Watermelon Wrapping Paper

We have some special packages to mail out to friends, and I thought it would be fun to dress them up a bit. Emily had so much fun making this watermelon wrapping paper!! With just a bit of grown-up help, toddlers can have a go at this one too!

We used a potato to make the prints on long sheets of freezer paper using pink washable paint. I think it's kind of weird that we used a potato to make a watermelon print, but whatever! It worked well!

Father's Day Gifts Kids Can Make -- Circuit Board Pencil Holder

This was a fun stamping project Clara enjoyed, and we made a Father's Day gift from it as well! We used some Mega blocks as stampers with white paint on green paper (to mimic the look of a circuit board). She had so much fun!!

Stamp, stamp, stamp!! I cut up some pieces of masking tape for her to add to the design. 

We used all sides of the block to make different designs. She added some scribbles with a white crayon too.

When she was all done painting, I let the paint dry, and then wrapped it around a tea tin to make a fun pencil holder for Mark's desk. I think it will look nice next to his brag book made from computer disks.

Clara was quite proud of herself! Have fun!!

Father's Day Gifts Kids Can Make -- Fish Magnets

For some reason, I tend to associate fish with dads. I think it's because of Mark's fish tank, and also my own father's love of fishing. Emily and I had so much fun with this simple and frugal project -- fish magnets! They are made using handles of old paintbrushes. In mind was this cute fishing game, so I sawed off the handles, and Emily got to work with the sanding!

Next, it was time to paint our beautiful fish!

Attach some magnets to the back, and give to Dad to admire proudly on the fridge!

Father's Day Gifts Kids Can Make -- Fish Card

This Father's Day card was inspired by Mark's fish tank! To make your own, fold a sheet of construction paper in half as shown.

I cut some blue construction paper and made waves for water on the top edge. Emily used some masking tape to adhere it to the paper.

Lookin' good!

Next, we used color coding labels and cut them up to look like fish!

Use a marker to add the eyes (eyelashes are optional), bubbles, fins, etc. Aren't they so cute??

Don't forget to add a special Father's Day message on your card to give to Dad!

So colorful, and so much fun!!

Father's Day Gifts Kids Can Make -- Colorful Coaster Set

Emily and I had a great time making these colorful coasters for a Father's Day gift for Mark -- and they are super-frugal to make!!

We used plain bathroom tiles from the hardware store, some Mod Podge, and tissue paper to make the set. I found the tiles at Home Depot for just $0.16 each, and we usually get packs of tissue paper at the dollar store -- very inexpensive!

Invite your child over to paint a layer of Mod Podge over the tile.

Decorate with cut up pieces of tissue paper! We chose green & blue -- two of Mark's favorite colors.

Apply another layer of Mod Podge over top to seal the coasters. 

Please note -- If you happen to be working with Mod Podge and then do something like say.... Oh, I don't know....sneeze. DO NOT grab a tissue before washing your hands, or you will make a great big sticky mess all over your hands and face. Not that it happened to ME, or anything.... I'm just sayin'. Ahem.

Notice the snickering from Emily after said Mod Podge/tissue incident.

Allow the coaster to dry completely. Flip the coaster over and stick a felt pad on each corner. We made a set of 4 of these because we were having far too much fun!

Give to Dad on Father's Day to enjoy with an ice cold beverage of his choice!

Have fun!!

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Giveaway -- Custom Poster Print from UPrinting.com

Yay! It's time for another fun giveaway -- this time from our very generous sponsor UPrinting.com! One very lucky reader will win a custom poster print!! In exchange for hosting the giveaway, I'll be getting one too, and I already have in mind which photo I'm going to use. Can't wait! Of course, these custom print posters make great gifts too! Teachers, you can design your own poster for use in the classroom... so many possibilities! UPrinting always does such a fabulous job with color printing!

Now the fun part -- One (1) winner will receive one custom (18 x 24 inch poster) on your choice of high-gloss or semi-gloss paper! Free UPS ground shipping is included. Giveaway is open to US residents 18 years of age or older.

Finger Painted Strawberry Prints

For a colorful and fun project, roll out a long piece of freezer paper, and dip your child's thumb into some red paint. We used Crayola Washable paint. Make two thumb prints next to each other to make a heart shape.

Have your child dip their pinkie finger into some green paint and write a "W" on top of all the heart-shapes.

Last Minute Mother's Day Gifts Round Up

In case you missed some of our FUN Mother's Day gift idea posts, here's a quick round up!



From Left to Right:
1. Super-Fun Tea Tags
2. Lavender Scented Bath Salts
3. Chocolate Nut Bark



From Left to Right:
1. Hand-Painted Pendants
2. Ceramic Trivets
3. Flower Printed Wrapping Paper



From Left to Right:
1. Reusable To Do List
2. Laminate Bookmarks
3. Recipe Journal

Wishing you a wonderful Mother's Day!!

Mother's Day Gifts Kids Can Make -- Personalized Pendants

Mother's Day is just around the corner, and we have been crafting up a storm in our household! Emily made a whole tray of these personalized initial pendants for her grandmothers and several friends, and I made a bunch too. They are lots of fun to make!

First smooth out some oven bake clay to about 1/4 inch thickness between two pieces of waxed paper. One package of clay can make a LOT of necklaces!






Next, we used alphabet stamps for the letters! If you don't already have these, they are worth investing in as we have gotten so much mileage from them for various craft projects and for handwriting practice. We use Melissa and Doug's set, found here. Melissa & Doug Deluxe Alphabet Stamp Set

Mother's Day Gifts Kids Can Make -- To Do List

These To Do Lists are such a useful gift for Mom -- plus they are reusable! The girls had so much fun making these, and you only need a few materials to make one of your own.

I took an ordinary sheet of construction paper, folded it in half, and drew a 1 inch margin around the border. Then I let the girls decorate them with some markers!! 

Mother's Day Gifts Kids Can Make -- 2 Ideas for Laminate Samples

Here's another fun post for our series of Inexpensive Mother's Day Gifts Kids Can Make (using items found at the hardware store)!!

Mark doesn't know it yet, but I'm secretly plotting to have our kitchen countertops re-done. I picked up some samples, and a few price quotes the last time I was at the hardware store. These pretty bookmarks were made from leftover laminate samples, which makes them very sturdy. Added bonus -- they were so easy to make!

If you don't have laminate samples at home, they are available for free at any hardware store. I used old kitchen scissors to trim the sides of the sample, and I was surprised how easy it was to cut through the laminate!

Mother's Day Gifts Kids Can Make -- Recipe Journal

While Clara was napping, Emily and I made this very special recipe journal for Grandma. Emily thought this would be a particularly useful gift, and I had to agree! Added bonus -- We recycled some beautiful paper that was FREE!!

Not many people seem to know about this, but if you're looking for some gorgeous good-quality paper a great source is your local paint store. I went to our local Sherwin-Williams and asked if they had any wallpaper sample books that were discontinued. Many times they are more than happy to pass them along to someone who could use them instead of having them sent to a landfill. I got three HUGE books!!

Mother's Day Gifts Kids Can Make -- Ceramic Trivets

Another post in our fun series of Mother's Day Gifts Kids Can Make -- if you haven't already done so, send your husband over here, and maybe he'll take a hint. (wink, wink!) Most of these projects will feature very inexpensive items you can find at any hardware store, so manly men don't need to make another trip to the craft store.

The girls made these beautiful hand painted ceramic trivets this afternoon, and I thought they would make wonderful Mother's Day gifts! They were super-inexpensive, easy, and FUN to make!!

We used imprinted ceramic tiles from the hardware store ($2.64 each), and I let the girls have a go at painting them with acrylic paint. They had so much fun!!

Giveaway -- Plasma Car and Bike Helmet from CSN Stores

It's time for another super-FUN giveaway, this time from our generous sponsor CSN Stores! CSN Stores is made up of over 200 online shops, where you can find products ranging from toys and games, to patio furniture, to baby cribs. Their customer service is well-known for going above and beyond the call of duty.

For the giveaway, one very lucky reader will win a fantastic Spring/Summer prize package, courtesy of CSNStores.com:

1. A PlaSmart Plasma Car in Yellow -- A few of Emily's friends have these, and they are always a blast!! What a fun way to spend the Spring/Summer! I LOVE the bright yellow color on this one, and these cars are built to last!

AND........

2. A Cycle Force Group Toddler Bicycle Helmet in Light Blue -- Keep the kids safe on their new Plasma Car with this snazzy bike helmet to go along with it!

The total prize package is worth $85.87!! Woo hoo!!!

To enter for your chance to win, leave a comment on this post and be sure to leave your email address in the comments field.

For extra entries:

Follow Frugal Family Fun Blog on Twitter, or subscribe to our feed and you're in for three more entries! Add another comment that you follow/subscribe.

Blog/tweet/Facebook about this giveaway and you're in for three more entries!! Add a comment that you blogged/tweeted/Facebooked.

Giveaway ends Wednesday, April 21st @ 6pm EST. Winner will be chosen by random.org and notified via email.

Good luck!!!

Mother's Day Gifts Kids Can Make -- Hand Painted Pendants

I thought it would be fun to do a little series on frugal Mother's Day gifts kids can make, so all you Dads out there... pay attention! (hint, hint)

We enjoyed some warm sunshine this afternoon along with some messy art to make these BEAUTIFUL hand-painted pendants!

You can find large washers like these at any hardware store, and they are super-inexpensive (about $0.20 each)! The girls painted theirs using make-up sponges and acrylic paint. Allow to dry, and then coat them with some clear nail polish.
Attach some matching satin ribbon, and you have a very unique gift for Mother's Day! The paint on Clara's was still a little wet when she flipped it over to paint the other side. I LOVE how it turned out!! It looks almost like flames!

Added Bonus -- Getting to see these adorable barefoot toes while she was busy crafting in her monkey pajamas!

Have fun!!

Beautiful Custom Jewelry Giveaway from Lisa Leonard Designs

[Update: And the winner is... Jody from Mommy Moment! Congratulations!! Thanks to everyone for entering this fun giveaway! ]

It's time for another fun giveaway -- this one from the lovely and super-talented Lisa Leonard from Lisa Leonard Designs! If you have not seen her beautiful custom jewelry before, it is amazing! Each piece is unique and perfect for everyday wear.

I have been an admirer of her jewelry for some time now, so when Lisa contacted me to see if I would host a giveaway, I jumped at the chance! I adore the clean design of these pieces, plus Lisa is an absolute sweetheart. Any piece from her jewelry collection would make the perfect Mother's Day gift..... (Hint, hint, Mark... Hee hee!)

Now the fun part -- One lucky reader will win a $50 gift certificate for Lisa Leonard Designs! To enter for your chance to win, visit Lisa's shop and leave a comment telling me which piece is your favorite. Be sure to leave your email address in the comments field! Tweet/Blog/Facebook about this fun giveaway, and you're in for three more entries!! (Just be sure to leave a comment that you blogged/Facebooked/tweeted).

This giveaway ends Saturday, March 13th @ 6:30pm EST and winner will be chosen by random.org

This giveaway is now closed! Thanks to everyone from entering! Another fun giveaway starts soon, so be sure to check back! 

Cheap Thrills -- Tea Time Edition

For a fun time, take photos of your child (or yourself) jumping around. Print out the photos, cut them out, and attach to the end of the string of a tea bag.

They make fabulous tea tags!!

Lucky for us, we have plenty of aforementioned photos, since Emily is constantly in motion! In mind were these tea tags from a café in Turkey. We found they were easy (and so much fun) to make ourselves.

I think they would be the perfect gift -- with a personalized touch! They would be great for grandparents, aunts, uncles, and of course, teachers. Basically anyone who loves tea! And who doesn't love tea??

And for us, tea time just became a whole lot more fun!

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Kid-Made Stuffed Toys

I helped Emily make this cute stuffed robot toy this afternoon, and if you have some fabric scraps, stuffing, and a some fabric markers, you can make your own stuffed toy using this technique too!

Emily was so proud to have made this toy, and plans are in the works for a home for our new robot friend, as well as other stuffed toys for gifts. You know how it is... one project, leading to another... and another!

First, we printed out an image we wanted to use. In this case, a robot image found at this free coloring page site. They have lots of other images available too! Emily traced the image onto fabric using fabric markers. We used masking tape to keep the pictures from shifting.

Color in your image with the fabric markers, and choose a contrasting fabric for the backing of your stuffed toy. I did a tiny bit of sewing. With right sides together, sew up the side, top, and down the other side, leaving an opening at the bottom.

Stuff your new toy, (Emily loved this part!) and stitch up the bottom.

... play!! Isn't he cute??

Sunday Snapshot -- All Dressed Up (Sort of)

Almost a year ago, I had found these beautiful holiday dresses for both of the girls at our local thrift store. The girls wore them to my parents' house for Christmas dinner, until my brother gifted Clara with an adorable monkey bathrobe and sock-monkey slippers. She LOVES them. The minute she saw them, she made it quite clear that she wanted to try them on. And while you can't see it in any of our holiday photos, I swear she is wearing a cute holiday dress under that robe!!

I thought she would wear them for a few minutes, then take them off. But noooooooo! She's been wearing that robe for about 3 straight days, and cries like you're ripping her arm off if you threaten to change her into anything else. The only reasons it has come off were for a few minutes yesterday (she had an apron on so she could paint), for baths, and for sleeping. In the morning, the robe goes right back on!

I haven't done it yet, but I'm considering taking her to the grocery store with it on. It's either that, or deal with incessant screaming in protest.

Hey, you pick your battles.