Our Beautifully Messy House

Imagination Box!

August 18, 2014March 15, 2016 Porter Leave a comment

I don’t know about you, but our kids always seem to have too much stuff….too many stuffed animals, too many dolls, too many plastic play sets, too many puzzles, etc. When L is going to a birthday party, I hate to buy a toy that her friend will play with for 5 minutes and then toss to the side. Homemade gifts are truly the best, most heart-felt to give and I love making them, but I just don’t have the time some days. The IMAGINATION BOX is my gift-giving solution!!! It is quick and easy to put together and kids of all ages LOVE it! The Imagination Box makes for a fun birthday gift, as well as a perfect “Get Well Soon” gift, plus it guarantees hours of entertainment!

“So, what do I put in the box?” you ask. Anything and everything!

Paper plates and cups, brown paper bags, construction paper, crepe paper, straws…

Cotton balls, clothes pins, colored craft sticks, paper clips, sponges, markers, googlie eyes…

Buttons, rubber bands, glue, beads, shoe laces, pipe cleaners…

Egg cartons, kid scissors, mini-staplers, felt squares, a few sandwich bags (for lil pieces with opened packaging)…

Just about anything that will fit in the Imagination Box, that kids can use to create art, works! I usually go to the Dollar Store, walking up and down every aisle, and look for items with crafting potential. It certainly looks like a lot pictured here, but the box can be filled with less than 25 dollars!

Last, but not least, you need a cardboard box to put everything in. Try to leave the box mostly undecorated, so the child receiving the gift can use it too! The box itself will make a perfect rocketship, firetruck, castle, table, bed, gnome house, etc.

When putting together an Imagination Box, you need to consider the child’s age. It’s best to put things in the box that the child receiving it can create with independently and safely. After all, the box is designed to keep kids busy creating (so mom and dad can cook dinner in peace)! For instance, if you’re making an Imagination Box for a 2 yr old, you may not want to include scissors or a stapler, but an 8 year old would have no problem with them. Always make sure you give parents a heads-up of anything that’s questionable.

Some ideas to get kids started…

make a little town or fairy village using paper bags
paper plate masks
pipe cleaner bracelets, necklaces, glasses
puppets
robots
make pretend food
cotton balls for clouds
clothespins to make people
egg carton flowers
egg carton caterpillar

Get messy and have fun!!! Let the kids’ imaginations soar!

Acorn Cap Treasures

August 14, 2014January 12, 2016 Porter Leave a comment

L and I were so excited the other day when we noticed that acorns were starting to fall from the Oak trees. We collected as many acorns and acorn caps as we could carry and rushed home to make “acorn cap treasures” with them. This craft is so much fun to do and to observe that we’ll probably be doing it every summer when the first acorns begin to fall.

Materials needed:

acorn caps
markers (any kind should work)
Elmer’s Glue
a medium container
rice or dried beans or lentils

First, color the inside of your acorn caps with the markers. L loved this part, but being only 2 yrs old she wasn’t the best at coloring the entire cap…so I helped filling in any missed spots.

Next, pour some of the rice or beans into your container…it only needs to be about half an inch deep. Have your child lay all the caps on top, one by one. Press down gently on each cap making sure they are upright…well, bottoms-up.

Now, fill each acorn cap with the glue. This was our favorite part, watching the colors bleed out into the glue.

Wait and watch your acorn caps for a couple days as the glue begins to dry and the colors change. L loved checking on her treasures throughout the day, observing all the color variations. They take a full two days to dry!

When your acorn cap treasures are dry, the insides will be nice and shiny like true jewels. Now it’s time to play!

L likes to pretend that her acorn caps are fairy treasures and coins. She tried giving me a couple of my favorite colored ones, the orange, in exchange for a cookie this afternoon. Ha! I love seeing L’s imagination at work!

We also have fun playing matching games with them. We turn all the caps upside-down on a blanket. Then, one of us says a color and we take turns trying to find it. With the same set up, you can also take turns trying to find two of any matching color. So much fun to make and to play with! What games did your kids come up with???

