Category Archives: Holiday

LEGO Birthday Party!

Posted in Free Tutorials, Holiday, Kids, Stuff to make by

If you’re wondering (in a few years), why I can’t afford to send my kids to college, the answer is simple.

We’ve drained the college fund to buy LEGOs.

But as they say, carpe diem. Seize the LEGOs. This is Zeke’s 6th birthday–but it’s his second LEGO-themed birthday party. And for the occasion, my mom baked LEGO cake!

For the record, it took her 7 hours. But she’s sharing her secrets on how to make a LEGO Birthday Cake here–so it won’t take you nearly as long. She also found help from Betty Crocker.

Other party highlights:

1. Pin the Button on the LEGO. By “button,” I mean those little knobby connectors on a LEGO brick. (Over the years I’ve learned that variations on Pin the Tail are always a party favorite. I’m not sure why!)

2. Wacky, Crazy LEGO contest. All contestants get a bowl of mixed-up LEGO pieces and they have to build something strange, weird and wonderful with them. We gave out minifigure surprise packs for prizes.

(Zeke is working diligently. Notice other revelers behind him are more intent on throwing balloons around.)

3. Goody bags. Candy LEGOs, free LEGO magazines (you can pick up a bunch at a LEGO store), and some grab-bag LEGOs (At the LEGO store near us, you can buy a big ziploc bag with an assortment of pieces for $7–a great deal.) Throw in some granola bars and sugarless gum for good measure.

Origami Ties for Great Guys

Posted in Holiday, Paper, Stuff to make by

A few reasons why I love my dad:

1. Sometime in my twenties, he decided he didn’t need a special occasion to pick up the phone and call his kids. He calls whenever he feels like it, just to say hello.

2. He’s the kind of grandfather who volunteered to change diapers. Now he gets down on the floor and digs into the LEGO bin alongside his grandkids.

3. Every year, he dresses up as Kate Smith for the Fourth of July parade and sings “God Bless America” in falsetto, very, very badly.

In case these reasons make him seem like he’s not a high-achieving, productive member of society, let me assure you: he’s also that.

So for this Father’s Day, I’m giving him the most original gift . . . a necktie! But this one is made of paper, is 2-inches tall, and is completely impractical. Which makes it more original.

 I learned to fold an origami necktie at the web site, Origami Club, which offers a mad assortment of origami projects with step-by-step animated instructions. The animation doesn’t necessarily illuminate some of those tricky, ever-elusive folds, but it’s cool.

Have you always wanted to fold a spotted toadstool? (Origami Club calls it by its proper name–“fly agaric”–and helpfully points out that it’s a poisonous mushroom. In case you plan to eat your origami? I don’t know.)

I love this Japanese school bag & this polka-dot dress, too.

But back to neckties: I used 2″ origami paper, but you can also use other paper and cut out a 2″ square. Make sure to use paper that is appropriately garish–who wants a tasteful tie for Father’s Day?

The trickiest fold is the tie knot–first, you fold a little triangle up, and then reverse the fold, so that the triangle is now inside the knot. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you try it. Then glue your tie to a blank card (I chose mustard-colored stationery from PaperSource) and press.

If this cute card isn’t enough to please your dad, follow up with a homemade coupon good for 1 hug.

Little presidents from Heidi Kenney

Posted in Holiday, Kids, Stuff to make by

I’ve never given much thought to crafting for President’s Day, but it does fall at a good time for some indoor fun. These are so adorable, and look like fun to make. I can imagine making all kinds of little people! Maybe a chess set! The idea comes from Heidi Kenney’s new book Every Day’s a Holiday: Year-Round Crafting With Kids, which I definitely plan to check out, and Etsy has a how-to for this project on their blog here. You can find plain pegs at Caseys Wood or on Etsy.

Please let us know if you give this a try!

Heart Crayons

Posted in Holiday, Kids, Recycled materials, Stuff to make by

I’m squeezing in one last post before Monday for those of you who

1.) enjoy the smell of melting wax emanating from your toaster oven.

2.) own crayons so ancient they are growing a fur of mold.

3.) like to celebrate Valentine’s Day by smashing things with a hammer.

You will need crayons (pink, red, white, purple), the aforementioned hammer and toaster oven, a heart-shaped candy mold, and fingernails long enough to tear at the crayons’ very resistant paper wrappers. I used a silicone heart mold from Ikea, meant for making ice cubes. Not a good idea, but it worked. I have definitely destoyed the mold from ever being used again for its original purpose.

I smashed the crayons to smithereens (inside a paper bag), divided the colored bits into the molds, and placed the tray in the oven at 250F.  Watch out: the crayon wax melts quickly (in less than a minute), and if you wait too long, the colors blend together and look like purple soup.

 Cooling on the counter (note those uneaten clementines).

 Voila.

postscript:

The mailman brought this little package . . .

and inside were pink & gray striped mittens!

My five-year-old cracked up when I tried them on and my fingers poked through.

Thank you, Brig! They are absolutely beautiful.

Little purse

Posted in Holiday, Kids, Sewing, Stuff to make by

Last year, I went on a business trip for two weeks–to Los Angeles, in February. I have to confess it was pretty fantastic, but I missed Valentine’s Day, my wedding anniversary, and two major snowstorms. I left this little purse and some felt barrettes behind as a present to make up for missing Valentine’s Day (to one of my loved ones, at least). There wasn’t much I could do about the snowstorms, except not gloat about the sunshine.

The idea for the purse came from a linen basket in the wonderfully cute book Zakka Sewing. I changed the square shape to the old-lady-purse shape, but the pattern was very helpful in figuring out how to attach the straps neatly.

The felt barrettes were adapted from the purl bee pattern for rose barrettes.

You might want to try making one of these projects for your own sweetheart!