Entirely Smitten

Kid-Friendly Homemade Stampers {K-Cup Crafts}

These homemade stampers are so easy to make and they're uber customizable.  You can use them for pretty much anything, but my favorites are to let your child draw a small picture and you can transfer it to the stamper- saving their art forever!  Or use them as personalized stampers with your child's name or monogram- perfect for creating "no itch" name labels to stamp on the inside of shirts for your child who seems to lose everything at school or camp.  Just use fabric paint on the stamper instead of ink!

A new life for those junky broken crayons!

I'm pretty sure anyone who has children has a massive collection of broken up, peeled, junky crayons sitting around in a tin or a bag.  This quick and easy, kid-friendly project gives new life to those old crayons!

Homemade ZERO CALORIE Ice Cream!!!

Now that I have your attention ;)

 

I was one of the lucky kids that grew up making homemade ice cream.  On a hot summer's night we'd go out on the porch and hand churn it.  There's honestly nothing like it.  We experimented with a ton of different flavors and before long, we all had our favorites.  The only bummer?  The churn was really difficult to operate and extremely exhausting, which meant only the grown ups and big kids could partake in the making of it.  I have to say that the thing that makes the ice cream so delicious is the satisfaction and pride of knowing that you made it!  That's where "Kick The Can Ice Cream" comes in.  I know, I know old school!  But I put a spin on it that is beyond easy and ridiculously AWESOME...

Clothes Pin Magnets

So I don't know about your fridge, but mine is covered with art, calendars, notes, newsletters, pictures, etc. all sharing 5 really crappy magnets that fall off when you slam the fridge closed because you're peeved that someone ate the last of your chinese food leftovers.  Solution?

Clothes Pin Magnets!

 

Oh what a tangled web we weave...

If you're anything like me although you appreciate art in many forms, you sometimes feel you lack the talent, skill, or creativity needed when it comes to certain aspects of it.  This project will change that all.  There are lots of reasons that a person might feel intimidated by creating their own art - being uninspired, not knowing where to start, being afraid you might be doing it wrong - all of those things inhibit true creativity.  There are also certain personality types that claim not to "mesh well" with art.  This personality tends to be systematic, and/or somewhat of a perfectionist and therefore limit themselves to what they know and rarely step outside of their comfort zone.  That's where String Art comes in.  Not only can it be a very systematic and even mathematical form of art, but it's also a very tactile way of focusing energy and calming the nerves.  Ok, on to the good stuff!!!

St. Patrick's Day Ribbon Wreath!

This project is super easy and is perfect for any kid that knows how to tie knots!

 

Materials:

a wreath (foam or wicker) found a wicker one at the $1 store!

assorted ribbons in green (or cut strips of fabric

flowers to decorate

 

Step 1: Test for your ribbon length

Tie one long ribbon/ fabric strip onto your wreath.  Trim the ribbon ends to between 2" and 2 1/2".  Remove the ribbon and measure the length. 

 

Step 2: Pre-cut your ribbons or fabric

Cut all of your fabric/ ribbon strips.  I just cut 3 or 4 lengths of every color/ size green I had and figured I'd cut more if I needed to.  Keep in mind that the wider the ribbon, the shorter the ends will be.  I cut mine all within a half inch difference regardless so that I'd have all different sizes.

 

Step 3: Let the kids take over!

Have your kiddo sit on a small chair, feet on the floor.  Place the wreath between their knees and let them tie the ribbons onto the wreath randomly.  They may struggle with some of the wider ribbons, so stay close by to lend a hand. 

 

Step 4: Glue where necessary

Once the wreath is nice and full, you may see a few spots that look naked because the ribbons are haywire from being tied.  Just fire up the dlue gun, pull the two pieces of the problem ribbon together, drop a bit of glue in, and pinch together!

 

Step 5: Add Embellishments

This is a great place to get creative!  You can use flowers, moss, a small St. Patrick's Day banner, a little bird's nest complete with a few birdies (find at any craft store), even a family photo can be popped into the center !

 

Step 6: Hang it!

I just looped on a nice long satin ribbon and tied a bow at the top.  You can use a wreath hanger as well.

 

Now you can enjoy your child's wreath for years to come!