Tiny Toy Organization

Tiny Toy Organization

Tiny Toy Organization

In the 6 years my daughter has been on this fine earth, she has gathered quite the collection of tiny toys. They. Are. Everywhere. How do you keep track of all these items? She’ll often come to me asking if I know where a specific tiny item is, and I usually have no idea. With a new baby we definitely needed to come up with a new organized storage system for these tiny “choking hazards”. They can’t lie around the house anymore since we are probably about 6 months away from a crawling baby that will stick everything in her mouth.

Tiny Toy Organization

Tiny Toy Organization

On a recent trip to Michaels I discovered this new Cre8ted Spaces collection and it’s perfect for the tiny toy storage (this line has over 300 different items in 4 coordinating colors)! My daughter went through and organized all her Shopkins, Lalaloopsies, and Littlest Pet Shop toys into these colorful wood boxes. They each have individual trays inside that worked out perfectly for organizing. We dumped all her doll shoes and accessories into another wooden box, her shell collection into these cute jars, and then jewelry into that small blue box.

I’m so happy with her organized toys, but I have to tell you I am jealous that she gets to use these pretty boxes in her room, instead of me. I have a glass door cabinet that could use some organization. The pops of color I would get from these boxes could be perfect.

If you don’t know where to begin, you can always take a look at some of the fun storage projects on Michaels.com or the other 49 makers’ ideas on The Glue String for tips on designing, organizing and decorating their favorite places!


– Chelsey

P.S. I was provided with a Michaels store gift card to create this blog post.

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Categories: diy, For The Home


Day 49 Christmas Treat: Happy Winter Cake Topper (with free printable)

Christmas Treat: Happy Winter Cake Topper (with free printable)

Christmas Treat: Happy Winter Cake Topper (with free printable)

Day 49 of my 50 DIY Days: Happy Winter Cake Topper (with free printable)

Cakes aren’t just for birthdays. They are perfect for any celebration, even in the Fall and Winter. Maybe this season you skip the pie and bring a cake to your holiday dinner instead? I’m sorry. Pretend I never said that, pie is always necessary. Bring pie AND cake to your holiday dinner! There, that’s better. Winter is just around the corner, so be sure to print out my Happy Winter Cake Topper to decorate that cake (and pie) and go!

Supplies needed to make the Happy Winter Cake Topper:

Directions:

Christmas Treat: Happy Winter Cake Topper (with free printable)

Christmas Treat: Happy Winter Cake Topper (with free printable)

  • Print out the printable Happy Winter printout onto your white cardstock paper.
  • Use some scissors to cut out around the words (leaving a tiny bit of white space around the words)
  • Hot glue the bamboo skewers onto the back of the words. Decorate your cake and done.

Christmas Treat: Happy Winter Cake Topper (with free printable)

Total cost: $0 (I already had the paper and skewers needed for this project)

Are you wondering what the 50 DIY Days is? Each year I share a bunch of holiday DIY ideas, recipes, and guides to inspire you during the Fall. Now, through early December, you’ll find a ton of great ideas to get you ready for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any sort of holiday gift giving. You can check out this link to explore past DIY Days.

– Chelsey

I want to see your creations! Share what your making with me on Instagram. It could be one of my DIY’s, or a project you’re working on. Share with my IG account @thepapermama and use the hashtag #papermamafriends.


Day 42 Holiday Decor: Kids Holiday Tablescape Idea

Kids Holiday Tablescape Idea

Kids Holiday Tablescape Idea

Day 42 of my 50 DIY Days: Kids Holiday Tablescape Idea

It’s officially entertaining season. Friends and family will be gathering together to celebrate the season and each other. Since it’s time to entertain, you’re probably planning out your tables ape for the big meal. What theme will it be? How many people are coming? Which fork goes where? Does Aunt Ruth want to sit next to cousin Lenny? I can’t help you with those questions, but I can help you plan out an adorable kids tablescape. Don’t forget about the kiddos!

Growing up we always had a kids table and sometimes we still have a kids table that the “kids” sit at (even though we’re all in our 20’s and 30’s), but I loved it. You get to be silly, and maybe feed the dog some veggies, all while your parents are busy and distracted and the “big person table”. Wayfair recently challenged me to come up with a lovely tablescape for the kids. I explored their site to find just the right supplies to put it together, and I’m loving how it turned out.

