Lark Crafts

Summer break: It’s the perfect time for kids to unleash their inner artists. Crafty endeavors are a great way to keep young ones entertained (and out of mischief!) during long, lazy afternoons. For creative ideas that will fill up the idle hours of summer, check out Jenny Doh’s Hand in Hand: Crafting with Kids. The 20 projects in this delightful book are collaborative and fun—sure to engage the interest of the antsiest young vacationer.

Each one of Hand in Hand’s 20 contributors is a mother, blogger, and crafter. Each one shares invaluable advice about nurturing the artistic impulse in kids and turning craft time into family time. From fun ways to use recyclable materials to ingenious kitchen-craft ideas and creative pursuits for rainy afternoons, (like the free Family Banner project shown above), the activities in Hand in Hand will help kids and parents alike tap into their creativity—and survive the long hot summer ahead. Download the free project instructions here: Family Banner.

Enlist the kids’ help to make a bouquet of cheery poppies to grace the summer picnic table. This is an inexpensive project that besides a pair of scissors, requires only paper, glue, floral wire and tape, and correction liquid. This is a great project to do with children as the glassine blossoms require creasing, which can be accomplished through shaping by hand (crumpling in the fist). Older children can further assist by applying correction fluid to the fringe of the flower center.

This flower design is one of 25 varieties you’ll find in Paper Blooms, by accomplished paper artist, Jeffery Rudell. Click here for the instructions.

You’re a good kid. Or maybe not, but you do love your mother. Why else would you have gotten that tattoo? Now make her something nice for Mother’s Day, and tell her we say hi. Here are some recipes we think your mom might like:

This is me with my mom, and I was careful not to put any recipes in this post that she would not like. I might be 500 miles away, but my step dad's not! (Ahem. Hint.)

Momelettes!

Moms have come to expect breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day, and they should get it. Your mom has probably prepared at least 12,317 meals for you, approximately. If you are a grown-up and don’t live with your mom, and don’t want to break into her house early in the morning lest you get shot, then you might just have to plan the breakfast thing instead of surprising her with it. She’ll still appreciate it, I bet. Anyway, how about a momelette?! I am going to just give you some delicious ideas because I know you can figure out how to make an omelette.

Spring has sprung, friends! Whether you’re planning to learn a new craft this new season or looking to use all the craft supplies you hoarded over the long winter (guilty!!!), celebrate with this bounty of free projects…and a spring sale! Right now (until April 26), all of these featured books are on sale at 50% off their list price at BN.com.

Pretty Stamped Stone from Making an Impression

Blooming Flowers Bracelet from Shrink! Shrank! Shrunk!

Crocheted Leaves & Berries (a bonus project from Crochet Garden)

Easy Paper Marigolds from Paper Blooms

Mushroom Terrarium from Stash Happy: Felt

Lavender Sachets from Heart-Felt Holidays

Here’s a link for more info…and the full list of books in the sale!

If you’re searching for an antidote to April’s showers, then you’ve come to the right place! It’s Flower Friday at Lark, an occasion for celebration as we crack the covers on Jeffery Rudell’s new release, Paper Blooms: 25 Extraordinary Flowers to Make for Weddings, Celebrations & More—a book that’s certain to get you into the swing of spring.

In this delightful collection of projects, Rudell shows you how to make an array of flowers using his genius patterns and easy papercraft techniques. All of the classic blooms are included—poppy, sunflower, black-eyed Susan—along with a few surprises. Rudell has included step-by-step photos on how to assemble each, as well as tips on selecting paper and working with color and scale. From the big picture (creating table-worthy arrangements) down to the fine details (shaping petals and stems), Paper Blooms covers all the bases. Whether you’re making a simple spray or a statement flower, filling a buttonhole or a bud vase, you’ll discover springtime bliss in Paper Blooms.

In honor of Flower Friday, we’re offering a free how-to from the book. A quick way to get your flower fix (without getting your hands dirty), the Marigold project pictured above is a sure cure for spring fever.

Download the free project instructions here: Marigold. 

Start slow and small!

Today I would like to share with you some inexpensive DIY garden projects, some of which I have done, and some others that I aspire to do! I will share our highly functional—if a bit ugly—wooden pallet garden beds, a home made screen door, a soda bottle “cold frame,” outdoor Mod Podge ideas, a little inspiration for beautifying a low-budget-small-space garden, and a few free projects from our book Eco Craft by Susan Wasinger!

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow. Maybe you forgot. Maybe you already bought a gift for your sweetie, but you want to add a personal touch to that effects pedal she really wanted for her electric ukulele. Or, maybe you went out on your lunch break today and got your wonderful love of your life some of those bacon and lavender truffles he loves so much, but they came in a flimsy cellophane bag. Or maybe you and your love agreed when you started dating back in June that you did not care about Valentine’s Day, that you would show each other how much you care EVERY day. But now that you’ve spent the last seven nights in a row catching up on the Walking Dead together and eating frozen dinners in front of the TV, you’re thinking it might be about time for a spike in the romance graph. Whatever your reason for needing a quick, easy, inexpensive, last-minute gift, here are a couple wonderful projects I found while leafing through Quick & Easy Paper Crafts looking for last-minute gift ideas!

Origami Box

This first project is surprisingly sturdy; and literally, all you need is paper and scissors. You can get creative with this too! You could write a love letter to your sweet, make it into a lid for the box, and then put those exquisite truffles inside. (Here is a homemade truffle recipe that will get you and your special someone all set for your romantic, zombie-free Valentine’s evening.) You could use magazine pages. You can use decorative paper. You could print out the itinerary for that surprise trip to Antarctica and make that into a box, and then place a tiny snow globe inside. You could even put…an engagement ring in the box! Anyway, you get the idea. Here is your origami box project.

Girl, get your cookie on. With these beautiful little treats (literally sprinkled with GOLD DUST) you will be The Queen of your Mardi Gras party whether you get the baby from the king cake or not! This is one seriously impressive cookie.

Fat Tuesday is nearly upon us, and if you are lucky enough to be invited to (or throwing) a party for the bacchus occasion, then you might be called upon to create a themed culinary offering. Friends will likely bring hurricanes and king cakes, etouffe and beignets, but I bet no one will have anything like these pretty little shimmering cookies!

Bridget Edwards’ Decorating Cookies has been such a spectacular hit, hanging in the top five cookie books on Amazon since it published in October. Sooo, I wanted an excuse to share some of it with you. This dazzling recipe was originally intended to be a Mother’s Day treat, but I could not help but see how festively it lends itself to Mardi Gras fare. Without further ado, I give you Queen-for-a-Day cookies!