Pi Day Activity- Make Pi Day Bracelets!

This Friday (3/14) is Pi Day!  Pi is a mathematical constant referring to the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.  It's an irrational number, which means that it goes on forever and never shows a repeating pattern.  Every year it's celebrated on 3/14 because the first three digits of Pi are 3,1, and 4.  Now if you're looking for an easy way to celebrate Pi day, we've got a great collection of Pi Day Inspired Activities.  Today I'm sharing these nifty Pi Day Bracelets!  What makes this a great Pi Day Activity?  Well, the beads are strung according to Pi's digits. (Cool, right?)   It's a great way to combine math, art, and crafting!

Interested in making your own set of Pi Day Inspired bracelets?  Keep reading!

#2redfruitloops (and why social media stresses me out)

What should I give up for Lent?

This year for Lent I thought long and hard about what to give up.  Midnight snacking?  *Jiggles belly fat*  Yeah... that would probably be good.  Television?  Yeah, that would probably be a good choice too. 
But then I heard a bloggy friend saying that she was giving up social media and I thought... oooh, now we're onto something.

On wanting to be a kid blogger... and that pesky thief named Comparison

Last January I participated in something called #riskrejection, where a couple of bloggers and I shared how we were daring to take scary risks even if it meant getting rejected by others. That weekly challenge has now become a monthly one.  (If you'd like to participate in this month's, you can link your risks here.)

For my first risk, I shared my (now not-so-secret) desire to somehow make a career as a kids' craft blogger.  Since then, I dove into the huge social media ocean and

• reorganized the kid craft section of my Pinterest page
• pumped up my Instagram feed
• uploaded more posts onto Facebook
• started reading up on SEO.... (blech)
• joined two blogging support groups (Kid Blogger Network and Rockin' Art Moms.)  

Yurp.  It's been great and I've learned a lot... but it's also been pretty overwhelming.

Both groups are made up of super talented, super hardworking, super social media saavy moms and I am  in awe of them...and honestly, supremely intimidated by them. 

I know I shouldn't compare, but it's hard not to.  Every time I look at my newsfeed or check my email I see how hard they've been working, how much they've created, and how many shares or likes their posts received... and  I get stressed out.

Blogging definitely becomes less fun when those pesky "What ifs" "Maybe I shoulds" or "Why am I nots" pop into my head.

Stepping back from Facebook and Page views

So for this month, I'm stepping back from social media, specifically Facebook.  I'm trying not to check every feed, comment, like, or update... and I'm also really trying hard to not worry about stats or pageviews.

It's going to be a battle till Easter, but boundaries are good right? 

#2redfruitloops

Instead of obsessing, I'm going to try trusting that God somehow has a plan and a place for all of us... and I'm going to do something that makes me happy.... draw red fruit loop doodles!  I love seeing all the artists on Instagram who doodle scenes around real objects.  So I've challenged myself to draw doodles that include 2 red fruit loops in them. (Why red fruit loops?  Because they're yummy and they make me happy.)  So if you want to follow my red fruit loop journey, you can just find it on Instagram using #2redfruitloops.

 Here's my first doodle:

(I feel like that's me... always trying to see what the future holds...)

Whoa.  I've been reading for an hour... just how long is this post anyway?

Way too long, apparently.  Wow.  You're still here? High five.  I'm sorry for this long, long personal post, but I needed to take this risk, share what was on my heart, and let everything out.

Let's be brave and hopeful together friends, shall we?

4 Easy Kids' Crafts

Today Chuck's sick and we're stuck at home.  Boo!  I was going to skip posting today and instead just upload our everyday craft photos onto my Instagram account.  But the photos were so cute... so I gave in and I'm uploading a collage here too, just in case you're looking for some crafty inspiration.

4 Really Easy (Practically no prep) Kids' crafts

Keep reading to see how we made each craft:

Make Coffee Filter Flowers

Today we're continuing our spring flower theme with these easy to make coffee filter flowers.  Now I'm not a coffee drinker, but I bought a pack of filters anyway because I really wanted to try making these with Chuck.  He had a lot of fun helping me to dye the coffee filters different colors with food coloring.  Then, I had a lot of fun cutting them up and turning them into a lovely and everlasting bouquet of colorful flowers.

