Eileen

How to Make Easy Fall Puppets (With a Puppet Theater)

September 17, 2017 by Eileen 17 Comments

I was sitting with my toddler the day after his birthday, surrounded by all kinds of new gifts. But what was he playing with? An empty cardboard box that previously housed one of his new toys.

All these new toys, and he’s playing with the with boxes and wrapping.

Every time we have an empty box – usually a diaper box – our son climbs in and pretends he’s driving some kind of vehicle. Or he fills it with his stuffed animals and pushes it around. Or, he tries to get the dog in the box.

Just as much as our toddler loves to play with the diaper boxes, I love when I can upcycle them into something useful. We’ve made a fire truck diaper box halloween costume, storage bins (you can’t tell they are diaper boxes when you cover them with cute contact paper and add a knob), and pretend race cars.

I was looking for an easy fall craft for toddlers, and as my son was running around the house with the empty diaper box on his head, inspiration struck.

We could make simple popsicle stick puppets with a fall theme and use the diaper box for a puppet theater. I got to upcycle a cardboard box, and my son got his “toy” of choice. 🙂

Easy Fall Kids Craft

I love to keep things simple. If it’s too many steps or materials, then it’s not the craft for us.

For our popsicle stick puppets and diaper box puppet theater, all of our materials came from around the house – making the cost nothing!

It was also an easy craft to do, which gave my son enough room to be creative.

Making the Popsicle Stick Puppets

I figured the easiest way to make popsicle stick puppets for fall was by using simple shapes to do so. Since my son is still so young, I drew a few shapes – circles, squares, triangles of various sizes, ovals, and trapezoids and cut them out.

To make the fall craft even easier for you, I created a printable (scroll to end for free printable) with all of the shapes we used – that you could simply print, trace, and cut.

Materials for the Popsicle Stick Puppets

Card stock or construction paper – I prefer card stock for kids crafts because it’s thicker and easier to work with
Popsicle sticks
Markers, crayons, or chalk – for drawing faces
Embellishments – yarn, googly eyes, stickers, buttons, or anything you have around the house
Glue, Tape, and Scissors
Optional – Shapes Template (see bottom of the page)

How to Make Popsicle Stick Puppets for Fall

First, trace and cut out the shapes. Then, I placed all of the shapes in front of my little guy and helped him to create fun fall faces. For example, we matched a big triangle to a big oval to make the witch’s hat.

Then, we simply glued the hat to a circle to make the witch’s face. Next, we decorated her face with yarn hair and googly eyes. Last, we taped the face to a popsicle stick.

For embellishments on your puppets, you can use anything that you have around the house. I like to go around and collect things and put them in a bin – and then we have all of our materials in front of us. It’s fun to also include the kids in this – like a scavenger hunt.

My little guy loves running around and finding things to use for our projects. In collecting things, we found some leftover burlap from a banner and cut a piece to use for the scarecrow’s hat. I think that was our best find 🙂

So, we then continued to choose shapes and decorate, turning our shapes into fun fall figures for our puppet theater. My son, who barely sits still, looooved decorating the faces.

I was so impressed with this cute little monster he made. That’s one of things I love about doing crafts with kids – they will surprise you 🙂

Making the Cardboard Box Puppet Theater

The puppet theater was fun to make because I love upcycling things – less to recycle too 🙂 I simple grabbed a diaper box and got to work 🙂

Materials for the Puppet Theater

Cardboard box or even a piece of cardboard that you can bend into a trifold
Xacto Knife (to cut the window)
Item of your choice to cover the box with – felt, wrapping paper, construction paper, etc
Ruler
Glue (type of glue depends on the material you use to cover the box)
Optional – embellishments such as stickers, felt shapes, letters, etc

How to Make a Cardboard Box Puppet Theater

Since our diaper box was on the small side, our puppet theater was going to be a tabletop theater. You could always use a bigger box or a big trifold and make it a bigger theater. However, I like to use what we have, so a diaper box it was 🙂

First, I cut off the top flaps of the box. I also cut off one of the four sides – to turn the box into a tri-fold. I also removed one of the bottom flaps. Next, I drew a window and cut it out with an Xacto knife.

