Arts & Crafts Archives - Page 7 of 16

The perfect Christmas gift: The new and improved Lundby Dollhouse

As parents, we categorize toys into four main groups:

novelty toys that are fun for a bit and then get abandoned within hours
toys that kids play with for days and then ditch before they have even been in the house a month
toys that don’t get played with every day but are still returned to month after month
and, finally, those special toys that are an essential part of play nearly every single day, year after year.

As you can imagine, there are lots and lots of toys that fall in those first two groups, and not so many that fit in the third group. As for that fourth group? It’s like a rare unicorn and you never know when, or where, you will find it. For us, the Lundby dollhouse is one of a handful of toys that squarely fit in that fourth group without ever wavering. From the moment the kids opened the Lundby dollhouse all those years ago, they were hooked. And then, with all the redecorating, DIYs, and crafting we have done on it throughout the years, the Lundby dollhouse just kept getting more and more beloved as we all added our personal touch to the house. So, when we got home from Boston and were greeted with a huge package from Lundby that contained a brand new Lundby dollhouse, the sideboard/TV set, and the awesome Lundby remote, it was declared as the best.day.ever. Ever since we saw a sneak peek of the newest Lundby items on social media and got wind of the remote, I was dying to try it out.

Looking for unique gifts? NOVICA has you covered!

Have you heard of NOVICA before? It's basically an online artisan market where you can get the most unique gifts and jewelry anywhere, and it's one of my very favorite places to shop. NOVICA works in association with National Geographic to offer an extensive collection of over 2,000 master artisans around the world and give you one easy place to buy – no traveling required.

They have a great selection of pieces that you just can’t find anywhere else and I love that each of their pieces comes with their own story and information about its country of origin. Looking for a hard-to-find item? Want truly unique gifts? NOVICA really has it all and is now my go-to site for those that are impossible to shop for.

Circuit Scribe makes learning electronics fun for all ages {plus 15% off discount code}

As the parent of young kids, it's my job to teach them all I can about how the world works. Some of this is fun and involves traveling to exotic locales and experimenting with art, but some things certainly aren't my favorite. For instance, math, technology, or anything that involves me reading a textbook and then following directions step by step.

So, you're probably wondering why I agreed to teach math and technology at my daughter’s school. I could explain that it’s the only time slot that I had access to a sitter for my little one, but the truth is that I wanted a challenge. If I’m challenging the kids to learn new things and not be limited by what they think they can't do, I also need to take my own advice, even if that means studying up on my days off.

It’s no secret that I’m literally the last person you’d ask for help with a project involving circuitry, and that’s mostly my own doing. My husband likes to give me simple ways to remember how circuits and electronics work, and I conveniently forget each time or I doubt myself when I’m actually left on my own. This is the reason I turned to Circuit Scribe. Circuit Scribe fits right in the STEM subjects I’m teaching, but unlike textbooks and worksheets, it makes learning about circuits actually fun for kids as well as their adult helpers.
The secret to the Circuit Scribe system is the special pen with conductive ink that lets you draw out the connections for your circuit instead of using wires or a circuit board. This really allows you to see how the circuit works and gets you involved more deeply than just snapping pieces together, plus it adds a whole art dimension to the project that I love.

Convert any surface to a standing desk with the Lift24 laptop stand from ErgotronHome

At certain times of the year {and especially during the holidays}, I feel like I’m chained to my computer. Whether it is a large amount of wedding pictures, family photo sittings, or it’s an especially busy blog month, my computer use can get out of control. And, since I’m active and on-the-go by nature, the idea of sitting at a desk or in a chair just about kills me. There are many days during the holidays that you will find me hunched over the kitchen island on my computer, so sick of sitting that I would rather stand and stoop down to see my computer.

It’s this reason that I’ve been searching for a standing desk for the past few years to give me options when I must be at the computer but just can’t sit any longer. The problem was that I wasn’t ready to fully commit to the standing desk, and I really needed a sit-to-stand desk that gave me options depending on my needs and my computer usage. Even better would be if the desk fit within my home’s décor so I didn’t end up with a huge eyesore that was only used a few times a year.