Do you need a colorful boost today?  Or do you need a quick and fun activity to do with your kids?  Why not try your hand at making a lovely bouquet of coffee filter flowers too?

Make Rainbow flowers

Rainbows and bright colors are currently on my mind.  Chuck and I are impatient for spring to come.  So when I stared at our white flowers (leftovers from Valentine's Day- can you believe they lived that long?) I knew the perfect "almost-spring-but-not-yet" craft.  Painting rainbow flowers!  
 

Heh heh.  We couldn't wait for Mother Nature to give us colorful blooms, so we painted our own.  Keep reading to see a super easy way to make your own rainbow flowers!

Leprechaun Hat Headband DIY

I'm not Irish. (Surprise!)  But I appreciate St. Patrick's Day because it gives me the opportunity to wear green and cute Leprechaun gear.  So today's craft is a DIY Leprechaun hat headband that was made from... wait for it.... toilet paper rolls and cereal boxes!   

Yup!  Today we're making our very own Leprechaun hat!

Keep reading to see how we made this little Leprechaun hat headband!

Plastic Bottle Sumo Wrestler Bowling Pins

About a year ago I had the great opportunity to be a guest craft poster at Sugar and Dots (Now Hello M{ess}).   My first craft on her blog was this set of cute and quirky sumo wrestler bowling pins.  It's still one of my most popular (and favorite) craft posts, so today I thought I'd re-share my sumo wrestler pins over here.

Plastic Bottle Sumo Wrestler Bowling Pins

Ack!  Too cute....

Keep reading to see how these cute guys were made:

Cellophane Stained Glass Windows

Who's up for a little color?  Anyone? Anyone? Everything's looking pretty grey here, so Chuck and I made some cellophane stained glass windows.  I cut up pieces of cellophane and then we stuck them to our windows using a mixture of dish soap and water.   

Ahh, don't these hearts just brighten your day?

Keep reading to see how we did this activity...

Make a square and cube bubble

We are definite bubble lovers over here.  With the colder weather outside, we've just been blowing them at home over a beach towel.  Recently I learned that bubbles didn't have to just be spherical shaped.  They could also look like squares and cubes too. What? No way! 

Yes way!  Behold!  A cubic bubble!

Whoa.  It's bubble play for us older folks! Keep reading to see how we made different shaped bubbles:

DIY IPod Speakers from cardboard roll and cups

Ever notice that how your iPod or mp3 player just doesn't play music loud enough?  Well, if you have a cardboard roll and two cups lying around, you can fix that problem in a couple of minutes.  Yup.  Just make yourself a set of makeshift cardboard roll speakers!

Keep reading to see how I made these bad boys...

Cereal Box Fireman's Hat (Template included)

Currently Chuck loves pretending to be a fireman.  He tells me that random things are on fire and then sprays them with an imaginary hose to put the fire out.  To help encourage his play, we recently made this fireman's hat out of an old cereal box.

(Of course, we had to make a fireman's hat for his best friend Piggy too!)

Got a pretend firefighter in your family too? Curious to see how a cereal box turned into a fireman's hat? Keep reading to see how we did it!

Printing with Flowers

Do you have wilting flowers?  Before tossing them away, why not try making some flower prints with them?   Chuck and I dipped flower heads in paint and made some lovely prints.  Then, once the prints dried, I turned them into some personalized, springy stationary.

So don't throw away your Valentine's Day flowers just yet.  Keep them and make some cards! 

Make Rainbows using CDs

Did you know that you can make rainbows using CDs?  Yup!  It's true.  Check out this rainbow that Chuck and I made right in his room.  All we needed was a bright patch of sun, a CD, and a white surface.

Keep reading to see how we made these lovely rainbows!

