Category Archives: Kids

Coffee Can Art Caddy

Posted in Kids, Recycled materials, Stuff to make by

I couldn’t throw out these coffee cans. They have the silver bullet look of a vintage Airstream–and you know how I feel about gleaming old campers.

So I attached ribbon handles to make art caddies. Which sounds sweet but was actually a little violent–I pierced holes (vertically) in the sides by pounding on the end of a iron file with a hammer. Noisy and satisfying.

Threading and knotting the ribbon was the trickiest part. I folded the ribbon to thread through a 1/2 inch slot and used a lot of ribbon length to make a knot inside the can, trimming the extra after I made the knot. They work great for our art supplies, but I could picture them filled with plastic spoons and forks or napkins for outdoor summer meals & parties.

Bucket hat

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

This bucket hat was a snap to make–thanks to the excellent pattern from Liesl Gibson in her book Little Things to Sew. My daughter is on the cusp of being too old for all the patterns in this charming book, so I had to make something quick. I finished this hat in a morning, just in time to head out into the Florida sunshine.

Here is a peak at the interior fabric–Walk in the Woods from Moda.

 

Potholder Mania!

Posted in Kids, Stuff to make by

Remember these? Potholders are a childhood summer camp classic, along with gimp bracelets and popsicle stick God’s Eyes.

My friend Addie, age 10, (whose hennaed hands are pictured here) reintroduced me to the joy of potholder production. I bought a kit from Harrisville Designs and a big bag of extra cotton loops. (Times have changed since the seventies: no more polyester!)

My six-year-old and I are planning to make a box by stitching together five potholders with embroidery thread. At our rate of potholder production, supply is likely to outweigh demand–at which point we’ll be doling them out to every living relative.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Posted in Boston, Kids, Things to see by

If you want to see some real drama–of the falling-to-the-floor and writhing-in-agony variety, just mention the words “art museum” to my kids. They love art, but art museums–not so much. We managed to go to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston through bribery (chocolate-chip cookies) and by bringing an extra kid (our fun cousin Lucy).

It was well worth the cookies. The just-opened museum extension by architect Renzo Piano was stunning (with emerald green bathrooms), the courtyard a midwinter tropical oasis, and Sargent’s “El Jaleo” as startling as ever.

The museum offered not just one but three art projects for kids. We made embossed drawings, painted watercolors, and constructed crowns, shields, and swords in the museum’s new art room. We went home happy and with arms full of art.

Super easy felt slippers

Posted in Kids, Sewing, Stuff to make by

My daughter and I made these slippers in one (chilly) morning. They were so simple and fun to make. I’ve attached instructions here, but the process was really simple. We created a pattern by tracing her feet, then cut the felt with an extra half inch around for the seam. The soles are two pieces of wool felt with a double layer of batting for warmth and comfort, and the upper is a double layer of felt. The hearts were my daughter’s embellishment–I like how she put them off to the side.

To make these you will need: approximately a quarter yard of wool felt for the soles, and another quarter for the uppers, some batting, and thread. It is important to use good quality wool felt, such as Wollfilz (available from Purl Soho in an array of gorgeous colors).