Kids Projects Archives - Page 25 of 33 - Ashley Hackshaw / Lil Blue Boo

Last minute Valentine Cards!

February 14, 2011 by Ashley Hackshaw

Super last minute. I almost forgot that Boo had to take Valentines to school tomorrow! So late afternoon we were printing and cutting and signing but I think they turned out pretty cute!

Thank goodness for the Valentine’s themed Project Run and Play photos I had for this week…..I set up one of the photos in Powerpoint (I just think Powerpoint is super easy for manipulating graphics and text to print):

I printed the image on cardstock and cut it into individual cards:

Using an exacto knife I cut two slits in one side to put Tootsie Pops into:

Boo signed each card herself…..and added “Batman” masks to a few to make them extra special:

Handmade rocks 🙂 and I’m sure the Tootsie Pops are still good from Halloween right?

A Chalkboard Pig

December 20, 2010 by Ashley Hackshaw

Remember the piggy bank that Boo picked out a few nights ago for Daddy’s Christmas present?

I convinced her to paint it with chalkboard paint! To paint a ceramic piece like this I recommend using chalkboard spray paint because you will get a smoother finish, but with a toddler that isn’t so easy. We used a small roller and this can of chalkboard paint:

I let Boo do most of the rolling herself:

Every once in a while I could ask her if I could “try painting” and she would let me smooth out some of the large areas for her:

We used a small paint brush to paint in the hard to reach areas and then smoothed them out with a roller:

You will need to do several coats of the chalkboard paint, letting it dry in between.

A little trick I use for rollers so they don’t dry out? Wrap the paint-covered roller in a plastic bag and stick it in the freezer! You can even leave it overnight and just take it out and continue painting when you need to:

Here is the finished chalkboard piggy bank…..it’s a little bumpy but I think Boo did a pretty good job!

After the paint has set overnight, you can use chalk to decorate it:

Boo wanted to write her name….

…..and Daddy’s, so he will know whose piggy bank it was when he opens it Christmas morning:

This would be a great gift for any age…..child or adult! So fun to decorate the piggy’s expression:

Or make one for yourself and write what you are saving for on it!

Here are a few other projects I’ve done in the past using chalkboard paint:

Tie Dyed Elastic Accessories (A Tutorial)

August 22, 2010 by Ashley Hackshaw

On our road trip this summer I found some hair accessories in a store that were tie dyed…but they were so expensive I was determined to make a bunch of them myself!

The perfect ponytail holder:

Foldover (FOE) elastic is perfect for accessories because it is extremely strong, it has high elasticity and you can dye it! The biggest plus? It doesn’t get tangled in hair easily…and with Boo’s crazy hair we love “friendly” elastic. It’s also nice that foldover elastic costs about 30 to 50 cents a yard.

First, I took the elastic:

Then I folded the elastic several times and placed rubber bands tightly around it in several places:

I mixed up a small amount of pink and purple fabric dye in two squirt bottles….

…and applied the dye directly to the elastic:

I place the tie dyed elastic in a ziplock overnight for the dye to set in. To dye a few pieces just one color I just added dye directly to the baggies (the left and center baggies):

The next morning I took the elastic out of the baggies and rinsed the excess dye out.

I added a small amount of dye fixative to a bucket of cool water……

…..and let the elastic sit for about 10 minutes just to ensure I wouldn’t have any dye bleed later on.

Finally, I set the elastic pieces out in the sun to dry:

To make the accessories, I just looped a piece of elastic, then tied a tight knot at the end and then clipped off the satin elastic at a decorative angle just below the knot:

I used a tiny amount of fray block to keep the ends of the elastic from fraying over time:

We use these satin elastic bands for so many things….Boo has her own preferences:

I use them for my hair but also to keep my journals and address book closed:

A pretty way to keep some like items together:

My favorite idea? Make a bag of several sizes and colors for a handmade gift…or better yet a bunch of bags for party favors or stocking stuffers!

Note: This tutorial is only recommended for accessories. Many types of elastic will not hold dye due to their fiber content. The foldover/satin elastic typically has enough natural fiber in it to react to dye.