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How to Create a Custom Jigsaw Puzzle

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My sister PK is sharing a cute little craft puzzle that she gave our little guy. Not just a puzzle, it had a sweet request for her upcoming wedding. Below she shares the details so you can make your own 🙂

I love a good excuse for crafting. With my busy schedule, I feel like I never have a reason to make fun things. So when an opportunity arises, I jump on it.

I recently got engaged to be married, and I could not pass up the opportunity to make some sentimental gifts for my immediate family members, who have always known they’d be included in our wedding.

Backtracking a few years, Eileen and Ash decided to announce their first pregnancy with a surprise photo puzzle. We all love puzzles and thought nothing of being given a puzzle to complete.

Totally clueless, we worked on the puzzle and were completely surprised and excited when we figured out it was a pregnancy announcement for our sweet little nephew.

Fast forward to present day, our nephew just loves completing jigsaw puzzles. He assembles 100-piece puzzles with ease and a lot of excitement, shocking the adults around him. If the puzzle has numbers or letters, he recites each, one-by-one.

It’s endearing and sweet and helped us decide exactly what we wanted to do to ask him to be our ring bearer – with a custom jigsaw puzzle!

Make a custom puzzle with a message

How to Make a Custom Jigsaw Puzzle

I looked at various DIY puzzle products and wandered around the craft store for quite some time to decide on the best materials.

Then I found a pack of 9 plain, wooden puzzle pieces that were 2.5 inches – ready to decorate!

I grabbed two just in case and went looking for some letter stickers.

I decided on stickers from the scrapbooking section, about 1.25″ in height, in a very dark navy blue so they would be in a good contrast with whatever I decided to paint behind the letters.

Materials

  • Wooden puzzle
  • Acrylic Paints
  • Alphabet Stickers – like these
  • Xacto Knife
  • Sand paper
  • Paint brush
  • Scissors

How to Make a Custom Puzzle with a Cute Message

Planning the Wedding Message

I anxiously assembled the puzzle pieces and was pleasantly surprised at how well they fit together out of the package. A few were snug but I knew I wanted to sand them down to be safer for my nephew’s hands.

I also couldn’t wait to test out the letters, so I cut out each letter of our intended message to place over the square puzzle before getting the sandpaper.

The three rows of pieces easily fit:

Will you

be our

RING

bearer?

I ran out of lowercase Rs, but I improvised.

Cute Gift Ideas for Wedding Party

As awesome as I thought it looked, it was really missing the personalization of all of our names!

Then I remembered I got a second set and I could easily add one more row of pieces.

So, I combined the two sets to make a larger puzzle.

Sanding the Rough Edges

These new pieces were not as easy to fit with the rest, but I was ready to get sanding!

I grabbed a sheet of sandpaper and smoothed each side and divet until each piece fit well with its adjacent piece and made sure each pair worked well whichever one was placed in on top.

Painting the Puzzle Background

While working on the letters, I decided to paint a landscape of a grassy hill on the pieces, just like our ceremony venue! I gathered my painting supplies and assembled the now 12-piece puzzle on a few layers of newspaper.

Then, I painted a cartoonish outdoor scene with colors overlapping the puzzle pieces so each looked unique.

I made sure to paint lightly to avoid getting excess paint in between the pieces. It was quick-drying acrylic paint, but I let it dry overnight before placing the stickers.

Next, I took the pieces apart and sanded some of the pieces again as needed for one final run before placing the stickers.

I cut more of the excess white off the back of each sticker for a better idea of the background before calling it a finished picture.

Attaching the Letters

Ready to go, I grabbed a book slightly larger than the puzzle for easy transport later. Then I pulled off the backing of the first letter and not entirely to my surprise, the outline was much thicker than I thought.

I immediately pushed all of the letters closer to the center of their row then placed the first letter more to the right than planned.

Make a custom gift puzzle for kids

After adding the letters, I placed another hardcover book on top and put the two books on a table puzzle-side down. For good measure, I added another stack of books on top and let it sit overnight.

Making the Puzzle Piece Letter Cuts

Next, I grabbed an x-acto knife to carefully slice the stickers between puzzle pieces. This was a daunting task, but I was very happy at the level of sanding I had done.

I originally thought I would have to turn the puzzle over and run through each, but it was not necessary!

Making a customized puzzle craft

(first row omitted from pic)

To secure it once more, I put the pieces unassembled under a stack of books again. I left it for a day while I decided how to box up these pieces!

How to Make a Custom Jigsaw Puzzle - Perfect for kids

If you’re looking for a unique gift idea for your wedding (like us) or just a simple craft to make for the kids, these custom-made jigsaw puzzles are cute as can be and very simple to make 🙂

 

How to Make a String Art Nativity Scene

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This Christmas I haven’t done any projects with the nativity scene, which is what Christmas is all about. So of course, I wanted to incorporate a nativity scene into my holiday DIY this week.

This week is the conclusion of our holiday blog hop – Deck the Home, which is a five-week series of amazing Christmas DIY projects of the home. Hundreds of projects have been shared by 25 very talented DIY bloggers. Be sure to scroll to the end of the post to check out everyone’s home decor. And even though the hop is ending, we have quite a few weeks before Christmas, giving you plenty of time to work on some of your favorites.

So back to the nativity scene project. I wanted to create a giant nativity scene for the yard, but my hubby insisted on a simple reindeer and Santa sleigh instead. Since it was the last week of the hop, it was final chance to incorporate the nativity.
 
I had also been wanting to try DIY string art because I’ve seen so many cool designs. Therefore, I decided to try my hand at creating a DIY string art nativity scene.

Nativity scene string art on wood

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Make a String Art Nativity Scene

Here are the steps I took to create the DIY string art nativity scene. Since this was my first time doing string art, I hope you find all the string art tips and tricks for beginners helpful.

Tools and Materials for DIY String Art Nativity

White DIY string art nativity scene on wooden board

Nativity scene with Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus and the star on a wooden board

Drawing the Nativity Template

First, I drew the nativity scene on a piece of card stock. I figured the 8.5×11 paper was about the size that I wanted the nativity. You could draw the design out yourself or you could use the one I drew.

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Nativity scene homemade drawing on paper

Marking the Nail Holes

The next thing I did on my DIY string art project was I marked my nail holes with a black pen. You want your nails to be about 3/4″ apart. The more consistent, the better because then you can make more even/symmetrical patterns. In fact, you could even use a spacer (grab a drinking straw and cut it down to 3/4″) to be consistent.

In Hindsight: Some of my nails were marked way too close. I did this to try to get the curves of Mary and Joseph and a tight outline of the manger. But it makes your string harder to tie – and the pattern more confusing to follow.

Also, I ended up leaving the hand off of  Mary because there wasn’t enough space in between her and baby Jesus to give a nice outline. When you are drawing and marking your nail holes, be sure to have a nice clean outline of your shapes or people.

Marking the nail holes on the nativity scene string art sketch

Tapping the Nail Holes

After I marked the nail holes, I taped my picture to a piece of wood. Then I took one nail and started tapping it through the paper into the wood, to mark the hole.

I used the same nail and continued to do this for all of the holes.

Marking the nail holes on wood for the nativity scene string art piece

When I removed the paper, I had each of my holes marked for the string art.

Nail holes marked on wooden board for nativity scene string art

If you look at the below picture, you will see that my holes are marked too closely between Mary and baby Jesus. Again, you want to make sure that each area has a clean outline. It shouldn’t be hard to decipher, like this part.

Marking the holes in the wood for the nativity scene string art

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Trimming the Wood to Size

Next, I used my table saw to trim off the top of the wood. I sanded down this side and any rough areas too.

Wooden string art project ready to start stringing

Stain the Wood

After my nativity scene pattern was on and my wood was trimmed, it was time to stain the wood. I used a homemade natural stain for this – which I absolutely love.

Hammering in the Nails

After the stain on the nativity scene dried, I then hammered in all of the nails into the wood. It took about a little over 100 nails. Here are the results:

Hammering silver nails on the wooden board for DIY string art nativity scene gift

Nailing into the string art board for DIY string art project

Wrapping the String

I did a lot of research to learn how to wrap the string around the nails to create beautiful string art. However, everybody the same thing – there’s no right or wrong way to do it. Although true, I like a little more guidance than that, so here are my DIY string art tips for beginners:

First Things First

  • Decide you want to use the positive space or the negative space. I went with the negative space – which means instead of filling Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the star, etc in with string, I left them blank. Instead I filled the space around them with the string. When you are thinking about positive and negative space, think of using a cookie cutter in dough. The actual cook is the positive space and the scraps around where the cookie cutter went are the negative space.
  • Take your string and start in a corner. Wrap your string around the nail and tie it a couple of times. Be sure to leave a tail on your string so you can hide it later.
  • If you are starting with a busy scene or design, such as this nativity scene, then start with an outline of your scene. It will help you see your pattern and go from there. Here I am using my pattern to making an outline with my string.
Wrapping string around nails in a wooden board to create DIY string art nativity scene
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Here is the finished outline of the nativity string art. I’m sorry for poor pictures – I get most of my projects done at night when the kids are sleeping. 🙂
 
Making an outline with string for the DIY string art project nativity scene.

How to Wrap the String

  • To wrap your string, you can use a variety of different ways.
    • You can weave the string around the nail holes in an almost zig-zag pattern – like if you were running an obstacle course lined with cones.
    • You can wrap the string around each nail hole in a loop. This is good for keeping a straight line or for anchoring your string once in a while.
    • You can make patterns – such as lines coming out from one point, zig zags back and forth, or up and down hills with the string, making almost triangular mountains.

Basically, you can wrap your string any way you want it.

  • Once you have your outline, bring your string over to where you want to start “filling in” the nativity scene.
  • To bring back your string, you just keep wrapping it or weaving it around the nails until you are in the desired place.
  • Then, start “filling in” the nativity scene using one of the ways above – or using your own way to wrap the string.
  • Be careful not to cross the string over any areas you don’t want filled in. I did that waaaaay too many times.

Below is a picture of me starting to do a zig-zag pattern with the string art, working my way around the picture.

