Big Paper Snowflake

We get to enjoy making various types of snowflakes from October through April (hopefully not May...). This is one of our favorites.

We make one or two of these big beautiful snowflakes every year. You need 7 squares of paper, scissors, a pencil, and clear tape. We used white paper cut in 9" squares.

Fold in half to make a triangle, then in half again forming a smaller triangle.

With the open sides at the bottom, cut three lines, parallel to the long straight side, from the bottom, almost to the top (but do not cut through the top). Use the picture below as a guide. Draw first if that helps.

When you open it up, it should look like this. Now, repeat with the remaining 6 squares.

Now, you want to make each piece 3-dimensional. Take the top and bottom corner, bring them together and secure with clear tape. Then take the next top and bottom corners and bring them together on the opposite side and secure with tape. Looks like we started with the inside pieces...

It really does not matter how you start as long as you end up with seven pieces like the one pictured below.

Now line them up and tape the sides together so that they form a long line. We only have five lined up in the picture, just pretend there are seven.

Finally you want to tape the bottoms together so that it forms a round snowflake. As you can see, I took over at this point. It can be tricky getting the corners together.

These are beautiful in a classroom or a space that can accommodate a bunch especially if they are various sizes and colors.

Painting with Vroom Vrooms

"Vroom Vrooms" have been a huge part of our lives since Waylon was mobile enough to scoot to the stroller and try to spin the wheels. He takes them everywhere. He sleeps with them, eats with them, bathes with them and paints with them. Now every little guy (or girl) enjoys running a car through some paint to make tracks on the paper, but Waylon manages to do it regardless of my intention. I will set out paint and brushes, or paint and gadgets, or fingerpaints, etc. and he will somehow produce a car and start painting with it or painting it.

Washing the car in a tub of soapy water might even be more fun than painting it. Perfect for a cold January day.

Cutting Wheatgrass

Oh Color Color Color, I have missed you. I have been sewing, knitting, crafting, and painting so much that I have not wanted to take a break to tell anyone about it. In fact, with all the turkey art around here, I cannot believe I did not post anything for Thanksgiving. I feel like a squirrel, I have a huge storehouse of images stored up for the darkest days of winter. Actually, these are the darkest days of winter. It has been very cold and dark. This is the time of year that I am ready for dinner by 3:00 and want to go to bed at 5:00. We can always use a little something green and alive this time of year. That is why I like to grow wheatgrass. We plant it, watch it grow, care for it and trim it. There is just something therapeutic about cutting the blades with a pair of scissors.

To grow wheatgrass you simply press wheat berries into soil. Water it and watch it grow. It comes up in a couple of days and grows fast. I suppose we could juice it or eat it too. But for now we will just continue to play.

Owl Cake

I made this cake a few weeks ago for a cake auction fundraiser at my daughter's school. It was so cute and easy...and it got lots of bids) I found an image of an owl cake and tried my best to copy. I should warn you, you will have to tilt your head to view the last two pictures. For some reason they will not rotate, but I think it is worth the neck stretch.

I made a chocolate cake using two round pans. I cut one piece to look like the tufts on the top of an owl's head.

White frosting for the face and belly....

...Chocolate frosting along the edges. The feathers are sliced almonds, the beak is a pecan. I dusted two dried pineapple rings with powdered sugar for the eyes and the eyeballs are chocolate covered almonds.

Enjoy!

Luminated 3-Dimensional Jack-o-Lantern

A few months ago a stumbled across this great idea via the Artful Parent for making a 3D contact paper stained glass sculpture. I applied that concept to make this little guy for Halloween.

I made a circle with 20 gauge wire in the size I wanted the jack-o-lantern to be. I cut a larger circle of clear contact paper-- large enough to fold the edges of contact paper around the wire and have some room to make it 3-dimensional. Clear packing tape was necessary to reinforce the seams.

I made a face using black yarn, but I think it would have been cuter to let the kids draw a face with a Sharpie (or the yarn--their faces are always better). They stuck bits of tissue paper on the sticky side. Then we stood it up and pushed the contact paper around until it was the shape we wanted and able to stand on its own. We put a little LED tea lite behind him and it glows beautifully.

The LED candles have been a major source of entertainment the last few weeks. The lights are always being turned off so they can set up the candles.

I had to include this photo of our huge sweetheart, JJ. Always involved in, even if oblivious to, the action around him. At one point he had about four candles on him before he looked up.

Easy Kid Made Outdoor Ghost

We made this spooky little cutie last week using a stick, a plastic white table cloth, fiber fill, a pipe cleaner and a sharpie. We wanted to decorate the outside of the house with ghosts, but wanted something that would withstand the elements. This is easy and not messy.

We stuck ours in a flower pot, but they would also be cute in the garden.

First, find a stick. A straight stick is okay, a branchy stick will create the illusion of arms or movement. A branchy stick is more likely to tear the tablecloth so be careful.

Gather your materials. You will need to cut the tablecloth so that it fits the stick you are using. A round piece will make a softer bottom edge. A square will work too, and is easier for a little one to cut.

Secure the bottom of the stick and add some fluff to the top. Plastic grocery bags make great stuffing too.

Center the tablecloth piece over the fluff.

Twist the neck tight with a pipe cleaner.

Draw a face with a sharpie.

A Few Things I Want to Try

These pictures are totally unrelated to this post, but I could not resist.

There are so many incredible ideas out there. One of my favorite late night treats is to navigate my way through blog land and get inspired. I know, that might sound pretty lame, but chances are if you are reading this, you have similar interests. By the time I get the kids to bed and finish all the lunch making, dish washing, clothes folding and mess cleaning I am really too tired to do much else. It actually works out well. My husband is in his Netflix world on the couch. I am sitting across the room in heaven reading about sewing projects I will someday do and new ways to use chalk. We both have a glass of wine and exchange occasional smiles. The first snow of the season is on the ground, the house is cozy... life is good!




So about those ideas. I am presently inspired by many things, but will only share a few. I love  MaryAnn F. Kohl's Dark Sugar Chalk. I did try this while Hollin was at school and Waylon was napping. I did not take pictures, I figured I should really let the kids have a chance. It really is fun.

Zakkalife has a beautiful idea of switching from paper to leaves as a painting surface.

I love this sweet drawing book from Paint Cut Paste. A beautiful way to keep and treasure the many drawings made by your child.

The Mother Lode is truly loaded with good stuff. I especially love this embroidered family hands project.

I really want to get some little ones together and make some paper shapes like the ones featured on The Artful Parent.


And there is so much more out there!