Paper Plate Cutout Gears – Maker Fun Factory

Paper Plate Cutout Gears – Maker Fun Factory

We made A LOT of gears this year... like, a lot.  I felt like Bubba Gump's million kinds of shrimp... we have gears cut out of tablecloths, gear posters, gear toys, gears that look metallic, gears that actually work... One of the types of gears we made were paper plate cutout gears.  These were one of the projects we used during our volunteer work day.  They're a great project to send home with someone, too! This post may contain affiliate links.  Thank you for helping support Borrowed Blessings! Supplies: Paper plates Scissors Permanent marker…Read more …
Interactive Ball Maze – Maker Fun Factory

Interactive Ball Maze – Maker Fun Factory

One of my favorite things about Maker Fun Factory VBS is the amount of interactive possibilities!  We used mostly supplies the church already had to make an interactive ball maze.  We actually made two of these - one for the back of the sanctuary (which was interactive) and one for on stage (that was filled with balls - not interactive).  Links in this post may be referral links.  Thanks for helping support Borrowed Blessings! Supplies: -Concrete form (ours were 12" across and 3-4' tall) -Poster board (4 sheets per concrete tube) -Clear packing…Read more …
Upcycled Station Signs – Maker Fun Factory

Upcycled Station Signs – Maker Fun Factory

This weekend, I used free supplies to make some awesome upcycled station signs!  One of our church members (who is a former architect) donated a whole stack of old blueprints.  I used blue paper leftover from another VBS project to make some large (and FREE) station signs! This post may contain affiliate links (I earn a small percentage of anything you purchase but you don’t pay anything extra).  Thanks for helping support Borrowed Blessings! Supplies: -Blueprints -Blue paper (I had some left over from our other blueprint project) -King sized Sharpie Instructions: 1.…Read more …
Gear Floor Decals – Maker Fun Factory VBS

Gear Floor Decals – Maker Fun Factory VBS

Did you see the Giant Gear Decorations post earlier?  I've had some great feedback and ideas from other VBS leaders and have another table cover-based gear idea to share.  Get excited - this is another decorating for a dollar idea!  We are going to use the table cover method to make floor decals {think stepping stones, except obviously not made of stone}. This post may contain affiliate links (I earn a small percentage of anything you purchase but you don’t pay anything extra).  Thanks for helping support Borrowed Blessings! Supplies Table covers Plastic carpet…Read more …
GIANT Gear Decorations – Maker Fun Factory

GIANT Gear Decorations – Maker Fun Factory

I love decorating for a dollar!  My last decorating for a dollar project was the blue paper decorated as blueprints.  These giant gear decorations are even faster and easier... and each one is a whopping SEVEN FOOT gear! This is a great way to decorate large spaces without investing a lot of time or energy.  I'm planning to use these in our snack area and possibly crafts or bible verse stations. This post may contain affiliate links (I earn a small percentage of anything you purchase but you don’t pay anything extra).  Thanks for…Read more …
Master List of Craft Ideas – Maker Fun Factory

Master List of Craft Ideas – Maker Fun Factory

The Maker Fun Factory curriculum is my favorite in YEARS.  I think the message speaks to the identity confusion that most (if not all) kids experience at some point or another.  The points shared through this curriculum are ones that we ALL will benefit from hearing and sharing!  I love that the Imagination Station activities reinforce the daily bible points, but I am a strong proponent of more old-school crafts rather than the gimmicky science gizmos that Group suggests using.  I've come up with a master list of alternative craft ideas that still mesh…Read more …
Wooden Cross Craft – Vacation Bible School Ideas

Wooden Cross Craft – Vacation Bible School Ideas

Our church typically uses the vacation bible school curriculum created by Group Publishing.  Every Group curriculum, regardless of theme, uses night 4 (Thursday night for us) to tell the story of Jesus' life and death (and offers kids the chance to accept Jesus).  I like doing a cross craft at Imagination Station for the Jesus story.  My goal is always to keep crafts under $1 per child per night, but if I'm going to splurge on a craft I want it to be a keepsake... so I will occasionally spend over $1 if…Read more …
DIY Xylophone – Maker Fun Factory VBS