Wrapping string around nails to create nativity scene string art project

You’ll keep wrapping your string and filling in your picture until you are content with it. I used a ton of string and kept wrapping and weaving in all sorts of patterns to get a filled in look. Using string and nails to create a beautiful string art nativity scene Finishing up wrapping the string around the nails on the DIY nativity scene string art project

More String Art Tips

  • If you feel like you are losing the shape of any of the things in your  nativity scene, then work your string to the point and outline it with the string again. To do this, just work your string around the perimeter of your shape. I did this with the star – I had so much string everywhere and I had only outlined the star once, that I felt that the star got lost.Then, I just worked my way around its perimeter again and again until I was happy with how it looked. I also went around the perimeter of the stable a few times too, to give it a nice clean outline.

Placing the finishing touches on the nativity scene DIY string art project

Finishing your DIY String Art

  • Once you are satisfied with your string art scene, then bring your string back to your starting point. (Do this by weaving or wrapping it until you are in the desired place).
  • Then, take your ends and tie them together.
  • With the tails, you can either weave them through your string art (easiest way is by using an embroidery needle). Or you can just hide it underneath.
  • Tying the ends of the DIY string art as the final touch

Here is my finished string art nativity scene. Not bad for my first time with string art!?

DIY nativity scene string art on wood held in front of colorful Christmas tree

Here is a close-up of the star:

String art nativity star in white on a wooden board

White string art nativity scene on wooden board

Time and Cost

It was a little time-consuming to hammer all the nails and to wrap the strings. However, wrapping the string was very therapeutic. Like doing a puzzle or coloring. Of course, you had to pay attention to your outlines – but overall it was a very calming activity.

As far as total time, I would say maybe about 3-4 hours total. The cost for me was just the string, which I bought for a buck or two. The nails and wood we had – and I made the stain with ingredients from my pantry.

Also, factor in whether you are going to add hanging hardware to back. I think I’ll keep ours leaning on the wall.

If you are looking for a fun, calming holiday DIY project that you can decorate your home with or give as a gift, definitely try string art. There’s no fancy skills involved!

Just you and some string 🙂

DIY nativity scene string art with pinecones and twinkle lights

That’s it for our holiday Deck the Home DIY projects. If you missed any, check out all of the 2018 Deck the Home holiday projects. 

DIY string art nativity scene on wood

8 DIY Gifts that You Can Easily Make

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Hands down, the holidays are my favorite time of year. Growing up, my sisters and I loved making creative DIY Christmas gifts for our family members.

I remember painting small scrap wood blocks to make buildings for my dad’s hobby train setup. I drew signs on each of the buildings and stores, naming them after our family, such as Momma’s Art Studio and Bridget’s Bakery.

More than 20 years later, my dad still has these little buildings.

Years ago, I made everyone in my family crocheted scarves handpicking the yarn and style for each person. This past weekend, my mother-in-law was visiting and was delightfully wearing the cranberry red scarf I made her so long ago.

That’s the thing about homemade presents – they become such cherished gifts. So much more thought and time goes into them that they really do become treasured.

8 Creative DIY Christmas Gifts

So today I’m sharing 8 DIY gifts that you can easily make this holiday season – along with a homemaking bundle that you and your family members will love. These can be easy homemade gifts for friends or family or even kids.

Creative DIY Christmas Gifts for Anyone

Homemade Lamp from Anything

Did you know that you can make a lamp from anything? This DIY lamp was made using a model train! How cool is that?!

The idea came from an old fisherman’s lamp that my dad repurposed into a lamp that he would enjoy. His train-collecting friend loved it so much that my dad made another one from scratch. It was simple to make – and we have really thorough, easy-to-follow instructions here.

If you have someone in your family that’s difficult to shop for, think about their hobbies, and turn one of their interests into a cool lamp. This is a perfect homemade gift for friends or family members.

How to Make a DIY Lamp from Anything

Gorgeous Canvas Wall Art

If you are looking for an easy DIY gift that looks store-bought but has creative charm, make these homemade canvases.

First, find some cool wall stickers (we love the wall stickers from My Wonderful Walls). Then, paint a few canvases. Let them dry and then apply the stickers. You can also adorn them with washi tape or letter stickers – the possibilities are endless.

I made the ones below for my toddler’s big boy room. I included the letter stickers in an effort to get him to start spelling his favorite vehicles. 🙂

We have a full tutorial here – along with links to the products we used.

With this easy DIY gift, you’ll have beautiful wall art in a matter of minutes. These are great creative Christmas gifts that kids can make for mom or dad – or that gifts that siblings can make for each other. It’s also a great gift idea for craft lovers to make.

Using Wall Stickers to Create Cool Wall Art

Themed Homemade Gift Basket Ideas

One thing people love is a thoughtful gift. And, giving homemade gift baskets enables you to be so creative and thoughtful.

But I’m not referring to the premade gift baskets that you buy online or from the stores. I’m talking about one that’s hand-picked and made with your recipient in mind.

Homemade gift baskets are without a doubt my favorite gifts to give – I love everything from picking out the basket to finding creative gift ideas to put inside.

I have so many gift basket ideas on our blog – from an ice cream sundae gift to a cookie decorating gift basket.

Heck, I even made a huge list of all types of items to include in themed gift baskets. From “gift baskets for mommas” to “gift baskets for practical people,” check out the full gift basket list here.

These are easy and creative DIY Christmas gifts to make, and you’ll definitely find something for every person on your list. As an added bonus, your friends and family will love the thought that you put into this easy DIY gift. It’s a simple homemade gift idea that always goes over well.   200+ Gift Basket Ideas that aren't junk

Easy Picture Ledge from Scrap Wood

Who loves photos?! And who would love to not make a million nail holes in their walls?! These picture ledges are perfect for those on your list that cherish photographs and would love an easier way to display them.

If you have the right tools, they take just an hour to make and they look amazingly elegant.

We have the step-by-step instructions here. And, did I mention that the cost was less than $10?!

This creative gift idea could be paired with some pretty frames or gorgeous photos or a photography gift card. Or, the standalone shelves are a perfect Christmas gift too. Easy DIY gifts are simply the best 🙂

Thoughtful, Themed Photo Book Ideas

Speaking of those who love photos, we have a gift that we love to give in my family – photo books. But not just any photo book. We love making our books personal by pairing pictures with funny or special sayings.

You see, for my mom’s 60th, we made her a book with pictures all throughout her life paired with cliches and common sayings she frequently utters. For my sister’s 30th, we made a book of pictures from her life paired with hilarious Seinfeld quotes (her favorite TV show).

And, for my in-laws who have lived in a few different countries, we paired pictures from their life with sayings from those countries. To see these books, check them out here.

You can make these books scrapbook style (pictured below), or you can make them with a photo site, such as Walgreens. We’ve done both, and they both turn out awesome.

I can’t even express how much our friends and family have loved these books. The extra thought has made the books something they cherish.

Not to mention photo books are extremely reasonably priced, and they are one of the easiest DIY gifts to make. Using sayings or quotations makes it a creative gift too – that’s always so appreciated. These easy homemade gifts are perfect gifts for parents, grandparents, and significant others.

These photo books make for the perfect homemade gift!

Stenciled Wall Art

This gorgeous world map was DIYed with just a wood canvas, a stencil, and acrylic paint. Just choose a stencil and you can make a pretty piece just like this one. It’s a really thrift gift because something like this would cost a pretty penny in the stores.

Easy DIY wall art of the world map

DIY Finger Puppets

If you’re searching for an easy DIY gift for kids, these super cute, no-sew finger puppets are made from card stock and felt.

My toddler has a blast playing with these. He loves singing the Finger Family Song, so these finger puppets certainly made his day.

You only need a few materials – including a hot glue gun, and in less than an hour, you can churn out these cute little finger puppets for the little ones that you love.

These are perfect for a homemade gift for kids, or they make for a great gift that kids could make too! They are simply one of the easiest and most creative DIY Christmas gifts to give.

Perfect Homemade Gift for Kids

Homemade Hopscotch Mat

This diy hopscotch mat is simply adorable and so easy to make. It’s a perfect creative DIY Christmas gift for kids. It’s another felt, no-sew project that you can complete in an hour. The mat is perfect for indoor or outdoor hopscotch as well as the perfect reading mat for kids.

We have one of these for outside, and my kids loved it so much that we have one inside too. It’s my toddler’s favorite reading spot 🙂

I even have free printable letters for you to download – to make the tracing easy.

This easy DIY gift idea is perfect for kids – or it’s so simple that kids could help make it for others too!

How to Make a Homemade Hopscotch Mat

These 8 creative DIY Christmas gifts certainly are very simple to make and in my experience are always so appreciated! They are definitely some of my favorite gifts to make.

With these easy homemade gift ideas, you can make someone’s day with the extra thought and creativity you put into their gift this year. Not to mention, you can definitely stay on budget by saving with these thrifty ideas that make for easy DIY gifts.

In years to come, I’m sure your friends and family will treasure the homemade gifts you made, just as my dad still has his scrap wood train buildings 🙂

8 Organization Mistakes You’re Making (and How to Fix Them Now)

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8 Organization Mistakes You’re Making (and How to Fix Them) Post Preview: Tired of coming home to a disorganized house? Check out these DIY organization tips and ideas for the home, and you’ll have an organized home in no time. Ideas such as wire closet racks, cubby storage, wall storage, kids storage and more are discussed.

With my eyes half open, I sluggishly got out of bed. Making my way across the room, I lost my balance on a toy car that wasn’t put away.

After a loud sigh, I scooped it up along with a few other toys and dumped them in the corner. I head to the closet to grab a towel, where I am greeted by a completely disheveled mountain of linens.

Room after room, the story was the same. The closets were overflowing, toys were strewn, nothing seemed to have a place.

Truth is, if I didn’t start using my space wisely, my home “organization” would remain a mess. In order to keep my sanity, I had to figure out what I was doing wrong.

Organize your home with these DIY space-saving solutions

DIY Organization for Your Home

The following home organization tips will help you add some DIY organization to your home.  From using closet space wisely to utilizing wall space, these simple home organization ideas will help you bring more order and less chaos into your home.

Mistake #1 – Not Using Closet Space Wisely

Closet space is gold. I mean, it’s storage space hidden behind closed doors. Because it’s out of sight, it usually becomes embarrassingly sloppy.

In our current home, all of our closets contained only a clothes rod and a top shelf. So as you can imagine, each of these closets became a disaster in a matter of weeks.

In our previous home, we had wall-mounted wire shelving configurations in each closet, so everything was much more organized with wire shelving that already existed.

However, custom shelving configurations for closets can be really expensive.

