Valentine's Day Love Bugs

I wanted to find an easy craft (duh!), one that Ryan could help me do, one that kids would love and that didn't involve chocolate or candy!  Then I found this awesome Valentine craft from 

dandee designs. I know right?! Super cute.

If you are limited on time, you can use the free printable of the jars from her site. Then all you have to do is cut them out and add your bug of choice.  I opted to make my own jars & went to a trusty ol' dollar store to pick up these squishy little spiders.  

Place them in a see through bag, and there you have a super easy and cute Valentine.

Pom-pom Garland

If you have 5 minutes, then you have time to do this super easy and colourful craft.  All you need are some pom-poms (mine were purchased at Michael's), a large darning needle, and some yarn.

Thread the needle with the yarn and start creating your very own pom-pom garland. It really is that easy.

 I made one for Andy's room.

And one for Ryan's room.

The girls love them. Now I want to make one for every room in the house!

My favorite Fashion DIY blogs

When it comes to design, decorating, fashion & accessories, nothing saves money (or requires patience) like doing-it-yourself. You can spend hours scouring the web for DIY bloggers or perusing boards on Pinterest, - trust me, I have done that! - but now, you don't have to.  To help you save some time, I have compiled a short list of top fashion DIY blogs.  So, if you have the some spare time, a fair bit of patience and a little know-how, you too can be on your way to creating some one of a kind fashions.

a pair & a spare

Glitter 'N Glue

Stripes & Sequins

Studs and Pearls

P.S. -  I made this...

Welcoming the winter fairies

In a previous post {here} I mentioned how much my girls love the Tinker Bell movies. So much so that we created fairy houses to put in our garden. With the release of the latest of the fairy movies, The Secret of The Wings, we set out to create houses for our new friends, the winter fairies.

Just like the last post, these bird houses were purchased from the dollar store, along with the blue snowflakes. The rest of the stuff we had on hand.

 My girls were able to hold onto their excitement just long enough to paint the houses. Once that was done, they were off and on the the next thing.  

When the houses were dry, I used a glue gun to add the little trinkets.

Simple. Fun. Magical.

Easy Fabric Headbands

I am back with yet another super easy, inexpensive, mess free craft! Yay!

For those of you who don't know yet, I am a lover of DIY that takes minimal time and effort. You know, the kinds of simple projects for the laziest and most inept of crafters - ME.

So, if you have 10 mins, some scraps of fabric, a few buttons, needle & thread and are able to do a braid, then this craft is for you!

Cut an old t-shirt or scraps of fabric into 3 even strips. Make sure that it will be long enough to be tied around your head. 

Then simply start braiding the pieces.

Leave room at the either end of the headband, and either with a sewing machine or by hand, sew the ends together so it won't unravel.  

Then sew on any buttons, or flowers or other scraps of fabric to the the braid.

And there you have it! 

The true test; the girls love them and I was able to get them done while they sat and had their afternoon snack! 

Hallowe'en Mummy Craft

This is a super easy and relatively mess free craft to do with kids.  

Easy + mess free = 1 happy Mummy! 

All you need are popsicle sticks (or coffee stir sticks), plastic or wooden spoons, glue & strips of fabric.

Glue the popsicle sticks to the handle of the spoon for the legs and one across for the arms.

 While you are waiting for the glue to dry, find an old t-shirt to rip in strips.  This was a great activity for the girls. It kept them amused and away from the glue! 

 Once the glue has dried, start wrapping the mummy. I found it easiest to start with the head and finish with the arms.

 Draw on some eyes, and Ta-Da! You have a mummy!

This one happens to be my favorite. 

