Kiddo Archives - A Beautiful Mess

Love Potion Recipe

Elsie Larson — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 13:28:00 +0000

Earlier this year when we visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, one of my children purchased a bottle of Love Potion from Honeydukes. We followed the instructions on the bottle, adding a bit of potion to glasses of water or cups of tea. When I tasted it and realized it was simple syrup with a subtle rose flavor, I knew we had to try recreating it at home.

Ingredients

Sugar – You’ll need regular granulated sugar (or anything that dissolves well). You may also use honey instead of sugar.
Water – The base of this recipe is simple syrup (one part sugar, one part water).
Food Coloring – Optional (you only need one drop)
Flavor – You can use the tiniest drop of flavor extract or infuse your potion with fresh herbs (we used about a teaspoon of lavender buds for our love potion).

How to Make

Begin by combining sugar, water, food coloring and flavor in a small pot. Heat to medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir as the mixture is dissolving.

Once the sugar is dissolved, remove the pot from heat and let it cool to room temperature. This will give the fresh herbs (if using) more time to steep into the mixture.

Strain into a small pitcher or any container with a pouring spout. Make sure all herbs are strained out.

Using a small funnel, strain the mixture into each potion bottle. Label them if desired.

These potions (syrups) can be stored in containers in the fridge. They will last for at least one month if stored in the refrigerator.

Don’t forget to add real magic! This can be done by letting your child enchant each bottle using a magic wand (you may use a wooden kitchen spoon if a wand is not available).

Tips for Making

The best way to enjoy love potion is by adding about a tablespoon to a fresh, hot cup of tea.
Use any color you like or omit the color entirely for a clear potion.
The most magical part of these potions are the handmade labels in children’s handwriting. I think it adds a special something!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is in love potion?

Healthy Kids Snacks

Elsie Larson — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 13:40:23 +0000

Looking for healthy kids snacks that are quick to make? We’ve got some, introducing new flavors and packed with fresh ingredients like fruit and vegetables. Learn to prep healthy snacks for your week. Get ideas for easy snacks as well as after-school snacks and treats like cookies and smoothies.

Easy Snack Ideas for Children

String Cheese
Yogurt
Veggies – Cut some cucumbers, bell peppers, celery. Try serving snap peas or olives.
Fruit – There are so many ways to serve fresh fruit such as our favorite fruit salad. Serve peaches, blueberries, raspberries, sliced bananas and kiwi for a variety of nutrients.
Potato Ideas – My children love sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes. Explore our potato recipes for more.
Peanut Butter and Apple Slices – Serve your favorite nut butter or cookie butter along with apple slices for an easy, healthy snack.
Carrot Sticks – Serve whole grain crackers and carrot sticks along with a dip such as French onion dip or homemade ranch.
Granola – Try making homemade granola.
Fruit Dip – We love a cream cheese-based fruit dip for special occasions and parties.
Muffins
Trail Mix – Try making your own homemade trail mix with granola or Cheerios, your favorite nuts, dried fruit (such as raisins) and mini pretzels.
Energy Balls
Edamame
Hummus – Try our basic hummus recipe.
Guacamole – My children love avocado!
Cottage Cheese – Is a great source of protein and a good addition to an after-school snack.
Salads (that kids actually eat) – My kids love quinoa salad with tomato and chicken. Creamy pasta salad and broccoli salad are also a huge hit at our house.
Tuna – Try our tuna salad recipe.
Applesauce
Quesadillas
Oatmeal – Try one of our baked oatmeal recipes or overnight oats.
Air Fryer – Browse our air fryer recipe ideas for inspiration.
Smoothies – Try our tropical smoothie or our banana smoothie.
Drink Ideas – We’ve got a lot of kid-friendly mocktail recipes.

English Muffin Pizza

Learn to make English Muffin Pizzas using English muffins, butter, sauce, cheese and toppings. An easy, kid-friendly recipe!

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Pinwheel Sandwiches

Finger food perfect for any party or school lunch.

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The Best Fruit Salad

Fruit salad is a barbecue staple, and this recipe is truly the best. It’s made with a honey citrus dressing that makes it sweet, slightly tart, and extra delicious. We love adding a variety of fruit to this dish.

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Easy Calzone Recipe

This is the easiest way to make a homemade calzone. Ingredients are frozen bread dough, red sauce, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and an egg.

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Pretzel Pizza Bites

This recipe for pretzel pizza bites is as good as it sounds. Soft chewy pretzels combined with gooey melted cheese get dusted in fresh herbs and then dunked in hot marinara sauce.

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Tater Tot Casserole

A simple five-ingredient casserole with frozen tater tots on top. Ultimate comfort recipe!

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Baked Chili Cheese Chips

These chili cheese chips are a lighter version of Fritos with all ingredients you can pronounce (but still dangerously good). Fill a bowl with this homemade bite-sized snack at your next barbecue.

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Egg Salad

This is our classic egg salad recipe along with three variation ideas using ingredients like turmeric, ginger, feta, rosemary, and thyme. Serve any of these egg salad recipes with your favorite bread or enjoy it on its own.

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Best Baked Macaroni and Cheese

This classic baked macaroni and cheese has no eggs or evaporated milk. It’s made with macaroni noodles, garlic, flour, chicken stock, pepper jack cheese, cheddar cheese, and breadcrumbs.

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Egg White Bites

A simple recipe for baked egg white bites with variation ideas.

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Queso Recipe

This perfectly creamy queso dip is made with real cheese, butter, tomatoes, evaporated milk, and garlic.

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Crunchy, Cheesy Asparagus Sticks

These asparagus sticks are a melty, cheesy, and crunchy treat. Made with cheese sticks, asparagus, eggs, breadcrumbs, and flour.

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Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

A simple air fryer chicken tenders recipe made with flour, egg, and panko (or breadcrumbs) that you can make in an air fryer in under 20 minutes. If you’re looking for something extra fast, you can use frozen chicken.

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Baked (Vegetarian) Sloppy Joes

There are certain foods that were childhood staples and Sloppy Joes are one of them. These vegetarian ones are made with tempeh, bell pepper, onion, ketchup, tomato paste, brown sugar, and Hawaiian sweet rolls.

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Baked Cheesy Apple Sandwiches

This sandwich has it all: crispy apples paired with melted cheese all baked together on sourdough bread with pesto and spinach.

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Dragon Fruit Smoothie

Learn how to make a delicious and healthy dragon fruit smoothie.

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Nutella Puppy Chow

An easy recipe for classic puppy chow made with Nutella, Chex cereal, and powdered sugar.

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Banana Smoothie

Blend up a healthy banana smoothie in just five minutes.

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Easy Popcorn Balls

You can easily customize these popcorn balls with sprinkles, small candies, or breakfast cereal to fit any holiday. Made with butter, white sugar, marshmallows, and popcorn.

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Homemade Chex Mix Recipe

Homemade Chex mix is 1000% more tasty than what you can buy at the store. Made with Corn Chex cereal, Rice Chex cereal, Wheat Chex cereal, sesame sticks, Cheez-Its, rye chips, Reese’s Pieces, and Worcestershire sauce.

