Crack of Dawn Crafts

Frog Felt Finger Puppets

2012-03-03T15:13:00.000-08:00

Zip, zap, zut! Froggy's catchin' flies! The fly is sewn onto a long ribbon that is poked through the puppet near the frog's mouth. There is a tiny safety pin on the other end so a child can pull the fly into froggy's mouth.

Happy Leap Year!

Frog Felt Finger Puppet Pattern

Splat the Cat Finger Puppets

2012-02-19T05:22:00.000-08:00

Love, Splat, by Rob Scotton, is my very favoritest kid Valentine book! A rain cloud forms over Splat's head when things don't go right with his Valentine's Day plans, but Kitten saves the day! She finds his discarded Valentine anyway, and puts an umbrella over Splat! We like you, too, Kitten!

I made Splat puppets by folding over a 6" piece of fuzzy black faux fur trim. The arms, legs, and tail are double thick (glued together) pieces of black felt. I hand sewed the tail on after sewing the body, legs, and arms with the machine. Ears and face pieces are glued on, with fabric paint details.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Lion Felt Finger Puppets

2012-02-17T11:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day, Wild Thing!

(don't forget to add the tail on back!)

(the pattern gives a circle tummy as well as the heart shown here)

Lion Felt Finger Puppets

For a beautifully (award winning!) illustrated, wordless version of a classic tale perfect with these puppets, try The Lion and the Mouse, by Jerry Pinkney.

Valentine Cutie Neighbor Gifts

2012-02-14T11:51:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day can be a fun little holiday when you have someone special to share it with, including family. But what if you don't? We turned some of our Valentine cupid cuties into neighbor gifts to share some love...

First we made some tags from colorful paper.

Then we looped some ribbon through and added a cutie.

The really fun part was slipping them onto our neighbor's doors without being detected-- Ninja moves!-- then watching out the window to see if we could catch anyone discovering their surprises!

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you cuties, too!

Heart Eggs

2012-02-13T07:16:00.000-08:00

A Valentine breakfast idea from pinterest... Heart Eggs!

The best thing about these heart shaped hard boiled eggs... they are super easy, even at the last minute!

You just need a container with a square edge, some rubber bands, and a chopstick. Milk or juice boxes were recommended, but I didn't have either. I used the long edge of a plastic tomato container (cut so I just had one long edge piece). Worked fine! Just peel the egg while warm, place it lengthwise against the edge, and use rubber bands to secure a chopstick over the top of it. After the egg cools (fridge), cut it in half to see the egg shape. Magic! Great directions and more photos at Anna the Red.

Valentine's Heart Garland

2012-02-11T11:58:00.000-08:00

This romantic heart garland was posted on Better Homes and Gardens. Sure looked simple enough! The craft store I went to had NO selection of red papers, so I had to go with pinks instead.

I like a rustic sort of look so used twine instead of ribbon, except where the garland attaches to the bed.

Oh dear, this bed just doesn't have the same romance as the BGH one, but look at all that love! Six hearts for a full size frame.

It also adds festivity to a the mantel...

The only thing that could make this project easier is a template!

So here ya go... two of the bigger hearts will fit on one 12x12 scrapbookpaper page.

Heart Garland Pattern

Rustic Paper Heart Wreath

2012-02-10T12:10:00.000-08:00

This simple and sweet Valentine's Heart wreath was a pinterest find. I fell in love with it and searched my heart out (bad pun intended) for the original poster and directions. Alas, I spent a couple of hours searching and never did find the original post. Along the reposts though, I had a great time enjoying new crafty inspiration. So, I'd have to figure this one out myself or not at all. This post is to share what I learned in case any of you want to try it, too!

First I gathered a handful of green twigs. Line them up to match similar sizes and colors, then trim to similar lengths.

Use thin gauge wire to wrap two of the stems together.

Bend the other end of the stems down toward the bottom to make the heart shape and wire together.

Take a length of wire and attach it to the bottom end of the heart. Loop the other end over the top notch of the heart and tighten, wrapping around the notch when the desired shape is reached.

I added two side wires to get the heart to lay flat.The original heart wreath doesn't have any wires, but I'm still satisfied with this look, the wires are so thin they're hardly visible. Maybe the wood will dry out this way and the wires can be removed later?

Now it is time for the mini paper heart decorations!

I cut out a bunch of hearts from scraps I had. I'll post a template if anyone else doesn't have a heart punch... :)

I cut white backs for the hearts...

Then glued the wire stems between the backs and colored fronts.

Finally, bend the paper hearts along the midline and twist the wire stems onto the twig heart.

Happy Heart Day! Can you feel the love?

Penguin Chick Felt Finger Puppet Pattern

2012-02-08T07:05:00.000-08:00

First grade had Penguin Day recently, so we had to bring some penguins to help celebrate! We brought penguin valentines last year and Christmas penguins in the past, so we needed a slightly different idea. Ta d! The baby penguins are here! The best part is that this is a relatively easy pattern, just four pieces per puppet! Don't forget the silver sharpie if you are trying these for the first time... works magically on the dark colored felts.

There are so many great stories out there... I've already mentioned our favorite, Penguin Pete, but if you are new to this subject, you just can't miss Tacky the Penguin, by Helen Lester. It's a perfect book to bring out when your child is feeling outcast, a little too different from other kids, or perhaps that they aren't measuring up to what they are "supposed" to be doing. Tacky doesn't have all the same skills and personality traits of his friends, but his very own way of doing things rescues them all in the end... Perfect for the family bookshelf! Tacky helps youngsters tackle perfectionism!

Penguin Chick Felt Finger Puppet Pattern

Groundhog's Day Greetings

2012-01-30T12:54:00.000-08:00

Send a little Groundhog's Day Greeting to someone you love!

Just another snowy day... or is it?

Out pops Groundhog! Will there be shadow or none?

Doesn't really matter with all the pop-up fun!

Put a cute photo on the back and a clever greeting... Ours says:

Come winter! Come Spring!

Start the party, Do your own Thing!

(we have a little Groundhog's Day tradition involving wearing lei's while eating chocolate popsicles)

Groundhog'Slabels

Rustic Cupid Valentine Cuties

2012-01-27T13:44:00.000-08:00

Little love dispersal agents for Valentine's... rustic cupid cuties!

(The perfect antidote to all the Ninja mayhem that's been goin' on around here...)

I saw angels posted by ArtMind, and they went straight to my heart, literally! I had to make a dozen!

Here's how easy they are:

Cut lengths of twine or jute into 15 inch and 6 inch segments.

Make some itsy bitsy arrows from toothpicks, snips of ribbon, and the hearts from a specialty hole punch.

( I used tacky glue to put them together, which dries clear, but got impatient for photographing them so you can still see the white).

Grab some wooden beads and draw faces on them. I used this Sharpie paint pen but recommend the finest point you can find.

Bend the larger (15 inch) piece of twine in two, slip on the bead, knot the end and feet. Two knots at the end of each makes an even cuter foot. On the six inch twine, knot just one side, then grab an arrow and knot the other.

Tie the arms around the body.

Glue the felt wings to the back of the dress felt, add the body, then cover with the other dress piece. I used a paisely printed red felt for the wings for the fancy texture. Patterin is below if you'd like...

Rustic Cupid Pattern

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ninja Party Game: Calligraphy Scrolls

2012-01-27T10:35:00.000-08:00

The ultimate weapon is a pen, I instructed the Ninjas. I don't think anyone was listening at that point, but we sure had fun with our scroll writing project...

We held this activity in our garage... not a beautiful party setting but perfect for messy projects. We made it work by spreading two plastic tablecloths on the floor. In the center, I placed an upside down, gold painted box as a little table. I purchased the brushes and made ink pots, scrolls, and character ribbons (hung from ceiling as examples), details below.

First the decorations! I wanted to focus the kids attention to the center and away from all the stuff in the garage AND have examples of Asian writing for them to copy if they wish. I thought about putting examples on the floor, but then realized if I hung them, they would be more visible to the group. I found printable examples of Chinese characters on Activity Village. All I had to do was print, cut, and glue them onto black backing and then have the kids staple them to some red, black, and gold clearance Christmas ribbon I had hanging from the garage ceiling. The characters were stapled to both sides of the ribbon.

I was surprised by how much the kids liked the characters and trying to copy them. I set out water colors, too, in case someone wanted to add color pictures, but they stuck with the ink. Ideally, we should have used Japanese characters that represented Ninja traits. Check out this cool site about the characteristics of Ninjas. As the party date drew near, however, the printable Chinese characters were oh so handy, already made into card shapes!

