Marking the New Year

I actually made this project a while ago. I wanted to capture the sweet smallness of BabyGirl's little hands at 3 months old. I had received this frame as a gift and loved all the bright colors. Any sort of frame will do, but something smallish will really show off the hand or footprints of your little one. This one is for a 4 x4 inch photo.

First, I removed the plastic that served to protect the photo. Next, I rolled out a polymer clay, like Sculpey (I got mine at Michael's), into a thin sheet that will fit between the frame and the supportive back. I used some scraps of the clay to thicken the center so that there would be enough thickness to get a good handprint. Have your child put their hand or foot on the center of the clay and press down. It was a bit hard with a 3 month old, but with a little gentle help from me, we were able to get a good print.
Next, you'll want to bake the clay according to the package directions. I believe this was 10 minutes for each 1/4 inch of thickness. Once the clay baked and cooled, I used scissors to trim the edges, which had stretched a bit, to once again fit the frame.
Finally, I put the cooled clay into the frame, latched the cardboard backing and had a treasured keepsake of BabyGirl's littlest days.

This would be a fun project to repeat each year, either on a birthday or for the New Year. I think its a great indoor arts and craft project for those cold and dreary January days. You can experiment with the colors and textures, create your own frame decorations to glue to a wooden craft frame, or use lace or other textured materials to create background patterns. The possibility and fun really is endless.

Enjoy!

Airplane Activity Center

Still mulling some ideas for the airplane activity center. In order to lessen the amount of work needed, I'm thinking of using an old T-shirt as the base and just seam the sides up to make it slip over the tray table nice and snug. The neck opening will hopefully be just the right size for the the lock. I'll post more precise directions should I meet with success.

Infants and Airplanes

I'm going to be working on something. After all that holiday travel with BabyGirl, I really want something that makes keeping her happy throughout the flight easier. She does great, but as she gets older, I'm sure she'll want more to do. Here is a rough sketch of what I'd like to make.

It slips over the tray table and works like a busy box when the tray table is in the 'locked' position. I'll probably leave the backside fairly plain, maybe sew some vinyl or other plastic type fabric on it for an easy wipe down surface for snacks and such. I'm not much of a seamstress. I'm generally pleased if I can sew straight lines so the design is pretty basic. The ribbons down either side will have loops to hook toys into using the ubiquitous and miraculous interlocking rings we have. No more bending over in a cramped seat to pick something up off the floor, never mind how dirty that floor may be. The other elements are a string of wooden beads, and a flap secured with Velcro with a little surprise underneath.

If sewing isn't your thing, there are activity centers like this for sale. I found one on Ebay that is really impressive.

Do you have advice on traveling with small kids? My one bit of invaluable baby advice is to bring the Boppy or other similar nursing pillow. BabyGirl eats and sleeps so well in hers on my lap on the plane, and it is much more comfortable than supporting her solely with our arms for 5 or 6 hours. Feel free to leave your advice, tricks, and tips in the comments.

(I'll be working on this project throughout the week as naps allow, so please check back later for updates and more pictures.)

just for fun

Just a fun, snowy game for the winter. Be careful, its addictive.

SnowLine

Help Santa collect all the presents by drawing a line of ice for the sleigh to ride on.

Save those used up gift cards.

Zippers, snaps, cards and slots make a fun way for BabyGirl to develop those fine motor skills and be just like mommy or daddy. I had an old wallet and lots of empty gift cards. BabyGirl is thrilled to take the cards out and to play with the zipper. Now that you've had fun using up those gift cards, re-use them in a way that is fun for your little one.

Before you give your baby an old wallet, please check for coins or other small pieces that could break off and be a choking hazard.

Ornament Storage Box

Save that wrapping paper and create an ornament storage box to keep your tree decorations safe until next year. You'll need an empty wine or liquor box with sturdy cardboard dividers. I got this one near the front door of the liquor store.

Mix about one part water to one part white craft glue, or any glue that dries clear.

Brush the box with glue one section at a time. Then place a torn piece of used wrapping paper on the box. Brush over the paper with glue before moving on to the next section. Work your way around the entire box, except for the bottom.

I used the front of a Christmas card to create this label and glued it onto the completed box.



Keep all your little one's ornaments safe in a sturdy and festive box that should last for years to come. For extra durability, you can give the whole box a coat of clear paint sealant which can be purchased at a local home repair store.

You can also coat other boxes and lids to make re-usable gift boxes for next year.

Personalized Gift Idea

Need a last minute gift idea for Christmas or a Birthday? I love gift sets, and this is a quick way to make a personalized gift for a child of most ages. BabyGirl got this book from a friend of mine. It is a really fun book about a little owl who wants to go to bed early like his friends but his parents want him to stay up late like a good owl. While at the mall I saw that the 'make your own stuffed animal' store had owls. I used some gift certificates and made a companion Little Hoot to go with the book. If I had a better memory, I would have given him a red hoodie like in the book instead of his argyle vest, but I still think it is great to give BabyGirl her owl to hold while we read the book.

To turn this into the perfect gift for someone you are thinking of, select a book with a unique character, perhaps one that doesn't already have its own stuffed animal line. Then go to your local Make a Stuffed Animal store, for example Build A Bear, and pick out the animal that best fits your book and dress them up similarly. The gift recipient will hopefully love having such a unique and personal reading buddy. For a grown up, the Vermont Teddy Bear company has some very elegant bears and stuffed animals that could be dressed as a character from a classic novel.