DIY Kids Floatie Project

My son loves swimming in our pool and likes to wear the Swim School Training Suit to help him stay afloat. I really like the idea of these training suits, however they can be very difficult to get on and off, especially when wet! I looked at the suit trying to figure out an easy fix and thought adding a zipper to the side would do the trick!

Sewing is not one of my strongest abilities. I've done pillows and curtains, but never a zipper. There were a few challenges with the zipper mainly due to the bulk of the floatie and material of the suit getting that through my machine without bunching.

I first cut the top shoulder straps and then down the side along the seam. I chose the side with the inside tag so I could cut the tag out at the same time. My son always complained of the tag scratching him while he swam.

 I then sewed the zipper in! I found a zipper at Walmart close to the same color green as the suit. I was surprised how well it turned out with my mediocre sewing abilities. 

Here is another look. As a finishing touch I folded the shoulder straps over and sewed them down. As an alternative you could add a clip, button or snap to the shoulder strap to make them easier to get on/off as well.

ABC Book

I saw this idea on Pinterest and loved it.  What better way for a kid to learn their ABC's than using pictures of their toys! With a camera and a little help from Shutterfly this was a pretty easy project. The hardest part was finding 

a toy for letter U!

I made a list of all the letters of the alphabet then put a name of a toy by it until I had a toy for each letter. I then took pictures and uploaded them to Shutterfly. Here is my picture for "M is for Monster Trucks"

Here are a few pages of the finished product. I am really happy with how it turned out and my son loves looking at it!

Inspired by : www.modernparentsmessykids.com

No Mess Finger Painting

This is a great idea for rainy days or when you don't feel like cleaning up the mess that comes with real finger painting. What you will need: Finger paints, Ziplock bags and packing tape.

 I then added paint to each bag. I decided to do this one to show my son what happens when two primary colors mix.

Use the packing tape to attach the top and bottom of the bag to the window or counter. I prefer the window because I think the effect is much cooler for the kids.

This project always keep him occupied for awhile. He likes to draw shapes and patterns on the paint. Sometimes we take his toy trucks or animals over the paint to see what kind of track they make.