Recognize these Yoplait yogurt cups? Being bigger at the bottom, their shape is ideal for a tip-resistant ink pot. I covered them in wrapping paper for a festive look. Took me a few tries to get the pattern right so I'm posting it below in case anyone else wants to try this. I did look for ink at a craft store but couldn't find any. Good thing because black tempera paint worked just fine. I used a ratio of about 1/3 paint to 2/3 water. I started searching for big paintbrushes for the project but then found these cool, authentic-looking bamboo brushes on ebay for a cheaper price ($1 per brush, free shipping). Fun!

Making the scrolls was harder in my mind than it turned out to be once I got started. The supplies are simply wooden dowels (12" long, 3/8" diameter), paper, and yarn. Hardware stores are thrifty places to purchase dowels, and they'll even cut them for you! :) I painted them black. As for paper, I used three sheets of banner paper per scroll that I already had on hand. Target has rolled paper available in their art section, probably a better choice because it won't have creases.

To assemble the scrolls, I folded one end of the paper over the dowel and creased it. Then, I applied two lines of hot glue, centered the dowel, waited a few seconds for the glue to cool, and smoothed it flat. At the opposite end, I did the same thing except included a loop of red and silver yarn for hanging.

When the kids were satisfied with their artwork, we had them create their own wax seal, of sorts. :) An adult dripped red wax from a candle onto their paper. After the wax dried a bit, they were able to carve their initials in the wax using a bamboo skewer (point cut off). The seal gave the projects an authentic-looking final touch!

Overall,. this was a really fun project enjoyed by the kids AND their parents!

Yogurt Cup Cover Pattern

Ninja Party Skeleton Bowling Game

2012-01-24T09:55:00.000-08:00

Go ahead, make our day!

Due to some issues with weather (predicted thunderstorms!), our ninja party had to be moved from mostly outdoors to mostly indoors. So, we needed an indoor nunchuck game. Alas was born the Ninja skeleton nunchuck bowling game: set the skeletons up in the hallway and have the boys slide their nunchucks across the floor to knock them down. Fun!

First, I collected a dozen paper tubes (thanks to bus stop parents!) and sprayed them gold. The shiny gold was a really nice touch- can't quite capture it with my amature photography skills.

I made a template of the skeleton (below) and copied it onto white tagboard (a package of christmas gift boxes on clearance for 99 cents). It took quite a while to copy, cut out, draw on faces (Sharpie), and assemble them! Recognize the Ninjago skeletons that I used for design inspiration? The boys sure did. Shrieks of jubilation!

I hot glued each skeleton to a golden tube to help the skeletons stand straight and also so I could stash a prize inside, loosely wrapped in white tissue...

These skeleton boxing pens were an ebay find. They are still listed! Discounted to 50 cents a piece, they really work well. We used them in the next game to box ping pong balls into a lego pagoda on our train table (more on that later). The nunchucks, pens, bowling, and skeletons were all a big hit.

Ninja Skeleton Pattern

Ninja Party Decorations

2012-01-24T08:58:00.000-08:00

Transforming your home into a Dojo....

There are some truly inspiring ninja parties out in blog land! If you are just starting your search, be sure to check out Geminye Concierge's Hi-Ya party, ninja party by Modern Hostess, Under a Cherry Tree, and Table Tops for Tots. These ladies have put together gorgeous parties and or decorations, pure inspiration! Check out the ninja party page on pinterest for more inspiration... But meanwhile, what can us regular folks do?

Luckily, an Asian theme is pretty easy to accomplish in the month around Chinese New Year. I do realize that Ninja's are a Japanese tradition, but practicality plays a part here... I kept decorations simple by purchasing a a couple of items and making others.

I loved the simple ninja face appearing in many of the parties. Even though I knew I could probably handle making my own, I was hoping someone would have shared a template. Not so! So, I am sharing my template with you (below). That just might leave you with a tad extra time to do some other marvelous thing! BTW, I was able to cut two at a time on regular cardstock

Some of the super parties above had the faces on napkin rings... cute idea, but not practical for a boy party (a rolled up napkin would surely become a plaything and prevent their intended use!). I turned the faces into hanging decorations instead. I made 24 and hung them everywhere... from string lights, Christmas garlands, our table lamp and ribbons above door ways.

In between the faces I hung paper Chinese lanterns that I got as a kit from Oriental Trading. These lanterns are a snap to make yourself (see here for example), but I didn't think I could make them myself for the $6 that a dozen of them cost. It did take some time to put them together (use double sided sticky tape instead of glue!) but still faster than gathering and cutting all the pieces myself, especially with shiny gold parts.

I also made a half dozen paper ninja stars to hang between ninja faces. Glue the ribbon or string between paper folds as it is nearly impossible to get a hole punch through the thick layers of folded paper. I would have liked to keep the colors in red, black, and white but couldn't find a timely source for that. Probably could have found it online if I had not left this part to the last minute!

I also found some Asian red tassells on clearance ($3.98 for 12) at US TOY, the company where I purchased ninja swords (best price, friendly service, free shipping). I hung a bunch of tassells outside to welcome guests and put the rest above a doorway between ninja faces.

Lastly, I decorated our mantle piece with some lighted twigs, skeletons from our nunchuck bowling game, and art samples from our calligraphy project.... More on those in another post, soon!

Luckily for me, none of the guests had seen the super-party posts so these simple decorations were enough to set the mood and inspire festivity! I love working with kids... so darn easy to please!

Ninja Face Party Decoration Pattern

Ninja Party Toy Nunchucks

2012-01-23T14:36:00.000-08:00

If someone would have told me that the sweet little bundle of baby love that was blessed to me 7 years ago would someday ask me to make him nunchucks, I would have been speechless in disbelief. Yet here I am, doing that very thing!

How To's

The first thing I had to learn was that nunchucks aren't really called "numchucks." I decided to stop reading after that, deciding that I'd stick with a seven year old's interpretation of their use-- for "banging each other and stuff." I found inspiration on the web (check out Empire of Mayhem's nunchucks here (no directions) or these firecrackers but similar design here).

I still had the foam pipe insulation from last year's joust party. And hey, if we didn't get around to putting them to their proper purpose in a year, I might as well put them to another use! I cut the pipe into 7.5" sections (or so).

Poke a bamboo skewer through the pipe to make holes. Keep the skewer in until you are ready to push the string through because it can be hard to find the holes once the skewer is out!

To connect the pipes, I settled on pony bead string from the craft store. It had fun elasticity and a bit of sturdy thickness. I used lengths of 12 inches.

Poke the string all the way through one of the tubes.

On the second tube, poke the strings from outside to center so that the two ends are "inside" the pipe.

Knot the two ends together. The knot will stay inside the pipes. Now, add some tape around the ends for decoration. Whala!

UPDATE: it has been 36 hours since the nunchucks were "in use" and I am adding a small bit of duct tape to the design as needed, folding it over the tube so that you poke the skewer through them and then run the thread through. Some nunchuck strings have been ripping through the pipe insulation. Hopefully, the duct tape will extend their life a bit.

Party Games with Nunchucks

My first plan was to have the boys hit/battle torches. I practiced setting them up on metal skewers that I had poked into the ground. I liked the idea of how you had to hit it right (towards the top) to knock it off balance. A perfect situation for teaching about center of gravity! The torch idea was aligned with a Ninjago-based story line I had going for the party (we were going to slide dragons into the underworld). Then came the weather forecast. Thunder and rain and lots of it! This would have to be an inside party! But I already had the nunchucks and torches made... So, we ended up with nunchuck bowling and stealthy walking through the hall of flames.... More posts to follow!

Please let me know if you use these and what great ideas you come up with! I'm here to share and learn with you! Your comments keep me inspired!

Make a Plush Ninja Star (Shuriken)

2012-01-23T13:50:00.000-08:00

Soft, stuffed ninja stars for the cute side of danger and mayhem...

Mom, can we have a ninja party, with shurikens? Well... um... and what would we do with them? Mom, shurikens are Ninja throwing stars. We'd throw them at each other. Hmm.

I was sure that even origami stars, if we threw them at a target, would somehow find their way into a guest's eye, so the answer to this request would have to be NO!. But then I saw this cutie for sale when I googled Ninja. This frugal mama can't afford to buy them for everyone, but they didn't seem too hard to make. And phew, unlike the Ninja masks, these were relatively painless for this beginner craftsperson.

How To's

1) Make your own star pattern or use the one below. Trace the star pattern onto black fabric of your choice, including the eye hole on one of the pieces. If you use my pattern, be sure to add a half inch or so around the edge for the seam (I couldn't fit anything larger on the page). Be sure you are drawing on the back side of the fabric.

2) Cut out the pieces and set aside the fabric scraps.

3) On the star with the eye hole, cut out a small piece of skin tone fabric (face) that is big enough to generously cover the hole. Glue or pin it in place to hold for sewing.

4) Turn the fabric over and sew the face to the star.

