Travel Car Playmats

I am so excited for this post! This is an idea that has been floating around in my mind for quite some time and I'm so excited that I finally have a finished product. I wanted to make a travel size car playmat. One that had pockets to store the hot wheel size cars and a road to drive on. I chatted with my Mom about perhaps sewing and applique, but that was much too difficult for me. Then I got one of my supply catalogs in the mail and noticed they had iron on vinyl....my mind started working hard. I told my very talented friend about my idea and asked her if she would draw the graphic for me. She did an amazing job. I cut all the clip art part on my vinyl cutter and ironed it on the fabric. I sewed a black pocked on the left side as the "parking lot". The cars just drive right in and out.



And then it folds in half and rolls up and is secured nice and neat with elastic.



Now I just need to make a few more for my cute little nephews for Christmas! How fun it that!

School Paper Organizers

I saw this idea on another blog and loved it (sorry I can't remember which one). She took the file boxes and just tied a cute ribbon around them, used vinyl to put the childs name on them and loaded them with file folders, one for each school year. When the kids bring home cute projects, report cards, awards, etc. they simply get filed in the correct folder! What a great idea to keep all those things organized and saved for the kids!

Checkers & Craft Sale

I got on a crafty streak again. I decided to make a checkers and tic-tac-toe game to put in our camping trailer. I sewed the gameboards with fabric, used wooden disc for the game pieces and then made the crowns, X's and O's for the pieces out of vinyl. They turned out so cute and were so fun to make that I ended up making several extras just for fun.

Every summer my kids want to have a bake sale/lemonade stand. This year, they decided to sell crafts too. My 9 year old made cute Sidewalk Summer Game bags (with Grandma's help). They included a bag, a few pieces of chalk, bean bags and several directions of games to play outside using the chalk and bean bags. She also made cute notebooks out of scrapbook paper and steno pads. My 7 year old made marshmallow shooter guns out of PVC pipe and Ping Pong Ball Catapults out of wood and popsicle sticks. My 4 year old made homemade scented playdough, and my 1 year old (with Mom's help) was in charge of the snacks. They also sold my extra checkers and tic-tac-toe boards including the ones I made for myself! So now I guess I need to make another one for me!

It was so successful, my mind is already getting ready for next year!!

Travel Treat Boxes

My awesome neighbor and friend showed me her idea for giving her kids treats when they traveled. I thought it was an incredible idea, so I copied it for my kids. They are made out of Bead Organizer Containers. I put their names on the front in vinyl, and then you fill each container with a little treat. When we go on trips and vacations, they get to be responsible for their own treat bucket. They can eat it as fast or as slow as they want, but it never refills during the trip :-)