Design Spotlight: Fresh Bohemian

June 7, 2016

Post by Stephanie, Home Stylist from The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team

I don’t know about you, but I think I have a bit of a Boho obsession. It started as a little crush, but, boy, am I in deep now. If you’re like me and can’t get enough bright, whimsical Boho style in your life, then you’re in luck. There are plenty of beautiful pieces in Nod’s Fresh Bohemia trend to help you add a touch of vintage, 1970s flair to your space.

Layering vibrant colors and patterns is a must for any Boho space. A bright pop of fuchsia paired with a touch of turquoise and hot pink is the perfect bold color combination for a fun, fresh girl’s room.

Looking for a more masculine take on the Fresh Bohemia trend? Add deep olive hues and pops of bright orange accents to create a vibe fitting for a vintage-inspired boy’s bedroom.

The whimsical nature of the Boho style lends itself well to any playroom design. Tassels and rainbows and dip-dyed canvas make for an enchanting space for your kiddos to exercise their imaginations.

Happy Styling!

Post by Stephanie Geurkink, Home Stylist from The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team. Our Design Services team offers free one-on-one design advice, mood boards and space planning. You have a room to decorate? They’d love to hear from you. Visit The Land of Nod’s Design Services page to get started today.

Pico de Gallo Recipe with Homemade Star Chips

June 6, 2016

Post by Corri of Glitter and Bubbles

Every party needs to have a dip and chip and what better way to celebrate than with stars! I love to entertain, but am a working Mom, so I favor quick and easy recipes (oh, and tasty too!). This go to salsa takes minutes to prepare and is always a fan favorite. The star chips are also great for tiny hands and tend to go quick so be prepared to make extra. Best part…the display is picture perfect and will look like you put some sweat in the kitchen (and we all know a running toddler gives us enough of this!)

INGREDIENTS
3-4 White Tortilla Shells
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
4 Small Tomatoes
1/4 Cup Chopped Green Onions
1/2 Cup Chopped Red Onion
2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro
1 Chopped & Seeded Jalapeno
1 Tablespoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Use a star shaped cookie cutter to cut star shapes from the tortilla shells.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with salted olive oil. Set the star tortilla shapes on top and brush with more salted olive oil. Lightly sprinkle with pepper.
3. Bake for 4 minutes and flip the tortilla shells over. Bake for another 4 minutes or until the tortilla stars are crispy.
4. Dice the green and red onion, cilantro, jalapeno and tomatoes. Combine in a large bowl.
5. Mix in the lime juice and garlic powder and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. Refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.
7. Serve the Pico de Gallo with the Star Chips!

Corri McFadden is the Owner/Founder of eDrop-Off luxury consignment and creator of Glitter and Bubbles, a modern-day moms guide for those looking for inspiration through fashion, décor and food. The site was launched in honor of her daughter and muse, Zelda and gives daily doses of stylish “must haves”, easy recipes and unique décor that are suited to inspire even the busiest of Moms!

Free Printable Coloring Page: Summer Fun

June 3, 2016

Coloring Pages designed by Michelle Romo

Ah, summer. The sun, the flowers, pool days, ice cream cones and kids everywhere saying, at least once, inevitably, “I’m borrrreed“. Avoid the bore with our handy and free printable coloring pages. Perfect for taking the crayons outdoors or for coloring through rain storms.

Download the Summer Fun coloring page here and share a pic of your little one with the finished product on Instagram (use hashtag #CrateKids) or our Facebook page. We may feature your child’s masterpiece!

Looking for more ways to keep your kiddos busy this summer?

These 50 Summer Art Projects for Kids should help occupy some of their time.
Designate a family game night like our friend Jeran of Oleander+Palm.
Encourage their thirst for adventure with our The Great Adventure Kit that is perfect for the backyard.
Going on a summer vacation and want the kids to unplug – we’ve got just the Vacation Scavenger Hunt!

Michelle Romo is a self-taught illustrator and designer fueled by cookies and naps. Her influences include Mid-Century, Japanese and Scandinavian design, along with pretty much anything cute. When she isn’t working she spends her time eating good food, hugging her friends, playing video games and crafting.

DIY Aromatherapy Spray Father’s Day Gift

June 2, 2016

Post by Rebecca of Not-So-SAHM

I don’t know about you, but most parents I know are in need of some serious rest and relaxation. A spa day is nice, but my husband constantly says that what he really wants is just to chill out at home. To not have to go anywhere else. So we decided to help this dad out.

