Crafty Endeavors

Easy DIY Wall Art for Kids Rooms

June 10, 2017 by Eileen 120 Comments

This post is sponsored by My Wonderful Walls. All opinions are entirely my own.

Recently, Ash and I have been getting a toddler room ready for our sweet little son, which means new furniture, new color schemes, and of course, new wall decorations. His nursery decorations were random things that I put together before he was born. So it was time to decorate with something he really enjoys. With all of the adorable (and expensive!) artwork out there for kids’ rooms, I decided to venture out and make my own.

My goal was to create something special to hang on his walls that he would treasure – and that I wouldn’t grow tired of later. So, with just a few key materials, I was able to create these adorable DIY canvas wraps. They are so simple to make! .

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We love My Wonderful Walls products so much that we also have a 15% off coupon code for everyone. Just visit My Wonderful Walls and use JUNE15 at checkout (expiration June 30, 2017).

If you are the lucky winner of the giveaway, you can use the coupon code too. They have some awesome stickers, decals, and stencils 🙂

How to Make DIY Wall Art for Kids Rooms

I had this vision to create something with little effort that would also save others time and money on room decorations.

This vision included using gallery wraps or wrapped canvases. I wanted to avoid the hassle of frames – it’s a lot of work to pick out frames, mats, and work out sizing. As an added bonus, wrapped canvases are super easy to find at craft stores, usually are on sale, and definitely save money- as frames and mats are much more expensive. Plus, I was happy to avoid having a bunch of glass frames hanging in my son’s room.

Next, I searched high and low looking for wall stickers or wall decals that I liked. Yet, rather than stick these directly to the walls to create a mural-like piece, my thinking was that I could easily stick these wall decals to the canvases. It would certainly make for a really simple but elegant project.

The problem? A lot of wall decals for kids look really cartoony. I wanted to find something that looked more authentic and artistic.

Then, I stumbled across My Wonderful Walls and LOVED the vehicle stickers they had. Their vehicle stickers have so many colors and details – they look almost textured. I fell in love with this rusty truck (pictured below). Isn’t it adorable?!

Also, their wall stickers were a really nice size and would definitely fill 9×12 and 8×10 canvases.

Materials for DIY Wall Art

Canvas Wraps – easily found at craft stores
Acrylic Paint – found at craft stores
Painter’s tape – only if painting stripes or chevron designs
Washi tape, if desired
Alphabet stickers, if desired – easy to find at craft stores
Vehicle Wall Stickers – from My Wonderful Walls (15% off using JUNE15 – exp. June 30, 2017)

Budget-Friendly Tip – When buying the canvases, paint, and other materials from the craft stores, check for sales and coupons before going. A lot of times the craft stores run 40%-60% off canvases. You could also use a coupon and buy a pack in bulk. Some craft stores even have surveys you can fill out that gives you a discount off of your next purchase.

In order to get the sizes right on the canvases, I waited to purchase the canvases until I received the stickers. Then, I took the vehicle decals to the craft store with me, so that I would get the canvas sizes right. The wall decals came in one long roll, so it was easy to bring to the store with me.

Because the vehicle stickers from My Wonderful Walls were a really nice size (and this was their mini kit), most of the canvases I bought were 9×12, 8×10, and a few 8x8s.

I also picked up a few little 4×6 canvases for the road signs. With all of the stickers and canvases, I definitely had enough to decorate a large room.

Making the Wall Decorations

After I had my materials together, I first cut out each wall sticker and placed it on the canvas that it would go on. I also arranged groups of canvases together to visualize how they would look on the wall.

Painting the Canvases

Time to paint! You could do this in a few different ways – you could just paint a solid background or you could create a design with painters tape – like stripes or chevron. You could even do polka dots, if you have adhesive circles! It’s up to you how creative you’d like to be.

I decided to opt for mostly solid backgrounds with a few striped canvases too. The solid background was easy to do. It took me two coats of acrylic paint. Be sure to paint the sides too – to give it the gallery wrap look.

Making the Perfect Stripes

Painting the stripes was a little more difficult, but I eventually got a perfect technique down. I would highly recommend using painter’s tape and nothing else, as you will get the strongest stick.

On my first attempt, I used painter’s tape and then painted the blue stripes – and I got a very imperfect line. After a bunch of experimenting (even tried gesso – which made no impact), this is how I got perfect stripes.

Place your painter’s tape on the canvas.
Next, use white acyrlic paint to seal the edges of the painters tape to the canvas. You are essentially creating a seal, so the intended color (blue in my case) doesn’t leak under the tape.
Wait a minute or two – but don’t let the white dry completely, and paint the stripe your intended color. Do a even stroke, going only one direction, so that your intended color doesn’t get underneath the tape.
Peel the tape off right away (after you are done with the top and bottom line). Once acrylic paint dries, it’s very plastery, so you want to remove the tape before the paint dries.

In the below picture, you can see the first stripe painted, with a perfectly straight line. Above that, you can see the white sealed edges along the green painter’s tape.

Now, some of my blue stripes were streaked with white from the seal I painted, but I much preferred going over the stripe again rather than having a jagged edge.

I also recommend having a practice canvas and painting short stripes, before attempting a good canvas. Once I had the routine down, each of my canvases came out perfect.

Decorating the Canvases

Now for the fun part! It was time to stick the vehicle wall decals to the canvases. The wall stickers were such great quality and so easy to work with. The stick was perfect – and they were easy to move when I changed my mind on placement.

Adding a Few Extras

One of the things I definitely wanted on the canvases was the name of the vehicle. My son is very visual and has taught himself lower case letters just from observation, so I figured if I passively have the names of the vehicles on the canvases, he will learn to spell.

So, I labeled as many vehicles as I could with the alphabet stickers I had. (This involved getting a little creative and “making” some letters).

Last, I felt that some of the canvases needed a little extra touch. I saw some cool washi tape at the craft store and added it to the canvases.

I’ve never used washi tape before, but I’ve seen so many cute creations with it that I thought I could use the washi tape to give the look of roads, construction signs, and railroads. It was the perfect touch!

Time & Cost

After collecting the materials, the DIY wall canvases took about one to two days to make, including dry time for the coats of paint. It was a super quick project.

