Lauras Crafty Life

Love for Lilies and Bulbs

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:04:04 PDT

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of iBulb. All opinions are 100% mine.

There is just something about fresh flowers in the home that make it so inviting. Have you ever noticed in your favorite home decor magazines the rooms always have fresh flowers? There is definitely a reason for that. However, if you have been around this blog long, you may know I am a self-proclaimed plant killer. Luckily, I have found something that I usually can't kill - inside or out - and that is bulbs. They are super easy to grow.

One of my favorite flowers to grow from bulbs is lilies. They are absolutely gorgeous and are stunning in flower arrangements. My lilies are just starting to come up outside. I can't wait for all of them to bloom! Here are some stunning arrangements to give you some inspiration for using lilies in your home decorating.

I love the simplicity of a single bloom in the beautiful crystal vases.

I love all the colors in both the vases and the flowers. This is a great way to tie together thrift store finds into a cohesive display.

The above five images all show how choosing a larger vase with multiple flowers can create a stunning display. I like the idea that each of the arrangements is the basically the same, but by changing the shape or color of the vase as well as having a single color or multi-colored blooms completely transforms the look of the bouquets.

Lilies not only make beautiful displays for your home, they can also make amazing gifts. One of the great things about potted bulbs is they are readily available just about anywhere. You can get them at grocery stores, garden shops and flower shops.

I hope I have inspired you to get out there and plant something. Even if you have a brown thumb like me, you can do it! You can also visit this Pinterest page for more bulb inspiration and ideas: http://pinterest.com/ibulblilies/

Road Trip Game Printables

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:23:06 PDT

We are getting ready to go on our big annual camping trip we take every year for Memorial Day weekend. It is a lot of food, fun and friends! We look forward to it every year, although I don't always look forward to the car ride with the kids. It is only about a 2 1/2 hour drive, but the kids can easily get bored and whiny.

I decided to create a road trip binder for each of the kids. I will add to these over time so the kids don't get bored with them and as I have more time, but so far I have two free printables to share with you today.

I am sure there are some of you that played this game as a kid. The 'License Plate Game'. Basically you try to find a license plate from each state. I used images I found on The US50.

License Plate Game

Next up is a 'Road Trip Scavenger Hunt'. You could probably also adapt this to use for bingo as well. My kids are little, so just searching for each of the items on the sheet will definitely keep them busy. This one is somewhat specific to Arizona (since that is where we live). These images are from the Manual of Traffic Signs, by Richard C. Moeur if you wanted to create your own.

Road Trip Scavenger Hunt

I plan on adding each of these to the binders in clear plastic sheet protectors. Each binder will include a dry erase marker and eraser for them to mark off their finds!

Download Road Trip Games:

(These downloads are for personal use only. Please feel free to share, but direct them back to this post.)

Do you have any creative ideas for keeping the kids entertained on long trips?

Linking up here: Sugar Bee Crafts, Lolly Jane, Not Just a Housewife

Swing Set Renovation

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:24:10 PDT

I have been working on our swing set renovation for about a year (nothing like a speedy project, huh?) and I am so happy to finally get to share pictures of the finished product.

We got our son a swing set from Walmart when he was 3 years old. After a year or two, the swing set really began to show a lot of wear and tear. We live in an area of Arizona that has hot summers, and very windy weather throughout the year. The canopy got completely shredded by the wind. The wood and plastic pieces became extremely faded by the sun. Plus, we have been slowly working on landscaping the backyard, and I knew I wanted a special design around the play area. We are doing all the work ourselves, so it has been a slow process.

Following is a list of what I wanted to accomplish around the swing set area:

spray paint the plastic pieces
stain the wood
lay a brick border around the perimeter
lay down weed barrier and mulch
new canopy

I am so happy to say we are finally finished with this area! Here are some before pictures without any landscaping and showing how worn out it had become! (I thought I had some better befores but I could NOT find them!)

I had a rough idea in my mind of what I wanted the bricks to look like. Each time I would go into town (we live about a half hour from Home Depot), I would purchase 10 to 15 bricks. This made the cost seem more reasonable, and I hauled and set the bricks a little at a time. After what seemed like thousands of bricks, I eventually made it around the entire swing set. Two of the corners are square and the other two are rounded off.

Once the bricks were (finally) laid down, we added weed barrier under the whole area. We purchased a truckload of mulch and put that over the top.

One other thing you will notice in the pictures is the grass! I am a midwest girl at heart and I have wanted grass in our backyard forever. My husband was not convinced that sod would do well in our backyard. At the end of last summer, a friend of ours was laying sod in his backyard. He had a bunch of scraps leftover, and I jumped at the chance when he told us we could have them. I quickly prepared the ground in front of the bricks and we laid a little square of grass. It did well last year and is coming back nicely this year as well! We have some patchy spots but that is mostly from the dog using it as a toilet! I am hoping to add more grass this summer or next summer so we have a larger area for the kids to run around.

I took all of the plastic pieces off the swing set. I purchased yellow and blue Krylon for Plastic spray paint. This stuff works great. (And no, I am not getting paid to talk about Krylon so much, I just love their paint!) I gave each of the pieces a good scrub, allowed them to dry and applied 3 light coats of paint.

I ended up painting the little 'rock wall' grips for the ladder, the handles, the swing chains, the little monkey bar, and some support pieces.

Tip: Be sure to allow the paint to cure for the recommended amount of time (this will be listed on the spray paint can). Mine required 7 days for the paint to cure. Since all of these pieces were going to be seeing a lot of use from my kids I made sure to wait the full 7 days. The kids were so restless about not being able to use their swing set for a whole week! But, I can happily say, I painted these last November and they still look as good as new!

While the paint dried on the plastic pieces, I stained the swing set to match our deck. It was a little darker than the original stained wood, but I like how it now coordinates much better in the backyard. It took a lot more time and stain that I originally anticipated. I think I used about a gallon and a quart. Since it was so faded, the wood just sucked up the stain!

To create a new canopy for the swing set, I used an old E-Z Up cover we had. We have had the absolute worst luck with E-Z Ups. They always get broken or bent. Once the E-Z Up was trashed, I saved the fabric cover. It is meant to be outdoors and was already blue like the old one, so I knew this would work perfect.

Using the old canopy as a pattern, I cut out and sewed a new canopy. It was basically just a giant rectangle. I used one finished edge, so I only had to finish the other three.

