Decorating For Children

Interior Decorating has always been a great passion of mine so much so that I studied it at TAFE. But it seems I get the most joy out of decorating for children. Whether it's creating a magical haven in my daughter's room or selecting a theme for a birthday party and going totally bananas, I just love it!

Decorating for children doesn't have to be all Thomas the Tank Engine or Dora the Explorer, but steering away from these commercial shortcuts is vital in creating a stylish yet playful space for your child.

Below are some versatile, inexpensive and of course beautiful ideas you might like to try in your home.


Natural Materials
Forget the plastic fantastic - use good quality furniture in natural materials and build your theme from there. Go for either timber in its natural state or white. These timeless pieces can then grow with your child and don't have to be replaced as they outgrow them (ie Back away from the race car bed!)


Nordic Design
Nordic Design is an easy way of decorating your child’s space in a way that’s timeless and affordable. You could use traditional prints and motifs such as these from deebeale and dolittledesign, or pop into your local Ikea to go crazy with the flat-packs!




A Little Vintage
Mixing old with new is one way to add interest or even break the rules when decorating your kids space. Think fun and quirky when choosing your pieces which can be found just about anywhere. Try these vintage finds from Sweet Love Vintage.




Handmade Toys
The most treasured mementos from my childhood would have to be the knitted and handmade toys made by a loving and thoughtful family member. Give your child something made especially for them that they’ll pass on to their children. Try So Softies.




Buntings, Prayer Flags and Pom Poms
A great way to give a nursery some lift (especially if you don't know if it's a boy or girl) is to add a bunting in a variety of bright colours and patterns. Easy peasy to make (try these Tissue Paper Pom Poms from Martha Stewart) or check out aymujer's colourful flags. Gives a great punch of colour to your room especially if you stick to all timber furniture and white linens.




Quilting
A quilt is the easiest way to add instant warmth and homeliness to a room. Quilts can be expensive so why not make one yourself for extra sentimental value. Modern meets tradition with custom made quilts from skirt. Alternatively choose practical items that use the same quilting technique for some everyday warmth and charm. Try these quilted bibs from rikrak.

My Top 5 ...

This weeks top 5 favourite things are as follows (in no particular order!):

1) Cats

Ok so no doubt I am in 'kitty mania' at the moment because of our little bundle arriving soon, but I am a little crazy for cats at the moment (flash forward to 50 years from now, Dzintra quilting away, surrounded by tweleve cats, oh dear!) This gorgeous creature belongs to kharied.

2) Quilts

This juicy gem and others are by Little Leg Warmers and are available here.

3) Paper Dolls

Available from Shop66 is this ultra cute japanese paper doll and matching wardrobe.

4) Jumping Photos

Another fave by kharied.

5) Buttons and Belt Buckles

These yummy vintage belt buckles would be a fabulous addition to any fellow addicts collection. You can snap them up here.

These retro-tastic magnetic buttons by Oh Two Vintage, will be perfect for the inspiration board in my studio!

I ♥ Paper Dolls!

Since I was little I've always loved paper dolls. Dolly Dingle was my favourite back then, but check out Jenni's modern take on the humble paper doll, love it!

Or for the magnetic variety take a look at what Antoinette from Little Story Designs has created - so sweet! Mon Petit Closet is available here.

Kitty Craft

So as I mentioned in an earlier post the family is adopting a 5 month old Ragdoll kitten this weekend (eeeek! I'm so excited). So in preparation we have been getting the 'nursery' ready, but unsatisfied with the limited choice in cat bedding I decided to make it myself. So within 20 minutes I had a new cushion cover and handmade mini quilt sewn (I wish I could say I knitted the adorable mini hot water bottle cover too, but alas I am yet to acquire my knitting skills!)

This is going to be one spoilt cat!

Milla Makes Mischief

Little Milla. What can I say about thee? Where do I start!

There's something you need to understand about Miss Milla (aka The Blue-eyed Devil). You see she is somewhat of a miracle really. When I was 20 weeks pregnant with her and having gone through the entire 20 weeks with horrible and debilitating sickness, we received some shocking news. Our tiny little growing jellybean baby was sick, seriously sick. Milla's spinal cord was exposed outside of her body and her brain couldn't efficiently drain fluid and was in dire need of corrective surgery. She has Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. We were devastated.