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Pigs in a Blanket

Pigs in a blanket is probably the most adorable snack name of all time. And it’s only three ingredients: hot dogs, crescent roll dough, and butter.

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Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

It only takes five minutes to make an easy vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, or caramel cream cheese fruit dip—perfect for any party!

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7-Layer Dip

Learn to make a classic 7-Layer Dip with cheese, beans, sour cream and more.

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Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

This grilled cheese is gooey on the inside and crispy on the outside. Spread mayo on the bread, add cheese, then stick in the air fryer.

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Chick-fil-A Sauce Recipe

How to make a copycat version of this beloved sauce.

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M&M Cookies

Soft and chewy M&M cookies. Make these with any color M&Ms to fit the season or party theme.

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Tropical Smoothie

Learn to make a healthy tropical smoothie!

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More Recipes to Try

Why You Should Decorate Your Kid’s Room For the Holidays

Laura Gummerman — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Listen, I get it. The holidays are a busy time for everyone. You have parties, guests from out of town, food to make, and areas to decorate.

So why would you want to add more to your plate by also decorating your kids’ rooms for the holidays? While there’s certainly no rule that says you have to, we have a few reasons why we love the tradition and we may convince you to do the same!

For this cheery post we are partnering with our friends at Spoonflower who, in addition to being a go-to spot for wallpaper and fabric, are the perfect place to shop for home decor (and other finishing touches) you may need for your space.

They also support the work of thousands of independent artists and have designs to pick from for any holiday!

Looking for more decor ideas? Check out:

For my daughter Lola’s holiday room, I picked out this adorable Santa print for a duvet cover. I love how these checked red and green sheets set match, but gives another pop of pattern and color.

I also thought it would be fun to do holiday curtains and picked out these candy cane curtains and this nutcracker wall hanging.

So, why should I decorate my kid’s room for the holidays? I’ll tell you why …

Childhood holiday magic doesn’t last forever: Sad but true. While the holidays still retain magic as an adult, it just can’t quite match the level that you felt as a kid, with the promise of presents, decorations, and the smell of cookies in the air.

So why not play into all that fun while you can and make it as special as possible for them? And seeing that light in their eyes is so fun for you, too!

The holidays are about memories (and physical items have a role!): While holidays are about people and time with loved ones at its core, I think we all have special memories connected with a few physical items from the holidays.

I know my family has a special connection to some Christmas plates and cups we still use every year for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas morning brunch.

And, I remember the thrill of getting out our special Christmas pajamas and sheet sets each year to make going to bed a magical time.

You can buy items to use year after year to make it simple: While there are some categories that are super fun (like holiday pajamas) if you have kids, you know they grow out of those yearly.

It’s nice to have your main kid’s room decorations be things that they can use year after year like bedsheets and pillows, duvet covers, throw blankets, curtains, or wall hangings.

Making a holiday bookshelf area is also a really cute tradition, and you can use those books over and over and add new ones here and there (or get them from the library!).

Choosing the right items makes decorating super fast: While everyone’s to-do list gets loooong during the holidays, items like bedding are easy to change out. You have to change and wash their sheets every so often anyways, throw pillows can be tossed out in a second, and switching out artwork is super fast.

You can even make paper Santa hats to add to artwork like I did to her cat picture! Picking items that are a snap to set up means that you have more time for cookie decorating and hot chocolate by the fire, right?

It’s just CUTE, OK?!? I mean, do you really need a reason to surprise a kiddo with an adorable room decorated just for them for their favorite holiday of the year?! I didn’t think so. It’s. Just. CUTE.

If your kiddo loves the holidays as much as mine does, then the look on their face once their room is decorated is totally enough to make the effort worth it.

And some kids (like mine) love to help decorate for any occasion, so you can get a mini-helper for the changeover as well. Hope these ideas help make the holidays a little more special for everyone in your house! xo. Laura

Looking to bake something special for the holidays with kids? Check out:

50 Kids’ Room (And Nursery) Ideas

Laura Gummerman — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 13:00:00 +0000

When it comes to ideas for decorating kids’ rooms and nurseries, the sky is the limit— but it can feel a little overwhelming with where to start.

While decor for kids’ rooms is a personal choice (and you want it to fit in with the rest of your home), we’ve got tons of ideas and project inspiration to get you started off right for any budget or decorating style!

From bedrooms, to playrooms, to nursery decor, we’ve got you covered on interior design ideas that will grow with your kids and fit your family to a tee.

Looking for more kids’ room decor ideas? Check out our favorite kids’ bedroom tours in our archives:

Just because it’s a kids’ room doesn’t mean that you have to do a nondescript lighting fixture. Choose a fun chandelier like this that also compliments the vibes in the rest of your house to elevate the space.

Use cute baskets on the floor for toy storage. That way, it’s quick and easy to put things away and kids of any age can help clean up when it’s all being put into a basket.

Consider a custom closet door DIY to take boring doors to a new level (this star design DIY is perfect for a kid’s room but here are a few options).

Gliders can be the central hub of a nursery, and they get used long into toddlerhood for storytime and snuggling. Choose a quality one you love and get a glider (or rocker) that fits the overall style of the home so it can be used in other rooms later if you like.

And if you want versatility, choose a more neutral color (or one that appears a lot in the home) so it can still match as you change up the room design or use it with a new baby later.

Make a DIY Oversized Rainbow Wall Hanging! This large rainbow project brings in color and sunshine to any kid’s room and is mostly made with pool noodles and yarn!

Or, you can buy your own if you aren’t the DIY type.

Looking for more kid-centered projects and DIY ideas? Check out our archives for tons of ideas!

Wallpaper, wallpaper, wallpaper!! Choosing wallpaper for a kid’s room can be such a fun experience, and choosing something special like Emma did for her son’s room can make all those late nights in the nursery a cozy place to treasure.

We love wallpaper resources like this since there are tons of patterns to choose from and you can even tweak designs to your specific needs.

If the cost and effort of wallpaper is a deterrent for you, you can always go with …

A hand-painted wallpaper project for your kids’ room or nursery. Projects like this painted nursery wallpaper or this painted daisy wallpaper are very budget-friendly, and you can easily paint over them when you want a change!

Choose a crib that turns into a toddler bed like this one (or this similar acrylic crib), and you’ll stretch your money further when it comes time to leave the crib walls behind (and if you aren’t changing your room design it will already match!).

Looking for more nursery room decor ideas? Check out these sweet spaces:

Hanging single higher shelves in areas can also give you more space to display decor items (or keep more usable things out near a diaper station), but still keep them a little out of reach for smaller hands.

You can either go with more kid-like shelf options or a more elevated look with some brass or marble.

Choosing toys that are also display worthy kills two birds with one stone since you can set them out as a sweet decoration, but they also get played with and earn their keep! Favorites of ours include wooden stacking rainbows, cute plush dolls, and wooden toys!

Choosing an ottoman that’s different from your glider also helps to add some more variation to the room rather than one that’s too matchy-matchy. We love a furry one to add texture.

Fun novelty pillows are also a great way to add some personality to a room and can be used as your kiddo grows.

Hang toys as wall decor like dolls, toy cars, or these mini guitars—that way you get some wall art and some toy storage at the same time!