5) Sew the two star pieces together, leaving a 2 inch opening to get the stuffing in.

6) Turn the star right side out. Using the blunt end of a bamboo skewer (or something similar), poke the stars points out. A back and forth twisting motion was effective for me.

7) To strengthen the star's points, stuff some scraps of fabric into the points.

8) Fill the star with stuffing.

9) Sew the hole closed.

10) Cut two black felt circles for the eyes and stitch on. I used embroidery floss. (You could also add the eyes at step 4, after you sew the face on.) Give your cutie a hug!

P.S. I saved the eye hole pieces from the stars because they looked so petal-like heaped on my flower. While procrastinating on something else, I sewed them into little flowers that became part of our Ninja party decorations...

Plush Shuriken Pattern

Make Your Own Ninja Costume Masks

2012-01-23T10:23:00.000-08:00

The mask makes the Ninja...

(those of you who've been to this site before may recognize other costume elements... the spy belt and knight party favor bag... I so love seeing party items take on their own afterlife!)

How hard could it be to make a set of ninja masks for a ninja birthday party? No problem! Just rummage through the remnants section of the fabric store for shiny black fabric, measure a piece to fit your kid's head, sew it up, and cut an eye hole, right? An hour or two, tops! Egads. I don't want to admit how long this simple project took. I don't want to tell you that I went to the fabric store THREE times because I was having so much ~~trouble~~ fun. Let's just say this post is all about trying to help you avoid the same mistakes if you should get a similar nutty idea about making party masks.

Did you see the post by Secret Agent Josephine on making a ninja costume? I saw it on pinterest and loved her diagram so much... it fed my I CAN DO THIS attitude. She drew the tongue sticking out of the little girl cartoon model. Love it! However, she used fleece, which is a fabric that wouldn't work with my highly active (sweaty) boys in a usually very warm Virginia climate. Static, too! I needed something thin and silky. More on that later.

STEP ONE: MAKE THE HOOD PATTERN

In my first attempt, I used Josephine's idea of tracing my kid's head. I guess it wasn't a total failure in that the boys loved me shining a light at them to draw their silhouette. However, it is clearly way too much fuss. The neck was too tight even with the recommended wiggle room. Lesson number one learned: the best pattern is a rounded pillowcase shape. With the silky fabric, you get a draped look anyway. The wide neck makes it easy for the guys to flip the hat on and off in their usual hurry.

I had hoped to put a pattern up for you but after a couple of attempts (oh no!) I realized that the pattern needs to be bigger than I can scan. The width is about 12.5 inches (32cm), about the width of a newspaper sheet plus 1.5" over the edge. My guys have big heads, so this is probably really generously sized for the average kid. The length is about 15.5 inches (42cm). I used my favorite silver sharpie to mark the patterns (works great on dark fabric). Remember that the large size includes room for the seam, the "shrinking" when you turn it right side out again, and extra fabric to give that draping hood look around the shoulders.

STEP TWO: SEW THE PIECES TOGETHER

Of the three remnants I tried, my favorite was a Lycra swimwear fabric. Only problem was that I only found one remnant piece of it and it is otherwise $14 per yard (and I ruined most of it with all my mistakes). I found some shiny polyester blends as a second favorite. The problem I ran into was that I couldn't sew it. I spent an entire afternoon changing sewing machine needles, ripping out seams, ruining fabric, cleaning my machine, uttering nonsense, and calling my mother. Turns out that I should have googled the problem immediately. I had the wrong needle type! Lesson two learned: ball point needles and thinner thread are what you need to sew silky fabrics. Once I had that figured out, sewing up these masks really was as easy as I had imagined. Strike two.

STEP THREE: CUT OUT THE EYE HOLE

For the eye hole design I again turned to the very encouraging site by Josephine. However, I ruined three (!!!) masks before I figured the essence of ninja mask making. LESSON THREE: start the eye hole as a single slit, and cut out more in small increments as needed. I put the hood on my son (inside out) and marked approximately where the eye slit should be. That was about 13cm (5.25 inches) down from the top and 6 inches (15cm) wide. I enlarged the opening for some fabrics, but for the silkiest one, just the slit was enough because the fabric drooped open on its own. My favorite method was to make the single slit, then roll it over slightly and hem it. However, I ran out of time for the party so most of the masks were just hoods with eye slits cut into them.

The ironic part is that at least one of the ninjas preferred to wear his mask backwards. He didn't need an eye slit at all! The fabric was slightly see-through...

Was all the fuss worth it? You betcha. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. :)

Make a Kick Bag Pinata

2012-01-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

Because even Ninjas love pinatas....

Don't let the title of this post fool you, I'm no pinata sensei. I don't even know if "kick bag" is a real term in martial arts. I'm just here to share my attempt at making a kick bag pinata in case there are any other crazy people out there that might have a similar idea in their head. Maybe my feeble attempt could help someone else design a masterpiece!

How To's

1) Start by blowing up three balloons that you will need to form the shape of your pinata. You will only need two, but your kid may steal one while you are working on this, or one may pop, so having an extra will preserve some of your sanity for later! I chose the balloon size based on a cross between the target size appropriate for 7 year olds and the cargo I wanted the pinata to hold.

2) Next, make two cardboard circles the approximate diameter of your balloons. The easiest way to draw a circle is to find something round in your house that matches the diameter you need and trace it.

3) Use an awl to poke two holes through one of your card board pieces. Loop a string through and tie it. This will be your hanging point (top of pinata).

3) I wasn't sure this would work either! It sure doesn't look convincing, does it? I connected the balloons with masking tape loops. One balloon popped while I was fidgeting with it, so I didn't adjust it much, figuring that I'd shape it with the paper instead. Also, I added a tag board collar to strengthen the connection between balloons.

4) Make your favorite pinata paste (whisk a half cup flour into two cups of cold water while heating 2 more cups water to boiling in microwave, add the heated water to the flour mixture and bring to boil on stove top, take off heat, stir in 3 tablespoons of sugar) and rip some newspaper into 1-2 inch wide strips.

5) Cover the balloon contraption in 2 coats of pasted paper. I used really long strips and covered the whole thing in overlapping, lengthwise strips that went from cardboard to cardboard. For the second layer, I added diagonals and horizontals. Note: I was striving for completion, not perfection. Of course my kids "need" me most when I am busy (sticky!), not to mention that this was quite a finger freezing project for outside in January... I'm sure I got three layers in some parts and one in others!

6) Let the contraption dry! It took two days in this winter climate. I transferred it between sunny windows and heaters to get it nice and stiff.

7) Add another coat or two of pasted paper and go through that drying routine again.

8) Using an exacto blade, cut a hole in the dried pinata. Remove the balloons and tag board collar. (I chose the top of the punching bag for the hole, thinking that most kids would end up hitting the thing low than high, so the pinata would last longer...)

9) Fill the pinata! I put in stuffed "shurikens," or ninja stars (tutorial to come soon!), and starburst candies. The kids (of course) didn't get the starry pun with the candy selection, but it still makes me grin. I just wanted a little bit of candy for fun, but not so much to overload the kiddos. We'd have more sugar later, no worries!

I sure had fun loading this pinata. The shurikens looked so cute (I know, I know! There is something seriously wrong with making a plush lethal weapon and calling it cute!). I apologized to them for the torturous pounding they were soon to endure.

10) I covered the cut marks on the hatched opening with masking tape, then continued the masking tape in a similar pattern over the entire pinata. Knowing that I was just going to spray paint this thing, I was worried that the tape lines would be too obvious. The pattern was very successful-- the opening was completely disguised, even from me!

11) A couple of quick coats of 97 cent spray paint and we were done! I was worried that it wouldn't be fancy enough... but kick bags aren't really supposed to be fancy. At the party, none of the kids said anything about it (except ME FIRST, of course).

Recognize that pinata holder? I am getting so much use out of those joust supports from last year's knight party. Who'd guess? :)

Everyone had at least one turn to kick it, and about half had two tries. An adult held it so it could be adjusted to the height of each ninja. Of course, he raised it and lowered it occasionally to keep things lively! What could be better than a room full of giggling ninjas?

Sensei Felt Finger Puppets

2012-01-22T15:02:00.000-08:00

Sensei is ready to party, too!

Ninja Finger Puppets

2012-01-22T14:48:00.000-08:00

Three ninjas ready to party!

Nunchuck Ninjas

Sword Swinging Ninjas

Shuriken (Star) Throwing Ninjas

If shurikens could be cute, these might just fit? Teeny tiny origami.

Paper folding instructions like this are all over the web:

The nunchucks were straws spray painted with black and cut into small pieces. Silver embroidery floss is looped between two straw sections for swinging action.

