Kid's Art Display

Artwork. It comes home from school by the busload. One big problem in our house is finding a way to showcase it all.  It gets lost on the fridge under all the calendars, to-do lists, and scraps of random information. I decided to make this Kid's Art Display to give the kids their very own space to show off their masterpieces (without cluttering up my fridge). 

Here is what you need:

*Letters to spell out "art", "create" or any other word you want 

{I used heavy wooden letters because that's what I had but you can also use smaller chipboard letters.}

*Scrapbook paper

*Magnets

*Clothespins

*Wooden wallboard 

{I used a metal one....again because I had it on hand}

*Hot glue gun and glue sticks

*Mod Podge

*Adhesive or sticker machine 

{I used a Xyron sticker maker}

*Sponge brush

Directions:

Step 1:

Trace the letters and the wallboard onto scrapbook paper and cut out.

Step 2:

Use Mod Podge to adhere the scrapbook paper to the letters. Brush a layer of Mod Podge onto the letter and then apply the scrapbook paper.  Then use a straight edge (like a ruler) to remove any bubbles that may have formed under the paper. Glide the ruler from the center of the letter to the edge to remove the bubbles. Once dry, brush a coat of Mod Podge on top of the paper to seal it.

Use adhesive to adhere the paper to the wall board.

Step 3:

Cut out paper to cover the front of the clothespins and adhere with an adhesive or use a sticker machine.

Step 4:

Attach magnets to the backs of the letters, wallboard, and clothespins with hot glue.  You can also use hot glue to attach the clothespins permanently to the wallboard if you like. 

Step 5:

Hang on a magnetic surface and display artwork

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A Crafty Soiree

Creative Juice

Somewhat Simple

Fireflies and Jellybeans

Cheerio Birdfeeders

My kids love watching birds eat from our bird feeder.  Do yours?  Here is a simple bird feeder that your kids can make. I found this cute idea at Preschool Alphabet You just need two things:  pipe cleaners and Cheerios.

Make a loop at one end of your pipe cleaner 

String Cheerios onto the pipe cleaner

{she had so much fun}

{my 21 month old son even got in on the action}

{but then he thought he was a bird and ate all the Cheerios off}

Twist the other end so the Cheerios don't fall off

Have fun hanging them in the yard for the birds

I found that you should really hang them in trees instead of in bushes.  We don't have many trees in our yard and my daughter could only reach the bushes.  Not long after we hung the three in the picture above, a deer came along and tore the entire branch down.  Also, if you use Honey Nut Cheerios or Cinnamon Burst (like we did) you will probably have bees around your birdfeeder.  Next time we will use regular Cheerios.

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Tatertots and Jello

Smilemonsters

Come Together Kids

I Heart Naptime

733

While He Was Napping
Ladybird Ln.
Gluesticks
Wow Me Wednesday
Bear Rabbit Bear

Entryway Redo

I think the hardest "room" of the house to decorate is the entryway.  The house that we live in now has an actual entryway (our old house opened up straight into the living room)  and it was very plain and boring.  Since I am not able to paint the walls (stupid renting), I had to come up with a way to dress it up.  Unfortunately, there are not any "before" pictures because I was so excited to get this project going that I forgot.  But its pretty easy to imagine... a two-tiered natural wood colored laminate shoe cubby against beige walls.  Boring, boring, and more boring.  The shoe cubby was functional (sort of).  It held our shoes but I did not like getting down on our knees to peer into the cubby to search for shoes.  Not very ideal.

I wanted a simple long table about waist-height but was not going to pay the price that most stores want.   I finally found a thrift store that had what I was looking for and for a good price.

The table was pretty beat up with glitter glue and various kid craft remnants all over the top.  The top was also made out of a different material other than wood so I was not sure how the refinishing would go.

Here is what I did:

I hand sanded the whole thing with 60 grit sandpaper.  I was amazed at how easily all the gunk came off the top.  I then sanded it with very fine sand paper (not sure what grit it was).  You can sort of see in this picture that the top is a different material.

