Fall Fun Checklist

At the start of Summer vacation, I made this Summer Fun checklist and it was a big hit.  It gave the kids something to be excited about and it gave us inspiration when we had nothing to do.  Although we don't have nearly the amount of free time now that school and sports have started, there's still a bunch of fall-themed activities we could put on a Fall Fun checklist.

Just as with the Summer list, I simply wrote down a list of ideas on some patterned paper, added a few embellishments, and put it in a frame.  We'll use a dry erase marker to check off the fun things we do throughout the Fall season.

Here's our list (some are fall-related, others are just fun things we can do over the next few months)

It's not as long as our Summer list, but the kids were still excited to see it.

Sharing our Fall plans at:
Tatertots & Jello 
Be Different, Act Normal 
I heart Naptime 
The Sunday Showcase 
Under the Table and Dreaming 
Sundae Shake Up 
Craft-O-Maniac 
Running with Glitter 
Homemaker on a Dime 
Beneath the Rowan Tree 
C.R.A.F.T. 
Skip to My Lou 
Making the World Cuter 
Lines Across my Face 
Today's Creative Blog 
Reasons to Skip the Housework
 Stay at Home Nation
Not Just a Housewife 
The Mommy Club 
 Momnivore's Dilemma
Bear Rabbit Bear 
The Idea Room 
It's Playtime 
Momma's Kinda Crafty
Craft Junkie Too
Sun Scholars 
Ladybird Ln. 
Someday Crafts 
Just a Girl 
Creative Jewish Mom 
Sugar and Dots 
The Frugal Girls 
 Design Dazzle

Little Girl's Dream Desk

I could have titled this post " How to make a desk that will make your 8 year old daughter squeal with glee and promise that she will love you forever and will try her very hardest to not misbehave as a way to say thank you!" (but I thought that might be a little too long! )

Seriously, my oldest LOVES her new desk.  She'd been doing her homework at the dining room table, but has really been wanting her own desk and spot to work in peace.  

It really wasn't hard to do at all and I now want to give everything a fresh coat of spray paint!

How to impress your daughter in 7 easy steps!

1.  Pick up an old desk at a yard sale or thrift shop.  I scored mine at Goodwill for $25!

The desk (I'd already started sanding the middle drawer)

2.  Remove the hardware, wipe down the desk and lightly sand it ( I just sanded the drawer fronts and desk top because I was so excited to get started).

3.  Lay a drop cloth or newspapers around the whole area where you'll be painting.  I did it outside on a slightly windy day and was amazed out how far the paint mist traveled.  (We now have a slightly pink deck!)

3.  Take out the drawers and spray the fronts with two light coats of primer.  Then spray the rest of the desk with two coats of primer too.

The practical me would have kept it crisp white.

4.   Go against your practical side and simple decorating tastes and start spray painting the desk in the hot pink that your daughter requested.  ( I used Rustoleum in Berry Pink ).  Spray several light coats of hot pink paint on the drawer fronts and desk.  Admit to yourself that the color really does look pretty!

5.   Take your daughter to the cabinet hardware aisle in Home Depot and let her choose out new drawer knobs and handles.  Realize that even though the new hardware costs almost half as much as the desk, a hot pink desk really wouldn't be complete without "beautiful, sparkly, crystal-jeweled knobs"

The beautiful, sparkly, crystal-jeweled knobs

All the new hardware

7.  Allow the finished desk to dry completely, then move it into its new spot.

8.  Add a little spray paint and scrapbook paper to an old corkboard, cover a tin can with a bit more of the scrapbook paper, gather up a couple prized possessions and photographs and the new homework area is complete!!

Mommy admits it was a great color choice and looks really pretty!

 Sharing this Pinkalicious transformation at:
C.R.A.F.T.
Skip to My Lou
Sugar Bee Crafts 
Reasons to Skip the Housework
Today's Creative Blog 
Not Just a Housewife 
Sweet Peas and Bumblebees 
Sugar & Spice @ seven thirty three 
Someday Crafts  
Beyond the Picket Fence 
 Gluesticks
Fireflies and Jellybeans 
Katie's Nesting Spot 
Tatertots and Jello
Truly Lovely 
Beyond the Picket Fence 

Dining Room Chairs Re-do!

I'm really glad we rarely have dinner guests.  It's not because I don't like cooking ( I don't mind it).  It's not because I was worried about the kids' behavior (they can usually at least tone down the bickering in front of others). It's because our dining room chairs had become so disgusting, I was embarrassed by them.  

When we first bought the set 5 years ago, I knew that fabric seats probably weren't the smartest idea, but I went for it anyway.  After two years, I recovered the seats, thinking that since the kids were past the toddler stage, they wouldn't be as messy.  Yeah, that was so not the case!  

This is what just one of the chairs looked like 

(the others looked similar!)

and those were only the stains I could identify!

