Kick Arse Crafts: Awesome Activities

1. A New Jellyfish Craft
Preschool Playbook

2. Carrot Experiment
Chasing Cheerios

3. Color Collage
No Time for Flash Cards

4. Cornstarch Clay
Sweet Thing(s)

Kick Arse Crafts: Awesome Activities

1. Pop and Lock
No Time for Flash Cards

2. "Five Green and Speckled Frogs" Hand Puppet
Her Cup Overfloweth

3. Crafty Recycled Items
Ramblings of a Crazy Woman

4. Betsy McCall Paper Doll Printables
Teri's Paper Doll Scans

April Showers Mobile

We've been steadily attacking this April Showers project today. We didn't have any bingo daubers so we used finger paint instead. I have a hunch it will be just fine. Thanks goes to Ramblings of a Crazy Woman for posting such wonderful kids crafts!

Happy Earth Day!

In honor of Earth Day RunninL8 of Mountain Pulse whipped up these Recycled Pop Bottle Luminaries. I am loving the colors.

On a side note, did you know that for today only you can get a free rebate form for Recycled Reynolds Wrap? I already printed off mine. As Granny Mae says, "Free is the best bargain there is!"

Kid Craft Showcase & Bunny Basket

I couldn't think of what to write about today but then it hit me while I was hanging up our latest craft- Why not show some of the projects we've been working on recently? So, here you go, a few fun kid crafts:

I'm sorry to say I don't have a picture tutorial for this one. I saw something similar a few weeks back and decided to give it our own spin. Take a rinsed milk carton and cut down from the handle making a hole big enough to give adult hands access. Then draw an outline with your sharpie or marker around the circles already imprinted on the carton (one will cave in slightly giving the eyes different sizes). Glue your pink pompom nose first. Then stretch cotton balls for the material. You can use tacky glue to paste them down.

Now it's time to tackle the ears. I cut mine from a cereal box and glued down some pink construction paper before gluing them to the carton at an angle. You could use card stock or other cardboard, the kids can color or paint the pink part if they'd like. You'll want to let it dry a bit now so the ears aren't falling off.

This brings you to the two pompom eyes and whiskers. Glue those down too. The pipe cleaners hold better if you can touch them to the carton rather than the cotton. Mine were cut from 2 brown pipe cleaners. And there you have it, one cheap bunny basket.

All in all I'd say it turned out well, wouldn't you? ^-^

This is the pond we painted last night based on Totally Tots' Small Small Pond tutorial. We'll be adding more to it as time goes on. Instead of dealing with the hassle of a tarp I used masking tape on two sheets of poster board to hold them to the bathtub wall. Cleanup was quick and easy after we finished. We painted using our new Menard's free after rebate paintbrushes.

No Time for Flashcards has a series of ABC project tutorials. So far we've made it up to "F." G is a work in progress.

Hanging from our art clothesline is another work in progress- Roots and Wing Co.'s Paper Plate Easter Wall Hanging.

And for those of you who remember, just thought I'd post a picture of our balcony after altering 5 Orange Potatoes' wishing tree idea. I got 4 kinds of ribbon at the dollar store for it, pretty cheap for something so cheery.

DTLK's Easter Crafts

Still sick on this front, just figured I'd post a few crafts I found over at DTLK. They also have these nifty bible-based Easter Story Cookies I'm hoping to make next weekend.

CD Bunny Face

Handprint Chick Paper Craft

Rabbit Windsock Craft

Easter Egg Tree Paper Craft

(available in both individual and bulletin board sizes)

The Wishing Tree

I am loving this Wishing Tree from 5 Orange Potatoes. If any of you are apt dwellers like me, this can easily be adapted for balcony railings or even cabinet doorknobs. Seeing as how Am can't write yet let alone phrase a sentence we'll just buy ribbons with a spring theme for decoration. It's something fun to do outside before the gardens get going.

Pop-A-Egg

Easter is coming up here more quickly than I had planned. Fortunately for me we just so happen to have everything needed for Faith and Gasoline's fun Pop-A-Egg craft/game. You could even shred some junk mail for decoration in an eco-friendly move.

Spring Fling Chip It Clip It

I know it's been done before but there's something about No Time for Flash Card's Chip It Clip It that makes me want to run to the Walmart paint section right now. I mean, aren't those colors adorable? Spring must just be running through my veins.

Rainbow/Patty's Projects (Image Heavy)

Thought you might like some kid-friendly ideas to go with the food. ^^ Here a few of my favorites this month:

Soft Collage Shamrock from No Time for Flash Cards

Family Fun's Magic Treasure Box Tradition

Easy St Patrick's Day Decoration from The Ramblings of a Crazy Woman

Family Fun's Green Potato Stamp

My Montessori Journey's Shamrock Number Stamping

DTLK's Five Green Shamrocks Felt Board Rhyme

Preschool Playbook's Rainbow Skittles Treat

St Pats Day Sensory Tub from Teachingtinytots

Preschool Daze's Rainbow Kites

The Toymaker's Saint Patrick's Day Printables

Marshmallow Rainbow from No Time for Flash Cards

Easy Shamrock Sunchaser

It just so happens I'm sitting on a wealth of tissue and cardboard paper right now. I won't even have to go shopping to make this Easy Shamrock Sunchaser from Ramblings of a Crazy Woman.

Kool-Aid Dyed Yarn

I posted awhile back about dying play silks with kool-aid. Red Velvet Art has a similar post for Kool-Aid Dyed Yarn. This is perfect for re-dying those ugly old skeins someone might have "handed down" to you. I happen to be sitting on a heap of greyish pepto-bismol ones right now.

Homemade Glue

As of next week, after the new year, we'll be starting up our home pre-preschool attempts. I have a collage and puppet project planned but couldn't find the glue anywhere. That's why it's so lucky I stumbled onto I Never Grew Up's Homemade Glue post. I like how it's made from edible, easy to find ingredients. Even though I don't want Am chowing down on glue this will help me worry less about our first experiments with it.

SURPRISE!!!

Okay, I'm back early. No, nothing has changed. The blogging bug bit me so I figured I'd stop cleaning and type up another post or two while I can. For instance, you can find the tutorial for this kick-arse Homemade Chinese Dragon over at that artist woman!

December Coloring Page & Other Fun

Am & I had fun Monday night coloring this December Coloring Page from Tricia-Rennea Art. You can find the download there.



Now, I'm a big believer in validating children's creativity. That's why I made this Art Clothesline right above the couch. (If you look closely you can see the coloring page.) It's the focal point of the living room. It's also quite handy for hang-drying flowers. All you need are 2 nails, some thin rope, and clothespins.



The bat clothespins were made during Halloween using FamilyFun's directions. I used black foam, tacky glue, clothespins, scissors, and some puffy paint for the eyes.

Merry Marshmallow Men

*Passes out from sheer cuteness*

I am -in love- with these Merry Marshmallow Men from Gingerbread Snowflakes. What a fun little craft!