Archive for the ‘Craft Projects’ Category

This year the P’s made a gift for Father’s Day.  Since Daddy is preparing to head out again we thought a pillowcase to take with him would be perfect!

I bought a tan pillow case to match the sheets he’ll be using and we used red and blue paint to add each of the P’s handprints.  Since the P’s say “Now I lay me down to sleep” everynight as part of their bedtime routine I came up with a little verse that started with the same phrase.  I used silver puff paint to print it onto the pillow case.

It reads:

 Now I lay me down to sleep, 

Our handprints are here for you to keep,

To remember exactly the way they are,

 Even when you are so far. 

And we will keep you in our hearts,

Until the day we’re no longer apart.

We Love You Daddy!

As I was putting together our “Summer Survival” end of the year teacher gifts, I got the idea to put together “Welcome To Summer” buckets for the kids!

Today is P1′s last day of Kindergarten (seriously, how did THAT happen?!), and I since she was kind of bummed to hear she wouldn’t have any school for over 2 months, I think she’ll really enjoy her little gift.

I grabbed some fun stuff from the dollar tree and put it all into a beach bucket.  Nothing is very extravagant, just a few fun things just for Summer!

I wrote on the sand bucket with a permanent marker and inside I put some new goggles for swimming, bubbles, squirt gun, water balloons, a beach ball, and fun crazy straw cup.

Today is P2′s last day of preschool (he moves on to Pre-K next year) so I put one together for him, and I couldn’t leave out baby so she has her own bucket too

I plan on giving them their buckets when I pick them up from school today (and I just may have a car FULL of beach balls!) and we are heading to the pool!

What do you have planned for the end of the school year?  Any fun “Welcome to Summer” traditions?  I’d love to hear them!

Yesterday I posted about the gifts I put together for P2′s preschool teachers (click HERE to see them).  Since there are four teachers I wanted something cute but that did not cost too much.  We came up with Summer Survival Buckets and I can’t wait for him to give them out tomorrow!

For P1′s Kindergarten teacher I stuck with the same “Summer Survival” theme but on a slightly larger scale.

For this basket I used a straw tote I found in the Target dollar section ($2.50) and filled it with summer goodies.  I tried to include things you would want for a trip to the beach or the pool.

I added a magazine, candies, 100 calorie chocolate cookie snacks, a box of individual drink mixes, a beach towel ($6), to go cup ($4), and bottle of sunscreen and lip balm ($6 for both~I had coupons).  Just for fun I also added a beach ball

Tied off with a ribbon and thank you note it turned out really cute!

What do you get the teachers?

I’ve been racking my brain for the last couple of days on what to give the P’s teachers as an end of the year ‘Thank You’.  Especially P2′s preschool teachers….there are 4 of them!

I didn’t want to do a gift card because it just seems so impersonal, and of course I procrastinated (it’s my middle name) and didn’t have time to make or order anything cute and personalized with pictures.

I also didn’t want to do some wall picture or handprint art craft because lets be honest, does a teacher really keep all of those?!

I had remembered seeing on a blog somewhere (don’t ask me where because I honestly don’t know the link) a while ago, a mom had given her child’s teacher a beach towel, magazine, and bottle of sunscreen and tied them together with a ribbon.  I thought it was a great idea but I like to get a little more creative with my packaging….it can make even the most simple gifts look so much more thought out.  And, since P2 has four teachers it was going to get a little $$$ to buy each of them a beach towel and bottle of sunscreen.  So………

I found these adorable buckets in the dollar bin at Target and had an idea!  “Summer Survival” gifts for each of them!

In each bucket I included a travel size sun screen ($1), a vaseline lip balm ($1), a plastic water bottle ($1), a candy, a bag of 100 calorie cookie snacks, and a few individual drink mixes from snapple and crystal light.  Total I spent around $5 per gift and they were quick and easy to throw together.

We are doing something similar for P1′s Kindergarten teacher, but I’ll have to wait until after we give it to her on Thursday to post

A few weeks ago we Dyed Pasta to make our own beaded necklaces for Mardi Gras.  Here is a tutuorial on how to dye rice for crafts using the sam method.

What you need:

• White Rice
• Food coloring
• Rubbin Alcohol
• Zip lock bags
• baking sheets

Directions:

Separate the rice into ziplock bags.  How many colors you make will determine how many bags you need.  Place 3 cups of rice into each bag.  Add 1/2 tsp. food coloring and 2 tbsp. rubbing alcohol to the rice.  Seal bags and shake until rice is evenly coated.