Jasper Johns Inspired Wall Art

When I saw this lovely artwork that an elementary student made in the style of Jasper Johns, I was utterly entranced.  I loved how the letters seemed to swirl in colors.  So armed with my trusty craft paints, I painted my own Jasper Johns inspired wall art. But, instead of writing out a series of letters or a random assortment of words, I included four words that had special meaning to me.  Here's what I came up with: 

If you'd like to see how I painted this artwork, keep reading!

Homemade Gluten free Puffy Paint Recipe and free Lincoln Coloring Page

Recently I found this great recipe for homemade puffy paint from  Happy Hooligans.  It was a simple recipe and called for only four ingredients, one of them being self-rising flour.  Since Chuck's allergic to wheat, we only have gluten free baking mix at home.  I was curious whether we could obtain the same results.  Well, after messing around in the kitchen we painted Mr. Lincoln's beard and hair with our very own homemade brown puffy paint.

Four score and seven years, our puffy haired fathers....

Would you like to see how we made our own homemade gluten free puffy paint?  Keep reading to find out!

Two George Washington Cotton Ball Wig Crafts

Happy Presidents Day!  In honor of the holiday, I'm posting kid-friendly president-themed crafts today and tomorrow on the blog.  Today I'm sharing two George Washington Cotton Ball Wig Crafts.  Here's the first craft-- a real cotton ball wig!

Come on, you wanna see how I made this thing.... so keep reading to find out!

DIY Magazine Strip Silhouette Heart Art

Hrmm.. magazine strip silhouette art?  Sounds kind of naughty, but I promise you this recycled craft is anything but that.  Take a look!

See?  Totally PG and totally cute.  I'm always on the lookout for easy and affordable DIY artwork.  This silhouette heart looks great and BONUS uses recycled materials. Keep reading to see how I made it!

DIY Sprinkles and Hot Glue Cake Toppers

Sprinkles are the happiest decorations in the world.  They're super colorful and remind me of sweets and cake.  So I made these sprinkle cake toppers to turn boring rice krispies into something a bit more festive and Valentines-y for our toddler group. 

They were super easy to make and added a happy touch to my snacks.  Keep reading to make them for yourself!

Cherry Blossom Tissue Paper Flower Craft (Tree printable included!)

I know, it's a little early for cherry blossoms crafts.  But this mama is seriously over winter.  Buh-bye!  With yet another snow storm scheduled to come tomorrow, this tissue paper cherry blossom tree craft is my attempt to kick winter in the face.  Hiyah! 

Ahh, cherry blossoms... so beautiful... so springy...

Like the tree?  You can use it for your kids' crafts too!  I turned my painting into a pdf so you can just download it and print it out....

Painting Valentine's Day and African Inspired Pasta Necklaces

Alright, this post's title is completely wackadoo, but hear me out.  Chuck and I painted pasta necklaces to wear on Valentine's Day.  But after painting a bunch of pasta pretty pastel colors, my eyes yearned for primary colors.  So while Chuck slept, I peeked online and found some really beautiful beaded African necklaces.  And then this mama went to town and painted her own pasta pieces with African inspired colors and designs.

Keep reading to see how we painted them!

Make butter by Shaking up Heavy Cream

Did you know that if you shake heavy cream long enough, it will make butter?  *Pause for effect*  Yup.  It's true.  It takes about 20-25 minutes to turn 1/2 a pint of heavy cream into butter.  You don't even need special equipment to do it!  How do I know?  Because I roped hubby into making some homemade butter with me this past weekend!

Let's Make Homemade Butter from Heavy Cream!

 

Why this sudden interest in making homemade butter?  Don't worry, I'm not swearing off all processed foods.  I recently found out that February 7th was Laura Ingalls Wilder's birthday.  She was one of my favorite authors as a young girl.  I loved reading Little House on the Prairie and thought this would be a great way to celebrate her (and try out some cool food science too.)

Keep reading to see how we made our own homemade butter from heavy cream!

