New babies are a huge expense, from diapers and clothes to formula and crib furniture, so it’s understandable that many moms-to-be look for do-it-yourself projects that will save some money. You don’t even have to be crafty to make these great items that will help you take care of your newborn baby!

Baby Wipes

Newborns go through a lot of diapers per day, and that means even more wipes! This DIY wipes tutorial will help you make your own.

Door Latch Cover

There’s nothing worse than finally getting your baby to sleep, only to have them wake up crying when the door closes too loudly! Muffle the sound with this cool door latch cover you can make from almost any material.

No-Sew Floor Pillow

This is a great one for those of you with no craft experience. So comfy for baby!

Diaper Clutch

When you’re on the go and your baby is crying for a fresh diaper, you need those diapers and wipes RIGHT AWAY. This diaper clutch will keep them together and in an easy-to-spot pouch.

Nursing Cover

Nurse your babies in style with this pretty nursing cover!

Stacking Rings

Once the baby is old enough, these stacking rings are great for developing motor skills. Make them out of fabrics in pretty colors and prints that will catch their eye!

e any DIY projects for your upcoming bundle of joy?

My sons have always loved playing with their play kitchen. I remember doing this as a child as well. When I got older I would write up menus and have my parents order meals that my sister and I would make. Imaginations can go wild with this kind of play.

In the effort to make a large variety of food to play with, I like to make some food choices that aren’t easily found in the store. One of my favorites is the french fries that are pictured. This is definitely one of the easiest foods to reproduce. The only thing you need are yellow sponges. Cut them the short way into strips. Then take those strips and cut them in half again. Voila! French Fries! You can even add some brown permanent marker around the edges to make them look charred.

Another easy item to make is pizza and all the fixings. I just took a piece of light brown felt and traced a round plate shape onto the back. I then cut out the circle and glued it onto a round plate that I picked up for cheap. That is your crust and pizza pan. Then take other pieces of felt and cut out pieces of sausage, pepperoni, cheese, and other toppings for your child to stack. You can do the same sort of thing with a sandwich. Just cut out bread, cheese, meat, lettuce, and tomato and you are set. Thinks tacos, pasta, and more with some great ideas here.

If you aren’t good at sewing but able to operate some fabric glue, it opens a whole new world of possibilities. How about some eggs easy up, bacon or chocolate chip cookies. Now, if you are good at sewing the possibilities are endless and the food is almost too pretty to play with. Give your child some culture and exposure to new foods and have them play with sushi. You can even have them  make you donuts for breakfast or for the crocheters in reading this, check out these adorable cookies! There are a bunch of tutorials on here  that show slices of pie, watermelon, a complete bag lunch and more. Try to make your child’s favorite meal into some play food and let the imagination soar!

Kim Ross also writes at  A Little Bit of This and That ~ The Adventures of a Stay at Home Mom.

Scrapbooking is a fun and creative way to preserve your personal memories.  I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sentimental and can’t bear to throw anything away.  So why not reduce the clutter and put all of these seemingly insignificant items into a giant memory book?  Work with everyone in your family to create a masterpiece that you can all enjoy and look back on for years to come!  Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

• You don’t have to break the bank by getting an expensive scrapbook!  You can buy a sketchbook, an accordion album, or even insert pages into sheet protectors that will go into a three-ring binder. Don’t judge a book by its cover!
• Decide which photos and memories you want to include in your book, such as tickets, cards, and artwork made by your children. Decide how you want each page to be laid out.
• Cut letters and phrases out of old magazines to make titles and other words for each page. This will give it a more “artistic” look than simply writing words on paper.
• Take a trip to your local craft store for more scrapbooking ideas. You can always find cute embellishments, like stickers, and patterned paper in these stores that would really dress up your book!
• Have the kids cut paper into different shapes that they can paste onto different pages. For example, they can paste a sun cut from yellow construction paper onto a page that features a photo from summer vacation.
• Consider adding some finishing touches, such as glitter glue. This glue will leave no loose glitter behind, so you’ll be left with a sparkly page that requires no cleanup!  You can buy glitter glue at any store that sells art supplies.

Remember, there is no “right” way to create a scrapbook.  It’s about what’s important to you and your family and as long as you will all enjoy paging through it from time to time and you have fun creating it together, then you’ve done it “correctly.”  Happy scrapbooking!

