Eileen

6 Backyard DIY Projects that Make Life Easier

March 15, 2017 by Eileen 45 Comments

Last year, Ash and I did a lot of outdoor projects in our yard, and many of these projects have saved us time and money.

Here are our 6 favorite DIY backyard projects that undoubtedly make our lives easier.

1. Raised Planter Box with a Rain Barrel

Hoping to have a garden this year? Think about using a raised planter box.Not only will you have awesome homegrown food (which saves money, shortens your shopping list, and is all around healthier), but you can easily keep critters and pets away from your vegetables with this planter box.

Planter boxes also offer better weed and pest control. You don’t have to worry if your yard doesn’t have good soil. Additionally, planter boxes are also great for those who are elderly or disabled.

This easy build can be completed in a weekend – and you can reap the benefits all summer. It also holds up great from to year-to-year too!

As an added feature, we built a rain barrel reservoir that collects rain water to water that we then water the garden with. (Make sure to check out your local laws to see if conserving water is allowed.)

If you are looking to grow your own veggies this summer, this planter box definitely will make for easy gardening.

Check out our planter box tutorial.

2. Storage Shed

If your garage looks anything like ours did, it was a haphazard mess. It housed Ash’s tools, workbenches, riding mower, snow blower, gardening tools, holiday decorations, outdoor furniture, and pretty much anything else we could jam in there.

Ash isn’t the most organized person but he wholeheartedly does recognize when enough is enough. That’s when he started his dream project of building a shed from the ground up. It took him a couple of months, but he single-handedly built this beautiful backyard structure.

With the gardening tools, outdoor toys and furniture, and riding mower moved to the shed, our garage is much more organized.

If you are in need of more storage, think about building a shed. It will hold so much, making it easier for you to find and store your things.

Check out the step-by-step plans on how my computer programming husband built a gorgeous shed from the ground up.

3. Shade Sail

Too much sun in your backyard? Thinking about a porch or an awning? You can save money and get some shade by installing a shade sail.

These are simply fabric canopies suspended in the air, providing relief from the sun in a cost-effective way.

We weren’t ready to drop the money for an awning, and we weren’t sure we wanted to turn our sunny patio into a porch, so the shade sail was an easy, good choice for us.

Check out our shade sail post – one of our most cost-effective backyard projects.

4. Wagon

If you have large yard, do a lot of landscaping, or are tired of hauling heavy yard bags around the yard, think about building a wagon for your riding mower.

This wagon, which can be hitched to the riding mower or used as a stand-alone cart, has certainly been earning its keep around here.

This wagon has reduced the time and energy we spend carrying things around our yard. We constantly use it to move yard bags to the curb and transport items between the shed and the garage.

It’s more sturdy and stable than a wheel barrow, and it holds a lot more.

Here is a picture of the wagon in action:

In addition to the time and effort saved, it was a fun, easy build.

Check out how Ash made this wagon.

5. Pathways

Although less fun than building a wagon or a shed, walkways and pathways are aesthetically pleasing and make getting around your yard easier.

Over the years, Ash and I have put in two pathways – a stone pathway from our house to our floating deck and a boardwalk connecting our patio to our yard.

Both of these were quick projects that yielded a lot of benefits.

Below is the stone pathway from our first home, where the patio and the deck are separated by the yard.

We put this stone pathway in and were surprised at how much use it got. It gave a direct path to the deck and the grill, and our dog used it all the time to avoid the mud and snow 🙂

In our second home, we had no direct path from our patio into the yard. It was more like a downhill, rocky nature walk.

Knowing that wouldn’t work for our toddler or our dog, Ash removed some shrubs and built a wooden pathway, making for a beautiful entrance from our patio and deck into the yard.

Both backyard projects took a weekend or less and definitely had impacting results.

Check out our stone pathway and wooden pathway tutorials.

6. Picnic Table

After putting all that hard work into your yard, why not top it off with a quick picnic table build?

A picnic table is an easy place for your family to eat from the grill, without having to carry the food back in the house. Eating outside keeps your kitchen table and floors cleaner, as the birds can eat the crumbs 🙂

The picnic table is different from other outdoor furniture because it can stay outside year round. This build also holds up really nicely from year-to-year.

Check out our tutorial on building a nice-looking picnic table in just one day.

If you are looking to make your life a little easier throughout the warmer months, think about undertaking one of these DIY backyard projects.

We have personally completed all of them, and we truly benefit from them all season long.

The raised planter box provides us with healthy, easy veggies without worrying about critters getting in, the shade sail makes relaxing on the patio pleasant during the hot summer months, and I don’t know what we would do without the storage that the shed provides.

The wagon helps with the yardwork (and has provided a few fall wagon rides), the pathways were a necessity to make our yard more functional for our family, and the picnic table is a perfect summer spot to enjoy stress-free summer meals.

Most of the backyard projects (aside from the shed) take only a weekend of time – and you can enjoy them all season long.

How to Make a DIY Burlap Banner for Any Occasion

March 8, 2017 by Eileen 70 Comments

Scanning the shelves in Michaels with a 55% coupon in hand, I looked around for something I could make an easy, do-it-yourself banner with.

