Flower Streamers Craft Kit

It's new craft kit time - Flower Streamers! And not just one new kit - three different kits in bright and cheery color combos!

Princess Flower Streamers:

Spring Flower Streamers:

And Summer Flower Streamers:

Of course, if you have a special color scheme in mind, let me know. I can hook you up! 

Flower Streamers aren't just for girls! Boys love streamers, too! And buttons! Everyone loves buttons!

Look how cute the packaging is! I love it!

Can you see in the package, the little bag that says wax paper? Wanna know what the wax paper is for? It's for your kid to use as a work surface so your table doesn't get all gluey. Because I want to make your crafting world as easy as possible. Because I care. And I want you to like me! I really do!

Anyway! Peyton and Ella loved making their streamers!

Peyton made his with green petals. Because he's a rebel.

Ella wanted to make two - princess colors, of course!

Both Peyton and Ella cut out all their own flower petals and middles - their cutting skills are really coming along! It was so fun watching them choose their button colors and decorate their flowers. 

Did you notice that all of the flowers they made have happy faces? Peyton's flower even has two happy faces! Now we have happy, happy flowers all over our house! I love it! 

The flowers get relocated constantly around our house - they've decorated doorknobs, plants, windows, and, of course, the floor. Yay for me. 

The green ribbon streamers on the bottom of each flower sway beautifully with the smallest little breeze. They also sway quite a bit when Peyton and Ella hold their flowers above their heads and run willy nilly all through the house.

When I asked Peyton about the craft he said, "It's really fun because you can do any design with the buttons and when you're done you get to hang it anywhere you want. And if you do different colors of buttons then it looks really cool." And I totally didn't even make him say that!

And Ella said, "I love making the flowers because when they're done they look awesome!"

I couldn't agree more. :)

Happy crafting!

Christmas Tree Banner Craft Kit

I'm so happy to introduce my new craft kit, the Christmas Tree Banner! This is one for the whole family to enjoy. 

The kit includes supplies to make a 7-foot banner with 12 Christmas trees. All you need to supply are some kids, maybe some grown-ups, and scissors. 

Imagine this: 

Your family is gathered for Christmas festivities. You gather everyone at a table, or even a nice big spot on the floor, and lay out all decorations I've included. You divvy up the trees and everyone gets to decoratin'. It's fun, it's calming (or maybe even rowdy), it's family quality time filled with love and warmth. And, because you are awesome and on top of things, you make sure every tree is signed on the back, and dated, by its artist. When all the trees are completed, you string them together on the long banner ribbon. Your family has just created a beautiful Christmas banner (and memory) that can be lovingly brought out year after year. You are a superstar!

Or, imagine this:

You have 2 or more kids decorating the trees, and they each want a banner. You cut the long banner ribbon in as many pieces as you need, and everyone gets to make a mini-banner. And you are able to keep the kid-bickering to a minimum. Superstar!

Or:

You skip the banner ribbon and your child makes individual trees to pass out to family members as homemade, and much loved, Christmas gifts. Superstar!

Or:

You have your child make one or two trees each year. And you don't forget to write his or her name and the date on the back of the trees. Because, remember, you are a superstar. After a few good years, you string the trees together on the long banner and you have created a Christmas Tree timeline of artistry. Superstar!

Or:

You really need a break. You get out the Mommy-works-hard-and-needs-some-peace-and-quiet Christmas Tree banner kit. You throw all the stuff on the table, sit your kid down in front of it all, and pour yourself a much-deserved glass of wine. Sit back and relax while your kid is busy decorating. Superstar! 

That last scenario is my favorite. It's most like real life, am I right? Except in real life I pour myself a glass of wine and then one of my kids will spill sequins all over the floor. Ah well, that's one more reason why my vacuum should come with an attached wine glass holder. Is it too much to ask? So, I guess, in reality, you might not get that much-deserved peace and quiet and relaxation, but at least you'll have some cute Christmas trees!

Peyton and Ella loved making their trees.

Peyton wanted only rhinestones to decorate his. He didn't even want a star! I like it because it's simple and sweet. "Peyton, show me your tree.":

Ella used just about every kind of decoration on hers. It's pure Christmas Tree joy. Kind of goes along with her Christmas list. "Ella, show me your tree.":

Thanks for that, Ella.