Felt Heart Button Covers

Valentine's day is coming up this Friday.  Are you still looking for something kind of "Valentines-y" to wear?  Well, why not add temporary heart embellishments to the clothing you already own?  Try making these DIY felt heart button covers.  They're easy to make and add some festive Valentine's spirit.

Keep on reading!

DIY Metal Cap Toe Boots

Have you heard of Boo hoo?  They're an online clothing retailer that's popular in Europe and recently started branching out in the US.  A couple of months ago they sent me a pair of Mya Buckle Trim Biker Boots to use in a DIY craft.  At first I wanted to add a ton of studs to them... but the studs got lost in the mail. So I took an alternate route and gave them some spray painted metal cap toes! 

Keep reading to see what I did!

Home Depot Free Kids Workshop

Did you know that Home Depot and Lowe's offer free kids' DIY classes?  Yup!  Home depot offers kids classes every first Saturday and Lowe's offers free kid clinics.  (Btw- the Lowe's class is this week!)  All you have to do is go online and sign up.

I love the idea of growing a DIY spirit in Chuck, but I initially thought that he was too young to participate.  But then a mommy friend showed me the El Chu plane that they made in class last month... and I was convinced that we had to go.  So last Saturday hubby and Chuck built a race car together!  (I sat behind the scenes coughing and sneezing. Will my cold ever go away? Boo.)

First they hammered the parts together. (Yes, they used a real hammer! Whoa!).  Chuck was so cute because he told me that Daddy "helped him to hammer."  Then, they decorated it with stickers.

Click below to keep reading!

DIY Splatter Painted Pants

Everything outside is grey, grey, grey.  Bah.  I've been longing for some color in my life.  So that's why I took a pair of pants and went crazy.  Yurrrp.  I splatter painted the whole thing bright happy colors.

They look pretty crazy... and pretty cool.  (They were also inspired by by this awesome splatter pant tutorial from PS-I Made This.) So far I've worn these pants around the apartment but I have yet to wear them outside.  (What's the correction occasion for such colorful pants?  Hrmm...)Now if you'd like some color in your life too, keep reading!

Make Shaving Cream Clouds and Paint the bathtub walls

With all the crazy weather that's been happening around these parts, I thought Chuck and I could try creating some of our own crazy weather... indoors!  So we made a shaving cream cloud and watched it rain rainbows...

Oooh.  Isn't it pretty?

Keep reading to find out how we made it rain rainbows!

Make Fake Snow from Diapers

Guess what Chuck and I played with today while it snowed outside? Fake snow!  We made some from a Pull up Diaper.

Say what?

Oh yeah.  We visited our nearby science center last week and the kids loved playing with their fake snow.  I found out that the fake snow was made from the same material found inside of diapers!  Wow.  Mind blown.  So of course we had to make it at home. 

Keep reading to find out how we made our fake snow!

DIY Inkblot Shirt

We received a bunch of hand-me-downs awhile back and one of the items was a plain black shirt.  I saw it and immediately knew that I wanted to try painting something on it.  But I wasn't sure what...   Now that I've been sick for the past couple of weeks, Chuck and I have pretty much stayed at home.... the whole time.

Now,  I love Chuck, but being locked indoors for long periods of time totally drives both of us CRAZY....   So that's what inspired me to make this DIY Inkblot shirt.

What do you see when you look at the design?

Keep on reading to find out how I made this bad boy!

Two Heart themed Valentine's Crafts- Heart Glasses and Painted Heart Rocks

Note:  This post is sponsored by Plaid, but the opinions are 100% mine.

Did you know that the heart is my favorite shape?  (Is it weird that I have a favorite shape?)  I know that triangles and hexagons are super trendy right now, but I'm an old-fashioned romantic.  Hearts will always have a special place in my... well heart.  (Tee hee hee.)  So when Plaid sent me a box of Apple Barrel Craft Paint to create a Valentine's Day School Craft, I knew that it had to be heart related. 


So I came up with these Cereal box Heart Glasses and Heart Painted Rocks.  Both crafts are super colorful and fun to make.   

Cereal box Heart Glasses

Keep reading to see directions and template!

