DIY Felt Toddler Busy Bag Crafts

"Busy Bags" are so hot right now! There are endless Pins on Pinterest and numerous videos on YouTube detailing how easy and cheap it is to make yourself some "Busy Bags". Every mom should have "Busy Bags" in her arsenal of mommy hacks. They're meant to keep your kids busy and most of the time, quiet. You use them anywhere: grocery store, doctor's office, Pharmacy, DMV, airplane, road trip, anywhere that you need your little one to be occupied these are supposed to work like a charm. When my mom visited after our youngest was born she brought an entire small suitcase filled with items to make about 15 different "Busy Bags" for my oldest. There are some he liked and some he didn't but we still use them to this day on and off. He can entertain himself with a car and a coloring book with color crayons now. He's pretty easy, it's our youngest that goes through everything super fast, nothing really holds his attention longer than 5 minutes. Our youngest will be 2 in about a week and a half and we are embarking on a 6 plus hour flight to California from Tennessee at the end of November of this year to go see family and go to Disneyland. I am flying with a 5 year old and a 2 year old all by myself... I think I have gone crazy! So I have been looking at videos and pins to find different ideas for what to take with us and decided to post a few blogs about the different "Busy Bags" I will be taking with me on the plane and use while we are there visiting family. 

Project #1: This felt project you take those weird crazy straws we all loved in the 90s, take some felt & cut up some squares or rectangles..whatever shape, fold over and make a little slit in the middle. That's it! They're supposed to thread the felt on the straws, that helps with dexterity and motor skills and it's supposed to keep them entertained for hours. My five-year-old wanted to do it; he wanted to match the colors with the colored straws.

Project #2: I took an ordinary $0.98 pill box, the felt I had already purchased and a dollar bag of colored pom poms. I cut some felt out per color of pom-pom, glued it on top of the pill box lid to cover up the days of the week and separated out the colored pom poms into their designated box. Simple for him to learn how to match colors and he loves running around with it. Of course he tried to eat the pom-poms at first! I had to tell him that they weren't food and after he figured that out he has so much fun! I dumped it out and he puts the colors in the boxes, I have to help him by putting one pom pom per color and then he follows.

Two great and inexpensive "Busy Bag" ideas! The straws were a dollar, the pencil pouches were a dollar each, the felt was $0.23 per sheet (I got 7 of them) and the pom-poms were $0.98... so for $6, because you have to factor in taxes, I have two "Busy Bags" complete! It took maybe 30 minutes to cut all the felt, glue and separate. There's also another one where you cut bigger pieces of felt and sew a button on some ribbon - it's called feed the snake that you just put the felt on the ribbon. I haven't found the right ribbon yet and don't know if I'll do that but it's a good idea. I think the straws might just be enough, for right now.

OH SH!T Baby Shower Gift: The best thing to give a new mommy!

So we've all been there: out & about with the 

family having a great time and then it happens...the oldest throws a fit (he's still under 5) and spills his entire water bottle on himself and the youngest pees through his diaper...yet again 😒

One of the best things I have ever Pinned on Pinterest was the "OH CRAP BAG". Sadly the website is not longer working but the lady was a genius! Another lady made her own version of the "Oh Crap" bag but although her way is cute too, I liked the first one I saw that no longer works. Both ladies are very smart and here is the newer version: http://www.diaperswappers.com/diaper-blog/the-oh-crap-bag-and-why-its-a-perfect-baby-shower-gift

So the idea behind the bag was to have those items for your baby, kids and yourself  in your car in the event that you might need them. Items like a few extra diapers, a thing of wipes, change of clothes, etc. As a shower gift, she would place a few diapers of a certain size in a gallon size plastic bag with an outfit in a certain size, seal it and write on the bag the sizes of both diapers and clothes. Simple and easy to see in those moments you need a diaper or clothes and do not have them in your diaper bag or you have used up your back ups. This bag is your back-ups back up 👍

Inside the Oh Sh!t bag

I did diaper sizes 2 to 5, along with clothing sizes 0-3 Months, 3 Months, 6-9 Months and 12 Months. Each bag is clearly labeled for the new mommy to find what it is she needs.

Label on each bag: Diaper size and Clothing size

0-3 bodysuit with size 2 diapers

0-3 sleeper

First bag done!

3 month body suit with size 3 diapers

3 month sleeper

Second bag done!

6-9 bodysuit with size 4 diapers

6 month sleeper

12 month bodysuit with size 5 diapers

All 4 bags done! Now of course a baby in size 6 month clothing won't be in size 4 diapers but the point of this bag is to help the mom be prepared for the worst. I have a bag like this myself and I have used it so many times!

I also included some extras she may need: a pad (hey it's always a good idea to have a back up in the car!), a small First Aid kit, lotion, Clorox wipes, Germ X, lint roller, tissues, chap-stick and two pacifiers.

Everything all ready to be packed!

I put it in a cheap reusable Walmart bag but you can use any bag you like to keep everything in the car. 

Tried making the bag look cute by adding a bow in the same shade of blue

Now other items for her to add to it are things like her kids favorite snacks (non perishable, duh), extra underwear for her toddler, sunscreen, a sippy cup for her toddler, a blanket, etc. Honestly the list can go on and on depending on the needs and wants for her family.

I also made her a crochet baby blanket and put it all together in a plain blue gift bag decorated with baby stickers to make it stand out.

Chevron pattern made from Red Heart Super Saver yarn in Soft Navy, Heather Grey and Macaw

Hidden behind everything there in the back

Mommy to be opening it up.

She loved it! I was so nervous she wouldn't like it but it got a great response! It is the best thing for any mom or dad, you can never be too prepared when it comes to kids.