puzzle magnets

http://lindseyscraftlist.blogspot.com/2010/03/vintage-puzzle-piece-magnets.html

wax paper and crayon leaves

http://www.vanessachristenson.com/2010/09/how-to-wax-paper-and-crayon-fall-leaves.html

cute dress pattern!

http://www.thetraintocrazy.com/2010/07/go-to-dress-pattern.html
look how cute this is!

Ribbon Headbands

http://kari-youcanmakeit.blogspot.com/2010/01/creative-guest-ruffles-and-stuff.html

Play Kitchen from an old Entertainment center

I have been looking for a simple way to convert my old entertainment center into a play kitchen for the basement...now I just need to convince Lane he doesn't need it for the new "TV room..."

Cute!!!

How to make a hat and scarf from a sweater

Something for the boys! Yay!

I got this sweater vest at the Dollar Store several days ago (sweaters at the Dollar Store? How random is that??) and I just knew it was dying to be a little beanie and scarf set! I'm so excited to have a project for little boys!

This would actually work best with a sleeved sweater (then you could just use sleeves for a scarf!), but this is what I had, so...

1) Measure your child's head, and cut out a hat shape through both layers (I free-handed this, but if you had another beanie to trace around, that would be great!), then cut a large rectangle shape through both layers for the scarf.

2) Lay the two scarf pieces right side together and pin the non-banded end. Sew with a zig-zag stitch, being careful not to let it stretch too much.

3) Cut out your "face" shapes from felt or fleece. 4 ears, two big circles for eyes, and two slightly smaller circles for the pupils, and a little triangle nose.

4) Lay two of the ear shapes on top of the other two, and sew around the edges with your machine. (not pictured)
5) Pin the ears to the right side of the beanie, facing downward. Lay the other piece of the beanie on top of it(right sides together), with ears sandwiched in between, and pin.

6) Sew the two hat pieces together, leaving the banded side open.
7) Take your scarf piece and fold it over, right sides together, and pin. Sew all the way down the side.

Turn the scarf right side out, and sew the banded edges closed.
9) Pin the face shaped where you want them, and hand stitch them on.

Ta-da!

Little One Fabric Book

http://www.youcanmakethis.com/info/featured-products/Little-One-Felt-Book.htm

Worksheet Creator

http://www.toolsforeducators.com/

Bingo, word searches, dominoes, mazes, dice maker, board games, crosswords, writing and tracing, etc.

Printable games.

Printing on Fabric

Printing on Fabric

By Lisa Otto

While sewing in itself is fun, so is finding new and exciting ways of embellishing and manipulating fabrics to create something new. Printing on fabric with your home inkjet printer is one of those exciting techniques that allow you to add extra flair to a sewn outfit or creation.

Printing photos and images onto apparel and home décor items has definitely become easier over the past few years with the launch of more effective and long lasting inks and fabric photo papers. So, not only can you capture a beautiful image and apply it to a garment or décor item, but it will last after washings, wear and use.

How do you get started?

Surprisingly, it’s easier than you might think. First, decide what you want to decorate with a printed image. Maybe you’ve sewn your daughter a new summer dress and want to add pictures to the skirt or bodice. Perhaps you’ve created pillows and want to embellish them with printed images. The sky really is the limit when it comes to embellishing sewn projects. Be sure to use a inkjet printer for the methods listed below, and not a laser printer which becomes too hot during the printing process.

Next, you’ll need to decide how you want to transfer your printed images to your project: either by iron- on transfer or sew-on. There are several great options in fabric photo papers (often called T-Shirt transfer paper) on the market. Simply, choose the image you want to print and the size of the finished image, and print it onto fabric photo paper which you feed through your printer. Once the image comes out of the printer and has dried, you iron it onto your project. The ironing process heats the ink and helps to make it permanent. This method works great on fabrics which have a high cotton or natural fiber content and may not work as well on synthetic fabrics, so be sure to read the paper manufacturer’s directions and fabric recommendations.

The sew-on method (as I call it), actually allows you to place fabric in your printer! You’ll need 100% cotton fabric and freezer paper. Then, cut both your fabric swatch and freezer paper to no larger than 8 ½” x 11” or the size of a standard piece of printer paper. Then, place your fabric to the shiny side of the wax paper and iron for a few moments, or until the fabric is slightly stuck to the freezer paper. The fabric/paper combo has a tendency to curl at the edges, so be sure to keep a pencil handy for keeping the curled edges down during printing.

Then, place your fabric/paper into the printer and print your images or text right onto the fabric. Be sure there are no stray threads on any of the edges which may get caught on the way through the printer. And, use the pencil to gently feed any curled areas of the fabric through the printer as it processes. Once dry, remove the paper from the back of the fabric. Then, place the fabric ink-side-down onto an ironing surface, and iron on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. This will help set the ink for washing. Once completed, you’ll have a printed fabric swatch to sew onto or within any project that you like!

Now, the question is: What will you decorate first?

Spring Flowers

http://www.alphamom.com/holiday/2009/05/spring_flower_pinwheel_craft.php

Little Purse

http://theobjectproject.typepad.com/the_object_project/2009/05/kid-flick-girls-purse-tutorial.html

Paintings

These could be for any ages of kids!
http://tutusandturtles.blogspot.com/2008/05/fingerpaint-wall-art.html

Geoboard

Didn't we have one of these when we were little? It looks like something we could make and use at this house...
http://www.rookiemoms.com/montessori-geoboard/

Twirly Things

One version of a twirl skirt:
http://houseonhillroad.typepad.com/photos/twirly_skirt/




Tiered Skirt Tutorial:
http://www.kukyideas.com/journal/2006/07/tiered-skirt-tutorial.html


And I loved it in dress form, but I would attach it to a different bodice w/ sleeves so she doesn't have to worry about an undershirt "bugging" her. :O)

This link is to a pattern to buy, but I think we could make it up, and hook it on any bodice we want!!

So cute!!!

http://www.youcanmakethis.com/info/featured-products/Ellies-Twirl-Dress-Any-Size.htm




Another tutorial and an easy way to calculate how long, etc.:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cornpatchcreations/twirlyskirt.htm

Stuffed Animals

I'm loving this site. This giraffe would be so fun to chew on! (for a baby of course)

***Lightbulb moment*** Maybe I should have Liz draw and design her own stuffed animal. Where did I see that idea? We all know how attached she is to her sleeping buddies....

http://makeitandloveit.blogspot.com/2009/04/stuffed-animal-part-ii.html

Crayon Roll

http://makeitandloveit.blogspot.com/2009/01/crayon-roll.html