I made these little cuties many years ago for Martha Stewart Kids! Felt, buttons, pipe cleaners, crepe paper, tiny pom-poms, markers, and other crafty materials make perfect animal body parts! I used blown out eggs so that I could keep these forever but you can make them on plastic eggs too!
No need to follow these. Set out bowls with small, lightweight craft materials and some white glue, markers and scissors, and see what your kids come up with!
After my last post, where I used recycled cardboard (a FAVORITE material) to make animals, I wanted to keep going! (And, I still had quite a few boxes leftover from the holiday packages waiting to be transformed!) Years ago, I’d made a few cardboard bird ornaments for a magazine story that never materialized and I thought I would make a few more and transform them into Valentines. Why bird Valentines? I dunno…because I like birds….because…lovebirds? (I know, I know, these don’t look like actual lovebirds!) You can cut any animal (or any shape) you want and give your sweetheart a little art from the heart! Also, don’t you love the way painted cardboard looks?
Read MoreAre you looking for an inexpensive and handmade (but easy) kid gift idea? Look no farther! This is the time of year where a lot of us have cardboard boxes in our recycle bin…and you don’t need much else to make these cardboard animal kits!
Read MoreBooks are one of my favorite gifts to give (and receive!). If I want to make the gift of a book more personal/unique/custom, I’ll assemble a kit or a themed group of gifts inspired by it, and wrap it up together. Whether you are stuck for a gift idea...or want to give a special, not right-off-the-shelves gift but don't have time to hand-make something, it is super helpful to use a great book as a jumping off point! The gift kit idea works particularly well, as you can imagine, with a DIY book, like a cook or craft book since you can pair it with tools, materials, or ingredients but it can work with just about any book!Click here and here for previous posts with more of these ideas...as well as packaging suggestions!
Read MoreOn the last Sunday of every month, the New York Times publishes a special print-only Kids section, and it is always fantastic! You’ll want to keep every issue, with it’s incredible writing , design, illustration and photography. This past Sunday’s issue, just in time for Halloween, is the FEAR issue, featuring “a lake full of bones, how fear drives the economy, why the news is scarier than a horror movie” and more…including my donut hole eyeball croquembouche, lychee eyeball drink, shrunken apple heads, and DIY scorpion costume!!
Read MoreI was recently asked by my one of my absolute favorite blogs, Cup of Jo, to to come up with a few easy DIY costumes using clothes from one of my favorite kid’s brands, Primary as a base. Starting with solid color leggings and t-shirts is how I made most of my real-life kid’s costumes as well as those that I’ve made as a professional crafter. I was tasked with making them doable “even for people who are hopelessly uncrafty”, my favorite challenge! The following costumes are no-sew, quick to put together, and utilize a few items that you might have around the house!
Read MoreIf your family, like mine, are big Stranger Things fans, channel the creepiness to inspire your Halloween party! I worked with Family Circle to create ST-themed crafts and decorations like the Upside Down portal (below), '80s photo wall and an Eggo buffet (essential)! Click here for the buffet details and here for the string lights wall.
Read MoreI worked with Parents magazine to come up with easy DIY costumes for busy parents for their October issue …like these sweet donuts! I love working with Parents…and I love the concept of this story! I may be a professional crafter, but as a busy parent, quick and easy costumes have always been my go-to! Here are a few (messy) behind-the-scenes shots of my prep…but do click over to Parents to see all the pretty final photos!
Read MoreValentines Day has always been a favorite crafting holiday. I’m just a sucker for pink, red, and hearts! I’ve gathered a few of my favorite projects from over the years, like these freezer paper stenciled muslin bags I made for Martha Stewart Living magazine a few years ago. Slip a love note, some candy, or even a gift of jewelry inside for your sweetheart. Click here for full instructions!
*By the way, freezer paper stenciling is one of my favorite techniques! You can find freezer paper at most supermarkets (or here). It is paper with a plastic coating on one side. After cutting a shape out (ie. a heart) you iron the paper onto your bag (shiny plastic side down) and you have an almost foolproof one-use stencil. If you use a craft punch to make your stencil shapes, as I did with the small hearts here, it is a breeze!
Soapmaking is a simple, fun, and satisfying project; perfect for when winter weather keeps us indoors. There’s not much to it; you use a store-bought soap base, melt it, tint it with a colorant, and pour it in a mold. I have used clear glycerin soap base, such as here, but had never used an opaque soap base and I loved the bright colors that can be achieved! Once you get set up, it’s easy to crank out a bunch of soap bars. I made these for Bluprint and we shot a fun video to show how easy they are to make!
Read MoreGingerbread houses are fun to bake and build, but these little Valentine cottages, from my book, Candy Aisle Crafts, are made from graham crackers, allowing you to skip the baking and get to the best part -- decorating! They make a pretty Valentine's centerpiece or mantle decoration, too. For a great playdate or snow-day activity, pre-make the house bases, one for each kid, and set out bowls of candy for decorations.
Read MoreOh, the many uses of cardboard! Thanks to online shopping, we often have several flattened boxes in our recycle bin. Sturdy corrugated cardboard it is one of my favorite materials! It can be turned into a box town, a lemonade stand sign, a candy ATM, or these colorful zoo animals that I made for Family Fun magazine. They're easy to make (using the templates, below) and fun to paint and play with!
Read MoreRice Krispie Treats are not only yummy but a good option for a dessert to serve to gluten-free friends. Making them into mini "cakes" is such a fun crafty food project! You can use square and round cookie cutters or hand-cut them. They work well if you cut into with a pretty thin layer, around 1", so spread them a little thinner than you usually do. (You might need to spread it into two baking dishes.) I use the classic recipe right off the box.
Read MoreCupcake papers, which come in fun colors and patterns, make for a fun collage material. These little Valentines, party invites, and tags take advantage of their ruffled texture. After baking, I always seem to have a few stray cupcake papers left over from various packs, and this is a nice use for them!
Read MoreElf is one of my family's favorite movies. We could watch it all the time, but, for the last few years, we established a policy to do so only once a year, with cousins, right before Christmas. When we finally do get to watch it, it feels really special event! Last year, a few nights before Christmas, we had an Elf Night with our extended family. My younger son and I made these cardstock invites together during a sick day.
Read MoreI recently worked with Bed, Bath & Beyond to make a series of gingerbread house kit hacks. We had so much fun coming up with different themes using the candy decorations from the kit and some easy-to-find extras like candy canes, pretzel rods, and marshmallows. I will update this post soon with the third video, a snowy palace!
Read MoreI've compiled a list of gift ideas for the creative kids on your holiday shopping list. The ideas may seem basic, but when paired with one or two other things, become a simple (but fun!) craft or activity kit!
Read MoreI love to have a little side Christmas tree for my kids to decorate with their own ornaments...the ones that don't really match with what I had in mind for our big tree. :) Sometimes they'll keep it in their room or we'll have it on a side table in the living room. This little Tinker Toy tree is easy and fun to make, never drops needles, and turns back into a toy after the holiday!
Read MoreChristmas is quickly approaching! What a better way to celebrate each day of Advent than with a fun handmade countdown. These paper bags double as cute decor and a functional Advent calendar. You could fill them with treats, small toys, or slips of paper with quotes, or fun family activity ideas!
Read MoreA couple of Thanksgivings ago I teamed up with my friends at Marley Spoon to create an easy kid-friendly Thanksgiving craft and I came up with this turkey napkin ring. In my sketch, above, I used a dyed coffee filter and a toilet tube, two of my favorite materials!
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©2015 Jodi Levine. All photographs by Amy Gropp Forbes unless otherwise noted.
