Tag Archives: celebrate

Butterfly Bunch for Mother’s Day

 

Make a memorable Butterfly Bunch for Mother’s Day this year.  Mount these amazing butterflies on mom’s bathroom mirror on Mother’s Day for a great start to her day.  

Just wing it! No one will believe this wall art is made from toilet-paper tubes from Family Fun!

Tube Crafts Colorful Butterfly Bunch on Wall

Biz Jones

What You’ll Need:

Toilet- and/or paper-towel tubes
Gesso (optional, for brighter color)
Craft paint
Hot-glue gun or adhesive dots
Poster putty

Directions:

1. If desired, prime tubes inside and out with gesso; let dry. Then paint; let dry completely

2. Flatten the tubes and use scissors to cut them into slices. For a large butterfly, you’ll need five ⅝-inch-wide slices. For a small butterfly, you’ll need two ½-inch-wide slices and one ¼-inch-wide slice (eyeball it).

3. To construct the small butterfly: Fold two ½-inchwide slices in half; unfold. Add a dot of hot glue (an adult’s job) to the inside center of each and refold to make a set of wings. Glue the two sets of wings to the sides of the ¼-inch-wide “body.”

4. To construct a large butterfly: Add a dot of glue to the inside center of one of the ⅝-inch slices and squish it together to make a “body.” Add a dot of glue to the flat side and press on another slice for a wing, as shown. Repeat for other three wings.

5. To assemble into artwork: Arrange the butterflies on the floor first; use poster putty to attach them to the wall.

Witch’s Broom Treat Bag.

 

2012_witch_broom_treat_bags

What You’ll Need:

  • Brown Paper Lunch Bags
  • Scissors
  • Rubber Bands
  • Ribbon, String, or Yarn
  • Sticks (from your yard)
  • Candy

 

  • Easy Step-by-Step Directions:
  1. Create the broom’s bristles by cutting one of the paper bags in 1⁄2″ strips from the very top (where the bag opens) to the very bottom, stopping at the part of the bag that sits flat on the table top.
  2. Lay the cut paper bag flat on the table.Place the uncut paper bag on top of the cut paper bag, so that the bottoms are sitting exactly on top of one another.
  3. Fill the uncut paper bag about one-quarter full with the candy of your choice.
  4. Put the stick in the middle of the uncut paper bag.
  5. Bring the loose strips of the cut paper bag up and around the sides of the uncut paper bag. Holding both bags tightly against the stick (about half way up) secure with a rubber band.
  6. Tie a piece of string, yarn, or ribbon tightly around the paper bags, concealing the rubber band. Trim excess paper bag.

Use bags as favors/place cards at your next Halloween or Thanksgiving party. Simply print your guests names on cardstock, cut out, and attach to the fronts of the bags!

Spooky Tree Centerpiece

 

Spooky_Tree_centerpiece

What You’ll Need:

  • Black Plastic Cauldron
  • Floral/Craft Foam
  • Glass Gems, Rocks, or Stones
  • Halloween Tinsel Garland
  • Plastic Skeleton Garland
  • Twigs from Your Yard
  • Paint & Paint Brush (Optional)
  • Glittery Bat Ornaments
    Easy Step-by-Step Directions:
  1. First, gather a few spooky-looking twigs from your yard.
  2. Place the floral/craft foam in the center of the cauldron and fill the empty space around the foam with glass gems, rocks, or stones. This will anchor your foam and provide stability for your tree.
  3. Stick the twigs from your yard securely into the foam…make sure you push them far into the foam for stability. Arrange twigs into your desired tree shape. If you want to paint your twigs black or another color, do that next. They will be easier to paint standing upright in the foam. Set the tree aside to dry.
  4. Once the twigs are dry,cover the stones at the base of the tree with Halloween tinsel garland, then place the skeleton garland on top of the tinsel and position the skeletons however you wish.
  5. Decorate the tree with more skeletons, Halloween creepy creatures, or handmade glittery bat ornaments.

