Valentine's Day Hairbows with Bowdabra! (And a Little Make-Money-at-Home or Fundraising Idea)

I'm so excited to share our Valentine's Day 2012 family craft!

I've worked with Bowdabra before, was let down when my daughter stood me up for our Bowdabra date another time, and absolutely love the fabulous, spunky, and dog-loving founder of Bowdabra, so when she asked me during a discussion on the phone if I wanted to try out the hair bow tool, I was ecstatic!

(We discussed in a quick email how even younger boys - like mine - love to make bows with the Bowdabra. If you go to our 2011 Christmas Card and scroll down to the pictures at the bottom, you will see our Bowdabra'd-out Christmas Tree that the boys helped with!)

Big Oops!

When the ribbons, bow wire and barrettes arrived, I showed them to my lovely daughter and told her that we could make a few hair bows for her friends. Well, let's just say she went a little bit overboard with what I said and went to school announcing that we were making hair bows for the whole class...and I found out that she did this, because she came home from school the other day and showed me a little piece of folded up paper with a 14 written on the inside.

That 14 was the number of girls in her class. Oh, goodness!

Okay, so I guess I'm getting way beyond the Valentine's Hair Bows that we made...but, just so you know, I ended up taking on more than I expected with this project!

To Get Started

First of all, I want to let you know that the hair bow tool includes a intricately done ebook with step-by-step instructions accompanied by images for even the un-craftiest person, and it's on a convenient CD, so we popped the CD into my daughter's laptop and kept it on to reference as we made bows.

Now, you'll have to humor me, because I not only let my children make the bows, I also let my daughter take the photos, so you're not going to see perfectly made hair bows...and they are not perfectly photographed, but that's not the point, right? It was fun for all, and that's what counts!

EXTRA INCOME OPPORTUNITY!

I've tried to help many, many other mothers who have chosen to take the stay-at-home mom option (for one reason or another) to find ways that they can feel like they're contributing to the financial needs of their household by brainstorming ideas with them. Although freelancing is an option for some of the women I chatted with, not everyone wants to work in the writing/freelancing, Internet consulting and management or social media management niches (the remote job opportunities that I love!), but many would be inclined to turn their crafting ideas into profit.

They could create wreaths decorated with bows and tailor the ribbon to the many holidays throughout the year...

For the upcoming Valentine's Day, red, white and pinks bows, whether polka-dot, striped or another pattern of choice, could be attached to a wreath for display on a front door.

Or you can make cute little hairbows like we made! 

And make money. You could start your own little Etzy store. Or, sell them at local craft fair. When I was in my early to mid teen years, I used to make hair scrunchies and sell them at the local beauty parlor. It was so excited at the end of the week when I went to pick up the cash from the sales.

Depending on the fabrics I used and the time of year (I loved holiday season!), there were some really great weeks for a girl my age - I'll never forget the Friday I went to the salon right before Christmas and the owner handed me $150 - I had worked hard to make about seventy five scrunchies and told the salon owner to discount them 50% three days before Christmas, because they all had Christmas patterns on them and I would rather them sell than sit for another year (the investment financially was miniscule, it was the time investment that made the little pocket money) .

The owner had a really loyal client base and several stylists and happened to be the only hairdressing salon in the town - people would drive to see her from a town or to over, and they came back on a regular basis, and she said that the women and girls who came in were always excited to see the new scrunchies that were there. They sold pretty good, as I look back.  

No...you're not going to get rich, and it's definitely not going to be a quick, huge payout, but it's certainly an idea to get a little padding in your pocket. And, if you like - or even LOVE - to craft and have a creative and innovative way of thinking when it comes to coming up with unique projects, the Bowdabra opens the door to even more possibilities.

Hand-made Unique Gifts & FUNDRAISERS


People have learned to treasure hand-made gifts and the time that people put into them. We're not the stay-home-and-cook-and-do-chores-all-day type of moms (or grandmas) anymore, so the fact that we took the time out of our busy schedules means something to other people in this day and age.

So, whipping up hairbows for birthdays or other special occasions, or even using them as fundraising items is another possibility.

Can you think of any other ways Bowdabra can help you make money from home?


Thanks for the hair bow tool, ribbons and barrettes, Bowdabra! We had fun!

Crafting with the Kiddies

Crafts are great fun year round, but especially around the holidays. Gather up the construction paper, markers, and everyday supplies you have hanging around the house, like cotton balls, to make some or all of the following crafts. Spend time with your kids and make some holiday decorations that you can cherish for years to come.

