Craft Favorites Friday

I am back with 3 more sweet and simple ideas that are perfect for the little ones in your life. :)

1. Felt Brown Bag Lunch

I am huge fan of crafting with felt (as I've mentioned a few times). ;) It is just such a fun medium to create with and so versatile. Can you believe how amazing that lunch looks? You really need to visit Skip to My Lou to see for yourself how the sandwich pieces--complete with "plastic" sandwich baggie, brown bag, chips, and dessert all come together (super easy)! HOW FUN!

2. Counting Book

Personalized activities set in your child's own environment and context--what a way to make connections! Here is a quick way to connect numbers and counting to things your child sees (and loves!) every day! I love the different things Lu Bird Baby thought to photograph. :)

3. Texture Book

In the same vein, here is a texture book made with easy-to-find materials. Asa is at an age where he loves to touch everything... from the carpet to the curtains by his changing table to toys, stuffed animals, and even his clothes (when I change him out of his pjs every morning, one of the first things he does is feel the texture of the clothes I have put on him for the day)! This book from Bloesem Kids and New House Project is another great idea. :)

With a Moo Moo Here...

Before I get to the cows, I thought I would post a little update about us. We had a wonderful Christmas with both of our families. It was so sweet to share our traditions with Asa and start some new ones, too. I can only imagine when he "gets" it more! Since we returned home, Asa has really been working on some locomotion--he started out with a snowplow kind of move, then a sidewinder slither, and now he's getting very close to an army man crawl. He is getting into EVERYthing. Since that is a new development, I'm still at the "Wow! I can't believe you can do that!" stage. I'm sure it will get a little old at some point. ;) Let the babyproofing begin! He is also playing around with his voice a lot. He likes to try out different volumes, though we do not have a screamer as-of-yet. :) And just this weekend he burst forth with lalalas, nanananas, and best of all, he called me Mama! :) If that doesn't melt a mother's heart, I don't know what does! We have his 6 month check up this week (even though he was 7 months old on Saturday), and I imagine we will introduce some solids after the doctor's green light. He is pretty much showing every sign he is ready, willing, and able to try some food. You can be sure we will document this new venture with all sorts of film. :)

Alright, onto the farm. While browsing the crafting blogosphere, I came across this adorable crafty barn... it was too cute to wait until Friday to post about it. :)

It's made from a paper-mache treasure chest/trunk. I just think it's so clever, and I hope Asa loves playing "farm" some day so I can make him one! :) Go visit This and That and her barnyard post to learn more! I think this would be a great gift for a little farmer friend, too. :)

Craft Favorites Friday RETURNS!

I know it has been several weeks since my last CFF round up. Between Christmas travels, settling in back home, teething, etc. I've been storing ideas but not posting them. I have 3 new projects for today though!

1. Dollar Store Wash Mitt Hedgehog

I read this week that the dollar store wash mitts are back. I have seen a couple different projects made with these, but the hedgehog is my favorite. I hope to scope out some dollar stores this weekend--I'll let you know if I hit the jackpot! You can find complete instructions by clicking the link above and going over to Darling Petunia.

2. Valentine's Heart Garland

Over at Little Birdie Secrets, you can find an idea for a sweet, simple felt Valentine's garland. We finally got our Christmas decor packed away (we usually try to enjoy it for an extra week or two once we return from our Christmas travels) and I decided to go ahead and put our Valentine's decorations up so we can enjoy them as long as possible. I have some other projects that require felt, so I just might try one of these while I'm at it. :)

3. Way Cool Geometric Floor Puzzle Pieces

I think this is soooo cool, and I really want to make some for Asa when he's bigger. I LOOOVE pattern blocks and used to have a giant bucket of them. I think they are so great for open-ended play and exploration. This is such a wonderful and inexpensive way to encourage some amazing creativity. :) Go visit Mer Mag--it could not be easier!

Christmas Presents

I only made one set of crafty presents this year, but I am BEYOND thrilled with how they turned out!

I had seen some scripture dolls online, and I thought they were something I could make--and would enjoy doing so.

First I tried drawing my own pattern. I posted about that attempt. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't exactly pretty either. ;)

I ended up using The Black Apple doll pattern, and it worked beautifully! Without further ado, here are the dolls I made for my niece and nephew--the scriptures were chosen by their mom. :)

I can't wait to make more! I already have the materials to make one for Asa, so stay tuned! :)