caution: block puzzles are addicting

I finally bought Jennifer Casa's book Crafting with Kids, and let me tell you, it is amazing. Some really, really fun new ideas (I didn't know you could make chalk!)... plus a lot of the classic crafts that I didn't know how to execute well, like kaleidoscopes, tie-dye shirts, and anything using polymer clay or shrink plastic. 75 projects, people. With tons of photos. This is going to be a fantastic resource for us for years to come.

So yesterday we dove right in and made some Story Puzzle Blocks for an upcoming little friend's birthday. Picked up a bunch of old picture books at the thrift store for about $5, plus some wooden blocks at Hobby Lobby (thanks, Miss Wendy!). This morning after a final coat of Mod Podge we had ourselves a lovely handmade gift.

We like it so much we're making more for ourselves today. Something about cutting up the pieces and then putting them back together, like a mosaic, is so satisfying.

Sure, I'm doing most of the work at this point... but a little 3-year-old loved taking the discarded scraps and making her first real collage. And creative freedom is really what crafting time is all about, right? Love it.