Prudent Baby’s Monogrammed Felt Hair Clip
There are so many great craft blogs out there that have been wonderfully inspirational for me through the years, but there is one that I am particularly drawn to almost every day—Prudent Baby. It is my craft mecca. The site was started last year by the dynamic duo Jacinda and Jaime who come up with brilliant crafty projects every week that are totally doable for even the most harried mama out there. I made the crib sheet in less than a half hour—perfect for nap time crafting.
Whether it’s making a potty training chart or re-doing a doll stroller, Prudent Baby has terrific easy-to-follow tutorials that make you hot-foot it over to your nearest craft store to buy bottles of Modge Podge and fat quarters of fabric. They even had great craft and sewing projects for Mom (under the wonderfully and let’s face it–at times most aptly named Hot Mess Mommy). Prudent Baby ladies, you had me at hello!
So, let’s sit down with the terrifically talented Jacinda over a nice cup of of Internet tea (Lemon Lift with honey) and ask her oodles of questions, shall we?
MK: How long have you been a crafty maven? Were you knitting your Raggedy Ann dresses? Or did the crafting spirit come upon you later in life?
JACINDA:Â I am a life-long crafter with early role-models. Â Both my mom and my grandmother were always making something while I was growing up. Designing jewelry, stitching quilts, decorating cakes, painting, dying Ukrainian Easter eggs. They did EVERYTHING and they were always happy to let me in on the fun. I can remember wallpapering my dollhouse with scraps from a wallpaper sample book that my mom had saved from its dumpster destiny. And once in college I pulled an all- nighter… making granny squares for an afghan!! I’m a good time. So yes, I’ve had the craft bug my whole life, and a bad case.
MK: What handmade item are you most proud of?
JACINDA: I’m awfully proud of my fancy royal icing sugar cookies. People appreciate their winning combo of beauty and deliciousness. I struggle with posting them on Prudent Baby because, as a hobby, they are WAY too much work for the end result, which is… a cookie. It’s like a crazed passion of mine where I keep going into the wee hours of the morning. If someone happens to witness this horror show of cookie decorating in the middle of the night, it ruins the magic for them. It’s my dirty little secret. I don’t want people to feel guilty eating them.
Prudent Baby’s Hooded Baby Towel
MK: What was your inspiration for PrudentBaby? What tutorial is the most popular on the site?
JACINDA:Â Jaime and I worked together for several years, and we both left and started families around the same time. Like me, she was an artist and needing an outlet for creativity. We thought it would fun to share our ideas and patterns with each other and anyone else who wanted to use them. Our patterns for the Nursing Cover, Crib Sheet and 10-minute Onsie Dress are probably our most popular and readers really appreciated our Recipe Binder Organization System. And the birthday parties, they are always a hit.
MK: Â Â How do you find time to craft? What is a typical day for you? Â You don’t sleep, do you?
JACINDA: I cannot lie, I’m pretty sleepy and I do most of my crafting late at night after a long stay-at-home-mom day. The real secret to the frequency of our posts is that there are two of us! We keep each other inspired, motivated and accountable. It’s nice to have some back-up.
MK:Â We know your little one is a huge inspiration for all things crafty. How do you try to involve her in your crafty efforts?
JACINDA: Quinn is 1 and Clare will turn 3 next week. She loves to paint and draw and sculpt with clay. She also loves to help bake. Whenever I come up with a project for us to do together, she is on board. I need to set that time aside more often. When I need to focus on something that requires my undivided attention, like sewing, I wait until after-hours. These girls sense when I am trying to be productive and swoop in to demand mommy-time like it’s their super-power. It’s nice to be loved.
Well, thanks for chatting with us, Jacinda! You are just a doll and I can’t wait to watch you and your partner in craft, Jaime continue to rock it out at Prudent Baby!