The cost really depends on how many of the materials you need to purchase. If you have paint and alphabet stickers, then you’ll just need the canvases and stickers.

And, if you are interested in FREE wall decals, enter our giveaway – and you’ll be well on your way to making these adorable room decorations. Free wall decals plus the coupon code (JUNE15) will definitely save you money on the project 🙂

If you are looking for a simple tutorial to make DIY wall art for kids rooms, definitely consider this one. The materials were easy, the canvases were simple to put together, and they turned out great. You’ll definitely save money while creating something your children will adore.

Awesome Ideas for Making DIY Photo Books

May 18, 2017 by Eileen 32 Comments

I absolutely adore photographs. My walls are covered with galleries of pictures – whether they date back to when my parents and grandparents were young or when my siblings and I were growing up.

Not to mention, Ash’s childhood pictures which are just amazing.

And, I simply adore looking back at pictures of our sweet son. It’s funny how quickly kids change.

Whether it’s a look back on one’s life in pictures or a little memory book of a fun day trip, DIY photo books are simply the sweetest gifts.

They spread love and laughter, bringing back all those happy memories that are forgotten in the day-to-day.

My sisters share my love for photos, and we love making picture albums with all kinds of DIY photo book ideas.

We love to choose some kind of theme with funny, silly, or relevant sayings that accompany the pictures. These photobooks are so unique and such a hit, as they turn out amazing!

Keep reading for all of our DIY photo book ideas!

Check out our four favorites – a photobook of commonly-used sayings, quotations from various countries of travel, a Seinfeld-themed book, and special occasion photobooks. Then, see how you can easily make a DIY photo book for the ones you love.

60 Photos, 60 Catchphrases

The first photo book my sisters and I made was a scrapbook style album for our mom’s 60th birthday. Over the years, our mom has coined so many cliches and phrases, so we used these sayings in the DIY photo book gift. 🙂

She always says “I’ll let you get going” but keeps talking. When passing a hay truck, she always asks if we made a wish. When seeing something that reminds her of her parents – our nanny and poppy who have passed- she always says, “You know who would have loved this…” 🙂

And growing up, there was the saying I used to dread. At the end of the weekend or a vacation from school, she would always say in a bummed out tone, “Back to reality.” Boy did that snap us right back…

So, my sisters and I brainstormed all of the the phrases we could (this involved a few phone calls and visits to mom to jog our memories) and picked our favorite 60 phrases.

Then, we went through all of the photos – past and present – and matched the phrases with relevant pictures. This was especially entertaining. Looking through piles and albums of old photos was a blast – and we were cracking up matching photos with mom’s sayings.

We found one of mom cleaning the dishes for “The kitchen is closed,” a picture with all of us standing with our coats on for “I’ll let you get going,” an old first day of school picture for “Back to reality,” a picture of us playing in the hay for “Did you make a wish,” and many more.

Then, we put the pictures in chronological order, so it was like a real photo album, telling the story of the past 60 years in the DIY photo book.

As far as the design for the DIY photo book, we made this book like a scrapbook, printing the pictures and gluing them down.

We even printed each saying in a unique font. For example, the school pictures had a font made of pencils and the “Ok ty <3” text message was written in a typewritten font. I love how much character that fonts add, so this definitely made for a nice touch.

The DIY photo book turned out amazing. Not only does my mom treasure it, but the photo book always gives us a good laugh too. It’s such a fun way to put together a collection of photos from the past.

4 Countries, 40 Years of Marriage

With my in-law’s 40th anniversary coming up, my sister-in-law and I decided to make mom and dad a photo book too. Ash and his family have had the unique experience of living in four countries. Each of these places had their own sayings, dialects, and cliches.

Ash, my sister-in-law, and I picked out sayings that were common to those countries. Then, we paired them with pictures of his family at that time. I absolutely love the way this DIY photo book turned out!

The sayings were so funny to hear. I mean Ash talking in a Jamaican accent alone was cracking me up.

The DIY photo book started in Guyana, referring to spicy curry and roti.

Here are a few from Jamaica – Ash loves the picture on the right of the photo book. He’s climbing a fallen tree after a huge hurricane hit.

The DIY photo book went all the way to present day in New York. I just adore the wedding picture of my sister-in-law and father-in-law with the phrase, “Anything can happen in a New York minute.” So beautiful and true 🙂

We included photos with all the grandchildren and phrases like “hold your horses” and “pretty darn quick” that are unique to the United States.

The DIY photo book turned out so cute – and was such a beautiful montage of all the experiences and memories of the past 40 years in four countries.

Seinfeld Quotes Paired with Pictures

With my sister turning 30, we planned a surprise party that was Seinfeld-themed. When discussing how to make it special, my mom said, “Why not make her one of those nice photobooks?”

So, we did exactly that.

We ran with the Seinfeld theme, using dozens of hilarious quotes from the television show and pairing them with pictures of Bridget over the years. The DIY picture book turned out awesome.

We started the photos chronologically, beginning with a baby picture of her and our Nanny, quoting the Seinfeld episode from The Hamptons.

The photo below is one of my favorites. We were at a family get together and someone took this candid shot of us. I mean, look at each of those faces! After all these years, we finally found the perfect Seinfeld quote to go with it.

And, of course, we had to include “close-talker” in the DIY photo book.

We tried to limit the quotes and photos in the picture book to 30 in honor of 30 years. Yet, with all of the funny Seinfeld quotes and pictures we had collected, 30 was a drop in the bucket. The Seinfeld DIY photo book ended up being much longer (and hilarious).

Special Occasion Books

As a thank you to grandparents or friends going on a day trip or vacation, I love making a cute book of the pictures we took.

We recently went on a trip to a train museum and petting zoo, and it was a really perfect day. To thank my parents, we made them a little memory photobook with our favorite pictures from the day. They LOVED it.

There weren’t any fancy quotes in this one – just some cute designs and fun pictures.

How to Make a DIY Photo Book

You have so many options when creating your DIY photo books. We have made so many of these, so we have plenty of tips to share!

Digital Photo Books or Scrapbook Photo Books

You can make your DIY books either digitally or scrap book style.

