Popsicle Stick Rainbow

Here's another kid craft that Brooke whipped out for me (click here for the Frankenstein one), this one is a rainbow with clouds - easy and cute! Thanks B! Here's what she did, in her words:

hi guys! it’s brooke! today i made this super cute rainbow with clouds out of popsicle sticks to sit on my desk! i thought it was so cute and it was so easy to make! all i did was take 6 popsicles sticks and markers and colored each of them a different color then i use a plain stick and cut it in half and glued each half on the back of the rainbow at the top and bottom to hold it together. then i let it dry and while i did that i cut out clouds out of white paper. after the sticks were dry i flipped the rainbow back over and glued the cloud on the top! i hope you loved this as much as i did!

Kid Craft: painted mason jar holders

I've said this before, but I have so so so many photos of either old completed projects and recipes or ideas for projects and recipes - so many that I forget about them and then when scrolling thru my computer file I'll see something that makes me wonder why it didn't get posted before now! Case in point - this cute project that Brooke did soooooo long ago, back in 2016! Still a good craft tho so I'm sharing anyway, it's not like craft ideas expire  (even if the kid doing the craft is now 17 haha)! 

                                                   

                                                

She poured craft paint right into the bottom of the jar along with a little water, then using a paint brush pull the paint up the insides of the jar completely coating. Let it dry then use to hold whatever - she put on her desk with pens, markers, etc. 

Note if you use it like a vase and fill with water the paint is going to wash away...forewarned hahaha. 

Felt Poinsettia Napkin Rings

As many of you know, I've volunteered in our local elementary school for years and years - my niece P was in the second grade when I started and she is now 23. I loved 2nd grade, and her teacher Mrs. Whitmore, so much that I just kept repeating 2nd grade over and over! I kind of borrowed (ok, ok, I stole it - whatever) this Christmas craft from Mrs. Whitmore - this is a simple project she had the kids make for parent and grandparent gifts (I can't tell you how many poinsettia outlines I drew on felt squares for the kids to cut out and assemble). They are fun, kid-friendly, simple and quick - all things you need with a roomful of 2nd graders haha, but also perfect for bigger crafters too (like me!).

I was 'savvy' enough (is that the right word? hmmm) to keep a template of these poinsettia napkin rings so I could share them with you like 15 years later - I did google them and there are lots of free templates online if you don't want to just look at mine and freehand them yourself. There is 2 different sizes of the same 4 petal shape - you need red and green felt to make 1 large green, 1 large red, 1 small red, and one red middle post piece that holds it all together. We didn't add sequins on the petal tips back in 2nd grade, but as a grown-up who doesn't know when to quit I attached some with a bit of elmers glue after assembling the napkin rings.  The photos are pretty self-explanatory I think:

trace the template onto red and green felt

cut out the shapes - one large red and green, one small red, and one middle red piece

layer the 3 petal shapes on top of each other, smallest red piece on top

cut a small slit thru the middle of all 3 pieces 

feed the 2 ends of the middle post piece thru the slit to create the napkin ring

add sequins if ya want! and of course you want - cuz...sequins! 

feed a napkin thru the circle created by the middle post piece. 

12.16.18: 🔥week 50
12.16.17: reindeer cupcakes
12.16.16: candy cane mice
12.16.15: sea salt body scrub

Candy Cane Reindeer

You cannot even imagine how many pictures, files, notes, instructions and directions, recipes, and ideas I have either on my computer, phone and iPad, in my brain, in stacks in my craft room and cookbook cabinet...it's crazy. I say all that to justify why it's taken me 3 years to post this adorable candy cane reindeer that someone gave me - it also might explain why I can't remember who gave it to me!! I love love love when you guys share ideas, recipes, crafts, etc. with me - but sometimes they get mixed in and I forget I have them! So if you give me something and then wonder why I haven't posted it - that's it in a nutshell. Please don't stop sharing, maybe just give me a little nudge reminding me I have some great post ideas floating around out there!! 

So, let's get on with today's craft - how adorable and simple is this candy cane reindeer? And how cute would it be to give these out at school or work, attach to a gift, sticking out of a gift bag, at place settings for dinner, grouped in a big vase - ideas are endless. And with how quick you can make these, you'll crank out a ton in no time at all!

Start with a full size hooked candy cane, fold and tape on a twisted brown pipe cleaner for antlers, attach googly eyes and a bead for the nose using a glue dot or elmers. 

Kid Craft: Lego Cord Holder

Looks like I'm not the only one in the family who likes playing with Legos...Brooke made this funny usb cord holder for my desk, and I smile every time I look it - of course she had to use a scary face instead one of the pretty ones LOL. Such a funny girl :)

7.26.18: chickpea cucumber salad
7.26.17: granola bites
7.26.16: apple strudel...fail

Lego Scottie and Hydrant

Yes, I'm a grown up. Yes, I have other things to do. No, I haven't given away the Legos yet. 

That's all I'm gonna say. Bam - shortest post ever. 

Butterfly Treat Bags

Tesha made these with her grandkids and shared the idea and picture. It's super cute and creative, and a perfect kid craft. Decorate big wooden clothes pins using paint, markers, washi tape, little pompoms, stickers, whatever you want; glue on googly eyes and antenna coiled pipe cleaners. Set aside to dry.

Meanwhile, fill ziplock sandwich bags with small candy or treats like mini pretzels, cheez-its, goldfish, etc....you could do all one treat per bag, mix things together in the bag, or split them half and half making sure to keep the two sides separate (for instance - put mini pretzels in one side and m&m's in the other, don't let them mix together). Once the clothespin is dry, clip it in the middle of the bag separating the two sides of the filled baggie - looks like a butterfly!

Cute idea for Halloween treat giving, but would also be great party favors, place settings, even a fun lunchbox surprise!


10.13.2017: costume ideas
10.13.2016: making babies (baby plants, that is!)
10.13.2015: Sarge's reversible Halloween scarf

Skeleton Pumpkin Man

Pop the head, arms, and legs off the body of a $1 plastic skeleton and attach to a $1 craft pumpkin and you have an inexpensive funny "creepy" Halloween decoration - I would say perfect for the kiddos to make but I have the biggest blister on the tip of my finger from hot gluing this thing in place so I'm a little hesitant right now to advise you that it's a kid craft! Seriously I haven't had a glue gun burn this bad in a long long time. I'd show you a picture but you might be reading this while eating your lunch and I'm not going to be responsible for you being too grossed out to eat. Trust me on this one.

Anyway - I'm not sure what exactly this is supposed to be hahahaha, for whatever reason a skeleton has wrapped himself around a cutie google-eyed little pumpkin...I was playing around and this just looked good to me. Change yours up accordingly!

The skeleton head fit right over the stem of the pumpkin, just glue in place. Attach two big googly eyes, then adjust the arms so they fit in front of the face like the arms are trying to wrap around it. I used a piece of invisible fishing line to hold the hands in place - I burned myself trying to glue the arms in the front so just went with the fishing line instead! Glue the legs in place and add some plastic spiders here and there...or don't...whatever you like :)

10.6.2017 Ronda makes a Halloween Treat Box
10.6.2016 Dog on the blog - sweet potato dog cookies
10.6.2015 Make a spooky terrarium

Paper Pumpkin

Sitting in my craft room literally waiting for paint to dry (spider earrings coming up soon!) and looking for a quickie project -  this pretty marbled paper from Stampin' Up reminds me of a squash so I whipped up a paper pumpkin that I'm going to put on my desk (and if I get out to Ronda's studio any time soon I'll make one to add to her seasonal display table!). This is a very easy, kid friendly, cute Halloween or fall decoration - cheap and quick too! That kinda makes for the perfect craft in my book.

Supplies:

•  decorative paper
• 2 brads
• small hole bunch
• scissors and ruler,  or cutting board
• 2 green pipe cleaners (chenille stems, whatever - I've always called them pipe cleaners!)
• pencil to curl the pipe cleaners
• twine
• cork
• round cardboard to give the bottom some stability

Cut 1 inch strips of paper (how long the strips are will determine the size of your finished pumpkin). My paper is 12" square and I cut 24 strips (2 pieces of paper) and that's as big a pumpkin as you're going to get with standard 12" square paper.

