Showing posts with label Etsykids Team. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Etsykids Team. Show all posts

Top it Off Right!

Posted Saturday, September 17, 2011

Have you come to learn, as I have, that sometimes all you need to make or break a really great costume is a fabulous hat? These sellers certainly have! Check out all of these fun and creative hats that will turn a simple top and bottom from your closet into a full blown well planned out costume!

ABOVE::

ABOVE::

In The News:: Westmama Designs

Posted Saturday, September 03, 2011

Magazine editors have caught on to the treasure trove that is Etsy. When BabyTalk Magazine, contacted Kimberly, owner and designer of EtsyKids Shop, Westmama, for a product sample, she never dreamed it would end up on the cover of the September 2011 issue!! Congratulations Kimberly!!


Love the shirt? See all of Westmama Design's T-Rex shirts here.

Westmama Designs Etsy Shop.
Westmama Designs Blog.
Westmama Designs on Twitter.
Westmama Designs on Facebook.



Back to School Printable from Creative Mamma

Posted Wednesday, August 17, 2011

School is starting back up all over the nation and super talented EtsyKids team member Joy Charde, the talented lady behind Creative Mamma, created a fun Kawaii Back-to-School printable to share.

I know you'll find great ways to use this multipurpose pack ... book labels, blank cards - use them as lunch box notes or messages to the teacher, weekly homework planner, and of course bookmarks.

Print off a couple sheets of book labels, blank cards, or bookmarks, cut them up and send them in as a little surprise for your child's teacher. They will appreciated and will quickly be put to good use in the classroom.

You can find more of Joy's sweet printable designs on her website Creative Mamma, and in her shop, TheArtOfJoy.

Activity:: Birdseed Treats for Feathered Friends

Posted Friday, July 29, 2011


Each winter Michelle, of Hi Mamma, and her family make bird seed ornaments. They've done it for years during the kids winter break, but it really does not need to be a winter craft/project. Their craft room is the sunroom and they enjoy listening to music and watching their feathered friends have a little snack. Depending on the type of birds you have in your area, really depends upon the type of bird seed that you purchase for this project. If your children really get into watching the birds, there are lots of great kid friendly bird watching books and state specific bird field guides you can pick up at the local library, that will help you identify your backyard birds and what they enjoy eating.

Here's how you can make your own::

Ingredients and Supplies
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
3 tbsp. corn syrup (can be dark or light)
4 cups birdseed
cookie cutters (to form the shape of the bird seed holders)
waxed paper
ribbon/yarn/string

Combine the flour, water, gelatin and corn syrup in a large mixing bowl. Stir until well mixed together.

Add the bird seed and continue mixing until it is well coated. You can tell when the bird seed is coated as you cannot see the flour on the seed, and it starts to clumping.

Spoon your bird seed mixture into each mold (aka the cookie cutters), fill it half way in the mold. Use your fingers to push down on the bird seed so that is packed/dense and will stay in it shape. Then add your “hanger” at the top of the mold. We cut our desired length of yarn and folded it over to form a horseshoe…placed the ends of the string about 1 inch down from the top of the mold, so that the loop would be hung on the tree branch, and then placed more of the bird seed mixture on top of the string and the mold. Once again made sure that we packed the bird seed down tight.

Keep the birdseed mixture in the molds for roughly 2 1/2 hours. Afterwards, gently remove the ornaments from the mold pressing lightly at the edges (not the middle or it might break), and place them back on the wax paper. Allow the shapes to dry for at least 2-3 hours or even overnight before hanging.

Thanks Michelle for sharing one of your families traditions. This makes a fun activity to do with cousins or when it's too cold to play outside.

Michelle's shop, Hi Mamma, is participating in our EtsyKids Christmas in July promotional and offering free shipping when you enter the promotional code,
711CHRISTMASINJULY at checkout!



This post and many more like it can be found on Michelle's blog,
Hi Mamma Designs, where she shares her journey through motherhood, crafting, cooking and living.

Gifting:: Etched Glass Cookie Jar

Posted Thursday, July 28, 2011

Special post from Nikki at NikkiInStitches.