I am so happy to have this area done. I love that it looks as good as new again! I am hoping not to have to stain it again for a few more years. :) Have you tackled any renovation projects lately?

Linking up here: Sugar Bee Crafts, Lolly Jane, Not Just a Housewife, Clean and Scentsible, A Bowl Full of Lemons, The 36th Avenue, Tatertots and Jello, That's What Che Said, A Night Owl Blog

Happy Mother's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Sun, 12 May 2013 08:24:32 PDT

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies and mommies-to-be out there!

Today always brings mixed emotions for me. For those of you that are new here, you may not know I lost my mom to breast cancer when I was 8 years old. She was only 36 years old. I am approaching my 34th birthday next week and I can't even imagine that. I knew she was young when I was little, but the older I get the more I realize how young that truly is. I was only 4 when she was diagnosed. So, every year on Mother's Day, I miss my mom. (If we are being honest here, I miss her and think about her every day, but holidays and anniversaries always sting a little harder). I wrote more about my mom here.

But, I am also so joyful! I have two great kids of my own now. My focus has shifted on this day to not spend my entire day mourning my loss, but celebrating the fact that I am now a mom myself. It has been the most rewarding, frustrating, incredible, trying, amazing journey I have ever been on. My kids teach me things about myself every day. Like, I have far less patience than I thought I did (oops!). Also, that I have so much more love in my heart than I ever could have imagined.

I remember shortly before my daughter was born, wondering how in the world I would ever love another person as much as I loved my son. I was so worried about not having enough love to share with them both. But, your heart is an incredible thing. The more you give, the bigger and stronger it gets!

I am blessed to have other moms in my life. Of course, no one can ever take the place of my mom, but I have all these wonderful women in my life that make it a little easier. I have had a few friend's moms take me in over the years at different stages of my life and I appreciate each and every one of them.

I have a great stepmom. Our relationship was rocky at first (mainly because of the loss of my mom), but we have grown to be friends over the years and I wouldn't have it any other way! Today is her first Mother's Day without her mom, and I know how hard that is. So, I am sending her a little extra love today.

My stepmom and her mom

And now, my husband surprised me with a spa day today, so I get to go and get pampered. I don't get much time away by myself and this will be a wonderful way to recharge my batteries. I am sure there will be a lot of laughter and joy today, as well as a few tears shed.

I hope all of you enjoy your Mother's Day. Celebrate your mom, either here on earth or up in heaven. Celebrate being a mom and what a joy that can be. Just celebrate! And thank you to all of you, who come here and allow me to share a little of my heart with you. I am so lucky to have made some of the connections I have from this blog.

{Faux} Wire Basket

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:22:58 PDT

Lately, I have really been loving all the wire baskets for home decorating. However, what I don't like is the hefty price tag usually attached to them. After I stumbled upon some clearance plastic-coated wire baskets last fall at Dollar General for less than $2.00 a piece, I knew I had stumbled upon something great!

I originally bought one plastic coated basket in pink to be sure it would fit in my entryway table. After I knew it was the right size, I went back and purchased two more, a blue one and another pink one.

I took them all outside and gave them each several coats of spray paint. I used Krylon's Brushed Metallic in Satin Nickel.

I didn't use any primer, but if you were really concerned about good coverage, you could use a plastic primer first. So far, I have had these on my table for about 6 months and they look as good as the day I painted them!

Once I had them all painted, I made some easy labels using small disc tags and some twine.

Any coupons I receive in the mail go in the first basket. Also, any coupons that I have clipped but haven't had a chance to put in my coupon binder yet. I don't sort my mail everyday, so whenever we get new mail that needs to be gone through, it goes in the second basket. The third basket is for all my son's school papers he brings home (other than items that need my immediate attention). This basket gets filled up about once per month and then I go through it and save any important, special papers in my son's files.

Since everyone loves a good before and after, here is one more picture:

It always amazes me what a little spray paint can do. It pays to look at the dollar stores and thrift stores. Sometimes you can find exactly what you are looking for, it just needs a little makeover! This whole project cost me less than $10 for all three baskets! I would love any to hear about any items you have recently made over!

Linking up here: The 36th Avenue, The Girl Creative, Tatertots and Jello, A Night Owl Blog, That's What Che Said, Sugar Bee Crafts, Lolly Jane, Not Just a Housewife, Clean and Scentsible, Real Coake, Homemaker on a Dime, Sew Many Ways

April 2013 in Review

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Wed, 01 May 2013 06:00:19 PDT

I thought I would start something new this month, by sharing all the previous month's posts in a round up post on the first of the month! This is a great way for those of you that are new here to read up on anything you may have missed!

First up, I am one of the new contributors of Craft Storage Ideas. I shared two posts this month.

Storage Solution: Washi Tape / All About the Furniture: Armoires

I talked about our plans for our kitchen renovation. I shared the new Moen Kiran Spot Resistant Faucet, which was on our list of possible options for our kitchen renovation.

Moen Kiran Spot Resistant Faucet

My sweet boy lost his first tooth. To celebrate I sewed a tooth fairy pillow. Now he has a place to put his tooth and for the fairy to leave him a special gift.

Tooth Fairy Pillow

I upcycled a cat litter container to make a watering jug for the garden. Perfect timing for Earth Day!

Upcycled Watering Jug

I shared the next few sections of my home management binder - events and projects. This is the place where I keep all my holidays, parties and home improvement projects organized.

Home Management Binder: Events and Projects

I made a river rock boot tray to corral all of our muddy shoes and boots we are dragging in from the rain {I hope}, or more likely, the kids playing in the mud outside in the back yard.

River Rock Boot Tray

I confessed about my blogging rut I have been in and how I have been comparing myself with others far too often.

Confession Time

I worked on a campaign using Martha Stewart glass paints, silkscreens and etching cream to create a unique and thoughtful Mother's Day gift.

DIY Painted Pot and Etched Votives

I shared how I organized my linen closet. By using items I already had and knowing how to fold a fitted sheet, I was able to straighten it out in no time!

Organization: Linen Closet

Lastly, I shared my spring mantel that was prettied up by the gorgeous items I was sent by Life-n-Reflection.

Spring Mantel

Phew! I didn't think I posted as much as I did! I am looking forward to May and giving you the inside look at our counter top transformation we did in our kitchen. If you follow along with me on Instagram, you have already seen some sneak peeks, but the full reveal is going to be awesome!

