Sensory Balloons DIY Tutorial

Sophie is beginning to enjoy touching and feeling things. She has started to stroke people’s jumpers as they hold her and cuddled a soft toy (before trying to attack and eat it!) So I decided to make some sensory balloons.

What you need:

·    Balloons

·    A funnel – I made one from an old coke bottle

· Fillings – I used flour, salt, lentils and marbles (but you could use coffee beans, playdough, corn flour, hair gel etc.)

·    Cup – to put the balloon while you fill it to avoid spills!

·    Scissors

What to do:

1.  Blow the balloon up and let it deflate. This makes it easier to fill. Sophie loves helium balloons but she has never seen a balloon being blown up. She was very unsure about it and didn’t seem to like the noise when I let the air out.

2.    Fill the balloon with your chosen filling using the funnel. I rested the balloon in the cup to avoid spills and tapped the funnel – this was very helpful when it came to the flour!

3.  This step is optional but I wanted to add additional layers to prevent the balloons from splitting. I cut the end of a second balloon off and stretched it over the first balloon to create a second layer. I repeated this again so that each balloon had three layers.

4.    Repeat steps 1-3 using different types of filling.

I sat Sophie in the Boppy pillow so that she could sit up and look at the balloons. Next time I think I will sit her in her highchair and put them on the tray so that she can reach them more easily. She touched them when I held them up to her and she tried to take them off me. I did have to stop her from trying to put them in her mouth a couple of times.

If I made these again, I would put less of the filling in each balloon as I filled mine up so much that they are quite firm and hard for Sophie to squish. I think she might get more of a sensory experience from them when she is a little older and is able to really grab and squeeze them.

For older children, you could get them to try to guess what was inside the balloons and even cut them open after they have guessed.   

Always supervise your child while they play with the sensory balloons. 

DIY Baby Sensory at Home!

Sophie has always loved watching things and has recently become really interested in feeling objects. So when looking at baby groups and classes ‘Baby Sensory’ was the one that really stood out. I thought that it might give me some ideas of activities that I could try at home as well.

It has been really interesting to see which activities Sophie prefers. She was not interested when I tickled her with the ostrich feather but she was captivated by flashing light wands! We have only been to two sessions so far but she literally does not look at me the whole time we are there! She is so interested in everything that is going on around her.

Here are some of the activities we have tried at home:

1.       Sensory Ball

During the class we were each given a spiky, flashing ball. We sat in a circle with the babies facing the middle and rolled the balls to each other. Sophie loved this! We already had a sensory ball at home (which doesn’t light up unfortunately). She enjoyed playing with the ball on the tray of her highchair. She pushed it, tried to grab it and at one point even managed to pick it up with two hands and of course it went straight to her mouth!

2.       Flashing Light Wand

Sophie was truly captivated by the fibre optic light wand. I remember seeing something similar in B&Q and as we practically drive past it on the way home I decided to pick one up. It was in the clearance section reduced to £3. She loved it and watched it intently! Safety note: The strands come out if pulled so do not leave your baby unattended with one of these and do not let them chew it.

3.       Tummy Time

During the class the leader shone lights on the floor for the babies to watch during a tummy time activity. I felt like a proud mother when the mums either side of me praised Sophie for her ability to:

a) hold her head up for the entire tummy time activity

b) not scream/cry/face plant and

c) actually seem to enjoy it!

I was asked by one mum if we practice lots? The honest answer – no because I often forget. A good friend advised me early on to not get wound up about tummy time and to forget buying special pillows and toys because you could just use yourself and not the floor. Right from the start we have held Sophie in positions on us that allow her to strengthen her muscles – either on our chests or laps. We have been doing more tummy time on the floor recently in preparation for the rolling stage! As Sophie enjoyed looking at the lights so much during the class, I decided to place the fibre optic lamp in front of her to encourage her to lift her head and it really worked. I think I will be getting the sensory gel mat we made back out again too.

4.       Sensory Ribbons

Sophie loved watching the ribbons move, especial the long ribbon on a stick that the leader was waving around in the middle of the circle. We made a really simple one when we got home and she loves it.