I find digitally to be a little faster. It takes a little bit of time to arrange layouts, but it’s fun to pick layouts and embellishments. And, my time is much better spent creating something cool rather than on my newsfeed 🙂

I like using Walgreens for photobooks. You can use same-day pickup on some items (check which items for your local store before starting your book). The hardcover photobooks tend to be better quality when you have them sent to your home instead of same-day. Yet, if you are running short on time, same-day pick up is a great option for your DIY photobooks.

If you are working on the project with someone else, like a sister or friend who doesn’t live close, you can both log in to work on the photo book before printing.

Also, definitely search google for a Walgreen’s coupon code. They always run deals, so you will do well with the price of photo books.

You can also make the book scrapbook style. Albums can be ordered on Amazon or picked up at a craft store with a coupon. We made my mom’s DIY photo book this way, and it was nice because each of my three sisters and me had a role.

One of my sisters printed the photos with her 4×6 photo printers. (It’s awesome!! We always have her printing pictures for us 🙂 One of us bought the stickers, album, and embellishments, one of us printed all the quotes in cool fonts, and another sister put everything together.

To keep everything organized in the DIY photo books, as far as quotes and pictures, we used Google docs. You can easily share this with others. So, we made a simple spreadsheet of quotes and then wrote a description of picture we planned to use. This kept everything organized and sequenced properly.

DIY Photo Album Ideas

As far as themes for the sayings or quotations for your photobooks, you can be as creative as you want. Think about your recipient’s life and interests, and I’m sure something great will come to mind.

DIY photo books also make a great gift for father’s day and mother’s day. You could pair photos of your kids with funny things they say (I should make this for Ash!). It doesn’t have to be a grandiose book – a collection of 10-20 photographs in the picture album will turn out wonderfully.

Why You Should Make Photo Books

With today’s technology and everything being digital, it’s hard to find time to organize and print photo albums. Dropboxes and clouds (wherever they are) are filled with hundreds of pictures that aren’t looked at often.

This is exactly why I love making photo albums for others as gifts. And, exactly why these picture gifts are adored so much.

DIY photo book gifts are simply awesome presents to give. Not only will your recipients love the collection of pictures, but they’ll just adore the cute or funny sayings you included too. My mom, sister, and in-laws absolutely LOVED the photo books.

So much, that my sister is already asking for an addendum with more Seinfeld quotes and pictures 🙂

I can’t tell you how many laughs the Seinfeld book got – or how much my mom chuckles looking back at her photos and her sayings.

And who couldn’t use more laughter and love in their life?

For other gift ideas, check out our ice cream sundae gift basket and our Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt.

How to Make Tissue Paper Suncatchers

April 27, 2017 by Eileen 28 Comments

Do you ever try to do a craft with your kids and it ends up a complete fail? Either it doesn’t turn out anything like you pictured, or it was too complicated for your kids, or it was more work than it was worth?

Boy, have I been there. Having been an inner city teacher and now a mom of an active toddler, I have quickly learned to keep activities simple.

Today I’m sharing how to make tissue paper suncatchers with your kids. It’s an easy craft that turns out really cute! And, you can use cookie cutters – another favorite among kids.

I love having my son make things for others. Even more, I love having him create something with a specific person in mind – say Nana – he’ll pick out all of the colors Nana likes, the stickers she likes, and create something special with her in mind. I think it teaches such an important lesson.

And the suncatcher activity was so great because he got to pick out a special shape for everyone – Nana got a cowgirl boot 🙂

As an added bonus, the tissue paper suncatchers are a cute little gift – not that I don’t love his usual scribbles on paper – I really, really do. I just don’t think others appreciate them like I do 😉

How to Make Tissue Paper Suncatchers

My quick cheat for this kids craft was using cookie cutters for the shapes. This saved a ton of time, which would have otherwise been spent drawing lopsided stars, and it added another element of fun to the project. It makes for an organized workspace.

Materials for Tissue Paper Suncatchers

Tissue Paper – I went to Dollar Tree – one of my favorite stores for crafts, holidays, and other $1 treasures and stocked up on some cool tissue paper. I got some basic colors as well as a few patterns and speckled ones.
Clear Contact Paper – You can probably get this a few dollars cheaper at the craft store with a coupon, but in a pinch, Amazon is amazing.
Cookie Cutters – optional – but they certainly made the project simple. Plus, you can use them for lots of other crafty projects. I got these cookie cutters as a Christmas gift from Ash when we were first dating, and I use them ALL the time for my crafts. There are so many shapes and choices, including holiday and every day items.
Scissors
Pen

I usually keep a stack of small dollar store bins or buckets in my office/craft room. I use these to organize our kids crafts as they are happening. For example, I’ll have scissors/pens in one bin, tissue paper in another bin, etc.

Instructions for Tissue Paper Suncatchers

The tissue paper suncatcher kids craft was very simple. Depending upon the age of your kids, you may be more of less involved. A toddler would need an adult to be hands on, whereas a grade schooler could work mainly independently.

Preparation

First, I cut tissue paper into strips. You don’t have to cut too much. I did one or two strips of each color. To include my toddler, I gave him his scissors and some strips of tissue paper.

I love these scissors because they have a little lever, which makes it easier for him to open and close the scissors. I cut his tissue strips extra narrow, so he could practice cutting.

He loves to use scissors because he doesn’t get to use them all the time. So, cutting just a few pieces made him super excited. 🙂

Next, you will need two pieces of contact paper of roughly the same size for each suncatcher. You can prepare these ahead of time or cut as you go.

Making the Suncatchers

I peeled the back off of just one sheet of contact paper, and taped all four sides down to the table. The reason I did this was because my son is young, and I didn’t want the contact paper constantly sticking to him and moving. I try to keep our crafts fun and frustration-free, so it was easier to tape it down.

After, we picked our shape. Using cookie cutters made this step so simple and fun 🙂 My son loved picking a special shape for each suncatcher. In addition to the cowgirl for Nana, he picked a butterfly for his Aunty, a heart for Grandma, and a doggie for Zeus our pup.

Then, it was time to apply the tissue paper.

You can turn this into a fun sorting activity – and have your child sort the colors into piles.

For kids a little older, you can work on patterns, lining up a pattern, asking what comes next, and then sticking them on.

