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Fabric Flower Headband for Kids #craft #handmade

March 11, 2014 by Melissa

Shae is a mix of girly girl and tomboy. She’s got a collection of jewelry and lip glosses stored next to her Xbox games and Skylanders figures. She’s always asking for costumes and new shoes so it’s only natural that I make her hair accessories to wear. She recently got her haircut and I wanted to emphasize the bump in the back so I made her this “hipster” fabric flower headband that wraps around her entire head.

Even better is I didn’t purchase one single thing in order to make it. Saving fabric from outgrown clothing is the best way to create things like this.

First I took a stretchy, shimmery black knit and measured it 8 inches bigger than her head from the base of her head to her forehead. Laying flat it measured about 3″ wide. Scrunched up this was a good fit for her.

With a needle and thread I made bow shape without the huge knot.

Then I started rolling strips of fabric to create rosettes. These are so simple to make. Essentially you take a strip of fabric, fold it in half (printed side facing out) then twist it. Then you roll in around itself using spots of hot glue to keep it in place. The harder your twist the tighter your flower will be. Don’t stop at fabric though. Ribbons and lace work perfectly too. There are lots of tutorials on YouTube to show you how to make a rolled fabric or ribbon flower.

I made a few flowers, layered them on a piece of fabric and glued them along with a scrunched up piece of black satin tucked behind a flower for embellishment. Feathers, lace and even leaves would work great here.

Glue the fabric to the headband, set aside to dry and it’s ready to wear. I wanted to add tiny seed beads but Shae was very impatient and wanted to wear it to school. I’ve done these rolled flowers many many times. They take just a couple minutes to make and are ready to tack on an existing headband, barrette or brooch.

Use what you have on hand, no need to shop for new fabrics or crystals.

Butterfly Clothes Pin Fridge Magnet #kids #diy #craft

February 19, 2014 by Melissa

Everyday Shae comes home from school and empties her backpack of a stack of papers. Among these papers are art projects and drawings that she cherishes with every fiber of her being. She’s 6 so every single crayon stroke is important to her. I’ve often turned my kitchen walls into a mini art gallery but there is something about the refrigerator that beckons a masterpiece. That’s why these Butterfly Clothespin Magnets are so handy to have.

Making these fridge magnets can be done by any child, any age. The materials used can vary from foam sheets to wooden shapes to molded clay.

Materials
Cardstock butterfly
Fine point markers
Glitter glue, glitter, sequins, stickers, etc
Clothes pins
Glue (something strong enough to keep magnet attached to clothespin)
Button magnets

Directions
Give your children creative license when decorating their shape. These magnets are to hold not just notes and photos but their artwork. If using glitter glue allow time to dry fully before handling.

Using a strong adhesive attach the magnet to the lower half of the clothes pin. Set aside to dry.

Glue the shape onto the clothespin so the opening is at the bottom. This works best when displaying sheets of paper.

Save the chip clips for the chips & pretzels and make multiple fridge magnets to exhibit the many pieces of artwork your children are creating at school and at home.

Painted Bow Tie Pasta Art #kidsinthekitchen

February 14, 2014 by Melissa

Going to the grocery store can be really inspiring for art and creativity. Our last trip motivated this new art piece in the kitchen. Bow Tie Pasta is not only a tasty addition to salads and soups its utterly adorable in shape. Shae and I created this Painted Bow Tie Pasta Art for the kitchen.

Using mine and Sabreena’s wide array of nail polish choices gave us an endless rainbow of colors to paint the bow ties. The drying time took the longest time and the fumes sometimes were a bit much as both Shae and I had multiple bottles open at once. I encourage this be done in a well ventilated room and with adult supervision.

Materials Needed

Bow Tie Pasta
nail polish in multiple colors
school glue
paper
Canvas Board or Frame with glass missing
Permanent Craft Adhesive like Beacon Quick Grip or hot glue
Lettering of choice

Directions

Start with choosing your bow ties. I went with a uniform look because I knew they would be displayed. Check for broken edges or curled edges.