Why I'm thankful for all of my Craftgawker Rejections

This is the last week of our #RiskRejection series.  (New to the series?  About 20 or so bloggers have been bravely taking risks and sharing about them every Thursday on their blogs.)

So far, I've risked by

• sharing that I'd like a career as a craft blogger 
• sharing that I was overwhelmed by what it took to become a professional craft blogger
• taking Chuck out sans diaper for the first time

This past week I've been reflecting about rejection quite a bit.  Specifically, I was thinking about being rejected by Craftgawker.   Have you heard about this site?  It's a lovely, curated compilation of crafts.  Crafters and artists submit their best project photos hoping that the site will showcase their work and send readers to their sites.  Craftgawker is EXTREMELY PICKY about the photos they accept.  Only bright and beautiful photos are showcased. 

My first submission to the site was this fortune cookie advent calendar photo...


It  was rejected and I was crushed.  I may have cried.... I'm not sure, but I definitely remember eating carbs to cheer myself up.  

Yup, I was really hurt.  I'd like to say that all of my following submissions were accepted... but I'd be lying.  Out of my approximately 80 submissions, only about 40 were accepted.  Yup, I have a 50% acceptance rate.  Pretty poor right?  But, you know what? 

I'm really REALLY thankful for those rejections.  They pushed me to take better photos.

You see, every time I received a rejection, I also received a reason for the rejection.  Maybe my lighting was too dull, or my composition was too tight, or I had white balance issues. 

When I first started blogging, I would have had no idea what they were talking about.  I took photos like a cave person.  "Ooh, ooh.  Me click button.  Magic picture on screen.  Me got whole face in picture and eyes are open.  Me likey."


Now I'm able to decipher those terms.  I look at white balance and composition.  I'm learning how to take brighter photos at night time.

Here's a photo of my latest submission (Ice Bird Feeder Craf):



Can you see the difference between these two photographs?  I can.

That's why I'm really REALLY thankful for all my Craftgawker rejections.  Rejection stings, no question about that.  But each one pushes me to become a better photographer and a more resilient and determined blogger.

(By the way, if you've ever felt frustrated by Craftgawker, check out this post  from Dream a Little Bigger.  Allison offers helpful and easy-to-follow insight on how to improve your photos.)

 So even though our #RiskRejection month is over, let's continue to be brave and risk together, dear friends!

Two Bird Feeder Crafts: Toilet Paper Roll Feeders and Ice Feeders

Earlier this week my posts focused on sending some lovin' to the special people in your life (Click here, here and here.)  Well, that's all well and good.  But what about sending love to others?  How about the birds?  With the freezing cold weather outside, our feathered friends are bound to need some loving too.  So why not try out these two bird feeder crafts?  Chuck and I made some toilet paper roll bird feeders and some heart shaped ice feeders.  Both were really easy to make and currently dangling on a tree outside our building.

Here's an up-close shot of our Toilet Paper Roll Feeder:

To see how I made the toilet paper roll feeders and ice feeders, keep reading!

Toddler Painted Valentine's Day Cards (for a Teacher and Parent)

(Hubby- Please don't read this post because the bottom card is for you.)

Illness + freezing cold temperatures = A LOT of time spent cooped up in a two-bedroom apartment

To help pass the time, Chuck and I have been doing tons of arts and crafts projects.  Luckily, he's got a new interest in painting and gluing. (Yes!  My son finally shows some interest in crafting with mommy!  Woo hoo!) Here are two Valentine's Day cards that we made together for Chuck's Sunday School teachers and hubby.

(So hubby, once again, do NOT read the bottom of this post...)

1.  Painted Fish Valentine's Day Card

Keep reading to see how we made this card (and to see hubby's card....shhh... it's a surprise)...

DIY Valentine's Day Gifts: Candy, Coffee, and Tea

When hubby and I first started dating, we were grad students and super strapped for cash.  For our first Valentine's day, I gave hubby Hershey Kisses with little slips of paper stuck to their bottoms.  Each slip of paper contained a special memory that we had shared together or was simply blank (symbolizing memories that we were still going to make.)

