The Ollibots, are a special toy that will be sure to be tons of fun!
These Ollibots are meant to be played with, loved, and mixed and matched! They aren’t too hard to put together, and included in the PDF are 6 pages of detailed, step-by-step instructions and drawings. We have also listed supplies here with links, for your convenience to buying parts.
Materials needed to make 6 Robots for the Ollibot Starter Pack:
Blocks:
• 1 bag of 10 Head Blocks (1.5” blocks) (We recommend ordering #SQ1500 from craftparts.com)
• 6 Torso Blocks (2” blocks) (#SQ2000 from craftparts.com)
• 1 bag of 25 Arms/Legs (3” wide x 1-1/4” tall x 1/4” thick) (#CO2725 from craftparts.com)
• 1 bag of 10 Circle Discs (2” diameter & 1/4” thick) (#JC5925 from craftparts.com)
• 2 bags of 10 Leg Blocks (1” blocks) (#SQ1000 from craftparts.com)
• 1 bag of 25 feet (1-3/8” wide x 1” tall x 3/16” thick) (#JC7518 from craftparts.com)
Other Supplies:
• Mod Podge (We recommend the Hard Coat purple Mod Podge)
• Scissors or xacto + mat
• Elmer’s Wood Glue
Connectors:
•34 Velcro Squares (Sticky Back 7/8” square) (You can find these at craft stores or online)
**Special note about Supplies: These Ollibots are designed to be made in sets of 6. Because they are made from several different parts, it is most economical to buy bags of each part, and make several robots. The good news is that they make great gifts and great toys! Buying in bulk online will help you save a lot of money!
]]>1. Print Gobble Gobble Turkey from the Chalk It Up Dinning Set.
2. Outline your turkey and his feathers with some good old fashioned white glue.
3. Give that glue a heavy sprinkling of your favorite glitter.
4. Let the glue dry for a couple of hours, then shake off the excess glitter.
Hang your glittered artwork in a place of honor and enjoy.
Written by Nikki from The Salty Pineapple
]]>We are SO excited about this new series of Camera related products! We have been working very hard on these for a few months now, and we hope you love them too! We released three Camera products, a Poster Pack, Individual Prints, and Toy Cameras. You can find something for everyone!
Included in this set are black and white cameras, ready to color, or already colored cameras that you just need to print! Two different styles are included, one for folding and taping, and the second for attaching to wood to create a sturdier camera that can withstand a drop or step!
These toy cameras would be a great activity at a party, or on a rainy day. Let the kids color a camera of their choice, help them glue/tape, add some string and just like that they have a camera! You phone’s storage will thank you, and your kids imagination can run wild!
20 different cameras are included in this pack, sized to both 5×7 and 8×10 to decorate your walls. There are professional, quirky, nostalgic, and vintage cameras all beautifully drawn by Mike Loveland. Hang as fun artwork in your office, or teach your kids about the time when you didn’t get to see the picture you took for a few days!
Who doesn’t love a good camera collection? The perfect conversation piece for your living room, our Camera Poster Pack is a lovely reminder of the history behind something we use everyday. This poster pack includes 8 different options, so you can choose the right fit for you! If you don’t know all the camera names, don’t worry there are labels on a few of the options!
The poster is formatted to print 16 x 20 at either a photo lab or a print shop. Most photo labs should be able to print this for about $6. Call around for pricing options, but we recommend Costco!
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Say hello to the Woodland Thanksgiving Set! This is a whimsical set of printables that includes large format printable posters for your walls as well as printable decorations for your table top. We thought it would be helpful to write this blog post to let you know exactly what comes in this set, and how we recommend using it!
WALL ART
First let’s start with the options for decorating walls! For this set, we have seven poster options with different sentiments for Thanksgiving. Choose your favorites and print them out! Each of the designs are offered on black on white or white on black.
PRINTING these large posters: We often get the question of HOW to print these large images. It is actually pretty easy and inexpensive. Just put the files onto a jump drive and go to a local print shop that does engineering or architectural prints (we recommend calling ahead to confirm that they do these large prints for under $10; for us, Staples has yielded the most consistent positive results). The print shop will take care of the rest. If you are still hesitant about doing this, we have more detailed instructions here, and our blog contributor Lazy Krista just recently wrote a great post about how to print large scale, where she even admits that the idea of this was initially overwhelming and intimidating to her. But after doing it for the first time, she realized it was no big deal at all! The posters can print up to 36 x 48 inches, but you can request smaller sizes as well. The print shop will typically charge you per square foot, so smaller prints = smaller prices.
DINING DECOR
Table Covering: This set includes a giant table covering with the adorable woodland creatures! This is a very easy way to bring BIG IMPACT to your table! Simply print your table covering like any of the posters, and use over a tablecloth or over butcher paper. Feel free to give your guests pens, markers, or crayons, and invite them to color if they would like as well! Four options are included in this set.
These print up to 36 inches by 48 inches (HINT: That is BIG!). We like them covering the whole table, but you could also have fun with them as a runner along your table top! Print out full size, and cut them down the middle!
Extras for the Table: We have also included napkin rings (4 designs with black or white background) and placemats (5 designs with black or white background). If you prefer not to do the giant table coverings, then use the placemats! And napkin rings are an easy ways to dress up your table just a little bit more.
NAPKIN RINGS:
PLACEMATS:
EXTRAS! EXTRAS!