1. Construction paper chain

This versatile craft suits all types of holidays. Make a Christmas chain using red and green construction paper or a Hanukkah chain using blue and white paper. You can also use white paper that you decorate with handmade stamps, which can also be purchased at your local craft or stationery store. You can also repurpose brown paper lunch sacks or grocery bags. Once you decide what paper you'll be using, cut into 2" x 8" sections. Decorate with glitter, paint, stickers, ribbon, or anything else that strikes your fancy. Loop the paper strips together and staple or glue to close. This is a good craft to do at the workbench since it can get a little messy.

2. Make a snowperson

This craft helps you find a home for a white sock that no longer has a match. Fill clean socks with a material like dried beans (any kind). You'll be filling three 'compartments,' which should be sectioned off with rubber bands. (You can use any kind of fastener, including ribbon, as long as it's securely tied.) Make a hat from the toe portion of a baby sock, which you can then glue on. Use buttons or beads for eyes and pipe cleaners for arms. A piece of orange paper or felt makes a great snowperson nose.

You can also use Styrofoam balls that can be purchased at any craft store. Choose three different sizes for your snowperson. Use a glue gun or toothpicks to attach the three spheres together. You'll want to level off the bottom of the largest ball so that your snowperson can easily stand up. (You can also glue the largest Styrofoam ball to a wooden base.) Decorate with arms made of twigs, toothpicks, or, again, pipe cleaners. Use leftover fabric or felt scraps to make a hat, a carrot nose, and a scarf.

3. Decorate stockings

This is a personal favorite in our household because it gives kids free reign to decorate however they'd like. Consider making a Santa face with felt and buttons and a beard made from cotton balls. Use fabric paint to draw names or create freehand designs. Make snowpeople, ornaments, candy canes, and more with colored felt and markers. There are a lot of options for this craft, including choosing your own material if you decide to make your own stockings.

Now that you've got some winter crafting ideas, get your creative groove on and welcome the holidays with a bang this year. Start with these ideas and work your way up to making holiday gifts for family and friends. You might even consider opening your very own Etsy store. Have fun!


Holly is a wife and stay-at-home mother who blogs on behalf of Sears and other brands she uses and trusts. She enjoys spending time with her kids, whose next craft idea is decorating the workbench where they make projects.

4 Easy Halloween Decorations You Can Make with Your Kids: Guest Blog

(I received a surprise in my email yesterday! A new guest blogger who is excited to share more Halloween crafts and decorations for you to make with your kids. And, it's just in time...Halloween is right around the corner. Thank you so much, Gunter Jameson, for your contribution to Mommy Rantings...)

Everyone keeps complaining about how Christmas is over-commercialized now, but what about Halloween? It used to be that every kid would make all their own costume, and families would make decorations out of construction paper for the big night. Now it seems that few children make their costumes anymore, and all the decorations are store-bought, denying kids the fun of making their own decorations with the help of their parents. Well, let’s get back to basics. If you’re hankering for the old days of making decorations by hand, here are a few easy ideas to get you started.

Egg Carton Bats

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/halloween/bat.shtml

All you need is an empty egg carton, some scissors, paint, and some string and you’re set.

1)      Cut the egg carton in to four pieces, each piece containing 3 egg container sections—kind of like three-humped camels.

2)      Now, cut the two side carton pieces so they are like arches branching off the middle piece—these are the wings.

3)      Now you can paint the pieces black, or decorate them however you want.

4)      Finally, for added effect, attach a string to the top of the middle section and hang it from a doorway or the ceiling.

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/halloween/bat.shtml

5)      For more information visit: http://www.allfreecrafts.com/halloween/bat.shtml

Hanging Ghosts

Ghost are a staple of Halloween, and you can easily make some out of tissues or—for more lasting ghosts—pieces of white scrap cloth.

1)      Take a handful of tissue and wad it up into a tight ball.

2)      Place the tight ball in the middle of another tissue, or piece of white scrap cloth, and gather up the remaining ends, bunching them together with the ball trapped inside.

3)      Tie a string around the cloth or tissue to trap the ball inside then flip it over. The ball is now the head of the ghost and the cloth is the ghost’s dangly waving body.

4)      You can draw a face on the head of the ghost and hang it from the ceiling (or a tree) for maximum effect, like this:

Milk Jug Creatures

If you’re looking for something that will really let your children’s creativity go wild, gather up some old milk jugs.

1)      Turn the milk jugs up side down, with the flat side pointing toward you.

2)      Wrap construction paper or tissue paper around the jug.

3)      Use markets, pencils, glitter, and other decorations to make the scariest face you can think of on the front.