Right now we're about to celebrate our ninth Valentine's day together... and for some reason I got thinking about that first gift.  It was easy to make and didn't cost very much.  But, it was really special for both of us.  Feeling inspired by that first Valentine's gift nine years ago, here are three really easy, affordable, and sweet DIY gifts to make for your loved ones.

To see the details for each one, keep reading!

DIY Valentine's Day Gift: Hair Tie Lollipop

With Valentine's Day right around the corner,  I thought it would fun to make some easy and cute DIY Valentine's Day Gifts.  Here's one idea that I whipped up last night.  It's a hair tie lollipop! 

Isn't it colorful and cute?  I bet it would be perfect for any little (or big) gal in your life.  Keep reading to see how I made it!

My Scarlet Letter and Taking hazy plastic bag photos

A couple of days ago, Chuck and I went to Target and I was super nervous. (Like armpit sweat nervous.) For the past week and a half, we had a breakthrough in potty training.  He was telling me when he needed to use the bathroom.  (Finally!  Yes!  Insert choir of angels.)  But, I was still putting him in pullups when we went out.  I was afraid that he would have an accident outside.  


But since we're on week 3 of Amy's #RiskRejection challenge (where bloggers embrace risk even if it involves getting rejected), I felt emboldened.  If other ladies could risk big and start businesses and non-profits, apply to become foster parents, write books, and move to other states and countries, then certainly Chuck could wear underwear outside.   

So Chuck and I both put on our big kid pants and went to Target sans pullups.  In the beginning, everything seemed was fine.  I kept reminding him to let me know when he needed to potty and he said that he would. 


But then we entered the toy section... that terrible black hole in the store where logic and reason escape and wails and tears (Mom's silent ones and children's vocal ones) are heard in every aisle.  We got to the Cars section and Chuck hopped out, super excited.

And then he peed.  

Oof.

It was just a tiny accident, but I still felt so bad.  We cleaned up in the bathroom and then I told the workers.  I expected to see a smirk, a roll of the eyes, a shaking of the head, or the accusation of "Bad Mommy!  Now you have to wear the scarlet P!"  But none of this happened.

They were actually... nice about the whole thing.  Within a couple of minutes everything was cleaned up and no one was the wiser.

I was hesitant to share this risk as part of my #RiskRejection Challenge because I wasn't moving mountains.  My risk was small.  But maybe that's ok?  Maybe taking small risks like this one will still mold me to be a better, braver person and mom.

Psst- If you want to see how I took this hazy photo, keep on reading!

Indoor Snow Painting (Make Rainbow snow!)

How are you enjoying this snowy weather?  Since Chuck was sick, we stayed inside.  But, the snow was just too tempting, so I let him play with it inside the apartment.  Currently there are so many blogs showcasing indoor snow painting, but this one from Housing a Forest really inspired me to do this activity.

Indoor snow painting activity 

Keep reading to see our artwork!

DIY: 5 Ways to update your old beanie

Hubby's away and Chuck and I are currently stuck at home, sick.  Boo.  We're watching the lovely fluffy flakes falling outside and I'm soooo tempted to bundle him up to play outside.  But, I'm holding myself back until he gets better. 

(Hrmm... but maybe I could bring some snow inside for us to play with.... thanks Lisa for that idea!)

Anyway, here's a short cold weather post in honor of the snow.

Do you have an old beanie just lying around? Maybe you never really wear it, but you just can't bring yourself to give it away just in case you need it one day?  Well, here are five super easy ways to update your drab head wear.   And bonus!  None of these are permanent changes, so you could potentially wear all five looks this winter! 

1. Pom Pom Beanie

This update was my favorite.  Chuck is beginning to recognize Micky Mouse.  So when I saw Eugenia Kim's Pom pom beanie (for $185- holy empty wallet!), I knew that I had to make my own cheapie version.  I followed this pom pom tutorial  from Crafted.  Then, I sewed the two semi-identical (eek!) pom poms onto the corners of my beanie.  Bam.  Instant mousekateer cool.