Ninja Finger Puppet Pattern

Ninja Knife Birthday Party Invitations

2012-01-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

We are officially on the road to a Ninja party! The two week countdown begins as these paper knifes were distributed today. I'm not feeling confident right now, with none of the activities solidified... Aack!

Making the paper Ninja knifes is the easy part! You just need black and white cardstock, a gold paint pen, some red ribbon (1/8"), and either a sewing machine (white and red thread) or white and red markers. I've put the template in pdf below:

1) Cut out two sheath pieces and sew or glue together.
2) Glue (tacky glue) a length of ribbon around the top (24cm or 5.5 inches) and knot at side.
3) Cut out knife blade (print party details on first) and two knife handles.
4) Use a paint pen to color edge gold.
5) Glue (rubber cement) the handles together with knife in between.
6) When glue is dry, stitch (or draw) a design onto the handle.

This was my first shot at sewing paper. I sure love how stitching the red thread on the black paper looks almost like a real leather knife holder. Bonus, it was really as simple as sewing cloth! I didn't backstitch all of them because I was afraid it wouldn't work, but it does, and now I wish they were all like that. The glue from the ribbon will give them strength for repeated use though.

For the print on the invitations, I surveyed a bunch of Asian fonts and found BONZAI the easiest to read yet still having an Asian flair. I saved some of the other fonts for party decorations, but I didn't want to risk confusion on the all important party details! The print says, "Calling all Ninjas! (Name) is 7! Let's Celebrate! Date and Time, Dojo (our address), and RSVP Sensei (your contact info). The invitation will fit in a standard business envelope (#10, 4 1/8" x 9 1/2").

(If you haven't downloaded a font before, don't be intimidated. Just search "how to install a font" to find instructions that match your software. For example with my computer, I just click the font's download button, then open up Windows Explorer and find the file. Right click on the file name to extract and save in a great location (new fonts folder?). Right click on the extracted file and click "install" and presto, you're good to go!)

Back to party planning...

Paper Ninja Knife Birthday Party Invitation

New Year's Eve Confetti Rockets

2012-01-01T05:44:00.000-08:00

Add some drama to your family's New Year's Eve celebration with homemade confetti rockets! I followed Alphamom's tutorial. She has great step by step directions, eye-candy photographs, and even a diagram on how to make it. Don't let that fool you though. They are simple!

Inside was paper confetti (hole punches) and in two lucky rockets, a folded $1 bill.

This was such a fun activity! It made the countdown way more memorable... I'm saving the rockets to use again next year!

Happy New Year!

New Year's Eve Noisemaker Fun!

2011-12-30T11:01:00.000-08:00

Looking for ideas for family fun on New Year's Eve? Even the grown ups will have fun with screaming rocket balloons.

You just blow these guys up, let go, and they rocket off, making noise as the air whooshes out of them. Little ones love chasing after the screaming balloons, and their squeals of delight will inspire the grown ups. Just enough to wear the little ones out, make some new year's noise, and get the grown ups in a festive mood!

Update: This isn't just for little ones... my boys (9 and 7) kept at this for over an hour (the balloons finally popped or went in a tree). And the neighbors? :) Good thing for all those neighbor gifts!

Happy New Year!

Acorn Snowmen Craft

2011-12-29T10:46:00.000-08:00

If you don't have snow to make snowmen with, create some!

These little ornaments are made with two acorns glued together and a couple of ribbon scraps. White acrylic painted coated with nail polish gives them a clear shine. 3D Fabric paint is great for holly on their hats, face features, and buttons. We made a bunch and hung them from our kitchen table lamp.

Merriness!

Wine Cork Tree

2011-12-23T14:32:00.000-08:00

This idea was posted on Stonewall Kitchen. Just darling, so I had to pin it to my Christmas board on pinterest so I wouldn't forget! It looked simple enough... a bunch of corks, some paint, ribbon, wood pieces. Hey, I wouldn't have to buy anything!

Finding a stick 2" in diameter was no problem in the woods near our house. Finding a straight one, especially one that would be straight after my handsaw attacked it was a bit more difficult! I just did the best I could and vowed to make it do with gobs of hot glue.

I painted corks first, though the original directions say to decorate and paint afterwards. I thought I'd add more flair to it later. Of course, I haven't gotten around to it! Start with gluing the bottom row, and add more layers as you go up, alternating colors. My tree is bigger the original... just seemed to need more layers to balance with the stem.

I couldn't find anything precious to top the tree so I made star from gold paper (template below). Merry Christmas!

3d Paper Star

Herb Clothespin Angel Ornament

2011-12-23T08:50:00.001-08:00

This darling spice angel was posted on Five Brothers One Sister. I pinned it and knew I'd have to try and make a bunch for neighbor gifts! Sweet, original, slightly rustic, great smelling... what a perfect combination.

I found the clothespin at Joann's and the spices at the grocery (baking section). One small inexpensive sack of each spice (bay leaves, cinnamon, star anise, and chamomile) was enough to make 9.

I used a sewing machine to put a loose gathering stitch at the top of the gown but this is easily hand done as well. I added a small hem to the bottom of the skirt, but that isn't necessary either. Deanne gives great, easy directions here.

Hot glue holds everything together: dress to clothespin, cinnamon to back of angel, leaves to back of cinnamon, chamomile hair to top of head, anise to front of angel.

The jute cord is glued to the side of the body behind the head. This seemed to help the angel hang straight (the clothespin rests at an angle because it is on top of the roll of cinnamon).

Merry Christmas!

Ninja Books: Setting the Mood for a Ninja Party!

2011-12-21T17:14:00.000-08:00

Gearing up for Christmas, and a certain kiddo's seventh birthday just around the corner. Our library had a selection of only five Ninja books, but the ones they had are great! Do you have any favorites? I'm going to check on the non-fiction selections next week...

Also, I'm collecting NINJA party ideas on pinterest... link here!

Start with Ninja, Cowboy, Bear (Bruins and Leung) and learn about Ninja strengths through comparison to others. Wonderful storyline that shows how three friends had trouble getting along but worked it out (for siblings, too!). Has a fun "game" at the end akin to rock/paper/scissors that you do with your whole body... maybe I'll have to capitalize on this active game at the party. We'll be reading this one again! The story appears to be one in a series of three. Sure wish our library had more!

Not really a Ninja story, but still fun to read and with cute illustrations, The Boy Who Cried Ninja, by Alex Latimer is pure imagination! Mysterious creatures show up and wreak havoc, but who would believe in those creatures... unless you invite them to a party! The nonsense appeals to my sleepy, exhausted boys at bed time. They can relate to the boys' relationship with his parents, ie. they won't quite believe him and he keeps having to rake leaves! :)

Wink, the Ninja Who Wanted to be Noticed, by J.C. Phillips is a darling tale that inspires individualism. Sure SILENCE and stealth are the weapons of the ninja, but Wink just wanted to be noticed! Is there anyway the two can meet? At the circus! Even the master acknowledges the great fit.

In Wink, the Ninja Who Wanted to Take a Nap, by J.C. Phillips, the famous Ninja is tired after performing as the star in the Lucky Dragon Circus. He can't escape his fans though, who keep him awake! His master gives him wisdom, but he doesn't understand it... then he sees it, and finally figures out a way to get his rest.

Ah, Mary Pope Osborne! Magic Tree House stories are a perennial favorite, and here is one (Night of the Ninjas) perfectly suited to our quest of learning about Ninjas...

Recycled Milk Jug Angel Craft

2011-12-20T16:50:00.000-08:00

An angel crafted from a single one gallon milk jug, with a plastic golf ball head and white plastic bag hair. Plus a piece of sparkly pipe cleaner for a halo. May she endure the outdoor elements with grace and serenity!

Merry Christmas!

******

Pieces were cut as shown below. Note that the top rings were trimmed from the jug's opening to make the collar slightly shorter. The front of the angel is from the jug's side that you can't see, along the corner but cut sort of like a letter T, so that the arms are on top but then folded over.

I linked at these great parties:

Craft o Maniac Mondays

Favorite Christmas Gift for Favorite Teachers

2011-12-17T04:19:00.000-08:00

Wonderful teachers need special gifts to let them know how much we appreciate their efforts!

For this sweetly personalized teacher gift, all you need is a solid color umbrella (Target $13, but check your local discount store first, e.g. TJ Maxx or Tuesday Morning, for higher quality at lower price) and some fabric paint. On this one I used a mix of white and gold for the prints and yellow and red for writing. Teachers receiving this gift have been known to cry... :)

Find a time when you can sneak into the classroom without the teacher knowing for the ultimate surprise. I worked with our school office and came in a day when she was scheduled to be out. However, you could also catch them at a center or somewhere when she wasn't with the class. The trick is that you need somewhere close to a sink so that the kids can wash their hands immediately and not get paint on their clothes. Also, make sure you can leave whatever room you are in with an open umbrella! It needs to stay open for up to 24 hours to let the paint dry.

