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We spend lots of time at the pool during the summer. The girls turn into fish and then into prunes! They also need a few breaks from the pool to rehydrate, reapply sunscreen, etc. I was trying to figure out a way to keep them busy and entertained without begging for food each trip out of the pool. That’s when I decided to do pool “paper” dolls. I got the idea from the foam letters we had stuck to the wall in the bathtub. The clothes stick on the dolls when they are wet. These are also great for the tub. Our girls love paper dolls and are happily entertained with these. We couldn’t have a paper doll at the pool without a mermaid tail!

To make the dolls, I bought a stack of craft foam without the sticky back. The pack I got was had about 10 different colors and was about 50 sheets for $5. I cut out a paper doll shape for the body for each of them and then basic shapes for the clothing. I let the girls use Sharpies to draw details on the dolls and clothes. It was a fun project that will have lots of use over the summer. We have lots more foam left to make more outfits.

When I told some friends about this project, some wanted ideas for boys too. With all girls, I have a hard time coming up with boy ideas! So thoughts were cars, dinosaurs, etc. You could cut basic car shapes and trucks as well as different colored wheels, windows, etc, maybe?

If anyone has an idea for boy foam pool toys, please share it!

Last night Emily pulled the “Make Self Portrait Dolls” from the summer fun jar. I had a vague idea about how I wanted us to go about making these, but I figured I had some time to think about it. Guess I was wrong. It’s the second activity chosen.

These dolls were quite the trial and error project. I think they got tired of drawing by the end! We started off with them drawing a self portrait. Madison used some creative license with her portrait.

First I had visions of stitching their creations onto the fabric to make the dolls. Then I decided that was too time consuming for a toy they would probably toss aside after a day or so. If they end up loving these, we can try that next time.

So then I decided to try to do a crayon transfer from the paper to the fabric. That didn’t go so well either. The crayon transferred, but it was too light to see no matter how dark the original crayon marks were. Crayola makes fabric crayons, but I don’t have any and I wasn’t willing to drag a sick child through Walmart to find some.

At this point I decided to begin researching online about another way to do a crayon transfer. Turns out regular Crayola crayons don’t do well. I guess that’s why they make the fabric kind. Some people said they have had luck with using generic crayons. I found some generic ones my mother-in-law bought the girls and tried those. They didn’t work any better than the first try.

Moving on to the next idea. You can color on sandpaper and iron that to the fabric. So I went out to the garage to snoop through Jon’s sandpaper supply. He had a new sheet of drywall sandpaper, but it wasn’t big enough for all three girls to use. Then he had small sheets of a very rough sandpaper. I colored a corner of one of them and tested it out. It worked well, so I passed out the sandpaper with instructions to draw another picture. The rough grit didn’t work well with the details the girls wanted to do in a small area. So we decided that idea didn’t work well for this project, but I think it would do well for other projects. I gathered up the sandpaper and put it back in a pile on the shelves in the garage. Wait until Jon needs sandpaper again and finds crayon drawings on them!

So after some more brainstorming, we tried to use freezer paper. That stuff does great for so many projects and it did better than using the regular paper, but wasn’t what we wanted either.

Then I decided I needed to stop wasting time trying to figure out how to do a crayon transfer. I just let them color directly onto the fabric. Then I placed a sheet of paper over it and used the iron to melt the crayon and set it right onto the fabric. Who needs to use a transfer?

After they finished coloring them, I let them go through my scrap fabric and choose something for the back of the doll. I stitched around the edges and turned them right side out. After stuffing them a bit, I sewed the bottom shut.

Now they have little self portrait softies.

Here are the backs of the dolls.

Today is what I consider the first official day of summer vacation. I didn’t want to spend everyday trying to figure out stuff to keep the kiddos from being bored. So we compiled a list of stuff we thought would be fun to do over the summer. In addition to the usual stuff like going to the pool, we now have a jar of fun ideas. I planned to get a cute jar with a lid to put the paper in, but since I had a leftover teacher gift with the letter “S” on it, I decided the S could stand for summer and used it instead. To make the jar, I simply cut strips of scrapbook paper and wrote a fun idea on each strip. I curled the strip and tossed it into the jar. Now each night, the girls will rotate choosing one strip and we will do that activity the next day. That give me a bit of time to plan the day and gather supplies. Every now and then we will have to alter plans if it’s a rainy day and the activity is outside, but most ideas are doable in all types of weather.

Now we are ready for summer! I also have strict instructions from a friend of mine to call her each night after we pull the strip to see if her and her girls want to join us for the fun.

Tomorrow’s activity is bubble blowing in the backyard. We will make some bubbles, use some store bought kind and experiment with different objects as bubble wands. Should be fun!

I’m assuming that most children are like mine. When you give them an ice pop, they immediately look for something to wrap around it while holding the cold stick. Our girls constantly got out dish towels or napkins, etc to hold their icy snacks. As summer approaches, I had visions of more laundry due to using extra kitchen towels and of lots of wasted napkins and paper towels, especially when I loaded up on fruit chillers at the store for $0.11 a box! After a bit of trial and error, I developed these icy pop holders. Lining them makes it so much easier to slip the ice pop into the holder because it doesn’t catch on the fibers like it does for felt. The double layer protects the hands better and the layer of felt also helps absorb the sticky drips. They work great and look much cuter than a clunky kitchen towel.

These holders work well with frozen Gogurts too!

This is a quick and easy project.

You can make 3 ice pop holders with this tutorial.

Gather your supplies:

• One piece of craft felt measuring 9×12 inches
• Coordinating scrap fabric
• Scissors
• Thread and sewing machine
• Pinking shears

1. Take the piece of felt and cut it lengthwise into 3 equal pieces measuring 3×12 inches each (as indicated by my dotted lines on the photo).

2. Cut 3 strips of scrap fabric the same size.

3. Place the fabric on top of the felt with the right side of the fabric facing up.

4. Stitch the fabric to the felt using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.Go all the way around the rectangle.

5. Fold the holder in half so it measures 3 x 6 inches and stitch along the side seams. I stitched right on top of the lines I made with the lining. Do not stitch along the fold or across the top, just along the two sides.

6. Trim the top and sides with the pinking shears to prevent raveling.

7. Slip the ice pop into the holder and enjoy!

I toss these in the washer and lay them flat to dry.

Please let me know if you have any questions about my instructions!

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I got on a kick before Christmas about painting little people for my niece. She loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Curious George. So after searching the web for inspiration for painting these little little dolls, I decided to just paint what she already loves. I also made some to resemble her family.

On Christmas I was so excited to give them to her. I forgot that I didn’t take any pictures of them before wrapping them up, so I put them on the floor to take some pictures. She kept trying to pick them up and play with them during the photo shoot. I’m glad she loves them so much.

I found the wooden dolls at Michael’s and used acrylic paint on them. I then coated them with a clear coat of non toxic stuff to make them shiny.

The wooden pegs start off life looking like this. They have different shapes available with more of a flared bottom for the female. They are all just under 2 inches in size, so be careful about making them for little ones who may try to put them in their mouth.

Here’s the finished product. Melissa was kind enough to send me a picture of them all together since I was having difficulty on Christmas! I first made my BIL too light and then too dark. Maybe one day I’ll try again. They are expanding their family in the next few weeks, so I’ll have to add a new baby to the peg family anyway. I was also going to add something like a pompom to give Mickey and Minnie ears that stand up, but I didn’t want them to accidentally come off and become choking hazards.

Here are the ones I tried to get…complete with little hands playing with them.

Now I need to get busy painting some more for the little girls in our house.

There once was a young lady who lived in a house. She had so many hair bows-even one for the mouse.
Okay, it’s not that extreme, but with three girls, we have hair bows all over the house. It has gotten quite out of hand, I must admit.

As part of my new organized life, I decided to fix the hair bow situation. For some reason-let’s be honest here…I’m lazy-the hair bow storage container lives in the family room. We take the girls hair down just before they get in the tub at night, so there is a large collection on the counter also. We also find bows, rubber bands, etc in all sorts of odd places around the house and car. Not anymore. Today the hair bows have a new home. I went to Walmart this morning to get the supplies and this is what I now have behind the girls’ bathroom door:

I am loving the new storage solution. It was so easy! Now I’ll show you how I made it so you can make your own too.

The project took me just under an hour from start to finish.

First gather your supplies.

You will need:

• One painting canvas-I used the kind stretched on a wood frame-16×20 inch, but you can use any size you wish
• Acrylic paint-I used Valentine Pink
• A foam brush-they are cheap and work great for this project
• Ribbon-different colors, sizes, styles-you decide! I used these colors of grosgrain to match the shower curtain in the bathroom. You can use any colors to fit any room or style you wish.
• Glue-I love Beacon Adhesives Fabri-Tac
• Scissors

I have later learned that instead of using glue, staples work just as well! So you can staple the ribbon to the back of the canvas. It’s a quicker and easier way to finish this project.

Paint the canvas and let it dry. I just did one coat so that it would dry fast. Make sure you paint the sides of the canvas also.

While the canvas is drying, start cutting your ribbons. It’s easiest if you measure one and use it as a template to cut the rest. I like using different widths of ribbons because I think it’s easier to slide/snap smaller bows and barrettes on the narrower ribbons. When measuring ribbon, be sure that it’s long enough to glue on the back of the canvas frame. When the canvas is dry place your ribbons on it to see how they look and make adjustments as necessary.

