Archive for the ‘to DIY for’ Category
The extremely popular matchbox advent calendar printable kit is back for 2013!
Click the button above to purchase, and once you’ve checked out the PDF kit will be sent to the email address associated with your paypal account. Check your trash and spam folders and if its not there in 24hrs please contact me.
the PDF kit contains:
- 24 individually designed matchbox labels by draw! pilgrim, all vintage style with an aged color tint, faux ‘off register’ color overlaps and a variety of european christmas greetings
- one sheet of templates to fold up the matchbox bases/drawers (you’ll need to print multiple copies of this page)
- a template for slips of paper to write notes for treats or activities etc
Customizations are not available on this kit, sorry!
what you will need
aside from the kit mentioned above, you’ll need to print the templates on heavy-ish paper or card: regular printer paper is quite flimsy – it’d be ok for using JUST this year, but if you want to use these matchboxes again i recommend something a little heavier, around 300gsm (i believe that’s equivalent to 200lbs weight). printing at home is convenient but for paper advice you might want to splurge and take this project to the print shop where you can see what range of papers they have and decide what will fold best for your needs.
you will also need:
- glue or double sided tape,
- scissors and/or a guillotine paper cutter (it makes cutting down the sheets of labels a bit faster and neater)
a bone folder or scoring tool
what to fill the boxes with?
you know your own people best, but some ideas are:
- tiny candies: jellybeans, m&ms etc
- individual chocolates
- hair accessories
- teensy toys
- lego minifigs
- stickers or temporary tattoos
or put in slips of paper hinting at where to find treats that are just a bit too big for the matchbox, e.g.: “look behind the dictionary!” and there will be hidden a new matchbox car or a little bottle of nail polish.
or write a list of treat experiences: “let’s put up the christmas tree!” “let’s go out for egg nog!” “gingerbread decorating day!” etc
how to display your calendar?
- thread them on a string and hang them as a garland across a mantlepiece or door frame
- add a strip of magnetic tape and put them up on your fridge
- leave one each day on their bedside table
- put one in their lunchbox
- hang them all vertically on a length of string
- …or just stick them all to a plain colored poster sheet!
so go ahead! its so much fun and a project that the whole family can get involved in.
While you are welcome to create or deconstruct this kit for your own personal use, i ask that you not use any part of it for retail (eg: selling handmade cards using my stamp designs etc)
we’re about to tackle the whole shoelace tying thing, here! my son is in his first year of school and i feel like his fine motor skills are up to the task. but can i actually remember to spend a few minutes a day practicing with him? no. so i’ve made an achievement chart to make sure we BOTH put some work into learning to tie laces. each day they practice you could stamp, or add a sticker and hopefully by the end of the cart they’re a lace tying fiend and can be rewarded with a snazzy new pair of laces or in our case a non-velcro pair of shoes for school!
are your small people ready to start tying knots and making bunny ears? grab the printable chart at the link below
for $2.00 AUD
why are some printables no longer free?
please note: i do not offer tech support, or customization on printables.
i hope this helps your peeps feets! let me know of any great tips for beginner lace tying in the comments below, maybe we can work through this together.
Surprise your crush with a sweet valentine fortune from Draw! Pilgrim.
I’ve created this classic “cootie catcher” or fortune teller printable with candy hearts in mind (when don’t I have candy in mind)! this post featured as part of skip to my lou’s valentine week.
Download the template and instructions here, then get folding! Has it been awhile since you’ve made a cootie catcher?
Don’t worry – the template comes complete with step by step instructions. Print one for your crush, or spread the love and make all your classmates their very own candy heart fortune teller. Happy love day!
with so many simple crafty ideas on this site, theres all kinds of ideas to keep you busy through the holiday period! here’s a round up of some favorites of mine…
remember lori marie’s fabulous guest post about painted jar luminaries? imagine a host of these flickering on your dinner table!
dress up your holiday shoes or make a simple cute gift out of these felt flower shoe clips
flick the ghosts and ghouls and turn this halloween paper lantern into a christmas lantern!
embrace the old skool trend of making your christmas cards into a cute crochet edged box!
keep little fingers busy at the dinner table with this color-in angel printable.
give the practical gift of a personal organizer… and add a personalized pen case!
and lastly, tell father christmas’ elves to get busy on this chewbacca cuddly toy!!
today would have been my dad’s 62nd birthday. so, happy birthday dad, wherever you are. i’ll have a whiskey and be personally offended by broad social trends on your behalf.
