How To Turn A Lunch Box Into A DIY Traveling Dollhouse

My daughter Molly has always been fascinated with all things miniature, so I thought it was high time that all her mini friends (and mice) had a dollhouse to live in for the summer holidays. A lunchbox is the ideal size for a portable dollhouse, and more importantly, it’s a great way to reuse items after the school year that would normally be discarded.

This portable little mouse house has everything that your kid will need for pretend play. When they are finished playing, they can just snap it closed and travel with it in any direction. Into the garden, off to camp, out on a car trip, or even all the way to the beach – anywhere their adventurous hearts desire!

Ok, it’s time to get to repurposing! Let’s turn old lunch boxes into something really unexpected and cool. Here’s how:

What You Need

• Lunch box (or shoebox)
• White paint or household emulsion (for primer)
• Tissue paper
• Craft glue and small bowl
• Paint brush

How-To

Step 1
Paint the outside of the lunch box with white paint (acrylic paint or a little household emulsion will cover the printed graphics in just two coats.)

Step 2
When the paint is dry, rip up pieces of the tissue paper (into whatever shapes and sizes you like) and use your paint brush and craft glue to smooth them into place. Layering the tissue pieces looks great, too. It makes it so that you don’t need that many different colors of paper at all(we only used three!). The more you layer, the more new colors are created.

How cool does this look?! A humble lunchbox has been reborn into an adorable piece of DIY art.

Step 3
Now it’s time for some interior decorating! I used little matchstick boxes on the wall for picture frames, and a few bits and pieces from Molly’s playroom dollhouse to decorate the rest of the space. I also think it would be adorable to use stencils to create a patterned wallpaper or even a tiled floor.

Ok, wakey wakey Molly Mouse! No time for sleeping. It’s time to head to the airport for you next big adventure.

Bon voyage! We’ll see you there :)

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5 New Ways to Use Sidewalk Chalk

The other day we bought these new sidewalk chalk paint rollers and I was amazed at how much fun they were to use on our driveway! The coverage was so much better than our regular ol’ sidewalk chalk. I’ve never bothered with anything but the usual stuff, but now I think we may be hooked on experimenting with every kind of sidewalk decorating approach there is!

Luckily, there are bloggers out there already a step ahead of me, creating tons of fun ways to reinvent the humble piece of chalk. With homemade recipes and original ideas floating all around the place, it won’t take long to find your favorite. I’ve handpicked a couple of the projects I know my family wants to try – the ones that don’t require too much know-how or prep time, but that still produce super fun results. Because that’s how we roll around my house – by the seat of our chalk dust covered pants!

Exploding Chalk Bags
see tutorial at Growing a Jeweled Rose

I’m telling you, this may be the coolest thing you’ll ever get to do with chalk. And the results on the driveway are gorgeous. Your neighbors may think you’re awfully messy, but I think it looks wonderful!

Make Your Own Sidewalk Chalk
see tutorial at Playful Learning

The idea that I could create the custom color palette of my dreams has my artsy side all antsy to make my own chalk right this second. That way, no matter what your kids draw, you know the colors will be gorgeous!

Wet Sidewalk Chalk Activity
see tutorial at Happy Hooligans

Get your chalk wet! It’s such a simple concept, but the results are crazy cool. It’s like working with oil pastels on a larger level. Mmm, feels so good.

Sidewalk Chalk Paint
see tutorial at All Things Simple

This is a simple recipe for sidewalk paint that lets kids use as much as they want. Plus, it’s so quick and easy, that you can always make more. Am I the only crazy crafty lady who wants to decorate my entire driveway with fabulous scenery?

Pictured at top: Driveway Photography, see the images via Annanimnity.

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Have A Big Time Under The Big Top With Colorful Cardboard Circus Tents

Every summer I teach an art camp at my house for kids ages 4-8. Our kickoff week was called Join the Circus! We made clown masks, trapeze mobiles, ice cream cones, and lots of cheery bunting. Our favorite project were these spectacular circus tents! Completing the crafts almost completely on their own, the kids were so proud of their colorful new toys… and their teacher was pretty proud, too :) I’m excited to share with you the tutorial and for your little ones to experience the magic of the Big Top.

What You Need

• A small cardboard box (about 8” x 8” x 6”)
• Scissors and an exacto knife
• One cardboard paper towel tube
• Single hole punch (1/8”)
• White school glue
• Washi tape
• Pipe cleaners
• Beads (we used pony beads and cut-up paper straws)
• Duct tape
• Colored paper cut into little squares (for the floor)
• Red striped fabric (or paint/color your own stripes on white fabric)
• Egg carton (cut into individual cups)
• Tempera paint
• Several small paint brushes
• Pom-poms (one large for the top of the tent)

How-To

Step 1
Prepare your box, as shown above. Use scissors to cut off the top flaps of the box. Draw an archway on all four sides, then cut each out with the exacto. Trace the circumference of the paper towel roll on the bottom of the box, in the center. Now cut out the circle on the top layer of the bottom flaps (see bottom right image). Make sure not to cut through both flaps! This is important.

Step 2
Use your hole puncher to punch holes around the top of the paper towel tube. These will be used later to attach the pipe cleaners.

Now for the fun part! Let the kids cover their paper towel roll with washi tape (this could be a fun activity even without making the tents!) The kids can either rip the tape with their fingers, or use small scissors.

Step 3
Glue the paper towel roll into the bottom of the box. Let dry overnight.

Once the frame of your tent is good and dry, string pipe cleaners through approx. half the holes at the top of the paper towel roll. Let the kids bead the cleaners until they reach the top of the box. Then use duct tape on the inside of the box to secure the other end of the pipe cleaner (we used colored duct tape to make the inside of our tents as fun as the outside). Continue beading the pipe cleaners all the way around until a roof is formed.

Step 4
Now it’s time to tile the floor. Gather up all your pieces of cut paper. Pour some glue into a little bowl and use a paint brush (I like using the ones that come with paint sets) to stick down the papers.

This is optional. You can always just squeeze straight from the glue bottle, but using a bowl and brush makes it easier to reach inside the box, plus kids tend to use less glue.

Step 5
Pour a little bit of tempera paint into a few small bowls (I used yellow, light green, pink, and light blue). Choose your roof color and paint the outside of your egg carton cup. Glue the carton cup facedown to the top of the tube. Add one big pom-pom of a different color.

Step 6
Cut out a piece of the striped fabric to fit a side of the box. Now use this as a template to cut three more. Cut a slit up the middle of each piece of fabric, making sure to stop just before reaching the top. Glue all four pieces to the sides of your box using craft glue.

Step 7
Pull back the curtains with small pieces of pipe cleaner (I simply cut a regular pipe cleaner in half).

We completed this project over the course of three days. Every day the kids arrived so excited to continue making their tents! It was a labor of love, but they never got tired of working on them. Between taping rolls, beading pipe cleaners, tiling floors, and cutting curtains, there was enough variety that each new step seemed fresh and exciting!

Oh! And the little clowns were made by the kids and my 14-year-old assistant (who happens to be my lovely daughter). I was off cleaning up and when I came back, they had found the pegs and added fabric clothes, a pom-pom hat, and a black sharpie face. You can find the materials for these wooden people at any craft store.

I hope you have a big time under the Big Top! There is nothing better than a toy made by a child’s own hands :)

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Stitch Along with Adorable Kid-Friendly Cactus Cards

It seems that everywhere I turn right now, I see a cactus. As a little girl, my grandpa always had a grouping of mini cacti growing. I can’t tell you how tempted I was to touch them, but I never did (not even the ones that looked fuzzy), because let’s face it, cacti (at least real cacti) aren’t exactly kid-friendly.

After all these years, I finally have a solution for cacti-loving kids (and grown-ups). I’ve drawn up some cute cactus friends that are much safer to play with than the kinds you have water. Thread gives texture to the cards, which little ones will love running their hands over, plus it’s a great starter craft for young stitchers. All the things I love wrapped up into one adorable craft!

What You Need

• Cactus Stitching Cards Template: download here
• Card stock
• Cardboard or styrofoam (for hole punching)
• Needle with a large eye
• Embroidery floss
• Scissors
• Tape

How-To

Step 1
Print the cards onto card stock, then cut them out. Place the card on a piece of corrugated cardboard or styrofoam and use the needle to punch a hole at the ends of each cactus needle.

Step 2
Cut a piece of embroidery floss (about 18 inches is probably good.) You can use the embroidery floss just as it comes out of the skein, or you can separate it into thinner pieces. To do this, divide the thread into two sections of three strands each. Slowly pull them apart, then let them untwist on their own.

Step 3
Tie a knot in one end of the embroidery floss and thread the other end through the needle. Sometimes the knot can pop through the hole, so it’s a good idea to secure the end with a small piece of tape on the back side of the card.

Step 4
Starting from the back, stitch through the pre-punched holes, taking the thread over each cactus needle, and threading it back through the corresponding hole.

When bringing the needle from the back to the front, I find that it’s best to flip the card over so you can see what you’re doing and so you don’t end up making extra holes.

Step 5
When you reach the end of your embroidery floss, flip the card over and secure it with a knot and another piece of tape. You’re then ready to start with another piece of thread and keep stitching!

After you’ve stitched one card, you’ll want to do more and more. You can frame them or simply stick them up on the fridge for some fun, touchable, and not-so-prickly cactus art.

Happy Cactus Crafting!

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6 Butterfly Projects to Make Your Imagination Flutter

I’ve been waiting all spring for wonderful winged things to start appearing outside our kitchen window – and I think it’s finally time! We spotted our first little white moth a couple of days ago, and I can’t wait to see what we’ll spy next! In fact, I just ordered some milkweed seeds so we can grow food for monarchs this year (get them for free here). If you or your little one have never seen a monarch, it’s definitely worth it! Those guys are the kings of the butterfly world.

Butterflies are visually stunning and there are so many ways you can add them to summer crafts. I’ve gathered up a collection of some of my favorite options to get you started. Whether it’s masks for the kids, a birthday gift for mom, or just a personal project on a quiet afternoon, time flies when you’re having fun making butterfly crafts :)

Butterfly Feeder
see tutorial at Growfglins

I would love to add one of these to our garden this year. It’s such an easy way to attract butterflies to the yard (all you have to do is fill it with sugar water!) and kids will be mesmerized watching them drink from your creation.

Butterfly Masks
see tutorial at Hattifant

Let’s see – kids love to color (at least every kid I know), and they also love to play pretend. So this quick printable looks like the perfect afternoon activity! It provides an afternoon of arts and crafts, and when they’re all done, they’ll have a dress up prop to use for future adventures!

Butterfly Tea Bag Tag
see tutorial at Craftberry Bush

I love the tradition of tea time. This whimsical tea bag tag is a super quick way to personalize a sweet gift for ladies and little girls, alike. Place it atop a teacup painted by the kiddos and your job is done.

Butterfly Canvas
see tutorial at Meg Duerksen

What a beautiful way to recycle extra paintings and all those little experiments the kids make. (We always have some things that – shhhhh – end up in recycling). However, every piece of art from your little one feels kind of special, so this colorful canvas lets you take those projects and turn them into something big and beautiful.

Paper Butterflies
see tutorial at DIY Green

Reuse magazine images, and even newspaper pieces, with a quick butterfly garden like this one. I know my girl would love to help with all of those accordion folds – and how cool would this look hanging in a window? A cool twist on the classic collage and a great project for the older kids!

Pictured at top: Butterfly Bell Jar, see the tutorial at Ruby Ju.

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Learn How To Line a Drawer Like a Pro

The party never stops at Handmade Charlotte! Especially when you’re joined by super talented party people like Barb Blair. Furniture designer, author, shop owner, and partner in crafty crime – I know I can always count on her for a good DIY time! With appearances from a few other friends throughout the day, what started as a single project turned into the craft party of the century (scroll down to see a snapshot of the entire gang!).

As you may recall, we recently spent an afternoon refinishing an absolutely stunning vintage dresser with Waverly’s new line of Inspirations Chalk Paint. Inspired by clear skies and summertime, we painted it a lovely shade of Agave blue. Once the outside of our dresser was complete, we were having too much fun to call it a day. We decided to keep the fun times going by making a beautiful fabric drawer liner, so that the inside of our piece packed just as much punch as the outside.

Lined drawers are an unexpected touch that can really liven up an entire piece from the inside out – and who doesn’t love a good surprise?! We chose this botanical fabric from Waverly’s new line available at Walmart (we thought the whimsy of it really made our dresser sing!), but Waverly has so many eye-catching patterns, you’ll have absolutely no problem finding one to perfectly fit your DIY needs. Pick our your personal favorite patterns at your local Walmart!

What You Need

• Waverly Fabric
• Craft Knife
• Mod Podge
• Waverly Inspirations Chalk Brush
• Squeegee
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Paint tray or dish

How-To

Step 1
Spread the Waverly fabric out over the top of the drawer in order to measure the length and width you will need to line the inside of the drawer.

Step 2
Using scissors, cut the fabric to size using the drawer as your guide. It is ok to leave excess fabric since you will be cutting and trimming, but just make sure the excess isn’t too much for you to manage.

Step 3
When the fabric is cut to size, apply Mod Podge to the surface of the drawer with a Waverly Paint brush. Apply liberally so that the fabric has plenty to stick to! Place the fabric inside the drawer and gently smooth it into place with your hands. Work from one side to the next to ensure that there are no wrinkles or bubbles.

Step 4
Once you have placed the fabric in the drawer and smoothed it with your hands, use a plastic squeegee to go over the entire surface for extra smoothing. Be sure to use the squeegee to push the fabric into the sides and corners of the piece.

Step 5
When the fabric is completely smoothed out and securely in place, apply a second coat of Mod Podge over the top of the fabric with a Waverly paint brush. You may use a squeegee after this as well if you would like to really smooth out the Mod Podge and make sure it gets in all of the cracks and crevices.

Step 6
When the Mod Podge is completely dry (a few hours) use a craft knife and a ruler to trim the excess fabric from the inside of the drawer. Push the ruler up as tight as it will go next to the drawer side that you are trimming, and slide your craft knife gently between the ruler and the side for a flawless cut. Be sure to freshen your blade after every cut in order to keep your cutting lines nice and clean.

Step 7
Place the finished drawer back inside the piece and fill it with treasures!

Paint + parties + pals = the perfect day :)

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