Kids are a full-time job and it’s hard to find time for yourself, but when you do… what do you do with it?  Anytime is a good time to start a hobby… have you always dreamed of being a photographer? Do you love to knit? Are you into jewelry? The best part about hobbies is trying out different ones and finding what you really love. Here are some hobbies you might want to consider:

Music

As children, most of us are introduced to music at school and sometimes at home, but we don’t always continue as we get older. Is there an instrument you’ve always wanted to learn? For me, it’s the guitar. There are tons of online video tutorials and tip sheets for teaching yourself how to play, and many music stores offer deals on gently used instruments. You can also check out where you can take lessons locally. The great thing about learning an instrument is that you can go at your own pace.

Scrapbooking

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got TONS of pictures, birthday cards, ticket stubs, and other tangible memories lying around the house with no purpose. Why not make these special items into scrapbooks that can be enjoyed by friends, family, vistors and YOU for years to come? Instead of putting your family vacation photos into a boring album, spice it up by creating a scrapbook and including your plane tickets, a few shells from the beach, etc. Local craft stores offer lots of cute scrapbook stickers, embellishments, patterned paper and more. This website is great for beginners… Scrapbooking 101.

Photography

You don’t have to be a professional to take or edit pictures. Most of us own a camera or a cell phone that takes pictures, and there are numerous free online photo-editing programs. Start out by learning about your device… the special features, how to use different settings, etc. Then get out there and experiment! Take pictures of everything… your kids, your pets, nature, your house, friends, family, anything! Try artistic angles, colors, lighting and props. Check out online tutorials for both photography and photo editing. You’ll be surprised at how creative and artistic you can be!

Jewelry-Making

If you love jewelry and accessories, try making your own. Your local craft store should have a variety of materials, including different bead and metal types. You’ll need a set of the basic tools and materials, and then you can explore online for tutorials, projects, etc. Many websites offer beginner jewelry projects that are sort of like “recipes” and will give you all the information you need to know from start to finish. Not only can you show off your beautiful pieces but they make great, personalized gifts! Try this beginners jewelry-making site.

Do you have any hobbies? What would you LOVE to get into?

It is almost here, the day of LOVE! You can make it a day filled with Valentine’s Fun by planning a little ahead! First of all, do you have your cards made? If not, check out the ideas we shared here and here, or you could even just go to the store and buy some. To tell you the truth, that’s what I ended up doing….and it’s ok. I threw my back out last week and everything got put on hold while I spent lots of time in bed. This weekend I decided instead of stressing about it to just let it go, and let my kids pick some out at the store. They love what they picked, so life goes on! Sometimes you just can’t do it all!

Next, think about the food for Valentine’s. Do you have a tradition that you do every year? I have some friends that love doing chocolate fondue for dessert and heart shaped pizza for dinner. Others make a dinner for their kids and spoil their husband with a dinner later after the kids go in bed! I love the treats that Liz shared earlier this week. To make lunch special I am planning on cutting their sandwiches with a heart shaped cookie cutter, enclosing a valentine for each from myself and a special treat of some sort. I might even thaw some of our frozen strawberries and cool whip to serve on frozen waffles for breakfast.

Then, make it fun with an activity or two! I may print out some fun mazes or word searches to do while having breakfast. I plan on filling their mailboxes with a little candy, some love coupons, and a little trinket. Encourage them to do the same for you! We have lots of snow here so I might make some hearts in the snow, an easy mixture of food coloring and water in a spray bottle, to welcome the boys home from school.

Other fun things to do is dressing in Valentine colors, braiding girls hair with hearts, or leave love notes all over the house! Making the holiday fun is all about unexpected surprises that make the day special!

How are you making Valentine’s fun?

Kim Ross also writes at  A Little Bit of This and That ~ The Adventures of a Stay at Home Mom.

Hooray, it’s almost Valentine’s Day!  Kids, particularly school-aged ones, love this special February day for two reasons.  One reason is for the chocolate and heart-shaped candy (come to think of it, that’s my main reason, too).  The other reason is for the Valentines they’ll get from classmates!  While exchanging cute cards with positive messages in them is exciting for the kids, it can also get expensive (especially if you’re including candy!).  Try some of these homemade Valentines that your little Cupid will have fun making and their recipients will love, too!

Super Sweets

It’s a Valentine and a treat at the same time!  Who wouldn’t love to receive something like this?

Thumbprint Heart Card

This is truly a “hands on” craft!  You can also use a red ink stamp pad in lieu of red acrylic paint.

Secret Code Valentine

This is best for children 8 years and older.  Those who enjoy riddles will have fun cracking the codes your child creates!  Don’t feel limited to just jokes; with the provided secret code, your child can make any message he or she wants!

Swedish Fish Valentine

The template is free to download and print.  This is a sweet way to show appreciation for a classmate!

