Fun and Glittery DIY Notebook

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Rainy days happen, even during summer break. Easy crafts you can pull out at a moment’s notice are your best friend. This fun and glittery DIY notebook is one such craft to keep in your busy mom toolbox.

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Collage of photos of purple glittery notebook with text overlay: Fun and Glittery DIY Notebook

 

[bctt tweet=”Add to your summer fun with this glittery DIY notebook! #diy #kidscraft” username=”diyadulation”]

This is the next Creative Play Kit summer craft. If you don’t know what the Creative Play Kit is, you can read about it in Bust Summer Boredom with Weekly Crafts.

I confess that this craft is just as much for me as it is for the kiddos. Let’s be fair, can you ever really have too many fun notebooks? I totally recommend getting in on this crafty fun right along with your kids.

Another great thing about these notebooks is that they also keep the fun going long after you have finished making them. The best part of a brand new glittery DIY notebook is filling it with creative writings and pictures.

That sounds like a fun summer afternoon for everyone!

Materials for 1 Glittery DIY Notebook

 

Cut stack of construction paper next to a sheet of purple glitter foam

Step 1

First, use your foam glitter sheet to measure and cut your stack of construction paper.

Tip:

Step 2

Next, stack your 2 cut sets of construction paper together.

 

Folded stack of construction paper with a pair of scissors

Step 3

Once you have stacked your construction paper, fold the stacks in half like a book.

Tip:

 

Holes punched in construction paper

Step 4

After you have securely folded your construction paper, it is time to punch holes along the folded edge.

Tip:

 

Threading chenille stem through holes in construction paper

Step 5

Now run a chenille stem through the punched holes as pictured above. This binds the book.

 

Chenille stem threaded through holes in construction paper

wrapped end of threaded chenille stem

Step 6

After your pages are bound, trim the ends of the chenille stem and secure them. Do this by twisting the ends around the threaded stem.

 

Bound construction book attached to glitter foam

Step 7

Next, peel back half of your glitter foam sheet backing. Press the side of the bound construction paper onto the exposed side of the foam sheet.

 

Purple glitter notebook

Step 8

Then remove the remaining backing and wrap the foam around the bound construction paper like a book.

Tip:

Step 9

Lastly, trim any excess paper where necessary on the book. This includes any paper that is outside of the glitter cover.

 

Foam letters on front of glitter notebook

Step 10

Next, add foam letters to spell out “Notes” along the edge of the cover.

 

Purple diy glittery notebook

Step 11

Embellish the cover with smiley face stickers to finish off your notebook.

 

Purple glittery notebook with text overlay: Fun and Glittery DIY Notebook

Seriously, how much fun is this glittery DIY notebook? It’s fun to look at, fun to make, and fun to fill.

It is also the perfect rainy day summer activity. You can use it to keep the kiddos entertained all summer long. Take them on the go or make a set of them for back to school. No matter which you choose this little craft will let you and the kids get creative together everywhere this summer!

See where I’m linking up!

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This fun and glittery DIY notebook lets kids get creative and, let’s be fair, can you ever really have too many fun notebooks? Makes yours now!

 

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Easy Handmade Thank You Cards

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Although the practice of thank you cards may be a dying art, there are still plenty of occasions to give one. Luckily you can always be prepared when the occasion arises with these easy handmade thank you cards.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

 

Collage of handmade thank you cards with text overlay: Easy Handmade Thank You Cards

 

[bctt tweet=”These handmade thank you cards are so easy to make anyone can do it! #cards #diy”]

I’ll never forget the moms at my son’s 6th birthday party explicitly stating not to bother with thank you cards. They said they knew how much we appreciated having them there and cards were redundant. I totally get that.

On the flip side, a quick thank you note to your child’s teacher at the end of the year is a great idea. It’s also sweet to send them when people do unexpected things for you without any occasion.

 

These handmade thank you cards are so easy to make anyone can do it!

 

Materials Needed

 

These handmade thank you cards are so easy to make anyone can do it!

Step 1

Stamp your stamp as many times as it will fit on a scrap piece of white paper. You can use the back of your patterned paper as long as it is not double-sided. These will be white on the back.

Tip:

 

These handmade thank you cards are so easy to make anyone can do it!

These handmade thank you cards are so easy to make anyone can do it!

Step 2

Cut out each stamped image that fit on your scrap paper and glue it them to your cardboard.

 

These handmade thank you cards are so easy to make anyone can do it!

Step 3

Cut the glued pieces out of the cardboard and trim up the edges, leaving a border of cardboard around the paper.

 

These handmade thank you cards are so easy to make anyone can do it!

Step 4

Take your ink pad and ink around the stamped paper, being sure to cover the cardboard so that the brown doesn’t show through. Again, don’t worry too much if you can’t cover the sides entirely.

 

These handmade thank you cards are so easy to make anyone can do it!

Step 5

Cut enough sheets of cardstock in half (bisecting the 11” side) to equal the number of stamped images you have. Assume you fit 6 stamps on your scrap paper then you would need to cut 3 sheets of cardstock in half.

 

These handmade thank you cards are so easy to make anyone can do it!

Step 6

Fold each cut piece in half and trim any uneven edges.

 

These handmade thank you cards are so easy to make anyone can do it!

Step 7

Cut another piece of your decorative scrap paper into strips and glue one strip to each card as it looks in the picture above. If the strips are longer than the width of your card, just trim up the edges.

 

These handmade thank you cards are so easy to make anyone can do it!

Step 8

Lastly, glue your mounted stamped image on the center of the paper strip. Viola! You’re done.

 

These handmade thank you cards are so easy to make anyone can do it!

A kind gesture is never wasted and these easy handmade thank you cards make it a breeze. These are easy enough to make that the kiddos can get in on the fun. Make it a summer activity this year, then make a list of people to give them to.

That’s 2 budget-friendly activities that will let you kids be creative and teach about caring for others. That’s a win-win in my book.

 

close up of handmade thank you card with text overlay: Easy Handmade Thank You Cards

Don’t forget you can change these cards up by swapping out your stamps and your paper. Swap out the paper strips for glittery ribbon or use a word stamp to create a special occasion card.

Congratulations works for weddings, graduations, and promotions. Welcome can be a baby card, a new home card, or more. This simple card design makes it easy to customize the card to your specific needs.

See where I’m linking up!

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Collage of handmade thank you cards with text overlay: Easy Handmade Thank You Cards

 

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Easy DIY Summer Activities Board + Free Printables

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Summer will be here before you know it. It is easy to forget about in all of the end of the school year chaos. Get your summer activity plan in place with an easy DIY summer activities board.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

Collage of Photos of Summer Activities Board with text overlay: Easy DIY Summer Activities Board + Free Printables

I am a planner at heart. Lists, calendars, and detailed schedules are kind of my thing. Unfortunately, my kids haven’t caught that bug yet.

As they have gotten older, the usual by-the-numbers schedule doesn’t cut it during summer break. Instead, we’re taking a new approach this year with this DIY summer activities board.

Each day has a specific theme and has only one “structured” activity. This theme is a little different than your average summer calendar. I wanted to make sure that we remained productive.

 

Summer Activities Cards Pinned to Pink Poster Board

Theme Days

Mommy Mondays

Each Monday the family will take part in a home improvement, decluttering, or cleaning activity chosen by me. These are not huge undertakings because I don’t want it to take the entire day.

Instead these should be smaller activities. Some that I included are:

Tech-Free Tuesdays

Tuesdays are reserved for anything that doesn’t use technology. This means no video games, tablets, or television. These days are mostly filled with crafts such as:

A couple of the days I want to take it a step further and make dinner without electricity. Then we will spend the evening by candlelight.

Wandering Wednesdays

Wednesdays are all about getting out of the house. We have a zoo membership so I included multiple zoo days in our schedule. Other activities include:

 

[bctt tweet=”Get your summer activity plan in place with an easy DIY summer activities board.” username=”diyadulation”]

Think It Thursdays

Keep your kids learning with “Think It Thursdays”. These days will have science experiments, writing activities, and hands on learning. Luckily, it’s easy to keep the learning fun. For example, we will be:

Family Fridays

Of course, summer isn’t summer unless you get some family time in. Family Fridays keep us close with fun activities like:

DIY Summer Activities Board Materials

 

Bag of Mini Clothespins

Step 1

Start by removing your mini clothespins from the packaging.

 

Mini Clothespins Laid Out on Cardboard

Spray Painted Mini Clothespins

Step 2

Align the clothespins on a piece of cardboard or newspaper and cover with spray paint.

 

Flipped Over Mini Clothespins on Cardboard

Spray Painted Mini Clothespins

Step 3

After the spray paint has dried, flip your clothespins over and again, cover with spray paint.

 

Printable Activities Cards Pages

Step 4

Now, print out your printable summer activities cards.

 

Cut Out Stacks of Summer Activities Cards

Step 5

Cut apart your summer activities cards and fill out any blank ones you want to customize.

Note:

 

Pink Poster Board with Words Written on It in Marker

Step 6

Next, pull out your poster board and write the words “Summer Activities” across the top of the short end with your Sharpie.

Tip:

 

Pink Poster Board with Words Written on It in Marker

Pink Poster Board with Words Written on It in Marker

Step 7

Underneath your title, label your days of the week as pictured.

 

Gluing Yellow Poster Board Strip to Pink Poster Board

Note:

 

Summer Activity Card next to Glued Mini Clothespin

Step 8

Next, glue one mini clothespin under “Mon” in the center with hot glue.

 

Mini Clothespins Glued to Pink Poster Board

Step 9

Now, place one of your cards next to it to measure where to glue your next mini clothespin.

 

Summer Activities Board with Mini Clothespins Glued to It

Step 10

Continue gluing your mini clothespins under “Mon” until you have 5 in the row.

 

Summer Activities Board with Mini Clothespins Glued to It

Step 11

Next, fill in the rest of your board with 5 mini clothespins under each day.

 

Step 12

Lastly, add 4 cards under each day. Clip the extra cards on the 5th pin. Replace the ones you do as needed.

 

Summer Activities Cards Pinned to Pink Poster Board

Summer Activities Cards Pinned to Pink Poster Board

Summer Activities Cards on Pink Poster Board with text overlay: Easy DIY Summer Activities Board + Free Printables

We are so excited for summer now that we have this DIY summer activities board. This is the perfect way to stick with your summer goals without fighting for a rigid schedule.

I’ll give you an update on the efficacy of this new schedule at the end of the summer. Before you go, I’d love to know what your favorite summer activity to whip out for your kids is. Let me know in the comments!

See where I’m linking up!

Don’t Forget to Pin It!

Collage of Photos of Summer Activities Board with text overlay: Easy DIY Summer Activities Board + Free Printables

 

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