I noticed that my eldest’s Prisma colored pencil case was full of pencil tips. My hypothesis is that the pencils got sharpened, then the tips break in transit. To try to prevent future breakage, I grabbed a strip of foam sheet and used double stick tape to hold it in the end of the box.
We are doing a great room switch with the kids this summer, and I found that I had four unclaimed three-shelf cube storage shelves. My eldest needed some more storage space, so we turned them sideways and replaced the metal bed frame with the shelves. This actually works! To add suspenders and a belt, we also used wooden slats to span the space between the shelves, but it wasn’t strictly necessary. We picked up some fabric cube bins so the bed will have drawers underneath. The bins were on sale, so the sum total of the project was $24, since we already had the shelves and slats. The center of each unit is open, which the cats discovered to their delight, so we will be leaving two available for cat egress.
We have blackout curtains in all the bedrooms, but my youngest has high anxiety about fireworks and thunderstorms. She doesn’t wear her hearing aids at night, so usually can’t hear but the loudest rumble, but she can see the light flash around the blackout curtains, even without her glasses. I wedged a cardboard box in the window as a temporary fix, but we needed a better long-term solution. I knew that blackout fabric was something purchasable, but I didn’t know that Velcro had the rest of the solution. Velcro produces a household product that has one side of their hook and loop with a strong adhesive, and the other side without glue for sewing, perfect for attaching blackout fabric to a window.
Velcro didn’t mess around with this product. It is one of the strongest hook and loops I’ve encountered. Our customer service person cutting the Velcro put it together before cutting. Next time, I will ask for the two parts to be cut separately. So sticky. My window frame is a half-inch, and the Velcro was 3/4”, so I had to cut the hard side down to fit. There is still some light that creeps through, but paired with the hanging curtain, it is dark as pitch in the room. Except for the light coming from the closet, which also has a window. I have another curtain to sew.
My knitting bag next to my chair was my grandmother’s. It has a fold out wooden frame and inside pockets (pockets are important). With a kitten in the house, I need to keep it covered and keep him out of my yarn. I’ve tried several things, then rediscovered a basket lining I made years ago. Inside out, it makes a great cover. I would like to put some elastic in, to give it a snug fit, but even without it does the job of protecting my yarn. The kitten likes it, so my older cat, Izzy, thought she would give it a go.
My kids are getting older, but they still want to hang on to some of their stuffed animals. They don’t need them out and seen all the time anymore, but they aren’t ready for them to be boxed. Enter the closet hammock! My eldest had the brilliant idea to hang her actual hammock in her closet. The loops on the end slid perfectly onto the closet rod.
The hammock acts like a toy sling, keeping them off the floor, and tucks back into the side of the closet where it is difficult to access hangers anyway. Win, win.
Critters and Craft 