You can thank me now … or later … whatever’s easiest for you.

I know … I just gave you the perfect gift for that person that you were thinking “I really should get them something, but I don’t know what…I wish I could make them something…I don’t have a lot of time, so something simple…something cute, that I know they’d like.” (I know you’ve had this conversation in your head at least once this past week!)

Enter … this cookie jar.

And it takes like 10 minutes … now you really need to thank me!

Hint … If you love the star that totally puts this little project over the edge, I would also become a subscriber. You’ll have it just in time to put on your cookie jar…and everyone will think you are the craftiest!

Materials:
  • Glass Cookie Jar (I picked mine up at my local chain craft store for just a few dollars.)
  • Stencils (I made my own…see directions below.)
  • Craft Knife
  • Cutting Mat
  • Temporary Spray Adhesive
  • Glass Etching Cream (Again, I picked up a small bottle of Armour Etch…that will be more than enough.)
  • Paint Brush
  • Cookies!!

Directions:
1. Make Stencils
If you look closely at the picture, you can see I have two stencils that I used on my jar. The first is the “M,” which I just printed out from my computer (in Brush Script font, size 350), and then carefully cut out with a craft knife on my cutting mat. The second, which is harder to see, is a snowflake. This is simply just a punch that I had in my arsenal of craft supplies.

2. Adhere Stencil and Etch
Using the temporary spray adhesive, adhere your stencils to your jar, being sure to really get them down securely so that no etching cream spreads underneath them. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the actual etching process. For me, it pretty much went: glop it on, then wait for it to dry. (The directions actually said to put on a thick coat, brushing in all directions, then allow to dry for 5 minutes.) When the etching cream was ready, I just took it over to the sink, and with water and a soft cloth, wiped off the stencils (since they are made from just printer weight paper, they almost dissolve in the water), and the dried etching cream, and project complete!
Here’s one more pic to remind you of how cute it is!
Enjoy…(and you’re welcome!),
Nikki, In Stitches
PS…What will you fill these with??
Here are two yummy suggestions:
A recipe for my great-grandmother’s butter cookies … they are the best!
Martha Stewart’s Peppermint Bark … I’ve made this in the past, it’s really easy, and it is one of my faves!
Want the directions to the origami star??
Take a look in this post: Origami Stars!


Nikki, In Stitches is offering 15% off everything in her shop for her EtsyKids Christmas in July Sale, just use coupon code JULY15 at checkout! Her headbands and hair accessories would add a lovely touch to your family picture for the Christmas card photo or complement a special holiday outfit.


Nikki recently launched a beautiful new website. Her blog is a delightful and fun read. A seamstress at heart, Nikki enjoys putting fresh twists on traditional crafts. Her modern methods mashed with old school techniques is a great source for creative ideas in crafting. It's instantly evident when you visit her blog and her shop. Thanks again Nikki for sharing this great holiday project.

Freebie from Blush Printables:: Little Letter to Santa

Posted Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Special post courtesy of Jen at Blush Printables.

When I was little, my brother and I used to leave a note out for Santa to read. We always set it out next to his plate and cookies, and we always left a little treat for his reindeer, too!

So here's a set of your very own free 5x7 printable letters to Santa. They come in three sets: Each with a coordinating color scheme, both with and without text.





Each Letter is a finished size of 5x7 and can be printed at home.

To use:
1. Download the Free Santa's Letters. The zip contains 6 files!
2. Print on cardstock (I use 110lb white matte)
3. Trim to size.
4. Have your child sign his or her name OR write their own personalized message to Santa!


A special thanks to Blush Printables for sharing this free printable. You can see more of Jen's beautiful designs in her etsy shop, Blush Printables, where she offers DIY Invitations and accessories for weddings, showers, birthdays and events. Blush is participating in our EtsyKids Christmas in July sale and is offering 15% off photo cards.

Jen has a beautiful blog that you won't want to pass up. She shares lovely pieces of inspiration and designs for brides and more recently babies! as she patiently awaits the arrival of her own little bundle. Jen is also extremely generous to her readers and offers amazing freebies throughout the year. So don't miss out and become a regular reader of Blush Printables.

