
Category Archives: DIY
Quick & Easy Sensory Clay (microwave) & Printable colour chart!

I like this rough grainy clay as its good for sensory development for small toddlers and the shape of your characters stay in place much better when it has something rough to hold on to.
This recipe is so easy your kids can make it! I made this batch twice to make sure it doesn’t clump when making one big batch but maybe it will work for you? Let me know!
You will need:
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Microwave
Ingredients:
- 1 cup coarse salt
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup warm water
- Food coloring
Step 1:
Mix all the ingredients except the food coloring.
Step 2:
Separate the batch in two if you want more colors.
Add the food coloring and put in microwave for 30seconds. If its not firm and still stick to your hands, put it back into the microwave for another 30secs. If it still sticks, add a little flour and repeat.
I ended up with 5 colors because I made the batch twice and then took a little of the blue and a little of the purple and added yellow to get that awesome stone grey colour.
Enjoy!
Having trouble figuring out the colours? Here’s a free printable colour chart!
Fun Morning Schedule for Primary School Kids

Getting smaller kids ready for school in the morning can be a daunting task, especially if its something new to the mother and child. Here’s a fun way to keep schedule of what to do in just a few quick steps. These are all activities a small kid should be able to do by themselves. They simply finish the task and drop the flash card in the “Done” holder.
The chores are written down in one word for small kids so they can familiarise themselves with the words associated to the actions.
The activities I listed are:
- Make bed
- Feed the dog
- Eat breakfast
- Brush teeth
- Get dressed
- Brush hair
- Grab lunch box
- Grab backpack
What you’ll need:
- Cardboard or project board for the Schedule. I used one of those boards that comes with new sheets… you can also cut a piece off a cardboard box
- Different colors of project board
- Bostik Clear Adhesive
- Velcro dots or a piece cut in squares
- Bostik Blits Stik Super Glue Gel
- Scissors
- Bostik Colour ‘n Paint Twisters
- Small container for the flash cards
- Bostik Prestik
- Bostik Wax Twisters
Step 1:
Cut the rim of the container that the “Done” chores will go into so that it will be flush with the project board.
Step 2:
Use the Blits Stik Gel to attach a piece of project board to the container. Write “Done” on the container with Colour ‘n Paint twisters.
Step 3:
Create your own listed schedule in simple picture cards with project board, using Clear Glue Adhesive and round off the details with Wax Twisters and Colour ‘n Paint Twisters.
Step 4:
Paste the rough part of the velcro at the back of each flash card using Clear Glue. You can keep both sides together but make sure you paste it in the middle of the card so that all the velcro will align neatly when pasted to the board.
Step 5:
Now put glue on the soft side of the velcro and align all the cards to once again make sure the velcro will be in line when the cards are removed.
Step 6:

Fix the container to the project board using Blits Stik Gel and Bob’s your uncle… easy as that! This is so easy you can do it with your primary school kid. Have fun!
This post is sponsored by Bostik smart adhesives.
Kids Activities Calendar with Bostik

Here’s a fun way of showing your Primary School kids what’s on the extra curricular calendar for the week. When they are still so small they are excited about what they are doing when, so this is a nice way for them to be aware of what happens what day. The time labels are there for the older ones who have an idea of time but mostly it helps for mom to also know whats going on!
What you’ll need:
- A3 Hard project board and an optional A1 to cut to size for a frame (you can also use two A3’s and cut one of the pieces smaller if you prefer a smaller calendar)
- Bostik Crazy Clay
- The lid of an ice cream container
- Whiteboard marker
- Bostik Rainbow Glitter Glue
- One or two different colours felt
- Bostik Art and Craft Sprayable Adhesive
- Bostik Clear Adhesive
- Bostik Glue dots (extra strong)
- Velcro (5-10cm should do) You only need the rough part
- Bostik Sew Simple
- Bostik Prestik
Step 1:
Create your activity pieces with Bostik Crazy Clay and allow it to dry for about 6 hours. This clay is really easy to work with and dries into a nice spongy piece. I created activity pieces for swimming, hockey, maths classes, reading classes, tennis, piano lessons, art classes and birthday parties.
Step 2:
Cut rectangles of about 5,5 x 4,5cm for the non-repetitive activities that only happens that week out of the lid of an ice cream container. Cut half of them in three for the time labels. Round off the edges with Bostik Crazy Clay or Bostik Glitter Glue. I did the non-repetitive labels with Crazy Clay and the time labels with glitter glue. Leave to dry.
Step 3:
Spray an ample amount of Bostik Art & Craft sprayable adhesive on the project boards and firmly press the felt to the board, smoothing it out to ensure there are no wrinkles. Turn the boards around and cut the squares out in line with the edges of the boards. Apply Bostik Clear Glue on the excess edges one by one before you close the tabs otherwise the glue may dry into the fabric too quickly and dry out too soon.
Step 4:
If you use an A3 project board and measure the width in Landscape it should be around 60cm. That gives you 7cm per day of the week with one extra for the activity pieces, so draw lines with Bostik Glitter Glue 7cm apart, leaving one bigger space at the end for the extra pieces you won’t use for the week. Leave to dry.
Step 5:
Cut the rough part of the velcro in small squares, press the backside firmly on a glue dot, pull it from the film and stick it to the backs of all the activity pieces and labels.
Step 6:
I just love Bostik Sew Simple… I hardly use a needle anymore (oops). Apply it abundantly on both sides of the covered project boards, smooth out with your finger or a piece of cardboard and allow to dry for 10 minutes. Press firmly together and set aside to dry.
Step 7:
Finally write the days of the week with Glitter Glue at the top and there you go, time well spent for organizing your kids’ extra curricular activities.
Use a piece of Bostik Prestik to put the eraser marker on the wall next to the activity board for the blank labels used for the non-repetitive activities. Have fun!
This post is sponsored by Bostik smart adhesives.
DIY Washing Powder & Dishwasher pods

When my son got a bad case of eczema as a baby I started making this washing powder thats all natural chemical-, irritant- and bad-stuff free. Not only did his eczema go away, I also saved lots of money on washing powder and dishwasher pods.
Its easy and really cost effective if you buy the ingredients in bulk.
Washing Powder
Spread 2kg bicarbonate of soda (bicarb) in a thin layer over baking trays. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 1hour. Bicarb is fluffy and shiny but when it is ready it will be dull and grainy. The chemical process actually now makes it washing soda and the weight will have reduced to about 1,5 kg.
Mix the washing soda with 2kg Bicarb and 1kg Epson Salts. You may want to divide that beforehand into two bowls to be able to mix it if you don’t have one very large bowl. You can add an additional few drops of essential oil and mix it through… I prefer lemongrass.
Store in an air tight container until needed.
For softener I use half a cup of Vinegar in a large load. Its not as soft as store bought conventional softener but it does the trick and I am willing to sacrifice as much for the environment!
Dishwasher Pods
From the Washing Powder recipe above, take 2 cups and add enough lemon juice to make it sticky and clumping. Fill ice cube trays (not so much that it won’t fit into the pod holder) and push down with gloves or cover with cling wrap because as it can very abrasive and drying on your hands. Leave in the sun for a day or two to dry out… It is ready when you can pop it out of the tray without it breaking.
Use salt as normal and Vinegar as rinsing aid.
For more natural recipes, click Here!
DIY Christmas series for last minute Christmas decorating with kids!
DIY Christmas #5: Christmas tree ornament

This fun project is easy to do with toddlers if you are not too focused on having it perfect.
What you’ll need:
- Paper plates (preferably 2 small and two large ones)
- Green Paint
- 2 x Toilet paper rolls
- Glue
- Glitter, pipe cleaners, pom-poms, sequence etc. to decorate your tree with.
Step 1:
Let your toddler paint the back of the paper plates. This is what mine looked like after they were done. I kept their Read the rest of this entry
DIY Christmas #4: Button Bulbs

Oh how I love these bulbs… Buttons, buttons and more buttons! This one is more for older kids if you want to do it neatly with a glue gun as the buttons are too heavy for glues that don’t dry as quick but younger kids can probably do something similar with craft glue and something other than buttons.
You will need:
- Polystyrene balls (purchased at CNA, PNA and Crazy Store in South Africa)
- Glue Gun
- Lots of buttons (Also purchased at Craft stores. I bought mine at CNA)
- Scissors
- Rope, ribbon or lace
Step 1:
Now before you get all excited about all the buttons and start glueing like me, take a scissor and make a hole for the rope. I added the photos from a previous post cause with this one I accidentally got ahead of myself.
Step 2:
Squirt a little glue inside and quickly insert the rope.
Make sure there’s enough glue to hold, squirt a little on top if neccessary.
Step 3:
Now you can glue your heart out… its best to glue the button instead of the polystyrene ball as the glue can melt the ball and its better for exact placing of the buttons.
When done, it will look something like this… the best of all is that each ball will look different!
Click Here for more DIY Christmas ideas!
DIY Christmas #3: Glitter Rope Bulbs
DIY Christmas #1: Flower Bulb

Ive been busy with creating DIY Christmas ornaments and will be sharing them in the following month. Here is my first attempt at a globe made from recycled materials. It may cost you if you don’t have the tools but if you do, its very cheap. I made my own version, but saw the original post HERE. Read the rest of this entry
Bouncy Frozen Glitter Slime!

This is such a fun project to do with toddlers and its super easy!
What you’ll need:
- 2 bowls and a cup measure
- Access to warm and cold water
- Teaspoon and mixing spoon
- Craft/ office glue (Elmers glue)
- Borax
- Gel food coloring (or any form of coloring)
- Glitter (optional)
Step 1:
Mix 1/2 cup glue with 1/2 cup water
Add coloring and glitter
Mix well
Step 2:
Mix 1/2 cup cold water with 1/4 cup boiled or warm water
Add 2 tspoons borax
Mix well
Step: 3
Pour glue mix into borax
Start taking all the glue out with your fingers and the glue will magically transform into bouncy frozen glitter slime! You can break it and press it back together again and bounce it around when its settled enough.
Make sure to store it in a glass container to ensure it doesn’t dry out. It happens within a day if not in a sealed container!
TIP!
Sell it as an Entrepreneurs project or make it for Christmas gifts!
Frozen Boys & Girls FREE Printable Party Invites!

Finally its time for some FREE Party Printables! This week its Frozen. I found that boys also love Frozen but really struggle to find Printables so I designed one specially for them. Click on the link below to download, open in Word or any other editing programme and insert your own info. Alternatively you can also print it out and write it by hand. Read the rest of this entry
Crafty Kids Competition!

Hey Moms of Crafty Kids, here’s a great competition for 4-13 year olds to show their Craftiness! One awesome Kid from each category will win a R250 voucher from takealot.com. If a US reader wins, they will win a $20 voucher from Amazon.com.
The two categories are:
- 4-8 Years
- 9-13 Years
The instructions:
Kids, make a creation of your own with found objects like recycled materials and whatever Crafty stuff you can find at home, like paper plates, toilet rolls, yoghurt containers, tin foil… use your imagination but REMEMBER… Read the rest of this entry
Free Printable Owl & Squirrel Wall Art Boys
Free Printable Owl & Squirrel Wall Art Girls
Easy DIY Face Paint
I found this great, easy to make Face Paint recipe on Popsugar.com and decided I had to share! This is fairly easy to make but does take a bit of time as each color must be mixed
separately. You’ll do better than me if you have a bigger little mixing container for each color rather than having to wash the mixing bowl after every color. I used acrylic water bas Read the rest of this entry
Quick and Easy Garden Bird Feeder for Toddlers

This bird feeder is fun to make and quick and easy to do with toddlers. I just love recycling materials and what better to recycle than toilet paper rolls! Read the rest of this entry
Cardboard Quiet Book DIY

this is what I did:

- Use A4 cardboard for the cover if you like, and about 10 A4 pages for the rest
- Get all of them together neatly and fold all of them together in half (don’t staple yet)
- Keep the book together as if it was stapled as you need the order of the pages to work out in the end. Now you can either Plot your pages and start working from the back, as it becomes difficult to write on the back of a page once you have glued layers of cardboard and bows on the other side (activity page). If you use glitter glue like me, you will also need to take those pages out to dry so doing the back first will save some time BUT if you are not going to use glitter glue and don’t mind a thick book, feel free to staple and start from the front, then you can write the activities on a separate piece of cardboard, cut it out with a nice pattern scissor and just glue it on the left sides to the backs of the activity pages.
- If you start from the back, write the activity on the left page and create your activity on the right… take note of the page that goes with it to the right as the order will be messed up once you take it apart for all the glitter glue to dry.
- Draw a few coloring pages with open pages in between… its important for creativity to draw their own pictures too!
- Once everything is glued and dried (for me it was the next morning), re-order your book, open it up and press it against a soft surface like a couch with the cover facing up. Open up your stapler and staple three times along the centre fold (one in middle and one on each side) to ensure the book is fixed properly. (Note: Staplers staple at least 1-2 mm below the edge so align it with the fold and take it up a bit before you staple otherwise the staples wont align with the fold and your book will have a new centre fold!)
- Stick all the stickers that belong in a scene on one page of the sticker book and add some extra random stickers for free play. This is their book so they should have fun creative pages for themselves as well.
- If you are sending your toddler away with the book, remember to send the sticker book and some crayons to draw with.
This is what it looked like when it came back… I was impressed as I thought there would be torn pages and Dora stickers in the sea and fish in the garden but it seems daddy took note of the instructions 🙂
DIY Sewing Kit

This is so easy to make even for kids though not cheap at R150 for all the accessories but so worth it as a gift for anyone who loves sewing and will appreciate expensive (or even cheap dollar store) new threads and accessories.
What you will need: Just a glass bottle (I re-used a jam jar and stuck a spindle of pins on the lid to make it look new) and whatever you want to put in it. Read the rest of this entry
DIY Book Page Utensil Holder