5.       The Ball Pool

The first week Sophie cried when I put her in the ball pool and she isn’t a baby that particularly cries! I think she found it overwhelming.  I decided to put her in the ball pool again last week. She seemed a little unsure at first but we had no tears this time! She gave the balls a good lick (yuk – lovely and germy!) but I think she decided they weren’t very tasty! Her Nanny and Grandad bought her a ball pool for Christmas. Now our back room has been sorted and has becomethe playroom I think I may set it up and try this activity again in the comfort of her own home.

So far I have really enjoyed ‘Baby Sensory’. It completely clashes with when she would normally nap but it engages her so much that she just about manages to stay awake until the end and then crashes out for the rest of the afternoon at home! I can’t wait to see what other activities we will be able to try out at home.

Have you been to Baby Sensory classes? What was your baby's favourite activity?

I have not been sponsored to write this post or asked to review Baby Sensory. I paid for the Baby Sensory classes and wanted to share my opinions about them. 

DIY Discovery Bottle Tutorial

Last week Ali from ‘Mum in a Nutshell’ posted a fantastic list of baby toys from everyday things around the home on my #playathometuesdays linky. I decided to make Sophie a discovery bottle.  

What you need:

·         An empty plastic bottle

·         Objects to put inside e.g. buttons or sequins.

·         Water

1.    Take the label off the bottle and wash it out.

2.    Fill the bottle with water and add the objects you have chosen.

3.    Put the lid on securely. I used some decorative duct tape to keep the lid closed.

At first, I just added buttons and no water to make a noisy discovery bottle but Sophie hated it and her bottom lipped wobbled every time we shook it! So I filled it with water which made the noise softer and she responded much better! She seemed to enjoy watching me tip it slowly and watched intently as the buttons slid down (over and over again!) I used cold water to fill it and she seemed to enjoy feeling the bottle.

I would like to have another go at making some noisy discovery bottles perhaps with rice or feathers as Ali suggested. This was quick and easy to make using things I had in the house! Thanks for the suggestion Ali.

Make sure the lid is on tight and always supervise your baby when using the discovery bottle. 

Sensory Ribbon Link DIY Tutorial

We went to our first Baby Sensory class this week and the thing that Sophie seemed to like best was a plastic ring with ribbons attached. I thought that it would be an easy thing to make at home.

What you need:

·         A plastic hoop (I used a link from her activity gym but a bracelet or shower link would work too)

·         Some long lengths of ribbon (I had some in the bottom of my craft boxes but I also used the handles off some of the gift bags kicking around after Christmas)

·         Scissors

Cut long lengths of ribbon and tie them to the link.

You could glue or sew the ribbon to make it stronger. I held the ribbon link above Sophie’s head and wriggled it. I am pretty sure that if she had managed to grab the ribbons they probably would have fallen off! If you have a go at making one never leave your baby unattended with the ribbon link.

DIY Sensory Gel Play Mat Tutorial

 

Sophie has started to take an interest in feeling different textures. She loves the inside of her dad's slippers! So I decided to try to make a sensory mat to use during tummy time.  

What you need:

• Ziplock freezer bag (I used some old packaging from a knitting set as the plastic felt thicker than a ziplock bag and had no writing on)
• Gaffer tap
• Scissors
• Hair gel
• Items to decorate e.g. glitter, pom poms and sequins (Make sure that you don't include anything sharp that might puncture the bag)

What to do:

1. Seal three of the edge with gaffer tape (You do not need to do this if you are using a ziplock bag). 

2. Fill the pocket with hair gel and the items that you are using to decorate it with. 

3. Seal the fourth edge and make sure to reinforce the corners to stop the hair gel from leaking. 

I think Sophie will interact with this more as she gets older (She is only 11 weeks at the moment) but it was great to place it in front of her during tummy time for her hands to rest on.

If you have a go at making one of these please make sure to supervise your child when they are using it just in case the hair gel leaks.

DIY Father Christmas and Reindeer Treat Plate Tutorial

I have made some plates to put into Sophie's Christmas Eve box. One is for Father Christmas and the other one is for the reindeer. I can't wait to check if the food has gone on Christmas morning!

What you need:

Porcelain pens

An old kitchen tile/plate to practise on

A plate to decorate

Baby wipes in case you make a mistake!

What to do:

1.       Wash the plate so that it is free from dust and grease.

2.       Decorate the plate.

3.       Leave the plate to dry for 15 minutes.

4.       Heat the plate in the oven for 25 minutes at 160C

5.       Allow the plate to cool in the oven.

If you can't find porcelain pens, I believe you can also use Sharpie pens in a similar way. 

I hope you are convinced to have a go at making your own! 

DIY Cornflour Dough Recipe & Tutorial

Recently I made some decorations using salt dough. You can read about them in my post “Salt Dough Handprint Christmas Ornament Tutorial”. I ended up painting the salt dough white after they had been cooked.

 

Since making them I have discovered a recipe that makes a whiter dough. It is made from cornflour, bicarbonate of soda and water (all ingredients I had at home – yay!) When cooked it has a shimmer to it which looks quite Christmassy so I am going to leave these decorations unpainted.

 

Cornflour Dough Recipe:

1.5 cups of water

2 cups of bicarbonate of soda

1 cup of cornflour.

 

I have created a video tutorial to show how to make the dough.

This dough can be wrapped in a damp cloth and stored in the fridge in a ziplock bag. I am hoping to create some Christmas decorations and maybe some gift tags next week. I will write a blog post to show you what I end up making. 

Salt Dough Handprint Christmas Ornament Tutorial

Sophie has done her first craft (well kind of… she slept through it). We made salt dough handprint Christmas tree ornaments for her Grandparents. They were really cheap and fairly easy. I am also going to make some with her footprint. 

What you need:

·         2 cups of plain flour

·         2 cups of Salt

·         1 cup water

·         Bowl

·         Rolling pin

·         Cookie cutter

·         Greaseproof paper

·         Baking tray

·         Straw

·         Acrylic paint

·         Ribbon

·         Scissors

What to do:

1.    Mix the flour, salt and water in a bowl. If it is dry add a little more water. 

2.    Knead the mixture and form a ball.

3.    Roll the salt dough out so that it is about 1cm thick.

4.    Cut a circle of salt dough using a cookie cutter or cup. 

5. Place the salt dough circle on a baking tray. (I recommend placing them on greaseproof paper as mine were nearly impossible to get off the tray!)

6.   Help your child to press their hand into the salt dough. (I waited until Sophie was asleep as she grabbed the dough when she was awake! Make sure to wash your child’s hands afterwards because the salt can make their hands quite dry. If you have trouble getting the handprint in the middle do this before Step 2).   

7.    Use the straw to make two holes so that the decoration can be hung up.  

8.    Cook them on a low heat until they have dried (mine took 3 hours).

9.    Paint the decorations using acrylic paint. After you could paint them with PVA glue or a gloss spray to seal them. (If the edges are rough you can sand them gently using a fine sandpaper).

10.     Attach a ribbon so that they can be hung on the Christmas tree. 

DIY Moses Basket Covers

A few months ago my Mum dug this Moses basket out of her loft. It was mine when I was little and both of my younger sisters slept in it too. It is 30 years old and had no covers. We bought a new mattress for it but I was struggling to find anywhere that sold covers. I nearly gave up and just bought a completely new one. However, I liked the sentimental value of this one and also couldn’t justify the price of a new one! After a little advice from my mother in law I decided to have a go at making some covers. However, I kept putting the job off as I had no idea where to start.

I spent hours searching online for tutorials but didn’t come across anything that showed me exactly what to do. I bought a cheap pattern off Etsy and again dismissed it as it made no sense. I am a self-taught sewer and tend to make it up as I go along.

