When I was a kid I was always trying to make stuff for my dolls out of things around the house. My Barbie dolls had furniture, clothes and even their own shopping catalog made from recycled cardboard and magazines. So now, with my own daughter, I’m always trying to come up with more fun stuff for her and her dolls that she can help make. Helping that creative sparkle glow a little I guess.

Make a doll sundress

So, the other day we grabbed some scrap fabric and make a cute little sundress. This is for an 18″ doll, but you could make the same thing for any sized doll.

How to make a no-sew doll sundress

Materials:

• Scrap fabric (cotton works best – think old pillow case)
• Fabric markers or paint
• Scissors
• Ribbon
• Fabric glue (craft glue will work, it just won’t wash well).

Make a sundress for your doll - add the straps

Steps to make a no-sew doll sundress:

1. Cut a piece of fabric approximately 18″ square.
2. Color on the fabric however you like. Don’t add any extra embellishments yet, you can do that at the end.
3. Cut a small square in the center of the fabric, this is how you’ll get the dress on the doll.
4. Glue ribbon on as trim wherever you’d like, let dry. Make sure to include trim around the top of the dress so your straps have a little extra strength behind them.
5. Add the straps by cutting a small hole on two sides of the front of the dress. Loop the ribbon through and tie off (see image).
6. Add any extra decorations you’d like. We just colored our dress, but you could add on buttons, gems or other pretty accents.

If you have a bunch of extra fabric, you could make a whole closet full of sundresses for your dolls using this method. Color them, paint them and if you know how to sew, stitch on fun extras. I’ve also made some matching sandals for this outfit using a recycled cereal box and the same ribbon used on the dress. Check out the tutoral on Doll Diaries to make your own doll sandals.

Do you ever hear yourself say “I don’t have a single creative bone in my body”? I hear it from others all time and it makes me giggle. Of course you are creative, you just might not recognize it yet! For a lot of people there seems to be a need to be able to label themselves creative before they really feel creative. That’s a bit backwards, but hey, that’s creative too!

So before I share my ideas with you, I need you to label yourself creative. Just pretend. Go put on your favorite shirt, inside out, then if anyone asks, call it your stain prevention plan. Now you’re creative and we can move past the arguing and convincing stage and jump right into the actual being stage.

How to be creative every day

First and foremost, there’s really not a “how to be creative” checklist. However, I’m going to invent a checklist for you, just incase you are a list needer. I just thought the title might get you to stop and look long enough to knock some sense into your fighting creativity mind.  You are already creative – I truly believe you have been since the day you were born. You might not know how to use that brilliant thought process, or you might have really poor hand eye coordination, but that creative gene is in there, I promise.

To get you on the right track, you need to first stop a few bad habits. Get all that negative juju out of your head so the creativity has more room to move. Once you have a nice clear mind, prepped for ideas to flow, you might be amazed at how brilliant you already are.

Let’s get going, 6 steps to set you on the path to being creative every day

Stop comparing

Creativity is a unique experience for everyone. Comparing your talents and skills and abilities with others is just setting yourself up for failure. No one looks at the world in the exact same way, so why should the way you show off what you see be the same? Let other’s inspire you, not make you feel incapable.

Don’t criticize

When you take the time to come up with an idea or make something with your own brainpower and two hands, be proud of what you’ve accomplished. Don’t step back and find all the faults in what you’ve done. If your friend did that, would you really want to be friends anymore?

Don’t doubt

Doubting just builds a wall with a giant KEEP OUT sign hanging on it. The least you can do is add pretty little painted flowers to the sign, maybe even a big SWAK smooch on it.  Stop getting in your own way, that’s not your job as your biggest fan. You can do it, you just need to bother to try.

Stop being so literal

If you want to be able to come up with new ideas, you have to stop looking at everything with an absolute literal view, literally. “Yes dear, I know that’s a wooden spoon, the package even says it’s a wood spoon.” It’s not what you call something or what other’s have label it, it’s how YOU see it that makes it creative.

Know what creativity is

Creativity is not just crafty DIY projects. I say this all the time, creativity is in everything we do. How we dress, fix our hair, write our name or view those fuzzy bunnies in the clouds. Problem solving is an aspect of creativity. McGuiver, remember him? Creative genius (yes, creative crush right there)! And I’m pretty sure he never made a pretty wreath for his front door using recycled materials and duct tape.

Do it!

Now that you’re finished comparing and criticizing and doubting, what’s left? Yep, get of your duff and just do it… just hop on to that wagon and let the band play – get going and do something today. OH that almost rhymed, completely unintentional, we call that Serendipity.. there’s you’re creative vocab word for the day.

Really the goal here is to allow yourself to be creative

We’ll talk next time about the positives about being creative. You don’t really need to learn how to be creative as much as you need to learn to stop being your own road block and just let yourself try it. Whatever “it” is, is up to you. Maybe start small, go ahead and wear dots and stripes together. Wear it with confidence because you did put it on all by yourself. Next time, try adding some cinnamon to your fruit salad and see how that spices things up a bit. Start small and within your comfort level. Allow yourself to succeed and give yourself props for being the fabulous creative brain that you are!

I’m often asked what I’m using for the neat little photos at the bottom of all my posts.  I like to share extra ideas at the bottom of my posts because I think when you’re looking for creative inspiration, it’s nice to have a few choices, and photos are so much better than just text links. So,  I like to recommend other idea articles to read using the nRelate related content plugin on my websites. I don’t remember when I first started using it, it’s been so long!

nRelate offers a ton of customizing options. Choose the look of your recommended content, how many thumbnails to show, where to show it, how to sort it and much more. I really love the Polariod layout, it’s fun and fits my personality and sites best. Geek alert! The nRelate plugin also offers an option to use your own CSS so you can style it in your own unique way.

If you’re looking for unique ways to monetize your content, nRelate even offers an advertising option. Sign up with their partner program and you can earn money as ads are rotated into your thumbnail display. I don’t currently use this feature, however, I think it’s a great way to incorporate advertising into the look of your site.

7 things I love about nRelate:

1. Content is never forgotten. Articles that are hiding in my archives are still valid today when they relate to new content.

2. Relevant content option. You can choose how related the content needs to be to be displayed. If you have a newer site, “least relevant” will allow you to display content even if it’s not a perfect fit. While sites with a ton of content can focus the recommendations of related content more by choosing “most relevant”.

3. The variety of styles. There’s sure to be a look that fits well with just about any site and if not, you can create your own CSS.

4. Quick display. The plugin doesn’t lag on my site.

5. Easy install. Just search for “nrelate” in your WordPress plugins area and click install.

6. Option to earn money. Sign up for the partner program and earn money by displaying advertising through your nRelate plugin.

7. More great plugins. nRelate also offers both a “Popular Content” and a content “flyout” plugin for more great recommended content on your site.

If you’re looking for a great way to increase content options for your site visitors, you can’t go wrong with nRelate. Check out the install information for WordPress users or the install information for Blogger users.

This post is sponsored by nRelate. All opinions are 100% my own.

Disney has always been an inspiration to me. Growing up with all the characters and watching movie after movie as a child inspired tons of creativity and the interest in art and design. Although I never set the goal to work for Disney, visiting the various Disney theme parks and retail outlets has definitely been source of happy memory making. I remember as a kid I would go to the Disney store just to check out all the cool Goofy themed goodies…

In Colorado we are definitely not close enough to visit the Magic Kingdom any time we want. The new Disney Store concept aims to bring that experience just a tiny bit closer with it’s interactive activities and entertainment theater. It’s a little piece of Disney magic.

Celebrate Disney Store’s Grand Opening at Park Meadows Mall

You are invited to meet Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse
at the newly-designed Disney Store at Park Meadows Mall
on June 9, 2012 from 12-4pm.

WHAT: Disney Store will celebrate the grand opening of the newly designed store at Park Meadows Mall in Lone Tree, Colorado on Saturday, June 9, 2012. Park Meadows is the first newly-designed Disney Store location to open in Colorado and one of many newly-designed store to open across North America this year, offering interactive and magical experiences for Disney fans of all ages. Disney Store’s new design concept aims to deliver “the best 30 minutes of a child’s day” through immersive storytelling neighborhoods featuring a Disney Princess with magic mirror, translucent trees, and the Disney Store Theatre featuring the latest Disney entertainment.