Spring Mantel

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:13:20 PDT

Disclosure: I have been compensated with product for this post. All opinions are my own, based on my love for the product. I am an affiliate for Life-n-Reflection.

We don't have a fireplace in our house, so therefore we don't have a mantel. Instead, I decorate a large sofa table that sits by our front door for different holidays and seasons. This month, Kristy from Life-n-Reflection sent me a fun spring banner to use in my spring decorating.

Here are the two fun files I got to play with:

I found an awesome framed mirror at a garage sale recently for only $1! I knew it would be perfect for decorating with. The only thing I had to do was clean the dust off the mirrors and it was ready to go. I love that is is not perfect and looks a little aged!

I started out by printing out the Spring Party Banner. I used my printer settings to print it on half a sheet rather than a full sheet to make the pennants a little smaller. I used white card stock.

After it was printed, I cut out each of the pennants. To create a banner, I used a glue dot on the back of each pennant and attached yellow twine to each one.

To attach the banner to my mirror, I used some fun yellow chevron washi tape I had on hand.

I printed off the {Create Your Own Dream} sign. I trimmed it to fit in my 8 x 10 frame.

Kristy is offering this sign for free on her site: Create Your Own Dream Sign

I added a butterfly clip I purchased a while ago at Michael's store, for only $1. I added a small pitcher I found at Dollar Tree and also my moss topiary I had left over from my friend's baby shower.

My entry way is so fun and cheerful now!

Do you have a mantel or somewhere else you display your holiday decorations?

Linking up here: Clean and Scentsible, Tatertots and Jello, A Night Owl Blog, Not Just a Housewife

Organization: Linen Closet

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Fri, 03 May 2013 19:30:08 PDT

A while ago I organized my linen closet, but I never got around to taking pictures of it being finished. Then, life happened and it became a big mess again! So, I recently got it all cleaned up again, and I hurried up to take pictures of it while it was still pretty and nice.

First up, I will show you the way before pictures. This was before I really did anything to it, other than just pile stuff up on the shelves. Warning: this is not pretty!

You can see the shoe organizer turned art and school supply holder hanging on the door. The rest of the closet is sort of a jumbled mess of crap all thrown in there. I store bed linens in there. I also store tablecloths, holiday towels, placemats and that sort of thing in there. We have an extra folding table, plus a storage tote full of backpacks and tote bags. Plus, some other miscellaneous items that don't necessarily have a home anywhere else.

Below is a picture of the top half of the closet. (These pictures are not great. We don't have a lot of natural light in the hallway between my kid's rooms.)

Now you can see a picture of what it looked like last week. I had over-hauled the closet, but about 6 months had passed and a lot of items got tossed in there again. I was trying to store the kid's outgrown clothes in there, but it ended up being a jumbled mess and things were not getting put back in the correct spot, so I had to move all of that out of there.

Below, you can see the bottom half of the closet up close. The bottom shelf was where the clothes were stored. This was just a few days after I had removed all the clothes. I knew I needed to re-organize this space!

In this next picture you can see one of the changes I had made the first time I organized. I categorized all the extra linens - tablecloths, holiday towels, placemats, etc. I used old plastic zipper bags that I had saved from purchasing other linens to keep like items together. I used my label maker to create a label for each one. They are all stacked up on the third shelf.

When I finally re-organized everything last week, I pulled everything off the floor, and the bottom two shelves. I re-folded everything that needed it, and re-stacked all the like items together. If you need help folding your fitted sheets, I wrote a tutorial on it last year for the 31 days of deep cleaning your home series.

And here is the closet all straightened out!

I am sure you have probably seen the organizational tip for sheets to fold them and put them all inside the pillowcase for that set. If you have king sheets like we do, you quickly realize this is a near impossible feat. So, instead, I fold the sheets and then wrap one of the pillowcases around the whole set to keep them together.

In the next picture you can see the sheets stacked up neatly. Our linen closet isn't huge, but it is very deep. The best tip I can offer for you for a space like this is to layer your storage. If you put lower profile items in the front you can make full use of your space. You can also see the plastic zipper storage bags with all the extra linens in them. The very top shelf holds two bedding sets for our air mattresses. They are in Space Bags. Unfortunately, I have not had luck with them keeping out the air, but my main concern was keeping them all together, so this works fine for us.

And now, just because everyone loves a good before and after, here are the two pictures together.

The great thing about this, was I didn't have to purchase anything new for this project. Just by placing like items together and straightening everything up, the space is so much more functional. Having the kid's outgrown clothes in this closet was not working. I am still trying to figure out a better solution. My benchmark for whether or not an organized space is really working for our family is if I can straighten the space in 10 minutes or less. If it takes longer than that, I need to re-evaluate what is working and what is not.

Happy Organizing! Have you organized any spaces in your home lately??

Linking up here: Lolly Jane, Sugar Bee Crafts, Our Home Away from Home, Not Just a Housewife, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Tatertots and Jello

DIY Painted Pot and Etched Votives #marthastewartcrafts #mothersday

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Fri, 03 May 2013 19:32:01 PDT

Disclosure: I wrote this post as a part of a sponsored campaign with Plaid and The Blueprint Social. All opinions and love for Martha Stewart crafts are my own.

Mother's Day is a little over two weeks away. I have always thought handmade gifts for Mother's and Father's Day are the most meaningful. When I was little I would make cards out of construction paper and markers. My crafts have come a long way, but just knowing I put the time and effort into creating something handmade makes the gifts so much more special. Martha Stewart Crafts makes it easy to create beautiful, thoughtful, handmade gifts with the new line of glass paints, tools and etching cream.

I created two different projects using the products I received from Plaid. If you follow along with me on Instagram, you saw this big box of goodies I got to play with!

I started by creating a project with the glass paints, silk screens and squeegee tools. I love fresh cut flowers as much as the next gal, but for gifts I often like to give a potted plant. They last so much longer, and some of them can even be planted in the garden to enjoy for years to come!

I didn't just want to put my plant in a plain, boring pot though. I received this package of gorgeous silk screen designs. I was a little intimidated at first to try them out, but they were a cinch to use.

First, cut out your design from the larger sheet of silkscreens. (There are guide lines pre-printed right onto the sheet.) Next, you want to thoroughly clean your container. The glass paints will work on almost any glass or ceramic surface. Give your container a good scrub with soap and water. Then wipe the area you will be working on with rubbing alcohol to remove any remaining residues that may be on there.

