B is for Bugs {Printable}

July 26, 2012 by Sara McClure 9 Comments

Our life has been full of creepy, crawly bugs lately.

We’ve watched caterpillars grow and change into butterflies. We’ve stopped to watch a parade of ants and then watched them problem-solve when the sidewalk chalk paint interrupted their procession…And don’t even get me started about the war the Mr. has been waging with the wasps around Happy Brown House!

We’ve made Stained Glass Butterfly Art and Spider Web Snacks.

And just when I thought I couldn’t handle anymore bugs….we did some more.

To be honest, I’m so glad we did. I love that I have his fingerprint drawings from his last night as a four-year-old…forever.

Since we’re celebrating a birthday around here, I thought I’d share a little present with you!

Free Download: Bb is for Bugs Fingerprint Art Printable

This printable is FREE of charge and you are welcome to download it for you personal and/or classroom use only. However, free or purchased printables are NOT to be reproduced, hosted, sold, or stored on any other website or electronic retrieval system (such as Scribd or Google docs). My printables are copyright protected and I appreciate your help in keeping them that way.

Filed Under: Kid Crafts, Mommy & Me, Printables, Uncategorized Tagged With: Crafts, Mommy & Me, mommy&me, preschool, preschool activities, Totally Tots

Mommy & Me: Pretty Paper Factory

February 20, 2012 by Sara McClure 9 Comments

We love Eric Carle books. Alot. They are the books that we return to over and over and over again.

One of the things that make Eric Carle books so unique are the way he makes his illustrations. They are made from paper that he has painted and added texture to himself. (You can see more about his process by watching this video.) Once he paints his tissue paper, he uses it to create collages. (You can see more about his process by watching this video.) I think his process is fascinating.

Or, maybe I’m drawn to his creation process because it is attainable for even the youngest of artists…

Jonah and I had some fun during the “Plague of 2012″. I mean, there are only so many movies a kid can watch when he is sick and it’s raining outside, right?!?! As we were painting with watercolors, I took a white crayon and made a pattern on some paper when he wasn’t looking. When he painted over the white crayon, he thought it was magic.

“Mommy, look! How did it do that?!?!?!”

I explained how, this time showing him the process. He painted over it again just as bright-eyed as before.

“Mommy, can we make more?”

And so it began…The Pretty Paper Factory.

The only problem with the Pretty Paper Factory is that eventually, papers are drying on every flat surface. And then, once they are dry, I have a stack of treasures that Jonah won’t part with.

My solution: The Collage Box

Yes, I really cut up his watercolor pages into 4 smaller rectangles. I asked permission first.

To read about the Collage Box, you’ll have to visit Totally Tots. I’m sharing about The Collage Box over there today!

Want some other Pretty Paper Factory ideas? I’ll be back with more! Subscribe so you don’t miss them!

Filed Under: Kid Crafts, Mommy & Me, Uncategorized Tagged With: Crafts, family fun, Mommy & Me, mommy&me, preschool, preschool activities, Totally Tots, Tutorials

Mommy & Me: Coffee Filter Snowflakes

January 23, 2012 by Sara McClure 6 Comments

Snow is a precious commodity around our region. We get snow, just not very often. Nor does it stay around very long once it finally snows. So, we often have to make our own. Enter…Coffee Filter Snowflakes.

Jonah still needs LOTS of practice with scissors. LOTS. He keeps wanting to rotate his hand like a contortionist to try to cut paper. The only way I know to help him is to provide plenty of opportunities to let him practice and continue to guide his hands in the right direction. Literally. There is still lots of hand-over-hand help from me in this area. The problem with doing something that can be frustrating for a preschooler (or any age, really) is that when it isn’t fun or purposeful, they don’t want to do it. So, I masked the sometimes frustrating task of cutting with making Coffee Filter Snowflakes. Instant interest from Jonah. Mommy Score!

Coffee Filter Snowflakes

Materials Needed:

Coffee Filters
Scissors

Directions:

Fold the coffee filter in half several times. (Remember the more you fold, the thicker the layers to cut through. I found that Jonah had a hard time with it folded in sixths.)
Cut designs on the folds
Unfold! Jonah loved the anticipation of this step, and couldn’t wait to see the designs!
Display somewhere that makes you happy. We made a bunch and taped them to our large picture window in our kitchen.

Coincidentally, letting Jonah use the tape himself was also a fine-motor skill hidden in disguise. Jonah thinks tape is fun, so he is super motivated to use it. Little does he know I was giving his little hand muscles a workout! Sneaky Mommy! We had so much fun with this activity that we actually extended snowflake cutting over a few days. Jonah kept asking to make more. That is a success in my book!

We also read lots of books about snow. Here are a few of our favorites:

Snow by Manya Stojic

Snip…Snip…Snow! by Nancy Poydar

S Is for Snowman by Kathy-jo Wargin

If you’d like to see more of our snow book “picks” you can check out our list!

