• EmbellishBox - monthly templates for paper cutting
    crafts - handmade - Paper craft - Paper cut art - subscription box

    EmbellishBox monthly templates for paper cutting {subscription box}

    January 4, 2017 - By 

    Last year I really embraced paper cutting. I love paper cutting. It requires few materials and seems to take up less room than my sewing stuff. It’s also easier to put down and pick up again which is why I have a folder full of paper cuts! Having worked my way through Cut It Out! by Poppy Chancellor I was looking for more designs to cut out. I bought a few books from Amazon and then heard about the Embellish Box. This is a monthly subscription box for paper cutters. It sounded great so I bought myself a box and…

  • Issue 74 Mollie Makes Dachshund Brooch Kit
    crafts - handmade - Mollie Makes crafts - sewing

    Mollie Makes Dachshund Brooch Kit

    January 3, 2017 - By 

    Every month I challenge myself to make the Mollie Makes magazine cover gift. I’ve subscribed since it first came out and have a drawer full of unopened kits – but no more! I’ve been making more time for grown up crafting and I love to make the kits and hopefully try something new. I’ve been terrible lately, the last few kits haven’t been very inspiring but I did want to make the latest one. Issue 74 Mollie Makes Dachshund Brooch Kit The Mollie Makes Dachshund Brooch Kit was designed by Alina Bunaciu of Hana Letters. The kit contained everything needed…

  • 9 New Year’s Eve Party Ideas For Kids
    crafts - handmade - New Year crafts

    9 New Year’s Eve Party Ideas For Kids

    December 31, 2016 - By 

    After the success of our Christmas Eve box I wanted to repeat the idea with a New Year’s Eve box! The children know that we are coming to the end of 2016. It’s been a long time since I went out on New Year’s Eve but there’s no reason not to celebrate at home with the children and make some special family memories. This year I’ll be recycling our Christmas Eve box but I’m going to try and buy another if my husband lets me visit Ikea anytime soon! My children love to party so I’ve come up with 9 New Year’s…

  • New Year recycled bells craft for New Year
    crafts - New Year crafts - Recycled crafts

    New Year bells craft for kids

    December 30, 2016 - By 

    I can’t mark the passing of an old year and the start of a new year without making something. Our recycling bin is full so I took the opportunity to rescue a couple of yoghurt pots and tin foil from it. I think it’s the perfect time of year to squeeze in a craft or two. I’ve added links to our other New Years crafts at the bottom of this post, just in case you are feeling inspired! New Year bells craft for kids A few years ago we made paper bells to mark the New Year. Our updated version…

  • Simple Thank You cards for kids to make {free printable} from the gingerbread house blog
    Christmas - crafts - free printables - handmade - Handmade gifts

    Simple Thank You cards for kids to make {free printable}

    December 29, 2016 - By 

    I love making homemade Thank you cards. Every year my children receive lovely Christmas gifts and I want them to put some effort into the thank you cards they send. When they were younger we sent homemade photocards but now they can write their names (and my Year 2 son can write a lot more!) then I want them to make their own cards. This year I designed my own card. They are super simple but there is some scope for creativity! Simple Thank You cards for kids to make I added the words Thank You in large letters to…

  • 6 things to do with kids on Boxing Day
    Christmas - crafts - gingerbread house

    6 things to do with kids on Boxing Day

    December 28, 2016 - By 

    Christmas can be hard for kids (and adults too!). The build up is immense, often starting in November with school fair’s and rehearsals for the Christmas nativity. We try to keep calm and enjoy the build up whilst not going overboard. This year we visited the Playmobil Santa’s Grotto at our local shopping centre, visited a National Trust house which had been transformed for Christmas, as well as taking a ride on our local Santa Express. We squeezed all these around normal weekend activities and swimming lessons! Since the children finished school things were a little more relaxed. We had…

  • How to make a Christmas Eve crate
    Christmas - crafts - Pinty Plus Ambassador

    How to make a Christmas Eve crate {Ikea Knagglig hack}

    December 22, 2016 - By 

    Christmas is all about the children in our house. I always enjoyed Christmas but seeing through the eyes of my children is even more fun. We started off a few Christmas Eve traditions and this year I wanted to make something to hold everything in, so I made a Christmas Eve crate. I wrote a little about things to put in a Christmas Eve crate and I really enjoyed making ours and putting everything together. Our Christmas Eve crate holds Reindeer food, hot chocolate, new pyjamas, a DVD, a letter from the Elf and our stockings – things to help us enjoy Christmas Eve…

  • How to make a Winter Solstice ice lamp
    crafts - Nature crafts - STEM activity - Winter

    How to make a Winter Solstice ice lamp

    December 20, 2016 - By 

    Did you know that tomorrow (Wednesday December 21st) at 10.44 GMT is the Winter Solstice. The winter solstice is an astronomical phenomenon marking the shortest day and the longest night of the year. It happens when the Sun reaches its most southerly declination of -23.5 degrees. To celebrate the Winter Solstice and the shortest day of the year we made a Winter Solstice ice lamp. I’ve wanted to make one for a few years, the kids always enjoy a little science at home, and finally got round to making it with the children. We used: a plastic tub water red…

  • Gift guide for Papercutters
    Christmas - crafts - Gift guide - Paper craft - Paper cut art

    Gift guide for Papercutters

    December 11, 2016 - By 

    I’ve mentioned a few times now that I’m completely fallen under the spell of paper cutting as a brilliant craft. I was first introduced to it a few years ago when I attended a workshop run by Poppy Chancellor. I booked myself on another paper cutting class with Poppy Chancellor at The Handmade Fair in 2015 and was hooked. I snapped up her book Cut It Out! and quickly worked my way through it so have been looking for more templates and inspiration ever since. I thought it would be fun to share some of my favourite paper cutting things…