Personalized Owl Valentine Kitchen Towel

Oooh, this project was so much fun. I had our neighbor girl over to make her mom this Valentine's Day present. I think it is especially fun to make a DIY craft for Valentine's Day. Kids just really enjoy having something special to wrap up for their parents.

 

I looked up some online instructions on how to draw an owl, and then taught the kiddos how to draw step by step. They were 4-6 years old and did an excellent job. I found the heart kitchen towels at the dollar store so this project literally cost me $1.

 

 

 

The kids wrote in their own handwriting...Owl always love you!

You can see a full tutorial here. (We made Christmas towels in the past)

 

 

You might just have time to whip one of these up in time for Valentine's Day!

 

Mr. and Mrs. Rustic Wedding Ring Bearer Box

One of my husband's oldest and dearest friends, John, is getting married next month. He and his fiancé are planning a lovely wedding with a rustic western theme. I have seen several unique western twists on the traditional ring bearer pillow. I loved the idea of a small wooden box for the wedding rings instead. I felt like it fit them perfectly. I received my invitation recently, and I decided to return my reply with a gift wrapped in a box with burlap.

 

 

You may remember their fun engagement photos I took last year. Click here for the full post on their country style engagement photos full of boots and tractors!

 

 

Supplies:

Wooden  box

Wood stain

White paint pen

Burlap

Stuffing

 

Directions:

 

1. I started out with a small wooden box from Michael's Craft Store.

 

 

2. Stain your wooden box. I stained the outside and a small portion of the inside.

 

3. Use a white paint pen to decorate the front and inside.

 

4. I hand sewed a small piece of burlap with stuffing inside.

 

 

I hope they enjoy their little rustic ring bearer box!

 

P.S. 38 weeks and counting still for my little baby girl to arrive!

 

Need some more rustic country wedding ideas? Check out this post...with all the instructions on how to throw the party pictured below!

 

 

 

 

Mother's Day Personalized Tea Bags

We had a great weekend away. We went to some Texas Country concerts in Stephenville, Texas. The concert series starts on a Tuesday and lasts through Sunday. Six days of amazing artists. My husband and I only went for three days, but it was a perfect mini vacation. It is at a camping location called Melody Mountain Ranch. There are millions of people, campers, food vendors, and a stage of great artists. Definitely our cup of tea!

 

Now that I am back home, it is really sinking in that Mother's Day is just two weeks away. Unbelievable! I have yet to come up with any unique ideas for my own mom. However, I made this personalized tea bag set for a dear friend of mine. I think it would make a perfect Mother's Day gift. It is also a very easy project for little ones to help with. Did I mention it only costs as much as a box of tea??!?

 

I bought this cute ceramic dish at Say Your Piece.

 

Supplies:

 

Tea Bags

Computer/Printer

Scissors

Glue

 

Directions:

 

1. Print small photos to affix to the tea bags.

 

2. Carefully cut open the individual tea packets.

 

3. Cut out your photos and glue them to the small tag at the top of tea bag string.

 

4. Tape the tea package with one piece of tape in the bag to somewhat seal it back together. 

 

 

5. Wrap them up and give them to your MOM!

 

DIY Secret Agent Spy Kit Game

Oh did I have fun making this present! We had a birthday party for my son's cousins, and I couldn't seem to find a present I thought he would really enjoy. I searched the internet for a DIY spy kit to no success. I really wanted to make a spy kit that functioned more like a mystery game or a solve the crime kit. Of course, I came up with the idea a day before the party, so I really had to get to work fast on this birthday present!

 

I took a box and modge podged some spy symbols such as fingerprints, a spy, and some words like Top Secret.

 

I picked up some essential items for my spy kit at the store: spy disguise, handcuffs, gun, agent badge, and some rope.

 

Here is the full spy kit list.

CSI Field Kit

1.      Spy notebook for recording clues

2.      Ink pad for taking fingerprints for evidence

3.      Fingerprint file cards for keeping track of suspects

4.      Spy disguise

5.      Secret message maker wheel

6.      Fingerprint lifting tape (scotch tape)

7.      Fingerprint dusting powder

8.      Flashlight

9.      Specimen swabs (Q tips)

10.  Evidence bags (ziploc bags)

11.  Evidence: Plastic gun, knife, money

12.  Suspect cards

13.  Magnifying Glass

14.  Specimen Containers (old spice containers)

15.  Disappearing Ink

16.  Fingerprint glass (picture frame or glass) and brush

 

Several of my spy kit items were on sale at Michael's craft store. I completely lucked out.

 

 

I made some Solve the Case cards and had them laminated. The object of the game is to determine the criminal, weapon, location, and crime.

 

By laminating the cards, the players can use a dry erase marker to write on them. The cards can be easily erased with a cloth or paper towel.

 

I wanted this spy kit to be personalized for the birthday boy, so I made the suspects family members and good friends.

 

Thank goodness for facebook so I could capture images of all the suspects I needed. I googled some funny names such as Robin Banks (bank robber), Sam Dayoulpay, Sue Case, Nadia Seymour, and more.