Adding family photos to a kid’s room is an easy way to decorate (and keep faces that don’t live nearby familiar to them), and you can display them in fun ways like this Wooden Animal Photo Holder DIY to give it a whimsical twist.

Paint an easy rainbow accent corner wall using whatever colors go best with your nursery or kid’s room.

Corner accent details may suit your room layout better than an accent wall, and an easy rainbow is the perfect theme to choose! If you don’t want to use paint, you can do a large rainbow wall decal like this!

Layer different sized rugs for textural variation. While you may have one larger rug you love for most of the room, consider layering a smaller rug (or rugs over it) for more visual interest—or to designate a reading area or play nook.

Love a cute playroom? Check out these creative spaces:

Makeover an IKEA play kitchen to fit your room theme! If you have space in your room (or playroom) for a play kitchen, you’ll be surprised at how many years you can get out of some play-cooking fun.

It’s a go-to for friends when they come to play, and you can make it fit your room theme, from mid-century vibes to a more traditional, classic feel. And if you don’t want to DIY a cute kitchen, you can just get one of these!

Add a plush animal mat for lounging! This plush animal mat DIY or this lion rug is the perfect pal to put on the floor for tummy time or reading/coloring activities. Cute, furry, and cozy. You may even want to lay on it, too!

Think about getting light-blocking curtains or blinds for better sleep. When it comes to getting babies and kids to sleep as long as possible, light-blocking blinds and curtains can really make a big difference.

Thicker velvet curtains like these add a lot of coziness to a room, but also help to block light. Just make sure to get cordless blinds for kids’ rooms for safety!

Buy a washable rug for easy cleaning! Rugs like this brand are great for cozying up a room, but also being able to be thrown in a home washer as needed. If you already have kids then you know how handy that can be!!

Try a statement headboard for a big kid bed. Statement headboards like this or this one add a lot of personality to the room and can get used up through pre-teen into teen years, as well.

Books, books, books! You can either do wall-mounted shallow bookshelves to display books like these shelves or these shelves (perfect for creating holiday themed book walls) which hold less but show more of the book.

You could also add a Christmas bookshelf like this, and decorate the whole room with festive decor like Santa bedding, candy cane curtains, and a nutcracker wall hanging.

Or, you can choose a low bookcase for easy reader access. Keeping books down low in bookcases like this will encourage book interest from a young age, and bookcases are a great way to store the most books in a room compared to a shallow display shelf.

Check out 20 Amazing Kids Books (That Your Friends Don’t Already Have) and Our Favorite Kids Books for Autumn!

Find a spot for a mirror. Mirrors are great for kids’ rooms because can use them to make funny faces together, show them what their princess crown looks like, and more.

It also helps to bounce some light around the room (making it brighter) and makes the room feel larger. Try something simple and chic or something fun!

Like the look of this wallpaper? Try this hand-stamped clementine wall project!

Try an accent wall for a pop of pattern! If doing a whole room of patterned wallpaper feels like too much, try doing an accent wall behind the bed or crib. Check out our tips for When To Wallpaper An Accent Wall (and which wall to choose!).

Hang a weaving instead of a photo for a cozy texture. We love weavings hung on walls (check out our weaving archives for more weaving projects!) and whether you make your own easy (faux) weaving or buy a beautiful one already made, you’ll instantly notice how cozy it makes the space.

Collect small vintage items to group together like these rattan butterflies or brass animals for shelf decor.

Add shiplap to the walls (or just one wall) as a textural accent. Shiplap is a great way to add some detail without it being an overwhelming pattern, and you can paint it any color you like to match or contrast the rest of the room. Want to do it yourself? Check out this post!

Consider an animal theme for a classic way to tie a room together, and you can incorporate that animal into bedding, wall hangings, and toys as much (or as little) as you like!

Closets should be part of your room design too! Choose closet hardware colors and storage containers to match the rest of the room.

You can even spray paint closet rods like Elsie did in her kids’ closet.

Check out our Tips for Organizing a Kids’ Closet with The Home Edit!

No closet? Try adding in some IKEA wardrobes to build your own into a room! Storage is KING when you have babies and kiddos around, so not having a closet in a room (or a very small one) can be tough.

Building some IKEA wardrobes like these may be the thing you need to add the space you want without taking up a lot of floor space.

If you don’t have closet space, you can also add a cute clothes rack to a room like this DIY kid’s rack or this sweet wooden one for hanging items and the accessibility helps to teach little ones to dress themselves, too!

Add wallpaper or pattern to unexpected places. Putting wallpaper on the backs of shelves or in areas like closets give a little pop of pattern (and a surprise) without being “too much” for pattern conscious people.

Plus, if you don’t have to wallpaper a whole room, you’ll save time and money by focusing on a smaller spot (and you can do a removable peel and stick wallpaper for renters or for easy removal).

If you don’t have room for a hamper in a closet, choose a hamper that’s cute enough to be part of the room decor like this elephant or bear!

Consider adding built-ins to a wall for storage and display. Elsie added these custom built-in shelves to her daughter’s room to frame the bed, giving them tons of room for toy and book storage.

Check out Built-In Shelves in 4 Easy Steps (With “How To” Video!)

Add an art corner to foster creativity. Whether it’s in a playroom (like Elsie’s playroom) or directly in a kid’s room, having a little corner or section for an art space can really foster kids’ creativity with age-appropriate supplies.

And, it gives you a chance to display supplies in rainbow order if you wish!

Display your kid’s artwork proudly in frames where they can switch it out themselves! Especially if you are on a budget, displaying their artwork is a freebie that you already have, and they will feel so proud to see it on display.

You can make DIY kid art frames where they can switch out the art themselves as they make new creations or you can also buy them already made.

You can also take your kid’s drawing and turn it into a graphic art poster to display. Just follow this tutorial to turn a drawing of any size into whatever size poster you want for your room to add that personal touch you’ll all feel proud of.

Look for or make one “special” piece for a room. It’s always fun to keep your eye out for one really special item that goes into a room that kind of feels like the star of the show, and makes the space unique.

It could be a DIY whimsical children’s vanity, a vintage wicker decor, a toy item from the flea market, or a custom neon sign. Anything that jumps out as unique!

Try a faux taxidermy wall with cute animal heads! No scary faces here when you pick some plush cute faces to hang together on your wall.

You can choose whatever animals are your favorite in the soft category, or try a raffia animal face for a more natural looking option.

Check out this Fabric Lion Bust DIY for a cute option to make at home!

Add something personalized to the room. Adding something unique to your kiddos room with their name makes it feel like the room is really theirs. You could learn how to build a toy box or browse some really cute kid items that you can personalize to your little one.

For an easy budget-friendly idea, try a stamped wall for an easy wallpaper that can be painted over whenever you move or want something else! We love this star pattern idea that can grow with a kid for years to come.

Choose a dresser that can grow with your kid. Dressers can be an investment piece for a room when you choose one like this or this that can have a removable changing table mounted on top.

Once diapers are over (yay!!), you can take it off, switch out the hardware for a new look, if you like, and give that dresser a whole new life!

Add a built-in wall desk to save room (but add a table). Built-in wall desks like this built-in computer desk DIY are a great way to save some space while still giving your kid a place to color or do homework.

