Strollerderby : projects

Pee Wee Partytime! Do You Overdo it?

SunnyChanel — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:37:00 GMT

Earlier today, fellow Stollerderby team member Jen confessed that she was a “plate-and-cups parent”. When given the choice for signing up for a Halloween party at her son’s daycare, she opted to provide the spoons and cups. Last weekend, I was met with the very same dilemma, the dreaded Halloween Party Potluck Sign-Up.

But me, I’m at the other end of the spectrum. Instead of opting for the time effective and easy, I try to find a way to make the task the most time consuming, complex and difficult as I can make it. And I always, without a doubt, regret it.

When signing up for the before mentioned party, what did I opt to make? Four dozen bat shaped polenta hors d’ouevres, some dyed a midnight hue of black, with homemade olive tapenade eyes. Yeah, I went there. Martha would have been proud. In the past, I’ve also made a series of one-of-a-kind handmade plush monsters as party favors for my daughter’s second birthday, made a historically accurate Marie Antoinette dress for her first Halloween, and hand pureed all her baby food. Yup, I’m one of those. Sadly, I’m so exhausted by the time I finish one of these projects, I have no chance to sit back and enjoy the moment. Next time, I’m going to join Jen and try to change my stripes to be a “paper and cups” parent.

Who am I kidding? I’ll just get myself into some crazy project pickle yet again. Who needs sleep or sanity? Any other project crazed parents out there, those who take on way too much than you can chew?

Crafty: DIY Books Your Kids Can Make

Patti — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:02:00 GMT

It's all well and good to encourage your kids to read, but what about encouraging them to write? At Little Elephants, one mama did just that and ended up with a fantastic picture book (based on a kit from Klutz, truly one of the all-time great creativity-inspiring companies out there).

Younger kids could scale down a bit and work from these blank board books (found via 50 Books), and use whatever supplies you can think of to create picture books that express their innermost thoughts and dreams (innermost thoughts and dreams of a board-book aged child include but are not limited to: pooping in the potty, eating noodles, avoiding naps).

Lastly, an idea stolen from my kids' preschool: the teachers occasionally corner each individual child and, pen and paper at the ready, and ask them "How does your story start?" They furiously take dictation from the child, and at the end of the school year the parents are presented with a Kinko's-bound book of whatever thoughts spilled out of their child over the course of the school year, complete with child-designed cover. With each story dated and arranged chronologically, it's a fascinating trip through a developing brain.

Crafty: Handmade Wands for Your Little Wizards

Patti — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 18:28:00 GMT

Crafting a wand, as you can imagine, is not an easy task. It takes effort to get the magic just right. Lucky for you, the fine folks at Dad Can Do have you covered with detailed instructions on how to make your little Harry and Hermione the wands of their dreams. Older kids will be able to get right in there and help with this one, younger kids will pretty much be relegated to rolling the paper that forms the wand's base. But the finished product is pretty freaking magical.

Crafty: Easy Wall Decorations Anyone Can Make

Patti — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 13:04:00 GMT

I still haven't finished painting the kids' new bedroom, which means there's absolutely nothing on their walls but little spots where I've spackled over some old nail holes. But painting's on my schedule for this coming weekend, which means that it's time to start thinking about how I can make those walls work a little harder for us. This craft from SouleMama is definitely on my radar.

Embroidery hoops are dirt cheap and come in about a million sizes, and in brightly colored plastic or bare paint-ready wood. Any fabric with great graphics can become instant art (the precut "fat quarters" you find in fabric or quilting stores are a great size for this project, and quilting fabrics come in some pretty incredible prints). You can reach for the Martha within and make something more elaborate: fabric paints, embroidery, collage, appliqué, the sky's the limit. I'm thinking about taking a couple of special but worn-out clothing items and immortalizing pieces of them as part of a little art installation with other favorite souvenirs.

If you can cut with scissors, and if you can nail a little brad into the wall for hanging, you're more than skilled enough for this one.

(via Nested)

Crafty: Sweet Modern Crib From Ikea Hacks

Patti — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:28:00 GMT

For design-conscious parents on a budget, finding a decent looking crib is a near impossibility. Even parents with more cash to throw at the problem may balk at spending a ton of dough on something that will only be used for a short time. This Ikea Hack might be the answer to your prayers if a stylish crib eludes you. You could probably get fairly creative with cutout designs on the end panels, but keep safety in mind: little hands and feet can get stuck in the darndest places.

Crafty: Fun Flip Flop Project for Fancy Feet

Patti — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 18:01:00 GMT

AKA "what we're doing this afternoon", this project is perfect timing: all the flip flops are on clearance. Buttons, beads, jewels, sequins, all the usual craft suspects are going to be busted out for this one, which requires minimal supervision for my 3 and 5 year olds (your mileage may vary).

But it begs the question: What do you glue onto flip flops if you have a kid who isn't so much about the feathery shoes? Please advise, parents of boys and tomboys.

Crafty: Found Object Mobiles

Patti — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:02:00 GMT

The best kind of kid crafts are the ones that use a variety of materials (see ya later, container full of random buttons), take a long time to finish, and produce something that's not just another flat piece of paper that needs wallspace to be appreciated. This mobile project from Wise Craft is all of that and more: it can also incorporate found objects from your trips to the beach, the park, the woods, Grandma's sewing room.

Get yourself a spool of monofilament fishing line, a big pile of anything stringable you've got lying around, and something pretty or interesting to use as a base—the original project uses driftwood, but I can see a lot of possibilities here. And dare I say it, but I can see making a bunch of these and wrapping them up for holiday gifts: they're actually really pretty.

