birthday cake toppers!

July 2, 2015 by mama lola

we are hosting a birthday party for my lion on saturday. we will be making an awesome ice cream cake as the weather is going to be hot and sunny (recipe for that coming soon).

i cannot believe he is going to be 5 years old! that’s one whole hand, people! i only have two days to prepare for his party, so i thought making a FUN cake topper would be a great way to get some impact and FUN onto his yummy ice cream cake. i checked out pinterest (of course) and chose some of the cutest and simplest ideas i could find. there are lots of tutorials for cake toppers that are very complicated, but also stunning! go for it if you have time!

DIY pompom cake topper from momtastic

DIY fringe mylar cake toppers from diy studio

DIY animal candle cake toppers from kara’s party ideas

DIY animal cake toppers from visual heart

playful puppet cake toppers for birthday cake and cupcakes from mer mag

DIY cake topper from art bar blog

i love looking at what other creative people have been up to. their ideas give me great inspiration and get my own creative juices flowing. i’m not exactly sure what kind of a cake topper lion will end up for saturday, but i do love the pom poms, animals and bunting flags… hey, wait! that’s all of the ideas! hahaha! i may take a little from all of ideas above and make something of my own!

happy summer crafting friends!

DIY macrame plant hangers

June 9, 2015 by mama lola

with the warmer weather has come the urge to plant and grow things. we have a lovely little covered porch where i hang a big basket of petunia’s each season. there are other hooks that need plants hung from them and i’ve been trying to think of ways to HANG plants without actually spending money.

and, that’s when it hit me… MACRAME! yes, many think it’s tacky or too old school, but i actually really love macrame hanging planters. they can be so simple, neutral, colourful, or complex. the possibilities are endless.

so, for my firts attempt at macrame i wanted to start simple, and i found this fantastic tutorial from brit & co. below is the plant holder from them… BOOM, love that pink!

here’s the one i made from an ancient, stretched out t-shirt.

and, yes of course it’s turquoise! haha!

i wanted to include some macrame inspiration i found.

mini macrame hangers from free people

5 hangers from modern macrame

macrame plant hangers from erin made this

here’s another great tutorial from pigment using cotton rope and beads instead of fabric. aren’t they lovely?

macrame plant hanger from space craft studios

good luck with your own macrame project.

have a lovely week friends!

mother’s day flower crafts.

April 16, 2015 by mama lola

mother’s day is less than a month away, so it’s time to get crafty!

all mother’s LOVE flowers of any kind, especially something made with love and heart.

my kids love to make gifts for their grandma and mummo, for mother’s day. look at these lovely flower crafts i found. some are harder than other’s, but all a great sourse of inspiration. the hanging wisteria are so gorgeous, right? i’d have those hanging all year if i could!

paper and button flowers from kiwi crate

flower card from hands on as we grow

paper flower bouquet from oh happy day

accordion folded spring flower collage from make and takes

try this tissue wisteria from the land of nod

my tulips and crocuses are quickly coming up now in my garden and i keep buying cut flowers on sale at the grocery store, because i eager for flowers, flowers and more flowers!!!

happy crafting lovelies!

earth day craft round-up!

April 8, 2015 by mama lola

earth day is coming up…. april 22 to be exact. easy to remember, because at our house that also happens to be DH’s birthday!

i gathered some fun, creative, inspiring and beautiful crafts to help everyone get in the spirit of earth day. i think these crafts are a great way to talk to kids about nature, the environment and the cycle of life. getting crafty is also a great way to connect to the natural world around us, the one we so often take for granted, especially in this age of screens!

i don’t think there are any gender restrictions or age limits with these crafts. let your kids experience the process of creating as much as the outcome. as parents and caregivers i think we often forget how much fun just sitting and making something is!

ok, in no particular order, here we go!

stamping with natural treasures from bear & lion

scented nature sculpture from sunhats & wellie boots

nature crowns and cuffs from maya made

nature bugs from modern parents messy kids

eco-friendly beads from planet forward

how to make a shell mobile from nurture store

wind catcher from bear & lion

painted sticks from little wonders’ days

nature weaving from craftiments

i love the weaving idea, and may make something with that inspiration in mind. not many flowers will be blooming in late april here in southern, ontario, but i will try to think outside the box a little.

mobiles are great too. hanging stuff is great for front porches or back decks, or by a big sunny window!

enjoy earth day! and remember, earth day is not just one day of the year, it should be every day!

make your own bead keychains!

June 24, 2014 by mama lola

for father’s day the kids made these awesome keychains for their grandfather’s.

aren’t they amazing? If you love Custom keychains, you’ll love these bead keychains. They make great gifts! If you are anything like the men in my life, you are constantly misplacing keys! A custom keychain can help make your keys stand out and hopefully you’ll be able to find them much quicker! If you want to take the gift a step further, you could look to sites where you can create your own keychain with etched photos of family members, or even pets for a really sentimental gift. A friend has had one made for her husband with a photo of their children on it, and he really appreciated the gift. What made their keychain unique was that it was a Custom camera roll keychain that had each of the children’s pictures on each frame. It was so cool.

all they used were various sized beads, pipe cleaner and a metal ring. we have purchased beads from all kinds of sources like thrift stores and garage sales, which tend to have wonderfully strange beads in the mix for a low, low price!

the kids created all sorts of different patterns with the beads.

once they were finished beading, we wound the two ends of the pipe cleaner tightly around the metal ring. i think it’s good for an adult to do this part to ensure the ends are attached tightly.

the grandfathers loved them… OF COURSE!!!

making these took only a short time. these colourful keychains are a perfect gift idea for anyone! and, they could make perfect zipper tags as well! alternatively, if you’re looking for something else that also has a personal touch to it, you can always get them a personalisierte filmrolle keychain and put some lovely photos of you together on there! no matter which kind of keychain you go for, the recipient is sure to love it as it’s from you!

painting flower pots!

June 17, 2014 by mama lola

now that the growing season is here i want to share a favourite project that my boys love to do… paint terracotta flower pots!

it’s a wonderful way to be creative, while also learning about how things grow. my kids made each of their grandmother’s a painted pot for mother’s day and planted a geranium in them. they were so proud of their

all you need are some pots, paints, brushes and we used a spray sealant to try to protect the pots from water.

i love using ice cube trays as paint trays instead, as they don’t tip over easily and the paints can be mixed well in the deep slots. my kids often paint outside as the tidying up is so much easier. plus, if they get paint all over it’s not a big deal!

TA-DAA!

check out these lovely flower pots!

i love how carefree the kids are when painting. they do not get inhibited with concerns about what other’s may think of their creations. they just create completely in the moment, enjoying the paint and colours, but most importantly the process.

happy painting and planting to you!

make your own backyard teepee!

June 3, 2014 by mama lola

We have been spending an enormous amount of time outside. The weather is warm and inviting, so we’ve tried to take advantage of the summer weather! With all this time we’re spending in the garden, one of my friends suggested we look at lawncare.net to see if they could help us keep our garden looking lovely. Summertime often means time in the garden, so it is important that the garden is maintained for the kids to go out and play safely. We’ll be spending even more time out there now, especially with our latest build. I’ve wanted to build a teepee for the kids in the backyard for a while, but just never got around to it, but when a friend of mine made one for her boys, I was inspired!

I found an old white sheet in the basement, which I decided would be perfect if painted. then, I dug around for fabric paint, which I couldn’t find so I made do with tempera paint. The paint bottle said it would stain if not treated, so I hoped it would work! although, I don’t really care what happens to the teepee fabric. If after a big rainstorm the paint bleeds, I’m ok with that.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Depending on the size of the teepee you want you will need 3-6 sticks for the frame. We just used branches we found in our backyard. we pushed the branches into the ground a little bit for extra support. We used nylon rope to tie the branches at the top.

2. choose a fabric that will be big enough to nicely wrap around the frame/ branches. Make sure you leave an opening! start stapling the fabric to one of the branches at the doorway and work your way around. I had to fold extra fabric tucking it under and stapling it well. I wasn’t too concerned about the precision of the stapling, because I knew it didn’t matter with the integrity of the teepee.

3. enjoy!

