Crafts – Page 2 – Our Beautifully Messy House

Rain Boot Wreath

April 9, 2016April 9, 2016 Porter Leave a comment

I’ve seen old rain boots up-cycled into flower planters before, so I thought, “Why not use them for a Spring wreath!?” This RAIN BOOT WREATH was so quick and easy to put together and the outcome is adorable…perfect for Spring!

I could’ve gone out and bought some new boots that weren’t dirty, worn, and broken in spots, but that required me to take the kids shopping and more money spent…not my idea of fun! I ended up making these with things we already had: L’s old rain boots and flowers we had leftover from other projects. Every time we walk in through the front door, the rain boots make me think of the many rainy, muddy adventures L went on during the first three years of her life. So much love!

Materials needed:

rain boots (kids’, adults’, old or new)
artificial flowers
rope and/or ribbon
scissors

First, if your boots are dirty, clean and dry them.

Next, lay out your flowers and decide how you’re going to split them up. When you arrange your flowers, start with the taller and/or leafy flowers first. Put the single, shorter, and more prominent flowers in last. Originally I thought I’d use wire cutters to trim my flowers, but I ended up just bending the wired stems in half, depending on the height I was looking for. This helped them take up room and stay put in each boot!

Once your boots are filled and arranged the way you like them, tie a rope or ribbon securely to each boot.

Now, take the boots to your door and see how they will hang. I ended up tying a knot in the rope down low, tying both halves together so the boots didn’t lean out too far from the door. I also shortened the rope a bit by wrapping and tying it around the wreath hanger.

To finish your fun and funky Spring wreath, tie a pretty ribbon in a simple bow around the top and you’re done! So easy, cute and fun!

Happy Spring!!!

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs (with Onion Skins & Cabbage)

March 24, 2016March 24, 2016 Porter Leave a comment

How beautiful are these Easter eggs!?! Ever since I was a kid and read about dying eggs in onion skins in a nature-craft book, I’ve wanted to try it. I couldn’t believe how easy they were to make and how bright and colorful they turned out! The orange-brownish eggs were dyed in the onion skins, while the bluish ones were dyed using red cabbage. And no, you don’t need to buy a whole bunch of onions to get the skins. Just ask the nearest grocer at the store, and they’ll be happy to let you and the kids dig through the onion bin! You’ll find plenty there! It did not take long at all to dye the eggs in onion skins, while the ones dyed with red cabbage soaked over-night. Just takes a little patience!

Materials needed:

white eggs
onion skins
red cabbage
medium-sized pot
water
small flowers, leaves, herbs
old pantyhose or knee highs
twist ties

First, fill your pot up completely with onion skins. Then, fill with water, leaving a couple inches of space for the eggs.

Do the same with the red cabbage, chopping the cabbage first.

Next, put both pots on the stove and turn on high to boil. Let the water simmer for about 5 minutes, then turn the pots off. Let them sit and cool for 5 hours or overnight.

To prepare the eggs to dye, to get the beautiful nature prints on them, gather small leaves and flowers from your garden. We even used some weeds with interesting leaf shapes!

Cut your pantyhose or knee-highs in small sections. We used knee highs. I cut them in half and then with the top portion, I cut a slit up the side. With the bottom half, it was easy to just place the egg inside.

Press a flower or leaf onto the egg and carefully wrap the pantyhose around it. Dipping the leaves in water first makes them stick to the eggs a bit easier.

Twist the pantyhose in the back and secure with a twist tie.

Now to dye the eggs! Place your eggs into the pots, making sure they are completely submerged in the water.

Put the pots back onto the stove and bring them to a boil again. Turn down to low heat, and let the pots for 20-30 min.

After the water cools a bit, carefully remove the eggs soaking in the onion skins and dry them off a bit on a towel.

Cut the pantyhose and the eggs will come out carefully. So cool!!!

Place the pot with the red cabbage and eggs in your refrigerator and let them sit up to 24 hrs. Then do the same…removing them from the water and cutting the pantyhose off.

To make your eggs shine, you can wet a paper towel with vegetable oil and gently rub it onto each egg. Such a naturally beautiful way to celebrate Spring, Easter, or Naw Ruz!!!