As part of our efforts to pull together our outdoor spaces (remember our Outdoor Art Space for Kids!?), we decided to spruce up the outdoor deck off of my husband’s office. We got him an amazing hammock (one of his most favorite ways to lounge) and with the help of The Land of Nod’s fantastic throw pillows, we are well on our way to setting up a relaxing oasis for him. But we also always love to include a great DIY present for him, so we tried our hand at making a few relaxing aromatherapy linen sprays to spritz on his new pillows.

We’re relative newbies at essential oils, but I bought a basic starter set. The combinations are seemingly endless and I love that you can play around to get the scent you like. The base for any linen spray is the same — you just add whatever combo of essential oils you want. We settled on two for this overworked daddo (the kids’ cute name for him): Stress Reliever and Chill Out.

Here’s what you’ll need to make a DIY Father’s Day Aromatherapy Spray yourself!

a tinted glass spray bottle (we used these) — sunlight spoils essential oils, so the tinted glass helps. You should still also keep the bottle out of direct sunlight.
essential oils — for our two combinations, we used: clary sage, lavender, lemon, pink grapefruit, orange, and bergamot from this starter set.
an oil emulsifier — we used this unscented witch hazel. You can also use rubbing alcohol or even vodka, but I didn’t love the idea of spraying those around.
distilled water
essential oil stickers — these are optional, but it’s a colorful way to help identify your sprays. I labeled each oil used and then the corresponding color combination on each bottle.

First, fill your spray bottle halfway with your oil emulsifier and halfway with the distilled water. Our spray bottles hold eight ounces, so I added four ounces of witch hazel and four ounces of water.

Next, add your essential oils. In general, you want roughly ten drops of essential oils per ounce of spray. So, for our eight ounce bottle, I added about eighty drops of essential oils total (combinations below).

Stir gently and then add spray bottle top. Spritz on linens and pillows and relax!!

There are so, so many different combinations of essential oils you can make. Here’s what we came up with for our Father’s Day DIY:

– Stress Reliever: Clary Sage + Lavender + Lemon. We used a ratio of drops of 6 to 4 to 2, so for our size bottle, I added: 42 Clary Sage + 28 Lavender + 14 Lemon.

– Chill Out: Pink Grapefruit + Orange + Lemon + Bergamot. We used a ratio of drops of 3 to 3 to 2 to 1, so for our size bottle, I added: 24 Pink Grapefruit + 24 Orange + 16 Lemon + 8 Bergamot.

We are going to store ours in Nod’s great High Contrast Cube Bin in easy reach of a (hopefully) relaxing dad. Thanks to The Land of Nod for helping us make a chill zone for Father’s Day!!

Rebecca is a mom to two young kiddos and, in her spare time (ha!), likes to pretend she’s a back-up dancer, craft cocktails, and run long distances. A relatively recent SAHM, she blogs family-friendly activities, DIYs and celebration fun at Not-So-SAHM.

Designing the Carlton Landing Children’s Library

June 1, 2016

Post by Rachel Shingleton, blogger and product designer at Pencil Shavings Studio

I’m Rachel Shingleton and I’m the blogger/designer behind Pencil Shavings Studio. My family of four splits our time between our home in Oklahoma City and our cottage two hours away in the picturesque town of Carlton Landing, Oklahoma on the shores of Lake Eufaula. Over the past few years, the town has grown and with it, kids come from all around the surrounding areas to attend what might be the most charming little schoolhouse you ever did see.

Any school naturally needs a library, but the Carlton Landing library has been built from scratch and occupies a section of what is lovingly referred to as “the blue door” schoolhouse. Through the generous donations of our neighbors and friends, the books have been provided for the kids in a wide range of reading levels. But a library is so much more than just books! So I reached out to my friends at the Land of Nod to help us design the library so the kids can relax, get some homework done, and also provide the rest of the community a place to hang out too.

The color scheme of the library was pretty basic – high traffic carpet, creamy white walls, and warm woodwork in a classic cottage style. It was the perfect backdrop for some colorful accessories like Land of Nod’s Lo-Res colorblock rug. This was the piece that really set the tone for everything else we chose since it features so many beautiful bright colors. Plus I love the modern contrast it brings to the otherwise traditional space.

The room features loads of built-in bookshelves and cozy window-seats to wile away the hours in a good book.

One side features books for the lower elementary-aged readers while the opposite side holds classics and non-fiction picks for more advanced readers. Locker storage bins are a great way to keep those smaller books organized that might otherwise get lost on the shelf. Plenty of storage bins means plenty of ways to keep the librarian from getting overwhelmed with returning books to their proper place.

And in the center of the room, we tucked in three red Venetian bookcases to keep favorites right at hand. (I think these would make a fantastic newspaper and magazine stand too)

And what is a library without a rolling library cart? This is maybe my most favorite item in the whole room. So stylish but also so much function.

Eventually our goal is to do a few fundraisers in the community so we can purchase some stylish and functional desks and lamps to line the center of the room. But in the meantime, the kids have been LOVING the new bean bag chairs. One of the teachers has to put a time limit on them so all the kids can get a turn!

We can’t say thank you enough to the Land of Nod for helping us make this space so great for our neighborhood kids. We are so proud of how great it looks and how much the kiddos are enjoying it all.

Designer Rachel Shingleton never met a color she didn’t love. At Pencil Shavings Studio, she writes about how to integrate color and style into interiors, fashion, and decor. She also designs a line of paper goods, home decor, and tech goods for her shop. Named Better Homes & Garden’s Editor’s choice for top decor blog, she love helping people find a way to bring color and cheer into their everyday lives.

Small Space Playroom – Tips & Essentials

May 31, 2016

Post by Stephanie, Home Stylist from The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team

Creating a designated play area for your kiddos can get a little tricky when you’ve got a finite amount of square footage to work with. Finding storage for all the toys and craft supplies can present a real challenge. To help you put together an organized and cohesive playroom for your kiddos, here are a few handy tips!

Go vertical! When floor space is limited, walls become your best friend. Utilize your available wall space for any storage opportunities. My favorite go-to wall organizers are the Up Against the Wall and the Take Five storage bins. They’re perfect for tucking away tiny toys and craft supplies!

Try to use furniture that serves a dual purpose in the space. Think play tables and seating options with built-in storage. Double-duty furniture items like the Compartment Department and the Woodstock play tables will help you free up space in the room for your kiddos to move around and play with their toys.

Use acrylic or clear storage to make the space feel less crowded with furniture. Shelving systems like the Block Tower bookcase or the Now You See It bookcart come in pretty handy for creating extra storage opportunities that don’t feel bulky and won’t weigh down your space.

If the playroom is located in a shared space, such as a living room or bedroom, try using an area rug to define the “play” zone. A simple 4×6 rug can go a long way in confining toy clutter to a designated area.

Happy Styling!

Post by Stephanie, Home Stylist from The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team. Our Design Services team offers free one-on-one design advice, mood boards and space planning. You have a room to decorate? They’d love to hear from you. Visit The Land of Nod’s Design Services page to get started today.

Family Bathroom Storage Essentials

May 30, 2016

Post by Danielle Kurtz, Creative Director at The Land of Nod

I live with my family of 4 in a small ranch home built in the 1950s. The biggest pain point of living in an old home is definitely storage space. There are no extra rooms or spacious closets to keep all of our things. Literally every inch of our home is used daily for multiple purposes. And that includes our 1 ½ bathrooms.

With 4 people sharing our full bath and powder room, storage is of utmost importance. There seems to be an endless stream of towels, robes, tub toys and toothbrushes to corral. Here are four storage ideas to consider when trying to maximize space in your family’s bathroom.

Bins & Baskets: Baskets are great for holding toiletries, bath toys and small towels. I recommend plastic or powder-coated metal. It’ll hold up well to moisture. Or consider a profile with a removable liner that can easily be cleaned.

Wall Shelves: Even if you have a medicine cabinet with built in storage, consider a wall shelf to keep your kid’s toothbrushes and toothpaste close at hand. Also, it’ll keep them out of the medicine cabinet. Acrylic is a great material for a bathroom, it wipes clean easily and is super durable.

Vertical Bookcase: Bathrooms often don’t have a ton of extra floor space. But, if you have even a corner, you might be able to fit in a tall, narrow bookcase. This is especially helpful if you have a small or non-existent linen closet, which can often be the case in older homes. You can fill it with bins, towels and extra toilet paper.

Hooks & Pegs: Utilizing the vertical space is key when working with a small space. I love adding a peg rack or row of hooks to hold everyone’s towels and robes. Hang the kids’ hooks low enough that they can reach them, then they just might not leave their towels in a heap on the floor.

I think with these tips in mind, we’ll be able to live in harmony with our tiny bathroom situation. At least until my daughter becomes a teenager.

Danielle is the Creative Director at Nod and an over-protective mother of two. She’s also completely obsessed with Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and her Kindle, but not necessarily in that order. Danielle loves to craft, sew and crochet. Her current craft of choice is weaving tiny wall tapestries.

Englewood, Chicago Tween Space

May 27, 2016

Post by Kim Doren of The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team

In partnership with our favorite organization, New Mt Calvary Church in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago, we created a “tween” room for kids in the neighborhood. This room is for the kids at their summer program that aren’t so little anymore, but aren’t quite full on teenagers, as each of those age groups have their own designated space. Yolanda, the summer program’s director, wanted it to be a relaxing space, but to also be a space for arts and crafts. After all, this used to be the art department when this building was a functioning school.

Before we refreshed the room, it was housing broken pieces of play equipment, old art supplies and was used as a catch-all. We saw the potential for this room along with Yolanda, the tall ceilings and huge windows provided great bones to work with.

We started with a plan and a mood board for the space, and sourced items Crate and Barrel, FLOR, Ikea, and, obviously, the Land of Nod. Books, games and art supplies were brought in. The color scheme is bright and cheerful, and after we were done, we could just picture curling up on a couch with some new preteen fiction.

15 volunteers from both the Land of Nod and Merkle Marketing helped to bring this space to life for a very deserving cause.

Design by Kim Doren of The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team. Our Design Services team offers free one-on-one design advice, mood boards and space planning. You have a room to decorate? They’d love to hear from you.

DIY Spray Bottle Painting Kids Craft

May 25, 2016

Post by MJ of Pars Caeli

Hi friends, This is MJ of Pars Caeli, back with a fun project to make the most of the warmer weather! I’m not always the best at embracing the messes that our projects bring with them, but when I take those projects outside in the beautiful weather? I’m game.

Summer is such a great time to create together–away from normal schedules, in the warmer weather. We decided to take watercolors to a new level by adding them to spray bottles. Painting with spray is a fun and easy way to discover color mixing, use nature as a form of resist, and create spontaneous magic you never expected.

We used some inexpensive tubes of watercolor and squirted about a quarter-sized blob into each spray bottle. I added only half a bottle of water in order to keep the color saturated. More water will give a pastel, faded effect and less water will give an intense, colorful look. Use watercolor paper to make the most of the project. It can absorb the heavy load of water with beautiful results. We mounted ours to cookie sheets with some washi tape and laid them in the grass.

Take a look around you and discover what you can use to create an interesting composition. My children used a lot of what we have in our backyard – leaves, grass, sticks – with really interesting results. Some of the elements absorbed the colors and others resisted.

When you’re ready to paint, spray the bottles straight down on to your page to make sure you don’t move any of the objects with the wind of the spray! You’ll get the feel for your sprayer to see that full blast sprays produce muted blocks of color and the slow drips add drama.

This method would work really well with the very small travel spray bottles (like the one used for hairspray) to do smaller works.

Toss handfuls of grass and get these cool, interlacing lines.

Add patterns of leaves for a really interesting abstract work of art!

You can find more projects over on The Summer Explorers! Have fun with the very washable version of spray paint! Your children will be surprised by the instant artists they become!

Xoxo, MJ

MJ is a graphic and product designer, wife, and proud momma to three. She founded Pars Caeli (meaning a piece of heaven), a delightful blog and shop, to add more creative to the everyday. MJ worked with our team to bring her lunchbox jokes to life in our product Lunchtime LOL Notes, now available at The Land of Nod to bring on a case of the giggles!

Camp Themed Home Decor

May 23, 2016

Post by Stephanie, Home Stylist from The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team

There’s nothing quite like the smell of fresh air, fir trees, and a bonfire to shake off any remaining winter dust from your bones. As a kid, summers meant going away to camp where you could have one big slumber party with all your new friends. It meant sitting around a campfire telling ghost stories while roasting hotdogs and marshmallows. It meant jumping from rope swings and making friendship bracelets.

For those of you who never wanted to leave summer camp, you’ll be thrilled to know that Nod has a plethora of camp themed home décor and bedding to help you bring the fun of the great outdoors inside.

Creating an indoor campsite for your kiddos’ playroom is definitely an achievable task. What is more challenging is deciding between the oh-so-adorable Jetaire Camper Playhouse, the Dusen Dusen Playhouse, or the Explorer Playhouse. Either way, you’re definitely going to want a plush log stool and S’more the Merrier Campfire set to go with.

Playrooms aren’t the only space a fun teepee can go. If you’ve got room, why not bring a Happy Camper Teepee into your kiddos’ bedroom to create a cozy reading nook? Also, while I don’t recommend swinging from our Tug O’ Lamp floor lamp, it does bring in a nostalgic reminder of summer fun on the lake.

Nurseries are another great place to bring in an outdoorsy motif. The playful Nature Trail crib bedding certainly fits the camp-theme and the punched metal Star and Dot pendant brings a dreamy light pattern into the space, reminiscent of a night spent sleeping under the stars.

So whatever room is on your re-design list, go ahead and dive into the camp-theme trend. Your kiddos (and your own inner kiddo) will thank you.

Happy Styling!