Fairy Furniture

August 13, 2014September 29, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

It wouldn’t be fair for me to tell you how to make a “fairy door” without showing you how to make some fairy furniture to add to your garden as well! These tables and chairs are super easy and quick to make and, like most of my favorite crafts, they can be made with things you already have!

Materials needed:

bottle caps
little sticks and twigs
scissors
hot glue gun and glue

First, have your kids help you collect sticks out of your yard and select some colorful bottle caps. (Bottle caps are another item we hoard in our house…they can be used for so many crafts!)

Using your scissors, cut a stick into four equal pieces…each about an inch long. These will be the legs of your chair.

Turn a bottle cap upside down and glue the four legs into place. You can either put the glue onto the leg and push it into the bottle cap, or put the glue directly onto the cap and push the stick in. Whichever method you decide on, make sure you do it quickly so the chair legs are super-secure!

Cut two more sticks, about an inch and a half to two inches long. These ones do not have to be exactly equal in length or straight! Cut two or three more sticks about an inch in length.

These sticks will resemble a ladder-back chair. One by one, glue the inch-long sticks to the longer ones, attaching the two. (Easier to see in the pictures below than to explain!) I prefer the small, horizontal sticks to be a little crooked…gives the chair more character!

Once all the sticks are attached and the glue has dried, flip the chair over and decide which side will be the front and which will be the back. Glue the back of the chair to the seat with two more dots of glue. All done!!!

If you’ve made the chair, the table is super easy…essentially it’s a back-less chair!

I just love the color and character the bottle caps give the fairy furniture! Have fun playing with this one! They are so quick and easy to make, you might as well make a few for your neighbor’s garden as well.

Homemade Paper and Seed Paper

August 8, 2014September 29, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

Last night, while cleaning up from dinner, I told L not to throw away her pudding cup because it can be recycled. She replied, “What’s recycle? What’s it mean?” So as I was doing my best to explain to a 2-year-old how plastics are melted down and made into new containers, I remembered how I used to make paper as a kid…it’s the perfect activity to teach kids of any age how things are recycled! I lost my paper-making kit years ago, but it didn’t take long to locate and piece together the materials needed for homemade paper. I love this activity because your kids can help with each of the steps, keeping them busy and entertained the whole way through!

Materials needed:

old paper
water
blender
2 small window screens
felt (or thin cloth like a cloth diaper)
sponges
plastic tub or wide container
seeds (optional)

First, dig through the recycling basket for colorful paper. (I always save colored-on pieces of construction paper for projects like this!) Have your kids help you tear it up into 2-inch pieces and throw it all into a large bowl.

Add some water to the bowl, covering all the paper pieces, and let it soak thoroughly for a few minutes. Your kids can now reach in the bowl to see how the wet paper feels compared to the dry.

Next, scoop and dump the paper and water into your blender. There’s no exact amount of water needed since it’ll all be squeezed out in the end. Blend the mixture for about a minute. The pulp should resemble the consistency of oatmeal.

Now for the fun, messy part!!! Lay one of the screens over the plastic tub or container. (You could use your sink, but it’s easier for kids if the project is done on the floor!)

Next, dump the paper pulp mixture out on top of the screen. Let your kids help you spread it around gently.

Then lay a large piece of felt on top of the mixture and next, the second window screen.

Using sponges press down on the felt, squeezing most of the water out. We started in the middle of the felt and worked our way out, pressing the paper underneath nice and flat.

Next, take off the top screen and, placing one hand on top of the felt, quickly flip the other over. Remove the screen and leave the paper on the felt to dry. I did this last step outside on our picnic table so the paper could dry in the sun and summer heat. It takes about a day to dry on its own. When I was a kid, doing a similar paper-making project, the paper and felt pieces were much smaller and I’d pop it in the microwave to dry. The paper would curl a little bit sometimes, but it was quick and easy.