So to save money, we simply installed a few standalone wire shelving racks for our closet shelving.

Rather than have piles of items shoved into the closet (I had so many of those huge storage bins stacked up), you can neatly slide storage bins, laundry baskets, or other containers on and off the wire shelves.

The wiring shelving was especially helpful in coat closets and kids rooms, where that single clothes rod isn’t always the best use of space.

The closet shelving gave us extra space, and I can easily find everything. Installing some of these standalone wire shelving is definitely one of the best DIY organization ideas for your home.

How to Organize Your Closets with Simple Wire Racks

Save money buying a few wire closet racks rather than a whole closet system

Another home organization idea is to install double top shelves in your closets. Rather than have one shelf running across the top, add another one above it. This is an easy change that doubles your shelving instantly, using more of that high space wisely. If you use wire shelving, it’s easy to install another top shelf.

Speaking of wasted space, I then took a look at our closets to see where else I could utilize otherwise wasted space.

To add more home organization, I hung small racks on side walls and hooks on standalone doors.

These diy home organization ideas for your closet space will have you using every inch wisely, making more space for all of your things.

How to Efficiently Organize Your Home - Use Double Top Shelves in Closets

Install an extra top shelf in your closet and double your space.

Where to Buy Closet Shelving:

Closet shelving sets can be really expensive, so rather than buy a hundred dollar kit, just buy a few wire shelving racks that are right size for your closet and attach them to the wall.

I found a few wire shelves at a flea market for a couple bucks (you could also check out your local Habitat for Humanity Restore).

If you can’t find some cheap wire shelves, home improvement stores have the racks for about $10-$15 plus the hardware, which isn’t too bad for quick, cheap organization.

How to Make Closet Shelving:

If you don’t want to spend but have extra wood laying around, you can install a few wooden shelves instead of the wire shelves. Paint them white and they’ll blend right in, creating a more uniform and organized look for your closet shelving.

Also, look around for anything you can repurpose into closet shelving.

Every time I’m ready to kick something to the curb, the wheels in my husband’s head start turning. His most recent trash-night-intercept was a CD tower that he installed in our pantry as extra side shelving.

By making great use of closet space, you can really up your home organization game. You’ll get more into your closets, which means less laying around the house. With these DIY organization tips, everything in your closet will have a space.

Mistake #2 – Disregarding Empty Wall Space

Closets overstuffed? Attic full? Start using the walls!

Wall space is one of the best space-saving secrets and my absolute favorite of the DIY home organization ideas.

My husband recently mounted a huge shelf to the wall behind my desk. What once was an empty wall is now housing all of my desk and craft supplies!

Corner wall space is the perfect spot to put up some floating shelves or even cubby shelves. You can fill the shelves with baskets and bins of anything – craft supplies, shoes, extra towels, toiletries, accessories, bows, kids clothes, etc.

Putting up a few extra shelves and utilizing empty wall space can easily thin out your otherwise packed closets, making your closets and yourself more organized. 🙂

Using Your Wall Space More Wisely - DIY Home Organization Ideas

Use otherwise overlooked wall space to add tons and tons of wall storage

If you have a little extra floor space – maybe in a basement or garage, you could use it for a vertical storage tower. We did this in our garage with a space about 6 feet wide and 3 feet deep, and gained tons of storage space. The storage tower holds all of our Christmas decorations (and I have 3 trees!), Ash’s oversized tools, and more.

Ash and I are little storage-obsessed… I mean, half of our DIY projects are about storage organization. Ash goes around tapping on walls looking for hollow space, and I am always oogling at empty wall space 🙂

So, take it from us – look for areas that you could turn into a little extra wall storage and you will be thrilled with the DIY organization that space provides.

Where to Buy:

There are tons of great shelves that can easily be mounted to your walls for vertical storage. This iron pipe shelf holds a ton of items and looks amazing. I also just adore farmhouse floating shelves. Aren’t they charming?! I love the finish on these shelves, and farmhouse style shelving looks amazing in any home.

How to Make:

If you make your own shelves, you can choose your exact measurements, which is beneficial because then you can customize them to fit exactly what you need.

We built two basic shelves for my office and made the measurements to fit four fabric storage bins on each shelf. With two shelves, that’s 8 storage bins that are organized and filled. And instead of taking of space elsewhere, they are on the wall!

The shelves were simple to make and mount, and we have free plans available.

Using wall space is definitely one of the best DIY organization tips I can give you. It has created so much space, where we thought we had none. When thinking about ideas for organization, don’t forget to look on your walls.

Mistake #3 – Not Using Cubby Storage

Cubby storage is an organizational gem. The individual cubbies keep items super organized and in plain sight. You don’t have to dig through drawers, toy bins, or storage bins to find what you are looking for. Everything is compartmentalized in neat little spaces using cubby shelves.

Cubby shelves also make for for the perfect bookshelf (no more books sliding around). Cubby storage is an excellent use of corner or closet space and is perfect for organizing toys, crafts, or office supplies.

8 Organization Mistakes You're Making and How to Fix Them Now

Cubby shelves are inexpensive and make for the perfect bookshelf.

Yet one of the best parts about cubby shelving is that you can stack your items in the cubbies, or you can also use storage bins in some or all of the cubbies.

Cubby storage is also very versatile, as you can arrange them in many ways – vertically, horizontally, stacked, or even hang them on your wall.

Where to Buy Cubby Storage:

We love these cubby shelves from Amazon – they have quite a few finishes and are really nice. We use cubby storage in our kids’ rooms for bookshelves along with the playroom for toy storage and organization.

As far as storage bins, the dollar store is carrying storage bins now as well as lots of other useful containers. You can’t beat that for cheap storage.

You can also get some good deals on storage during back-to-school sales. If you don’t feel like running to the store, Amazon has lots of cute storage bins too.

How to Make Cubby Storage:

Although buying cubby shelves is probably cheaper than making them, Ash made me customized cubby storage for organizing all my craft supplies.

But here’s the best part – he mounted the cubby shelves to the wall, which frees up ground space AND uses otherwise lost wall space.

I was able to empty my entire desk out with cubby storage!

No more digging through my desk or my filing cabinet or those huge storage containers that were in my closet.

Each little cubby holds something different, and I just need to spin my desk chair around to find what I’m looking for.

As far as storage bins, you can also make your own. I made several DIY storage bins for our changing table and coat closets (holding mittens, hats, scarves, etc) from cardboard boxes, contact paper, and knobs.

Using Cubby Shelves to Organize Your Home

Attach cubby shelves to the wall – and gain space and organization

When thinking about how to have more home organization, think about where you could add cubby storage. They don’t take up too much, aren’t too expensive, and they add a lot of DIY organization.

Mistake #4 – Leaving out items that could be hidden

You know that feeling you get at the end of the day when your house is nice and organized – there aren’t toys everywhere, the pillows are back where they belong, and everything is in its place. It just looks so perfect.

Unfortunately, this usually isn’t the case.

However, if you create a spot for everything, you can hide some of those eyesores, keeping your home always looking organized.

My favorite trick, especially for toy storage, is to use pretty boxes to hide otherwise ugly things.

Our toddler has toys in every single room (literally every room except the master bathroom). The biggest problem area was our family room. I mean, blocks everywhere, tools scattered across the room, puzzle pieces wedged between couch cushions.

I was attempting to organize the toy mess with those clear storage bins – the ones that are a little bigger than a shoe box. However, I just didn’t like the way these tacky storage bins looked in our family room. They certainly didn’t complement the Pottery Barn pillows that I spent way too much on. 😉

So, I started buying cute baskets and boxes that were on sale at craft stores. Rather than have tacky storage boxes, I have trendy bins and baskets all around the house.

The great thing is that you can’t see the contents of what’s in the bins. So, you would never know that the boxs and bins contain toy storage.

Even if your home isn’t filled with toys, take a look around and see what you can hide. Cleaning up some of these things and creating a space for them definitely makes for a more organized home.

DIY Home Organization - Hidden Toy Storage Ideas

Decorative boxes make for great hidden toy storage

DIY Home Organization Tips #5 Use Pretty Boxes to Hide Things

You’d never know this box houses the entire Mr. Potato Family 🙂 How’s that for toy storage?!

Where to Buy:

You can get baskets and boxes super cheap at Michael’s when they have end of season sales. I have purchased many of these boxes for just a few dollars at 70% off. Pick things you like to hide those toys or other storage items.

I would definitely recommend checking there periodically because I have gotten so many bargains on end-of-season bins and boxes.

As far as baskets, AC Moore and Michaels have a great selection and you can either use one of their coupons or catch one of their frequent 40% off sales. These craft stores offer so much as far as diy home organization ideas.

How to Make:

To make boxes, you could reuse any box and cover it with contact paper to make it look nice. I have a tutorial on how I DIYed these storage bins. You can usually find decent contact paper at the dollar stores too 🙂

As far as home organizing ideas go, finding a space for everything definitely works wonders. And using pretty boxes to store some of the things that need to be organized is a great home organizing technique.

Mistake #5 – Ignoring Messy Drawers

Who doesn’t have a junk drawer in their home… or like five or six of them? I think every drawer in our house became a junk drawer at some point.

There’s little I despise more than wasting precious time looking for something. Rather than succumb to disorganized drawers, think what solutions will work for your items.

I eliminated my entire desk of office and craft supplies by using cubby shelves and pegboard. At first, I wasn’t sure I would put things back on the pegboard after I used them. Yet, there’s nowhere else for it go, since I ditched my old desk.

I am loving the pegboard organization – I can clearly see everything I have, and it looks really cool.

DIY Home Organization Ideas - Using Pegboard Instead of Desk Drawers

Mount a pegboard to the wall and empty a few drawers

If you don’t have a huge space for a pegboard, it’s no problem. You can use small pieces of pegboard in creative spots, such as on the back of kitchen cabinet doors to hang measuring cups or special utensils.

You’ll be surprised just how many messy drawers you can empty with this DIY organization trick.

Another idea is to use drawer dividers to separate things. I put these in our kids’ bedroom drawers to separate socks, bibs, accessories, and more. I also organized our kitchen junk drawer with bins.

And, as another home organization tip, don’t forget to give your drawers a good ole clean-out, especially those kitchen junk drawers.

You don’t need to keep take-out menus because everything is online. Those extra ketchup and soy sauce packets never get used either.

Lotion, nail polish, and make-up all get old after a while.

