Peace and Doves

Thinking about Martin Luther King Jr...

Earths were traced from 8" plates.  Dove template here.

Halloween Bat Decorations from Foam Veggie Trays

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

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

Sunflowers and Squirrels: Hanging Outdoor Decorations

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

I shared here:

Spreading Patriotic Cheer With Craft Foam: A 4th of July Decoration Idea

Looking for an inexpensive way to add some patriotic cheer to your yard or porch? Don't forget about craft foam!  Foam is easy to write on, cut out, and glue, is inexpensive, and will last through rain and sun for at least a few seasons (the color will eventually fade). 

Try simple star bangles to hang from a tree or hooks on the porch.  An instant splash of color and porch bling!

Free star template below.
Sloppy Stars
DreamHost promotional codes

Easter Bunny Wind Spinner (A Recycled Milk Jug Craft)

This didn't turn out as neat as I thought, but it is still festive and has the appeal of being made from recycled products... perfect for an Earth Day Easter!  It has mega kid potential. Mine loved to help staple, color, and thread.  I'm thinking that the Easter Bunny might just want to hide something in those eggs... I'll have to leave him a note not to put anything that might melt though.  The forecast is for 88 degrees!  Yikes!


You'll find the bunny templates below. 


To make this spinner,
1) Copy 2 or 3 bunnies onto a white plastic milk jug. You will need 8 bunnies for the project shown.  Bend the patterns around the corners of the jug to give the bunnies 3D shape.
2) Use colored Sharpies to add facial features to the bunnies.
3) Staple four of the standing bunnies together by paws (hands AND feet).
4) Use a sharp pointed object (like the awl of a pocket knife) to put holes in 4 plastic eggs for the string to go through, or enlarge the holes already there.
5) Tie a length of string (about 20") to each point where the bunnies are "holding hands."
6) Thread an egg onto each of the strings, tying a knot at the height where you want the egg to hang.  Close each egg around the knot when threaded.
7)  Staple the next four bunnies directly onto the strings by sandwiching a string between two neighboring bunnies' feet (this was a Mom job).  I alternated the two sitting bunny types so the same types were across from each other.  I stapled the hands of the "hands down" bunnies onto the string whereas the "hands up" bunny hands were free.
8)  Gather the four loose strings together and tie in a knot.
9)  Loop a last length of string under the knot and tie securely.  Make a loop at the other end to hang your new wind spinner at the desired height.
10) Have a great Easter!

Free Bunny Rabbit Templates

Recycled Plastic Craft: Valentine Owl Wind Spinner

Got an old plastic folder lying around with a broken binder?  Don't toss it out! Turn it into a Valentine's Owl wind spinner!

I used three colored plastics:

1) red plastic folder (both sides)

2) white milk jug

3) black battery tray

Cut shapes from the pattern below.  Hot glue pieces in place, except wings.  Hole punch head for hanging, tail for spinner, and shoulders to attach wing pieces.  Hole punch spinner for hanging. Use brass brad to hold wings in place.  Decorate with 3D fabric paint (or nail polish).  Attach spinner to tail with colored string.  Attach string loop to owl's head.  Hang and enjoy!

Valentine Owl

Make Your Own Groundhog's Day Window Decorations

Looking for a cute way to decorate windows or a bulletin board for Ground Hog's Day?  I used vinyl cling sheets to cut cloud and sun shapes.  The packages don't contain brown, so I'm still working on Ground hog shapes.  The next fun choice is Pebeo Arti Stick window paint (amazon).  You "paint" with this onto a plastic sheet and allow to dry 24 hours. Then, peel and stick!  My kids and I have had a blast with this, and we still have some that are several years old-- I bring them out seasonally.  Of course, paper ground hogs would be fine as well!  For now, the bright suns and clouds look cute on the windows with the foam ground hogs hanging over the porch in front of them (see ground hog yard ornament post).

Amazon carries the vinyl sheets:

You are welcome to use the template below!

Groundhog's Day Template 0001

For a dear and lovely story to go with this, that all kids can definitely relate to, try Cloudette.

Thanksgiving Hanging Turkey Yard Ornament

These guys always announce the Thanksgiving holiday when hanging from a tree or porch. Alternate them with strings of large leaves (3 together) for a festive combination.  All that is needed for this inexpensive craft is sturdy craft foam and tacky glue.  Find patterns below, if you like!

Turkey Template

Big Leaf Template 0001

I linked at this AWESOME party:

Earth Day Yard Ornaments

O.k., this is kinda pushing it.  Does Earth Day need a yard ornament? Aren't blossoms enough decoration for this "holiday"?  I can't help myself sometimes.... Earths just had to be made. Just one more tree decoration... the leaves are almost here. Egads!

Spring Flower Peeper

A cute little Easter chick hatched out of a foam produce tray in our yard today...  a spring flower peeper!

I cut the simple shape out of the foam tray, then added eyes and nose (fabric paint, but you could use other recycled plastic, like milk/oj jugs).




Hoping for waterproof orange, I colored two bamboo skewers with a Sharpie. I put a dab of tacky craft glue on the sharp end of the skewer and twisted it into the "belly" of the foam chick (about 3/4 inch). I then cut three equal lengths off each leg to make the toes.

I arranged the toes on the chick's legs in a dab of hot glue, a few inches above the end so that the chicks' legs could be firmly stuck in the ground.

Our chick was then was then ready for peeping between the mailbox daffodils!

Bunny Rabbit Outside Tree Ornament

For Easter, we hung carrots and bunnies in our tree.  I made carrots from orange/green foam. The bunnies (template below) were hard to see once the trees blossomed.  They are white craft foam with a single eye cut out and glued on pink foam for the inner ear. They are also welcoming on a front porch!

Scan 0018

Hanging Froggy Tree Ornaments

You know it's spring when you here them a croakin' and a creekin'! Frog time!

We liked to decorate the otherwise barren tree in our front yard with the changing seasons. No problem for Christmas, even Halloween, but yard decorations aren't available for other seasons...

Yet, those branches look so bare!  How about a little craft foam to tide us over until the leaves come? You can make any shape your heart desires, and the foam is cheap and easy to cut! Even with tacky glue, the foam holds up well with the elements.  I made about 10 of each season's shape.

I always wondered if the tree ornaments were too much for the neighbors. However, when we moved, folks that lived on our street that we didn't even know stopped by to say they'd miss our decorations!

These days we no longer have a front yard tree to hang things on, but there's space for our between-Valentine's-and-Easter froggies on our front porch! See the template below for the frog design.

Frog Template

Outside Decorations for Valentine's Day

Looking for a new way to decorate for Valentine's Day outside your home? How about a little craft foam?  Inexpensive, easy to cut, and easy to glue, you can whip up some Valentine's to hang from your tree or home in no time, and save them to use year after year...

Ground Hog Tree Ornaments/Outside Decorations

If you were thinking it was hard to find St. Patrick's Day decorations, have you ever found something for Ground Hog's Day?  Not that anyone really NEEDS Ground Hog's Day decorations, or that they would even recognize them if they saw them.... But in case you are looking for an idea, here's our tree ornament template. Have fun!

Ground Hog Template 0001