  

I filled all the screw holes and divots with wood filler, let it dry, and sanded those areas.  I could not get them completely flat but that is ok because I wanted it to look a little rustic.

I painted it with 2 coats of Valspar White Paint and Primer in One (semi-gloss) finish, let it dry and now it lives in my entryway and looks so much better than the little shoe cubby we had before.

The baskets underneath the table were bought at Michael's for 40% off.  I like the fact that they have a lid so we can just throw our shoes in and close the lid.  It makes it very easy for my kids to put their shoes away.  Even my 21 month old can do it.  I say "shoes" and he goes straight for his basket to find his shoes. The lid is also attached like a hinge so it doesn't fall off. We use one basket for the kids' shoes and one for the adult shoes.  No more getting down on our hands and knees to search for shoes.  We still have to bend a bit but it beats getting down on the floor.

The accessories on the table I scrounged from around the house.  The glass bowl with the balls used to be on my mantle.  The little key tray was a gift from my sister (its actually made of rolled magazines..very cool).  The mirror used to be in our bedroom. I may hang it one day, I may not.  I'm also debating on whether to put a few pictures on the table but I don't want it to be too cluttered.

So there you go... a fabulous new entryway on the cheap!

Sharing this redo at:
Your Whims Wednesday
Whatever Goes Wednesday
Wow Me Wednesday
The Shabby Nest
Tatertots and Jello
Sunday Showcase
Ladybird Ln.
While He Was Napping
The More the Merrier Monday

Bubble Wrap Prints

My daughter (4.5 years old) loves any sort of craft that involves painting or coloring. My son (21 months) loves to pull the paint supplies off the table and (almost) dump them on the carpet. Anyone else have this problem?

Anyway... today we made Bubble Wrap prints. We used red and blue paint because that is what I had from our July 4th bubble prints craft.

Here are the supplies you will need:

Bubble wrap

Paint (washable!)

Foam paint brushes

Paper

And here is how you make them:

Cut the bubble wrap to match your paper size (in our case 8.5x11)

Let your child use the foam brush to cover the bubble wrap with as many colors as they like. I found it best to "dab" the paint onto the bubble wrap. If you have a small roller, that would work too.

Press the bubble wrap onto the paper to make unique designs. Make sure you don't press too hard. You don't want the bubble wrap to pop.

This kept my daughter busy for almost an hour!

When finished, you can rinse the bubble wrap in the sink, let it dry and re-use it.

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Banana Split Bites

Is there anyone out there who loves banana splits as much as I do? I L.O.V.E. them. They entice me with their yummy goodness and call to me with their sweet toppings. And then... about halfway though, I get sick and can't eat another bite. Is so disappointing. So I was thrilled when I found these. Banana split bites! They are the perfect size.

Bakers Royale

Here is how to make them.

Ingredients:

bananas

chocolate chips

shortening

sprinkles

ice cream

whipped cream

cherry (optional)

Step 1:

Slice your bananas into bite size pieces. Make sure you make the tops and bottoms level. Leave the peel on when you do this, it makes the banana easier to handle. You will have extra banana left over from cutting a curved object into straight pieces but thats ok...extra to dip in the chocolate for snacking.

Step 2:

Scoop out a "well" in the top of each banana. I used a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon and it worked perfect.

Step 3:

Melt 1 cup chocolate chips (with 1 tbsp. shortening) in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir when done.

Step 4:

Peel the bananas and dip them into the chocolate and spoon on the sprinkles. Don't try to roll the bananas in the sprinkles because the sprinkles will get all gloppy with the chocolate. Put your bananas into the fridge for a few minutes to let the chocolate harden. Sorry, no pics for the next couple steps. I had some helping hands in the kitchen which made it hard to snap photos at the same time :)

Step 5:

After removing bananas from the fridge, place a scoop of ice cream inside the "well" that you previously scooped out. Use the 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to scoop the ice cream.