You can even get one that folds down for extra space savings!

Add a hanging chair to a space for a fun reading spot! Cozy hanging chairs like this one or this cocoon one are a great space for older kids to hang out and read or listen to music or audiobooks. I mean, what kid doesn’t want a little swing in their room?

Stencil a wallpaper or accent area! Another budget-friendly decor option is to stencil a design on a wall like this cactus pattern in Elsie’s playroom. All you have to do is trace the shape over and over!

Give a plain bed frame a fun makeover! A great way to DIY something is to choose a frame and then add something fun to it!

We changed this simple house bed frame and turned it into a Palm Springs-inspired bed with just a few additions to make it special, and even added some felt planter boxes with hidden toy storage!

Add some DIY felt succulents in a window box. This DIY is both super cute decor (and a toy) since you can make the plants detachable and your little one can grow their green thumb from their room all year round!

Go with bunk beds for shared rooms (or for sleepover space!). Bunk beds are a classic for a reason. You get two beds for the footprint of one, and it’s fun for kids that are old enough to be up high and feel a little more independent.

And, going with a fun color like in this kid’s room gives a little twist on a classic look (here’s another cute green option that’s similar).

Have kids sharing a room? Check out our tips for room sharing and tour this shared bedroom for ideas!

Bring in a family heirloom! Kids’ rooms are ripe with nostalgia, so they are a great place to use or display a family heirloom like grandma’s rocking chair or a toy you had as a kid.

Items that shouldn’t be played with can go up high on a display shelf or hung on a wall but can still be seen and appreciated.

P.S. Want to see more room tours? Check out our Home Decor archives and get inspired!

Narnia Wardrobe – Hidden Children’s Library

Elsie Larson — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 13:00:00 +0000

When we decided to add a ceiling to our two-story entryway, we ended up with an oddly placed extra room the size of a walk-in closet.

The room did not attach to any other rooms, and we spent some time thinking of what we could use this small space for. One day it dawned on me—we could build a hidden children’s library with a Narnia closet entrance!

Obviously, this room is a showstopper and the most unique room in our home, but the biggest benefit has been a huge increase in reading interest for both my children (ages 7 and 4).

Today, I’ll give you a tour of our secret library and explain how we created it. By the way, if you’d like to see how our two-story entry looked before converting it, you can see a photo here.

Related: How We Built a Hidden Room

When we added the ceiling above the entryway (converting it from two stories to one), we were left with this space that connects to a landing at the top of our stairs. We decided to turn it into a Narnia closet with a hidden library for our children.

First, I sourced an antique armoire from Etsy. Next, we had it integrated into the wall and the drywall patched. After that, we cut a door into the back part of the armoire to create an access point.

You can see in the photos below how it looks closed and opened. The new door is 5 feet tall, so adults have to duck to enter, but it is accessible for children and adults.

Anytime we can’t find our kids they can be found in this room reading and playing. It makes us so happy!

Let’s talk a little about the foyer. This is a small landing space at the top of our stairs. It has wall and ceiling wallpaper that creates a big look. From this space, there are doors to the stairway, our main bedroom, the hallway where more bedrooms are and this armoire.

Many times I have shown guests the armoire and no one ever notices anything special about it until we push open the hidden door inside. It is true magic!

Speaking of true magic, here’s a video tour of our hidden library:

Sources: Wallpaper / Augustine Evans Art Print / William Cleary Art Print (both art prints are by Janet Hill).

The dark green paint color is a custom match. We took a swatch of the wallpaper into the paint store and they matched the deepest color for us to paint the doors and trim.

Wallpapering a ceiling is a good way to make a room feel smaller, cozier and more dramatic. This space had little to do vibe before we added the wallpaper, and now it is one of the most designed spaces in our home.

Art sources: Star Chart Art / Harry Potter Custom Art / Handful of Stars Print, Moon and S tars Print, Shadow Puppets Print. The rose painting and the mirror are vintage finds.

I found an Etsy shop that makes these customized wizard prints and my kids think they are hilarious.

When it came to collecting books for my children’s library, this was the fun part! Let me know if you’d be interested in an expanded post on this subject. I collected hundreds of used books locally.

For new books, I focused mostly on series for early readers since our 7-year-old is currently learning to read. I collected all the series I loved most as a young child as well as new series that friends recommended.

So far, my 7-year-old is loving the Elephant and Piggie series (which she can read on her own), The Magic Treehouse and The Ramona series. It’s been so inspiring watching both my girls take a larger interest in reading this year.

Being the vintage lover that I am, I have also been collecting Nancy Drew and I am currently working on the full set of Goosebumps books.

Want to see more room tours?

Make Rainbow Rice in 5 Minutes!

Laura Gummerman — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 13:00:00 +0000

My daughter loves her sensory bin. For those of you who don’t know, sensory bins are bins or boxes filled with things that are fun to touch and feel, like sand, uncooked beans, rice, pom poms, and more.

Then, you give your child a bunch of scoops and bowls and let them dig/sort/squish/pour their way through the different textures.

I had been using uncooked white rice for Lola’s sensory play, but then I saw that you can dye the rice fun colors, and pretty quickly I knew it was time to make rainbow rice!

Related: For more kids activities and printables check out Childhood Magic!

There are lots of ways to dye the rice, but I went with a super quick version (only takes 5 minutes to mix up!) that lasts the longest, so I’ll show you what I did.

Supplies:
-1 cup of white uncooked rice
-1 teaspoon white vinegar
-food coloring (gel or regular)
–wax paper
-plastic baggie

Step One. Add 1 cup of uncooked rice to a small plastic baggie and add a few drops of food coloring to the bag. If using gel coloring, you’ll only need a tiny bit.

Step Two. Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to the bag, seal the top, and shake up the bag to mix the color around the rice.

Step Three. When the color is evenly mixed, dump it out onto a piece of wax paper, spread it out thinly, and let it dry.

How Long Does The Rice Take to Dry?

The rice will feel dry in under an hour, but you can also wait until the next day to use it.

I mixed it around a few times with my hands to make sure it was good and dry to avoid molding before storing it in a container.

check out childhood magic for more ideas!

Can I Make Rainbow Rice Without Vinegar?

You can make rainbow rice by skipping the vinegar and adding a few drops of paint to the bag instead of the food coloring. But the addition of the vinegar helps preserve the rice and keeps it from getting moldy longer.

I didn’t really notice a smell of vinegar once the rice was dry (and I have a pretty sensitive nose), if you are wondering about that.

It also seems like the paint method coats the rice in a more opaque way while the dye looks a little more translucent, so that’s also a visual preference.

How Do I Store Rainbow Rice?

You can put your rainbow rice in a sensory bin like this when you want to play with it and then keep it in an airtight container when not in use to preserve the lifespan.

I know some people have gotten years of use from one batch, so it’s possible to keep it for a long time. Can’t wait to use this rice for lots of fun afternoons! xo. Laura

P.S. Check out 100 Activities to Do with Kids for more ideas!

5-Minute Rainbow Rice

How to make rainbow rice for a sensory bin

Keyword rainbow rice, sensory bin

Total Time 5

Author Laura Gummerman

Ingredients

1 cup white rice uncooked
1 teaspoon white vinegar
food coloring gel or regular
wax paper
plastic baggie

Instructions

Add 1 cup of uncooked rice to a small plastic baggie and add a few drops of food coloring to the bag. If using gel coloring, you’ll only need a tiny bit.
Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to the bag, seal the top, and shake up the bag to mix the color around the rice.
When the color is evenly mixed, dump it out onto a piece of wax paper, spread it out thinly, and let it dry. The rice will feel dry in under an hour, but you can also wait until the next day to use it.
Keep your rice in an airtight container when not in use to preserve the lifespan. I know some people have gotten years of use from one batch, so it’s possible to keep it for a long time!

Notes

I didn’t really notice a smell of vinegar once the rice was dry (and I have a pretty sensitive nose), if you are wondering about that.

It also seems like the paint method coats the rice in a more opaque way while the dye looks a little more translucent, so that’s also a visual preference.

How to Make Reusable Sandwich Bags and Snack Bags

Mandi Johnson — Sat, 20 Aug 2022 13:00:00 +0000

When my daughter entered kindergarten last year, it was my first time packing school lunches. I was excited about planning her lunches at first, but soon became anxious when I realized how much waste we were all contributing with serving-size bags of snacks, yogurt, and treats.

I decided to not buy anything pre-portioned, but instead, invest in reusable containers and spend some time doing lunch box prep every evening.

This year, I decided to make my own reusable sandwich bags and snack bags that we can use for the simpler lunches on days when mama’s too weary to compile creative lunches.

Related: Check out our kid’s site Childhood Magic for more ideas!

These reusable sandwich and snack bags are made out of cotton fabric from the A Beautiful Mess Flower Market fabric line. I added a vinyl coating to them to make them durable and easy to clean.

Check out how simple they are to make below!

Supplies:
–cotton fabric that has been washed, ironed, and cut into pieces (two 5″ x 12″ pieces for snack bags, two 7″ x 16.5″ pieces for sandwich bags)
–vinyl iron-on interfacing
–hook and loop strips
–straight pins
-iron
–sharp scissors or rotary cutter
-sewing machine and coordinating thread

Step One: Cut pieces of the vinyl interfacing to be 1/4″ smaller than your pieces of cotton fabric.

Step Two: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to fuse the vinyl to your fabric. Be sure your fabric has been washed and ironed before cutting into the pieces you’ll need, as described in the supplies list of this post.

To fuse my vinyl to the fabric, I peeled off the paper backing, placed the vinyl onto the right side of my fabric, replaced the paper backing, and pressed with a hot iron (no steam) for eight seconds.

Then, I flipped the fabric wrong side up and pressed again for eight seconds.

Be sure to keep one of your larger paper backs from the vinyl adhesion process. You’ll use it in step six, and possibly later in the maintenance of your reusable sandwich bags!

Step Three: After each of your cotton pieces have been coated with vinyl, you’ll want to make rounded corners on one side of each fabric strip. I used round objects from my home as a template for this.

Step Four: Arrange your fabric pieces right sides together and pin very closely to the edges. You’ll be stitching 1/4″ around the border, so make sure the pin holes will be hidden within that seam allowance.

You don’t want to poke holes in the visible vinyl.

Step Five: Sew along the border of the pinned fabric pieces, removing the pins as you go. Do not sew on the short flat edge.

Only sew along the two long sides and the one rounded side. You’re leaving open the non-rounded side to flip the fabric right-side-out.

Step Six: Clip the corners of your rounded edge as shown above, then flip the fabric right side out.

When you flip your vinyl coated fabric right side out, you will heavily crinkle the vinyl in the process. Don’t panic! Simply use a reserved piece of paper backing from the vinyl you used in step two and iron the vinyl (with the paper barrier) to get out the wrinkles.

Just be sure not to iron for more than a few seconds, or the vinyl will begin to degrade and come off onto the paper backing. Definitely do not use a hot iron directly on the vinyl!

Step Seven: Close up the open flat edge of your fabric with a simple straight stitch. Then, add pieces of hook and loop strips as shown above. I used two straight pins near the edge of each hook and loop strip to keep them in place as I sewed them.

Step Eight: Now, fold the fabric as shown above and stitch closely to the edge of the fabric to close up the sides of the bag. You’re going to begin by going up the left side, around the top flap, and then back down the right side of the bag.

School hasn’t started for us yet, but my kids were already excited to see these new reusable sandwich and snack bags in their favorite colors and fun patterns.

My littlest was able to easily open and close the bags herself, which was not the case with some snap-lid containers and reusable Ziplock bags we’ve tried in the past. Cute and easy to use? Win-win!

How Do You Keep The Bags Clean?

When it comes to washing these little reusable snack bags, you’ll want to stick with lukewarm water and a non-abrasive sponge or washcloth.

Let them air dry then use again and again forever! If your bags ever get really crumpled looking, just use some of the paper from the vinyl adhesive process and iron the vinyl smooth again. Do not use an iron directly on the vinyl.

How cute do these little guys look?! This was such a fun and useful project, I’m already thinking about other ways I can use vinyl-coated cotton to make reusable version of disposable items. – Mandi

Looking for more reusable projects? Check out …

How to Make Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bags

Sew your own (reusable) sandwich or snack bags using any fabric!

Keyword sandwich bags, sewing

Author Mandi Johnson

Equipment

1 sewing machine + coordinating thread
1 pair of sharp scissors or rotary cutter
1 iron

Ingredients

cotton fabric that has been washed ironed, and cut into pieces (two 5″ x 12″ pieces for snack bags, two 7″ x 16.5″ pieces for sandwich bags
vinyl iron-on interfacing
hook and loop strips
straight pins

Instructions

Step One: Cut pieces of the vinyl interfacing to be 1/4″ smaller than your pieces of cotton fabric.
Step Two: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to fuse the vinyl to your fabric. Be sure your fabric has been washed and ironed before cutting into the pieces you’ll need, as described in the supplies list of this post.
To fuse my vinyl to the fabric, I peeled off the paper backing, placed the vinyl onto the right side of my fabric, replaced the paper backing, and pressed with a hot iron (no steam) for eight seconds. Then I flipped the fabric wrong side up and pressed again for eight seconds.
Be sure to keep one of your larger paper backs from the vinyl adhesion process. You’ll use it in step six, and possibly later in the maintenance of your reusable sandwich bags!
Step Three: After each of your cotton pieces have been coated with vinyl, you’ll want to make rounded corners on one side of each fabric strip. I used round objects from my home as a template for this.
Step Four: Arrange your fabric pieces right sides together and pin very closely to the edges. You’ll be stitching 1/4″ around the border, so make sure the pin holes will be hidden within that seam allowance. You don’t want to poke holes in the visible vinyl.
Step Five: Sew along the border of the pinned fabric pieces, removing the pins as you go. Do not sew on the short flat edge. Only sew along the two long sides and the one rounded side. You’re leaving open the non-rounded side to flip the fabric right side out.
Step Six: Clip the corners of your rounded edge as shown above, then flip the fabric right side out.
When you flip your vinyl coated fabric right side out, you will heavily crinkle the vinyl in the process. Don’t panic! Simply use a reserved piece of paper backing from the vinyl you used in step two and iron the vinyl (with the paper barrier) to get out the wrinkles.
Just be sure not to iron for more than a few seconds, or the vinyl will begin to degrade and come off onto the paper backing. Definitely do not use a hot iron directly on the vinyl!
Step Seven: Close up the open flat edge of your fabric with a simple straight stitch. Then add pieces of hook and loop strips as shown above. I used two straight pins near the edge of each hook and loop strip to keep them in place as I sewed them.
Step Eight: Now fold the fabric as shown above and stitch closely to the edge of the fabric to close up the sides of the bag. You’re going to begin by going up the left side, around the top flap, and then back down the right side of the bag.

Notes

When it comes to washing these little reusable snack bags, you’ll want to stick with lukewarm water and a non-abrasive sponge or washcloth.

Let them air dry then use again and again forever! If your bags ever get really crumpled looking, just use some of the paper from the vinyl adhesive process and iron the vinyl smooth again.

Do not use an iron directly on the vinyl.

How to Make a Giant 100-Foot Slip and Slide

Laura Gummerman — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Is there anything more summer than a slip and slide?! I definitely slid down my fair share of slip and slides as a kid.

A few summers ago, my husband and I decided to take advantage of our sloped backyard and gathered the supplies for a giant 100-foot slip and slide. This DIY is perfect for the whole family!

It’s pretty quick to set up, and while a sloped yard is super helpful, you can also do this on a flat surface.

Related: For more kids activities and printables check out Childhood Magic!

The other great thing is that you can reuse the main items year after year, and even use them for other things as well! We brought ours with us in our move from Nashville and set it up again in our front yard here in Pittsburgh.

And just a very clear safety warning, you can totally injure yourself on a slip and slide when being too energetic or reckless, so please go easy and be careful!

Slip and slides can be a family-friendly afternoon of fun for everyone when enjoyed safely at appropriate speeds, but I think everyone has also heard a slide-related injury story, so be smart and use good judgment—especially when kids are present. One person at a time is the safest way to slide.

OK, here’s how we made our own giant slip and slide!

Supplies:
-box of pool noodles (you’ll want about 30-35 noodles)
–100 feet of plastic sheeting (6 mil thick)
-additional 6 ml of sheeting for splash zone (optional)
–6″ lawn stakes
-4-6 hay bales
-hose or sprinkler for water source (at the top)
-liquid soap (optional) *something natural like this is a good idea so it won’t hurt your lawn

First, lay out your 100-foot plastic sheet on the yard. Lay out your pool noodles on each side of the sheet, saving one or two for the very top of the slide.

Ideally, you want your noodles to lay end-to-end down the sides, but if there’s a little space between them, it’s fine.

With one person working each side of the slide, roll your pool noodles into the plastic sheet so the noodles are a little more than fully wrapped inside it.

Use your 6″ lawn stakes to keep your noodles in place (you’ll want at least two per noodle). You might want to use a rubber mallet to fully hit them into the ground.

Move onto the next noodle and work your way down the slide as someone rolls and stakes the opposite side as you go. Once all your noodles are in, roll a noodle into the top of the plastic and stake it in place so the top is secured.

We found that hay bales are a great way to make a little stopping point at the end of your slide since they are solid (but forgiving) if you hit into them at the end. They also make a little splash zone at the end, which is kind of fun!

Set your hay bales up in a semi-circle at the end of your slide and pull the bottom of your long plastic sheet up and over the bales and secure with stakes on the other side. You can go into the bottom back of the hay bales or the ground.

Or you can use a separate piece of plastic sheet if you have another one and cover over the whole thing first, tucking all the extra under the bales. Then, pull the bottom of your long plastic sheet up and over.

The extra sheets tend to keep the bales in place and cover over all the hay, which can be a little scratchy to hit into with your bare skin.

Once your slip and slide is in place, it’s time to add water and start sliding! We set up our hose nozzle on the shower setting and laid it at the top of our slide for our water source. You really don’t need a lot of water to get going on the slide, so find the lowest setting that still allows you to have enough to slide on.

Should I use soap on the slip and slide?

Putting down a little soap on your body, a raft, or the slide can also help, but don’t go crazy—you just need a little bit! Make sure to turn off the water if no one is sliding or if you take a snack break to conserve use.

Blowing up some pool rafts is also a fun way to go down the slide, and they give a little more cushion. Kids love them, too!

I strongly suggest using the 6″ long stakes since they are much less likely to come out or be a safety hazard. I went around with a rubber mallet halfway through the party and hit back down any stakes that were trying to come up, just to be safe.

How do you remove and dry the slip and slide?

When it’s time to tear down the slide, pull out all the stakes and unwrap the pool noodles. Let the noodles fully air dry before putting them away back in their box. The hardest part of the slip and slide process is drying out your long slide before putting it away.

You’ll want to get it up off the ground so both sides are dry before you put it away—that way, you don’t pull out a gross moldy tarp the next time you go to use it.

You can hang the slide over porch railings, outdoor chairs, or a fence, but you really want it to be pretty dry before putting it away (you can towel off areas as needed).

The hay bales can be used in the yard for landscaping purposes (we’ve been growing grass and reseeding patches constantly) or you can use them for bonfire seating or fall decor as it gets later in the season!

This was such a fun summer afternoon for us and our friends! And I’m so happy we blew up a rainbow arch sprinkler for the top as the entry point. We used it more for looks that day—a sprinkler can also be a great water source for the top of your slide!

I hope you enjoyed seeing one of our favorite summer traditions! xo. Laura

Looking for more outdoor activity DIYs? Check out …

How to Make a Giant 100-ft. Slip and Slide

Keyword slip and slide

Author Laura Gummerman

Ingredients

box of pool noodles you’ll want about 30-35 noodles
100 feet of plastic sheeting 6 mil thick
additional 6 ml of sheeting for splash zone optional
6″ lawn stakes
4-6 hay bales
hose or sprinkler for water source at top
liquid soap optional, something natural is a good idea so it won’t hurt your lawn

Instructions

First, lay out your 100-foot sheet down the yard. Lay out your pool noodles on each side of the sheet, saving one or two for the very top of the slide.
Ideally you want your noodles to lay end to end down the sides, but we are down a few noodles over the years, so there was a little space between them and it still worked out fine.
With one person working each side of the slide, roll your pool noodles into the plastic so that the noodle is a little more than fully wrapped in it.
Use your 6″ lawn stakes to keep your noodles in place (you’ll want at least two per noodle) and you may want a rubber mallet to fully hit them into the ground.
Move onto the next noodle and work your way down the slide as someone rolls and stakes the opposite side as you go. Once all your noodles are in, roll a noodle into the top of the plastic as well and stake it in place so the top is secured.
We found that hay bales are a great way to make a little stopping point at the end of your slide since they are solid but forgiving if you hit into them at the end. They also make a little splash zone at the end, which is also kind of fun!
Set your hay bales up in a semi-circle at the end of your slide and either pull the bottom of your long plastic sheet up and over the bales and secure with stakes on the other side (you can go into the bottom back of the hay bales or the ground) or you can use a separate piece of plastic if you have another tarp and cover over the whole thing first, tucking all the extra under the bales.
Then, pull the bottom of your long plastic sheet up and over.
The extra sheets tends to keep the bales in place and covers over all the hay, which can be a little scratchy to hit into with your bare skin.
Once your slip and slide is in place, it’s time to add water and slide! We just set up a hose nozzle on a shower setting and laid it at the top of our slide for our water source. You really don’t need a lot of water to get going on the slide, so find the lowest setting that still allows you to have enough to slide on.
Putting down a little soap on your body, a raft, or the slide can also help, but don’t go crazy—you just need a little bit! Make sure to turn off the water if no one is sliding or if you take a snack break to conserve use.
Blowing up your pool rafts is also a fun way to go down the slide that can give you a little more cushion and kids love to ride down them as well.
I strongly suggest using the 6″ long stakes and not shorter ones since they are much less likely to come out and be a safety hazard as they are well in the ground.
But I did go around with a rubber mallet halfway through the party and hit back down any stakes that were trying to come up at all, just to be safe.
When it’s time to tear down the slide, pull out all the stakes and unwrap the pool noodles. Let the noodles fully air dry before putting them away back in their box.
The hardest part of the slip and slide process is drying out your long slide before putting it away.
You’ll want to get it up off the ground so both sides are dry before you put it away. That way you don’t pull out a gross moldy tarp the next time you go to use it.
You can hang it over porch railings, outdoor chairs, fences, whatever you have, but you really want it to be pretty dry before putting it away (you can towel off areas as needed).

Oversized Rainbow Wall Hanging DIY!

Laura Gummerman — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 13:00:00 +0000

I am so excited to share this super fun and amazingly cute rainbow wall hanging DIY with you today!

I love all the little kid rainbows that have been making the rounds lately whether that be on clothing, plush items, or wall decor, and I extra love the little rope rainbow trend.

I tend to take everything that’s fun and make it oversized, and I was pretty positive that a rope rainbow would be amazing on a large scale, and it turns out I was right!!

Can you guess what I used as a base to make this oversized rainbow wall hanging? I’ll give you a hint … splish, splash!

Supplies:
–5 pool noodles (did you guess it?)
–thick cotton rope (try the trim section of your craft/fabric store)
–thick yarn in preferred colors (I didn’t use more than the yarn you see above, so one large yarn should be enough for my size)
–hot glue gun
–X-Acto knife and scissors
–10′ of 3/8″ copper coil tubing
–mini pipe cutter
–4cm wool felt balls
–cat brush

First, you are going to decide how long you want your outer rainbow color to be, which will determine the overall size of your rainbow—since it’s the outer layer.

I wanted my outer layer to be longer than my pool noodles were, so I cut off 8″ of another noodle and hot glued that section onto the end of another full length one to give me an extra long noodle to work with.

Then, I used my pipe cutter to cut a piece of copper coil that was about 2″ shorter than my noodle, so it wouldn’t stick out the ends once I threaded it through my noodle.

It took me a bit to figure out what to use as the backbone of the rainbow, as I needed something that would be bendable and yet strong enough to keep its shape once bent.

I remember seeing those copper coils in the hardware store and I thought they might be worth a shot, and they were perfect! If you do a much larger rainbow than this, you may need to try the coil in the next size up.

It will be harder to bend into place, but also stronger as well once bent into shape.

Once your pipe is cut, make sure it’s the right length for your noodle.

Then, use an X-Acto knife to carve out some of the inner portion of the last 1″ or so of each noodle end so you have a larger space to add your rope fringe at the end. Pool noodles are super easy to cut into, so this part shouldn’t be too hard.

Then, hot glue your yarn end to one end of your noodle and start to (are you ready for this?) twist the noodle to wrap the yarn around the noodle.

It is still time consuming but it is waaaay easier to twist the noodle than wrap the yarn around the noodle. Keep the yarn holding hand in place and use the other hand to twist the noodle body as you go.

I glued my yarn to the right end of the noodle and twisted the noodle away from me, but if you are left handed, you may want to start on the left side and twist if that is more comfortable.

Keep twisting and twisting until you have about 3″ of yarn-covered noodle and then push all the yarn downwards towards the end you started from to condense the yarn.

Make sure it’s super tightly packed with no pool noodle underneath in sight—it will also help keep the noodle covered when you bend it into a rainbow shape as well if it’s tightly packed yarn.

Keep twisting and pushing down every 3″ of yarn until you reach the end. I used more glue to secure the yarn to the noodle on the last 1″ of the noodle and then tucked the end into the noodle opening and glued it in place.

With your outer noodle now wrapped, slide in your copper pipe that you cut to fit and then bend it into your rainbow shape. I made mine a bit of a taller/skinnier rainbow, but you could do a shorter/wider one as well if you like.

Once it’s bent into place, make sure your next noodle is long enough to fit within that shape and start to wrap that noodle with the next color yarn.

When you are almost done wrapping that noodle, place it back inside the outer noodle to check the fit. Usually adding the yarn changes exactly how much noodle length you need, so you’ll just want to keep checking the length before cutting the noodle and finishing the end with yarn.

Repeat with each color for each noodle until you have four layers! Since you’ll have leftover copper pipe after adding it to your outside noodle, use the rest inside one of the inner layers of noodles and that will help it keep its shape even better.

This is also a good time to take a piece of yarn the color of your third layer in and tie it around your pool noodle so you have a hanger on the backside to hang your rainbow from.

Basically, if the top of the rainbow is at the 12:00 position on a clock, tie one end of a piece of yarn at the 1:00 position and the other to the 11:00 position with the knots on the backside so you don’t see them and you can use the yarn that connects the two points as a hanger.

Much easier to do it now before you glue things together!

Now it’s time to glue our rainbow together! I clamped my outer layer to a coffee table so it wouldn’t move from that position, but you could also just place boxes or heavy books at the sides and top/bottom to keep in place while you glue as well.

Put a generous amount of glue at the sides where each noodle touches the next and add one layer at a time until you have all your layers complete.

Now that your noodles are attached, take your thick rope, cut it double the length you want your tassel to be, and then tie some twine at the middle of the rope to keep the tassel together.

If you can’t find super thick cotton rope, you can also cut three or four strands double your tassel length and just tie them all together in the middle for the same effect.

Add some hot glue into the opening of the noodle and stick in the middle fold of your rope so it sticks to the glue.

I did varying lengths for each noodle, but you can do them all the same too. Now if you like that curly look once you unwind the rope, you can leave it that way, or you can use a pet brush to brush out the rope into one larger tassel.

As the finishing touch, glue some large felt balls around the perimeter of the rainbow and your sweet little project is ready to hang!

Seriously though, how amazing is that!?! I couldn’t be more pleased with how this turned out, and I’ve even been going in her room just to look at it randomly during the day. It makes me so happy!

Just a quick safety note: I’m not worried about Lola reaching this from a safety standpoint. She actually plays with those felt balls normally (and they aren’t a choking hazard size for her since they are larger) and the rest of this is just yarn and pool noodles.

But, if you make this on a smaller scale or just small felt balls, be careful it doesn’t fall into baby’s hands if there are items attached you would worry about them having.