One more hint: Tuck the umbrella closing tab underneath with a piece of tape so it doesn't accidentally swipe into someone's print...

It is possible to do this all by yourself but it works fastest if you have one other grown up to help. One person gets the kids hands in the paint and on the umbrella, the other helps the child wash it off. Either way, this project is a double gift. It is as fun to participate in the kids' excitement as they prepare a secret for their beloved leader as it is to know the teacher may absolutely adore it.

Be sure to add the kids' name below their print as they love to check on their personalized art! You can also add teacher's name, year, WE LOVE YOU!, school name, or anything else you like!

Thanks to ALL the AWESOME teachers out there!

I linked here:

Rudolph Christmas Party Favors

2011-12-16T14:23:00.000-08:00

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer finger puppets just in time for class gift giving. Slide one of these on a pencil or candy cane and spread joy!

How-To's:

Trace and cut out pieces on brown, off-white, (tummy), sparkle red (nose), and dark brown (antlers) felt. Lightly glue antlers to inside of back piece and glue together ears of front and back to hold for sewing. Add tail, tummy, and nose after sewing. 3D fabric paint works great for eyes and mouth.

Merry Christmas!

Reindeer Finger Puppet Pattern

I linked here:

Christmas Ribbon Topiary

2011-12-13T17:08:00.000-08:00

Ribbony Goodness!

It was Courtney over at A Diamond in the Stuff who got me hooked on these ribbon topiaries. I made one for Independence day and now I can't stop... When I try putting the thing away, the space where it stood seems so colorless and empty without that blossom of color... Enough though, this is really my last one. But wouldn't they make a great teacher gift? :)

The best part of this project is that it is so simple, yet satisfying. The feel and look of different ribbon types is addictive. I can sit with my boys while they are snacking and not join in because my fingers are busy! I can bring a roll of ribbon to soccer practice in my purse and snip while I'm watching!

For this easy project you need a foam ball (mine was 5", from the floral section of the craft store), a pot (mine was from Goodwill), a half styrofoam block to stick inside the pot (stabilize dowel), decorative moss to cover the styrofoam, a wooden dowel (mine was 3/8"), straight pins, and bunches of ribbon in various sizes and textures cut up in 4" (10cm) pieces (5 or 6 rolls). The different textures really add to the project. Thicker ones stick up better and help support the satiny ones.

All you do is pin loops of ribbon into the ball, one at a time, until the ball is covered. Twist the loops so they overlap in different directions. A colorful burst of fun!

I linked here:

Reindeer Cork Craft

2011-12-05T21:14:00.000-08:00

Santa dear, never fear. These clever deer will make you cheer!

Materials: straightish sticks for legs and neck, branched sticks for antlers (these are from huckleberries), 2 corks, tacky glue, paint, ribbon, paper ears and tail

Tips: Use an awl or nail to poke holes in the body for the sticks (legs and neck), and shave a bit of cork off the head with a knife to give it a more head-like shape. For the eyes, dot white paint on with a Q-tip (cotton swab). For pupils and nose, use 3D fabric paint (shiny and sticks out a bit).

I linked here:

Monster Bookmark Paper Craft

2011-12-05T20:44:00.000-08:00

I came across these adorable corner bookmarks on pinterest and knew they would be perfect for the first grade gift exchange. We needed something inexpensive and homemade, by a six year old. In the end, we had to make one for the whole family, too!

You'll find the full tutorial and tempate on I Could Make That. Too much fun to pass by!

Thanksgiving Ribbon Topiary

2011-11-28T11:27:00.000-08:00

Ribbony Goodness!

It was Courtney over at A Diamond in the Stuff who got me hooked on these ribbon topiaries. I made one for Independence day and now I can't stop... Here's a Thanksgiving version that has to be removed because Christmas is next! I tried putting the whole thing away but the space where it stood seems so colorless and empty without that blossom of color...

The best part of this project is that it is so simple, yet satisfying. The feel and look of different ribbon types is addictive. I can sit with my boys while they are snacking and not join in because my fingers are busy! I can bring a roll of ribbon to soccer practice in my purse and snip while I'm watching!

For this easy project you need a foam ball (mine was 5", from the floral section of the craft store), a pot (mine was from Goodwill), a half styrofoam block to stick inside the pot (stabilize dowel), decorative moss to cover the styrofoam, a wooden dowel (mine was 3/8"), straight pins, and bunches of ribbon in various sizes and textures cut up in 4" (10cm) pieces (5 or 6 rolls). The different textures really add to the project. Thicker ones stick up better and help support the satiny ones.

All you do is pin loops of ribbon into the ball, one at a time, until the ball is covered. Twist the loops so they overlap in different directions. A colorful burst of fun!

Thanksgiving Fun: An Idea Collection

2011-11-27T12:05:00.000-08:00

Ah, Thanksgiving. A time for reflection. A time to appreciate family and friends. A great time to be together, so why not stretch the celebration by doing a few crafts together beforehand? A perfect way to slow things down a bit. Here are some ideas we tried this year...

We hung a festive lighted strand of maple leaves above the windows, but somehow it looked like something was missing. Aha! We crafted a dozen owls from egg carton cups and hung them from the string lights with golden string. Much better! (separate the egg cups, poke hole and tie hanging string into half of the pieces, glue together tops and bottoms, paint brown, glue on wings and beaks from craft foam, and don't forget the google eyes!)

The autumn leaves are certainly a highlight in our area, and this year the colors were most spectacular. We collected favorites for a week or so, flattening them between books. When we were ready to craft, we spread a thin layer of watered down glue on the leaves and sprinkled glitter on top. We flipped them over and did the other side, too. Then I sprayed clear glossy paint to hold the glitter in place and give the leaves strength. We attached some gold organdy ribbon and hung them from the lamp over the table. Festive!

I found the GIVE THANKS banner idea on pinterest.. but didn't trace back how to do it until just now... It came from Parents magazine and theirs is definitely nicer, so go check it out here. I didn't want to make a permanent decoration that we would need to store, so we just used construction paper. Sheets were cut in half then folded over and stapled for the background of the letters. The most fun was gathering the materials for the letters! I admit to doubting that we'd find enough different items to make all those letters, but it really wasn't a problem. We used pine needles, cone flower seed heads, sticks, leaves, ferns, bark, etc. of various textures and truly enjoyed crafting each letter! Tacky glue was perfect for adhering all the stuff.

Can a mom (or grandma) EVER have too many handprint crafts? I just had to try this with the boys after seeing it here at Almost Unschoolers...

We made a moose shaped bird seed ornament for our neighbors. Fun little surprise that kids can make to hide on doorsteps!

Lastly, we put together a couple of sweet treats and a conversation starter (quesiton on paper feather) into a paper tube decorated to look like corn. These corn party favors have become a family tradition!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Corn Treat Holders

2011-11-26T20:24:00.000-08:00

Our family Thanksgiving tradition includes Family Fun's corn treat holder idea. Corn plays such an important role in our early history that I just can't resist the symbolism! Where would civilization be without it? And to think we are still learning the mystery of its domestication...

I fill the corn holders with goodies and put them on plates at our Thanksgiving table. The treats are usually something chocolate (kisses), something mint (gum), a lip balm, and a strawberry candy. For the kids, I sometimes substitute a small lego set, the tiny promotional ones you see at Target this time of year. Lastly, I put a paper feather in each corn that has a conversation starter on it, such as "what are you most grateful for?"

To make the corn, start with an empty paper tube and coat it with a thin layer of glue. Fringe a length of yellow crepe paper and wrap it around the tube in overlapping layers. I actually keep mine from year to year so I don't have to stress about making them the night before... I always seem to be short on time! Use a half sheet or so of green tissue paper to wrap up the corn after it is dried and filled, tying the ends to secure with ribbon. (I don't worry if the ends are totally covered, you just need them mostly closed!)

I think the feathers came from Family Fun, too, though I don't see the template when I search for it... I'd be happy to post a PDF for you. Not everyone likes to answer the questions so I don't make a big deal out of it when guests open their corns. I find that the questions are useful later, as people get relaxed and the meal progresses. We've had great conversations from them!

Sample questions:

What is something you are glad your parents/grandparents/teacher/kids taught you?
What are you most grateful for?
What invention are you grateful for?
What is one of your favorite Thanksgiving memories?
What was the craziest thing that happened on a Thanksgiving in your past?
What was your happiest moment this year?
What is something you forget to be thankful for?

May your celebration be full of wonderful moments you'll treasure forever! Happy Thanksgiving!

Powhatan Indian Felt Finger Puppets

2011-11-19T09:46:00.001-08:00

Powhatan Indian felt finger puppets made for class studies on Native Americans. The "corn" is a piece of yellow pipe cleaner wrapped in green felt leaves. The necklace is blue glass beads strung with a copper colored piece of metallic confetti (originally in a fish shape!). The feather is a piece of fringe from a trim (sewing notion). Fabric paint for eyes, mouth and shoes.

Bird Seed Ornament Gifts

2011-11-18T17:06:00.000-08:00

Looking for a fun way to surprise wonderful people this Thanksgiving? How about whipping up a batch of bird seed ornaments! This idea was originally posted by eighteen25 and Design Dazzle as a summer craft idea but lends itself well to the holiday season, especially given that birds are in more need of nutrition as the weather cools.

The recipe is easy enough for kids to do, the ingredients are simple, sharing food is a Thanksgiving tradition (even with birds!), and the gift will express thoughtfulness to recipients without being "stuff" they have to figure out what to do with after the holiday!

What you need:

birdseed
cookie cutters or jar lids (to shape the ornaments)
envelope(s) of plain gelatin (to hold birdseed together)
wax paper (to set ornaments on while filling and drying)
ribbon, string or twine (to hang ornament)

How To's:

1) Mix 1/4 of water with one envelope of gelatin in small saucepan.

2) Bring mixture to simmer and keep stirring until all gelatin is dissolved.

3) Remove from heat and let cool for a minute or so while you get a cup of birdseed and prepare a mold (cookie cutter) by placing it on wax paper. I put ours on a small cookie sheet to make it easy for little hands to transport and maneuver!

4) Stir in the birdseed.

5) Spoon the birdseed/gelatin mixture into your mold (cookie cutter) until it is halfway full.

6) Lay a knotted loop of ribbon, string, or twine into the mold and bury it with more birdseed mixture until the mold is full. Use fingers to pack the seed in and spread to edges of the mold.

7) Let the ornaments dry overnight, then remove the mold (cookie cutter). We needed to make a big batch in one night, so we quickly tucked the ornament in the freezer for a few minutes (while mixing up the next batch) to get a head start on the hardening. We removed the cookie cutter carefully so the shape would still hold, but it did take overnight on the counter to completely harden.

8) Attach a pretty tag (GIVE THANKS found for FREE here) or card and your ornament is ready for giving... or hanging!

Pumpkin Brownies

2011-11-18T07:58:00.000-08:00

A day off of school and a day off of work... facing the list of put-off chores. Then I spied it! A half cup of pumpkin puree left over from delicious pumpkin cookies that didn't use the whole can! Better use it now before it grows moldy...

Found this recipe for chocolate brownies swirled with pumpkin! Yum!

The picture is from the recipe page...

http://blogchef.net/pumpkin-brownies-recipe/

They are in the oven right now... I'll be back to let you know how they taste, Yum!

I'm back to report that they are every bit as delicious as they look, even with a couple of changes. First, I omitted the walnuts and halved the nutmeg and cloves to help make sure I wouldn't be eating the whole batch myself. Second, I forgot to add the chocolate chips in the making mayhem. (Following new recipes with a couple of quacking duckings in the kitchen is my excuse). I sprinkled the chips over the warm brownies and spread them like frosting after a few minutes. Also, they seemed a little salty... maybe I mismeasured, but I may omit that and just use salted butter next time.

The chocolate faces on the happy ducklings about sums it up! This recipe is moved to the family favorites!

Chestnut & Pistachio Shell Turkey Craft

2011-11-15T11:01:00.000-08:00

Letting a toddler take you for a walk in the fall can bless you with pockets full of treasures!

Add a pompom head, some googly eyes, craft foam feet, and a pistachio shell beak with a little hot glue and you never know what kind of treasure creature may emerge...

Hey, who said all turkeys had to be cute, anyway? :) These goofy guys make us giggle!

Spider Game

2011-10-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

Halloween is almost here! Phew, how the heck are ya? Crazy busy here!

This isn't a craft, but a little fun something to check out with your kiddos, or just by yourself at this arachnid-y time of year.... a realistic spider simulation game. No kidding! Interact with your mouse cursor and overcome your arachnophobia. You get to move the spider around, change its features, make it jump, and/or feed it insects... It is really cute & creative!

Halloween Craft: Cork Skeleton

2011-10-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

HOWDY!

Feeling a little corky? I mean quirky? It could be that all trouble you've been gettin' into has gone deep into your bones.... A few glasses, oops, I mean bottles, may get you on your feet and runnin'!

Skeleton man was made from 11 wine corks and one champagne cork (skull). His backbone is a bamboo skewer fitted with pony bead vertebrate. His hands and feet are cut from the ends of Popsicle sticks (the rounded kind, like from Healthy Choice/Cove/Haagan-Dazs) and his shoulder blades come from a piece of straight, narrow Popsicle stick. To connect his bones, half paperclips were inserted into each side of the cork then connected with small rings (jewelry section of craft store). His hands and feet are hot-glued onto white twisty ties so they can be positioned.

One of these days I'll remember to pick up a small eye screw for the top of his head so he can dangle properly. For now, he's just hangin' around.

For more great ideas, check out these parties!

http://www.somewhatsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/halloween.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qB3NhhiEmio/ToSbxgz341I/AAAAAAAAEbs/ToUhjkTMSqs/s1600/FotoFlexer_Photo_p.jpg

Origami Pumpkin Card

2011-10-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

I found directions to make an easy and cute origami pumpkin (click on link), loved it, and decided to turn it into a fun fall greeting card for family.

First thing needed is orange paper. Who would have guessed that I wouldn't be able to find orange paper in October? I had a brainstorm... Wrapping paper! I found a cute orange print in the clearance bin and set to work cutting it into squares for the folding. This turned out to be a much more economical way to make a dozen cards! To decorate, I made a small slit at the top and glued in a stem, then glued a leave under the top of one of the folds.

The pumpkin stands open in a triangle shape from the side. I glued a photo of my kids at the pumpkin patch onto the back and used a glittery pen to wish everyone a HAPPY HARVEST!

I've linked at this great party:

Halloween Bat Decorations from Foam Veggie Trays

2011-10-10T08:17:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't throw away these black foam trays that our veggies came on from various grocery stores throughout the year. They had HALLOWEEN potential! We used them for paint trays, bead holders, etc., but with October here, it is time to put them to use for their intended purpose!

They just had to be... bats. I made a wing and body template and traced them onto the foam. I put the template below for ya. There's a baby and momma pattern. Hold the wing tips along an edge to take advantage of the 3-D contour.

Use a pencil to trace. It will leave an indented line for you to cut along.

Flip your wing pattern over to get the opposite side.

Cut little triangles out of the corners for ears.

Hot glue pieces together for instant hang-a-bility.

I stuck them on the porch rails. Maybe I should reverse that though, pumpkins on bottom and hanging bats!

Foam Tray Bat Pattern

I linked here:

Jack-o-lantern Hanging Yard Decorations

2011-10-10T04:45:00.000-07:00

It is easy to create your own holiday outdoor decorations that will last through the weather. For this project, you need orange, black, and yellow craft foam and a bit of tacky glue. Cut an oval pumpkin shape from a whole orange sheet, then add facial features from black and yellow (or trace template below). Hang from your porch or tree for colorful festivity!

Pumpkin Yard Ornament

Finger Puppet Display Stand

2011-10-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

A handy little way to put those finger puppets to decorative use when they are not in motion...

Start with one of these mini wooden bobbin/spool holders...

Add a coat of black paint to help the stand stay hidden under the puppets.

Arrange the puppets on the stand for an instant, play-with-able holiday display!

DIY Hands-free Water Bottle Carrier

2011-10-04T21:21:00.000-07:00

Looking for an easy to make, inexpensive, unique but useful gift for the holidays? How about a hands-free water bottle carrier! In my job leading school kids through living history museums, I truly rely on this handy carrier. Water is quickly available to get my voice back in action, no fuss with backpacks or fanny packs. My hands are almost immediately free to get busy with the next part of my presentation! The open bottom means that even if the straps get wet (condensation), everything dries quickly. Sometimes I don't even take it out of the carrier to refill it! Many of my co-workers asked if I could make them one, so I thought I'd go ahead and post how I did it here. Hopefully someone else will find it useful, too!

Materials

2 yards, 1" webbing

scrap of thick fabric in attractive design for bottle snuggy

1" wide strap adjuster
silver Sharpie (or other utensil for marking on dark fabrics)
measuring tape or ruler
sewing machine or just needle and thread
scissors
dab of tacky glue

Tutorial

1) Cut 8 inches of webbing off the 2 yard piece for the bottom cross strap.

2) Use a match to carefully melt the ends of the webbing to prevent them from fraying.

3) Prepare the shoulder strap by sewing a strap adjuster on one end of the long piece of webbing.