The next 18 weeks were long and difficult and we resented the fact that her looming birth was something we feared rather than looked forward to. When the time came she arrived to two anxious parents and a birth suite filled with all sorts of specialists and was promptly whisked away for examination and to be prepped for her first of two surgery's.

Typical to her 'little trooper' demeanour that we've grown to love the not even one day old tiny bubba had spinal surgery within the first few breath's of life and needed nothing more than a little Panadol for pain relief! Can you believe it? I can hardly survive a simple headache without sucking down the Panadeine Fort! Then a week later she did it all over again this time for brain surgery.

She's overcome all sorts of obstacles since then. We were told she wouldn't sit, stand or walk and she did them all and more. She's known in our house for managing to reach all sorts of unbelievable heights without any knowledge of how she got there (we suspect she may secretly have wings!)

So now you understand that even though she 'decorates' the walls with textas, gives her sister the occasional whack and climbs into the baby's cot with a stolen bottle of bubble mix, I don't mind so much ..... better a life with messy walls than one without our Blue-eyed Devil .....

Martha, Martha, Martha!

Our whole family is currently abuzz with excitement, due to the upcoming adoption of a Ragdoll kitten! In preparation for its arrival I am working on some of these fab felt catnip toys, thanks to Martha Stewart. You can find the instructions here. Meeeeeow!

Baby Shower Project

Hello! Sorry for my long absence, but I'm afraid the dreaded winter flu has been doing the rounds in our house and I have been lucky enough to cop it three times! But I'm back and what better way to kick off my return than by sharing with you my latest creative project.

A good friend of mine is expecting her first baby in July and other than passing onto her mountains of had-me-downs I also wanted to give her something handmade. I always cherished the handmade gifts I received for my daughters the most. I appreciate the thought, love and hard work put into the creation of an item made especially for you and your little one. So I designed a little play rug/quilt and excitedly set out to the craft store to pick out my fabrics. It is here that I'd like to point out how unbelievably difficult it is to make things unisex, without being boring and beige! So I went a little brighter and even dared to include a little pink, but at the end of the day if I had a boy, I would use it, so I'm happy with the result.

So there you have it I may even make a few for my Etsy store too!

Baby It's Cold Outside ...

It's cold today, real cold. The kind of cold where you can't feel the tip of your nose and your toes are like ice blocks.


I tried taking the girls for a walk but it was cut short when I received the innocent (or perhaps not so innocent) remark from the old lady down the street that my poor babies looked frozen! Nevermind the abundance of woolly jumpers, beanies and Nanna blankets, apparently that wasn't good enough.


Oh well, back home to turn the heater up and pop some slippers and the kettle on. I guess I'll get my exercise walking back and forth from the sofa to the fridge instead ...

image credit kharied.

Meet My Girls

Tarquinn




Likes:
Dancing, dress ups, Mummy's lasagna, her sisters, the museum, swimming, playing make believe, High School Musical, puppies, cooking, helping Mummy, the beach, drawing, art, reading and writing.

Dislikes:
Birds, cheese, pips/seeds in fruit, hospitals, maths and cleaning her room.

When I grow up:
She wants to be a Mummy and a Performer, but I think she'll be a fabulous Teacher.

Personality Traits:
Creative, caring, clever, problem solver, imaginative, helpful and eager to please.



Milla




Likes:
Bubbles, In the Night Garden, Elmo, cheese, food in general, swimming, cats, farm animals, Happy Feet, playing outdoors, drawing and cooking.

Dislikes:
Flies, peas, wearing socks, having her hair done, sitting still.

When I grow up:
Without a doubt she'll have a career as a chef or cafe owner or anything to do with food and eating. This girl LOVES her food!

Personality Traits:
Cheeky, stubborn, loving, charismatic, inquisitive, brave, bubbly & imaginative.



Imogen




Likes:
Her sisters, especially Milla who always makes her smile, showers and baths, being swaddled extra tight, long walks and cuddles.

Dislikes:
Shopping and when the car stops moving.

When I grow up:
Hmm bit too early to tell but being a Piscean like her mum it'll no doubt be something creative.

Personality Traits:
Quiet, observant, happy and easy going.

How To: Thoughtful & Affordable Gifts for Children

So it's birthday season again. You know how it goes, the school bag comes home stuffed with hundreds of little envelopes containing invitations to your child's friends birthdays, of whom until now you have never heard of let alone met. It is often these occasions that I somewhat dread, as you never know what to get the child and you don't know the mother from a bar of soap and so can't ask her what they might like. Then there's the obvious trip to the toy store, but this always seems to end in tears as I undoubtedly buy the same Barbie as Sally's mum!

Does this sound like the unfolding drama of your life? Well how about trying some of these handmade ideas instead, and guarantee a truly unique and cherished gift!

DIY Flower Pots

You will need:

1 x Terracotta pot, big enough to hold the following items within (purely for presentation purposes)

1 x Paint brush

1 x Small set of washable acrylic paints (or else the mother may hurt you!)

1 x Pair of children's gardening gloves

1 x Packet of seeds or flower bulbs (depending on the season)

I also like to include a small garden gnome, pinwheel or other garden ornament to jazz it up a little.

Assemble all of the above in to the pot and wrap in cellophane. Embellish with ribbon and a handmade birthday card. Voila! The perfect kids pressie and for well under $20!

image credit foxifaeri.

Button Jars

Believe it or not kids LOVE collecting. If you're a crafter with kids like me, you no doubt have had them pine over your jars of lovely buttons or beads or whatever your material of choice is. So why not encourage this fascination of collecting by giving them the beginnings of a collection all of their very own! It doesn't have to be buttons either see below for some other simple ideas:

You will need:

1 x Recycled jar. Jam jars are fab for this, be sure to wash them out thoroughly beforehand.

1 x Square of fabric to decorate the top of your jar and an elastic band and ribbon to hold it in place.

Half fill the jar with the collectors item of choice. Some ideas include:

Buttons, shells, stamps, beads, marbles or alternatively fill it with jellybeans!

Perhaps include a short note on a swing tag, explaining how the child could add to their collection and where they might find more buttons/marbles etc.

image credit kellie.

Swap Cards

No I don't mean the ones emblazoned with the latest football stars or Pokemon. Remember the ones from the good old days with images of horses, kittens and ballerinas? Well they're still out there! Search your local Op Shop or thrift store, search under the 'vintage' section on Etsy or even check your local newsagent - mine still stocks them (Granted they're a bit dusty!) Another sweet addition to this could be to slip in a couple of cut to size photos of your own child, or the birthday boy/girl. You wait, it'll be the new craze in the school yard.

image credit Vintage LOVE.

Sweet Treats

A little surprise from hubby on his way home from work, to thank me for a week of lovely dinners - what a sweety!

So what was on the menu I hear you ask? Let's see, this week included a Ham and Vegetable Quiche, Spaghetti Bolognese, Chicken Cacciatore and Grilled Fish with Veg and a few baked treats including Marshmallow Slice, Chocolate Fudge Cake and Brownies! Phew, it was a busy week!

Taste buds tingling? Click on the picture below for a fabulous Marshmallow Slice recipe - Bon Appetit!

Sketch Book

Had a sudden jolt of inspiration late last night and managed to put onto paper a few design concepts for some new signature 'Little Threads' Softies. Am thinking of doing a range of children's decor from the illustrations also - exciting!

"A good snapshot stops a moment from running away" - Eudora Welty

Ok so I too am going to attempt to archive my life in pictures, by doing the photo-a-day challenge. I hope if I get anything out of it at all, it will be to at least catch snapshots of the things in my life I am most grateful for. This could be difficult as there are so many things I'm lucky to have in my life! If you want to see what I'm talking about, take a look at what Fiona has managed to capture from her own life, simply beautiful! Oh well let's see how I go, I shall post a collage of the collections in due course ...

to be continued...

image credit lomography.

The Mad Hatter

I wish I could wear hats. I am probably the worlds biggest hat aficionado who never actually wears any.

It seems to be due to a sad and awkward combination of big 'sticky-outy' ears and bulbous head, that cause every possible contender to be reluctantly put back on the shelf.

It is this unfortunate predicament that has come between me and my closeted hat fetish. Oh how I pine for that perfect cashmere beret or crocheted baker boy cap. But alas it isn't meant to be ...

oh well, I shall just have to settle for shoes ...