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Just beanie

Posted on April 21, 2011 Leave a Comment

I was searching the blogosphere and came across this adorable craft for Easter. It calls for felt {which alot of us don’t have on hand} but if you can muster up energy to pick some up, it looks like it will be well worth it. That take us to Qmade and her Jelly Bean Garland. I can’t get over how adorable this garland is and how easy it is to make {with the handy machine of course}. So fun and so cheery. That bunny is going to be so jealous. Get sewing!

Q made Blog and her Jelly Bean Garland

So a few posts back {but not many as I have been a bit busy over here} I talked about the card keeper and how awesome of an idea to keep them altogether in an easy to read book. Well I finally got around to doing it myself and wanted to post a pic of mine.

It’s not as perfect as it could be but just enough. I wrote in the info and actually had planned on printing it and placing it on the card. Oh well. Next one.

And here in the DC area, Spring has arrived and we are loving every minute of it. Dogwoods are blooming, the smell of lilacs are wafting in the breeze and Julia is enjoying the weather and fresh air. Goodbye Old man winter…until next time.

my cowgirl can’t help but make a silly pose when I ask her too!

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Now what with all these cards?

Posted on April 3, 2011 Leave a Comment

Make a card keeper! I came across this very nifty way to keep cards together from the year and still be able to go through them when you want to get nostalgic. Let’s face it, having all these cards sitting around in piles makes me itch. Well this is destinined to make that itch go away. I have gathered up my supplies, just need to get my piles organized by year and I should be done. I’ll post my pics when I get there. For now you can get started by following the directions below from Disneys’ Family fun site.

Here is a clip of the directions…

Now go get started. I have to say their site has lots of fun crafts and holiday ideas for the little one and big {little one, like myself} in your family. Happy crafting.

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Ball of fun

Posted on February 23, 2011 Leave a Comment

I came across a fantastic idea for a craft that goes a long way. It’s the surprise ball. I can’t wait to make them for a gift for the kids. You can even gather adult related trinkets and make them for someone special on your list. Here is a video of what it’s like when you unravel one.

surprise ball from kate spade new york on Vimeo.

You will need some crepe paper {about 4 rolls}, trinkets, glue, scissors and a hanging label {for pulling and starting the fun}. Click here to see the directions. I hope to make one very soon! What a great little surprise as a gift or favor. Next trip to the party store will be a busy one!

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Easy-to-make bird feeder

Posted on February 3, 2011 Leave a Comment

I have to share a simple craft that Julia did at school this week. A fun and easy to make bird feeder made out of pine cones, pipe cleaner, peanut butter {sunflower butter for the allergic kiddos} and bird seed. Make a bunch or just one. It’s a great rainy day craft and the birds will thank you for it.

Here’s how you do it: Take a pipe cleaner and wrap it around the pine cone top, just under the folds. Place some peanut butter in a bowl and take the other end of the cone and smother it in the butter. Next you can pour or roll the butter in the bird seed. Take it outside and hang it up on your favorite branch.

We hung ours out front on a redbud that attracts the little morning finches. Loving how it blends with nature and you don’t have to clean it out!

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Homemade holiday cinnamon ornaments

Posted on December 17, 2010 Leave a Comment

I had the pleasure of getting a new recipe, Apple Cinnamon Ornaments. A friend of mine from our preschool class passed this on. I am passing it on to you.

Now I just made these for the first time and I didn’t get to paint them yet. They are really yummy to smell and au natural add a nice touch of spice to my tree. All you need are 3 ingredients. So simple and quick.

You’ll add the measured ingredients together, stir till mixed well. Then take it and knead in on the counter till fully combined. Takes about a few minutes {sing some Christmas songs to move it along}.

I set a bunch aside and gave them out to the kids in class with instructions on how to make them.

Grab whatever  cookie cutters you want to use and press them down into the rolled out dough. Use a straw and poke holes in the top for hanging on your tree. Put them in the oven o parchment paper and voila. You have sweet smelling ornaments ready to hang or paint or whatever you fancy. I have to still spray mine but before I cooked them, I placed their initial and year. I still have mine from when I was young and they are a few of my most cherished ornaments to date.

Here is the recipe in full. Have fun baking.

Apple Cinnamon Ornaments

You will need: Parchment paper will help it dry neatly, cookie cutters, rolling pin and paints (optional). This dough recipe contains: 4 cup ground cinnamon, 3 cup applesauce,  1/2 cup white Elmer’s school glue.

Flatten dough between parchment paper using a rolling pin. Sprinkle some cinnamon if the dough is too sticky. Fatten it to 1/2″ or so thick. Use your cookie cutters to create fun shapes in the dough or make coils of dough and sculpt your own designs such as letters and shapes or press babies hand in it or etch their name in it, get creative!  You should get a couple ornaments from this piece of dough and you can knead the last of it again, and flatten it as a cookie ornament.  Punch a hanger hole into your ornament with the straw or squish a paper clip in it as a hanging hook.

Let them dry naturally over a period of 3 to 5 days, or you can bake them in an oven at 200° for about 2 hours (flip them halfway through).

Once dry, decorate with paint or glitter or leave them as they are.

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Create snacktime fun

Posted on October 7, 2010 Leave a Comment

School is in and I am the dedicated class rep for my daughters class at a COOP preschool. As a class rep, I had to take on the task of designing placemats for the children to use at school and at home. I thought, great at school, how fun. Then I thought great at home, how fun…ughhh more clean-up for me. Possibly a strewn placemat and Lucky Charms on the floor. OK it’s pre-school and they are supposed to be messy right? Right.

One look at these adorable placemats and I agree, it’s a wonderful addition to her meals. She sits at the table and talks about all her friends and spells out their names. It keeps her busy and for mommy, it means less chasing! It can be exhausting to try to feed a two-year old on the run.

It doesn’t take long to make. All I did was get on my Macbook Pro and use Pages to create the layout. I took a few items here and there from other templates offered. Added picture boxes with each child and teacher in them. Dazzled it up with clip art. Then I ordered online from  good ole’ Kinko’s the layout on cardstock. Next I used our handy dandy laminator (make sure it’s well ventilated…dizzy) and viola…a preschool sized, fun for munching on, washable placemat.

There are other items you can use to make this: construction paper, dries flowers, pictures, scrapbook items and the list goes on and on. And if you don’t have a laminator on hand, you can do it for $2 a sheet at Kinkos.  (Secret: Saw the laminating machine and papers at BJ’s) Now that I know we have one, I am about to add to my projects: preserve birth certificates! Have fun.

(Names erased here for their own safety)

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