My son and I picked a few colors to use on each suncatcher. For the car, we used two shades of blue. For the heart, we picked three colors. And, for quite a few of the shapes, we used all of the colors.

Oddly enough, my son’s favorite colors are brown and black. Every time he goes to make a card for someone, he colors in brown or black marker. His Easter cards featured a cute pastel bunny with black and brown scribbles across it. 😉

Lucky for him, I had one sheet of black tissue paper. So we mixed white in and made a black and white star. Of course, it was his favorite.

After we covered enough of the surface of the contact paper with tissue, it was time to put the second sheet of contact paper down.

I recommend the grown-up doing this part. Contact paper can be tricky to work with and if it ends up all blotchy, it doesn’t look nice. I made a bubbly blotchy one myself, tried to fix it, and ended up ripping the tissue paper.

So rather than cause frustration for the kids, I would just do this myself. Lay one side down first and then keep pressing until you get to the other side. So I had my son watch me lay it down and then help me pat it.

After you’ve covered it with contact paper, take the intended cookie cutter and trace it onto the contact paper.

I used a regular pen and drew lightly, in case any lines were still there after I cut.

As an alternative to this, you can draw your shape or picture right onto the contact paper. I freehanded a train for his train-loving Pop.

And, it just happened to be Ash’s birthday – so I also freehanded a hammer for him.

Once we were finished drawing the shape, I cut it out. While I cut, my son picked the next cookie cutter shape. Then, we taped each one to the window.

He had a great time taping them to the window, adding each one as we finished it, and then admiring our work. When we were all done, he loved going outside and seeing the suncatchers we had made.

Even though I did a bunch of the cutting and drawing, my son couldn’t be prouder of the tissue paper suncatchers. He had so much involvement in the project and loved all of his important jobs.

Depending upon how old your children are, they might be able to do most of this themselves, and you can just supervise. My son is still little, but I very much made him a part of every step.

You can also make these as a holiday activity, using Christmas or Halloween shapes. The tissue paper suncatchers can be Valentine gifts from kids or St. Patrick’s Day decorations.

They really do look pretty, and they make for a nice gift for kids to make and give.

We are giving them to family members to go with the thank you notes for my son’s Easter goodies; yet, the tissue paper suncatchers would also serve as a perfect mother’s day gift for mom or grandma or a father’s day gift, too.

If you are looking to keep a craft simple, follow these steps on how to make tissue paper suncatchers. Your kids will love making such an easy yet awesome creation, and you’ll be frustration-free 🙂

How to Throw a DIY Party (Without Going Crazy)

April 10, 2017 by Eileen 42 Comments

Washing the dishes at the end of a long day, you think about how you can barely keep up with the day-to-day routine.

There are crumbs all over the floor you just cleaned. You didn’t get to the overflowing laundry pile today. Lunches to pack, homework to check, kids to get to bed.

It’s endless.

On top of that, your child’s birthday is coming up, and you really want to throw a nice party.

But how can you handle party prep in addition to all the draining housework and all of the other things going on?

With these tips and tricks, you will be able to throw an awesome DIY party without going crazy.

1. Choose 3-5 DIY party ideas and that’s it.

With Pinterest being an easily accessible party-planning archive, it’s typical to feel overwhelmed with all of the ideas out there.

Instead of trying to do everything, which can end in half-hearted efforts or stress overload, just pick a few manageable party DIYs.

This will put a creative spin on the party, without all the pressure.

For my friend’s son’s truck party, we chose 3 party DIYs – a cardboard truck photo booth cut-out, truck goody bags, and a pin the wheel on the truck game.

It was a manageable amount of work, and it creatively tied in the theme of the DIY truck party.

Definitely browse Pinterest or Google images to see what’s been done before. This will help you to brainstorm or even emulate ideas.

And, there are lots of easy DIY party ideas out there.

2. Cut corners with your time, where you can.

Designing, ordering, stamping, and mailing an invitation too much? Save yourself time with an Evite.

Cooking not your forte? Do a few crockpot dishes or order a few dishes from a local restaurant. Baking a cake too time-consuming for you? Order it from the bakery.

Spend your time where YOU feel it is most valuable.

Remember, you can delegate tasks out to reliable family or friends.

For every family party, my sister’s job is to work with the photos – whether making a photobook, collage, or slideshow. She never lets us down, and it’s a task I don’t have to worry about.

Also, prioritize your list, so that if you don’t get to everything, you aren’t disappointed.

For my son’s Sesame party, we barely got to set up the last game “Grover’s Obstacle Course.” We literally threw some pool noodles on the ground along with some balls.

Of course, the toddlers didn’t mind, and I didn’t either because this was low on the priority list.

3. Keep entertainment simple but creative.

Whether it’s music that goes with the party’s theme or party games for kids, entertainment can bring a lot to a party.

Since it can be overwhelming to know where to start, look for what’s already been done. Lots of websites have free templates and printables that can make your planning a piece of cake.

For baby or bridal showers, pick a game or two where most of the work has already been done for you, a game with easy prep or free templates.

We played such a fun game at my friend Meg’s shower – Mustaches and Tiaras, where all of the prep work was done.

For kids’ DIY parties, think easy. Kids love coloring or craft stations, playing with trucks in the sand, or having an egg race.

These activities can easily be adjusted to go with the party’s theme. For example, if having a vehicle party, instead of an egg on a spoon, use a race car on a spoon.

Station games are also great – and they can be made from foam boards from the dollar store.

You can literally make a Pin the “Blank” on anything – characters, animals, trucks, etc. I personally love using felt for these – since felt sticks to felt.

If planning a DIY anniversary party, put together a soundtrack with popular songs from the year the couple married.

Entertainment doesn’t need to be elaborate, or even time-consuming. Think easy – and don’t forget you can also delegate.

4. Do as much as you can early.

Creating, making, and shopping without of stress of a deadline is much more fun.

So, choose a few things that you easily get done ahead of time – like shopping for decorations or working on some DIY party projects. Then, get these done as early as you can.

This will free up your time closer to the party for things like cooking, food shopping, and cleaning.

For my dad’s Beatles party, I started working on the decorations a month or two ahead of time. I would cut letters for banners while I was watching television or had a few minutes of downtime here and there.