So, definitely clean up your drawers a bit as you are organizing, and you will easily gain some coveted space.

Where to Buy:

The Dollar Tree and Big Lots are my favorite places to find storage and organization bins, especially around back-to-school time. You’ll find lots of neat little bins and baskets.

If you like your storage bins to match, buy a few more than you need because it’s hard to find the same bins and baskets again. But overall these stores are great for frugal diy home organization ideas.

If you would rather shop online, these interlocking bins are awesome. There’s eight of them, and you can use them individually or interlock them. Did you know they make adjustable drawer organizers too?! I love anything that can be easily customized.

Last, here’s a great drawer organizing kit for dressers.

How to Make:

Look around your house, or your recycling bin, for things you could use as drawer dividers.

You could use empty plastic or cardboard bins or boxes, such as shoe boxes or cereal boxes. Cut them to size or reshape with some masking tape, and you’ll have yourself free organization.

You could even make dividers from cardboard – and spiffy them up with some cute contact paper.

This DIY home organization tip shouldn’t be overlooked. Handling those messy drawers will make for a much neater and more organized home.

Mistake #6 – Not using doors and walls for hooks and racks

Every time I came home with the kids, I would always drop the diaper bag on the ground. Sometimes it would make its way over to the closet and embarrassingly, sometimes it remained on the ground for a few days.

I don’t know why it took me so long to realize the solution was to buy a $2 hook for the mudroom.

I can now easily grab the diaper bag when I’m on my way out the door, and it doesn’t drive me crazy on the floor for days. If you always have school bags on the floor, add hooks in your mudroom or entryway for kids to hang their bag up.

If your kids are always leaving their hoodies around, put some hooks up for them in a hidden spot.

Simply find the problem areas, and then think about how you can create a spot for it. Don’t disregard your doors and little spaces on the walls, where you can easily add a hook or a rack.

DIY Home Organization Tips

Don’t overlook the organization that hooks provide – they are also an easy DIY project

The back of the closet door is perfect for holding towels – rather than throwing them over a door, having kids leave wet towels on the floor, or cramming them all on the same towel rack.

Closet doors are also perfect for little containers, such as spice racks, to hold toiletries. Pantry doors are perfect to add basket storage too.

Look around your home and identify what is driving you nuts and then create spots for these things.

Where to Buy:

You can buy command hooks to attach easily to walls (no tools involved and easy removal). These provide a solution in just minutes. You could also go for a more classic hook. These hooks are very inexpensive and add classy organization.

I love this hook rack with a cute shelf. It’s so modern-looking, and I love the way three of them look on the wall – it’s like a gallery of home organization. 🙂

If you are trying to maximize closet door organization, this organization rack is huge and can hold so much! You can even attach it to your door (or wall) with command hooks. It doesn’t get easier than that!

How to Make:

You can easily DIY a hook rack with a wooden board and a few hooks from the store. Or instead of hooks, get a little creative and use washers or screws, as long as they have enough length to hold your items.

To DIY racks to attach to doors, use dollar store bins and a few screws to get the same effect. If you have any spice racks that aren’t being utilized in the kitchen or garage, you can attach them to closet doors to hold toiletries.

How to Organize Your Home For Good

Attach spice racks (or other containers) to closet doors of panties or linen closets for easy DIY organization

Adding hooks and containers to doors and walls is a great DIY home organization tip that definitely keeps your home neater.

Mistake # 7 – Missing out on furniture storage

Furniture takes up most of the space in our rooms, so why not capitalize on it?!

If you are looking for a new piece of furniture, think about  furniture with built-in storage. We were in the market for a couch that converted to a bed, and we found one that had a massive amount of storage under the cushion.

Stools, ottomans, and end-of-the-bed tables all usually have storage space built in too. If you are looking for a kids bed, lots of them have drawers built-in underneath the bed.

You can also buy under-the-bed storage containers to slide under beds. These are great for holding things like kids artwork collections, craft supplies, pillows, out-of-season clothes. Depending on the size of your bed, you can get quite a few bins underneath.

As far as DIY home organization ideas go, using furniture as storage is really underutilized and can offer so much additional storage.

Where to Buy:

Amazon has lots of options for under-the-bed storage – from the plastic containers to carts to clothes storage bags. I am loving the clothes storage bags. I purchased a few of them to store comforters, blankets, and extra throw pillows in and was able to clear out two shelves in our hall closet!

Think about all that storage you will gain by using the space under your bed more wisely.

How to Make:

There are tons of awesome tutorials out there that have storage built-in furniture. You can make a platform bed frame that has tons of storage underneath. I’ve also seen cubby bookshelves built into beds. There also are coffee tables you could make, where the top opens and provides hidden storage.

And, if you are feeling really ambitious, you could make a couch or chaise lounge with storage entirely underneath. We haven’t tackled any of these projects yet. If we do, we will be sure to post them 🙂

Thinking about furniture storage is a great DIY home organization idea that really creates extra space.

Mistake #8 – Lack of using labels

If you have ever felt the frustration of pulling down bin after bin looking for something, then you know the importance of labels. I’ve pulled down many closet bins looking for scarves – only to find shoes, hats, and everything in between.

When you label items not only do you save yourself time when you go to use those things, but you keep yourself and your items more organized. You get used to seeing the labels, so you know where everything is. And, you know exactly where to put things back.

Labels are great for kids too, giving them the tools they need to put their own things away. For younger kids, include a picture of the item, so they can clean up on their own. (The picture label then becomes a learning activity – as kids see the picture along with the word and learn the word.) This will easily help you with toy bins and toy storage. 

Additionally, labels are great for husbands too. 🙂 You’ll notice things get put back in the right spot much more easily.

Using Labels for Easy Home Organization

Using labels with pictures encourage kids (and husbands) to put toys away

How to Make: 

For extra home organization, labels are really easy to make. Just use masking tape or paper, but I do love the idea of adding pictures for kids to help clean up.

Simply google the item, grab a picture, and paste it into a printable document. I was definitely surprised at how much cleaner my toddler’s toys were when he knew where everything went.

Where to Buy:

As easy as masking tape and paper are for labels, I love my label maker. It makes everything look much more neat, organized, and consistent.

I LOVE this label maker– and it is a dream come true! It has tons of fonts and decorative options, making for very cute labels and of course, easy organization.

You can also find cute labels at the craft stores. I found a bunch of mini chalk boards attached to a clothes pin and used these to label my fabric storage bins. The dollar section at Michaels never lets me down as far as DIY home organization ideas 🙂

Taking Action

Picture a completely organized home. You can walk to the bathroom without tripping on toys. You can reach into your linen closet and easily find a pillow case. You can find a pen in the junk drawer with one swift reach.

Everything has a place. It’s perfection.

By choosing a few of the above DIY home organization tips and ideas and seeing them through, you will start to regain your sanity. Start small – with just one or two items, and you’ll start to see a great change.

You’ll make more space in your home. You’ll create places for things to be put away. And, you’ll use the space you have more wisely.

Above all, you will no longer be stressed out by a disorganized house. Instead, your organized home will be your place of zen.

Throwing an Amazing Puzzle Theme Party

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When deciding what kind of birthday party to have for our toddler, I was stumped. He wasn’t really into too many cartoon characters. He did enjoy tools, dinosaurs, and building – but none were a huge interest right now.

I started to think about how he spent most of his playtime and realized how often he gravitated toward puzzles. He enjoyed putting things together, he relished in accomplishment when completing a puzzle, and he loved staring at the pictures he put together.

So, a puzzle party it was! 🙂

How to Throw an Amazing Puzzle Party - Games, Activities, Ideas, and FREE printablesThere weren’t too many ideas on Pinterest or google for puzzle parties, which was great because I got to start with a blank canvas. Sometimes there are too many ideas out there, and it gets so overwhelming.

Now usually I’m a super crazy organizer and planner, but I have to be completely honest and say that I didn’t start planning this party months or even weeks ahead of time. I was super behind and quite a bit pregnant, so the entire party came together in just a week and a half. However, I took my own party planning advice and kept everything extremely simple.

I also created printables each step of the way, so I can easily share them with you!

Making Puzzle Decorations

My favorite part of every party is working on the decorations because you can take one little idea and run with it. To your guests, it will look like you went overboard, when really you are using the same item over and over.

 

Puzzle Piece Cut-Outs

Used for Goody Bags, Food Labels, Banners, and Balloons

Since the theme of the party was puzzles, I just cut a bazillion puzzle pieces out – and used them everywhere. (I have puzzle piece cut-outs in our free resource library in two different sizes, so you can efficiently use your paper).

I used large puzzle pieces for the birthday banners. Then, I cut medium-sized ones out of card stock (I love using bright color colored card stock.) With the medium sized pieces, I decorated the goody bags, labeled the food, made puzzle banners, and decorated the balloons.

I found the cute striped paper bags at Michaels and used my 40% coupon – then I simple taped a puzzle piece on. Simple and pretty, right!?

How to Throw an Amazing Puzzle PartyWhat’s inside the goody bags?

Inside the goody bags, I included blank puzzles (gotta love Amazon!) with crayons or markers, depending upon the age of the party guest. I also put in small wooden puzzles that I found at the dollar store for the younger kids. For the older kids, I included puzzle pair puzzles that I found at the dollar section of Target.

I also threw in some other things – bubbles are always a thrifty yet fun summer choice, and I found a few puzzles-in-a-bag at the craft store too.

To save money, I definitely recommend going to the dollar store, dollar section of Target, and the craft stores to find items that work. 🙂

Puzzle Piece Banners

For the puzzle banners, I simply glued a bunch of puzzle pieces to fishing line and then strung them on our shade sail outside.

I had my son work with me on counting and patterns as I put the banners together.

Balloons and More

You can use the puzzle pieces that you cut out for pretty much anything – decorating entrances to the party, taping a few to the balloons or pom-poms. Just cut out a whole bunch when you’re watching some mindless TV, and you’ll be surprised at how much you have to decorate with 🙂

Decorating with puzzle pieces for a puzzle theme partyIf I had a little extra time, I would have done pom-poms too, but when you are short on time and super pregnant, something gets cut from the list 🙂

Download the Puzzle Party Pack

To make your puzzle party or puzzle activity planning simple, I created this party pack for you! It includes puzzle piece cut-outs in two sizes, all of the below game signs and activity descriptions, blank puzzle piece signs, and more. Simply join our mailing list 🙂

Painted Puzzle Pieces

Used for banners, party hats, and party crowns

For other decorations, I wanted to use smaller puzzle pieces, but didn’t want to spend the time cutting out such tiny pieces. So, I bought a bunch of dollar store puzzles (24 or 30 pieces seem to provide the best size pieces). I flipped them over and painted the back of the pieces. It helps if the back of the puzzle piece is white and not brown cardboard.

