scrumdilly-do!

be my valentine: blended strawberry milk

2012-02-01T07:05:00.000-08:00

This is a super tasty blended drink that I actually enjoy more than a milkshake! This recipe blends up two small servings and has very little added sugar. You can sweeten it up if you like it is pretty adaptable.

Ingredients:

*1/2 cup milk

*1/2 cup frozen strawberries

*1/2 teaspoon vanilla or 2 tablespoons Ovaltine

*blender

*whipped cream and sprinkles (optional)

Blend milk and strawberries in a blender until smooth. For a vanilla blend, add vanilla and a smidge of sugar if you like. For chocolate, add the Ovaltine. Pour into fancy glasses and top with a dollop of whipped cream. Add a smattering of sprinkles, pop a happy straw into the mix and enjoy!

be my valentine: you drive me wild

2012-01-31T06:54:00.000-08:00

Here is a fun valentine project that will allow your kiddos to do a little drawing, a little cutting and a little gluing. Have fun!

Materials:

*small pieces of cardstock, atc sized or larger

*printed/origami paper

*pencil/markers

*scissors

*glue stick

*white glue

*buttons

Cut a piece of origami paper down to the same size as your card stock. I traced around my card stock instead of cutting. Flip over to the back and have your kiddo draw a car shape without wheels. Use your scissors to cut out the car, have your kiddo do the cutting if they can.

Have your kiddo write their valentine message on one side of the cardstock with marker or colored pencils. "Valentine, you drive me wild" "is a kitschy as you can get here.

Slather the back of the car shape with glue stick and stick to the other side of the cardstock. Add a glue blob to the back of a button and plop it down for a tire, repeat for a second tire and set aside to dry.

Once dry, have your kiddo add detail to their car using markers if they wish. You can also have your kiddo stitch their button wheels on with embroidery thread. You can use a small hole punch to punch two holes into the card stock where your kiddo wants the button to be.

Beep! Beep!

be my valentine: cherry chocolate brownies three ways

2012-01-30T06:30:00.000-08:00

These super ooey-gooey brownies are loaded with sticky sweet. The surprise kick is a boost of cherry flavor that makes these so tasty!

Ingredients:

*1 box brownie mix

*1 small box of cherry jello

*1 egg

**1/4 cup oil

*1/4 water

Dump your brownie mix into a happy bowl and add your jello powder. Give it a swirl with a mixing spoon to incorporate and add the remaining ingredients as stated on the box of mix.

The jello will turn your batter a lovely red velvet color. Pour into a prepared pan and bake according to package instructions.

Remove from oven and allow to cool. When cool, admire the lovely color and use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out lovely brownie bits. My cookie cutter was medium small but that is definitely enough for a kiddo to enjoy. The jello also makes the finished brownie extra sticky. The flavor is very cherry filled and tangy, kinda like a tootsie roll. Black cherry jello may be less tart, I haven't tried it yet.

Whip up a bowl of lightly sweetened whipped cream with a touch of pink food color. It makes all the gooey so much better. To speed up the whipping, i usually place a bowl in the freezer once the brownies are removed from the oven. While the brownies cool, the bowl chills and the cream whips fast and furious!

You can also layer up two hearts with a dollop of pink whipped cream in between and a cherry on top.

Or, you can use up the in between bits by chopping them into smaller pieces, adding to a small bowl and topping with that magical whipped cream. A smattering of heart shaped sprinkles helps as well.

I hope you enjoy this sticky sweet Valentine's Day dessert, if you pin this and please do, make sure to credit scrumdilly-do! Thank you!

be my valentine: nuts for you

2012-01-27T06:30:00.000-08:00

Greetings happy doers! Today's happy valentine is super easy to make with plenty of room for variation, with the added benefit of being allergy free! Have fun!

Materials:

*small atc sized cards or index cards cut in half

*ink pad

*pens

*glue

*small googly eyes 7mm or smaller

*origami/construction paper

*glue stick

*scissors, pinking shears and/or border punch

Grab your materials and have your kiddo gently press her/his thumb into the ink pad and smoosh it onto the paper near the top. Flip the card over so the thumb print is at the bottom and add another print above and slightly touching the first print. It should sort of look like a peanut.

Have your kiddo draw a series of diagonal lines across their soon-to-be peanut and then more across them to create a peanutty texture. Glue on your googly eyes with a small dab of white glue and add a valentine message. Your kiddo can use hand write their message, draw hearts or use alphabet/heart stamps to embellish.

Grab a sheet of origami or construction paper and cut a rectangle about half an inch larger around than your valentine card. Use a pair of pinking shears to trim the rectangle or use a border punch to pretty it up. Use a glue stick to flue the valentine to the punched paper. My pics show the gluing first then the punching but it was tricky to make sure to NOT punch through the valentine, so I would advise punching the paper before the gluing. Don't forget to have your kiddo sign the back of their card!

You can also have your kiddo make one fingerprint peanut sans eyes. Add your lines and scan the image into your computer. Print out larger images to your liking and have your kiddo add eyes and sign. Or, you can make the card on a thinner weight paper that you then machine-stitch to a kiddo painted background card. See? So many options! Happy almost-heart day!

be my valentine: strawberry chocolate cakemix cookies

2012-01-24T11:01:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about Valentine's Day is all the pink, pink, pink that abounds. I'm not normally a person who loves pink but when you throw all those different tints and shades into the mix, I swoon! If the pink in question involves sweetie-sweets, well then, I fall over in love. Here's an easy-peasy cookie "recipe" you and your kiddos can make that is pinker than pink and sweeter than sweet. Make sure to share the cuteness here, these cookies are over the top!

INGREDIENTS

*1 box of strawberry cake mix

*2 eggs

*1/3 cup of oil

*1 cup mini marshmallows

*1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

This recipe is adaptable to any cake mix you like but I thought the strawberry and chocolate combo sounded perfect for Valentine's Day, plus, it's pink! Preheat your oven to 350F and plop a sheet of parchment paper over your cookie sheet. I strongly advise using parchment here, the marshmallows get super melty and sticky-stick to a cookie sheet like super glue.

Mix all your ingredients together and if you like, use less marshmallows. Roll the dough into small balls, a little smaller than a walnut, and place two inches apart on your cookie sheet. These will spread quite nicely and flatten out a bunch. Bake for 7-10 minutes, depending on your oven and allow to cool. The gooeyness of the marshmallows gets pretty hot so make sure they cool a bit before gobbling up. If you bake too long, the pink turns a bit brown and then your cookies lose a little of their pretty.

Enjoy two cookies with a cold glass of your favorite milk or milk substitute and wrap up the rest for friends and family. You can also store the dough in the fridge for four days or freeze for two weeks. Enjoy!

25 valentine projects for you and yer kiddos!

2012-01-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

*paint a tanagram

*make fingerprint trees

*sugar buns

*tokens of affection

*mini valentine books

*clothespin and doily butterflies

*paper heart basket

*tiny trinket box

*heart shaped crayons

*paperbag books

*jam filled cookies

*shortbread necklaces

*stuffed paper hearts

*pinker than pink cupcakes

*valentine's day snack mix

*heart shaped memory game

*fleece scarf valentines

*easy chunky friendship bracelets

*glue stick valentines

ten hats in ten days: perfect for spring tissue paper bouquet

2012-01-14T07:30:00.000-08:00

This one may be a bit on the feminine side but you can tweak it by using different colors of tissue paper.

Materials

*tissue or crepe paper

*white glue

*sturdy paper

*scissors

*hole punch

*yarn

Grab a sheet of paper and cut a blobbish shape out of it about 6" round.

Punch 2 holes at opposite sides and add a length of knotted yarn to each hole.

Slather a party of glue all over the top of your paper shape.

Have your kiddos crumple, fold, and dollop small pieces of tissue or crepe paper into the glue. Crepe paper streamers work perfectly for this. Set aside to dry.

Once dry, plop atop the noggin and celebrate! How's that for ten hats in ten days? Which hat will you make for hat day? Send me a link or a photo and I'll post it here on the 'do!

ten hats in ten days: paper bag bonanza

2012-01-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

Here's another hat from the archives, the first Hat Day post ever! All you need for this is a large sheet of gift wrap, newspaper or a paper bag. Have fun!

ten hats in ten days: old school party hat

2012-01-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

Cone party hats are always a blast, grab yourself a large sheet of paper or newspaper and get to it!

Materials

*large sheet of paper

*pen

*tape

*glue

*yarn

*hole punch

*scissors

*crepe paper streamer

There are of course far easier and precise instructions for making a true cone shaped party hat. If you would like something more accurate a quick internet search will bring you all sorts of instructions. for this hat, I used one large square of scrapbooking paper. Grab a square and draw a curve along one edge. Cut out with scissors and fold in half.

Open up your soon-to-be party hat and give your kiddo a bottle of glue and have them draw a long line of glue along the curved edge. Tear a length of crepe paper streamer and add it to the glue along the edge. You can crinkle and/or fold it up to create texture if you like. Tape down rough edges to keep from itching up yer kiddo's forehead.

Grab another length of crepe paper, about 8" or so and fold in half. Tape loose ends and use scissors to cut almost all the way through. Use a strip of tape to affix at the top of your hat.

Fold hat back in half and tape along the edge to seal. Use a hole punch to punch two holes across from each other at the base of the hat. Add a length of knotted yarn to each hole.

Pop that puppy atop your kiddo's noggin, tie under the chin and have a party, just because.

ten hats in ten days: bowled over

2012-01-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

Greetings friends! This one is from the archives, it's an oldie but oh such a goodie. For the how-to follow this link!

ten hats in ten days: box tops!

2012-01-10T11:30:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun project for a kooky chapeau. All you need is some paint, glue and a wee box prime for recycling.

Materials

*small empty box (a juice box is good)

*scissors

*hole punch

*yarn or ribbon

*paint & paint brush

*tacky glue

*faux flowers and other glueable bits

Grab a small box for your kiddo to paint. A juice box, small cookie box or paper maché craft box will work. Have your kiddo paint it up and set aside to dry. You can also use paper and/or fabric scraps to cover the box.

Once dry, punch two holes opposite each other. If your box is too thick for the hole punch, use an exacto knife or awl to create holes. DO NOT hand your kiddo a blade for this part, this is up to you. Grab a length of yarn and tie a knot in the end. Slide a safety pin into the knot and poke the whole shebang through one of the holes so that the knot tucks inside the box. Repeat with a second stand of yarn for the other side.

Slather the top of the box with glue and have yer kiddo add their happy bits. Set aside to dry over night.