My eyes landed on a pad of burlap card stock.

There were 24 individual sheets of burlap, backed with cardboard.

Being the worst at cutting straight lines, I figured that individual sheets would save a lot of frustration.

And, I had been looking for an opportunity to work with burlap.

People love burlap – and it’s everywhere. I’ve seen mason jars wrapped in burlap, curtains made from burlap, flowers wrapped in burlap, and entire weddings crafted from burlap.

I even worked with a teacher who covered all of her bulletin boards in burlap.

I had never crafted with this material before – but I do agree that burlap brings a natural warmth and texture – so I was excited to check it out.

So, I got started on my project – which was to teach myself how to make a burlap banner for St. Patrick’s Day from homemade stencils and burlap.

Materials for the Burlap Banner:

Foam brush
Acrylic paint – I used the two pictured below, mixed together.
Burlap – I loved using the cardboard backed sheets from Michaels. Here’s a similar one.
Scissors – A good pair makes a big difference!
Stencil of your choice – You can make these. I made a shamrock. You can use letters or hearts – or anything you’d like! (See below for shamrock template)
Tape – scotch or painter tape (more about this below)
Ribbon – for stringing the letters together
Hot Glue Gun

How to Make a Burlap Banner

The instructions for making this banner are quite simple: preparing the burlap material, making the stencil, painting the burlap, and connecting the burlap pieces.

Preparing the Burlap

First, I simply made a triangular cut on the bottom of each sheet.

The burlap was easy to cut into with the cardboard backing.

Making the Stencil

Then, I traced a shamrock onto card stock – and carefully cut out just the middle. This made the shamrock into a stencil.

I then taped it onto the burlap, making the cardstock as flat as possible.

Painting the Burlap Banner

Next, I used the foam brush (probably should have used a 1/2 inch foam brush – but I like to use what I have) to dab on the green paint.

Be careful to keep your brush straight, so it doesn’t slip under the stencil.

As a side note, I tried this using a regular paint brush also. While it worked, it took a lot longer and didn’t give a consistent coat. You can definitely use a regular paint brush, but the foam brush did a nicer job.

For the stripes, I used strips of scotch tape to create the lines. Then, I just dabbed on the green paint onto the burlap.

Immediately after, I removed the tape and moved on to the next sheet.

I also recommend doing a test with the colors/stencils you will be using. I tried a few different shades of green to see what would work best – and a few different shapes to see how they would look.

Pictured below is the edge of my desk, with my stencil and scotch tape strips. Rather than use a ridiculous amount of tape, I used the same four strips over and over, and I hung them here while not in use.

I also went back and forth with painting a shamrock, then stripes – this gave the stencils/tape a little dry time before more use.

Here are two of the burlap pennants, in the process of drying.

Both the card stock stencil and the tape worked really well. The paint looked very neat, and I had a nice, clean outline on every pennant.

Connecting the Pennants

After the individual pennants were dry (only took a few minutes), I used burlap ribbon and hot glue to connect them into a banner.

I found the burlap ribbon at Michaels during a 70% off sale prior to the holidays. I bought loads of ribbon then, without a use for any of it.

Ecstatic to find the burlap ribbon during this project, I knew I had the perfect use for it. And, I love that I got it when it was a great price. That’s why I love stocking up on craft supplies 🙂

So, I lined up my stripes and shamrocks in the order I liked and flipped them over for gluing.

Then, I used my handy glue gun to do two drops of glue on either side of every pennant.

Before you glue, make sure you have your banner in the right order. I once glued an entire banner in backward order – and let me tell you, I wasn’t happy when my “Happy 40th” banner said “40th-Y-P-P-A-H.”

Also, remember to leave extra ribbon on both sides for hanging.

I LOVED the way the sign turned out – it was so festive and added much more to our mantel than some of the store-bought St. Patrick’s Day decorations.

I don’t know which shocked me more – the fact that I made the banner for less than $5 or that I made it in less than an hour.

It was a total naptime creation, with time to spare 🙂

I shouldn’t have waited so long to start working with burlap. It was easier than I expected, took a small amount of time and effort, and yielded great results!

Making a Crafty Mr. Potato Head for St. Patrick’s Day

February 28, 2017 by Eileen 14 Comments

My little guy loves craft time with his mama.

But, I might love it just a little more.

I love watching his creativity, his little mind at work, as he comes up with new ways of doing things.

We have a sweet little set-up in my office, where he has a craft table beside my desk. On his table, he has a bin of art supplies that he’s allowed to use whenever (crayons, markers, and paper).

He also has a drawer in my desk with supplies that he can use with permission (glue, scissors, etc).

In addition to crafts, my little guy loves putting things together – doing puzzles, making pictures with foam shapes, and most especially, accessorizing Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head.

So, when my sister suggested making a real Mr. Potato Head craft as a St. Patrick’s Day activity, I knew he would love it!

Collecting Materials

This was a no cost project – other than two potatoes, which we usually have. The night before, my son and I collected things from around the craft room to use, so we would be all ready to go after breakfast the following day.

