Countdowns are fun, and countdowns that include surprises are even better. Tomorrow marks the start of advent calendar season and, whether or not you celebrate Christmas, crafting a calendar is a winter activity anyone can enjoy. If making a month’s worth of treat containers sounds daunting, don’t worry. We’ve collected ten of our favorite DIY ideas that are totally doable. Some are made for filling with prizes while others feature family bonding ideas. Whichever one you choose, making winter mornings something to look to forward is the type of holiday magic we can all appreciate.

1.

With some paint and yarn, we transformed a peg board into a 2-D Christmas tree (above). Paper ornaments, hung with mini clothespins, flip to reveal fun family activities. Get the full how to from Country Living.

2.

For an easy option that packs a graphic punch, check out Super Make It’s paper bag advent calendar for Parents magazine. Add clothespins to painted triangles to create a forest of cheery trees that will brighten up any room.

3.

Is there anything more appealing than a pile of presents? Create every kids’ dream on a smaller scale by folding paper bags and adding bows. Idea via Tell Love and Party.

4.

This paper city is the kind of calendar you’ll be tempted to let live on your mantle year round. Download the free printables from Mr Printables to construct your own tiny town.

5.

For a more personal cityscape that doubles as a photo display follow instructions from The House that Lars Built. The treats in this calendar are pictures of loved ones, and really, what’s sweeter than that?

6.

A Subtle Revelry‘s pill case calendar certainly proves that good things come in small packages. Just add numbers to turn this drug store staple into a pint-sized present holder.

7.

Add another layer of fun to the advent surprises by making a punch cup calendar. Your kids will have a hard time waiting to reveal the next treat. FamilyFun magazine shares the how to.

8.

For another active advent calendar, try these pretty piñatas from Fabric de Imaginacion . Paper pyramids fit all sorts of sweet surprises, or fill them with confetti for an indoor snow flurry!

9.

Give empty cans an upcycled makeover with some spray paint and tissue paper tops. Stacked into a pyramid they make for eye catching display that can be used year after year. Project found via Room Envy.

10.

Finally, if you’d rather buy an advent calendar but still appreciate some DIY elements, the 25 days of stickers from Pipsticks is a great option. Each envelope hides a seasonal sticker sure to spark new crafting ideas. (And while you’re there, order a sticker subscription for a monthly dose of sticker joy in your kid’s mailbox!)

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

Our favorite craft supply for Thanksgiving decorating over here at Project Kid is really no surprise…the spoils of autumn like leaves, sticks, acorns—all of those freebies that you can find in your own backyard. This year we decided to bring those treasures inside and warm them up a bit with some soft and cozy yarn. What happened became a bit of a throwback to a 70s, bohemian feel. Check it out!

Yarn and Stick Centerpieces

Cut bunches of 4-to-6-inch pieces of yarn and tie them onto painted sticks with just one tie (you can also leave your sticks unpainted). Mix up the colors or tie them in color bands to give you a striped effect. Stand them in upcycled bottles and jars filled with rice. You can take these one step further by dipping yarn in fabric stiffener (Aleene’s is the best and only brand that REALLY holds), and writing a word like “thanks” on parchment paper. Let it dry and hot glue the end to the top of the stick.

Yarn and Walnut Acorns

Make a set of oversized acorns! Hot glue a half-inch twig to the top of the walnut, then add a dot of hot glue to start the yarn coil. Keep winding and adding dots of glue until you’ve created the acorn’s cap. Scatter these around the table, put one at every place setting, or display them in a bowl or jar.

Pumpkin Macrame Plant Hangers

We wanted to use the same yarn to make macrame plant hangers, but using one strand wasn’t going to look so great, nor would it work so well. We gathered four strands and followed this how-to from HGTV. Give it a boho twist by wrapping complimentary colors of yarn around the top and bottom of the hanger, and use something shiny like these instead of the traditional wooden beads in the bottom tassel. Once the pumpkins are past their prime, replace them with pots to enjoy these all season long.

Finger-Knit Napkin Rings

And lastly, my kids have been obsessed with finger knitting and I just had to figure out how to incorporate this art form into our holiday. I won’t even attempt to give you a perfect how-to for this…you just have to watch the expert Anne Weil from Flax and Twine’s Youtube video for the full instruction. We made them about 12 inches long, tied the brass charms to the ends, and knotted them around the napkins. (PS…check out her absolutely gorgeous book, Knitting Without Needles. It will inspire you to roll up your sleeves and use your arms and fingers as knitting needles!)

SaveSave

This is the second post in a new Project Kid series that provides ideas for family bonding. Our goal is to inspire you to make time for activities you forgot you loved and that your kids will learn to love with you! Last week our topic was Snail Mail and this week we’re talking about Treasure Hunting. 

Bargain hunters aren’t born, they’re raised! With yard sales, thrift stores, flea markets, and lucky curbsides, there are so many opportunities to hunt for treasure, but kids won’t know where to look unless you show them first. When you teach your kids to keep an open mind about where to find value, it will help them learn a lot more than just how to save money.

Treasure hunting can be a great opportunity to:

• Show your kids that what was old can be new again. When one person is done with something it doesn’t mean it’s no longer useful.

• Teach them that when you buy something that has been used before it’s recycling and is more environmentally friendly than buying something new.

• Get your kids interested in items from the past and share a history lesson. The Tidewater Family suggests helping your kids start a collection of inexpensive items like tiny bottles, costume jewelry, or vintage toys that they can slowly add to their collections over the years, while practicing patience and selectivity.

Hunting treasures is only half the fun though. Even more bonding time can be spent transforming the treasures. Everyone loves a good before-and-after (hello, Fixer Upper!), even kids, and especially if they are part of the magic. Contributing to the home decor will give your kids a sense of pride and accomplishment, and you can’t put a price on that!

Below we’ve collected inspiration for fun ways to makeover common items you can find at any treasure hunting spot. They’re easy introductions to thrifting that have plenty of space for personality and almost no need for power tools.

STOOLS

Don’t let their small stature deceive you, stools can have a big impact! Block ears and a coat of paint are all you need to craft these cute animal stools Project Kid made last year. Let your child help choose a patterned paper or even découpage cut outs to brighten up a bland step stool like This Little Street did. Or create a cozy reading nook your kid won’t want to leave by following Lia Griffith’s how to for a faux fur stool.

BASKETSBaskets make great projects for beginning thrifters. To mimic this yellow and blue basket from Brit + Co , make tape stencils that your little ones can help paint in. Don’t limit a basket to bikes, scooters look super with one too! (via Paper Mama). Design Improvised’s yarn embroidered baskets (bottom left) look great whether you use them to hold things or hang them on the wall.

PORCELAIN PIECES

Though children and china don’t usually go together, when you pick up pieces for cheap, it doesn’t matter if they get chipped! Glowing cups and saucers have a fairy tale feel that your kids will love. Bring beauty to your table (without the beast) by following directions from Dans le Lakehouse to make cup candles (top left). An eclectic collection of cups looks cohesive when they’re filled with cactuses (via Dcoracao). Even if your kid doesn’t have any genuine jewels yet, having a special place for tiny trinkets teaches them to take care of their things. Let them pick the pieces to make this charming tchotchke dish (bottom left) from My So Called Crafty Life.

SUITCASES 

Have suitcase, will travel. Whether its through the imagination, to the park, or off to dreamland – a suitcase has the power to transport its owner. Find how-tos for the mouse living room from Handmade Charlotte, the dino box from The Craft Train, Picnic Basket from Home Talk, and pet bed from My So Called Crafty Life.

DRESSERS

Dressers are usually more about function than fun, but their size makes them the perfect canvas for bold ideas. Get graphic with paint by adding ombre drawers (via decor8) or using whimsical stencils (top right) like the ones from Royal Design Studio.  Apartment Therapy shows you how to make drawer pulls from mismatched yard sale toys – which look great together when they’re gilded. And for a more magical option, take out top drawers and install a pole to create a costume closet (via Rambling Renovators).

SHELVES 

Shelving units have the potential to truly be transformed into all sorts of kid sized spaces. Barley and Birch added wallpaper behind a bookshelf and a little washi tape on the wall to make a perfectly proportioned dollhouse. To create a workbench like DIY Network’s, add a piece of plywood and a pegboard to set of shelves. For those for a few more carpentry skills, like Duck Egg Blue, an old cabinet can become a tiny kitchen set.

And finally one more item to keep an eye out for when treasure hunting is dollhouses. As Thoughts from Alice demonstrates, a mini dollhouse renovation can be a great project for the whole family. Get the satisfaction of redoing every room of the house – on a small scale.

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

Of all the holidays with fun food ideas, Halloween definitely takes the cake. The internet is full of so many creative, and creepy, ideas that it’s easy to make a full day’s worth of haunted meals. We’re sharing our favorite festive ways to fill your kids up – before they dive into a mountain of candy. A balanced meal is the best way to ward off a sugar crash! 

Breakfast 

1.

Don’t be scared away by these spider webs (above), they are deceptively simple! Mama.Papa.Bubba uses a wholewheat flax recipe to make their webs extra healthy but a box mix would work too – the only necessity is a squeeze bottle!

2.

                                                  (image via Food Network)

Tell your kids a vampire beat them to breakfast! Corn muffins turn creepy when you fill them with jam and puncture the top. Follow this recipe from Leanne Bakes, and then poke holes with a straw to let the “blood” bubble up.

3.

Acai bowls may be a trend but Monster bowls are a treat. Make a kid friendly version of the fashionable breakfast by following the Food Network’s recipe. Your kids will be smiling too much to realize they’re eating spinach!

Lunch 

1.

We have to confess that we find some of those pinterest bento boxes truly frightening. This Bitey Bagel Bento on the other hand doesn’t require you to rise before dawn to pack a lunch that earns points. All you need are some fake teeth and a few sets of eyes to give your kid a silly surprise.

2.

It doesn’t get more classic than pumpkins and ghosts, or easier than oranges and bananas. Pre-peel oranges and stick a sliver of celery on top to make a pumpkin and add mini chocolate chips to a banana for a friendly ghost. Via I heart naptime.

3.

For a sandwich that could cause shrieking, this skull from Sugar,Spice and Glitter is the way to go. Cut your kid’s favorite sandwich with a skull cookie cutter, draw on features with a food writer marker, and don’t forget to add the gummy worm!

Dinner 

1.

What kid wouldn’t want to make a mummy with their mommy? The whole family can get involved to make suppertime spooky. After an adult slices tortillas with a pizza cutter, kids can layer strips on top of their favorite quesadilla fillings. Kids Activities Blog shares the step by step.

2.

Your little monsters will have plenty of energy to do the mash after eating these potatoes, which are as healthy as they are halloweeny! They’re made with purple sweet potatoes, so no food dye required. Follow Handmade Charlotte’s easy recipe.

3.

Traditional recipe + tentacles = a new family favorite. Instead of your typical pot pie topping, follow Megan Reardon’s lead and add legs. Just be sure to gobble it up before it gets away from you!

SaveSave