Using just a tiny dab of school glue, attach each bow tie to a piece of scrap paper. Doing this gives a stable foundation to let you paint.

Choose your paint colors and give each pasta shape 2-3 coats. Top come off with glittery or shiny topcoats for added dimension.

Once they’ve completely dried and your happy with the coverage carefully peel them off the scrap paper. Remove as much residual paper as possible but this side won’t be seen.

Arrange your painted bows on your final canvas or frame and then adhere them. Let this set till the glue is completely dried.

Add lettering or stickers of your choice. I added Let’s Eat but Play With Your Food was another phrase I liked.

I cut my letters out on my Silhouette then mod podged them onto the board. Just 2 coats was all that was needed. This was ready to hang then next day. This is a great rainy or snow day activity for even little hands working on fine motor skills.

After painting we tried adding polka dots and stripes with markers. They didn’t stick. I think toothpicks or super small paint brushes dipped in nail color would work very well to get those details.

Skip the nail polish and fumes and go for acrylics or poster paints. We used nail polish for the bright intense hues and shiny finish.
Come join me and my co-hosts, Sarah of Play to Learn with Sarah, Paula at Frosted Fingers and Sara at Sensibly Sara, each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

preparing healthy snacks
having a tea party
counting skills with m&ms
pouring from measuring cups
discovering a local restaurant that your kids love
creating new family friendly recipes

You’ll find so many more ideas on the #KidsintheKitchen Pinterest Board.

Follow Melinda Babiak’s board #KidsintheKitchen on Pinterest.

Snow Day Unplugged Boredom Buster Indoor Activities

February 13, 2014 by Melissa

Mother Nature isn’t pulling any punches this year. Snow, rain, sleet, hail and earthquakes are happening all over the country these days, at levels that we’ve never seen before. Schools and activities are being cancelled. Parents are home from work. Conditions are so hazardous that there are no kids playing outside.

What’s a family to do? Get creative that’s what. These indoor activities will keep kids of all ages occupied, entertained and cabin fever free while staying unplugged.

Paper Roadway from Rusty & Rosy

Using paper, cars and bit of imagination your children can build an entire city in the living room.

Circus Clown Flip Book by LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too!

Don’t stop at clowns. Expand on this Flip Book idea with animals, peoples, occupations and other themes. Using an old notebook and scissors works perfectly for this craft.

Paper Climbers from Housing a Forest

Introduce a little bit of physics and science into the fun with these DIY paper climbers. Kids can personalize with the designs and characters of choice.

Marshmallow Shooters from Come Together Kids

Begin the battle with mini marshmallows or pompoms with this DIY shooter made from materials found around the home.

Indoor Putt Putt from The Craft Train

While this activity definitely needs some adult participation to set up, the fun can be had my kids only giving mom and dad time to themselves.

Bathtub Fishing by The Artsy Mom

We all have some bathtub toys tucked away so why not put them to use and create a game where kids can fish for letters, colors and toys.

Whether you try one of these activities or come up with your own stay safe, stay warm and enjoy yourself.

Last Minute Valentines for Kids

February 12, 2014 by Melissa

Did you realize Valentine’s Day is jsut 2 days away? You’re quickly running out of time to get something together for your kids to hand out to their classmates. Don’t fear. These crafts are QUICK, EASY and only use 2-3 everyday supplies to complete.

BEE Fingerprint Valentine’s Card from Rusty & Rosy Blog

Create this personalized card with some paper, stamp pads or markers and your child’s fingerprints.

DIY Mutlicolor Crayons from Hands On As We Grow

Upcycle those broken and mismatched crayon boxes into one kid sized magic crayon. Use a muffin tin or silicone molds in whatever shape you choose.

Fingerprint Bookmarks from LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too!

Fingerprints, paper and a little ribbon or yard and you’ve got unique and useful gifts for a crowd.