In this set, we have also included an invitation for your Thanksgiving meal as well as thank you cards! These products are also available on their own as free downloads, but if you purchase the Woodland Thanksgiving Set, rest assured that these files are also included in your download!
Feel free to leave us any questions you might have about this set! With so many options, it’s easy to make it yours. We’d love to see what you do with this set, so please share pictures of your Thanksgiving decor with us on Instagram (tag @caravanshoppe and/or use the #caravanshoppe hashtag), or Facebook!
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Today we have launched the Grateful Praise Thanksgiving Set! This is a beautiful and elegant set of printables that includes large format printable posters for your walls as well as printable decorations for your table top. Because we may have overstuffed this set (fitting for Thanksgiving, right?) we thought it would be helpful to write this blog post to let you know exactly what comes in this set, and how we recommend using it!
WALL ART
First let’s start with the options for decorating walls! For this set, we chose one of our favorite thanksgiving hymns, “For the Beauty of the Earth,” written by Foliott S. Pierpoint. Using these lyrics, we have created poster options that will work on their own, or printed and displayed together.
“For the Beauty of the Earth”: We have 3 design options for the first line of this hymn: 1) Horizontal and plain, 2) Horizontal with foliage, 3) Vertical with foliage. You can also choose to print these black on white or white on black.
“For the Beauty of the Skies”: We’ve included the same options as above. 1) Horizontal and plain, 2) Horizontal with stars, 3) Vertical with stars. Also in black on white and white on black.
“Lord of all to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise”: The last line of the hymn is available in black on white or white on black, with foliage above and below.
Whole hymn: We have also included 2 options (vertical and horizontal) for you to display the entire hymn if you would like!
Finally, we have included 2 sentiments that are unrelated to the hymn, but perfect for Thanksgiving!
PRINTING these large posters: We often get the question of HOW to print these large images. It is actually pretty easy and inexpensive. Just put the files onto a jump drive and go to a local print shop that does engineering or architectural prints (we recommend calling ahead to confirm that they do these large prints for under $10; for us, Staples has yielded the most consistent positive results). The print shop will take care of the rest. If you are still hesitant about doing this, we have more detailed instructions here, and our blog contributor Lazy Krista just recently wrote a great post about how to print large scale, where she even admits that the idea of this was initially overwhelming and intimidating to her. But after doing it for the first time, she realized it was no big deal at all! The posters can print up to 36 x 48 inches, but you can request smaller sizes as well. The print shop will typically charge you per square foot, so smaller prints = smaller prices.
DINING DECOR
Table Covering: My favorite part of this set (this is Alma writing here) is the giant table covering! I think that this instantly transforms your table into something AMAZING! Simply print your table covering like any of the posters, and use over a tablecloth or over butcher paper. This beautiful table covering combines flowing foliage and calligraphy and is stunning in both black on white or white on black. Feel free to give your guests pens, markers, or crayons, and invite them to color if they would like as well!
These print up to 36 inches by 48 inches (HINT: That is BIG!). We like them covering the whole table, but they would also look stunning as a runner along your table top! Print out full size, and cut them down the middle!
Extras for the Table: We have also included napkin rings (4 designs with black or white background), placemats (5 designs with black or white background), and place cards (4 designs with black or white background). If you prefer not to do the giant table coverings, then use the placemats! And napkin rings and place cards are easy ways to dress up your table just a little bit more.
NAPKIN RINGS:
PLACEMATS:
EXTRAS! EXTRAS!
In this set, we have also included an invitation for your Thanksgiving meal as well as thank you cards! These products are also available on their own as free downloads, but if you purchase the Grateful Praise Thanksgiving Set, rest assured that these files are also included in your download!
I think that sums it up! Feel free to leave us any questions you might have about this set! With so many options, it’s easy to make it yours. We’d love to see what you do with this set, so please share pictures of your Thanksgiving decor with us on Instagram (tag @caravanshoppe and/or use the #caravanshoppe hashtag), or Facebook!
]]>I have a confession. When I was asked to be a contributor to Caravan’s blog I almost turned it down for one silly reason: I was terrified to print the large posters. I quickly learned that my fear had no merit. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to get these large posters printed!
Let me tell you how easy it is. This past week, I went to Staples to get the Blast Off Poster printed for my rocket ship obsessed son. I planned on printing the poster and a few more things on normal card stock paper in color. I went to the store and quickly learned that the employee working the printing station had only been working for two weeks and it was her first time alone that evening. I told her what I needed and she had my poster printed within two minutes but I ended up having to go back because she couldn’t figure out how to print the colored copies. See? It’s even easier than getting regular color copies made!
If you’re putting off printing your posters because you have no idea what to do, I’m here to help! This is how you get them printed, step by step.
First things first. Go buy your prints from Caravan! Almost immediately after you purchase your prints, you will get an email that contains the files of the items you purchased. Click on the link and the files will download to your computer. I like having a folder on my computer that I can save all the things I’ve purchased online to so I don’t loose them.
Each item from Caravan comes with two things in it: the product and a set of instructions. The picture above is a screenshot of both items on my computer. Everything you need to know about printing one of the posters is in the instructions. They even include the sizes you can print your poster at.
