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The Cutest Birthday Party Ever!

    

Ahh, birthday parties...the everlasting struggle to avoid SpongeBob or Dora the Explorer is an eternal battle. "For moms who need a creative outlet, sometimes hosting clever birthday parties is just the thing," says Gabrielle Blair of Designmom.com, where I discovered one of the best birthday parties I've ever seen—The Mr. Man Party from Full House.

This party was designed for a set of 2-year-old triplet boys, and here is a list of the precious elements: Necktie cookies by Anything But Ordinary; a necktie clothesline garland with photos of the boys and paper 2's; chocolate mustaches on sticks; necktie napkins, and a welcome sign that read "Come one, come all or just COMB over!"

I simply have no words to describe how much I heart this party. Job well done!

Tiny Party Planners

   

Every year, my husband's birthday falls during the week of our annual vacation with his family in Hilton Head, South Carolina. This year, the kids (ages 3, 5, 8, and 10) began planning the festivities right when we got there, sharing cake, gift, and party ideas (with visual aids, I might add). We took group trips to the grocery store(s) and the craft store and the creativity was flying! So here's what we came up with:

• We were on the verge of making ice cream cone party hats when I showed them this rainbow cake idea (posted on Goodyblog back in January). I had them at hello. We made it a four-layer cake, covered with white frosting and colored sprinkles. I have to say, even the adults were blown away by the colors. We topped the cake of with these candles, also found thanks to Goodyblog.
• At the craft store we bought him an obnoxiously large straw hat and the kids decorated it, all lending a hand to add the pom-poms, chenille stem flowers, fringe, and bells. He was a sport and wore it down to the pool one day. But lucky for me, it was too big to fit in our suitcases so we packed it in the car to send back to Atlanta.

All in all, it was definitely his most colorful birthday ever. Thanks to the tiny party planners.

A New Use for Mud

Last week, I was clicking over at ohdeedoh, and my heart just about melted when I came across a post on building mud-brick houses. I loved making mud pies and building fairy houses as a kid—if I'd known the secret to making mud bricks (hint: add some grass to the mud and then pack it into an ice cube tray) I'm sure I would have gone nuts with them too.

Got a little builder or mud-fiend in your backyard? For detailed instructions (and other fun outdoorsy projects and activities you can enjoy with your kids), check out the original post on the Imagine Childhood blog.

Images via.

Far Out! Free Spaceship Stickers

Freebie Alert! Love these gratis downloadable spaceship stickers from illustrator Lotta Bruhn. Cool and cute enough that when they end up stuck all over the house, you totally wouldn't mind.

Found via cribcandy.

What Can Brown Craft For You?

At UPS, you can pack, ship, track, but craft? Who knew?!? Apparently along with everyone and their brother, UPS has joined the cool trend of the DIY trend with this very clever Family Tree Craft, featured in the June issue of our sister pub, Better Homes and Gardens. And guess what it's made from? Yes, you got it, corrugated cardboard.

Click on this link for printable instructions, templates, and a materials list to complete your fabulous tree. And if you want to send it to Grandma Molly in Virginia, guess who can help you do that too? Bingo!

Thanks to Ohdeedoh for the link!

Project of the Month Club

I must admit, I'm not always a huge fan of packaged crafts, but for the busy parent (isn't that all parents, really?), this one had me at hello.

Check out Project of the Month Club. Just sign up for a monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, or four-in-a-row subscription and a box arrives on your doorstep with all the supplies you need to make a treasure box, a tie-dye t-shirt, or a pillow.

Project categories include Master Builder (hammers and screws) and Future Designers (stitch and decorate). The crafts are geared toward kids ages 4 to 11 and require adult supervision and interaction.

Thanks to Daily Candy Kids for the link!

This Kid-Friendly Craft is a Keeper

As a kid, my life wasn’t governed by too many rules. Still, there was one hard-and-fast mandate I knew not to break: No craft projects involving glitter. Actually, the rule was more like: No crazy craft projects, period. (My mom simply hated buying all the expensive supplies, which inevitably got lost in the back of the closet.) Aside from coloring, the one thing she really encouraged us to do was papier-mâché. I’m pretty sure that's because it only involved three household staples: water, Elmer’s glue, and old newspapers.

Anyway, last night, while flipping through the newest issue of our crafty sister-pub, ReadyMade, I came across a project that I’m dying to try: Turning empty plastic bottles into striking colored vases. The materials are cheap/recycled and it involves papier-mâché? Even Mom would approve.

Most impressive to me is that while the so-simple instructions are easy enough for little ones to take on, they result in some truly chic vessels (ReadyMade’s vases, which started out as empty Method hand soap and POM juice bottles, among others, remind me of pricey Jonathan Adler ceramics I’ve long coveted for my living room.) I’d like to make a few  of my own this week—I’m thinking one could be the perfect container for a sweet Mother’s Day bouquet....

Is Your Craft Corner Neat?

Do you have a special way of keeping your kid's art supplies organized? Do you repurpose things you have at home or do you let Container Store's clear plastic bins handle the job? Tell us the most unique way you keep your craft essentials organized or how you tackle clean up after your pint-sized Picasso has made something super special in the comments of this post!

Got an amazing tip? It could be featured in an upcoming issue of Parents Magazine!

Original photo via.

A Green Bouquet for Mommy

In case you haven't picked up the May issue of Parents, I thought I'd share with you our adorable, simple, and eco-friendly Mother's Day Bouquet (crafted by the ultra-talented Blair Stocker of Wise Craft).

These flowers are made from magazine or catalog pages, chenille stems, and buttons. Below is the simple how-to, and you can see the step-by-step photos on Parentsmag.com.

What you'll need: Pencil, Ruler, Scissors, Glossy magazines, Hole punch, Green chenille stems, Buttons

1. Cut 4 to 6 same-size strips lengthwise from colorful magazine pages. Choose the width of your strips from 1/2 inch to 1 inch -- the narrower the strips, the more you will need to make the flower appear full.
2. Punch 3 holes along each strip -- one centered and the others 1/2 inch from either end. Hold paper face down and poke a chenille stem through the center hole. Fold ends over to slide other two holes onto stem.
3. Add remaining strips, arranging them to form a flower design, as shown. Thread the chenille stem through a button, then back in through the flower, twisting stem behind the petals to hold it in place.

So once you've digested the May issue in its entirety, go ahead and make some flowers!

With This Ring, I Thee Color

  

I'm a sucker for a crayons. Actually I come from a mother who collects them! We have all the limited edition boxes, unopened—she always bought three, one for me, one for my sister, and one for her. Apparently, they'll one day be collectors' items. So when I spotted these ring crayons by Timothy Liles (also limited editions) on Ohdeedoh, I felt the need to get them for my mom (until I saw the price). But regardless, I wanted to share, just because the concept is so darn cute. If wearable crayons are a must-have in your home, then check out these (more affordable) finger crayons from Alex Toys.

I now pronounce you Burnt Sienna and Midnight Blue.