To wear, pop the hat atop the noggin and tie under your kiddo's chin or behind their hair. Happy hat wearing!

ten hats in ten days: monster hat with ear flaps

2012-01-09T13:30:00.000-08:00

This hat requires a wee bit of sewing but is far from fancy. A machine will make it go super fast but you can also do this by hand.

Materials

*old wool sweater or sweater pieces

*sewing machine or needle and thread

*scissors

*tape measure

*felt pieces

*buttons and/or googly eyes, optional

*tacky or fabric glue

Measure around your kiddos noggin and divide number in half. Grab a sheet of paper and cut out a rectangle shape that measures the length of your measurement with about a 6" width. Fold shape in half and arc out a quarter hat shape. Cut.

Lay out your wool sweater (inside out) or pieces and place your open pattern on top. Pin into place. Bring to sewing machine and stitch along the pattern edge. If your sweater is super thick it may be best to use a whip stitch and stitch by hand. This is an imperfect project so don't sweat the bumps and bits.

To create ear flaps, cut off a sleeve from a sweater and cut into two pieces. Turn pieces inside out and use a marker to create a curve to stitch along. Cut and stitch by hand or bring to machine and stitch along your marks with a medium straight stitch.

Turn hat right-side out and pin flaps into place. Use a zig-zag stitch and contrasting thread to attatch flaps to hat. Trim threads.

Hand your kiddo their hat and all sorts of scrappy bits and glue. Tacky glue works wonders with felt. Stitching the pieces on can add additional color and fun. Let your kiddo create a monster of their choice. Once all glue has dried, pop the hat on and have a monster's bash!

ten hats in ten days: construction paper beanie

2012-01-08T13:30:00.000-08:00

All you need for this one is construction or scrap paper and a roll of tape. You can also use a stapler or glue if you like.

Materials:

*construction or scrap paper

*scissors

*hole punch

*brad

*pom-pom, yarn or tissue paper (optional)

Cut your kiddo a hat band. I used up an assortment of scrapbook paper. You can use any sturdy paper or even repurpose some of your kiddo's art work. Join the ends of the hatband to create a circle.

You will need one strip of paper that can be taped from one side of the band to the other. Use tape to secure the crown and give it some length so that it will sit on your kiddo's head. Punch a hole in the center with the hole punch.

Cut four more strips, half the size of the first strip and tape into place along the hat band. Punch a hole at the top of each strip.

Arrange your paper strips so that punched holes overlap. Insert the brad and fold open the ends.

Add a pom-pom or other bit of aplomb to the top if you like. Pop it on a noggin and have a hat party!

ten hats in ten days: felt and paper jester hat

2012-01-07T17:30:00.000-08:00

Ring them bells! This easy to create hat makes for a great dance party accoutrement. All you need is some felt and paper from around your home.

Materials

*2-3 pieces of felt (your average felt sheet 8"X11")

*scissors

*fabric/tacky glue

*needle and embroidery thread

*four bells

*heavy paper

Cut a long strip of paper for your hat band. My band was made from two strips taped together.

Gather your felt pieces and cut into four triangles. The easiest way to do this is to fold a felt piece in half width-wise and cut up from the bottom at an angle to the middle of the top. You will get three triangles this way. Repeat until you have 4 triangles. Trim them down if you wish to use more triangles.

Flip your hat-band preferred side down on your work surface. Arrange your triangles so that they slightly overlap, keeping sure to not put a single triangle directly over the front center of the band. Otherwise your kiddo will have a difficult time seeing!

Glue felt pieces to paper using a fabric or tacky glue. Set aside to dry.

Use a needle and thread to loop a bell to each point. An easy way to do this is to push your needle and thread through the tip of a triangle until almost all the way through. Before passing completely through the felt, bring the needle back through to meet the loose tail and thread through a bell. Tie of ends and trim with scissors. Repeat for each bell.

Tape ends of hat band to create your jester's hat. Pop on your kiddo's head and have party!

ten hats in ten days: the classic newspaper hat

2012-01-06T17:00:00.000-08:00

Today's hat is one that is glue free. The classic newspaper hat a la dilly-do! The only difference is, I invite you to paint up your swath of newspaper before you get to folding. The paint will dry and give your newspaper a slightly shiny look while giving it a little boost in the sturdy department as well.

Materials

*large sheet of newspaper

*acrylic or liquid tempera paint

*white school glue

*paintbrush

*tape or stapler (optional)

Set up your paint by squirting a trio of colors onto your kiddo's palette. Add a squirt or two of white glue and a smidge of water (no more than a tablespoon) to each color and have your kiddo use a clean paintbrush to blend each color. The water will thin the paint allowing it to cover the newspaper a wee bit more quickly and the glue will give your newspaper a little more shelf-life.

Have your kiddo paint up a storm. The larger the brush the quicker the coverage. Sticking to three harmonious colors will keep the hat from being a muddy mob. Though, there is nothing wrong with muddy and kiddos relish the process of mixing their paint colors. If you want to keep their hat from becoming muddy, choose two shades of their favorite color and then add a dollop of white. They can mix to their heart's content and you can have a happy photo. Or, stick to two primary colors and white then they can mix up their own secondary color. Paint as a color theory tool is an awesome thing! Set aside to dry.

Once dry get to folding...

First fold your squarish sheet in half, painted side out.

Next up, fold in half to get a crease to mark your middle then pull the corners down to make a bit of a triangle. Do not pull them all the way down to the bottom and make sure your fold is at the top so that the bottom will ope to create your hat.

Fold up a brim from the bottom.

Add a helpful piece of tape or two to keep the hat from unfolding and pop that bit of happy on your kiddos head and go exploring!

ten hats in ten days: tape and paper happy hat

2012-01-05T14:00:00.000-08:00

January 15th is National Hat Day and you may or may not know I am a fan of hats. One of my first posts for scrumdilly-do! was in fact a hat post and in honor of the crafting spirit, this here little blog, and Hat Day (of course) for the next ten days I will bring you a nifty hat making project for you and your kiddos to get yer glue on!

It has been my experience that a creative kiddo simply cannot refuse a dance or two with a tape dispenser. Hand them a tape dispenser and a pile of paper and if you are lucky, your kiddo will create for hours. Recently, while working with a young tot on paper tearing and tape placement we discovered how easy it was to create nifty paper band hats so get yourself some tape and scrap paper and get to it!

Materials

*assorted paper scraps or construction paper

*tape in a tape dispenser (it is easier for a kiddo to use)

*stapler (optional)

Cut a band that will rest over your kiddo's noggin comfortably. Tape or staple into a loop. Hand your kiddo the tape dispenser and a pile of paper and let them go crazy!

scrumdilly-do! the year in review.

2011-12-31T08:59:00.000-08:00

I hope you enjoyed all the handmade fun we brought to you this year! From cardboard tube kazoos to newspaper pom-poms to fingerprint valentines there was all sorts of crafty fun going on. And to think that I had even more in the works that never got finished. There is always 2012. Thank you more than kindly for following this little blog. I only hope we can grow bigger and better. You support means the world to us. Hope your 2011 was a superb one and happy 2012!

*you can click through the archives to check out these projects. ya know...if ya like.

Simms Taback 1932-2011

2011-12-28T08:51:00.000-08:00

Simms Taback was an author and illustrator who used a lot of happy color. He was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 2000 for Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. If you have not had the pleasure of reading any of his books, I recommend you hit up your local bookstore or library for a read or two or three. I grew up with his illustrations. Mr. Taback passed away this past Sunday. Rest in peace and color, rest in peace and color...

2011-12-23T20:58:00.000-08:00

Wishing you and yours a tremendous end to 2011 and a most dazzling welcome to 2012!

time for snowflakes

2011-12-21T15:37:00.000-08:00

Last year I made my snowflakes from cupcake liners. This year I threw in some coffee filters and a couple of paper punches...aren't they pretty?

memory game a-go-go

2011-12-17T15:11:00.000-08:00

I've got three left in and plan on hitting the post office Monday...hurry!

Make a Retro Tissue Tree

2011-12-14T07:49:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up, Christmas and Christmas decor was always a bit of a big deal in my house. There are things that only came out at Christmas time that while now long gone, still stick clearly in the noggin. From my mother's winter window ledge display (handmade by her) to our homemade salt dough ornaments (now lone gone) these iconic holiday goodies are what makes Christmas Christmas. Sadly, most of these treasures have been lost (along with my dear, quirky, mother) but a few are still around and today I am going to show you a redo of a Christmas Wall Hanging my sister made back in the 1960s, when she was six years old. For this version, you'll need to scrounge around for some items you may already have and pick up a small piece of burlap to begin, are ya ready?

Materials

*cardboard (cereal box or other thin board is fine)

*piece of burlap (my finished piece is about 8"X11")

*paint

*sponge

*straight edge

*clothespins or paper clips

*crepe paper (streamers are fine)

*white glue

*scissors

*sparkly pipe cleaner

*vintage button, pin or earring

*yarn

*tape

*sewing machine (optional)

Grab your cardboard and cut it down to a manageable size. The original tree is about 10"X12", I repurposed a stuffing mix box (from Turkey Day) and simply cut out the front, it measures about 8"X10". Cut your burlap down to size about 2"-3" larger all around than your cardboard. Smother your cardboard with glue (the blank side) and center your burlap over it. Place a sheet of wax paper on top and a stack of books to weigh it all down and set is aside to dry. Once the burlap is dry, give it a whirl through the sewing machine, going around all four sides using a running stitch. I ended up doing this after the tissue tree was finished which is fine but you may wish to get a go on it first. You do not need to be it will help keep the burlap in place and give it a little extra incentive to not unravel too much.

While the glue is drying, have your kiddos select up to three (harmonious) colors of crepe paper or streamers. Streamers are great for crafting as they are inexpensive and have multiple uses. My sister's tree used three shades of green. My redo involved a bit of a modern twist on colors. Keep the palette simple which is why I suggest limiting it to three colors. Once they have their colors selected, hand them some scissors and let them cut of squares of streamer into a shallow dish. Set aside.

While your kiddo is cutting up crepe paper, grab the other side of the box you repurposed (or any piece of cardboard) and cut out a triangle shape for your tree. This is where the straight edge comes in. This part is for grown-ups ONLY. When the glue is dry on your cardboard, clip your tree stencil to the front using paper clips or clothes pins.

Grab a small sponge or cut a clean sponge into a small square and give your paint a squirt onto a lid or other flattish container. Have your kiddo dab the sponge into the paint then onto their burlap. Have them use an up and down motion. This doesn't have to be even, this is more of a guide for the tissue paper and a nice bit of color for any spots that go unnoticed. Set aside to dry, it shouldn't take long,

Pour a small amount of glue onto a lid or other small flat dish or tray and have your kiddo grab a square of tissue and crumple it into a ball. Dab the tissue ball into the glue then place onto the edge of the triangle/tree. Continue until the tree is outlined. They may wish to use all one color or randomly mix it up, either way is fine, it is their tree.

