Crafty Family Ideas E-Book

Kristin Gambaccini

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Seitenzahl: 149

Beschreibung

Your one-stop guide for all things crafting and parenting fun! Crafty Family Ideas will show you tons of simple crafts, recipes, and other ideas for a creative day-to-day life. Featuring 55 delicious recipes and playful DIY projects to make – from a bubblegum machine and homemade bug spray to a pumpkin pie garland and Christmas cookies – this engaging and entertaining guide is jam-packed with endless fun for every season and every occasion! With an aim to inspire, entertain, and encourage creativity, this book is perfect for parents looking for fresh ideas to make a more colorful and charming home life. Written in her relatable and humorous style author Kristin Gambaccini is known for from her popular Kristin Gambaccini Blog, Crafty Family Ideas is a creative, must-have resource for every busy parent looking to juggle it all while having stress-free fun!

Leseprobe

SAFETY NOTE

You can involve your kids in making all of these projects and recipes, but be safe when using hot glue, craft/hobby knives, ovens, etc. You know your kids and their ages, so you decide when supervision is needed and when it’s better for you to take over the potentially hazardous steps.

PROJECTS TO MAKE, THINGS TO BAKE, AND LOTS OF HOMEMADE(ISH) FUN

KRISTIN GAMBACCINI

© 2021 by Kristin Gambaccini and Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

Crafty Family Ideas is an original work, first published in 2021 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. The patterns contained herein are copyrighted by the author. Readers may make copies of these patterns for personal use. The patterns themselves, however, are not to be duplicated for resale or distribution under any circumstances. Any such copying is a violation of copyright law.

Note: The use of products and trademark names (including but not limited to Band-Aid®, Betty Crocker™, Honey Nut Cheerios™, Pirouette®, Popsicle®, SPAM®, Styrofoam™, Tater Tots™, and Wayfarer®) is for informational purposes only, with no intention of infringement upon those trademarks.

Print ISBN: 978-1-4971-0159-3eISBN: 978-1-60765-894-8

All photos by the author unless otherwise noted. The following images are credited to Shutterstock.com and their respective creators: cookie cutters (here): horiyan; paper cones (here): PENpics Studio; school lunch checklist icons (here): Volha Shaukavets; Bright Idea icon (throughout): Shutterstock Vector; Project icon (throughout): Panda Vector; Recipe icon (throughout): FishCoolish

To learn more about the other great books from Fox Chapel Publishing, or to find a retailer near you, call toll-free 800-457-9112 or visit us at www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

We are always looking for talented authors. To submit an idea, please send a brief inquiry to [email protected].

For a printable PDF of the patterns used in this book, please contact Fox Chapel Publishing at [email protected], with 9781497101593 Crafty Family Ideas in the subject line.

Contents

Introduction

Our Story

Chapter 1: Spring Break

Embellished Umbrella

Mommy Daddy Nights

Tater Tot Casserole

Pet Silhouette

Eggshell Planting

Dog Treats

Tin Can Art Storage

Art Display

No-Bake Energy Balls

Rainbow Centerpiece

Drinking Glass Flower Vase

Carrot Cake

Sidewalk Popsicle Chalk

Popsicle Stick Numbers

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal BananaBars

Chapter 2: Kicking Off a Creative Summer

Bubblegum Machine

Vacation Travel

Caramel Corn Snack

Ice Cream Cone Garland

Birthday Party Craft

Homemade(ish) Dr Cake

Book Pouch

Lazy Susan Herb Planter

Homemade Bug Spray

Sunflower Wreath

S’mores Station

S’more S’mores

Chapter 3: Fall-ing Back into Routine

Candy Apples (Nonedible)

Packed Lunches

Homemade Applesauce

Jack-o’-Lantern Candy Holder

Pumpkin Saver

Dinner in a Pumpkin

Candy Corn Buttons

Fancy Crust

All-Butter Piecrust

Perfectly Perfect Apple Pie

Pumpkin Pie Garland

Game Day

Thanksgiving Casserole

Homemade Potpourri

Chapter 4: Crushing the Winter Doldrums

Cozy Coaster

Cup Tray

Mug Sweater

Gingie Cookie Kids & Easiest Royal Icing Ever

Gingie Kids (Nonedible) Ornaments

Hot Cocoa Snowman

Seek-and-Find Activity Balls

Grinch Cookies

Cookie Bag

Gift Wrap Matters

Best Ever Sugar Cookies

Feather Tree

Silver Storage

Celebration Chocolate Chip Cookies

Templates

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Praise for This Book

Introduction

People often ask me what my secret is for raising eight children. In all these years, I’ve picked up plenty of tips and tricks to keep the kids occupied, make our home functional and beautiful, and create easy and yummy recipes that are a treat for everyone—all while staying somewhat sane and not spending an arm and a leg. And I want to share these tips (which really work!) with you in the hopes that you’ll get as much joy and love out of my family’s crazy shenanigans as I have.

This book is full of fun and inexpensive (or even free) ideas to adorn and enhance your living spaces as a family, activities to keep the kids occupied and creative, and many simple home-style recipes to feed your favorite people. You’ll read the tales behind creating each décor piece, inventing each parental survival tip, and cooking up each tasty dish. I’ve learned some invaluable strategies and a whole heck of a bunch of what-not-to-dos along the way, and I’m sharing all of that with you here.

One of the things I’ve learned over the years and want to make sure I pass along to you is that “homemade” doesn’t have to mean “completely original and difficult to make.” I prefer to do things more along the “homemade(ish)” route of crafting and cooking. A combination of ready-made items and a-la-carte supplies can produce an end result that is uniquely crafted without breaking the bank or giving you a headache. And that’s the guiding principle for every project, recipe, and tip in this book.

Nothing grates my cheese more than spending money on DIY and crafting materials that I’m only going to use once!

I’ve learned a few TRICKS and a whole heck of a bunch of WHAT-NOT-TO-DOS along the way!

As we parents watch our children grow, we strive to be active participants in their lives, to raise them into good and happy young people. My hope is to inspire you with ways to spend valuable time with your children, teach them creativity and ingenuity, and whip up some deliciously caloric meals and painfully cute crafts along the way. Wherever you are on this crazy journey of parenthood, come with me as we go through a year of projects together that will bring joy and smiles to all the people in your house... including you!

Happy making!

Kristin

Our Story

Kristin, Edward, Caroline, Nicoli, Austin, Matteo, Santo, Rosaline, Magdeline Mae, and Sebastian

When I married Edward, my life changed for the absolute best. We agreed to jump into this marriage thing head-on and take on life together for better for worse, for richer or for poorer. I am pretty sure we thought we would have a few kids and be so much “cooler” than our parents. But, like many young newlyweds, were we very wrong!

Here we are, more than a dozen years and eight kids later, raising our family a whole lot like our parents raised us. Our love, laughs, struggles, and failures have led us to healthy kids, a home we love, and a business that has taken me from a blog on your computer screen to appearing on your TV screen. (Hey, maybe I am cool!) The journey that got us here is one full of faith, creativity, and the motto “We are not quitters!”

OUR HOME

As our children grow, I watch our home evolve right along with them. It is ever-changing. When we bought the house more than a decade ago, it most definitely was not what

You figure out what makes you joyful, and make sure you do that as often as possible with as much zeal you can manage!

I would have considered my dream home. Sure, it had a lot going for it: the backyard was great, and it was in a quiet neighborhood in an amazing town. But it was a simple contractor-grade home from the ’80s, and every room within its four walls lacked any sort of originality or detail. So, I decided to assign myself a mission: either make this stinkin’ ugly house the home I envisioned it to be, or stop complaining about it.

From the outside, a home is just a house, brick and mortar, a structure. But it’s the inside that counts—the interior is what truly makes the home. The feel and vibe of each room are a representation of the family unit living there. Regardless of what’s trending in home décor or what this year’s paint color is, I believe a cheerful home is one that encompasses the soul and vibrancy of every inhabitant—no matter if it’s a house, an apartment, or a condo. With that in mind, I set out to make that the age-old saying “home is where the heart is” true of our house.

Easier said than done! For one, we didn’t exactly have a home-improvement budget. We were pregnant with our #5, and I was staying at home with the kids. Also, I had zero experience in any aspect of renovation, and my knowledge of power tools was pretty much nada.

So, I started small. I knew I could work with a quart of paint or stain. I began collecting discarded furniture from family and friends and reimagining the items into what I wanted. I taught myself how to work a cordless drill and how to maneuver an orbital sander. When I felt comfortable in my new skin as a kick-butt maker of crap from junk is when I really started to experiment in my crafting and décor. It’s also the moment I realized how very much my kids wanted to be hands-on involved in our home-improvement ventures too. And why the heck shouldn’t they be? They live here as well!

My blog was born to serve as a means to record our crazy-train life and share our slightly imperfect home that’s always chaotic but never not perfectly entertaining.

BIRTH OF A BUSINESS

Starting a blog seemed like the ideal way to combine my passion for writing with my commitment to raising good humans and my proclivity for creativity. Hence, my blog was born—serving as a means to record our crazy-train life and share our slightly imperfect home that’s always chaotic but never not perfectly entertaining.

To be honest, I didn’t have a lot of confidence in the whole blog thing when I first began writing. I mean, who the heck would want to read about the crazy things going on in my life? I had absolutely no experience in writing, and I was doing things in my home that no one else was really doing in the décor world. But a very encouraging and persistent friend urged me to start the blog, and I eventually gave it a go. I created the blog under the radar—I didn’t advertise it, I didn’t share it, heck, I don’t even think I told the kids about it at first! I considered it a virtual photo-filled journal (since I failed at the whole “scrapbook for each child” thing shortly after #3 was born). But what I absolutely never expected to happen was for it to become a blog read in multiple countries that would lead to a career that included television and radio appearances, newspaper column writing, and authoring my very own book! It’s both a humbling and incredible feeling when a fellow tired mama sends me a quick note to let me know one of my parental survival tips saved her day, or one of my DIY projects was everything she didn’t know she needed in her home. One of my favorite quotes (by Deepak Chopra), “When you make a choice, you change the future,” could not possibly be more apt!

Having an oversized family requires a colossal amount of patience, a massive sum of humility, and the distinct capability of being the loudest in a room full of yelling people.

FAMILY LOGISTICS

At this point, you might be wondering how I juggle all this—renovating, blogging, and keeping a family of eight kids and two parents afloat. In fact, I’m often asked, “How in the world do you manage to feed your family home-cooked meals every day?”

Having an oversized family is most definitely not for the faint of heart. It requires a colossal amount of patience, a massive sum of humility, and the distinct capability of being the loudest in a room full of yelling people. The knowledge that you must eat fast during dinner if you want a second serving is also very helpful.

Not many people choose to have large broods these days. Just a trip to the store as a fam of ten is proof of that. Exiting the Gam-bus (what we call our fifteen-passenger family van), parading in the doors, grabbing multiple shopping carts, corralling the younger kids, and wrangling the older ones makes it feel like the circus has come to town. The term “divide and conquer” is typically our MO when shopping with the whole gang. Basically, it’s “Operation: Get What We Need and Get the Heck Out.” Head counting is continual and bathroom stops are inevitable. It’s an exhausting and overwhelming experience for everyone involved. I can only imagine how passersby feel!

I’m sure it’s no surprise that feeding so many mouths takes a lot out of our budget, second only to our mortgage. Eating meals at home, purchasing in bulk, choosing off-brand products, and growing as much of our own produce as possible is key to keeping my family fed. Also of paramount importance is menu planning and a snack schedule— otherwise, the kids would eat All. Day. Long! Good ol’ Shakespeare probably had no idea how right he was when he penned the phrase, “He hath eaten me out of house and home.” No words could better describe what these kids would do if they were given free range in the kitchen all day every day!

WRAPPING IT UP

And there you have it. The things we’ve crafted to make our home our own, blog ramblings and experiences, and feeding my crew led to the projects, ideas, and recipes in this book.

Before I let you loose on these pages, I want you to keep this in mind... Someone once told me that “puffy paint is extinct in the craft world.” I about choked to death on my sixth cup of lukewarm coffee! I had never heard anything so ludicrous in my life. Puffy paint is the glitter to my glam, the yin to my yang, the light to my day! OK, maybe I’m being a tad bit dramatic. The point is, what one person deems as outdated or unnecessary, another may view as timeless and essential. You figure out what makes you joyful, and make sure you do that as often as possible with as much zeal you can manage. As for me, I’m sticking to my favorite oversized ’90s puffy-paint iron-on Halloween sweatshirt until the seams literally cannot hold the outrageously decorated fabric together any longer!

In all seriousness, one thing is certain. When our children are ready to fly the coop, Edward and I will be able to let them loose knowing that they have acquired the basic survival skills. We pray our children will leave this home we’ve created for them as well-loved, well-rounded individuals that are capable of sharing their time, talent, and space with those around them. Along with a healthy dose of conflict resolution and the competence to create a healthy(ish) meal using minimal ingredients, I will rest easy knowing they are able to care for themselves and make good choices (at least most of the time)!

Eating meals at home, purchasing in bulk, choosing off-brand products, and growing as much of our own produce as possible is key to keeping my family fed.

CHAPTER 1

Spring Break

Ahh, springtime. We all know the age-old adages pertaining to the spring season—the beauty of change and new beginnings and all that flowery jazz full of fuzzy baby chicks and adorable tiny bunnies. The air is lighter, everyone’s steps are peppier, and the world seems brighter (even if we’re still walking around in dirty, snowy slush here in the Midwest for what seems like forever). It’s a time for spring cleaning, colorful projects, and getting outside. In this section of the book, you’ll find the projects, recipes, and ideas I’ve learned along the way to make the most of the season.

My family typically stays home during the week of spring break itself. Instead of a vacation, we take advantage of some overdue cleaning around the house as well as the garage and shed. It’s definitely not the most enjoyable activity to partake in. Once we’ve finished the hard work, though, we have F-U-N. Our best-loved annual springtime activity is one that Edward and I made up years ago. We call it “Park Palooza,” and here’s how it goes.

After we’ve completed all the cleaning, we make a checklist of every local playground in the area. We pack up snacks and drinks, load the kids in the Gam-bus (our fifteen-passenger family van), and head to the first park on the tally. Setting a timer, we typically give the kids thirty minutes or so to run around, slide to their hearts’ content, and swing like animals on the monkey bars. When the time’s up, we pile back into the van and move on to the next park on the list, continuing until the kiddos are sweaty, worn out, and too tired to play anymore. When it comes down to it, any situation—even spring cleaning—can be enjoyable with the right mindset and a little creativity. You can make great memories without spending a dime by simply giving the kids your time and attention.

The whole gang gets together for a springtime bonanza!

PROJECT

Embellished Umbrella

SUPPLIES

• Plain white umbrella

• 5 yards (4.5m) mini pom-pom ball fringe trim

• Hot glue

• Fabric puffy paint

• Round sponge brushes (various sizes)

• Paint palette or plate