DIY Woven Statement Necklace Kids Craft

May 21, 2016

DIY Woven Statement Necklaces Kids Craft

We celebrated Mom in-stores Mother’s Day weekend by partnering with our pals Painted Sidewalks for a simple and sweet 10 minute DIY kids craft in our Chicago flagship, Oakbrook, South Coast Plaza and University Village stores.

Inspired by Roxanne Young, customers made matching Mama + Me woven statement necklaces out of yarn, cardboard, beads, and a glue stick. We loved seeing all the creative necklaces the kiddos made for their mama’s for their special day.

Head over to Painted Sidewalks post for the easy tutorial!

DIY Woven Statement Necklaces Kids Craft

Kids Summer Reading List and Snack Idea

May 20, 2016

Post by Michelle of Avery and Augustine

Everyone can agree that devoting some time to reading every day is so important—especially when kids are out of school for the summer—to prevent that infamous “summer slide”. A way to make reading time a little more special and something to look forward to is with some fun food to nosh on. The idea for these cute animal faces came from Jodi Levine and Amy Gropp Forbes of Super Make It! We made one change—instead of cookies, we used round pieces of toast cut out using a round cutter.

The components of our faces were sliced almonds, chocolate chips (regular-sized and mini), sliced strawberries, sliced bananas and halved blueberries. Snacks look so appealing on The Land of Nod’s new Gusto tableware, which comes in vibrant, modern colors and is good for indoor and outdoor use.

Here’s a beautiful collection of books to kick off your summer reading:

Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life—An introduction to the wonders of this mid-century modern artist’s illustrations, for all ages.

Tree—Little ones can observe the signs and changes of the seasons accompanied by lovely rhyming text in this peek-through picture book.

Julia, Child—A charming fictional tale inspired by the life of the iconic chef that should be enjoyed, savored and “taken with a grain of salt and perhaps even a generous pat of butter.” Bon appétit!

Madeline Says Merci—Gracious Madeline offers readers a lovely primer on navigating the pleases, thank-yous and pleasantries of different social situations with her signature charm.

The Wing on a Flea—Ed Emberley challenges and inspires children to see the shapes that comprise everyday things. A perfect book to explore the design element of shape.

Sparky!—Quietly hilarious insights into what it’s like to have a sloth as a pet.

Where’s The Pair—Sharpen your visual skills while looking for the elusive pair of matching animals. It sounds easy, or is it?

Here are two easy ways to work reading into your summer schedule. Start with some silent reading time for everyone in the quietness of the morning (20 minutes is a good amount). Later, to wind down before afternoon naps, read a couple of storybooks aloud or a portion of a chapter book. If there’s any season that’s perfect for getting in extra reading time, it’s summer. So, stock your shelves with some new books, throw together some delicious snacks and enjoy your summer of reading!

Thanks to The Land of Nod for sending the items for this post.

Kids Summer Reading List and Snack Idea

You can see Michelle’s work and read about her two young children and their first forays in cooking, art and everything in between at Avery and Augustine.

Kids Art Space Essentials

May 19, 2016

Post by Danielle Kurtz, Creative Director at The Land of Nod

Whether you have an entire room or just a corner to dedicate to an art space for your kids, you’ll need the same three basic elements in order to make it functional.

A Work Surface

A play table is the perfect surface for art projects. Choose one that fits your space. Smaller profiles fit well tucked in a corner of a bedroom. If you have multiple kids, choose a larger one to accommodate everyone. Also, consider purchasing a table mat to protect the table’s surface. By opting for an acrylic version, you also create a place to display your child’s works for art.

Storage

Keeping all the supplies in order is key to a quick cleanup. Plastic is a great option for art supply storage because they clean easily in case of leaks and spills. Also, don’t choose really deep or large storage, better to have multiple smaller bins so each type of item (crayons, markers, molding clay, etc) can have its own bin.

Also important, make use of vertical space and store the messier supplies out of reach of the kids. Bookcases or wall shelves are great option for this. You can keep the paint and glitter up high, and the markers and crayons on the lower shelves for easy access.

Art Supplies

Lastly, and probably most obviously, you’ll need plenty of crafts and art supplies. Opt for washable markers and paints, especially when your kids are younger. And, don’t forget to add in a range of inexpensive bits and pieces, like pompoms, googly eyes, rickrack and popsicle sticks. You’ll be surprised at all the creations your little ones will dream up. I’d also suggest keeping a bin for some recycling that can be upcycled into art, like old yogurt containers, pickle jars or milk cartons. Just be sure to wash them thoroughly before tossing them in the mix.

Creating an art “studio” for your kids doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking. But, by dedicating even a corner of your home to creativity, you can save your kitchen table from needing to be cleared of projects before every meal, and encourage your kids to exercise their imaginations.

Modern Bohemian Girls Nursery

May 18, 2016

Post by PJ Feinstein of A Girl Named PJ

Last month, I became an aunt for the second time when my sister gave birth to an adorably tiny baby girl. My niece is the fourth baby born into our family in five years, so she’ll be getting plenty of hand-me-downs, but they’ll mostly be boy things; my sister already has a toddler son, and I have two little guys of my own.

Of course, when it comes to her nursery, many of the furniture and décor pieces my niece will inherit from her brother and cousins will be gender neutral. A white crib and grey glider can work for a baby girl or a baby boy. However, every girl needs a room of her own — or in my niece’s case, half of a room, which she’ll be sharing with her older brother while my sister’s family is still living in a two-bedroom apartment in New York City.

Ever the dutiful sibling, I was happy to help my little sis pick out some Land of Nod items to decorate my niece’s side of the nursery. I began browsing for bedding, lighting, and decor that felt decidedly girly while still complementing my nephew’s mostly navy, grey, and white color palette. The Bohemian Garden Crib Bedding became my jumping-off point, as the tassel crib skirt also picks up on the red and orange accents already in the bedroom. Plus, what’s more ladylike than pink and yellow flowers? (And those magenta elephants!)

From there, choosing lamps, art, and accessories was easy. I stuck mainly with a hot pink and navy color scheme to compliment the modern bohemian nursery I was going for, looking for pieces that would add layers of texture to my niece’s side of the room. Although my sister doesn’t have the space the add new furniture pieces right now, she will when they eventually move to a house in the suburbs, so I included a dark modern dresser and a sleek rocking chair to my moodboard.

What do you think?

PJ Feinstein is the author of A Girl Named PJ, a lifestyle blog offering fashion and beauty tips, design inspiration, commentary on pop culture, thoughts on personal growth, and honest talk about motherhood. She lives just outside Washington, DC, with her husband, two young sons, and stubborn (but adorable!) small white dog.

How to Display Your Kid’s Artwork

May 17, 2016

Post by Danielle Kurtz, Creative Director at The Land of Nod

If your kids are anything like mine, they create an endless stream of priceless works. From the drawings and coloring pages they make at home, to the many school projects, there’s certainly no shortage of art in our house. There is, however, a shortage of room on the side of the fridge. So, here are a few ways to create a rotating gallery of your child’s latest creations.

Kid Art Display Idea #1: Art Clips

Art clips are great in a playroom. Hang them low enough that your kids can reach them, that way they can curate their own gallery and decide just what pieces to put on display next.

Kid Art Display Idea #2: Gallery Rails

These are a sleek alternative to the art clips. You can line up as many as you need to fill a wall, and even do several rows of them. They’re also great to hang paintings that need to dry. Kids or parents can work the mechanism to swap art in and out easily. The clean, modern design is perfect for a shared space.

Kid Art Display Idea #3: The Gallery Wall

Gallery walls are a great way to incorporate some of your kiddos most prized masterpieces into your home’s decor. They look great paired with illustrated posters and family photos. This type of display is a bit more permanent, but it’ll definitely make your little feel special to have their work framed and hung in your family’s home.

Kid Art Display Idea #4: The Slide Frame

A nice play on the more permanent gallery wall is to use slide frames. These allow for easily swapping out artwork without the hassle of removing frames from your wall. The pics just slide in and out with ease. You might consider hanging one in a prominent place in your home, and doing a “Featured Art of the Month.” Let your child choose his or her favorite piece each month to put in the frame.

Some of the most talented artists I know are children; they have no inhibitions when it comes to creating. And, it often leads to really beautiful and interesting creations. All definitely worth a moment or two of fame.

On Raising a Creative Kid

May 16, 2016

Post by Danielle Kurtz, Creative Director at The Land of Nod

My five-year-old daughter Lottie is an avid crafter/artist/inventor. I’m constantly amazed at the things she creates out of random scraps she finds around the house. (Check out #createdbylottie for a peek at some of her creations.) I’m pretty sure she was simply born with her epic imagination, and she clearly inherited the incessant-need-to-craft gene. My mom, sister, grandma, aunts, cousins and great aunts are obsessive makers of all types (think weaving, crocheting, sewing, painting, doll making, etc). There aren’t a lot of idle hands in our family.

That said, I’ve definitely made a conscious choice to encourage her need to create. I’ve found a few methods to keep her more engaged in her crafting endeavors, and less interested in watching the latest toy review on YouTube Kids.

