I picked up an old wooden toy plane at a thrift store. It was $2. I walked around the store carrying it the entire time, debating on whether to buy it or not. I decided not to, and put it back. A day or two later, I went back for it. Not surprisingly it was still there. I mean, it was missing the wheels and it’s rudder. The propeller was lose and had some permanent marker on it. And the whole thing was Read more

*Tutorial by Christy @ Inklings & Yarns for her win of the For the Boys challenge of season 14*

First, I want to thank everyone who voted for my “Castle Fit for
Little Kings” in round two. I had such a good time making this, and
hope the following tutorial brings you (and your little ones) lots of
fun! Be sure to visit my blog, www.inklingsandyarns.com
for more great projects! Now let’s build sew ourselves a
castle!

Step 1: Measure your Read more

*Tutorial made by Amanda @ Simply Handmade for her win of the Kids Can Do challenge of season 11*

1. Using bits of paper, add some little details like belts, sashes, and trim. No need for it to be perfect. You don’t need a pattern….just experiment and see what works.
2. After you’ve glued down your cute dolly and added some details, cut her in half {gasp!}. You’ll need to cut her to make her a matching Betty! But she’d look equally as nice in a frame if you can’t bring yourself to do it. Use a paper cutter so that you get a nice even clean cut. I cut mine right at the waistline.
3. Line the paper up with your board and mark straight across where the cut will be.
4. Using a miter saw, saw each board at the line previously marked.
5. Mod podge your little Bettys onto each board. Give each side a good coat of the stuff!
6. Then spray each side with a clear sealer….like this:

**You can create your own doll template or you can go here to snag mine. Right click on the image and then copy and paste into your paint program (very basic I know.) increase the size according to your taste. I super sized mine by 200%. 

*Hey everybody! Season 10 of So You Think You’re Crafty is going to be the most fantastic one yet. It’s the All Star round so many of you have asked about. We’re having some past favorites and winners going at it again! However, it won’t be starting until the New Year – we decided to let them have a little break and family time too  . But I have a great schedule of guest posts and shop spotlights lined up from now until then. Have a great Holiday season and see you all after the New Year!*

This guest post is from Kiruthinka Curic from My Magical Menagerie

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I began blogging when my first daughter was five months old. What started off as an online diary and a communication site to grandparents also became a craft site when I began to make books for her when she was an year old. Soon, I realized that the best toys are the frugal ones that are made at home and not the ones that cost tens of dollars. So I took kid craft making in my stride and try to have a couple of projects going on at a time. What delights me now is that the children are also increasingly enthusiastic about my reuse junk and make a kit policy. Though it is more challenging, I try to work on my projects such that when the children want to join in, there is always something for them to do.

I have been thinking a lot about what I should post as a project for the STTYC guest post. I wanted to make something useful and quick and kid friendly. I saw in a shop some scratch books – books where you could draw/ write on one side and scratch on the other. And they cost twenty dollars. So I decided to take it upon myself to make a couple for the girls. Here’s what you need:

1. Paper
2. Crayons
3. Bar soap
4. Paint (black or any color)
5. Thread
6. Cardstock

I folded the paper in half and used crayons to color one half of the paper, using a variety of colors.

Then I got the girls to help me to rub soap all over the crayon area to help the paint stick

For the scratch pad, I put a thick layer of black paint over the soap and let it dry.

Once dry, the book was ready to be assembled.

I used an old cereal box to make the noteb ook cover, held it together with maeking tape and sewed the book to it. I had intended to make some more artistic cover, but the girls were very impatient to get started with the scratching.

Tools to scratch with

1. Toothpicks
2. Spoons
3. Sophia’s fingernails
4. Old combs

Have fun creating!