We’d love to see your Coffee Filter Snowflakes! Let us know if you make some~send us the link or post them to our Happy Brown House Facebook page. Happy cutting!

Filed Under: Kid Crafts, Mommy & Me, Uncategorized Tagged With: fine-motor skills, Jonah, Mommy & Me, mommy&me, preschool, preschool activities, Tutorials

Boutique Baby Series: No-Sew Pacifier Clip Tutorial {Guest Post}

October 25, 2011 by Sara McClure 9 Comments

Note from Sara: My friend Jenny from The Southern Institute is here today to share a tutorial with you while I snuggle up with my newest little guy. Let’s give her a warm welcome to the Happy Brown House!

Hello, everyone! It’s so good to be here today as a guest… my first time at Happy Brown House! Sara asked if I would share a project with you and I thought this was the perfect thing. This pacifier clip requires no sewing and it takes about 15 minutes! It’s perfect for baby showers.

What you’ll need:

1/2 inch velcro
scissors
hot glue gun
grosgrain ribbon (about 12 inches)
one mitten clip (they come in packs of two)

Step One: Cut a piece of velcro to match the width of your ribbon.

Step Two: Apply hot glue to the edge of one end of the ribbon and fold over about 1/2 inch. Press firmly to adhere. This creates a “hem” of sorts.

Step Three: Take the velcro (both sides stuck together) and glue one side to the edge of the “hem”. Place hot glue on the second side and fold the ribbon over about 1 1/2 inches. Press firmly.

This is the side that will be attached to the pacifier.

Step Four: On the other end of the ribbon, place hot glue along the edge and fold over 1/4 inch, just as you did the first side. Feed the ribbon up through the back side of the mitten clip. Place hot glue along the edge, fold over, and press firmly to secure the mitten clip to the ribbon.

You now have a completed No-Sew Pacifier Clip!

Your friends will be so impressed!

Disclaimer: Please, use common sense and DO NOT leave your baby unattended with a pacifier clip attached to them.

Filed Under: Boutique Baby series, Budget Living, Crafts, Tutorials, Uncategorized Tagged With: babies, blog friends, Crafts, Frugal Tips, guest posts, Tutorials

Boutique Baby Series: Wipes Case

October 24, 2011 by Sara McClure 3 Comments

Materials:

Travel Wipes Case (Huggies brand is the only one I could find in my store)
Fabric
Decorative Trim (I used Gimp Braid Cord and found it in the Home Decor trims)
Batting
Scissors
Hot Glue
Spray Adhesive

Directions:

1. Lay wipes case on top of fabric. Cut fabric larger than wipes case. {Optional Step~For a truly custom wipes case, monogram on the top fabric piece.}

2. Lay batting on the wipes case. Using a marker, trace around the case. Use spray adhesive to attach it to the top. While this step isn’t completely necessary, my Huggies brand wipes case had an opening tab on the top that needed to be covered up(see above photo). If yours doesn’t have this, by all means skip this step!

3. Using hot glue, attach the fabric. Go slowly, working on small sections at a time. I didn’t go all the way to the edge, but don’t worry, we’ll cover it up! Once all the fabric is attached, use your scissors to trim the excess fabric.

4. Beginning at the back, attach the cording with hot glue. Once again, work slowly on small sections at a time. When you get to your beginning point, glue your cording down BEFORE trimming (it will unravel if you don’t…just trust me on this!) To prevent it from unraveling from frequent use, seal the ends with Fray Check.

5. Voila!

Filed Under: Boutique Baby series, Crafts, Tutorials, Uncategorized Tagged With: babies, baby, Boutique Baby on a Budget Series, Crafts, Tutorials

Boutique Baby Series: Ribbon Tag Blanket Tutorial

September 21, 2011 by Sara McClure 8 Comments

You can buy Ribbon Tag Blankets in the store, but I figure, why buy one when I can make it with things I already have in my craft stash? Seriously, I already had all of the materials. So for me, this project was FREE~my favorite kind of project!

Materials:

12×12″ square of Minky fabric (can also use fleece, flannel, or other soft fabric)
12×12″ square of Satin fabric
Various ribbon strips cut approximately 2-3″ long
thread
sewing machine

Directions:

1.) Cut your fabric. I like to use a 12×12″ square for a “lovey” or snuggle blanket. (Optional: If you have an embroidery machine, this would be the best time to stitch the monogram.)

2.) Cut your ribbon. I don’t measure exactly, just make sure you have atleast 2-3″ inch pieces.

3.) Fold ribbon pieces in half to form a loop. Leaving a small amount hanging over the edge, pin the ribbon around the edges of the main fabric. The loop should be facing the inside of the square. (By leaving a little hanging over the edge, we will be sewing over the ribbon at two different points to ensure they stay inside the blanket.)

4.) Tack down the ribbon loops with your sewing machine.

5.) Place the other fabric pieces right-sides-together. If you are using Minky and Satin as I did, pin very well! The minky and satin will slide around as you sew. Also, minky has lots of stretch to it. If you don’t pin well, it will be very wonky!