Alternative Egg Decorating

Koolaid, those little color tablets, it's all been done. Don't get me wrong- there is nothing wrong with a classic colored egg. I loved doing them as a kid. But while my toddler is still too young to trust around dyes of any sort, I want to make coloring eggs fun for both me and her. I surveyed the internet and found these fun alternatives to coloring eggs!

1. Stickers

Stickers on eggs are simple enough- make sure your eggs are nice and dry (AND COOKED! for the love of all your floor coverings cook eggs that you let children handle!) and place it on there! Smaller stickers work best as large flat stickers on a curved surface leads to disappointing wrinkles. You can also use tape/stickers before dying them to create shapes- those round stickers for binders are great for polka dots!

Image from botanicalpaperworks.com

2. Crayon on Eggs

These are usually used as a resist in the dye process but strongly colored crayons show up great on white eggs. The cheaper the crayon is though, the less it will show up- stick with good brands like Crayola. Crayons work even better on hot/warm eggs.

image from cometogetherkids.com

3. Food Dye Markers

(regular markers work too, use non-toxic brands.) 

I bought these pens to play around with for Chucky Sue's birthday cake plans. They weren't as cheap as other coloring methods, somewhere around $6 for the primary colors, another $6 if you want the pastels too. They last a long time though, so it may be worth the investment.

4. Temporary Tattoos

 Oh yeah, you can use these. My mom just sent us a bunch of butterfly ones and I'm thinking a whole dozen of butterfly eggs may be necessary for our Easter celebrations! You can buy tattoo paper at craft stores and even print out your own images- you could "label" hidden eggs for your kids, personalize them to their favorite animals or flowers- how cool would that be?!

Share your "eggs-ellent" creations with me!

...yeah, let's pretend  that pun is still funny.

Thank Heaven For Little Girls!

Finally! Something creative that isn't a total Pinterest rip off! Or at least, I've yet to see this in MY Pinterest feed.

This is a gift for a baby shower this weekend, a momma of two adorable little boys is going to have her first girl soon! So, while I usually shy away from SUPER PINK because everyone should have some variety, I couldn't pass up this adorable pink fish bath set!

I cut a cute scrapbook paper down to size so that it stayed put when I rolled it into the jar. You don't need tape or glue if you plan on filling the jar up tight. Then I put all the bath supplies and washcloths in the mason jar, covered it with basket filler, the card,  and topped the lid off with a bow.

click to embiggen

The "card" is a jam label from Jamlabelizer.com. It was super easy to make and print (though the site has been overloaded and S-L-O-W due to it's huge rise in popularity.) the plan was to put it on top of the lid, but then Target went and had a clearance on their solid color party supplies.

click to embiggen

The fish just would not fit no matter how I arranged things, so she's swimming on the outside with a white ribbon holding on to her. I have since cut off the excess ribbon, as I cannot tie an even bow to save my life. The fish is enough "flair" anyway.

As this post is published I am at the baby shower, and hopefully the gift is well received! 

*Note to self: take photos when it's not 1am and pitch black outside. Yes, that is print paper and a board game in an attempt to make these look "better".  Project New Camera is underway though, so hopefully that means the end of cellphone photo quality!

You Drive Me Crazy!

As a special Valentine's Day treat for my primary class, I made each kid one of these!

I got 12 crazy straws from wal-mart for $2, and used my craft paper and crayons from home. The straws fit perfectly in a standard hole punch! I love that it's NOT FOOD. I'm always worried I'll give the kids a food their parents don't want them to have (peanuts, too much sugar, gum etc.etc) so I was happy when I found these. I took the photo in front of the melted crayon rainbow I made for Chucky Sue's room. It's pulling double duty as a party decoration too.

What cute valentines have you made this year? I want to see them!!

31 Days of Halloween: Day Twenty Five

This week just skyrocketed from not-so-busy to RED ALERT SUPER BUSY! in a matter of a few days. I have seen too many cute halloween crafts and recipes that I won't have time to do myself- but I still wanted to share them with you!

First up, these adorable cracker packages made to look like candies. Not happening  in this house yet, maybe for christmas with oreos?

This one may happen for our ward's trunk or treat- Glowing Lanterns I think I want to use them to light up our trunk!

a candy corn cheesecake recipe was printed out and put in my halloween folder for next year.

poppiesatplay.blogspot.com (one of my new favorite blogs) has these adorable witch hat and ding dong halloween snacks

I saw these paper pumpkins online and thought how easy they'd be to make with orange and yellow paint chips from home depot!

31 Days of Halloween: Day Nine

I write little love notes and silly jokes on my eggs already just to make Jake smile when he opens up the fridge. I took it a little further when I bought a quick half dozen this week.

I had some of these Q-tip coloring sticks leftover from last Easter.

I attempted an one eyed monster- I may go back and add some details with a sharpie later, but this was a quick 5 minute or less project. I liked the striped dragon's egg next to it the best.

such a happy jackolantern egg nestled next to an alien's egg. The pink splotchy one back there was my attempt at a bleeding egg.

These aren't hard boiled, so I did this craft myself to make sure little Chucky Sue didn't crack it open during coloring, I highly suggest not coloring raw eggs with little ones around. You can also color with crayons, stickers and markers- no one ever made a rule that you have to use dye on eggs!

31 Days of Halloween: Day Two

Since joining Pinterest (I think all my past entries have been inspired by that website!) I started a board call "Spooks and Treats" for all halloween/autumn themed web delights I found. Here are a few of my absolute favorites!

from eighteen25.blogspot.com

a classic DIWK (Do It With Kids) project. Empty milk gallons and sharpies (or construction paper if you're feeling adventurous.)

from Marthastewart.com- "Celestial Pumpkins"(how to link)

 I think these are simply gorgeous. It's like a lite brite for adults! Imagine all the different patterns you could do or with colored lights?

from countryliving.com

those plates would be up all year long at my house!

from christyrobbins.blogspot.com (who was inspired by www.cantstopmakingthings.com)

add a little scrapbook paper over the tictac label for cute party favors.

from abeautifulmess.typepad.com

another kid-friendly craft, string felt leaves with yarn for a fall themed garland.

check out my pinterest board for even more halloween awesomeness or email me for a pinterest invite!

Crafty McCrafterpants

Oh yes, thanks to the introduction of Pinterest.com, my crafty levels have skyrocketed. I now believe there is nothing I can't do with chalkboard paint and miniature desserts.

Here is a start of a project- AlphaPillows! 

They are tiny 2x1.5 inch pillows with a letter so neatly scribbled on the back. I got through the letter M before I ran out of thread. (What kind of horrible crafter runs out of thread?!) 

I'm hoping to make a matching bag/case and a few boards to play games with them; Match the letters, fill in the missing letter from the word sorta thing. Jake is rolling  his eyes at me. THEY WILL BE CUTE.

and then there was this:

my awesome mother-in-law bought me Hannah Montana sheets and matching pillowcases at Goodwill. (fabric heaven to you penny pinching crafters) They have this awesome hot pink floral pattern on them, and thankfully no Miley Cyrus portraits. I turned 1/2 of the pillow case into a pencil skirt for Chucky-Sue, who refused to model it. I'll try to snap a pic of her wearing it tomorrow. and for the bottom half, I turned it into a tote bag for her library books. With glitter lettering and everything. I think Hannah would be proud. (You could see the glitter, but I had to blur out her name. but it is sparkly and awesome!)

Tomorrow's craft list? A halloween tu-tu, and more dress-up stuffs, the rest of the AlphaPillows and monogram adjective prints. I know you're intrigued!

Craft: Painted Baby Food Jars

What to do with all those leftover baby food jars? One person only has so many buttons and screws they need to keep organized. My idea? Turn them into holiday decorations (or as Jake calls them, "pretty dust collectors".)

Use a sharpie (or hand paint it if you are that talented) a design on the front of the jar, fill the inside with slightly watered down paint and roll it around until the whole thing is covered. Then place the jars upside down on a paper covered tray to drain the extra paint and allow to dry.

*add just a few drops of water, too much and the paint won't stick, too little and it won't spread well. (and use new-er paint, my older paints were clumpy and I had t use a brush to cover the whole jar, leaving annoying brush strokes everywhere.)

* use dark colored or metallic sharpies, light colors just don't show up.

* This a messy project, don't do it on the kitchen table like I did. you've been warned!

(when painted yellow, the jars look like legoman heads- just FYI.)

Craft Room Tour

A lot of craft blogs I follow have beautiful pictures of their immaculate well organized craft rooms/areas.

this is one from Little Brick House

just one more Sawdust and Paperscraps

homina homina homina.

(Is that how it is spelled? I digress.)

My apartment is ~800sqft. I have a kitchen table for a "Craft Room".

the placemat protects the table from modge podge and stabbing exacto knives.

A kitchen table that a one year smears food on at least 3 times a day; a table that my husband does his fantasy football computer work on; a table that you can see from my living room and thus needs to be presentable if we have company. It's a hardworking table and I love it to pieces. But it's not a craft room.

I also have a dresser, full of non-matching boxes and bags carrying these labels:

 Art Supplies

 Misc STUFF 

WHY DO YOU NEED THIS?!??

 CANDY WRAPPERS AND MOVIE STUBS WHY DID I MARRY YOU*

*authored by Jake

But I craft just as well on my kitchen table, if just a little haphazardly and sporadically.

Oh wait, that's not my table...

there's my table. covered in boxes and scrap paper

These reminded me of those candy buttons. I hated getting a mouthful of paper while eating those things!

Took apart old computer to find pretty jewelry pieces- anyone wanna cut up my motherboard for me?

Made a couple hundred of these during one naptime. 

Making Dork Crafts!

I love the teapot paper the best.

The clock is cute too...

Hopefully one day I'll post a real craft room tour, with a room- y'know with walls and everything? Show me your craft room for ideas?

* and yes, I do collect candy wrappers. Mostly from foreign countries (Those carmel sticks from France? NOM!) but I think I have a few starburst wrappers in that box too... Stop judging me!

Midnight Crafting

My favorite one yet!

Totally Unnecessary Poof. ♥

Lately my crafting urges have been coming late at night, brilliant ideas strike me as I'm preparing for bed and I just HAVE to do it now or it will never be done. In my artistic mind, 2 am is the PERFECT time to be color coordinating beads with fabric flowers.

My dear friend Amy (who is quite crafty herself) taught a group of us how to make several different types of fabric flowers and I am now obsessed with these cute accessories! I've finally found a use for all those old clothes I've been keeping as scraps because they were just too cute to give away!

 Now I have a big enough collection (read: two full boxes' worth) I want to share some of my favorites with you guys. Some of these are for sale, (or will be once I get them on Etsy) as always, comment here if you're local and don't want to deal with the hassle of going through Etsy.

(For Sale,  pink scraps behind not included)

(For Sale)

(For Sale)

(For Sale)

(For Sale)

(For Sale)

(For Sale)