Mommy and We

Archive for the ‘Crafts’ Category

West Virginia weather isn’t cooperating, so we’re making snowflake crafts. Snow is beautiful when it’s on the mountains and in the trees but you can’t keep it. And it’s not so great when it’s on the roads and making things generally icky. It’s also been in the 60′s the last couple of days (camping weather, here we come!!), so home made snowflakes it is! (Don’t forget to check out our Star Wars Snowflakes craft, too!)

I know I’ve told you that I love to make crafts with the kids and I’m supposing that maybe you do, too. So Pinterest addict that I am, I found this great tutorial for a glue snowflake craft that looks as if it’s stained glass. The tutorial I used uses string but of course I didn’t have any so I just used my trusty hot glue gun. While the outside of the snowflake isn’t exactly something the kids can help you with, they can easily do the inside. When it’s done it looks like a beautiful stained glass snowflake. (Of course the original pinner’s is a lot prettier than mine.)

What you’ll need for my version of the snowflake craft:

• hot glue gun (low temp works fine)
• wax paper
• school glue (ModPodge may even work!)
• food coloring – your color choice. I used blue ’cause it’s my favorite!
• toothpick
• snowflake template (from the original post where I got my “Pinspiration” or if you’re artistic, draw your own)

1. Heat your glue gun. I used clear glue sticks, but you could probably use any color and get away with it!
2. Lay a piece of wax paper over your snowflake template.
3. “Draw” over your snowflake with your hot glue. Allow to dry. 
4. Fill each hole in your snowflake design with school glue.
5. Before the glue dries, dip the end of your toothpick in the food coloring. Swirl around in your glue.
6. Let it dry.
7. Once it’s dry, tear the wax paper off from around your snowflake. It will stick to the hot glue. you can wet your finger a bit and rub it off.
8. Tie on string to hang.

TaaDaa!! Pretty snowflake!! (Please excuse my stained pot holder…at least you know I cook!)

If you make our craft, please send some pics either through the contact page or on our facebook!

 
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We love to make crafty things here at my house. Especially me & Gwen. Tristan LOVES Star Wars. Imagine my surprise (and his delight) when I came across these freaking amazing Star Wars Snowflakes. The patterns are even FREE–I love free! (but they won’t cry if you give them a donation-and they’re well worth it!)

They have LOTS of the characters, such as Darth Vader, and Han Solo. They even have patterns for the Millennium Falcon and TIE Fighters and the Imperial Logo. They are very detailed and they turn out AMAZING. They look so hard, but in actuality, they weren’t all that bad. It’s not really something Gwen got to help with (I surprised them when they came home from school), but she has been making “regular” paper snowflakes with me. They are going to be a great addition to our Christmas decorations this year. I love it! Here are some of ours:

Top left is Boba Fett-Tristan’s Favorite. Middle is Yoda, Mommy’s favorite and on the top right is one that Gwen made. WAY too cute! Here is the Boba Fett and Yoda snowflakes close up. (Don’t look too hard or you’ll see my little screw-ups! But, hey…Snowflakes are SUPPOSED to be imperfect…Right???)

The kids LOVED them, so I suppose that’s all that matters. The Yoda one isn’t included on the Matters of Grey website, but is linked to from there (I am an idiot and couldn’t figure that out at first; hence me telling you). Head over & let me know which YOU will be making first!! Next on my list is Chewie! Then R2 and probably Darth Vader…

If you make our Star Wars Snowflake Craft, we’d love to see pictures! Please send them via the contact page or share them on our Facebook page!

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I’ve told you A LOT that I LOVE Halloween…I know…But here’s something to make Halloween a little more special and fun at your house. A free Halloween Crafts eBook for you & the little ones to make all kinds of great Halloween Crafts!

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With the cost of babysitters increasing and the economy making it more difficult to be able to take time off work, more and more families are looking towards the grandparents to help. Grandparents do seem to be getting younger these days compared with earlier generations, but there are still times when the more active of children’s activities is out of the question. At times like these, spending time creatively is a great way to keep the children entertained and keeps them away from computer games and the TV on rainy afternoons.

Quality Time

Any parent will know that children of preschool and junior school age love to make creative works of art, by drawing, colouring or cutting and pasting pictures to display for their family. No parent can fail to have a teary eye when presented with their child’s work. Doing this with a grandparent is a relatively easy activity and can, in my experience, help to strengthen the bond between the generations, especially if families find it difficult to spend as much quality time together as they might want to.

Scrapbooking

On this basis, what better thing is there to do than to make a scrapbook. If you use cuttings from magazines or comics, coloured paper, old wrapping paper and even the many free newspapers everyone ends up stockpiling; it can be an inexpensive, messy (but not too messy!) and fun bonding experience for all the family. It can also be a great way to keep paintings and drawings made by a child when there is no space left on the fridge door. The scrapbook can be a memento for the grandparent or even the grandchild in later years. If done on a regular basis it can also be used as a slightly more individual, special way to document a child growing up.

Get Started!

To start scrapbooking you really don’t need much more than the average family home already offers. Just cover a round dining table with old newspaper to protect the surface; collect the materials and you are ready for action. Child friendly scissors and glue sticks are a necessity to get the children actively involved and make it a joint project. If using paint, make sure that they wear an overall or old clothes so that it does not matter if they get dirty; every activity is better when the adult isn’t worrying and the child is doing exactly what they want! Grandparents can play their part by letting the kids choose the design, layout and inspiration, and they can, in turn, provide the descriptions for the pictures and events; making the scrapbook not just another rainy day activity, but a record to be kept and added to on subsequent rainy days.

 
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It’s hotter than…well, you get the picture…here today.  We have a heat advisory. Heat indexes around 105, they say. So what’d I decide to do? Look for some nice wintery crafts! By the end of today, I’ll be looking like some of these poor little snowmen! Enjoy…All are linked, just click on their pics to get to the full instructions!

First off is Craft Elf’s Melted Snowman:

This is too cute! Uses stuff you already have laying around, including RECYCLING a water bottle…

Then we have About.com’s Melting Snoman:

This one is quick & easy. Would be a great thing for little fingers whose owners can’t go outside today!

This one isn’t melty, but he is adorable!

Craftideas.info offers instructions to make this awesome little wash mitt snowman:

What will you be doing today?

 
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