After that, I grabbed some felt and hot glued it to the box. Surprisingly, I only used three sheets of felt. I love to work with felt and had a huge stack of it, but you could also use wrapping paper or construction paper or whatever you have lying around the house.

Last, my son decorated the front of the theater with shape stickers.

Learning Extensions – Easy Fall Kids Craft

There are so many ways you can tie learning into crafts with kids. This easy fall craft for toddlers was centered upon shapes.

Not only was my little guy identifying shapes but he was working with them to create fun fall puppets – i.e. small triangles make cat ears, large triangles are perfect for hats, and heads can be circles or squares. Other skills that this easy fall craft for toddlers included was the use of fine motor skills to glue, cut out simple shapes, and draw faces.

You can also tie this activity in with a fall book, like this pumpkin shapes book. This one is a great Halloween lift-the-flap book – the drawings in this one make it easy to pick out different shapes you see. You could also take a trip to the local library for an extension too.

Last, if your kids are not toddlers, they can totally do this craft and more independently. In fact, you could simply print the shapes template, have them trace, cut, and decorate themselves. And, puppet theaters are perfect for kids of all ages.

So, if you have a box laying around the house or if it’s a rainy, cold day and you are looking for something to occupy the kids, making these easy popsicle stick puppets with a cardboard box theater is the perfect activity.

Your child will love playing with the decked out cardboard box, and you’ll have yourself a few hours of free time after an easy upcycled project. 🙂

10 Day Living Room and Dining Room Makeover Reveal

September 3, 2017 by Eileen 50 Comments

Do you ever watch those HGTV shows just wishing they would come and make over your home? Well, have I got a story for you.

My parents recently went on vacation, and my sister decided to renovate their home while they were gone – in just 10 days. I’m talking ripping up the carpet, peeling the layers and layers of wall paper from the 1970s, painting the walls, and installing new flooring.

My sister’s timeline was a little crazy, so she had to have a little help from us – but the results were phenomenal.

When my parents returned, they were completely shocked. Of course, they loved it and were so happy to not have to tackle these projects themselves.

So, here are the before and afters, along with the details, of the 10-day home renovation challenge.

First up is the living room makeover. Below is a before picture, showing the view looking in from the hallway.

Such a difference, right?! Here’s another view of the living room before and after pictures.

Last, here are befores and afters of the dining room.

The difference is pretty incredible! In just 10 days, my sister, along with some help, was able to rip down layers and layers of wall paper, fix up the walls, paint the walls, rip up carpeting, and lay down new flooring during this dining and living room makeover project.

Preparing for the Renovation

The living room and dining room renovation was a complete surprise to my parents. After they left for their vacation, the first order of business was to prepare the rooms.

First, we took pictures of all of the photo arrangements and knick-knacks, so they could be placed back properly. This is a good idea even if you are working in your own house. This way you can put everything back exactly the way you had it.

Then, we moved most of the furniture out of the rooms. Any furniture that was too heavy got moved to the center of the room. It would also be a good idea to cover it with plastic.

Next, we removed the outlet and light switch covers – which were later replaced with clean white covers, as opposed to old gold ones. Small changes like this have a huge impact.

Since the plan was to first remove the wallpaper and then remove the old carpeting, the floors didn’t need to be covered.

It was then time to start ripping down the layers of wallpaper.

Removing the Wallpaper

The first, and most grueling task of the living room makeover project, was undoubtedly removing the wallpaper. The first layer came off in huge sheets, which was unfortunately not indicative of how the rest of the wallpaper peeling went.

It would have been magical if that was the only layer of wallpaper. However, underneath that top layer was more wallpaper – uneven, stubborn wallpaper.

Removing Stubborn Wallpaper

To remove the stubborn wallpaper, it was necessary to use a steamer. At first, we used a portable hand steamer, but it was taking too long. To make matters worse, the handheld steamer was cordless, so we kept having to take breaks to charge it.