I knew I should recover them again, but just kept putting it off because I knew whatever I put on wouldn't last.  Then I saw this post over at Momnivore's Dilemma where she reupholstered her chairs using a pretty vinyl tablecloth.  What a smart idea!  A pretty pattern and it was wipe-able!!  

I ran out to my Home Goods and picked up this...

It's not vinyl, so it won't be quite as stain proof, but it's water repellent indoor/outdoor treated fabric and the colors match our dining room and living room perfectly.  I bought the largest size ( 70"x120", I think) and it was more than enough to do all six chairs, plus I have plenty of leftovers.  Oh, and it was only $19.99, so it was way cheaper than buying fabric by the yard. 

Check out the transformation...

 

If you've never done a project like this, it's really pretty easy.  I was able to do all six chairs in an afternoon (with distractions!).

1.  You'll need a heavy duty staple gun and staples.

2.  Take your seat off your chair.  (Most are just held on by a few screws underneath).  Put the seat upside down on the wrong side of your fabric.  If there's a pattern, try to center it or make sure the lines are straight.

3.  Cut your fabric leaving plenty of extra to wrap around to the back side.  ( It's way better to have some excess that you can cut off, than not enough to staple down!)

4.  Start stapling down your fabric.  I like to do one side, then the opposite side, then the corners then the last two sides.  I also found that the staple gun works best if you push it tight down on the fabric, then squeeze to staple.  If a staple doesn't go all the way in, you can always give it a whack with a hammer.

Wrapped nice and tight.

5.  Turn it over and re-attach to your chair frame.

Sooo much better.

 While they're not totally kid proofed like they would be with vinyl, liquids just bead up on the indoor/outdoor fabric, so it should definitely reduce a lot of future stains.  Plus, at some point, these kids should finally be able to eat a meal without spilling something, right?  Please tell me that day will come soon, please! 

Sharing the transformation at:

Tatertots and Jello 
Be Different, Act Normal 

Bedside Bookshelf

I love to read and I am thrilled that my kids have inherited my love of books.  We easily have hundreds (if not thousands) of children's books here at our house from my years of teaching and we make frequent trips to the library to get even more.  The problem?  Those library books often get mixed in with our other books and I inevitably end up with fines and misplaced books. 

Then one day, I was browsing on Pinterest (love, love, love that site!) and saw several people using an IKEA spice rack as a bookshelf.  Because the kids do most of their reading at bedtime, a narrow bookshelf that I could mount on the wall right next to their bed would be perfect.  What's even better is that the spice rack was only $3.99!!  I added a little paint and a name plate, and I had an awesome bedside bookshelf for less than $5.  With the money I save on library fines, this project will easily pay for itself in just a few months!  ;)

Isn't this perfect?  Right next to the bed, the books face out, but it's not in the way!

They were really easy to make, here's what I did:

1.  Make a trip to IKEA to get the spice racks.  ( Allow the kids to play in the Smalland children's area while you shop in peace and then grab some yummy swedish meatballs for lunch!)

You could totally just mount them on the wall just like this and they'd be fine, but I wanted to make them a little extra special so the kids would be motivated to always keep their library books on their new shelves.

2.  Assemble your shelves (took only minutes) and spray paint them white (or the color of your choice).

3.  Make the name plates.  To learn how to do great lettering without a fancy machine, check out my post HERE!

I found this pack of wooden slats at the craft store that were the perfect size and really inexpensive ( the pack of 6 was under $2 with a coupon).  I painted the wood pieces white, then added their names. 

4.  I hot-glued their name plates to the front of each shelf.

5.  Finally, just mount the shelves to the wall and add your books!

The kids love them and know that they MUST keep their library books in that shelf only.  With luck, this little project will eliminate any future library fines ( before I single-handedly finance a new wing for our public library! )

Sharing this cool little shelf at:

Skip to my Lou
Sugar Bee Crafts
Moms by Heart
Get Your Craft On @ Today's Creative Blog 
Reasons to Skip the Housework
Not Just a Housewife 
 Sugar and Dots
Someday Crafts 
Night Owl Crafting 
seven thirty three 
Katie's Nesting Spot 
Tatertots and Jello 
Design Dazzle 

How to do Custom Lettering without a Fancy Machine

I keep seeing so many amazing projects that people are making using their Cricut, Sillouette or other "fancy" machines.   While I love the results (and would definitely love to get one of those machines myself at some point), I often use an "old school" technique to achieve similar results.  I can do my own lettering in just about any font, any size and any color using nothing fancier than a regular computer, printer, lead pencil and acrylic paints.  It also works for simple graphics and pictures as well.

Check out these cute nameplates I made for some new Bedside Bookshelves for my kids.  The lettering is a lot nicer than I could do just freehand, but I was able to do it without a special machine. 