Transfer the file of the poster and the instructions to a jump drive and head to your local printer. I like going to Staples. When you get to the printer, hand them your jump drive and tell them you have a file you’d like to get printed. They will bring up the files on their computer and all you need to tell them is you’d like the poster printed in black and white. These large posters are also called engineering prints. If they ask you specifically what size you want and you’re not sure, you can have them pull up the instructions on your jump drive.
The printer may also ask you if you have the right to print the file you are bringing in. The instructions contain a copyright release. Show them the instruction file and you will be good to go.
There are so many great things about printing these posters! As I said earlier, I just printed the Blast Off Poster. I had it printed at 36 x 48 inches and it only cost $7.79. Because it’s so budget friendly and I still have the file on my computer if anything happens to the poster, I love putting them in places where my two year old plays. It gives him the opportunity to learn to respect the things I hang on the wall without being panicked that he may rip the poster.
Also, My husband and I recently moved into a new home with lots of white walls and nothing to decorate them with. The Caravan posters have turned our boring house into a cozy home while we’re deciding what we permanently want to do. We have the It’s Better Tandem Print hanging in our bedroom, the Camera! print in the playroom, and I’ve been using the Pregnancy Countdown poster to countdown my current pregnancy. They’ve also helped me expand my sad collection of holiday decorations. I have a poster on hand for almost every holiday. You can definitely say I’m a fan of these posters!
Now that you know how easy these posters are to print, I hope you’ll get to the printer’s and finally get that poster you’ve been putting off printing printed.
]]>It is so easy to turn Caravan Shoppe designs into temporary tattoos for you and your little ones to enjoy! There is a variety of temporary tattoo paper available – we chose this one and it worked well with a home printer. After purchasing and downloading the monster “Say Roar!” kit, we selected the full sheet sticker monsters, printed it according to the tattoo paper’s instructions, and then applied just like any temporary tattoo!
These would make an awesome non-candy Halloween treat that kids would simply “roar” over. I made them in combination with stickers, a bunting, and Halloween Olliblocks for Cloudy Day Craft Packs that were donated to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Mount Sinai Hospital where my daughter received a liver transplant.
Let us in on your tattoo fun by tagging your photos with #caravanshoppe. We can’t wait to see what you were able to create!
]]>With this DIY frame you can easily switch out your posters when ever you like. Wall art ready for hanging all over your house.
Supplies:
48″ x 36″ Halloween Chalk Art Poster
4 18″ x 24″ canvases (I picked mine up in a 4 pack at Walmart for $15.)
Staple gun and staples
Set your blank canvases, face side down, to measure 48″ x 36″. Use your handy staple gun to staple the canvases together. The more staples the better. When all four sides are connected, carefully flip the four connected canvases over and staple the other side together. You now have a giant canvas ready for your poster.
Trim up the edges of your poster and center it on your canvas. With your staple gun, carefully staple the poster down in the four corners. Leave the poster as is, or add a little decorative tape around the edges for a little flare. Set your poster up in it’s new home and enjoy!
Written by Nikki from The Salty Pineapple
]]>Say hello to Caravan’s new printable MONSTER ALPHABET!! This project was incredibly fun to work on! Alma Loveland created an uppercase and lowercase monster version of each letter in the alphabet. It features a fun color palette and lots of emotion and character in each of the letters! This is a fun way for parents and kids to learn the letters of the alphabet together, to play games, and to decorate!
The Monster Alphabet Print and Play is a printable set of characters formatted to different sizes that will work on blocks or tiles. With this artwork, you can make several projects:
What you do with your products is up to you. The tiles would make great magnets! We’ve given you the same quantities that you’d find in a Scrabble game, so you can play games like speed Scrabble or Banangrams.
The Monster Alphabet Poster Pack includes three 16 x 20 posters that show all letters (uppercase only, lowercase only, and a mix of upper and lowercase) as well as each letter individually formatted to 8 x 10 inches or 5 x 7 inches. Print and frame the individual letters that you like, or use them to make a garland!
Although a great fit for the Halloween season, the bright color palette of the Monster Alphabet allows these letters to shine brightly all year long!
]]>Are you loving the Draw-Together Birthday Set as much as I am? It’s packed with so many great things including these adorable party hats! They even come in black and white and color! These hats are so versatile and will fit any birthday party you are throwing.
The party hats can also be decorated! With some super simple supplies, you can make these hats the hit of your party. Dress up the hats yourself or set up a hat decorating station at the party. How much fun would that be! The supplies you use can easily be adjusted to fit the age group of the party. Use tape to attach decorations with young children or pull out glue and a stapler for the older ones.
To make this fun fringed hat, all you’ll need is ribbon and streamers. For the hat topper, use several strands of ribbon, folded over, and bunched up. Then take a piece of tape and secure the ends together. Slip the end into the top of the hat! For the fringe, you’ll need two long pieces of streamers. Use scissors to make small slits along both sides of the long edges. Tape or glue the fringe along the bottom of the hat and then use your fingers to fluff up the fringe.
Next up is the striped balloon hat! All you need is a handful of balloons and some ribbons. For the topper, gather up your balloons and tie the ends together with a rubber band. Slip the end of the bunch into the top of the hat. For the stripes, take strips of ribbon and glue or tape each strand to the hat. I love the look of the random stripes!