Productivity was so slow that we looked into renting a bigger one from Home Depot. It turns out that it was cheaper just to buy a steamer than rent it.

And, it was totally worth it.

The wall steamer was much better than the portable one, and it came with an enclosure to confine the steam to the wall, which greatly improved the efficiency of removing the wallpaper.

As we were steaming, we used a paint scraper to get underneath the wallpaper and peel it off. Use a flat blade though, to avoid damaging the wall.

After all of the wallpaper was removed, we found any holes and cracks and filled them with dry wall compound.

Once the compound was dry, we went over the walls with the sander to smooth everything done and get the walls ready for painting.

As you can imagine, the sanding made a huge mess. So make sure you have things covered or completely moved.

Throughout the dining room and living room makeover, we used the Shop Vac to clean up all of the debris. It was great at getting the fine pieces (and came in handy later with the carpet removal too).

Removing the Carpet

Removing the wallpaper was eating up more of the timeline than we thought. How awful would it be if we hadn’t finished the dining and living room makeover before my parents came home?!

On top of that, trash day was coming, so we were anxious to get rid of all the garbage that we could. We didn’t want to leave heaps of trash for my parents.

So, Ash started removing the carpet while my sisters continued on with the wallpaper. Luck was on our side with the trash company too, as they took carpet in 4ft rolls. That greatly helped.

This old pink carpet that covered both the living and dining room had seen better days, and we couldn’t wait to get rid of it. Aside from the dust, the carpet removal wasn’t too bad.

Ash started with a corner and pulled it up with some vice grips. While pulling, he also started cutting it into strips to help with cleanup afterward.

The carpet was not too dusty, but the padding underneath was full of dust. So a dust mask was critical in the process. The padding was nailed down in numerous areas, so care had to be taken to remove all the nails.

Also, there were tacking strips along the perimeter of the rooms that needed removal as well. They were full of rusty nails so extra care was taken when removing them.

Ash found that a pry bar worked best to remove the tacking strips. After all the carpet, padding, tacking strips and nails were removed, the Shop Vac was used to give the floor a good cleaning.

Here is the dining room, minus the old carpeting.

Painting the Walls

While Ash was removing carpeting and my sisters were working on the walls, it was time to start thinking about painting. After all, the perfect color is one of the best things about room makeovers.

Choosing Paint Colors

So, my sweet little helper and I took a trip to our local paint store. We love Benjamin Moore paint – the odor is minimal and their colors are simply the best. My little guy loves our outings, especially loves the paint store – because if he’s a sweetheart, I let him choose a paint chip to take home 🙂

We brought a sample of the new floor along to the store, to hold up to various paint colors and help us determine the colors for the dining and living room makeover.

Not only are Benjamin Moore paint chips 100% representative of the color your wall will be (which unfortunately isn’t the case with all other paints) but the quality and sheen of their paint is amazing. We tend to go with the Natura collection because this puts the least amount of chemicals into the air.

If you think choosing paint colors is hard, imagine choosing them for someone else.

As if I’m not indecisive enough, I went back and forth trying to decide what colors to choose. The dining room had a chair rail, so I needed one color for the top and one for the bottom. The living room needed just one color, and the hallway didn’t need paint – as it was freshly painted a few summers ago.

Lucky for me, my parents love the color green, so I just needed to pick a shade. I went with Benjamin Moore Feather Green, which had more of a white base than a gray base. For the second color, I chose White Dove, which is my favorite of the whites that Benjamin Moore makes.

Priming and Painting the Walls

Once the wallpaper was finally down and the walls were patched, sanded, and ready to go, it was time to start painting. This was quite a milestone in the dining and living room makeover project!

So, after taping off the ceilings and the chair rail, my sisters painted a nice thick layer of primer.

After the primer in the living room and dining room, it was time to move onto painting the walls green. We did two coats of the green.
With the dining room chair rail, we decided to paint the lower portion White Dove and the higher portion Feather Green. It turned out really pretty.

The chair rail and tape didn’t leave the neatest edge, so in hindsight, we really should have pulled it off and then put it back.

