DIY Balloon Temporary Tattoos

One of my favorite things about warmer weather is putting my little ones in little tank tops! And one of my favorite things about kids wearing tank tops is covering their arms in temporary tattoos. These balloon tattoos lots of fun and the kids will absolutely love rocking them around town. You can even use them as party favors at your kiddo’s next birthday party!

To make your own, just download the PDF here and print them off onto temporary tattoo paper, then follow the instructions given with your specific paper. Generally, all you have to do is print, apply the adhesive, trim, and stick them on with a damp cloth. It’s so simple – and so gosh dang cute!

Now roll up those sleeves and enjoy :)

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You’re Invited To An Afternoon Of Painting

Let’s paint a picture: You’ve just come home from a Sunday morning at the farmer’s market, where you picked up the most beautiful bouquet of flowers you’d ever seen. You’re now sitting down amongst a pile of your favorite books for an afternoon of knitting and hot tea. How inviting does that sound? How inviting does it look? In my opinion, what really makes the scene pop is the beautiful vintage dresser painted with a lovely shade of agave blue. I was recently fortunate enough to spend an afternoon inside this decorated dreamland and experience the magic for myself. In fact, I got to play a part in creating it!

When thinking about who I wanted to be my crafting partner in testing out Waverly’s new line of Inspirations Chalk Paint, I knew just who to call! Meet my friend Barb Blair. She’s a furniture designer, author, shop owner, and all around super hero based out of Greenville, South Carolina. She’s one of my favorite people in the world and I was overjoyed to get to spend an entire afternoon of crafting and belly laughter with her.

We kicked the day off by refinishing this vintage dresser with a beautiful shade of Agave blue. I still can’t believe we only used a single jar of Waverly Chalk Paint for the entire dresser! I’m telling you – that little bottle of magic is an amazing investment. The coverage can’t be beat and the finish is smooth and seamless.

It’s impossible to do a DIY project with a friend and not find an opportunity to cut up a little!

After painting the dresser, we did a bit of distressing to create a more natural look. We then added a good coat of wax + new hardware to seal the deal. Jump over to Plaid Palette to find the step-by-step tutorial. It’s so simple and the results are mind-boggling!

Once the outside was looking snazzy, we moved on to the inside. I love a lined drawer! It’s an unexpected touch that livens up the entire piece from the inside out. This whimsical botanical Waverly fabric was too lovely to pass up. What a wonderful surprise for anybody who opens it!

As the day went on, more and more people dropped by the studio. Designers, painters, photographers, creatives of all sorts – talk about a party! A floral designer even came out to do some amazing arrangements for the shoot. Check out those bress bunny drawer pulls! Swoon!

When the makeover was complete, we got busy setting the perfect stage for this amazing project. Everybody had a hand in adding their own personal touch!

After all was said and done, we of course had to take a group shot! The day started with a project and ended with a party. That’s the best kind of day, if you ask me.

Catch the full tutorial here.

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Make Your Own Fruit and Herb Infused Ice Cubes

Creating edible crafts with kids doesn’t have to be complicated! Everyone will have a blast making these simple fruit and herb ice cubes – not to mention enjoying them in all kinds of refreshing summer sips. Fresh fruit ice cubes lend color and sweetness to everything from seltzer to homemade soda, while herbed ice cubes can add a hint of the savory to lemonade and iced tea. Mix and match fruit, herbs, and flowers for especially eye-catching drinks!

I used berries and herbs, but don’t be afraid to experiment! Citrus slices, melon, strawberries, or fresh flowers – they would all be lovely.

What You Need

• Fresh fruit, such as berries, citrus slices, or chopped tropical fruits
• Fresh herb sprigs, such as mint, thyme, tarragon, lavender, or rosemary
• Edible flowers, such as nasturtiums, violets, marigolds, chamomile, or lavender
• Filtered water
• Ice cubes trays

How-To

Step 1
Cut or trim fruit, herbs, or flowers so that they’ll fit in your ice cube tray. Arrange in the tray and fill with filtered water.

Step 2
Freeze for 6 hours or longer, then add to your favorite summer drinks.

What I love about this project is that it only takes seconds to make, meaning you can have fruit and herb cubes filling your freezer all summer long. It’s as quick and easy as filling up your ice tray!

They would be great served at an afternoon brunch, backyard evening soiree, or even just cooling the kiddos down after a day of fun in the sun. If you want to carry these on into the fall, just switch out the ingredients to match what’s in season for that time of year. I think the reds and blues of the berries that I used would be perfect a July 4th picnic!

Enjoy :)

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Back to College with the Ultimate Packing List

There’s something about this time of year that’s just a little bittersweet. Although my youngsters aren’t quite there yet, I have several friends who are about to send off kiddos to college and who are using this summer to get in as much family time as possible. It of course seems like there’s plenty of time to pack, but trust me, August will be here in the blink of an eye and knowing what grads will need in the fall now will help everything go more smoothly then.

The first step to a stress free summer is to make that packing list. You can use ours for a head start! Then, start stocking up! Target is introducing a College Registry! (you can create one here). It works just like a Wedding or Baby registry, but is 100% designed to help your grad prep for the big move! Imagine how much fun they will have running up and down the aisles, scanning all their “must-haves” onto their registries. And now take a big sigh of relief knowing that (like all Target registries) you can go online and nix all the, ahem, not-so-essential “must-haves.”

My mom’s #1 piece of advice when moving into any new place is always to set up and make your bed first thing. That way, no matter how far along you get or don’t get in the unpacking process, you at least have a place to rest your head at the end of the day. Target knows that mother knows best and has all your bedding needs covered. Most importantly, they carry that tough-to-find size “Twin Extra Long,” and have it in super cute patterns like Xhilaration Tribal Stripe Comforter Set!

• Mattress Cover
• Duvet and duvet cover or comforter set
• Twin XL sheet set
• Pillowcases
• Pillows
• Throw blanket

College eating habits are always a tricky subject. And even though most new grads have a dining hall at their disposal, ensuring they can whip up some healthy after-hours study snacks is a great idea. Knowing that they’ll constantly be on the go, it’s important to set them up with snacks that can travel. We love this Magic Bullet Blender for making healthy fruit smoothies, and a minifridge to keep those frozen fruits frosty! Also, coffee is crucial for late night study sessions. Keep it quick and easy with a Keurig K10 Mini.

• Blender
• Can opener
• Coffee maker
• Mugs
• Dish towels
• One set of dishes (bowls, plates, cups)
• Silverware
• Dishwashing soap
• Disinfecting wipes
• Microwave
• Mini fridge
• Trash bags
• Water filter pitcher

Technology can make or break a study session. Everyone knows the importance of a good “focusing” playlist and let’s face it, the “quiet” section library is not always very quiet. That’s why a good pair of headphones are the best study buddies you can have. We love these from Panasonic! And with as much as your undergrad will be using that iPhone (to call home of course!), having a Mophie Powerstation Mini iPhone Battery Charger tucked away for emergencies is a brilliant idea.

• Laptop
• Headphones like these little guys: Panasonic ErgoFit Plus
• iPod/MP3 player
• Batteries
• Camera
• Chargers (phone, laptop, camera, etc.)
• Portable phone charger like this one: Mophie Powerstation Mini iPhone Battery Charger
• Ethernet cable
• Extension cords
• External hard drive
• Flash drives
• Surge protectors

Yes, the big move can be difficult. But Target’s new College Registry makes it quicker, easier, and a whole lot more fun for everyone. Bring it on, brave new world!

Get their dorm room ready. Create a registry at Target for your college-bound grad.

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DIY Flower Cards for Mother’s Day

What says “you’re special to me” quite like a beautiful bouquet of flowers? How about a homemade bouquet! Mother’s Day is less than a week away and DIY Flower Cards are the perfect way to celebrate mom and to show her just how much she means to you. Handwritten cards are always a wonderful gesture and writing them on pretty paper flowers make them that much more meaningful. The tutorial is simple and the sentiment is sweet. Plus, these flowers stay fresh and hold their color all year ’round.

Follow along and learn how to make your very own bouquet of flower cards for Mother’s Day!

What You Need

• 1 presentation board (11″x 14″ – you could also use thick paper)
• Craft knife
• Pencil
• Paint brushes
• Your favorite colored paints

How-To

Step 1
Grab your presentation board (or paper) and use your pencil to draw three large flowers. Nothing in nature is perfect, so don’t fret about too precise. The final bouquet will also have more character if the flowers look unique from each other, so mix it up with several different kinds of blooms!

Once drawn, cut your flowers out with scissors.

Step 2
Now it’s time paint! Give life to your flowers with your (or your mom’s!) favorite colors. Again, petals aren’t perfect, so use that to your creative advantage. Once your flowers look how you want them to, sit them aside and let dry.

Step 3
Once completely dry, flip your flower over so that the blank side is facing you and write a special note to your mom.

And that’s that! I made these with Mother’s Day in mind, but honestly they would be a lovely gift for any occasion, any time of year. Just tweak the colors and the varieties of flowers according to the season or holiday.

Happiest of Mother’s Days everyone!

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Recycled Pizza Box Car Garage

Does your kid like cars? My preschooler just adores them! He owns dozens of toy cars and you’ll often find us racing them around our living room or through the park. Today’s craft was inspired by his passion for wee sets of wheels. I made him a two-story parking garage from two everyday materials. (Can you guess what they are?) Now he has a great place to store and park his vehicles!

Here’s how I did it!

What You Need

• Clean, unused pizza box
• 2 paper towel rolls
• Craft paint (black, white, blue)
• Paint brushes
• Scissors
• Craft knife
• Stapler
• Hot glue
• Cutting mat
• Toy cars
• Optional: styrofoam block, skewers

How-To

Step 1
Cut your pizza box in half so that the lid and the bottom are separated. Cut the sides off of your lid so that the top is just one flat surface and paint (use black paint for the “concrete” and white paint for the parking spaces).

Step 2
Now paint the bottom of your pizza box. (Use a stapler to first secure any loose bits.)

Step 3
Use a craft knife to cut out a rectangular ramp in the center of the bottom piece. (Make sure to only cut three sides of the rectangle so that it remains attached.)

Step 4
Now grab your paper towel rolls. Cut each in half and paint. (To prevent them from rolling around while painting, I stuck skewers into a large styrofoam block and dried the rolls on those.)

Step 5
Hot glue your cardboard rolls onto the corners of the lower level of your garage.

Step 6
Flip the boxes upside down and hot glue the rolls to the upper level of your garage.

Step 7
Hot glue and secure the end of your ramp to the lower level. Also, hot glue small pieces of cardboard around the ramp’s opening to prevent cars from falling off the edge (see above).

That’s it! You’ve successfully transformed a pizza box into a cute car garage!

My son absolutely loves this toy. At first he parked his cars nicely into the parking spaces, but after a while he started racing cars down the ramp and landing airplanes on the top level. He even brought in his construction vehicles to “build” a bigger garage with a fire station on the top floor! Wowzers. I love seeing him involved in such great imaginary play.

Happy making, friends!

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Our Favorite Toys For Little Learners

Summer is upon us and I could not be more excited! You know why? Yes yes, I of course can’t wait for all that fun in the sun – but the arrival of summer also means we’re one step closer to (drumroll please)… back-to-school shopping! It’s one of my absolute favorite things in the world. Every year I think long and hard about where to find new ways to keep things exciting for my little ones in the classroom. This year, I hit the jackpot! S&S Worldwide is a treasure trove for educational toys and creative learning. Their products are well-designed and educational, and some even come with their very own lesson plans! What more could a homeschooling maker mama ask for? I couldn’t wait to share these with you, so I’ve put together a toy box of sorts, filled with a few of my favorite finds that we’re definitely going to be working into both our planning and play.

Circle Foam Magnetic Maze
Approx. $17

Mazes have always mesmerized me! Once I start, I can’t stop until I’ve finally reached the finish line. This one uses a magnetic wand to help kids abracadabra their way through a test of logic, coordination, and concentration. Bonus points: the underside is transparent, meaning that with each different surface you play on, it creates a new eye-catching experience. A-maze-ing!

Jumbo Dominoes
Approx. $25 (set of 28) 

What’s more fun than dominoes? JUMBO dominoes! Incorporate these extra-large play pieces into math lessons to help little ones get a more hands-on grasp of numbers. Little learners can use them for basic counting purposes, and older guys can use them for help with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Wooden Balloon Powered Boat Craft Kit
Approx. $30 (pack of 12) 

Who says you can’t mix science and art? Balloon boats not only let kids get their hands colorful with paint, but also serve as a tiny introduction to physics. The air from the balloons power the boats, sending them sailing through streams, pools, bathtubs, etc. We live on a lake and I already know there will be many a boat race in our future.

Handmade Charlotte Stitchable House
Approx. $38 (pack of 12) 

Handmade Charlotte Stitchables are a double win! Kids can create something beautiful and lasting (perhaps a Mother’s Day gift, wink wink?), while also honing their hand-eye coordination. Use stitchables as ornaments, bookmarks, doorknob decorations – anything you want!

 

Flexible Wooden Snakes Craft Kit
Approx. $16 (pack of 12)

Here’s some more crafty science for you! Perfect for a lesson on rain forests, reptiles, or the food chain, kids can paint them to match the coloration of their favorite slithery species.

Pictured at top: Balancing Cactus Game, Approx. $30

Who knew cacti could be fun to play with? Not only is this one adorable to look at, but it also challenges children’s strategic skills. Here how it goes: the player who can build the entire cactus without making it topple over wins! You can also make it an exercise in teamwork by having kids put their heads together to figure out how to conquer this prickly puzzle.

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