Shoebox-Marble Game

March 9, 2016March 9, 2016 Porter Leave a comment

Not only is the SHOEBOX-MARBLE GAME super-easy and simple to make, it’s also a challenging game for anyone to play! For younger children, they can try to catch the marbles on any holes; for adults and older kids, they may try to catch the marbles on specific colors or to make patterns with the marbles. Sounds pretty easy, but it’s not! L and I had lots of fun this afternoon taking turns, playing the Shoebox-Marble Game. Our shoebox was big enough, we were even able to play together with all hands on the box, tipping and tilting it until all the marbles were caught!

Materials needed:

shoebox
awl (or sharp tool)
markers
marbles

First, color a fun picture or design inside your shoebox.

Using your awl, poke holes through the bottom. I like to do this by placing the box on a doormat, then poking the holes from the inside of the box – out. If the game is too hard, you may want to go back and make some larger.

Now it’s time to play! Put some marbles in your box and see who can catch the most on the holes! The more you practice, the better you’ll get. For younger children, it helps to have them balance the box on a flat surface.

Enjoy!!!

DIY Nature Frame

February 23, 2016February 23, 2016 Porter Leave a comment

Is your child a nature collector or, as Pippi Longstocking would say, a “thing finder”? If so, the DIY Nature Frame is the perfect project for them! Just about every day of the year, L fills our stroller, our wagon, or our pockets with things she finds on walks. We could be going for a walk around the block in the city and she still comes home with feathers, sticks, rocks, butterfly wings and seed pods! This past weekend we went for a walk and L brought home pinecones and pine needles that she wanted to “do a craft” with, ie. glue to paper. I knew that wouldn’t quite work, so in less than 10 minutes we put together this Nature Frame!

The best part about having a Nature Frame, is that it’s a project that is constantly changing, evolving throughout the year. While ours has pine cones and pine needles in it now, the end of February, I’m sure within a month or two it will be filled with Spring flowers, robins eggs, and fallen bird’s nests. In the Fall, our Nature Frame will most likely be glowing orange with fallen leaves from the backyard…finally, a place for all our nature findings!!!

Materials needed:

an old frame
string
scissors

First, dismantle your frame. I bought this old and ugly print, among a collection of 5 other framed pictures, for $1.75 at an antique auction. I liked two of the pictures and that was worth the $1.75 and getting stuck with 3 I didn’t care for so much! So I stashed the ugly pictures away in a closet and I’m glad I did…the frame on this one was perfect for a Nature Frame! You can find similar frames for pennies at secondhand stores, yard sales, and antique shops.

Next, tie your string to the edge of your frame and, with the help of your child, wrap it criss-cross around the frame. We used three different strings that were three different colors…anything works!

Now, after you’ve been for a nature walk and your little one’s pockets are full, you can fill your frame. And then, hang it in a place for everyone to enjoy! We hung ours in our kitchen by the back door…L’s findings usually end up on the floor by the door, so now they can go up on the wall instead! I just love it!

Enjoy!!!

DIY Bird Nesting Kit

February 12, 2016February 12, 2016 Porter Leave a comment

The “DIY Bird Nesting Kit” is the perfect project for little hands and little helpers! L and I made three kits this week: two gifts and one to hang in our own backyard, next to our DIY Tin Can Bird Feeder. It took less than a day for our feathered-friends to find it and start picking away, flying bits of string home to cozy-up their nests! The DIY Bird Nesting Kit costs only $2.50 to make (I’m not kidding!) and it’s a wonderful project to help teach kids about giving, sharing, and caring for the world around us….aaand about birds and the various types of nests they make of course!

Before making our Bird Nesting Kits, the girls and I read “Mama Built a Little Nest” by Jennifer Ward and Steven Jenkins. It is fascinating book with beautiful, collage-like illustrations, depicting all kinds of birds, their families, and the homes they build. (It’s best to read in a pile of beach towels, swirled around on the floor into your own nest.) I highly recommend it!

Materials needed:

Wired bird suet holder
yarn scraps
scissors
ruler (optional)

First, have your little one cut the yarn scraps up into pieces about 3-5 inches long. You don’t have to measure them, but your little one might want to with the ruler!

After you have a nice pile of yarn pieces, it’s time to stuff them into the suet holder. Then, close the suet holder up and it’s all done. It’s that easy!

Now, time to find the perfect place outside to hang your Bird Nesting Kit…someplace where the birds will find it and you can spy them doing so is best!

If you’re giving your Bird Nesting Kit away as a gift, you may want to include a little card inside explaining what it is. Your friends will be sure to love such a colorful, quirky, and fun gift! Enjoy!!!