We found felt, foam, pipe cleaners, pom-poms, stickers, shamrocks, card stock, cotton balls, ribbon, and glue. However, you can really use whatever you find or have.

My son loved collecting all of things for our Mr. Potato Head craft. His special job was to put everything I handed him in the bin. He loves his special jobs 🙂

He loved putting everything together the day before because it gave him something to look forward to.

He loves getting into all of my craft supplies, so his eyes were lighting up at all of the fun things he was going to get to use.

Pictured below is the set-up. Whenever we have a messy project or a food project, I lay down a plastic table cloth, which makes for easy cleanup with a toddler.

Decorating the Mr. Potato Head Craft

Then, we just had fun and got creative. My son told us what we needed – “Mommy, first we need eyes.” And, then I asked him what he thought we should use.

We used the pipe cleaners for arms (the wire stuck right into the potato), cotton balls for the beard, pom-pom for the nose, felt for the eyes and mouth, and card stock for the shoes.

We put everything on with either Elmer’s Glue or Scotch tape. The felt on felt didn’t work too well with the glue – but everything else held up.

Making a Real Mr. Potato Head Kids Craft

For the St. Patrick’s Day hat, I simply used card stock. I cut a circle for the best, and then I rolled another piece into a cylinder. I centered the cylinder on the base and taped it on top.

We tied a ribbon around the hat – and placed an Irish sticker where the buckle would go, which made a nice touch 🙂

Then, we decided to paint the cotton orange, in an effort to make our Mr. Potato Head craft look more like a leprechaun.

It got pretty messy – and orange got all over Mr. Potato Head, but he definitely started to uphold his title as a leprechaun.

After we finished with the Mr. Potato Head craft, my little guy said, “Time for the other potato, mommy…” Just when I thought we were done 🙂

So, we made a Mrs. Potato Head. We used all of the same things, and added a felt and pom-pom bow in her hair.

Just when we were about done *again,* my son says, “Mommy, what about baby potato?”

And, I wished I had thought to get a smaller potato because that would have been cute to have a whole Mr. Potato Head family made from potatoes.

After the potatoes dried, my little guy loved playing with them.

He named Mrs. Potato Head “Nana,” which I don’t think my mom found complimentary 😉

Real Mrs. and Mr. Potato Head Craft for Kids

I did have trouble getting the potatoes to stand up straight. I had wished I cut off the bottom to make a flat surface, but I’m sure this would have shortened their shelf life.

[As a side note, I recently learned that when you leave potatoes out and exposed to light, they absorb radiation in the air (shout out to Anthony William’s amazing book “Life-Changing Foods.”) So not only will Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head be decorating our kitchen for the next 5 or so days, but they will be absorbing some of the toxins we are exposed to.]

Always a teacher, I also use our crafts as a segway to reading. During our library trip this week, we’ll be reading about St. Patrick’s Day and leprechauns, and the Mr. Potato Head craft served as pre-learning activity.

Making a Real Mr. Potato Head Craft for Kids

Overall, our Mr. Real Potato Head craft was definitely a success. My son had a ball preparing for the craft, making REAL potato heads, and playing with his new, clumsy figures.

It’s amazing to see the joy he gets from creating something he’s proud of.

3 Awesome DIYs for Truck Birthday Parties

February 20, 2017 by Eileen 20 Comments

Honk, honk. Beep, beep.

Wondering what kind of party to throw your little guy? Plan a truck birthday party!

It’s a simple theme to work with, and there are lots of easy DIY ideas that won’t break the bank or stress you out.

I recently put together a few crafty things, including a photo booth, a truck game, and themed goody bags, for my dear friend’s son’s truck party.

They were easy to make and added such a magical touch.

Pin the Wheels on the Truck

First, I love felt. I have piles and piles of it, and I love making felt boards for my son. He learned his shapes from his birthday party felt board (Abbey’s Magical Shapes). And, I love how felt sticks to felt. It makes designing activities so simple 🙂

Not only are felt boards a fun learning tool, but felt boards double as great party games, especially for toddlers.

Rather than hosting a formal game, these felt boards make great stations for kids who are developmentally at the parallel play stage.

How to Make the Felt Board

To go with the theme, I made a Pin the Wheels on the Truck felt board. The materials cost nothing – because I utilized things I had previously purchased for other parties or activities.

I used a foam board from Dollar Tree (definitely check out Dollar Tree first because these boards are way higher priced at the craft stores). Then I hot glued sheets of blue felt to the board make the background.

The felt pieces were about the size of a sheet of paper, so it took quite a few of them. Conversely, you could buy one big sheet of felt from the crafts stores – but I love using what I have 🙂

For the truck, I picked bright colors to contrast the blue background. Then, I found a clipart truck that looked like it had simple angles and cuts and then I draw it freehand on felt.

Alternatively, you could enlarge the clipart picture, print it as an 8.5×11 image, and then trace it.

If it’s too small, you could always cut it out, lay it down on the felt, and then following the lines, draw it a little big bigger than the image, using the image as your guide.

For the wheels, I traced circles using a coffee mug as a guide. And then I just made small, triangular cuts around the perimeter to make the wheels look spikey. They are by no means perfect, but they got the point across 🙂

As far as other cut-outs, I cut out a window, headlight, and thick yellow lines to give the dump truck some depth.