Peel your silk screen design off of the backing sheet. I chose a pretty butterfly design. Attach to your glass or ceramic surface. The back is slightly sticky.

Squeeze paint onto the design part of your silkscreen. These glass paints are great for smaller designs because they have a pointed applicator tip.

Smooth the paint over the silkscreen design using the squeegee tool. For this small butterfly design I used the medium sized one (1/2 inch).

Carefully peel off your silk screen, using care not to smudge your design.

Rinse your silk screen with water and it is ready to use again. (I re-used this one silk screen at least 10 times on this project. By the end most of the stickiness on the bag was gone, but you could probably just use spray adhesive to attach it to your next project.)

I placed random butterflies all over the pot using the 'Vanilla bean' gloss paint. I allowed this to dry for about 30 minutes before I added a design to the top and more butterflies to the sides with the 'Pool' gloss paint.

You can air cure your glass project for 21 days or you can cure it in the oven. If you choose to cure it in the oven, let it air dry for 1 hour, then bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Your glass or ceramic pieces will be top rack dishwasher safe.

I also received etching cream and really wanted to try it. I have been nervous to try this product, but I wish I would have purchased it sooner. It is so fun and easy to use.

First, you will start again with preparing your surface. Wash with soapy water, dry and then clean with rubbing alcohol. I used the silkscreen designs again for this project. If needed, cut out your design from the larger sheet of silkscreens. Apply to your desired surface.

Apply a thick layer of etching cream using the supplied brush.

Peel off your silkscreen stencil and rinse with water. Allow your surface to sit for 15 minutes. After this time, rinse off the etching cream with water.

The first pattern I chose did not completely cover my glass. I waited until the first application was completely finished before applying the second half of the design. It was a little tricky to line up the stencil and I didn't get great coverage at the corner of one of the designs. This is something that will just take some practice, I think.

Tip: You definitely want to leave the etching cream on for the recommended period of time. Don't be shy with it either! (Trust me, I learned about this from experience with one of the votives I didn't end up showing you!)

Learn more about Plaid Crafts:

Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Blog

See more great projects using Martha Stewart Crafts products:

Linking up here: The 36th Avenue, The Shabby Nest, Tatertots and Jello, That's What Che Said, Sew Many Ways, Lolly Jane, Sugar Bee Crafts, Not Just a Housewife, Clean and Scentsible

Confession Time

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:28:51 PDT

I have been thinking about writing this post for a while, and I decided it was finally time to just do it. I have been in a bit of a blogging funk lately. I have so much to blog about, but just can't seem to find the words to write.

In a world bombarded with social media - Facebook, Twitter, and especially Pinterest, I find myself constantly comparing myself to others. And all of this comparison makes me feel like I just don't quite measure up. Measure up to these impossible standards I have set for myself and society has set on me. I cannot do it all.

Source: Life Unfluffled

I am a mom, first and foremost. That is my number one priority, but lately I have been feeling completely burnt out. I don't get a lot of time to myself and it is really starting to wear on me. I feel like my creative juices are gone, at least temporarily. I haven't had a chance to recharge my batteries. Then, I read other blogs and surf Pinterest to hopefully find some motivation and get my spark back, when really it just makes me feel like I am not enough. Like, how can all these other wives, moms, and crafters do all of these things and I feel like I am barely keeping it together most days?

Source: From Up North

But, really, this is completely unfair. Of course, the projects I look at all seem great. These are the "beauty shots" of these women's lives. What I am not seeing is the dishes not washed, the staying up late, way after the kids are in bed to finish the project for a deadline, the 2 days it actually took to finish a half hour project because the kids are running around and need something, and they come first.

I have posted before how 'comparison is the thief of joy' and it truly, truly is. If I really sit back and think about it, I love my life. I love being a mom. I love my home (even in it's completely unperfect state). I love my husband. I love being able to be home with my kids and not having to have a 'real' job. I love being able to have a hobby that can hopefully someday provide my family with extra income. But the minute I start looking at what others are doing, even those ladies I admire and aspire to be more like, all I can think about is how what I am doing is not enough.

Source: . . . and Spiritually Speaking

I have been hesitant to show you all spaces in my home, because they will probably never be magazine worthy. Even though I can organize spaces with the best of them, I cannot (and do not always want to) spend a fortune on bins and perfectly coordinated baskets. Maybe at another time in my life I will be able to do that, but part of me will always be frugal. Even when we are doing great, financially. Part of me will always be earth-concious and I would rather re-use something we have then go buy something new.

Source: Blimp Cat Studio on Etsy

And even though my house may never be featured in a glossy spread magazine, my home is my own. I love it and I love that I am able to organize and DIY it. And in reality, there are probably more of you that live in a home that looks like mine then there are those that live in a perfectly styled magazine ready home. So, I am vowing to myself to embrace my home. Embrace the fact that I love the heck out of it because we have poured blood, sweat and tears into it. Embrace my home because it is a home and not just a house. Embrace the imperfections and all it's little quirks. Embrace the fact that it isn't huge, but every square inch of it is used to it's fullest potential.

Source: Hey Miss Awesome on Tumblr

And what does that mean for this little blog of mine? It means you will be seeing a lot more of my home. A lot more of the projects I have completed, but didn't feel like they quite measured up.

Linking here: Tatertots and Jello

River Rock Boot Tray

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:18:51 PDT

First up, this week I am over at Craft Storage Ideas, sharing how you can turn an old armoire into a craft storage space. If you don't have an entire room to devote to crafting this can be a great solution for you!

And now onto today's post. Even though I live in Northern Arizona we still can get wet, rainy (and even snowy) weather! And when it isn't raining, my kids are typically outside playing in the backyard in the water. I don't like having soggy shoes hanging out all over our entry way, so I came up with a quick, easy and stylish way to turn a cookie sheet into a boot tray.

Supplies needed:

Old cookie sheet
River rock (mine was purchased from Dollar Tree)
Spray paint (optional)
Glue gun and plenty of hot glue

Step One:

Here you can see my cookie sheet. It had definitely seen better days. Since I ~~am a hoarder~~ like to upcycle, I knew I could find some other use for it. (If you are purchasing a new cookie sheet for this project and don't mind the color, the next few steps are optional). The first step was to lightly sand it down. This helps the spray paint to adhere.

Step Two:

Spray paint your tray in the color of your choice. We have a lot of dark colors in our entry way, so I decided to go with Krylon's Gloss Leather Brown. Plus, I already had this paint on hand from another project. It may take several coats of paint to get full coverage. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for your paint.

After one coat

Step Three:

After your spray paint has fully dried, you can start gluing on your river rocks. I just applied a small amount of glue to the back of each rock and glued it down. It is sort of like a puzzle to attach the rocks. You want some gaps to allow the water to drip off the bottom of the shoes and for air to circulate, but you don't want huge gaps between your rocks.

I had some rock on hand, but realized quickly I would not have enough. I ended up having to get 2 or 3 more bags of rocks from Dollar Tree (in the craft section). I also, got tired of gluing so many small rocks, so in the opposite corner from where I started I added larger rocks and slowly incorporated them into the smaller rocks. You want to choose the flatter rocks or your tray will end up being extremely heavy.

Tip: If you get a lot of glue strands, you can take a blow dryer and melt the strands away quickly and easily.

Now you have a place to put all those wet shoes from outside! This project was quick, easy and inexpensive since I had most of the items on hand. Even if you had to purchase all the supplies, it should still cost you under $10 to make!

Linking up here: Tatertots and Jello, Not Just a Housewife, Sugar Bee Crafts, Lolly Jane, Clean and Scentsible

Home Management Binder: Events and Projects

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:45:37 PDT

Today I am sharing with you two more sections of my home management binder. These sections are completely optional, but are perfect for those of you that entertain frequently and/or have a lot of projects to keep track of on your list.

So far, we have talked about setting up your binder, planning and contacts, and children and family. You can click on any of those links to find out more detail about each section. Today, we are going to talk about 'Events' and 'Projects'.

First up, let's talk about the 'Events' tab. (I actually have mine labeled 'Events/Holidays' in my binder as these are all very similar in nature.)

So what do I include in the section? Pretty much anything related to any major event, party, holiday, etc. that we host in our home.

The first sheet in this section is my party planning printable schedule. I keep in in a plastic sheet projector so I can re-use it for each party. About two months before the kid's birthdays I sit down and write down the actual dates that the items need to be completed. As I get each task done, I put a check mark next to the item.

Then, for each party I print out the rest of the pages and fill them in as I have the information. This is great because I am able to keep all the information in one place and stay on track for all of my planning.

I will also hand write a list of what we are doing for Thanksgiving or Christmas on a sheet of lined paper. I include menus, shopping lists, etc. I keep these in my binder because they can be great inspiration for the next year. Also, I can write notes about what worked well and what did not so the next holiday runs more smoothly. I also keep track of holiday cards that are sent out and Christmas gifts.

The next section I am going to talk about is the 'projects' tab.

We are homeowners and there are always projects to be done.

For instance, in the next month or so we are going to be working on finishing up our kitchen renovations - tiled countertops, new sink and faucet! This is basically my brain dump for any and everything we need to do on the house. I filled out a project planning worksheet from the Home Depot that you can print out and estimate what you will need to re-do our counters.

I also have a sheet of lined paper for each room of the house. As I think of things that need to be done (that won't be done that week) I write them down here. This is a "if time and money were no object" kind of list. It is as much a wish list as it is a workable to-do list. As items are finished I cross them off this list.

We have a raised garden bed and each year I draw a rough plan of what we planted and where. I keep these in the binder so I can rotate where the plants are each year. (This helps to keep from depleting the soil of certain nutrients from having the same thing planted in the same location each year.)

I also have price lists from our local garden center and pamphlets I have picked up about local gardening. Pretty much any project that needs to be done around the house, if it has paperwork for it, it goes here!

I hope this gives you some inspiration on what to include in your binder in these sections. Do you have a specific place where you keep all this kind of paperwork?

Upcycled Watering Jug

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:31:57 PDT

We have two cats and we go through a lot of cat litter in our house. I don't always buy the same kind, but whenever I buy the Tidy Cats jugs, I always feel like I should recycle them and find another use for them.
They are not too big or too small. The last one that I purchased, I easily turned into a watering jug for our garden!

Supplies needed:

Cat litter jug (or any other plastic container with a handle - a milk jug would work too!)
Drill with small drill bit

Step One:

Remove label from your container. (This is one reason why I love this container. The label is not printed on the container. It is a thin sheet of plastic-like material you can just tear right off.) Clean out the container at this time as well. Washing with some hot, soapy water should be sufficient.

Step Two:

Using your drill, drill some small holes into the lid. There is no science here, just space them fairly evenly apart until you feel like you have enough to get a good spray pattern from the water. It is best to have a small piece of scrap wood under your lid while drilling so you don't end up drilling through whatever surface you are working on.

I don't have a picture of this, but when you drill into the plastic you will get all these curly cue plastic pieces hanging off your finished piece. Just pull them off and throw them away.

Step Three:

Fill your jug with water, and get all those plants in the garden watered! I fill mine about 3/4 full or else it becomes a little too heavy for me.

Have you found a new, unexpected use for any items in your home lately?

Linking up here: Live, Laugh, Rowe, The 36th Avenue, Sew Many Ways, Sugar Bee Crafts, Not Just a Housewife, Lolly Jane, Clean and Scentsible, Tatertots and Jello

Tooth Fairy Pillow

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 20:41:38 PDT

Recently, my son lost his first tooth. If you have kids you know what a big deal this can be! It was an especially big deal in our house because most of my son's friends had already lost a tooth. He was definitely feeling left out and like he was the only one not to lose one yet!

I wanted to be sure to create a really special memory for him, plus I wanted a way for the "tooth fairy" to easily be able to get his tooth as well as leave him a special treat!

So, on the day he lost his tooth I whipped up this tooth fairy pillow in about a half hour with supplies I had on hand. (Sometimes it pays to be a craft supply hoarder. Wink, wink!)

Supplies needed:

One felt sheet (color of choice)
Image of tooth
White felt
Black embroidery thread and needle
Fusible interfacing (optional)
Sewing machine and coordinating thread
Ribbon (optional)
Fiberfill

Step One:

Cut two squares of felt in the color of your choice. I made mine 6 inches wide allowing for a half inch seam allowance on each side.

Step Two:

I found a tooth image off of Google images. You can do a search for 'tooth clip art' or 'tooth coloring page' to find a lot of great images to print out. I printed it on regular copy paper, cut it out and traced it onto my white felt.

Step Three:

It is hard to see, but I drew on the face features from my image so I could stitch it using embroidery thread.