Now the pom pom hat! All you need are pom poms! To make the pom pom out of yarn for the top of the hat, I followed this simple video. They are very easy to make, so don’t worry if you’ve never made one before! You’ll probably want to hot glue gun the pom pom to the top of the hat. For the bottom of the hat, I had some trim with poms on it that I attached to the edge. You could also use some that you made to decorate the edge. If making pom poms is not your thing, but you love this look, buy the fuzzy ones at most craft stores for cheap!
Now you have three easy ways to dress up your party with party hats! Have fun, and get creative with these! There are endless ways to decorate them.
Written by Krista from Lazy Saturdays
]]>We wanted to do a How To for making your Creepy Cardboard Cutouts. They are simple to make, and would be so fun to have on your porch while the kids are out trick-or-treating, or at any party, adults and kids alike will love it!
Step 1: Purchase and download the artwork. Chose which board(s) you want to make and send those files to a printer!
*Tips for printing Large Format:
We recommend using Staples to print large black and white prints. Either email the files, or take them in on a flash drive, and specify what size you want them to printed. Make sure and ask for the artwork to be printed on their engineering printer; each print will be around $7. These boards will size anywhere up to 36″ by 48″, and we found that to be the perfect size for adults to hold, or to be set on the ground for kids to stand behind.
Step 2: Mounting the artwork
You can purchase foam core from Hobby Lobby and most craft stores for under $10. They come in sheets sized 36″ by 48″, so you do not have to trim them down if you print out the artwork at the biggest size like we did. We recommend using foam core because it is easy to cut out the face holes, and is durable. If you have large sheets of cardboard lying around, that would work too!
To mount the artwork to your board of choice, we suggest using a spray adhesive. If you are nervous about mounting, go for a repositionable spray mount, so you can move the artwork and smooth out bubbles even after you’ve laid the paper down. Follow the directions on the back of the can, and spray half the board. Lay down the artwork as straight as you can, and smooth out any bubbles. Spray the remaining half of the board and smooth the paper onto it.
Step 3: Cutting out the Hole
Use a sharp x acto knife and press down firmly to cut. Remember to place a cutting mat under the board so you don’t cut into your floors! We ended up cutting twice, one was shallow, and gave us the shape, while the second time we cut deeper to get through the board.
For the Mummy and Globe, chose one of the head shape PDFs provided in the download, or create your own based off your desired size. Tape the paper to the board using washi tape so it doesn’t damage the artwork. Cut around the oval and through the board.
For the Creepy Wall, cut out the black area, it’s okay if they aren’t straight lines, it goes with the hand drawn feel!
Step 4: Displaying the Boards
For an adult party, let your guests hold the boards themselves, and crop out their legs when you take the picture, or include their legs if they have a fun costume on! For kids, have an adult hold the board, or adhere it to a box or crosspiece so it will stand on its own. If you are feeling adventurous, hang the boards from the ceiling.
We cannot wait to see all your pictures in these creepy scenes! Let your guests go wild!
]]>This Halloween Draw Together Set is sure to spook your Halloween guests! Giant printables, placemats, mini candy bar wrappers, fireplace and mantle options, (and more!) are sure to spice up your home this Halloween season!
Our next product is sure to spice up your party or front porch! Guests will love showing off their costumes and personalities through these hand drawn spooky scenes. The Creepy Cardboard Cutouts are easy to make, easy to display, and fun to use!
Get into the spirit of Halloween with this Trick or Treat Brush Script Set! It comes with 18 posters, placemats, and spooky bats and skulls for extra decor, that you simply download and print. Light a few candles and you’ve got one spooky night ahead of you!
You can find these and the rest of our Halloween decor here. Happy haunting!
]]>It’s Space Week here at Caravan! This week is packed with old and new products on sale! First off we have the Smollspace + Minifolk Space sets! These sets are perfectly paired for out of this world fun!
Next up is the Swap-It Rocket. The sky is the limit with these rockets! These are a fantastic toy for both boys and girls. Stack, build and re-arrange the rockets to create something new! Rockets can be connected using velcro, magnets, or snaps.
Our model was so excited to show us HIS idea of what to do with his Swap-It Rocket. He flew it and then made it land on the moon! (He loves his new glow-in-the-dark moon shirt by Land’s End!)
Don’t let these two faces fool you! This poster will only cost around $7 to print! The Blast Off Poster has already been a hit at the Loveland home! After the photo shoot it was rolled up and put in Oliver’s room!
And what’s a space week without a little Neil Armstrong? Our One Small Step poster is absolutely free!
Make Caravan Shoppe your final frontier with our other space related products on sale this week!
Our Out of this World Valentines and Monsters & Superheros + Careers Olliblocks all have one thing in common… anti-gravity characters ready to play!
]]>This week we have launched Pirate Olliblocks and Merfolk Olliblocks, and I couldn’t be more excited! Initially I had planned on releasing this as a combined set (Pirates and Mermaids) but after lots of very helpful feedback from our community on Instagram, I realized that we’d be missing out if we only had 6 pirates, 6 mermaids, and 6 sea creatures! So I doubled my efforts (literally) and came up with a whole set of 18 Pirate characters and 18 Merfolk characters. Today I thought I’d share a little bit of the behind-the-scenes on the design/development process.
I created my first sets of Olliblocks almost two years ago now. I had simply wanted to design something for my kids to play with, but when I saw how much they enjoyed the blocks, and how people responded to pictures of them on Instagram, I decided that I could share them as a digital download and allow others to make the blocks as well! Since September 2012, I have designed many more sets of Olliblocks to fill the requests of our customers! In fact, at the point of writing this, we have a total of 168 Olliblocks characters! Um, wow… this is the first time I have actually counted them!