WHEN: Saturday June 9, 2012

• 10:00 a.m. —Disney Store Opening Ceremony and two local Make-A-Wish children “Unlock Imagination”. The first 500 guests will receive a free gift.*
• 12 p.m.  – 4p.m. Meet and Greet with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in the mall’s Center Court. Don’t forget to bring your camera!

*Characters alternate every 30 minutes. Character appearances are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

WHERE:

Disney Store at Park Meadows Mall
8401 Park Meadows Center Drive, Space 1425
Lone Tree, CO 80124

5 Facts about the Disney Store:

1. The Disney Store retail chain, which debuted in 1987.
2. Disney Store opened its first store in Glendale, California and, in doing so, originated the themed retail business model.
3. The Disney Store is owned and operated by Disney in North America, Europe, and Japan.
4. There are currently more than 200 Disney Store locations in North America
5. The Disney Store is also located outside the US with more than 40 Disney Store locations in Japan; and more than 100 Disney Store locations in Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Today is First Monday creative sharing with the Designer Craft Connection crew. So I’m sharing the craft party fun we had over the weekend. Yesterday I hosted a birthday party and the whole thing was a big craft carnival! The weather prevented us from being outside, but we fit everything in perfectly inside. The kids were all pretty young, so our project ideas were very simple but we had a ton of creative fun. We used ink and stamps, did some coloring crayons and markers, glued gems, strung beads and make fabulous crafts.

Host a craft party

We had different projects, each set up at individual tables. The kids started off decorating a gift bag with stamps and stickers. Then they continued around the house to different activities. When they finished the activity, they got a little gift to add to their bag. Crayons and sidewalk chalk and fun glow necklaces were some of the goodies they picked up.

Craft party activity tables

I put different crafty goodies in plastic baskets and on trays I picked up at Dollar tree. I wish I had a call of cubbies I could keep all these fun baskets in, full of crafty goodness!

Craft party supplies

I think the favorite activity of the day was decorating crowns. I had no idea we had so many queens and kings in the neighborhood! The kids got to color cardboard crown cut-outs and then add sparkly gems. My favorite, however was face painting. I was able to get my 16 year old and his girlfriend to be the face painters for the day – the kids LOVED it and my son was able to get involved in his little sister’s party without having to pretend princesses are fun.

Crafty Party Glitter Crown

I had helpers for every table so the little crafters had assistance with every project. It looks easy enough to glue on some gems or color a design, but sometimes it’s not so easy to be creative. This is my son who volunteered to be in charge of making crowns. He was SO excited to be able to help the kids.

Make a crown craft party table

Although I do have my own craft stash I share with the kids, I picked up special items just for the kids to use at the party. Things like washable markers, washable stamp ink and kid friendly beads are a must, especially with little kids. The majority of my craft party goodies came from Consumer Crafts, Dollar Tree and the stamp ink came directly from Clearsnap.

Decorate a party bag with stamps

Gotta love the plastic tablecloths, right? Always protect your tables, no matter how cheese the drape is. When it comes to kids and crafts, the least expensive way you can get the job done, do it! I got my plastic tablecloths at the Dollar Tree, a buck a piece, ya can’t beat that!

Make a necklace craft party project

One of the best ways to keep a craft party flowing is to be organized. With a craft party, having supplies in containers and separated by project helps to not only keep the supplies organized, but helps the kids understand what to use to make the project. Sometimes too many options can stump kids and they aren’t sure what to do. So keep the supply list simple and appropriate for the age. 2-3 supplies for kids 6 and under is ok. They can make amazing things with glue, markers and some glitter!

Don’t forget to check out the other fun craft projects on the DCC hop today!

This post brought to you by Flood Wood Care. All opinions are 100% mine.

I don't know about you, but in Colorado the winter is harsh on all our outdoor wood elements. From decks to playsets and all the wood furniture, anything left in the snow ends up looking horrible by spring. We've got a ton of work to do this year already and all I want to do is sit in a swing and watch the flowers grow! Good thing I don't have a swing… I'd never get the work done outdoors!

