Things to Make and Do, Crafts and Activities for Kids - The Crafty Crow

$100 The Home Depot Gift Card Giveaway, Twitter Party, and DIH Workshop News

[Post and giveaway sponsored by The Home Depot, but all opinions are my own. Please see below for additional disclosure.] 


There are lots of good things going on with The Home Depot this summer! Have you ever been to one of their in-store workshops? They are now expanding their Do-It-Herself Workshops to more stores where you can learn a variety of skills and techniques for home improvement and projects to keep things running smoothly at home.


Pinterest-Inspired DIH Workshop!

On August 15th, Martha Stewart has teamed up with The Home Depot for a Pinterest-Inspired DIH Workshop to make this chore chart just in time to get things organized for going back to school. You can register in the store but they've made it easy to register online too.

Twitter Party!

Also, on August 1st (not too far away!), at 8:00pm E.S.T., there will be a Twitter party with The Home Depot and special guest, Martha Stewart! I'll be there too and we'll talk about getting crafty with chore charts and other do-it-herself projects. Mark your calendars now, I'd love to see you there!

The Giveaway!

Click here to register online for The Home Depot Pinterest-Inspired DIH Workshop held on August 15th and then come back here and leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway for a $100 The Home Depot gift card. Comments will close at midnight P.S.T. on August 14th. The winner will be chosen using the Random Number Generator and announced here during the week of August 16th.

Disclosure:
The Home Depot partnered with bloggers such as me for their Twitter Party and DIH Workshop program. As part of this program, I received compensation for my time. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about any product mentioned in these posts. The Home Depot believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. The Home Depot’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. 

Cardboard Sea Creatures for Peg Doll Play

I'm envious of these peg dolls that get to play with all of
these wonderful cardboard sea creatures at Mr Printables!
Click over for free templates to print out.

Printable Roads for Indoor Play

Wow, look what Picklebums created just for you -
printable roads to build your own towns and cities
for lots of car and truck play! I love her idea of
laminating them for longer lasting play.

Easy Beaded Friendship Bracelet Tutorial

You can make this easy friendship bracelet with just
beads, string, and scissors! Directions are at She Knows.

Sewing School 2: Lessons in Machine Sewing Book Review & Giveaway!

What a thrill to be part of the blog tour for Sewing School 2: Lessons in Machine Sewing! I loved their first book, Sewing School: 21 Sewing Projects Kids Will Love to Make, and was honored to not only be included in the blog tour, but I was also asked to contribute an endorsement blurb for the back of the book! That's a first for me and I couldn't have been happier to oblige since I'm a big fan of both books.


The first Sewing School was all about sewing by hand, Sewing School 2 is all about sewing by machine. The projects are organized in a step-up manner, meaning each project builds upon the skills learned in a previous one. There are 12 lessons in the "Getting Started" section and then a "Pop Quiz" where kids can put their skills to the test with three sewing accessory projects. After completing those, you know you'll be able to do all the other projects in the book. Cool, huh? Let's take a look at some of the projects...

Tag Along
Kids will love picking fabric for their Tag Along - just think
of all the cute Japanese prints to choose from! 

 

eHold 
Make a cover for your tech gadgets... super
for boys and girls, useful, gift-worthy, and
perfect for tweens. 

Patchwork Scarf
This is the last project in the book -
what a great gift for your handmade
holiday this year! 

 I checked the reviews on Amazon in preparing this post and was happy to see that the reviews were all positive, yay! One reviewer wished the book had information about choosing a sewing machine for kids which was a surprise because, well, there's a whole chapter just on that, even a recommendation for the Janome Sew Mini! Anyway, I asked Amie if she could give me the condensed version of what to look for when shopping for sewing machines for kids: 

The authors, Amie Petronis Plumley and Andria Lisle, have tons of experience teaching sewing to kids and they've taken their time to present each project with step-by-step instructions and photos. There's also neat little tips, notes to adults, and a review of skills needed for each project. 

I love that kids are encouraged to "Make It Yours" with suggestions for details that can be changed or added to make it unique to the child. That's the thrill of learning to sew after all, customizing and designing patterns that are exclusive to you!


I'm often asked for recommendations for sewing books for kids and I'm always happy to be able to recommend Sewing School, and now Sewing School 2, as the projects and information are solid and I know the user will have success. Lots of fun too!   

Be sure to check out the Sewing School blog and all the other blogs in the tour for more information...

July 7 – Our Busy Homeschool

July 8 – scrumdilly-do!

July 9 – Crafty Moms Share

July 10 – Jane of All Trades

July 11 – Windy Lou

July 12 – Adventures of a DIY Mom

July 13 – Improv Diary

July 16 – He Sewed She Sewed

July 17 – Teach Beside Me

July 18 – All Things with Purpose

July 19 – The Crafty Crow

July 20 – Family Style School

July 21 – Such Designs

July 22 – Red Bird Crafts

July 23 – The Long Thread

July 25 - mayamade

So, are you just chomping at the bit, ready to get started on your own machine sewing adventure? Well, I've got two copies of Sewing School 2: Lessons in Machine Sewing to give away!


Just leave a comment on this post by midnight P.S.T. on Friday, July 26th to be entered. The two winners will be chosen using the Random Number Generator and posted here on Monday, July 29th. A few rules I have to adhere to: this is only for U.S. citizens and you must be 18 years old. 

I received a complimentary copy of the book to look over for this review but all opinions are my own and how I really feel, I couldn't live with myself otherwise. This post also contains affiliate ads which means if you make a purchase through those links I'll get a small percentage of the sale without costing you a penny extra - thank you!

Get Outside: Sidewalk Chalk Ideas!

tutorial for frozen sidewalk chalk paint or ice chalk 
Reading Confetti


combine chalk drawings with rock people - adorable!
Almost Unschoolers


color a tree with chalk
Dilly-Dali Art


how to make sidewalk chalk paint for spray bottles
Infarrantly Creative


painting with water on top of chalk 
The Imagination Tree 


fizzy chalk painting 
Quirky Momma 


funny chalk and shadow faces 
A Little Learning For Two 

Here are more ideas for fun
things to do with chalk! 

4th of July Sashiko Table Runner Tutorial

This stitchery is very kid-friendly since you are using burlap and yarn and stitching with a running stitch, probably the easiest stitch there is. Younger kids can learn how to pull the strings to make the fringe and then older ones can work on the stitching - a real family project! 



You can also see I made a few red burlap coasters which involve no stitching at all. Just cut the burlap squares a little larger than you want for the coaster (these measure 6"x6" including the fringe), and then pull the threads for the fringe. Run a line of glue around the edges, just like the table runner, to prevent unraveling.

4th of July Sashiko Table Runner



Materials:
white or red burlap (purchase by the yard from the fabric store)
red, white, and blue yarn
tapestry needle (has a large eye and dullish tip)
glue that dries clear
scissors
iron for pressing
measuring tape if desired

Directions:
1. Prepare the Burlap

*Iron the burlap if necessary.


*Decide on the shape and size of your table runner
then add about 2" on all sides. Cut it out.


*Working on one side at a time: pull threads from the edge of the burlap until you get one thread that runs the length of that side. 


*Pull several more threads until you get a fringe length that you like; repeat on the other three sides. 


*Run a line of glue at the base of the fringe to keep it from unraveling, let the glue dry. Repeat on the other three sides. The side with the glue will be the back of the runner.


2.Stitching

*Cut a piece of yarn that is the length of your burlap
and add about 6".

*Knot one end and thread the other into the tapestry needle.

*Insert your threaded needle into the top side of your burlap, then, using a running stitch (the kind that goes up and down through the fabric) make a straight line of stitches the length of the burlap. Tie a knot on top of the burlap when you reach the end.



*Repeat the running stitches parallel to each other in any combination of colors that you choose until you're done. 

I hope everyone has a Happy 4th of July!