Lego Zip Pouches--Make Your Own If You Want To

 I actually went sort of simple for Beeper's birthday party this year--just a little party outdoors at a favorite local playground with lots of friends and some balloons and cupcakes.  Since it was still supposed to be a Lego themed party, I made these little zip pouches printed with multi-colored stacks of Legos as favors--I figured the kids could re-use them as pencil pouches, or just to hold a few Legos for building on-the-go.  I stocked each pouch with a tiny set of markers I found in the $1 section at Target, a small half-moon envelope I made and filled with a few Lego-themed coloring cards, and one of the Lego mini-figures (dang, the kids love those figures).  

 Of course, there were some games.  I bought a couple of large plastic bags of Legos secondhand at the thrift store and put them in a large jar for use at the party--then I dumped them out on a picnic table and had the kids work in teams to build as tall of a lego tower as they could in 2 minutes.  In order to win, the tower not only had to be the tallest but it also had to be able to stand on its own--extra mini-figures went to the highly-envied winners.

I also had them build their own lego creations and present their creations individually to the group, describing what they had built and demonstrating any special functionality.  This game was fantastic because they were each so proud of their creations--we gave out glassine bags of those lego-like candies you see in the first photo as prizes for each of them.  

Other than that it was a lot of running around willy-nilly at the playground, eating loads of watermelon, playing with caterpillars that were falling from the trees, and spitting sunflower seeds at one another--or what I think may be the perfect party for a 7 year old.

As for you, well, if you are interested in making any of the above, here's what I've got for you:

1) Lego Zip Pouches--I have put the image of the lego stack I printed on the fabric out in my Flickr account if you would like to use it in whatever creative way you desire--you can find it here.  There are also several Lego mini-figure images out there if you would prefer to use those too.  I made the pouches using the same downloadable tutorial instructions I made a while back for the art supply pouches--you can find it here.  These particular pouches were all made using a single 8.5x11-inch piece of fabric that I printed with the lego design (more about printing on fabric here too), and lined it was a nice bright lego-ish solid color that matched the zipper.  Each pouch probably only took me about 30 minutes to make.  I also uploaded a copy of the exact design I printed on the fabric, with the lego image placed for printing on a 8.5x11 piece of fabric which you can then turn into a zip pouch.  You can download that here: DOWNLOAD LEGO POUCH.  Both designs you see above are in there. 

2) The Half-Moon Envelopes with the Coloring Cards--I put a template out for you to download in case you want to make some of those: DOWNLOAD HALF MOON ENVELOPE TEMPLATE.  The coloring cards were all made from stuff I downloaded from the Lego website or from this website and this website--I just resized them so they fit 4 to a page.  I also put the Lego-Man graphic--found here--on the front of the envelope, which you can customize with your own headline before you download it for printing.  Incidently, I buy all my paper from Paper Source, if that is of interest to you--they make lots of nice bright sturdy papers that are good for printing.

3) The Invitation: while I never did post a photo of the actual completed invitation, I did share the photo I used for the invitation with you--see it here.  For those I just printed the photo out and attached it to a bright yellow post card with red photo corners and sent it out in blue envelopes (again, Paper Source).  But if you want to use the photo I made for the invite, please feel to use that as well--you can also find that in my Flickr account, right here.

So, there you go.  Go forth and build you own Lego birthday party, if you want to.  Or maybe just make one of the Lego-emblazoned pouches for a little someone special who has a soft spot for Legos.  Whatever, do what you will--I'm just the hired help here.

Celebrating the Boy: Make a Magnetic Play Set

Oh, hey.  Hi.  Did you know that I am officially Celebrating the Boy over here today?  I am--it is all part of Made by Rae's and Made's annual tribute to crafting for boys--a full month of it, actually.  I know, it is cool.  The line-up of guest bloggers and projects Rae and Dana have going on over at their places is pretty amazing--I already have 3 projects I want to make from Rae's guests alone.  But wait--where are my manners?!?  Welcome to those of you who have taken the time to stop over here from Rae's place.   I am so happy to have you here.