Crafty: Eyeball Pincushions

Kelly Mills — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 19:27:00 GMT

My family has a thing for eyeballs. One year my better half and I made eyeball Christmas tree ornaments--use white balls for the eyes, felt for the iris, and a black thumbtack for the pupil and all of the sudden the trees have eyes. We've given out eyeball bouncy balls as party favors, and you'd better believe Halloween is all eyeballs, all the time. Our child has picked up the fascination, and her current favorite book is Heedley Pecked Me in the Eye. Yes, we are watching you right now.

So I love this crafty project: make an eyeball pincushion. You can use this tutorial, then go here to figure out the rest or register for her website. My only problem is that I can't sew. (Which begs the question, "Why would I need a pincushion? Response: "Look, eyeballs!") I'm hoping I can convince Mike to make me one. Or several. Particularly the bloodshot ones, which immediately make me think of my Whole Foods cashier.

Crafty: And Pipe Cleaners For All

Patti — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:57:00 GMT

My biggest score at the insane estate sale I went to the other day wasn't the hand-painted, eight-inch-high vintage wooden platform shoes in their original box (although those are pretty great). It was an open, half-used-up bag of pipe cleaners, also known as craft stems. I got them for pretty much free, but I think they're going to get way more use than the shoes will.

I don't think pipe cleaners are as high on the hierarchy of kid-craft supplies as they used to be, presumably because modern kids are dumber than we were and will use the pointy wires to maim themselves or others (they are pretty hurty if you poke yourself, I'll grant you). When I handed them over to my kids they were met with blank stares. Then, in a breakthrough moment, one of the kids accidentally bent one of them and it was like floodlights went on in their heads. Eventually I'll probably need to organize some more formal projects, but for now giving the kids any kind of direction would just be overkill (and experts in the field of pipecleanerology agree with me).

When my girls were in the baby/toddler stages, I never left the house without some Mardi Gras beads in my purse to get through the tough times at the grocery store, on the freeway, or in the DMV line because they were a guaranteed distraction. I think pipe cleaners may be the Mardi Gras beads of the preschool age.

DIY Play Kitchen: Pimp Your Old Entertainment Center

Patti — Sun, 06 May 2007 16:31:00 GMT

Don't just put your old TV stand out on the corner for the scavengers to score: follow these simple instructions from Craftster user Spotlightmama, and turn it into a dream kitchen for your kids. To hell with the fancy Waldorf kitchens at $200-plus per piece, and seriously screw the plastic Toys 'R Us kitchens, this is the real deal for nothing but the cost of your time, a few inexpensive items from Home Depot, and some miscellaneous crap you probably have lying around anyway.

Here's the perfect excuse for jettisoning your old TV and buying a nice wall-mounted flat screen (and a jigsaw, too, maybe). You were waiting for a good reason to do it, right? Now you can do it and enrich your children's playtime. You'd be a bad parent if you didn't.

(via Boing Boing)

MAYDAY: May Day

Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah — Tue, 01 May 2007 18:58:00 GMT

Hey, did you know May 1st is May Day? Me neither.

Many years ago, May 1st or May Day was a magical time to welcome spring. On the night before May Day, children danced in the moonlit woods.

Who knew? So now that we know what it is it seems like a good excuse to do something fun with your kids.

You and your child can make a crown of daisies. You could make a May Pole, a May Day Basket or a Spring Flower Mobile. You could also choose from anything on this list of May Day crafts.

I hope I helped you with some ideas to keep the little ones busy. I know I helped myself, maybe now when I see May Day I won't automatically picture Grace Jones in A View to A Kill.

Earth Day: Fun Ways To Celebrate

Patti — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:19:00 GMT

Earth Day is this Sunday, and man, they really knew what they were doing in 1970 when they originally set the date for April 22. This is the time of year in most parts of the country where things have really turned to spring and people are finally able to get out and enjoy the outdoors. It's a perfect time to reintroduce your family to nature, whether that means outdoor activities like hiking or camping, learning to ride a two-wheeler, or getting your garden on.

Even if you're in one of the parts of the planet where spring hasn't quite settled in (Northeastern US, holla!), there are things you can do this weekend to observe Earth Day and get your kids thinking about their role in the ecosystem. Over at Kaboose, there are tons of crafts for kids of all ages, including awesome (and tasty) herb pots, a great "fossil" project using recycled coffee grounds, and some tasty recipes.

One Hour Craft also has a terrific gardening project for kids that doesn't require a yard or any outdoor space at all, really: starting seeds in tiny greenhouses made from plastic soda bottles. And if that's too crafty for you, head to Target--they've got tiny little terra-cotta pots with dirt pellets and seeds in the dollar bins right now.

Documenting Family Life with "ComicLife"

Patti — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 20:04:00 GMT

Despite being fairly computer-savvy, I'm a total slouch in the graphics department. The only thing I can use our fancy Photoshop rig to do is resize pictures and take out red-eye. So it was a happy day indeed when I discovered that my recently purchased Macbook came with a little program called Comic Life.

Even if you're better-versed than I am at making cute things happen with your digital pictures, Comic Life is a fun way to enhance your blog, family newsletter, or scrapbook. Without even reading the instructions I was able to import a picture, play around with the features, and create a single-panel "comic" in just a couple of minutes. Now I've got visions of using the multi-panel templates to tell the stories of camping trips, birthday parties, and other family events that work better on a visual level.