As I'm looking for options on how to take care of all the drab looking wood around my yard, I learned about Flood® Wood Care. They have earned the reputation as "The Wood Care Specialist"… looking at their website, I can see why. They offer a number of different items to help you care for your wood including striper, cleaner stains and finishing products. There's also surface prep and surface finishing guides to help you get the job done right the first time. I think it's a task I might be able to take on my self this summer!

I was just talking to my husband today about changing the color of the deck and the fence. Instead of the tradition split-rail fence color, I'd like to change them both up to a chocolate brown, what do you think? 

I haven't tried it yet, but I think a little Flood® would do some good around my house. Here's a few pictures of what I'm up against this summer. (The deck is such a mess, I didn't even bother to take a picture. I'll show you later.)

I love this arbour. We got married under this arbour and then "planted" it in the yard when we bought the house. The poor thing gets slammed with wind all winter long. It definitely needs a cool clean and refinish!

We never did have our fence finished or sealed (shhhh, don't tell the HOA). Think how pretty this would be if it were stained a rich brown… ohhhh, yummy!

This bench came from my grandmother's garden when she moved into a retirement community. She's the one that taught me how to garden… so it's pretty special. I think it needs a lot of TLC. 

They say "Flood® is the best solution for any wood care projects you may take on this summer". It's obvious I have my work cut out for me, but imagine how beautiful everything will be when it's all finished!

Do you have any wood refinishing (or starting) plans this summer?

This post brought to you by Whitney Farms. All opinions are 100% mine.

I've been getting ready for the summer garden. Typically in Colorado we don't touch the gardens outside until after Mother's day, but I couldn't wait, so I've started planting seeds in little cups in the house. I'm looking forward to growing my own vegetables as well as flowers – I'm even trying to save a little cash by planting all seeds instead of buying ready-to-plant, pre-started items. 

I have never had so many good ideas day after day as when I worked in the garden.  ~John Erskine

I'm always looking for ways to improve the health and happiness of the plants I grow. I just learned about Whitney Farms® 100% natural organic plant food and organic soil. They have no additives – nothing artificial, which sounds pretty darn good for growing my fabulous veggie garden. All natural just sounds like a great direction, isn't that why we grow our own veggies?

Here's a couple facts about Whitney Farms®:

 has 25+ years of leading gardening experience and has improved their products to have:

• low to no dust
• no manure odor
• easy to apply
• contains beneficial microbes
• protein-based blends provide plants with both macro and micronutrients

Save $3 when you use this try Whitney Farms® plant food or soils. Just fill out the form and receive a $3 off coupon. 

I'm interested to see how much better my vegetables and flowers grow with organic plant good. We're hoping for a great crop of beans, carrots, tomatoes, and I'm even trying my hand at spinache this year! I'm so excited for home grown salads – I'm hungry already!

Have you started your gardening yet? I'd love to hear about it… what do you plant, how's it growing… do tell!

Sometimes you don’t really need a recipe to come up with something super yummy. Pasta, I think, is one of the ingredients that can help create a meal that’s delicious, easy and fully of flavor. Add in a variety of sauces, throw in some kind of meat and or veggies and you’re good to go. Don’t forget cheese, pasta and cheese are BFFs in my house!

Zucchini and pasta

I never really start with a recipe – and if I do have a recipe, I rarely follow it. (that’s not always the recommended approach.. ask my poor kids that have to eat what I feed them.) I like to throw stuff together and see how it turns out. You never really can go wrong when you mix sauteed onions, mushrooms and a little garlic. In this case, I added in some tomato sauce, parmesan cheese and a little spinach and topped with sauteed zucchini and parsley. Easy, right?

Here’s the ingredient breakdown:

• 1 package bow-tie pasta
• 1/3 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon Butter (or olive oil)
• Garlic
• 1/4 cup Chopped spinach
• 1-2 zucchini, sliced 1/2″ thick
• 1 can of tomato sauce

note: you can make your own tomato sauce by cooking fresh tomatoes down and adding a bit of seasoning.

