Patriotic Ribbon Sticks

Excited for the holiday weekend??  We are!  To add to our excitement, we spent a good portion of our day splattering things (and ourselves) up with some festive red, white and blue paint.  Today’s project:  scrap fabric patriotic ribbon sticks.

Materials:

White scrap fabric cut into strips (various lengths) …you can even use an old white shirt.

Red, white and blue acrylic paint

Brushes

Pencil eraser

Step One

Cut fabric into strips (1" x 12-24"...roughly)

Step Two

Paint strips as desired.

polkadots

 stars and stripes

Step Three (optional)

I made a simple star stamp to make things more interesting. Draw a star, cut out shape using an exacto. Hello, cute little stamp.

Step Four

Attach dried fabric strips to dowel or some kind of stick. I stacked a few strips, poked a hole, threaded some string through and tied it to a slightly notched dowel. I tied/wrapped the string around the dowel numerous times and secured the string with hot glue.

My kids loved making these and they giggled and squealed as they sprinted around the yard flying them.  It’s great how a stick and some fabric can add a little excitement to an ordinary afternoon.  These would be great for 4^th of July parades, for topping off a giant sand castle, birthdays...and they kind of remind me of sparklers too - just a safer, toddler friendly alternative. :)

Have a super weekend!




Check out this project and get inspired at:
Tatertots & Jello
Whipperberry

30 Handmade Days

Hello, Summer

We officially kicked off summer a week early.  Woo hooo! Our weekend looked a little like this:

 crab flapjacks (check out our other pancake art here)

our beach buddy

 ...a little old school fishin' (yes, my little ones picked up fishies with their hands).

beautiful blooms.

Happy Summer to you!

Swiper...

Here's a pic of my four year old daughter’s marker bucket. Notice her growing collection of  Sharpies (strategically swiped from my bucket) :

...and here is a shot of her moments after asking for some "cool tape" so that she can fix her ripped paper:

Must have been a big hole!  :)

Have a happy day!



Paper Beads

Hi there! So sorry for my recent lack of posts…I was in a jello fog for a couple of weeks recovering from a tonsillectomy.  Fun times! But don’t worry, we escaped creative withdrawal by making these colorful paper beads (so that my little one can make her own super cool jewelry):

Materials:

Scrapbook paper (any paper will do)

Matte Mod Podge

Brush

Pencil/marker/dowel/toothpick(for tighter beads)

First, I used a ruler and ripped scrapbook paper into triangular strips. I like the look of torn edges.

Using a marker, pencil or dowel... roll paper around marker one time (without glue). Then brush Mod Podge on remaining paper and continue rolling out the strip. Slip the rolled paper off marker, apply coat of Mod Podge and set aside to dry. This was fun for the kids and kept them busy. You can make smaller beads if you wrap a toothpick. The marker gave us penne sized tubes which made it easier for my little ones to string them with yarn.

rolled mini tubes...

Once the mini tubes dried we cut them into smaller beads and made necklaces.

This could be a fun summer activity for kids. Maybe have them paint/ design their own paper for beading.  So many options!


Have a nice day! :)




See this project and get inspired over at:
Whipperberry
Tatertots & Jello
30 Handmade Days

Friday Flapjacks

Meet my new best friend:

Oh yes…we have upgraded from a spoon to a pancake squirty bottle (see Easter themed spoon sketched pancakes here).  

Here are some of today's sketches:

butterfly

batter (haa!) up! 

Minis - These were quarter sized and so much fun to eat. The kids loved the mini stacks on their plates.

A fun weekend breakfast. :)

Check out this project and get inspired at:
30 Handmade Days
Whipperberry
Tatertots & Jello

Crate Love

I have a thing for crates. It makes me happy that I can purchase them (small-large) for $6 or less.  I use them for a lot of things…everyday décor, party centerpieces, gifts, art shows, storage, you name it.  So many possibilities.  Here is a crate makeover that I recently completed:

Materials:

Unfinished craft store crate $3

Dark Walnut Stain

Matte white paint (I used gesso)

brown craft paint

Sand paper

Old nail tacks  

How to:

1. Stain crate and let dry.

2. Paint over with white (2-3 coats) and let dry.  

3. Pencil on and paint lettering using brown craft paint (I printed the text off Word and  a/b transferred).  -Dry brush method works best for rustic finish. 

4. Hammer on some nail tacks for added charm.

5. Once paint has dried, rough it up with some sand paper and voila! … fresh eggs anyone?

                                     Before                                                                                                After

If you are not going for the distressed look, skip step one and just paint it white(no sanding required). Or go with the stained look and don’t paint it white at all. If you don’t want lettering, skip step 3. If you don’t have tacks, don’t worry, it will still look nice with the staple dents(see picture#2). See…so many possibilities. ;)  Now go buy a crate or two…or three. Don’t forget your coupons!

Check out this project and get inspired over at:
Whipperberry
30 Handmade Days
Tatertots & Jello

Happy Weekend :)

Gorgeous tulips on my kitchen table, warm spring sunshine...

fresh brewed tea…

 hello weekend. :)