4)      You can hang the heads from trees or doorways, or simply stack them next to the pumpkins on your front porch for an eerie effect.

Paper Spider Webs

This one is like a magic trick and almost too hard to try and explain in words, but here is a great video illustrating how to make simple, cool spider webs out of paper. Once you’ve got your spider webs, you and your kids can decorate them however you want and hang them around the house.

 

Gunter Jameson writes about several topics including travel, minimalism and online classes.

Thanksgiving Crafts For Kids - Ideas To Inspire Thanks

We all think about eating on Thanksgiving, right? Yummy yummy foods, snacks, desserts...and we usually stuff ourselves so much, we can barely move for three days. Is your mouth watering yet?

http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/tag/gravy/

Even the next day, the food that looked so delectable turns into leftovers that aren't as tempting...

http://marryingthenavy.blogspot.com/2009_12_01_archive.htm

But, Thanksgiving is more than just stuffing our faces, right? It's about family and blessings and being thankful. It's about teaching our children the art of being thankful (however, I firmly believe that we should teach our kids to be thankful EVERY day of the year).

Thanksgiving crafts for kids are a great way to spend time with your kids while discussing the numerous things in life that you are thankful for, and those times never grow old (or go stale, like the leftovers).

http://familyfun.go.com/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-craft-decorations/thanksgiving-turkey-crafts/a-thanksgiving-turkey-715080/

This family has an awesome idea to inspire others to think thankful thoughts. They help their son send out leaves to family members and request that the family members write something that they are thankful for. I love this, love this, love this! Look how thankful that family is!

http://familyfun.go.com/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-craft-decorations/thanksgiving-turkey-crafts/turkey-day-awards-671385/

Here's a way to celebrate each person's achievements this year. Maybe they are performing well in school, being a good big brother or sister, or did something special for someone this year. Hold a special ceremony on Thanksgiving evening and make sure that each person gets an award this year. Or, you can use this as another opportunity to thank each other with "Thank You Awards". (This works especially well for big families like ours.)

http://www.c4k555.org/thanksgiving.html

Crafters for Kids, a non-profit organization, has some easy, economical and adorable Thanksgiving crafting ideas like the hand print turkey above for the crafting-challenged parents who would love to craft with their children, but have no idea where to start. Stop by the site...there are about a dozen cute projects just like this geared toward children for Thanksgiving (and many more for other holidays).

http://www.amazingmoms.com/htm/thanksgiving_crafts.htm

Isn't this just the cutest little stuffed turkey? Take a trip to Amazing Moms to see the other ideas they have for Thanksgiving crafts for kids.

http://happyheartsmom.typepad.com/sweetness_and_light/2007/11/our-week-of-tha.html

A Thankful Tree is a beautiful way to celebrate blessings. Cut out leaves with your child and help them think about all of the things that they are thankful for. Write one thought on each leaf and hang it on the tree. Why don't we do this more often?

Remember that the food might be a fabulously delicious part of Thanksgiving, but the family time spent making crafts and reminding kids to be thankful and count their blessings is irreplaceable. I hope everyone has a blessed holiday season this year. Even though times are rough, look around...there's sure to be a blessing or two in your life to be thankful for.

More Crafting Ideas For Kids

You have flooded my inbox with requests for more crafting ideas for you and the kids. Guess what? I stumbled across some simple and cute ideas for you! But, that's not all...

Even If You're Not Like Martha Stewart (And, I Hope You're Not!)

Look, not all of us are Martha Stewart wanna-be's (and to be quite honest, I think we need a need a new persona to stick in her place), so don't discount these crafts because you don't have a crafty bone in your body. These crafting concepts are perfect for those of you that cannot figure out how to measure, cut and trim, let alone throw a whole project together. To give you an idea of how simple and clear-cut these projects are: if your spiders turn out looking more like octopuses, you won't have any problem making these.

 Crafters 4 Kids

I had the pleasure of speaking with Sandy Sandler yesterday and am so delighted to tell you about Crafters 4 Kids! It's a non-profit organization dedicated to helping other not-for-profits with obtaining the supplies for crafts for their kiddies. The concept of Crafters 4 Kids is focused toward at-risk or underprivileged children, but it doesn't stop there. These ideas can be used in classrooms all over the country, at home, and in day care facilities. The possibilities are endless...

I took a good look at the whole site, and each and every idea on there is simple. In addition, they're all very lightweight on the wallet.

Who doesn't love economical and easy? 

