Homemade pavement chalk By Kate on August 2, 2010 Making pavement chalk is really easy, lots of fun and the end result provides you with a brilliant excuse to get outside. To make your chalk will need: ♥ Plaster of Paris (one cup) ♥ Water (one cup) ♥ Powdered tempera paint ♥ Disposable container ♥ Greaseproof paper ♥ Toilet rolls ♥ Masking tape 1) Get your toilet roll and tape one end with masking tape to seal it off. 2) Pour the water into your disposable container then sprinkle the plaster on top (generally its a 1:1 ratio but check the instructions on the packet). 3) Stand each tube, taped side down, on a level surface. 4) Once the plaster has set you can remove the toilet roll and greaseproof paper. TIPS: If the toilet roll tube is a little chunky for your taste then you can split the tube, overlap, then tape to reduce the diameter. WARNINGS: Remember not to pour Plaster of Paris down the plughole!
Kaleidoscope Rice It’s about this time of year where I really start to hit a wall when it comes to entertaining a toddler in the house. When the temps dip below 20 degrees, we can’t stay outside in the snow for extended periods of time, so it’s up to me to come up with a whole host of projects that’ll engage him (and, well, engage me, too). I’ve committed to coming up with more new ways to engage my toddler in sensory play (activities that simulate toddlers’ senses including touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing). This DIY kaleidoscope rice is the perfect project to engage kids in exploring colors with their hands. RELATED: 29 Indoor Games Your Kids Will Absolutely Love Supplies: 8 cups uncooked riceFood colorsWhite vinegarZiploc baggies Instructions: Step 1: Add 1 cup rice to a bag. Step 2: In a small bowl combine 1-2 tablespoons vinegar along with one of the food colors. Step 3: Add the vinegar mixture to the rice and seal the bag. Step 4: Squish the vinegar mixture all over the rice.
428 Gift Patterns For Sewing I posted this list of sewing links a few weeks ago. Today, I’m reposting it, for anyone who might have missed it the first time around! It’s time to start creating handcrafted gifts for the holidays. 428 Gift Patterns Free Tote Bag Patterns – Favorite? Home Sewing Projects – Favorite? Free Hat Patterns – Favorite? Free Fleece Hat Patterns – Favorite? 70 Free Lingerie Patterns – Favorite? 38 Free Apron Patterns – Favorite? Free Shrug Patterns – Favorite? 25+ Free Vest Patterns - Favorite? 32 Free Handbag Patterns - Favorite? Pick A Free Bag Pattern - Favorite? How To Make A Placemat Purse - Favorite? Craft Tables Hi friends! I can't tell you how excited I am to be a creative guest on Ucreate today! I've been bubbling with excitement for weeks and have been scheming over what project would be Ucreate-worthy. First of all, I'm Autie and my friend Jen and I blog over at iCandy handmade. I'm a busy mom of 2 cute little kids and during nap time and bed time, I love to work on projects! The project that I thought I'd share with you today started out with these. The drawer does not open, but the cupboard door does...and it leaves about an inch of space to keep something in it...like art masterpieces of a few sheets of homework paper...hmmmm I bounced some ideas off of Jen, and this is what I came up with...I give you the Cupboard Door into Art Desk Tutorial I made one for each of my littles, and so far, they're totally diggin' it! If you want to know what I did, here's a quick run-down on what I did: First things first, I had to sand the suckers down to give the paint something to stick to. -Autie
Felt Aquarium Magnets When I was in the third grade my class took a field trip to Point Reyes, California to look at the tide pools. I was fascinated by them, each pool was like a small secret world. There were orange and purple sea stars, tiny little fish, and flower-like sea anemones. When I stuck my finger in an anemone's mouth it's sticky petal-like tentacles would close around it, thinking it was food (this probably isn't a nice thing to do to an anemone, but it certainly made an impression on me). My love for the ocean and all of its creatures has only grown in the subsequent years. I did some snorkeling in Hawaii and saw fish of every size, shape and color though the crystal clear water. When we decided to make a set of felt-covered magnets I knew I wanted to make an underwater scene. This underwater world makes a great gift for a child, or even an adult, who loves the ocean. Materials To make 20 magnets: Tips for all Magnets Clownfish Finished size: 1 1/2-inches wide Cut out the pieces. Sea Anemone
water party: sponge ball tutorial Wednesday, March 23, 2011 Whether you call it a Water Party, an Under the Sea Party, or a Splash Party, we’ve got you covered. This party is now available for purchase in our shop. Photos by Nicole Hill Gerulat. Unique Pincushions I found this darling little wrecker-tow truck at an antique shop over the weekend for only six bucks. There’s some mechanism missing, disqualifying it from any serious collector’s purchase, but the second I saw it I thought “pincushion!” If you look hard enough around your house, you’ll find many little unique things just begging to hold your sewing pins. Here are a few other things I found that could each hold a little pillow of fluff & fabric. To make the pin pad for my truck, (ONE) I scanned an old ad from a 1954 Farm Journal magazine -the same era as my toy truck. (TWO) I cut a stack of felt to the shape of the bed of the truck to help retain the pad’s final shape. (FOUR) I cut out the fabric and rounded the corners, (FIVE) & (SIX) sewed around the folded edges of the cover and filled with the felt and poly-fill stuffing. Then I gathered the cover around the fill, moving the gathers to the corners and knotting the thread once my pad was to shape. And here’s my finished pincushion!
Playhouse closet | Sawdust & Paper Scraps You might know that I was a finalist in “Not Just A Housewife’s” Best DIY Project of 2011 Contest last week. There were some great projects in the finalists, including one submitted by BJ of Joy2Journey! The funny thing is that THIS post was set to publish before either of us knew that we were COMPETITORS! She won the prize, and I don’t hold a grudge, so I’ve decided NOT to kick her out of the guest post spot. Teehee. I would never! Anyhoo, BJ had a space under the stairs and wanted to create a playhouse, she didn’t have a recessed area like I did for my Closet Playhouse, and built her playhouse facade right on the wall. Now, without further ado, let me introduce you to BJ, and let her tell you about her amazing project! Hi, I am so excited to share my latest project with you! I am not afraid to tackle “new spaces” so I took the jigsaw to my wall and started cutting! No worries, I know my limitations, trust me!) to this … I laid down carpeting with pad. “Joy” Thanks BJ! [/box]
Free Skirt Patterns Free Skirt Patterns Posted on | January 6, 2013 | 17 Comments Five years ago, it was hard to find even one free skirt pattern on the internet. Nowadays, dozens of free skirt patterns abound. For beginners, try a simple elastic waistband skirt or a pillowcase skirt. Here are some free skirt patterns that I especially like. Recycled Skirts A-Line Skirts Peasant Skirts Maternity Skirts Mini Skirts Quick Skirts Other Skirts Read More : Sewing or Home Category: SewingTags: Clothing , Sewing , Skirts Comments 17 Responses to “Free Skirt Patterns” Vera Woodbridge February 3rd, 2010 @ 4:21 pm I would like a pattern for a circular skirt, please Many thanks Jayla February 14th, 2010 @ 3:50 am Thank you so much for this! Leave a Reply Categories diy {fingerprint jewelry} Have you seen those personalized fingerprint necklaces? I think they are stunning and as a mom I love the concept of a piece of jewelry with my child's fingerprint on it. These beautiful sterling silver pendants usually come with a pretty price tag of about $100-$200 so I began to think if there could be an easy way to make these lovely pendants diy style. I came up with an idea, tried it out and was quite pleased with the results. I think this is something every mom would love and this just happens to be Mother's Day weekend so if you're looking for a great last minute gift, you're in luck! Here is how to make your own... Supplies: -oven bake clay -metallic spray paint -clear acrylic coating spray clear gloss polyurethane (Varathane, gloss-indoor) **see update below -necklace chain -jump ring and a clasp -needle and pen (not pictured) Take a small piece of clay, roll it into a ball with your hands and then use a pen as a mini rolling pin to flatten it out a bit. Voila!
PatternsOnline.com: Handmade Watercolors by Michelle Vackar of Hi Mamma With all of the daily activities of running your business it can be difficult at times to relax, decompress and enjoy life. Some people will find their escape in cooking, walking, yoga, reading a good book …really the list can go on and on because we each enjoy different forms of relaxation. Back in my mid-to late twenties, I was working at an advertising/public relations agency and putting in an average of 50-60 hour work weeks. I was not married, no children and my career was my life, but one thing was missing: a time where I pampered myself, doing something that I enjoyed. So I was rather quite excited to take the class, although I must admit, at first, it seemed a little odd to be leaving work at 6 p.m. to go take a watercolor class, when I was so much in the habit of working late or taking work home to do. Today, one of my most favorite forms of relaxation is doing art/craft projects with my daughters. Instructions
Safety Pin Bracelet My daughter came to me one day and said she saw these really cool bracelets made from safety pins and beads. As luck would have it, I had just seen one as well so I promised to make her one. She wanted one made with smaller pins than the one she had seen, so I bought 3/4″ safety pins for mine. Notes: Make sure you do the needle nose plyer step, don’t skip it. I was walking through WalMart and felt something poking me. Safety Pin Braceletprintable version 3/4″ safety pins Elastic beading cord Seed beads White craft glue Toothpick Open a safety pin and thread as many seed beads on as you can, leaving enough room to close the pin. Cut two pieces of elastic beading cord, about 12″ long each. Thread one of the cords through the head of a pin, then the other cord through the bottom of the pin. When you have enough pins to create your bracelet, remove the knot from the tied end. Tie the top cords together and the bottom cords together.