Here’s our finished paper! It doesn’t look like your typical paper, but it is beautiful with all the bright yellows, reds and oranges mixed in! It’ll be perfect to paint on later in the day!

Making Seed Paper:
To make seed paper, add a handful of flower seeds to the pulp before squeezing all the water out. After the paper dries, you can cut it up into squares and gift it to friends. They can plant the paper strips in soil in the Spring, water and wait for their flowers to grow! We used our leftover, perennial Balloon Flower seeds…they’re easy to grow and look beautiful anywhere!

Other Ideas:

Before squeezing the water out of the paper-pulp mixture, add some flower petals to the pulp for a fresh and colorful look!
After squeezing the water out and removing the screens, use cookie cutters to carefully cut the paper into shapes. After they dry, you can punch a hole to hang the paper shapes and make ornaments! We may do this around the holidays, using holiday-colored paper.
You can also add glitter to the paper pulp, before squeezing the water out, to give your paper a little sparkle!

Have fun and get messy! Your kids will love you for it!!!

DIY Tin Can Bird Feeder

August 6, 2014September 29, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

I think what I love most about the Tin Can Bird Feeder is that you’re essentially making something from nothing! It’s also such a fun way to teach kids how to reuse and recycle! We just made the bird feeder on a whimsy for our own backyard, but it would make a terrific gift too.

Materials needed:

tin can and its lid
pliers
hot glue gun and glue
sticks
string
a few small rocks

First, make sure your can has been thoroughly cleaned and remove the paper label.

Next, being careful not to cut yourself, fold the lid in half using your pliers. Our lid was one of the pull-top ones, which made it a little tricky, but we were still able to make it work!

Now, using the hot glue gun, put a little bit of glue around half of the rim of the can and set the lid inside. Try your best to hide the glue, so it’s not so visible from the outside.

While you’re folding and gluing the top, go ahead and send the little ones off to find sticks in the backyard.

Find one or two thicker, sturdier sticks and glue them to the bottom of the bird feeder…this is where the birds can perch while they snack.

Now, go around the can gluing sticks side-by-side until the entire can has been covered. We broke the sticks so they were all roughly the same length, but by no means perfect. If one stick is curved and leaves a substantial gap, go ahead and glue a small stick in to fill the hole.

On the bottom of the can, glue a few rocks in place…these probably won’t be seen, but will help balance out the bird feeder so it doesn’t tip too far forward.

Lastly, tie a string around the bird feeder and fill with bird seed. Hang it up where you and the kids can see it from a window…maybe on a nearby branch or off of your porch. Now, sit back and wait for the birds!

We decorated our bird feeder with sticks from the yard, but you can certainly get creative and mix things up a bit. Your kids can paint the tin can, wrap string around the can, or glue buttons on it…anything you all are inspired to do to make it unique!

Sensory Bags

August 2, 2014September 29, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

These bags are great for babies to play with and are a nice calming activity for bigger kids…heck, I even have a hard time walking by one without squishing it! They always feel so cool to the touch! We made ours pretty simple, but you can always embellish yours a bit by throwing some glitter in or some flat foam shapes.

Materials needed:

Ziplock quart-size bags
alcohol wipe
hair gel
food coloring
clear packaging tape

First, use the alcohol wipe to easily remove the Ziplock logo from the bag.

Next, squirt about a cup of hair gel into the bag.

Then add a few drops of food coloring. If you’re using glitter, throw that in too.

Seal the bag shut, making sure you leave little to no air in the bag. Squish the gel and food coloring together, adding more food coloring if you’d like a deeper color.

Reinforce all the edges of the bag with the packaging tape, especially the top, ensuring that the bag won’t split at its seams letting the gel-food coloring mixture out. All done!

WB likes to squish the bags on the kitchen floor, while L likes me to tape hers to the window, letting the sun shine through. As with most toys, you should never leave your baby alone with the sensory bags…you can never be too safe! Enjoy!