While wandering their site I noticed a set of these adorable ceramic TV dinner trays and I knew what my theme was going to be: 50’s TV Dinner for the Holidays. I also found some other great items to go along with this theme (like those ceramic cans and glass milk bottles).

When putting together a kids table, there are a few things you should think about and plan to have for the kids.

Kids Holiday Tablescape Idea

Kids are always hungry. You feed them, and they’re starving 30 minutes later. So, you need a snack at the table so the kids don’t lose their minds and meltdown if dinner takes a little bit longer to finish (you know that turkey can be trouble). I provided some yummy crackers in this adorable tasty container.

Kids Holiday Tablescape Idea

– Give them something to do. Kids love the word “bored” and tend to use it a lot. I don’t think you can completely stop that word from appearing, but you can do something to entertain the kids for a bit. I provided a free printable What’s For Dinner coloring page that you can print out and use for your kids table. Check out the tiny kids menu folding tutorial below to see how to fold this page into a little pocket to hold crayons.

How to fold a kids menu to hold crayons

1. Print out the coloring pages (set to two sided). 2. Fold down the top of the paper and leave about 25% of the coloring page showing. 3. Fold up the bottom portion of the page. 4. Fold the left and right side of the the page, leaving the “color time” in the center. 5. Tuck in one of the folded sides of the page into the other folded sides. 6. Add crayons, and you’re done.

Kids Holiday Tablescape Idea

– Maybe skip the breakable items on the table, and go for plastic decor. My daughter is pretty good with breakable items, so I wasn’t worried she would break anything. If your kid is a bit younger and maybe likes to throw things, I’d skip the glassware. As far as candles go, I did pick out these adorable glitter flameless candles so the kids could also have some lovely candlelight for their meal.

Kids Holiday Tablescape Idea

Kids Holiday Tablescape Idea

You don’t have to go all out to create a fun kids table, just get creative with items you already have from home and maybe add a couple of new purchases to make it more exciting. If you want to create this look for your kids holiday table, check out where I got them here: TV Tray Plates, Fringed Napkins, Tasty Storage with Lid, Dairy Bottles, Lips Cheese Board, ceramic can jar, gold glitter battery operated candles, indoor or outdoor rug, and flatware.

Does you family do the holiday kids table? You can check out more kids table ideas on Instagram by looking at the #MEETMEATTHEKIDSTABLE hashtag.

– Chelsey

Wayfair provided products from their site for me to create this post. You can check out this link to explore past DIY Days. I want to see your creations! Share what your making with me on Instagram. It could be one of my DIY’s, or a project you’re working on. Share with my IG account @thepapermama and use the hashtag #papermamafriends.

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Day 41 Gift Wrapping: 3 Ways to Wrap Difficult Objects

3 Ways to Wrap Difficult Objects

Day 41 of my 50 DIY Days: 3 Ways to Wrap Difficult Objects

It’s time to get wrapping all those gifts you found for your loved ones for the holiday! Wrapping gifts in a box is probably the easiest way you can wrap up a gift, but sometimes you don’t have a bunch of little boxes lying around. That can make it difficult to wrap any awkward shaped gift items, like the bike helmet we got for my daughter…

Don’t stress over all these possible wrapping issues, let me help you out. This month the Michael’s Makers were asked to come up with creative and fun holiday hacks and tips to help relieve some of that stress and make holiday entertaining and prepping fun!  We were given 5 common holiday hiccups to choose from and I went with how to wrap difficult objects.

3 Ways to Wrap Difficult Objects: Piece of Candy Gift Wrap DIY

Piece of Candy Gift Wrap

If you’re bored of the typical clothing gift boxes, you should try out this gift wrap idea. Use an old shipping tube (or you can buy one at Michaels) to hold those clothes and turn it into a piece of candy! Perfect for the kids.

Supplies needed for the Piece of Candy Gift Wrap:

1. White wrapping paper 2. Three different colors of paint. 3. Paintbrush 4. Shipping tube 5. Tape 6. Ribbon

Directions:

Piece of Candy Gift Wrap DIY

Step 1: Cut out a piece of paper that fits around the shipping tube. It should be about 8 – 10 inches longer than the tube on each end of the tube.

Piece of Candy Gift Wrap DIY

Step 2: Lay that piece of paper flat over a tarp or plastic for painting. Freehand paint multiple diagonal lines with your paint colors. Let dry completely.

Piece of Candy Gift Wrap DIY

Step 3: When the paint is dry you can start wrapping! Tape the painted paper around the tube (with the gift inside).

Piece of Candy Gift Wrap DIY

Step 4: Pinch the paper around the tube edges. Secure the ends with some ribbon.

3 Ways to Wrap Difficult Objects: Piece of Candy Gift Wrap DIY

Done!

3 Ways to Wrap Difficult Objects: Mini Gift Bag Made Out of Wrapping Paper DIY

Mini Gift Bag Made Out of Wrapping Paper

Do you have an awkward shaped item to wrap, but you’re out of gift boxes and pre made gift bags? No worries! You can easily make your own gift bag using some sturdy wrapping paper (as long as the gift isn’t too heavy). I made this little mini gift bag to wrap up some slipper for my daughter.

Supplies needed for the Mini Gift Bag Made Out of Wrapping Paper:

1. Wrapping paper (my gold wrap came from Michael’s) 2. Pretty washi tape 3. Scissors 4. Hope punch 5. Ribbon

Directions:

Mini Gift Bag Made Out of Wrapping Paper DIY

Step 1: Cut out a small section of wrapping paper. The length should be double the size you need for the final width. The height should be just a few inches bigger than the final height needed for the bag. Fold over the long end of the wrapping paper, leaving about 1 inch of paper on the other side, and crease the paper. Fold over that little 1 inch piece of paper. Secure this fold with a piece of washi tape. On one open end of the paper, fold up the paper and crease (this will be the base of your mini bag).

Mini Gift Bag Made Out of Wrapping Paper DIY

Step 4: Open up that section of paper you just folded up for the base. Flatten it out so it creates two triangles on each side (don’t worry, this is easier than it looks when you’re actually doing it). Fold up the top and bottom pieces of your base and crease. Secure this section with some more washi tape.

Mini Gift Bag Made Out of Wrapping Paper DIY

Step 5: Use some scissors to trim the top of your bag into a straight line (if necessary). Add your gift (make sure the gift isn’t too heavy). Fold in little corners on the open end of the bag. Close the opening by folding over the top about a half inch.

Mini Gift Bag Made Out of Wrapping Paper DIY

Step 6: Fold over the top one more time, and crease. Secure with washi tape. Use a hole punch to cut out two holes in the folds you just made at the top of the bag. String through some ribbon and double knot the ribbon on one side. Tie a bow.

3 Ways to Wrap Difficult Objects: Mini Gift Bag Made Out of Wrapping Paper DIY

Done!

3 Ways to Wrap Difficult Objects: Holiday Surprise Ball DIY

Holiday Surprise Ball DIY

I’ve created quite a few surprise crepe paper balls in my past (kids love them), and I thought this would be the perfect way to wrap this awkward helmet I have for my daughter. We only had big bulky boxes left for wrapping, and I didn’t want to have that big box taking up room in our small home. The holiday surprise ball saved the day!

Supplies needed for the Holiday Surprise Ball:

1. Crepe paper (how much you need will depend on the size and amount of items you have. For all the items I wrapped below, I needed 400 feet), 2. Tape 3. Ribbon 4. Hot glue 5. Multiple gifts 6. Optional: wrapping paper

Directions:

Holiday Surprise Ball DIY

Step 1: Lay out all of the gift items. Decide which item you want to start with. I suggest starting with the bigger items first. In my case it’s the helmet and puzzle.

Holiday Surprise Ball DIY

Step 2: To start out my surprise ball, I chose to wrap the final gift (the helmet) in some gold paper, so my daughter had something to open at the end of the surprise ball.

Holiday Surprise Ball DIY

Step 3: Start wrapping the crepe paper around your first gift item. Basically you just keep wrapping and wrapping. If the paper tears while you wrap, don’t worry. Grab a piece of tape and tape the strip back together. Continue to add more gifts as you wrap. I suggest adding them to spaces that need a little more volume.

Holiday Surprise Ball DIY

Step 5: When all the gifts are wrapped in the crepe paper, you can add a few wadded up balls of paper to the ball in any spaces that need more volume, to make the gift more round. Wrap the crepe paper around the wads until they’re covered.

Step 6: Wrap a ribbon around the ball. I made a tiny bow out of glitter ribbon and hot glue for my gift.

3 Ways to Wrap Difficult Objects: Holiday Surprise Ball DIY

Done!

Do you feel like you’re ready to wrap?

– Chelsey

Michaels has tons of holiday project ideas and instructions on their Michaels.com, including gift wrapping, home décor, last minute gift ideas, hostess gifts and more. Check out the other four holiday hack topics and the unique ideas all of the makers came up with on Michaels blog, The Glue String. I was provided with a Michaels gift card to create this post.

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Categories: 50 DIY Days, diy, Gifts


Pregnancy Update + Free Printable Countdown to Baby (or birthday)

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Nutrimom. All opinions are 100% mine.

The Paper Mama Maternity

(Photo above was taken by the lovely Fiona Margo Photography)

Well, we are just about there. Apparently time has been flying by for everyone, except me. Ha! I guess that’s pretty normal for a pregnancy. This week I’m 33 weeks pregnant (34 weeks on Friday) and we are counting down to our baby’s birth! This little girl officially has a c-section date for December 18th, which just happens to be the same birthday as my first daughter. It’s CRAZY that it worked out this way, but their due dates were only a couple days apart. As of right now my first kiddo says she’s pretty excited to share a birthday, but I have a feeling that will change when she’s about 14 or 15. As of right now I feel mentally ready for this baby. I’m done being pregnant (even though this baby needs to cook a bit longer) and I’m excited to meet this little girl. Her teeny tiny room is almost finished (so close), we’ve had her name picked out for months, and we are trying to clean our house like crazy in preparation. In addition to all that, I’m also trying to prep myself for the changes that a newborn can bring: no sleep, all the baby crying, possible issues with breastfeeding, and making time to eat a good meal. Below are some things I’ve been practicing and getting prepared to do.

Getting baby to sleep:

  • Be patient: It’s normal for a baby’s sleep pattern to be unpredictable. My first daughter’s sleep pattern was nuts and we didn’t really get a full night sleep until she was about 10 months old. I need to find patience (even when I’m too exhausted and tired) while her biological clock develops and begins to regulate.
  • Use light and dark cues to foster the development of the circadian rhythm: Keep the baby’s sleep environment dark during times we want her to sleep. When she’s awake, expose her to natural light.
  • Create an optimal sleep environment: provide a cool sleeping space (around 65 degrees Fahrenheit), keep the room dark, and keep the space quiet (maybe using a white noise machine).
  • Make sure baby is eating most of her calories during the day: Encourage daytime feeding sessions, and help your baby wake to eat during the day by exposing her to natural light, opening up the neck of her pajamas or rubbing the bottom of her feet.

Okay, I got the baby to sleep, what about me? I checked out the Nutrimom site for some ideas to help me get to sleep and hopefully stay asleep when the baby is here:

  • Take a shower before bed: Warm water can help relax the body to help you fall asleep faster. This will also help that forgetting to shower problem I’ll have when I have a newborn, ha!
  • Seek out a support network: Reach out to other moms and family members (and my Nutrimom coach that has also been through this).
  • Get outside: It’s good for you to leave the house and breath in that fresh air (and get some vitamin D) and exercise is always a good idea.
  • Remember to eat and drink: Like I mention below, I need to remember to eat some healthy food. Eating well and staying hydrated is key to feeling better during periods of less than optimal sleep.
  • Become a nap person: this will be hard for me. Even when I’m super tired, I have a hard time napping. My brain just races with things I need to do, or want to do. I shouldn’t feel guilty about what I’m not getting done and worry more about taking care of myself. Sleep when the baby is sleeping. I also need to be sure I’m asking friends and family for babysitting help so I can get some extra sleep while they take care of baby.
  • Practice deep breathing: If I just can’t fall asleep, deep breathing with my eyes closed, can help relax my mind. This could be a nice break.
  • Caffeine: I’ll be honest, I do rely on the magic of caffeine. Before I was pregnant I was drinking a lot of coffee and black tea. I love it and I know I’ll be jumping right back in after this girl is here, but I need to make sure I don’t go too crazy. 4 shots of espresso a day (and past 3 PM) may just make me too jittery and crazy, then I won’t sleep at night.

