Eco-Friendly (and Cheap!) Gift Ideas for Creative Kids

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Eco-Friendly (and Cheap!) Gift Ideas for Creative Kids

When I was a kid, I hoarded bottle caps, doilies, paper bags, and boxes to make dollhouse furniture, cards, and various craft projects. Do you have a kid like this on your holiday gift list? Assembling a craft kit is a great solution if you are stuck for a gift idea. And these kits involve recycled materials which mean that can be cheap…and eco-friendly! The main idea is to gather recycled household materials, pair them with a few basic craft supplies, maybe a craft book, and pack them in a simple tote bag, bin, or box!

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Make Duct Tape Animal Bookmarks for Your Friends!

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Make Duct Tape Animal Bookmarks for Your Friends!

The Week Junior asked me to design a bookmark craft for their Summer of Reading campaign. I love having a fun bookmark and was happy to do it! Bookmarks can get a lot of wear and tear so I thought sturdy duct tape would be a good material to use. And, I love making things into animals, always!

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10 Holiday Gift Combo Ideas for Your Creative and Crafty Kid!

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10 Holiday Gift Combo Ideas for Your Creative and Crafty Kid!

I've compiled a list of gift ideas for the creative kids on your holiday shopping list. The ideas may seem basic, but when paired with one or two other things, become a simple (but fun!) craft or activity kit!

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Easy-to-Make Cupcake Paper Dollhouse Furniture

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Easy-to-Make Cupcake Paper Dollhouse Furniture

At this point in the summer, we’re often looking for activities to entertain our kids, especially if we're presented with a rainy day. Making homemade dollhouse furniture is just the kind of project I would have LOVED as a kid! I was miniature-obsessed and always making tiny spool tables, matchbox beds, etc for my little dolls.  These cupcake paper dollhouse accessories are from our book, Paper Goods Projects . (Scroll down for some bonus ideas in the photo below, not found in our book)!

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Cookie Crafting, Activity and Snack in One!

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Cookie Crafting, Activity and Snack in One!

Winter seems to be lingering here in NY. Because we are still somewhat stuck inside, I thought I'd share some cookie crafts, an indoor project to cheer us up! The following ideas utilize classic supermarket cookies and other edible items that you probably have around the house like candy, peanut butter or chocolate hazelnut spread (like Nutella), fruit, nuts and seeds, and chocolate chips. (By the way, the above image is the chapter opener from our first book, Candy Aisle Crafts. Amy and I shot them with our brilliant designer, Robin Rosenthal.)

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How to Turn Your Favorite Book into a Holiday Gift Kit!

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How to Turn Your Favorite Book into a Holiday Gift Kit!

Sometimes I want to give a special, not right-off-the-shelves gift but don't have time to handmake it, so I'll choose a great book and assemble a gift kit around it. These feel custom and personal, but are so easy to put together. I've gathered a few ideas here using some of my favorite books (and, er, my books too!).

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Behind-the-Scenes Of Our New Book: Fun Chapter Openers!

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Behind-the-Scenes Of Our New Book: Fun Chapter Openers!

One of my favorite parts of working on our two books, including our newest, Paper Goods Projects (coming out this Tuesday, August 11th...woohoo!), was collaborating with creative director/designer Robin Rosenthal on our photographic chapter openers. As I mentioned in this post, she knew that Amy and I wanted typography created out of the actual supermarket materials we used and crafted projects from the book and she conceived inspired chapter openers that did just that.  There are four chapters in Paper Good Projects: Coffee Filters & Cupcake Papers, Paper Plates, Bags & Doilies, Balloons, and Recycling Bin.

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Our New Book!

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Our New Book!

Amy and I are thrilled to announce that our second book, Paper Goods Projects, is coming out on August 11th and is available right now for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Indiebound! We are honored that our foreword was written by the brilliant Jordan Ferney, founder of the gorgeous blog Oh Happy Day and her fantastic party shop!

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Gummy Candy Chapter

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Gummy Candy Chapter

As I mentioned in an earlier post about ourmarshmallow chapter opener, we were so lucky to have Robin Rosenthal design our book. Here is a peek at the gummy candy chapter opener that she designed! This chapter opener photo is composed mostly of spice drops (gumdrops' smaller cousin) with a few cut up gumdrops in there. Size is not their only difference between these two candies. Gumdrops are fruit-flavored and spice drops are, well, spicier with flavors like clove, anise, etc. Both make an excellent crafting material!

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Marshmallow Chapter!

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Marshmallow Chapter!

We were lucky enough to have the smart and talented Robin Rosenthal design our book. She knew that Amy and I wanted typography created out of the actual materials and crafted projects from the book and she conceived inspired chapter openers that did just that. Above is the shot she art directed for the marshmallow chapter opener.

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