365 Days With Kiddos - #27 - Make Paper Puppets from a Children's Book

My kids don't watch a lot of TV. I try to make sure they have lots of opportunities to use their imaginations. They have been to a couple of puppet shows, thanks to the Banff Public Library and preschool. They also own more books than most children I know.

Recently, on a snowy day, I was going through these books, trying to cull a few from the collection. There is no shortage of things I could do with the ones that are in good shape; some could be passed on to friends, some could be sold to the second hand book store, and some could go to the thrift store. But what to do with the ones that are in bad shape? My toddler and I volunteer at a local thrift store a few times a week while my eldest is at preschool. We organize their books. I know for certain they do not need anymore damaged books that people could not bear to get rid of but that the store has to ultimately throw away. My kids are pretty respectful of their books, but some books I find at rummage sales and thrift stores I bring home unaware of the full extent of damage inside. We read around crayon and marker scribbles, bent pages, and stickers. We try to repair ripped pages and loose covers. But some books, namely pop up books and books that contain flaps can be a bit of a bummer when they are wrecked.

On this day, I was specifically inspired to find a use for a Spot book that was missing important pieces that conceal part of the page until you lift them up. More than half of these pieces were ripped out when it came to us. I mulled it over and remembered a cookie tin full of colored Popsicle sticks that I have also been wanting to use. The Spot book had heavy weight card stock pages, which once glued to Popsicle sticks could make great... PUPPETS! I also grabbed a heavy weight Kindermusik song book with simple illustrations that I had repaired on a couple of occasions but that refused to staying together. Voila! Time to get crafty with the cooped up kids... what a fun project for a winter storm day!

Make Puppets from Old Books
By Tiffany Teske

Materials
~ Books with card stock pages (or as a variation on this craft you can use thinner book pages glued to poster board or card stock and then cut out)
~ Scissors
~ Popsicle sticks
~ White glue (PVA is better than school glue because it won't wrinkle the paper)

Directions
1) Select the images you want to cut out of your book, remembering that you can probably only cut out an image from one side of the page.
2) Rip out the pages you will use.
3) Cut out the images. For young children who are learning to cut it is not important for them to be precise. For older kids, they can cut on the lines that are provided around the images. We didn't stick to a plan, some of the images we used are cut out on the lines and for some of them we cut out a whole scene rather than just a piece. We also cut out the title of the books so we could use them as the titles when we started out puppet show.
4) Glue your Popsicle sticks to your pieces. I am out of PVA glue so we used school glue which has more water in it and it will wrinkle even card stock if used too heavily, which is normal for young children. If you only have school glue you can minimize wrinkling by using a brush to apply the glue, sparingly. The point here is fun for your kids, not professional puppets. We didn't put Popsicle sticks on all of our pieces because my daughter wanted to use some of them like paper dolls.
5) Throw a blanket over a table and have a puppet show!

I am always happy to hear from readers who have made this craft, either on their own, or because they were inspired here. Please leave a comment if you have something to share!

Happy New Year! 365 Days with Kids - #21 - Make a Banner to Celebrate the New Year (or ANY Special Occasion)

Welcome 2011! 2010 was a great year for us, so I was in no rush for 2011, but here it is. Our family has been partying for over a week now and I am looking forward to relaxing from the relaxing :) My husband and eldest daughter didn't make it to midnight, but my 18 month old and I were treated to a fireworks show from my bedroom picture window. Nice! She has been going to bed way too late and sleeping in way too late so I had a feeling this morning that she and I would probably be ringing in the New Year together. It was fun to watch her eyes glued to the bursting fireworks as she babbled "Happy New Year!" It was even more fun to know it was freezing cold outside (-26 C) but we were in the warmth of our home watching this harbinger of the New Year. All while Sister slept in the next room and Daddy snored...

Earlier in the day, when my little one was napping, her sister and I decided to make something to celebrate New Year's Day. We settled on a banner. It was amongst a plethora of  New Year's crafts for kids on a site called Kaboose. We gave it our own twist, of course. I thought of making a paper banner but we decided that if we were going to take the time to make it, we might as well make something we can use year after year. While it may be too late for your own New Year's Day banner, this craft can be adapted for any holiday or celebration. We have decided to keep the "Happy" banner up all year round...

New Year's Banner
By Tiffany Teske

What You Need:
- Craft felt in up to 12 colors
- Colorful yarn or string
- Felt glue
- Scissors
- Sharpie
- Sequins; we used very fancy ones...

How To

1. Measure out a rectangle of felt that is 3" x 8". Cut it out. Use it as a template with the other colors by tracing around it with the sharpie. You will need 12 rectangles in all. Cut out each one. I wanted to use pinking shears but Quin wanted to use the regular scissor...

2. Cut your yarn into two 48" pieces. Find the center of one. This banner will say "Happy". Center your middle flag, the one that will be the first "P", on the center of the yarn. Apply glue to the inside of the bottom half of the rectangle, then line up the top of the rectangle, over the yarn, with the bottom and push them together, smoothing with your hand so they stick well. Move over an inch on each side of the first rectangle and do the same for the next two and then the next two flags.

3. For the second banner, find the center of the yarn and attach the flag that will have the "Y" for "year". To the right of the "Y", spacing each flag out by an inch, attach each flag for the rest of the word "year". To the left of the "Y" about 2 - 3 inches over, attach the three flags for the word "new".

4. Using the felt glue and working on one flag at a time, write the first letter in the font of your choice on the first flag. Place your sequins onto the glue and press down so they are secure. The glue will dry clear so don't worry if there is a bit extra.

5. When you are finished with all of the flags let your banners dry for several hours to overnight. When you pick the banners up for hanging, check to make sure all the sequins are securely attached and reglue any that fall off.

6. Hang you banner!

There are many variations for this craft. You can use regular sequins, glitter, metallic confetti, or craft jewels for your bling. Or you can cut out the letters from felt or other fabric. To jazz up the flags you can use a pinking shears or a different shape than a rectangle. I am sure I will be trying several banner variations in the coming year. Quin, who is 4 1/2, enjoyed the results and was able to stick with me through the sequin glueing on the "Happy" banner. I did the rest. She is looking forward to making an Easter banner and now that we know we can hang it across the window between our kitchen and dining room we may have to try a double sided version. Plus, I am a bit of a font junkie so I want to try this with different fonts. Also, this is a nice idea for a birthday gift for kids. If you have ever made a banner I would love to hear about it...

Happy 2011 Everyone!

Recycled Art for Kids: Painted Rocks Project #1 - The Caterpillar

I just finished teaching a Recycled Art class series for kids aged almost 5 to 9. It can be challenging to select activities for that span of ages, but it can be done. One day we did two painting projects, both of which involved painting rocks. Kids LOVE to paint, probably because it is a messy activity that many moms don't want them to do (I am sometimes guilty of this myself). Kids also love rocks. My daughter likes to fill her pockets with them. And since we worked on this project she brings them to me all the time. It is fun because I put them in a coat pocket, or on the mantle, or in the car, and then I think of her and how she thinks of me, when I see them. I am happy she has started to see beyond the obvious uses for things. This project is a good project for all age levels and the kids can feel really good about and use their imaginations to play with the results.


How to Make a Painted Rock Caterpillar
by Tiffany Teske

What You Will Need
~ 5 or more rocks
~ Acrylic craft paint
~ Paint brushes; one for covering the rocks with solid all-over color, and smaller ones for detail work
~ Matte finish sealant; I used Krylon Matte Finish Spray Fixative


Directions
1. Select your rocks. Wash rocks and let them dry.
2. Paint your rocks a solid color. You will need to paint them all on one side, let them dry, then flip them over to paint the other side. Acrylic paint dries quickly.
3. Repeat step number two, 2-3 times, depending on the color of paint and how well it covers. Dark colors cover better, faster, than light colors.
4. Using a small detail brush, paint dots, strips, and any other kind of design on your rocks. Also, make a face on your first rock, and maybe little legs and feet on the sides of the other rocks. The sky is the limit.
5. Let everything dry well. I waited until the next day.
6. Spray with sealer according to manufacturer instructions. This it to make the rocks more durable.
7. Play with your new caterpillar.

