteer a response. Then they argue about whether or not that is correct or not. Then mommy yells at patiently instructs them to stop yelling at each other. Ahem. I’m only guessing that happens at…other people’s houses? Surely not at mine. Out of all that fa-la-la and holly-jolly came these printable Christmas countdown lunch notes created by me just for you. To simplify the printing process, I left the number off of the printable. (I’m still loving my new Epson printer, by the…
Black Friday
To all of you out there braving the cold and the lines on Black Friday. God bless you. I just can’t do it. The lines. The people. The lines. The people. I’m not strong enough. Besides, I have Amazon. 😉 Here are some things that have been kid-approved in our household this year. BOOK: Pip Bartlett’s Guide to Magical Creatures My 8-year-old daughter LOVED this book and thought it was hilarious. We read a lot of it aloud together and it is a fascinating world for a young mind. TOY: Ninja Nunchaku Toy Weapons I have a 5-year-old boy. Need I say more? These are foam and I speak from experience when…
