Get Inventing! (with The Book of Inventions)

Creativity comes in all shapes and sizes. Give me some paper, glue and ribbon, and watch me get to work. My friend Lisa, well, she couldn’t craft to save her life, but she writes some of the most beautiful stories I've ever read. And Karen, she could McGuyver her way out of any situation!

If your creativity tends towards the latter, you have to check out the Klutz Book of Inventions. It's packed with tons of cool, crazy, can’t-believe-they-don’t-actually-exist creations that will inspire you to start inventing!

I found so many wacky contraptions that could have saved me in the past. Like the Storytelling Sling which would have spared me the embarrassment of having to repeatedly explain how I broke my leg skiing in my backyard or how I dislocated my knee jump-kicking off my parents bed.

And I bet my parents wish they thought of Sibling Blinders for my sister and I when we got cranky on the way up to the cottage.

But most importantly, how much do I want a Snack Shirt with a pocket made just for ice cream cones? Mom and dad, take note, I know what I want for my birthday!

After nearly 200 pages of wacky inventions, Klutz challenges you to design your own. They even break down all the ways they came up with their out-there ideas to get you started. 

I sat down with a pencil and notepad and started to think...

For me, waking up in the morning is the worst! It’s a daily battle between hitting the snooze button and sinking back into sleep,  or getting in the shower like the clean, responsible young person I should be! I'm embarrassed to tell you how often sleep wins… Therefore, I think I’d invent a shower bed so you can take that extra 15 minutes of sleep while you get squeaky clean. I’m still ironing out a few design kinks, but expect to see my Shower Sleeper in stores in 2014!

Crazy for Quilling (with Twirled Paper)

Typically, after the crafting craziness of Christmas, I like to take a little break from my favourite hobby and spend some time seeking inspiration for the new year.

Then one day, while at a craft show, I spotted a booth filled with some seriously cool paper art. I went over to tell the artist that I loved all her stuff, and she happily introduced me to the art of quilling. This simple twirled paper art form looks seriously complex, but in truth, is super easy to do. Easy enough, in fact, that I decided to break my crafting hiatus and give it a try. And wouldn’t you know it, Klutz had its very own, all-in-one quilling kit to get me started.

Twirled Paper comes with tons of brightly coloured strips of paper, a handy little twirling tool, and some quick dry glue. With just those three ingredients, plus a dash of imagination, there's no telling where quilling will take you.

Now, I've caught the quilling bug and this easy, post-Christmas craft has blossomed into full-blown obsession.