Stand-Up Spring Birdies

We had a lovely Easter--no houseguests, no parties, just a quiet rainy day inside, stuffing ourselves with chocolates.  Of course, a rainy day calls for crafty goodness, so we came up with these silly little birds that stand up by themselves, but are a piece of cake to put together.

 

Materials:

-paper (white or patterned, copy-weight or cardstock)

-paperclips

-googly eyes (optional)

  

Instructions:

-Acquire an image of a bird.  You can draw one up, print out a silhouette from the web, or trace an image from a bird book, as we did (ours is a thrush!).

-Fold your choice of paper in half, transfer your design, and cut the bird out (you'll get two).  I just held my tracing paper on top of my folded paper and cut through all three layers. 

-On a bit of your folded paper, cut out a wing shape.  Unfold into a double wing.  Decorate the bird and his/her wings however you like.

-Unfold your paperclip a bit into a 'foot' for the bird.  This picture shows you how, since I'm not quite sure how to explain:

 

-Glue the top part of the paperclip between the two layers of paper so that it's in the right spot to make it stand. 

-After the bird shape is mostly dry you can cut a slit to slip the wing shape through and adjust the paperclip foot a bit to get it to stand up just the way you want.  

 

-Lather, rinse, repeat!  We put together a little chick and a, um, sparrow?

 

Friday Finds

I'm a little link-weary from Tuesday's Jamboree (yay, big success!!), but I have a few things this week that I can't help but share (before I get back to work on my secret blog things).

@Let's Explore: Daisy's into origami, although her fingers haven't quite caught up.  These cute origami bunnies seem like just her speed.

@Whimsy Love: I knew that there must be a simpler method for DIY screenprints, and she found it!

@Adventures with Mimi: Create your own backyard bird buffet with snack-o's that you've got around your kitchen.  

@This Little Project: Yummy little bird's nests for your pet Peep.  Might be a bit of marshmallow overload (just kidding--can you really have too much marshmallow?)

@The Artful Parent: Wet-felted easter eggs.  So simple and colorful, it's our Good Friday craft (since school is out!), and I'm sure the boy will really be into it.


@Painting Pink Pajamas: You know that we love clothespins, and I just adore this little clothespin gator.  The possibilities are endless!


@Frugal Family Fun Blog: These field guides will be great for camping this summer.  I'm thinking birds, footprints, other signs of wildlife?  Will hopefully reduce whining at mile two.

@Craft Jr: Fun little Spring-y fingerpuppets made from crafty mainstays (I've got more pom-poms and googly eyes than I know what to do with, so this surely makes our project list!).


@Dollar Store Crafts:  I also have plenty of stickers, and I know that the kids will love trying out this idea for sticker-resist dyed eggs.  I see dino eggs in our future.


@Summer Sky: And we'd like to try dying our eggs with natural stuff this year (I mean to try this every year, but this one for sure, right?)

Hatch a Brood of Pecking Chicks

In spite of a bit of snow (rather than the full-force blizzard we were promised), we're still feeling the Spring love. Bring a little Spring to your craft table with these simple pecking chicks!

Cut circles of cardstock in various sizes (I used my circle cutter, but they don't need to be perfect...you can even use paper plates for a larger chick), and fold in half. We used markers, googly eyes, and feathers to decorate ours. Set them on a flat surface and bob their nose down to set them pecking!

Daisy was concerned that they have a place to sleep and a nice place to scratch so she made this chick a little home. The other baby chicks have yet to hatch (see the pretty blue eggs in the nest?), but I'm sure we'll be adding plenty more babies our brood this Spring!

Tune in tomorrow for the Jamboree!

A Craft a Day in April

I've felt a bit like I lost my crafting mojo lately among all the dishes and laundry, and I was inspired by Jean over at the Artful Parent to plan an activity a day for the month of April*.  Jean's ideas all sounded like such fun and just what I needed great way to really re-engage with the kids after a long winter.  Admittedly, we may well not complete every activity on the expected day or even finish quite all of them this month, but we'll have a good time trying! (image via mesh2)

1 - Pop-up birthday cards for Daddio
2 - Fingerprint bunnies
3 - Paper birds
*
6 - Bunny craft
7 - Pecking hens
8 - Potato print chicks
9 - Jellybean necklace
10 - Springtime crayon resist
*
13 - Kids' address book
14 - Stationery set for Daisy
15 - Ribbon hair bows
16 - Folding letters
17 - Tissue paper flower pictures
*
20 - Rain gauge
21 - Garden craft
22 - Playdough nests
23 - T-rex sponge prints
24 - Felt flowers
*
27 - Tissue overlay flowers
28 - Splatter dino eggs
29 - Make pretzels
30 - Chirpy chick drawings

*except for the weekend, since that's our time with daddio and he has his own crafty plans!

What are your plans for April?

Friday Finds: Stuck Under 18" of Snow!

Thursday brought a wonderful early-Spring blizzard (much needed--the weather's been so nice we haven't been able to stay inside!), 18" of blowing snow, beef stew, house+made doughnuts, puzzles, and books.  Such fun.  All the kid-fun really wore me out (or maybe it was the cocoa drinking?) so I'm keeping it short this week.  Or trying to :)

I'd love to see what you've been up to!  Share a link to a recent 'finds' or link post, or another recent post that you'd like to share.  I can't wait to check them out!

@Joy's Hope: Love this way to make boring, old, or otherwise unappealing hand-me-down shoes fun and sparkly.  I may do this for myself!  I mean, for my children!

@Write Start: Fun quill-pencils make writing fun (and easier than trying to use an actual quill!)

@Jan Brett:  We're all enjoying the Jan Brett/Hedgie printables lately.

@See the Woods and Trees: This is the most creative use for catalogs I've ever seen!  Cut, collage, and make a dollhouse (I especially love the clothesline :)

@Trey and Lucy:  We love bandannas (or 'hankies' as they're known 'round these parts) and this bandanna dress is so cute!

@Lovely Design: I adore these beautiful books for children, with such wonderful instructions.

@Whimsy Love:  I have so many of these chenille stems, I can't wait to use them up with this fun little project...princess tiaras!

@Chasing Cheerios: We love to play Haba's 'Zitternix' game (a.k.a. 'Keep it Steady').  Chasing Cheerios has a great DIY version.

@Simple Green Frugal Co-op: An interesting post on children and the pressure to buy--something I've been thinking about quite a bit lately.

@Let's Explore: Love these little mini-clipboards!  Definitely making some to add to our nature kit.

@Balancing Everything: I always enjoy this blog, and especially liked this idea for letter practice.


@Second Story: Audible.com has three free kids' audio books for download.  Second Story has the details.

Have a great weekend!

Friday Finds

I'm so excited to share my finds this week, but even more excited to hear about yours! If you've posted any links on your blog this week, please share a link so we can see what you've discovered, and if you're blog-free but have something fun to share leave a comment. I can't wait to see the goodies you have to contribute!

@Cottage Industrialist: Love this math-y memory game. Such a simple idea and adaptable to so many skill levels!

@Restoration Place: Great idea for a handwashing lesson. My kids wash their hands, but they just. don't. get. it. I think that this wonderfully visual example is just what we need!

@maya*made: More on stamping with kids. We love this foam stamp idea, and have used it many times, but not in big groups...how clever!

@The Long Thread: A lovely way to adorn a tote with a favorite piece of child's artwork.

@This Little Project: Jedda has a fantastic way to organize and corral your child's collection of art supplies. I just love this solution!

@Katie's Nesting Spot: A fun way to put a bit of math and counting into lunch. What fun :)

@Our Big Earth: Love this robot costume, and the boy-craftiness about it (although I know plenty of girls who would love this too!)

@A Bit of This and A Bit of That: What a fun way to create marbleized paper with supplies you already have. Lovely work!

@Make and Takes: Fun idea to craft up a little pot of gold and a rainbow for the little leprechauns in your family.

@Mrs. D. Lightful: What an unspeakably fantastic idea! Jelly bean bracelets!

@Scribbit: Also on the boy-front, Michelle shares her favorite read-aloud books for boys.

@Oliebollen: Has a fun printable solar system mobile to assemble, along with fun Pluto-related facts to share with the kids and plenty of other silliness!

@A Friend to Knit With: I love these yarn bowls created papier-mache-style around a balloon form.

@Five Minutes for Books: We all enjoy the "What Makes a Rainbow" board book (at least I did the first jazillion times) , and what a fun little activity to go with it!

@Inchmark: Fantastic idea for handmade birthday cards for kids. Includes candy, which should please any child (especially my sugar-deprived ones!)

@Happythings: One of our favorite all-time snacks, peanut butter balls (a.k.a. energy balls, since all that protein really keeps you going!

Have a fantastic weekend!

A Tiny Cake Plate for A Tiny Cake

Daisy's sixth birthday was in early January and (with all due thanks to Martha) we celebrated with a teeny tiny party.  Mini invitations invited friends to come in their fanciest dress-up to decorate tiny treasure boxes, feast on itty-bitty sandwiches (made with teeny-tiny cocktail bread), small juice boxes, mini-fruit kebabs on fancy toothpicks, and the tiniest of mini-cupcakes.  Sadly, we haven't any pictures to share as we were between cameras, but the tiny cake plate I made to serve the little cupcakes has survived and seen great use since the party broke up.  Here it serves up an easy-bake cake, while other times it's featured the final treats for an afternoon tea party.

To make one for your own tea parties, head out to the thrift shop and pick up a small glass plate (mine was 50 cents and is quite elegantly etched with swirls and rosettes, but I think that a cupless ceramic saucer would do nicely!) and a small glass votive, mini vase, or juice glass (my votive was also 50 cents).  I attached the two with my favorite craft glue, although I suspect hot glue would work almost equally well.  Let dry, et voila!  Enjoy!

Friday Finds

There were so many great ideas out there last week it was hard to share so few! Next week I'll be adding a "Friday Finds" Linky so any of you with a blog can share your "finds" posts with all of us (whether you post them on Friday or, well, any other day)!

@Keeper of the Home: Mom and kids got together all the BPA-free sippies that they could get their little hands on and share their insights in a genius post. Answers so many questions.
@Mushy: Printable cookie bags to cut, glue/stitch/tape and give. Very cute!
@Full Circle: Peanut butter and birdseed (the old standbys) create a clever birdfeeding garland. Love this creative idea!
@Fun in the Making: Also for the birds, a few recycled craft supplies and some fuzzy nesting material become a super-cute bird nesting material dispenser. (We usually hang our nesting material loose on the bushes, but this is far, far superior.

@Slugs on the Refrigerator: Salt dough makes chunky beads for a toddler-made necklace, and check out her tip for painting the beads!
@Under the Highchair: Love this 'Pat the Bunny' birthday party for a little one, and the cake! Oh, the cake!
@Montessori Mama: We've done this a few times, but her version of the ball tube seems especially good!
@Chica Schmica: Instructions for a simple 5-minute kite...hopefully the wind will calm down enough for us to try this :)

@Little Hands Big Work: This mom put together a felt busy book that kept her kid occupied for (gasp!) 30 minutes in church! Looks like fun!
@The Sparkling Martins: Snow days are more fun with treats...here's a recipe for Snow Toffee! (be aware, this blog has music)
@The Artful Parent: Jean shares her plans for a creative activity each day in March.
@Lovely Design: Sweet goodie bags (with even sweeter goodies!) make a two-year-old birthday extra-special.

@Molly Chicken: I've stitched a softie up for each of my children...all but dear Sweet Pea. I think she'll be getting one of Molly's Love Birds, since she just loves to put things in pockets.
@Mom in Madison: If you're looking for a gift, I'd love a mushroom-growing kit. I'm sure the children will learn to love them as much as I (and Denise!) do!
@The Toby Show: Put together a fantastic craft kit as a thoughtful gift for the little one in your life!
@Pepper Paints: Simple, messy (but easy to clean!) recipe for soap crayons.
@Write Start: I love this idea for creating tactile sand-letters. So simple!

Like these? Check out my homekeeping-related finds over at my other blog, house+made!

Clothespins + Buttons = Cute Clips

I use clothespins for everything.  I'm still working off a shoeboxfull that came with our vintage fifties ranch so I haven't had to buy any for a long, long time.  That said, I was getting a little tired of the old, not so cute ones so we decided to pretty some up with buttons snatched from our button jar.

The children made pretty button stacks and I glued them together and attached them to the clothespins (since I was using my very favorite, but patently child-unfriendly E-6000 adhesive).  I helped Daisy lay out the others and glued them for her.  I've since added magnets to the back and they're doing good work holding up our school schedules and grocery lists on the fridge, while others are sorting papers for me on my desk and we made a few more to use as bag clips in the kitchen.

What do you use clothespins for?

Kneesocks = Fun; Legwarmers = More Fun

{click for giant, higher-resolution image}

leg warmers legwarmers arm warmers armwarmers kneesocks knee socks upcycle refashion baby legs babylegs sew DIY

Friday Finds

@Grace Violet:  Create a child-sized skirt from a dishtowel.  I just loved the ruffled one!


@Chica and Jo: I love this personalized hand sanitizer idea for teacher gifts!

@Confessions of a Craft Addict:  A giant, cupcake sized rice krispie treat would be perfect for any celebration (or no celebration at all!)

@Happy to be @ Home: Raising good eaters.  I can attest to the fact that these tips really work!

@The Happy Housewife: Shares a recipe for whole-wheat oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.  Can't wait to try this one!

@Just Jenn: Colored cookie dough makes rainbow colors!  Sounds good for a rainy day...

@Cookie Magazine:  Printable party invitations are super cute (link via craftpad)

@Skip to My Lou: Felt princess hat and birthday crown tutorials are simple and make birthdays extra-special (although I think they're fun for anytime play, too!; image via skip to my lou)

@Anyone Can Quilt: Cute fabric chalkboards to stitch up for the little ones.  What a fantastic idea!  (image via anyone can quilt)

Friday Finds: Printable Activity Sheets to Download for Kids

The wind has been keeping us inside this week so I set out looking for some new printable activities. There's a ton of fun to be had! Here's a list of my favorites for kids:

Free

@Betsy McCall: Printable scans of the old-time McCall Magazine paper dolls.

@Weelife: Scavenger hunt photo guides. Choose from Urban, Park, Forest, and Beach to suit your adventure of the day.

@Sparkle Power: Don't Eat Pete game. Super clever.

@Wild Olive: Pencil toppers to cut, fold, and enjoy!

@Louise Elliot Designs: Detailed animal coloring sheets to print. Very folk-artsy.

@Wee Wonderfuls: I printed this delightful paper doll out on magnet paper a couple of years ago. It still graces our refrigerator.

@Wondertime: We always print out some of their cutting sheets and games for plane rides. Huge variety.

@Flipflops and Applesauce: Because not every activity is fun, here's a printable chore chart to help the kids keep to their routine.

@Tessy and Tab: Provides printable money management tools and printable activity sheets for counting, vocabulary, and more.

@Canon Creative Park: Has at least a jazillion printable papercrafts for kids and adults.

Not Free:

@A Little Hut: Printable alphabet cards feature lovely drawings.

@Flipflops and Applesauce: Four hand-drawn printable coloring books feature alphabet, number, and nursery-rhyme themes. (Blogger in draft: kiddio - Create Postsee link in sidebar to purchase)

@Fine Tooth Gnome / Etsy: Cooperative card game, ages 4 and up.

@Second Story Window/Etsy: Cops-and-robbers themed rhyming game. They have lots of interesting-looking printable games in their shop.


(...and remember to keep an eye on the red "Kiddio Finds" box down in the right sidebar. I update that a few times a week with fun ideas from around the web!)

Sweet, Simple Valentine's Treat Bags

The big day is almost here but you (and the kids!) still have time to stitch up some cute little bags to contain those Valentine's Day treats.

A big fat plastic yarn needle makes it easy but if you don't have one lying around you can snip a piece of curling ribbon into a point that will fit through the little holes. Lace through the lacy bits of the doily, tie a bow, and you're done!

They hold a handful of conversation hearts nicely, or perhaps some of these yummies from Make and Takes, but Daisy's holds this little V-day hairclip that I made from a bit of leftover ribbon.

(p.s. sorry for the dark, awful pictures, it's just been a gray day!)

Legwarmers from Felted Sweater Keep Legs...Warm!

 

Our nice weather lately has meant more playing outside.  Nice for us, but not so good on Daisy's tights.  I used the sleeves from a felted sweater to whip up a pair of cozy legwarmers that can stand up to the crazy-dressing-skirt-loving-soccer-playing-pirate-pretending-worm-digging-fairy-hunting abuse that a certain six-year-old delivers. 

They couldn't have been simpler.  I ran a little blanket stitch around the top to finish them off but honestly, that part's optional.  I'm saving the rest for a snuggly pair of pants for the baby...

DIY Color By Number

We've been having a lot of fun sitting at the kitchen table, soaking up the morning sunshine and doing some serious coloring.  Daisy's especially been enjoying trading color-by-number pictures with me.

I just use a felt-tipped black marker to draw a design, then number each section by color.  I create a key for her to match up the numbers and colors, then she sets to work.  If you're not big into drawing yourself (my drawing skills are admittedly very limited) you can do this with a printable coloring page (many fun options at Dover) or sheet from a coloring book.  Just look for one that has large enough spaces that you can write the numbers in!

Bring Snowy Fun Indoors with a Wintery Icicle Garland

 We haven't had much snow lately, but have been celebrating Winter with some indoor crafting.  Check out our icicle garland over at Blissful Kids!

A First Quilt

For Christmas Daisy got her very own little sewing machine (I would say that this one has a number of frustrating points and as soon as we're sure that she won't let her fingers get pulled under the needle I think she'll have to upgrade to something she can use more independently...where the thread doesn't break or come unthreaded constantly and that actually has a backstitch).  We've sewn a few things together (pajama pants, a small tote), but I was especially proud when she wanted to make an itty bitty quilt for one of Scout's favorite stuffed animals: baby sea turtle.

She designed it herself using fabric from her tiny stash, cut the pieces, and did all the sewing (though I helped with pinning and direction.  It's already much loved.

They grow up so fast!

Salt Dough Conversation Hearts for Valentine's Day

I love those little sugary conversation hearts that you find at Valentine's Day -- they're sweet and tasty (in a delightfully chalky way) and bring me right back to childhood. We made giant ones out of home-mixed playdough.

Best Homemade Playdough

1 c flour
1/4 c salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
2 Tbsp oil
1 c water
food coloring
1 tsp vanilla or peppermint extract (optional)

Stir ingredients together in a medium-sized saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes until the dough comes together. Dump it out on the counter and knead for a minute until shiny, smooth, and resilient.

We let it cool until we could handle it, then rolled it out and cut it with heart-shaped cutters. The letters are tiny stamps ... which led to lots of fun stamping with our whole collection. Creativity abounds!

(get it? 'bee' cool? heh heh)

Fall Leaves to Color

Fall feels like it's just slipped by us, but we found some time the other day to make some pretty fall leaves to brighten up our windows.  It was such fun, all three kids really got into it...even the baby's little scribbles turned out cute leaves.  

 

Materials:

• white coffee filters
• markers
• squirt bottle filled with water
• dry dishtowel
• scissors 
• iron 

Method:

• Set your iron to high and iron your filters flat, then use your scissors to cut out some cute leaf shapes.  We did poplars, maples, oak, and other assorted made up leaves :)
• Color neatly or scribble all over the leaves, your choice.  I like using colors that are pretty compatible (e.g. red-orange-yellow or orange-brown-yellow) so that they don't turn really muddy when they mix together.
• Place your colored leaf on the towel and spray until pretty wet.  The colors will bleed together for a nice fall effect.  

We're saving ours to decorate our Thanksgiving table along with our teepee and Native American peg doll.  I'm thinking we may add a little pilgrim to the mix!  We're heading out east a bit to spend the day with my grandparents and keeping dinner simple....although there'll definitely be a homemade pie! What are your plans for the big day?

Friday Finds

I've been debating a bit about the Friday Finds...I love digging up all these goodies and sharing with you, but I don't want to push myself into the 'pro-blogger' role and force myself to stay up late every Thursday night to post when I really should be finishing off a pint of ice cream getting to bed at a reasonable time.
 
I guess what I'm thinking and trying to articulate is that I need to find a bit better balance with blogging and life.  I tend to focus too much on things I'm really excited about to the exclusion of mundane but often more important and precious things.  I'm already planning that the new year will bring probably-fewer but definitely-better posts.  I'm just not going to push myself to keep up, just like I would hate to think that the sweet women who write the blogs I enjoy were pushing themselves to write a post to appease me rather than spending time doing other things...like playing trains or, um, taking a bubble bath :)

Enough rambling, and on to the finds!  There's so much great stuff out there this week, here are just a few things I've loved along with a number of great pre-Christmas giveaways I stumbled across.  Enjoy!

@RevoluzZa: Planning to make Scout a robot to snuggle with for Christmas.  Love the simplicity of this one--those Germans are such fun!

@Flipflops and Applesauce: You did see Chrissie's ABC coloring book, didn't you?


@Billy and Green: Love candy corn, and love these turkey cookies!  Would be a fun activity to occupy the kids on Thanksgiving day!

@Balancing Everything: A new favorite of mine has a great review of plastic-free play kitchen options.  She really runs the gamut from homemade to tabletop to top-of-the-line. 

@PimpStitch: Each Christmas we gift each child with a special ornament reflecting their interests from the previous year.  This year I'd like to make them, and Jingle Mouse would be a lovely choice for a little Sweet Pea I know!

@DeliciousBaby:  Great family travel advice, and just in time!

@One Pretty Thing: Has a great roundup of handmade gift ideas to make for your kids.  Love the fish-in-a-bag soap!

@PlumPudding: Another great use for cereal boxes:  turkeys!

@CraftStylish: ...because I need new loungey pants and I'm too tall to buy them at the store (my ankles get cold!)

@Knitting Iris: Painfully, painfully funny.  I'll say no more.  Now where do I find Horse Chestnuts?

@Little Nummies: Cute little acorn cookies take just a few minutes.

@Full Circle: I loved these sweet blocks.  I'm not sure quite how she painted them so perfectly, but I love the colors she used and the simplicity of them!

Giveaways:

@Delicious Baby: is giving away a Flip Video camera and a GoGoBabyz car-seat-stroller-thing.

@Zakka Life: is offering your choice of a pair of Bugaloo soft baby shoes.

@Confessions of a Tired Supergirl: has gone overboard like me and is offering ELEVEN days of giveaways!

@Macaroni and Glue: has a beautiful handmade set of stationary for you (yes, you...you deserve things too!).

@Northwest Mom Finds: has an Ergo baby carrier up for grabs (also for you, or for your back, at least!)

@Kiddio has a bunch of great giveaways going on--look back through the past week and check back next week for more, more, more!

How about you?  Any crafty goodness to share?  Fantastic giveaways you'd like to pass along?  Just busy getting ready for Thanksgiving?