Step 6:

Add a dollop of whipped cream to the top. You can also add a cherry. I opted for no cherry because I'm just not a big fan of them. So this is my final product. Not as pretty as the original but still just as tasty.

We made these after dinner the other night and I was plenty full after eating just two.

Sharing this dessert at these parties:

Bubble Prints

Here is a cute craft idea or your kids. Its very simple and can provide hours (hopefully) of entertainment. Its called Bubble Printing.

Here is what you will need:

Paper or plastic cups

Dish soap

Tempera paint in various colors

Straw

Paper

Step 1:

Mix 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons of paint and a few squirts of dish soap into a cup. I used red and blue (we did this for a July 4th craft).

Step 2:

Have your child blow through the straw to make a huge mound of bubbles on the top of the cup.

Step 3:

Place a piece of paper on top of the bubbles. When the bubbles pop, they will leave a colorful

pattern on the paper.

Unfortunately it was brutally hot outside the day we did this so we only got a few prints. This could also be a great indoor activity for those rainy days...just spread out some newspaper on the kitchen floor or table and let your little ones have a ball. Also, next time we do this I will mix in more pai-Ont for more vibrant prints. How many different color combinations of bubble prints can you come up with?

Linking up to:

Sunday Showcase

Tatertots and Jello

Craft-O-Maniac

I heart Nap Time

Gluesticks

Flip Flop Revamp

Here is a simple way to turn an ordinary flip flop into something a little more cute. I found this fabulous tutorial here.

You will need:

A pair of cheap flip flops (think Old Navy)

Colorful fabric

Scissors

Ruler

Step 1:

Disassemble the flip flop by pushing the straps through the back of the shoe and cutting of the nub at the end of each strap.

Step 2:

Cut your fabric. I used fabric quarters and cut them into (4) 4.5 inch wide strips. You may want to use a longer length of fabric if your feet are big. Fabric quarters are 22 inches long. Cut one end of the strip into a point.

Step 3:

Thread two strips of fabric through the top hole of the flip flop. Tie them in a knot and cut off the tails.

Step 4:

Turn the flip flop over and tie a knot about one inch down from where the fabric comes through the shoe. Hold both strips of fabric together when tying this knot.

Step 5 (Optional):

Tie a second knot right behind the first knot. You may want to do this if you have bigger feet. I only tied one knot since my feet are small (size 6).

Step 6:

Thread one fabric strip through each of the bottom holes. Put the flip flop on and adjust the fabric so it is tight across your foot. Tie a knot in each strip of fabric. Cut off the tails and you are done.

These are way more comfortable than the plastic/rubber straps. I wore them while walking around the zoo for 5 hours and they felt great.

Sharing this craft at these parties:

Whatever Goes Wednesday

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

Hoo's Got Talent

Patriotic Jello

We are gearing up for a great July 4th weekend. Here is a twist on an old favorite: Patriotic Jell-O! This is perfect for your holiday cook-outs.

You will need:

1 package cherry Jell-O

1 package blueberry Jell-O

3 packages unflavored gelatin

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

To make:

1. Place 1 package cherry Jell-O and 1 package unflavored gelatin in a small mixing bowl. Pour in 1 cup of boiling water. Whisk together until dissolved.

Pour into 13x9 baking dish and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Combine 1 package unflavored gelatin with 1 cup boiling water. Whisk until dissolved. Add 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk and stir. (Its a plus when you get a great little helper in the kitchen!)

Pour the mixture into a measuring cup with a spout. Place the milk mixture in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to cool. (You do not want to pour a hot liquid over the chilled Jell-O or the colors will not stay separate).

3. After the milk mixture is cool, gently pour it over the cherry Jell-O to make the white layer. Place in fridge for one hour to chill.

4. Repeat Step 1 with the blueberry Jell-O, making sure to place the mixture into the fridge to cool before pouring over the white layer.

After the final layer is firm, cut the Jell-O into squares and remove from pan with a spatula. Serve cold or at room temperature.

My yummy inspiration for this treat was found here.

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