DIY Welcome Sign {#summerofjoann}

*** I received a $25 giftcard from Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores for the purpose of this review. ***

***All opinions expressed are my own. I did not receive any compensation for this post.***

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores challenged us to try one craft from their craft catalog of 72 featured projects and then invite you to join in on the fun of crafting this summer with "Cape Discovery"

It was hard to choose just one project,

we decided on making these cute chalkboard signs and putting our own little twist on them.

Here's how we made our 

Favorite Places Welcome Sign!

The materials are simple enough: black foamcore board * brown Foamie sheets * Crayola sidewalk chalk * Tacky glue * brown Sharpie marker * Krylon Clear Finish (I used Fixatif instead)  we also used Outdoor Mod Podge and a wooden dowel

The first thing we did was make a list of our favorite places to visit, how far away they are from our house and which direction you have to travel to get there.

I cut the foamcore into pieces to make the signs

I find it easier to cut foamcore in three cuts

1. cut through the top layer of paper

2. cut through the foam

3. cut through the bottom layer of paper

Miss C used sidewalk chalk to write the locations on the signs

I added the distances

I took the signs outside to spray them with the Fixatif

(the fumes are very strong)

the Fixatif keeps the chalk from smearing.

(optional)

Attach your signs to a wooden dowel

Little A drew lines on Foamie sheets to simulate wood grain

and then cut the sheets into strips

Frame the signs with the foam "wood" strips

(optional)

Coat your signs with Outdoor Mod Podge

FYI: Outdoor Mod Podge is NOT waterproof so if you place your sign outside you'll have to bring it in if you're expecting rain

Place your new "Welcome!" sign outside to greet your guests!

Jo-Ann's chalkboard signs are so simple (and cheap!) you can make signs for anything! kid's room * mark the bathroom for guests * make "party here" signs to place in your yard * make signs to let people know you're having a yard sale * make small ones and mark the plants in the garden

What would you make signs for?

If you like this idea I'd love for you to pin it and tweet it with the hashtag #summerofjoann 

Connect with Jo-Ann by signing up for their newsletter and receive a 20% off coupon!

Thank you Jo-Ann for inviting us to join in on your Cape Discovery crafting challenge!

Let's connect!

   

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Meet Baby B

It's time for a proper introduction!
In case you missed  the announcement on my Facebook page, this is  Baby B. He is the sweetest little guy and already a total Momma's boy.
It has been a slow nine months on my blog, but I'm feeling better than ever and ready to start writing posts again.
The girls and I can't wait to get this little man messy!

Making Window Stickers With ALEX Toys

*** I received the Window Sticker Art Kits from ALEX Toys for the purpose of this review. ***

***All opinions expressed are my own. I did not receive any compensation for this post.***

The girls and I were thrilled to be able to review some products for ALEX Toys. 

If you've been following the blog for a while you know how much we love window art,

so we jumped on the chance to give their Window Sticker Art Kits a try.

ALEX generously sent us 

the Glam kit AND the Zoom kit.

Little A was so excited to make window stickers!

Here's what I love about these kits,

they come with everything you need!

I just had a baby

and as much as I love setting up art projects for the girls to do,

 sometimes I need something quick to grab off the art shelf that they can set up themselves with minimal help.

Both kits come with:

preprinted artwork, 5 different colored glues, outline glue, a plastic worksheet, and instructions

According to the box, these kits are recommended for ages 6+ 

Miss C is 5.5 and Little A is 3.5

Even though C's lines were shaky she was proud of her creations and was not once upset that her lines were not straight.

 Finding the right amount of pressure to use for squeezing out the colored glue took a few tries.

We found that squeezing and swirling at the same time helped to fill in the outlines and spread the colored glue without using too much.

Little A was not able to trace the outlines herself

The black outline glue was too thick for her to squeeze out.

She did enjoy filling in the outlines with the colored glue.

The girls couldn't wait to stick their stickers to the window

 Once they were up 

Miss C exclaimed, "They're suncatchers!"

We love that this is window art we can take down and move around

They stick to windows, mirrors, fridges, etc.

They are really sticky

(without being a sticky mess!) 

As soon as their first stickers were done they sat down to make some more

and we still have glue leftover to make a couple more batches!

 We really enjoyed making these window stickers,

the instructions are simple and fool-proof,

the kit comes with everything you need,

the colors are bright,

the preprinted designs are fun.

The only gripe I heard from the girls was that they wish they dried faster.

The outlines take two hours to dry and the colored glue takes 24 hours

Of course drying time can't be helped and the waiting is well worth the fun to be had!

Thank you to our friends at ALEX Toys!

Find ALEX on Facebook

Find ALEX on Pinterest

Let's connect! 

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Gelatin Plastic Butterflies

Unflavored gelatin is one of our favorite materials to create with.

You can make a sort of gelatin "plastic" when you mix an envelope with a small amount of water.

Let the gelatin dry for a few days, and it hardens up like plastic!

It reminds me of acetate sheets that teachers use on projectors

(do teachers still use those?)

Here's how we used our sheets to make gelatin plastic butterflies!

Mix your gelatin with boiling water until it dissolves Here are more detailed instructions on making gelatin plastic add any coloring you want while you're stirring (we use food coloring)

 Pour your gelatin into any type of tray you wish

we've used plastic plates, baking sheets and plastic wrap, and these plastic trays from Discount School Supply.

The girls decided to add more colors and swirl them around

and

then dumped generous amounts of glitter on top

Here is the gelatin before it is dry

Here is the gelatin after it is dry

It took several days for this batch of gelatin to dry and it dried quite crinkly

(I'm blaming wet weather, it rained several days during the week)

While we were waiting for our gelatin to dry, the girls decorated clothespins with

paint, googly eyes, and pipe cleaner antennae

Miss C traced a heart cookie cutter to make wings,

then cut her hearts out (there was some free form wing cutting happening as well),

and glued her wings to the backs of her clothespins.

Here are the butterflies waiting for their wings to dry!

 We stuck them to our windows, 

I love the light shining through the wings!

See how you can see some of the Sharpie marker?

Drawing designs on the wings with Sharpie would show up really nicely!

 Have you made gelatin plastic yet?

If you'd like more inspiration why not

make a simple rainbow?

Let's connect!

   

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