Slide a strap adjuster onto the long piece of 1" webbing.

Sew strap adjuster on tightly.

4) Prepare the snuggy by cutting a length that fits around the kind of water bottle you'll be using and hem the sides (mine are 11" long, 3.25-3.5" wide for a steel water bottle).
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Cut into a length that fits around your water bottle and hem sides (back view).

(front view of bottle snuggy)

5) Attach the snuggy to the shoulder strap.

Align the shoulder strap on the snuggy so that the edge of the snuggy meets the edge of the folded-over webbing. Aim for middle of the snuggy, but it doesn't have to be measured/perfect. Be careful to get the webbing aligned right (perpendicular to snuggy) or it will be crooked like mine! Eeek!

6) Attach cross strap to shoulder strap.

With your measuring tape at the edge of the snuggy, make slight marks at 3.5" and 4.5" (the 1" middle space for the cross strap to go). Make another mark at 8" (where the other end of the snuggy will attach).

Fold the 8" cross strap in two. Mark 0.5" down from fold on each side to identify the 1" section to overlay on the shoulder strap.

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Align the cross strap onto the shoulder strap and sew tightly.

7) Sew snuggy together. This is the trickiest step!

Fold shoulder strap over, on top of snuggy and other end of strap until the 8" mark aligns with bottom edge of snuggy.

Bring one side of the snuggy over and align with 8"mark,

then bring other side over and align with 8" mark, too. Picture the water bottle fitting into the snuggy at this point and wiggle the overlap of the fabric edges to webbing so that the fabric length is similar on both sides. I used a little tacky glue to hold the edges in place for sewing. You have to let it dry, of course, but the time cost was well worth the trouble of holding it steady for the tricky sewing part.

All sewn together, magic! It is a bit tricky here because the snuggy opening was too narrow to fit around the arm of my sewing machine. It took a little extra time and patience to maneuver it through the machine.

8) Attach cross strap to snuggy.

Flatten the snuggy together so that the straps overlap, then make a small mark on both sides of the bottom edge of the snuggy. This is an easy way to identify the midpoint of the snuggy for attaching the cross strap.

Fold the cross strap in half just at the edge, lengthwise, to identify its midpoint. Mark the spot. Now you can align the mark on the cross strap with the mark on the snuggy under your sewing machine's pressure foot to get a perfectly centered cross strap!

With one side complete, there's just the other side to go....

Whala! Cross strap attached!

9) Turn water carrier right-side-out.
10) Insert shoulder strap into strap adjuster and try on for a personalized fit!

I've linked here!! Thanks for the fun!

Ladybug Ribbon Topiary

2011-10-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

Ribbony goodness!

I blame Courtney over at A Diamond in the Stuff for getting me hooked on these ribbon topiaries. I made one for Independence day and now I can't stop... Here's a summer ladybug version that has to be removed because Halloween is next! I will store this with summer things and begin on a new foam ball soon. I have the ribbon ready to go, and even some extra to make one for Mom!

The best part of this project is that it is so simple, yet satisfying. The feel and look of different ribbon types is addictive. I can sit with my boys while they are snacking and not join in because my fingers are busy! I can bring a roll of ribbon to soccer practice in my purse and snip while I'm watching!

For this easy project you need a foam ball (mine was 5", from the floral section of the craft store), a pot (mine was from Goodwill), a styrofoam block to stick inside the pot (stabilize dowel), decorative moss to cover the styrofoam, a wooden dowel (mine was 3/8"), straight pins, and bunches of ribbon in various sizes and textures cut up in 4" (10cm) pieces (5 or 6 rolls). The different textures really add to the project. Thicker ones stick up better and help support the satiny ones. Watch the color on the INSIDE of your ribbon though. The ladybug one I used was white on the inside, which made the topiary look less full, like you could still see the white ball underneath.

All you do is pin loops of ribbon into the ball, one at a time, until the ball is covered. Twist the loops so they overlap in different directions. A colorful burst of fun!

Bean Mosaics: Easy Halloween Kids Craft

2011-09-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

Here's an easy and thrifty Halloween craft to get fingers moving and creativity flowing. Warning though, if you are preparing this for a "mommy and me" class, be sure to prepare a separate one for mommy because she'll want to do this, too. This project has broad appeal to all ages.. playing with beans is fun!

(Hint: I was feeling gloomy that my boys weren't interested in crafts any more... I've had this out for awhile but couldn't get them to do it. Then I had a moment of inspiration. Our school starts late, and when they get home, the boys want to run around outside. Soon enough it is homework, dinner and bedtime. But what about BEFORE school? This was my ticket. I set it up for them when they woke up... they're early risers. They were so attentive and enjoyed this so much, they would have made more if I'd had more shapes ready. Whoo hoo!!!)

Materials
piece of thin cardboard
scissors, pen
tacky glue, sharpie
yarn
assorted beans
glossy clear spray paint

1) Start by tracing simple halloween shapes (free templates below) onto a piece of cardboard that's thin enough to cut easily but thick enough to hold a thick layer of glue and heavy beans. If you are making these for a class, choose the pumpkin for easy cutting.

2) Place a thin line of glue along the entire edge of the shape. Starting from the top, wrap a length of yarn around the edge, forming a hanging loop when you reach the top again. The yarn "frame" will help the seeds stay in place. Set the shape to dry on something that you'll be able to peel it off from (some glue will likely stick to the bottom).

3) Gather assorted beans. We used "red" lentils (they look orange), black beans, navy beans, and lima beans. Tapioca pearls or rice would also work well. (Red lentils are a key ingredient in dahl, a type of Indian soup, so you may need to check out the Indian food section of your grocer to find them.)

4) Smear the shape with glue. We used tacky glue, but school glue would work, too.

5) Have your kids form the eyes and mouths (and fangs!) first, then let them have at it! Use a sharpie to add pupils to eyes or other features.

6) After the glue has dried, spray the creations with a coat or two of clear, glossy spray paint to give them shine and deepen the colors.

7) Hang your creations on a wall, put magnets on for the fridge, or as you like! If you have several shapes, consider re-purposing and old picture frame by arranging the shapes inside.... that's what I'm doing next!

Seed Mosaic Halloween Shapes

I've linked up here! Thanks for the parties!

Be sure to check out Meg at her MEGA-SPOOKY all Halloween, all the time blog: http://www.megaspooky.com/2011/10/easy-kids-bean-art-project-and-free.html
I couldn't find her button, but she's got a really great collection of Halloween ideas, and I sure appreciate the nice things she said about this project! :)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vk7b0eb36c8/S-Dt8w4FjkI/AAAAAAAAAKE/A5wquzXhr4g/s1600/wgw+button.jpg

Mermaid Felt Finger Puppets

2011-09-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

Ahoy, Matey! These little mermaids are ready to party with the pirates! They would make great party favors. Add some more bling for fun, such as a necklace, or sew a small shell in their hands.

How to's: Trace the template below onto your choice of felt colors. Cut out pieces and hold together with a small dot of tacky glue for sewing. I found pink fringe in the clearance section of the fabric store to adorn the front of her dress. It was sewn on with the body. Cut her nose from small scraps felt and use fabric paint for eyes and mouth. For hair, knot together a few short lengths of yarn and sew to the top of her head. I used three strands of thick yarn then unraveled it to add volume.

With no little sisters in our household, I haven't ever read a mermaid story so have no suggestions here! Maybe a reader could let us know their favorite? These cuties are a product of finding the pink trim first, then seeking a companion for the pirates.

Have fun!

Mermaid Finger Puppet Pattern

Sunflowers and Squirrels: Hanging Outdoor Decorations

2011-09-10T11:47:00.000-07:00

We were looking for something September-y to decorate our porch. Back to school isn't a good choice here as no one likes school! But looking around, the squirrels and flowers still seemed happy, so we went with that sunny theme!

I cut the shapes from craft foam and used tacky glue to hold them together. I cut individual holes for the seeds on the large flower and glued a black piece of foam behind it. On the small flowers, I used 3D paint. However, I'm not sure how long the paint will last in rain. The glue holds up well.

The free templates are below. Let me know if they are helpful to you! Happy September!

Small Sunflower Pattern
Leaping Squirrel Pattern
Large Sunflower Pattern

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Milk Jug Skeletons

2011-09-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

Milk jug skeletons... A perfect blend of crafty fun and recycling! Jiggly joy for all ages! Halloween decorating at it's thriftiest!

All you need are plastic milk jugs, a hole punch, scissors, hot glue, and string. Well, actually, you need at least 5 milk jugs. So if you don't drink a lot of milk, and start planning NOW to avoid diving through your neighbor's recycling bins the week before Halloween. In a pinch, your local coffee bistro will save them for you. I like the white ones best, hosting organic milk in our area. The opaque ones work too, but the white shows up better at night.