"Okay! Now a picture of both of you!":

Awesome.

"Mommy! I'm a puppy!"

Anyway.

The kit includes so many kinds of embellishments! I'm talking buttons, sequins, rhinestones, ribbon, paper tree middles, tree trunks, tree stars, star bling, and more! Some of the materials may differ slightly from the examples shown, but all of them will be awesome. It's how I roll.

And, in case you forgot, the box it all comes in is biodegradable! What's that you say? The box is the perfect size and shape to be wrapped up and given as a present? Why, yes! Yes it is!

And here's a little segment we'll make fancy by calling: Banners Across the World!

(But really, it's just the nonsense I go through as I drag my kids around the neighborhood trying to find the perfect place to take the banner's picture.)

Mossy fence:

White fence with too much space between the slats:

 Other white fence with lots of shadows:

And, in the end, right back to its home on the mantel:

Happy Holiday Crafting!

Leaf Suncatcher Party Kit

It's been on the grand To Do List to set up a Leaf Suncatcher Party Kit. I was lagging on that particular task until one cool mom asked me to create a Sharing Day activity for her son's classroom. Sometimes I just need a little push! 

Introducing my new Leaf Suncatcher Party Kit! 

When Ella saw all the supplies out, she wanted to make another one. In her 4 1/2 years she's made about 20 of these. For some reason (C'mon! You know the reason! The Leaf Suncatcher craft is awesome yo!), my kids never get tired of making this craft.

Notice the new frame paper we used. I call it Disco Corn Cob Funk. Ella loves it.

Anyway! Back to the party kit.

Individual craft supply bags for each party guest (or student):

And I always include some:

All labeled and sweetly packaged:

But really it looks like this so it will all fit when I close up the box:

In a cute reusable box:

With a special message that can be used as a table topper or birthday card:

All wrapped up with pretty coordinating ribbon for the birthday boy or girl to open before the party (or special day):

It's party time (or sharing day) made simpler!

Piggy Bank Classroom Kit

Little Ava is one lucky girl! Her mom is going to make a Piggy Bank for each of the party guests who come to her birthday party. 

Mom is going to set them out as decorations and then the little party-goers get to take them home as party favors. I think that the Piggy party decorations will be super cute, but I forgot to warn her that when piggies get together Them Piggies Is Crazy! 

Since mom is making all the piggies herself before the party, we decided that a Classroom Kit would be the perfect match. All of the crafting supplies, none of the prepping or shopping or organizing hassle. Pure crafting fun!

All the supplies are labeled and sweetly packaged (look at all those white styrofoam piggy legs waiting to be painted the perfect piggy pink!):

In a super cute reusable box:

With a birthday message that can be used as a table topper or birthday card:

It's party time made simpler!

Patriotic Window Stars

Summer is almost here! That means it's the perfect time to get a Patriotic Stars craft kit to fancy up the place!

You can make them with the pretty red ribbons that I include and hang them inside or outside your house:

Or in a tree for a festive party decoration:

But if it starts to rain bring them inside for crying out loud!

Or you can skip the pretty ribbon and stick them to the window with the glue dots that I include:

They make cool suncatchers!

AND making the Patriotic Stars craft is also a great way to keep those trouble makin' kids busy for more than half a second.

Because you KNOW you're gonna need some quiet time. I'm not saying the craft is going to give you that quiet time, I'm just saying you're going to need it. Ha! I helped Ella make a star and she talked the entire time. Some days that girl talks from the second she wakes up in the morning until the moment she goes to sleep at night. So, it might not be quiet time, but it's still quality time with your kid. And we can all use more of that.

Ella has made these stars before, and she's also made a ton of the Leaf Suncatchers (which involve a very similar crafting process), so she is somewhat of a professional.

She cut:

(Aren't her little pink kid scissors so cute?)

She spread glue:

And she sprinkled the star confetti:

She made herself into a Star-Headed Sneetch:

(That part is totally optional.)

She arranged just so:

She found a heavy book to keep it all flat while the glue dried:

And she framed:

And she flattened:

And when it was all dry she loved her star:

But she refused to open her eyes for a picture.

"Ella, honey, open your eyes and smile at me."

"I AM!"

Whatever. Anyway, all the supplies are labeled and packaged:

In a cute biodegradable box ready to be opened and enjoyed:

Happy Crafting!