The kids recently made the great discovery of using the Miniature Kitchen Set in the dollhouse. They’ve been making some nice Thanksgiving dinners for various dollhouse guests. Nice! Happy fall everyone!Continue Reading
When the twins were younger, I made these vintage fabric dolls. They still sleep with them almost four years later. Yesterday I decided little E and I better make one for her to sleep with too. It was very cute working together. She chose some vintage necktie fabric I had lying around, and then we...Continue Reading
The trees are turning beautiful colors here in Portland, and I was inspired to make an owl coloring sheet for fall. It might be a fun one for all you embroidery fans out there too. Hope you all enjoy it! Click here or on the image below to print.Continue Reading
Our youngest daughter LOVES anything that involves cooking, and she’s also enchanted by tiny objects. So I decided to paint the top of an old mint tin to resemble a stove, then I created some cooking objects that could be stowed away inside for a miniature kitchen set. So far, it’s been a huge amount...Continue Reading
I hope you’ve all been having a great summer! We’ve been spending a lot of time outside playing and enjoying simple pleasures. Here’s a summery coloring sheet for you to print out if you’re in the mood! Click here or on the image below to print.Continue Reading
I was cleaning up my shop corner in the garage today and decided to select a few nuts, bolts, and other odds and ends for the kids to play around with. They’re always fascinated with screws and tools. Then I gave them some wrenches and screwdrivers and let them build. It reminded me of the...Continue Reading
I recently finished a unicycle embroidered shirt. And some of you on the Facebook page requested a template. So here it is! If you’ve never done embroidery before, here is a simple tutorial. It’s fast and fun! Happy stitching! Click on the image below, then print. (Note – I used almost all backstitch for this...Continue Reading
I recently made a new oscillating bird design for a magazine, so I thought I’d share it here too. After finding this toy idea on the brilliant Science Toy Maker site a couple of years ago, I made this woodpecker. It’s based off of an old folk toy, and is a great way to teach...Continue Reading
Our daughter just turned 2 yesterday, and she loves taking care of her dolls. And like many other kids her age, she’s also pretty fascinated with poo. So when I was at the sewing machine a few days ago, I couldn’t resist making some doll diapers with detachable velcro poo. Yesterday morning I gave her...Continue Reading
BIG Kids Magazine asked me to create a paper craft for their new “Into the Dark” issue. While I was working on it, my 6 year old son came over and wanted to join in. We had a great time collaborating! The template is below if you’d like to try it out. We also put...Continue Reading
Warmer weather is coming, and last week I made cutoff shorts from some holey jeans. A couple of springs ago, I made this ball, and I always wanted to try narrowing the panels to make a football shape. So yesterday I gave it a go and it worked! In addition to some regular stuffing, I...Continue Reading
I just finished a new music video for my sister’s upcoming kids album. The song is “When I Look Into The Night Sky.” It was a really fun video to make! I painted some paper and made abstract space objects, tied them to some thread, and basically did a puppet show. Our almost two year...Continue Reading
A lot of people have been saying that they’re excited for their baby to get older so they can start making crafts with them. But the crafting excitement starts now! Here is a round-up of 5 baby crafts that I’ve posted. So take a look and start making something for any babies you know! Great...Continue Reading
I have great memories of making these paper helicopters when I was a kid. They fly so well! The kids love dropping and watching them spin to the ground. My son also really likes toys that have people on them – so introducing Copterman and Copterwoman! The amazing rescuers that can bend their elbows backwards!...Continue Reading
Here is a little animated card based on my Paper City Paris design. Just pull the tab and watch the people walk down the street. It might even be fun for a Valentine’s Day card! I actually got the idea for this card a few months ago, but I never had the time to figure...Continue Reading
I’ve wanted to try weaving for a long time, but was never sure how to get started. Then I learned about weaving with yarn on a little piece of cardboard, and also found out more great tips from all of you on the Made by Joel Facebook Page. Thanks! Our twins just turned six this...Continue Reading
This week, the kids and I had a fun time making paper snowflakes to hang in the living room. They were so excited to create more winter decorations for the house! They loved cutting them out, but hanging them was even more exciting. The kids were cutting thread, handing me tape, and following me around...Continue Reading
I finally finished this wire sculpture for a restaurant here in Portland. It’s based off the logo that I designed for them. If you’re ever in Portland, it will soon be hanging in the Daily Cafe in the Pearl. (It’s an awesome cafe by the way.) And of course these days I can’t resist turning...Continue Reading
Last night I made this little mixed media bird with various scraps from my art studio – wood, feathers, wire, and fabric scraps by the awesome people at Umbrella Prints. Not sure what I’ll do with him yet. Maybe a stop-motion animation skit would be fun.Continue Reading
