Yet again July 4th is round the corner, and it's time to celebrate Independence Day. Not for me, you understand, since I am very much still part of the Commonwealth, but in recognition of Uncle Neal, who is in America, with Aunty Britt and cousins Leo and Isabel. It's great that we can do crafts here in the UK to make the connection with our fanily across the pond stronger. So here are three great ways that we have used to make … [Read more...]
Simple Paper Plate Crafts for summer
The summer holidays are just a round the corner and if you are like me you are beginning to panic a little about how to keep your children occupied over the long break. Which is why we had a hangout over on the NetMums channel today talking about Simple Summer Crafts you can make with your children from items that you already have at home. Based on my epic 150 Things to make with a paper plate post, I chose Simple Paper Plate Crafts for … [Read more...]
How to make a number 5 door hanging from a cardboard box
In many ways making a number five from a corrugated cardboard box is very simple. It's the decorating that was time-consuming. But you can use this basic model to make either a pinata or a door hanging to celebrate any birthday. 1. chop up your cardboard box. I took off the sides and bottom. With corrugated card you have to think about the grain and how you will use it. 2. Cut two large number 5's from the largest … [Read more...]
{Craft} Father’s Day desk golf set
I remember seeing an episode of Mister Maker about a year ago in which he crafted a table golf set in a minute, and thought that it would make a great craft for Father's Day, and never got around to trying to make one. Yet when I saw an old jar lid the other day it popped back into my mind so I dug out our air-drying clay and sought to recreate the project. It took me more than a minute, though. I used a jam jar lid for stability. It … [Read more...]
How to make a Chinese Pellet Drum
If you are of my generation you will remember the scene in Karate Kid II where a Chinese Drum is used to great effect in the climax of the story. Actually I've just checked Wikipedia and seen that the one in the movie is a Den-Den Daiko, which is Japanese, but pellet drums exist across vast swathes of Eastern culture, so I'm guessing I can call this a Chinese Drum. Anyway, the Karate Kid inspired my father to make my brothers and I some pellet … [Read more...]
My Top Ten Potty Training Tips
It feels like a thousand years since my youngest was trained, but she's only just three. Which means that this time last year, I was 'in the zone'. She received pants as a birthday present from her Granny and that was it: she insisted she never wear nappies again. I have to say that part of the ease of it is her personality. Once she decided it was time, it was time. Which is my first tip: 1. Listen to your child. You know them … [Read more...]
Stick Puppets using puzzle pieces: Two Little Dickie Birds
I bought a jigsaw from a charity shop recently only to find that there was a piece missing. Yes I could have returned it but at 50p it wasn't worth the effort, so my thoughts turned to crafts suing puzzle pieces and what I could make with them. If you stare at puzzle pieces for long enough, especially when they are turned over so you cannot see the picture, it's surprising what you can see: a bit like staring at clouds until you see images in … [Read more...]
