Roadtrip Project #2.1 Dollar Store Lap Desk

Okay so if automobile primer, chalkboard spray paint, industrial adhesive, and a couple hours of coat after coat of paint seem like a little too much effort for a kids lap desk a) you're probably right and b) I have a cheaper and way easier alternative to my magnetic chalkboard lap desk for you!

The only thing that will make my 1 year old actually keep a lap desk on her lap for any amount of time is seeing her sister with one.  While I was picking up the cookie sheet at the Dollar Tree I saw these little plastic trays and matching placemats.  I made this version of the lap desk in less than an hour and $5.50 in materials.  Here how you do it.

All you need is a little tray, a placemat, a large and small bag of beans, hot glue, foam core, and super glue.

Follow the instructions for making the pillow (you can find them in my last post, here) and super glue it to the under side of the tray.  That's it!

Road Trip project 1 - Beginning Cross-stitch Kit

Are you going on a roadtrip this summer?  We are!  10+ hours in the car with a 5 year old and an almost 2 year old = this Mommy needs to get creative!  A close friend of mine was a Montessori teacher, so I knew she would have some great ideas for little projects my 5 year old could tackle.  As soon as she mentioned cross-stitch my wheels started turning!  I loved cross-stitching when I was younger and am so excited to introduce it to Elle! 

The kit includes a piece of gingham fabric stretched on a little embroidery hoop, some embroidery floss on plastic cards stored on a metal ring, a needle on a scrap of felt, a needle threader & thread cutter, and a matchbox I covered with some fun sparkly scrapbook paper to keep the little bits in (I was hoping the matchbox is cute enough to inspire her to keep track of the needle so it doesn't end up floating around my car... wish us luck!). 

For starters she'll use the boxes in the gingham print as a guide to make her "X"s... who knows, if she likes it maybe we'll come home with a masterpiece :)

So I mentioned I liked cross-stitch when I was younger... ready for a blast from the past?  I cross-stitched the corners of a baby blanket when I was in highschool for my "some day baby".  Who does that?!?!  Maybe only me... but none the less, I thought I'd share:

Time for Your Way Wednesday:

Crafting is my way to relieve stress & stretch my creative muscles.

Sewing is my way to have some uninterrupted time to myself.

Bentos are my way to show Elle I'm thinking about her.

Parties are my way to love on my girls & our friends

Tutorials show my way of making this or that.

I want to see your way! I'm really excited to give you an opportunity to do just that with a link party!

Only two rules for you:

• Add my lovely "Your Way Wednesday" button to your blog or blog post that you link up to
• Please link directly to your blog post, not a giveaway, your link party, your Etsy shop, or even just the home page of your blog.

In exchange for following the rules, I'll leave a comment on your blog post & if you're my favorite post I'll feature you on my blog for my next Your Way Wednesday.







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