Once the outline of the tree is finished, they may continue adding tissue balls until the entire tree is finished. Refill glue as needed. To create the trunk, fold one square in half twice to make a smaller squarish shape.

Once the tissue tree has been completed, give your button/earring/pin a healthy does of tacky glue and glue to the top for the tree's star.

Next, grab your sparkly pipe cleaner and cut into four pieces varying the lengths. This will become your tinsel. Bend and shape if you wish and give each piece a good dose of glue before pressing down. Set aside to dry. Pipe cleaners and glue can be tricky as the pipe cleaner takes a while to warm up to the glue. Make sure your kiddo has something else to do next so that they do not fiddle with the pipe cleaner pieces.

Once everything is dry, use a large pin or needle to gently tug away the extra strands of burlap from the edges. They should unravel fairly easily. Your kiddo will probably like this part. Lookie at the happy fringe! Use scissors to trim if you need to.

Flip the whole thing over and tape a length of yarn to the back (one legnth of tape at each end of the yarn). I braided up my yarn, you do not have to. You can also use ribbon or twine. If you like, glue a happy paper backing to your board first so that you are not greeted with a product picture (I kinda like the product picture, it will give you a retro feel in about twenty -years or so). Have your kiddo sign and date the back as well.

Find a happy place to hang and admire. Now go bake some Christmas cookies! This project uses up all sorts of nifty developmental elements for your kiddo; scissor cutting, measuring, practicing the up and down of the sponge painting, small/fine motor skills during the balling and glueing, patterning and color fun in selecting their colors and shape recognition using "circles" in the triangle. This is a less than open-ended project but has its bits of usefulness in preparing your kiddo for following instructions, planning their vision within a set of instructions and using up all those nifty skills they are developing. I hope you enjoy this project and if you do make a tissue tree, please add it to the flickr group and/or email me an image and link and I'll add you to the 'do! Happy crafting!

Homemade Holidays: Tinfoil Festive Hanukkah Cards

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

I never grow tired of the dazzle that is tinfoil festive. I was in in need of a Hanukkah card or two so I whipped out some supplies and created these nifty bits. Wanna make yer own set? You may already have the supplies on hand. Let's see...

Materials

*tin foil

*white glue

*cardboard (I used a cereal box)

*scissors or for grown ups only, a straight blade

*crepe paper streamer or colored tissue

*embroidery thread

*glitter, sequins or other flat sparkly bits

Set up your work area by laying out a splat mat or a large sheet of wax paper. Have your kiddo cut or tear a bunch of colored tissue (I used crepe paper streamers), other thin papers and embroidery thread or yarn. Place them on a plate or nearby for easy access.

Lay out a large sheet of tinfoil (size is up to you). Poor a blob of glue onto your tinfoil and have your kiddo spread the sticky mess all over using a paintbrush, damp sponge or sponge brush.

Brush on or flatten on bits of tissue paper. The more you play around with them, the wetter they get which causes bunching and tearing. Add snipped bits of thread, yarn or string and then more tissue for a layered look. While the glue is still wet, dazzle it up even more with a shakey shake of glitter or salt. Set aside to dry.

While the festive fun is drying, grab some cardboard boxes (cereal and cracker boxes work great, I think I used a yogurt box) and cut into manageable, card-sized rectangles.

Create a stencil for your kiddos of whatever shape you like. I cut a triangle from a magazine insert to create the Star of David. The dreidel was drawn free-form. Flip your rectangles over so the blank side faces down and have your kiddos trace the shape onto the printed side using a dark colored marker.

Cut out the shape your kiddos traced. This part is for the grown-ups only as blades are involved.

Once your tinfoil fun is all dry and the tack is gone, smother the printed side of your cardboard cards with white glue and have your kiddo place the cards, sticky side down on top of the foil fun. Repeat until all your cut pieces are camping out onto the foil. Lay a sheet of wax paper on top and stack a pile of books on top of that to flatten out the cardboard and give the glue a chance to stick. If you have chosen to cut your foil first, then use paperclips or clothespins to hold the edges places.

Once everything is dry, cut around cardboard with scissors and write a happy message on the back. Happy Holidays!

Homemade Holidays: make a mini yarn garland

2011-12-11T07:51:00.001-08:00

Happy December friends! Here's a nifty, easy (with a wee bit of wait time involved) garland project that can be adapted for any holiday. This year, I am using it for Christmas but change the color of the yarn and it can become a New Year's, Valentine's Day, Halloween or Hanukkah garland as well. Your kiddos will enjoy making this as it involves that delightfully messy and sticky stuff we know as glue. Tink kiddos will fully immerse themselves into the goo but your older kiddos can have a go at working those fine motor skills as they wrap that yarn around something smaller than a balloon. Don;t forget to cover your surfaces, this can get messy.

Materials:

*5 or more plastic eggs that open

*yarn

*scissors

*plastic wrap

*wax paper

*white glue or mod podge

*sequins, buttons, happy beads or old costume jewelry bits

*4 or more mini ornaments (optional)

Lay a sheet of wax paper over your work surface area and have your kiddos separate those eggs.

Hand your kiddo a pair of (kiddo safe) scissors and let them cut up the yarn into a series of smallish lengths 3"-8" inches. This does not have to be exact. One long length (about 10") is enough for one evenly wrapped egg half but we're giving this project to our kiddos to do so they may prefer working with smaller lengths. Dump the yarn bits into a shallow dish with a healthy amount of white glue or mod podge and allow to soak in.

Wrap each egg half with a bit of plastic wrap, tucking the ends and edges up into the egg cavity. You can tape into place if you like but if you get a good bunch of wrap tucked under, it should remain in place as it sticks all over itself.

To begin wrapping, your kiddo(s) can pick up one piece of yarn with one hand while using the thumb and pointer finger of the other to squeeze excess glue out. Plop the sticky strand atop a plastic covered egg half and wrap around. Repeat with more yarn until satisfied. your kiddo can do an even wrap if they are older and more in control of their motor skills or they can do a wonky, squigglely wrap. The nifty thing is that the egg halves are so small, they won;t need a lot of yarn to cover.

Continue until all egg halves are covered and set aside to dry over night. The damp sponge is there for your kiddos to wipe excess sticky from their fingers as they work. I used the smaller, more round halves of my plastic eggs but you and your kiddos can use either/or or both. If you do not have eggs, try using an upside down egg carton covered in wrap or small round bottomed cups.

When dry, remove plastic and yarn from egg half. It should easily be separated from the egg. Next, and I suggest you do t his part, gently hold the yarn magic in one hand while pulling away the plastic wrap with the other. If there are dried blobby bits of glue, you can use your scissors to trim a little.

Hand your kiddo a bottle of tacky or craft glue and a small assortment of buttons and baubles and have them glue one happy bit into the cup of the yarn (like a nest...ooh...use brown yarn and make a spring bird and nest garland. I think I will do that!) They can of course glue more than one happy bit or if they are of the age where the baubles and bits may end up in their nose instead, let them shake a bit of glitter on top and set aside to dry.

Once everything is dry it is time to assemble garland. Cut a long length of yarn at least six feet and thread your yarn cups on. If you like you can alternate with a pretty ornament in between. I made a separate mini ornament garland and looped them up together when I hung them. Once you get the first cup on, double loop and knot one end of the yarn to anchor it in place. The first cup will be the one to keep the rest from slipping right off. To keep the whole shebang from crashing into each other, loop the yarn through each happy bit twice kind of like a running stitch, over, under and over again and on into the next one. If the yarn is too sloopy, use a small square of tape to pinch off and taper the end.

Once you are finished, loop and knot your ends for ease of hanging and find a nifty place to showcase. Have fun and I'm here if you have any questions!

Holiday Fun: Edible Memory Game

2011-12-04T09:43:00.001-08:00

I was hopping around the internet this morning when I came across this happy, lovely round up on Tatertots & Jello. I thought to myself "how brilliant!" and immediately clicked on over to Shindig Parties To Go to see that what I thought was an edible memory game was really a bunch of happy in a jar (which is also pretty nifty). So...taking a cue I thought "why not?" and so I present to you an edible memory game, perfect for Hanukkah, Christmas and most any other holiday.

Materials

*1 bag of wrapped flat bottomed candies (like Kisses or Patties or Hanukkah Coins)

*Printable sheet from Shindig Parties To Go, round stickers, labels or a handy decorative punch

*assorted paper for decorative punch

Dump out bag of candies. I used world coins from here. They are nice and flat and perfect for my scalloped paper punch.

Count out an even number of coins and punch out paper bits. I had 24 coins so needed 12 different prints of paper.

Smother paper bits with glue stick and place one each onto a chocolate coin or candy. You can also print out your own designs on round sticky labels or use happy holiday stickers.

Flip over and play a coupe of rounds. Save this for a party and the kiddos can keep the candy they "win". Candies can be stashed into handmade bags like these! Happy Holidays!

Picture Book Month

2011-11-30T14:36:00.001-08:00

Thank you all who stopped by! I hope you found a new book or two to read or maybe even rediscovered an old favorite. Picture Books have the ability to transport and build iomagination. I encourage you all to invest in a quality book every now and then. I have often found many wonderful titles from my local thrift stores, library sales and BookCloseOuts. If you have access to a public library, make sure to sign up for a card! To rifle through the titles and projects, you can visit my flickr set here. Happy reading!

Picture Book Month: Swami on Rye

2011-11-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

Swami on Rye: Max in India

by Maira Kalman

Published by Viking Juvenile, 1995

Swami on Rye is one of my most favorite picture books (what's not to adore about cricket games, red herrings, vampires and a father-to-be flying about on a magic carpet?) Maira Kalman is one of my most favorite people ever. She is a visionary and secretly I liken myself to being a kindred spirit with her. Though she is probably much more interesting than I. Truthfully, any of the Max books are a good choice. People can be very particular about their favorite Max book, I happen to like this one best. Max books are lyrical and slightly nonsensical. They are not even close to being linear and quite difficult to read out loud to a large group (I speak from experience). One on one however, they are perfect and full of whimsy and wonder and quirk. They are probably more suited for us grown-ups yet I know oodles of kiddos who adore Max as much as I do. Don't miss out on Max or Maira, there is sure to be something for everyone in her wonderful world.

Don't forget, November is picture book month. Check out the official
blog here!

