Seasonal – Page 6 – Our Beautifully Messy House

April Fools’ Jokes to Play on Your Kids, Spouse and Coworkers!!!

March 25, 2015September 25, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

APRIL FOOLS’ DAY is just around the corner! What a delightful day of the year — one of my favorites!!! Many of these harmless pranks are quick to throw together and result in silly fun and laughter had by all! Enjoy!

For Little Kids:

Fill your little ones’ shoes with buttons, beads or poof balls.
Stick googlie eyes and mustaches on pictures and objects around your house…cups, the front door, bathroom mirror, backpacks, shoes.
Serve your kids food on teeny, tiny, doll dishes.
Switch your kid’s socks with your spouse’s the night before April Fools’ Day.
If the head of your sink faucets are removable, unscrew the head and place an Easter Egg dying tablet inside. Screw the head back on. When the kids turn on the sink, orange, blue or green water will come rushing out!

For Teenagers or Your Spouse:

Take an empty water bottle and using a pin, poke 10 holes in the bottom. Fill the bottle with water and quickly screw the lid back on. Dry off the bottle. Ask somebody to help you open the bottle and watch as water falls out the bottom!
Using safety pins, pin all their underwear together in one long line. Carefully replace the underwear back in their drawer, so when they go to remove the top pair the next comes out too, and the next, and the next, and the next…
Short-sheet their beds — Remove all the sheets from the bed. Using one sheet, lay it out over the bed and tuck it in at the top. Fold the bottom of the sheet up to the top and tuck the sides in. Cover with their quilt or comforter. The bed looks normal from the outside, but when they get into bed their feet will only go in halfway!
If their bed is messy, unmade or lumpy, put a bristly hair brush into their bed. When your kids feet touch the brush, it’ll feel like a prickly animal or giant bug!
If your spouse is heading to the grocery store, add some “extras” to list: 2 lbs of banana peels, a dozen robin’s eggs, 1 loaf of bread crumbs.

For Coworkers:

Write “April Fool!” on a sticky note. Stick it to the bottom of your coworker’s computer mouse. Not only will the mouse not work, when they flip it over, perplexed, your message will be delivered.
If you’re wearing a blazer to work, take a spool of thread and thread a needle onto the end of the string. Poke the needle through near the shoulder of your jacket, from inside out. Remove the needle, leaving a couple inches of string showing on your jacket. Place the spool of thread in the inner-pocket. Just wait for your coworker to notice and remove the string for you…then wait for the horrified look on their face as the string pulls longer and longer and longer!

Knuckle-Print Carrots

March 18, 2015September 25, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

How cute are these KNUCKLE-PRINT CARROTS we made for Easter? They’re not only fun to make with your little ones, but they make sweet gifts for parents and grandparents too!

Materials needed:

paper
orange and green paint
little knuckles

Just a little note: Whenever doing projects like this, I like to have a sheet of paper to practice on first. Our practice paper is the big white one here, giving us lots of room to experiment with before making little Easter cards for the grandparents.

First, paint your kid’s knuckles orange. Have them stamp the paper with their knuckles. We found that it worked best if L was standing or on her knees doing this part, making sure she was well above the paper.

Next, I marked each carrot lightly with a pencil, so we knew which side would be best to put the “leaves” on.

Using your child’s thumb or index finger, have them make little leaves atop each carrot. I had to help L with this part…as you can see in the picture below, when left to do it alone, she was happy putting green dots all over her carrots! Ha!

So sweet! Happy Spring!

Egg Carton Flower Wreath

March 15, 2015September 25, 2015 Porter 2 Comments

Can you believe this beautiful Spring wreath was made primarily out of egg cartons!?! I just love the outcome! I’ve wanted to make an EGG CARTON FLOWER WREATH for years! Last year we tried it, using tempera paints, but the colors weren’t nearly as vibrant. I highly suggest using acrylics for this project. Our EGG CARTON FLOWER WREATH hangs inside Our Beautifully Messy House, as we await the first blooms of spring flowers outside in our garden!