The first is simply to keep craft supplies out in the open and easily accessible. I know the easiest way to keep my living room clean would be to tuck all the art supplies neatly away in a bin on the top shelf of the bookcase in my basement playroom. But, out of sight out of mind. I’ve found that by keeping scissors, markers, glues, colored pencils and plenty of construction paper out in plain sight, she’s much more likely to pick up a pad of paper and start drawing, than if she had to make an effort to ask me to get it out for her. Also, she is much more likely to put it away when she’s done.

The key to this is to have containers designated to hold each type of supply. A bin for markers, one for crayons, another for scissors. And, maybe choose a drawer in your end table for pads of paper. Here are a few of my favorite storage bins for keeping all the supplies corralled, but easy to access.

But, you might be saying that you can’t possibly trust your 5 year old to have glue and markers on your living room couch. And, here’s where my second tactic comes in. Start ‘em early. I’ve let Lottie use all of these supplies since she was able to hold a crayon. And, I’ve always kept them out. It’s actually easier to police when they’re younger because they’re rarely hanging out alone. So, she learned the boundaries and rules early. I’ll be honest, I’m not totally insane, I don’t leave tubes of oil paint, loads of sharpies or buckets of glitter out on my coffee table, though she knows where all of that is and could get it if she wanted. That said, I also have an expectation that accidents might happen, which is exactly why I haven’t filled my family’s home with priceless heirlooms that can’t withstand a little scrubbing if needed, and I do buy washable markers.

And, finally, the real key to embracing her creativity for me has been to take a deep breath and accept the mess. She’s crazy about making things out of paper. Lots of collaging and such, so she’s basically a one-woman confetti factory. It’s not always easy to have my living room covered in her paper creations. I have to fight the urge to scoop it all up and toss it in the recycling bin, but then she’d just raid the recycling bin and turn it into something else. Kind of a futile battle. But, I do try to keep it somewhat under control by recycling what she’s done with, archiving what I imagine I’ll love looking back on in 30 years.

I have to say, being the mom of an artist is pretty awesome. And, as I said, it’s likely more nature than nurture. But, if I can help her hang onto that crazy incredible imagination even a little longer, then it’ll be worth all the cleanup.

Design Spotlight: Safari Themed Nursery

May 13, 2016

Post by Stephanie, Home Stylist from The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team

Whether you’re styling a nursery for your first baby, or looking to shake things up for the latest addition to your brood, creating a nursery with a theme is a great way to celebrate a the arrival of a new kiddo. After all, their room is only going to be in nursery-mode for a limited time, so why not have a little fun playing around with a theme? To get you inspired, I’ve put together a few tips for creating a safari-themed nursery design.

You certainly don’t have to incorporate a lot of over-the-top details to style your safari nursery. Sure, you could construct an elaborate recreation of Kenyan grasslands and Acacia trees using paper mache and chicken wire, or have a custom mural of the Serengeti plain painted on all four walls, but that will certainly entail a lot of time and money better spent elsewhere. Instead, try incorporating colors, patterns, and materials that evoke the emotion of being on safari.

Being on safari means being far away from city lights that block the view of a night sky filled with stars. The Constellations Wall Art is a perfect homage to the experience of looking out at a clear, starry night in the bush. A grass-green Patina rug adds a super-saturated pop of color that pairs well with a sunshine-yellow floor pouf. Zebras, monkeys, and giraffes are definitely necessary for a safari nursery, just don’t feel you have to go overboard including them on every detail in the space. A touch here or there is all you need.

For a more neutral take on the safari theme, stick to a color palette of ivory, tan, and gray reminiscent of a hot, arid climate and try using a singular bold statement to set the tone of the space. The new Charley Harper zebra print rug brings in a punch of pattern that is supported by more subtle, organic painterly shapes like those in the Freehand bedding.

Happy Styling!

How to Style a Girls Bedroom Bunk Bed

May 12, 2016

Post by Stephanie, Home Stylist from The Land of Nod’s Design Services Team

There are many ways to tackle bedding in a shared bedroom, specifically when it comes to bunk beds, but the ultimate goal is always to give each kiddo representation in the space. My advice is to strive for cohesion, but don’t feel it is necessary for every detail to match together perfectly. Instead, pick an element that will carry through to both beds, whether it is a color scheme or a pattern.

Personally, I love going the route of pairing together different quilts and duvet covers, since it very quickly gives each kiddo their own personal look. We styled our Wrightwood bunk beds by pairing together the pink tones in our Surprise Party and Corsage quilts. For the sheets, we chose a polka dot pattern for both beds, however we played around with the scale and paired together our Swiss Dot sheet set, which has a fine black dot pattern, and our Go Lightly sheets with a larger gray dot pattern.

If both kids really love a particular duvet cover, then change things up by using different sheets and throw pillows. This can also be a helpful approach to styling a shared bedroom for a boy and girl. In this case, I typically like to use a neutral quilt or duvet cover and bring in the individual personality through patterned sheets and throw pillows.