This is totally an item that I would also hang in any other room in the house, so don’t feel like this is limited to a kid’s room if you aren’t in that zone yet! xo. Laura

Room Sources: DIY Wallpaper / Chandelier / Similar Crib / Washable Rug

Oversized Rainbow Wall Hanging

How to make a rainbow wall hanging (using pool noodles!)

Keyword rainbow decor, wall hanging

Author Laura Gummerman

Equipment

hot glue gun
X-acto knife
-scissors
mini pipe cutter

Ingredients

5 pool noodles
thick cotton rope try the trim section of your craft/fabric store
thick yarn in preferred colors I didn’t use more than the yarn you see above, so one large yarn should be enough for my size
10′ of 3/8″ copper coil tubing
4cm wool felt balls I used the coral color
cat brush

Instructions

OK! So, first you are going to decide how long you want your outer rainbow color to be, which will determine the overall size of your rainbow—since it’s the outer layer. I wanted my outer layer to be longer than my pool noodles were, so I just cut off 8″ of another noodle and hot glued that section onto the end of another full length one to give me an extra long noodle to work with.
Then I used my pipe cutter to cut a piece of copper coil that was about 2″ shorter than my noodle so it wouldn’t stick out the ends once I threaded it through my noodle. It took me a bit to figure out what to use as the backbone of the rainbow as I needed something that would be bendable and yet strong enough to keep its shape once bent.
I remember always seeing those copper coils in the hardware store and I thought they might be worth a shot and they were perfect! If you do a much larger rainbow than this, you may need to try the coil in the next size up. It will be harder to bend into place, but also stronger as well once bent into shape.
Once your pipe is cut, make sure it’s the right length for your noodle and then use an X-Acto knife to carve out some of the inner portion of the last 1″ or so of each noodle end so you have a larger space to add your rope fringe at the end. Pool noodles are super easy to cut into, so this part shouldn’t be too hard.
Then, hot glue your yarn end to one end of your noodle and start to (are you ready for this?) twist the noodle to wrap the yarn around the noodle. It is still time consuming but it is waaaay easier to twist the noodle than wrap the yarn around the noodle.
Keep the yarn holding hand in place and use the other hand to twist the noodle body as you go. I glued my yarn to the right end of the noodle and twisted the noodle away from me, but if you are left handed you may want to start on the left side and twist if that is more comfortable.
Keep twisting and twisting until you have about 3″ of yarn-covered noodle and then push all the yarn downwards towards the end you started from to condense the yarn and make sure it’s super tightly packed with no pool noodle underneath in sight (it will also help keep the noodle covered when you bend it into a rainbow shape as well if it’s tightly packed yarn).
Keep twisting and pushing down every 3″ of yarn until you reach the end. I used more glue to secure the yarn to the noodle on the last 1″ of the noodle and then tucked the end into the noodle opening and glued it in place.
With your outer noodle now wrapped, slide in your copper pipe that you cut to fit and then bend it into your rainbow shape. I made mine a bit of a taller/skinnier rainbow, but you could do a shorter/wider one as well if you like.
Once it’s bent into place, make sure your next noodle is long enough to fit within that shape and start to wrap that noodle with the next color yarn. When you are almost done wrapping that noodle, place it back inside the outer noodle to check the fit.
Usually adding the yarn changes exactly how much noodle length you need, so you’ll just want to keep checking the length before cutting the noodle and finishing the end with yarn.
Repeat with each color for each noodle until you have four layers! Since you’ll have leftover copper pipe after adding it to your outside noodle, use the rest inside one of the inner layers of noodles and that will help it keep its shape even better.
This is also a good time to take a piece of yarn the color of your third layer in and tie it around your pool noodle so you have a hanger on the backside to hang your rainbow from.
Basically, if the top of the rainbow is at the 12:00 position on a clock, tie one end of a piece of yarn at the 1:00 position and the other to the 11:00 position with the knots on the backside so you don’t see them and you can use the yarn that connects the two points as a hanger. Much easier to do it now before you glue things together!
Now it’s time to glue our rainbow together! I clamped my outer layer to a coffee table so it wouldn’t move from that position, but you could also just place boxes or heavy books at the sides and top/bottom to keep in place while you glue as well.
Just put a generous amount of glue at the sides where each noodle touches the next and add one layer at a time until you have all your layers complete.
Now that your noodles are attached, take your thick rope, cut it double the length you want your tassel to be, and then tie some twine at the middle of the rope to keep the tassel together.
If you can’t find super thick cotton rope, you can also cut three or four strands double your tassel length and just tie them all together in the middle for the same effect. … you can use a pet brush to brush out the rope into one larger tassel.
As the finishing touch, glue some large felt balls around the perimeter of the rainbow and your sweet little project is ready to hang!

Notes

Just a quick safety note: I’m not worried about Lola reaching this from a safety standpoint. She actually plays with those felt balls normally (and they aren’t a choking hazard size for her since they are larger) and the rest of this is just yarn and pool noodles. But if you make this on a smaller scale or just small felt balls, be careful it doesn’t fall into baby’s hands if there are items attached you would worry about them having.

Yoto Mini Review

Elsie Larson — Fri, 27 May 2022 12:27:00 +0000

We recently got Yoto Mini audio players for our children (ages 4 and 6) and I am convinced they are the greatest toy of all time. In this post, I’ll share what Yoto Mini does and why our kids love them so much!

Our older daughter is just learning to read. We spend a lot of time reading books, but she is not quite at the stage to read books independently yet, and our younger daughter won’t be for several more years.

I love audiobooks, and I have been interested in introducing audiobooks to our kids, but we are not interested in giving them more access to devices (iPads, phones, etc.) at this time.

When I heard my friend’s review of the Yoto Mini, I knew it was the perfect solution for us.

The Yoto players come as a full size and a mini version. You collect cards that play stories, music, meditations, and more. I started off with a lot of bedtime cards so they could use them as a part of their nightly routine.

Here are some of the cards we have collected so far. As long as they kids are playing with them, I will continue adding more for birthdays and holidays.

For bedtime: Magical Bedtime Meditation, Bedtime Meditations, and Mermaids and Fairy Dust Meditations.

Classics: There are so many great classic stories available. I just ordered some for an upcoming birthday, including The Jungle Book and Classic Fairy Stories.

Personal favorites: Llama Llama Collection, Winnie the Pooh Collection, and the Beatrix Potter Collection.

(Note: I haven’t ordered any Disney/Pixar yet because I was nervous they would take attention away from the classics. We will probably add those down the road though, since our kids love those stories as well.)

Apart from the cards, our kids love listening to Yoto Radio, which plays a pretty big variety of music (it will randomly go from Lady Gaga to Frank Sinatra) and the Yoto Daily Podcast, which does daily birthday shoutouts and daily activities and games (it’s so sweet!).

Our kids feel extremely cool and grown up using these little devices. They do just enough to keep them engaged for hours, but not too much like a screen device.

They are educational and perfect for encouraging independent reading.

If you want to get super organized, I love this Etsy seller’s solution. We have not bought any organization yet—I have been storing the cards in a small basket so they have easy access.