I don't have much to say about this beyond .... hello!!! How freakin' cool???? You only need approx ... ummm... 400 milk jugs. But I think a classroom of small humans might create that many in a month! Care of Tinkerlab.
Showing posts with label
Kid craft
I don't have much to say about this beyond .... hello!!! How freakin' cool???? You only need approx ... ummm... 400 milk jugs. But I think a classroom of small humans might create that many in a month! Care of Tinkerlab.
You know those framed prints that take up oodles of space at thrift stores? The ones of basset hounds, fox hunts, manor houses and historic street scenes? The ones no one really wants, even though they're 50c? Well next time you see one, buy it. Then add food coloring to bubbles and let your kids turn it into art! Complete tutorial at Life As a Thrifter.
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| Original images via the Farmer's Nest - Collage by me. Please use kindly |
One day I will have to round up all the amazing DIY/Re-do play kitchens I've seen ... the transformations never cease to dazzle me! This one is care of The Farmer's Nest - please click through for the complete how-to. (via Life As a Thrifter)
Great tutorial ... because who doesn't want to make a flutter / swarm / rabble / kaleidoscope of wind-up Monarchs??
Most of Ms Ro's clothes are hand-me-downs or consignment/thrift store buys. Because Ms K is thrifty. And because Ro grows out of everything so fast, what's the point? One BIG issue is the shift from season to season. Example: I bought a 4-pack of beautiful long-sleeved onesies (babygrows) from a Carter's outlet ($5 for 4!) ... that Ro hardly wore because they were too big. Since most of them were in good condition, I didn't want to just pass them on! So, I combined them and turned them into summer swing tops. I want them to last a while, so just cutting off the bottom and sleeves was not enough. My goal was to make them wider too. That way, when they start getting a little short, it won't matter as much. This is not a great tutorial I'm afraid. My "demo" onesie ended up a mess because I got distracted mid-project. But here's what I can show you.
Winter in the midwest is long ... when you have a kid, it's interminable. I had no idea!! So we asked relatives to get us a membership to the Chicago Children's Museum (good way to minimize how much stuff we got for her first birthday). We figured it would help us get out of the house and give the wee person a place to run around and be crazy. We thought we were being pretty smart at the time. With hindsight, it was a genius decision! I love the place. It's welcoming, stimulating and, above all, constantly surprising. Since the focus is on tactile experience, we spend a lot of time *doing* stuff. But the last time we were there, I spent some time just looking ... and guess what I saw? Repurposing, recycling and ingenius refashioning everywhere! So here's a taste.
He's inspired by a book and he's made of old t-shirts and scrap fabric. And the tutorial/pattern is offered free by MeSewCrazy. I'd say he deserves center-stage on this blog.
Do you love buttons? Do you store them in jars? Me too. How about storing them in a way that's a little more visual? How about a little button art that allows you to actually use the buttons when/if you need them?
Behold ... the humble button tree. This is a first attempt - there will be a "Round 2" in the near future because I have another idea...
Unlike trees, little hands grow very fast ... so catch 'em while you can! Trace them onto fabric and use modge podge and your stash of scraps to make the leaves. This simple, beautiful "kid craft" is from a mom who "hates kid's crafts" because "five minutes after they have created something, I want to throw it away. I just don't like the clutter." Amen. Thanks to Kalleen At Second Street.
When last did you whittle a whistle by the light of a gas lamp? Or carve a carrot by the wood stove? Duo Fiberworks is literally rekindling (!) these lost arts ... with some serious updating! Pretend "cut-able wood veggies" are trendy toddler toys right now. So, grab the nearest twig, your carving knife and some velcro and get crafty.
Arvind Gupta thinks “The best thing a child can do with a toy is break it!”
I don’t even know where to start with this one. His web site boasts an astonishing range of educational experiments like how to fashion a potato battery and a bottle barometer. But in addition to the nerdy, educational stuff, the site features quick and easy one-offs that aren't the least bit science-y, like how to fold six types of newspaper hat.