I had all of the decorations and games finished early, so the week of the party, I could focus on cooking and cleaning.

Planning and creating are so much more fun when you aren’t working against the clock.

5. Shop smart.

Prior to the DIY party, as you are doing your regular shopping at the grocery stores or craft stores, keep your eyes peeled for party things you can stock up on.

For example, take advantage of sales on paper products – plates, plastic wear, napkins, etc – or even decorations. I bought an abundant supply of ribbon at Michaels at 70% off before the winter holidays.

Months later, I used the ribbon to make banners – and was so happy I didn’t have to make a special trip out to the store.

For kids’ goody bags, it might be smart to steer away from food with all of the allergies out there.

If you are wondering what to give, the Dollar Tree and A.C.Moore have great deals for just $1. You can find cute kids books, stickers, coloring books, and learning games.

Choose a few that go with the theme of your DIY party, and you’re all set.

Speaking of the Dollar Tree, it wouldn’t be a section on shopping smart without mentioning that this chain has the best selection of all the dollar stores. Dollar Tree has all kinds of books and games. Their party section doesn’t disappoint: table cloths, paper products in various colors, pom-poms, and all kinds of other party goodies.

A few trips to Dollar Tree will definitely shorten your to do list – and not be a big hit to your wallet.

Remember, shopping early helps too. When shopping without the stress of a deadline, you tend to easily find the things you are looking for.

And the Housework…

Birthday parties are days that your child anxiously awaits. Even though a DIY party will make your to do list a little longer, following these 5 simple tricks will make the party planning more than manageable.

And, about the housework, no one will notice how clean the kitchen is or see the overflowing laundry baskets hidden away.

Of course, the floors will be dirty again in five minutes, whether or not you had guests over.

200 Ideas for Gift Baskets that Aren’t Junk Food

March 23, 2017 by Eileen 52 Comments

Every holiday has become alarmingly food-centric. Quite frankly, it stresses me out.

Bags filled with candy for Halloween, baskets and plastic eggs brimming with junk for Easter, stockings filled with sugar for Christmas.

Even Irish potatoes have taken over Saint Patrick’s Day. I’m talking the sugary cream cheese kind, not the ones the Irish actually eat.

My family and I have opted out of this candy culture for wholesome, healing foods. In doing so, we have overcome a myriad of health problems – but I’ll save that for another post.

I came up with 200+ awesome ideas for Easter basket ideas that are not only candy-free but also free of sugar and junk.

Also, the Easter basket ideas are organized by theme – because who doesn’t love a candy-free themed basket?!

A Summery Easter Basket

In this candy-free Easter basket, you can include all the things one would need for a summery beach trip. Then, line this summery basket with a beach towel, or instead of an Easter basket, use a beach pail.

Beach toys
Flip flops
Frisbee
Visor
Sunglasses
Pool toys
Beach towel – hooded towels for little ones
Kite
Beach books – board books for the little ones, beach reading for the older ones
Sunscreen
Sun hats

For Kids Who Love Crafts

Crafty is the theme of this candy-free Easter basket. There are so many craft ideas out there that you can be as creative as you want. As a nice addition, line this crafty candy-free Easter basket with a plastic tablecloth, for easy cleanup after art activities, and an alternative to Easter basket grass.

Markers
Colored pencils
Paints
Paintbrushes
Coloring books
Craft kits from AC Moore – foam kits, suncatcher kits
Stickers
Sticker books
Sidewalk chalk
Play dough
Mini canvases
Crayons
Dry Erase board
Cute erasers
Pencil Box
Festive pencils
Plastic Tablecloth – for easy cleanup

For Kids Who Love the Outdoors

Outdoor activities, games, and accessories make for a great candy-free Easter basket. Use a blanket, for picnics or relaxing outside, to line this Easter basket idea.

Bubbles, bubble maker, bubble toys
Sidewalk chalk
Sand toys
Jump rope
Bat and ball set
Mini football
Soccer ball
Baseballs or softballs
Hopscotch Game
Ball cap or spring hat
Frisbee
Sunglasses
Kite
Golf balls
Golf tees
Tennis Balls
Badminton Set
Garden tools
Garden gloves
Blanket for picnics or relaxing outside

Rainy Day Basket for Kids

With kids accumulating so many toys these days, why not make a rainy day basket as a candy-free Easter idea? Kids could pick a few toys to play with and the rest get saved for a rainy afternoon. Line these Easter baskets with a picnic blanket or cuddly reading rug.

Match box cars
Stuffed animals
Card games – decks of cards, learning cards, matching games
Coloring books and crayons
Craft Kits
DVDs
Army men
Blocks
Plastic jewelry
Books – board boards, chapter books, high interest books, etc
Tea party toys
Small or travel board games
Mad Libs
Bingo cards
Picnic blanket

Bath and Body Care Easter Basket

These candy-free Easter baskets is one that’s always loved and appreciated. Who doesn’t love a basket filled with these to decompress with – like cozy slippers, a favorite bath soap, and a good book? This basket is also great for teenagers. As an Easter basket grass alternative, use a cozy blanket or bathrobe to line this basket.

Lotion
Bath toys
Books – for toddlers bath books, for adults a good read
Bath scrub
Chapstick
Lip gloss
Slippers
Cozy blanket
Bath soaps
Socks
Nail polish
Nail file
Hair accessories
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Make-up brushes
Loofah
Favorite fragrance
Cute hand sanitizer

An Entirely Homemade Easter Basket that’s Candy-Free

Whether you are trying to save money or your crafty side is running strong, make an entire Easter basket filled with homemade items. There are so many cool things you can make that guarantee hours of fun. Line these homemade Easter baskets with your knitting, hopscotch mat, or t-shirts, as a fun basket liner.

Homemade finger puppets (check out my tutorial on how to make felt finger puppets)
Handcrafted matching game
Photo puzzle
Hopscotch mat (check out my DIY hopscotch mat made from felt)
Dry erase board from a picture frame
Scavenger hunt clues
Felt busy boards
Sticker Scenes – drawing/printing a landscape for kids to put stickers on
Homemade knit scarf, hat, or blanket
Iron-on or puffy painted t-shirts
Homemade games – Bingo, Mad Libs, etc
Popsicle stick bookmarks
Painted Mugs

Easter Baskets For College Students

For a candy-free Easter basket for college kids, the possibilities are endless. You can put together office supplies, tech items, healthy snacks, or favorite things from home. A cute spring scarf or a college t-shirt would make a great basket liner, rather than using Easter basket grass.