I hot glued everything down – except the wheels!

Last, my favorite part of any project is the creative spin. I printed a picture of the birthday boy and glued it in the window as the driver.

I also put a little label on the truck that said his name, written like it was a company truck.

My friend just LOVED the felt board. She was blown away with her son as the driver and loved how cute it turned out 🙂 The kids had a great time playing with it at the truck party.

Truck Photo Booth Prop

This prop was my favorite. It was previously a cardboard box that now serves as a truck photo booth 🙂

My friend had a huge box from getting her bathroom redone. So, I simply cut off one side of the large box. I didn’t cut off the top flap – because this served as the stand.

First I drew the truck using pretty basic shapes – rectangles with curved corners for the tires and bumper, square window, and circles for the headlights.

Then, I drew everything out with a pencil before I started painting. I also used a yard stick because I am the worst at straight lines.

For the paints, I used the below acrylic paints. I loved the colors together.

Painting Tip: Don’t make the mistake of using kids paint. Kids paint is very watered down, and you will end up doing multiple coats. I’ve done this before – and it was not efficient or fun.

I did two quick coats of paint – so you couldn’t see the cardboard anymore. Two coats also made the colors pop.

Then, I carefully cut out the window, the space between the tires, and made nicer edges around the whole truck.

It wasn’t looking much like a truck until I used a sharpie to give a nice clean outline around everything. I also painted some squiggly silver lines, which brought the tires to life.

Next, I made a steering wheel out of… you guessed it – felt! I thought it would be nice and soft for the kids to touch rather than painted cardboard. Plus, it’s way easier to cut felt than cardboard. To attach it, I used hot glue.

Last, Ash made the adorable license plate – by simply grabbing a license plate image and using Photoshop (you can use paint too) to write on it.

Not only was the cut-out a hit at the truck party, but my son LOVED watching/helping me make it. I let him do just a little painting…

He must have played with the completed truck for two hours while I cleaned the house one morning.

Even if you aren’t throwing a party, cardboard creations can provide hours of fun for toddlers 🙂

As a side note, if you are looking to take lots of pictures with the photo booth, check out the free app Ash made. It’s a photo booth app that works on laptops with a webcam 🙂

Goody Bags with Truck Cut-Outs

Goody bags are always an easy way to further incorporate the theme of your party – and these goody bags couldn’t have been easier to make!

I simply purchased yellow goody bags at AC Moore for 70 cents. (There are also some cheap craft bag options on Amazon).

Then, I made a little truck cut-out, which I included below in a free download. (You can also use cookie cutters.)

Then, my friend and I traced the truck cut-out onto blue cardstock. For the wheels, we traced the circles using a small container of paint and black paper.

After some glue, they were ready to go! They took less than 30 minutes to make – and added such a cute touch.

If you’re still wondering what kind of party to throw your little guy, don’t overlook a truck party. These simple DIYs were easy to make, cost little-to-nothing, and blew the guests away!

Not only do these ideas work for a truck birthday party, but they also work for a little blue truck party (popular for 1st birthdays), Bob the Builder parties, and construction parties.

And, in addition to the party, the felt board and photo booth prop can occupy kids for hours before or after the truck party.

You definitely don’t need to spend a lot – or dedicate too much time to create these simple truck birthday party ideas.

Thrifty Indoor Winter Picnic Basket

February 2, 2017 by Eileen 49 Comments

When out shopping, I can’t resist a great deal. This past holiday season, I bought quite a few things that I loved but had no need for.

Yet, when the price is right, I can’t resist.

At Michaels, I picked up the below wire basket with the burlap ribbon and the two navy snowflake mugs 70% off. Yet, the holidays came and went and I hadn’t done anything with these items.

Shortly thereafter, I thought of putting together a winter picnic basket. I love giving gift boxes and baskets – they are fun to put together and unique gifts are always so appreciated.

This indoor winter picnic basket is perfect for so many occasions – a special gift for your husband or wife, a Valentines picnic basket for couples or families, or a holiday gift for someone who has everything.

It’s even something you could save for a snowy day spent fireside.

My favorite part of this gift is the soft, fluffy blanket that I used to line the basket.

The blanket is perfect for an indoor picnic – and who couldn’t use another cozy throw?! Indoor Winter Picnic Basket - Perfect Gift Idea

I just love this wire basket – it’s rustic yet modern looking.

It came with the burlap ribbon wrapped around it, which meant no additional fussing or ribbon was needed later on 🙂

Gathering Winter Picnic Basket Items

I picked up the red snowflake plates and napkins to go with the mugs (Dollar Tree finds).

Navy and red are one of my favorite color combinations.

I put together some snacks to go in the basket. We love Mary Gone Crackers (vegan and gluten free!) as well as Lara Bars. The chocolate coconut ones taste like brownies 🙂

When picking snacks, don’t forget to think about refrigeration. If you are giving it as a gift, you probably want to stay away from things needing to be refrigerated – like cheese.

You could also include a thermos that could be used for hot chocolate or soups.

