The Crafty Classroom logo

You are here: Home / Archives for handmade

handmade

Sewing for the Birthday Boy!

By 7 Comments


Someone very special is turning 1 this month!
Someone cute, and adorable,
and someone who’s diaper I don’t have to change!

Someone who made me an Aunt for the very first time!
Someone who deserves an AMAZING 1st birthday gift,
(you know…..to remind him who his favorite Aunt is)

easy 15 minute drawstring bag mother huddle

I found (via Pinterest of course)
this wonderfully simple tutorial for making a drawstring bag.
I just had to make one!

…..with a little more color!

dr seuss fabric

For the outer fabric:Celebrate Seuss Squiggle Stripe Multi

dr. seuss fabric

And for the inner fabric:Celebrate Seuss Book Titles White

You can purchase these by the 1/2 yard at Fabric.com or by the yard on Amazon here.
(they have TONS of other Seussical prints too….be careful!)

I’m using a Fat Quarter of each.

As far as constructing the bag
I pretty much followed the tutorial here on Mother Huddle,
Since I was using a lining fabric, I just put them wrong sides together,
and followed the pattern step by step as if I was just working with on fabric.

HOWEVER:
Before I sewed up the sides of the bag,
I decided it would be fun to add in a little peek-a-boo window
(another idea spawned from Pinterest)

I just cut out a rectangle (through both fabrics)
and then used a plastic scrapbook page protector (both layers)
as the window.

Note: I have never done this before,
it sewed just fine, and makes a nice crinkly sound,
but it already has “folds” and “creases” in it.
I would suggest that you use a clear table cloth or something more sturdy.

However it was thin enough for me to use two layers
so I made it into a pocket and inserted some foam numbers
before sewing up the final edge.
(This is just a very tight zig-zag all the way around)

Then I decided to make a pocket from the scrap rectangle I just cut out.
I just ironed and folded the edges and then added a bit of bias tape across the top.
I also added ribbon to the sides (using this method)

At the end of the ribbons I wanted three little fishes:
So to make them I just drew a rough template, cut out a few sizes,
sewed them back to back with some chenille,
and made them “crinkly” by stuffing them with old
baby wipe packages. (tutorial here)

I love these little fishies!

Note: Button eyes would be super cute…
but I’m super paranoid and since it’s a gift I’m keeping it extra baby friendly!

Then I went back to following the tutorial.
I sewed up the sides, squared off the corners, and added the draw string.
(mine is actually a cord)

The bag was complete and ready to fill up with goodies:
Note: Those are just little plastic balls, like from the ball pit at Mickey D’s.
I have not idea why photoshop is turning them into crazy psychedelic orbs?

Anyway, I stuffed in an adorable Dr. Seuss baby book,
filled with interactive pages that squeek and rattle.

Some colorful balls, one for each color of the rainbow,
plus a super Seusical pink tuff ball

And then I finished it off with a set of dollar store preschool flashcards,
which I laminated and then tied together with a matching ribbon.
(they look so much more adorable this way, and baby can drool away!)

All packed up and ready to go!!

Sure wish I could “hand deliver” this one!


DIY Base 10 Blocks

By 4 Comments

Learning Base 10 is an important concept for the development of key math skills such as place value, borrowing, regrouping, and more. While we highly recommend getting your hands on a solid set of Base 10 blocks, you can also make a useful set at home with a few items you might have lying around anyway!

Materials:

  • Popsicle Sticks (Jumbo size if you have them)
  • Dried Beans (Pinto or Lima work well. Elbow macaroni or stickers would work here too. )
  • Glue (liquid, not a glue stick)

Once you’ve decided on the materials you’re going to use for your homemade Base 10 blocks, then you can assemble them super quick! Simply glue ten beans on each popsicle stick. Leave a little space between the beans to make it easier to count the beans.

Once you make ten sticks you might consider gluing them together to make 100. Then you’ll have a 100 block for students to visually see the individual sticks of ten. You could glue some blank sticks to the back in order to connect them if desired. The single beans will count as the “ones.”

Printable Base 10 Blocks

If you’d rather just print some Base 10 blocks you can do that too! File Folder Fun has some FREE Base 10 printables you can use to create hundreds, tens, and ones. We recommend printing the Base 10 Template on differently colored card stock paper for best results.

Interactive Math Curriculum

Interactive Math Notebook for Kindergarten

This comprehensive kindergarten math curriculum provides you with a full year of hands-on math lessons, games and activities.  This complete set includes an interactive daily warm-up folder and optional printable math manipulatives. Covering 4 days/Week over 36-weeks, students complete a daily worksheet alongside a daily game or interactive activity.  Designed to keep students engaged while keeping the prep-work to a minimum this set coordinates perfectly with our R.E.A.D. Curriculum Notebook.