‘Craft Ideas’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Craft Time: Kiwi Crate

July 7, 2012 · Ad-Free, Craft Ideas

My kids and craft time are a no-brainer. The easiest way to get a bit of peace to clean the house? Sit them down at the table with a craft or art supplies.

‘Tis a much better alternative than a tv babysitter.

And besides, new art courtesy of the kids is usually my favorite thing.

Like ever.

So when I was asked to review Kiwi Crate, it was seriously a no-brainer.

A fun box delivered to your front door. Every month. Designed for kids. A stuffed full of creativity.

I mean, really, what more do we need?

When our box arrived, it was perfect timing.

Because my office at home needed some serious shoveling.

I set the kids up in the reading room and let them go to town.

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Craft Time: Exploring with Mod Podge

June 26, 2012 · Narrative

Mod Podge and I go way back. Like waaaay back. I vividly remember many projects while in grade school where Mod Podge was a go-to. Any time you’re doing decoupage, it’s your glue, your sealer, and your super shiny finisher all in one handy little bottle. You can’t go wrong.

What I didn’t know, however, is that these days Mod Podge is more than that one tiny bottle.

Collage papers.

Scrapers, rollers, and all sorts of other tools.

Podgeable Acrylic shapes. Yes, I said podgeable.

The folks at Plaid (the makers of Mod Podge) recently sent over a stuffed box of goodies, and as soon as I saw the contents, I knew exactly what to do with it.

Soon after I finished doing the kids’ Reading Room, I bought wooden letters from Michaels to spell the word R-E-A-D. I thought it would be perfect above the bookcase, and hello, it IS a reading room after all. I was originally planning on wrapping the letters with yarn (to match the pom poms I made for the window), but when I saw all the new Mod Podge items, that idea went out the window.

First, the outline of the letters was painted in primary colors. Once that dried, we set about doing a different treatment to each letter.

On the letter R, we cut out the pictures from the collage sheets, and then applied a clear Mod Podge to affix them securely.

On the letter E, we applied transfer words using one of the line’s rubbing tools, and then used the Antique Matte Mod Podge to give the letter a slightly darker tint to it, which I kind of loved. Until this project, I never even knew that Mod Podge existed in different finishes and colors. It makes me excited about Nick’s future school projects.

Well, that last part isn’t completely true, because his projects tend to be super involved, and I like to be hands off. You can always tell which kids had extra help from their parents, and which didn’t. And that kind of drives me crazy. I do, however, promise to share my Mod Podge stash with him for future projects to work with on his own though.

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Beating Summer Boredom: Marbled Paper

July 15, 2009 · Craft Ideas

Otherwise known as How to Entertain Your Kids for Under $3. Before summer arrived, I had amassed a very full folder of craft ideas, activities and the like to keep Nick busy throughout the summer. Anything to beat the cries of boredom. Most are very inexpensive activities, often times using items you likely already have on hand. Some are more creative-based. Some require the thinking side of his brain. All are just plain fun. Today it was all about making pretty marbled paper.

I ripped this idea out of a recent issue of Family Fun magazine. All you need is a baking sheet, food coloring, shaving cream and some card stock. I purchased two cans of shaving cream at the dollar store (and after doing about six sheets, we still have a can and a half leftover), and got a stack of card stock sheets from Michael’s scrapbooking section. They were 39 cents a sheet, and this week, they’re all 30% off. Even better.

What kid doesn’t like to play with shaving cream? Especially when it’s with permission. This afternoon, once the lunch plates were cleared, the kids (yes, even Madeline) got busy on creating the pretty marbled paper with their babysitter. It could not be easier to make and they had a blast doing it. With all the swirly shapes and colors, no two pieces of paper are the same, and you can go crazy with unique color combinations. They don’t know it yet, but tomorrow, they’re going to make some pink pieces for me to hang in my office. I know this doesn’t surprise you.

Now, what to do with the paper once you’re done? Although, surprisingly, the magazine didn’t make any suggestions, there are tons of possibilities. We’re going to cut the paper to fit in some black frames I bought to make one-of-a-kind artwork. How about a bookmark or two? A colorful mat for a framed picture? Laminate it and make placemats for everyone in the family? Gift tags? Book covers? The possibilities are endless, only limited by your imagination. Have fun!

P.S. Miss our first entry for Beating Summer Boredom? You can find it right here.
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