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August 10, 2009

Minimalist T-Shirt Baby/Kid Pants

CRAFT Summer Camp

Minimalist T-Shirt Baby/Kid Pants
By Bernadette Noll and Kathie Sever
Future Craft Collective

Tshirtbabypants Main

Last week we made some super simple and comfy yoga pants from a castoff T-shirt. This week we're utilizing the same materials because, well, we all know the abundance of T-shirts in this world is somewhat overwhelming, and while we may not be able to wear all the ones we have, we don't necessarily just want to get rid of them.

This week's project is the minimalist baby/kid pants using an old favorite stripey tee of mine. I came up with this pattern idea when my oldest was just a wee toddler, and I have made dozens of them since. They are, without a doubt, my favorite baby pants to put on my kids for a variety of reasons. There is no front or back. They are easy to put on. They can grow with a kid: starting out as long baby pants, seguing into high-water toddler pants, and making the transition into first grader clam diggers as well. They are comfortable and styling, and can serve as play pants or jammies in any season.

To prove how simple these pants are, I have employed my now 11 year-old in the process, the very same child for whom these pants were first made so many years ago. She has whipped out more than a few of these and finds satisfaction in the style and also in the simplicity of it all. Just recently, she took an old college tee from a cousin and transformed it into baby pants for that same cousin's new baby! The possibilities are endless.

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August 3, 2009

How-To: T-Shirt Yoga Pants

CRAFT Summer Camp

How-To: T-Shirt Yoga Pants
By Bernadette Noll and Kathie Sever
Future Craft Collective

Yogapants Main
Kathie and I are both in the same place again -- after many weeks of working from opposite sides of the country. It is amazing, even with communication being what it is -- phone calls, Facebook, email and all the like, it feels so good to be in the studio together again. The ideas get ping-ponged back and forth, one of the many beauties of collaboration, and the conversation and the projects just flow "sew seamlessly". (Sorry, I just had to put that in there!)

This week we were going to do a t-shirt skirt, bowing down to the over-abundance of t-shirts in this world. But as we pondered we realized perhaps the t-shirt skirt patterns are also out there in over-abundance as well. Or at least out there enough. And don't get me wrong, we LOVE a t-shirt skirt, just don't want to inundate you with more.

So instead, along the same theme but with a twist, we present to you the brainstorm of our yoga loving Kathie Sever, T-shirt yoga pants. These are so comfy and easy you might want in every color!

We made these in kid and adult sizes so you can get out your matchy-matchy sun hats from last week and whip up these matchy-matchy pants together! This is a simple pattern that a kid with basic sewing skills can do with a little guidance.

Yogapants Ramona

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July 31, 2009

How-To: Homemade Sidewalk Chalk

There's something so summery about seeing hopscotch squares and colorful chalk drawings on the sidewalk as you walk through your neighborhood, and the kids that live near me have been pretty creative. So I was delighted to see this great sidewalk chalk how-to recently. It never occurred to me that I could make my own, but custom-mixed colors sound pretty fantastic! (Via Whip Up.)

July 27, 2009

How-To: Sew a Reversible Sun Hat

CRAFT Summer Camp
How-To: Sew a Reversible Sun Hat
By Bernadette Noll and Kathie Sever
Future Craft Collective

Sunhat Main
This week I'm passing along a much-beloved pattern that has been in my lexicon of favorites for years now.

It's a super easy pattern that suits kids as well as adults, and it goes together in a snap. My 8-year-old can whip one of these up on her machine solo, since there is only one pattern piece! She likes to bring them to friends for birthday gifts or just for friendship tokens.

It's a great "I made it myself" project for when your early seamster is ready to boot you out of the sewing room to try to tackle a project sans parental influence.

Here we've got your adult-sized pattern and your kid-sized pattern so you and your kiddos can hit the beach (or the pool, park, trail, or backyard) looking like the matching twinky-dinks that you are. Or not!

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July 23, 2009

How-To: Make a Cat Toy

CRAFT Summer Camp
How-To: Make a Cat Toy
By Bernadette Noll and Kathie Sever
Future Craft Collective

Cattoy1

We're staying at Grandma's house for a few weeks this summer. Lots of swimming and card games and board games and croquet and lots of totally unstructured free time too. Grandma doesn't have a regular craft room but we do have Grandpa's shop to peruse, full of myriad cans and bottles and boxes full of hardware and things that clink and clank.

This week we put the crafting fully into the kids' hands with the only instruction being that we needed a pet-themed craft. They came up with all kinds of ideas: bird houses, firefly jars, pet bowls, and more. As we watched the toddler gathering feathers from the yard, the idea for a cat toy was born. And this week's project is designed by and for kids to make on their own (though younger kids will need help with the drilling).

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Kids Make Whip Cream

CRAFT Summer Camp

Alice and Arlo, hard at work and focused on the prize!

I'm always amazed at how satisfying it is to beat your own whip cream, especially by hand, and for kids it's no exception. I can rarely get either of my boys to hunker down in the kitchen with me for a real baking session, but I can always get volunteers to help me whip up some topping for the pie or fruit crisp I baked by myself.

Having two sets of hand beaters and metal bowls makes it more fun -- either you can beat yours while a little one messes with their own bowl, or two kids can compete with each other -- whose will be whipped first? I've found vintage hand beaters at both thrift stores and garage sales for about $2, but you can also get them brand new for about $11, or on eBay for about $8 and up.

There's no real recipe that I follow (my grandmothers would be so proud!), but here's the general idea. The key to success is using metal bowls that have been chilled in the freezer for an hour or more.

Easy Hand-Whipped Whip Cream

Ingredients and Tools
Whipping cream, 1 pint
Powdered sugar to taste -- start with just a little and add more as you go
Vanilla extract, a splash, up to 1/2 teaspoon
Chilled metal bowl -- a small one with tall sides works well
Hand-held egg beater -- available on eBay from about $8

Directions

Make sure your bowl is very cold to the touch. You can even put your beaters in the freezer if you think of it ahead of time. I try to keep at least 1 metal bowl in my freezer at all times.

Pour the whipping cream into your chilled bowl and add some powdered sugar, maybe 1/4 cup to start.

Get to beating! Beat slowly until the cream and powdered sugar are mixed together, then beat at a fast and furious pace. A minute or so in, stop and taste test for sweetness, adding more sugar if needed.

Once the liquid starts getting thick, slow down the pace and watch for the stage at which you reach the consistency that whipped cream should have. If you're letting kids do the beating, you might have to watch more closely once it starts to get thick, and make the judgment call as to when the beating should stop. NOTE: If you beat too long, your whip cream gets too thick, more like butter or clotted creme. It's still yummy to eat, but might not look as nice perfectly plopped on top of a piece of pie.

Add a splash (or more) of vanilla and either whip or stir it into the whipped cream.

Plop by heaping spoonfuls onto the dessert of your choice, or use your fingers for some right-out-of-the-bowl goodness!

Ready for their reward!

July 16, 2009

Ideas for Traveling with Kids

CRAFT Summer Camp
My first idea for traveling by airplane with children involves a kindly mother or mother-in-law, whom your children adore, and who would like nothing more than to come stay at your house with your kids for 3 weeks while you and your hubby fly off to Tahiti.

Sadly, we tried this one time, when our youngest was just 2 years old -- my husband and I spent 10 fabulous kid-free days (the first we'd had in almost 10 years) in Amsterdam. But back in the U.S., my mom and little Arlo got in a fight one night and both have been holding something of a grudge for 5 years, so it was a big price for all of us to pay for our bit of freedom.

So now we're off to Europe with the kids in tow. There will be two 11-hour airplane flights, two 4-hour-long train rides, one overnight train ride (also 11 hours!), and a couple of day trips involving shorter train rides, ferries, cars, and boats. It sounds a bit rough, especially with a teenager and a young 7-year-old, but we're actually getting excited about the trip. Besides seeing the sights, we're all coming up with activities to wile away our time in transit (besides the stash of electronic devices). Here are some of our favorites:

Playing cards! You can play games while waiting in the airport, on the plane, on the train, in a park. Older kids can play solitaire or work on magic tricks when they're bored. You can use them to teach wee tots their numbers and a few shapes. "See, this is a 6 of hearts. 1,2,3,4,5,6 hearts on this card! And this is what the number 6 looks like."
Washable markers and a notepad. We use markers a lot on the plane, and I can't wait to try out Brookelynn's fabulous Puffer Fish Barf Bag project! (Note to self: Bring small scissors.)
Books of all kinds. We bring sports trivia books for our teenage boy, beginning reading and simple word search books for our 7-year-old, and trashy fiction books for me.
Magazines. After you read them, you can cut them up or rip them apart to make collages or funny pictures. You can also make paper airplanes and fancy paper doll clothes out of them in a pinch.
Forgotten toys. I always raid the toy chest in search of small toys that we've forgotten all about. They're like a new gift and a dear old friend wrapped into one! Army men and other figurines are great for adventure and make believe play, plus they can be used as game pieces or betting chips.
Homemade games. I found a box of old Maker Faire badges in the recycling bin in the office and decided to keep a pair of each type for a DIY memory game. We tried it out here at home and it was a hit! And our new reader is now learning impressive words like "Volunteer" and "Exhibitor."
Your imagination. At some point during the trip, your bag of tricks will be used up or no longer hold the interest of your offspring. When this happens, it helps to arm yourself with an imaginative mind. Look around, maybe something will catch your eye that can be put into use in a new, better game. Or dig down deep and come up with a funny tale -- "Did I ever tell you about the time I dropped an entire bag of groceries? I bet you can't even guess what all I broke, or how funny I looked with mustard all over my skirt." Embellish at will!
A sense of humor. On one plane trip, my then 5-year-old spilled a bag of chips all over the waiting room, then knocked over bottle of water, and finally set his sandwich down on the chair, at which point it slowly slid off the seat and onto the floor, unwrapping itself and dribbling out all the innards in the process. Wanting to cry, or maybe yell, I instead shook my head and began to laugh. And so did my older son. And so did my youngest. A few moments later, a woman came over and told me I was the most patient, wonderful mother she'd ever seen. Amazed, I again shook my head in protest and laughed even more. What else was there to do?

What tricks for traveling with kids do you readers have? Tell us about them in the Comments. Happy Summer!

July 13, 2009

Meditation Pillow

CRAFT Summer Camp
Meditation Pillow
By Bernadette Noll and Kathie Sever
Future Craft Collective

Medpillow Main

Future Craft Collective is still on the road this week - with Kathie and I visiting the coasts of our youth. She west and me, east. We're kind of enjoying this current process of project making - photos sent and project written. It's fun but I am definitely missing our together studio time. Making and scheming and writing and having a good old time in the same space. But, in the meantime, we are appreciating the modern inventions that make this kind of working together possible.

This week we're going to help you create your very own meditation space - for kids and grown ups alike.

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July 6, 2009

CRAFT Video: Pinhole Camera

In this CRAFT Video, learn to make and use a pinhole camera from materials you probably already have around the house. This is a great project to do with your kids over the summer, or just to learn something new on your own. When you make one, post up your photos and cameras in the CRAFT Flickr pool!

Subscribe to CRAFT in iTunes or download the m4v video.

Supplies and tools:

container for camera (oatmeal, tea tin, etc.)
black electrical tape
black spray paint
small piece of aluminum foil, brass shim stock, or aluminum can
fine sewing needle
utility knife, scissors, or drill
RC photo paper (I used Ilford 5x7)
Kodak Dektol paper developer
fixer
stop bath
plastic photo chemical jugs
developer trays (3 or 4)
darkroom safelight
funnel (not for food use after)
food thermometer
water
photo tongs (optional)
vinyl apron (optional)
paper towels

To make your camera, cut a small hole in your container, about one inch square after spray painting the interior black. Using a piece of aluminum foil, brass shim stock, or aluminum can that's slightly bigger than the hole on your container, poke a very small hole in the center with a needle. Only the point of the needle should pass through the material, not the upper (widest) part of the shaft. If you're using brass shim or a tin can, sand the hole on both sides with some fine sandpaper to get rid of the material pushed in by the needle (but you can't sand aluminum foil). Hold the piece up to the light to see that it's a nice round circular hole. Tape the piece over the hole in your container so that the pinhole is in the center. Use black electrical tape to prevent light leaks.

Read on for more info on loading your camera, exposing your paper, and developing your photo!

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Super Smooth Scooter Bag

CRAFT Summer Camp

Super Smooth Scooter Bag
By Bernadette Noll and Kathie Sever
Future Craft Collective

Scooterbag Main

As I type this I can see the Atlantic Ocean out one window, the Empire State Building from another, and the full moon too. Visiting family in the motherland has got me feeling all sentimental for all of it — the places and the people too.

We at Future Craft Collective are on opposite coasts these next few weeks with Kathie out West and I in the East. Of course we'll take in the sights at each shore, but it's family and friends that serve as the main impetus — both immediate and extended. We're kind of sentimental that way.

Our project this week is a bit sentimental, too, in its summer simplicity. And with its nod back to another time, it goes along perfectly with our returns to our childhood sights, sounds, and people. How lucky for us that these simple modes of transport have been modernized in their design but hearken back to days of old as well.

The scooter bag! Simple form and function that will hold your drink and your book in smooth style. Perfect for a ride on your favorite sidewalk — wherever that may be!

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July 2, 2009

Finger Knittin' Good

CRAFT Summer Camp

Finger Knittin' Good
By Vickie Howell

Fingerknittingmain
In the past, I've had little luck getting my sons interested in learning to knit. Even when presented with jazz hands, in their eyes, my needles make much better swords than crafty tools. Alas. When summer vacation hits, however, a mom has to get creative in order to keep the kids busy. It's time to approach the situation from a different angle: keep the knitting, but ditch the needles!

Finger knitting is a great way to keep little hands busy, while creating long cords in a flash! Kids dig it because it's faster and less cumbersome than traditional knitting. Once knitted, the cords can be made into things like googly-eyed snakes, purse handles, gift ribbons, or my son Tanner's favorite project du jour, the Twisty Scarf, which we'll show you how to knit. Hey, don't just sit there, let your fingers do the knitting!

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June 29, 2009

Wet/Dry Pool Bag

CRAFT Summer Camp
Wet/Dry Pool Bag
By Bernadette Noll and Kathie Sever
Future Craft Collective

Poolbag Main
We spent last week at the pool, trying out our super fun pool toss game. And since it's been hovering in the low 100s for about a week straight now, you can pretty much rest assured that anytime we are outside, we will pretty much be near water, be it pool, cold springs, or in the river. And when so much time is spent lugging stuff to and from the water's edge, you definitely need a way to keep your dry stuff dry and separated from the wet stuff.

This week while I packed up a family of six for a summer vacation, Kathie worked her magic in the studio. After a trip to the thrift store and a couple of hours in the studio, she emerged with this sweet bag, the perfect combination of form and function — upcycled and super styling too.

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