Picture Book Month: Mary's Penny

2011-11-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

Mary's Penny

Written by Tanya Landman

Illustrated by Richard Holland

Published by Candlewick Press, 2010

Mary's Penny is a retelling of a traditional tale with all the markings of a fairy tale as well (save for any fairies). Mary is the daughter of a farmer and sister to two brother's. One day her father gives each son a penny and tells them that whomever can fill the house with something purchased with their penny will get to run the farm. Mary, being a girl, is not included. At least, not at first. Richard Holland's collaged illustrations are wonderful and the story is so simple and lovely I urge you to pick up a copy. This is one for my bookshelves.

Don't forget, November is picture book month. Check out the official blog here!

Picture Book Month: Tommaso and the Missing Line

2011-11-28T08:04:00.000-08:00

Tommaso and the Missing Line

by Matteo Pericoli

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2008

In a nutshell, this is the story of a boy searching for his line. Yup, HIS line. He once drew a picture of his favorite view that showcases the most lovely of arced lines. One day he pulls his picture out of his pocket to find the line has vanished! Tommaso then sets out to find his missing line. Told with simple words and creative illustrations your kiddos may find themselves inspired to draw their very own picture with a very orange line. Enjoy!

Don't forget, November is picture book month. Check out the official blog here!

Picture Book Month: Bonnie's Blue House

2011-11-27T07:30:00.000-08:00

Yolanda's Yellow School

Written & illustrated by Kelly Asbury

Published by Henry Holt & Co., 1997

Bonnie's Blue House is one in a trilogy of nifty picture books by Kelly Asbury. With a retro feel and simple dialogue, you and your kiddos will delight in Yolanda's school day. The other two titles are Rusty's Red Vacation and Yolanda's Yellow School.

Don't forget, November is picture book month. Check out the official blog here!

Picture Book Month: Song & Juniper

2011-11-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

Song & Juniper

by August Hall

Published by Big Kid Books, 2005

I know, I'm sorry, another out of print title but you can find these used and at your library and really, libraries are the best things so make sure you have a card if you are able. This lovely book has absolutely gorgeous illustrations. The simple story details a day spent with Song & Juniper. Simple and very pretty. I hope you get a chance to check it out!

Don't forget, November is picture book month. Check out the official blog here!

Picture Book Month: Supermoo!

2011-11-25T07:30:00.000-08:00

Supermoo!

Written & Illustrated by Babette Cole

Published by Mammoth, 1994

Supermoo is a story about a super cow. I know! Back in my nannying days, my kiddos LOVED this book. So sit down, give it a read and set your kiddos to creating their own super hero personas.

November is Picture Book month, check out the blog here.

Picture Book Month: Thank You Bear

2011-11-24T07:30:00.000-08:00

Thank You Bear

Written and Illustrated by Greg Foley

Published by Viking, 2007

This is such a sweetie, sweet book of friendship. The illustrations couldn't be any sweeter. It is the story of a bear who finds the greatest thing ever to give to his friend, mouse.

To tie in a project with your kiddos, have them paint up a perfectly perfect box just for fun 9or to gift).

Materials:

*empty box or carton

*paint

*paintbrushes and/or markers

*glue and gluey bits

*tiny toy (optional)

Juice boxes work great for this. To make it a home for a tiny toy, cut out the front or back of the box with a kinfe/blade. This is NOT something for your kiddo to do. YOU can prep the box by cutting first.

Set up craft area with a splat mat or table cover and hand your kiddos a large(ish0 paintbrush and some white paint.

Paint up boxes and set aside to dry. The white paint will prime your box so your kiddos will have a blank canvas.

Once dry, hand your kiddos smaller paint brushes, markers and or collage bits and glue and let them go to town.

November is Picture Book month, check out the blog here.

Picture Book Month: Penguin

2011-11-23T08:33:00.000-08:00

Penguin

by Polly Dunbar

Published by Candlewick, 2007

Penguins books are quite popular, they are fun and penguins are adorable, right? Penguin is not your average penguin story. True, it is fun and the penguin in question is adorable but there's a sneaky sneak twist at the hands of a very blue lion. Hysterical! Polly Dunbar is also one of my favorite illustrators so if blue lions aren't your thing, make sure to pick it up for the pictures alone and don't forget to check out her other titles.

Novemberis Picture Book Month! Check out the official blog here

Picture Book Month: The Opposite

2011-11-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

The Opposite

Written by Tom MacRae

Illustrated by Elena Odriozola

Published by Peachtree, 2006

It goes without saying (at least for me, ahem) that a picture book written by a fella who writes Doctor Who episodes would be unique, witty, and so very clever. The Opposite is just that and if I had more wits about me I would present my recommendation oppositely but my wits have gone off on holiday so all you have is this picture and my word. Oh, and if the story itself doesn't convince you, please take some time to soak up Ms. Odriozola's unique illustrations. They are amazing!
Create your own Opposite with a little paint and a toilet paper tube.

Materials:

*empty toilet paper tube

*white acrylic paint plus other colors

*paper

*permanent pen

*scissors

*glue stick

We're going to create our own Opposite in the style of Ms. Odriozola's amazing illustrations. First thing you need to do is have your kiddo(s) paint their tube white. They can of course paint it another color but make sure it is a light color. Let dry.

Once dry, cut the top of the tube in a curve to create your Opposite shaped head.

Next, draw a circle at the top for the face and draw the face. Look at the illustrations in the book and emulate the same style. Keep it simple.

Hand yer kiddos a paintbrush and have them paint up their bodies. Set aside to dry.

While drying, cut two strips from white paper and have yer kiddos paint up the arms as well. When they are dry, affix to your Opposite with a swipe of glue stick. Ta-da!

Novemberis Picture Book Month! Check out the official blog here

Picture Book Month: Sleepy Pendoodle

2011-11-21T09:09:00.000-08:00

Sleepy Pendoodle

Written by Malarchy Doyle

Illustrated by Julie Vivas

Published by Candlewick, 2001

Another great read aloud, Sleepy Pendoodle is a sweet book about a young girl and her new puppy. Julie Vivas' illustrations are an absolute favorite of mine and the silly-sweet stumbles as the little girl does her best to wake her puppy with the magic words will have your kiddos smiling, smiling, smiling.

Novemberis Picture Book Month! Check out the official blog here

Picture Book Month: The Red Lemon

2011-11-20T08:09:00.000-08:00

The Red Lemon

By Bob Staake

Published by Golden Books, 2006

Oh how I adore The Red Lemon. The rhyme, the story, the illustrations...it's all delightful! Click on the author link for more information on the book. For fun, click here for official Red Lemon games and if you have any lemons on hand, whip up a batch of red lemonade (six times as sweet)! Save one of your lemons for some red lemon printing and enjoy your day!

Materials:

*lemons

*red paint

*white paper

Set out a shallow tray or plate with red paint on it. You can use liquid watercolor or acrylic or tempera. I used three different shades of red.

Slice lemons in half and have your kiddo dip their lemon half in the paint and then stamp it onto their paper.

Use different paints and/or shades for variety. I think this would make an awesome giftwrap, don't you?

November is Picture Book Month! Check out the official blog here

Picture Book Month: Elizabeth and Larry

2011-11-19T07:07:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth and Larry

Written by Marilyn Sadler

Illustrated by Roger Bollen

Published by Aladdin Paperbacks, 1992

No longer in print, I am sorry to say, Elizabeth and Larry is well worth the hunt. check your local thrift stores and library sales. People often donate their old paperback picture books. Boo for them but yay for you! This is a simple story of two friends enjoying their time together with the added element of kookiness by having one of the characters portrayed as an alligator. Elizabeth, Larry and Ed is also fun. If you find that one instead, pick it up!

Don't forget, November is Picture book Month. check out theblog here.

Picture Book Month: Moosetache

2011-11-18T07:30:00.000-08:00

Moosetache

Written by Margie Palatini

Illustrated by Henry Cole

Published by Hyperion, 1999

Published more than ten years ago, Moostache was way ahead of the current mustache trend. It is utterly ridiculous and completely amusing to young children. If you can, try for the other two books in the series; Mooskitos and Mooseltoe.

For a fun project, have your kiddos create their own silly mustaches from construction paper. Affix to face with a dab of flour and water or a store bought glue dot and make sure to take oodles of pictures. Or, pull out the felt, popsicle sticks, or pencils and whip up a 'stache or two a la scrumdilly-do!

Picture Book Month: Our Friendship Rules

2011-11-17T07:16:00.000-08:00

Our Friendship Rules

Written by Peggy Moss and Deedee Tardif

Illustrated by Alissa Imre Geis

Published by Tilbury House, 2007

Our Friendship Rules is a lovely read for school aged children, both boys and girls, though the feminine content might influence your young ladies a wee bit more. We've all experienced that moment when suddenly our best friend has discovered someone new and Our Friendship Rules does a wonderful job of illustrating the emotions and after-effects. The illustrations are perfectly sweet (and I may be a tad bit biased here) and the story itself, matter-of-fact, whimsical and heart breaking. I would recommend this read especially to second and third grade classrooms. To accompany, why not whip up a milkshake with bananas, chocolate and cinnamon mixed in like Alexandra and Jenny enjoy or you can make a hand puppet (and NOT from anyone's favorite shirt!) check out Julie Voigt's puppet project on her blog Art for Small Hands.

Ingredients:

*1 cup milk

*2-3 scoops of vanilla ice cream

*1 large frozen banana

*2 tablespoons cocoa powder

*1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon

Toss all the ingredients into a blender, place lid on top and give it a mix until thick and milkshakey. Add more milk or less ice cream as needed. Finish with a dollop of whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon.

Don't forget, November is Picture book Month. Check out theblog here.

Picture Book Month: The Genie in the Jar

2011-11-16T09:13:00.000-08:00

The Genie in the Jar

Written by Nikki Giovanni

Illustrated by Chris Raschka

Published by Henry Holt and Co., 1998

This title for me is full of freedom and movement, whimsy and song. The title may be a little misleading but don't let that keep you from reading this aloud to your child. A lyrical poem that can be interpreted in a number of ways especially with Raschka's sweet illustrations, The Genie in the Jar is a celebration of family, love and community. To accompany a reading, I would ask the children to draw a picture of themselves as if they were a part of the story, using crayon and watercolor on a brown paper bag.

Don't forget, November is Picture book Month. check out theblog here.

Picture Book Month: The Old Man and His Door

2011-11-15T08:22:00.000-08:00

The Old Man and His Door

Written by Gary Soto

Illustrated by Joe Cepeda

Published by Puffin, 1998

The Old Man and his Door spins a delightful story of misunderstanding. Too busy to listen to his wife remind him to bring el puerco (the pig) to the party, the old man in the story misunderstands and instead brings la puerta (the door). With colorful illustrations and loads of subtle humor, I have found this to be a wonderful read aloud for both group and individual settings. Please check it out if you can!

