Cook Clean Craft

http://www.cookcleancraft.com

Sharing family-friendly recipes, household cleaning and organisation tips, and fun crafts, including sewing, crochet, felt and cardboard.

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Where do you discover new kid-friendly crafts?

I love browsing the aisles for art and craft supplies, which then give me ideas for things to create with the kids. I also collect day-to-day items, like bottle caps and toilet rolls for when my kids ask me to make something for/with them.

Our local library and playgroup also offer great craft activities for preschoolers and help me see what my kids are capable of.

Craft bloggers and Pinterest are also great sources of inspiration.

What's one creative product you would recommend to all moms?

Quality scissors - one pair for fabric, another for paper and other items. With scissors, glue and household items, you can make almost anything!

How do you encourage your child to explore their creativity?

My kids are 2 and 4, so creative play is the order of the day here. I try to let the kids direct the play as much as possible and ask open questions to continue the creativity (such as "and what happened next?"). When crafting together, I ask them what features they want in the car/mouse or whatever we are making and help them see the options with the craft materials we have.

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What are your best tips for easy DIY nursery decor? (If there's an image or post on your blog, please link to it.)

Narelle

A simple and cheap way to make art for a nursery is to paint some artist canvases in the colour scheme of your nursery, cut out some animal shapes out of felt and then stick them on to the canvases. Colouring books (or online colouring printables) are a great way to find simple designs. Googly eyes can add a fun touch too!
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From peach pies and berry cobbler to lemon shortcake and watermelon popsicles, fruity desserts are perfect for summer. Please share your favorite fruit-based dessert, and include a link to the recipe and photo.

Narelle

When entertaining in summer, I love to make a pineapple platter. It makes a great centrepiece and is a refreshing treat to nibble away on. Carefully sliced the spiky top of the pineapple, and place in the middle of the platter. Slice the pineapple into 8 wedges (from top to bottom). Cut off the core, and then slice off the pineapple in a long strip. Cut into pieces. Place a piece of cheese and a half a glace cherry on top (yes, it sounds very 70s but tastes delicious!). Place the pineapple back on the skin and arrange on the platter. Spectacular!
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What's a great school lunch box meal your kids love? Include a link to a photo if you have one!

Narelle

I love to make a big batch of pizza scrolls to throw in the lunch box. Fun and easy to eat, the kids can't get enough (and I even sneak in a few vegies and a bit of wholemeal flour to make them a healthy treat too).
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What's your children's favorite lullaby?

Narelle

I always sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. It's more a nursery rhyme than a lullaby, but at least I know all the words! I don't think it really matters what you sing (or how well), just a calm, melodic tone in your voice really helps relax a baby.
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What's the best homemade costume you've ever created for a child 5 and under? Please provide a link to a photo.

Narelle

I had a lot of fun making a Peaches and Cream Barbie costume for my little girl. It makes a great addition to the dress up box too.
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What's a cute or creative way to decorate the walls of a child's room? Please include a link to an image.

Narelle

A bit of fabric, paint and glue and you can create unique artwork for your kid's room. I painted some artist canvases a colour to match the bedroom color scheme. Then I cut out a glued fabric to the canvas using either a template or coloring pages for a simple design. I made an animal theme for our nursery and a transport theme for my son's "big boy" room. (Now it's time for me to think up something new for my baby's big girl room!).
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What's a light, Springtime meal your kids like to eat? Please share a link to your recipe.

Narelle

My kids love chicken fajitas. Lots of flavour, fun to eat and my kids don't even realise they're healthy (except for that big blob of sour cream...). They are quick to make too.
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What's your go-to potluck recipe? Please share a link to the recipe and photo if you have one.

Narelle

Pasta is the way to go at potluck - young and old all love pasta! My favourite (and a little different) pasta has a sauce of red pepper and salami. Choose the salami to match your potluck crowd - spicy for the adults, or mild (or use ham instead) for kids or less adventurous eaters.
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