Vanilla Bean Designs

Toddler friendly gift tags...

Piles of presents and they all belong to me... is what has to be running the the head of a toddler at Christmas.  To get my 18 month old and her 2 year old cousin involved in the present passing this year, I made these:

 

(I did them in Photoshop Elements with digital scrapbook products by  Lauren Grier and Shawna Clingerman and KimB's cute elf-a-bet alpha freebie.)

You could easily add to: and from: text on the photo in any photo editing/storing program and print them out on your computer. Print multiple small photos on a page by selecting the wallet print option in your printer settings or by inserting the photos into a Word document.

Or for those who like to kick it old school... just print out the photos and glue them to cute Christmas papers or tags and add stickers, ribbon, glitter, etc.  You could even get the kids involved as a fun craft project to make the tags for brothers, sisters, or cousins.

As a girl who likes options... let me offer another to those completely against the digital age.  Cut faces out of those unframeable shots you already have printed that are too far away, have flaws or blurs or squirrel faces, but at least one salvageable smiling cutie.

Christmas crafts for kids...

My daughter got to make 3 super cute Christmas crafts last week thanks to my new friend and craft queen, Shanna.  So, here they are... and easy enough to do today!

Icing Christmas tree... edible decoration (your's WILL look prettier... keep in mind she's under 2)

Supplies: ice cream cones, can of white icing, green food coloring, candy ornaments (marshmallows, m&m's, sweettarts, smarties, gumdrops, redhots, sprinkles, etc.)

1. Mix food coloring with icing to make it green

2. turn the cone upside down on a plate

3. spread icing all over the cone

4. decorate the tree with candy

5. enjoy... my daughter takes an ornament off everytime she passes it

Lid ornaments... full of  kitschy charm

Supplies: lid from old container, school glue, random baubles (sequins, buttons, beads, noodles, crayons etc.)

1. fill a lid with glue up to the top.

2. place sequins, buttons, etc. in the glue

3. allow to dry completely

4. poke a hole through the top

5. tie with ribbon

 

Detergent Snowman... cute and he smells good too

Supplies: detergent, cloves, sticks, sequins or buttons, toothpicks

1. mix dry flake detergent with water to make a paste

2. let your child roll 3 balls, big, medium, and small (paste dries quickly so work fast)

3. use a toothpick to keep the balls together

4. let your child decorate him:  dried cloves as the eyes, pre-gathered sticks for arms, sequins or buttons for buttons, etc.

Bows-oh, is that all?

Making your own bows is really more intimidating than it is difficult.  At the rate we lose the ones put in my toddler's hair, I hate to spend too much money on the everyday ones.  Here is a simple way I make bows for my daughter.

Gather your supplies: cute ribbon, clear mini pony-tail elastics, craft glue or hot glue gun, clips (available 100 for $4 at Sally's Beauty Supply), foam 'no slip' cabinet liner (available at wal mart or hardware stores), thinner ribbon for bow's center, buttons or accessories for finishing

Start by making a loop at one end of your ribbon.  Decide the width of your bow by making another loop on the other side and hold in the center.

Then, make an 'X' shape with another set of loops

Pinch the ribbon 'x' in the middle to make a bow shape.

Double loop the clear rubber band around the center of the bow and make final bow arrangement.

Cut a small piece of thin ribbon in a coordinating color to be the bow center.  Glue one end and hold.

Glue the other end in place, trim excess and allow to dry.  I like to use an extra clip to hold it tight while it dries.

While drying, prepare a thin ribbon strip with glue. Start at one end of the ribbon near the inside hinge of the clip.  Continue wrapping the gluey strip of ribbon around the clip, ending near the inside hinge of the clip on the other side. ** Be sure to account for the ribbon needed to expandwhen the clip is released.**  I use several spare clips to hold the ribbon in place while it dries.

 

To make the clip 'no slip' for fine baby hair.  Use a small strip of foam no-slip shelf liner glued to the inside of the clip.

Get as creative as you want with various ribbons and accessories and create handmade bows to match your daughter's favorite outfits.

Personalized Patriotism... in a snap!

Blame it on my daughter being born on the 4th of July... but I've become obsessed with red, white, and blue outfits.  However, I was having trouble finding the perfect shirt that told the world... "HEY... It's Independence Day AND my birthday!"

 

My solution was a pack of iron-on transfers.  I designed my daughter a shirt using photoshop elements and the 'liberty' kit from Little Dreamer Designs.

This would be especially good for matching shirts for the whole family, birthday parties, etc.  It's too easy NOT to do it. 

Just buy a plain t-shirt or tank top and a pack of iron on transfers. 

Use a photo or fonts to create the t-shirts image or text. 

Flip the image. 

Print it out. 

Cut around it. 

Iron it on.

Or just borrow this design...

 

The Afterlife of a Formula Can... (Vol. 4)

I'm celebrating my child's first birthday and switch from formula to whole milk with a ceremonial formula can...

Birthday Party Centerpiece

Gather your materials:

clean can, dowel rods, patterned paper, colored cardstock, glue, ribbon, photos, acrylic paint, sponge brush

 

 

Remove and trace paper label to create new wrapper

 

 

Decorate paper wrapper with photos of child throughout the year.

(I used photoshop elements and digital papers to create mine... but you could easily do the same thing with regular scrapbook paper, photos, and stickers)

Spread or spray adhesive evenly over the back of the wrapper and attach to can.

 

 

Cut 'X' slits in the plastic lid to place dowel rods in.

 

 

Paint the dowel rods and can lid green with acrylic paint and a sponge brush.

 

 

Cut out flower shapes out of colored cardstock. You will need a front and back for each one.  (Any asymmetrical shape will need a mirror image for the back)

Cut photos of child in circle shapes to create the flower center.

 

Spread glue over the back of the flower, place dowel in position and press the back flower down evenly. For different heights of flowers without sawing the dowels-- just cover more or less of the dowel with the cardstock flower.

 

Spread glue over the back of the leaf. Attach the back leaf shape part of the way and press the rest together on the dowel.  Use the stem to wrap around the dowel for support.

 

 

After they are completely dry... place the dowels into position through the can lid.  You may need something inside the can to hold them in place.  I ended up using macaroni noodles... because I didn't have any styrofoam.

For a boy birthday, create different shapes on the dowel rods. Try, an airplane and clouds, cars on a racetrack, frog pond with lily pads and cat tails, mickey mouse or other favorite character heads printed out from the internet.

The Afterlife of a Formula Can... Vol. 2

My latest use for a formula can coincides with a little holiday coming up this weekend. 

10 Ways to Re-Use A Formula Can (or any food can)

#2  Gift bag

Perfect for presenting a giftcard, jewelry, crafts from kids, etc.

Gather your materials:  

empty, clean can, decorative paper or wrapping paper, ribbon, scissors, glue or double sided tape, gift tag

 

 

 

Measure surface area of can and cut a strip of paper or wrapping paper to fit around the can

 

 

 

 

Affix the paper to the can with glue or double sided tape. (I used a tape runner)

 

 

 

 

Cut a piece of ribbon long enough to wrap around the can with some extra.

 

Slide a gift tag onto the ribbon and then tie a bow. **You can easily make a tag from scratch with some heavy paper and a hole punch.**

 

 

Stuff with your gift and some matching tissue paper and *VOILA*... not your average 99 cent gift bag.

Play-doh your Heart's Content

I put it off as long as I could. I feared the mess, the little pieces I knew I'd find ground into the carpet, and the potential that my child would enjoy it as a snack more than a craft. But after Kate received a small play-doh pack in her Easter basket from her Nana, I figured we'd test the waters. 

She found the soft, moldable, dough delightful, and I found I was running out of ways to roll a snake - yes - I've been finding play-doh time extremely dull. 

