My 2.5-year-old Oliver loves rockets. He calls them rocket-planes because they fly like planes; they don’t sail like ships. Der. He sees rockets in everything from a water bottle to a random pile of blocks loosely dropped into a pointed formation. So naturally I invented a rocket craft for my book…and after scouring the web for my competition, I’d say it’s pretty original. Alas, I can’t post it yet, so here are a few other ideas that I heart that aren’t the typical cardboard tubes and streamer flames.
Rockets live so naturally on a garland, like the one above from Guusjes Appeltaart, a Dutch blog. She made stamps of rockets, stars, and flying saucers to create these gorgeous forms. I just love them.
Bonus points go to a rocket craft that can actually fly, like this cute project found on Dollar Store Crafts. You blow through the straw to make it soar through the air. Big fun.
Here is the elegant version of a rocket craft…those gold letters really take it up a notch! Apparently it’s a party favor (so says the blog, My Garden Party).
Rockets make natural bookmarks because of their shape, like this one that I saw on Pinterest. Add a little weaving lesson that doubles as flames and you’re ready for take off.
Now why haven’t we seen this idea a gazillion times? It’s genius…a cardboard rocket “playhouse”. And notice, the aliens are made from bottle tops. It’s pretty amazing and really gets me thinking about how I would do it. Nice work, Se7en!
ps…I promise to come back next week with a recap of Sommer’s 1st birthday party, as promised! It’s been a crazy week of book production!
I’m so attracted to maps, both for the actual use (navigation) and for their design and craft aesthetic. Obviously I’m not alone in this, as maps have been decoupaged on everything from coasters to lampshades. But these crafts, like this amazing map dress by Elisabeth Lecourt, are taking maps to new destinations…sorry, it had to be said!
This looks crazy hard I know, but I think the artist just covered this cardboard deer head in maps. Love. Found via Babble.
This could be a very cool abstract embroidered design, but it’s actually the Paris Metro system. By Needle & Compass on Etsy.
I love the link between transportation and navigation with this folded paper map boat by d. Sharp Journal.
A travel scrapbook made with map pages? Yes. Found via Scrapbook.com.
Ok, so I’m ending with the decoupaged map chair found via Pins for Your Home because I just love it.
This is so very much how I feel right now! So much so, that I’ll come back tomorrow with the full update from my daughter’s birthday party! (You can buy this cute tote on Handmade and Craft on Etsy.)
I saw this adorable fabric play money on Estefi Machado’s blog (one of my favorite craft blogs that happens to be in Portugese), and it inspired a search for other clever homemade play money. She used a really cool technique…she coated a piece of cotton in spray mount, let it dry, then ran it through the printer. (At least this is how I understood the google translation.) Being on fabric save them from wrinkles and rips. Here are a few other clever DIY money crafts that caught my eye…
These homemade wooden coins by Lil Blue Boo are super cute: I love that they are in denominations of treats, rather than money amounts.
What’s better than a kid seeing her own mug in the center of currency? I love the iron-on and stitched details of this homemade play money.
If you are about to embark upon a week of kids at home (aka wild abandon) for spring break, maybe a few of these 10 ideas from my recent Mom.me story will inspire you! (And while you’re there, check out all the great things that Mom.me has to offer!)
Missing the beach in a bad way? Bring it home with this easy homemade recipe of flour and vegetable oil.
Too cold for a backyard camp out? Instead, camp in with a homemade tent in the living room!
I just realized that as I’m uploading the above photo collage to this post, I’m smiling. It’s been a crazy morning: husband and 2-year-old son make pancakces for 1-year-old daughters first birthday (picture it: egg yolk running down face of kitchen cabinets), son throws tantrum over wanting to be with work-at-home mommy and not scootering with nanny, and then just the on-going stress of crafting my 100-craft, insane (but awesome) book. Serious first-world problems here, but still, I’ve been a slight ball of tension for the last 2 hours.
And then I spot this photo on Flavor Wire. Romania-based photographer Alexandra Sandu’s technique in The Daydreamers Project is to place subjects against a colorful pastel background and ask them to close their eyes and think of something cheerful. She snaps a photo, and ahhh…images of Zen. She began the project in September 2009, and her goal is to document 1,000 daydreamers. This boy makes me particularly happy…adults seem to look forward or to turn their faces downward, but he turns it up…a true expression of joy!
Maybe this is a good exercise for us all to do…think of what brings you the most happiness and have someone take your photo with your eyes closed. When your problems start to plague you, first-world or other, glance at the photo for a reminder of your happy place.
I save every jar, every lid, every bottle cap…my husband is about to go insane! But if ever there is a post to prove that my obsessive hoarding of trash has a point, it’s this one. Here are 6 lovely, clever ways to upcycle jar lids.
This fringe technique that Design*Sponge is showing is what makes these lids looks so smooth and perfect. Love.
I love people that embroider the unexpected, like these lovely jar lids that I found on Pinterest.
What I love about this amazing owl craft found via Recycled Aw Blog is that the lid isn’t painted, covered, or disguised in any way.
Are you serious? You can bake a tart in jar lids? I would probably never do it, but that’s just amazing. Found via Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body.
I’ve seen a gazillion jar lights, but never have I seen a light with just the lid. Found via Pinterest.
What? I know. Sounds impossible. But look how gorgeous these eggs by Inna Forostyuk are. This is the last of my Easter egg posts this year, so I thought I’d end with a doozy. You can learn how to make a simpler, but still magnificent, version of them on Design*Sponge.
We are just 3 days away from the official Spring kick-off…Easter. By now you should have made some eggs or planned what you were going to make on Sunday, but if you don’t have more specialty craft supplies on hand like rubber cement or candy sprinkles, then just use your basic craft supplies…Tim Gunn would say it’s a make-it-work moment!
Colored pencils on eggs by Fine Little Day—seriously simple, seriously gorgeous.
It doesn’t have to be Easter to get the hankering to craft a bunny. But you do have to have pom-poms on hand to make any bunny craft worth his weight in carrots. Whether it’s the whole body, the tail, or just the nose, listen up: pom-pom(s) required. Here are some of my faves…
This cutie-patootie little bow-tied cupcake topper bunny by Oh Happy Day is just the perfect amount of cute.
Not for the faint of craft, this pom-pom bunny by Jennifer Murphy is lovingly described in 18 “simple” steps.
Sweet and simple…I’m in love with this book-page and pom-pom bunny by Dekotante Rock My Home.
Just the noses…that’s all the pom-pom you need to give these envelope bunnies a soft touch. By Martha Stewart.
What a clever little party favor! Give your Easter guests a pom-pom necklace buy displaying it as the tail of a paper bunny. By B. Jane Brewing.
Bonus points go to a rocket craft that can actually fly, like this cute project found on Dollar Store Crafts. You blow through the straw to make it soar through the air. Big fun.
Here is the elegant version of a rocket craft…those gold letters really take it up a notch! Apparently it’s a party favor (so says the blog, My Garden Party).
Rockets make natural bookmarks because of their shape, like this one that I saw on Pinterest. Add a little weaving lesson that doubles as flames and you’re ready for take off.
Now why haven’t we seen this idea a gazillion times? It’s genius…a cardboard rocket “playhouse”. And notice, the aliens are made from bottle tops. It’s pretty amazing and really gets me thinking about how I would do it. Nice work, Se7en!
