Welcome to my second post in the Target® and Target Inner Circle “Back-To-School for Mom” series!
Last week, I shared some of my favorite high-tech tools for Mom, and today I’m going to help you set up a “Creative Command Center” in your home!
I’m lucky to have an amazing creative space for my projects; however, just because I have that space, doesn’t always mean that it is the most convenient place for me to get crafty. We live in a three-story town-home, and my office is on the top floor, when I’m in the main living area with my daughter during the day, it’s less likely that I can get much done without having to run up and down the stairs or find a way to entertain her in a room where most of the stuff is totally enticing and off-limits.
The answer for me, and I’m sure many other families, is to have some kind of mini office in your living area. I chose to create my “Creative Command Center” in a small section of my kitchen.
It’s still a work in progress, but so far I have one large drawer to keep a few very versatile tools on hand, along with some simple supplies. My counter and wall space is available for my HP Photosmart 5520 printer, a multi-functional drawer organizer (which doubles as a catch all and charging station) and a few bins and baskets for artwork, papers or mail that come into the house.
My drawer is stocked with my recommendations for a versatile selection of tools and supplies almost EVERY Mom will find handy to have on hand, regardless how “crafty” she is or wants to be. And best of all, everything is available at Target® so there is no need to spend extra time or money finding these items at a specialty store.
- 12” premium portable paper trimmer from Fiskars.
- 2” (extra large) circle squeeze punch, also from Fiskars.
- simple paper hole punch
- one ream of 65lb white cardstock
- one package of 4”x 6” photo paper
- glue stick/ felt pen combo from SMASH by K&Company
- mini stacking color ink pads, also from SMASH by K&Company
- multi-phrase rotary stamp from American Crafts
- 6”x 6” scrapbook paper pad
- pencils, scissors, tape, glue sticks, ruler, twine/string, and washi paper tape
- Scotch brand Self-Sealing Laminate pouches in a variety of sizes.
With these tools and supplies, any Mom (or Dad) can take a few minutes out of a busy day to make or print something crafty!
For example, I thought it would be cute to make a photo note card for my daughter’s lunch for her upcoming first day of pre-school. Because she can’t read quite yet, I wanted the photo to be the little happy reminder of Mommy’s love for her and our fun summertime memories.
First, I pulled up a photo on my iPhone of the two of us from a train trip we took over the summer, I edited the image for color and clarity using the PicTapGo app, then I used PicFrame to make a double print on the 4”x 6” photo paper (using the 3:2 ratio option in the app and selecting a heart as my photo shape.)
Then, after saving this to my Camera Roll, I loaded my HP Photosmart 5520 printer with 4”x 6” glossy photo paper and used the HP ePrint app to print the photo directly to my printer from my iPhone.
I trimmed the photo into two equal sized squares using the paper trimmer, folded a sheet of the 6” scrapbook paper into half to make a little note card, and taped the photo inside using a piece of washi paper tape.
Inside the card, under the photo, I inked the phrase “You Are My Fave” using the roller phrase stamp and mini-ink pads, and signed it “Love You, Mom” with felt pen. While I was at it, I grabbed a photo made with my instant camera, and made an extra note for a later date.
Adding this little extra personal touch was something so easy and quick…but admittedly, if it wasn’t for putting together the “Creative Command Center” it probably wouldn’t happen. I had the proper tools and supplies on hand, and the space on my table to put it together. I didn’t have to hunt all over the house or drag out my craft supplies from a closet or bin, or disappear into my office upstairs- it was ready, organized (mostly) and convenient!
One of the things I love about Target® and I learned during my experience at Media Day in NYC last October, is that Target® is committed to help its shoppers save time and money when shopping- they don’t want to waste your valuable time. One of my goals in sharing this series is to give SIMPLE ideas for making crafty time easy and fun, because I don’t want to waste your time either. And I also don’t want to waste your money, so I recommend these particular tools and supplies because they are practical, perform well, and can all be used together in a variety of ways to make something special that won’t take more than a few minutes. For example:
- Use the 2” circle squeeze punch, the scrapbook paper, hole punch, twine/sting and felt pen to make a tag for a gift or a sweet treat.
- Make strips of white paper using the paper trimmer and card stock, then ink phrases using the stamp and inks and glue onto toothpicks for quick cupcake toppers.
- Use one of your instant photos, or a printed photo, some card stock or scrapbook paper, a laminate pouch, hole punch and twine/string to make a quick photo bookmark- or download a printable pre-made bookmark design and customize it.
In my next post, I’m going to show you how to download free printables from the web, and print them at home on your printer. I'm also going to share a tutorial using a design site called PicMonkey, to walk you through the steps to make a set of chalkboard style cupcake toppers- in under 20 minutes!
To get you ready to follow along and help pick up the supplies you need for a well-stocked “Creative Command Center,” Target® and I are giving you a chance to win a $200 Target® Gift Card!
To enter, simply leave a comment on this post, including your first name, email address, and a favorite quick craft idea you like, or practical tool or supply you would recommend. The contest is open to entries until 1pm PST Friday, September 20th. The winner will be announced via my social media channels: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, using the hashtag #BTS4MOM so if you are not already following me, please take a minute to do so!
Next week, I'll be back with more "Back-To-School for Mom" posts, including some tips on putting together a quick creative cart for your kids, organizing and preserving art projects, and a review of the Target® Photo Center with an exclusive reader discount and some of the custom printed items available from Target®.
-Jennifer
Full Disclosure: I am a member of the Target® Inner Circle, all opinions expressed are my own. I was provided a gift card to purchase some of the items used in this series, however I have also contributed my own resources and time. Affiliate links are used for items that can be purchased online