Finger puppets have always been a favorite craft with my family. The kids love using their creativity to design new puppets, but they also get to continue using their imaginations as they act out stories with each character. We can spend hours around the table crafting, acting and entertaining each other for some fun family...Continue Reading

I’ve been thinking about making some sort of Easter felt board, then yesterday I had the idea to make egg shaped boards for the kids to decorate. Our 2.5 year old really enjoyed helping me, and was so excited to play when they were done! After she finishes creating a design, we put them up...Continue Reading

Cooking is still one of little E’s favorite things to do. We’ve been getting so much milage out of the miniature kitchen set, that I decided to make a little pizza oven for her. In the last 24 hours I’ve “eaten” about 50 pizzas. After she puts the pizza in the oven and closes the...Continue Reading

I just finished shooting this music video for my sister Lori’s new Dinosaur song. Feel free to watch it with your kids! It was really fun to make! And I’m also finishing up a Dinosaur Paper City set to go with it. Should be done in a day or two! You can see my wild...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

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

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

We’re having a beautiful October so far here in Portland, and the kids are very excited about Halloween! Most of the excitement is about making decorations for the house. My son and I were going to make some paper bats for the window, and I decided to turn one of mine into a puppet. Flying...Continue Reading

Little E is always fascinated to watch her big brother and sister ride on all of their bikes and scooters. She often tries to sit on them and scoot around. I always wanted to try making a ride-on toy when the twins were little, but never had the time. So I finally got my chance!...Continue Reading

Baby E has officially mastered the Toy Slot Box, so we decided to try making a variation that would provide a bit more action. I used a cereal Box for this one, and it actually works quite well. Sometimes the coins will roll 10 feet across the floor! There are simple directions below if you...Continue Reading

Here’s an easy little fish toy that I made today for the baby. I used fabric scraps, including part of an old neck tie. So far she likes to watch me wiggle the fish tail in front of her. It’s pretty cute. If you want to try making one, there are photos and directions below....Continue Reading

My kids have been practicing throwing and catching a lot lately, but the rubber balls we have are a little difficult for them to catch. So last night when I cleaning out my closet, I found some old jeans, and thought I’d make a ball with some of the fabric. It was really easy to...Continue Reading

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...Continue Reading

My sister Lori has a new album of original songs entitled “Outside My Door – Songs For Children Of all Ages.” I did the artwork for it, which some of you might recognize since I used the Paper City and added some color and a few extra details relating to her lyrics. The design layout...Continue Reading

Here is a simple toy that I just made for LMNOP Magazine. It’s a no-sew, fleece version of my Play Squares for Babies. Making them takes only minutes, and an older child could even make them as a gift for a baby. All you need is some fleece (felt would also work) and some scissors, then...Continue Reading

I loved felt boards when I was a kid, and when looking at some felt the other day, I thought it would be fun to make a simple felt board designed for babies. Infants, with their developing eyes, love to focus on high contrast shapes, so I used black and light cream for my felt...Continue Reading

Last week I made this wooden catapult toy. I was originally going to have it toss paper balls but thought it would be cool to sew some instead. (Similar to the yo-yo balls I made awhile back.) It worked really well. The kids both had a real kick trying to make a basket. I made...Continue Reading

LMNOP Magazine just released their new 2010 Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide issue. For my column this time, I made some little photo albums to display the kid’s favorite activity. I think the books will be a nice keepsake and they also gave the kids a nice sense of pride. If you’d like to make one...Continue Reading