Whatever your approach, all it takes to master bedding in a shared space is pairing together a set of colors or patterns. Finding a common element to carry throughout the bedding will provide that much needed sense of cohesion to the space overall.

Happy Styling!

DIY Fabric Dye Duvet Cover Kids Craft

May 11, 2016

Post by Kim of Beehive Art

We were excited when The land of Nod asked us to explore the design possibilities for their Coloring Book Duvet Cover. I really love the sweet hand drawn design by Kimberly Ellen Hall at nottene.net and knew that however I decided to decorate it, it needed to be a fun activity for kids and colorful. With the kiddos’ input, I decided to use brilliant and bold fabric dye, a favorite technique used at Beehive ART.

With summer coming, this is the perfect project to do with your kids. You can work outside on the picnic table or lawn, leaving it in the sunshine to dry. Due to our weather, we worked indoors on a covered table.

Materials you’ll need:

Coloring Book Duvet Cover
Tie dye kit or Jacquard Procion Dye
Squirt bottles/droppers
A Bucket
Rubber gloves

I use the Jacquard Procion dye, it comes in dozens of colors and has great saturation. A little goes a really long way so if you opt to use them, buy a bag of soda ash. Soda ash is a mild alkali bye fixer necessary for activation and setting the dye. It sounds complicated, but it isn’t. *If you don’t use the fixer, your dye will wash out. If you buy the kit, the dye, soda ash, squirt bottles and instruction comes with. I have used this kit dozens of times and think it’s great.

Soak the duvet in soda ask until it is completely saturated.
After soaking the duvet in the soda ash, wring it out and spread it across the table. Really try to wring as much of the soda ash/water out, it will be much easier to work with.
Put the dye in squirt bottles and/or droppers that way you have more control of the dye. We used blue, yellow, orange, green and pink dye. I think if I did this again, I might only use two colors. But I was working with a group of kids and we went for it!
Dye away! We put little drops of color here and there, and thought it was fun to color each image a different color (whale – blue, alligator -green, hot air balloon- pink ). It was really fun watching the fabric change and the kids had fun finding the repeated images on the fabric and coloring them in.Soon the entire duvet cover was colored in. We tried to leave some spaces white / uncolored, but that proved to be a little tricky. It was a great exploration in color and color mixing. And it was fascinating for us to watch the piece come to life.
Let your masterpiece rest. The dye needs 24 hours to activate into the fabric so I left it flat on the table to dry.
After 24 hours, rinse in cold water. Pop it in the dryer or line dry.

Have fun and sweet dreams!

Kim Poler is queen bee of beehive ART. She lives for inspiring visual expression, explosions of colors, forms and exciting combinations of mixed-media art. She creates, designs and sells art projects, teaches children art and blogs at Beehive Art.

Outdoor Art Space for Kids

May 10, 2016

Post by Rebecca of Not-So-SAHM

One of things that drew us most to our new home was all of the fabulous outdoor space. But by the time we got everyone moved in and settled, we just didn’t get around to designing good use of the outdoor areas. We’ve re-energized our designing efforts this spring and first up is making a dedicated outdoor art space.

We already have a great art cabinet for the kids, but since it’s in our general living space, the kids have to clean things up as soon as they’re done creating. They do a good job, but I’ve always found value in having a space to get messy and create that can stay that way for a while. Kane has an awesome balcony outside of his room and now that we’re comfortable that the kids understand how to safely hang out there, we knew that would be a great spot to use as an outdoor art room for the kids.

The Land of Nod’s Linear Play Table was the perfect start — it’s a great modern design with plenty of organizing accessories. All of the pots attach easily to the side to hold a huge selection of art supplies and are super easy to take off and bring inside when the weather calls for it. And Kane and Cam were happy to each have a stool in their favorite colors.

In addition to the great table area, I added Nod’s awesome Artist’s Portrait Easel, paper roll, paint cups, and chalk + eraser for the chalkboard side. The kids hadn’t had an easel since they were much younger and both jumped at the chance to have one just their size.

And to add our own little touch of color, we included a DIY pom pom garland stretched over a hanging line for the kids’ artwork. They filled that up right away!

Our outdoor art area is covered, but we also bring in the easel and cover the table if we’re not going to be using them for a while. Or if it rains like it has so much in our neck of the woods this spring! If you’re interested in creating an outdoor art area for your kiddos, but don’t have a covered space, check out Nod’s Cape Play Table that is specifically made for the outdoors.

Thanks so much to The Land of Nod for helping us pull together this awesome space. Happy outdoor arting!!