Playground Pop-Up Shop (with Face Painting from Klutz)

When the sun is shining and summer is in full swing, even not-so-great days can turn out to be pretty wonderful!

A few weeks ago, I had a play date with my little friend, Ben, and his mama and papa too. We were meeting at the park on Saturday morning to laugh and play the day away, and I couldn't wait! Unfortunately, when our date came around, poor Ben wasn't feeling very well. But he put on a brave face and asked to go the park anyway, so we decided to downgrade our playground play to something a little more low key. Luckily, I'd just received this big box of goodness from my Klutz fairy godmother, so I picked out some favourites and we planned a Klutz party in the park.

You’ve already seen the hilarious results of our Cat’s Cradle play, but we also had some fun with Face Painting that day. Back when this blog began, I did one of my first posts about painting pumpkins with these great paints, and I was really excited to use them again.

We parked ourselves on a bench by the playground, spread out our supplies and opened up a fun little temporary tattoo shop. We painted bees and bears and some decidedly abstract art pieces all up and down our arms and pranced around the sandbox sharing and showing off our cool arm art. Our pop-up shop was the hit of the playground and Ben’s spirits began to brighten! Soon, we were galloping through the grass, planting flowers in the sandbox and snacking on sandwiches, and our quiet park day had turned into quite the adventure!

Summer Sticker Celebration (with Washi Tape Stickers from Klutz)

If you haven’t heard of washi tape yet, then get thee to the nearest craft store, STAT! This multi-tasking tape, which hails from Japan, is easy to stick on and peel off and comes in tons of fun patterns and prints, making it a crafting must-have.

I’ve used it to recover old notebooks, add flair to my phone and iPod, decorate vases and so much more. But Klutz’s take on the washi tape craze is my favourite by far! With Make Your Own Washi Tape Stickers, you can shape this colourful tape into completely customized sticker designs that are perfect for any occasion!

With the sun shining up in the sky and the great outdoors calling my name, I pulled my copy out onto the deck at the cottage and washi-ed the summer sights all around me. I mixed and matched the tape in six fun colours and patterns, chose from a ton of easy-to-trace designs, and snipped out seascapes, beach scenes, and sweet treats! Now I’m sending my postcards to some friends so that they can peel-and-stick washi stickers and share in the summer love.  

Bubbles and BBQs (with How to Make Monstrous, Huge, Unbelievably Big Bubbles)

The best things about summer is the world of outdoor space that it opens up. Picnics at the park, playing at the beach, lunch on a patio and a stroll around the neighborhood are a few of my favourites. But the ultimate outdoor fun of summer is definitely the backyard barbecue.

Now, I don’t have a backyard, but this sunny Saturday we were headed to a friend's BBQ party, so I took a peek into my cabinet of Klutz curiosities for a way to make our day extra fun.

How to Make Monstrous, Huge, Unbelievably Big Bubbles is the brainchild of bubble master David Stein and the editors of Klutz. Stein’s invention, the "Bubble Thing," is the magic wand that makes your bubbles big, and inside the book you’ll find the recipe for the perfect bubble mix.

As the ribs and carrots sizzled on the grill, we set up with a bucket of suds and our Bubble Thing and took turns blowing super-sized bubbles out in the sun.

Paper Flying Dragons Photo Diary

I must admit, when Paper Flying Dragons first landed (no pun intended) on my Klutz radar, I couldn’t really get into it. I mean, I love fantasy as much as the next nerd girl; I just wasn’t sure that would translate to paper-dragon play.

On a weekend trip to the cottage with all of my family around, it seemed like the best time to break out the book and rope some cousins into playing with me. My aunt and her two boys seemed totally on board, so we set up at the coffee table and got started. As we flipped through the pages of paper pop-out dragons, I started to feel some excitement. I picked out a purple hatchling, folded her up, then headed outside to put her in flight.

We hopped up on the deck to give us some height, then launched our dragons clear across the beach. These little beauties flew like a dream! As we watched our jewel-toned dragons soar through the sky, I started to feel a chill, so I popped inside to grab a sweater. And what did I find but a few more players at the coffee table, whipping up some paper dragons of their own.

Turns out our whirling, swirling spectacle had sparked some serious interest, and it wasn’t long before the whole family was outside, playing paper dragon battles, target practice, and racing up and down the beach. I wondered to myself how I ever doubted the power of flying paper dragons!

Hot Holiday Accessories

Winter is a time for taking cover from the cold in big, fluffy hats and warm woolen mittens. But that doesn’t mean the season should be without style! Share some love with your under-appreciated appendages (head, arms and legs!) with some hot holiday accessories.

Headbands have had a style renaissance since their days in the 80s when they were thick, padded and paired with a scrunchy. Today, they are all about flair, with big bows, flowers and jewels to spare. I made these super stylish Headbands and Hairstyles for myself a while back, but this time around I’m all about sharing. It is almost Christmas, after all!

Pink ruffles and sequins for my favourite party girl. A black and blue bow band for a friend with more classic style. And who wouldn't love to get this simple red bow with just a hint of shine? 

If you've got more friends than headbands, make some super cute hair clips by attaching your bows and baubles to bobby pins. 

If headpieces aren't really your thing, try Brilliant Bead Rings! This colourful kit comes with a rainbow of seed beads and twisty wire so that you can string together rings for all of your friends, and maybe even that someone special! With seven designs to choose from there is one for all tastes and styles: make a simple coloured band, a costume-y flower ring or something completely different! In this season of holiday parties and gatherings, your friends will have plenty of opportunities to show off their new finger accessories. 

Even if you haven't got a crafty bone in your body, you can still give the gift of Klutz. Pick out a kit that you and your friends will love and give them an afternoon of awesome arts and crafts. They might even reward your thoughtfulness by sharing one of their creations.

For a full list of all of Klutz's fabulous kits, head here. But come back soon because next week it's all about trimming your tree, plus a couple of fun decorating projects.

Only one week of Christmas craftiness left… Better get busy!

It’s My Party and I’ll Klutz If I Want To!

It’s finally November, my favourite month of the year!

Why, you ask? 

Because it’s my birthday month!

Yes, one cold mid-November morning I burst forth into the world, butt first and a month earlier than expected, and began a journey that has taken me all sorts of places. It hasn’t always been easy, but just look at me now! All grown up and blogging like a big girl (but still crafting like a little one, to be sure!). Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.

To celebrate the awesome year gone by, and another one just ahead, it’s time to get busy planning my party!

First stop, stationery! I had a pack of standard blank cards on hand, so I decided to have some fun with Stamp Art. Can we talk Stamp Art for a second? Because it is, like, the coolest thing ever! Basically, it’s a clear acrylic block and a ton of cool gel decals that you can peel and stick to your heart’s content. Mix and match and layer them, then start all over again. It’s amazing! I transformed those blank cards into too-cute cupcake invites, then used the envelopes to make these pretty little place cards (both below).

As for décor, I’m shouting out to my younger self with some good old-fashioned Cootie Catchers. Remember them? These folded fortune tellers were the height of elementary school fun! A bowl full of colourful cootie catchers (below) ought to spark some fun table conversation. The little ones are perfect for candle cupcake toppers (as seen below). And the blank cootie catchers do double duty as loot bags and thank you cards, with kind words and fun fortunes written inside.

Alright, I am officially excited! Only 15 days left and I’ve still got a lot of planning to do. Have you got a great Klutz birthday idea? Share it in the comments. To make this birthday bash top notch, I’m gonna need all the help I can get!