Crafty and Creative

This past weekend was a wonderful weekend for showcasing the many talents of the women of Kingston.  On Saturday, there was the Kingston's Women's Expo, an indoor event held at the Invista Centre. The KWE main goal is to bring together local businesses that are run by women, or that offer services to women. It was a day filled with exhibits, samplings, entertainment, interactive demonstrations, and shopping opportunities.  Then, on the Sunday, held outdoors at City Park, was the Women's Art Festival. The WAF was originally started in the late 70's by a group of women who were interested in promoting the work of women artists. Offering another opportunity to enjoy entertainment, samplings and more shopping!

At the WAF there was one particular vendor that stood out for me.  365 Lucky Days.  Now, I have done a little background check, and I seem to be the last person in the blogosphere to know about her.  Almost a year ago, Lucky Jackson set out to embroider something everyday for a year. And, to hold herself accountable, she has created a blog where she posts each piece she makes.  This is not your typical embroidery either. These pieces are fun, whimsical and colourful. The great thing about these hoop embroideries is in the details. Not only does she use super cool vintage prints for the background, but there are also touches of lace, beads and other playful fabrics.  They are all so cool that I am still trying to decide which one I want to buy!

I could go on and on about her and her work, but I will let the embroidery do the talking! Check it out for yourself. http://www.luckyjackson.bigcartel.com

I wonder what I'd look like if I was LUCKY enough to be embroidered?!

Mod Podge

I did it! I finally purchased some Mod Podge.  I guess this was next step to becoming a legitimate crafter, ok, maybe not legitimate, but close enough!  It's no wonder that Mod Podge is a true crafting staple and no doubt found in every craft-onistas closet. This miracle 3-in-one product is a glue, sealer, and finish, all in one retro looking bottle. And that's not all folks - you also have a choice of finishes: gloss, satin, and even sparkle and fabric versions!  A whole new world of crafting possibilities has opened up for me. Cue heavenly music.


So for my first mod podging(?) I made a cute little frame for one of Ryan's friends who was turning 4.
I bought some pretty scrapbook paper, a wooden frame, a small wooden flower along with some sponges.

Another reason why I love this stuff, it's foolproof! Which is great for an unskilled and impatient diy'er like myself. 

And...voila! My very first attempt at Mod Podge was a success!

And to add a touch of personalisation, I added a felt K to the centre of the frame.

Plus, I made a cute little card, appropriately with 4 candles - yes, I even used Mod Podge to glue the candles on!

A fun and easy birthday present.

Now...what shall I Mod Podge next?

Flower Crowns

There are lots of these tutorials all over the internet. I was originally going to make mine with willow tree branches and real flowers, but since they were going to be a craft project at my daughter's birthday party, I thought it might be nice for the girls to have a crown that would last.

All you need is some gardening wire, ribbon, twist ties and an assortment of plastic flowers.

 You can make the crowns as thick or thin as you want, depending on how much wire you select. Shape it into a circle and twist the ends.  Then simply wrap the wire circle with the ribbon. I used a twist tie to keep the ribbon in place.

You can also do the same with a willow tree branch!

 Then take the twist tie and start adding flowers to the crown. I secured it to the base of the flower then wrapped it around then attached it to the crown.

Keep attaching as many flowers as you want.

Crown made for Ryan's 4th birthday party

 Easy. Fun. Beautiful!

Butterfly Wreath

Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.  ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Butterflies. Beautiful. Delicate. Colourful.  It's no surprise that my girls have taken an interest in them. Just like a page from a fairytale, our backyard has been transformed into an enchanted garden, beautifully adorned with dozens of butterflies. We would watch in amazement, as the Red Admiral butterflies would dance in the sky. Occasionally taking a short break, resting on the side of our fence, to take in the warmth of the sun.  According to recent news, there has been an explosion in the butterfly population due to the warm winter we experienced.  So to welcome our new friends, we decided to make a butterfly wreath. 

I purchased the wreath at Michael's. Wrapped it with ribbon, then glued on the butterflies. Super simple!

 The girls each painted an old picture frame.

The final product.



May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun
And find your shoulder to light on,
To bring you luck, happiness and riches
Today, tomorrow and beyond.
~Irish Blessing