Feather green already brightened the room so much. The dining room and living room makeover project was well on its way, with just a few days to spare.

Installing Laminate Flooring

To keep everything moving along during the dining and living room makeover, Ash started to work on the flooring in the dining room, while my sister finished painting the living room.

Ash loved working on the flooring – he found it really fun to work on. And, I love the way the laminate flooring turned out. It was so much prettier than carpet, and the white baseboard was the perfect touch. Now I’m thinking about where we can incorporate laminate flooring in our house 🙂

Laying Down the Laminate Flooring

As far as installation, the laminate was pretty easy to install. The pieces fit together like a large jigsaw puzzle.

Each alternating row was offset by half the length of a full piece. Not only did this add to the visual appeal, but it was essential for a rigid floor structure.

The laminate flooring tools (pull bars and tapping blocks) were heavily relied upon to get the pieces in place. 1/8″ spacers were also used along the perimeter of the wall to enforce a gap to allow for floor expansion during different times of the year.

The gaps were going to be covered by baseboard trim later on. Ash will have a full post on installing the laminate flooring soon. 🙂

Tackling the Tiles in the Hallway

The hallway tiles proved to be very labor intensive. The problem was that there was another layer of plywood sheathing nailed into the subfloor, followed by the vinyl tiles.

The plywood sheathing was there to raise the height of the floor so the tiles would be even with other room surfaces.

Unfortunately, it was a huge pain removing this second layer of plywood. It did not come up very easy. Yet, we endured and got all the plywood and tiles removed.

Installing Baseboard

Baseboard was the easiest part of this dining and living room makeover. It was just a matter of measuring all the walls that needed baseboard, and buying the appropriate amount from Home Depot.

We pre-painted all the baseboard pieces. Once they were dry, Ash used the miter saw to cut 45 degree angles on the ends of the pieces. These angled cuts would create scarf joints between the baseboard segments.

Scarf joints are ideal for trim because they hide the seam pretty well.

Finally, Ash attached the baseboard to the walls with some construction adhesive and a few taps from the finishing nail gun.

Cleaning Up and Organizing

From start to finish, the Shop Vac came in handy the whole project – from vacuuming up the dust and wallpaper scraps, to any nails left behind from the carpet removal.

After all of the work was done, we went over everything again with the Shop Vac. Then, we used a wet swiffer to get up more lingering dust. There was dust everywhere – so when preparing for the makeover, definitely move (or cover) everything really well.

While my sister and Ash were hard at work finishing up, I was looking for a way to organize the floor samples and paint colors for my parents.

Rather than toss them in an envelope, I created home improvement printables and placed them in a binder with the samples. This way, they knew exactly what paint color, floor, baseboard, etc that we used.

Get Your Free Home Improvement Printables

If you are thinking about a home renovation project, or are just trying to keep your projects organized, you can get your free home improvement printables below. They will undoubtedly help you keep track of your paint colors, cabinet choices, home repairs, and more.

The Moment of Truth

When my parents returned from their vacation, they were so amazed at their home. They loved the flooring, the walls, and they were happy to see that old carpet gone.

Moreover, they were ecstatic to come home to a completely updated living room and dining room. My mom has been enjoying going around with the swiffer, instead of the vaccum in the mornings. She had fun gathering braided rugs that my grandma made to compliment the new flooring. And, my dad said he feels like he wakes up in a dream 🙂 Isn’t that a sweet compliment?!

So, if you find yourself watching one of those HGTV shows wishing for your own renovation, know that you can do it yourself. Now is as good a time as ever to start working on those tasks.

Removing wallpaper, ripping up carpet, painting walls, and laying down new flooring are all things you can tackle yourself. And, you’ll be so happy that you did.

Halloween Goody Bag Idea with Free Printables

August 31, 2017 by Eileen

As August is coming to a close, so is our Summer Blog Hop. We had a blast sharing awesome DIY projects from our blog hop friends this summer. There were so many wonderful projects – from room organization tips to string art to DIY door wreaths.

And today, our last summer blog hop post transitions us right into fall, as Leslie at From Playdates to Parties is sharing Halloween goody bags with us today. It’s a seasonal spin on popcorn, well-adapted for school Halloween parties.

I love Leslie’s blog posts because she thinks of everything 🙂 Not only does she share an awesome recipe with us, but she even includes free goody bag tags that you can easily print and attach.

Be sure to hop on over to Leslie’s blog for her recipe and printables!

To learn a little more about Leslie, here are some fun facts:

What celebrity would you like to meet at Starbucks for a cup of coffee? Steve Martin. There’s nothing better than someone who can make you laugh. And he has the special ability to be funny that isn’t always raunchy or hurtful. That’s a rarity these days.

What would you do if you had an extra 30 minutes in a day? I’d like to say that I’d get some extra sleep, but the reality is that I’d probably spend it reading my favorite blogs or hanging out with the Husband.

We have loved being part of this Summer Blog Hop, sharing DIY inspiration with you this past summer! If you missed any of the posts, check them out below. The projects feature 10 awesome crafty bloggers and their easy, budget-friendly DIY projects.

2017 Summer Blog Hop Co-Hosts:

From Play Dates to Parties
JENerally Informed
Hey Fitzy
Dazzle While Frazzled
Just Measuring Up
Health, Home, and Heart
Crafting a Family
A Purdy Little House
Confessions of a Mommyaholic
The No Pressure Life
Flourish and Knot

If you missed any of our Summer Blog Hop posts, they are listed below!

How to Make a Hanging Basket Wreath

August 28, 2017 by Eileen

I love the way a gorgeous wreath looks on a front door. I’m always spending money at the craft stores or Home Goods or even Target buying a new wreath – summer wreaths, holiday wreaths, winter wreaths. Yet, every time I see the price tag, I cringe a little, thinking that I should really learn how to make them on my own.

If you’re like me, then today is our day 🙂 Sue at A Purdy Little House is showing us how to make a hanging basket wreath for the door, as part of our final week in our Summer Blog Hop. (If you missed any of our DIY posts, scroll down for the whole summer list.)

She used pretty hydrangeas, a thrift store basket, and a few more things that you might even have around your home. The end result is beautiful, and she sure did save a lot making her own hydrangea wreath, rather than buying it already made.

I also love the way the DIY hanging basket wreath compliments her door. Gorgeous, right?!

Be sure to hop on over to Sue’s blog for her wreath tutorial! And, I’m going to do the same so I can learn how to make a hanging basket wreath for the door too!

To learn a little more about Sue, here are some fun facts:

What was your favorite TV show when growing up? Three’s Company

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Sassy sage.

Every summer Monday and Thursday we are sharing DIY inspiration from 10 awesome crafty bloggers. We’ve shared some great DIY projects so far and have one more coming! Be sure to continue to check back 🙂

2017 Summer Blog Hop Co-Hosts:

If you missed any of our Summer Blog Hop posts, they are listed below!

How to Make a DIY Chalkboard Reusable Sign

August 17, 2017 by Eileen

If you are looking for a creative idea for first day of school and last day of school pictures, we have another awesome DIY project for you – an easy first day of school sign. Our friend Victoria at Dazzle While Frazzled is sharing her DIY reusable chalkboard sign idea as part of our Summer Blog Hop.

With just a few supplies (that you might even have laying around your house), you can create this cute chalkboard sign too. It’s a great way to document the beginning of a new school year, and your kids could even help make it 🙂

The chalkboard sign is framed with rulers and a few cute graphics – that Victoria has available to download on her blog. Your children could color the graphics in to add a sweet finishing touch to this homemade sign.

Be sure to hop on over to Victoria’s blog for her DIY chalkboard sign!

To learn a little more about Victoria, here are some fun facts:

Did you love or hate school when you were a kid? I have never balked at going to school. However, I truly loved school when I got into graduate school. I think I loved the freedom!

What would you do if you had an extra 30 minutes in a day? Work through the paper clutter that seems to land on my desk. On a more fun note, I would try to sew something for the house or try my hand at making clothing.

Every summer Monday and Thursday we are sharing DIY inspiration from 10 awesome crafty bloggers. We’ve shared some great DIY projects so far and have a lot more coming! Be sure to continue to check back though the end of August for more projects, crafts, and recipes.

2017 Summer Blog Hop Co-Hosts:

If you missed any of our Summer Blog Hop posts, they are listed below! Remember to come back on Monday for more DIY inspiration.

Easy Roasted Red Pepper Dip

August 14, 2017 by Eileen

At a summer get-together with friends, we had a bunch of different dips out. As everyone was dipping their chips, one of our friends remarked that we have become such a culture of dipping. It made me crack up as I watched our toddler going at the hummus like he hadn’t eaten all week. Come to think of it though, we do love our dips 🙂

Today, as part of our Summer Blog Hop, we are sharing our buddy Sarah’s recipe for roasted red pepper dip. Sarah is from Flourish & Knot, where she shares her DIY projects and homemade living.

It’s an easy recipe to follow, and it looks delicious. She even shares how to make the recipe a bit spicier, if that’s your thing 🙂

For dipping chips, my family is loving these amazing chips. They are made of cassava flour – so they are completely grain-free 🙂 They are delicious!

Be sure to hop on over to Sarah’s blog for her roasted red pepper recipe!

To learn a little more about Sarah, here are some fun facts:

What is the best place you’ve ever visited? Edinburgh, Scotland

Did you love or hate school when you were a kid? Loved it – I became a teacher!

2017 Summer Blog Hop Co-Hosts:

If you missed any of our Summer Blog Hop posts, they are listed below! Remember to come back on Thursday for more DIY inspiration.

DIY Back-to-School Photo Prop with Free Printables

August 10, 2017 by Eileen

Whether your jumping for joy or completely bummed out, the back-to-school season is here. Get a jump start on your first day of school pictures with this 10-minute photo prop that you can easily DIY (and reuse later!).

Our pal Laura over at The No Pressure Life is sharing this awesome DIY with us. It’s a cute sign that your kids can hold in their back-to-school photos. Not only that, but you can use it for the last day of school too – as well as reuse the cork board to hold artwork or important items.

Additionally, she is sharing FREE back-to-school printables, and they are simply adorable.

Be sure to hop on over to Laura’s blog for her photo prop instructions and FREE printables!

To learn a little more about Laura, here are some fun facts:

If you had a warning label, what would yours say? CAUTION! Do not approach before the subject is fed and caffeinated.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? Australia

2017 Summer Blog Hop Co-Hosts:

If you missed any of our Summer Blog Hop posts, they are listed below! Remember to come back on Monday for more DIY inspiration.

Quick Summer Taco Recipe

August 7, 2017 by Eileen

When we go on vacation, we love to stay at resorts, where we can grill or cook meals. It’s an inexpensive option compared to eating out. Plus it’s healthier, and you know exactly what’s in your food.

For our summer blog hop, our friend Susan over at Crafting a Family is sharing a great vacation meal with us – her quick taco recipe. Doesn’t it look amazing?!

Susan’s taco recipe is easy to throw together, which is perfect for a summer night. And, tacos are always a crowd-pleaser for kids and adults, even when you have picky eaters. If you don’t eat gluten or corn, you can easily use a lettuce wrap or gluten-free and corn-free chips (we are LOVING these chips).

Not only does Susan share her quick taco recipe, but she also gives tips for planning and preparing vacation meals.

Be sure to hop on over to Susan’s blog for her easy summer taco recipe!

To learn a little more about Susan, here are some fun facts:

What’s the last Netflix series you binge-watched? We are currently binge-watching “The Crown.”

Would you rather see the sunrise or the sunset? I would rather see the sunrise.

2017 Summer Blog Hop Co-Hosts:

If you missed any of our Summer Blog Hop posts, they are listed below! Remember to come back on Thursday for more DIY inspiration.

Making a Simple Back-to-School Washi Tape Chalkboard

August 3, 2017 by Eileen

Well, my friends, August is upon us. Summer seems to always just fly by. Whether you’ve started your back-to-school or not, we have a cute little DIY to share with you today that will definitely help you to get back into the swing of things.

Our friend Janine over at Confessions of a Mommyaholic is sharing how she made an adorable washi tape back-to-school chalkboard. It’s simple, quick, and will make a huge difference in those first day of school photos.

If you haven’t tried washi tape yet, this is a great project to start with. Washi tape is so simple to use and dresses up DIY projects perfectly. Kids could even help make it, as a fun back-to-school project.

Be sure to hop on over to Janine’s blog for her washi tape chalkboard instructions!

To learn a little more about Janine, here are some fun facts:

If you could join any past or current music group which would you want to join? I loved English, especially writing and American Literature.

What is your favorite flower? Lily is it and one of the the reasons why my younger daughter is named after this classic flower.

Every summer Monday and Thursday we are sharing DIY inspiration from 10 awesome crafty bloggers. We’ve shared some great DIY projects so far and have a lot more coming! Even though back-to-school is around the corner, we still have a whole month of awesome summer posts to share with you.

2017 Summer Blog Hop Co-Hosts:

If you missed any of our Summer Blog Hop posts, they are listed below! Remember to come back on Monday for more DIY inspiration.

How to Make a DIY Watermelon Headband

July 31, 2017 by Eileen

There’s little I love more than felt crafts. I have stashes and stashes of felt and have made so many felt activities over the past few years. I’ve done felt Advent calendars, felt hopscotch mats, and tons of felt boards for preschoolers. I have a bit of a felt obsession 😉 And, that’s exactly why I’m so excited to share our summer blog hop post today. Our friend Jen over at JENerally Informed is showing us how to make an adorable DIY watermelon headband out of felt.

The felt headbands are simple to make, kids love them, and they get tons of compliments on how adorable they are. Plus, with all of the back-to-school supplies and commercials, it’s nice to soak up a little more summer with a cute summery craft.

Be sure to hop on over to Jen’s blog for her DIY headband instructions!

To learn a little more about Jen, here are some fun facts:

If you could join any past or current music group which would you want to join? Not Justin Bieber’s posse. Other than that, I would pretty much be up for anything else.

If you could master one skill you don’t have right now, what would it be? I would like to have Ninja skills. That way I could threaten to use my ninja skills if the kids didn’t get into the car fast enough.

Every summer Monday and Thursday we are sharing DIY inspiration from 10 awesome crafty bloggers. We’ve shared some great DIY projects so far and have a lot more coming!

2017 Summer Blog Hop Co-Hosts:

If you missed any of our Summer Blog Hop posts, they are listed below! Remember to come back on Thursday for more DIY inspiration.

Skip links

Main navigation

Eileen

Easy Fall Kids Craft

Making the Popsicle Stick Puppets

Materials for the Popsicle Stick Puppets

How to Make Popsicle Stick Puppets for Fall

Making the Cardboard Box Puppet Theater

Materials for the Puppet Theater

How to Make a Cardboard Box Puppet Theater

Learning Extensions – Easy Fall Kids Craft

Preparing for the Renovation

Removing the Wallpaper

Removing Stubborn Wallpaper

Removing the Carpet

Painting the Walls

Choosing Paint Colors

Priming and Painting the Walls

Installing Laminate Flooring

Laying Down the Laminate Flooring

Tackling the Tiles in the Hallway

Installing Baseboard

Cleaning Up and Organizing

Get Your Free Home Improvement Printables

The Moment of Truth

2017 Summer Blog Hop Co-Hosts:

2017 Summer Blog Hop Co-Hosts:

2017 Summer Blog Hop Co-Hosts:

2017 Summer Blog Hop Co-Hosts:

2017 Summer Blog Hop Co-Hosts:

2017 Summer Blog Hop Co-Hosts:

2017 Summer Blog Hop Co-Hosts:

2017 Summer Blog Hop Co-Hosts: