DIY Tub Paint

I made up some tub paint for my son this morning.  He always loves bath time, but this made it even more fun! 

These paints were made in just a few minutes with three simple ingredients I already had around the house.  I used baby wash so they were gentle on his skin and non-toxic.  And they easily washed off both the tub and the kid.

He was in the tub for almost an hour painting the walls and himself, he would have stayed in even longer if I didn't make him get out for nap time.

Here's the recipe, this will make enough for four colors:

1 cup of liquid soap or shampoo, I used baby wash.

1/2 - 3/4 cup corn starch, the more you use the thicker your paint will be.  

Food coloring.

Containers with lids for storing your paints when you are done.

In a big bowl, mix your soap and cornstarch.

Separate the mixture into your smaller containers, add a four drops of food coloring to each and stir.

Now throw your kind in the tub and let them play.  When it's time to clean up, simply fill your tub and both your tub and kids will come out squeaky clean!

Quilting with half square triangles

Today I started working on a very special quilt, a quilt for my baby girl.

I love this fabric, it is the "Just Wing it" line designed by Momo for Moda Fabrics.  I have been hanging on to it for over a year, I loved it so much I just couldn't bring myself to cut into it.  I always get nervous when I cut into fabrics I really love.

Half square triangle quilts may be my new favorite to make.  They are so easy to do and there are tons of ways to arrange them.  You can make quilts with a traditional look or a modern look both with these easy little squares.

Here is a super easy way to make them.

I used 5" squares for my quilt and used 40 plain white squares and 40 colorful squares.  My baby quilt should end up being about 32" x 40" after I piece it all together.

Once you have all your squares sewn, the fun part begins!  Find a big flat place to lay out your squares to find a design you like.  There are so many possibilities! 

Here are a few I tried:

They look awesome just randomly lined up...

I also love the traditional look of a pinwheel quilt...

Or some girly bows...

Some mismatched squares...

Some arrows...

Some chevron zig zags (like I used on the quilt for my Aunt Vicki)

Concentric squares...

Rings...

Or maybe something like this...

Once you decide on your design, sew the squares together just like you have laid them out.  Sew all the squares in each row together, then sew all the rows together.  

I think the hardest part of making a half square triangle quilt is deciding on a design! 

Beach robe

We have been spending a lot of time in the water lately.  A just can't get enough of splashing around in the pool or at the splash park, but he always seems to get so cold when he gets out.  He is way too busy to keep a towel on so I decided he needed a robe to stay warm.

I was surprised to find that there aren't many kids robe patterns out there.  I didn't find a single one with a hood on it at Jo Ann's.  I had started drafting my own pattern when I found this beach robe pattern by Dana at MADE.

I made this robe in a size too big, that way it is warm and cozy and will probably fit him for a couple more years too.  And the best part is I found the towel on sale for only $2 and spent just over $1 on the fabric for the binding!  

It was perfect for keeping him warm while he had his snack at the splash park!

Tutorial: Kid's floor poof

We got new pillows for our bed so I used the old ones to make this big floor cushion for my son.



I added a little handle on the front so it is easy for his little hands to grab and drag around.  And I actually made a pillow and zippered slip cover because I know this is going to need a few trips to the washing machine!

It makes the perfect spot to plop down and read a good foot book!

Want your own kid sized floor poof?  Check out the tutorial below!