Assembling the Winter Basket

To assemble, I simply laid the blanket at the bottom of the basket, wrapping the extra around the back, and arranged the items.

The blanket worked great for the lining because it made propping up the items easy – and it served as cushion for the fragile mugs.

I had a little “help” with the arranging… our buddy Zeus. He actually wanted the crackers in the basket and was begging 🙂 He looks huge next to the basket.

As a side note, in this picture, I was attempting to use tissue paper at the bottom of the basket, but the drab tissue took the elegant basket down a few notches. That’s when I decided to make the blanket work.

The basket took minutes to put together, and the total cost was around $30. The basket, mugs, plates, and napkins were $8 – you can’t beat that!

The snacks and blanket brought it up to $30, but the blanket was on sale too 🙂

The winter picnic basket is not only a unique, creative gift but it’s something friends and family will find so thoughtful. You can put a romantic spin on it for husbands, wives, boyfriends, or girlfriends, too 🙂 Especially with Valentine’s Day coming up 🙂

And, I have to say buying things you love at the right price definitely results in some creative, cute gift ideas 🙂

Fun Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt

January 20, 2017 by Eileen 73 Comments

Last Valentine’s Day I threw together a little scavenger hunt for Ash. Every now and then I try to do something sweet 😉

Although too young to actively participate, our son was the star – as all of the clues were written in his point of view and revolved around him too.

One example was “This is where I like to sit and read…” and the clue was hidden under his Mickey Mouse couch in the playroom where he would pretend read.

Another clue was “I haven’t learned to walk yet, but I love to run” and the clue was in his exersaucer – the little thing where toddlers “run” in circles. 🙂

It turned out super cute, and I had a good laugh watching Ash run around the house looking for the clues. And, getting stumped a few more times than I would have thought.

A New Valentine’s Tradition

A few weeks ago, I was thinking about Valentines crafts and activities and making the scavenger hunt.

So, I dug out the clues and LOVED reading through them – it’s crazy how much kids change so much in one year!

I mean last year our toddler had about a five-word vocabulary and was relying mainly on sign language to tell us “more,” “hungry,” or “sleepy.”

This year, he is speaking in mostly run-on sentences: “No, mommy I don’t like carrots, actually, I would like more rice for lunch for me, please mommy, I really want rice.” :):)

Reading through all of the clues definitely took Ash and I back. So much – that I decided a Valentine’s Scavenger Hunt would be a recurring thing in this household.

There is so much stress and planning and travel involved with Thanksgiving and Christmas that it will be fun to have a special Valentine’s tradition in our family 🙂

This year, our toddler can help make it – or help Ash find all the clues. Or both 🙂

Materials for the Making a Scavenger Hunt

Card stock or construction paper
Sharpie
Scissors – love squiggly scissors
Prize to go with the last clue

Making a Scavenger Hunt

First, I typed up the clues on the computer, using a cute font with hearts. You can also hand write them – or have your kids write them.

Then, I printed them out and cut them up using squiggly scissors. I love these scissors because they disguise my lack of being able to cut in straight lines. Next, I glued them to card stock.

Here was the tricky part – labeling the clues so that they are put in the right places. So if the first clue is “This is where I sit and read” and the answer is the couch. This clue is not the one that gets hidden on the couch. The following card will be hidden on the couch.

So, I labeled the back of each card with the place where that card was hidden – NOT with the answer to that question. This made the clues easy to hide.

And, the answers were still labeled (for later re-reading), they were just on the back of the next card.

The last clue can be hidden with a prize. Our last clue led Ash to the mini fridge in his office (my old dorm room fridge is still humming!), where there was a sweet treat for him 🙂

Binding the Scavenger Hunt Clues

After Ash collected all the clues, I bound them all together using a hole punch in the top left corner of each card, and then a loose leaf binder ring to keep them together.

This was so much easier and more organized than a rubber band or paper clip because you can flip right through them.

I also use these binder rings to bind together the Christmas cards we received each year 🙂 Love them!

I’m looking forward to see this year’s hunt. Our little guy might give Ash a run for his money 🙂

And, I’m sure next year I’ll flipping through this year’s clues saying I can’t believe how much our little guy has grown… again 🙂

How to Easily Make Valentines Finger Puppets

January 15, 2017 by Eileen 96 Comments

I cannot believe it’s already halfway through January. This past holiday season flew. Thanksgiving sprang up on me, and then Christmas – I was still running around buying gifts a few days prior, which is really unlike me.

Now that it’s a new year, I’m getting back to my old ways and getting myself organized ahead of time. There’s so just so much unnecessary stress when you are running behind.

That being said, I’ve already been working on this year’s Valentine’s Day crafts! Wahoo!

And, this is a good one – Valentines felt finger puppets!

They are so simple and so cute – it’s the perfect Valentine’s activity for kids. Not to mention, I made them from scrap materials.

My son is a little obsessed with nursery rhymes – Wheels on the Bus, Hot Cross Buns, and most recently a song called “The Finger Family,” which essentially uses finger puppets for family members. He sings it probably about 50 times a day.