Materials needed:

3 egg cartons
med-large cardboard piece
sharp scissors (fabric scissors)
acrylic paints
hot glue gun and glue

First, cut the egg cartons into flower shapes. Get creative! The pointy, divider sections can be used to make narrow flowers or daffodil trumpets and the lids of the egg cartons can be cut into leaves.

After all your flowers are cut, time to paint with your little ones! L and I painted side-by-side…when she was finished with a flower or bored with a color, I’d let her start on another one while I filled in any spots she may missed. After all the flowers were painted a solid color, I went back and painted on some details! Although the flowers look great in solid colors, the details really bring them to life…worth the extra 30 minutes of painting!

To make your wreath base, use some large mixing bowls to trace circles onto your cardboard and cut it out. I used two separate pieces of cardboard and just taped them together. Once your wreath base is cut out, give it a quick coat of green paint.

Next, using a hot glue gun, glue the leaves onto your wreath base randomly.

After the leaves are in place, glue the flowers on. Try to space the colors out, but don’t think too much about order. In nature, nothing is perfect and the imperfections themselves are beautiful!

Hang your wreath on a door, a wall or in your kitchen window! Enjoy!!!

20+ Non-Candy Easter Egg Surprises

March 11, 2015September 25, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

Last year we put a few chocolates into L’s Easter eggs, but for the most part the Easter bunny left her with NON-CANDY EASTER EGG SURPRISES and she LOVED it! Inside the eggs were buttons, a spool of thread (to string the buttons into a necklace), a lil plastic turtle, and strips of paper with fun activities for the whole family to do.

Some of the “ACTIVITIES” included:

Hop like a bunny.
Jump like a frog.
Who can laugh the silliest?
Give daddy a hug.
Give a bunny kiss to mommy.
Walk backwards.
Clap and count to 10.
Peep like a chick.
Play ring-around-the-rosie.
Roll like an egg.

Yes, it was silly and ridiculous, but we had so much fun!!!

Other NON-CANDY EASTER EGG IDEAS:

Army men
Marbles
Puzzle pieces
Stickers
Crayons
A Prism
Coins
Beads
Play-dough (Recipe here.)
Fairy folk (DIY here.)
Shoelaces
Plastic figurines
Wooden Stamps
Jacks
Story Stones (DIY here.)
Buttons (and thread to make a necklace)
Mardi-Gras Beads
Miniature Tea Set
Rocks (like Jade, Obsidian, Pyrite, Quartz, etc.)
Dice
Erasers

You also might like these CRAZY COLORED EASTER EGGS…

And this DIY SOCK BUNNY RABBIT! Enjoy!!!

Crazy Colored Easter Eggs

March 9, 2015September 25, 2015 Porter 1 Comment

Last year was the first time we colored our Easter eggs in this fashion and oh my gosh, was it easy!!! These CRAZY COLORED EASTER EGGS are much cleaner and quicker to make than the traditional dyed Easter eggs! And aren’t they just beautiful???

Materials needed:

white eggs
pot with water
broken crayons
tin foil
large dish or pan
fork
tongs
glitter (optional)
towel for drying
parchment paper

First, put your eggs in the pot of water and on your stovetop to boil. I’ve always heard that 13 minutes is the magic number for perfectly cooked, hard-boiled eggs.

While your eggs cook, line your pan with tin foil. Also, prepare a place on your kitchen counter for your finished eggs…just a piece of parchment paper will do!

Make some crayon shavings, using a sharp knife. The more wild and beautiful your colors, the more wild and beautiful the eggs!

Sprinkle the crayon shavings on top of the tin foil and add glitter if you like too! You don’t need a whole lot of crayon shavings…less is really better to avoid big color mixtures turning the eggs into yucky shades of brown.

Once the eggs are cooked, use tongs to carefully move one egg at a time onto the towel to dry, and then into the pan of crayon shavings. Have your little one roll the egg around the shavings, pushing gently with the underside of a fork. Since the eggs are still very hot, the crayon shavings will melt immediately, painting the eggs!

After each egg is dyed, remove it with the tongs and lay it on the parchment paper to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining eggs!

I just love our CRAZY COLORED EASTER EGGS!!! Beautiful!!! Enjoy!