When it comes time for a new set of Olliblocks, I open up my Olliblocks Master document (I design everything in Adobe Illustrator). Here I have all of my Olliblocks characters in different layers, and it helps me to be consistent in color choices as well as body positions. Because the Olliblocks coordinate across all sets, I have to be careful of all transition points (necks and hips). In this document, I can also double check that I’m not accidentally making two characters too much alike. With 168 characters, it happens sometimes!
For this set of Pirates, as I said above, I had originally intended to do 6 pirate characters. I started with 2 men, 2 girls, and 2 “ship’s kids.” When I showed my progress on Instagram, people requested that I make girl pirates, some going so far as to say, “Girl pirates! I’m begging you!” This helped me to examine what I was offering, and realize that the girl pirate characters I’d already shown weren’t strong enough to even be noticed. At the same time, on the Mermaid end of things, I had developed 3 mermaids with long flowing hair, and someone requested girl mermaids with “fierce short hair.” Based mainly on these two pieces of feedback, I decided to expand the set and split it into two so that I could really give a variety of strong female and male characters in both categories.
I had a blast pushing past stereotype on the girl pirates, giving them hooks, peg legs, and weapons (even a bomb!), and making them just as bad-ass as the guys.
For this set of Merfolk, I was excited to design just as many mermen as mermaids. It was extra fun to break the Olliblocks mold and be able to use alternative hair colors as well as very flowy hair! I struggled with the fact that all Olliblocks characters must wear shirts so that they can easily mix and match across all sets, and you don’t typically imagine merfolk as shirt-wearing creatures. As I thought through the issue, the idea of rash-guards occurred to me, so the clothing I’ve designed for these merfolk is very rash-guard inspired. Instead of creating a shell bra, I can create a shirt with a shell pattern. I figure this has the added benefit of setting Olliblocks merfolk apart from other illustrations out there!
For this set, I needed to develop 6 sea creatures, but I hit a road block here. A little over a year ago, I designed 18 animal characters for the zoo booster set, and there were simply certain animals that I didn’t think could ever fit the Olliblocks format of being upright and separated into equal thirds. Luckily, I am married to an artist, Mike, who has actual training and experience in illustration (whereas I am self-taught, not including the AMAZING things that I have learned by working with Mike). When I told him that sea creatures weren’t really possible, he looked at me like I was crazy. Of course they were possible! So I printed out a bunch of boxes for him to fit some sketches into and asked him for his take on these creatures. We developed a list of 6 together, and an hour and a half later, Mike had pretty much done most of my work:
From Mike’s sketches, I could immediately see the solution to these creatures that had entirely eluded me before. Thanks to his work, developing these characters was much, much easier!
All in all, this was an incredibly fun project! To give you an idea of time, each Olliblock character on average takes a little over an hour to create and refine. The design alone of these 36 characters represented a solid week of fully-focused work for me! Then I still had to format and prep download files, do print tests, assemble the product and shoot it, which all happened the week after designing. Now, at the end, I am thrilled to have these new sets available in our shop! I’ll take a little break from Olliblocks, but hope to have one more full set ready later this fall!
]]>Included in the set are large number posters 1-18 that can be colored or left black and white. How adorable is that sweet two year old face?! Head over to The Color Issue to see the full ombre cake tutorial!
Because we love birthdays, and our customers, we made the invite free! All three animals are included in the set, and come with bow ties you can add on. Attach the bow ties with a brad to make them spin, and leave your guests in awe.
The Color Issue made these easy cakes for each guest to decorate as a fun unique activity.
The same animals we used for the invites are included in the Draw Together Birthday Pack as giant wall art for “pin-the-bow tie.” We love these smiley huggable prints, and can’t wait to see what else you guys use them for!
Also released this week, our Merfolk Olliblocks and Pirate Olliblocks! They are the perfect gift or party favor, especially wrapped in the paper included in the Draw Together Birthday Pack. This paper spells out Happy Birthday in over 10 languages, and is bound to spark some conversation, or teach your little one a new phrase.
]]>One of my favorite games in the Caravan Shoppe is the Match That Monkey game! I love matching games and the monkey faces are too cute. I’m going to show you how to make and easy drawstring bag to hold your monkey game. This will work for both sizes of the game
For the supplies, you will need 7″ by 16″ of a fun fabric, basic sewing supplies, ribbon or cording, and your Match That Monkey game.
Start with your 7″ by 16″ piece of fabric. Fold it in half, with right sides together, and sew the sides, using a 1/2″ seam allowance, but stop 1 inch from the top.
Finish your seams by either trimming them with pinking shears or a zig zag stitch next to your straight stitch within the seam allowance. This will prevent your fabric from fraying.
Fold the one inch tabs now sticking out in 1/4″ and press well. Fold in another 1/4″ and press again. Repat on all four sides.
Keeping the tabs folded, now fold the top down 1/4″ and press well. The fold again 1/2″ and again press well. Repeat to the other side.
Sew close to the fold all the way around the bag. You’ve now created two casings. You’re almost done!
Lay the bottom of your bottom of your bag flat, pulling out a corner. Draw a line about one inch from the point.
Sew along the line and trim off the corner with pinking shears or just leave the corner on.