Start gluing your ribbon down. I started with the center ribbon and worked my way out to the edges. Take off the loose ribbon, keeping it in the same order you had previously. Flip the canvas over and slide the middle ribbon into place under the canvas. If the ribbon is decorated with striped, polka dots, etc-make sure it’s facing the correct way. Place glue on the strips of ribbon that are sticking out past the canvas. Hold them down for a minute until the glue starts to hold. This glue starts to dry fast and sticks very well. I glue the end away from me first and then stand the canvas up so I can make sure the ribbon is aligned the way I want. Then I put it back down and glue the other end in place. Continue glueng each ribbon the same way. Be sure to only put glue at the top and bottom of the ribbon, not in the middle.

Half way done!

Here’s what it will look like when all ribbons are glued in place.

It’s ready for the bows.

This hair bow holder works well with alligator clips, barrettes and snap clips. You can also slide headbands in place.

I hope this tutorial was easy to follow and you enjoy your new hair bow organization as much as I do! If you have questions or my directions are not clear, please let me know.

When I was a kid, I always kept my crayons nice and neat. I kept them in the exact order as they first appeared in the box. I colored at an angle so the point was always nice. Once I got down far enough, it was time to rip some paper, it was time for a new box. As you can tell, I was just a bit picky about my crayons. Our girls are the complete opposite. They take all of the crayons out of the box, strip them down so they are naked and then break them into pieces. I try to make sure it doesn’t drive me too crazy. So in the end, we have a bunch of pieces of crayons and not much to do with them. I picked up a crayon maker at a yard sale last summer and when I went to use it, the mold part was missing. So it was difficult to make crayons with no mold. Last night, my sister suggested I melt them into new crayons using the oven and a muffin tin. What a great idea! I went searching for some more instructions on it and found great information and photos from Crafty Daisies.

Crayon Nibbles

Gather up:

• Crayons ~ You can gather up broken pieces you already have or go purchase boxes and break them up into pieces
• Mini muffin pan (one that you don’t mind getting crayon on)

Directions:

You’ll want to preheat your oven to 265 degrees F. Peel off all the paper from the crayons (for the new ones, I found it much quicker to remove the paper in one smooth motion if I carefully ran the Exacto knife down the center of the paper and peeled the paper back), and break them into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces. Arrange two to three like colors in each slot, then bake for 6-8 minutes (don’t over bake – you want them just melted so you can’t distinguish the crayon shape anymore). Let them congeal a little on the counter, then place them in the freezer until they are firm (approx. 30 minutes). They should then pop right out.

This is great for little hands that aren’t steady enough to hold thin crayons. They can wrap their whole hands around them and go to town without breaking them. They make great back to school and birthday gifts for other little artists in your life. It’s also a handy way to recycle crayons!

Need a cute way to store your Crayons? Try a cookie jar.

Father’s Day is this Sunday, so it’s time to get crafty! Here is a card and gift idea.
Take a piece of construction paper or card stock and fold in half to make a card. Pour some finger paint onto a paper plate. Take a paintbrush and cover each child’s palm or with the paint. Have them spread out their fingers and keep their hand still and firm for the best hand print. If you are doing a foot print, then of course, put the paint on the bottom of your child’s foot, not their hand. This print can be placed on the front of the card or on the inside. Just be sure you have enough room to put the following poem inside. You can write the poem on the card, print the poem directly onto the paper, or print the poem on paper and cut it out and glue it on the card.

Be sure to put the year somewhere on the card also so you can remember when you made it.

You could also get a multiple photo frame and put the poem in one area and the painted or inked foot prints the other photo area. This works well if you have more than one child.

Hand Print Poem

Here is my hand print for you to keep,
So that when I grow BIG and TALL,
You’ll always be able to look back and see,
How I once was very small.

Another Hand Print Poem

Here are my hand prints so tiny and small

The ones that clasped your hands Daddy

The ones on the wall.

Press them in your memories Daddy,

Press them in your heart

Never let go of me Daddy,

Never let us part.

Right now they’re good for touching and crawling on the floors

Hold them tightly in your hands Daddy

They fit so perfectly in yours.

Soon I’ll be big like you,

Our hands will be the same

But you will always be my Daddy,

And I will always proudly carry your name.

Foot Print Poem

Walk alongside me, daddy
and hold my little hand.
I have so many things to learn
that I don’t yet understand.

Teach me things to keep me safe
from dangers every day.
Show me how to do my best
at home, at school, at play.

Every child needs a gentle hand
to guide them as they grow.
So walk alongside me, daddy -
We have a long way to go.

I used a similar foot print poem last year and took a photo of our girls feet and printed the poem on the photo. I then had it printed and framed.

Foot Print Poem

“Walk a little slower Daddy,” said a child so
small. “I’m following in your footsteps and
I don’t want to fall.

Sometimes your steps are very fast,
Sometimes they’re hard to see;
So walk a little slower, Daddy,
For you are leading me.

Someday when I’m all grown up,
You’re the one I want to be;
Then I will have a little child
Who’ll want to follow me.

And I would want to lead just right,
And know that I was true;
So walk a little slower, Daddy,
For I must follow you.”