NOTE:  I've been told that the Curlz MT font ranks up there with Comic Sans, Papyrus and others in the "fonts to hate" category  ;)  However, my girls love the "letters with the curlicues" out of the limited fonts I have to choose from, so it still works fine for us!  :) 
 

Here's what you do:

1.  Find a font that you like on your word processing software and adjust the font size so it's as large as you need it to be.  Then print it out on regular paper.

2.  Cut out the name or word you'll be using, then turn it over.  Using a pencil, rub over the back side of the paper.  ( You don't have to cover the whole paper, just over the letters.)

3.  Turn your paper over and place it on the surface where you want your word or image to be.  Here I put it on the wooden slats I was using for the name plates, but I've done it directly on a wall before too.  Using your pencil, trace over the letters applying medium pressure.

4.  Lift up your paper and you'll see that you now have a copy of the word on your surface.

It's light, but you can see the outline of all the letters.

5.  Using a stiff, fine-tipped paintbrush and acrylic paints, paint your letters using the guidelines you just made.

6.  For this project, I used a ruler to add a frame around the edge of each name plate and then painted that too.

Obviously, this transfer technique wouldn't work on fabrics or other porous surfaces, but it's a great option for wood, walls or any other smooth surface.

Sharing this tip at:
 

Skip to My Lou
Polly Want a Crafter 
 Be Different, Act Normal
Tatertots and Jello

Glue Batik Framed Art

When I started this blog, my goal was to share some of the projects and activities my kids and I have enjoyed, with the hope that others might enjoy them as well.  That's why I really love it when someone leaves a comment that they like one of the ideas I've shared.  And, I really, really love it when a reader takes a minute to let me know that they actually tried a project and it turned out well.  So, you can imagine how much I really, really, really loved getting an email from Jenny sharing pictures of the glue batik Mother's Day project she did after seeing our Glue Batik Easter Fabric post.  She had the great idea to do the batik on fabric, then frame the finished artwork as a gift.

Check out these gorgeous flowers her children painted and how amazing they look framed.

I totally want to some more Glue Batik with the kids and frame it like this!

She even made a great collage showing her kids' involvement with each step.

 

Thanks so much, Jenny, for taking the time to share your project with me.

Oh, and if any of you are in need of some graphic design work for photo cards or other gifts, I was browsing Jenny's website, Pixy Print Lane,  and she does some great work.  I'm sure if you needed some graduation announcements or other designs she'd be able to work with you to create something special.

Easy Easter Table Runner

Last week, I posted about the great fun we had making Glue Batik Easter Art.  The kids' designs turned out so pretty and I knew I wanted to make something out of them.  Well, the night before Easter, I was able to make a really cute table runner. (see my confession HERE)

Now, I know that a better seamstress could have made a really incredible table runner from scratch, but this project is the perfect solution for someone like me who can sew just well enough to put things together (or even someone who doesn't sew at all).  It looked really pretty on our Easter table and because it has the kids' artwork on it, I know I'll treasure it for years.

Look at the pretty table runner (not the scratches on my table or the wrinkles in the fabric!)

Now, wait till you see how simple it was!

SUPPLIES:

• fabric artwork pieces
• Heat-n-Bond iron on adhesive ( Lite hold if you're going to topstitch, Ultra hold if you're going no-sew)
• premade table runner that coordinates with your artwork pieces ( I scored mine for $6.99 on clearance!)
• iron and/or sewing machine

 DIRECTIONS:


1.  On your fabric artwork pieces, fold over 1/4" to the wrong side on each edge and iron.

Look how lazy resourceful I am, using a folded towel instead of going downstairs to my ironing board!

2.  Cut a piece of Heat-n-Bond that is just slightly smaller than your finished artwork piece.  Iron to the wrong side of your artwork.

I got it as close to the edges as I could to help catch the raw edge.

3.  Decide on the placement of your pieces, then peel off the paper backing and iron into place.

Somehow, my squares are slightly different sizes!  Oh well!

4.  If you're going no-sew and used the Ultra Hold Heat-n-Bond, you're all finished (how easy was that?!)


5.  If you have a sewing machine and want a little bit more finished look, simply topstitch around each square close to the edge.

That's it!  Your new table runner is finished!  

Once again, admire the idea, but ignore the wrinkles!

How easy would it be to do something similar for each holiday or just for everyday?  You could use the Glue Batik technique, or any other fabric decorating technique, and feature your kids' creations at the dinner table.

Linking up this project at the following awesome blogs:

  

Polly Want a Crafter 
 Singing Three Little Birds
Sew Can Do 
Keeping it Simple
Super Stinky Boys 
C.R.A.F.T. 
 Craft-O-Maniac
The Girl Creative 
Sew Many Ways 
This and That 
Today's Creative Blog 
Reasons to Skip the Housework 
funky Polkadot Giraffe 
Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts 
Sugar and Spice @ seven thirty three 
 Sweet Peas and bumblebees
Hoo's Got Talent @ Night Owl Crafting 
Be Different, Act Normal 
Tatertots and Jello