What are some of the most creative Valentines you ever seen?

photocredit: Ed Judice for spoonful.com

Every year my boys have a big decision to make about what they want for a Valentine Card. Gone are the years of purchased cards showing off a favorite character or theme from the retailer down the road. Here are some of my favorite ideas from around the web.

You Rock! Valentine

I Dig You Valentine

Love Bug Valentine

Fish Valentines

Star Wars Valentines

Starburst Valentine

You’re Kool Valentine

Bouncy Ball Valentine

ABC Valentine

What are you doing for a Valentine from your little one?

Kim Ross also writes at  A Little Bit of This and That ~ The Adventures of a Stay at Home Mom.

Are the kids tired of the snow yet?  Have them enjoy winter with some of these fun craft projects.  Even you can join in on the fun!

Cotton Ball Snowman

Most of us probably made one of these in our childhood, but that doesn’t mean it’s no longer a fun craft!

Snowman Glyph

This one is interesting because your child designs the snowman based on how they answer certain questions.  If you have multiple kids, they may all get different results!

Mosaic Penguin

This project can easily fill an hour or two of time and can be enjoyed by kids of all ages.

Pinecone Bird Feeder

Not only will your kids enjoy putting together this fun and easy craft, you’ll also be helping the birds who don’t fly south for the winter!

Coloring Pages

Who doesn’t love to color?  Even you’re probably thinking about picking up a crayon right now!

Do you have any winter crafts you would like to share?

Living in Wisconsin, the winters can get long. Winter can last from late October through the end of March. That can be a long 5 months for a mom. I wouldn’t want to know how many times I hear,  ”I’m bored…” come from the boy’s mouths. I have become skilled at coming up with things that kids can do indoors. Here is a list of some of my favorite suggestions for my boys:

1.  Read a book.

If your child is old enough to read have them pick a good book to snuggle up on the couch and read. Otherwise pick a book or a pile of books and read to your child. Talk about the story and what their favorite part was.

2.  Make a fort.

Take some blankets or sheets that are hanging out in the closet and throw them over some chairs, the couch, or even the kitchen table. Have them grab all their favorite things to put in the fort – think stuffed animals, video games, pillows, and more!

3.  Hold a dance party.

Turn on the music or create a playlist and jam out in your living room!

4. Throw down a blanket and have a picnic.

Grab a big blanket and find some fun snacks. You don’t have to make anything too extravagent. Make simple PB&J’s and grab some cookie cutters to make them fun. Something as simple as a food coloring can make them even more fun!

5.  Play with some Play-doh.

I know, this one is what all moms dread. The mess! Have fun for one day  with play-doh. I promise that your child will be entertained for a long time if you bring the play-doh out.

6.  Make some crafts and hold an art show.

Bring all your fun craft supplies out – tissue paper, ribbon, stickers, glue, paint and more! Spend time making lots of creations and then cover the wall with them. Invite a friend over to view all the fun creations!

7.  Act out a play or puppet show.

Use puppets you have or  make some of your own. Use socks or extra lunch bags to make a fun show. Otherwise just make up a skit or be funny!

8.  Rearrange the kids’ bedrooms.

Have the kids help you move the stuff in their bedroom around. It is always fun to make their surroundings new again!

9. Make some cardboard creations.

Take a large cardboard box and make a airplane, clubhouse, or even a rocket ship. Or take a large piece of cardboard and draw a city!

10.  Go on a treasure hunt.

Hide some notes and a small treasure for the kids to go on a hunt. Remember X marks the spot!

What are some of your favorite indoor activities?

Kim Ross also writes at  A Little Bit of This and That ~ The Adventures of a Stay at Home Mom.

Music is a fun tool for teaching kids rhythm, sound recognition, and other developmental skills. From a very early age, children are exposed to music both at home and in school… some women even like to play music for their unborn babies.

Most baby toys play songs and make sounds to soothe or entertain young children. You don’t have to buy expensive instruments to introduce your kids to music, you can help them make their own! Here are some simple DIY instruments you and your children can make together…then have them put on a concert for you to show off their skills!

For Baby:

Not surprisingly, cookware makes the perfect instrument for babies just learning motor skills. Grab some pots, pans and a wooden spoon and let them have at it! They’ll be making beautiful music before you know it (just make sure to supervise!).  Rattles act as baby maracas… there’s a reason the rattle is one of the most traditional toys for babies. Maybe your kids are budding percussionists!

For Older Kids:

Kazoo

Straw Pan Flute

Banjo

Tin Can Drums

Check out this amazing video about a group of musicians who create beautiful music from instruments made of recycled materials. How incredible is that?!