The other day he took off all the marker caps and placed them on his fingers and started singing “Mommy Finger, Mommy Finger, Where are you?”Before I chimed in with, “Here I am, Here I am, How do you do? (I’m not helping the obsession), I realized he needed some real finger puppets.

I thought about using photos and using our family – or just drawing some pictures with him – but then I thought I could tie it into a fun Valentine’s Day activity.

Making Felt Finger Puppets

It would have been super simple to use the fingers on a pair of gloves – but gloves are way too precious around here.

So, I used my go-to material – felt.

I was determined to use all scraps for this project – and I successfully did so. I didn’t spend a penny.

Felt Finger Puppet Materials:

One sheet of felt
Card stock/construction paper
Sharpie/markers
Hot glue gun
Scissors
Regular glue

Steps for Making Felt Finger Puppets

I used just one sheet of felt for all ten fingers. Then, I liberally traced my pointer finger eight times and my thumb twice.

After, I cut slits in between each of the traced fingers, so I could quickly fold them up (to be double sided) after I hot glued them. This worked like a charm.

Here’s a picture I quickly snapped of going over the outline with hot glue – and then folding it up.

Next, I cut off the excess felt. This took a little patience, since the glue/outline was inside. I roughly cut them and then ended up putting my pinky finger in each puppet and then carefully cutting off any additional excess.

I now had one hand ready to go 🙂

At this point, my son was begging to play with them. He was so excited about the finger puppets that I didn’t have the heart to say no.

So, I gave him these five and decided to make a second hand.

After both hands were done, it was time to get creative with heart-shaped animals.

I used a small cookie cutter to get the shape of the heart perfect and consistent for all of the fingers. It worked out really well 🙂

Before I knew it, I had a frog, chicken, penguin, panda, fox, lady bug, fish, fox, bunny, and a dog/mouse that was originally a bear.

You can see in the top of the picture (below) that I used garage sale stickers to put some quick faces on the puppets while my son waited for the animals.

Decorating the Felt Finger Puppets

You can be as creative as you like making the felt finger puppets. Aside from the cookie cutter, I cut the rest of the hearts freehand.

One of those heart paper punches would have been perfect for this – but I was determined to make this a no-cost project 🙂

I also had some heart stickers lying around, but I liked using the card stock colors and patterns. I put some googly eyes on the lady bug – they were a little big – but it shows how you can incorporate some other crafty materials, too.

After the animals were done, I hot glued each to a finger puppet – and voila! We had an Animal Finger Family.

My favorite is the chicken. It turned out so cute 🙂

Here are a few more close-ups:For longevity, you could laminate the animals (before the googly eyes and before gluing to the finger puppet), making the felt finger puppets more durable. You could do this either with a home laminator or using packaging tape.

I’ve used both, and each works well 🙂

And my son, well he LOVED these puppets. Needless to say, all we’ve been hearing is “Froggie finger, Froggie finger, where are you?”

And of course, we keep the song going 🙂

Easy Thank You Cards for Kids to Make

January 1, 2017 by Eileen 47 Comments

With the holidays over and those playrooms bursting with new toys, it’s about time to start sending thank you notes.

I’m strong believer in the importance of thank you cards from kids – when somebody puts the time and thought into buying a gift, they should get a special, handwritten note in return.

With my son still being a toddler, I’m doing most of the writing for his gifts; however, he still helps make the cards – and I try to make the homemade card ideas easy and creative.

Today, I’m sharing four simple kids thank you card ideas.

These homemade thank you cards are easy and always make the fridge 🙂

Also, these homemade thank you cards from toddlers and kids could be used for any occasion – not just for kids thank you cards 🙂

1. Cut-Out Thank You Card Ideas

This type of homemade card is my favorite and the simplest for younger kids like toddlers.

First, use a cookie cutter to trace a few shapes on card stock. We used stars, hearts, Christmas trees, and gingerbread people.

As far as paper, I always use card stock for homemade thank you cards from toddlers because its thicker than construction paper. So when the paint is layered on like the ways kids love to paint, the card doesn’t bend.

I also like the colors of card stock better than ordinary construction paper. They are brighter and more fun, which definitely ups its refrigerator-worthyness.

Then, simply cut the shapes out for your child to paint on. You can then glue these shapes to a folded piece of card stock to make perfectly easy homemade thank you cards from toddlers and kids.

Toddler and Baby Variation: You can also do a variation of this homemade card – which is great for younger ones: Have your child paint all freely over a piece of card stock. Toddlers could use brushes or q-tips. Younger ones could use their hands. Once dry, you can trace the cookie cutters and cut out the shapes.

I did something similar with the below Christmas trees. Using my toddler’s painted paper, I cut out strips and shaped them into trees. It’s his painting, but cut into a pretty shape.

If your child comes home from preschool or daycare with lots of “abstract” freestyle paints, you can always cut them up to make one of these cute homemade thank you cards from toddlers.

After, glue your cut-outs onto another piece of cardstock and fold into a card.

Your child can continue to decorate the homemade card – my toddler used q-tips and paint to further decorate the trees. You could also use stickers or ribbon – or scribbled markers or crayons works too.