On Friday my husband came home and found me sat on the floor crying and surrounded by fabric! It was just too tricky! He was fantastic though and helped me work out how we could do it. I had found a quilted liner for £5.99 at Argos which is designed to sit under the lining to give it padding. I ended up covering this with fabric (which was an IKEA duvet cover that I cut up - bought in the Bargain Basement). I sewed along the lines in the pattern to hold the wadding in place and to give it a patchwork quilt type effect. It also helped the fabric to sit nicely around the curved edges. I couldn’t work out how to make the holes for the handles look neat so in the end I just removed the handles! I decided that they were 30 years old and looking pretty frayed and that we didn’t plan on picking the Moses basket up with them anyway.

So after a few tears and a sewing machine needle that snapped in half, here is our finished attempt…

I am planning on using the rest of the duvet cover to make a second cover. Then we will have a spare if the baby is sick or makes a mess on this one. If anyone would like me to try and do a tutorial when I make the spare cover please let me know in the comments below. 

Hot Air Balloon Cot Mobile Tutorial

What you need: 

1. Soft toy filling - I got mine from Hobbycraft

2. Felt - I got the brown and white from Hobbycraft and the other colours from ebay

3. Embroidery thread to match the felt - Hobbycraft

4. Embroidery hoop - Hobbycraft 

5. Selection of ribbon for hanging - Hobbycraft 

I also used templates (which can be downloaded at the end of the post), scissors, needles, pins, a pen, paperclips and a hot glue gun. 

What to do:

1. Cut out the pattern pieces using the templates (available to download at the end of this post). Make two sets of each - one will make the front of the balloon and the other set will make the back. 

2. Use a running stitch to sew the pieces together. Hold the pieces together with a pin to stop them moving and use a matching colour embroidery thread for each layer of the pattern. Repeat for the other balloon but do not sew the front and the back of the balloon together yet!

3. Draw around the basket template and cut out one for the front and one for the back. You can then sew a criss-cross pattern onto the basket to decorate it. 

Next, plait 3 lengths of embroidery thread to make the balloon string and sew them to the inside of one of the baskets. 

Pin the front and the back of the baskets together and sew around the edge using a running stitch. Make sure to leave a gap to fill the basket with toy stuffing before sewing it closed.  

4. Attach the plaited threads to the inside of the balloon. Pin the front and the back of the balloons together and begin to sew around the edge of the balloon until you reach about half way up. 

Tie a long piece of white string to a paper clip and sew it into the inside of the balloon making sure the white string comes straight out of the top of the balloon (You will need enough length to add clouds and tie it to the embroidery hoop). The paper clip will stop the balloon sliding up and down the string when you have finished. 

Continue to sew around the edge of the balloon leaving an opening so that you can stuff the balloon with the toy fillings. Then sew the balloon closed. 

5. Make 4 sets of balloons using whatever colours and designs you prefer. Make sure that each balloon has a basket and a long piece of white string attached (as shown in step 4). 

6. Choose a cloud pattern from the templates and cut out two cloud pieces. When you draw around the template reverse the pattern so that any pen/pencil marks will face each other and be on the inside when you sew the cloud together. 

Tie a paper clip to the white string coming out of the balloon where you would like the top of the cloud to sit. 

Pin the front and the back of the cloud together, sew around the edge and fill with toy stuffing. 

Repeat with all of the other balloons. 

6. Thread two pieces of string through a button to create an anchor point to help the mobile to sit evenly. 

Tie the 4 pieces of string that come out of the button to the inside ring of the embroidery hoop at four even points. Use the hot glue gun to secure them so they don't fall off.  

Thread another piece of string under the loops created on the button to create a hanging string (see the middle picture).

Then tie the clouds and balloons to the inside hoop, spacing each string out evenly between the pieces of string. Again secure using the hot glue gun.

Place the outside hoop around the inner hoop and tighten.

Use the hot glue gun to attach a pretty ribbon or trim to both the inside and outside of the embroidery hoop to cover the strings and glue. 

Finally, tie the hanging string to a hook or whatever you are hanging your mobile from. 




If you have a go at using this tutorial or at making your own cot mobile please leave a comment to let me know. 

Have fun crafting.