DIY Archives | Cool Mom Tech

Download Apple’s free Make Your Holiday booklet and give your kids 20+ fun, creative projects to keep them busy all month.

by Liz Gumbinner | DIY, Holiday Picks, Kids

I am not exaggerating when I say that I cried after watching a presentation about Apple’s new, totally free, Make Your Holiday at-home family program. Our kids have been through so much, and whenever I think of all the companies that have stepped up to offer...

11 geeky Halloween costumes for kids. Parenting done right.

by Kate Etue | DIY

My kids still haven’t made up their minds about their Halloween costumes this year. Hello, kids! Time for a decision! And now that I’ve been scouring Pinterest for ideas, the geek in me is coming out. I’m hoping at least one of mine will choose one...

These DIY galaxy Easter eggs are out of this world.

by Kate Etue | DIY

My kids love decorating Easter eggs, but now that they’re hitting their tweens they’re getting a little more creative. That’s why I can’t wait to try these DIY galaxy Easter eggs at Dream a Little Bigger. And, based on the tutorial, they look...

Nearly 100 of the coolest free geeky pumpkin carving templates for Halloween

by Liz Gumbinner | DIY, Games + Gaming

With Halloween right around the corner (nope, we can’t believe it either), we thought it would be fun to round-up a bunch of the coolest free geeky pumpkin carving templates. As in, a whole lot of them! Whether you’ve got Pokémon fans, emoji lovers, Star...

BOSEbuild Speaker Cube: A DIY Bluetooth speaker kit for kids that totally rocks. Yay STEM!

by Jeana | DIY

We have certainly covered lots of DIY STEM toys for kids and even more Bluetooth speakers here on Cool Mom Tech, but the BOSEbuild Speaker Cube is the first product I’ve seen that so awesomely combines these two elements. Hello, holiday gift idea. Related: 5...

Turn your summer memories into a cool keepsake

by Kristen Chase | DIY, Photo Apps

Take Chatbooks photo books and add in The Novogratz Family design sense and you get a very cool way to turn your favorite summer photos into a keepsake. Simply download the Chatbooks app, then enter the code SUMMER16, where the cool illustrations and artful prompts...

A DIY tassel charger that you can really DIY. Promise.

by Kristen Chase | DIY

We’ve featured a couple of cool tassel chargers here on Cool Mom Tech because they’re stylish and a pretty handy way to ensure you’ve always get a charging cable at your fingertips. But, if you’re feeling crafty, you can actually make your own...

The 2016 Doodle 4 Google student contest winners and our favorite runners-up

by Liz Gumbinner | DIY

We always love seeing the annual winners of the Doodle 4 Google contest, and this year’s huge congrats go out to Akilah Johnson, a super talented Washington DC tenth grader who answered the challenge question, “What makes me…me” with a...

12 of the best geeky-cool printable Valentine’s cards: Star Wars, Minecraft, emojis, FNAF, science and more.

by Christina Refford | DIY

With Valentine’s Day coming up, always love looking for fun printable geeky Valentine’s cards for those kids less into doily hearts, and more into zombies, Star Wars, Minecraft, and outer space. Here are 12 of our favorite geeky-cool printable Valentines...

The cutest geeky DIY Valentine’s Day card mailbox

by Liz Gumbinner | DIY

We recently put together a really fun collection of 11 DIY Valentine’s crafts for preschoolers and young kids, and in the process of hunting, Kate tracked down this option that deserves its own space. If your kids need to bring their own mailboxes to school for...

Make your own Star Wars BB-8 and more, with free tutorials from littleBits

by Kate Etue | DIY

To celebrate the release of The Force Awakens — you have heard of it, right? — the team behind one of our favorite tech toys, littleBits, has put together a very cool user-generated #BITSWARS campaign, generating nearly 100 (so far) DIY project ideas...

A friendship bracelet maker that brings them back with a really cool, high-tech twist.

by Kate Etue | DIY, Tech Toys and Random Fun

I grew up in the 80s, so friendship bracelets were always layered up my wrists by the dozens, usually made at sleepovers while we gossiped about boys. While I’m happy to let a my formerly 80’s essentials go (I’m looking at you, Aqua Net), this is one...

NEW: The podcast that helps you be a savvier digital parent in under 15 minutes a week

Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz

Kristen Chase + Liz Gumbinner of Cool Mom Picks

We started Cool Mom Tech in 2010 to help make our increasingly digital lives easier, more organized, more meaningful, and more fun, however old your kids may be.

We love that it's grown to become the go-to source for millions of parents who want commonsense info about tech delivered with a smile.

We even have the privilege of sharing our tips + tricks with The TODAY Show, CNN, HLN, GMA, Nightline, newspapers and magazines around the country, and our favorite -- regular parents who stop us at PTA meetings and ask us how old kids need to be to get a smartphone, and whether they really need to panic about Snapchat.

(Answer: It's complicated.)

We're so glad you're here! And we hope we can help you too.