Using Small Spaces- Kids Corner on the Stairs

My house is pretty little, and I'm starting to learn how to make the most of my nooks and crannies! Here's a little spot on the stairs that I created in less than 30 minutes with chalkboard stickers and vintage flash cards.

To string up my vintage Sesame Street flashcards I just tied string onto cute push pins and stuck them in the wall. If they're too loose, they droop a lot, so pull the string tight! I used a flat white tack in the corner so it was less noticeable (although I took the photos before I changed them out). I found some sweet mini clothespins to attach the cards with, although binder clips or even paper clips would work too.

I'm still looking for some way to store the chalk on the wall, so for now, we're using a mason jar to hold the chalk and the brush.

More redesigned nooks and crannies to follow soon!

Vintage and Salvaged Frames into Chalkboards: Tutorial

I ended up with an extra table to fill in a week at my last craft sale (don't ask...) and I wanted to make grown up things for a change. I went scouting at a few thrift stores and found some awesome frames. The plan was to spray paint the frames in nice lively colors and spray paint the glass in chalkboard paint, but as you know, something always goes wrong when I'm crafting something new!

What you need:
Frames
Chalkboard paint (spray or paint on)
Spray paint
Drop Cloth

It turns out that vintage frames are often made a lot differently than modern ones, which mean ripping out nails and hammering them back in and accidentally breaking glass that was seemingly permantently affixed. On one frame, it seemed that the glass was actually trapped in the wood somehow. On that one, I taped off the frame and painted, rather than spraying.

On the ones without glass, or where I broke the glass (wah!) I tried many things. First I called Michael's to ask about custom cut glass, but it was super expensive. Then I went to Home Depot to look for small cuts of sheet metal (magnetic!) or plywood, but no one could help me troubleshoot. I eventually came home and used some fiberboard/poster board from my office supply stash and it worked like a charm.

There was lots of troubleshooting, but the results were great, and people loved the big ones! I think I'll try it again, now that I know what I'm doing!

Patchwork Market Bag

Look what I made! I wanted to try my hand at incorporating simple patchwork into a non-quilt project. Turned out to be a lovely gift for a lovely girlfriend!

I used Hilda's technique for stamping with fabric paint to add a personal touch. Adorable from the back and front!

Adorable No-Sew Felt Box

Check this template out!

Adorable! I used very stiff felt and embellished it with sequin trim. Perfect wrap for little gifts.

Playsilk Fun!

Playsilks make dress-up games so entertaining! Daniel was very proud of his long blue hair.

We spent a whole afternoon making everyone into princesses (oh, son....) and dancing at the ball.

Silk Playground has lots of great ideas for putting your playsilks to work, including using one to line an Easter basket (what a great gift!) and for playing peek-a-boo.