Growing up near Colonial Williamsburg I have always been obsessed with early American crafts. I saw some of the craftsmen there making cornhusks dolls as a kid and next thing I knew I had dragged my mom to the craft store to get the supplies. We had a great time making them and even decorated our entire…
Countdown Calendar
My kids are currently obsessed with the passage of time. “How many days ’til Halloween Papa? When’s my birthday, Papa? How many days ’til Christmas, Papa?”….over and over again. So, to help them I’ve put together this Countdown Calendar – so they can learn about time, practice their numbers….and hopefully stope asking me so many…
Magic Wands that light up!
Every year we do a family Halloween costume. The kids get to pick what it is. We’ve been butterflies and woodland fairies the past two years. This year it’s Margot’s first time to make the call…and she chose witches and wizards – good ol’ classic Halloween stuff, good for you Margot! So, to not disappoint,…
Face Plant!
A fun project for this summer, it’s easy to do with the kids or for the kids to do with the grandparents. You’ve probably got everything you need already laying around, which is also a big plus!
Giant Connect 4!
It’s time for summer family fun – and what says fun more than a giant Connect 4 game!! Any easy building project to do with your kids it can work inside and out, keeps kids busy and builds math and strategy skills. Boom!
Pillow Case Dresses
My girls love wearing dresses. My girls love wearing matching dresses. I love it when my girls wear matching dresses. I don’t like paying for matching dresses. Pillowcases to the rescue! Pillowcase dresses have been around forever and I’ve looked at countless ways to make them. This is my version of the classic – it’s simple….and easy!
Toddler Painted T-Shirts
Who needs ugly ties when you can make these t-shirts for Dad?! Easily made with an old t-shirt, some craft paint and stick on letters. You can crank some out tomorrow!
Guilt-Free Popsicles
Summer’s almost here and for my kids that means popsicles. Now, as a parent, I always go through that internal tug-of-war whenever they ask for one…..I love popsicles myself, they are synonymous with summer on one hand and on the other they are full of sugar and lacking any real nutritional value. So, I set out…
Jeannie Bed Canopy
Of course I was excited when I found out Barbara Eden was going to be on the show – duh, she’s Jeannie! This DIY is a homage to her bottle, which, of course, I was always obsessed with. Also, back in the real world, this is a great option for a kid’s room where some…
Mouse House Bedside Table
My kids won’t sleep with the lights off. Yeah, you know..the imminent threat of monsters, etc, etc. I’ve looked at night lights, but sockets in our old house aren’t in the most useful places. So I decided to make them beside tables that included a night light in the form of a little built…
Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs
Don’t get me wrong, I love a PAAS Easter egg dying kit, that’s what I grew up on. But there’s something really nice about doing it the old fashioned way and creating your own dyes. Not only do you get much more beautiful, distinctive eggs, it’s a great opportunity to teach your kids about fruits, vegetables…
Circus Car Stuffed Animal Storage
We have a bazillion stuffed animals in various stages of containment around the house. 1 four year old, 2 two year olds, 4 grandparents…..you do the math. So that (okay, and my love of Animal Crackers) led to this. You toss the toys in the top, the kids pull them out through the bungee bars!
Wired Hair Bands
As a dad I’m always trying to find easy ways to keep my girls hair under control in a stylish way. These wire hair bands do just the trick, so easy to put on the girls can do it themselves and they cost almost nothing to make!
Sweetheart Cabinet & Heart Boxes
When Dave Lowe, our Home & Family Propmaster, and I were in the garage brainstorming to find a fun way to reveal the Hallmark charms we kept coming up blank. Then we asked ourselves, what was most iconic about Valentine’s Day to us – at the top of both of our lists: Sweetheart candies! Dave took it from…
Superhero Birthday Party
When your kids want a superhero birthday party, you give them a superhero birthday party!
The Kids Table, All Grown Up
With all three of our kids now out of high chairs and heading into our first Thanksgiving with the entire extended family, the old school concept of the kids table has real world implications for me. What table do I use, where do I put it, how should it look, where will I put it…
Cauldron Cupcakes
My mother made cupcakes for my 2nd grade Halloween party, each had a black cat perched on top. An unmentionable number of years later I still think of them and how special it made the holiday feel. I’ve promised myself that I’ll try to make all the holidays as special for my kids. So in that spirit,…
Framed Silhouettes
Decorating kids rooms is always a bit of a challenge when it comes to artwork. You want something that they kids will find fun and stimulating, but something that you don’t mind looking at everyday when you’re picking up toys or changing diapers. I decided to go for an updated silhouette – it’s old fashioned,…
Sewing and Craft Armoire
I had an hour a couple of weeks ago to make some headbands for a sewing segment I was filming. It was nap time so I new I had to work fast! By the time I got the sewing machine out of the basement, my notions box out of the closet, the fabric out of the…
Scrabble Wall Art
A simple project with lots of impact. Great for the family game room, a kid’s room or the cottage at the lake where you play Scrabble incessantly every summer…. MATERIALS – 6″ wood squares (often sold as lamp bases or decoupage plaques) – 5″ vinyl letters – 1″ vinyl numbers – picture hanging hardware STEPS…