These homemade kids thank you cards turned out so cute and were so easy for mama to oversee 🙂

2. Potato Stamped Homemade Cards

Always looking for new sensory play activities, I decided to give potato stamps a try. It was way easier than I thought it would be – and my son had a ball.

This might just be our new go-to card.

First, cut off the top of the potato. Then, press in a cookie cutter of your choice.

I thought only metal cookie cutters would work; yet, the plastic heart cookie cutter (below) went into the potato without a problem 🙂

After that, use a knife cut the excess from around the cookie cutter, slowly moving your knife around the border of the cookie cutter.

You are left with an awesome stamp that’s easy for kids to paint.

I got a little creative and did a double-sided stamp on this potato – with a star on one side and a heart on the other.

This encouraged my son to be more involved – getting messy and flipping the potato to see the shapes. This is great for kids messy play ideas!

This could also be a fingerpaint activity or a paintbrush activity. And, potato stamped notes don’t have to be for kids thank you cards – they could used for any occasion or even a rainy day activity.

3. Painters Tape Lettered Kids Cards

Use painters tape to spell out a word – such as “Thanks” and then have your child paint freely.

When the paint is still a little tacky, remove the tape from the card.

Definitely use painters tape for best results. I lazily used electrical tape this time and it peeled terribly.

4. Fingerprint Balloons Homemade Card Ideas

Handprint, footprint, and fingerprint cards are usually not my favorite. It’s usually too structured for my little one; however, we got a really cute homemade card with a few single fingerprints.

We turned them into letter balloons which my toddler loved.

Simply put a little of each of the colors you are using on a palette or piece of paper, and have your child dip their finger into each color and then make the print.

The number of prints will depend on the number of letters in the word.

Once dry, use a sharpie to write on the letters and draw the balloon knot and string. This balloon card is definitely an easy thank you card to make.

Kids Homemade Thank You Cards Tips…

If you will be mailing the kids thank you cards, keep in mind envelope size – or you might be making an unnecessary trip to the post office. With some of the above cards, you might want to cut the card to size before starting. I always do this so I’m not cutting up my kids thank you card after he made it.
If you feel like your toddler wasn’t as involved as you would have liked during the thank you card making process, have them accessorize the cards with stickers, color on the front, inside, or back of the creation. This preserves the cards refrigerator-worthy quality but also makes it more of their own. Either way – they will be proud of their creation!
More is always better! Even if you only plan to make one thank you card, have your children paint extra, in case they run their paint-streaked hands across the creation just when you were on the way to the sink for cleanup 🙂 Or, if it doesn’t turn out the way you thought, you have a couple to choose from 🙂 Or, when you are scrambling for a birthday card for someone, you’ll have a secret homemade card stash.

My son had a great time making these homemade kid-friendly thank you cards. Arts and crafts is one of his favorite activities, as it’s special time we spend together. He also takes such great pride in giving his homemade cards to his special family members, which is super cute 🙂

Not to mention our family members love the creativity involved and appreciate the time we took to make them something special. If you are looking for some ideas for homemade thank you cards from toddlers and kids, I hope these card ideas helped you out!

I do have to say, the cards definitely make the fridge 🙂

Check out some of our other toddler card ideas too!

Most Popular DIY Projects of 2016

December 31, 2016 by Eileen 54 Comments

The end of year is always so bittersweet – reflecting on all of the amazing memories, but grateful to move on from some others.

One of the best things this year was our blog. We have always loved sharing our home projects with others, but documenting them as been amazing!

We even started including some of our more crafty endeavors.

Creativity definitely inspires more creativity.

My love for organization inspired a few of Ash’s garage projects this year. While, Ash’s constant repurposing “junk” has rubbed off on me.

I love that we continue to inspire each other.

Here are our best DIY projects from 2016. In true New Years Eve style, here’s the countdown:

#10 – CD Tower to Pantry Shelf

This CD tower was ready to be kicked to the curb, until Ash had the brilliant idea of using it for built-in pantry storage.

He cut a hole into a pantry wall, used a cool little gadget to search inside, knocked more of the wall, and inserted the tower.

#9 – Ice Cream Sundae Gift Box

Wrapped in a pretty little box and adorned with ribbon, this Sundae Gift Box was a hit!

Much cheaper (and cuter) than ordering from the store, it has everything you need to make a sundae.

It’s a perfect gift for those who need a little happiness 🙂

#8 – Built-In Bookshelf with a Window Seat

Hands down, this is my absolute favorite of our DIY projects. In just a few weeks, Ash turned a boring old wall into a complete dream.

Not only does this built-in beautifully store all of the books I have collected, but it’s bright, airy, and gorgeous.

Not to mention the window seat, which is aesthetically pleasing and the cabinets below are awesome storage.

#7 – Chalk Paint Makeover

The before and after on this one is shocking! My dad’s jaw dropped, and he is usually only impressed with Ash’s projects.

This was my first experience with chalk paint, and I am sold. 2017 will definitely be bringing more chalk paint makeovers. This was one of our DIY projects with the biggest transformation.

#6 Picnic Table

Ash blew me away with this one too – as he built this in ONE day!