Line baking sheets with foil and spread colored rice out onto the sheets.  Air Dry for about 4 hours.

Tip:  the smell of alcohol is very strong and I placed my baking sheets outside.

We are going to use our Dyed rice to make “I Spy” games…I’ll update you when they’re finished

For the thrid year in a row we have set an excellent trap but those Sneaky Leprechauns seem to have evaded us once again!  Peyton was disappointed but has decided next year our trap should be bigger

The Trap was set

And when they woke up….

We found green footprints, Chocolate Coins, Shamrock Confetti, and Green Rock Candy…but NO Leprechauns!  We have underestimated them again!

Pixi following the trail

She was very concerned about the footprints

But thought the Green milk was lots of fun!

P2 didn’t want to check the trap…He made me do it!

Enjoying her Pot of Gold at the end of the Rainbow

Rainbow Breakfast~Fruit and Marshmallows

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

As a fun activity we decided to make some homemade playdough.  Why the homemade kind with a few cookie cutters always holds their attention longer than the storebought sets I will never know, but the P’s loved this “Leprechaun” Playdough that sparkles!

We used this Playdough Recipe found on The Artful Parent.  I must warn, though, that this makes a HUGE batch.  We probably could’ve done with half the amount but most of Preston’s ended up on the floor so I was glad we had the extra

I made the whole batch Yellow and then while kneeding it I added the Green to half of it.  Once it’s kneeded out and cooled off a bit, add in the glitter.  We used silver and gold.  Throw a few cookie cutters, cups, and utensils out to use with it and you have a fun St. Patrick’s Day activity for the kids!

One of our St. Patrick’s Day Traditons is to make a Leprechaun Trap. We started this a few years ago and the kids LOVE it! We’ve never actually caught one, but every year Those Sneaky Leprechauns dance around our kitchen leaving little green footprints behind and a little bit of ‘gold’ for our troubles.

Last year I was a little behind and not my usual prepared self.  I forgot all about the trap until just a few days before. This left little for us to make a trap out of. What we ended up with was just as cute but easy enough for a 2 and 4 year old to make almost all on their own!

What you will need:

• small shoebox
• Green Duct Tape (we found ours at Michaels)
• Rainbow printable
• plain paper
• glue
• scissors
• cotton balls

Instructions:

1. cover the box with the green duct tape.
2. Cut a star shaped slot in the lid of the box
3. color the rainbow printable
4. cut our two cloud shapes from the plain paper
5. glue cotton balls onto the clouds
6. tape finished rainbow to the side of the lid

DONE!  To see our more elaborate Leprechaun trap click HERE.

I don’t collect coins, or stamps, or tiny figurines….I collect wine corks.  I love wine corks, the real ones not the synthetic kind.  I think they look cool and I love how they are small but each one is defferent, decorated with the winery’s name or label.   I have been collecting them for years and one of the great things about them is their uses.  You don’t just have to dump them in a bowl, you can actually make usefull stuff out of them and it looks really pretty!

My first project was a “Cork” board that I made a couple of years ago.  It hangs in my kitchen and yes, I actually use it as a bulletin board.

All you need are:

•  A pretty frame (it needs the glass in it or you could glue an empty frame to some particle board.)  This one was actually a bulletin board that I found at Homegoods.
• Various wine corks
• Hot glue

I made a pattern the corks going two by two horizontally and then vertically.

Once you have your pattern all figured out (fill the entire board before using any glue), start gluing.  Glue corks on, in their pattern, one at a time until board is full.

I’ve saved up more corks and I can’t wait to start some new projects!  On the list:  a trivet and a wreath!

Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is all about indulgince.  So you know those sweets you’re going to give up for Lent?  This is your day to get it all in before the fasting season (which starts tomorrow, Ash Wednesday).  Typically you think of wild parties in New Orleans but around here, the kids are getting in on some of the fun.

Mardi Gras Masks

I found these plastic masks at the Dollar Tree but you can also find plain ones at craft stores like Michaels.  We used some glitter glue, feathers, and beads to jazz them up a little.

 Mardi Gras Beads

Forget the store bought kind, we’re making our own!  Using the pasta that we dyed purple, green and gold yesterday and some simple twine, the kids get to string their own beads.  Visit my tutorial for instructions on how to Dye your own pasta.

King Cake

This is the first year I’m going to make a King Cake.  They look like so much fun and the kids loved that we made our own colored sugars to put on top!

Photo and Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home