Featured – Creative Sides https://creativesides.ca Beginner or expert we have something to unleash your creative side Thu, 13 Sep 2018 17:14:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.4.17 6 DIY Titles to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing https://creativesides.ca/6-diy-titles-online-bookstore/ https://creativesides.ca/6-diy-titles-online-bookstore/#respond Thu, 13 Sep 2018 17:07:39 +0000 https://creativesides.ca/?p=2798 In the world of Pinterest and Instagram, Etsy and YouTube, you would think that there are enough online sources for inspiration to satisfy any creative dry spell. Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but there is just something about the tactile experience of glossy pages filled with beautiful photography beneath my fingertips to get my DIY mojo back...

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In the world of Pinterest and Instagram, Etsy and YouTube, you would think that there are enough online sources for inspiration to satisfy any creative dry spell. Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but there is just something about the tactile experience of glossy pages filled with beautiful photography beneath my fingertips to get my DIY mojo back on track. You don’t even have to leave home to enjoy these page-turners, you can order them online! I love books of all genres, but today I’m sharing titles to jumpstart your left brain activity.

Top DIY Books (and the online bookstore where you can find them)

DIY Home Planner Book

1. THE DIY HOME PLANNER: PRACTICAL TIPS AND INSPIRING IDEAS TO DECORATE IT YOURSELF

This book is not just filled with beautiful inspiration. It also has handy pockets for paint chips and fabric swatches, style guides, decision trees, and reference guidelines to help with every decision, PLUS frameable prints to get your wall decor game on point.

 

Sew Subversive DIY Sewing Book

2. SEW SUBVERSIVE: DOWN AND DIRTY DIY FOR THE FABULOUS FASHIONISTA

Calling all style icons, this is the book for you! Whether you’re creating an outfit from scratch, or ‘refashioning’ and old look to give it new life, grab your scissors and your sewing machine and get ready to be inspired!

 

MOM Crafts DIY for Babies

3. MOM CRAFTS: DIY CRAFTS FOR THE EXPECTANT MOM

You don’t have to be an expectant Mom, or Grandma to get creative with these DIY crafts. Aunties and Uncles, BFFs, cousins or friendly neighbours can all enjoy these adorable crafts for a new baby in your life!

 

PLY Design - DIY Plywood Projects Book

4. PLYDESIGN: 73 DISTINCTIVE DIY PROJECTS IN PLYWOOD ( AND OTHER SHEET GOODS)

Plywood gets a bad rap, but can be great for DIY’s, especially if you’re new to working with wood. Let your fingers do the walking through these practical and styling plywood projects. Bet you can’t pick just one!

 

DIY Magic - Inspiring Creativity Book

5. DIY MAGIC

This book isn’t quite like the others. It doesn’t provide step by step instructions to sew an amazing dress, or decorate the most beautiful cake. Instead, it offers guidance to help creative types of all kinds find new sources of inspiration.

 

Hot Glue Gun Mess DIY Book

6. A HOT GLUE GUN MESS: FUNNY STORIES, PRETTY DIY PROJECTS

Let’s face it, we’ve all seen enough #PinterestFails to know that not every DIY project will go perfectly smoothly. This light and humorous book isn’t short on DIY inspiration, but also encourages you and offers a much-needed laugh when things don’t go exactly as planned.

 

Whether you’re a Pinterest rookie or DIY pro, we all have creative dry spells. Try one (or all) of these handy titles to get you back up and modge-podgeing in no time.

 

 

Our friends at Book Outlet sponsored this post, but we would never share anything with our readers that we wouldn’t use ourselves. See full disclosure statement here.

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Kale Citrus Salad https://creativesides.ca/kale-citrus-salad/ https://creativesides.ca/kale-citrus-salad/#respond Mon, 22 Feb 2016 20:42:50 +0000 https://creativesides.ca/?p=1761 Overrun with limp lettuce, the produce section is not a happy place in the winter. This kale citrus salad doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. It’s not a place-of-honour-at-the-summer-picnic salad. It doesn’t feature jewel-toned berries or fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes. It’s winter salad. It’s a make-the-most-of-what-we’ve-got salad. It’s not pathetic or lackluster, though. This salad is robust...

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Overrun with limp lettuce, the produce section is not a happy place in the winter. This kale citrus salad doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. It’s not a place-of-honour-at-the-summer-picnic salad. It doesn’t feature jewel-toned berries or fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes. It’s winter salad. It’s a make-the-most-of-what-we’ve-got salad. It’s not pathetic or lackluster, though. This salad is robust and flavourful and defiant. This salad doesn’t care that it’s winter.

Kale Citrus Salad

 

Kale Citrus Salad
Serves 4
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Ingredients
  1. 1 navel orange, zest and flesh
  2. 2 tbsp olive oil
  3. 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  4. juice of 1/2 a lemon
  5. 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  6. 1 tsp honey
  7. 3 green onions, finely sliced
  8. 1 small bunch fresh mint, finely sliced (chiffonade) - approximately 1 heaping tbsp
  9. 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  10. 4 - 6 kale leaves, finely sliced (chiffonade) - approximately 4 cups
  11. 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  12. salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Zest orange into large mixing bowl.
  2. Supreme the orange, chop, and add to mixing bowl with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey, green onions, mint, and feta cheese. Mix well.
  3. Add kale and walnuts and toss until lightly coated with dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
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7 Poppy Crafts for Remembrance Day https://creativesides.ca/7-poppy-crafts-for-remembrance-day/ https://creativesides.ca/7-poppy-crafts-for-remembrance-day/#respond Tue, 03 Nov 2015 23:22:03 +0000 https://creativesides.ca/?p=1091 We believe that there is no such thing as “too young” when it comes to learning about Remembrance Day (Veteran’s Day for our American Friends), so we rounded up a few of our favourite crafts to help you introduce your children to this important holiday. Each of them use different materials so you can likely...

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Poppy Crafts for Remembrance Day

We believe that there is no such thing as “too young” when it comes to learning about Remembrance Day (Veteran’s Day for our American Friends), so we rounded up a few of our favourite crafts to help you introduce your children to this important holiday. Each of them use different materials so you can likely find one to make with things you already have at home. 

crafts-with-balloons-poppy-flowers-veterans-day-toddler-painting

We LOVE how Ruffles & Rain Boots used balloons to make this poppy craft. It’s a completely unique idea with gorgeous results! 

Remembrance Day Poppies

Finger painting is always a hit with our kiddos, so we tried and tested this poppy craft personally with great results! 

Poppy-stained-glass-craft

Stained glass is always a beautiful option, and this poppy craft from You Pinspire Me definitely lives up to that. Best of all there is a fun song to use in teaching your littles all about Remembrance Day. 

cupcake-liner-poppy-craft-2

Cupcake liners aren’t just for baking anymore as Pint Sized Treasures demonstrates. This poppy craft is simple enough that even the youngest of our munchkins could do it and enjoy.  

potato print and poppy seed remembrance day craft

The stark simplicity and texture really stand out in this activity from Sun Hats and Wellie Boots, making it one of our favourites. We can’t wait to try this with our kid’s handwriting on the bottom. Stunning! 

Memorial Day Poppy Craft

There is something extra special about a Remembrance Day (or Memorial Day) craft when you include your country’s flag. This simple craft and colouring sheet from Learning Adventures at Home is perfect for our American friends honouring their veterans. 

Je Me Souviens French Remembrance Day Craft

For our Canadian audience, this flag craft from Teachers Pay Teachers can be done in French or in English, and is perfect for at home or in the classroom. 

These are our favourite ways to include our children in remembering our veterans, both past and present. Tell us in the comments below, what activities you do with your children on Remembrance Day? 

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Remembrance Day Poppies https://creativesides.ca/remembrance-day-poppies/ https://creativesides.ca/remembrance-day-poppies/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2015 23:21:07 +0000 https://creativesides.ca/?p=1079 From their very first Remembrance Day, my littles have been dressed up warmly and, rain or shine, we stand with so many others at our local cenotaph to pay our respects and give thanks to our veterans – both past and present. I repeat the stories passed down in our families, read out the names carved into the stone...

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From their very first Remembrance Day, my littles have been dressed up warmly and, rain or shine, we stand with so many others at our local cenotaph to pay our respects and give thanks to our veterans – both past and present.

Remembrance Day Poppies

I repeat the stories passed down in our families, read out the names carved into the stone and explain why it is so important to never forget the sacrifices of those who came before us. When our daughter, Boo, was two and a half she watched the veterans, soldiers and emergency personnel march past us in full dress… she turned to me and said “Mama? Are those the superheroes?” Yes Boo, they truly are. #RememberThem

This year to get into the spirit of remembering, our son and his bestie created their own poppies.

You will need:

  • Paper
  • Paint (Red, Green, Black and Yellow)
  • Saucer for paint
  • Poppy seeds (optional)
  • Fingers
  • Wet cloth or unobstructed path to the bathtub

Note: Smaller children may need some adult assistance with this craft.

Be sure to check out our Creative Kids – Remembrance Day Crafts on Pinterest for more ideas. 

Remembrance Day Poppies Supplies

Remembrance Day Poppies Step 1

Step 1: Dip thumb into red paint and make four or five prints in a circle on the paper.

Remembrance Day Poppies Step 2

Step 2: Use the green paint to make the flower stem.

Remembrance Day Poppies Step 3

Step 3: Dip pointer finger in the black paint to create the middle of the flower. While the black paint is still wet you can sprinkle over poppy seeds to add texture. 

Remembrance Day Poppies Step 4

Step 4: Once the black paint has dried the kids have no further patience to wait dab some yellow paint in the centre of the black.

Remembrance Day Poppies Step 4

Step 5: Hang up and enjoy their masterpiece!

Buddy’s Finished Poppies

Aven’s Finished Poppies

 

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Hand-y Seasonal Felt Tree Craft https://creativesides.ca/hand-y-seasonal-felt-tree-craft/ https://creativesides.ca/hand-y-seasonal-felt-tree-craft/#respond Sun, 11 Oct 2015 01:39:51 +0000 https://creativesides.ca/?p=780 This year I am officially the mom of a kindergartener… where did the time go? How did she grow up so fast? My youngest, though, has spent the past month unsure of what to do with himself as his playmate isn’t constantly there to boss him around provide entertainment. I have been searching for new...

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Handy Seasonal Felt Tree Craft

This year I am officially the mom of a kindergartener… where did the time go? How did she grow up so fast?

My youngest, though, has spent the past month unsure of what to do with himself as his playmate isn’t constantly there to boss him around provide entertainment. I have been searching for new activities that can help him learn and keep him occupied for more than five minutes so I can inhale some coffee and get a few projects done around the house.

Inspired by his current fascination of picking up the leaves around our neighbourhood, I decided to create a quick and easy felt tree craft. To make it a bit more special and fun I used his hand as the tree.

You will need:

  • Freezer paper
  • Felt sheets in various colours  (one for the background and the others for the leaves and other decorations)
  • Scissors or Rotary cutter 
  • Iron
  • Ironing Board
  • Pencil

Tree Craft 1 - Supplies

Step 1: Trace your child’s hand on to the dull side of the freezer paper.  You can also trace their hand onto any piece of paper you have near (office paper, envelope, phone bill…) and retrace on the dull side of the freezer paper after.  Speaking from experience here…

Tree Craft 2 - Trace Hand

Step 2: Place the freezer paper shiny side down on top of the rough side of the felt sheet. The rough side is the side that usually has the manufacture sticker on it. Remember to remove the sticker before ironing.

Place freezer paper on rough side of felt. Remember to remove the sticker.

Place freezer paper on rough side of felt. Remember to remove the sticker.

Step 3: Iron the freezer paper using medium heat, no steam. You should now have the freezer paper and felt temporarily stuck together. This step will make it much easier to cut out your design. 

Tree Craft 4 - Iron Freezer Paper onto Felt

Step 4: Cut out your shapes using either scissors or a rotary cutter. 

Tree Craft 5 - Cut out Tracing

Step 5: Peel freezer paper away from felt and place cut out on background of your choosing.

Tree Craft 6 - Peel away freezer paper from felt

Tree Craft 7 - Place cut out on background felt

Handy tip: Replace the sticker on the left over scrap of felt to help you remember which side is the rough side for your next craft project.

Repeat steps 1 through 5 with other felt colours to create leaves, sunshine, grass, apples, pumpkins, clouds, flowers, house – whatever your imagination can dream up.

Play! 

Play

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