handmaking with kids : DIY lacing beads

fresh off her 2012 Handmade Olympics GOLD medal (where her gorgeous wooden stacking bowls were voted favourite eco-goodie!) , gail of *bright life toys* is sharing a fun & fabulous lacing beads DIY with us today! you'll just love this easy & charming project, as well as adoring the creative play for creative kids toys in gail's gorgeous, bright & beautiful handmade shop. too!

yay to handmaking with kids!

and yay to beautiful handcrafted toys for kiddies, too!

bright life toys

etsy shop | site | facebook

MAKING LACING BEADS with the KIDS!

Materials Needed - (these can all be found at your local craft store)

-non toxic craft paint in a variety of colors

-paint brushes

-wooden beads in a variety of sizes

-a length of ribbon, shoe string or yarn

-someplace to set the beads while they dry (I used an old pie plate)

-plate (or palette, if you want to get fancy)

-nontoxic wood sealer*

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Lacing beads help a child to learn colors, shapes and sizes. They help to develop fine motor skills and coordination. Your little one will enjoy learning to sort, count and thread while playing with his / her lacing beads!

Due to the sizes of the pieces, I recommend this set for children 3+ or those that no longer mouth their toys. If the chosen beads are small, they can pose a choking hazard.

Wooden beads come in all shapes and sizes. For an easier set, use larger beads with a larger threading hole. For a more challenging set for older children, use smaller beads with a smaller threading hole.

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ONE: To begin this project, open the paint, and squirt a little of each color onto the plate, allowing plenty of room between colors. (Not that it will matter, because if your child is like mine, they will all get mixed together anyway.)

TWO: Dip the brush in the paint, and begin to paint each wooden bead. Allow your child's creativity to truly shine! 

THREE: When the bead is painted, set it on its end on the pie plate to allow it to dry.

FOUR: Allow the beads to dry for 3 hours, or until paint is dry to the touch.

FIVE: When the beads are dry, it is time to seal them. You have a couple of options - you can use a nontoxic wood sealer, which will make your paint shiny and protect it from color transfer or you can use beeswax wood polish. The choice is yours. The wood sealer can be found at local craft shops in the craft paint section.

If choosing to use a wood sealer, gently brush it on using a paint brush. This should be a grown-up job, as it can be messy. Set the beads on their ends once again to dry. Let dry overnight.

SIX: Once they are dry, it is time to play! Depending on your child's age and skill, you can use several things for the lacing part of this toy. Beginners (younger children) can start out with a shoestring. The end is easy to thread through the beads. More advanced / older children can use a ribbon or length of yarn. It will be more difficult to thread the bead onto.

For ease, you can tie a knot around one bead to prevent the others from slipping off.

Enjoy stringing the beads with your child!

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thanks so much, bright life toys! be sure to visit gail's other creations around the web, too!

made anything fun with kiddies lately?

tell us about it!

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handmaking with kids: DIY burlap tic tac toss game tutorial

once upon a time { this past december! } i was the lucky lucky winner of a fabulous handmade giveaway ... a beautiful set of wooden skittles by the design house *wee waldorf.* i've long been a fan of this fabulous handmaking for children shop & i have to say, seeing the work in person is even MORE amazing. it's beautifully crafted, with a gorgeous design and great attention to detail! i'd highly recommend this lovely shop & the fabulous wee waldorf blog (it's FILLED with fabulous tutorials and tips!)

and now...  designer luz has prepared a fabulous DIY children's tutorial for all of us ... and wouldn't it make a fabulous valentine's - day- is -coming- up project! yay!

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Burlap Tic Tac Toss by Wee Waldorf 

Materials:

~1 square burlap fabric (22"x 22")

~20 squares burlap fabric (6"x6" each)

~10 squares freezer paper (6"x6" each)

~8 lbs dried beans or other filler

~scissors

~fabric paint

~paint brush

~iron

~masking tape

~marker

Step 1.

Fold your 22"x22" square into thirds and mark a long line creating 3 equal sections. Then rotate and do the same. You should now have 9 equal squares.

 Lay a long piece of masking tape about 1/2" away from the marker line on both sides giving you a 1" paint line.

Step 2.

Paint within the tape lines. Allow to dry and remove tape.

Step 3. 

Now grab your freezer paper and cut out five X's and five O's and iron stencils onto your  6"x6" burlap squares. 

Step 4.

Paint within the  X's and O's stencils. Let dry and remove stencils.

Step 5.

Pin right sides of burlap squares together (1 stenciled square and 1 plain square), stitch sides leaving a small hole to turn.

Step 6.
After turning right side out fill each bag with about 1 1/2 cups of beans.

Step 7. 
Tuck opening in and stitch closed. Continue all the way around the bean bag to create a finished edge.  

Step 8.

Now go play!

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thanks so much, wee waldorf. 

for everything! :)

and.... be sure to visit the wee waldorf shop... it's delightfully swoonworthy with a flurry of beautiful, handmade children's and baby's items. 

gorgeous. 

{& don't forget to nominate YOUR favourite handmade items for children in event 2 of the *handmade olympics* right over here, nicies!} 

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an interview with collector extraordinaire: lisa congdon

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i just love seeing what folks are collecting. i guess i kind of feel it tells us just a little bit about what inspires them, what they love, and what they choose to surround themselves with in their home. today, i'm delighted to present the next in the rikrak studio's collections series:  quick questions with a wonderful artist on what they're collecting, (apart from their art supplies! ) you can also check out my new *the collectors* series on Etsy, based on these posts! hope you'll just love a collection-a-day: with superstar lisa congdon. 

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what inspires us to collect? 

what fascinates us to define, seek out,  & embrace a collection of things?

today we're talking a bit about the theory of, and the philosophy behind ,what inspires one of my modern-day collecting favourites: artist,  illustrator & collector extraordinaire  lisa congdon.

since she was a little girl, lisa has loved collecting. 

on january 1st of this year, she began an amazing journey: an online collection-a-day: a brilliant daily sharing of her many unique & creative findings  says lisa: “Most of the collections are real and exist in my home or studio; those I will photograph. Some are imagined; those I will draw or (occasionally) paint.”

the result is an on-going masterpiece: her collection a day project has captured the collective imagination of many,  {& YAY! it's about to become a BOOK! } 

it's a delight to welcome lisa to the rikrak studio.

who are you? :  Lisa Congdon
what are you collecting? : Everything I can get my hands on that is in some way beautiful or interesting

what do you love about collecting? The hunt.
when did you start collecting?: With Madame Alexander dolls, age 4

what do you love about collecting? The hunt.
how many collections do you have?: Depending on how you categorize things, I have somewhere between 80 and 250 collections.

tell us about your collection a day project: On January 1, 2010 I decided to start a blog project in which I would photograph (and occasionally draw or paint) and post one collection (or portion of a collection) a day for every day for the entire year.

why did you start the project? : Since I was a young girl, I have been obsessed both with collecting and with arranging, organizing and displaying my collections. The project is my attempt to document my collections, both the real and the imagined. I embarked on this project because I love my collections, and I wanted to document them in a way that makes sense to me, and share them with whoever might be interested in looking at them.

where do you find your collections?  Flea markets, thrift stores, junk shops, garage sales, giveaway piles, family attics
where do you keep them? Just a few are on display in my house, but most are filed away in envelopes and boxes in my art studio.

which collections are your favourite & why? My favorite collection is probably my eraser collection. I mean, who collects used erasers? But they are so special, and each eraser has a story I will never know.
what (‘s a crazy/interesting story behind one) :  I have no crazy stories actually, but people might be interested to know how I began collecting vintage school supplies. 17 years ago I got my first teaching assignment in a fourth grade classroom. I took over for a teacher who had just retired after 40 years. He had so many old materials and supplies in his room! They were too old and out of date to use, so I asked the principal if I could keep whatever we didn't throw in the dumpster (we didn't recycle back then!). She said I could. I got some real gems from that classroom. It was the beginning of one of my oldest collections.

what do you think attracts folks to collections? Nostalgia, connection, a yearning for times past.

what is it about your fabulous project that you think draws others in? I think the nostalgia I mentioned is part of it; most of my collections are vintage things. People love the vintage typography and packaging too. But I also think people are drawn to the arrangement of mostly everyday objects in an interesting way, how they are photographed. 

what else do you collect? Some of my other favorite collections are midcentury kitchenware from Scandinavia and Japan, and I also love the old handwritten letters I've collected for my ephemera collection. I have so many awesome collections that it's hard to choose a favorite.

what collections would you like to add? Enough midcentury danish furniture to furnish my entire house.

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so inspiring & marvelous ... thanks so much, lisa.

and be sure to visit her collection-a-day site for daily inspiration,  her upcoming book project , and her gorgeous art shop, too.

it's a delight for the senses all around, nicies!

lisa congdon

shop | collection-a-day site | her upcoming book | twitter | 

boutique + art gallery: rare device

tell us...

what do you collect?

what inspires you to collect?

we'd love to hear!