So, let's get to the good stuff, shall we?  In honor of Celebrate the Boy month I have a little tutorial for you on how to make your very own magnetic play set.  This one is pretty simple to make--no special crafting skills like quilting, quilling or anything else starting with a "qu" required--really all you need to know how to do is search the internet for images, put those into a document, print them, cut them apart and stick them to some adhesive magnet sheets.  Yeah, I meant simple when I said it.

What I also love about this project is how endlessly customizable it is to whatever your boy's interests may be--dinosaurs, cars, monsters, robots, animals--or super heroes as the case may be at our house (specifically, DC Comic super heroes--because Beeper actually segregates his super heroes by comic book strain--DC or Marvel--and the twain shall never meet).

I got to thinking about putting together a project like this because I am always trying to come up with new things to keep Beeper distracted when the situation requires it--like when we are at a restaurant and Mr Beeper and I just want to drink some wine and have at least 10 minutes of uninterrupted adult conversation (did I hear someone say, That is what date night is for?  Yes, good point--but that would require having a babysitter that is nearer than 60 minutes away for us to pick up which is where our closest babysitter is located at the moment), or when in the car for longer trips (like when we need to pick up our babysitter)--you know the situations I am talking about.

Well, I am mildly obsessed with having a bag that is stocked with interesting distractions for him that I feel good about (i.e. no video games)--so this project was meant to contribute to that stash of stuff I keep in a small backpack in our coat closet.  And if you are interested, you can download the tutorial right here so you can make your own:

DOWNLOAD MAGNETIC PLAY SET TUTORIAL

 I also thought this might be a good time for us to swap some info about what sorts of things you find particularly handy to distract your kids when the place or situation requires it.  Here are some of my favorites we have in our bag of distractions at the moment:

(from top Pop Zolo [mini creative building set], Monster Doodles [erasable creative drawing cards--pure genius], Knights Toob, a selection of Little Dover books [most of these are $1.50 per book and they are fantastic for distraction because they can literally fit in your pocket and the options are mind-boggling], Wild Toob, blank sketch book and a set of soy crayons)

Oh, and if you are in the market for a new bag in which to stash your own kiddie distractions, why not make the scavenger bag from Sew Grown or the messenger bag from Punkin Patterns--both are  Boy month projects over at Rae's place.  

Thanks again to those of you who took the time to stop by--it was nice having you and I hope to see you around here again. Oh, and if you have any favorite kiddie distractions, please do leave a comment and share--would love to hear about your favorite tricks.

Curse You, Tiny Foods!

Beeper made this drawing the other day at school.  Let me explain the finer points of drawing to you: the brown man running on the left is yelling, "Curse you, tiny foods!"(except spelled like only a 6-year old would spell it: crs you tine food)--while the a gang of food items flee with their arms in the air (from the left they are: a burger, a banana, a grape ice cream cone, a green bean and a carrot).  Of course, why wouldn't a series of little foods run away in what appears to be terror?  I guess that would be my instinct if someone was about to eat me.

Well, Mr Beeper thought this drawing was hilarious and could not stop walking around shaking his fist in the air all week and saying, "Curse you, tiny foods!"  So, naturally, Beeper and I had to make him a t-shirt with the drawing on it for his birthday--it was a collaborative effort--see above.  Yes, I photo-shopped the words in so they were actually legible.  Yes, the transfer we used turned out sort of rubbery and puckery around the edges.  But still, Mr Beeper loved it. Loads.  And it does suit him.

Belated Valentines

 Everything feels belated these days.  My hands have been more than full with all manner of projects and I have this thing where I think I can actually do 3 book submissions, 1 magazine submission and 3 guest blog posts all in a month--seemed reasonable when I committed to it at the time (plus who wants to pass any of that goodness up?).  Anyway...this is just by way of an explanation for why a post about valentines is coming to you 5 days too late and why I drop off the face of my blog for 10 days at a stretch.

But here is what we did for Beeper's valentines this year.  He has been into things with beads recently so I purchased some carved stone-looking animal beads (they are actually plastic--$3 for 25--but I wish they were stone--not that a 1st-grader gives one rip if it is stone or plastic--although they might give a rip if it was made from some kind of candy...) and some colored suede cord and with a couple of knots we called it a bracelet and attached it to a little card with an animal image that reads, "I am wild about you, friend."  There were actually 4 card designs--but the lion is not pictured here because we gave all of those away.  I got the beads and suede cord from Michael's and the colored card stock came from my favorite place to buy it--Paper Source (lovelovelove all their colors of paper and card stock--my palms get sweaty every time I get in front of that wall of paper bins in the store).

But here is the card template I made, if you have a far better memory than mine and want to use it for next year...

DOWNLOAD ANIMAL VALENTINES

  Happy very late Valentine's Day, blogland friends.

Over at Elsie Marley: Make a Scenic Sketch Book

Hey--I'm over here today--at Elsie Marley.  You should come over and visit--because Meg is not home and she has asked me (and a bunch of other uber-cool bloggers) to blog-sit while she is out.   So, that's where I am--in case you were wondering.

And this is a little peek at what you can find there:

...a visit to the Minneapolis Institute of Art...

...the resulting sketches...

...an all new tutorial on how to make your very own Scenic Patchwork Sketch Book...

...including an alternate version for those who need more choices...

...plus all the other bloggers coming to you from The North Country, offering our own input on winter, what it means to us, how we get through it, recipes, tutorials, and other distractions.  Come on over and check it out--I'll be there.

Make This: Spelling Bean Bags

Check out that stack of bean bags.  This is what you get when you take my counting bean bags subtract the numbers and add the alphabet.  

Spelling bean bags, people--or just a whole bunch of bean bags with letters on them if you do not care for spelling.  Whatever the case, these came about because I was asked to do a new version of these for a book submission, but then the submission was passed up (happily, they accepted another submission I snuck in there--cannot share any details now though so do not even ask)--so even though it is a bit like re-gifting, you still get to be the lucky recipients of this reject project--all for the low, low price of clicking on the project link and downloading the tutorial.  Hard to beat that.  Get your copy right here, right now:

DOWNLOAD SPELLING BEANBAG TUTORIAL

Of course, it does take a bit of time to make this set of bean bags--26 bean bags containing every letter of the alphabet is not for the applique-faint-of-heart.  But, if you portion the project out over a couple of evenings instead of going all gonzo and attempting to do it all in one go--well, you may find it manageable, if not meditative.  

Tell me these would not make a great gift for the elementary-school-spelling set.  Oh, and this one set (and one set only) you see here is for sale in my little shop if you do not have the beanbag sewing fortitude to make your own--find it here.  Happy spelling-bean-bag-making, people.  And please, do not forget to share your creations in my Beeper Bebe project Flickr group--love to see what you guys get up to with my designs and how you make them your own.

Made Over the Weekend

 This is what was made this weekend with Beeper--monster tee of his own design made with Crayola fabric crayons, and some of Sarah's Small Object Paper Dolls that were offered on Kiddley way back when Kiddley still existed.  I could have done a million of the paper dolls, personally, but Beeper had limited time for this exercise--he was more keen to keep on coloring the Harry Potter coloring pages I printed for him in the morning as a way to keep him occupied while Mr Beeper and I enjoyed coffee and muffins.  And about the fabric crayons I would say this--the colors they produce are quite dull, the image itself looks a little blurred from the original, and I really have no idea how well the image will hold up in the wash since the back of the box said to use all synthetic fibers (ick) for the best result --but for simplicity of the process (Beeper colored the picture, I spent 5 minutes ironing it on), I would give it high marks.  And he was eager to wear it to school tomorrow so there is that.  Just remember that whatever you draw will be backward once transferred--we made one colorful design that said I am awesome and I ironed it on another shirt for Beeper and then realized all the letters and words were backwards--so we just called it his secret message shirt because it can only read when you look in the mirror.  

