This is one of those times when I find myself wishing I owned a sewing machine. And that I had a single crafty bone in my body. Check it out: Gulf Coast Cottage , a wonderful shop filled with soft toys, has an entire category filled with…
Yes it's kind of a cliche that all dads like barbecuing and therefore all need grill tools for Father's Day. But at least in my family, all the dads do like barbecuing and need grill tools for Father's Day, so there. I love the look of a…
While the gorgeous spring weather is here and I want my kids out out out of the house, I still need to keep our craft supply drawers stocked for those stormy days . My kids have been going nuts lately for the Martha Stewart craft punches…
If you've got a five-year-old daughter (or thereabouts) then you know the story well. Someone (*coughGrandmomcough*) buys her Polly Pockets and you end up spending most of your time searching for the ridiculously small shoes in your vacu…
After stumbling upon the Design Your Own eggheads felt book from Beeper BeBe , I'm on the verge of nixing the whole Easter basket thing and going with Easter presents instead. because really, when you add up the price (and let's face it,…
My kids are still completely obsessed with the Calafant toys Santa left under the tree last year, which means I really shouldn't be eying anything else at all. But considering the prices and the versatility of these cool, cardboard toys,…
The biggest challenge I face every Easter is finding cool candy alternatives for my kids' Easter baskets. But thanks to CMP fave boutique Cattiwampus, my search for sugar-free Easter gifts just got a little easier. Their virtual shelves …
Okay, friends, we're going to put a happy little flower right here, just a sparkly little daisy.... (Come on, I'm not the only Bob Ross fan here right?) If you've ever looked at a cute hair clip only to say, "I can make that myself!" (bu…
I know you totally made little woven potholders when you were a kid. Or maybe you didn't. But I did. And loved it. so I loved discovering that Blueberry Forest Toys sells inexpensive potholder looms that look remarkably similar to the on…
Not every relationship is sappy and sentimental and traditional. If I were to get my sigOth some kind of flowery Hallmark card for Valentine's Day and a bottle of cologne I think he'd wonder who'd replaced me with the fembot. But the cus…
I've already shared my love for SwapMamas here, the great location for moms to meet up and swap their gently used items. But for the holidays, they're adding a dash of Etsy and going positively medieval: You can check out the Handmade Ma…
Look, we've discussed my SIS (Scrapbook Impairment Syndrome) in the past. I'm okay with it. There are tools available for me to do pretty things with my pictures in other ways. But if I want a genuine photos-affixed-to-beautiful-backgrou…
As the nieces and nephews and various children in my life get a little older, I'm increasingly more into finding crafty gifts that not only entertain them for a little while, but let them show off their handiwork when they're done. Here …
I think holiday ornaments always make a cool little gift , especially when you (or the kids) have made them yourself. And the YoYo ornament kit at Mahar Dry Goods, is hooking you up this year with the happiest, most colorful decorations …
I still remember being about seven and getting my first set of "serious colored pencils" from my mom. I recall the pride of knowing I'd outgrown the kid stuff, and that I had been deemed worthy enough to own art supplies that came in a f…
We've all got play dough connoisseurs for children at Cool Mom Picks, so I know that a few of the organic versions I've had a chance to try out recently have some tough standards to live up to. Past pick Eco-Dough so far is the benchmark…
If you're looking to knock off a half-dozen of teacher gifts or cousin gifts or classmate gifts in one fell swoop, I love the idea of the holiday ornament kit from CMP fave, Thomas Claire . This wonderful mom-run company will hook you up…
This year we're teaching the kids more about the joy of giving , so I wanted them to think of something they could make for their (mostly girl) cousins. Then along came the jewelry making kits from Bijoux in a Box and bam, problem solved…
Around our house, Halloween is right up there with Hanukkah and birthdays so of course we're looking to see what the grande dame of decorating has in store for this spooky season. Martha Stewart's Halloween Central is a great place to fi…
Give us a few cold rainy days and my kids will be climbing the walls and snarling at all my attempts to cheer them up. So I'm stashing away the downloadable Monster Mania ebook from Make and Takes to help me out with a few easy craft ide…
My days of drawing rock band logos on my knees are long gone, but life would have been a lot easier if the non-toxic Tee Juice fabric markers were around back then. My son and his friends tried them out during the world's best playdate ,…
I just do not have that kind of creativity it would entail to look at a traditional sock monkey and think, Hmm, I bet I could improve on that. But that's what CMP fave Clarity Miller did when she turned one into a Socktopus . It's virtua…
When the thunderclouds roll in, digging up rainy day kids' activities to keep the brood entertained indoors isn't so easy. Especially when all they can think about are beaches, bikes and bothering each other. So we thought it was high ti…
As of late, my daughter the artist has been causing me quite a headache with her adamant desire to wear dresses even while engaging in messy crafts.You'd think a smock would do the trick but in her mind, all that does is cover up her bea…