February 9th - Making Valentine's With My Senior Friends

From time to time, mostly around major holidays, I am contracted to teach crafts to local seniors. I really look forward to these visits, and I know they really look forward to seeing me and my kiddos. Today I brought my 8 month old to make Valentines with them. I brought an example card I made and lots of cut out hearts and supplies. I love when I give everyone the same materials how they all make something different. I mean, that is generally what happens but it always amazes me. Sue, the woman who works with them regularly, and whom I work with when I visit, also gave them roses which were donated by the local grocery store. And we made chocolate dipped strawberries, which tasted AMAZING. Strawberry prices have been so high I feel like I have not had them in FOREVER!


Here is my card and the rest are a selection of what these fun women made... I get so inspired by them. I feel it is very valuable to be around our elders and to hear what they have to say. They are so generous with their wisdom and are happy to share. I always leave with memories. Today's include being invited into the apartment of one of the residents, to see her MASSIVE teddy bear collection, and photos of her grand kids. She was packing for a trip to Edmonton to see her gentleman friend for Valentine's Day. So sweet! She gave Emmanuelle a tiny stuffed bear. Also, another resident, Sophia, GAVE me a two vintage cases that are filled with her mother's sewing supplies!! I almost didn't know what to say. She said she could not bear to get rid of them but that knowing I will use them makes her happy! I will do a more indepth post on that soon. I better go, I have some thank you cards I need to write...

Polaroid Week - Day Three's Image PLUS a DIY Polaroid Framing Craft

Here is my third contribution to Polaroid Week. I decided yesterday that I wanted to photograph my little gem of a camera which is impossible without a mirror. So, I got out my vintage French Ivory hand held looking glass today and started experimenting. For anyone who has never tried to hold a Polaroid camera with one hand and take a picture, they may not understand why I feel triumphant about this blurry pic. Polaroid cameras as like clunky tanks, and they really need two hands. But, I like this a lot. And I dig the camera. It has the most amazing Polaroid sound. So loud. Not what we are used to with digital. Of all my Polaroid cameras this one is the loudest. On another note, I love that this image is capturing the moment right before the camera spit out the film.


Ok, I promised two DIY projects for framing your Polaroids this week. The first one will probably appeal best to Polaroid enthusiasts who like and own the little black packs that the film comes in. Back when Polaroid made film, they allowed people to mail these back so they could recycle them. I never did this and I now have over 200 of them for 669 film, and just a few of the square type 80 I am using here. I am happy to be able to reuse these as frames. I framed this image that I made especially for my friend, Kim. I made it this spring, when I passed the Mayberry store in Grindrod, British Columbia. It is a double exposure of the store and another store, covered in hubcaps, next door. Kim's last name is Mayberry. Since it was recently her birthday it was time to frame this image up and give it to her.

How to Frame Your Polaroid Image Using a Polaroid Film Pack
By Tiffany Teske


What You Will Need:
~ Empty Polaroid Film Pack
~ Polaroid
~ Picture Hanging Wire


This is the back of a Polaroid 669 pack.


Hold your film pack so the window is facing down. With your left hand, squeeze in the sides of the pack that have the window, and with your right hand remove the backside of the pack (I am right handed). Lift one side off first, then it will come apart easily. This is difficult to describe but easy to feel once you are doing it. It is not fragile so even if it feels like you might break it, you won't.


Now you will have three pieces.


Flip over the piece in the middle in the photo above (the solid piece). Lay your Polaroid on it. You can secure the image with photo tape on the back but it is not necessary.


Take the piece with the window and set it on top.


Put the third piece back on the pack in a reverse of how you took it off, one side then the other. Make sure it clicks together.


Take a length of picture wire that is appropriate for the frame size. Knot both ends. Pull up one of the tabs on the back side of the pack. Slide the knot in. Let the tab fall back into place and the knot will be secure. Do the same on the other side.


Ta-da!


You can put a business card in the back of the pack just secure it with some double sided tape.


I wrote a message on the frame with a silver paint pen. I packaged Kim's gift with recycled tissue paper, a take home food container, and recycle ribbon. Easy peasy and she was pleased as punch!