How to make this yummy zucchini pasta:

1. Cook pasta as director – don’t over cook, bow-tie pasta get goopy when over-cooked. Drain and set aside.
2. Sauté mushrooms, onions and garlic until nice and soft. Add in the spinach and let cook down until desired texture (watch out for over-cooked slimy spinach your kids won’t eat).
3. Mix in tomato sauce and 1/2 cup water. Add in desired seasoning. I use Spice Trader’s Chef Shake, approximately 1 teaspoon. Stir in drained pasta and at least 2 table spoons grated parmesan cheese. Let simmer until desired constancy.
4. Place chopped zucchini in a microwave save bowl with 1 tablespoon butter and top with garlic salt. Cook on high for about 2 minutes. Check and return to cook 1 minute at a time until tender but not soggy. Again, you don’t want squishy, slimy veggies.
5. Serve pasta and top with zucchini. Top with parmesan cheese as desired.

Don’t be afraid to experiment when you cook. If you make a mistake or it turns out awful, just note what you did so you don’t do it again.  If you know what flavors you like, try adding in an extra ingredient and see how it goes. The more you cook, the better you’ll get.

What’s your favorite pasta to make?

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes, Art is knowing which ones to keep. I absolutely love this quote by Scott Adams. Being creative isn’t a talent. It’s an ability to be ok with your own ideas. Instead of going with the flow like the rest of the herd, allow yourself to try something different, just to see what happens. That’s creativity. What if you color the sky orange? Does it matter.. does it really matter if it’s not realistic?

Creativity is being allowed to make mistakes...

No – creativity isn’t about being 100% accurate

or realistic or right. It’s about letting your brain explore and reaching out to see what you discover. There is no right nor wrong. It’s brainstorming, trial and error and just setting out to answer – or at least attempt to answer – a curiosity. So really, you have to start by allowing yourself to be curious.

From my perspective, there is no art without creativity but you don’t have to have an artistic skill to be creative. Even a straight line can be creative, if you say it is.

So tell me – what creativity are you going to allow today?

It’s almost Earth day (April 22nd, 2012) so I’m hosting my first official “Find Your Direction” link party for 100Directions.com with an Earth Day inspired theme. Think recycling, re-purposing and general earth friendly fun. Do you grow your own veggies and what to show them off? Do you like to make crafts and have a fun project you’d like to share using recycled materials? Maybe you love up-cycling flea market finds into new, beautiful home furnishings. Whatever you create, I’d love to see it!

I love to make new things out of old and I enjoy the challenge of making a new meal from left-overs. My middle the lucky recipient of hand-me-downs because I’ve saved all the things his brother outgrows and store them in the closet for later use. We go shopping in the closet every 6 months or so and he loves it!

grow a garden inside

Right now we’ve got a starter garden in the dining room. I want to grow my own veggies through the summer, but in Colorado we really don’t get to plant anything until at least May because the weather is unpredictable at best and the grown is still too cold. So, I’m growing tomato, carrots, flowers and even a few trees inside. The trees are questionable.. we got seed cards from iHOP a while back after seeing the Lorax. Nothing has sprouted there yet.

Upcycled a kids shirt using scrap fabric from ProjectsforPreschoolers.com

I also like to recycle materials and make crafts with them, especially kids crafts. We throw everything in the recycle bin and every time we want to make a project, the recycle bin is the first place we look for materials. We use cereal boxes for crafts as well as paint mats, protecting the table from accidental spills. We use soup cans to organize markers, pencils, paintbrushes and also to hold water while we make painting projects. I even save clothes that are no longer wearable (stains, rips, etc.) and use the fabric to make new things. Egg cartons, cardboard boxes, water bottles… they’re all potential craft materials which saves us from throwing them in the trash and saves us money.

Happy Creating!

FIND YOUR DIRECTION!

Join in and share your Earth Day creativity! What are you up to for Earth Day?

Find Your Direction Guidelines

• Link up something that you love doing, making, being. Show off your creativity and your fabulous creations. Crafts, Recipes, Art, Gardening, Decor, etc.
• NO affiliate links, product sales, link parties, etc. – If you make something using a product you sell, that’s fine, but no blatant product pitches please.
• You must link back to http://www.100directions.com – Link options available on the Find Your Direction info page.
• By submitting your link below, you are giving me permission to feature your content on this site.

Note: If you want the title of your project to be listed with your photo, enter the title for “name” instead of your name.

Share your creative ideas for Earth day, recycling, repurposing and earth friendly fun.