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June 19, 2019
Decor, DIY Home, Everyday Crafts, Older Elementary, Vehicles, Yarn & Fabric
There’s that phrase that I’m sure you’ve heard…it’s like riding a bike, meaning you’ll never forget how to do it. I’m one of those people that took a pretty loooong break in the bike-riding department.
I never really owned a bike as an adult until I met my husband. Obviously I biked around as a kid, but we lived on an insanely hilly street with a lot of through-traffic so it was really just me riding in circles around the driveway. So I never really used a bike to actually GO anywhere.
Michael was an avid cyclist when we met, doing 100-mile rides upstate, out of the city. He convinced me to get a bike of my own, and so I did, complete with biking shoes that clip into the pedals (I went hardcore right away)! We started cycling together and I loved it. I had been a runner, having done a few half marathons and one marathon, so I was accustomed to the long-distance effort that bike-riding took.
On one gorgeous day in September of 2008, we took what we thought was going to be an easy ride up to Yonkers and back down to Brooklyn, but we found ourselves a bit off track (this was pre-iPhone for us!) and had to carry our bikes over train tracks, through the woods, and up a hill to get back to known territory. We kind of laughed our way through it, and when we got home, Michael was all lovey, telling me how proud he was of me (not in a patronizing way), and then, he proposed. Ring and all…standing there in our living room in full spandex. No rose petals or champagne…just sweat and bike grease. It was perfect.
So this long and rambling story is all to say that now, I have a fondness for bicycles, for biking with our kids, and even for watching the Tour de France, which I had never paid attention to before Michael. (I had no idea what the word peloton was!) Watching the whole Tour de France is quite a feat (almost, but not quite, like riding in it), but even if you show your kids a few stages and explain the effort, it’s a great lesson in practice and perseverance.
Most don’t realize that cycling is not a solo sport—it’s team-oriented and is all about project management. You have to allow one person to lead, and then share that role over the course of the race. It’s all about cohesion, knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and open communication—all lessons that we all can learn from. (For more detail check out this post.)
The Tour de France 2019 starts on July 7th this year and you can watch the final stage on July 28th. Here’s a fun list of facts you can teach your kids about when, where, and how this famous bike race began!
When I wrote Project Kid: Crafts that Go!, a book about vehicles, I obviously had to make a bike craft. The inspiration for this one came to me one day while I was painstakingly place Perler beads in a circle with Sommer. Here’s what you need to make this miniature DIY bicycle…
1. To make the bike’s tires, place black beads all around the outer ring of the bead form. Add spokes by creating a six-point asterisk with the teal beads, leaving the center hole empty.
2. Following the instructions on the bead packaging, have an adult fuse the beads together using parchment paper and an iron; let cool completely. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to make a second tire. Remove the fused beads from the form.
3. Download and print the bike template and place on the cardboard. Tape parchment paper over it.
4. Insert straight pins into the ten marked points on the template.
5. Thread yarn through the center hole of one wheel, and begin wrapping the yarn around the pins to create the bike form, following the numbers on the template.
6.Work your way over to the second wheel and thread the yarn through. Continue wrapping around the pins, following the numbers on the template.
7. Once the frame is completed, knot the yarn and trim the end.
8. Use a paintbrush to apply a generous coat of tacky glue to the yarn, and let it dry. Remove the pins and flip over to apply an additional coat of glue to the back of the yarn if needed.
Excerpted from Project Kid: Crafts that Go! by Amanda Kingloff (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2016. Photographs by Alexandra Grablewski.
June 4, 2019
Early Elementary, Everyday Crafts, Holidays, Jewelry and Fashion, Older Elementary, St. Patrick's Day, Tween to Teen, Yarn & Fabric
As a kid, I remember the excitement when my BFF Traci and I got our Best Friend heart necklaces…you know the ones: The right says “BE FRI” and the left says “ST ENDS.” If that were us today, I’m certain we’d post a boomerang of the heart halves coming together and going apart.
I still love the broken heart necklace, and it is seen in so many forms these days (like this adorable DIY kit from Fair Play Projects). So I thought I’d come up with another, but I wanted something that could also stand alone with its own magic.
With National Best Friends Day approaching on June 8th, you have plenty of time this week to get your craft on! Your kids can make these rainbow charms into two bracelets, two necklaces, or, if you want to keep the whole rainbow to yourself (understandable), as two earrings. Here’s how we did it…
What you’ll need:
Trace the 2 1/4″ circle on one piece of felt. Move down a 1/4″ each time using the circle stencils. If you don’t have this circle template, you can also gather lids from around the house to trace.
Cut out the circles.
Cut the circles in half.
Glue the half circles on top of each other, making sure to line up the bottom straight edge.
Cut the rainbow in half.
Cut the bottom wedge out of each side. (Because the pieces of the felt end up to be so small and delicate, it’s easier to glue them as larger pieces and cut them down, rather than vice versa.)
Cut out white clouds from felt and glue them to the bottom corner (I doubled mine for extra cloudiness.)
Glue the necklace string to the back top of the rainbow and secure with a small square of felt.
You can make your rainbow the traditional ROYGBIV, or go out on your own and mix it up.
May 28, 2019
Decor, Early Elementary, Kids Rooms, Older Elementary, Preschool, Toddler, Uncategorized
(image sources clockwise from top right Ruta Vitasson, Blesser House, Pinterest, and Momma Design)
When you’re little, there’s nothing better than something being “kid-sized”, especially if it’s a hideout. The adult world can feel so big and a space your size feels special. We’ve collected eleven creative ways to transform whatever spare space you have—be it a closet or a corner— into a kid centric clubhouse.
1.
A personal ball pit is definitely every kids’ dream come true! With a sliver of space under the stairs, Momma Society managed to make room for both kinetic and artistic play.
2.
For a cozier space under the stairs Daffodil Design adds polk dots, pennants, and a pile of pillows. The coloring book panels on the wall are a fun way to invite mini muralists to leave their mark.
3.
This closet reading loft requires a little more handy work, but Bigger Than the Three of Us shares their step by step method. With clothes hanging at child height, this diy might even encourage your kids to help keep their closets clean (no promises though).
4.
A small closet can still make a big impact with a set of shelves and some whimsical wall art. This pinterest project could look equally cool with jungle vines or a sea of tropical fish – depending on where your child wants to be transported.
5.
A different decorating option is a rotating gallery of your child’s framed artwork or favorite book jackets. As their tastes change, so can the wall. Via Shabby Nest
6.
If your kids do have an enduring favorite, it can be truly magical to bring it to life. Blesser House’s Narnia reading nook is a child’s fantasy hidden within an elegant armoire. (Just make sure that the furniture is attached to the wall for safety!)
7.
If closet space is at a premium, helllooo New York, it’s still possible to create a cozy nook. When playtime is over, simply fold up this cardboard cottage and slide it out of sight. She Knows shows you how.
8.
A curtain and a corner are all you need to create a room out of thin air. Twinkly lights add to the fairy feel. Via Mommo Design
9.
Another way to take advantage of a corner is to define it with a coat of paint. Ruta Vitasson’s monochromatic palette elevates this kids area but the collection of soft fabrics and friends keep it from feeling cold.
10.
If you’re lucky enough to have a loft, follow Design Mom‘s lead and give it to the family members who can actually fit in it comfortably. Your kids will adore having their own castle in the clouds.
11.
This last space is probably the most daydream worthy of all. If your kids had access to this carpeted cocoon you’d might not ever see them again! Image via Hongikat
May 23, 2019
ad, Early Elementary, Everyday Crafts, Older Elementary, Toys, Uncategorized, Upcycled
Thanks to Brother for sponsoring this post and providing us crafters with a new tool for our trade!
At Project Kid we love all types of transportation toys, but none spark imagination quite like a rocket ship. Encourage your kids to shoot for the moon with this DIY star ship. In a few years you may not even need to be an astronaut to leave earth, but for now your kids can sail through space from your living room.
We engineered our rocket ship with a few basic supplies but when we started using the P-touch Embellish Tape and Ribbon Printer, it took the project to a whole other level of the atmosphere! Your little one can personalize the fins and flames with 9 patterned tapes, and more than 10 solid colors, plus 14 fonts and over 400 symbols. When they’re done they’ll be able to recognize their ship from a million galaxies away
What you’ll need:
Watch this video to learn how to make a rocket of your own and following along with the steps below!
1. Pull the sock over the glue bottle and trim any excess, then glue edges to the bottom of the glue bottle. Wrap and glue a 2-inch wide band of felt around the bottle.
2. Trace the bottle top twice on felt and cut out circles. Cut two more matching circles out of the silver tape and trim them down to fit within the felt circles (adhere tape to wax paper to make it easier to cut!). Glue the two felt circles to the front of the rocket body.
3. Glue plastic lid to the bottom of the rocket.
4. Cut 3 fins out of cardboard and cover each piece with silver duct tape on both sides; trim around the edges.
5. Use the P touch Embellish to print out fun tape with fun patterns or names. Attach tape to decorate the fins, as well as the edge of the bottle top.
6. Next print out a variety of 3-to-6-inch red ribbon printed with phrases and patterns for rocket flames. (We used a zig zag zodiac symbol and “3.2.1..blast off!” typed in San Diego font.) Join the ends of each ribbon with hot glue to create loops then attach to the underside of the bottle top.
6. Attach the fins to the side and back of the rocket with hot glue then attach the bottle top with flames to the bottom of the glue bottle.
Blast off!!
Thanks to Brother for sponsoring this post and providing us crafters with a new tool for our trade!
May 23, 2019
ad, Animals, Birthdays, Everyday Crafts, Gift Wrap, Gifts, Invites, Paper
Astrobrights had the bright idea to sponsor this post!
There are a few types of gift wrappers…
I fall somewhere between the Forager and the Martha, but I dream of living my true self as a gift-wrap star! I live in New York, so there’s no space for a true “station,” but I do have a craft studio with literally every type of embellishment that one could want. So when the forethought is there, I try to get gift wrapping done during the work day or I bring supplies home with me.
If you have a few moments to add a little craft to your gift-wrap game, I promise it will make you feel good when you hand over the gift or place it among the ho-hum boxes on a table. Here is my trick for taking a very simply wrapped gift to the next level: bring that envelope to life with brightly colored paper!
When Astrobrights asked me to partner with them on their 50th-anniversary color celebration, I thought, how would I give this rainbow-loving paper company a dazzling 50th birthday gift? So I set out to make this animal menagerie of envelopes…equally perfect for baby showers, kids’ birthdays, and anyone that loves a little surprise and delight in their day!
What you’ll need:
1 Unfold an A1 envelope and trace onto your Astrobrights paper. If you don’t have an envelope, you can print this template right onto the color paper of your choice!
2. Cut out the flat envelope and fold where the 4 triangular shapes meet the middle rectangle.
3. Glue-stick the sides of the two side flaps and adhere the middle section.
4. Print out the template of your choice and while cut out the corresponding shapes with your color choice of paper (I used Solar Yellow, Plasma Pink, Cosmic Orange, Eclipse Black and Stardust White). Here are the available free downloads: bunny and rooster, walrus and owl, raccoon and hedgehog, and giraffe.
5. Use your glue stick to attach all features to the envelope.
6. Use white colored pencil to add sparkle to eyes (optional).
Astrobrights had the bright idea to sponsor this post!
