Perfect Toddler Gift and a Mod-Podge Masterpiece!

Dear Diary,

Craft time! Gift time! This is one of my favorite things to make as a gift to give the kids in our life... newborn to 4 years old.  It is personalized, useful and my kids can help create it!  My kids use their stools all day long to reach the fridge water and the bathroom sink and the toilet etc! They are independent and usually that's a good thing. So, let's get started.



As always, your own personal style and creativity should be exercised here.  Turn on some music, get a smock, maybe even a cuppa java or a glass of vino and let it flow.  Don't worry about messing it up since this creation will be one of a kind.

Here are basic steps:

1. Get a stool (or chair or something wooden and useful)... you can often find them at garage sales, salvation army, or you can buy a new stools at Michael's with a %40 off coupon.  If there is a polyurethane over on the stool, I recommend sanding it off so that your new paint and design will stick better.

2. Decide the general color scheme and gather paint, brushes, paper (scrap paper, magazines, photos, prints from internet), scissors andor special cutting tools you like  and mod podge (matte or glossy) etc. and polyurethane spray. (optional: sandpaper, glitter).

3. Paint the stools- the kids love to help with this step- we squirt out colors in the scheme and it doesn't matter to me how the colors go on since it is really just the backdrop to the focal point.  In the end, while the paint is still wet, I smooth out the lines and blended it. Make sure there aren't any drips and that the whole stool is covered.

4. While the paint is drying, cut out and layout what you want to go on the stool.  I use scrapbook paper to cut out the kid's name.  You could put something other than their name like "Baby Girl" or "Big Brother" or "Go Green!"   I usually print some vintage looking photos and illustrations from the internet.  Get creative:)



5. Once the paint in dry, apply mod-podge the top of the stool generously. Lay down your words and photos- quickly and get them in place... if they wrinkle, pull them smooth. Apply mod podge over them- dab brush hard onto the paper to saturate it with the glue, then smooth.  You have to work quickly but it is hard to mess it up (as long as you let your type-A tendencies go).  If the paper rips, lay it back where it goes and brush over it.  The mod Podge will go on white and thick and dry clear.

6.I usually put a light layer of mod-podge on the entire whole stool (legs bottom and all) to seal in the paint.

7. Repeat layers of mod podge.  If you have the time, you can let it completely dry and sand it down smooth and then apply another layer. I've seen really thick and awesome applications where it looks like a hard plastic shell over the stool but I usually don't have that time so I just let it dry and lay on another layer until I am happy... usually 2 or 3 layers.

8. Last, I add a little glitter to the design... either a brushed on glitter glue or spray glitter- whatever I have laying around.  Then I spray a few coats of polyurethane on it (OUTSIDE) letting it dry in between.

VIOLA! the perfect gift for a toddler (or even a newborn)!





We made one for our Jacie Mae!



Special Shout-out to Aunt Jill and Uncle Ryan who made Mea a "Babygirl" stool before she was born, before she even had a name...  that we still use everyday! Thanks for letting me borrow your idea over and over again :)

Pin It


THIS CRAFT IS AVAILABLE FOR SALE... $35 plus shipping :)  Email us to talk specifics.

Over and Out Sistas!
Sarah