Halloween Crafts

So, you wanted some more Halloween crafts and Crafters 4 Kids has it for you on their Halloween Craft Page. Figure out how to make some adorable pumpkins, spider webs and goblins to decorate the house with. Or, better yet, you could make the crafts with your kids and send them to their teachers at the schools and day cares that they attend.

Help spread the word about Crafters 4 Kids by creating their crafts and giving them as gifts.

Think About What Crafting Does For Our Children

Beyond using creative and thought-provoking mind-bending skills that crafting inspires, children learn to properly use scissors and glue and several other crafting supplies - they're developing their fine motor skills while they work.

They have to follow directions (another part of learning...and this may include some patience on their part) in order to bring the project to fruition.

The best part? There's an immense sense of accomplishment when a project is finished. "Look what I did!" (Accompanied by big, proud smiles - don't we all love to see them proud?)

In addition, if you've never "crafted" with your children before, you will realize how excited and involved they can get. One small craft can turn into hours of designing innovative creations. (My kids go nuts over some cotton balls and multi-colored pipe cleaners!)

I can't say enough about arts and crafts for kids and how vital they can be for expanding and developing a child's mind. Think about children with learning disabilities, too. How great can crafting be for children that struggle on a daily basis to be "just like the other kids"?

And, with the simple crafts that Crafters 4 Kids displays on their website, anyone can feel that sense of pride and accomplishment.

Look Forward To...

Crafters 4 Kids plans to post new Kideos (I love that-they are videos for our kiddie-oh's) that feature new projects in the future. Also in the plans are even more ideas and projects, so keep checking back!

If you love these fabulous ideas and Crafters 4 Kids' mission statement just as much as I do, help me support them in any way that you can.

Supporting can be as simple as making a craft and sending it to your kid's teacher or loyally following the website. If you have a blog, you can help spread the word about Crafters 4 Kids. If you have a project or products, send a message to inquire how you can get involved.

And, if you are in the position of sponsoring a non-profit organization that is devoted to our kids (and provides us great ideas for crafting with our kids) and you find it in your heart to help Crafter 4 Kids continue their mission, I'm sure they'd love to hear from you. Crafters 4 Kids provides excellent sponsorship packages with awesome benefits, including television, radio and Internet exposure.


Kudos to you, Sandy Sandler and Crafters 4 Kids! Thanks for inspiring us to create cool crafts with our children! Even more...thanks for doing it out of the kindness of your heart.

Do It Yourself Fall Crafts: What's Halloween Without Crafting?

It's Halloween craft time! Pumpkins, gourds, scarecrows and all sorts of scary looking monsters have already found their homes in neighbor's yards and the weather is definitely a bit crisper for us northern people. I'm still not completely ready for the weather change - I'm holding my breath for another month of gorgeous weather, but I'm not going to hold it in for long.

In the meantime, as promised, I am rounding up the cutest DIY projects -I've been searching long and hard on the Internet - and I will be posting the links to their directions so you can run to the store, get your supplies, and start making them yourself! What's Halloween without the arts and crafts?

Isn't this adorable? I found it on  Kaboose! It's great for any age and is so easy to reproduce!Fill it up with whatever you choose...but, I would suggest you think beyond filling it with candy. It wouldn't survive a day in my house if I filled it with candy!

I just loved these almost cuddly-looking skeletons with their smiling faces. I found these and their instructions on Woman's Day. Be careful of the buttons and attachments if you have little ones running around the house.

Hostess (With the mostess) has the complete instructions for these Halloween decorations. Again, this one is great for any age that is ready for scissors - and it's great exercise for the little fingers, too! Not to mention, it's easy on the wallet.

If this is not colorful and tasty looking to you, with all of the Halloween/fall colors included, I don't know what is! I bet it smells delicious when it's cooking, too! But, surely if the children won't eat it, they'll still have some fun creating it. Find the recipe at Just Bento!

These little cups are a quick project for the last-minute party treat. I found them on The Crafty Crow (who, by the way, also lists several other ideas for Halloween DIY), however, the link that Crafty Crow provided no longer worked. I would say that you simply decorate the cups with a thin marker and then fill the cup with colored popcorn (do they sell it like that? Most likely not). A sugar, water and food coloring mixture cooked over the stove is the way to create the colorful popcorn (It also works for Christmas tree string popcorn, too!)

I love this one, too! It's crafty-looking, but has that tattered Halloween appeal. Find this (and she has other awesome ideas, too!) at Vanilla Joy. I really liked this one, too! Paper Bags are so versatile:

Join in the fun and leave comments on this post with your favorite DIY Halloween/Fall crafts for us, too. Don't you just love Halloween? There are so many endless ideas for the do-it-yourself-er!