I stitched the eyes on using french knots and the smile using a back stitch. After I finished my stitching I used a small piece of fusible webbing over the stitches to cover them up. Since we would be sliding teeth and money in and out of the pillow I didn't want the stitches to come loose or have anything get caught on them. This step is optional though. Follow manufacturers instructions on how to use your fusible webbing.

Step Four:

Attach your tooth shape to one piece of your pre-cut felt. I used a zig zag stitch on my sewing machine to attach it. You could also attach this by hand if you didn't want to use your machine. Leave an opening at the top of the tooth shape to slide your tooth and/or money in.

Step Five (optional):

Attach ribbon to the top of your square felt piece to create a hanger. (This is where my sewing skills (or lack there of) came up. You really want to sew this piece with the loop facing down towards the right side of your pillow. If you sew it like I did, be sure to tuck the ribbon down into the pillow before stitching. I made the mistake of sewing my pillow together with the ribbon how it is, and once it is sewn this way, the ribbon ends up on the inside of the pillow rather than the outside! I had to take out my stitches at the top of the pillow and re-stitch them after tucking in the ribbon.

Step Six:
With right sides together (and your ribbon facing into the inside part of the pillow), pin and then stitch around the edges of the pillow. Leave an opening to turn your pillow right side out!

Before turning your pillow right side out, clip the corners. This will allow for neater corners. Be careful not to cut your stitches when doing this.

Step Seven:

Turn your pillow right side out and stuff with fiberfill or your stuffing of choice. Stitch the bottom closed. You can do this by hand or with your sewing machine. I used my needle and thread and did a blind stitch.

Hang it near your child's bed or on the door for the tooth fairy to find.

{via Instagram}

Do you do anything special when the tooth fairy comes?

Linking up here: Sugar Bee Crafts, Not Just a Housewife, Clean and Scentsible, The 36th Avenue, Tatertots and Jello, That's What Che Said, Sew Many Ways

Moen Kiran Spot Resistant Faucet

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:09:07 PDT

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Moen, Incorporated. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you have been reading this blog since the beginning, you will know we started a mini kitchen renovation almost 2 years ago! We taped joint seams, painted over some really hideous walls, updated all the hardware on the cabinets and gave a few other items a facelift. Then life got busy with two kids and we didn't really have the time or money to finish up the last few items on our list.

We have awful laminate countertops that are peeling up and overall in really bad shape. We finally are to the fun stage of picking out tile (we are going to DIY our countertops)! My husband and I were talking more about the update and figured if we are pulling out the sink and faucet to re-do the counters, now would be the great time to replace both!

We replaced our faucet when we did the orgininal changes to our kitchen. We basically just needed something a little better than the old one. Not to mention the fact that the old homeowners put the faucet handles on backwards so you had to turn the handles towards the wall instead of towards the sink to turn the water on!

Now that we have lived with our kitchen for a while, I really want something much more updated and modern looking. I would love to have a pull down faucet so we could eliminate the need for an extra sprayer. I also want something with a really high arch so that I don't have to finagle my pots and pans underneath it while doing dishes. I have been searching for the perfect faucet, and Moen is definitely at the top of the list!

Isn't it beautiful?

The Moen Boardwalk offers all of these features plus more! It also has a spot and fingerprint resistant finish. Anything that will cut down on cleaning time in the kitchen is a huge score for me!

I can't wait to share with you the last steps of our kitchen renovation. And I can't wait for it to be all done! (Although living without a kitchen sink for a weekend will not be so fun.)

Learn more about Moen and all of their great faucets:

Facebook / Twitter

You can purchase the Kiran Spot Resist one-handle pulldown kitchen faucet at Lowe's!

Easter Photo Banner

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 20:32:51 PDT

I think by now you all know how much I love Kristy and being an affliate for Life-n-Reflection. This month I was sent the Gardenia photo minis. The photo minis that Kristy offers in her shop are perfect for small projects like mini albums, project life or scrapbook pages.

Once I saw these gorgeous minis, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

Butterflies and spring colors were perfect to capture our Easter pictures of the kids through the years. I don't know about your kids, but mine love looking at pictures of themselves from years past!

A sweet, simple little banner was the perfect way to display some of my favorite pictures from previous Easter holidays.

I started by editing my photos and adding them to the photo minis in Photoshop. Once I had all the ones I wanted finished, I printed them as wallet size pictures on plain white card stock paper.

I trimmed each of the photos. I used some small clothespins I had left over from a scrapbooking project and hung them from yellow twine. (A little twine makes every project better!)

I hung the banner above the doors to my office/hobby room. We can all enjoy looking at the pictures and remembering how much fun we have had as a family. The greatest part of this project is I can easily add these pictures to scrapbook pages. Or, I can save them and add to the banner each year!

If you are looking for last minute Easter decor to make your day extra special, Kristy has offered a free Egg Hunt sign for you to download and print.

Egg Hunt Sign

I hope you all have a happy holiday this weekend!

Disclosure: I am an affiliate for Life-n-Reflection. I receive products to try out and review. All opinions are 100% my own and I only recommend products that I really love myself!
Linking up here: The Girl Creative, I Heart Naptime, Sugar Bee Crafts, Not Just a Housewife, Clean and Scentsible, The 36th Avenue, Tatertots and Jello, That's What Che Said

Friday Freebie: My Memories Party Bag {3/29}

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 08:40:00 PDT

Today's freebies from My Memories are really fun! If you need a last minute treat bag for Easter, I have got you covered! I have three printables for you to download and customize. The download includes the party bags plus all the elements and papers used to create them.

You will need to create a My Memories account to receive your free downloads. While you are there, you can also download a trial version of My Memories on the website! If you would like to purchase the My Memories software, see my special discount code at the end of this post. And as always, you can download these craftables for use with any photo editing software (Photoshop, etc.).

This week's kits:

Freebie Kit 1

Freebie Kit 2

Freebie Kit 3

Download your Freebie Kit 1, Freebie Kit 2 and Freebie Kit 3. Be sure to download these kits right away. They change every few weeks and after that, these particular downloads will no longer be available for free. (These are available until April 7.)

A free online tutorial on how to use these craftable kits can be found here: http://www.mymemories.com/craftables/partybag

DISCOUNT:

Enter code STMMMS30543 at checkout to receive $10 off the My Memories Suite v4 Software. You will also receive a $10 coupon to use in the My Memories store. (A $20 value!)

