For the conclusion of this series, I've got one last way to keep kids' art over the long term - by turning it into something else. There are a ton of options out there for doing this, ranging from homemade crafty to high tech and professional. Above is a beautiful example of a blog header made from a finger painting. photos via lilla aAnd here is lilla a's transformation of a child's drawing into a cuddly doll. If you'd like to try this but aren't sure where to start, check … [Read more...]
Dolls for Boys in Honor of Celebrate the Boy!
I'm really excited to share some big news with you today. I've been selected to contribute to Celebrate the Boy over at MADE. If you haven't stopped by MADE you gotta check it out, it's chock-full of inspiring projects and gorgeous photography... seriously, go now - I'll wait. Ok, now that you're back you know that they're once again doing a whole month of projects dedicated to boys. The fun starts today and lasts until March 15th - isn't that a great idea? Zubels … [Read more...]
Lovable Robots
My New Robot at Fall Down Tree (via Cove Street)When I was a kid robots were freaky, not cute. Case in point, ever see Return to Oz (the much darker sequel to The Wizard of Oz)? Remember the wheelies? I had nightmares about them for years. Actually, I'm not sure if the wheelies were technically robots... the point being that robots these days are of the much more lovable "Wall-E" persuasion. And, since it's Valentine's day, I thought we should celebrate their newfound sweetness. Popping … [Read more...]
Candy-Free Valentine Inspiration
Magnifying Glass Valentine at dandee. I know everyone is doing the Valentine round up post but I just couldn't resist. I was so excited to have Design Mom, Ucreate with kids, Kidzlist.com, and The Crafty Crow share my Valentine that I had to pay it forward. Plus, there are so many inspired ideas out there, especially of the candy-free variety which I'm loving as a mom of a toddler. (Side note: there are 3 from dandee alone - which is why it's officially my new favorite site, check … [Read more...]
Family Dinner Conversation Starters
I recently posted about some clever placemats that help get kids talking about their day. If you'd like to foster even more communication at the dinner table, be sure to check out these Family Dinner Questions over at HowDoesShe? They've compiled an impressive list of topics to cover while you're chowing down. Themes are varied and are sure to generate answers ranging from surprising and silly to sweet and insightful. … [Read more...]
Honoring Kids’ Artwork: Part 4 – Put It Behind Glass
This is C's very first piece of art, created at his toddler group at age 1. It sits proudly on the mantle in our playroom. Part 4 of this series is all about showing that your little ones' creations are worthy of being protected. Putting the pieces behind glass does just that and floating frames like these are ideal because they work well with art that's not square or rectangular. The above photo is from my living room and is one of the first things that visitors see … [Read more...]
Design Trend: Neutral Walls with Pops of Bold Color
photo via skona hem Last week I did a guest post over at Cove Street on this beautiful grey and pink nursery. (Side note: I met Cove Street's author Katie through the fabulous Jenna, who designed both of our blogs. Katie is also just starting out in the blogging world and has quite the knack for sourcing high end looks at budget prices - definitely go check her out).That post got me thinking about how much I love pops of bright color against muted grey or even white … [Read more...]
Handmade Hideaways
Flickr find at Wallflower. Whether you buy them, sew them, or throw them together on a whim - kids love forts. They're great for imaginary play with friends or quiet time alone with a good book. And they're perfect for those times when you're stuck at home for one reason or another (say, for example, you live in the Midwest). To get you inspired, I've collected some of the best examples and DIYs from around the web. (Also, you won't want to miss these amazing "Build a Fort" … [Read more...]
Magnetic Fabric Letters / Magnetic Wall Giraffe Take 2
If you've been here before then you know all about the magnetic wall giraffe, the project that started it all, the impetus of this very blog. Well I have a confession to make..."Backhoe" the giraffe is flawed, and not just because his name is Backhoe (in an interesting intersection of two of C's favorite things, construction vehicles and animals, he recently named all the painted animals in his room "Backhoe" - but I digress). Sadly, Backhoe's super cheap affordable wooden alphabet letters … [Read more...]
Honoring Kids’ Artwork: Part 3 – Hang It Up
photo via Childhood 101 Next up in this series is one of the most popular methods of displaying lots of artwork - simply sticking it up along a wall. It's cheap, easy to do, and allows for lots of flexibility. This art space was created by Christie over at Childhood 101 for her daughter's playroom. How could anyone not be inspired to create here? Seriously, just looking at this has me itching to break out the crayons.Best of all, Christie provided lots of stylish ways to … [Read more...]
Retro Toy Love: Suitcase Dollhouse
This is version #2 of this post. I just spent the last 20 minutes drafting a very clever write up about how much I adore this doll suitcase from hart + sew and how it reminded me of one of my other favorite blogs Modern Kiddo. I went on for about a paragraph about how similar the authors of these two sites are and how I should totally introduce them. Then, just to be thorough, I quickly popped over to Modern Kiddo to make sure they hadn't actually featured hart + sew in the past. … [Read more...]
Install an Indoor Swing, Instill Self-Confidence
photo via Real Simple The idea of hanging a rope ladder or swing from the ceiling might strike fear into the hearts of many parents, for the safety of both their little ones and their walls. Yet, experts at Stanford’s Shyness Clinic recommend doing just that. The Shy Child : Overcoming and Preventing Shyness from Infancy to Adulthood advocates indoor swinging, climbing, and other mildly risky activities to foster self-confidence in more naturally reserved kids. Click through … [Read more...]
Tutorial: Shaving Cream Valentine
It's almost February and that's got me thinking about, what else, Valentine's Day. I love that C is finally old enough to get into holidays so I wanted to make something special for him to give to his pals. Since chocolate candy isn't really appropriate for a bunch of 2 year olds (at least not in my world), I came up with this instead. Process based art and play has been big around our house lately (as evidenced by Monday's post) so these shaving cream Valentines were kind of a … [Read more...]
More Magnetic Wall Ideas
photo via minor details (spotted on pinterest) When I first posted about C's magnetic wall giraffe, I gave a few suggestions about other ways to interpret the project. If you particularly liked the idea of a cityscape with magnetic citizens, here are a few great examples of skylines to get you started. Something modeled after this large scale wall decal from tangle tree interiors would be perfect (spotted at minor details). photo via I am Momma, Hear Me … [Read more...]