Make Your Own Blarney Stone

Blarney Stone CraftIn this simple project, a smooth river rock is turned into a small, kissable Blarney Stone.In southwestern Ireland, there is a very famous stone, called the Blarney Stone. It is located high up in Blarney Castle. If you kiss the Blarney Stone, it is supposed to give you the gift of eloquence.
Supplies needed:

  • A smooth, clean river rock
  • Brush
  • Green paint
  • Glue
  • Markers
  • Glitter, sequins, plastic jewels, googly eyes, bits of yarn, etc.
Make sure your rock is clean and dry. Paint the rock green.
After the paint is dry, decorate your rock using glitter, sequins, beads, plastic jewels, googly eyes, bits of yarn, or other interesting items.
When the paint and glue are dry, add details (like eyebrows, etc.) using markers.You now have your own small Blarney Stone to help you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

 

National Peanut Butter Day

Today is National Peanut Butter Day.  Who would have guessed you can make Peanut Butter Lover’s Day a Craft Day!

ppbday

Other Things To Do:

  • Find out more about where peanuts come from.
  • Make home-made peanut butter.
  • Talk about the color brown/tan.
  • Try one of these Open-Faced Peanut Butter Sandwiches.
  • Go on a peanut hunt (hide peanuts all around the room for someone to search for).

Star Bangled Bike Decorations.

Many neighborhoods and/or city have parades with kids participating on their decorated bikes to celebrate the 4th of July.  If there is not a parade near your home, organize your own parade on your street.

Want a bike that’ll stop traffic? First, splatter-paint some stars and add them to your bars — handlebars, that is — and to a safety-flag pole. Spiff up your wheels with straws and garlands, then hit the road! (Our decked-out bike should be ridden at a parade pace, not at high speeds.)

Materials
  • STREAMER CASCADES:
  • Scissors
  • Metallic curling ribbon
  • Craft glue
  • Splatter Stars
  • Tape
  • Safety-flag pole
  • BELL JINGLERS:
  • Bells
  • Pipe cleaners
  • SPOKE DECORATIONS:
  • Star garlands
  • Scissors
  • Straws

Instructions

  1. A Star-spangled Ride: Streamer Cascades STREAMER CASCADES: Cut and curl ten 2- to 3-foot lengths of metallic curling ribbon. Stack the ribbons and knot them at one end. Using craft glue, sandwich the free ends of several ribbons between splatter-painted stars. Tape the cascade to the top of a safety-flag pole (remove the flag first), then secure the pole to the bike. Tape more curled ribbon to the handlebar ends.
  2. A Star-spangled Ride: Bell Jingles BELL JINGLERS: Slide three to five bells onto a pipe cleaner and fit it to your child’s handlebars, wrist, or ankle.
  3. A Star-spangled Ride: Spoke Decorations SPOKE DECORATIONS: Weave star garlands into one wheel’s spokes and secure the ends, being sure to stay clear of brakes and gears. With scissors, snip along the length of some straws, then snap them into place on the other wheel. To make noise as you ride, cut some straws to half the spokes’ length. They’ll clack as they slide on the turning wheel.

Happy Independence Day!

July 4thKnown as the Fourth of July and Independence Day, July 4th has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution (1775-83). In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies then fighting in the revolutionary struggle weighed a resolution that would declare their independence from Great Britain. On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 until the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with typical festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.

HAVE A HAPPY 4th of JULY!!

Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day is a time of love, friendship, giving, and caring. Americans use Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to tell friends and family how much they care.  Children usually exchange cards at school.

Are you looking for Valentine’s day activity and craft ideas?

Look no further…  Au Pair in America has a Pinterest Pinboard devoted to Valentine’s Day:

APIA Valentine’s Day Pinboard

valentine's day heart

Martin Luther King Day

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
– Martin Luther King, I Have a Dream Quote

Martin Luther King Jr. was an important leader of the civil rights movement here in America during the 1950s and 60s. The holiday was created as a day to remember his fight for the freedom, equality, and dignity of all races and peoples and as a time to remember the message of change through nonviolence.

Here are some links about the history of this holiday including a biography of Dr. King, a quiz for kids and a junior crossword.  Maybe you can do something special with the kids to acknowledge the day.

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mlkbiospot.html

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mlkjrday1.html

To read the full I Have a dream Speech go to:

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm