This is not my original material. I took photos of the pages of a magazine (I don’t remember which magazine, unfortunately!) so that I could digitally file the ideas for later use. Please feel free to comment if you know whom I should be crediting. From Better Homes and Gardens (December 2012). Continue reading Making Your Own Ornaments

What to give the teacher for Christmas? is the question on many parents’ minds this time of year.  In an effort to avoid the usual trap of candles and bath products, I read various blogs and searched Pinterest for ideas.  I ended up making a gift box with several items.  This probably cost me less than $10. The Favorite Things Jar This was the least expensive (free, really) gift and also took the most effort.  My son helped me make a list of all the kids in his class.  I then went around asking the students, “What’s your favorite thing … Continue reading Unique, Inexpensive Gifts for Teacher

This creative mom had so much fun making a cardboard kitchen for my 2-year-old daughter. A friend hooked me up with large boxes from her workplace; all the other items were objects found in my home (discarded colorful paper, gift boxes, paper grocery bags, toilet paper rolls, plastic wrap, aluminum foil, foil pan, empty pill bottles, CDs, and the plastic ring that holds two bottles of Costco dishwasher detergent together.)  My tools included a hot glue gun, box cutter, sharp kitchen knife, paper cutter, tape measure, self-healing mat, Scotch tape, packing tape, and permanent markers. The only money I spent … Continue reading Crafty Kids Kitchen