DIY Tin Can Bird Feeder #2

February 26, 2015December 3, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

To celebrate the last week of National Bird Feeding Month, L and I made these adorable TIN CAN BIRD FEEDERS! They are really easy to make, look beautiful and cost nothing…just go digging through your recyclables! Not only will the birds love this winter treat, this bird feeder would make a fantastic gift for your children to make for a friend, parent or grandparent!

Materials needed:

tin can w/ lid
wooden paint stirrer
pliers
acrylic paints
hot glue gun
string
glossy sealant (optional)
church key can and bottle opener (optional)
bird seed

First, make sure your can is clean and remove the label.

Using your hands, carefully bend the lid of the can in half. Using pliers, squeeze it flat.

Using the hot glue gun, glue the paint stirrer inside the can. You can break the stirrer if it’s too long. This will be the birds’ perch.

Next, glue the bent lid back into the can as pictured. Try not to make a huge mess with the hot glue gun, but if the glue shows it is no big deal…you will paint over it next.

Paint the can any way you like.

After the paint dries, you can use the can opener to make holes in the can from where you’ll hang it on a string. On one of our cans I placed two holes on the top…this bird feeder will hang from an old clothes line end.

On our second can I made holes in the back of the bird feeder…this one we will tie onto a fence. I was careful to put the holes in the can after we painted it, because I wanted to avoid any sharp edges while L was handling the bird feeder.

If you’d like your bird feeder to have a shiny, glossy finish, spray the can with a glossy sealant. It only takes 15-30 min to dry and will help protect the paint as well!

Thread string through the holes of the bird feeder and fill with bird seed!

Now, find the perfect spot to hang your TIN CAN BIRD FEEDER! We placed one of ours right outside our kitchen window…the girls will love watching their little wildlife friends snack throughout the day! Enjoy!

In case you missed it, here’s the first DIY TIN CAN BIRD FEEDER we made! Another fun nature craft!

Snow Candles

February 17, 2015January 12, 2016 Porter Leave a comment

Ever since I was a kid I’ve always wanted to try making candles in the snow and today was the day!!! Such a cool experiment! I just love how they turned out! The sides of the SNOW CANDLES have this beautiful texture created by the crystals of snow. Just like snowflakes, each snow candle is unique!

This is definitely a craft that should be done with adult supervision, though it is a fun one for kids of all ages.

Materials needed:

snow
paraffin wax
crayons
candle wicks
med/large pot for water
tin can or candle pouring pot
stick

First, decide what color you want your candles to be. Pick out 5 or 6 crayons all similar in color. L chose purples for our candles. Using a knife, cut a slit down the side of the crayon papers and peel the paper off.

Fill your pot with water about an inch high. Next place your pouring pot or tin can in the water creating a double boiler. (If using a tin can, make sure it is clean and the paper has been removed.) Place 3 blocks of paraffin wax and your crayons into the pouring pot or can. Bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat down to med-low so it’s at a simmer. ***Never melt wax directly on the stove top without the double boiler! The high heat may cause a fire!***

Watch as the crayons and wax melt completely. Turn the stovetop off as you go outside to prepare your candle molds.

Outside you’ll need about a foot of snow. If the snow isn’t deep enough, you can use your hands to pile it up and lightly pack it down. Using a stick or a spoon handle, dig a little hole in the snow. We made ours about 4 inches deep and 1 to 2 inches wide.

Back inside, turn the stove back on for a couple minutes to heat up the wax again. Gather your candle wicks. When you’re ready, carefully remove the pouring pot or tin can (using an oven mitt) and quickly go outside to pour the wax into your molds. After a couple minutes, insert the wicks into your candles and hold in place until the wax hardens a bit…about 4-5 minutes.

Leave your candles in the snow for an hour to harden completely. As the wax hardens, the candles take on their funky shape and texture. So cool!

Once they have hardened, carefully dig the candles out of the snow with your hands. Inside, use a knife to shave off some of the bottom of the candles if needed, so they will sit flat. Using scissors, trim the wicks to 1/2 inch high.

Arrange on a dish or in a large bowl, add some decorative “fairy stones” if you like and enjoy!!! Beautiful!!!

Bird Feeder Garland and Bird Feeder Ornaments

February 10, 2015November 23, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

The BIRD FEEDER GARLAND is one of my favorite Winter crafts. It’s fun to make and even more fun to watch the wildlife activity that arises in our backyard after we hang it up! This week we’ve watched birds nibbling, followed by squirrels chasing the birds, then snacking themselves, and lastly, we observed four neighborhood cats stalk the squirrels for two days straight. Easy Winter entertainment…the girls and I have been glued to our kitchen window! The BIRD FEEDER GARLAND itself looks beautiful hanging in a tree, around a bush, or along a fence!

Materials needed:

dental floss
unsalted peanuts in their shells
old apples, oranges, cranberries and/or raisins
embroidery needle
cardboard

Thread the dental floss into the needle. I use dental floss for lots of projects, because it’s always on hand and is super-sturdy! Using the needle, string the peanuts onto the dental floss. Having cardboard under the peanuts, makes it easier to push the needle through. Tie a knot after you string the first peanut to hold the rest on!

You can cut an apple into small pieces to string as well. If you have dried fruit, you can string that along with the peanuts too.

My helper squirreling away some apple bits…

Once the peanuts are all strung, find the perfect place to hang your BIRD FEEDER GARLAND!

The BIRD FEEDER GARLAND looks great on it’s own, but to really give the birds a treat, add some BIRD FEEDER ORNAMENTS as well! Kids love helping with this part!

Materials needed:

dental floss
pinecones
peanut butter
bird seed
butter knife
2 plates

First, tie the dental floss in a knot or two around the top of the pinecone.

Using a butter knife, slather on some peanut butter.

Pour some bird seed out on a plate and let your little one roll the peanut butter-covered pinecone through the bird seed.

Hang the pinecones from your BIRD FEEDER GARLAND!

You can also slice some apples and/or oranges to hang from the garland. And if you make these DIY Cereal Bird Feeders, you can add them as well! Enjoy!!!

DIY Cereal Bird Feeder

February 4, 2015September 26, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

Being that February is National Bird-Feeding Month, I thought we’d make and share a few homemade, bird feeders with you over the next few weeks! This DIY CEREAL BIRD FEEDER may be the quickest and easiest one to make! I remember making similar ones when I was in grade school. So cute!

Materials needed:

pipe cleaners (or other thin wire)
O-shaped cereal (non-sugary)
ribbon

First, bend the wire in half gently, making a V-shape.

Have your little ones string the cereal onto the wire, as you would with beads. Leave about 1/2 – 1 inch of the wire showing at the ends.

Twist the ends together and shape into a heart.

Tie some ribbon in the middle of your bird feeders and hang them outside for the birds!

Notice the hearts are rather light, so hang them up in a bush or against a tree trunk…someplace protected from the wind. Enjoy!

Check out our DIY TIN CAN BIRD FEEDER as well!

PVC Pipe Ball Drop / Water Run

January 27, 2015January 12, 2016 Porter Leave a comment

We made this PVC PIPE BALL DROP / WATER RUN last Summer to take with us to the beach…beach houses usually have large windows and sliding doors so I knew it’d be the perfect place to test it out. We originally used corn kernels to drop through the tubes, which turned out to be a huge mess, but we had fun!!! As cabin fever set in this week with cold, snowy weather outside I decided to bring out the PVC PIPE BALL DROP / WATER RUN again! This time we used poof balls (as well as plastic fairies and frogs) to drop through the tubes and it worked great! You could also put this up in the shower and dump water through the tubing to make a water run…I think we’ll try that next! The materials for this project only cost about $10 and it provides hours of fun!

Materials needed:

PVC connectors and elbows
suction cups
drill
flathead screw driver
poof balls, beans, feathers, pennies…

We found these suction cups at the craft store and they were perfect…just remove the little, metal hook.

First, drill a hole in the middle of one side of each PVC connector. Compare the suction cup piece with the drill bits to figure out the right size to use…you can always drill a bigger hole if need be, so start with the smaller bit if you’re deciding between two. Using the flat head screw driver, pry and poke the suction cup into the PVC connector.

Now, time to play!!! Press the tubes onto a sturdy glass door or window and let the fun begin! It’s fun letting the kids experiment with placement of the tubes!