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

August 1, 2014September 29, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

In the Summer, when I was a kid, my mom used to make a frozen, creamy yogurt pie for us. She mixed together yogurt, whipped cream and fruit, poured it into a graham cracker crust and stuck it into the freezer to harden up. We ate it for dessert, afternoon snacks and even breakfast! This is a new twist on such a yummy and healthy Summer-time treat!

Ingredients:

banana
graham crackers
2 cups, low fat yogurt, any flavor
1 cup, low fat whipped cream (store bought or homemade)

First, take a 8 x 8 in or 9 x 9 in pan or dish…line it with tin foil. Break the graham crackers into squares and lay them out on the bottom of the pan.

Cut the banana into slices, about 1/4 inch thick, and lay one slice on top of each graham cracker.

Mix the yogurt and the whipped cream together in a bowl. Pour and spread the yogurt mixture evenly over the bananas and graham crackers.

Finish with another layer of graham crackers. Quickly put the pan in the freezer for a few hours to firm up.

Take the pan out of the freezer and carefully lift the foil and ice cream sandwiches out. Place on a cutting board and cut into squares. Let them sit about 5 minutes so they’re more creamy and less icy. Yum-yum….enjoy!

A great thing about this treat is that it’s very versatile…you can make it with just about anything you have on hand.

Variations include:

mash up 2-3 ripe bananas, mix with peanut butter…layer in-between graham crackers
add 1-2 tablespoons of jelly, jam, nutella or chocolate syrup
use strawberries instead of bananas
use cookies instead of graham crackers

The possibilities are endless…let us know what you come up with!

DIY Fairy Door…Gnome Door…

July 29, 2014September 29, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

In our garden the fairies and gnomes live amongst each other. Their village spreads around the yard with lil houses, patios and ponds hidden beneath the flowers. Throughout the year, L and I like to collect and make things to add to our garden…this morning we made a lil fairy door.

Materials needed:

sticks
florist wire
a button

First, have your kids collect some sticks and twigs around the yard. Sort through the sticks, finding ones that are particularly straight. Lay these sticks side-by-side, getting an idea of what your door will look like.

Next, cut two pieces of florist wire about 2-ft long each. Fold them in half.

Take the first stick you have laid out for the door and place it in the middle of one of the wires. Wrap the wire around the stick, about an inch from the bottom, and twist the wire once to secure it.

Do the same with the second wire about the an inch from the top of the stick. Continue adding sticks, one-by-one, wrapping and twisting the wires as you go.

When all the sticks are connected, hold the door in two hands and very gently squeeze the sticks together.

Cut the end of the wire, leaving about half an inch, and fold back the extra.

Next, have your child select a button for a door knob. L chose this cute lil heart button…probably not the one I would have chosen, but it was perfect for a fairy door! (Kids just know when it comes to these things.)

Thread the button onto a 4-inch piece of wire, twisting the wire a bit to secure it. Then, deciding where you’d like the door knob to be, wrap and twist the wire around one or two of the sticks.

To ensure that the button won’t slide down the door, you can thread the excess wire up and over the wire that holds the sticks in place as well.

Now the fun part…find a little piece of wall, fence, or a tree trunk to prop the door up against! Add some buttons, pennies, or broken tile pieces for lil fairy stepping stones… Adorable!

This project was so quick and easy, I think we’ll make another to sneak into our neighbor’s garden. He’s got the perfect tree for a fairy or gnome door…

New Ways to Paint

July 24, 2014September 29, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

I have never met a person, young or old, who didn’t love to paint! So here are over 10 new ways to paint…time to get messy and have some fun!!!

Some tips before we start:

Use an old shirt or apron for a smock shirt…or on a hot day, have your kids take off their shirts!
When using finger paints, tempera paints or liquid watercolors squirt the paints onto food container lids (Gladware, Tupperware, etc.). Then you can just rinse and toss into the dishwasher to clean them…better for the environment than paper plates!
After your child’s done painting outside, find a big rock or brick for them to paint too…this will hold the paper down and keep it from blowing away while the paint dries. We just keep the rocks outside and the rain washes them clean so they’ll be ready for next time.