And then Kate turned two and received the latest, greatest play-doh invention for her birthday. They call it "sand art." I'm not really sure why they thought that would be alluring seeing as sand art went out of style when I was in middle school. 

So if you were like me and hadn't given notice to play-doh's sand art activities for kids - take note. Not only is it reusable and easy for your child, it's takes all the boredom out of play-doh for the parent. And when we finished creating our flower - even I was proud to display it in the kitchen.

The Afterlife of a Formula Can

As the un-official trash person in our house, I'm quite conscious of the amount of waste my family produces.  Therefore, I'm trying to be 'crafty' about ways to re-use things around the house... especially it means something my kid can do with me or play with when I'm done.

Thus, the 'Bean Blog' brings you:

10 Ways to Re-Use A Formula Can (or any food can)

#1  Toy Drum

This would be a great craft to do WITH an older child or FOR a younger child.

 

Gather your supplies: 

  can, scissors, ruler, glue, clear packing tape, noise makers (noodles, buttons, beads, etc.), scrap paper, crayons

 

 

 

 

 

Measure the height of the can.

 

 

 

 

 

Cut a strip of paper to fit the height of the can and to fit around the can... it may take 2 strips taped together.

Let your child decorate the paper strip.

 

 

 

Adhere the strip to the can with glue.

Then, use several strips of clear packing tape to seal the paper and can.

 

 

 

 

Fill the can with noise makers from around the house. (noodles, beads, buttons... be creative... I found a 'pink pearl' eraser makes a very cool noise.)

 

 

 

 

If your noise makers are small enough to be choking hazards or to make a mess... seal the lid on with a line of craft glue or another strip of packing tape.

 

 

 

Find some good drumsticks around the house and let your kid go to town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

      **If you have any 'crafty' ways that you recycle things around the house ... let us know or challenge us to figure out a way!

a Twos TuTu Tutorial

I just finished making several tutus for my daughter's second birthday party and thought I'd share a "how to make a tutu" here. ahem. a no-sew tutu. :)

To make a child size tutu, you'll need two spools of tulle found at your local craft store or walmart. You can buy the tulle by the yard as well, but if you buy it in spools you only have to cut the length, and I found it saved lots of time. Also, purchase a pack of 3/8" elastic and cut enough to fit around your child's waist and tie a bow. 

Figure out the length you want the tutu and double that length. I wanted my daughters to fall 15 inches from her waist, so I cut my tulle at 30 inches.

Cut. Cut. Cut. until you've finished both spools.

Tie your elastic around something to make it easier to attach your tulle strips. I found a picture frame works great! Then, you'll start knotting your tulle. Loop your tulle so that it's even on both sides.

 

Then pull the bottom two strips over the elastic and through the loop.

Then just pull it tight. When you start to pull the tulle, the elastic has a tendency to twist and roll, to keep this from happening, I found placing my index finger over the elastic and the tulle while I pulled really helped.

Continue doing this with each tulle strip, making sure that you bunch them closely together. When you're finished you can tie the elastic in a bow around your child's waist. This allows it to be completely adjustable. 

The finished product - personal opinion - the poofier, the better!!

Pudding as Paint

Kids love paint. So what could be better than painting with watercolors and a brush? How about painting with your fingers and pudding? This activity is easy to prepare, loads of fun for your little one and easy to clean up.

This is all you need. (note - all we had on hand at the time was Soy Milk - it worked to paint with, but the pudding doesn't thicken the way it should.) 

The great thing about this activity is that the kids can be involved in all aspects. 

pour the instant mix and cold milk into a Tupperware bowl with an air-tight lid and let your little one shake away.

while we let the pudding sit for five minutes, I let Kate color.

open and pour on table.

get messy and be creative. kate really loved this!!

   

halfway through, I went ahead and told Kate that she should lick her fingers. see her reaction:

clean up and you still have a snack for now or later :)