I then used these puzzle pieces to glue to party hats and to our little guy’s “Puzzle Prince” crown, and I even made a few fishing line strings of puzzle pieces to decorate the DIY photo booth.

How to Make Thrifty Party Hats with Puzzle PiecesDecorating Parties with Puzzle Piece StringsThis is a great pre-party activity that kids can help with too!

Making Puzzle Party Games

For the little ones, I love having party games that are more like activities or centers. Kids can freely move around and play at the stations – it’s perfect for toddlers and little kids.

Here’s a list of puzzle party games that I put together, and I have the signs and descriptions available to you in our free resource library.

Almost every game was super, super simple, but all together the array of activities was perfect.

Puzzle Activities and Games for Puzzle Theme Parties - Free Printables

1.) Puzzle Dig

This puzzle party game was simply a “sandbox” with puzzle pieces. I just took an under-bed storage container (with a lid) and filled it up with rice.

Then, I hid puzzle pieces from the dollar section at Target in the rice and tossed in some scoopers and sand toys from the Dollar Store.

The Simplest Puzzle Party Ideas You Can Imagine!This entertained my son for DAYS before the party, and the kids loved it!

2.) Puzzle Pitch

This party activity was simply a ball toss with a puzzle spin on it. I bought two foam boards from the dollar store and drew a huge puzzle piece on them.

Making a Ball Toss for a Puzzle Party - Budget-Friendly!

Then, I did a little taping and then painted it with acrylic paints that I had laying around the house. After that, I cut a few holes for the bean bags or balls to go through. Last, I taped it to wooden dowels, so it would stand firm in the ground.

How to Make a $2 Ball Toss - Easy Party Ideas for Puzzle PartiesI tossed a few balls and bean bags in a bucket, and voila! The puzzle pitch was ready to go 🙂

3.) Puzzling Obstacle Course

This was another super simple party activity. I grabbed six pool noodles (another Dollar store find you can reuse) along with a few cones and threw together an obstacle course suited for little ones.

Then, I used duct tape to shape each pool noodle into a circle and then taped the circles together.

Making a Pool Noodle Obstacle Course - Easy Backyard Party Activity I spread the cones out to elongate the obstacle course. Also, I put out a few soccer balls, so kids could kick around the cones.

4.) Puzzle Island

This was by far the easiest of the puzzle party games. I just filled the water table up and threw in some foam puzzle pieces (yet another dollar store find!). If you are having a backyard toddler or kid party in the warm weather, a water table is the perfect thing to keep kids occupied and entertained.

Using a Water Table for an Easy Party ActivityEvery year, I’m impressed at how much time the kids spend playing in the water table at our summer parties. It’s definitely a must-have for easiness and entertainment!

5.) Giant Jigsaws

This was by far my favorite of the games, and it made our little guy the happiest! With his love for puzzles, he couldn’t have been more excited that instead of building shelves and painting walls that Mommy and Daddy were building and painting a puzzle for him!

How to Make a Giant Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle - Easy Puzzle Party Ideas We shaped it into a dog and painted it with acrylic paints. We used…. but more details will be forthcoming on a future post 🙂

How to Make a Giant Wooden Puzzle - Fun Backyard Activity6.) Puzzle Palace

I also placed a Puzzle Palace sign on the little playhouse we have in the yard and tossed some more foam puzzles in the little kitchen area.

I was going to add a craft station, where kids could decorate their own puzzle crown, but I figured this age group was a little young for that.

How to Throw an Amazing Puzzle Party with Easy Backyard Activities and StationsThis was the perfect example of how something so simple (hanging a sign and tossing in some puzzle pieces) makes for another cute touch at a child’s birthday party. See, you don’t need to go crazy to throw a great party. Simple ideas and activities can tie everything together nicely.

And for the grown-ups…

With Ash and my large immediate families, we always have a decent amount of adults at our little kid parties. I thought it would be fun to throw a bunch of puzzle pieces in a container and have party attendees guess how many pieces were in the container. And, of course the prize was…. a puzzle!

It was super cute, and I had my son stand on a chair and announce the winner. He was really excited – and it gave him the opportunity to give someone else a gift on his birthday. 🙂

Awesome Puzzle Party Ideas - Guess the Number of Puzzle Pieces in the Jar

Making a DIY Puzzle Banner

For every party or small celebration we have, my go-to banner is this simple one that I made – which is available in our free resource library. I love it because it’s easily customizable (no printing extra letters) and you can easily glue the letters to any kind of background.

For this banner, I used card stock that I cut into puzzle pieces. I simply taped the Happy Birthday letters to the puzzle pieces. Then, I used fishing line and hot glue to attach the pieces.

How to Make Easy, Free DIY Banners for Any Occasion

It was quick and worked like a charm!

Puzzle-Themed Food?

As far as food, I love a good theme party, so I can label all of the food after the theme of the party. (Check out the amazing menu from our Beatles party). However, not only did the puzzle party theme give me less to work with – but our eating has really changed the past year or so.

Our family has moved into a gluten-free, high fruit and vegetable-based diet. We love eating this way, and we want our parents and sisters to be eating well too. So chips, sugary cakes, cheesy pastas, and hot dogs won’t be found on our table. Instead, we made a really healthy spread (that went over really well!), and as far as creative food labels, we just used the puzzle pieces to label what everything was. It wasn’t as creative as our past parties, but it tied everything together well.

Puzzle Theme Party Food LabelsSo, I guess you are probably wondering about the cake. We did have a cake of some sorts – it was chocolate coconut fudge that I last-minutely shaped into a puzzle piece. Perfect for a puzzle party!

There was some sugar in the chocolate chips, but overall it was a pretty healthy dessert that we were comfortable with and everyone loved!! It’s our new go-to birthday treat in our house – check out the recipe here 🙂

Chocolate Coconut Fudge Cake in the Shape of a Puzzle - Easy & Healthy Puzzle Party Ideas

So, why did my super pregnant self still throw a party this year?! Because there’s nothing more special than seeing that smile on your child’s face when they see the decorations and games you made for them 🙂

And, through keeping the DIY party decorations, games, and preparation easy, it was completely manageable. If you were wondering if you can pull off a DIY party, the answer is yes!

Just keep it simple and reuse the same decorations again and again.

Games, activities, and ideas for throwing an amazing puzzle party

 

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

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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 Craft for Toddlers - Popsicle Stick Puppets with a Theater

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 Popsicle Stick Scarecrow and Monster Figures - Easy Fall Craft for Kids

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.

Making Popsicle Stick Puppets - Black Cat and Jack-O-LanternMaterials 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.

How to Make Popsicle Stick Puppets with a Cardboard Box Puppet Theater

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 🙂

Perfect Fall Craft for Toddlers - Popsicle Stick Puppets with a Theater

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

Easy Kids Craft - Making Popsicle Stick Puppets and Puppet Theater from a Diaper BoxHow 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.

 

Using a diaper box to make a puppet theater for kidsAfter 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.

Making Easy Popsicle Stick Puppets with a Puppet Theater

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.

How to Make Popsicle Stick Puppets with a Diaper Box Puppet TheaterLast, 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. 🙂

How to Make an Amazing Robot Scarecrow

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With fall around the corner, there was a local scarecrow festival coming up. Eileen and I check out their scarecrows every year and always talk about making one when our son was old enough to understand and be excited about it.

Well, this was the year to actually do. Even better, they had a new “Out of this World” category which was right up my alley. I love anything outer space related. So I put my thinking cap on to come up with an idea.

Then, as my son was singing nursery rhymes one day, inspiration struck when he got around to “Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle..”  

I was going to make a robot cow titled “Moo-bot Over the Moon.”

How to Make a Robot Scarecrow that Tells JokesUnlike your traditional scarecrow made from straw, I planned on ditching the straw in favor of sheet metal – a more robot friendly material. I also envisioned an interactive scarecrow. In all our years of visiting this competition, I’ve never saw a scarecrow that invited you to interact with it.  

So, to make my robot really stand out, I wanted a button that people could press. The button would wake up the robot and he would start telling some cow related jokes. Who doesn’t like some good cow humor?

How to Make a Robot Scarecrow

Here’s a video of Moo-bot in action. He’s an interactive cow that has blinking eyes, a moon that lights up, and plays through a reel of jokes every time the button is pressed.

Pretty cool, right? So here’s how to make a robot scarecrow. First, I started with the robot body, and then I housed the electrical components. After that I worked on the robot head and then I covered everything with sheet metal to make it weather-proof.

Next, I added some cow accessories, and then I mounted it to the post with a moon – completing the play on the nursery rhyme – “Moo-Bot Over the Moon.”

How to Make a Robot Body

To start, I needed to come up with a design. After a few pencil and paper drawings, I relied on TinkerCAD to assist with the design.

Here is what I came up with (I made the body semi-transparent so you can see what the inside looks like):Designing a Robot Cow with a MoonI designed Moo-Bot to be easy to transport. So it separates into three parts – the body, head and post. Each attaches to one another securely with a large bolt and wingnut.

Constructing the Robot Cow’s Body

First I started working on the body. I constructed a frame using ¾” strips of wood cut from my table saw. I did use some 3.5” thick pieces for extra rigidity though. The body frame needed to be strong as it would house all the electronics. I connected all the pieces using construction adhesive and wood screws.

Here is a picture of the completed frame:

Making DIY Robot Frame for Housing ComponentsConstructing the Mount

At the bottom middle of the frame was a mount to insert the post. The post would have a hole drilled into it. Once the post was inserted into the mount, a bolt would run through both of them, making a very secure connection.

Here is a closeup of the mount before I attached it to the body:

How to Make a Scarecrow Mount for a RobotHow to House the Electrical Components

With the body done, I added in some of the internal electrical components as shown below:

Making a Robot - Internal ComponentsThe top left contained a removable board hosting some circuitry for the brains of our robot cow. The top right contains the speakers, and below are eight D sized batteries, split into two sections.