Nutrimom Subscription Box Eating right after baby is here:

  • When my first daughter was born I lost all the weight I had gained REALLY fast, but not in a healthy way. I was deep into postpartum depression, lacking in sleep, and not eating. I just didn’t think to eat. I’d barely snack all day, then devour my dinner. I may have lost all of that weight fast, but I didn’t feel healthy. One plan we have to eat healthy is to prepare food ahead of time and store it in the freezer. We have a crock pot and all that goodness, so this plan should work great! I found a bunch of healthy crock pot recipes online. Since I’m getting some Personal Coaching, from Nutrimom, I was also sent some great freezer recipe ideas.
  • Snacking right and taking my supplements: When this baby is born I plan on switching to some Breastfeeding and Postnatal supplements (especially since I plan on breastfeeding). Plus, I know when baby is here snacking might be my downfall in the healthy department. When you’re exhausted from baby and just need a snack, crackers are so quick and easy to grab. Too bad they’re not good for you. Nutrimom sent me one of their subscription boxes with some tasty nutrition bars, plus some more prenatal vitamins. So far I’ve been loving these bars. They’re easy to grab when I’m in a hurry and I don’t feel drained and tired from eating a bad snack. Each subscription box is formulated specifically for your stage in pregnancy (and even after baby is here). The products and dietary supplements, combined with a healthy diet, are designed to help support moms and moms-to-be throughout the first 1,000 days of baby’s development from your first day of pregnancy to age 2

Free printable chain countdown to baby (or birthday):

Free printable chain countdown to baby (or birthday) Are you getting SUPER close to your baby’s birth? Maybe it’s time to create a paper chain countdown for those final days to baby. We have a bit of a weird situation over here with my c-section date being scheduled the SAME day as my first daughter’s birthday, so I made my countdown a “birthday & baby” chain. The free printables I provided for you have a “baby” diamond, and a “birthday” diamond to choose from (in three different colors: pink, green, and blue). The chain is easy to assemble. Just print out the numbers and diamond onto white cardstock paper, then cut them out. If you’d like, you can add a fun idea to the inside of each chain for your child to do (or for yourself). I shared a few of my ideas below. After you write all the ideas inside the chain, use the hot glue to adhere the yellow portion of the strip to the back of the other end, and continue gluing until you have the chain. Glue #1 to a loop on the diamond and have fun!

Free Printable Countdown to Baby

Ideas for your chain:

  • write a letter (this could be to Santa) and send it
  • draw a picture of someone you love
  • movie night!
  • coffee date
  • pick a Christmas craft to work on
  • bring canned foods to food drive
  • make cookies with Grandma
  • bring a toy to toy drive
  • make snowflakes
  • go to the tree farm
  • decorate the tree
  • party with your friends
  • hang out with family
  • go out to eat

Download the baby (and birthday) countdown printables right here: pink, green, and blue.

Be sure to check out Nutrimom on Instagram to get healthy (and tasty) recipe ideas and other bits of pregnancy knowledge. I’ll try and get back here soon with one more pregnancy update before baby gets here, but if I’m not…. get ready for some cute baby photos in about 4 weeks! You can keep up to date with my pregnancy (and upcoming birth) on Instagram, @thepapermama.

– Chelsey

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Day 40 Christmas Jewelry: Vintage DIY Christma Sweaters Clips

Day 40 Christmas Jewelry: Vintage DIY Christmas Sweaters

Day 40 of my 50 DIY Days: Vintage DIY Christmas Sweater Clips

These little DIY Christmas Sweater Clips are so cute and I feel like I need a whole set for the holidays. My friend, DIY Candy, shared these on her blog and I just had to share them with you guys. I typically wear brooches on my sweaters and jackets, but maybe I need introduce more of these sweater clips to my wardrobe? They are fairly easy (and inexpensive) to make and will be the cutest little accessory on your holiday outfit. These are made with vintage Christmas items, but you can also find cute mini Christmas items at Michael’s right now.

