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Hi friends!
It’s me, Sarah again from Becoming Martha, and I am here to share my last post with you as part of Jill’s team. (But don’t worry, if you’ve loved my posts, you can always visit me over at my blog!) Today, I’m sharing a little project that I made for my youngest daughter.
I was inspired after going to church and carrying an extra tote, just of her toys and stuff to keep her busy. My daughter is only five, so I don’t expect her to sit through an entire church service, or wait patiently at the doctors office. But at the same time, I’m tired of carrying around an extra bag just for her – or worrying about it being packed as we are rushing out the door, already late for church. So I came up with this Busy Bag idea – it’s small and portable enough that I can keep it packed and leave it in my purse or the glove box of my car, and I don’t have to worry about it.
To make your own Kids Busy Bag (or Activity Bag), you’ll need:
- a medium size cosmetic bag (mine is from Michael’s)
- iron on vinyl
- play packs (or other small coloring books and stickers)
- small pack of mini markers
- notebook and pen (this set is from Pick Your Plum)
- mini dolls or toys, such as these Lalaloopsy Mini dolls
The first step is to cut your child’s name out of iron on vinyl. I used my handy dandy Cricut Explore, and the font is called Bobbie. It’s a premium font, which means it usually isn’t free, but right now you can snag it for absolutely nothing. (While you are over there, check out their freebie and $1 section – you can find some amazing fonts and graphics there. Also, I find premium fonts are way better for cutting on the Cricut because they are so well designed that there are no rough edges or uneven spots.)
Place the iron on vinyl on the bag, and iron with a thin cloth between the vinyl and the iron to protect the plastic transfer from melting.
Next, it’s time to fill your busy bag. Obviously, you can put whatever you would like in there, but I love these play packs because the coloring books are the perfect size and easy to carry around. You can find them at Michaels, but I got these ones at the dollar store. In addition to the coloring books, they have a sheet of stickers and a pack of four crayons (which I toss… I’m kind of a Crayola snob – but then again, you could throw them in your glove box and they are perfect for those times when you are in a pinch).
I added a sticker to the front of the notebook, but other than that, it was just a matter of putting it in the bag and zipping it up!
I was amazed at everything that fit in there – four mini coloring books, four sticker sheets, a pack of mini markers, a notebook with pen, and three Lalaloopsy mini dolls. (The dolls could easily be replaced with another small toy, like Littlest Pet Shops, toy cars, etc.)
This make up bag measures 8.5″x6″, so it’s a great size to throw in your purse or store in your car without it being a nuisance, and you’ll never be stuck rushing to pack a bag at the last minute or carrying yet another bag.
I hope you guys loved following along with my posts every month – and if you want more great ideas to keep kids busy, check out these posts over at BecomingMartha.com:
…or have them help you assemble these adorable Frozen inspired Easter baskets!
…plus there are so many more ideas for the little ones over on my blog, so I hope you follow along! Thanks so much to Jill for having me over to share with you these past few months – I have loved every minute!
Click HERE for more Kid’s Project Ideas!