Onion Skin Dyed Easter Eggs

My fellow blogging friend, Sheasy, blogged about this natural egg dying project last year. I have been dying to do it ever since. The project came from Craftster.

I was supposed to do this on Tuesday with the seniors (see post below), but since we didn't have access to boiling water, and the skins need to be boiling with the eggs in the pot for several minutes, we scrapped the plan. Quin and I decided to give it a shot today during a leisurely day at the homestead. I learned enough to write a little tutorial, and to know what I will do differently next time, AKA helpful tips. I want to make a couple dozen eggs over time, using different plants, to keep and bring out each year to decorate. They are durable enough to do this. I have always wanted to work with natural dyes, mostly in a photography capacity, and this was a good way to get started.

Dying Eggs with Onion Skins Tutorial
By Tiffany Teske

You will need:
- Onion Skins
- Eggs
- Push pin
- Leaves, herbs, flowers, etc
- Nylons or cheesecloth
- Rubber bands
- Ribbon


1) Collect your onions skins. You can do this each time you use an onion, but you can also go to a local grocery store and ask for them. In our town, on Monday, the onions come in, and they peel them down to the last layer, so they have tons of skins. I mixed red, brown, and white.



2) Using a pin of any kind, I used a push pin, make a hole in the top and bottom of an egg. This was a bit tough at first, since I was afraid to hold the egg too tightly, or to push on the top of the egg too hard but they really are pretty resilient. Once you get the hang of the pressure you need, it is easy. I made a smaller hole in the bottom and a larger one in the top, based on how I wanted to egg to be hung.


3) Now, you need to blow the egg out of the shell. I think I put off this project because I really thought this would be difficult. Not so. If you make a good seal with your mouth, and blow into the small hole, allowing the egg to come out the larger hole, this is quite simple.


4) Once you have gotten all of the eggs out of their shells, you can suck water up into the egg, swish it around, then blow it out, to clean them.


5) Now, you can place your herbs, petals, leaves, whatever you wish to use on your egg. I want to make a set of botanical eggs, with fern, clover, etc, but since it is still pretty much winter here, I had to use flat leaf parsley and spring mix lettuce. I used a bit of water to make the leaves stick.



6) Ideally, I would have had nylons to use for this project, but I don't wear them. I put out a call on FreeCycle, at the last minute, and have gotten some offers since, but also had someone email to say that I could use cheesecloth, which I keep in my kitchen. With nylons, you cut them in tubes, insert an egg, and then use rubber bands on each end. The cheesecloth needed to be wrapped, and it proved kind of tricky to wrap and then rubber band, while holding the leaf in place. I think nylons would be easier and tighter, which is important. Before wrapping them, you can suck some water into the eggs to keep them from floating in the next step, but I did this, and they floated anyway. It didn't seem to matter. I also wrapped one egg with raffia, just to see the effect. The sky is the limit.


7) Put the onion skins, just dump a bunch, along with the eggs, in a pot of boiling water. On Craftster, it just said to boil for several minutes. I wanted good deep color, so mine were probably in for 10 minutes, which may have been too long. I am not sure if it was the materials, the cheesecloth instead of nylon, or the boiling time, that made some of my eggs completely brown, instead if leaving the imprint of the leaves. Others worked fine. I really just wanted to experiment, so even the totally brown ones I will do something with, maybe collage some images on them...



8) Take eggs out of water. Let them cool enough to take off the cheesecloth, and shake or blow the water out of them. They do not need to cool completely.


9) You are now pretty much done, unless you want to hang the eggs. To do this, cut a toothpick in at least half, knot one end of ribbon around it, and push it to the middle of the stick.


10) Insert the toothpick and knot into the top hole in the egg. Then, tie the other end in a loop. Ta Da! You now have beautiful egg ornaments. This really is a fun and simple project. If you want the eggs to shine, you can lacquer them. If you want to make a tree to hang your eggs on, you can put a pussy willow branch in a flower pot filled with rice, which will hold it in place.


What to do with all those eggs? I made crepes for breakfast using 4 of the eggs, then my mother in law had scrambled eggs with Quin for dinner, which used up 3 more. Good thing we love eggs around here. For our "famous" crepe recipe, see this post.