The table top and bench seats are made of composite decking – a durable, safe material that’s easy to clean, and is easy on the eyes.

We’ve had it in the yard for about five months now, and it looks just as great as it did on the first day. If you are looking for DIY projects that are cost-effective and simply, build a DIY picnic table.

#5 – Kitchen Cabinet Makeover

Our kitchen got a major makeover this year, as we gel stained the cabinets, painted the walls, and installed tile backsplash.

Yet as far as cost goes, you can’t beat it.

I was hesitant to take on such a big project, but I started small (with the bathroom vanity) – and went on to completely change our kitchen’s look.

#4 – Building a Shed

When Ash told me that he was going to build a shed, I laughed – I thought he was joking! He only had a few DIY projects under his belt, and building a shed is like building a house!

However, his motivation, attention to detail, dedication, and love of learning resulted in this beautifully built shed.

I am still in awe.

#3 – Wedding Wine Basket for First Year Milestones

This sweet wedding milestone wine basket has been on the trend this year!

It’s a creative, personal gift, and I’ve done all the work for you – as I’ve included all of the printables I used for free!

It’s so much fun to make that I’ve been waiting for more friends and family to marry, so I can make more 🙂

#2 – Green Rain Barrel

After watching me lug gallons of water down the backyard to water my plants, Ash created an eco-friendly rain barrel.

Using a trash can, he made a system that collects rain water to reuse. Thus, eliminating my trips back and forth and saving good water!

# 1 – Folding Workbench

Tired of working on the floor, Ash finally had a chance to build a workbench of his own – which was a dream of his.

Always thinking of how to save space, he came up with a floating design that doesn’t compromise any structural integrity.

Through being featured on sites such as Life Hacker and Make, it brought tons of visitors this year, thus earning our number one spot.

Well, that’s all, my friends.

Wishing you a very happy new year!

Simple Cookie Decorating Gift for the Holidays

December 14, 2016 by Eileen 72 Comments

With the Christmas season upon us and holiday traditions in full swing, making and decorating cookies definitely holds a special spot in my heart.

This year rather than just exchanging cookies, think about putting together a holiday cookie decorating box for kids and their families to enjoy. This gift provides a festive activity that kids will long remember.

I made one of these boxes for my niece years ago. Each Christmas, we would always bake and decorate cookies together – it was our special thing.

However, one Christmas I had just had my son, so I made my niece this little box, so she would still be able to decorate Christmas cookies that year.

In addition to putting together a holiday cookie decorating box for others, you could also make one for your family.

Save it until Christmas Eve, when you can then decorate cookies to leave for Santa:)

Not only is this box super easy to make, but it doesn’t involve screen time nor is it another toy.

And, if you are even a little bit of a baker or crafter, you probably already have a lot of the materials.

Cookie Decorating Gift Box Materials

About a dozen roll-out cookies – Baking the cookies ahead of time cuts out on the mess, and let the kids go straight to the fun part – the decorating.
Candy Melts – I used chocolate and red
Decorating Materials – sprinkles, candies, etc
Small containers for the sprinkles/candies – You can use condiment containers, small tupperware, or you could buy the the sprinkles/candies in small containers
Decorative Box – Michaels always has great ones
Ziplocs – to put the cookies and candy melts in
Ribbon – to spruce up the ziplocs

Holiday Cookie Decorating Box Instructions

First, you’ll want to bake your cookies and let them cool.

My family eats pretty healthy these days (one day I’ll share that story). So, I always make things as healthy as possible.

Additionally, I made these cookies without dairy, egg, or gluten. I’ve gone through quite my share of recipes, as well as trying to use substitutes on my own recipes.

Hands down, the best one is from The Unconventional Baker. She also shares recipes for chocolate roll-out and vanilla roll-out cookies. Her instructions were great. And, the cookies rolled out very well! Also, they don’t use cane sugar, and they taste just as a roll out cookie should.

After they cooled, I placed about eight of each type of cookie in a stack and put them into a ziploc bag. I folded the bag, so you wouldn’t see the zipper part when placed in the box.

Then, I adorned the top gingerbread man from each pile with a little bow:)

Next, I took the candy melts and poured them into ziploc bags.

Afterward, I also tied ribbon around these to make them look more festive.

Additionally, I found these cute little containers at Dollar Tree (10 for $1) and filled them with sprinkles and candies for decorating.

I also had all of these items in my pantry – so no additional cost for decorating materials 🙂

Next, I arranged everything into this Michael’s box. They have the cutest boxes for all holidays and seasons – and I always seem to shop when they are 70% off, which made this box $3!

The last thing I did was add a few candy canes because they make everything look so festive.

If I had a little more room in the holiday cookie decorating box, I would have added hot cocoa, paper cups, and cute straws, which would have made for a nice touch.

I spent only around $7 on this holiday cookie decorating box, as I already had everything but the box and candy melts.

Spending only $7 on a gift is quite amazing, right?

This year, as you get caught in the whirlwind of the holiday season, remember that decorating cookies is something simple, thrifty, and delicious to give!

And, I’m sure if you start this Christmas Eve tradition of decorating cookies for Santa, your kids will remember and blissfully look forward to it each year.