Category: Craftiness

General craft ideas, including sewing projects, kid-friendly ideas and VBS inspiration.

Bunny Trail Sidewalk Chalk

Posted on March 29, 2018March 27, 2020 by Mama

Oh my goodness, it’s almost Easter and I feel like I’m so far behind. It seems like St. Patrick’s Day was just a couple of weeks ago. . . Oh wait, it was! With Easter’s early arrival and our spring break adventure last week, I’m afraid all the holiday hoopla has simply taken a backseat to life. Not that I’m downplaying the importance of Easter and the resurrection of Christ, but let’s just say that I’ve been a little lax in my outward display of enthusiasm. Anyone else in my shoes this year?

Okay, so enough of my excuses. We all still have time to whip up a few items just in time for Easter, and this adorable little bunny sidewalk chalk definitely fits the bill. I love this craft because it is easy to make, it fits into many plastic eggs and kids love them. Winner, winner, bunny dinner!

Here’s what you need:

Silicone Mold (bunnies, chicks or Easter eggs are all good choices)
Plaster of Paris
Water
Tempera Paint
Disposable cups and spoons

Here’s what you do:

Mix equal parts Plaster of Paris and water in a disposable cup.
Add paint to the mixture and stir until you get the desired color. Of course, the more paint the deeper the color.
Pour the colored mixture into the molds. Fill it close to the top, but don’t overflow or you will have to trim off the excess (and that definitely would add oodles of unnecessary work to this super easy craft).
Let the mold set on a level surface until dry, which will take several hours. Your Plaster of Paris container probably will give you an estimated time.
Pop out the little chalks and let them continue to dry for at least a day. You will know when they are completely dry when they are no longer cool to the touch (not that you have to wait quite that long).

As a side note, if you plan to package these fun little chalks in a sealed container, you may want to let them dry longer. I plopped mine in mini baggies and they were a bit moist when I handed them out to the kiddos in the Hollow. The kids loved them but the chalks didn’t seem to last as long. Also, make sure you wash your mold immediately or you might have a hard time getting it completely clean.

Okay, I think that’s it. Enjoy your sidewalk chalk and have a happy Easter!

Happy Fall Blocks with a Winter Twist

Posted on September 26, 2017September 26, 2017 by Mama

Wow, summer decided it was not going quietly this weekend as we posted temps in the 90s here in the Midwest. My son got out of school three hours early on the first day of fall last Friday, so we headed to the zoo. . . let me just say I’m awfully thankful for the indoor penguin exhibit!! Tonight promises rain and much cooler temps, so it should finally start feeling like autumn, at least for several days.

Okay, so I just had to share a fun penguin pic with you from our summer-feeling fall day at the zoo. We pretty much had the place to ourselves.

As I have been slowly pulling out my autumn décor, I came across this fun little fall blocks project I made at one of our awesome MOMS Club® events. My friend, Stephanie, did all the legwork for this one, so all we had to do was ink, paste and Mod Podge. That’s about as easy as it gets for such a cute little craft. Thanks, Stephanie! Today, I’m going to share the process with all of you so that you can assemble your own at home, but there will be some sawing involved, because I’m afraid Stephanie doesn’t come with the directions.

Supplies Needed:

1 2×4 piece of wood (one 8 ft length will make several of these projects)
1 2×2 piece of wood (one 8 ft length will make several of these projects)
Coarse sandpaper, with or without an electric sander.
Letters (you can buy them precut, use a Cricut machine or even store-bought stickers) — You will need an F and two Ls. You will also need the word “happy” or enough small letters to spell out the word.
Paper leaf (you can buy this precut, use a Cricut machine or even store-bought stickers)
Coordinating background paper
Mod Podge
paintbrush for applying Mod Podge

Directions:

The first step is to cut the pieces of wood down to the correct size. Cut the 2×4 down to the following sizes: two pieces 2 3/4″ wide, two pieces 2 1/4″ wide and 2 3/4″ tall. Note: these were sizes for the letters and leaf we used, so you can measure your letters and cut accordingly, if you choose.
Next, cut the 2×2 to size. Our piece was about 4 1/2″ long, but measure the distance of your other blocks pushed together and check your measurement before cutting. Naturally, if you cut your 2×4 blocks different sizes, this block will also be a different size.
Once you have all your blocks cut to size, use your sander/sand paper to round off all the edges and corners for a smooth finished look.
This step is optional, but I like to ink all my edges for a bit more interest with a coordinating color. Do this before you start pasting down things, because you won’t have any luck after.
Now it’s time to start assembling your blocks. We used Mod Podge on the backside of our paper, letters and leaf as an adhesive. Once everything is pasted down, put a nice coat of Mod Podge on top of everything. This will make sure all your elements stay put and add some protection.
After everything dries, you are ready to welcome autumn with your cute handmade blocks!

Okay, so here’s the winter twist I promised for this project. If you want your blocks to pull double duty, simply add a backside that nods to cooler weather. Use coordinating papers and letters and add a little snowflake to welcome winter with just a simple flip.

Missing Tooth Monster is a Tooth Fairy Pillow

Posted on September 1, 2017 by Mama

My little guy lost his first tooth Sunday afternoon after a couple of weeks of some serious wiggling. He was so excited about his first visit from the Tooth Fairy and asked all sorts of important questions like, “How big is she?” “How does she get in the house?” and “What does she do with the teeth?” Sorry Dwayne Johnson, my son assumes the Tooth Fairy is a she.

Anyway, I wanted to make this event special for our son, so I decided to whip up a Tooth Fairy pillow before bedtime, which required some serious Pinterest inspiration and a quick trip to JoAnn’s (oh, darn). When I was a girl, I had a soft pillow with a tooth-shaped pocket on the front and I loved to place my lost tooth in it at night and awake to see what had taken its place.

I found so many great ideas on Pinterest for this project, but settled on a lost tooth monster pillow and combined a few ideas for my cute little creation. While I created my own pattern for my son’s monster, I did use Leslie’s Art and Sew post as a great tutorial. She walks you through this project step by step, but pay special attention to the teeth placement in relation to the pocket fold.

I think our son was tickled to have his little monster pillow as a safe spot for his itty bitty baby tooth, but I think he was more looking forward to a visit from the Tooth Fairy. I, on the other hand, was simply excited to carry on a family tradition. I sure hope he remembers his little missing tooth monster thirty years from now. . . and I hope it makes him smile (with all his teeth).

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