Compiling a Rube Goldberg Kit

by Evin // January 23, 2024 // No Comments

My sons love building things. Given their love of building, I thought why not make a kit to make things. And since I have seen them build systems reminiscent of Rube Goldberg devices, I thought a Rube Goldberg kit would... Continue reading →

How to Tie-Dye Cotton Shirts

by Evin // May 30, 2023 // No Comments

Though we often think of summer camp and cotton tee-shirts when we remember tie-dyeing, it can be done at home (outside) and with other kinds of cotton fabrics and clothing. For our tie-dye afternoon, we used polo shirts, tees, and... Continue reading →

Rainbow Chevron Applique Kids Tee | EvinOK

Chevron Rainbow Appliqué Kids Tee

by Evin // July 21, 2022 // 2 Comments

Into each day a little rainbow shall shine through the clouds to brighten things up. And if the weather doesn’t cooperate, I’ll sew something! This chevron rainbow appliqué kids tee project is being shared today because this weekend marks the... Continue reading →

Homemade Rainbow Play-dough

by Evin // March 30, 2021 // No Comments

We wanted to try a new craft this weekend, so we decided to make homemade rainbow play-dough. The boys lobbied for slime making, but I couldn’t face it after slime stained my wedding quilt in 2019. This is also why... Continue reading →

Make Your Own Valentine Tic-Tac-Toe Game

by Evin // February 13, 2021 // No Comments

My sons and I decided to create a little tic-tac-toe game using three pieces of paper we had handy. It was fun to create and a nice change from usual crafts we’ve been doing because it was so quick we... Continue reading →

String of paper heart bunting from scrap paper | EvinOK

Making Heart Bunting From Drawing Paper

by Evin // February 9, 2021 // No Comments

We have a lot of drawings sitting around, some of which are keepers while others I scan then look for upcycling projects to reuse the paper. One approach I loved before was to cut paper snowflakes from old scrap paper... Continue reading →

Let’s Make Paper Snowflakes

by Evin // January 7, 2021 // No Comments

It’s a beautiful snow day here in Cork, so I wanted to share a classic tutorial for making paper snowflakes. This is one of my favorite quick crafts and a good way for younger children to practice scissor skills. Quick crafts... Continue reading →

child wearing handmade tie-dye tee and reading a book with a floppy sunhat on.

Summer Activity: Tie-dye!

by Evin // June 23, 2020 // No Comments

I’m always looking for ways to upcycle old clothes, and tie-dye is the perfect way to bring a new, colourful lease of life to an unworn T-shirt. It’s a fun activity to do with kids too, so it’s a great... Continue reading →

Fun Activities at Home with Kids | EvinOK

Kid Crafts, Home Learning, Cleaning Hacks, and Knitting While Cocooning

by Evin // March 30, 2020 // No Comments

We are on day 19 of being at home with our two sons, Optimus (8) and Bumblebee (3). As a refresher, these are their self-chosen online names for anonymity and privacy. After nearly three weeks at home with the lads,... Continue reading →

Personalized Laundry Bags from Pillowcases

by Evin // July 18, 2019 // No Comments

For traveling with my kids this summer, I wanted to make sure they didn’t forget all the household responsibilities they are used to at home. For this reason, I created a personalised laundry bag for each boy to have on... Continue reading →

Making a Travel LEGO Set

by Evin // July 4, 2019 // No Comments

Traveling this summer has inspired quite a few posts for EvinOK, but this was one of my favourites because I love LEGO. Planning I loved the tutorials on Pinterest for metal Altoid tins or lunchbox LEGO sets, but it... Continue reading →

Surviving a Long-Haul Flight with Happy Kids | EvinOK

Keeping My Little Kids Happy on Long-haul Flights

by Evin // June 27, 2019 // 2 Comments

Years ago, when my first-born LB was very little, I was anticipating a solo trip with LB (he was 20 months old at the time) and concerned about keeping him happy and calm. Up until then, he had been on five... Continue reading →

Mistake-filled by perfectly imperfect Dr. Seuss Quilt for Story Time and Snuggles | EvinOK

Mistake-filled Perfectly Imperfect Dr. Seuss Quilt for Reading Time Snuggles

by Evin // February 26, 2019 // No Comments

I had a request to knit a blanket for story time. LB thought we needed a blanket for both boys to snuggle under when I read to them. Brilliant request, but I countered with an offer to sew something since... Continue reading →

A Tale of Two Play Kitchens

by Evin // October 11, 2018 // 1 Comment

We built and refurbished two play kitchens in recent years, but I thought it would be worth an update to share how well they have held up to significant abuse use. I’ll profile each separately since they’re quite different. The... Continue reading →

Sewing a Tooth Fairy Pillow with Pokémon Fabric

by Evin // July 26, 2018 // No Comments

We are on tooth watch here at home as LB is about to lose his first tooth. It’s all very exciting and to channel his enthusiasm, we decided to design and sew a custom tooth fairy pillow. LB chose Pokémon... Continue reading →

Ballyhoura Baby Blanket

by Evin // July 19, 2018 // 2 Comments

Ballyhoura Baby Blanket Airy and cosy are two things that rarely go together, but are the perfect combination for a hand knit baby blanket. The design of the Ballyhoura Baby Blanket is inspired by the sun-drenched Ballyhoura Hills as the... Continue reading →

Making New Crayons from Broken Bits – Phoenix Crayons

by Evin // July 10, 2018 // No Comments

I’ve done it before and I’ll keep doing it because making new crayons from broken bits is such an easy recycling project that also is useful. I find my recycled crayons ideal for when we’re out and about or traveling... Continue reading →

Hot Air Balloon Nursery Mobile Kit from Flying Tiger

by Evin // October 5, 2017 // No Comments

Usually, I shy away from craft kits because I have a very thorough craft supply cupboard and much prefer to find my own way when making something new, but I couldn’t resist making the hot air balloon nursery mobile kit... Continue reading →

Sprucing Up a Play Kitchen…Again

by Evin // August 22, 2017 // No Comments

A few years ago, I unearthed my old play kitchen cabinet from the basement of my parents’ house. It had some damage to the wood base, but our friend patched it up and I spray painted it for a quick... Continue reading →

Usborne Farm Baby Crib Bumper refashioned into a quiet book | EvinOK.com

Baby Crib Bumper Sewn Into a Quiet Book

by Evin // June 20, 2017 // No Comments

For my first born, I was given a beautiful Usborne cot book with a farm theme. It was fun to tie to the crib/cot rail for entertainment, but my second born is more grabby than my first and it was coming... Continue reading →