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fun Thanksgiving DIY projects!

happy Canadian thanksgiving this weekend, lovely ones!
wishing you lots of thankful-hearts-kinda time. 


here's a roundup of some fabulous DIY projects for fun autumny decor, leafy table settings & more!


i sure am thankful for all you friendlies!
see you monday!

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as shown above: 

1.  adorable DIY twig coasters from Martha Stewart

2. leaf mobile by design*sponge

3. leaf motifs for the table on Martha

4. recycled toilet paper roll wreath on creative jewish mom 

5. mod pumpkin centrepiece on curbly

6. retro paper straw wreath on Dow

7. cranberry votive centrepieces by project wedding

8. ribbon mini-pumpkins by the party dress

9. origami maple leaf roses by haha.nu

10. recycled paper napkin rings by make and takes

also

a sweet sweet felt acorns + leaves project by betz white

mini-flower arrangements on better homes and gardens

finger puppet Thanksgiving favours on Martha

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{ and don't forget: 2 fun giveaways to WIN on the blog right now: 

WIN a OOAK knit obi vase

+ 

WIN a Spa Goddess gift voucher!

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handmaking with kids: by paisley baby

for me, there is nothing as fun as making something with kiddies! the curious, creative, limitless possibilities of a child's mind is so inspiring! here's a fun new series for the rikrak studio, with lots of fun, easy, inexpensive handmaking projects for you to make with your children, your younger family members, your students or some fun kiddies you know & love (or easily adapted for adults to make as their own fun projects!) i've invited various fun folks to share a handmaking with kiddies idea with us: it might be a craft or art; a handmade excursion or handmade recipe. today is the next in the series handmaking with kids: tie-dye socks with guest Paisley Baby! enjoy!

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"A really fun project for children of all ages is tie dye.

Kids as young as five love it, and so do teenagers. Two years ago I had to go to my son Jackson's kindergarten class and do an activity of my choice with them. I decided to tie dye some socks. Socks and sunhats are ideal for younger children because they can be dyed quickly and are small enough for little hands to handle.

Here a few links with lots of fabric dying information as well as detailed tie dye instructions:

www.dharmatrading.com

www.gsydye.com

I have purchased from both of these companies.

A little bit of info about the required supplies:

Sodium Carbonate – you can purchase this at any store that sells pool supplies. It is called PH Up.

Non-iodized salt – kosher salt

Procion Mx Dye – these are cold water dyes for natural fibers. You cannot dye cotton with RIT.

Urea – I didn't use this because I didn't have any. It is not 100% necessary but if you buy a tie dye kit it will be included.

Synthrapol soap – Not absolutely necessary but I would recommend having some if you plan to dye a lot of fabric. It is addictive!

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I did all the sock prep at home. It is difficult to find 100% cotton socks and they are expensive! However, I did find some small socks with a small amount of nylon in them. The synthetic part of the socks will not hold the dye so the socks have a “heathered” look. The kids did not mind at all!

I washed the socks in the synthrapol, dried them, then divided the pairs into three sections with elastics. I had six different colours of dye for the project but you can use one colour or ten – it doesn't matter. I was working with the teacher so we each had three coordinating colours. I soaked the socks at home in the sodium carbonate (soda ash fixer) right before I left and brought them to the school in a garbage bag. I also mixed the dyes in the squeeze bottles at home.

In the classroom we covered the tables with old sheets. You can also use garbage bags or plastic tarps. This is an excellent project to do outdoors! All the children put their painting smocks on. It is also a good idea to wear gloves as the dye will stain your fingers, however it does wash off eventually. Each child in my son's class was identified with a number from 1-20 so we numbered each pair of socks with a permanent marker since I was bringing the socks home to wash them and they would all be mixed together. Then we got started!

The kids were a little tentative with the dye at first. I told them to squeeze the bottle hard and go for it! I individually wrapped each pair of socks in saran wrap when the kids were done. You can also use baggies. I brought the socks home, left them in the plastic wrap for the required amount of time, rinsed, washed and brought them back to the school. They were thrilled and the teacher told me almost all of them wore the socks the next day.

As children get older it is fun to tie dye t-shirts, tank tops and other pieces of clothing that require a bit more time and patience."

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thanks so much, Paisley Baby!

what a fun project this would be at home, at school, with a whole group, or for a fun & crafty party, for kids of all ages!

