This post’s printable template is brought to you by my kids’ inability to stay focused on their daily routines in the face of, well, anything. How many times must I repeat the same questions about clean teeth and pajama locations before it becomes a habit without need for a nagging parent? Well, I’m afraid I will never find that answer, but I will settle on a nearer-term goal instead: accountability.
During one of my nightly Pinterest scroll sessions, I came across several project ideas for helping kids remember their chores. Some were super-detailed magnet boards, some were simple lists with clothespins that moved when tasks were completed, and others were everywhere in between. Regardless, the “pinner” ideas were inspiring for my gradually worsening attempts to corral my young kids into some sense of order morning and night. All that in mind, I came up with a simple cutout concept with pockets to put little game-type pieces into whenever a chore was done.
My kids love to count down days to special events and visit their garden to check in on every fledgling seed for growth status, so I took a gamble that being able to move a little cutout icon into a pocket when they finished a chore would help improve their memories immensely. It might even be fun! Behind the scenes, they certainly had very strong opinions about what they wanted their personal charts to look like, so there was some built-in excitement to boot!
Included in this free printable PDF file are four themed charts, one blank chart, four sets of themed icons, and two sets of chore labels (one color, one for DIY coloring). The rainbows, dinosaur, and space charts are pretty self-explanatory; however, the raindrop one was chosen by my second eldest as a “meditation” concept. She’s very into nature sounds and listens to nature music playlists when going to sleep or sketching in her art pad.
While the themes I included were based on my kids’ tastes, the concept should be pretty flexible outside of what’s in this printable. Any small clip art should be suitable for the pocket pieces, and the blank chart can either be cut out and taped to a scrapbooking page or designed and colored as-is.
Chore Chart Construction Guide
1) Cut out the chore labels, the little clip art drawings that match the chart theme you’re using, and a 1.5″ x 6″ rectangle from some extra paper. (Any paper will do, cardstock is best).
2) Tape the bottom and sides of the chore labels where you want them on the designated spaces on the chart. (Note: Make sure you only tape the bottom and sides so that it makes a little pocket where the clipart tokens can slide inside.)
3) Tape the rectangle bottom and sides on the bottom of the chore chart. The rectangle serves to hold the little clipart tokens when not being used. (Note: Again, make sure you only tape the bottom and sides so a little pocket is made with the rectangle.)
There is a short video at the bottom of this page that serves as a guide for how they come together and are used. Hopefully everything is easy peasy!
If you use these charts for your kids’ chores, I’d love to hear how they work out for you! As always, thanks for reading!
Today’s project is inspired by the amazing photos which continue to be released from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Launched on December 25, 2021 after decades of development, Webb is now the world’s largest and most powerful space-based telescope in operation. With its four onboard instruments, scientists will be able to study the very early days of our universe, the ways stars, planets, and galaxies form and evolve, and obtain spectroscopic data on the atmosphere compositions of exoplanets.
Webb’s first full-color scientific images and findings released on July 12, 2022 marked the official start of its formal science work. If you enjoyed the amazing images and space facts made possible by the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope is probably going to blow your mind. Personally, I can’t wait to see the exoplanet data that comes out. I love dreaming up life and landscapes on other planets, and I imagine I’ll have content in the future that’s inspired by the same (décor, stories…garden projects??!!).
“Galaxy M51 (MIRI image),” taken by NASA’s James Webb Telescope. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI
“This image taken by Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) shows a part of the Orion Nebula known as the Orion Bar,” taken by NASA’s James Webb Telescope. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI
A quick review of history seems to show that space has always inspired humanity, thus the golden era of our rocket age is unsurprisingly ripe with all sorts of retro visions of what our future might look like. Perhaps one of the most recognizable images of a “vintage” or “retrofuture” rocket, in my opinion, is the one designed by Belgian artist Georges Remi for his famous cartoon adventurer named TinTin. Its missile shape combined with a red and white checkered coloring seems to be a classic reference point in popular culture whenever rocket history is being discussed.