Tradition:: St. Nicholas Day

Posted Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The story of Santa Claus starts with St. Nicholas, a saint who was known for anonymous gift giving to the poor and needy. Although it is mainly a European holiday, many families inside the US celebrate aspects of St. Nicholas Day on December 6th as apart of Advent or as an activity in their Christmas countdown.

The tradition is that on the eve of December 6th, children place their shoes/boots outside their doors for St. Nicholas to fill with chocolates and candies, fruit and nuts and small gifts.

Harvest Moon by Hand, has observed this tradition with her children for a couple of years years now. "It is something that they look forward to each year. It's such a simple tradition, but one that I know they'll remember when they're older." She also uses the opportunity to teach them about who St. Nicholas was - his life, how he lived it and the impact he had on the world.

If you'd like to learn more about St. Nicholas and see what parts of the tradition you might like to enjoy with your family, the St. Nicholas Center website has many resources for individuals and families, religious and non-religious.

Many EtsyKids sellers have little gifts perfect for slipping into a child's shoe to help make the morning fun and exciting. And putting in a couple for sharing with friends and siblings helps to continue the legacy of St. Nicholas and warmth of the season. Here are just a few suggestions:


Set of 6 Saddle-stitched Pinwheel bows by thebitsybeau
Felt Play Black Cherries by pippiclippies
Dragon Fly Wooden Yo-yo by applenamos
Snowmen Pencil Toppers by MFCrafts
Red Rocket Moleskin Cahier Notebook by ClareBears

You can search shops participating in our EtsyKids Christmas in July sale by searching EK christmasinjuly or EK CIJ on Etsy. Each shop promotion is a bit different, so read each shops announcement or see this list of participants for the details.

Tutorial:: Beeswax Ornaments

Posted Saturday, July 23, 2011

This tutorial comes from Ann of Harvest Moon by Hand. It was one of their family advent activities. The results are beautiful and we are so pleased Ann is sharing how to make these charming ornaments.

3 Beeswax Ornaments

These beeswax ornaments are made by pouring melted beeswax into ceramic ceramic cookie molds. The mold designs lend themselves well to the ornaments, and in the window, the sunlight reveals the pattern. It takes about a pound of wax to make eight ornaments.

The first step was to melt the wax. My daughter, emptied a huge can of black beans and washed out the container. I put the wax into the can and then into a heavy pot with a few inches of water.

The next step, once the wax was melted, was to pour it into molds. Initially, we poured the wax directly onto the mold. It ended up sticking. One of the ornaments came off easily, but the rest stuck. After getting the wax off, I put some vegetable oil onto the molds. We re-melted the wax and tried again.

This time, there was too much oil and the ornaments looked greasy. Removed all the beeswax and re-melted it. Wiped off some of the oil so there was barely any there.

Third time...re-poured the wax in the molds and put little holes where the ribbon would go through.

The beeswax hardens quite quickly. For the initial ornaments, we made holes with toothpicks through the wax so a ribbon would go through them. For the last batch, I put the ribbon in the back of the hardening wax.

If we had trouble taking any of the ornaments out of the molds, we put them in the freezer for a few minutes. Then they would come out easily.

After drying them for a couple of days at room temperature, I took a paring knife and cleaned up the edges as well as put a ribbon through the holes for hanging them.

My daughter and I enjoyed making these ornaments together, and look forward to making more of them.


Many thanks to Ann for sharing one of her projects for the holidays. Ann's shop, Harvest Moon by Hand is participant in our Christmas in July Sale. Save 10% on everything in her shop by using code EKCIJ10 (products only; not on shipping).

If you love these Beeswax Impressions but aren't up for making them yourself, you can purchase them in her shop here.



Follow Ann's articles and photos about homeschooling; arts and crafts; cooking; nature walks; natural living; needlework; and see what inspires the creation of products available through Harvest Moon by Hand by reading her blog.

Pen Pals with Cousin

Posted Monday, June 27, 2011

Every other year or so my parents siblings get together for a family reunion - three generations all together. Have you found that the more you know the people at a family reunion the more fun it is? I remember attending a reunion when I was 11 or so … hundreds of people were there. I was connected with all of them through one great great grandparent, but my siblings and I were bored to tears because we didn’t know a single soul there other than our parents and grandparents.

