Showing posts with label crafts for moms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crafts for moms. Show all posts

Valentine's Day Sock Gnomes (made from dollar store supplies)

I love simple crafts, and the Valentine's Day sock gnomes that I'm sharing today are easy to make and super-cute. All you need are a few dollar store supplies and a glue gun. You are going to love this one!




First, gather your supplies. You'll need: a mop, white socks, Valentine's Day socks, rice, elastics, and something for a nose (pom poms, painted styrofoam balls, or wood balls).




Then: cut the sock, fill the sock with rice, and secure the top with an elastic. (If you are concerned about the elastic breaking over time, you can reinforce with a piece of thread.)




Use pieces from a dollar store mop to make a beard. Cut strips to the desired lengths, use hot glue to attach the strips to the front of the rice-filled sock, place a Valentine's Day sock over the beard (and glue in place), and separate the strands of the mop. 

Note: For the sock hat, I suggest putting some stuffing in the sock to give it some shape. I also cut the toe off my sock and used red thread to close the end.  Alternatively, you could hot glue a pom pom to the end, or you could put a styrofoam ball in the toe, and secure it with an elastic to make a "faux" pom pom.




Finish by using hot glue to attach a pom pom nose.




At this point, you can consider your gnome finished, or you can add some arms or other embellishments.


To make arms: Use the piece of the sock that you cut off. Cut it to the desired length and width (to fit your gnome), and roll each arm and secure with glue. 

Then, make mittens by cutting twp pieces of red felt, wrapping them around the ends of the arms, and securing the mitts in place with a piece of embroidery floss. Use hot glue to attach the arms (under the hat).




You might find this video helpful too!



I left my gnome plain, but you can embellishment yours with felt hearts, heart-shaped jewels, and/or any accessories you want.




I am using my gnomes as part of my Valentine's Day decor, but I think they'd be perfect to give to friends and family as Valentine's Day gifts. You could add a cute gift tag to make it extra special. I designed a few options that you can print for free.



To print the six gift tags I designed: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.


Don't you just love homemade Valentine's Day decorations? There is something really lovely about all the shades of white, pink and red.




Do you think you'll make your own Valentine's Day sock gnome? I gave you a basic template, but feel free to express your creativity. You can use different coloured socks, add your own embellishments, and play with the size and scale of the gnomes. Have fun!



Gina Bell
 (aka East Coast Mommy)



If you are looking for more Valentine's Day inspiration, check out more than 30 Valentine's Day ideas here.

Valentine's Day Gnome Ornament

Holiday crafts are the best, don't you think? They are fun to make and can be used as festive decor. Many crafted items also make wonderful handmade gifts that can be shared with family and friends. Today, I am sharing a step-by-step tutorial for adorable Valentine's Day gnome ornaments.




To make your own Valentine's Day gnome ornament:


1) Gather your supplies. You'll need: a ruler, sharp scissors, and empty paper towel roll, a pom pom, a bit of felt (or other heart-shaped embelishment for the hat), hot glue, and two colours of yarn (white and pink or red).



First, make the hat:

2) Cut a 1 cm slice from an empty toilet roll. Then, cut approximately 35 strands of yarn (30cm in length). Note: You may need more or less yarn. It will depend on the weight/thickness of the yarn.


3) Loop all the strands (one at a time) through the cardboard roll and pull tight. Continue until the entire cardboard piece is covered.



4) Push all the yarn down through the centre of the roll to create a hat "brim", and tie the top of the hat (about an inch from the top) with a piece of matching yarn. Tie a loop (at the top of the piece of yarn used to tie the top of the hat) to create a hanger for the ornament.


5) Trim the top of the hat to make a pom pom, and use hot glue to attach a felt heart to the front of the yarn hat.



Next, make the pom pom for the beard:

You can also find a video explaining how to make pom poms here.

6) Wrap yarn around your hand approximately 60 times (or more if the yarn is a lighter weight/thinkness).

7) Carefully remove the yarn from your hand and tie a piece of yarn tightly around the centre.

8) Cut the loops with sharp scissors, and trim the pom pom until it is round and fluffy.


Then, assemble the ornament:

9) Use hot glue to attach the hat to the handmade pom pom.

10) Use hot glue to attach the pom pom nose.


Here's a 3 minute video that shows you how I made my Valentine's Day gnome ornament.



These ornaments can be hung anywhere, but I love how sweet they look on this little lighted tree. Cute, right?