Our teepee provides great shade. I chose it’s location in our yard carefully, angling the doorway away from the table area and patio, tucking it away in a more quiet area. I’m hoping the teepee will be a part of games of the imagination, but also a place to tuck away with a book on a hot day, a place lie back and listen to the birds chirping away, and just a place to be.

I’ve been thinking about making some changes to the rest of the garden as well, as I have an exciting garden party planned! Now that the kids have a teepee to enjoy, I’ve realised I would quite like my own space as well. I have been reading about she sheds, which are a woman’s alternative to the famous man cave, and I think that is exactly what I need. I’ve seen you can get a prefab she shed, which will make the whole thing easier to install.

I’ve been looking at some hot tubs for sale in my local area. I’ve found some great deals and I’m hoping to get one soon. I’ve wanted a hot tub for so long so I can’t wait to finally have one in my garden!! I’m sure the guests at my garden party would love it.

The kids love it.

I love it!

It has worked out so well!

stamping with food & natural treasures!

May 27, 2014 by mama lola

my kids love to paint and be creative. so, when we headed up to the cottage for the may long weekend i decided to plan a fun activity for the boys to try out. there are so many posts and pins about painting and stamping with food. i was a little weary at first, as the thought of wasting perfectly good food for crafts seemed so arrogant, but i found ways of negotiating around. for example, only painting with the tops of peppers and bottom of the celery stem. we also gathered some lovely natural items we found on the forest floor, like a bird’s feather, cedar branches and various leaves.

to get started i had all of our supplies ready and waiting for the kids. i cut the food items, placed a few colours of paint on some tupperware container lids, got our paintbrushes out, set out a container of water for rinsing the paintbrushes, placed paper under rocks so they wouldn’t fly away and made sure my camera battery was charged! haha!

painting, like eating, is so much better outside. the mess is easier to deal with and there’s something wonderful about listening to the birds sing while being creative. we also lucked out with a sunny day with only a light breeze. there is so much inspiration in the nature that surrounds us.

i hope you get a chance to do this craft with your kids!

DIY birthday applique shirt!

April 13, 2014 by mama lola

my bear turned 6 in february, so i made him this fun applique shirt.

i bought a plain t-shirt for $5, found some fabric i thought he would like and then the night before his birthdy quickly sewed up the shirt.

MATERIALS:

plain t-shirt

fun fabric for your number

hem fuser

thread

scissors

iron

sewing machine ( I bought one of the best sewing machine for beginners and it’s super easy to use!)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. iron the t-shirt and the fabric you will be working with. it is easier to work with flat fabric, plus your finished product will look that much better! leave your iron on, as you will need it later in the third step.

2. draw the number on your fun fabric lightly with a pencil, then cut it out. pin it on to your shirt.

3. make sure your iron is still hot. before using the hem fuser, read the insructions on the package. cut the hem fuser into strips and carefully place them around the edge of your number. because, a 6 has so many curves i had to cut lots of small pieces to get around around the bends. i did leave some spaces between the strips to allow for flexibility.

4. once the number is fused to the t-shirt, with your sewing machine sew around the edges of the number. i sewed around three ties. it doesn’t mater what stitch you use. i didn’t care about sewing it perfectly, opting more for a rougher look, which i think is perfect for this 6 year old’s bug applique birthday shirt!

and, he LOVED it! bear has received lots of compliments on this personalized shirt!

happy sewing!

birthday party name tags!

February 6, 2014 by mama lola

bear has asked for a dinosaur themed birthday! for this craft i couldn’t actually find any wee dinosaurs, but i found these cute lizards for 99 cents a pack and i thought they were close enough!

here’s what i did… first, i painted the clothes pegs with acrylic paint. i had to do a couple of coats to achieve a nice, solid, bold colour.

then with my hot glue gun i attached the lizards to the painted clothes pegs. i then cut some cute flags out of card stock, wrote each child’s name on, got a paper straw and voila… DONE! i found the straws for $3 for a pack of 18 at michael’s.

how adorable are they?

this is one of those crafts, where the impact is huge and process is so minimal!

the kids can then take the lizard pegs home and use them to clip important pages together or whatever!