A Brief History of TinTin
Remi, better known under his pen name of Hergé (a play on his initials “G.R.” said backwards with a French pronunciation of “R.G.”), completed twenty-four stories involving TinTin the reporter which comprised many historical events in its plots during its run from 1929 to 1986. However, the pictured space technology contained in his two moon adventures are likely some of the most recognizable images from the series and evoke a nostalgia for the era they represent even from those not familiar with the series more specifically. In other words, many people recognize the TinTin rocket without knowing anything else about it. It has become that iconic. SpaceX’s Starship rocket that’s hoping to ferry humans to the Moon and Mars in the coming decade is even possibly inspired by the TinTin rocket! (Elon Musk tweet-confirmed something to that effect, but I’m no good at searching on X/Twitter, sorry.)
Here’s a very early self-designed crochet project of mine. I had so many ideas for a retro-themed rocket inspired by TinTin, but in the end, I just made a giant applique of sorts.
The apron ties were a last-ditch effort to make something useful out of it after every other concept fell through. There are a bunch of little pockets in the back for dowel rods to tuck in and keep the rocket fins straight. I think I was going for a Halloween costume at one point? Who knows… It gets to stay in my collection for memory’s sake.
According to biographical accounts of his life, Hergé did an incredible amount of research and had many discussions with involved scientists to make sure the rocket trips in the Destination Moon (1950, 1953) and Explorers on the Moon (1954) stories were as accurate as possible to what was being designed for future space travel in the day. That said, reading and watching in modern times, where real trips to the Moon are decades old and astronauts regularly ferry to orbit for long stays on the International Space Station, TinTin’s adventure almost seems commonplace with all we take for granted now.
It further reminds me of how far humanity has progressed in the “final frontier” considering Hergé’s stories came out nearly two decades before Neil Armstrong first set foot on the Moon in 1969 and several years before the first satellite (Sputnik I) made it to space in 1957. While there are definitely details in TinTin’s adventure that turned out to be incorrect as far as space travel goes, I will say it’s quite a relief that astronauts don’t actually black out during launch and landing like the Destination Moon crew did.
Project Time! C2C Crochet Vintage Space Comic Rocket Pattern
What would a C2C or tapestry crochet tribute to the retro rocket age be without a nod to the classic comic book rockets from science fiction stories? I took to my pixel software and put something together that would capture its overall vibe in blanket format, but I ran into a hiccup: I didn’t have the right colors in my yarn stash!
What would a C2C or tapestry crochet tribute to the retro rocket age be without a nod to the classic comic book rockets from science fiction stories? I took to my pixel software and put something together that would capture its overall vibe in blanket format, but I ran into a hiccup: I didn’t have the right colors in my yarn stash!
Since I’d been on a neutrals kick for my house decorations, my options were limited to shades of tan, grey, and a bit of black, so that’s what my finished project looked like. My husband claimed it for his chair in our room – a success overall in my book.
For the pattern itself, though, I did do my best to use nostalgic and fun colors. I’ve also included a couple of bonus grids in case a whole blanket set is in mind based on the retro rocket age. It’s definitely on my gift list this holiday season for any rocket lovers in the family and friends circle!
Note on C2C / Tapestry Crochet Patterns
I have not included any instruction or tutorial directions on how to do C2C (corner-to-corner) or tapestry crochet in my pattern file. My abilities in this area are limited, and there are so many amazing crochet instructors out there that can lead you through these techniques much better than I could. The video that I used when originally learning was put out by The Crochet Crowd, so I can personally recommend it. However, a simple search on YouTube or your favorite search engine is sure to lead you to many excellent teachers all the same who I’ve learned other things from in crochet.
I hope you enjoyed this little tribute to the retro rocket / space comic book age (that’s a thing, right?). This project was fun for me to make!
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