Hole punch both ends of each strip and thread all of one end onto a brad, then all of the other end onto a brad. Spread the strips apart evenly to form the pumpkin.

 Glue a piece of cardboard to the bottom to make it more stable and it'll help keep the strips in place.

Glue a wine cork to the top like a stem - you can paint it if you want but I wrapped twine around mine instead. I also found the cork sat better on top of the brad by carving out a little circle from the bottom of the cork - then fit the cork over the brad.

Curl both ends of the pipe cleaner around a pencil, then twist around the cork. Glue twine around the cork if you want - I like how it looks but painting the stem cork would also be cool - how about glitter paint?

10.5.17 make a mummy picture

10.5.16 m&m cookie bars
















10.5.15 squash ghosts

Kid Craft - "the Littles" Beach Jars

This is from my friend Lisa (I shared her button flag art for the Fourth of July, click here for that post), she does all kinds of fun stuff with her nieces ("the littles") every week and she shared these photos with me after I posted the beach terrarium I made last week (click here for that post). I like how these turned out so much I asked if I could share them with you - take inspiration wherever you find it and then make it your own!

from Lisa:

Here are the littles beach in a jar! I though you would like to see the project. The littles has a blast and thought it was so fun with all the shells. Thanks for idea.

PS: She also said "Hobby Lobby and Michaels love to see me walk in, goodness!" hahahaha. Ditto for me Lisa LOL.

And our sweet dog Brooke felt like she needed to craft and chewed up the star fish!

Kid Craft: Sydney Makes Slime (for the first time)

Sydney makes me laugh - watch her give instructions on how to make slime. I've posted before when Brooke made slime (that kid was obsessed with making it!), but when Sydney's dad sent me this and said "Sydney wants to be a craft star - without prompting she started giving instructions" of course I had to share! This is their first time making slime and Scott said they had so much fun playing with it - love that dad was in on it too! Hopefully she'll keep sending kid craft videos since Brooke is now a busy teenager and doesn't craft as often...

There are tons of formulas and recipes online if you want to make slime; in the meantime enjoy her video - it's too cute (especially the very end when she stops talking - I literally laughed out loud)!

Button Flag Art

My friend Lisa loves crafting with her nieces (she calls them "the littles" awww), she put this on Facebook and I asked if I could steal it to share with you guys - how cute is this idea? Here's her notes on how they did it:

Had the littles over and we made the American Flag! You can see each one has there own style! As my niece said “there is no right or wrong way in art”! She is 5. Out of the mouths of babes! Oh I treasure them.

I bought the burlap canvas at Hobby Lobby, bought the buttons on Amazon. Used tacky glue and some patriotic ribbon to hang up or not. I just free hand the outline for a guideline for them and the kids where off running with it. 

Butternut Bunny

Oh. My. Cuteness. Check out this bunny made from a butternut squash - seriously, this was very easy and quick...and it's too dang cute. I'm thinking I'll make a couple more and come up with an adorable dining room centerpiece for Easter!

Check back next week, I have a cool (unpainted!) butternut squash recipe to share with you.

Psst: notice the pretty colored eggs? I made those today too and will show you how tomorrow!

Supplies:

• butternut squash (I tried to find one that would stand up pretty straight, and I wanted one that was a little fatter around - some are too tall and skinny)
• craft paint and brushes
• big black sharpie (or black paint and a small brush)
• cotton ball
• white paper
• white glue

Directions:

Paint the entire squash with whatever main color you want your bunny, I did yellow. Also paint the white paper with the main color (you'll cut the ears out of the painted paper). 

Once it's dry, paint on 2 white patches for its belly and face. Add feet using a color that is a bit darker than the base color. Let it dry.

Cut 2 long pieces of paper for the ears, rounded on one end and slightly tapered on the other end. Fold little tabs along the squared end and glue the tabs to the top of the squash by the stem.

Glue the cotton ball on the back for the tail.

When the white patch is dry, draw on a face with the sharpie (or paint it on). 

I found the instructions for this here. It was originally meant for a Thanksgiving table but it's way more Easter-y to me!