Pillow Box for Treats from MomDot

In case you already have a stash of goodies to share why not give them in these adorable treat box made of paper and glue and some embellishments of your choosing.

Watercolor Valentines from Nest of Posies

Choose paper of your choice and create a beautiful watercolor masterpiece to hand out with a special handwritten message inside.

Arrow Straw Toppers from Wild Olive

Paper and scissors is all that is needed to make these to top off straws or pencils.

Sewn Heart Valentine from Tinkerlabs

Let little hands weave a heart through cardboard or cardstock with yarn, thread, twine or ribbon to fashion a little love note.

As you can see all of these ideas only need a couple things plus your imagination to make it your own. You better get moving, time is running out.

Wish Jar for Kids #craft

January 30, 2014 by Melissa

Shae has a wild imagination. She sits at the kitchen table and draws amazingly odd pictures of pretend creatures. She talks about a future living in Greenland with 10 children married to her classmate Max. I love this about her. I love that she can turn a dark and dreary day into one full of magic and wonder.

Because of this we thought it would be the best idea ever to make her own Wish Jar. This lets her make wishes anytime she wants for whatever her little heart desires.

Supplies

Clear jar with tight fitting lid
Fine glitter
Food Coloring
School Glue
Warm water
Permanent Glue (I used Beacons Glass, Metal & More)

Directions
Start with a super clean jar and lid. Add in 2-3 tsp of our desired colored glitter. We choose a fine red and then a large cut silver for a touch of sparkle.

Fill not quite to the top your warm water along with your food color. Only add 1-2 drops at a time. Stir to see the final color.

Pour in 2 tsp of school glue. Stir again to help glue melt into water.

Add strong glue to the lid and close tightly.

Let you child decorate their jar & lid and shake away!

Just a couple words of wisdom when making your own Glitter Wish Jar.

Do not add too much glue
Do not add HOT water. It will cause pressure when putting on the lid.
Do not use hot glue or Krazy glue on the lid, they set up too fast to get your lip properly closed.

Try a

Animal Thumbprint Valentine Bookmarks Craft

January 20, 2014 by Melissa

In a world full of Spongebob, Minecraft, Xmen and Micky Mouse I’m glad I have the craftiness to help my kids stand out in the piles of mediocre. This year for Valentine’s Day Shae will be handing out something more exciting and lovable with these Animal Thumbprint Valentine Bookmarks.

Fingerprints make everything cuter. The personal touch shows the recipient that the gift was made especially for them from the heart. These bookmarks are also useful. Shae is reading more and more each day and I know a bookmark would come in handy for her.

Materials

Stamp pads
Blank bookmark shapes cut from cardstock
Fine point pens
yarn or embroidery thread

Directions

Ink thumbs and fingers and press onto bookmarks.

Add details to transform in to cute animal shapes. Write your message.

Add yarn to the top of the bookmark.

In just a few short minutes you have an adorable Valentine Card for an entire class.

Can you come up with any other thumbprint animal ideas?

Burlap and Ribbon Wrapped Vase

January 16, 2014 by Melissa

Flowers are a common gift for Valentine’s Day so I decided to make a beautiful decorated vase where they can be placed. Crafting your own vase can be as uncomplicated as you want to make it. I bought NO special supplies for my vase, using just what I had on hand.

Adding different dimensions and layers makes this vase stand out against simpler decor on a shelf or table. Using a variety of textures gives it more sophistication I think.

Materials Needed

Vase
fabric, burlap, ribbon of choice
flowers, fabric or paper
buttons, beads or rhinestones
school glue hot glue

Directions

Thoroughly clean and dry a vase. Mine has been floating around this household for years, it’s one of my favorites because it’s very heavy and has a blue-gray hue. It’s usually filled with marbles and a fake flower.

Measure out your materials and using school glue adhere it to your vase. I like using school glue because it allows you to remove the materials if you ever decide to makeover your vase. It will simply wash off and you can start over. Layer multiple ribbons or fabric pieces to achieve the look you want.

My paper flowers were made using a paper cutter and quilling tool. These are NOT required at all. I’ve done them before with scissors and rolled them with my hands. Here is a simple tutorial showing you how simple it can be.

Arrange your flowers and buttons the way you want then hot glue them directly to your fabric/ribbons.

Now wait for your flower delivery.

A Family of Christmas Stockings #PCHoliday

December 9, 2013 by Melissa

Way back in the day when we were just a family of 4 I spent a Christmas finding the “perfect” stockings and stocking hangers to display on our mantel. I trudged out in the cold, snipped fresh holly branches and weave tiny twinkling lights through them and flaunted the beautiful design I had come up with. Fast forward to the next 6 years and you’ll see only 3 stockings each Christmas attached to anything that had a flat surface. This year when the note came through that I could pick out new stockings for the whole family from Personal Creations I almost leapt out of my seat. I knew we’d finally have what I’ve been wanting for a long time, these Ribbon Stockings personalized with our names.

Personal Creations carries a HUGE selection for just about everyone. The best part of their choices are most of them can be personalized to reflect a name, initial, special date or even more. With hundreds of gifts to choose from for any occasion Personal Creations can be your shopping destination throughout the year.

I knew our stocking were on their way so I knew I had to come up with a new idea to hang all five of them. this house does not have the fireplace mantel that we used to have so I knew I had to get creative. I scoured our makeshift workshop and found something that would work perfectly with some tweaking.

Using a simple unused wood shelf, existing paint & stain and some bought decorations and hardware I came up this Christmas Stocking Holder. The project was very easy. I painted and stained a plain wood shelf till I achieved a color I like and took an old wrench and a hammer to it to add some distressed details. The words and stickers were less than $10 from the craft store and Rob found these antique brass bolts. I thought there were a unique and better alternative to plain hooks.

The stockings look great hanging up. Even without a mantel they stand out with this special new home. I’m not forgetting about our new ornament. Each year I get new ornaments for the kids or family that mark a significant point in the year or commemorate another wonderful year together. The Family in Bed ornament was adorable and I knew it was a good fit for our family.

This ornament will stay on the family tree but individual ornaments that the kids received are put right on their own trees. When they are grown up and have families of their own they’ll have a great start for the holidays and great stories and memories to share.

Shop today for your own personalized ornaments and stockings to ensure availability and delivery in time for the holidays. Personal Creations is offering you 20% off all of your purchases through the end of December. Click here to start shopping and the 20% will be applied in your shopping cart.

Follow Personal Creations Blogger Board: Christmas Ideas on Pinterest

Fabric Pumpkin Home Decor Tutorial #craft

October 29, 2013 by Melissa

Festive table-scapes are fun ways to incorporate decoration into the home. Our dining table is the usual catch-all of school papers, sunglasses, the day’s craft leftovers and water glasses so creating something decorative pushes us to clean up our messes. An for some reason I’m obsessed with pumpkins this year!

These decorative pumpkins can be found in favorite shops for hefty price tags. I’ve seen a gorgeous velvet ruby red variety for upwards of $30. I’m not one to spend that kind of money for decorations. I’m the kind of person to make my own. Using scrap fabrics I created some pumpkins of my own to decorate for years to come.

Materials

Fabrics of your choice
sewing machine or needle and thread
embroidery thread, raffia, ribbon
batting
stem, real or made from fabric
glue gun

Instructions

Create a pouch from your fabric. The length and width of your tube will change the shape of your pumpkin so experiment to see what you prefer.

Fully stuff the tube leaving a couple inches at the top. Loosely fold in the top to cover stuffing.

At the top of your pumpkin start wrapping your twine, raffia, thread or ribbon to create the indentations of your pumpkin. Finish by tying your thread tightly at the top. Arrange your threads to achieve the pumpkin look you want, fluff with your fingers and hands.

Add a touch of glue to your stem and shove through the top of your pumpkin into the batting and adjust till it sits how you like it. Arrange on table or shelf to decorate for the holidays.

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