For the speakers, I MacGyvered the power adapter below:

How to Make a DIY Robot - Making a Custom Power Adapter for Battery SpeakersThe speakers supported four AA batteries, but I wanted to power it from eight D batteries. So I saw an area in the battery compartment to insert some wires, and secured them in place with some metal washers. I then drilled a small hole in the compartment lid for the wires to stick out.

To activate our robot cow, I added this on/off toggle switch:

DIY Robot Scarecrow Power SwitchEven though the switch was located inside our robot cow, it was positioned so I could access it from underneath.

Building the Robot’s Head

The next part of Moo-Bot I tackled was the head. The design was really just one rectangular frame sitting perpendicular on top another identical frame. Here’s what the finished robot’s head looks like.

How to Make a Robot - Easy TutorialSimilar to the body design, I made the frames from more strips of ¾” wood. I connected the pieces together with construction adhesive and my finishing nail gun.

Here’s a picture showing the individual frames:

Making a Robot Head Frame - Easy Robot TutorialHere are the frames assembled to form the iconic robot cow’s head:

Making a Robot Head Frame - Easy Robot TutorialWrapping the Robot’s Head with Sheet Metal

Next up was the sheet metal wrapping.

I first did the sides of the head, as those were the easiest. Using some metal shears, I cut pieces out to match the outline of the side of the head. Then I clamped the pieces down and attached to the wooden frame with some screws.

Here is the first cut piece of sheet metal:

Attaching Sheet Metal to Wooden Frame for a RobotI had to be careful with the sharp edges and corners. Most of the time I wore thick gloves to protect my hands while cutting.

Flattening the Metal

Occasionally, I would get slightly warped cut corners due to the shears pinching the metal. These warps and bumps needed to be flattened for a proper finish.

I found that my Kreg face clamp did an amazing job flattening uneven pieces of sheet metal, as seen below:

How to Fix Dents in Sheet Metal with a Face Clamp for Making a RobotMaking the Robot Weather-Proof

For the next pieces, I had to think carefully about which ones needed to be bent and overlap other pieces. This was a critical step in making a rainproof head.

All pieces of sheet metal cuts that left a crevice or opening for rain to run inside the head needed an overlapping sheet to divert the water. I was essentially wrapping the head in flashing.

The next cut of sheet metal was the face piece where the eyes were. This part needed some bending at the bottom to divert any rain water, as well as an eyehole cut.

To bend the sheet metal, I used this nifty metal bending tool.

How to Bend Sheet Metal with a Folding Tool to Make a RobotHere’s a picture showing the bent robot face piece:

Adding Sheet Metal to a Robot Head - DIY Robot TutorialAfter cutting the face piece, I worked on the eye holes. I etched an outline with my utility knife and cut a hole with my jigsaw (using metal cutting blades).

Unfortunately, I didn’t do such a great job cutting and the hole was a bit jagged. So I masked my mistakes by wrapping the cut edges with some black weatherproofing tape. It actually turned out to be a really nice visual touch.

Here’s a picture of the finished face piece:

How to Make a Robot Face - Simple TutorialIt sort of looks like a welding masking. It was perfect for a robot.

Adding Accessories and a Mount to the Robot

The next step of the process was adding accessories to our robot cow.

Finishing the Robot’s Eyes

For the eyes, I first attached a piece of plexiglass inside the head. This would keep rain out.

Next, I came up with this clever design for positioning the LED screens for the two eyes:

How to Make Robot Eyes with OLED ScreensHere is a picture of the partially completed head, sitting next to the body:

How to Make a DIY Robot Out of MetalMoo-Bot is really starting to take shape at this point.

Mounting the Robot Head

Here is a picture of the mounting mechanism I used to secure the head to the body (you can also see my fancy ears made from springs and pipe straps):

How to Mount a Robot Head to a BodyNext, I attached the mouthpiece containing the interaction button.

Creative Robot Nostrils

Also, I wanted to add some sort of decoration representing nostrils.

I dug around the garage looking for inspiration when I came across some rubber washers. I think they were meant to be used in a hose. Regardless, they would be perfect for nostrils.

I stacked four of them together, and attached to the mousepiece with a regular metal washer for a cool robotic nostril effect.

Here’s the completed head capped off at the top:

How to Make a Robot Head with LED Lights and Blinking Eyes

Giving the Robot Head a Plug and Play Design

Since I wanted the head to be easily detachable, I needed a quick way to disconnect/reconnect the wiring.

I really didn’t want to have to plug back in all the wires from the body to the head when I disconnected the head. So I came up with a clever custom made adapter, as seen below:

Custom-Made Power Adapters for RobotThese adapters are actually for a computer power supply, but I repurposed them into cow robot adapters.

Here is a different view of the adapters:

Custom-Made Power Adapters for RobotThe wires on the right plug straight into the body and the head. The cable on the left connects these two adapters. This setup allowed me to literally plug/unplug the head without the hassle of managing different wires and risk mangling my setup.

Fabricating a Sheet Metal Enclosure for the Robot Cow

Next came the fun task of building the sheet metal enclosure for the body. The enclosure was essentially two boxes, joined at a slight 15 degree angle. Each box was made from a long strip of sheet metal, bent twice to form a U shape.

So first I had to cut the sheet metal to size. I didn’t want to use my metal shears because it would take too long, and I probably would not get too accurate of a cut.

So I used some scrap wood and clamped the sheet down to a table, and made the cut quickly with my jigsaw (using a metal blade).

Here is a picture showing my cutting station:

Cutting Large Pieces of Sheet Metal for a DIY RobotAfter the cuts were made, I re-used my cutting station to also perform the folds:

How to Fold Large Pieces of Sheet Metal to Make a RobotHere are the completed boxes:

Making Custom Robot BodiesHere I am assembling the boxes at the 15 degree angle:

How to Make a DIY Robot Cow Body with Sheet MetalBending the Robot Body

I could have just left the robot cow with a straight body without the slight bend (and a lot easier to build too), but aesthetically it would have looked boring. Also, I wanted an intentional bend in the body to highlight the fact that Moo-Bot was jumping over the moon.

I connected the overlapping boxes with small nuts and bolts, as seen below:

How to Connect Sheet Metal for Making a RobotWhen the two body segments were joined, I needed to do something about the ridge they created at the top.

If left this way, our DIY robot would be very vulnerable to rain seeping in. So I made a simple ridge cap and attached it, as seen at the top of the picture below:

How to Make a Robot Cow with Sheet MetalI also reinforced the ridge with some weatherproofing tape underneath, just in case rain still managed to find its way in:

How to Weatherproof the Inside of a DIY RobotCutting Out an Access Panel

It was finally time to join the enclosure to the body frame. However, I had one remaining task to cut out a large hole in the back of the enclosure to serve as an access panel.

The hole would normally be covered by a rectangular cut piece of sheet metal, attached to the body frame with several screws. Then to gain access to Moo-Bot’s insides, it would just be a matter of removing those screws to take off the access panel covering.

Below is the access panel hole cut for the robot cow:

Making an Access Panel for a RobotHere’s a picture showing the access panel covered (you’ll also notice that I added some wooden legs to help support our robot cow):

Making a Mount to Connect a Robot Scarecrow to a PostAdding in Robot Details

Here are some little feet I made for our robot cow scarecrow (springs would be inserted into the holes and attached to the wooden legs above):

How to Make Robot Feet from Sheet MetalHere’s a close-up of them dangling off the cow:

How to Make Robot FeetMaking the Cow Spots

Eileen made some laminated decals for Moo-Bot’s cow spots. She drew them, printed them on our printer, and ran them through a laminator. The results were awesome, and would last in any weather.

Here is the laminator at work:

Using a Laminator for a Weatherproof Robot DecalsCutting and Reinforcing the Scarecrow Post

Finally, it was time to work on the final piece – the scarecrow post. Per the competition’s instructions, the post had to be a 1 ½” square post. It also had to allow for about 18” of clearance at the bottom to be inserted into a metal stake secured into the ground.

So, I cut the post from a 2×4 piece of wood using my table saw. Next, I reinforced the scarecrow post with some metal bars.

The cow robot scarecrow was not that heavy, but I was worried that strong gusts of wind could snap the post. So metal reinforcement was essential, as seen below:

Reinforcing a Scarecrow Post - Making a DIY RobotConstructing a Wooden Moon

To make the moon, I needed an 18” diameter wooden circle to attach to the post. I had a lot of plywood lying around, but I knew that the plywood edges would not fare well in the rain. So I needed to use solid boards.

Since boards didn’t come that large, I started with two 9”x18” boards as shown below:

Using Two Wooden Boards to Make a Moon - DIY RobotNext, I joined them together with some pocket hole screws (using my Kreg pocket hole jig), forming a single 18”x18” square wood.

To form the circle, I simply used a 9” piece of wire, a pencil and a screw, as shown in the picture below:

Drawing a Perfect Circle with a Pencil Wire and Screw - DIY RobotI tied one end of the wire to the pencil and the other end to the screw.

Then while holding the screw down in the middle of the board, I ran the pencil around the board (with full extension of the wire), drawing a nearly perfect circle. Pretty nifty, right?

Next, I used my jigsaw to cut around the perimeter of the circle:

Cutting a Wooden Circle for a Moon out of a Square BoardOnce the complete circle for the moon prop was cut out, I placed the piece in a large clamp to sand down the edges really smooth:

How to Make a DIY Wooden Moon that Lights Up for a Halloween PropAfter I sanded, I dusted it off and spray painted it outside with an exterior off-white paint.

When the paint was dry the next day, I got some help attaching it to the post:

Attaching a Wooden Moon to Scarecrow PostFinally, I wrapped some LED lights around the moon, and quickly fabricated an adapter to plug into the body.

This is similar to the adapters used for plugging in the head.

Making a Wooden Moon Prop with a LightAs a side note, the LED lights I used for the moon were self-powered with their own batteries. The Arduino simply turns them off and on.

So, I didn’t have to worry about these lights competing with Moo-Bot’s batteries.

Wiring Up the Inside of the Robot Cow

The goal was to make the robot cow interactive. My thought was for Moo-Bot to play a friendly greeting when you pressed the button. After that, I compiled a series of cow-related jokes, such as the classic interrupting cow joke.

How did I get the robot to talk?

So, I had to include speakers for the sound and I decided to include two LED displays for the eyes. I got a little fancy and had the the moon light up too.