Post-Its
Highlighters
Handy wipes
Travel tissues
Teas
Notebooks
Pens/pencils
USB cord
USB drives
Hard drive
Screen protector
Cell phone case
Headphones
Totes
Spring scarf
iTunes gift card

Healthy Living Easter Basket (With No Candy, Junk, or Sugar)

For those that have an organic lifestyle or love healthy, healing foods, this Easter idea is perfect! It’s a healthy living basket that is filled with healthy foods – like fruit, nuts, and rice snacks, you could fill it with natural bath and body products, or a mix of the two. A reusable bag would make a great liner for your green friend or family member. I would love to get one of these Easter baskets – it would save me a trip to the grocery store 🙂 It’s amazing to know that in the candy-loving, sugar-centric world we live in that you can fill a huge basket with all healthy foods!

Mini cutting board
Seeds – pumpkin, sunflower, etc
Dried berries
Apple
Oranges
Nuts
Avocado
Herbal Tea
Honey
Almond butter
Rice cakes or rice crackers
Lara bars
Coconut water
Reusable glass water bottle
Organic lotion
Natural soap
Organic shampoo (love this one!)
Organic conditioner
Gift card to a local juice bar
Books on juicing or healthy recipes
Reusable bags
Plants – aloe plants, spider plants
Seeds for the garden (non-gmo seeds)
Garden gloves

Easter Baskets For Adults that Are Crafty

This is another Easter basket I would love to receive (…hint hint Ash). It’s filled with so many fun crafty things – you can be as creative as you would like, and your craft-loving family member or friend will not even miss the candy. Instead of using Easter grass, use felt for a creative liner.

Ribbon
Squiggly scissors (I love these so much)
Card stock
Markers
Colored pencils
Acrylic paints
Nice set of paintbrushes
Coloring books for adults
Stickers or embellishments
Washi tape
Journal or notebook
Stamps
Inkpads
Fabric markers
Sharpies
Window markers
Patches
Embroidery floss
Hoops
Yarn
Needles
Felt or cute fabric

Easter Ideas For Your Significant Other

Before we had kids, Ash used to make me an Easter basket every year. It was such a sweet thing to do, especially because Easter baskets are usually geared toward children. Whether you have five kids or none, I’m sure your significant other would love a thoughtful basket filled with creative, candy-free items. Use a spring scarf or cozy blanket to line this basket.

Stuffed animals
Framed photo
Books – think about hobbies –trains, crosswords, crafting, eating health, etc. Some
People love biographies
Fresh flowers
Photo presents – photo puzzle or photo book of recent trip
Coloring book for adults with colored pencils
Tickets to the movies or a restaurant
Spring scarf or cap
Socks
Mugs
Magnets
Cozy blanket

Easter Ideas for Dads

Having your kids make a basket for their father – or you making an Easter basket for your father is such a thoughtful gesture. You can fill these candy-free Easter baskets with all kinds of dad things – like socks and batteries – and I’m sure they would mind a few fun things too like an iTunes gift card. Use a dad t-shirt to line the basket, as a green alternative to Easter grass.

Hearty mug
Batteries
Honey
Duct tape
WD-40
Lint roller
Tie
Watch
Totes
Socks
iTunes gift card
Wine key
Flashlight
Crafts from the kids
Small tools
T-shirts – homemade are great!

Easter Baskets for Mamas

When putting together Easter baskets, don’t forget about your mom. There are lots of fun things you can fill the candy-free basket with that she will love. I’m sure she’ll love that you thought of her. A cozy blanket makes for a perfect basket liner.

Candles
Teas
Cute mug
Crafts made by the kids
Photos of the kids
Lara bars
Almonds
Sunglasses
Cute post-it notes
Fresh flowers
Sharpies
Jewelry
Totes
To-go wipes
Favorite magazine or book
Gift card for a night out
Cozy blanket

Practical Easter Basket Ideas

If you are stuck on ideas for a candy-free basket for a friend or family member (who probably has everything), why not make them a basket with one of these practical Easter basket ideas. Fill it with practical things that you always need – like scissors, batteries, and sharpies. My sister filled our stockings one year with practical items, and they were a big hit! Line the basket with bubble wrap or packing paper, something practical that will be reused.

Sharpies
AA batteries
Rubber band ball
Pencil sharpener
Thumb tacks
USB wall plug-in
Scotch tape
Magic eraser
Scissors
Lint roller
Handy wipes
Ziplock bags
Travel sewing kit
Extension cord

Easter Gifts For Dogs or Cats

With all these Easter baskets, don’t forget about your beloved pets. Pets are easy to shop for, and they don’t eat candy – so anything goes! Use a basket that you can reuse as your dog or cat’s toy bin.

Chew toys
Biscuits or treats
New collar
Bandana
Brush or comb
Frisbee
Tennis balls
Pick-up bags
Dog or cat bed
New dish
Collapsable dog dish (pictured above)
Treats or pieces of pet food in Easter eggs
Homemade biscuits
Homemade toys for cats – bell on a ribbon

Easter Basket Ideas for Eating and Kids

Healthy eating is so important for kids, and many kids these days have food aversions, allergies, or only eat macaroni and cheese and chocolate. The below fun eating dishes and other ideas can be used to encourage and promote healthy eating. Use the easy wipe cloth as a basket liner, as a cute Easter grass alternative.

New plates or cups with a favorite character
Utensil set with favorite character
Silly straws
Healthy snacks – puffs for toddlers, honey sticks, fruit pouches (read the ingredients)
Travel Tupperware
Game Plate – these are so cool. They help toddlers finish food on their plate by making it a game. My son loves this one 🙂
To-go cups
Waterproof splat mat
Fun place mats

Easter Ideas for Filling Eggs

Just as I was stressing out about filling candy-free Easter baskets, I was also wondering what I was going to fill Easter eggs with. I came up with two lists – a small toy list and a toy-free list. I LOVE the toy-free list – it has so many creative, fun ideas.

Match box cars (fits in the big eggs)
Stickers
Finger puppets
Small figures
Rings or bracelets
Keychains
Legos
Bouncy balls

Creative Easter Egg Ideas for Hunts

Legos – Fill all the eggs with legos. After the eggs are found, have kids each build something with the legos from their eggs.
Alphabet magnetic letters – After collecting all of the eggs, see if you can spell any words from your collected letters. Use cookie trays for a magnetic surface for word building.
Jokes – Everyone loves a good laugh 🙂
Silly actions – Fill each egg with a little piece of paper that has silly actions or tasks – i.e. hop around the yard like a bunny, give your little sister a kiss, do 5 jumping jacks,etc
Scavenger hunt clues – Start by giving every participant an egg. Participants will open the given egg for the clue to the next egg.

From crafty baskets to summery baskets to outdoorsy baskets, kids will love these creative items and not even notice that they don’t include candy or junk. And, adults will love the time and thought you put into creating these candy-free Easter baskets.

Additionally, the creative Easter egg hunt ideas are perfect for friendly competition or a good laugh.

With hundreds of ideas for Easter baskets and egg hunts, you can totally pull off a candy-free, junk-food free Easter without any stress.

12 Easter Crafts You Can Make with One Template

March 16, 2017 by Eileen 87 Comments

For the upcoming holiday, I had plans to make one Easter craft – bunny bags. Yet, when finishing up the bags, the wheels in my head started moving.

I started to think of more craft ideas that would use the exact same Easter bunny template.

One thing led to another – and I’ve compiled 12 Easter crafts that you can make with this one printable.

From Easter decor to kids crafts, they are all here – so is this simple Easter bunny template.

Listed below are 12 easy Easter crafts that all use the same free printable bunny template.

1. Easter Bunny Bags

When we used to have Easter egg hunts at my Grandma’s house, we always needed a place to store the goodies that we found inside the eggs. Our grandma would give us a gallon ziplock bag with our name on it to carry our goodies home.

Rather than ziplock bags, how cute would it be to use these cute Easter bunny bags?

You could also use them for Easter gifts, hostess gifts, or other festive goodies 🙂

It’s one of the Easter crafts we are sharing today that take minutes to make and are such a cute touch.

Bunny Bag Materials:

Easter Bunny template (see link above)
Craft bags
Card stock or even construction paper
Pom-poms or cotton balls for the tails
Scissors
Glue

Using card stock or even construction paper, simply trace and cut out the bunnies. Then, glue each bunny to a craft bag. Add a pom-pom or a cotton ball for the tail.

As far as the bags and the card stock, you can be as creative as you’d like with this Easter craft. There are lots of patterned papers, sparkly papers, and patterned bags. I kept mine simple with plain bags and card stock with a subtle texture.

2. Burlap Easter Banner Craft

How cute is this burlap banner? I recently posted an article on how to make these burlap banners for St. Patrick’s Day.

I loved them so much that I thought a bunny banner would be a nice replacement for the shamrocks that had taken stock on our mantel.

Additionally, the Easter banner garland craft takes under an hour to make – and could not have been easier. I love a craft that I have long finished before my son wakes up from his nap.

Burlap Banner Materials:

Easter Bunny template
Foam brush
Acrylic paint
Burlap – I loved using cardboard backed burlap sheets.
Ribbon for stringing the letters together
Cotton balls or pom-poms for the tails
Scissors
Hot Glue

Since I already posted detailed steps on how to make this banner, I’m going to link over to my burlap banner article.

If you are hosting the holiday dinner or looking for an Easter bunny craft, this is a cute one that turns out beautifully, doesn’t break the bank, and won’t use up all your time.

3. Adorable Easter Craft Cards

I love having my son make cards for others. I think it instills such a great message to spend time making something special for someone else.

Not to mention, it makes the recipients so happy to get a cute piece of mail from him.

These cards are really easy – they take five minutes and use the same bunny template. You can also make it one of your kids Easter crafts by having your child decorate or color the bunny.

Or, you can send as is – with a cute piece of scrapbook paper and a pom-pom.

Easter Craft Card Materials:

Bunny template (and Easter Bunny Sayings – in Resource Library)
Card stock for bunny and card
Cotton ball or pom-pom for tail
Scissors
Glue
If kids are decorating: paint, markers, googly eyes, etc

You can’t go wrong sending a cute card to someone – and when the Easter craft only takes a few minutes, even better!

4. Easter Egg Hunt Markers

Easter egg hunts can be a little hard for little kids – especially since they are trying to keep up with the older ones.

A simple way to help them find eggs is to put little egg markers, where eggs are hidden for them. Then, explain to the older ones to not find eggs near the egg markers. It also makes for a fun Easter craft. Kids especially can help with this Easter activity because it is so simple.

Egg Hunt Marker Materials:

Bunny template
Card stock or construction paper
Popsicle stick
Scissors
Glue or tape

Simply glue or tape a bunny template to a popsicle stick and place it in the ground.

Have the little ones look for the bunnies 🙂

You could also use the popsicle stick markers to create little signs for the hunt – such as follow the path to the backyard signs or “Bunny Crossing” signs. They are another easy Easter craft that you could do with your kids.

5. Popsicle Stick Bunny Easter Crafts

While you have your popsicle sticks out, have your child decorate a few bunny templates as Easter crafts. They could color them, paint them, adorn them with googly eyes or feathers – or whatever you have around your house.

Popsicle Stick Bunny Materials:

Easter Bunny template
Popsicle sticks
Tape
Decorating materials: Markers, cotton balls, paint, googly eyes, or anything you have

After your child has finished decorating their bunnies, simply tape or glue the bunnies to popsicle sticks for kids to play with for a fun Easter craft.

My son is obsessed with this song “The Finger Family,” and he loved creating a bunny family with these.

He also loved that we were both working on bunnies together. As I was working on the bunny banner garland, he was decorating his bunnies… kind of like parallel play 🙂

6. Card Stock Banner

Another type of banner you could make is a cardstock one. The materials are a little easier to gather for this Easter banner craft, rather than the burlap one (although the burlap one is more fun :).

Card Stock Banner Materials:

Easter Bunny template
Card stock of your choice – textured, patterned, plain you can be creative here 🙂
Ribbon for threading the bunnies
Hole punch
Cotton balls or pom-poms for the tail
Scissors
Glue or tape

Just trace your bunnies onto card stock, punch holes in their ears, thread onto the ribbon, and glue on the tail.

Additionally, if you have older kids, they could make this banner craft for Easter to decorate the dining room or their bedroom. I would have loved to do this Easter craft growing up 🙂

Kids that are older than toddlers, but not old enough to make the banner on their own, could practice their fine motor skills by threading the bunnies onto the ribbon.

Last, you could write a message across the bunnies – such as “Happy Easter” or “Jesus Has Risen.”

7. Easter Bunny Wreath Craft

Another fun decoration and Easter craft for kids to help with is a bunny wreath. It’s one of those Easter crafts that can occupy kids for hours. I cut bunnies out of foam, and then arranged them into a wreath. My son then painted the bunnies – and we hung it up on the wall.

Bunny Wreath Materials:

Easter Bunny template
Foam or even cardstock
Ribbon for hanging up
Glue
Scissors

The tricky part of this Easter craft was arranging those bunnies in a perfect circle. So, I used a paper plate. I folded it in half, and then cut a circle from the inside – leaving just a thin outer ring.

I then used this ring to line the bunnies up in a perfect circle, carefully gluing the bunnies to each other.

Afterward, I had my son go to town decorating the bunnies with paint 🙂 He loved it and painting all of the bunnies, and it kept his attention for a long time. It was definitely a kids’ craft success.

8. Bunny Basket

Similar to the bunny bags listed above, glue an Easter bunny from the template to any kind of basket or container, and make a little Easter bunny basket. It’s a simple Easter craft that you can make from anything you have laying around your house.

I made this one with a empty plastic cashew container. I was about to toss it in recycling when the idea popped into my head.

Bunny Basket Materials:

Easter Bunny template
Some kind of box or basket – look at your recycling for boxes 🙂
Card stock or construction paper
Ribbon
Scissors
Glue

After washing out the cashew container, I cut and glued my card stock bunny template to the sides of the container. The top edge looked like it needed a little something extra – so I put ribbon about the perimeter. I then glued a bunny to the front, and voila – a recycled Easter basket craft!

This is a great project to do with kids who love holiday crafts. You can be as creative as you would like finding things to turn into Easter baskets. You could even use a pipe cleaner as the handle 🙂

9. Easter Felt-Scape Craft

My number one crafting material is and will always be felt. So, my Easter crafts wouldn’t be complete without incorporating it.

My son also loves felt, and I’ve made him a few felt busy boxes. He plays with them during quiet time or even at church when he was younger.

The felt scenes occupy him for so long – and allow him to be creative.

So, why not make a 10-minute felt-scape with a bunny scene?

Easter Felt-Scape Materials:

Easter Bunny template
Felt
Piece of cardboard, foam, or something similar to glue the background to
Scissors
Glue

For this Easter bunny craft, first hot glue the background piece of felt to the cardboard or foam. Then, simply cut a few bunnies along with a few other shapes out of felt using the bunny template.

Don’t glue anything down but the background, as your child will have fun arranging and re-arranging these into a scene for a fun Easter craft.

10. Easter Basket Tags

This one is a simple yet elegant Easter craft. Use the bunny template as tags to label Easter baskets, hostess gifts, or even the bottles of wine you’re bringing to Easter dinner.

All you need is the bunny template, a hole punch, ribbon, and a marker.

It certainly puts a cute touch on your gifts, turning them into Easter crafts.

11. Easter Food Labels

With all of the food allergies and food preferences out there, I LOVE going to a party and seeing that the food is labeled. You know exactly what’s in something and whether it is for you – or not.

If you have a few extra bunnies laying around, simply write the names of your dishes on the cards (this is especially helpful for buffet-style meals), so your guests will be eating at ease.

If Easter dinner isn’t a buffet, use the bunny template as place cards – or even have your child decorate them as such.

12. Easter Bunny Garland

Last but not least, use the bunny template to create bunny garland. This is another quick craft that brings a lot of festivity.

Bunny Garland Materials:

Easter Bunny template
Fishing line (or ribbon)
Glue
Scissors
Tape

Simply cut out about 6 bunnies for each string of garland using the bunny template. Then use a drop of hot glue or scotch tape to attach the bunny to the fishing line.

It’s super a simple Easter craft and it turns out cute.

With this easy bunny template, you can create 12 simple Easter crafts. I’ve personally made all of them – and they are simple, easy ideas that are fun and festive.

You can work along side your kids, crafting Easter banners while they decorate bunnies. Kids love doing things with their parents, so these ideas are perfect for just that 🙂

With these simple do-it-yourself Easter crafts and free printable bunny template, you can most certainly bring simple festivity to your Easter holiday.

How to Make a DIY Burlap Banner for Any Occasion

March 8, 2017 by Eileen 70 Comments

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

My eyes landed on a pad of burlap card stock.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Materials for the Burlap Banner:

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

How to Make a Burlap Banner

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

Preparing the Burlap

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

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

Making the Stencil

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

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

Painting the Burlap Banner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Connecting the Pennants

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

February 28, 2017 by Eileen 14 Comments

My little guy loves craft time with his mama.

But, I might love it just a little more.

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

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

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

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

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

Collecting Materials

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

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

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

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

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

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

Decorating the Mr. Potato Head Craft

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

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

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

Making a Real Mr. Potato Head Kids Craft

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Real Mrs. and Mr. Potato Head Craft for Kids

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

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

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

Making a Real Mr. Potato Head Craft for Kids

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

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

3 Awesome DIYs for Truck Birthday Parties

February 20, 2017 by Eileen 20 Comments

Honk, honk. Beep, beep.

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

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

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

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

Pin the Wheels on the Truck

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

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

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

How to Make the Felt Board

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I hot glued everything down – except the wheels!

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

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

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

Truck Photo Booth Prop

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Goody Bags with Truck Cut-Outs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thrifty Indoor Winter Picnic Basket

February 2, 2017 by Eileen 49 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gathering Winter Picnic Basket Items

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

Navy and red are one of my favorite color combinations.

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

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

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

Assembling the Winter Basket

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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