as a kid my mum would put together the BEST advent calendars for me – counting down to christmas was almost more fun than christmas day itself! when i was really small she bought fabulous cardboard calendars from europe – the ones with tiny doors you open, and there’s a little picture inside. these made a big impression on me; i was only about 2 or 3 but i can still remember some of the illustrations. each year i’d have a different kind of calendar: one year each day was a tiny book telling part of the sort of the nutcracker (to hang on the christmas tree). some years i’d get a little chocolate each day, and so on…
when i turned 7 mama stepped up her game – she made me a fabric advent calendar, with little pockets. each day of december she would tuck a little tiny present in there, or a slip of paper with an activity written on it. she did this for me every year until i turned 18 and moved to england. even then, she’d email me funny or cute things every day of december. so when i had my son i was thrilled to have the chance to pass on this tradition that had brought me SO much happiness through the years. its really only been a couple of christmases so far, but he totally gets it. we say the advent fairies come and leave little surprises for him and he rushes out every morning to see what’s arrived. i’ve been using the old fabric calendar my mum made, but this year i felt like something new and so, inspired by those fabulous vintage european matchbox labels, i created a printable kit of matchboxes to countdown to christmas with!
how to make them
you will need to download my matchbox kit.
the kit contains:
- 24 individually designed matchbox labels by draw! pilgrim, all vintage style with an aged color tint, fake ‘off register’ color overlaps and a variety of european christmas greetings
- templates to fold up the matchbox bases/drawers
- a template for slips of paper to write notes for treats or activities etc
what you will need
aside from the kit mentioned above, you’ll need to print the templates on heavy-ish paper: regular printer paper is quite flimsy – it’d be ok for using JUST this year, but if you want to use these matchboxes again i recommend something a little heavier, around 300gsm (i believe thats equivalent to 200lbs weight). printing at home is convenient but for paper advice you might want to splurge and take this project to the print shop where you can see what range of papers they have and decide what will fold best for your needs.
you will also need:
- glue or double sided tape,
- scissors and/or a guillotine paper cutter (it makes cutting down the sheets of labels a bit faster and neater)
- a bone folder or scoring tool
what to fill the boxes with?
you know your own people best, but some ideas are:
- tiny candies: jellybeans, m&ms etc
- individual chocolates
- hair accessories
- teensy toys
or put in slips of paper hinting at where to find treats that are just a bit too big for the matchbox, e.g.: “look behind the dictionary!” and there will be hidden a new matchbox car or a little bottle of nail polish.
or write a list of treat experiences: “let’s put up the christmas tree!” “let’s go out for egg nog!” “gingerbread decorating day!” etc
how to display your calendar?
- thread them on a string and hang them as a garland across a mantlepiece or door frame
- add a strip of magnetic tape and put them up on your fridge
- leave one each day on their bedside table
- put one in their lunchbox
- hang them all vertically on a length of string
- …or just stick them all to a plain colored poster sheet!
so go ahead! its so much fun and a project that the whole family can get involved in.
did you have christmas countdown traditions too?
next we have this cute twill jacket. it’s prefect for season change times: its casual, 3/4 length, it’s completely adorable and its been packed away for awhile because it has a dodgey sleeve. and by dodgey i mean it was never properly sewn in. whoever made the jacket only tacked it in place and then i guess they donated it to the thrift or whatever because here it is with its arm falling off. i know how to fix it, i was just hoping that maybe if i include it in this round up that i’ll be motivated to fix it. it really is a cute lil piece. please tell me off for not fixing it immediately when i bought it 6 years ago. for shame!
this bag isn’t vintage, unless you count 2007 as a great year for bags. its groovy fabric though and i carried it for aaaages (which is really saying something considering i’m handbag attention deficient) until the handle’s seam/join split. fixing it with gaff tape crossed my mind, but is there something less cheap and cheesy i could do?
so i turn it over to you, brains trust. help me fix my stuff! (please)
listen up friends! i’m running some classes at little sparrow and i’m pretty certain you should join in.
i can teach you to crochet, the basics of making a rag doll (or a chewbacca toy!) in time for christmas, or how to make one of those super striking felt flower brooches.
these classes are for everyone! well, everyone over 10 years old who has opposable thumbs and wants to learn. guys are welcome, ladies are welcome, old, young, cool, uncool, and people who like cake are extra welcome. why not bring a friend or two and make this a fun social opportunity? have a chat, have some tea or coffee, and learn a new skill in a relaxed and supportive environment.
here, take a printable flyer of class information.
classes run for at least two x 2 hour sessions and are $80AUD and include materials (excluding the crochet course – i don’t want to make assumptions on what sort of yarn you’d like!) little sparrow has a fabulous array of supplies in store so i encourage you to buy your hooks, felt or yarn before class: students receive 10% off!
does this sound like your kind of thing? because if it does, hurry – classes are starting next week in the first week of november and places are filling up! short notice, i know, but christmas is sneaking up on us and i’m sure you’d love a new skill to show off in time for the festive season.
to book your place visit my online store or call little sparrow (03) 90410103
or maybe you want to learn to quilt with cinti?
