A pencil holder that brings the outdoors in...

If you are like me you can barely wait for Spring, maybe that's why I came up with this outdoors themed pencil/stuff holder, this is a great kids craft! Thanks to my Mom for help on this one, she's such a creative lady!

You'll need-

• -One tin can (washed, and with the label and any sharp edges removed)
• -A package of plain wooden Popsicle sticks
• -Acrylic paint in your choice of color, I chose purple.
• -Paint brush
• - Foil glue and green foil sheets (found at most craft stores, or online.)
• -Craft glue
• -Bugs and Butterflies of your choice. Pictured below are feather butterfly found at Micheal's craft store, and vintage tin bug pins from SilverCrow Creations.com )

I took an ordinary sized soup can, removed the label, washed it out thoroughly and made sure there were no sharp edges left. Then using a good slathering of craft glue on the can I began placing the unpainted Popsicle sticks on the can, as close as I could get them to each other. I then let it dry overnight. I chose to paint my sticks with Acrylic paint in a light shade of purple, you of course can chose to paint yours whatever color tickles your fancy. After painting I let it dry overnight again. I thought about just using green paint and painting some grass on the bottom but my Mom came up with the idea of using green foil sheets and foil glue, I was curious how it would turn out so I gave it a shot. You can't really tell in these pictures, because my camera is not the best, but the grass is very iridescent.
Next, using a special glue just for foiling, I put the glue over the Popsicle sticks in very organic lines, to resemble grass. Then after letting the glue dry for a little while I followed the directions on the package of green foil sheets. I placed a sheet over the glue, and using a Popsicle stick I began pressing the foil onto the glue to adhere it. It's pretty simple, all the directions are on the package. I loved the results!

Last but certainly not least, I glued a few lovely tin bug pins onto the Popsicle sticks with some craft glue, I had to hold them on for a little while until the glue was tacky enough to hold them by itself. These tin bugs are little pins, but you can easily cut the pin backing off if you find them easier to work with that way. I also considered gluing a feather butterfly on as well, it seemed more girly, but I'm a girl who likes her bugs! Next time I do one I'll do a butterfly. If you make this project with your kids, I hope you enjoy making it as much as I did!

Simple and cute child's bracelet

I was looking through my beads the other day and found a few packages of star paddle beads. As a kid I always loved paddle beads, still kinda do, but alas I feel that I have out grown plastic beads. But! I did think that they would make a pretty cute, simple and sparkly, bracelet for a little girl. All you need is some elastic thread, and two small packages of star paddle beads, in two different complimentary colors. I used a few smaller beads in mine just because I had them in the corresponding color, but you don't have to use my exact pattern, of course. This is a great project to do with kids because it's so easy, and the shape of the paddle beads makes them easy to pick up and thread for little fingers.


-Cut a length of elastic thread, make sure it's long enough that you can tie some knots in it and it will still fit on your child's wrist. start threading the paddle beads on, alternating colors, and fitting them together (interlocking them). When I had about an inch in thread left on both ends I stopped putting beads on and tied a knot, I'm not very good at knots so I tied a couple, just so it wouldn't come undone. Then I trimmed off the little bit of excess thread that was left close to the last knot. Simple, cute, and something fun to do with your kids!

Got Crafty Kids ?

My next two crafty projects are for kids!...and young at heart adults too, of course...

Pilgrim House

Here is an easy Thanksgiving project that would make cute table settings, or to keep the kids busy while you prepare the Turkey!











You'll need-
- a small cardboard milk carton, or half and half carton
-cardboard
- a brown paper bag
-scissors
-a pencil or pen
-glue, I used plain white craft glue
-ruler


Start by cleaning the inside of your small milk carton. Then measure the sides of your carton with a ruler and using your measurements trace the outline for four sides of your carton onto the cardboard, making sure two of the sides have peaks.Then trace a piece for the
roof (make sure it's long enough to fold and fit nicely on the top of your house), and the chimney (which is just a strip of the cardboard that has been rolled up into a cylinder shape, and glued. You can use corrugated cardboard, but I just used an old box and tore off the top layer of the cardboard and exposed the corrugated part. Glue the sides, roof and chimney onto the carton and let dry for about fifteen minutes. Meanwhile using a plain brown paper bag, trace and cut out window shapes for the sides of the house and a door, I even cut out some door details and a door knob. Glue your paper bag windows and door onto your house and let dry, and you have yourself a cute little pilgrim house!

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving everyone!!

Preserving Fall Foliage

Here is a great quick tip for anyone who wants to preserve those beautiful fall leaves before they all disappear into the howling November winds and our compost piles.

You'll need-
-Leaves ( of course!)
-wax paper
-an iron
-parchment paper

First go outside and pick out some really pretty leaves, then go inside and get two sheets of wax paper. Now, you should be able to get several leaves on one sheet, depending on the size of the leaf of course. Sandwich the leaves in between the wax paper and cover with parchment paper, this is to protect your ironing board, table, or where ever you may be ironing, and your iron from getting all coated in melted wax.

Set your iron on a low setting and press down gently on the paper. Go over the paper several times, don't press too hard or you might tear the leaves. By ironing the leaves in between wax paper you are sealing the wax from the wax paper onto the leaves and therefore preserving them. You can use them for decoration around the house, tape them in the windows, I'm sure you can think of all sorts of festive fall and Thanksgiving decor you could create!

Birthday Girl barrettes!

I thought it was time that I did a children's craft project. So here is the how-to for super cute birthday balloon barrettes that would be so sweet to give to a little girl on her birthday!..or a big girl :) This project really is quite simple and very hard to mess up. I know it's not the best picture in the world but you get the idea, I hope!

You'll need:
- latex balloons in whatever colors you want
-ribbon in your choice of color
- thin gage floral wire
-plain hair clips or barrettes
-craft scissor or wire cutters






Instructions are pretty simple. Using the floral wire, secure the ribbon and balloons to the barrette, making sure that the clip part of the barrette still opens and closes without any obstruction. Make sure as well that all the ends of the wire are tucked into the top part so they don't poke people in the head. You can also put some no fray on the end of the ribbons if you want.

Hopefully my first foray into children's crafts was not too bad! I'd like to thank my lovely Mom for this cute idea.