Since there would be no electrical outlet to plug into at the competition, our robot cow would also need to be battery powered and be capable of at least 2 months of continuous operation.

In order to do this, I made Moo-Bot’s brain a programmable Arduino microprocessor. This is just a simple device that made it easy for me to sync electronics up to a script.

An Arduino would be perfect because it was really easy to use, very cheap to buy, and extremely conservative on power consumption.

Here’s a picture of the Arduino:

Using an arduino to power a robot - simple instructionsHow to Use the Ardunio Processor

Using the Arduino is simple. You plug it into your computer with a USB cable.

Then, use the free Arduino IDE software to write a program and upload the code to the device. The Arduino has a number of ports you can plug things into. Some carry power to accessories, while others receive and transmit information.

For example, when someone presses the interaction button on our robot cow’s face, that button sends a signal to one of the Arduino’s receive ports. My code detects that signal and sends a message (through a transmit port) to a mini MP3 player, telling it to play some pre-recorded audio.

I also programmed the Arduino to go to sleep every 60 seconds of idleness. This was to conserve on battery power. The robot cow only wakes up when the interaction button is pressed, then goes to sleep if no one presses the button again within one minute.

Sleep mode cuts off power to the speakers and lights, and turns off a majority of processing on the Arduino. While in sleep mode, only minimal battery power is used to check when the interaction button is pressed.

Moo-Bot’s Script

Here’s the exact script that Moo-Bot follows when woken up by the interaction button:

  • Plays “whirring” startup MP3 and the eyes open
  • Plays “introduction” MP3
  • Waits for button to be pressed again
  • On every button press, cycles through a number of pre-recorded MP3s telling cow jokes
  • 30 seconds after no button press, plays, “Did you forget about me?” MP3
  • 20 more seconds of no button press, plays “I am getting sleepy” MP3 and the eyes close
  • 10 more seconds of still no button press, plays “goodbye” MP3 and Arduino goes to sleep

With the sleep logic in place, and powered by eight D sized batteries, I estimated our robot cow capable of lasting 3-6 months on battery, which was more than enough for the scarecrow competition.

The Robot’s Circuitry

Here is a barebones prototype of our robot cow’s circuitry and code in action:

Arduino Prototype for Robot with Blinking EyesThe Arduino is on the far right. On the left is a circuit breadboard, where I have a number of accessories plugged in. The breadboard allows you to quickly connect electrical components without the need for soldering. The Arduino also has a limited number of ports physically available, so I use the breadboard to expand those ports.

I plugged into the breadboard above is a mini MP3 player (with an external speaker plugged in), and I used two LED displays for the eyes.

My favorite part of Moo-Bot are the eyes. The eyes are animated, randomly blink, and open really wide when you press the interaction button. They added a nice touch of character to our robot cow.

Here is a schematic of the complete circuit, if you are interested:

Fritzing circuit schematic of robot cow scarecrow

Finally, here is the electronic parts list if you are trying to make something similar yourself:

Entering the Robot Cow in the Competition

The day finally came when Moo-Bot had to say goodbye to my garage and join the rest of the scarecrows at the competition. We drove out there anxious to see our designated spot and to set up our robot cow.

Making a DIY Robot Cow Scarecrow

I quickly got our robot cow setup (thanks to my modular plug and play design) and had him entertaining the crowd.

The robot cow scarecrow is all decked out in decals and fancy foot wear (below):

DIY Robot Scarecrow with Easy TutorialMoo-Bot was a sure blast to work on and everyone misses him here at home. We plan on visiting him regularly to make sure he is still fully operational, and wish him the best of luck in his competition.

Good luck Moo-Bot!

How to Make an Amazing Box Kite from Scratch

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There are few things more thrilling on a windy day than flying a nice kite that you built yourself. But, I’m not talking about ready to go kits that you snap together in 10 minutes. I’m referring to designing and building it yourself from scratch.

There’s so much satisfaction from watching your homemade handiwork take flight in the skies. I remember growing up making kites from just fishing line, sticks on the ground and plastic bags.

I wanted to relive those days, and build a kite for my son – so that’s exactly what I did 🙂 Here’s how to make a box kite from scratch.

How to Make a Box Kite from ScratchPlanning the Kite Design

This time around, I wanted to go beyond the standard diamond shaped kites that I used to make as a kid. My craftsmanship has significantly improved since I was 10 years old, and I wanted to construct something that was up to my present standards.

After some kite design research, I settled upon the box kite. If you are wondering how to make a box kite, it’s an easy project to work on.

It’s an elongated box frame with fabric wrapped on two ends, leaving the middle exposed. It also has two attached strings (with specific offsets to give the kite a better aerodynamic tilt during flight) which converge to a single string to control.

How to Make a Box Kite

Here is a TinkerCad sketch I made of my proposed design of how to make a box kite. I love using TinkerCad because it gives great 3D visuals of my DIY projects.

How to Make a Kite from ScratchIt just so happens that a few days before my birthday, Eileen was on the phone with one of her sisters and mentioned that we were planning to make a kite.

Her sister stealthily went on Amazon and ordered a few kite-making materials as a birthday present for me. So we lucked out with some nice wooden dowels, table cloths, and an awesome spool of string for the box kite. 🙂

Materials for the Box Kite

Here’s the list of materials we used. A few were sent via Amazon but most are easily found around the house.

Step 1 – Preparing the Wooden Dowels

Here’s a picture of the wooden dowels. Little do they know about their high flying adventures to come 😉

Making a homemade kite that worksI only used four of the dowels. The extra one you can use to keep pets away from chewing your sticks while working on your kite 🙂

My kite is made of 4 long 36” dowels, and 4 short 12” dowels. That means I can just take my 48” dowels and cut them at the 12” mark, and I’m set.

Here is one of the dowels marked at 12” and clamped into my handy workbench vice, ready to be cut with the hacksaw:

Cutting the Dowels for a Homemade KiteSeveral cuts later, here is the end result:

How to Make a Kite from ScratchAdd some string to that and I could sell it as a kit online!

Step 2 – Constructing the Crosses

To make the crosses, I first marked the center points of each 12” dowel. Then I notched out partial holes using my Dremel. If you don’t have a Dremel, you can use a hack saw.

The notches allowed two intersecting dowels to form a lap joint for a rigid connection.

Here’s a picture showing the notches I made with the Dremel (and a high-speed cutting bit):

Making a Box Kite that FliesHere are the dowels intersecting via the notches:

How to Make a Box Kite from ScratchThe ends of these crosses were going to be in contact with the long 36” dowels. To make for a better fit, I opted to carve the ends of the crosses slightly with a concave cut. This would allow the crosses to rest nicely against the long dowels.

Once again, I used the Dremel to make the cut below (boy was the Dremel helpful in this project):

How to Make a Box Kite at HomeTo make a strong connection between the crosses and the long dowels, I used wire that I inserted into small holes drilled into the dowels.

The wire would be twist tied and strongly pull the dowels together. So holes were drilled into each 36” dowel (where the crosses were going to be in contact. Likewise, matching holes were drilled into the crosses (to line up with the holes on the long dowels)

Here’s a picture showing one of the holes I made in a cross:

How to Make a Box Kite from ScratchStep 3 – My Strengthening Process

The lap joints I made for the crosses were just the beginning of the strengthening process I used for maximum durability.

First, I put a dab of construction adhesive in each joint. Wood glue was another option, but in my experience, wood glue tends to be a lot more runnier. Construction adhesive is thicker and starts to give some tackiness almost immediately.

Then, I assembled the crosses with the glue in place, and started reinforcing the intersection by repeatedly wrapping it with some fishing line:

DIY Box KiteFinally, I used strips of strong repair tape to repeatedly wrap the intersections:

Making a DIY Box KiteHere is one of the finished structural crosses (it’s very sturdy at this point):

How to Make a Box Kite from ScratchStep 4 – Assembling the Kite Frame

Now it was time to start connecting the crosses to the long wooden dowels using wire and the holes I drilled earlier.

Here’s a close-up showing how the connections were made:

How to Make a Box Kite from ScratchThe wire ran through a hole in the cross, and a hole in the 36” dowel. Then it was twist-tied.

Here is the kite structure nearly completed with the crosses attached via wire:

How to Make a Box Kite from ScratchThe wires made for a very strong connection between the dowels. However, the structure was still a little wobbly. To remedy that, I wrapped all the wire joints with electrical tape:

How to Make a Box Kite from Scratch - Completed Kite StructureThe kite structure was now complete and very rigid. It should have no problems standing up to strong wind forces (and inevitable crashes).

Step 5 – Wrapping the Fabric

Next up was wrapping the ends with fabric. You can be very liberal with what type of fabric you use. Some people use garbage bags. Others use construction paper. I used plastic tablecloths that my sister-in-law sent for our kite-making. You can pick these tablecloths up at the dollar store too.

Here’s a picture showing one side of the kite wrapped:

How to Make a Box Kite from Scratch - Using Table ClothsI also made sure the fabric was wrapped nice and tight around the structure. Then, I used a lot of shipping tape to help secure and reinforce the fabric.

I applied tape inside to help keep the fabric attached to the dowels. I also used tape where the fabric overlapped itself and on all the exposed edges of the fabric.

Here’s a close-up showing how the edges of the fabric were reinforced with tape:

How to Make a Box Kite from Scratch with Plastic TableclothsThis last step with taping the edges was especially important to prevent the fabric from ripping as wind gushed through the structure. It would also help during landings to prevent tearing.

Here is the kite with fabric applied to both sides:

How to Make a Box Kite from Scratch with Plastic TableclothsStep 6 – Stringing the Kite

Now to make the string connections. String attaches to the top of the kite, and then again about ¾ down the kite. Then a final string connects to this one, and will be used to control the kite from the ground.

To attach string securely to the kite, I once again drilled some small holes and used more wire. The wires made a hook for the string to tie onto and not slide around.

Here’s a close-up of one of the wire hooks:

Stringing the DIY Kite

Here’s a picture showing how I attached the second string to the one above:

Stringing the DIY Kite

My Fancy Birthday Spool

That fancy metal clip connects to a string wrapped around a spool. The spool will be held by the kite flyer and reeled in and out as extra length is needed.

This nice kite flying spool came with a cool lightweight clip to quickly attach/detach to kites. If you aren’t so lucky, you can just wrap a long string around a stick and use that instead.

