Category: DIY and Crafts

Shadow Play :)

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Aidan LOVES!!!! shadows he can run after his for ages even kissed his shadow the other day, he also LOVES it when we make shadow puppets against his bedroom wall or outside…
I thought that this could be a great chance to teach him something and made very basic shape shadow puppets. . . . just shapes cut out of a cereal box and glued onto sticks – have loads of take-away chop sticks – and I could show him shapes on the wall….

This is super basic though so I looked on the web for ways to make shadow time even more fun here is what I found:

Some great ideas courtesy of my friend pinterest, hehe (click on picture for link)

Hand shadow puppetry » Old Book Illustrations: picture was taken from the Dictionnaire encyclopédique Trousset, also known as the Trousset encyclopedia, Paris, 1886 - 1891.
Honestly I can only do bird and dog, hehehe
woodland silhouettes - you can make shadow puppets out of these images.
so whimsical
Shadow Puppet Printable Play Sets designed by Jen Goode #freeprintable
loads of stories to be told
Simple Shadow Puppet Favor - homemade puppet and flashlight- made these for my daughter's dance class- but easily adaptable to almost any theme
wow wow, a little torch turns this puppet into a great party favor

Shadow Puppet Theater Set Best theaters in Mexico City! ...do u know? http://www.boxvot.mx/Rankings/Los-mejores-teatros-del-DF
my scissor skills are nowhere near this, but cool none the less

HAVE A BLAST!

A scarf camera strap for the photographer in your life…

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Last year for my friend Mo’s birthday I wanted to do something different…and thought that since she is a photographer (her page) a camera strap wouldn’t be a bad idea, but it had to be “different”
This is where the idea of a scarf camera strap came about…and the best part, she loves it

What you need:

You will need a scarf, key ring rings (no clue what those are called in real life) and needle and thread

How to:

You will need to look at the pictures pretty carefully to make sense of it all:
1. put scarf through ring
2. double knot scarf around ring
3. pull excess fabric through on ends
4. fold the excess over and into rest of scarf
5.sew the scarf to hide excess material
6. TADAH!
—- Please feel free to ask if something is unclear 🙂

My new MUST try – Busy Bags

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So I stumbled on something during one of my very many pinterest visits BUSY BAGS!!!!
Basically a busy bag is this little activity pack that you make and take along on doctors visits or when you go to the restaurant – which we certainly need with out little one.
This is definitely something I want to make and exchange (like I make a bunch of the same and swop with others who made different kinds.
 I spoke to some other moms about it and although most of them were like….naaaah too much work, why not just buy something….. I did get a few that are interested so pretty soon I will be having a busy bag exchange…whoop whoop….
Here are some cool busy bag ideas I found online: Some of them are a little above Aidan’s age but I intend to alter things and make it work 🙂

great toddler and preschool games/ activities!! toddler “busy bag” swap! « the rigneysBecoming Mummy: Busy Bag Ideas. felt pizza, writing skills, lacing, felt ring chain, sorting colors, sorting pictures, felt traffic light, fishing filcova pizza, trening psani, filcovy retez, trideni barev s kolicky, trideni obrazku a tvaru, filcovy semafor, rybareni

Velcro Sticks Busy Bags. Great idea for toddlers!

Toddler busy bag - sticks and stones - blue, pink and green on Etsy, $4.50

Wacky Sacks The only issue with us for these is that the eyes keep falling off. Some of my friends said their older kids (3+) have already broken and ripped these open. Maybe best for the very young crowd.

Felt fishing game. Use metal washers or paper clips glued between pieces of felt. Just make some kind of pole using stick, string and magnet.

10 Busy Bags I Want to Make

T-shirt crafts: A paw print snood for Aidy and a toy for his cat

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With winter here I have been looking for a scarf for Aidan, but since I have met him I knew a run of the mill one wouldn’t do. Give him two seconds before he pulls it off or worse he chokes himself with it while playing, this is were an infinity scarf/snood comes in handy….it’s secure and light enough that he wouldn’t tug on it.

You can make your own no sew  infinity scarf/snood using nothing but an old t-shirt and some fabric paint…here is what I did

What you need:

A old t-shirt, fabric paint and a picture you would like to transfer- I used paw prints

What you do:

1. Cut a strip of fabric from t-shirt by removing bottom seam and part with sleeves…you might want to make it thin if it is for a toddler.
2. Use fabric paint to draw on your printed paper
3. Place paper on fabric and weigh down with a book
4. The prints should have transferred, you can always fill in parts that are lighter
5. and there you have it, it is THAT easy

For Aidan’s Cat 

I made toy using another old t-shirt 

The how to:

Like with the snood cut a strip of fabric by removing top part (with sleeves) and bottom (with seam)
This strip is considerably wider though
Then cut thin strips half way up so you are left with a piece of material with fringing on both sides (picture 3)
Then use all the offcuts and stuff into the uncut piece of material and tie off….lastly paint on a cute little face
* Feel free to ask in comments if anything is unclear 🙂 

Button fridge magnets…the how-to

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I have decided to continue on my Wednesday craft update mission…
because I love to make things, that’s why 🙂
I made this particular craft as a gift for a good friend of mine, who I know is quirky enough to appreciate it…
(Sidebar: I’m starting to think I have a button addiction)

What you will need:

1. Buttons
2. Scissors
3. Glue
4. Magnetic sheet (little individual magnets work as well)

What you need to do:

Cut magnetic sheet into strips

Glue magnet onto back of button (and peg if you want to create one of those as well)

Glueing on either side of the hole is cumbersome but gives cuter overall effect

As easy as that, happy crafting 🙂