Novemberis Picture Book Month! Check out the official blog here

Picture Book Month: The Little French Whistle

2011-11-14T08:44:00.000-08:00

The Little French Whistle

Written by Carole Lexa Schaefer

Illustrated by Emilie Chollat

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2002

This is a story of a boy and his french whistle. Louie plays too loud and without a care for others and will not share with his cousin. What will the fate of the whistle be?

You can make your own candy box whistle to play just as loud as Louie does. All you really need is a small, flattish candy or gum box. This chiclet box is perfect...oh and small raisin boxes work perfectly.

All you have to do is enjoy your sweets. Once empty, flip top flaps open and over outside edges of box. Place mouth over opening and....B L O W ! ! !

What do you hear? Is it loud? Is it funny? You can try painting your box and letting it dry thoroughly before playing, or draw on a small piece of paper trimmed to fit around your box, wrap and attach with glue stick or double stick tape. Have fun!

Picture book Month: Moosey Moose

2011-11-13T08:06:00.000-08:00

Moosey Moose

Written and Illustrated by Chris Raschka

Published by Hyperion, 2000

Moosey Moose is but one awesome title in a series called Thingy Things. I'm sad to say I believe they are no longer in print but you can still find them used through Amazon and other sellers. I picked Moosey Moose to share with you because every single time I read it to kids, young and old, I am delighted by the giggles and shouts that float about as I help Moosey Moose sort out his anger over his missing long pants.

After you read Moosey Moose, you can have your kiddo write out their own story about a favorite animal and what makes them angry. Do you have a Catty Cat, Fishy Fish or a Ducky Duck? Oh, the possibilities!

Picture Book Month: new socks

2011-11-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

New Socks

Written and Illustrated by Bob Shea

Published by Little Brown, 2007

If I had a nickel for every time I was interrupted during storytime so a kiddo could tell me that he or she got something new (I got new shoes!) I could be a slightly not-so-broke blogger. new socks not only embraces the new appeal, it celebrates it! The illustrations are bold and simple and the read aloud effect has kiddo appeal. I adore new socks.

To go along with the book, have your kiddo create their own happy, chickie with new socks!

Materials

*white paper

*white crayon

*watercolor

*paintbrush and water

*construction paper

*glue stick

*scissors

Prep white paper by having your kiddo draw a series of squiggles lines or loops in white crayon over the bottom half. See cover of book as a guide.

Paint over white lines with chosen color of watercolor paint and set aside to dry.

Cut out chickie shape from construction paper. Any color would be great. Glue to the painted paper once that paper is dry and have kiddo draw features of their choice with a black marker onto their chickie (aka jelly-bean) shape.

Cut out sock shapes from white paper and have your kiddo paint, color, collage however they choose to make the most fantastic pair of socks ever!

Once dry, use a glue stick to assemble and stick all the pieces onto their "cover page" and viola! They too now have new socks!

Picture book Month: a bear and his boy

2011-11-11T07:59:00.000-08:00

A Bear and His Boy

Written by Sean Bryan

Illustrated by Tom Murphy

Published by Arcade, 2007

a bear and his boy is the story of a bear on the go, busy, busy, busy but for the boy on his back. The story is told smoothly and sweetly through rhyme. The illustrations have a vintage appeal. If you enjoyed this title, make sure to check out this duo's other two; a girl and her gator, and a boy and his bunny.

Don't forget, November is Picture book Month. check out the blog here.

Picture Book Month: Bing Make Music

2011-11-10T07:39:00.000-08:00

Bing: Make Music

Written & Illustrated by Ted Dewan

Published by David Fickling books

I discovered the Bing books back when I was teaching a toddler art class. Myself, I was fond of the colors and illustrations of the single Bing book I had. Once I read it to my toddler group I recognized that Bing was a bunny totally worth reckoning with. I picked up all but one Bing title from new and used sellers on Amazon and haven't looked back. Kiddos LOVE Bing and I do as well. My favorite thing about Make Music is that Bing and Flop make music much like our kiddos do, using everyday objects such as keys and such. To accompany this book, why not have your tots make their very own rice shaker?

Materials

*uncooked lentils

*small beads and bobbs

*empty plastic water bottle

*glue or packing tape

This goes without saying that you know your kiddo better than anyone else. If your child is in danger of choking on any of the above materials, please take precautions and adapt as you will. We recently did this activity with our toddler class without a hitch. Instead of rice, we used popcorn kernels and pumpkin seeds. The beads added a pop of color. I have also done this with Plastic Easter eggs or sturdy paper plates.

Set out empty bottle, sans lid and have your kiddo fill (about one-quarter is good) with beads, buttons, bobbs, and rice.

Screw lid back on and affix with glue and/or tape. Once dry, hand over to kiddo and make some music! Don't have beads and bits? Hand your kiddo a wooden spoon and an empty box and enjoy!

Don't forget, November is Picture book Month. check out the blog here.

Publishers Weekly: Top 11 Picture books of 2011

2011-11-09T18:22:00.000-08:00

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans

Written and Illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Published by Harper Collins, 2011

Click here for the Publishers Weekly picture book list.

Picture Book Month: Guess Again

2011-11-09T08:48:00.000-08:00

Guess Again

Written by Mac Barnett

Illustrated by Adam Rex

Published by Simon & Schuster

Guess Again is a fantastic read aloud for school aged kids. Absolutely, rip-roaring fantastic! Full of humor and quirk, this may become your kiddos favorite. I would tell you more but this is a spoiler free post.

Don't forget, November is Picture book Month. check out the blog here.

Picture Book Month: The Lion and the Little Red Bird

2011-11-08T07:29:00.000-08:00

The Lion and the Little Red Bird

Written and Illustrated by Elisa Kleven

Published by Puffin, 1996

Painting with homemade paints would be a fun project to go along with this book. Check out Elisa Kleven's website for project ideas and questions.

Don't forget, November is Picture book Month. Check out the blog here.

Picture Book Month: Bling Blang

2011-11-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

Bling Blang

Written by Woody Guthrie

Illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky

Published by Candlewick, 2000

I love Woody Guthrie and I love Vladimnir Radunsky. The two paired together make a perfect cup of tea. If you can, make sure to have your kiddo give a listen to one of Woody's recordings of Bling Blang. It is folk music at its best. If you find you like this one, please check out Howdi Do as well!

Materials

*popsicle/craft sticks

*cardboard

*glue

*paint and/or markers

There are numerous ways for kiddos to create houses. If I had a group of kiddos with me after i read this book, I would let them choose their own materials. But, since I don't, here is my wee suggestion and project.

Set out cardboard and paint. Paper is fine if that is all you have. Ask your kiddos if their house is going to be in the city or the country or perhaps outer space? Once they decide, have them paint up their background and set aside to dry.

Once dry, bring out the craft sticks and have your kiddos "build" their house using the glue to stitck their sticks to their background.

They can use paint and or markers to color their house. Play Bling Blang while they work. once they have finished, ask them about their house and write down or record what they say, it will make a wonderful story!

Don't forget, November is Picture book Month. check out the blog here.

Picture Book Month: the art of shapes

2011-11-06T07:30:00.000-08:00

The Art of Shapes

by Cindy Estes and Margaret Steele

Published by Fotofolio Inc, 1997

Not really a picture book in the classic sense but I do really like the art of shapes. The board book format makes for a unique display and kiddos of all ages will be intrigued by the colors discovered within. Adults will enjoy the array of artists and if they are anything like me, they will hit the net to research the artists they have never heard of. Other titles in this series include the art of the body and the art of colors.

Shape projects:

*take a walk and go on a shape hunt

*draw shapes on sandpaper with crayon and have kiddos trace with their fingers

*roll a dice (die?) and ask your kiddo to draw a shape with corresponding sides

*make cookie shapes

*pick up a pack of foam shapes, toss in an empty tissue box and see how many tries is takes to draw a match

*have kiddos paint on paper cut into shapes

Picture Book Month: The Adventures of a Nose

2011-11-05T08:19:00.000-07:00

The Adventures of a Nose

Written by Viviane Schwarz

Illustrated by Joel Stewart

Published by Candlewick Press

The Adventures of a Nose is a picture book about a Nose looking for a place to fit in. The illustrations are BRILLIANT! I adore this title.

To go along with the fun and quirkiness of The Adventures of a Nose, I have a fun collage project you and your kiddos might enjoy.

Materials

*Magazines

*Scissors

*Paper or posterboard

*Glue Stick

*Markers, Paint or Crayons

Have your kiddo go through some kid friendly magazines in search of their very own nose. They may cut out their nose with a pair of scissors.

Taking a cue from the book, have your kiddo collage, draw or paint a background for their nose. Keep in mind the goal is to create a face from an everyday scene.

Once they have their background ready, paste the nose into place and add legs. Ta-da! Or, as an alternative, they can create a paper doll of their nose and take it on its very own adventure via a walk outside or through another magazine. If you do this, I would LOVE to see your Nose! Enjoy!

I didn't have time to create my own collage for you but I do hope you'll keep reading, more fun to come!

November is Picture Book Month, check out the blog!

Picture Book Month: 1000 Times No

2011-11-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

1000 Times No

Written & Illustrated by Tom Warburton

Published by Harper Collins, 2009

When it comes to kiddos, NO is a universal language, is it not? 1000 Times No makes for a great read aloud. Mr. Warburton has delightfully illustrated a child in the throes of No! From your average obstinate negative declaration to your fancy-pants multi-lingual Nu-uh, this book will be sure to delight.

Oooh and lookie, there is video on vimeo as well!

November is Picture Book Month, check out the blog!

Picture Book Month: Cloud Boy

2011-11-03T15:38:00.000-07:00

Cloud Boy

Written and Illustrated by Rhode Montijo

Published by Simon & Schuster, 2006

I love Cloud Boy! The illustrations are quirky and more than adorable and the story is simple and sweet. The story begins with a sad and lonely cloud boy who soon creates all sorts of companions with the cloud fluffs around him. I do not believe it is in general print any longer but you can find it on Amazon used. Keep an eye out at your local library and or thrift shops. I think I picked up my copy from bookcloseouts.com. If you haven't checked out Book Closeouts, I highly recommend it though it can be dangerous.

I also whipped up a lickety split art project you can do with your kiddos. Please be advised that I whipped this up as an example. If I were doing this with kiddos, I would have them create their own versions of cloud boy and would expect something more magical than my sad interpretation of the boy in the book.

This project is more about technique and imagination than copying cloud boy himself.

Materials:

*white paper

*white crayon or oil pastel

*watercolors in blue

*paintbrush

*water

*scissors

*pencil

*glue stick

*pens

Gather up your materials and have your kiddos draw a handful of clouds on their white paper with a white crayon or oil pastel. They can do bits of fluff or happy shapes, it is up to them.

Use a wet paintbrush to wash the paper. Make sure to cover the entire surface with a thin coat of water.

Dab brush in a small bit of watercolor and touch it to the damp paper. Have your kiddos watch the paint travel about and resist the areas with crayon. Add more than one shade if you wish or add one at a time, allowing for dry time before adding the next shade.

While paint is drying, have kiddos cut out and create their own cloud person. Glue to paper with glue stick and enjoy!

November is Picture Book Month, check out the blog!

November is Picture Book Month!

2011-11-02T18:46:00.000-07:00

And I just, just, JUST found this out! If nothing else this month, I promise to bring you a favorite picture book a day...stay tuned! And while you are at it, you can keep an eye on the picture book month blog. What's your favorite picture book?

thinking in pink

2011-11-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

Halloween may be over but that doesn't mean we still can't enjoy our pumpkins. Taking a cue from the lurve and adoration my preschool kiddos have for this book, I brought in a garden-grown pumpkin for them to paint.

I set out a trio of paint cups. Two with white paint and one with red. The kiddos were delighted to create their very own Pinkalicious pumpkin. Even better was the tub of soapy water for them to wash up with. For two days they painted and painted and painted some more. From two year olds to four year olds, that jumbo sized pumpkin was painted pinker than pink.

We're gonna paint it some more tomorrow with a different color duet. It will be easy peasy. The sponge I set out was also enjoyed as kiddo after kiddo happily scrubbed that pumpkin clean. Check out the book stats down below and happy November!

Pinkalicious and the Pink Pumpkin

Written and Illustrated by Victoria Kann

Published by Harper Festival, 2011

Sesame Street: Batty Bat

2011-10-29T10:56:00.001-07:00

silly symphony - the skeleton dance 1929 disney short

2011-10-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

my misadvantures in Halloween crafting

2011-10-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

Hello lovely readers! I have had the most ridiculous sad luck for this year's Halloween projects. You know how you feel as if you have oodles of time so you put aside the not-so-important projects for "later" but then suddenly you have NO time and so you rush about glueing here and painting there and hope, hope, hoping for good light so you can take a picture? Yup, in a pumkinshell that is my recent experience this month. Not to mention the projects that DID get started early simply wouldn't behave. Ooof!

It all started with the yarn wreath I really wanted to make and spookify. I couldn't get the yarn to toughen up. I used glue, I used mod-podge, I added more glue and more mod-podge but nothing. Next, came my two jobs and more hours, which is a GOOD thing but left barely a smidge of time for crafting. In between we had to wait for an oven and my allergies attacked and sucked up all my energy (cue violin music).

So, even though, I did manage to glue a little here and paint a little there, all I was able to post was a cookie recipe which is super tasty, I promise! So, here's to next year where you get to see the finished projects that involved pom-poms and cupcake liners. Until then, I put together a Pinterest board full of previous Halloween projects. Have fun and Happy Halloween!

halloween fun: chocolate covered candy corn cookies

2011-10-18T20:20:00.000-07:00

I adore candy corn. Seriously adore it. I adore it so much I made up my own cookie recipe that quite perfectly carries the buttery sweetness of this holiday treat. I'm sure many folk out there have baked up candy corn cookies. I'm not saying mine are better or anything, but I encourage you to try 'em. Your kiddos can join in the fun by helping you measure, mix the dough and shape the cookies themselves.

The first thing you will need to do is to grab some chocolate chips and melt them down either in the microwave or a double broiler. Once you have a gooey mness o' melted chocolate, toss in a cup of candy corn and stir to coat. Once coated, spread out in a single layer on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper and pop it into the freezer. While your chocolate covered candy corn chills, you can get your kiddos' hands washed and mix up the dough.

Ingredients

*1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened to almost melted)

*1 cup white sugar

*1 5.1 or 5.2 oz box of vanilla pudding mix

*1 tsp vanilla

*2 eggs

*1 tsp baking soda

*2 T corn starch

*2 cups of flour

*pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Combine the pudding mix and sugar and add your super soft, almost melted butter and mix with an electric mixer until pale.

2. Add your eggs and vanilla and mix a bit more. Remove mixer and grab a wooden spoon.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda. Slowly add to your sugar/egg mixture and mix with the wooden spoon until combine.

4. Safely away from the wee fingers of your kiddos, chop up the chocolate covered candy corn and mix in about 2/3 into the cookie dough.

5. Roll a blob of dough into a ball about the size of a large marble and pop a bit of candy corn magic on top, sprinkle with a wee bit of sugar and press down flat with the bottom of a dry measure cup or small drinking glass.

6. Place on cookie sheet about 1 1/2" apart and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cookies will puff up and then flatten out once cool.

You can skip the coating in chocolate part but then your candy corn will melt and ooze out of the dough proper. The chocolate keeps it tucked inside and adds a bit of kick. when I first made these I had wanted to use brown sugar but was out of it so I made do and we all think this recipe turned out just dandy. Enjoy!

First Day of (Pre) School Blues

2011-09-10T17:10:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks! It being September here in the states generally means "Back to School" time. For a good number of parents out there you may be experiencing your very first back-to-school moment as you send your tiniest of tots off to preschool. As your wee one toddles away and you feel the tears a-comin' you may wonder if you picked the right kind of school. I suppose there is good reason to worry what with all the Montessori, Reggio, Waldorf, Play Based and fancy-schmancy schools out there but I want to tell you a little secret...as long as your kiddo finds joy in their center, has caregivers and teachers that find joy in their students and there is communication between everyone involved, it's all good and it's all going to be ok.

Children are magnificent learners and brilliant to boot. All children are no matter there abilities. Finding a center that makes your heart sing and your kiddo smile is the most important tidbit you need to focus on. Once you have that figured out, you can carry on a search for what style of schooling you think you AND your child will benefit most from. I've known parents who were all about Waldorf but their kiddos were more Play Based. I've worked with children in Play-Based schools that found peace through the rhythms of Montessori, so it is very important to pay close attention to your child and how s/he processes information. Not every child (or person for that matter) acquires knowledge in the same way.

I've spent more than a decade studying and researching different approaches and theories to early childhood education and have developed a few of my own ideas and ideals as to what I believe in regarding how children learn. As I said, first and foremost, children are extremely CAPABLE and quite brilliant and given the right tools (for them) they can grow to be extremely capable and brilliant adults. I believe any type of education is a good thing but finding the right fit can make it even better. In the next few months, I hope to bring to you more of my ideas and share my favorite theories and projects. It's the organizing of all this information in my head that makes it most difficult for me but I think that if I can't get it out of the noggin soon, I just very well may burst! So here, in a nutshell is my number one piece of advice for you to share with your kiddos, no matter their age:

Love to learn.

No matter what the learning may be about, show a great love for the discovery of new things. Cook a new recipe, read a new book, plant a new plant, or learn a new word. Just go for it and try something or learn something new today that you didn't know yesterday. Make it a habit and make the reflection on your new-found knowledge a habit as well. This world is full of amazing and wonderful things and all of it is out there for you to grab it!

crafting for craft: bento style art box

2011-08-10T12:14:00.000-07:00

Get the scoop at craftzine!

crafting for craft: noodle monsters!

2011-08-08T13:26:00.000-07:00

Check out the tutorial here!

Build Your Own Adventure Bag

2011-07-24T17:17:00.000-07:00

One of the neatest things you can equip your kiddos' with for when they are out in the "wild" is an adventure bag full of fun.

I whipped up these bags from scrap fabric pieces and burlap I had floating about but you can use any pre-made bag. Having a strap so that the bag hangs cross-wise over the body is probably best. That is how both ander and zaza wore theirs. One that is not-so-fancy and water proof-ish is a good idea as well.

Here's what we put inside the bags:

*pack of gum

*handmade book or notebook

*stickers

*small plastic baggies for collecting

*whistle

*magnifying glass

*paper clips

*pencil & sharpener

*sharpie

*index cars & tags

revisiting a classic: tin-can telephone

2011-07-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

Did ya know that tin-can telephones work just as well with styrofoam cups? We had some cups from a recent eatery visit so we brought them home with us and used fishing line and they worked! Now they're even more customizable. Break out the markers and get to tinkering!

garden time

2011-07-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

It's down to the wire and I am far past cutting it close but I wanted to encourage those of you in the states to plant pumpkins! July 4th is generally a good reminder for a last date to get some seeds started but I suppose if you are not going for a world record, why not start some now? One vine is all you need to produce a handful of the happy gourds and the variety out there to choose from is extraordinary so why not grab some potting soil, an egg carton and a pack or two of seeds and begin?

I have had two packs of seed lazing about a bowl in the garden patiently waiting to be dunked in soil. I also have an ENORMOUS vine taking over the yard that currently has three not-so tiny pumpkins ballooning from its curly tendrils. Methinks the seed will wait until next year. Like I mentioned up there, all ya need is one vine. They can grow massive and quite beastly but they are super cool and there is much to view when given a chance.

Pumpkin vines are prickly to the touch. Not overly painful but prickly enough to want to wear gloves or be careful when handling the beast. The blossoms open quite early in the morning and you may often find a lone bee cozying up inside. The pollen of a pumpkin plant is quite attractive to bees, I have especially noticed the awkward black bumblebees bouncing about from orange blossom to orange blossom. The stems are hollow and the tiny tendrils and leaves that form have a mightier than mighty grip as they curl about stray garden gnomes, tools and furniture.

To tame your vine, you can liberate the stems that have not produced any blossoms. If you take a gander everyday you will notice that once the flowers poop out, a baby pumpkin takes its place. Each seed will produce one vine which will sprout secondary vines. Keep an eye on your main vine and prune out the secondaries. Once your main vine gets a handful of pumpkins popping up, you can pinch off the end to prevent more from growing thus rescuing your garden from complete pumpkin invasion.

To harvest, use garden shears to liberate your prized squash. do this 5-6" away from the fruit so that you have a delightful stem. Set in a cool dry place until carving or baking time. Pumpkins like sunlight and heat so if yer getting close to frosty temps, harvest sooner than later. There are all sorts of websites out there devoted to pumpkins and they all read fairly technical-like. Our pumpkins tend to be volunteers from the compost pile so we know where they like to grow. By starting your seeds inside and then replanting a few all over the place you will hopefully find a location that the happy sprouts enjoy. The only other thing i can add (until I remember more) is that after a while, powdery mildew may set in thus making your happy pumpkin vine look a little less than happy. Stick with it and harvest as soon as your pumpkins turn orange, though we have been known to pick em green and watch them turn orange as they ripen. We also do not use pesticides and would recommend you do not either. Cucumber beetles might move in like gang busters but if yer not growing any large food crops you can simply flick them off with your fingers.

And if pumpkins aren't your thing, plant something else whether it is food (strawberries & lettuce!) or flowers (sunflowers!), getting your hands dirty in the name of gardening is generally a delightful thing.

More pumpkin growing info:

kiddie gardens

flower garden news
pumpkin nook

have dough? add sprinkles!

2011-07-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

Do you remember this recipe? With a little yellow cake mix magic, I turned 'em into cake batter sugar buns! Sooo good!

July 4th: newspaper pom-poms

2011-07-03T23:00:00.000-07:00

I am sure there are oodles of tutorials out there for paper pom-poms but I have one for you anyway using the swath of painted newspaper I did up earlier. It's really easy and will give yer kiddos something to do between melty popsicles and fireworks. Here's how I did it.

Grab a sheet of painted up newspaper. One large piece is a good start. Cut or tear it in half and then in half again.

Fold each piece in half width-wise and cut up from open-edges almost to the fold every finger-width or so. The thinner the cuts, the pommier the poms.

Take two cut pieces for each pom and smoosh them into each other while still folded. Tuck into a painted or paper covered cardboard tube and staple or tape into place. You may wish to use a bit of double stick tape or glue here. A little shaking can shake all sorts of shakey paper loose. Next, fold tube in half length-wise and staple again to create a handle. If you wish, decorate the handle with stickers and other bits of fun.

Take yer new poms out and go a little rah-rah crazy. Happy 4th!

paint some newspaper today

2011-07-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

for craft making tomorrow...
*paper hats
*bunting

*wreaths
*collages

and stay tuned for newspaper pom-poms (my paper is still drying)!

make a july 4th garland!

2011-07-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

I designed this project for craftzine for us crafty grown-ups but you can totally tweak it so yer wee ones can play as well. They can paint up the bunting bits after you have added the tap as well as smoosh up the cupcake liner and glue things in place. The how to can be found over at craftzine.

guest blogging: Skip to My Lou

2011-06-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks! Skip on over to Skip to my Lou for my nifty take on making marbleized prints with shaving cream. Cindy has put together an awesome thirty days of fun with this summer's skip to My Lou {Craft Camp} so if painting is not your thing there is sure to be something to delight ya! Happy Crafting!

guest blogging: The Crafty Crow

2011-06-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

Howdy friends! This month over at The Crafty Crow, Cassi has put together a lovely series called A Book and a Craft. Being that this is right up my alley, I was delighted to be a contributor. Hop on over to check out my project based on a delightful book titled Willow's Whispers.

crafting for craft: make a play camera

2011-06-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

This one is for your kiddos! check out the craftzine blog for the tutorial. I'll be back on Tuesday to add a proper link. Happy crafting!

links-a-dilly

2011-05-31T17:28:00.000-07:00

As a progressive educator, I am always thrilled to pieces when I come across a kindred soul. Imagine my delirium when I found this awesome link-fest from Jenny of Let the Children Play. Bookmark her post when you get a chance, there is a lot of nifty reading to be found.

Recipe: Cake Batter Cookies

2011-05-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

This nifty and super easy recipe has much crowd appeal. You can use any cake mix you like and your kiddos can easily help out. Links can be found over at scrumdillydilly. Have fun!


cake mix, eggs & oil


roll in powdered sugar


on cookie sheet 2" apart


bake 8-10 min

good stuff for kiddos: they might be giants

2011-05-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Martha Graham

2011-05-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

If you've been online today and managed to google anything, you may have noticed the awesome Martha Graham Google icon. Martha Graham was a visionary in contemporary ballet and I urge you to give your kiddos a peek into her life. If you have a chance, check out this book form the library and/or hop on over to books together for a fantastic review and more info on the collaboration between Martha Graham, Aaron Copland and Isamu Noguchi. Youtube also has a few videos of dances she choreographed here and here and a peek at Applachian Spring can be found here.

DIY: Textured Baby Cloths

2011-05-10T18:11:00.000-07:00

This week on the long thread you will find all sorts of nifty DIY projects for you to make for your tiny ones. Kicking off the week is a project I created for them. Textured baby cloths! The tutorial can be found at scrumdillydilly but make sure to keep an eye out on the long thread all week!

Mother's Day: Mini Art Round Up

2011-05-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

*tape it up

*water it down

*sticky fingers

Mother's Day: Make Mini Art 3

2011-05-02T19:12:00.000-07:00

I've got three super quick and nifty ways to art it up tiny style. These little works of art will fit nicely in Mama or Grandma's wallet and would even look just dandy displayed on the fridge or pinboard. Add a tiny frame and well then you'll have a masterpiece! Here is project number 3 for ya!

You Will Need:

*water colors

*small paint brush (bristles)

*painters or quilters tape

*an ATC watercolor pad or one sheet watercolor paper

*paint friendly work area

*white oil pastel

scrumdilly-do it!

Tape your tiny ATC paper down to a sheet of newspaper or plastic placemat using painters or quilters tape. It's really important you use one of these kinds of tape otherwise your child's tiny little masterpiece will most likely get a wee bit shredded. These two kinds of tape lift up quite nicely (they might however really stick to the newspaper). Taping the paper down will both anchor it in place and create a pretty matte once it is finished. An ATC is also called an Artist Trading Card and blanks can be found at your local art store or on etsy. If you do not have access to this tiny paper you can cut it up yourself. An ATC generally measures 2 ½ X 3 ½ inches or 64 X 89 mm. Make sure you use a sturdy watercolor paper. It amps up the quality of your wee artist's work and keeps it nice and sturdy for wallet traveling.

Grab the white oil pastel and apply liberally to your kiddos thumb or finger. Have them press down as hard as they can wherever they choose (though an upper corner will leave a sun effect).

Next up, dip paintbrush into lightest color first and have your kiddo paint a small portion of their paper. Continue with remaining colors making sure to rinse brush in between colors. Limit their color palette to 2-4 colors and keep them in the same family so that if if and when they mix they will make a pretty color and not brown, unless brown is Mama's favorite.

Set aside to dry. If you like, you can have your kiddo reapply their colors after a brief intermission to the drying. This will add a deeper shade of color and create texture and shadows. It's all pretty nifty.

Remove taped border and enjoy your kiddo's masterpiece! Don't forget to have them sign and date the back if they are old enough, if not it's all up to you!

Mother's Day: Make Mini Art 2

2011-05-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

I've got three nifty ways to art it up tiny style. These little works of art will fit nicely in Mama or Grandma's wallet and would even look just dandy displayed on the fridge or pinboard. Add a tiny frame and well then you'll have a masterpiece! Here is project number 2!

You Will Need:

*water colors

*small paint brush (bristles)

*painters or quilters tape

*an ATC watercolor pad or one sheet watercolor paper

*paint friendly work area

scrumdilly-do it!

Have your kiddo dip a clean paintbrush into their (clean) water and have them paint their taped paper with the wet brush.

Next, beginning with the lightest color first, have your kiddo dab their brush into their paint and touch it to their paper. Oooh...look at that paint travel! The wet canvas will carry their paint a wee distance following whichever small valleys have formed from the water wash. Limit their color palette to 2-4 colors and keep them in the same family so that if if and when they mix they will make a pretty color and not brown, unless brown is Mama's favorite.

Clean brush and move onto another color. Use a tissue or soft cloth to dab excess paint if it gets too wet or muddy.

Allow to dry a little bit and add another thin coat of clean water. Continue to create more layers of color. don't forget to sign the back once it has dried completely!**

**An added bonus would be to have your kiddo write their name or tiny message to the ATC paper with a white crayon before painting. If your kiddo has just begun scribbling, ask them to write their name before painting. This would be all kinds of awesome! Grandma would love this as well.

Mother's Day: Make Mini Art 1

2011-05-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

I've got three quick and nifty ways to art it up tiny style. These little works of art will fit nicely in Mama or Grandma's wallet and would even look just dandy displayed on the fridge or pinboard. Add a tiny frame and well then you'll have a masterpiece! Here's project number one for you.

You Will Need:

*water colors

*small paint brush (bristles)

*painters or quilters tape

*an ATC watercolor pad or one sheet watercolor paper

*paint friendly work area

*scissors (optional)

scrumdilly-do it!

Once you have your paper taped down, cut or tear the tape into thinner and smaller bits and have your kiddo arrange them on their paper as they will. Encourage them to think of creating boxes and closed portions. These will be much easier to paint and look more organized once dry and the tape is removed.

Dampen brush and have your kiddo begin painting in each tiny box they created using their colors as they will. Have them begin with the lightest color first and end with the darkest, all the while rinsing their brush as they go. Limit their color palette to 2-4 colors and keep them in the same family so that if if and when they mix they will make a pretty color and not brown, unless brown is Mama's favorite.

If you cut the tape, the painted boxes will have clean, sharp edges. If you tear, the torn edges will absorb and carry the paint to other boxes. both have their advantages and look pretty spiffy. This won't take long at all but you may wish to have your kiddo reapply the paint once the first layer has dried as the watercolor will appear vibrant at first but fade as it dries.

Once completely finished, carefully remove tape beginning with the last piece that was placed on top of the paper. Ta-da! Have your kiddo sign the back and date it. Lookie there...pretty, tiny, art!

More Fun from the Archives: Cinco de Mayo Piñatas

2011-04-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Get thee some tissue paper, crepe paper, and paper lunch bags and have some fun! Detailed instructions (sans pics) can be found here, all the way back to 2007!

From the Archives: Extending Easter Goodies

2011-04-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

Make a memory game! That is, if you actually have any jelly beans left.

Painting Eggs, Three Ways!

2011-04-23T17:39:00.000-07:00

* Jeweled Egg

*Cracked Egg

*Stained Glass Egg

Happy Egg Day!

Egg Art: Part Three

2011-04-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week when we had all the watercolor supplies out, we decided to take advantage of the free time and paint supplies to make egg art three ways. Each of these three ways utilizes sturdy watercolor paper, watercolor paint, painters tape and crayons. Here is project numero dos. You can see the first project here and the second project here.

You Will Need:

*watercolor paper

*paintbrushes

*clean water

*white crayon

*ruler

*painter's tape

*cereal, cracker or cookie box

*scisssors

*watercolors

scrumdilly-do it!

