Holiday kids’ gift craft-along August link-up

by on August 25, 2012
in crafts, holidays & celebrations · 12 Comments

Written by Kara Fleck, Simple Kids editor and Rockin’ Granola mama.

I‘ll admit it:  I am a bit enthusiastic when it comes to Christmas.  You see, I like to give each of my children at least one handmade thing every year.  I also like to have all of my holiday crafting finished up before December 1st.

That means I have four months to select, create, and finish up my handmade gifts this year.  

I love that many of you are also starting to think about your holiday crafting and gift making and wanted encourage each other.

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Toy making: dyed playsilks

by on August 20, 2012
in crafts · 16 Comments

Written by Kara Fleck, Simple Kids editor and Rockin’ Granola mama.

Making toys for our children is a favorite hobby of my husband and I.  Over the years we’ve made quite a few of our children’s playthings and given some of our homemade toys away as gifts to other favorite young people in our lives.

It occurred to me that Toy Making might be a good fit as a regular column for Simple Kids.  Christopher and I would love to share with you tutorials for some of the toys that we make for our family. 

Some of the most played with and most versatile toys at our house are also the simplest:  playsilks.  Beautiful, open-ended, gender-neutral, and creativity nurturing, these toys are also very easy (and fun) to make yourself.

Over the weekend my ten year old daughter Jillian, four year old daughter Lucy, and I dyed up some playsilks for baby Amelia.

I took a few photos so that I could share with you how we did it in case some of you want to try your hand at dying your own playsilks, too.

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Holiday kids’ gift craft-along July link-up

by on July 25, 2012
in crafts, holidays & celebrations · 11 Comments

Written by Kara Fleck, Simple Kids editor and Rockin’ Granola mama.

As we discussed last week, I am a little crazy when it comes to Christmas.  You see, I like to give each of my children at least one handmade thing every year and I also like to have all of my holiday crafting finished up before December 1st.

That means I have approximately four months to select, create, and finish up my handmade gifts this year.

Guess what?

I’m not the only crazy crafter out there.

I was so relieved last week when many of you commented that you are also starting to think about your holiday crafting and gift making.  It is nice to you know aren’t the only one, am I right?

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Holiday Gift Craft-along (the early bird gets to put her feet up in December?)

by on July 18, 2012
in crafts, holidays & celebrations · 16 Comments

Written by Kara Fleck, Simple Kids editor and Rockin’ Granola mama.

I interrupt your Summer fun to announce that December is coming. I know, I know.  It is the middle of July, temperatures are in the triple digits, and the farthest thing from your mind right now is preparing for the December holidays, let alone holiday gifts or crafting.

It was the farthest thing from my mind, too.  That is, until I glanced at the calendar and saw that next Wednesday is July 25, which means I have exactly five months until we celebrate Christmas.

Since I like to give each of my children at least one handmade thing every year and I also like to have all of my holiday crafting finished up before December 1st, that means I have approximately four months to select, create, and finish up a minimum of four handmade items.

Hmmmmm, a little daunting to look at it that way, eh?

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Young writer’s card making caddy

by on July 2, 2012
in crafts · 12 Comments

The following post is by contributor Mariah Bruehl of Playful Learning.

I am a huge fan of making homemade cards for every occasion. Yet, I often find that when it is time to get busy, getting creative, I have to search in ten different spots to find inspirational materials.

So this year, before the Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, end of the school year, family birthday card making frenzy started, I decided to put together a card caddy that would have everything the girls needed to make lovely and unique cards.

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