And here I am modelling the four other updates....

2.  "Hi" Beanie:  I cut out the letters "H" and "i" from felt.  Then, I just sewed them onto the front of the beanie for some friendly headwear.  Make sure you sew the letters closer together because they will stretch apart when you wear the hat.

3.  Polka dot Pom Pom Beanie:  I bought a pack of mini pom poms from the craft store and then sewed them onto the hat.  To help with placement, I marked the hat with chalk first so I would know where to sew.

4.  Spiked Beanie:  I poked a couple of screwback cone spikes through the front of the beanie.  I thought the hat made me look like a punky Statue of Liberty. 

5.  Sparkly heart Beanie:  I cut out a heart shape from felt.  Then, I hot glued some rhinestones onto the heart.  Then, I sewed the heart back onto the hat.   Wouldn't this version be nice for Valentine's Day?  

 Alright that's it.  Time to take a nap. Stay warm and well, friends!

Two Chinese New Year Dragon Crafts

Ready for a fun Chinese New Year Craft?  Chinese New Year is one of those really fun holidays that I enjoyed celebrating as a kid.  Yummy food, wearing new clothes, red envelopes filled with money, and watching cool dragon and lion dancing?  Come on, what's not to love?  Since the holiday is just around the corner, I showed Chuck some lion dancing videos (Youtube to the rescue!) and then thought it'd be fun if we did some dragon crafts together:

Two Chinese New Year Dragon Crafts

Little background about me- Growing up I always felt like a "twinkie."  Yellow on the outside, white on the inside.  You see, I looked Asian, but I didn't always feel that way.  Now that Chuck's getting a bit older, hubby and I are trying to figure out how two twinkies like us pass down their cultural traditions. (Ehh... it's a work in progress....)

This craft is one way that we're trying to pass down our tradition.  And, in the interest of full disclosure, Chuck really enjoyed making the handprint dragon.... but he wasn't too keen on coloring my paper bag dragon pieces.  However, once I colored and glued everything down for him, he enjoyed playing with it like a puppet.

So, do you wanna see how we made these two dragons?  (I've got templates too!  Ooh la la!)  Keep on reading!

(And if you like this craft, definitely check out this dancing Chinese Dragon Puppet.  It actually dances and is made from recycled materials!)

Make a Valentine's Day "Arrow through the Head" Headband

Oh no!  Chuck's been shot...

(With Cupid's arrow.. teee hee hee)

Valentine's Day "Arrow through the Head" Headband

Looking for a cute Valentine's Day accessory that is affordable, easy-to-make, kid friendly, and boy friendly?  Well, you could always try making this "Arrow through the head" headband...

I took the risk... so now what?

Last Thursday, I shared with you my secret, well now not-so-secret dream to make a career as a craft blogger.  Today I just wanted to briefly share what's been happening since then...  

Ehh... a lot of hard work.

End of post.

Image by Marc Johns, found here

What, you're still here?  Ok, ok, maybe I was kind of vague.

Make a Cardboard Bridge for Trains and Cars

We bought an Ikea train set awhile back and Chuck loves it.  The only problem is that our poor Thomas train is too big and doesn't fit under the train set's tunnel.  So I poked through my trusty cardboard stash and made him a cardboard mountain bridge.  

Cardboard Bridge for Trains and Cars

Aha!  Problem solved.

Now all the trains can fit underneath the mountain while his cars drive over the train track.  Yay! 

Wanna make a bridge too?  Well then keep on reading! 

Make milk jug rings

Lookie lookie!  

Me:  Hey friend!  A couple of nights ago, I made these three rings out of milk jugs.

You:  No way!  Come on, now.  I don't believe you.

Me:  Oh yes.  Believe me, friend.  These crapty cool rings were inspired by La Factoria Plastica's cardboard play rings and Lana Red's shrinky dink rings.

You:  Oh yes.  I remember seeing those on your Pinterest Board.  Well dagum!  How did you make them?

Me:  Keep reading to find out!