Tape a sheet of sturdy watercolor to your work surface using painter's tape. This will both anchor your paper in place while you work and create a pretty matte effect once the tape is removed. Gather your cardboard egg shaped that you cut from project number two. If you did not do project number two, cut out an egg shape less than half the size of your paper from a thin cardboard container such as a cereal or cracker box. Cut another, smaller circular shape within your egg shape. Position egg shape onto your watercolor paper and tape into place by tearing strips of painter's tape into thinner strips and then arranging atop your paper in a criss-cross pattern. With a paintbrush, begin coloring in the white space all over your paper beginning with your lightest colors and ending with your darkest colors. Do not forget to rinse your brush as you go.

Continue painting in your white space. Use a paper towel, napkin or piece of old cloth to blot up the extra wet paint splotches.

When paint is dry, carefully remove tape. This may take a while as your pieces will be criss-crossed all over the place. Look for the top piece of tape and move from there. If you like, Use a pen or pencil to outline the colors of your center circle.

Looks a bit like a hardboiled egg sliced open, no? It also looks a little like a pretty stained glass picture. Find a happy place for it, stand back and admire!

Egg Art: Part Two

2011-04-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

You Will Need:

*watercolor paper

*paintbrushes

*clean water

*white crayon

*ruler

*painter's tape

*cereal, cracker or cookie box

*scisssors

*watercolors

scrumdilly-do it!

Tape a sheet of sturdy watercolor paper onto your work surface. this will both anchor your paper into place and act as a pretty matte once the tape is removed. Use a white crayon and ruler to create straight, criss-crossing lines all over your paper. Just go for it!

The lines will be difficult to see but if you move your eye level down so that is skims the top of the paper you will see the lines. Point this out to your kiddo and let them talk about it for a few minutes. The nephew a-go-go really like this part. Next, take a piece of cardboard (we like reusing our cereal boxes and such for this) and cut out an egg shaped stencil. Save the egg shape part for project number three. Tape down the remaining part of your stencil over your paper with painter's tape. Your kiddo can place the stencil wherever she or he wishes. Just make sure it doesn't scoot off of the paper.

Dip your paintbrush into some clean(ish) water and have your kiddo paint over the area inside the stencil. We're getting the paper ready to receive and carry the watercolor.

It's paint time! Dip your damp brush into preferred color of watercolor and gently touch it to the damp paper and watched it skate around. Begin with your lightest color first while ending with your darkest color last. Lookie how nifty the white crayon lines show through the paint. Ask your kiddos if they know why that happens . You can also take a little bit of time to explain that the wax is resisting the paint and that we call this a resist painting.

Continue adding color and more water until you are happy with the results. If you allow the paint to sit and dry a little bit before adding more of the same color or other similar color you will have a nice layered effect. Remove your painter's tape once the picture is completely dry.

Hang in a happy place, step back and admire!

Egg Art: Part One

2011-04-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

Tape a sheet of sturdy watercolor paper down onto your mess friendly work surface. (we like to use painters tape) Make sure to tape all around each side of your paper. This will hold the paper in place and create a pretty matte effect once it is removed. Draw an egg shape onto your paper using a white crayon or oil pastel. Color it in with the white crayon or pastel. Pick a colored crayon and add a few shapes surrounding your egg shape.

Continue adding shapes with other colored crayons or pastels. If using pastels, use your fingertip to smudge the color into the shapes. Good quality crayons will smudge as well, though not as much.

Select a vibrant watercolor color and paint on top of your picture in a large band. Rinse brush and select another color to continue across your page. This picture used two colors.

Continue filling your white space with watercolor. Once dry, carefully remove the blue painters tape.

Hang in a happy place and admire!

extend yer egg dye!

2011-04-22T15:20:00.000-07:00

Fun with Water, Paper & Paint

2011-04-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

The nephew a-go-go (who is 8) is on spring break this week and next, so we've been puttering around making, painting, drawing and crafting stuff. If the nephew had his way, he'd be making alien something or others non-stop but yesterday, the sister a-go-go pulled out a super nifty project from Water Paper Paint by Heather Smith Jones. The project she selected involved drawing with pencil, a large object and within, a smaller object. You then use watercolor to fill in the background and the small object within, leaving the large object as is. We explained to the nephew that this was an exercise and that for this there would be "rules" to follow.

After selecting a piece of watercolor paper (we used all sorts of sizes). He eagerly went to work creating a dragon with a U.F.O. (of course) clasped in its jaws. It was awesome. We gave him a quick lesson in watercolor using liquid watercolors, had him select a paint brush and let him begin.

Now, the boy is a bit of a perfectionist and needless to say, the watercolor was NOT behaving in a pleasing way for him. There was a lot of garumphing and frowning. He sighed the loudest sighs and came this close to tossing the paintbrush and giving up on the whole thing.

He wanted to start over. He NEEDED to start over but mean aunties that we are we said no. But hey, we said it gently. We encouraged him to move slower, to take breaths. We explained how different watercolor was from colored pencils. We pointed out the natural texture that we saw in his brush strokes and complemented him on color choices and he sighed a little more but kept going.

And then he wanted to paint his dragon, which was the LARGE object in his picture and we firmly told him that this exercise did not involve painting the dragon. We told him that he could paint the next dragon but that this one was to not be painted. He was NOT happy with that but I gently told him that this was an exercise. I talked about the difference between simply painting and creating and then creating within limits. I told him that sometimes we get very comfortable with making things we are good at and that working within limits can help us be even more creative. He listened and nodded and continued and made the most awesome painting!

And of course we let him do another and of course he painted his dragon. Actually, he used watercolor pencils on the dragon and then a damp brush to blend. I knew that if he tackled the beast with a wet brush there would have been much anxiety. The cool part is that he really got the hang of it. He talked about how he really liked working with the paint and that he noticed it was different from using pencils. He thought it was a good thing to do the first one as it was practice. I tried to tell him that if we let him paint the first dragon, he then wouldn't have TWO awesome dragon pictures. He even asked his mom if he could stay to finish painting, the boy remained focused and was really proud of his work.

In between it all, we did another project but that is for a different day. So what I mean to share with you is that allowing your kiddos to create for the sake of creating is totally the way to go but sometimes, boundaries too, are a very good thing. Just make sure they match your kiddo's temperament and skill and make sure you explain the reason behind the boundaries. And if you do decide to do something like this, turn it into a family thing. While the nephew worked on his painting, I, the sister a-go-go and the mama a-go-go also painted and then we looked at how different they were even though we used the same paint, paper and project. Have fun!

The Art Teacher's Closet: Drippy Monsters

2011-04-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that we like making art through straws. Lookie what Amanda from The Art Teacher's Closet did with her students. Totally cool!

*photo from The Art Teacher's Closet, go check out the rest!

Links for older kiddos

2011-04-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

A friend just asked me if I had any ideas for her and her niece. I set her up with this happy list. I don't mean these projects verbatim but using these as a jumping off point. They may appear more girlie but I know that with the right colors, supplies, creativity and attitude your boy-os would have just as much fun...though maybe not the apron...or at least not one as lacy as a kitchen curtain offers. By picking a theme or different color palette you can tie these all together. The nephwe a-go-go LOVES aliens so I would tweak each thing to become some sort of alien something-or-other. He'll be spending much of his spring break with us and in between the building of our Death Star Globe I think we'll make a few of these. What will you do?

*straw & paper garlands
*friendship bracelet
*no sew apron
*mp3 pouch from a juice pouch
*sugar buns
* word garland
*no sew scrappy bunting
*cascarones
*gluten-free clay beads

Playing with Tints, Painted Newspaper and Triangles

2011-04-06T13:23:00.000-07:00

I'm so sorry I'm a bit tardy with this follow-up project to the tinting project. I had it done but it's been super busy around these parts. I sat down and did this project sans kiddos but it has prompted the nephew a-go-go to plan an enormous dragon project using this idea for the scales. Imagine how awesome it would be to create a series of these in each color of the rainbow!

So, to begin, you will need a sheet of newspaper that has been tinted as described in this post. Once you have that done gather up your supplies and get ready for some triangular fun.

You Will Need:

*painted newspaper (1 sheet is more than enough)

*scissors

*glue stick

*acrylic or tempera paint

*empty cereal box or other carton

*pencil

*ruler

*white glue

scrumdilly-do it!

Grab your cereal box or other carton and flatten it out. Remove one large side and have your kiddo paint it a nice neutral color that will "go" with their tinted paper. Set aside to dry.

Once dry, flip over and have your kiddo use a ruler to measure in 1" (2.54 cm) around each side and then connect the marks using a straight line. They then should have a rectangle drawn inside the box carton.

This next part is for the grown-ups ONLY. Use a straight blade to cut into the rectangle towards the center. This is just to create an opening for your scissors to wiggle in. Use the scissors to remove the rectangle without cutting into your frame.

Ta-da! This will be the frame. Now, grab the other side of the carton and position the frame somewhat centered on top. Have your kiddo trace the rectangle onto the carton with a pencil. This will be your work space.

Bring the tinted newspaper into the workspace and cut a strip about 1 1/2" (3.81 cm) from one end of the tint spectrum to the other. Repeat. You may not need all the paper but having the choice of colors within the tin spectrum is nice. Next, have your kiddo turn the entire strip into a pile of triangles using a pair of scissors. Depending on the age of your kiddo you can let them have a go at it or turn it into a geometry lesson to see how to cut an equilateral triangle. Repeat for the second strip as well.

Once you have a pile of triangles, uncap that glue stick and get to gluing. You will want to begin the process a smidge outside the drawn rectangle. Happily apply glue stick to the surface of the rectangle. Gather up a triangle and place it along the bottom line beginning at either the left or right side, making sure to position it a little outside the lines. Place another triangle down next to the first until you reach the other side.

Next, repeat the same process but this time invert the triangles so that they are "upside down" and ready to snuggle into the open space between the first row of triangles. Continue moving up to the top of the rectangle, filling in all the space. Your kiddo can choose to continue with the tint theme moving from light to dark or vice-versa or they can pick randomly or approach it all as if it were a jigsaw puzzle.

Once the entire area is covered, it is time to add the second layer. For this your kiddo is going to wrap each triangle around their pencil to create a bit of curl and then apply the glue-stick just to the flat top (opposite the point) of their triangle. next they will affix the curled triangles atop the happy work area sticking to one triangle direction in each row. This too can be approached at random or following tint order.

Once dry and nicely "stuck", draw a thin line of white glue to the underside (back) of the painted frame and position over the design (you can also draw along the pencil line if you can see it). If the cardboard is being stubborn and won't stay in place, use a couple of clothespins or paper clips to anchor the pieces together.

Once the glue has dried, grown-ups can now trim the excess from the non-frame cardboard with a pair of scissors. If the triangles have lost a bit of their curl, your kiddos can gently rework them with their fingers. To hang, flip over and affix a paperclip, string or wire using glue or clear tape.

And finally, find a happy place to exhibit your nifty new piece of contemporary art!