Disclosure: I am able to offer these freebies to you by being a Share the Memories affilate.

Givewaway: Hunter Boots

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 08:40:11 PDT

I am so excited to be co-hosting this amazing giveaway from Through the Eyes of the Mrs. One lucky reader will win their very own pair of Hunter Boots. So cute, huh?

Hello there lovelies. Today sponsors and supporters of Through the Eyes of the Mrs. have a treat for you! The opportunity to win a pair of Hunter Boots valued up to $135.00. The best part is if you win you get to pick the style and color. Enter below through Rafflecopter! Lots of luck to each of you.

Please Note that you should be a follower of Through the Eyes of the Mrs.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Green Giant Snack Chips: A Giant Surprise #AGiantSurprise #spon

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:19:23 PDT

As a mom I struggle all the time to find the balance between healthy eating and allowing my kids to have "kid foods". My kids and I are big snackers. However, it can be hard to find quick, easy snacks that are healthy. Well, Green Giant has a surprise talent - delicious veggie snack chips! I was really excited to try these out!

Product Information

The Green Giant™ Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips – Zesty Cheddar Flavor are made with real vegetables, 17 grams of whole grain per serving (48g are recommended daily), and are naturally flavored.
The Green Giant™ Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips – Sea Salt Flavor are made with real sweet potatoes and made with 14 grams of whole grain. Plus, they contains 40 percent less fat than regular potato chips*!
*Green Giant Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips (6g per 28g serving) have 40 percent less fat than regular potato chips (10g per 28g serving).

We tried out two of the varieties of the chips - the Zesty Cheddar Roasted Veggie Tortilla chips and the Sea Salt Multigrain Sweet Potato chips. The zesty cheddar ones were so good, I ate them myself and didn't share any with the kids! Seriously guys, they were so good! I won't feel guilty adding these to my snack shopping list!

The sea salt chips were super crunchy - perfect for when you are craving something a little salty. They are made with real sweet potatoes and have 14 grams of whole grain per serving. They also have 40% less fat than regular potato chips!

It was definitely a pleasant surprise with how tasty these chips were!

Learn more about Green Giant here: Green Giant's Facebook page or YouTube channel.

You can check out all the surprise talents Green Giant has unearthed: http://youtu.be/BfHUBT9vKVU
Share your own surprise talents with the Giant: https://www.facebook.com/greengiant/app_129779140529140

Thank you to The Green Giant™ for being a sponsor. Show the Giant your surprise talent a twww.facebook.com/greengiant

Friday Freebie: My Memories Luck of the Irish {3/15}

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 08:15:48 PDT

My Memories has done it again! These printable cupcake liners and toppers are so cute. If you are having a St. Patrick's Day party, these would make really quick work of your decorations! I have three printables for you to download and customize. The download includes the liners and toppers plus all the elements and papers used to create them.

This week's kits:

Freebie Kit 1

Freebie Kit 2

Freebie Kit 3

DISCOUNT:

Enter code STMMMS30543 at checkout to receive $10 off the My Memories Suite v4 Software. You will also receive a $10 coupon to use in the My Memories store. (A $20 value!)

Disclosure: I am able to offer these freebies to you by being a Share the Memories affilate.

Celebrate National Pi Day #MCPiDay #spon

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:19:23 PDT

Today, March 14, is National Pi Day! 3/14 just like the number $π$ (pi), 3.14 - get it? :)

3.14159265359

You may not know this about me, but I have always been a bit of a science and math nerd. True story. In college I was studying for a degree in biology. After my first semester of college my guidance counselor told me I was finished with all of my math requirements. I was actually pretty sad that I didn't have to take anymore math. In all honesty, if I had more room in my schedule I probably would have taken a few math courses just for fun!

As much as I like math, I 'might' like dessert a little more. Pi day is the perfect ~~excuse~~ day for having a little pie for dessert. It is a fun way to teach your kid's about math while having a special little treat!

I am an excellent baker, but for some reason I cannot bake a pie crust to save my life. (Confession: I always end up having to use store bought crust.) Luckily for me, Marie Callender's makes delicious pies and all the work is done for me. I went to the store, and was suprised by how many choices were there. My favorite is lemon meringue, but my hubby and the kids don't really like it. Instead, I chose a delicious Chocolate Satin Pie.

Can I just tell you this pie is delicious! Super chocolate-y and creamy. Everyone in the family had some and everyone loved it!

Here are some $π$ facts to share with your kids:

Pi is the most recognized mathematical constant in the world
We can never truly measure the circumference or the area of a circle because we can never truly know the value of pi
Pi is an irrational number, meaning its digits go on forever in a seemingly random sequence
In the Greek alphabet, pi is the sixteenth letter. In the English alphabet, p is also the sixteeth letter.
"Pi Day" is celebrated on March 14 (which was chosen because it resembles 3.14). The official celebration begins at 1:59 p.m., to make an appropriate 3.14159 when combined with the date.
Albert Einstein was born on Pi Day (3/14/1879)

(All facts were obtained here)

You can celebrate National Pi Day, too! Enjoy this $1.50 off coupon for any Marie Callender's frozen pies:

http://clvr.li/WisbJs (coupon expires March 31, 2013)

After you try your pie be sure to head over and rate and review it: http://clvr.li/YbnAp3

You can also check out Marie Callender's blog for party ideas, how-to's and more: http://clvr.li/Ye3AlJ

So tell me, what is your favorite type of pie?

Disclosure: I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Rainbow Jello

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 20:40:24 PDT

I have another fun project we did last year for St. Patrick's Day. Since many people decorate and do crafts with rainbows for St. Patrick's Day, I thought making rainbow jello would be fun!

Supplies Needed:

6 packages of jello (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple - flavors of your choice)
Clear plastic or glass cups or bowls (tall and skinny ones work best)

This project is fairly straight forward. Make the first color of jello according to package directions. You can either start with red or purple, depending on which direction you want your rainbow. After you have made the jello, pour a small amount into each of your cups.

Let the jello set up for 30 minutes to an hour before you add another color or your colors will just blend together. Pour your next level of jello very slowly and carefully. Keep adding layers of jello until you have all six colors in your cup.

Top with a whip cream 'cloud' (totally optional) and enjoy!

