Category Archive

How-To & DIY

Nerdy for all things crochet? Here’s a tutorial so you can make your own zip-up baby hoodie

As I sit and crochet the things I literally dream of the baby wearing once s/he is here, I have started to write down the patterns I create — and this one for a hoodie is pretty damn good if I say so myself. Like most inventions (even though this item itself is nothing new) this pattern was created of necessity; I couldn’t find a good baby hoodie pattern to save my life almost a year ago. Now I have created a great blocked pattern that can be made into any size and I want to share it with anyone who will use it.

2 ways your kids can use a plastic bag to fingerpaint without the mess

A lot of kids loooove fingerpainting, which I think makes sense — it is a fun sensory experience. Most kids enjoy squishing paint through their fingers and getting messy. Although I have to confess, I’m not always up for the mess fingerpainting creates. Mess-free fingerpainting is perfect for those days when you don’t have time to clean up messy kiddos!

A full-size C-3PO costume and 5 other wonders kids can create from empty paper towel rolls

Environmentalism, for me, is less about recycle and far more about reuse. “Recycle” smacks of some propaganda feel-good program for using too much crap in the first place. As a parent, I naturally impart my opinionated views on my offspring. They’re all about reusing things — from junk mail to paper towel rolls.

Make these three low-budget toys (and then get into some open-ended play!)

One of the things I love most about this time of year is how excited so many people get to spend time with their families and friends over the holidays. In all the excitement, though, there are always some unexpected lulls. Whether you’re their awesome uncle or their godmother from another state, here are some new ideas to help you have fun and connect with the children in your life. Make them in 30 minutes or less, toss them in your bag, and you’ll be prepared no matter how unexpected the lull.

A very photo-heavy guide to sewing a faux gDiaper cover from an upcycled shirt

Today I’m going to show you how I make my upcycled mock gDiaper cover. This tutorial features a size medium diaper.

For this project you will need:

*A large knit shirt (or knit/cotton interlock fabric)
*One 1-1/4″ sport knit elastic for waistbands
*3/8″ knit elastic for leg elastics
*Snap tape — these are compatible with the brand name liners and can be purchased here (the evenly spaced tape with 1 1/8″ between each snap)
*11″ of hook and 5″ of loop touch tape or Velcro

Got a princess in the house? Here’s how you can make a felt and tulle princess hat

I am the mother of a (surprisingly, at least to me) very girly-girl, and I have very reluctantly entered the sparkly, pink, flowery world of princesses and twirly skirts and all other such fancy things. Since this seems to be all that my wee girl thinks about these days, I’m just going with it, trying to also emphasize the importance of independence, smarts, strength, and a good old-fashioned mess. While it’s far from my everyday, fancy is quite fun! So I’m letting my sweet one guide me on this sparkly adventure.

Wanna make a rockabilly head scarf for your baby? Here’s how you do it

I was in the middle of making a headband for my daughter when I started playing with the excess fabric and ended up making her a head scarf — I liked the result, but wanted to make a pattern so I could produce something a little more polished. Here’s what I came up with.

I turned a coffee table into a chalkboard canvas for my toddler

I love to encourage my little girl to draw and be creative as much as possible. I’ve looked into a lot of options for her, but wasn’t very happy with what was available — besides, my daughter needs a BIG canvas. When my husband brought a pretty grody-looking coffee table home a few weeks ago, I ignored it until I realized what I could use it for — the coffee table could be transformed into a canvas for our kid.