Snack Bags

The boys just love eating Popcorn with their Movies and Shows. If we sit down to watch a show or movie the first thing they ask is if they can have some popcorn. Its no wonder they love it, its sort of become a staple in my Family since my Great Grandmother, the boys Great Great Grandmother, swears that it helps you live longer and has eaten it everyday for as long as any of us can remember. I bet Nana would love to eat her popcorn from a special Snack Bag. Maybe we should make one and send it to her...

So easy;
Paper lunch bag
Crayons and Stickers
Popcorn or any Dry Treat.

I cut the bags down a little so it was easier for the kids to reach in. I wrote their names on them and then just let them go to town with their skills.

Owl Always Love You!!

A late Valentines craft. Things around here have been hectic, (as usual). So here was our Valentines craft this year. So much fun an easy for the kids to help put them together.

Supplies:
a toilet paper roll
some ribbon
a rubber band
construction paper
glue

Supplies

Fold in the ends of the roll and hold together with a rubber band.

Cover the rubber band with a ribon and tie off at the top (as a hanger). Wrap paper around for the body.

Add Wings, Eyes, Beak, and a Cute Tag Line special for your Valentine.

2012 Christmas Frame

This year, as our homemade, Christmas Craft we made Holiday Frames. We framed our Christmas Card and sent it out to our family as a special gift. Xzavier did a great job painting the frames and the star piece in the corner. We had a lot of fun working on them together, it really turned into some great one on one time for me and my little man. He was cracking me up, most of the time, singing Christmas Carols and talking about Santa. He's getting so big!

Paper Plate Wreath / Triangle Lesson

Another Oldie, I remember doing these as a kid in school. We were also having a triangle lesson that day so I incorporated the triangles in with the craft project. I cut out different shapes and had the kids pick out only the triangles from the pile to decorate their wreath. Now I have to find another project to use up the other shapes. Ha

-One Paper Plate
-Construction Paper
-Green Paint
-Paint Brushes
-Paint Shirts (optional)
-Small piece of ribbon to hang your wreath.

The Finished Product

We started out fairly clean

Getting sloppy!

"Getting Messy Is the fun part!" said X

Reindeer Puppets

and again I used the Old Paper Lunch Bag Puppet Idea. This time we added antlers and a red nose to make them look like our favorite reindeer, Rudolph.

-The Red Nose is a piece of felt.
-The antlers were cut outs of the kids hands. I love projects that reflect their size, its always fun to look at them a few years later and see how much they've grown.
-As a collar I had a left over piece of ribbon and a small bell. Santa's reindeer must always wear a magical bell! :)

Lennox's on the left and Xzavier's on the Right

Hand Print Turkeys and Fall Art Work

I just wanted to document two of our other fall projects before we started on Winter and Christmas stuff...

My boys love collecting Leaves and Acorns from our yard so I decided to use them in an art project. Really we just glued them to some paper but they were more interested in this project then most others that I put in front of them. They were so excited to run around collecting their Leaves and Acorns, then their excitement turned to pride when they arranged their findings on paper and saw the finished product.

We also made Hand Print Turkeys (a traditional fall art project). Xzavier and Liam had so much fun this this one. They loved it when I was painting their palms. They were laughing so hard about it tickling them. We just placed their hand prints on the back of small paper plates and decorated by painting feathers, beaks and feet... Liam even came back to the table, asking to paint some more after we were finished which is unusual for him. I normally have a hard time keeping him interested in just completing his project. With that being said I gave myself a pat on the back for this one.

Thankful Tree

This year Xzavier has really been into thanking God for all the things in his life. Every night before bed we say our prayers then he lists (a million) things that he's thankful for so I knew it was time to start the Thankful Tree as a new Thanksgiving Tradition. When I told him about the project he loved it, he was even telling me things that Lennox was thankful for.

Xzavier; Bats (still Suck on Halloween), Trees, Cozy Bed, Letters, Sunshine, Leaves, Ourselves (X asked, "We can be Thankful for Ourselves Right?") & Little Bear (His special Teddy).

Lennox; Books, Food (X said, "Lennox loves books and all his food.", Big Bear (his special teddy), Toys & Family

Hand Print Mold, Turkeys

Recipe:
Equal parts Flour and Salt, We used 1/2 Cup Each
Add Water until mixture is like dough, We used 1/4 cup.  
Place dough on a small paper plate (ours was 7 in) covered in tinfoil. This will help the dough keep a circular shape.
Make hand impressions
Bake 250 degrees for 4 1/2 hrs
Once the dough has hardened and cooled.
Paint and Seal.

We made ours into Turkeys but I'm sure you could make something for any holiday or occasion.
I recommend making the dough a head of time. Although the kids did enjoy seeing and learning about how the matter changed from powder to dough to a hard mold. (that part is up to you).

It was a messy project, not one that I wouldn't normally pick but a friend learned of a similar one and wanted to try it. He turned to me to be the project mediator. Oh man the kids were a mess and so was my garage and all the toys in it. We allowed the kids to mix their own dough but when they lost interest (5 mins in) they began to wonder and touch everything in sight with their sloppy hands. Not to mention Lennox couldn't stop eating his mixture and licking his hands (Gross). The painting part of the project was a lot more fun and organized... Although they don't look like Turkeys, We know what they are :)

The Finished Product

Landen

Xzavier

Lyvia

Lennox, with my help.

2012 Turkey Bread Basket

As we did last year again we made a Turkey Bread Basket. Xzavier and Lennox decorated new feathers and we put them in the basket from last year and used the spoon turkey face from last year too. This year I bought a bag a gourds at Walmart for two dollars to add. I love this basket on my table. The kids are always so proud for their art to be displayed and used in our Thanksgiving Feast as the Bread Basket...

Diaper and Towel Cakes

A number of years ago I found a creative way to give a gift. I always loved making special, unique, personal gifts for people on special occasions. I used to make baskets with personal touches to accent the occasion and person. For example for a friends wedding shower I put together a kitchen basket with a bunch of seasons, towels, and utensils and a cookbook. For my cousins Grad Party I made a popcorn bucket, basket with microwaveable popcorn, different popcorn salt flavors and a few movies.
I soon got bored with baskets and after receiving a Diaper Cake from my Friend Christa I found a new love. Check out her Blog with the Diaper Cakes She's Made also, They are Amazing.

Here are all the Diaper and Towel Cakes that I've made. I hope to make many more...

A Small Diaper Cake for a friend at work:

Under the Sea Diaper Cake Theme for Mandi's Shower:

Pink and Brown Diaper Cake for Jenn:

 Pizza Themed gift made for my Aunt to give at a wedding shower;
             I shipped this to my aunt after putting it together and she also added a Pizza Pan underneath.

Towel Cake for my Sister's Peacock Themed Wedding Shower: