diy toddler gift {for around $10}

 

There is a crazy cute young lady in my life that celebrated a birthday back in February. Due to crazy schedules (both mine and mama's) it took a few months to get together and this little gift I cobbled up waited ever so patiently for its new home.

It's like a super pretty busy basket...wait it is a super pretty busy basket. Most of the items inside can be found at your local dollar or discount store. The most costly items in the basket were the bowls and that is only because at a $1.99 each I purchased three of them (how could I not?) at my local World Market.

 

Now here is the thing you may or may not believe...two of these items are cat toys. Cat toys! Who knew? 

*The little rattan (heehee...that one is for you Za!) balls were in the pet section at my Dollar Tree. They come 4 to a pack and I bought a few packs because I really liked the colors and I may have made a garland out of them (I really need to photograph the August and soon-to-be September bed). They are perfectly sized for little hands and too big for little mouths. I thought the balls would be fun to pair up with the bowls as they are a perfect match. They also roll nicely...so there.  

*The clothespins I had in my stash so I am not including their cost in this diy. I included six and tied them with a length of velvet ribbon for texture. Loose ribbon is not safe for wee ones so make sure it is retied  and quadruple knotted to some other object so that kiddo can touch and feel but not chew and swallow or get tangled in it.

*The pom-poms are also cat toys and not a recommended size for wee ones unless you know the wee one really well. They were another happy collection of color and they sparkled.

 

*The wee wooden bowls are from World Market and cost $1.99 a piece. I use these in my classroom all the time and they are just so great for sorting, stacking, and dramatic play. They are also simply beautiful and it doesn't hurt to have beautiful things available for little hands to play with.

*The basket was a thrift store find and cost me fifty cents. Fifty cents! For reals! If you are not a thrifter you can find small baskets of a little less quality at your dollar store. I highly recommend thrifting though. It's good for both your pocketbook and the environment so why not?

*The little soft doll was something I made for a swap years ago. I made a bunch of them for the shop as well but they did not sell so now I gift them. I may have a few left and can list them if you think it is something you are interested in. Just give me a shout! 

*I bought the poms to use with a small container for fine motor play. The container used to house peanuts in it. The nuts were added to our giant jar of trail mix and the canister was thoroughly cleaned. If you are gifting this to a household with a nut allergy, find a different kind of container. Even though this has been cleaned out there is always a possibility for contamination. Better to be safe than sorry. I went for the smallest I could find with a lid so that it would fit in my basket. After washing and drying, the container was covered in happy paper. The lid had a hole cut into it just a smidge smaller than the poms. The plastic of the lid is super soft so the cut edges are smooth and will not bite little fingers. If your lid is testy, use washi tape around the inside edges to soften it up.

*Lastly in the basket is a quartet of washcloths also from the Dollar Tree. The cloths can be used for peek-a-boo and/or stuffed into the basket, etc. Wash them in a gentle organic soap (Dr. Bronner's is a lovely brand) before gifting.

This little bottle of fun did not fit into the basket but I really wanted to include it because it is fun and pretty! I used a Martinelli's blood orange juice bottle because it's what I had on hand. The beverage is super tasty and often on sale at the market and is both small and double walled (another classroom favorite...it crinkles all on its own). All the bits of happy inside came from home...rice, beads, sparkly pipe cleaners, and buttons. Give the inside of the cap a dose of tacky glue before putting on to hold it in place and keep the happy bits safely away from the happy kiddo.

There you go, hopefully a basket full of inspiration for you to make for your own wee one or as a gift for another. Just make sure it is safe, age appropriate and allergen free. Happy almost Fall!

diy paint splattered bowls

 

We made these super cool bowls for our Mother's Day gifts. Thy turned out so ridiculously happy and cool that I think I am going to do them again next year. It may be our classroom thing.

First we had to shape our bowls. Our bowls are made of sculpey clay. Each kiddo used half of a small sculpey block to create their bowl. To begin, they were given the clay and encouraged to play with it to soften it up. Then they placed their piece of clay between two layers of wax paper and used a rolling pin to squish it as flat as they could get it. Some of the children asked for help when it came to flattening their clay. The sculpey is a bit hard compared to play dough. After they flattened their clay they then used their hands and fingers to shape it into a bowl. The idea was to create a small catch-all for mama's keys, coins, or jewelry. The bowls were places on a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper underneath. I wrote their names below their bowls and attached a small piece of masking tape with their names as well. The tape would come off before baking and was placed just in case the bowls got mixed up in transit. I took the bowls home to bake according to the instructions on the package and they came out gorgeous! Sculpey, while the not the most price-friendly option made for a really pretty and modern looking bowl. The clay bakes to a matte finish. It's really cool!

We painted the bowls and our gift wrap two days later. This was done two weeks before Mother's Day as one never knows what they day may bring in preschool. To paint our bowls I set up a splatter paint station in our room, using a large vinyl tablecloth as a backdrop. As a group we discussed what colors were were going to use (keeping it to three) and decided on gold, pink, and black. The kiddo in my class love the gold paint! As the children played about the room, I would ask them if they were ready to paint their bowls. We would place their bowl onto our large sheet of white paper and they would get to splattering away. This was a first for all of my kiddos and they had a blast. Before each would have a turn we would look at our paper and decide what section needed paint and the kiddo would place their bowl in that section. Doing this one at a time created a special activity for each child, yet knowing that the happy paint splattered paper was a result of all of their efforts created a feeling of group effort and community. The next day the children flipped their bowls over and got to more splattering.

We wrapped our bowls the last day of class before Mother's Day. Before we cut the paper, the children had to measure to see if they could fit their bodies on it. We used photos to document their scientific discovery and they may have had more fun lying on the paper than painting it. For wrapping their bowls, we used tissue paper (they chose their tissue color) to wrap the bowl first. I explained to the children that their bowls were very precious and delicate like glass. They took me very seriously and wrapped them up oh-so-carefully. I added pre-torn pieces of hot pink scotch tape to the table edges for the children to tape up their packages. The tape did not have a dispenser and the children have a trying time getting the tape off themselves. Those that can and wish to do their own tape tearing and/or cutting.

 

 

 

So there you have it! Our paint splattered bowls that we made back in May for Mother's Day. Happy splatters, pretty bowls, lovely wrapping, and joyful kiddos. This can totally be an anytime project!

father's day diy: wooden key chain/gift tag

So you've arted up some gift wrap for Dad's favorite candy bars now all you need is a nifty gift tag. Why not make the gift tag a part of the gift by turning it into a keychain?

Small packs of wooden discs can be found at your local craft store for very little. You can use a hammer and nail to create the hole or get all power tool happy and use a drill with a small bit. Grab a handful of discs and add a hole to each one.

Attaching the keyring can be tricky if your discs are compromised. One of our discs cracked but the rest were good. You can also use a short length of ball chain instead of a classic key ring.

Your children can paint up the discs are get a bit happy with markers.

Aren't they nifty? Happy Almost-Father's Day!

Holiday Countdown: loverly wrapped bottles

I know it has been done before but look how cool a small grouping of similarly colored yarn bottles look. The best part, is that they are super duper easy to make and adaptable to any holiday gathering. They make a great gift for family as well! Centerpiece anyone?

You will need:
*assortment of glass bottles or jars (cans will work as well)
*glue that dries clear
*yarn

scrumdilly-do it!

Wash and dry your bottles and/or cans and gather up yer supplies.Squeeze a liberal amount of glue all over the bottom portion of your bottle. Use your finger to coat.Beginning with the bottom of your vessel, start wrapping your yarn around and around pulling a tad tightly as you wrap (I held the jar upside down while wrapping). The yarn can overlap previous wrappings but won't stick unless there is a lot of glue. Because we are using one color, the wrapping can be as neat or as wonky as you want. It all looks pretty festive. You can work with shorter lengths of yarn or from the ball. If you need more yarn, cut another length and add a dollop of glue to the end, press down next to where the previous strand ended and begin wrapping again.The more uniform in shape the bottle or can is, the easier it will be to wrap. You may want to work with cans if your kidlets are under age 8 or perfectionists. If your jar slopes inward at the bottom, begin your glue and wrapping a little higher, otherwise the yarn will slip under and there will be a lot of frustration (not like I'm speaking from experience or anything, ahem.)Super fat yarn would work very well for your younger tots. You can add button, sequins or pom-pom decorations when your jars are dry if you like. Plastic bottles may not hold your glue as well as the glass. Use eight smaller jars and you can turn this into a Menorah!

If your kidlet is having trouble holding the bottle and wrapping. Plop it over the handle of a wooden spoon and plop that into a wad of play clay, or can anchored with wads of paper inside to prevent slipping.

holiday countdown: make a garland to give or to keep

Earlier today I made myself a happy felty garland and wondered, how could I tweak this so that kidlets can make one? After a quick peek at what craft supplies were out in the open, I came up with this nifty piece of garland goodness that can be made for any holiday throughput the year.

The key to this craft is maintaining some control over the supplies. While I am usually all for an open ended art experience, I think something can be said to give parameters. You can call it a challenge if you like or call it a "Same But Different" project. Set out your supplies and delight in what your kidlet comes up with.

You will need:

*2 small paper lunch sacks
*scissors
*tacky or fabric glue
*scrap lace
*old felted sweater
*length of bias tape
*safety pins

scrumdilly-do it:

Gather your supplies and set them up on a large flat surface. A kitchen table is perfect for this. Depending on the age of your child you may wish to cut your lace pieces and wool scraps for them. Cutting all pieces up in an assortment of sizes and setting them out in a muffin tin may get your child rearing to go.Cut your sacks into three pieces. I chose paper bags as they are a little bit more sturdy than plain white paper plus the color is different and just a tiny bit fancy-like. Since you are cutting each bag into three pieces, this will determine how many bags you need for your garland. You may wish to hack up a dozen or so bags and set them out for your kidlet to work with. Some kids get into the zone and will work until all supplies are depleted. Fold the top part of each piece under a little bit and ask that your kidlets go to town just under the crease. This will leave a clear spice for pinning or sewing your bias tape on.Set out you sack pieces in a grid format and challenge your kidlet to decorate each flag the same but different. They will be using the same supplies but how can they make each flag look like an original piece of art. Give them a happy tube of glue and let them go for it. When using wool or felt, I find that Aileen's Tacky glue works best. General use white glue soaks into th felt and does not stick at all. If you do not have a fabric glue, limit your materials to non-felty pieces. Once your child has finished creating their art, set aside to dry.When your pieces are dry, unfurl your length of bias tape and play with the pieces to get the spacing and order how you want it. Your kidlet will probably enjoy this part as well.Once you both are satisfied with the order, use your safety pins to pin each flag to the bias tape.** Once all pieces are pinned you can hang up your garland and do a happy dance! Check out scrumdillydilly for the grown-up version of this project!

**paper bags work well with a sewing machine if you wish to jazz up your bunting a wee bit more. You can also use brads and a hole punch or fun colorful staples. I just liked the way the safety pins looked. Also, these little flags of fun would look nice framed or stapled onto the cover of a blank notebook. There are all sorts of things you and your kidlets can do with them. Have fun and don't forget to add your pictures to the flickr group!

Not Made in China

I was working on a post with links and ideas and such for holiday gifts from the heart when I came across Amy of angry chicken's post. She has written it out so clearly all the thoughts in my head and so I urge you to wander over to her post for a looksie. You may also want to check out Etsy for other handmade options for your wee ones and of course, take a gander at my new fab matching game.Other links and shops and such:

Moolka Toys
Oompa Toys
eeboo
Rosie Hippos
The Daily Green
Parent Dish
Family Fun Handmade Gift Ideas
The Toymaker's Paper Toys
DIY Kids