No-Sew Tutu

As the mama of two very girly-girls, we're all about the dressing up at our house. This is a quick, cheap, and easy way to supplement the tutu drawer :-)

Here's what you need:
1-2 rolls of tulle (you can find it at craft stores usually in the wedding section)
Approximately two feet of elastic
Scissors

Here's what you do:
1. Measure your elastic around the recipients' waist. Make it tight enough so it won't sag, but not so tight it will be uncomfortable. Leave about 2 inches on either end to tie it.

2. Cut segments of your rolled tulle - about 18 inches long each. You'll need more or less fabric depending on how long you cut your segments and how poofy you want the tutu.

3. Tie the cut tulle segments to the elastic - knot in the center of the tulle segments.

4. Start by tying the tulle to either end, then the center, then fill in the gaps, so your tulle pieces are spaced evenly across the elastic.

5. Enlist the help of your grampy if needed...

6.  Tie it around your recipient's waist...and start twirling :-)

Quick and Easy Sidewalk Paint

Saw a similar idea on Little Bit Funky and had to try it out. My kids loved it!

Here's what you need:
Cornstarch
Water
Food coloring
Bowls
Paintbrushes


Here's what you do:
1. Mix equal parts cornstarch and water, stir until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. I used one cup of cornstarch and one cup of water.

2. Divide the mixture between bowls for your paint colors (we used six bowls for that many colors).

3. Add food coloring to the bowls and stir.

4. Go outside and paint!

5. When want your artistic creations to go away, simply spray with a hose.

Milk Jug Watering Can

It's a good time to do yardwork for us desert-dwellers, so we spent the afternoon in the garden. My almost-three-year-old wanted to help water, but her toy watering can was broken. I put together a new one from a half-gallon milk jug.

Here's what you need:
Plastic half-gallon milk jug - WITH lid
Hammer
Nail














Here's what you do:
1. Rinse out your milk jug, do not discard the lid.

2. Place the lid onto an unwanted piece of wood, or a flat dirt surface. Nail several holes through the lid.

3. Fill the jug with water, replace the lid, and start watering!

Conversation Heart Bracelet

I have this strange facination with conversation hearts. They're so cheery and sweet, and the surefire sign that Valentine's Day is on its way. I don't particularly like the way they taste, but I buy them every year because they're so cute. I finally found something to do with them besides eat them - wear them!!

Here's what you need:
A bag of conversation hearts
Stretchy bead cord (I used Stretch Magic 0.5 mm)
Electric drill
Smallest drill bit you can find
Aluminum tape (maybe)

Here's what you do:
1. Put your drill bit into the drill. My drill chuck was too big to hold such a small bit, so I wrapped the end of the bit with aluminum tape. It made the chuck hold the bit perfectly.

2. Hold a candy heart with your fingers and carefully drill a hold through the center. I tried using a wrench as a vice, but it didn't work very well. I found my fingers worked much better. Also, once the hole was started it worked best to put the drill on full speed through the rest of the heart. I tried slowly drilling through the heart at first, and the hearts broke every time.

broken hearts = :-(

3. Repeat step 2 until you have enough heart "beads" for your jewelry.

4. String the candy onto the bead cord, tie it off, and wear it! You could also use the beads for necklaces or earrings. My kids enjoyed wearing the bracelets throughout the day and noshing on the hearts when they felt like it. But if you want it to last for a while, simply brush the hearts with some glossy Mod Podge! Just make sure to NOT seal up the holes you worked so hard to drill!

Fun with Keys

Anyone who's ever had a small child knows how much they get a kick out of keys. My first child loved my keys so much as a baby, I got a bunch of blank ones that she had as "hers" - so they wouldn't be all dirty when she put them in her mouth. But even older kids love playing with them! They make a GREAT sensory play activity - kids enjoy feeling the different shapes, making them clank together to make noise, and sorting them.

We also had fun putting paint on the keys, then pressing them onto paper to make cool key-shaped impressions on the paper. It made a cool final product.

If you don't happen to have a bag full of old keys laying around your house - stop off at a hardware store. Most of them keep the ones that got cut incorrectly and will give them to you for free. While you're at the hardware store - get some free paint chips for Gift Tags and Bookmarks.

Craft Potluck

What's better than making Valentines? Making them with your friends!

We had a Valentines craft "potluck" today. All of our guests were asked to bring one or two small crafty items and a small snack. We pooled all of our supplies - and had a party! It was a blast!!

Ideas of things to bring:
Paper
Stickers
Glitter
Doilies
Glue
Pipe cleaners
Hole punch
Sequins
Rhinestones
Blank cards
Envelopes
Ribbon

We made lots of cards, and a few other projects including Valentine's Day Paint Chip Bookmarks, Valentine Pencil Toppers, Candy Dot Cell Phones, and (my personal favorite) Heart Rings!

Candy Dot Cell Phone

Remember those little candy dots from when we were kids - they came on little strips of paper and were all different rainbow colors? I remember loving them as a kid (they don't taste nearly as good now :-P)
Here's a cute little Valentine's project using them as little toy cell phone "buttons".

Here's what you need:
Candy dots
Piece of cardstock - about 7" x 2.5"
Mailing labels
Marker or crayon
Glue stick

Here's what you do:
1. Fold your cardstock in half.

2. Place two labels on the outside of the folded card to be your front "screen". Write a cute message on it.

3. Open the folded cardstock. Cut a three-by-three set of candy dots from your strip and glue to the lower half of the folded cardstock.

4. Place another label on the top half of the folded cardboard to be your other "screen" - write another little message.

5. Give to your friend to send a "message" that you like them :-)

Heart Rings

A little cheap and easy Valentine's bling :-)

Here's what you need:
Heart-shaped foam stickers of various sizes
Pipe cleaner
Rhinestones or sequins
Hole punch

Here's what you do:
1. Punch two holes into your biggest foam heart. Do not remove the backing (so it won't stick to your finger later).

2. Cut about three inches off your pipe cleaner and bend into a U-shape.

3. Feed the two ends of the pipe cleaner through the front of the heart.

4. Wrap the two ends around each other to form the ring.

5. Attach a smaller foam heart sticker to the front of the heart, covering the pipe cleaner.

6. Place a rhinestone or sequin in the center of the hearts for a little bling. Or just put a third, smaller heart.

7. Woo hoo! How cute is that?!

Valentine Pencil Toppers

My friends' 7-year-old came up with this great idea and brought the stuff over so we could make it!

Here's what you need:
Heart-shaped foam stickers
Pipe cleaner
Hole punch
Pencil

Here's what you do:
1. Punch a hole at the bottom of two heart stickers.

2. Remove the backing and stick the two sticky sides together (so there's an image on either side).

3. Put the pipe cleaner through the hole - run about two inches through the hole and wrap it back around itself, fastening the heart stickers to the pipe cleaner

4. Wrap the remaining portion of the pipe cleaner around the pencil.

Hooks, Glorious Hooks

Random little organizing tip - hooks! I have them everywhere. They are much easier for kids to hang stuff onto than towel racks and hangers, and you can put them at kid height, so they can put stuff away themselves! Here's a few ideas:

• In lieu of towel racks in the bathroom (kids can't put the towels onto racks easily anyways)
• By the front door for coats/backpacks
• On the back of the kids' doors and closets for bags/belts/scarves/hoodies
• Small ones by the front door for keys
• A big one by the front door for my purse (a nice high over-the-door hook so the kids can't get into it ;-)

Behind the front door - space that otherwise goes unused anyways

No more towel rack - kids can put their own towels away now!

I've tried all the types - stick-on, over-the-door, and screw-on. Obviously, the screw-on ones are the most stable, but they are the biggest pain in the but to hang. Over-the-door ones are super easy, but out of the kids' reach. I'm partial to the stick-on ones, but unless you get the "Command Adhesive" type, they won't come off again. So go with what works best for you!