Make This: Stripey Sticks

Beeper received a set of pick up sticks for his birthday this year and it has been a popular family game pretty much ever since.   The thing is though, with something as classic and simple as a set of pick up sticks, well, I couldn't help but imagine how I could make my own--so these little stripey sticks came to be (because stripes are so much better than solids--and when you are a skinny bamboo stick, some horizontal stripes actually add some much needed dimension to your figure).

They are pretty straightforward to make ( no need to even get out a sewing machine, folks!)--and really, you could get the kids in on this.  In fact, give them the clipped bamboo sticks and let them paint their own designs--to hell with my design--and then they can assign their own point values to their designs.

So here you go--make your very own stripey pick up sticks:

DOWNLOAD STRIPEY STICK TUTORIAL

Oh--and the tutorial also includes game instructions on the last page--in case you have just arrived from Uranus and have never played...but even an alien can play this game.  Just play fair, okay?  No Uranian mind tricks.

Make This: Monster Slime (and about Beeper's Birthday)

So, no reptiles this year for Beeper's birthday--just monsters.  Which I could totally deal with because I love monsters and always have since I was a little girl (insight into my geeky 12-year-old self: I created a wall-sized monster mural as my 6th grade project).  And I daresay monsters have really found their place in pop culture, between UglyDolls and Percy Jackson and the movie Monsters, so inspiration is not so hard to find if you just do a bit of searching.  Here's what we came up with...

...made these monster cupcakes that look like the lovechild of Cousin It and Cookie Monster--they were largely copied from a cupcake design in this book, but I really only looked at the photo in the bookstore and tried to do something like it at home...

...monster totes made from the tutorial Courtney made for Bloesem Kids, found here (the little monster books inside are from Dover Publications)...

...because it rained and our plans to be outside at the playground for the party were thwarted, alternate indoor activities that would keep the herd of wild 6-year-olds subdued were employed--like the creation of a monster gallery, made using these ready-framed drawing pads that work like sticky notes for you tto slap up on the wall at will (find them here)...

...a homemade monster pinata (made it myself--first one ever--will totally do this again since it was a fun and messy family project, was able to make one much bigger than those found commercially, and it broke open without adult assistance or use of power tools)--got some pointers from Martha here, but here are the 3 lessons I would share: 1) Use the combo of elmer's glue and water (instead of flour and water--which is what is commonly used) as your paper mache paste--we encountered splitting problems due to humidity and I think the glue would have cured this from what I read elsewhere, 2)Make sure you lay your newspaper strips in all directions on the balloon--we did not do this and I think it contributed to the splitting we had to repair later on, 3) and by all means, lay down a tarp when you make the pinata or do it outside because it is messy like you would not believe (but so fun for 6-year-olds).  And the goodies inside?  All from Oriental Trading Company (and yes, all corn-syrupy and likely made in China, but let me tell you finding super balls that look like eyeballs, Sweet-Tarts shaped like skeleton bones, and stacks of plastic vampire teeth in May is not easy, I tell you)...

And finally, the favorite activity of the afternoon--the creation of pots of monster slime.  The kiddos loved this--boys and girls alike.  How could they not love something this un-naturally colored and gloppy with a little rubbery monster sticking out of it?

And now, dear Chez Beeper Bebe readers, you too can create your very own pots of monster slime.  Because a good batch of monster slime is guaranteed to make any old day better.  Like puppies and rainbows and sacks of candy, I am pretty sure there are few things kids love more than this slime.  Inclement weather foil your plans to go to the beach?  Make some slime.  Drop the ice cream from your cone into the gutter?  Make some slime.  Grandma die?  Make some slime (but be sure to add a monster to it as you will need a little something extra for emotional distraction). Slime is, quite possibly, the antidote to almost anything that ails you and your crabby/crying/despondent child...and here is tutorial for you, complete with ready-made labels for you to print...

DOWNLOAD MONSTER SLIME TUTORIAL

And you are welcome.  Enjoy it--just keep it out of hair and the carpet and you are golden.  

What I Did Over My Easter Break...

Made some little easter coloring books using my tutorial here...

...made lots and lots of candy (does anyone else have the issue of feeling totally out of control when working with melted chocolate?)...

...made simple paper easter baskets to give out to the kiddies we know...

...and left a mooshy belly bunny as a Toy Society Drop (still trying to make up for the two I missed last year).

What did you make and do over your Easter break?

Tutorial and Pattern: Recycled Mooshy Belly Bunny

This all came about because of a large multi-colored stack of stripey tees I have had taking up space in my workshop for months. The t-shirts were all thrifted and reclaimed and salvaged from our own outgrown boxes of clothing, of course. When I started collecting them, I admit, I had no idea what I intended to do with them. But those colorful stripey tees kept calling my name every ime I went to the thrift store...even Mr Beeper commented when folding a freshly washed pile how lovely they were to look at. Yep.

And so here we are, a little Mooshy Belly Bunny tutorial and pattern download for you so you can cut into some of your own discarded stripey tees and get something simple and sweet back from it.

DOWNLOAD MOOSHY BUNNY TUTORIAL

And this is an easy plushie to make--you can turn this out in about 1 hour. For real ( I made three, I would know). So, for those of you who have left comments stating that you do sew but want to sew more, and more specifically, want to sew plushies but are a little intimidated to try--well, this tutorial is dedicated to you. Yes, you. And you know who you are. Anyone can make this little guy, and even with a screw up or two, it will still look sweet and be mooshy and stuff.

And need I also point out that this is the prefect last-minute bunny to make for someone's easter basket? You could easily do it tonight.

So, go root through your boxes of discarded clothes, dig through the bowels of your kids'closets, find some stripey tees and go to it. Because I know you can make this one. And I know the results will be just fine. Just relax, drink a glass of wine (or two) if you have to, and try to enjoy this. It's just a little bunny. Easy peasy, people.

New Crafty Links and Lots o' Easter-y Projects

I just updated the Projects Found Elsewhere You Should See button over there in the sidebar. Lots of lovely easter-y and spring-y projects over there for you to check out--projects for the kiddies, but also a couple of big people projects too. Go check them out and make something handmade (or 2 or 3...) this week to tuck into an Easter basket, or to give as a special spring-time gift. I will be back here tomorrow with another tutorial of my own for you...in the meantime, happy-crafty-link-surfing.

Kiddo Travel Desk: Thanks MerMag!

Made this on on Monday for Beeper--an uber-handy-dandy travel desk for kiddos. Check out all the cool features...

...handy pockets to hold a gaggle of markers, and anything else you want to zip into a little pocket...

...an applique monogram so your kid will not confuse his travel desk with anyone else's in the car, plus nice button and loop closures for the EXTRA pockets that reside behind other pockets (yes, that's right, pockets on pockets...oh the stuff you can stow...)

...and even more handy pockets on the other side to hold more stuff and a water bottle if you want...

...and while I forgot to take a photo of it, this is the pillow that slides into the pocket on the backside of the desk, under the board that sits in there too. This means you can remove the board and the pillow at will so you can launder the desk when your kiddo spills his grape juice all over it (oh, and did you note the convenient carrying handle pictured in the first photo?)...

And you can make one too! Simply visit Merrilee's blog--MerMag--where you can find her tutorial on how to make a travel desk like the one she made for her own kiddo (see more photos of her desk design here).

I did make some small modifications to Merrilee's design--1) appliqued the desktop initial instead of embroidering it 2)did not make the pockets slotted to hold individual pencils--I wanted my pockets to be deep and big enough to hold a handful of markers or crayons so they could be at the ready for Beeper to color (when you color everything in rainbow colors just 4 crayons will not do) 3) I made my slot for the desk board big enough to accommodate a pillow insert (then skipped the step of creating a stuffed pillow pocket to the desk)--what I love about this particular modification is that I sewed a cotton fleece cover for the pillow insert so it can do double-duty as an actual pillow when pulled out from the travel desk slot.

And I have to tell, you we put it to use last night during our 10 hour drive to central Illinois (doing time with the in-laws), and it worked beautifully--Beeper colored and did dot-to-dots and played with his monster magnets and then ate his dinner on it...this travel desk comes highly recommended by 2 out of 2 moms (um, that would be me and Merilee).