Here’s another sock project. I got the idea from the very cool book, Sock and Glove. I love sock projects because there is so little sewing involved, which makes them super fast! This fish took only 10 minutes to make. Also, sock crafts are a great way to repurpose my stripy socks so I don’t have to just throw them away. And if you made …

I’ve always loved zip lines.  As a boy I even made a real zip line from my treehouse.  Jack and Tess aren’t quite ready for that though, so I thought of this idea for a little zip line toy.  I bent some paper clips and taped them to the wall, then tied a long string between them.  Then bent another paper clip around an empty sewing machine …

Yet another request for an addition to the Paper City. A helicopter! And what a great idea, too. I poked a hole and strung some thread through the top so you can fly it around. Then I made a landing pad, so you can fly on missions and then return for a smooth landing on the circle. We had a great time putting the city people in places (like the fireplace …

My kids each have a yo-yo but they’re not able to work them yet.  So I tried to think of something that could provide a more toddler friendly yo-yo experience.  I used some Paul Smith sock material scraps and some cotton canvas to sew a ball.  Then attached a length of elastic string.  So far, the kids are loving them! I’ve never sewn a …

My nephew Leo just turned 3 on Sunday. He loves music, so I made him this trumpet, which gave me a great excuse to use some of my “new” vintage buttons. As usual I just made this up as I went, and the whole thing was a big experiment. I think it turned out well though. Kind of has a Dr. Seuss look to it, which is fine with me. Also, the tactile …

My wife’s grandma just gave me her Tiffany Cigar box full of buttons during our visit last weekend. She said she was never going to use them, so I gratefully accepted the gift. The kids already love playing with them just in the box. Then I drew up some animals and pictures that they could place the buttons onto, which was a big hit also. I can’t …