Ice Cube Heart Garland

January 26, 2016January 26, 2016 Porter Leave a comment

I don’t know why I never thought of this project until now, but an Ice Cube Heart Garland is perfect for this time of year! It takes about 5 minutes to make and costs nearly nothing! If you live up north where temps are below freezing consistently in the winter months, Ice Cube Garlands would be beautiful hanging everywhere! You could make other shapes too! Along with our garland, we also made some individual Ice Cube Hearts (more like ornaments)…the week of Valentine’s Day, the girls and I plan on making dozens of these to hang off of trees all over town. Such a sweet, little heart surprise!

Materials needed:

silicone heart molds
food coloring
water
string
scissors
a tray or cardboard that will fit in your freezer

First, place your silicone heart molds on your tray or cardboard piece. (It’s a tricky mess if you do it after the water is poured, like I did the first time!) Next, put about 10 drops of food coloring into a measuring cup and fill with water.

Pour the water into the heart molds.

Now, cut a string long enough for your garland and/or some smaller pieces for ornaments. Using your fingers, press the string into the heart molds. Make sure you leave 4-5 inches of string between each heart.

To make the ornaments, just press both ends of your string into the mold filled with water. The center 2 hearts are ornaments in the pictures above and below. You can see the shorter loops of string.

Next, place the tray with your heart molds into the freezer for a couple hours until they’re completely frozen.

Carefully pop your ice cube hearts out of the molds.

Now for the fun part…find a place outside to display and enjoy your Icy Hearts! So sweet!

Lace Snowflake Bowls & Decorations

January 20, 2016January 20, 2016 Porter Leave a comment

Our LACE SNOWFLAKE BOWLS are one of those crafts that started as one thing, but inspiration hit and they morphed into something even cooler in the process! Originally, L and I were just making lacy snowflakes to hang in a window…which we did! But then it dawned on me that, much like our DIY String Bowls, we could easily turn the snowflakes into bowls as well! These are super-easy to make and it’s fun experimenting with various-sized lace and bowl molds. The finished product makes a whimsical, winter decoration for any windowsill or tabletop. They’d be a lovely centerpiece with candles set inside each snowflake too…so many possibilities!

Materials needed:

white or cream-colored lace
white glue
glitter (optional)
scissors
water
craft stick or plastic spoon
a cup for mixing
silicone mats
plastic wrap (not pictured)
small bowls (not pictured)

First, prepare your work station. Have silicone mats out on the table and mix up your glue. Use about 3-4 parts glue to 1 part water. (An old yogurt cup or butter tub is great for holding your mixture.) Add some glitter to the mix as well, if you like!

If you’re making a snowflake bowl, cover a small bowl from your kitchen in plastic wrap. (We used measuring bowls.) Pull the wrap tight and smooth it down, though it doesn’t need to be perfect.

Next, get an idea of how you’d like your snowflakes to look. Cut some strips of lace and lay them out, either flat on the table or across your bowl.

When you’re ready to start crafting, dip a strip of lace into the glue mixture. Take it out and run your fingers down the lace to remove any excess glue.

Now, lay the lace strip out…either flat on the silicone mat for a simple snowflake to hang in your window, or across your bowl, if you’re making a lace snowflake bowl.

Continue to dip strips of lace in the glue mixture, then lay them down on top of each other, creating a snowflake pattern.

Once your snowflakes are complete, set them aside overnight to dry. If you’re the impatient type, you could also dry them very carefully with a hot blow dryer. : )

After the glue is good and dry, gently peel the lace snowflake off of the silicone mats. Ready to hang in a window!!!

To remove a snowflake from the bowl, turn the bowl upside down. Undo the plastic wrap and remove the bowl. Finally, gently peel the plastic wrap off of the snow flake.

Beautiful!!!

Such a fun way to celebrate a snow day!

Cardboard Heart Stamps

January 12, 2016January 12, 2016 Porter Leave a comment

How cute are these HEART STAMPS L and I made last week? Nobody would know by looking at the girls’ outfits that the hearts were made with a cardboard tube, but they were! This is such a simple craft, little hands can do the stamping all by themselves. Any imperfections make the final product even sweeter…that’s the sign that they were made with love. : ) After making Valentine’s outfits for the girls, we went on to stamp a pillowcase for L’s bed and some tea towel-dishcloths to give away as gifts. As I often say, the possibilities are endless!

Materials needed:

cardboard tubes
acrylic paints
old lids or plates
rubberband
placemats or thin cardboard (to protect surfaces)
shirts, leggings, tea towels, pillowcase, tablecloth, etc

To make your heart stamps, simply squash a cardboard tube in half gently. Then, push one crease inwards to create a heart shape. You can roll a rubber band over the tube to help hold the shape.

Next, test your stamp out and have your little one practice a bit on paper. Just put the tube end into a little paint, and then, press down on a flat surface.

Make sure whatever you are stamping is nice and flat. Run an iron over any clothes or towels. When stamping shirts or pillowcases, it’s a good idea to put a thin piece of cardboard in-between the clothing’s layers too. That way the paint won’t seep through the cloth and onto the other side.

Finally, stamp away!

We used red paint, glitter paint, and some white paint to make our hearts. Really though, you could use any colors and they’d be just as precious!

I love the little sideways, topsy-turvy hearts…simply “falling” in love.

Happy Valentine’s crafting!!!

Elf Donuts, Fairy Donuts, Wee Folk Donuts

December 14, 2015December 17, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

What kid wouldn’t love making these teeny, tiny “donuts” for the fairies, gnomes, and Santa’s elves? They’re just too cute! L and I make chocolate-sprinkle donuts, powdered sugar donuts, and cinnamon sugar donuts; because, you know…it’s nice to give the wee folk some options after all. We make these “donuts” throughout the year for L and her fairy tea parties, but we also like to whip up a batch at Christmastime and leave them alongside Santa’s cookies and the reindeer’s carrots on Christmas Eve…we wouldn’t want any elf to be left out! They’re rather simple to make and your kids will go nuts when they see them! Sometimes it’s the littlest things (literally)!

Ingredients:

O-shaped cereal
chocolate chips or baker’s chocolate
syrup (or honey)
powdered sugar
brown sugar
mini-sprinkles

Materials needed:

small bowls
toothpicks
double-broiler (or microwave)

Chocolate-Sprinkle Donuts

First, melt your chocolate in either a double-broiler or in the microwave.

Next, carefully dip your O-shaped cereal into the chocolate.

And L’s favorite step, cover in sprinkles!

Yumm!!!

Powdered Sugar Donuts & Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

These donuts are super easy to make. First, dip the O-shaped cereal into a little bowl of syrup or honey.

Next, remove the cereal with a toothpick, and toss around in either a bowl of powdered sugar…

…or a bowl of brown sugar.

It’s that simple, but oh so sweet!

A few weeks ago, L gave two of her classmates homemade fairy sets for their birthdays. Sure enough, we included some fairy donuts in little, folded-paper boxes!

Sometimes you really do have to make your own magic! Enjoy!!!

Thankful Trees and Variations

November 16, 2015December 3, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

What a fun way to teach kids about thankfulness! All you need to do to make your own family “Thankful Tree” is to write down things you and your kids are thankful for on “leaves” and put them together in the shape of a tree! Every year now I look forward to making our “Thankful Tree” as Thanksgiving approaches, and every year we do it a little bit differently! In the past, L and I made a simple tree on a single piece of construction paper, the leaves different colors, but all the same size.

This year we made our “Thankful Tree” when my niece and nephew came over…and we made a big, fun, mixed-media tree!

We put the tree up on a door in our dining room and everyone had a job to do! L cut strips of brown paper for the tree’s trunk and branches; my 9-year-old niece helped cut leaves of various sizes and shapes; and my 6-year-old nephew did a little of both!

After everything was cut, we went outside and collected sticks, twigs, and real leaves. My niece helped write all the things we were thankful for on the leaves, while we all took turns shouting out ideas! Meanwhile, I started to tape the tree trunk and branches up on the door.

Once all the leaves were full of things we were thankful for, the kids filled the branches with the leaves! I love how it turned out!

Other ideas:

Trace your hands and cut them out, for your tree’s leaves.
Add a new leaf every day of November leading up to Thanksgiving.
Make a “Thankful Tree” on Thanksgiving with the entire family.
Instead of a tree, put your leaves together in the shape of a wreath.

The above photo was shared by one of my dear friends from childhood, Sarah. Her family is adding a hand-shaped leaf every day this November! Too cute! Comment below and share some of your “Thankful Trees” with us! I can’t wait to see all your wonderful creations!!!