I’m getting ready for my little one’s 2nd birthday and I’m in a reflective mood. Mostly about him but also about our family of four and even a little bit about just me.
After I had my first son my world became much smaller in many ways and my heart much bigger. I say the latter bit because a. it’s true and b. it makes me feel less guilty for saying the former. I didn’t make much of anything craft-wise the first year or at least what I previously considered craft. After being inspired by Get Crafty and many amazing craft bloggers, I started to look around my cozy little world and realized that there was so much creating happening in our house (just a tiny part of it mine).
I’m hoping Paper Dolls for Boys is a place where I can expand my world/community a bit and hold high the art of being a crafty mom. And here’s the ugly truth bit, I’m hoping it will inspire me to do more with my second son. As we live by the schedule of my first born, now in school, I’m finding it challenging to find time to create art and fun projects with my little guy.
Since I claim to be crafty in my tagline but have produced little to no evidence, I dug up these kid/mommy projects from the past.
This puppet theater was a big hit with the playdaters. My eldest and I painted the wardrobe box (freecycle) and sewed the Thai silk curtain. My big guy (who was then my little guy), operated the pedal. My favorite thing about this puppet theater was the unbreakable mirror I glued to the inside at little eye level so he could see the puppets and himself as the puppet master. I think I finally cut this up and put it out to recycle a few months ago. It was a little hard but I kept telling myself it’s to make room for new projects.
Dinosaurs in space? Yup, we got ’em. We made the helmet out of a milk jug and tin foil. We cut a piece of the red webbing that holds the tangerines in the crate for the mask. We also crafted a control panel from a shoe box and scraps and an air tank from water bottles. The dino part was super fun, just cut a straight line up the back of a thrifted shirt and cut and stuffed spikes from an old t-shirt. Last step is just sew the shirt back up with the spikes in the middle. How that’s for a tutorial? I’m going to try it with a hoodie next.
At the Science Museum, all geared out.
I’m not the first to make a tangerine crate bunkbed and I wish I could remember the blogger that inspired me 5 years ago to make this one. It’s still getting much love in the playroom and has held up surprisingly well. If I got a tattoo of a glue gun would you promise to get one too?
As I was making felt doggy ears for the party, I realized that I haven’t really made anything that wasn’t birthday related (either for my own kids’ parties or as presents) for a long time. Too long. I feel a quilt coming on, not the baby clothes quilt I’ve squirreled away pieces for and not a quilt for the boys to snuggle but a quilt for our bed. I’m thinking greens.
This week I’m going to challenge myself, even with crazy birthday prep, to engage my little one in 2 1 fun projects this week. Suggestions welcome.