Supplies needed to create these Vintage DIY Christmas Sweater Clips:

  • *Sweater Clips
  • *Vintage or New Minis like deer, Santas, wooden ornaments, mini sisal wreathes…
  • *Chain
  • Jump Rings
  • Jewelry Pliers and Cutters
  • Jewelry Glue

Day 40 Christmas Jewelry: Vintage DIY Christmas Sweaters

To check out all the details for this post, head on over to DIY Candy.

Are you wondering what the 50 DIY Days is? Each year I share a bunch of holiday DIY ideas, recipes, and guides to inspire you during the Fall. Starting now, through early December, you’ll find a ton of great ideas to get you ready for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any sort of holiday gift giving. You can check out this link to explore past DIY Days.

– Chelsey

I want to see your creations! Share what your making with me on Instagram. It could be one of my DIY’s, or a project you’re working on. Share with my IG account @thepapermama and use the hashtag #papermamafriends.


Day 39: Our Silly Christmas Photo + a $125 Minted Giveaway!

11Our Silly Christmas Photo + a $150 Minted Giveaway!

Our Silly Christmas Photo + a $150 Minted Giveaway!

Day 39 of my 50 DIY Days: Our Silly Christmas Photo

Well, it’s another year and time for another weird Christmas card. Each year we do something crazy with our holiday cards, because we can and why not? We definitely prefer to send these out more than a “normal” family photo card. We sort of went with a crazy cat family theme for this year. I’m happy to tell you that we do NOT own 22 cats… just two. Ha!

We ordered our cards from Minted and I adjusted a premade design (I used Vintage Christmas) to say “Meowy Christmas” instead of “Merry Christmas” (all of their cards are super customizable). In addition to our own names, we decided to write the names of ALL our cats on the back of the card. Here’s are the names of all of “our cats” (we really had fun coming up with names)…

“FROM: Mike, Chelsey, Ruari, Baby in Belly, Angus, Lord Pistachio, Princess Pretty Pants, Whiskey Whiskers, Mousy Mouserton, Kitten Spacey, Meow Meow Mew, Squishy Fuzz Buns, Edward Scissorpaws, Lord of the Pounce, Cat #8, Harry Mustard, Captain Pancake, Fuzz Artist, Beefcake, Ebefleazer Scrooge, Twinkle Tush, Dr. Chew Chew, Christofur, Pootie, Tuna Catserole, Chairman Meow, and Hambone.

RIP: Lady Fluffington, Pico De Gato, Minxy Pamperjamp, Admiral Toot, President Eiseinmeowmer, and Not A Dog.”

Our Silly Christmas Photo + a $150 Minted Giveaway!

If you want to check out the full Christmas photo for 2015, here you go:

Our Silly Christmas Photo + a $150 Minted Giveaway!

Curious about our past cards? Here they are:

2008

The Paper Mama Christmas Card

2009

The Paper Mama Christmas Card

2010

The Paper Mama Christmas Card

2011

The Paper Mama Christmas Card

2012

The Paper Mama Christmas Card

2013

The Paper Mama Christmas Card

2014:

Funny Christmas Photo Ideas

Giveaway: And now for the good stuff, Minted is giving away a $125 gift card to one of my lucky readers. How do you win? Head on over to @thepapermama Instagram and check out my Christmas Card post I shared. From there you can check out all the details for the giveaway on the post. You can use this gift card to buy your own Christmas cards to send out, or check out all the amazing framed artwork, curtains, and other amazing Minted items you can decorate your home with. Last day to enter is Wednesday, November 25th, 2015.

Good luck!

– Chelsey

Minted.com did provide printed Christmas cards for me to send out. You can check out this link to explore past 50 DIY Days. I want to see your creations! Share what your making with me on Instagram. It could be one of my DIY’s, or a project you’re working on. Share with my IG account @thepapermama and use the hashtag #papermamafriends.