DIY Xylophone – Maker Fun Factory VBS

Maker Fun Factory is one of my favorite VBS programs in a long time!  One of the things I love is that decorating for Maker Fun Factory is so interactive.  From life-size marble runs to homemade instruments, the possibilities are endless. This post may contain affiliate links.  I earn a small percentage of anything you purchase through these links but you don’t pay anything extra.  Thanks for helping to support Borrowed Blessings! After hunting Pinterest like it's my job, I had an idea list a mile long for interactive VBS decor.  One of…Read more …
Indoor Advertising Banner for less than $1! – Maker Fun Factory VBS

Indoor Advertising Banner for less than $1! – Maker Fun Factory VBS

Our church has an outdoor vinyl banner that we display with the VBS dates and times every year.  To advertise indoors, we typically order a lower quality indoor banner customized with the theme each year.  This year, I made a HUGE indoor banner for under a buck.  The banner is 4.5 feet wide by 9 feet tall - wowzers! This post may contain affiliate links (I earn a small percentage of anything you purchase but you don’t pay anything extra).  Thanks for helping support Borrowed Blessings! Supplies for this project: -Blank banner (table…Read more …
Budget-Friendly VBS T-Shirts: Maker Fun Factory

Budget-Friendly VBS T-Shirts: Maker Fun Factory

We have used the Group iron-ons in the past to make VBS t-shirts, but haven't been very happy with the quality {You know how you can see the white square around the logo?  Yeah, we'd like to not have that.}.  We also like having the freedom to buy different colored shirts for each crew. This year, I decided to delve into custom t-shirts.  I've designed t-shirts for years for various organizations {everything from a band fundraising concert to church ministries to collegiate events}.  I created two t-shirt designs for Maker Fun Factory VBS.…Read more …
Cheap & Easy Robot Building Ideas – Maker Fun Factory VBS

Cheap & Easy Robot Building Ideas – Maker Fun Factory VBS

Since this year's VBS theme, Maker Fun Factory, focuses heavily on robots, we're all going to be professional robot builders by the end of the summer!  I've looked at more robot building ideas than I care to admit, so I thought I'd share some of my favorites.  Thankfully, robots are cheap and fairly easy to put together! This post may contain affiliate links.  I earn a small percentage of anything you purchase through these links but you don’t pay anything extra.  Thanks for helping to support Borrowed Blessings! To build a robot (or…Read more …
Name Tag Templates – Maker Fun Factory VBS

Name Tag Templates – Maker Fun Factory VBS

For the last few years, we've printed our own name tags and put them in ID sleeves attached to lanyards.  These are affordable and have lasted really well!  We've had to throw away a few lanyards, but most of them can be re-used multiple years. This post may contain affiliate links.  I earn a small percentage of anything you purchase through these links but you don’t pay anything extra.  Thanks for helping to support Borrowed Blessings!  The prices referenced here are current as of publishing, but retailers change pricing often. Materials Cardstock Paper…Read more …
How to Make Blueprints for Under $1 – Maker Fun Factory VBS

How to Make Blueprints for Under $1 – Maker Fun Factory VBS

Good afternoon!  I am so excited to share with y'all the cheapest, easiest blueprint-making-method ever!  Carrie A. (who is part of our Maker Fun Factory facebook group) made these phenomenal (and huge) blueprints for pennies.  They are large and will be a quick, easy way to decorate spaces (think hallways, stairwells, on stage, etc). This post may contain affiliate links.  I earn a small percentage of anything you purchase through these links but you don’t pay anything extra.  Thanks for helping to support Borrowed Blessings! Supplies Blue fadeless paper (you can use sky…Read more …
Money Saving VBS Supplies: Maker Fun Factory

