Make a Coloring Book With Your Photos

Almost every day, I put a coloring page in the boys' workboxes.  How fun would it be for them to find a coloring page of someone they love?  (in this case, their doggy cousin-my brother's pup, Bentley)

I came across an old tutorial from fototiller for turning your photos into coloring pages in 3 photoshop steps.  Don't have photoshop?  Try their Corel Paint Shop Pro pdf tutorial.

Do you use workboxes?  What are some staple fun items you use?

Spice Jar Favors

Our Life Group learned of a couple who for a long time thought they couldn't afford a wedding.  So we decided to give them one.  I took over the favors-because that's what I like to do:  take over things and make stuff.  :)

The bride works for Saltgrass Steakhouse here in Dallas.  

The wedding will also be catered by Saltgrass, so I figured their steak seasoning would make a perfectly fine favor.  

What do you think?  Think the bride will agree? 

I ordered the labels here and the bottles here.  

The seasoning I got right from Saltgrass, where it truly pays to know people.  

Sunday's the big day!  What are your weekend plans?

Christ Centered Easter Crafts

Have you noticed all the eggs?  I honestly don't know how the egg and bunny tradition started, but I found some cool true Easter crafts and thought I'd share:

Tomb and Garden Rock Garden at Impress Your Kids

Empty Tomb Resurrection Rolls at tsj photogrpahy

Free Easter Lapbook link via Molding Minds Homeschool 

Paint Chip Easter Garland at Modern Parents Messy Kids--yes, i know, totally not a Christ-centered craft-it's even an egg craft, but i loved it. 

Are you making anything special for Easter?

Block Prints with Soap

Block prints are a really cool way to teach positive and negative images and relief.  And using soap makes for a kid-friendly and cheap art project.

I'm blogging over at Homegrown Mom today, with an easy soap block tutorial-please stop by.  If you've never read Homegrown Mom, here are a few of my favorite posts:

• Workboxes 
• Your Husband Picked You
• 10 Days of Homeschooling Girls

Hope you're having a beautiful week!

Telephone Wire Ring Giveaway

Baby Girl fell asleep on the way home from church last week.  And she was OUT.  Which meant I got to hold her for a while why she was still.  I get to hold her all the time, but most of the time she is a big wiggle worm.

Our church has a Hope Store where I buy our fair-trade coffee now.  They also sell some handmade items from developing countries.  While I was in line with my coffee, I saw these rings.  I bought myself one, then after the service I went back to buy you one, too.  Well, one of you anyway.  I wish I could send you all one-they are so cool.

Note: they are kind of big.  I wear mine on my pointer finger or thumb.

Just leave a comment by Wednesday, April 6th.  I'll chose a random winner then.   Thanks for being
sweet!

Giveaway closed.  Congrats #13, Catie!

Cardboard Dollhouse Furniture Instructions

We just got the April issue of Family Fun.  Do you guys get Family Fun?  It's loaded with fun stuff to make with your kids.  Like the doll house with furniture in this month's issue.

source

My kids poured over the pages of furniture instructions, which are also available as pdf's online.

Do you and your kids subscribe to any magazines?  Which ones?

4 Sewing Gifts I Had to Buy Myself This Year

Actually, it happened quite innocently.  This past Christmas my family decided to make it easier on everyone, and we each agreed to each buy ourselves a $60 gift.  We were to buy it, wrap it and put it away to open with each other at Christmas.  Really, it was cool to see what each other picked out for themselves when given the freedom.

Like my brother-- who bought himself an axe.  An axe.  I really didn't see that coming.

Well, on my 40 Before 40 list (formerly 30 Before 30) is: Make a Quilt.

I thought I should get on that, and I bought myself The Practical Guide to Modern Patchwork and a Moda Jelly Roll (Sugar Pop).  If you're not familiar with fabric, a jelly roll is a roll of fabric strips precut for you.  That was $64 since I went to a swanky boutique downtown.  That was Gift 1 & Gift 2, if you are keeping count.

I picked out one of the quilt patterns in the book and started working.  Thankfully, I already had a rotary and small self healing mat.  But half way into my quilt, I thought how much easier and fun this project would be with the right tools.

So this month, I bought myself 2 more presents.  I'm welcome.

A larger self healing cutting mat and a 10 inch acrylic template.   Gift 3 & Gift 4.  I heart them.  And now I am excited about finishing my quilt.

Here you can see the Sugar Pop collection and 18 squares of the quilt.

By the way, if you're wondering how I find time to quilt-- because that's what I always wonder when I visit prolific quilters' blogs -- I'll let you in on my secret: I set a mini goal. The quilt I am working on is full-size and made up of 48 squares.   I told myself, "Self, just make 1 square a day."  Even on really busy days, I can sneak upstairs after bedtime and get one done.  And most days, 2 is doable.  The progress is contagious.

Have you bought any tools that make your goals easier this year?

Duck Tape Wallets

We were invited to a birthday play-date for a homeschool buddy who turned 8 last weekend.  

His mother said no gifts, just come.  

I totally get that, and when we do friend birthday parties, I say the same thing.  But it still feels kind of lame to show up empty handed.  Since this was one of Belle's friends, I thought she could bring him something she had made.  

So we made him a duct tape wallet and then made a couple more.
  

We used Duck Tape Brand tape that we picked up from Target. 

There are loads of tutorials out there.  But we used Crafts by Amanda's, which was made by kids and had plenty of pictures.  

What do you do when the invitation says, "No gifts, please"?

I'm linking up to TCB's Get Your Craft On-thanks for hosting, Kim!