Bonjour, mes amis! If you follow along on Instagram, you may know that I spent the last month in France with my husband and two kiddos. Michael and I both live the freelance life, so we realized that if we don’t take advantage of this freedom that we have, then what’s the point of all this next-gig and health-insurance stress?
So after 28 days of baguettes, sunflowers, Ed Sheeran sing-a-longs (we spent long hours in the car and he became our go-to soundtrack), chocolate croissants, and free-range country escapades, I can’t get the joie de vivre of France of my head!
So here’s a little love-letter to France, in the form of craft. Stay tuned for more posts on our adventures in the coming weeks!
1. Is it wrong that I want to dress my daughter like Madeline all the time? Maybe I’ll be reasonable and wait till Halloween to try out Making Nice in the Midwest‘s adorable costume version.
2.
Bisou-bisou; kiss-kiss. It’s hard to get used to the double-kiss, but then it’s hard to forget it too! If I could make this awesome balloon installation fromMartha Stewart Weddings permanent on my wall, I totally would.
3.
It’s hard to get more patriotic than these French flag goodie bags from Oh Happy Day. Fill clear pouches with red, white, and blue jelly beans, tie on a paper Eiffel Tower and voilà!
4.
French desserts that will stay fresh, and help preserve your memories too! How cute are these macaron-photo holders from A Kailo Chic Life?
5.
Is there anything more nostalgic than air mail? My Poppet shows you how to turn an empty cereal box into a giant french envelope perfect for saving photos, love notes, or paper souvenirs.
6.
These cheery clay magnets from Cakies embrace the bold profiles of Paris’s best looking buildings. Perfect for holding up trip photos (or giving grocery lists a little pizzaz).
7.
Scent is the ultimate memory jogger and, while I save up for the next plane ticket, I’ll use a lavender sachet to transport me to the French countryside. These are an easy sewing project for little hands so my kids can make them with me. (via Pink Pistachio)
8.
If you ask my kids about their favorite part of Paris they’ll definitely say the carousels! It seemed like there were play structures everywhere we went, especially the classic French carousels. This mini version from Oh Happy Day has all the charm of the real thing, it even spins!
9.
Made by Joel gives you another way to embrace little landmarks. With his free printables you can literally carry the city in your pocket and re-create your memories wherever you go.
10.
It’s hard to leave Paris without scooping up at least a few little Eiffel Towers. The iconic souvenir comes in all sizes, which makes it the perfect material for all sorts of nostalgic crafts. Add a little blue and red glitter for Paris in a jar. (via Pinterest)
Or, add hooks for super simple earrings like these from Hello Glow.
And what’s more French than an Eiffel Tour + a tart tin? Glue them together and add a coat of spray paint to make a nostalgic trinket dish (featured at the top of the post).