And, then I found Ergotron and my search was finally over.

Any guesses what our newest DIY project is?

This fall I've been hard at work collecting fans, switches, PVC pipes, and all sorts of other parts to make a little DIY project that my son is going to flip for this Halloween. Any guesses as to what I'm building? Don't worry, I'll post here once it's finished and share the step by step … Read more

Easy DIY picture frame monogram wreath

I've been looking at the door and thinking I needed a new wreath for a while now, but every time I would see one in stores I would do that thing where I would talk myself out of it, convincing myself that I would make one instead. I finally made it to the craft store last week and was kind of bummed at the wreath form selection. I didn't love the green or white styrofoam mold, the hay-looking wreath is not really my style, and the wire ones weren't right for the wreath I had in mind. So, I ended up leaving the store empty handed {you know, besides the bags of crafts supplies I bought for my 200 other projects I'm perpetually working on}.

How to throw an awesome science party for kids

I’ve never been great at birthday parties. Usually, I slap together an event with a loose theme and some character plates chosen by the kids and then order a few pizzas. I was prepared to do exactly that this summer when I was asked by my science-loving kiddo to throw a “science birthday party” with a very vague description of what that actually was. So, I got to searching “science birthday party” online. And, you know what I found? There are almost no science themed birthday plates or accessories that make sense for a young child. Luckily, my family loves a challenge, so they convinced me it would be a great idea to throw together a science themed party with absolutely no party store help. No “science” plates, no themed tablecloth, no activity kit to order. My goal was to throw such an amazing party that it would hopefully get me off the hook for throwing any of my kids a party for the next 5-10 years. I’ll let you know how that goes, but in the meantime I’m going to show you my take on a science party and share some printables I made up.

DIY miniature pot rack from champagne muselet for Lundby dollhouses

A muselet (French: myz.le) is a wire cage that fits over the cork of a bottle of champagne, sparkling wine, or beer to prevent the cork from emerging under the pressure of the carbonated contents.

We ended up with a muselet from a local hard cider a few months back, and after it was removed from the bottle, I set it in my windowsill while I debated what I could make it into. I've seen cute little chairs for fairy gardens made out of muselet and I considered making my own. But, then one day I decided my Lundby dollhouse needed a pot rack and went looking for supplies and found the muselet just waiting to become a lighted pot rack for the house.

Want to make your own miniature pot rack for your dollhouse? It's super easy, doesn't require many supplies, and the end result is really adorable!

Imaginations At Play with bright and beautiful MiO toys {DIY schoolhouse}

It’s a rare toy that all of my kids play with together, so when I find one it’s a very happy day. Such was the case when I found the new MiO line from The Manhattan Toy Company. With chunky pieces that my littlest one loves, open-ended building pieces that my son adores, and the fact that it fits my oldest’s love of miniatures, this is the perfect family toy for my crew. But, it’s not just my family who is smitten with the MiO line, it seems like everyone is going crazy for these cute and modern toys that appeal to kids of all ages. Yes, they are technically intended for the preschool crowd, but don’t tell my kids and their friends that.
But can you blame them? Even I want to play with all the different sets and see all the ways I can design a MiO world. The world of MiO consists of beautiful modular wood building pieces that you can configure and redesign as often as you’d like as well as MiO people made of hand painted wood heads and beanbag bodies. The collection is designed to nest and store compactly so you can keep your MiO accessories and pieces together for play at home and away.

Alice in Wonderland inspired wall art on photo canvas

We love Alice in Wonderland around here. Like, really, really love it. In honor of the release of the new movie, Alice Through The Looking Glass, we're sharing one of our favorite Alice-inspired pieces.

A few years ago, I went down the rabbit hole of Etsy {no pun intended} looking for Alice art. In my search, I was reminded of one of my favorite lines of the Disney animated Alice In Wonderland film: "Do You Suppose She's A Wildflower?" I got the idea to put the quote on a picture I took of my baby {who clearly is a wildflower}, and print it on a canvas for her. I used basic clip art shapes to designate wildflowers, and used a fun Mad Hatter-style script to play up the theme.