These look great hanging out in a window & they are super easy to make!
Pipe cleaners are formed into heart shapes and backed with tissue paper to make these light-catching Valentines.
Shape pipe cleaners into a heart form.
Apply glue to the back.
Place hearts onto tissue paper, let dry and then cut out - following the silhouette of the pipe cleaner heart.
I picked up these striped pipe cleaners at Blick.
In our family, we’ve created the tradition of making a poorly bed for someone when they are ill. We make our poorly bed on our couch by bringing down lots of pillows, quilts, blankets and stuffed animals and making a cozy, extra comfortable spot for the patient to recline and recover. I pull up a small table and set up a tray with something pretty to look at, a drink of OJ or tea, a book, pad and pencils – anything that a person could want. The point of this is to make your child comfortable and relaxed. When my kids get sick, they snuggle up in this mountain of softness & comfort to read and watch TV – what could be better?
When feeling sick - this warm and cozy setting makes a child feel special.
Thoughtful treats like Jello and flowers can make even the most unpleasant cold more bearable.
In my life as a parent, the surprise of the multi-child, impromptu play date has come my way more than once. I keep a few things around the house for such a moment – here are some tricks that may help you keep kids busy and happy in an instant.
A bag of balloons, a box of crayons and a giant ream of white drawing paper have the power to create a stimulating and entertaining environment that is truly transforming.
Roll out large paper on your table or floor and scatter lots of crayons around so everyone can get to work.
I also purchase large reams of paper at Home Depot - it's less expensive than the drawing paper at art stores and still does the trick.
The possibilities are endless when drawing on such a large scale.
Balloons + Music + Kids = FUN. Blow up a bunch of balloons, turn up the music and watch the fun unfold.
Baking a cake with kids can be messy, but I allow it - they love it. I usually have a box of instant cake mix in the house.
Popcorn is always fun. We don't own a microwave, I make it on the stove. Most kids have never seen popcorn made this way before - so this really grabs their attention.
Sometimes just a few extra touches can make a meal more appealing to a child – creating a visually intriguing plate can make a child think twice about walking away. I like to brand my creations by giving them silly names – my kids enjoy it and I get some fun out coming up with names for my crazy concoctions.
A serving of tomato soup is given a new look that no child can ignore.
Using a 1/2" size round pastry cutter, cut out rounds from a slice of bread and toast on a baking sheet in the oven. Add to soup.
Your child will need some "Holy Cheese Toast!" to go with their "Polka Dot Soup". Place cheese on a slice of bread - put your leftover "holy" slice on top and bake in oven alongside round cut outs. This is also great to serve to your little ones on April Fool's Day!
What child could resist this lunch? It really doesn't take much time at all and the reaction you'll get makes it worth it!
My daughter’s Girl Scout troop has amazed me with their wonderful creations. I asked them to dig deep into their imaginations and recycling bins and find objects to repurpose, reuse, redesign and rethink. Their natural sense of creativity came out – take a look-
Claire glued decorative paper to an Izze bottle to make a hip vase.
Meghan used cardboard from a cereal box to make these stylish bookmarks.
Yarn and ribbon were woven into the cardboard.
Gabi glued foam shapes to a plastic jar, transforming it into a bright and cheery pencil holder.
Olivia made a mobile collage from old magazine pages and ribbons - beautiful!
Using strips of plastic from a grocery bag, Grace twisted, braided & added all sorts of baubles to make a great necklace.
Thanks to all of the creative young girls of Troop 17 for sharing their wonderful ideas!
This idea is great for any occasion when you find yourself in need of some height on your buffet table, but I love the idea of putting this to work at a book club meeting.
For vertical use, I tied together three books to hold a plate on a higher level. For a rectangular plate, I rested books on their side.
Any hardcover books will do - as long as they are of the same height. If you don't like the look of your books - cover them in a festive looking wrapping paper, map, newspaper or even fabric - whatever catches your eye.
A cardboard toilet paper roll is filled with treats and wrapped with a magazine page to create an eco-friendly party favor.
Place party treats inside of cardboard roll. Put roll on top of a torn out magazine page. I used a large magazine (W). Remember, these are for children so make sure to check content carefully - you don't want inappropriate photos or information on these!
Roll up magazine page around cardboard tube.
Twist ends shut and tie with yarn or ribbon. Trim ends if needed.
Have your child help you make these. An important lesson on the importance of recycling can be taught through this simple craft. In fact, I have worked on recycling crafts with my daughter’s Girl Scout troop and have given them the assignment of creating their own designs from items found in their recycling bins. I will be posting their ideas here soon – so keep an eye out!
Powdered doughnut holes are stacked on a skewer and a snowman is born!
Slide three powdered doughnut holes onto the top of a wooden skewer. Using a toothpick, pierce holes into your "snowman" to create the appearance of buttons, eyes, nose and a mouth.
Make a shallow impression and twist the toothpick while it is inserted to create a clean hole.
I slipped a paper doily onto the end of each skewer to add a wintery detail. I also stood the snowmen into a bowl of uncooked white rice to keep them upright when serving them. The kids can grab their snowman on a stick and dig right in.
Insert toothpicks into either side to give your snowman some arms. My 5 year old helped me make these and was thrilled to surprise her big sister with this very special after school treat.
Yarn, left over from yesterday's project, caught my daughter's eye - she thought it looked like spaghetti and asked me to make some meatballs to go with it.
We agreed, an old brown sock would do the trick. We cut off the toe of a sock, filled it with batting, shaped it into a ball and sewed it shut. Perfect meatballs!
We set up a table and, in an instant, our make believe restaurant was open for business.
"This world is but a canvas to our imaginations" - Henry David Thoreau
Yarn braids are stitched into the inside of a plain hat to give it a fun and funky twist.
I picked up this basic hat in my supermarket for only $0.99! I loved the color, shape and fit - so I grabbed it right away. It took me only 15 minutes to turn it into an amusing fashion statement for my girls.
To make this- turn hat inside out and using a sewing needle attach yarn braids to the interior sides of the hat. Turn inside out and fold rim up to cover your stitches.
I love feathering my nest in unique ways. I hope my ideas inspire you!
