DIY Sparkle Glitter Hair Clips

Abbie really wants sparkly hair clips. The thing is, they're like $6 a piece, and she breaks them in a day or two. There needs to be an easier way, a more affordable way, to keep my 6 and a half year old trendy without breaking the budget on sparkly things.

I decided to look and see what I could find in our craft box. Sure enough, there was a few jars of sparkles left over from a get together we had over the summer. WOO!

I went to dollar tree and I got a three pack of hair clips. I had some sandpaper in the box as well, so I used that to rough up the clip, just enough. You just need to rough it up a little, enough for glue to stick to it.

I tried using a little bit of spray adhesive on one (not pictured), but I think the can was dead. I couldn't get it to look right, and work, so it went straight to the trash. I used a bottle of school glue, and a popsicle stick.

For the one with the stripes, I used the popsicle stick to create diagonal lines one at a time, and sprinkled the sparkles on. Do not over apply the glue, or it will glop off, and will not dry pretty at all. It was a little tedious, but very easy. The second one I tried doing the horizontal lines one color at a time, and was horribly unsuccessful. I was able to take a warm washcloth and wipe away the sparkles and glue easily, and start again. The other container of sparkles I had was a multi color jar. I decided just to smear it on, and make it multi-color. It came out great.

To dry, leave the clips OPEN on a washable surface, or on parchment paper/foil/or the like. After they've dried (it took about 24 hours for us), turn clips upside down and tap gently to let any loose glitter fall from the clip. Spray with a clear coat of acrylic shellac, and allow to dry.

Since I first made these, I've tried adding other glitter accents on hair clips and hair ties. Stay tuned for more ideas soon! 
  

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Elmer's DIY Spring Creation Contest! *GIVEAWAY*

It's official- we've relocated. The office is set up, the new house is sort-of set up (unpacking stinks!!), and the projects getting us in are complete. There's one more piece of furniture I need to still paint and make fun for my little lady, and I'd like to touch up my little man's dresser, but other than that- we're in!!

In the midst of reloacting, I was presented an opportunity to participate in the Spring Creation Contest. Elmer's put together a Spring Creation Guide to help Do-It-Yourself-ers to, well, DIY! They have five great projects, complete with a step by step "How To" guide for each product. I can't wait until we're a little more unpacked so I can really get my craft on!!

Did you know how many different things you can make (and fix!!) around the house using Elmer's products?? I relly put their products to the test while trying to come up with the perfect project... until that project came to me!

The first thing that I used my Elmer's Glue All on was the letters in Abbigaile's room. When we tell Abbie, "I love you more," she always responds, "I love you more than butterflies and flowers!" With those being two of her most favorite things, I took the idea and totally ran with it for her new bedroom. We hand painted flowers, butterflies, hearts and swirls all over her walls. The only thing missing was her name. I searched for letters to paint or buy to hang, and just couldn't find anything I truly loved. I decided to take two pieces of glittery felt and trace the letters of her name onto the back of it. Using my X-ACTO Gripster Knife, I cut each letter out individually, then we glued it onto the wall above her bed.

The letters looked perfect and were the exact finishing touch her room needed. I present to you before:

And AFTER:

Well, that's three out of the four walls, and my camera makes the pretty aqua/tiffany blue look more seafoam, but you can getthe jist of it. I had so much fun with the letters in Abbie's room that I had to add them in Alex's room, too.

So after I got those done, I ended up going over the edges of the chairs I reupholstered. The X-ACTO knife worked really well in providing a tight, clean cut. The Elmer's Spray adhesive was perfect for the corners before I stapled them. Then, while we were moving, something caught the headliner in my minivan, and made it balloon out.. Bri grabbed the spray adhesive, and in seconds it looked like nothing ever happened. A catastrophe was adverted, and Mommy was pleased!

So, with this contest underway, the item that I ended up making was a knock off of an item I had made 8 years ago when we got married. I had a great bowl filled with flower pens to have my guests sign in with, and add a special message to the newlyweds. This week at the kids school it's Teacher Appreciation Week. Again, in a house that I'm lucky to find the paper towels in, I scrambled to find a project to whip together for one of the teachers and came up with this adorable bucket idea. I purchased a small tin bucket, a small spool of ribbon, some scrapbooking tags, a lady bug and butterfly embellishment, and added some popcorn kernels, and daisy pens. The teacher had a red flower pen that she added to the mix, but all in all, I was pleased with the final product.

So, that's all I was able to finish, but I do plan on making the top of Abbie's dresser into a kitchen for her, decoupaging it with Elmer's. I have it all designed out, have "officially"started it, but am nowhere near completion.If I can finish it before Friday, I will definitely post pictures. What do you think??

Our friends at Elmer's would love to hear some of your spring craft ideas. Tell us now, and you will have a chance to WIN one of THREE Elmer's Prize Packs! Be sure to leave your email address in your comment so we can let you know if you've won.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

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This giveaway is open to residents of the US and will end on May 11, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. Three winners will be chosen using Random.org, and all winner information will be posted on our WINNERS PAGE and on this post. Please include a valid email address in your comment. If we cannot find a way to contact you, we will choose another winner. Special thanks to Elmer's for providing us and our winners with an Elmer's Gift Pack. As always, what you have read is strictly the opinion of 4BabyAndMom. Your opinions may differ.

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GrowingTreeToys Create Your Own Pop Up Book *Review*

We have reviewed a lot of art products. I love fostering the idea that with imagination, any thing is possible. Alex has a much more structured method of thinking. His drawings since he was a toddler were very methodical. He will be awesome when he's old enough for ceramics, photography, architecture, or shop class.

Abbie is a very creative artist. Her houses have 33 windows and the chimneys are longer than the house sometimes. She makes some paintings the same color from beginning to end, and other times she makes a bland object rainbow and glittery. You never know what kind of a zany animal concotion she's going to draw. It's exciting to watch the both of them as they grow artistically in their own very different ways.

Recently, our new friends at GrowingTreeToys.com extended an opportunity for us to review one of their products.Their website has a ton of educational toys that really meets the need of every child on your shopping list. The item we received was this awesome Create Your Own Pop Up Books kit.  I decided to hang onto this review until the holidays, because I was much more impressed than I thought I would be with the product, and knew it would make a perfect gift this holiday season.

At first, I wasn't really sure what to expect with this set, because it's rated for kids 5+. Alex isn't extremely creative artistically (even at 7), and Abbie is only 4 and a half. The great part is that this kit comes with two books, so if you have two children, it gives a great opportunity for both of them to make something fun! It retails for about $20, and with all of the tools and fun stuff inside, it's a steal this holiday season.

The kit comes with 2 high quality, hardcover pop-up books – one that measures 8.5”x8.5” and the other 6.25”x6.25” – and supplies to make their stories, including stickers, 8 markers, pop-up designs, illustrated instructions with story starter ideas, and step-by-step pop-up ideas. Suprisingly, it was really easy to use, create the pop ups, and make the books come to life. The hard covered books are nice and sturdy; they don't look or feel "cheap" like other kits I've seen through the years. I've never seen a pop up style kit, so I love the uniqueness of this product.

This was our first time reviewing a product for Growing Tree Toys, but I can tell you shipping was super quick. Every communication that I've had with the company has been pleasant, and the website is super easy to navigate. Right now they're running a special shipping deal- free shipping on all orders over $89. They also run a fun Deal of the Day, which is a product for 60% off, just for that day! They have something for every budget, which really makes it appealing to shop there. I absolutely adore the Calico Critters playsets, and am truly thinking of ordering some for Abbie.

If art isn't one of your child's special talents, be sure to visit GrowingTreeToys.com for more ideas on educational and fun toys for kids from birth through 11 and up! Not sure what your little cousin, niece, nephew, or grandchild likes? Gift cards are also available so that your gift is exactly what they want this year!

Special thanks to Growing Tree Toys for allowing us to review this product at no cost, in exchange for our review. As always, all opinions expressed are that of 4BabyAndMom.

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