In an effort to help the 3rd generation, (aka, 1st cousins once removed) get to know each other better and strengthen family ties before the family reunion, bridging thousands of miles, multiple states and in one case, an ocean separating these kids … we paired them up as pen pals.

It’s been great fun. The kids get to practice their handwriting, spelling and composition, and I can’t tell you how excited they get when there is a letter in the mail just for them! They are also getting to know their extended family, strengthening family relationships which will hopefully bring strength and comfort to them as the years go on. I wish I could say that they write weekly or that they are always chomping at the bit to write a letter to their cousins … they don’t and they aren’t. But it’s never diminished the excitement they get when a letter arrives in the mailbox addressed to them in 4th grade pencil.

Our first pen pal letters turned into mini care packages. We made our own bubble wrap envelopes, covering them in scrapbook paper. We filled them with light, inexpensive trinkets we thought they might like and in some cases told a little bit about the child sending the letter … seed packets, stickers, drink pouches, and pictures of the activities talked about in the letter. Since then the kids have tried to include a little something or other that won’t mess with the postage to make their letters a little more interesting to send and receive … sudoku puzzles, bookmarks, temporary tatoos, favorite recipes, coloring pages, etc.

If you have family reunions in your future, or you want your children to build relationships with cousins and 1st cousins-once-removed they don’t see often, consider starting up a little pen pal ring and see what happens. It might be slow going a first, but don’t give up, you just might find that the whole thing takes off and continues well past the family gathering.

Reposted with permission from tinystitches.wordpress.com.

Summer Reading Kit for Kids: Free Printable!!

Posted Saturday, June 18, 2011

Today's post comes courtesy of theartofjoy.etsy.com.

Summer is a perfect time to visit your local library or bookstore and discover new books! When I taught elementary school, I would try to find ways to get my students excited about reading…


One of the things that I made for my students was a reading log and whoever had the most books read received a special prize from me the next school year. The kids loved it! This time around, I’ve created a whole Summer Reading Kit (two designs to choose from) for you to enjoy! You can download both designs from my blog.



I hope you find some wonderful new books this summer! We'd love to hear about your a recent good read and if you're looking for local summer reading programs to help reward your children reading through the summer, check out these summer reading programs.



Thanks Joy for sharing this printable with us! You can see more of Joy's work on her blog, creativemama.com and in her shop:





Tutorial:: Upcycled Crayons

Posted Sunday, June 12, 2011

Are you swimming in school supplies at your house? My kids brought home backpacks filled with all the used supplies from the school year. Some things have been tucked away to reuse next year, but others get cycled into the families general craft supplies.

A couple of weeks ago The Crazy Elephant shared a fun project using broken crayons on her blog, that she recently did with her son. She made cute upcycled crayons using the old, broken, ruddy ones that seem to multiply ten fold in the craft box when on one is looking. It's a great summer boredom buster that kids can be ultra involved in!

Start by collecting all the old crayons ... odds and ends, bits and pieces from the craft drawer, leftovers from the school, everything that's lost it's interest to play with. When we made them, everything got thrown in the mix, Crayola, RoseArt, freebie crayons from restaurants, fat, skinny, washable, glow in the dark, princess, you name it we used it. Each has their own unique melting qualities, and that made for some fun added dimensions when looking at the end product. But we are all really pleased with the results.

Next, remove the paper wrapper around each crayon and sort by color. Cereal bowls or custard cups work really well for this step. Depending on how many crayons you want to upcycle, sort by exact color, by similar color, or don't sort at all, and create a multi-colored rainbow crayons. Let your child experiment with it. Have them make predictions about how the crayon combination will look after they are melted.

The Crazy Elephant and I both used silicon molds, because they come in great shapes and make removing the crayons a snap! The Crazy Elephant used a Lego muffin mold and I used a star mold. But metal cupcake pans also work well.

I baked ours at 350 for about 15 minutes and then let them cool for a couple of hours, a friend using a metal pan melted hers at 350 for 10 minutes and years ago when Family Fun had this idea in their magazine they said to melt them at 250 for 15 minutes. I think it all depends on the kinds of crayons you are using, how big your molds are (FF's was no bigger than 2", and mine 2.75"), the brand of crayon you are using, and possibly the pan (silicon vs. metal?). So turn on your oven light and watch them closely. It takes them a while to cool enough to remove from the pan, so plan a trip to the library or the pool to make the waiting period easier!


Upcycled crayons are not only fun to make, but they are also fun for kids to use and make great gifts and party favors for birthdays, stocking stuffers, Valentines, or little extras in care packages.

If you're looking to purchase chunky crayon shapes to use for an upcoming party, EtsyKids Team Member, PreschoolDoll Designs, has lots of whimsical shapes to go with your theme, and individually wraps them, making them perfect party favors!

Thanks to The Crazy Elephant for this great project. Please check out her Etsy shop and blog!

Treasury Thursdays!

Posted Thursday, June 02, 2011

Treasury Thursday will be a new addition to the Etsy Kids Blog. Every Thursday a new randomly picked treasury will be selected to be featured.
We will be featuring reported treasuries curated by our members who are not participating in the EtsyKids Treasury Team


I love the many colors in this rainbow of all Etsy Kids Team Items.
It reminders me of summer full of life.
Enjoy!


'Rainbow Brite and Starlite' by MulberryShop

Photo Makeover Series Part 4

Posted Tuesday, May 24, 2011

EtsyKids Photo Makeover Series Part 4: Photo Editing, Props, Styling and More!




TwoLittleBluebirds continues her Photo Makeover Series on the EtsyKids Treasury Team Blog this week with her fourth installment filled with styling tips to enhance your product photos and entice buyers! She also discusses free photo editing software programs along with tips for editing your photos. Jump on over and see what improvements you can make to your product photos. You've got a month to put TwoLittleBluebirds advice into action and enter your new product photos in the final photo makeover challenge. Contest details and how to enter are found on the EKTT blog.

Displaying Kids Artwork

Posted Sunday, April 03, 2011

Were you inspired to encourage your children to create more art after reading Plume De Nikola's post Art Festival Time? A great reminder to not only allow our children creative time, but to also encourage them to try and experiment with traditional art techniques and mediums.

Lots of parents struggle with how to display all of the projects their children create at home, in the classroom, and during extra curricular activities. Displaying a child's creative efforts is important to developing their sense of self and cultivating their future creative pursuits.

Clutter and organization experts suggest providing a defined space, with limits, for displaying your child's work. If you'd like, involve them in selecting the location, but be sure to display their work prominently in your home where everyone can see it. It's also important to pick a setting with spacial limits. A defined amount of display space, encouraging them to make choices about what projects to keep and what to part with.

A simple google search proves there are tons of creative ways to display your children's artwork. Everything from large push pin or magnetic bulletin boards, to a small collection of large frames or the front or side of the refrigerator.

Having a gallery wall to display all of the children's artwork has worked well in our home. During the school year, everyone's work is displayed on the gallery wall. I'll write their name and class grade on the back and tape or pin it to the wall. When space runs out, we photograph each project, selecting just a few to save, and recycling the rest, making room for new projects.

Recently PreschoolDollDesigns, posted a simple way to display artwork, photographs, certificates, homework or other 2-D treasures your children come home with on her blog. It's a clothes line for art that you attach to the wall with nails or cup hooks. Simple, inexpensive and super chic!


You'll need clothes pins, ribbon, two nails or cup hooks, tape measure and wall space. The number of clothes pins and the length of ribbon will depend on the length of your wall display space. Once you've selected your wall space, determine the height of the clothes line and it's length. Place a nail or cup hook on each end. If your dedicating an entire wall space to the display of your children's art, consider stacking two or three rows of display space, spaced two feet apart.

To create the actual clothes line, thread the ribbon through the spring of the clothes pin. Repeat for the number of clothes pins you have space for. PreschoolDollDesigns recommends spacing them every 10-12 inches. The great thing about this set up is that they slid, easily accommodating small and over-sized projects. Once you have the desired number of clothes pins on your ribbon, tie a loop at one end. Hook over one of the cup hooks or nails. Stretch the ribbon to the second hook/nail and tie a second loop. The ribbon will stretch a bit over time with projects hanging on the line, so tie the ribbon straight and taught with little to not slack.

Here's a similar artwork display line in use in our home.


PreschoolDollDesign has great suggestions of where to hang your art clothes line, along with four other ways to fabulously live free on her post, 5 Ways to Fabulously Live Free. I also loved looking through her Etsy Easter Finds ... 20 things for under $20. Lots of great finds the kids will love, and so will your budget.

Visit PreschoolDollDesign on Etsy and on Facebook.

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Posted Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Our shamrocks and pots of gold are all put away for another year, and Spring is finally, finally here!! Woo Hoo! Here in the Midwest, and in many other parts of the world, it's been a long, long winter, and we are ready to surround ourselves with everything SPRING!

Raising Money for Japan

Posted Monday, March 21, 2011

Around the world people are looking for ways to ease the suffering in Japan. Money is the universal item that is needed most. Money allows humanitarian aid organizations to meet specific needs as they arise ... be they food, water, medical supplies, blankets, clothing, shelter, clean up ... rather than waiting for needed donations to come in.

Crafter's and Etsy sellers have realize this from the beginning. With each disaster that has hit our planet, they have donated their goods and services, their time and talents, to raise money for organizations to instantly and strategically put to use in devastated areas.

These four EtsyKids sellers are no different, lillollipop, thetrendytot, 1PixiePlace, gracehesterdesigns. They are donating a significant portion (50% - 100%!) of the sale of their item(s) to Japan Relief Efforts through large well established aid organizations. Please join them in giving aid and relief to Japan by purchasing a qualifying item and see your dollar do double duty!


Lotus Blue Kimono Wrap Dress 50% to Doctors w/out Borders by lillollipop
Japanese Flag Skirt 50% to American Red Cross by thetrendytot
Hello Kitty I Spy Bag 100% to American Red Cross by 1PixiePlace
Thank You Cards in Japanese 100% to Save the Children by gracehesterdesigns

Potty Training with Dr. Seuss!

Posted Thursday, March 03, 2011

We're potty training our caboose. My fifth and final go at potty training. It's bittersweet.

My husband and I marvel at how different the potty training experience has been for each of our children. Same parents, same basic approach with small modifications tailored to each child's needs. And just like her siblings, this one has taken to potty training in away that is totally unique to her. Fascinating really.

Same basic approach ... lots of books in the bathroom to read to help relax the child and make sitting and waiting more interesting. Her book of choice, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, by Dr. Seuss.

Individualized modification for child #5 ... #5 can listen to, and turn the pages of the digital One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish on my Droid while she patiently waits on the potty. Fabulous on days when she's not wanting to stop and sit and wait.

I have a couple of Dr. Seuss books on my phone now [thanks to well placed ads in a favorite game of my 4 year-old] and I gotta say I'm loving them [and am less annoyed that my 4 year-old spent my $10 on digital books]. They are interactive, hold my kids attention, and aren't a game. If your a Seuss fan, and looking for fun, interactive, totally kid friendly (love that this is interesting and entertaining for the two year-old, four year-old, and seven year-old) stuff for your phone that is also a bit educational, consider check it out the collection of Seuss books at oceanhousemedia.

What is your child's favorite Dr. Seuss book or character?

Check out these whimsical Seuss inspired accessories and adorable clothes made with Robert Kaufman's Dr. Seuss fabric line by EtsyKids team members.

A day at the Zoo

Posted Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Have a bad case of cabin fever? Enjoy a trip to the zoo on a cold February day ... we promise it will be, the cutest little Zoo, you'll ever have the pleasure of visiting. Thanks BrandisBowBoutique!

My HEART belongs to you

Posted Thursday, February 10, 2011



Treasury curated by 1crown3tiaras.

For the Littlest of Valentine's

Posted Tuesday, February 08, 2011


Love this sweet treasury curated by krankykrab. So pink, so sweet. Enjoy!
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