Cut two pieces of ribbon or cord about 12″ long. I used suede cording for my bag. Use a safety pin to feed one piece of the cord through each casing,
Tie a not at both ends and you’re done! Throw your Match That Monkey game in your bag for a quick, easy solution to occupy antsy kids or keep it on you coffee table to play with guests!
Written by Krista from Lazy Saturdays
]]>Supplies:
1 Saint Candle. (We found ours at the Dollar Tree).
1 8.5×11″ sheet of printed sticker paper.
Instructions:
1) Print the background star pattern on sticker paper. Download your printing pattern here.
2) Place your printed sticker paper on the Cricut mat. Cut the constellations out of the sticker paper. Download your cutting template here. When importing the .svg file drag the file until it is 7″ wide. *Tip: use the “vinyl” setting on the cricket for cutting. It will cut through the first layer of sticker leaving the second layer in one piece!
3) Make sure to take the barcode sticker off of your candle. Peal the sticker paper and adhere to your candle. Lay your candle horizontal on the table and roll it onto the sticker piece by piece.
4) Light the candle and watch as the constellations appear brighter and brighter as the wax melts!
Check out our Midsummer Minglers doing the craft.
We loved sharing these 5×7″ prints with everyone that came into our booth. You can find the prints here and print them small or large!
This post and party was sponsored by Cricut.
]]>With just one modification (adding a lining to the bag) we followed the instructions and found that THIS BAG IS SO EASY. Seriously, if it’s not easy we don’t do it.
We used the Tanning Ladies fabric but you can find the rest of our other fabric here.
*And because you’re dying to know, according to Alma, “Crazy Rich Asians” as a good beach read!
]]>It’s summer! And with temperatures on the rise, entrepreneurial children everywhere are taking to the streets with cold, fresh lemonade! Here at Caravan, we wanted to create lemonade stand printables that are easy, fun, and make your product so enticing that your neighbors just can’t say no. Let us introduce you to the Ultimate Lemonade Stand!
The Ultimate Lemonade Stand dresses up what you already have! We are not handy builders over here at Caravan. Seriously, guys. A trip to the hardware store was already a little out of our comfort zone, but we were able to build our display very affordably, using mostly things we already had:
What we had:
What we bought:
After decorating the chipboard with the pattern poster and our garlands (see below), we nailed it to the two wooden beams. We then fit it on either side of our table and tied it to the legs. Phew! That’s it! The rest of our stand again just used things we had on hand, like fake plants, fresh fruit, and glass/plastic pitchers. We simply set our “summer fun fund” up on a stool beside our table.
Then it was just a matter of using the Ultimate Lemonade Stand assets to kick everything up a notch! For your stand, just do the same. Use what you have, and get creative with the printables that we provide. Of course we’d love to see what you come up with, so if you put together a lemonade stand using our printables, share a picture on our Facebook page, or on instagram with the hashtag #caravanshoppe!
POSTERS
Included in this pack are two black and white posters that can be printed HUGE (up to 36 x 48 inches) for about $7 each at Staples or any print shop that does engineering prints or blueprints. (We’ve tried several other chains and seem to have the most consistent good results at Staples.)
Fresh Lemonade: We used this poster as the main sign for our stand. We printed it at 36 x 48 inches, and then colored the poster with crayons (psst! behind the scenes here!). When we put the sign in front of our table, we realized that it was a little too tall. No problem! The poster is very forgiving. We cut a little off the top and bottom to fit it to our table. Had we been more prepared, we could have measured our table before having the sign printed at Staples, and requested the sign be printed at the correct size to begin with. Don’t worry. We remind you about that in the printing instructions! This sign looked fantastic mounted to foam core. It would also work mounted to anything you have on hand like plywood or cardboard!
Pattern Poster: This pattern poster also can print up to 36 x 48 inches. We printed one sheet of it, and used it to wrap the topper of our stand! Look at your own lemonade stand setup and think about how you could use this poster! It could be used as a table cloth or you could even cut it up and use it to decorate packaging of any other add-on items you’re selling at your stand (like baked goods).
MENUS, RECIPES, AND STRAW FLAGS!
This kit comes with illustrated lemonade menu signs, including regular lemonade, watermelon lemonade, raspberry lemonade, and mint lemonade. Print the ones that apply to what you plan on offering. Don’t know how to make watermelon lemonade? No problem: we’ve included recipes for everything! But we’re not going to judge you if you use a raspberry lemonade mix, either. Let’s admit it, that’s what we did! In addition to these menu signs, we have decorative straw flags to dress up your straws! We recommend printing on sticker paper (full sheet label paper)!
SUMMER FUN FUND
We have also included a sign where kids can write in what they are raising money for. Are they saving for a new bike? A trip to Disneyland? To help a friend in need? Help your neighbors feel good about supporting your children’s stand by letting them know why this money is important!
LEMONADE GARLAND
Increase your stand’s visibility by adding an eye-catching lemonade garland! All the lemon-letters for LEMONADE are included in this pack. We printed them on 8.5 x 11 card stock paper, cut out each letter, and strung them up! HINT: It’s best to measure your space first so that your garland isn’t too wide for your stand! We also created a separate tissue paper tassel garland to dress this up!
ARROWS
Finally, let people know where to find the stand! Whether one child is assigned to be the sign waver, or you have it staked to the ground or a telephone pole at a nearby intersection, let people know where you are! We’ve included black and white signs that can be colored or left as-is, or full-color signs that are ready to print and cut (see top of the post)! We also would recommend mounting these to foam core or cardboard for stability!
So now you have everything you need to run a super-successful lemonade stand! Treat your printables well, and they’ll last you all summer! Alma and Mike’s niece tested the Ultimate Lemonade Stand out before it was available in the shop (family perks, yo), and was thrilled to have made $18 in just an hour and a half. Waitaminute, isn’t that more than Caravan pays its interns?? Shhhh!
]]>Photography by Natalie Norton.
Videography by Steve Olpin and Abby Keenan (coming soon!)
Sponsored by Cricut, Save on Crafts, Atly, Blickenstaffs & Called to Surf.
Other Sponsors:
Lizy’s Lilies, Amy Anne (Floral Crowns), Partyland, Cougar Copy, The Land of Nod, Cocoa Bean, Blickenstaffs, Called to Surf, Ramblin Rose, Scenemakers, Mend, Michael Miller, American Crafts, Shop Sweet Lulu.
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1. A Backyard Party | 2. Gals Luncheon
A Lovely Dinner Party Done Easy by Arianna
I am no stranger to cooking, baking, and especially not entertaining, but when I was in Philadelphia recently and had the opportunity to help my sister prepare for her dinner party, I realized I have been making the process way harder than it has to be. Her party looked as though it was straight out of a magazine, the kids were entertained, and she was able to spend the evening with her guests instead of in the kitchen. Here are a few things I learned for throwing a fabulous dinner party!
1. A theme makes planning a dream
Themed parties can be seen by some as cheesy, but if done right then the rest of the details fall into place. Bonus: your party will have a cohesive feel that will make it an even more memorable evening. The theme doesn’t have to be as obvious as say, a luau, but a subtle guide that you follow throughout every aspect of your party. For example, your theme could be inspired by the Italian countryside or a color palette – such as only using black and white. Choosing a theme will help you narrow down the menu options, such as deciding on the appropriate wine to accompany a certain dish or inspire beautiful centerpieces that will enhance the surroundings. For a fun addition to a themed party, print out a backdrop and provide props for guests to be photographed in front of as they enter!
2. Remove all distractions
Kids and dogs can be somewhat distracting while planning a large get-together so make arrangements ahead of time to ensure everyone is taken care of. Normally I love my dog Brodie’s energy, but not-so-much when I’m running around from room to room. My sister did a quick online search for local dog boarding in her neighborhood so that we didn’t have to take the time to drive to a country-side kennel or risk getting stuck in traffic right before the party. Another option is to ask a friend to take your dog overnight, starting the morning of your party, so that you can clean, prepare, and decorate without fur flying everywhere.
Hire a babysitter to watch any kids that will be in your home the night of the party, especially your own. A babysitter your kids are already familiar with is a great option- they’ll know the “ins and outs” of your kids and you’ll feel comfortable not having to worry about this new person hanging around your kids. To help the kids feel included in the fun, arrange for the kids to set up their own party in the basement while you get ready for yours.
3. Make the entire meal ‘special’, not just a few dishes
If you have friends with a food allergy or dietary restriction, then make a few dishes with this in mind. It’s much easier than you think, and will eliminate any confusion later. The Internet is a great resource when searching for recipes and tips, so do your research in advance and plan accordingly. You want everyone to enjoy the food so make sure your gluten-free friends aren’t limited to chips and salsa all night! If this is not possible for you to do, then make sure and warn your friend(s) in advance of what dishes they should steer clear of!
4. Relinquish total control
Your friends have hosted parties before and they understand how much work goes into throwing one, so let them help you! Put your husband in charge of certain parts of the meal, set up a self-service drink station at the bar, and have a few close friends come over early to help you with last minute details. You will have a much better time if you do not try to carry the entire party on your shoulders.
Arianna is a full-time mom and a fashion-lover, world traveler, animal lover, and family woman extraordinaire. She loves to cook and bake, travel to new places, share great fashion finds, and spend time doing crafts and projects at home with her kids. She’s got a crazy busy life, but she wouldn’t have it any other way! Follow her blog at http://ariannaknowsbest.blogspot.com/ !
]]>In order to graduate she had to complete a senior project. This project was anything she wanted it to be! After filtering through a lot of ideas she came up with these clever postcards. We are so glad she was able to use the Cricut Explore for her project. It really makes the postcards so unique.
We asked her to tell us a little more about her inspiration and background for this project.
“I am absolutely enthralled by lettering. I just think it is so beautiful. Before doing this project I had a small amount of exposure to lettering and knew I wanted my senior project’s focus to be on lettering. With this project I knew I had the opportunity to really improve my own lettering. After proposing a few (pretty out there!) ideas I finally decided on postcards. I have always been a postcard hoarder. When I go on vacation I buy postcards but never actually send them. I hoard and save them for myself as a reminder of that place and that time. Selfish? I like to call it collecting…
My first go was pretty bad. Things were not working and the postcards looked so boring. With the help of my instructor we came up with the idea of making the postcards interactive. I started to come up with concepts that made sense for each location. Each of the 9 postcards I ended up have a little something extra to them.”
Here are a few of the postcards made using the Cricut Explore
“I really love the way my project turned out. It was so easy using the Cricut Explore to execute the ideas in my head, I really couldn’t have done it by hand!”