Here is the completed kite with spool of string:

How to Make a Box Kite

Ready for Take-Off

The kite was now complete! We went to the park for a nice open area and really lucked out with a windy day!

How to Make a Box Kite from ScratchZeus had been wondering what we were working on and was overjoyed for his trip to the park. He got to run along with the box kite and enjoy a windy evening outside.

How to Make a Box Kite from ScratchThe homemade box kite was a really fun project to work on. It only took a few hours, and didn’t cost much to make. I can’t wait until my son’s old enough to create his own designs with me. His interest is already peaked – we are definitely a family of engineers.

Now when we have windy days this summer and fall, we have our hand-constructed box kite ready to go 🙂

How to Make a Box Kite from ScratchIf you have been wondering how to make a box kite, these six easy steps will have your kite ready in no time. All you’ll need then is a windy day.

It’s a great family project, kids activity, or couples activity – and who doesn’t love a great DIY project?!

How to Make an Amazing DIY Lamp from Anything

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I love when inspiration strikes – especially when it makes for an awesome DIY project.

When we put my grandma’s house on the market, we did a ton of cleaning, emptying, selling, and donating.

One of the last things left was a homemade fishing lamp that was set aside for my uncle who enjoyed fishing. He wasn’t interested in the lamp, so on closing day, my dad grabbed the lamp on his way out of the door. It was the very last item left.

That’s when the inspiration came.

My dad does not fish – however, he is a model train collector, and he noticed that the base of the lamp would perfectly fit one of his trains.

So, he repurposed the old fisherman’s lamp into a train lamp, rewiring it with a three-way light switch that toggles the main lamp light as well as a train cabin light.

How to Make a Homemade Lamp using Any Item!How cool is that?!

My dad’s friends loved his repurposed lamp so much that my dad decided to make one from scratch for his friend’s birthday.

How to Make a Lamp

Today, we are sharing how to make this amazing DIY lamp. Ash made the base, and my dad did the rest. For clarity, we’ll state all the directions in first person point of view. Without further ado, here are all of the details on how you can make a DIY lamp too.

You can use any item or model that you’d like 🙂

DIY Lamp Materials

How to Make the Base of the DIY Lamp

First I started with the base of this DIY lamp. It is 15 ½” by 9.” Depending upon what model that you are putting on the lamp, it can be larger or smaller. I used a train that was nearly 12″ long so these measurements worked out perfectly.

To make the base, I started with a rectangular block of scrap wood (cut from a 2×10 board). My plan was to shape it into an oval, route a groove around the top perimeter and sand it smooth.

To get a perfect oval, I used the computer. I created an oval in software, printed it and laid the cutout on the scrap wood. I then outlined the cutout with a pencil.

With a perfect oval outline on the wood, I made a rough cut with the jigsaw. Then, I used an orbital sander to smooth the edges.

When I was happy with the result, I used my plunge router with a quarter round bit and cut a groove around the edge to give the oval a professional touch.

To finish the base, I used the orbital sander once again to smooth the flat surfaces.

Here is the completed base:

How to Make a DIY Lamp from AnythingHow to Make the Lamp Pole

Next was the lamp pole. The pole was 2 1/2″ by 1 1/2″ by 8 1/4″ high upright. So, 2″ by 1 ¼ ” wood could be used. When choosing your model to go on the base, keep in mind the height of the pole, as it might need to be greater to allow room above the model and below the shade in order to reach lamp switch.

Easy Tutorial for Making a DIY LampFirst, mark the center of each end of the upright wood pole. Then carefully drill from both ends. Use a level, so that holes drilled closely align in the middle.

A small round file is helpful if the holes do not align.

How to Make a DIY Lamp from AnythingI used 3/8″ drill, as it perfectly allowed for a standard threaded lamp pipe to fit snugly in the hole.

How to Make a DIY Lamp from AnythingHere’s the threaded lamp pipe inserted into the pole.

How to Make a Homemade Lamp from AnythingApplying Finish

After that, stain and then polyurethane both pieces of wood. I did two coats of stain on the base and it was perfect.

Staining a homemade lamp with this easy tutorialI let the stain, and then polyurethane each dry overnight.

Making the Base for the DIY LampAdditional Lamp Pole Work

Returning to the lamp pole, on the side that is to be the back of the lamp, I drilled a 5/16 hole.  This hole was made at a 45 degree angle about 1” from the bottom.  I drilled until it connected with the existing ⅜ hole.

Then, on the front side of the pole, drill a very similar hole, about 2″ from the bottom.

Here’s one of the 45 degree holes I made:

Making a DIY Lamp from Anything!Assembling the Electrical Parts

Next, I threaded the electrical lamp cord (stranded) into both holes until there are a few inches of each above the top end of the wood.

Threading the Electrical Cord into the DIY Train LampNext, I aligned the electrical lamp components.

Note that the socket has to be the type with a three-way switch. This way it will work both it’s own socket and a remote one sequentially.

The spacer and the socket bottom will thread into the threaded lamp piece that will be inserted into the wood.

Electrical Components for the DIY LampAttaching the Lamp Pole

Once that is done, I centered the upright wooden lamp pole at the rear of the base.

Then, trace the outline with a pencil. Divide that shape in two, and locate the center of each of the two halves.

Afterward, drill pilot holes through the base at those spots.

Making a DIY Lamp from any item Making a DIY Lamp from any itemNext, turn the base over, and enlarge the holes. However, they should be a diameter less than that of the screws to be used. So, use a countersink drill bit so that the wood screw heads will be recessed.

Then, insert the screws until they protrude slightly from the top side.

Afterward, set the post in position so that the screw tips mark the underside of the post where the screws will enter the bottom of that post.

Connecting the Base of the DIY Lamp to the Post Connecting the Base of the DIY Lamp to the PostNext, drill screw holes in bottom of the post where marked, and hold the two pieces of wood together tightly while screws are tightened.

I used 2 1/2″ wood screws due to thickness of the base. If post is not level due to any warp in the base, insert a shim under the post or remove post and trim its bottom surface.

Instructions for Making a DIY Lamp from Anything Instructions for Making a DIY Lamp from AnythingAssembling the Lamp Parts

Next, you want to very carefully read the instructions that came with the socket.

Placing the Socket in the DIY LampWith both wires extended through the threaded lamp pipe and the socket base, push the pipe down into the wood base. If it doesn’t fit tightly, put some wood glue on the threads first.

Next, very neatly wire the socket exactly as the instructions state, noting which wire will go to the wall outlet and which to the model.

After, put the metal cover on the socket, and slowly pull the excess wires at both small holes at the base of the posts.

How to Make a DIY Lamp from Anything How to Make a DIY Lamp from AnythingThen, I snapped the socket cover into its base. Make sure that the lamp switch is to the right side.

Customizing the Model

Next, I disassembled the model I was building into the lamp. I used the mounting holes in the small socket as a template for drilling holes in the floor of the model for screws to attach the socket.

Also, I drilled a hole for the electrical wire to enter the model.

How to Make a DIY Lamp from a Model Train How to Make a DIY Lamp from a Model TrainWith the small socket attached to the model with screws, washers, and nuts, use a pair of 5″ or longer twist ties to securely fasten the model’s axles to the rear rail of the track.

How to Make a DIY LampHow to Make a DIY LampNext, I installed the small frosted light bulb into model’s socket. You could also consider taping thin yellow plastic sheet pieces over the insides of the model’s windows to dim glare.

How to Make a DIY Lamp from Anything How to Make a DIY Lamp from AnythingFinishing the Lamp

After, install the lamp cord plug for wall outlet, allowing about 6′ of cord.

Then, reassemble the model, adding the lamp shade and a standard light bulb.

Here is the finished DIY lamp, featuring a model train.

How to Make a DIY Lamp from AnythingHere is the finished DIY lamp along with the repurposed lamp that was previously a fishing lamp. Not bad, right?! The best part is that now that you know how to make a DIY lamp – you can make one with any kind of model. The sky’s the limit!

How to Repurpose an Old Lamp into a DIY Creation

 

10 Ways to Save on Amazon Prime Day

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Over here, we a little Amazon-Prime-obsessed.

Our mudroom always has Amazon boxes in it, waiting to emptied or waiting to be recycled.

I mean, when you have two little kids in diapers with nap times that span the whole day, there’s no easier way to shop for what you need.

Not only that, we’ve gotten some pretty cool tools and DIY-related things on Amazon.

So, Prime Day is like our birthday.

And what better way to celebrate than to share with you 10 ways to save on Amazon Prime Day.

Ways to Save Money Amazon Prime Day

Be Prepared

Amazon Prime Day starts on July 16th at 3pm. Mark your calendar!

Think About How You Can Save

Think about things you need to buy now or in the future, so you can get the most out of the discounts. Is there a tool you’ve had your eye on? Are their Christmas present ideas that could help you with early shopping? Think about how you can best benefit from the deals.

Become a Prime Member

If you aren’t a Prime Member, you can sign up for a 30 day FREE trial. You can’t beat that!

Download the Amazon App for Automatic Discount

If you’ve never downloaded the Amazon app before (and you are a prime member), you’ll get a one-time $10 discount off your purchase.

Use the Amazon App to Unlock Discounts

If you’ve already downloaded the Amazon app, you won’t qualify for the above discount. However, there are more ways to save. For example, if you use the Camera Search within the app,  you’ll get a $5 discount.

Take Advantage of Sneak Peeks

If you download the Amazon app, you can get sneak peeks on the deals and set up alerts ahead of time.

Install Amazon Assistant

If you’re a Prime member and you install Amazon Assistant (to get desktop notifications on deals), you’ll get $5 off your purchase of $25.

“Watch” the Deals

Once Prime Day starts, you’ll see tons of deals – some will be advertised before they start. You can click “watch” and then you’ll get notified right before the deal goes live.

Don’t Forget About Whole Foods

Not only will Whole Foods be offering some exclusive deals, but Prime members are getting 10% off their entire purchase at Whole Foods on Amazon Prime Day. Whoa!

Check Other Stores

Other big stores like Home Depot or Lowes tend to also run sales on Prime Day, so don’t forget to check out what they have to offer too, especially if you’re looking for a particular item.

There are definitely some awesome ways to save this year, so definitely try and take advantage of them. I know that we will be! And, come back to our blog on Amazon Prime Day because we will be sharing the best DIY deals with you!

Click here for even more Prime Day shopping tips.