11.01.2010

Turning $1 at Target Into a Crafty Jungle Adventure - I Love Being Cheap!

Whatever marketing genius at Target came up with the cutesy $1 bins at the front entrance gets a tip of the hat from me. ::Tips hat:: Well done, ma'am (or sir), you've made me irresponsible for my actions and cost me, I'm sure, hundreds, in trinkets, stickers, kids socks, and seasonal cake decorations.

A couple weeks ago Otto and I came across this irresistable "find" in the good ol' dollar bins (a re-creation courtesy of my memory, but you get the idea):

I think the unique selling point that none of the animals in the package were originally meant to be sold together - the giraffe is pygmy, the gazelle even teenier, there's a North American tomcat (not pictured above) and the tree is a completely different kind of plastic with a nice fluorescent flavor - had me at hello.

During craft time Otto was getting intense with the glue sticks. I acknowledge another marketing genius: the sir (or ma'am) who decided to make kids' glue sticks purple so the kids won't care if they do or don't glue a thing with them, use them like crayons, and go through 2 sticks per craft project. ::Tips hat::


Otto was on a pretty intense collage bender. Sidenote: He is so cute; I want to chew on his chubby feet!

I used the box my beloved Samsung Moment came in to create a diorama jungle carrying case for Ot's new motley crew of beasts.


It's not much, but it suits our cast just fine and is also the home of a neon scorpion and rubbery centipede from Chuck E Cheese. Otto's finally old enough to create little scenarios for the toys, which is my favorite thing in the world to spy on. The zebra keeps getting hit by a car and sent off for a nap!

Thanks for letting me share. Kind of a fun afternoon for a buck, right?

-Lindsey

6 comments:

Alana said...

You are such an amazing mom.
That is all.
xoxo

Aleksandra Nearing said...

I swear my daughter has more fun with non-toys than her expensive toys! Cute pictures!

Unknown said...

youre so effing creative and craftsy and I am so jealous. O is lucky to have you as a mom. Your house seems so fun and you sold me on getting a play kitchen for my son :)

OT and ET said...

Thanks guys <3 <3 <3 As long as Otto is having fun, even if it's with a bunch of $1 garbage, well, I'm happy :)

V - lil P will love his play kitchen! When Otto isn't making fake soup he drives his cars all over it. Perfect masculine toy, haha!

Mommafo said...

That is SO cool. You do the $1 section an incredible justice. :)

OT and ET said...

Thanks, mama! I grew up poor & bored so have lots of practice making something out of nothing, ha!