Paisley Baby has lots of wonderful ideas for the whole family in her beautiful handmade shop, too! together with her mom, paisley baby crafts gorgeous bags & accessories. what a great selection of fabulously-well-made zipper pouches (who couldn't use a small one for pencils & goodies, a medium-sized one for organizing everything in your purse, and a nice large one for daytripping fun!), brilliant & fashionable wetbags for trips to the pool & beach, baby change pads and more. all in an array of gorgeous fabrics.

i've seen paisley baby's work first hand and can attest to its fantastic quality & craftspersonship! {and she's a real nicey, too!}

be sure to visit the Paisley Baby shop here,

and become a fan on facebook, too! & happy handmaking with kids!

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call for submissions!

DIY storybook blocks by nurserylove

morning, nicies! here @ the rikrak studio blog, i'm always looking for funfun folks to feature & funfun handmaking with kids projects to share with my lovely readers. so i'm putting out a call for submisssions. i'm looking for YOUR fun ideas!

as you know, i have a little series called handmaking with kids. you can read some of them here. in the series, fun artists share a little diy project, handmade adventure, or something along those lines that we can handmake with the little ones in our lives.

i'd love to hear your ideas for a project for the series! if you have a project/activity/diy recipe that you'd like to share, please let me know. just contact me directly thru rikrakmail@yahoo.com with your project proposal! if i decide to feature your project, i'll also happily include a little feature on you, or your shop, your blog, etc! it's a great way to bring new folks to your shop, and to share your handmaking with kiddies ideas! already have a project on your own blog or site you'd like to share? no problem. that's great too. just let me know about it!

thanks, nicies! looking forward to hearing from you!

{ ps: still another day or so to enter my little eco. coasters giveaway! hurry in!}

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handmaking with kids: with sweetbeets

for me, there is nothing as fun as making something with kiddies! the curious, creative, limitless possibilities of a child's mind is so inspiring! here's a fun new series for the rikrak studio, with lots of fun, easy, inexpensive handmaking projects for you to make with your children, your younger family members, your students or some fun kiddies you know & love (or easily adapted for adults to make as their own fun projects!) i've invited various fun folks to share a handmaking with kiddies idea with us: it might be a craft or art; a handmade excursion or handmade recipe. today is the next in the series handmaking with kids: handmade playdough & a scavenger hunt with guest Lisa of sweetbeets. enjoy!

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in Lisa's own words:

I thought I'd share a couple of activities I did with my two boys during our March break. I was inspired by Paper Dolls For Boys to dig out the Play Dough recipe I picked up at a playgroup years ago. If you haven't made Play Dough before it's super easy.

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Sweetbeet's Homemade Playdough Recipe

2 cups water

1 cup salt

4 tsp cream of tartar

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 cups flour

food colouring
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Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Stir constantly over medium heat. The mixture will be soupy for several minutes and then suddenly it will stick together and can be stirred into a ball. Remove from heat and put the ball on a floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes. (editor's note: please use extra caution if making near children. pots & dough will be hot!)

My boys loved helping me measure the ingredients and my oldest son who is six years old helped to stir it up while it was cooking. Instead of food colouring we used Koolaide, but learn from me and be sure to add it (or your food colouring) while the mixture is still soupy in the pot so it blends easily! We dusted off some cookie cutters and found some kitchen gadgets to use as tools. Lots of fun!

Another day we went on a scavenger hunt for yellow and green things in our house. My oldest son is a budding photographer and he took all of these photos! I used Photoshop to crop the images and make this collage. I got the idea from a post on Design Mom who suggested the concept could be applied to any theme, not just colours. We'll definitely do this project again!

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thanks so much, Lisa! what fun projects you've been up to!
now.. one of my not-so-secret obsessions is letterpress art & work! i love it! if there was one new artform i'd love to take up, it would certainly be letterpressing! i think it's just so graphicly fantastic & gorgeous & texturally inspiring & crisp!


so you can imagine my joy with sweetbeet's amazing letterpress work! Lisa's beautiful designs, wonderful use of colour & space in her stationery (that would be gorgeous framed!) and her wonderful eco-friendly focus has made her a most popular handmaker & blogger! be sure to visit the sweetbeet's beautiful site & her fabulous eco-friendly finds for kids blog, ModEco Kids

many thanks, Lisa. and hopes everyone has a colour-filled day!

{ AND... i'll be announcing the winner of the mini-feature from yesterday's guessing game tomorrow - so there's still time to enter your guesses! have fun! }

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