See the whole project here
]]>If this craft seems like too much for your little ones or husband to handle, (we don’t think you should have to make your own cake!), switch the phrase up for graduations, birthdays, or Father’s Day!
1. Download our free pattern here or use your favorite scrapbook paper, sized to 12″ X 12″. (Cardstock works best for your letters to stand up straight on the skewers.)
2. Download our “Mom You Rock” template or type up your own phrase with your favorite font. (Thicker fonts work best to hide the toothpicks or skewers.)
3. Let your Cricut Explore do all the work for you! Long gone are the days of cutting out each individual letter at your local craft store.
4. Attach each letter to a skewer or toothpick with hot glue or glue dots.
5. Insert the letters into the cake in whatever arrangement you desire.
]]>The Draw Together Easter Set has been making myself and my family all kinds of happy lately! From the table coverings to the egg garland, and the wall hangings to the bunny heads, my little loved ones are up to their ears in coloring. In the set are some blank bunny heads. They are great for many things! You can make a garland out of them or use them as some minimalist Easter decor. I decided to print out a few copies and let my son and nephews decorate them. The result: they loved it!
When it comes to doing crafts with kids, I’m all about being simple, and that’s exactly what this project was. After printing out the bunny heads, all I did was grab some markers and crayons, construction paper, and googly eyes. I laid everything out for the boys, and then went and told them that I had a surprise for them. They were so excited when they saw what I had laid out for them. I even got a fist pump!
These boys were on the young side, so I helped them cut out bunny noses and glue them on. Everything else, however, was all them! Don’t you love some of the googly eye placements? I think it would also be fun, if you have girls, to cut out some paper bows or make some out of pipe cleaners to glue to the ears. You could also use some pom poms for the noses.
I loved the way all their bunny heads turned out! They were all so happy as they worked! It’s so sweet to watch kids explore their creativity. Once they were done, we hung their bunny heads on the wall as decorations. This was so fun. We will have to make this an Easter tradition.
Written by Krista from Lazy Saturdays
]]>Easter is hurrying right along, isn’t it? I’ve always had a hard time figuring out how to decorate my home for Easter, until the Draw Together Easter Set arrived. In it are some adorable little Easter eggs all ready to be made into a garland. Easy decorating for the win!
Making this garland is simple! Print off a few pages of the eggs. Then pull out the markers, crayons, or water colors and let your artistic side shine. If you have kids, get them involved with this. They will love it!
Once all your eggs are colored, cut them out. One of my favorite things about these eggs are that they are drawn with a think black border, making the cutting process super easy and fast. You won’t have to be super precise in the cutting process. Love that!
If you plan on hanging your garland against a wall like I did, pull out some twine or string and tape your eggs to it. If you want to hang yours in an archway or somewhere where both sides of the garland will show, grab a glue stick. Glue two eggs with the wrong sides together with the twine sandwiched between them. Let the glue dry.
You are done and ready to hang your Easter Egg Garland! I hope this helps get your home ready for this fast approaching holiday.
Written by Krista from Lazy Saturdays
]]>The excess dyes make a fun pattern on the placemats and protect your table from the dyes!
Look for egg holders coming later this week in our shop, because we can’t promise the placemats will prevent your eggs from rolling around (they’re just paper after all!)
Any egg post would not be complete without our favorite ways to dye your eggs. We are dying (get it??) to try the marbled eggs, who doesn’t have lots of extra nail polish lying around? The stamped eggs would be perfect as clues for the egg hunt, or as name cards for your Easter brunch. Break out your watercolors to get a unique look (it might be too messy for kids!) Lastly, the yarn wrapped eggs might take more time, but they can be saved until next year and will add such a fun texture to your table.
Check out our Spring Pinterest board for these ideas and more!
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We compiled some of our favorite kids toys to surprise your little ones on Easter morning. We love the idea of filling their baskets with toys that promote creativity, rather than candy (that way you can save the Cadbury eggs for your drawer!)
1. Mixmates | 2. Glow in the dark Ping Pong | 3. Sea Life Squirt Guns
4. Cupcake Lip Gloss | 5. Finger Tentacles | 6. Kids’ Harmonica | 7. Retro Bowling Set
8. Glow in the dark Stars | 9. Rock Bouncy Balls | 10. Girls Socks
Our mixmates pair perfectly, and even fit inside of the adorable Target eggs for the Easter hunt. Just make sure you remember where you hid all of them so the kids are not missing a block of legs! The mixmates come in sets of: Careers, Boys & Girls, Monsters & Superheros, and Animals. Each set teaches problem-solving and fine motor skills to your little ones.
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Plus, they just added these stylish chairs to their collection. How cute would these be in a play room? They may just help your children sit still – or at least in one place.
To release their new products, Twig held an event and we were so honored to be invited to host a craft station for the kids. Wonderful Mike Loveland illustrated this adorable foldable camera, and we helped the kids color, fold, and glue them.
Watch for this product coming soon to our shop!
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2. Make Syrniki, a Russian Treat
3. Olympic Skiing Clothespin Dolls
4.Wall Print: Participation of Nations in the Olympics
6. Downhill Skiing Mountain Cake
We would love to be friends on Pinterest, head on over and follow us to see what sparks our creativity and to see some of our latest projects and ideas!
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