 

I wrote funny things about each family member because I hoped the birthday boy would get a kick out of reading each suspect's profile.

 

 

Secret Spy Guidelines

1. All spy gadgets need to be in working order.
2. A good spy always keeps his or her wits about them.
3. A good spy has only one fear and that is other spies.
4. Keep your face neutral, you do not want to express your emotion.
5. Make sure you don't get yourself into any trouble!
6. Don't spy on people you don't know. Stay safe!

7. Be careful! Always keep your name a secret. Don't trust suspicious members of your team, for they could be double agents.
8. Never wander away from your team and don't trust strangers.
9. Find a secret meeting place.
10. Don't make too much noise! You don't want to get caught.
11. Bring a spy bag with you, to keep all your gadgets in. Maybe even some snacks in case you get hungry.

 

How to Play Secret Agent

 

Setup: Fingerprint each player on the Fingerprint File Cards.

 

1.      Select one or two detectives for each game. The detectives should leave the room.

The rest of the players will be in charge of creating the crime scene.

2.      Crime scene team should decide which suspect is the actual criminal. If present, they can place the criminal’s fingerprints on the fingerprint glass.

3.      Select crime scene location and label it with caution tape or clues.

4.      Select a weapon of choice between the rope, plastic gun, plastic knife, and fake money and leave it at the crime scene.

5.      Leave some evidence for the evidence bags and specimen containers. Example, if the criminal loves ketchup leave some out at the crime scene to be swabbed.

 

 

6. Choose 3-4 suspect cards to leave out for the detectives to help narrow down their search.

7. Once your crime scene is set up, allow the detectives to enter the room and investigate the clues with their secret agent supplies. They may even decide to question any witnesses and record their findings in their spy notebook.

8. The detectives may dust for fingerprints, collect specimens, collect items in the evidence bags and possibly wear their disguises while on the case.

9. Once the detectives have assessed the evidence, they will complete a Solve the Case card with a dry erase marker to see if they are correct.

10. Good luck Secret Agent!!

Now my oldest son is insisting he needs his own spy kit too!

 

 

 

 

 

Valentine for a Toe-tally Awesome Teacher

So I decided late this afternoon to make my son's teachers some special Valentine gifts. I should have thought of it earlier, but things have been crazy. We are in the process of purchasing some new land, putting our house up for sale, designing a new house, and I am still chasing my two young boys.

 

Well, to be honest, I also started feeling guilty that I had not done anything already, so I went shopping after work. I decided on some little pedicure kits for their teachers.

 

 

Contents:

 

Nail polish

Polish remover

Mini emory board

Cotton balls

 

I filled these little glass jars and put their teacher's names on top. I inserted a little note for a Toe-tally Awesome Teacher. Happy Valentine's Day!!

 

These mini pedicure kits would make great personalized teacher appreciation gifts too. (Just something to keep in mind) I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

 

Child's Artwork Christmas Dish Towel

Merry Christmas!! I have a tradition each year of making a present for each of my boys. In the past it has been lego tables, fire stations, quilts, etc. I wanted to pass on that love of gifting to my children. This year I helped my oldest make a dish towel for his grandma. It was a great way to transform a child's artwork into a gift. He brought home homework, that was to draw a Christmas tradition. His drawing consisted of a Christmas tree decorated in balls with a little boy beside it. It was the perfect memory to capture.

 

 

Supplies:

 

Light colored fabric

Dish Towel

Fabric Markers

Heat and Bond

 

To begin with, I took his drawing. The boy just might look a little creepy, but my son is not exactly an artist. This is his best drawing to date!

 

 

 

I used a small sheet of transfer paper layered between the picture and the light colored fabric. The order...light colored fabric on the bottom, transfer paper ink side down, and then the drawing on the very top.

I traced his artwork onto the fabric and then colored it in with the fabric markers.

 

I tried to color a bit messy so it would look like his original drawing.

 

Next, I found some cute festive dish towels on sale. Yipee! I cut my son's artwork on fabric down to a little rectangle. I then used heat and bond on the back and ironed it to my dish towel.
After a simple zig zag stitch around the perimeter it was done!

 

I loved it so much I made a second one for myself! This turned out to be a very fast way to make a personalized gift my mom will always treasure. I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday!!

 

 

DIY Child Size BBQ Grill

Hello! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We have been out of town for a few days and we are glad to be home. Our family has had such a busy month, and I would be crazy to think December would be any less then the same. In the last 6 weeks we have probably been to 9 or 10 birthday parties. I decided I needed to start making some of my gifts by the 4th or 5th one. Therefore, I whipped up two of these child size BBQ grills for two different sweet little boys.

 

Supplies:

 

Red plastic bowl

1 1/4" dowel rod

1" x 2" wood

1/4"-1/3" dowel rods

Wood glue

Drill

3 screws and washers

Silver spray paint

 

Let me start by saying I did these without my husband's assistance, which proves they are simple to make. However, if you have not used a saw before please get some safety lessons first!

 

Directions:

 

1. Cut two 1" x 2" pieces of wood to the appropriate length to slide into your bowl. I cut a 45 degree angle at both ends to help them fit snugly.

 

 

2. Cut small dowel rods as shown above. Make sure you allow room for them to hang off both sides of the bowl.

 

3. I marked my wood and put the design on a flat surface for the next step. Use wood glue to adhere your small dowel rods to the 1" x 2" pieces of wood at your marks.

 

 

4. Spray your grill top silver. (It remains removable.)

 

5. Cut 3 pieces of 1 1/4" dowel rod for your legs. I made my grill short for the 1-3 year old age range. I cut the top of the dowel rods at a 45 degree angle.

 

6. Next, I  drilled holes in the top of my dowel rods (the 45 degree angle section) and I drilled holes in the bottom of my red plastic bowl.

 

7. Drill your screws in place with a washer between the screw head and the red plastic bowl.

 

I made up a little grill basket to go with the grill and I had a little apron monogrammed to match.

 

Next, I tied it up in a cellophane wrap for a special birthday delivery!

 

I almost didn't make it out of the house with the child size grill because my 2 year old wanted to keep it!

 

 

Optional: You may want to put some supports between the legs if necessary. One of my plastic bowls held it securely without supports. However, the other style I bought did not. Just a tip.

 

I am wishing now I had taken a few more pictures along the way. Please let me know if the description does not make sense and I would be glad to help! Good luck! This would make a fun Christmas gift for a little boy or girl too. I think handmade unique gifts for kids are often the biggest hit!

 

Personalized Fabric Clock

 

Have you ever found the perfect theme for a room, and then realized you have nothing to match it? My cousin picked out the cutest camouflage print bedding for her little boy, and then had trouble matching it with any other camo design to fit the room. However, she had an extra curtain left over, and that was all I needed to make this clock to match! You can personalize any themed clock this way.

 

 

 

I started with a see through clock. I picked it up for $5 at the store. I see similar clocks at Walmart and Target on a regular basis.

 

Next, I cut out her cute camo fabric to fit on the back. I had to leave a hole in the middle to accommodate the battery pack on the back. I painted a very thick layer of modge podge on the back of the glass and carefully laid the camo fabric down. I pushed from the center of the clock out to smooth the fabric out as much as possible. I then applied a thick layer of modge podge on the back and smoothed it out some more with my fingers.

 

I set it off to dry and it looked like this when it was done...

 

 

It was a quick and easy gift to make. The whole project took me about 20 minutes. Just imagine the possibilities of what some cute fabric can do to spice up your room!

 

How is school going for your kids? My oldest son started Pre-K at his childcare facility this week. I was suprised at how worried he was to have new teachers and kids in his class. The first day he came home and told me how awful it was. With some further questioning, I found out he did all kinds of fun activities. They painted, played outside, sang songs, played with cars and trucks, etc. The next morning when he was headed off to school I asked if I could come with him. He started giggling. I explained to him that school sounded like much more fun then my work, and that I wanted to see the transportation cabinet that hid all the trucks and cars. He was so busy convincing me I was not allowed to go because I was not 4, that he ran right into school. Once in a while, a little "jealousy" goes a long way. When he arrived home that night, he bragged about all the fun things he was able to do at Pre-K that day. It is funny how a change of perspective can go a looong way!! Thank goodness!

 

 

 

Personalized Brown Paper Candy Pouches

Well, I am still in wedding planning mode for the party this weekend. (Stock the Bar and Lingerie Shower). I want it to be intimate like a wedding reception, because my cousin and his fiance are having a destination wedding. Granted, there are about 30 people going, but that just means there are another 50+ that are not. I saw this cute idea for candy pouches on Peppermint Plum. I thought they would make perfect little candy pouches to set around the tables at dinner with mints or snacks. I went to my trusty stamping set and began stamping their last name. I wanted to jazz the brown paper up a bit.

Supplies:

Brown paper or bag

Pencil or pen

Scissors

Stamp set (optional)

Sewing machine

Candy or snack

Directions:

1. I used a brown paper sack from the grocery store to make my heart candy pouch wedding favors. I was able to make sixteen hearts out of one bag. I made a template out of heavy paper and traced my hearts.

2. Next, I stamped the hearts with the wedding couples last name to add a personalized touch. My stamping was not perfect with the stamps I had, but I kind of like the messy look of extra ink. For some reason, I think the extra ink adds a vintage flare.

3. Begin stitching around your candy pouch, allowing a small opening, to insert your candy or snack through.

4. Carefully finish sewing to close the pouch.

5. Guests may just rip the brown paper candy pouch open for their treat!

Of course, you can make these candy pouches for anything. Some ideas I thought of were classroom favors, baby shower favors, teacher appreciation gifts (apple shape), or just lunch box treats.

Brown paper is so versatile because it can be drawn on, painted on, run through your printer, or stamped on for decoration. Good luck making a favor for your favorite upcoming event!

Labels: DIY Wedding Favors, Wedding snacks, Easy wedding favors, Personalized wedding favors, personalized baby shower favors