The Doodle Roll unrolls before your kids unravel

by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings

My handbag is sort of a Mom’s Swiss Army Knife. Need a Band-Aid? Got it. Hungry? I’ve got some mints in here somewhere. But when we get stuck waiting somewhere and the kids are threatening to mutiny out of sheer boredom, it turns out that drawing on the...

Pop art for tots

by Eva Glettner | DIY

If you know kidrobot, then you know its team of artists create masterpieces of culture. Lots of words have been used to describe the appeal, and I love all of them: quirky, pop-art, Warholesque, cartoonish, comical….the list goes on. There are even a few of...

Stencils that help draw out the creativity in anyone

by Christina Refford | Uncategorized

I bum out watching my daughter draw a self-portrait, or even a dog, stop midway, then scribble all over the entire thing in frustration because her picture doesn’t look “perfect.” Maybe that’s why I am particularly fond of these new...

Board game boredom no more

by Cool Mom Team | DIY

My kids are always coming up with some crazy games from our board game graveyard, and anything else they can find in my craft cabinet. So I figure, why not let them put their creativity into action by letting them invent their own board game? Rainy days, or around...

A picture is worth a thousand crayons

by Stephanie Slate | DIY, Random Coolness

Do you love nice, crisp boxes of brand new art supplies as much as I do? And do your kids somehow manage to rip those nice, crisp boxes within about eleven minutes of opening them as often as mine do? Well, take a look at this adorable tutorial for DIY art supply...

For the perfect travel toy for kids, just add water.

by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings

If you could see the ground-in crayon and magic marker stains all over the back seats of our minivan, you’d understand why I’m so fond of a cool portable drawing tablet that uses nothing more than water, and generates no mess at all. As with so many of the...

You can heart punch all over my page, any day.

by Elizabeth | DIY

We’re perpetual fans of Martha Stewart’s craft supplies and if you’re a DIY-er, it’s a good investment for Valentine’s Cards and crafts this month. Their new heart punch aptly called Heart Punch All Over the Page lets you achieve the...

Crafty gifts for kids with an artist’s eye

by Delilah S. Dawson | Toys + Playthings

Kids need a little ink too. (No, not tattoos. We may be hip and fashion-forward, but we’re not crazy.) I’m talking about the kind of ink that creates together time, yields beautiful artwork, and teaches an interesting lesson. The all-in-one handy sumi-e...

Color like an artist. Romero Britto, to be specific.

by Elizabeth | DIY

My daughter’s first finger paintings brought tears to my eyes. “My God, she’s talented!” I told my husband. I knew I was being that stereotypical overly proud parent, but her use of color was so unexpected. Really!There is something so fresh...

Crafting tips for the not-so-crafty – An interview with designer Lotta Jansdotter

by Cool Mom Team | DIY

The joke around here is that a great many of us are devoid of the crafty gene, hence our obsession with the amazing creations by many of the folks we feature here at Cool Mom Picks. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have crafters envy, especially when it...