Homemade Science Beakers - American Girl Science/School

Science Beakers from Hairspray/Pump Bottle Caps- labeled with ultra fine sharpie marker.

Another cool idea from http://www.beds-n-blankies.com/madsciencedetails.htm Whose science ideas BLOW MY MIND and I will continue to implement and share :)

American Girl Homemade Hermit Crabs - for your pet shop, school, bedroom

Hermit Crabs in the Classroom.

Yesterday my Daughter said "You know mom, what would really be cool, would be a tank of Hermit Crabs in our classroom" (we have them at home and have for a few years.)

For those of you who aren't familiar, we are American Girl Doll crazy here. We have a big AG Dollhouse and lots of DIY and other furniture and accessories.

Her request was not unusual, but was something that I hadn't thought of, or seen on the many boards I am a part of (since then I have searched and seen a couple of ideas that are similar with crabs that have googley eyes on their shells and pipe cleaners for legs.)

Of course my mind pondered a bit. This morning I was thinking "I should google for some miniature hermit crab figurines" and then suddenly, it HIT me. I don't have to SEE the hermit crabs in the shells, because we almost NEVER see ours. They are ALWAYS buried.

So I rushed into my daughter's room and said "I HAVE AN IDEA!" and she looked at me like I had lost my mind. I said "get the suitcase of seashells!

So we picked out some tiny shells that would be to scale for the AG Dolls. We painted two of them and left one plain. We took a cheap glass bowl (actually a tealight holder) that I had bought at Michaels or Joann's a while back- with intention of doing a fish tank- and added aquarium rocks. We added a flat black stone like the one in our crabby tank at home, and a sprig of fake greens and a driftwood looking stick piece. We added the painted shells and the plain shell and put it in the school room. She was SOOOO excited! I love that she could see the process through with me from Idea to fruition. So much FUN!

If you decide to make a Hermit Crab tank for your dolls, share your pics with us! I'd also like to invite you doll addicts to join the MUCH fun "My Dolls House" group on Facebook, where we toss around ideas for crafts and other things for 18" dolls. You have to request to join and wait to be approved by the admin team, but it's WELL Worth your time!

Ardyn's Unikitty Lego Valentine Box

Tonight I finished Ardyn's Unikitty Valentine Box. It is completely made of cardboard and scrapbook paper. The lego "circle" under the horn is the top (lid and a bit below that) of a baby food "puffs" snack container. The 3-D tail is constructed completely of scrapbook paper. The Valentines go in a slot cut into the back of the head and the head is attached to the body with two brads. 

Most of the assembly is hot glue... My husband cut the arch in the bottom

"Body" box and used clear packing tape to put cardboard under the arch. 

I used scrapbook adhesive in the tail construction because it was a fairly intricate process and hot glue wasn't practical as it was too hot and I would have gotten burnt for sure! 

Hope this inspires someone! 

Marek's Batman Lego Valentine Box

I'm not actually sure if Marek needs a valentine box.... But his is a lego maniac, and he loves Batman and Batman Legos. The new Lego Movie was like a family "dream come true" and we can't very well make big sister a Unikitty valentine box (pics to come) and have Marek sitting here without one. 

It truly didn't take long. It's all cardboard boxes I had in the "trash"- the feet are a cheezit box and the legs are a metal "locker" box cut in half to make two shorter legs. Te body is constructed of two altered 20 packs of coke - one might work but our school collects coke rewards so I had to cut out those first :) 

The head is poster board (I had a scrap of black stashed from a snowman project we made for my daughter's class Christmas Party) and the details I used yellow card stock. I just used a ruler and drew the utility belt and cut it out, and the logo I printed on card stock. The cape is a piece of actual fabric that was leftover from the lining of a Dracula vest I made Marek for Halloween. 

His arms are two toilet paper tubes and a plastic "puffs" container (baby food/snack) that I cut into a circle with an old serrated knife and then cut in half so that I had two hands. The arms are attached with brads (office supply) and the rest is together with hot glue. I assembled the body and left the head and arms off. Spray painted the arms and body black (rustoleum worked better. The krylon didn't want to stick to the cardboard and bubbled a bit)

Then I attached the arms, head, cape, and utility belt/logo. 

The "hole" is through the top of his head/helmet... It's completely open and the goodies go down thru the shoulders and into the main chest/stomach area. 

The head is attached with clear packing tape on the inside so I can easily remove it if I need to extract some big loot :)

Hope you are inspired. I just want to hug him he is so awesome! My son

can't wait to "play" with him. Lol

Command hooks vs bathroom suction cups

Have you heard all of the commercials saying that Command Hooks are now made for the bathroom and they hold BETTER than suction cups in the shower? Yeah. Let's just say this house has one hell of a panel of product testers... There are SIX command hooks with outdoor adhesive on this submarine....

Aaand go!