I recommend starting to cut the pieces as you collect them, because things get so busy toward the end of the month that it easy to run out of time. Out of one jug, you'll need to carve a face. The big circles on the side of the jug are perfect for eye holes., or have your kids draw the face on with a marker so you can cut one to make it personal for them. Out of another jug, cut out a rib cage. You can see from the photos that I've used different designs over the years. Don't let yourself be picky here, anything'll do.

You will also need hands and feet (tracing your kids' is a fun way to make it personal), cut from the sides of the jugs. You'll need two jug handles, one for each shoulder. Hot glue one end to the rib cage piece and punch a hole in the other end for attaching arm bones. You'll need eight leg/arm pieces, hole punched at each end. These are cut from the jug's edges, so you get three per jug. Add a middle elongated hole into half of the arm and leg pieces, if you like.

You'll need one bottom half of a jug for the hip bones, by cutting a rounded arch on each of the four sides. Punch a hole onto two opposite sides for attaching legs.

You'll need an extra TWO spouts for connecting the hips to rib cage (hot glue together and to hip/rib pieces). Punch holes in the arm, leg, hand, and feet pieces then connect them with string.

We brought these to school for a Halloween party and danced to a skeleton song. Be sure to reinforce connections with string instead of just hot glue though, as some of the dancers may really get into it and put that hot glue to the test... A great song for this is Spooky Scary Skeletons, by Andrew Gold. His album, Halloween Howls, is a fun collection of classics for children's parties.

Meanwhile, you might have so much fun with this that you'll want to craft a whole flock. They look really fun flying in a tree next to some foam pumpkins... sure to catch you a few comments from trick-or-treaters!

For a fun story to go with these guys, try Skeleton Hiccups, by Margery Cuyler.

Have fun, and Happy Halloween!

For more Halloween fun, check out the Mega Spooky blog, http://www.megaspooky.com/, all Halloween, all the time!

Pirate Felt Finger Puppets: Talk Like a Pirate Craft

2011-09-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

Yo ho! Talk like a pirate day anyone? These cute little pirates make great reading buddies! Put them on a pencil or your finger and they are all set for a good story!

There are a lot of pieces for these guys so you may need an early start or a long road trip to get a good batch of these. A package of small gold rings from the jewelry supply section of your craft store make a great addition. Add plastic tooth pick swords for a fun an original party favor!

How-to tip: cut the slit to make legs after puppet is sewn together-- more forgiving when lining the pieces up.

For a sweet treet to go along with these, check out Simple Girl's Pirate Pops! Just darling, and edible, too!

Pirate Finger Puppet Pattern

Need a pirate story to go with it? After Kim Kennedy's pirate series, don't forget George Ella Lyon's, The Pirate of Kindergarten for a non-traditional pirate story... a girl doesn't know she has double vision until she goes through screening at school. She wears a patch for awhile for sight therapy. All kids should have a chance to hear this story! Generate empathy for others and appreciation for the gift of sight!

Raccoon Felt Finger Puppets-- Bandits!

2011-08-04T20:12:00.000-07:00

Great to go along with the story The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn... Just add a red felt or fabric paint heart to the raccoon's paw!

How-to's: Cut out two body pieces from the template below, cutting just a circle (no fingers) for hands, and glue arms together. When dry, sew body together. Trim as needed and then cut fingers into hands. For whiskers, knot a few short lengths of thread and glue onto raccoon’s nose. Then add fabric paint on top for nose and again for eyes.

Raccoon Finger Puppet Pattern

For a story to go along with these guys, try Niccolini's Song, by Chick Wilcoxen. This is a one-of-a-kind heartwarming tale about human kindness, set in the scene of a train yard (including a few intrusive raccoons!). A nightwatchmen takes care of trains and his neighbors. The words are almost poetic in places, as gentle as Niccolini himself. The first time I read it, tears came to my eyes as I remembered my own sleepless nights, pacing my colicky baby to sleep. My son who adores trains loves the illustrations and understands that trains can talk, if you listen. A great way to teach little ones about the gifts we each possess, and how that can fit into the world in surprising ways. Be true to yourself! Be a good listener!! How endearing is this story? I bought it when my son was three. He's 9 now. And it still brings a special feeling of peace and love to us when we read it together.

The classic, sweet raccoon love story is The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn. A mother eases her young one's worries about the first day of school by sending along love... a sweet kiss in the palm of her child's hand. Whenever he feels lonely at school, he can press his paw to his cheek to feel her love.

Triceratops/Dinosaur Finger Puppets

2011-08-04T06:12:00.000-07:00

Roar! Use the template below for body pieces. Cut horn shapes and white eye circles from small pieces of felt. Use fabric paint to add nostrils, pupils, and a smile. Scallop/shape head as you like!

For a SUPER story to go with this dinosaur puppet, check out Elise Broach's When Dinosaurs Came with Everything. This is a kid's dream come true, mood lifting story! Real dinosaurs are given as treats as a boy goes through a day of errands... get a haircut, get a balloon, right? Not today, buddy! Get a Pterosaur instead! A triceratops at the bakery! A Stegasaurus after a doctor's visit! Meanwhile, you will relate to Mom who isn't taking this so well. She avoids the diner to miss getting a T. Rex but worries about taking care of her newly acquired herpetofauna. In the clever end, she ends up giving household jobs to all of the creatures. And they don't mind, because doing chores means they are part of the family. I LOVE that line! The watercolor/line drawing artwork is really fun, complementing the story and entertaining in the details. The style is easy to read and seamless with a child's perspective (complete with nagging! and it wasn't my fault!). You can't go wrong here!

Triceratops Finger Puppet Pattern

Raven (or Crow) Felt Finger Puppet

2011-08-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

Caw, Caw! Share some of that lunch?

How-to Hints: Cut 2 body shapes out of black felt (template below). Glue two pieces of black feather boa to the middle of the back piece. When dry, sew front and back together. Cut small feet and beak from orange felt. I added a small piece of yellow feathery yarn behind the top of the beak for whimsy. For eyes, I cut a gold sequin in half and added black beads. Fabric paint would also work well. I also shoved a little pillow stuffing in the head with a pencil to give it a rounded, 3D (sort-of) look... Have fun!

For a story to go with these puppets, try Martha, by Gennady Spirin. It's about a family who rescues an injured crow. They take the crow to the vet, who advises putting it down. The family decides to see if they can nurse it back to health. They succeed, and the crow gets into a little mischief along the way (imagine a crow in your house!). Eventually, Martha is set free, healed and flying. This compassionate tale is made all the better by extraordinary art work. Little ones will be able to "see" the story before they can read it, pointing out details that the text doesn't cover. But that's not all!! The setting of the tale is in Moscow, so kids end up with a window into another culture. Check it out!

Raven Finger Puppet Pattern

Ode to Magicada: A Cicada Craft

2011-07-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun observing the periodical cicadas that emerged in our area this spring that we just had to do something crafty about it to keep our memories alive. So, we decorated a rectangular canvas to look like a tree trunk and glued on some cicada shapes carved from corks! It took us a month to make this... divided into many little bitty projects... finally on our wall. It was worth it though. Just looking at it reminds us of the wonder these little enchanting creatures inspired.

Here's what we saw LOTS of: Cicadas! Climbing up trees! We partied while they molted then enjoyed hearing them sing for a month.

I cut some wine corks in half and crudely carved them into cicada shapes. I had painting helpers waiting, so I couldn't spend much time on perfection! My painters mixed up a blackish brown body color, then I added dots of red fabric paint to make the 3D eyes.

The wings were cut from a clear plastic strawberry container. (If anyone wants a template, let me know). I bent the wings a bit to give them a rounded look. We then used gold paint pens to add wing veins.

My boys protested at first that we were only making 2 wings (Mom, they have FOUR) but then they tired of wing decorating and thought two were fine...

I hot-glued the wings to the bodies. Cute, but now what would we do with them?

We did some crayon rubbings of tree bark one morning. At this point, the kids didn't know what I was up to. ("We did this at preschool, Mom." But we still went through half a dozen sheets of paper!) I brought the rubbings out when it came for the next step to help them visualize the project.

The canvas came from a craft store. After looking at our crayon rubbings, the kids cut thin, wavy strips of black fabric and helped me arrange them on the canvas. I glued them on as fast as they cut, until we had a zebra-looking tree trunk and the kids lost interest in cutting... falling on the floor in a wrestling match. Boys!

The kids painted over the whole canvas in shades of black, brown and gray. They enjoyed blending the colors and remembering who cut which stripe in the process...

Here is the final painted tree trunk. The fabric gives a 3D bark-like texture.

Then, a little hot glue to add the crawling cicadas.... Ta da! Our masterpiece!

I've crawled over here to link up: