Felt Mitten Garland {Tutorial}

We ♥ garlands, buntings, banners, or whatever you want to call them! Around here we have at least one to match each holiday, but this year I wanted to make something more Winter-ish and less Christmasy. I've been eyeing THIS one over at Land of Nod for the past couple of years, so when Sutton and I had a rare minute to craft, we decided to try to make our own version.



I cut out a simple mitten shape from felt along with a bunch of miscellaneous little felt peices, and threw in some sequins, fabric paint and glitter to embellish them. If you don't want your kiddo to squeeze the entire bottle of glue all out at once, you can pour a bit of it into a small dish and have them dab it on with a Q-tip like we did.



I made a couple of mittens and mixed them in with Sutton's. I just thought it kind of made the whole garland look a little neater and cleaner overall. Not quite as prim and proper as the Land of Nod banner, but I love seeing my kid's artwork hanging on the wall ♥ I sewed the mittens on to a piece of binding tape that I had on hand, and Sawyer decided that we needed to hang it under our family photo display.


Easy peasy! This entire project took about an hour :)

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Big Soft Blocks

I finished up Simon's soft blocks earlier this week, and I ended up stuffing them with pieces of 2" thick foam. These blocks measure a whopping 6" square, so the foam gave them a ton of extra stability vs. the lumpy mess they were becoming when I tried to stuff them with fiberfill. I'm really pleased with how they came out, and they were fast and easy to put together. I think I spent the most time just choosing which fabrics to use and piece together! I love that this project repurposes some of our older things - the car and surfboard panel is from one of Sawyer's baby onesies, and the fuzzy terrycloth panels are made out of old baby towels.

We're busy decking the halls today, so look for a couple of new ideas and tutorials from me in the next few days!

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TP Roll Turkeys {Tutorial}

This one is pretty self-explanatory, and it was a big hit with the kids. My four-year-old especially enjoyed this one because it involved scissors. My three-year-old cut out about half the feathers and then asked me to finish up for me...it wasn't until after I had cut out mine that I realized his had pinked edges and mine didn't. Oops. Oh well, he liked it anyway :)

Here's what you'll need, only make sure NOT to use the same kind of glue that we did. It dried horribly shiny and noticable, not that the kids cared, but it definitely could have produced a cleaner looking final result (*coughI'maperfectionistcough*). Grab some colored paper for feathers (or you could always use real feathers too if you have some handy), brown paper for the body, scissors, a toilet paper roll and some googly eyes.


Carefully cut the feathers out of the colored paper. My guys started with zigzag and shaped scissors, but soon switched to good old safety scissors. Depending on the size, about 5-10 feathers works well.


Cut out a turkey body, beak and waddle. Use your googly eyes and non-funky glue to assemble the turkey's face and body.

Glue the pieces to the front and back of the TP roll and you're holiday ready!

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Things I'm Working On This Week: Kids' Holiday Gifts

I need to stop looking at other blogs. Seriously! There are so many awesome ideas floating around out there, especially when it comes to holiday gift giving, and there's no way in the world I have room to squeeze even one more tiny project into my holiday crafting list...well, maybe one or two teeensy ones ;)

This week I'm working on projects for my boys' holiday gifts. Since we celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah, that adds up to a ton of presents that I'm required to come up with! I've always attempted to make at least half of the boys' Hanukkah presents, but even at only 50% homemade that still adds up to 12 presents I have to create, and that's only for my kids! I better get craftin'!

This week I'm working on:

* Soft fabric blocks for Simon - tutorials for these are abundant, but I am still searching for the perfect idea to help keep the blocks more square and sturdy. Mitch suggested stuffing them with a square block of foam, which seems to be an easy and viable idea, but I don't have foam to test his theory yet. I had also thought of using a plastic needlework mesh "skeleton" cube in the interior because I have some of that left over from another project.

* I-Spy Book for Sutton - my three-year-old is obsessed with I-Spy books, so I decided to make him a personalized one using items and toys from around the house. So far I've photographed a few "cities" built with blocks and Legos with their other toys, a pile of play food, a bunch of different Halloween candy, art supplies, and a rainbow made out of their toys. I still need to come up with five or six more ideas, so any other layout suggestions would be much appreciated! I will be getting this printed in 8x8 hardback format from Shutterfly, because I stumbled upon a free book code (and who doesn't like free?!?).

* Card Game for Sawyer - my four-year-old is starting to get into games, so I am making him an Old Maid card game using our family members photos as the cards. Between the boys aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, we'll have a perfect number of cards for a game of Old Maid. I'll order two of each family member's photo (with the name of each person Photoshopped on to it), cut them to size, back it with a piece of scrapbook paper and then laminate them. Still not sure who to use as the Old Maid yet, but I'm thinking about dressing up one of their favorite stuffed animals so that no one will be offended that I called them Old ;)

I'll be sure to post photos when I'm done (and maybe a tutorial if I end up doing something radically new and different for the blocks), but I just thought this might spark some creative ideas for all of you!

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Giveaway & Review: Inspired by Finn

GIVEAWAY CLOSED! Thanks to all that entered! :)

The winner is lucky #77, Jennifer, who said:

"I like Diversity. It looks like it would go with anything. I plan on ordering one of the bracelets. When I was pregnant with my son 2 years ago, I did something to my wrist and it hasn't been the same since. The doctor couldn't find anything, but I get major pain when I overuse it. If it helps, wonderful. If not, like you said, it's pretty :) "

Congrats Jennifer - I hope the amber helps! I'll be sending you an email shortly :)

I am SO excited to have the opportunity to host a review and giveaway from one of my new favorite shops, Inspired by Finn! Inspired by Finn sells many different styles of Baltic Amber jewelry which claims to aid in all sorts of ailments including chronic pain, teething, headaches, energy balance and wellness maintenance. I admit that I was more than a little skeptical when I first heard the claims, but after hearing about it more and more often among my circle of friends, I decided to give it a try. Even if it didn't work, the jewelry was still pretty, so what did I have to lose?



Baltic amber is not a stone, but a fossilized tree resin. Historically, Baltic Amber has been used in Europe as a natural and traditional remedy and curative for many ailments for centuries. Long ago it was considered one of the leading ‘medicines’ of its time. Baltic Amber is the most esteemed amber in the world, and the healing qualities of Baltic Amber make it unlike any other type of amber found in the world.

When baltic amber is worn on the skin, the skin’s warmth releases trace amounts of healing oils from the amber. These oils contain succinic acid and are absorbed into the skin. Baltic Amber has some of the highest concentrations of Succinic Acid found in nature, and this is what makes it so special. Succinic Acid is a natural component of plant and animal tissues, and it's presence in the human body is beneficial in many ways.

* Pain Relief -Baltic amber contains analgesic properties and helps take the edge off of many types of discomfort associated with dental issues, headaches, joint pain, etc.

* Strengthens the body's immune system -In many different and subtle ways, succinic acid helps boost the body's own natural healing ability and immune system.

* Restoring Energy - The human body naturally produces succinic acid. The salt of succinic acid (succinate) is one of the most active substances in the processes of cellular respiration and intercellular energy creation. Succinic acid restores oxygen and energy supply to depleted cells and helps the body return to a normal, functioning state. Succinate is a raw material and a catalyst in the Krebs Cycle which is one of our main sources of energy. During the Krebs Cycle carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are metabolized for energy.

* Maintaining Wellness - When the human body reacts to stress, the body’s cells begin to use oxygen more quickly. Oxygen plays a central role in the intercellular creation of energy, and a lack of oxygen can result in feeling lethargic. Oxygen is alkaline-forming in the blood and maintaining a slightly alkaline blood ph helps keep us healthy. Whenever the body functions in a state of low oxygen, it is much more susceptible to illness.



That all sounds well and good, but I am one of those people who need to see it to believe it...and I do! I have long suffered from chronic neck pain and headaches brought on by an auto accident. After a week of wearing my necklace (I wear it 24/7 unless I'm in the shower) I had noticeable improvement, and after two weeks my headaches were practically non-existant! I was shocked! I still wasn't convinced that it had anything to do with my necklace, so I stopped wearing it for a few days and was surprised when my headaches not only returned, but I was also noticeably more tired (not surprising with a newborn in the home!). After wearing the necklace for another few days, my energy had returned and the headaches had disappeared again - call me convinced! :)



Now our entire family has their own Baltic Amber necklace, including Simon! I've heard incredible stories about babies who have worn their necklaces since birth and never had any fussiness or pain during teething - I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it at least takes the edge off! He usually wears his during the day, and then at night I wrap it around his ankle because I'm still a little paranoid about letting him wear a necklace to bed. My older boys often wear theirs to sleep though because they are able to take them on and off by themselves if they have any issues with it. Sutton, our three-year-old, loves his necklaces (he actually has two different styles now since he loves them so much!) and claims that they "make it so I can't get sick." So far it seems to be true!



Inspired by Finn also carries Hazelwood jewelry that help with eczema and other skin issues as well as heartburn and acid reflux. I wore my Hazelwood necklace during my pregnancy after I got tired of popping Zantac like candy, and I can attest that it absolutely helped to cut back on the amount of heartburn I was experiencing in the evenings.



So, now for the fun part! Inspired by Finn has agreed to give away one of their amazing Baltic Amber necklaces to one of our readers! All you have to do is become a Mom's Crafty Space blog follower, and leave us a comment below telling us which Inspired by Finn necklace is your favorite. You can also earn an extra entry by becoming a fan of Inspired by Finn on Facebook - just leave me an additional comment letting me know you've "liked" them.

One lucky winner will be announced on Saturday, November 13th, and will have their choice of any 16" or smaller in-stock necklace from the Inspired by Finn store.

Can't wait to see if you're the winner or not? CLICK HERE to learn how to save 20% off ANY purchase with Inspired by Finn!

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The Thankful Tree

With our newborn taking up lots of my time and attention, the big boys have been allowed to watch a bit more television these days, and they've been begging me to add EVERY toy that they see on commercials to their holiday wish lists. I decided that it was time for a shift in their focus, so we created our Thankful Tree (perfect for Thanksgiving too!).

They cut out the branches out of 12x18 construction paper, and I assembled them into a tree form and cut out a bunch of leaves for our thank you notes. I didn't get a full wall shot, but the finished product is an impressive 3 feet tall! Every day we've been coming up with at least one new thing that we're thankful for (Sutton likes to add at least 2-3). Though it hasn't curbed their cries of "I want that!" whenever a Hot Wheels commercial comes on, it has definitely shifted their attitude to one of gratitude. Several times over the weekend they stopped whatever they were doing to tell me that they had something to add to the Thankful Tree. This is a great activity, especially at this time of year, and the results can be pretty humorous!


We're thankful for many things including hugs (Mommy), football (Daddy), our refrigerator (3-year-old), sugar (the 4-year-old, right after eating some Halloween candy), and the Thankful Tree itself (3-year-old again). Of course, we're also thankful for family, friends, and all of our toys, but those aren't nearly as funny :)

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Kool-Aid Playdough {Recipe}

I've made homemade Play Doh dozens of times, but it was only recently that we decided to try coloring our dough with Kool-Aid. All I can say is, "YUM!" Well, not really "yum" since it probably tastes pretty gross (though it is 100% edible), but wow, does it smell delicious!


(Note: it was 85 degrees here yesterday, so please excuse their shirtless attempt to hang on to the last bit of Indian Summer!) The boys couldn't stop smelling it even as we were mixing it up! We used two packets of Kool-Aid (grape and black cherry) just because each boy was determined to use their own choice of flavor/scent. I'm sure that one packet would have been sufficient though :)

Ingredients:
1 cup water
3 teaspoons of Cream of Tartar
1 cup of flour
1 package of Kool-Aid Mix (any flavor of unsweetened)
1 tablespoon of cooking oil
1/2 cup of salt

Mix dry ingredients in a medium saucepan. Add water and oil. Stir over medium heat until it looks like dough. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, and knead one more time before playing.


The only thing different about Kool-Aid dough (other than the scent) was how dramatically the color changed once we cooked it. It looked like this while mixing...

...and came out a much darker shade of purple after cooking.

We love the consistency of homemade playdough so much more than Play Doh. It's just as firm, but a little more moist, so it it really feels great to squish little hands into it.

I'm not sure if it was the addition of the yummy fragrance or not, but this batch of Kool-Aid playdough kept the big boys entertained until the sun went down two and a half hours later - amazing!

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