I can't stop making these cute ornaments. They are easy to make, use simple supplies, and are totally adorable. If you make one (or a bunch), let me know. It really is the perfect Valentine's Day craft for kids, tweens, teens, and adults.


Gina Bell
 (aka East Coast Mommy)

Don't miss out on any of the fun... follow me on social media here.

     

If you are looking for more Valentine's Day inspiration, check out more than 30 Valentine's Day ideas here.


Rock Painting for Beginners

Painting rocks is a wonderful creative endeavor. It's a perfect easy and inexpensive activity that kids and adults can do together. It's also a fantastic way to add colour and kindness to the world. Today, I'm sharing some tips for painting rocks... and I've got some painted rock inspiration for you too!


To paint rocks:

1) Collect a variety of rocks.
2) Make sure the rocks are clean and dry.
3) Pick a simple design.
4) Choose bright colours.
5) Paint the rocks. (I mostly use acrylic paint from the dollar store, but using paint markers is fun too!)
6) Finish with a sealer (if they are going to be outside).


Here are some of the designs my boys came up with.


I particularly love these little penguins they painted.


And how cute are the Minion rocks?


And I painted these simple rocks. I'm not an artist, but I'm really happy with the way they turned out. 


And my kids made these cute ones!



Painted rocks make great decor, paperweights, and garden decorations. You can turn them into games (like Tic Tac Toe), and they are also a great way to spread kindness. You can leave them along trails and roads to brighten the days of people walking by. Fun, right?

Have you ever painted rocks? What kind of designs did you do? I'm always looking for new ideas and inspiration.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)


Things to Make With Pom Poms... including a pom pom tutorial

Yarn is the perfect crafting material. It is inexpensive and comes in a variety of fantastic textures and colours. It also has an innate "cozy" quality. Today, I am sharing one of my favourite things to make with yarn... pom poms. I'm showing you how to make pom poms, and I'm giving you a few ideas for simple and fun DIY projects you can make using pom poms.




To make simple pom poms. Wrap yarn around your fingers approximately 60-80 times (not too tightly)... or a piece of cardboard, slip the yarn off your fingers and tie it in the middle, cut the loops, and trim to shape. It's that easy!




You can also check out the "how to" video I made with my boys here.




Once you finish making your pom poms, you can use them for to play "catch", or you use them in other crafts and DIY projects.

Currently, I am loving pom pom flowers. To make a pom pom flower, you take a dowel or stick and hot glue a pom pom to the top. They look adorable in a vase or mason jar... so bright and cheerful! 




Another fun idea for using pom poms is to turn them into little animals. Kids love this!

You can google "pom pom" animals to find some cute options.

I absolutely love this little chick I made with my boys. To make a pom pom chick: make two yellow pom poms, use hot glue to attach the pom poms together, tie a ribbon around it's neck, and use hot glue to attach a head feather, googly eyes, a felt nose, and feet made from an orange pipe cleaner.




These pom pom gnomes are adorable too. This one was made for Valentine's Days, but you could change the colours and make them for St.Patrick's Day, Christmas, and more! Cute, right? Find the full tutorial here.





Pom pom wreaths are also easy and inexpensive to make. I love this one I made for winter using fluffy white yarn. You can find the tutorial for this pom pom wreath here.

I have plans to get some different colours of yarn and make wreaths for all the seasons.






And you could add a pom pom bunny tail to a cute burlap Easter bunny wreath.




And how adorable is this Valentine's Day pom pom wreath?






And how adorable is this Spring boho yarn wreath? You can find the step-by-step instructions here.




And you can find the instructions for this Fall boho yarn wreath here.




And this pom pom cupcake garland is perfect for celebrations big and small... and it's super easy to make. Find the full step by step instructions here.





Aren't pom poms and pom pom crafts whimsical and fun? They really are easy to make. Which pom pom crafts are your favourite?


Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)


Easy and Inexpensive EASTER Ideas

Easter is a wonderful time for treats, crafts, and making memories. As a busy mom, I always want to create holiday magic for my family and friends, but I don't want to spend a lot of time and money doing it. So, today I am sharing over 50 EASY and INEXPENSIVE Easter ideas that are guaranteed to make Easter a wonderful holiday in your home.




Click on the titles for links to the details about each project.


(upgraded using dollar store supplies)
















Easter Prize punch 
(made from inexpensive dollar store supplies)



(made from dollar store supplies... in less than 5 minutes)



This Bunny Bar is cute too... and you can download a 
FREE printable "Bunny Bar" sign here.









These are awesome ideas for high end decor on budget!

















Don't miss any of the fun....