Our Beautifully Messy House

DIY Sock Bunny Rabbit

July 21, 2014September 29, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

This project was inspired by a dear friend Libby, who left this world way too early in life. When I was 10 years old I was diagnosed with type I diabetes. As my doctor came to the hospital that evening to diagnose and take care of me, his wife, Libby, got out her sewing kit. She stayed up late that night making me a precious bunny rabbit that I still have to this day.

So when one of my best friends’ babies, my godchild, was in the hospital for surgery last week and ended up staying much longer than expected, my first thought was of Libby and the bunny. I knew I had to make one.

Materials needed:

one pair of socks (regular or knee high)
needle and thread
stuffing material
embroidery floss and embroidery needle
buttons (optional for children 3+)

First, take one sock and open it up so the heel is facing you. Lay it flat. The heel of the sock will be the bunny’s face.

Then, make a cut in the middle of the toe of the sock, cutting towards the heel. This will be the bunny’s ears. Don’t cut all the way to the heel though, remember the heel becomes the face. Next, make a cut from the opposite end of the sock for the bunny’s legs. Again, don’t cut all the way up to the heel…this time you need to leave room for a body too.

Turn the sock inside-out. Starting at the tip of an ear, stitch down one ear and up the other. Next, sew the legs in a similar fashion, but this time leave about a 2-inch opening.

Turn the sock right-side-out. Through the 2-inch opening, carefully stuff the bunny’s ears, body and legs. Sew the opening closed.

Now take the other sock and cut off the toe, close to the heel. Lay this part flat, like you did the first sock, and cut it in half. These will be the arms.

Turn one sock piece inside-out and, starting from the tip, stitch the side closed. Turn it right-side-out again and fill it with stuffing.

Next, fold the open edge inwards and pinch it together. Sew the arm closed, attaching it to the body at the same time. Repeat with the other arm.

Your bunny’s adorable already, isn’t it? But, it still needs a face! Using embroidery floss, stitch on little eyes or attach buttons (if the child receiving the bunny is 3 years old or older) and sew a lil nose. All done!

As you can see from the picture below, using knee socks gives you a tall and skinny bunny and using slightly smaller socks results in an adorable, baby bunny rabbit. Now to deliver them to my godchild and her 3 yr old sister…I can’t wait to see those happy faces!

“Making something is one way to say, ‘I love you.'” -Daniel Tiger

DIY Capes…Wizard Capes…Superhero Capes

July 19, 2014September 29, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

Before I move on to any other posts, I thought I ought to share how to make a cape to go with your magical wand! Now this can be a wizard cape, a superhero cape, a cape for a child or an adult.

Materials needed:

jersey knit fabric
ribbon (about 5 ft, depending on the size of the wizard)
thread and needle
sewing pins

First, you must determine whether you want a short or a long cape…both have equal flying abilities. Lay the fabric out on a flat surface and cut out the cape, a little wider at the bottom than the top. If you like, you can measure and draw the cape first…I just eyeballed it. Using knit fabric makes this a super easy craft because the edges will not fray and there is no need to hem the sides.

Next, lay the ribbon out along the top edge of the cape and pin it in place. If you know how to use a sewing machine, this next step should be quick and easy…if you want to do it by hand it is also fairly quick and easy. All you need is a simple, straight stitch across the top of the ribbon and one along the bottom.

Your cape is done! Too easy, right? If you want to add some embellishments…some beads or buttons…you can sew them on as well. To make my nephew’s cape extra wizardly for his birthday I sewed an owl in the middle. (See above, top photo.)

I like to avoid tying anything around a child’s neck, so to attach the cape put the ribbon over the shoulders, then back under the arms and tie it in the back. Off to flying school!

Wizard Wands…Fairy Wands…Magical Wands

July 16, 2014September 29, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

This is such a simple craft to do and, paired with a wizard cape or hat, it makes for a fun gift too! I first made these for my nephew’s birthday party…and they were a big hit! Depending on your kid’s age, he or she can help with some and maybe even all of the steps.

Materials:

sticks from the yard
acrylic paint
glitter paint
a small marble
glitter hot-glue-gun glue and glue gun

Collect sticks! If you don’t have good ones in your yard, go on a nature walk around town collecting some. The more twisty-turny they are the better! Make sure they are strong ones and won’t break easily. Brush sticks off, gently removing any loose bark.

Paint! Most of my acrylics are not labeled “non-toxic” and they are permanent, so I did this step on my own. Sometimes I let L paint with acrylics, but I cover the kitchen counters and nearby appliances with garbage bags, cover the chair she stands on with a towel and make sure she’s wearing her smock. You be the judge on this one! After the paint dries, apply another coat if needed and then paint with the glitter paint. You could stop here if you want and have a pretty awesome wand…I like to add the marble on top though to make it a little safer!

Attach marble! Find a marble that’s the right size and color you like. Old marbles are another great thing to find at antique stores…whenever we see a jar for a good price, we snatch em up. Using the hot glue gun, apply a little dab of glue at the tip of the stick and quickly push a marble in place. To secure the marble, apply more glue around the base and then make a little dripping effect down the wand. Plan on using about one whole glue stick per wand. And that’s it!

Too easy, right? It’s fun watching your kid’s imagination soar while playing with their wand. L likes to think she can make the leaves of a tree dance or birds fly with hers. I always remind her of two rules though… #1: No hitting anything or anyone, and #2: No running with the wand. If you make a wand, please share your pics with us! I’d love to see what else you add…ribbons, jewels, etc.

Water Play

July 14, 2014September 29, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

Have a lot of yard work to do this week? Want to keep your kids busy and cool while playing outside? Set up a water station! Whether it be dishes, a waterproof baby doll, a garden owl or a soccer ball, my kid LOVES washing things!

Washing supplies:

1 or 2 wash basins
empty soap dispenser filled with water (This is a must! It’s L’s favorite part!)
wash cloth
drying cloth
sponge
old toothbrush
shaving cream

Things to wash:

dishes, utensils
toy cars
waterproof baby doll
stuff out of the garden (rocks, soccer ball, garden owl, figurines they can’t hurt)

First off, expect your kids to get wet…don’t even try to tell them not to! I usually take L’s shirt off and replace it with a smock shirt (one of my old shirts), or on a really hot day she just strips down to her diaper. Afterwards we just hose any excess soap off and, if the smock shirt happens to be covered in shaving cream, we roll that off too.

The key to keeping your kids going with this activity is to NOT give them everything all at once. Start with a wash cloth, soap dispenser and a few dishes. About 20 minutes later, add in a fork and spoon. 5 minutes later say, “Hey, want a toothbrush to clean with? I’ll get you one!” Look around the yard to see what else they can clean…that old, dirty gnome figurine could use a bath. Then, if all else fails, pull out the cheap can of shaving cream!

This is a great activity to do after painting or playing in dirt…your kids will have never been so clean!

DIY No-Sew Teepee

July 11, 2014September 29, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

What kid (or adult) doesn’t like to play in a fort, tent or secret hideaway?! This teepee was so incredibly easy to make, I was able to construct it in about 5 minutes, just after the sun came up and before my girls awoke. Breakfast in a teepee anyone?

What you need:

6 x 72 in. bamboo stakes ($3-$4 for a pack of 6 at Home Depot)
twine
10-12 clothes pins
a large bed sheet (I used a king-sized one, queen would probably work too)

First, arrange the stakes in a circle, pushing them about an inch or two into the ground. Leave one opening a little wider than the others, making room for the door.

Second, tie your twine in a knot around one bamboo stake. Gather the stakes at the top, one-by-one wrapping the twine in-and-out and around. (It’s much harder to explain than it is to actually do!) After the last stake has been gathered and wrapped, tie a bow so it is easy to undo when your teepee is ready to come down.

Next, wrap the sheet around the teepee frame and clip a clothespin in the middle to secure it at the top.

Then, starting at the front and the top, clip the sheet to the stakes using the clothespins. Make sure you keep enough fabric up front for a “door.” As you clip the tops of the stakes and the bottoms, smooth out the sheet and pull it taut. Tuck any excess fabric under at the bottom.

And there you have it…a teepee in under $10 and under 10 minutes! Not only did L eat breakfast in her teepee, she read books, colored, and played with her dolls for HOURS! The teepee’s been going up and down for a couple weeks now…it’s about time to put it away and out of sight for a couple months so it doesn’t lose its luster. Perhaps we’ll bring it out again this Autumn for a special lunch among the colorful falling leaves!

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood (aka Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood)

July 10, 2014September 29, 2015 Porter 2 Comments

Our crafts come from many different directions, with many different goals in mind…the day we made Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood my goal was to turn the T.V. off and keep it off for as long as possible! So I decided to bring L’s favorite T.V. show neighborhood to life! You really could do this with any neighborhood, real or make-believe.

Using items found in our recycling basket, kitchen cabinets, and craft closet we pieced together the houses, castle, clock factory, etc. After all the buildings were up, I used painter’s tape to make a road for “trolley” to drive around on. Painter’s tape should be in everyone’s craft pile…it sticks when you need it to, but comes right-up no problem once you’re done playing. We use it allll the time!