Money Saving VBS Supplies: Maker Fun Factory

This post may contain affiliate links.  I earn a small percentage of anything you purchase through these links but you don’t pay anything extra.  Thanks for helping to support Borrowed Blessings! Group has VBS supplies you can order directly from them for everything from advertising to crafts.  However, I've been able to find similar items at half the price (or less) for most of the Group supplies... and if you know me at all, you know few things excite me as much as saving money!  {Can you tell yet that I'm an Amazon…Read more …
DIY Bible Verse Buddies – Maker Fun Factory VBS

DIY Bible Verse Buddies – Maker Fun Factory VBS

Group sells Bible Buddies, but I would rather spend our money elsewhere, so I designed DIY Bible Verse Buddies!  They're cost-effective and super easy to make.  You could choose to hand out DIY Bible Buddies that either have the bible verses on them or the daily bible point.  These have the bible verse on them.  I'll share some later this week that have the daily bible point on them. This post may contain affiliate links.  I earn a small percentage of anything you purchase through these links but you don’t pay anything extra.…Read more …
DIY Fabric & Ribbon Garland Backdrop

DIY Fabric & Ribbon Garland Backdrop

You know how projects on Pinterest look great until you actually try them and realize that it's not realistic to make a project look pin-worthy?  Think again!  This project was legitimately easy to do and didn't take any sewing skills whatsoever.  The most difficult part was choosing the fabric {not even sort of kidding here}. Materials: -Grosgrain Ribbon {I used 3" wide ribbon in silver, light pink and hot pink.} -Fabric -Paracord -Scissors -Rotary cutter tool -Cutting mat -Yard stick -Lighter -8 foot long 1"x2" board {for hanging} -Spray paint {optional - for 1"x2"…Read more …
DIY Baby Shower Invitations

DIY Baby Shower Invitations

My mom and I are both pretty crafty, so when she offered to host our baby shower I knew we would be in for some fun projects!  One of the simplest projects we've done has been the baby shower invitations.  They were completely frugal and fit our theme perfectly.  I might have a slight obsession with elephants, hence the elephant theme for both the nursery and the baby shower. Supplies: -Card stock paper -Envelopes -Printer -Silhouette Cameo machine -Cricut cutting mat Instructions: Design invitations.  I used the Silhouette design software to make the…Read more …
DIY Satin Ribbon Garland Tutorial

DIY Satin Ribbon Garland Tutorial

One of my favorite baby shower decorations to make has been our DIY satin ribbon garland banner.  It is so classy looking, was super easy to make and can be re-used after the baby shower is over.  This would be perfect for a wedding, bridal shower, birthday party, baby shower, kids' bedroom decor... pretty much anywhere you want to bring a pretty pop of color without breaking the bank. Materials: -Double faced satin ribbon {I used 2.25" wide in light pink, rosewood and pewter.} -Paracord -Scissors -Lighter -3M Hooks {for hanging} Instructions: Figure…Read more …
Custom Nursery Closet Dividers with the Silhouette Cameo

Custom Nursery Closet Dividers with the Silhouette Cameo

If you've followed me for long, you know that last Christmas I went Cameo crazy.  With this baby coming in less than 3 months, my nesting and decorating urges have definitely hit a new high!  I'm so excited to be able to use my Cameo to decorate and organize this baby's nursery!  As we started to accumulate baby clothes, I hated them all just hanging in the closet together.  I knew I wanted some sort of dividers like they have at retail stores, but the plain jane ones are just boring.  I found…Read more …
DIY Sliding Barn Door Makeover for Under $100!

DIY Sliding Barn Door Makeover for Under $100!

Hey y'all!  When we decided to renovate our home, we wanted to give it little touches that make it more "us".  One of the style decisions we made to make the house a home was the addition of a sliding barn door on the laundry room.  The laundry room is located directly off the dining room, so it's a high traffic area.  When we purchased the house, there was a doorway between the two rooms but no door, so the laundry room was always open.  The door will probably stay open most of…Read more …