Some thoughts on making rainbow jello:

It might be better to make the jello more like Jello jigglers where you use half the amount of water and just do it in a large rectangular pan. After all the layers have been made, cut it out into bars and top with whip cream.
If you are going to do this project, be aware it makes a LOT of jello! This would be a great project to do for a party or another event where you will have more than 2 children eating the jello.
Small, skinny, tall cups work best. Otherwise you end up with so much jello in one cup.
This was a fun project and I think it turned out really cute, but it is really time consuming and not something I plan on doing every year.

Have you ever made rainbow jello? How did it turn out?

Sharing with these blogs: Sugar Bee Crafts, Not Just a Housewife, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Clean and Scentsible, The 36th Avenue, The Shabby Nest, Tatertots and Jello

Home Management Binder: Children and Family

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 20:40:52 PDT

Today I am sharing the next installment of setting up your home management binder. So far we have talked about what supplies you need to set up your binder, as well as the planning and contact sections. Now we will talk about the 'Children' and 'Family' sections. I will be sharing some additional free printables with you as well.

The 'Children' section is one I use the most, especially now that my son has started participating in sports and is attending school. If you don't have children yet, you may want to include a place for your pets or you can omit this section all together.

Pretty much everything that has to do with my kids goes in this section. First, I have information sheets for both of my children. I try to update these each time my child has their yearly well check exam and once again about 6 months later. This way I can update a current weight and height for each child. This helps for when we need to administer medication to them. (It is best to medicate by weight rather than age.) If you have a child under 2 you may need to update this information more frequently as their weight and height changes more often. The sheet also includes allergy and insurance information for each child. This is a great reference sheet for caretakers as well.

Child Information Sheet

Next in my binder I include a sheet I received from my doctor with dosing instructions for different types of medication. I keep it in a page protector right behind the the kid's general information.

After this, I include a babysitter checklist. I write in the information that does not change such as our cell phone numbers and address. Then, I slip it into a page protector. I use a wet erase marker to fill it out whenever we use a babysitter. (You can also use a dry erase marker on page protectors, but I find they rub off too easily and make a bigger mess.)

Babysitter Checklist

You can fill in information for up to three children. You can include what foods they are allowed to have, when they should have a nap or go to bed, what discipline technique your babysitter should use (time out, loss of privileges, etc.), as well as all the information for where you are going and when you will be home. I included a place for your home address and phone number. This can be valuable information your babysitter may not know in case of any emergency and needing to call for help.

Next, is school paperwork that I need to refer back to, such as the school handbook, and information sent home for parents goes here. I do not include any of my son's school work that he brings home. That has a whole other storage solution I hope to share with you soon. I have this section marked with a removable tab so I can easily reference all the information.

One thing I wanted to mention about setting up your binder is if you use dividers that also include a folder (instead of just plain ones), is you can use that folder to temporarily hold information until you hole punch it and put it in the binder. I also put permission slips or anything else that may need to be signed or returned to school that I do not immediately put in his folder to go back the next day.

I also include any sports information. Usually there is a lot of paper work whenever a new season starts. The printable calendar goes in the front 'calendar' section, but uniform information, picture forms and any other information involving sports goes here. I keep the information until the season is over and then I will remove it and either permanently file it or throw it out.

The family section holds more general family information (not specific to the children). I have library information, print out of maps of parks in our area, and brochures I may pick up that may be something for us to do.

Download (for PERSONAL USE ONLY. Please feel free to share this download, but link back to the original post.):

Is there anything else you include in your family or children sections of your home management binders?

Sharing with these great blogs: That's What Che Said, Sugar Bee Crafts, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Not Just a Housewife, Clean and Scentsible, The 36th Avenue, The Shabby Nest, Tatertots and Jello

Kids Craft: Green Pepper Shamrocks

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 17:07:59 PST

Today, I have a fun activity for you to do with your kids for St. Patrick's Day. Did you know if you cut a green pepper in half it looks very similar to a shamrock shape? It does! Add a little green paint and you have a fun stamping activity for your kids to do.

These pictures are from last year. My kiddos look so little! I never had a chance to blog about this project, although we do plan on doing this again this year since it was so fun.

Supplies Needed:

Green pepper (1/2 per child)
Green paint
Paper plate(s)
Paper

Start by having an adult cut the green pepper in half. (Do not cut it lengthwise or this project will not work correctly).

Spread some green paint on a paper plate for each child. You can use any kind of paint. We used acrylic paint, but realize if this gets on their clothing it can stain. If you have younger children or are worried about messes, use a washable kid's paint instead.

Now it is time to have fun and let your kids stamp away! If they are older, once the paint is dry you can have them either paint or draw on the shamrock stems.

Whenever we do painting projects, I always use one of our thin plastic cutting boards underneath the kid's papers. This helps to contain some of the mess. The paint doesn't bleed through onto the table and most of the mess is contained. I give them a quick rinse and then through them into the dishwasher.

Do you have any fun St. Patrick's Day crafts you have done with your kids? I would love to hear about it!

Sharing here: Project Inspire, Sew Many Ways, The Gunny Sack, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Not Just a Housewife, Sugar Bee Crafts, That's What Che Said, Clean and Scentsible, Create, Craft, Love, The 36th Avenue, Tatertots and Jello

Friday Freebie: My Memories Mardi Gras Masks {3/1}

noreply@blogger.com (Lauras Crafty Life) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:59:11 PDT

Happy March, friends! March is National Craft Month and Spring Cleaning Month. Plus, we have two holidays this month - St. Patrick's Day and Easter. I have some really fun things planned for this upcoming month.

First up, since is it Spring Cleaning Month, I will be reposting the 31 days to a deep clean home posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ if you want to follow along and get your house cleaned for spring.

Next up, since it is National Craft Month and I have been in a crafting funk lately, I am really going to try to do 1 to 2 crafts per week this month. I may not be blogging about all of them this month, but I just hope to get some of my inspiration back.

And now on to our Friday Freebie! Don't forget, you have until the end of today to enter to win my Favorite Things giveaway, including My Memories software.

My Memories has some really fun free craftables for you - mardi gras masks! These would be so fun for a party or for playing dress up. I have three mardi gras masks for you to download and customize. The download includes the masks plus all the elements and papers used to create them.

This week's kits:

Freebie Kit 1

Freebie Kit 2

Freebie Kit 3

DISCOUNT:

Enter code STMMMS30543 at checkout to receive $10 off the My Memories Suite v4 Software. You will also receive a $10 coupon to use in the My Memories store. (A $20 value!)

Disclosure: I am able to offer these freebies to you by being a Share the Memories affilate.