New Ways to Paint:

“Clean” painting…Paint with water!

This is a great activity for the beginner painter! Inside, have your kids paint with water on construction paper. As the water dries, the paper can be used over and over again. Outside, kids can paint with water on a cement driveway or sidewalk with the same effect. It’s simple, clean, and kids love it!

Paint in a Bag

So quick, so easy and no mess! Put any kind of paint in a gallon-sized bag and tape it to a window! It’s fun to mix and swirl the colors together, making different textures in the paint with your hands. *hint: To get the white label off your plastic bags, just use an alcohol wipe! Easy peasy!

Paint with Flowers

This is definitely a Spring or Summer-time craft! Have your kids walk around outside, picking different sized flowers and grasses to paint with. The outcome is pretty cool!

Paint with Bubbles

I remember doing this one as a kid in school. In a small cup or bowl mix together a lot of paint, a tablespoon or two of dish soap, and a very little bit of water. Then, using a straw, have your kids blow bubbles in the cup until the bubbles rise up and over the edge. At this point you can quickly lay paper over the cup to leave a bubble print. You can also place the cup on a piece of paper before you start and let the bubbles pour over the cup and onto the paper. This one is fun to experiment with!

Paint with Cotton Balls

Clip clothespins onto the cotton balls and use in the place of brushes. L enjoyed making dots with this one. I’ve seen “cloud” pictures before where you make a cloud stencil with a piece of cardboard, lay the stencil over blue paper and use cotton balls and white paint to paint the clouds.

Paint with PomPoms

This is similar to painting with cotton balls. Here are some of my friend Katie’s kids using pompoms instead of brushes. So many colors and so much fun!

Finger Paint

This one is not new, but it is fun! You can always take it to the next level and paint with your feet instead! At Easter this year, we used finger paints and our knuckles to make knuckle carrots.

Paint with Household Brushes

We made fireworks with kitchen brushes this 4th of July. Old toothbrushes would work great too!

Paint with Sponges

Similar to household brushes, use sponges to paint. You can cut up sponges into shapes to stamp with or you can also find a variety of sponge-brushes at your craft store.

Paint Each Other

You don’t have to use face paint to paint your face. Watercolors work great too and wash off in seconds with warm water. I mean, why not let your kid paint green dots on your face?

Paint like the Masters

There’s no reason not to teach even the youngest kids about the extraordinary masters of the paint world. You can let your kids paint like Michelangelo and set-up a mini-Sistine Chapel; using Q-tips have them paint dots like Georges Seurat; or lay paper under the swing-set out back, having your kids swing on their stomach, paint brush in hand, creating a Pollock-like masterpiece.

For some Monet inspired art, check out this post:

Playing Monet.

I’m sure there are other fantastically fun ways to paint that L and I haven’t tried yet. Which ones have you done??? Please share in the “comments” section below!

Sunshine Experiment

July 23, 2014September 29, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

We call this one the “sunshine experiment”…it’s an oldie, but a goodie. It’s a great experiment to help kids learn about the harmful effects of the sun and why it’s important to always wear sunscreen. L is only 2 years old and was surprised at the outcome, but didn’t understand it 100%. I imagine a 4-year-old would get it and even a 10-year-old would have fun with the experiment!

Materials needed:

construction paper
old cardstock or thin cardboard (just look in the recycling bin!)
scissors
a handful of rocks
a sunny day

First, have your child dig through the recycling bin to find some pieces of thin cardboard or card stock. (We love any reuse-recycle activity!)

Next, cut out some big and basic shapes. We went with a night sky theme and an under-the-sea theme.

Take the cardboard cutouts and a couple pieces of construction paper outside. In a sunny spot, arrange the cutouts on the paper.

To ensure that they don’t blow away, put a few small rocks on top. Coins would work too! And now you have to wait and wait and wait…go for a walk, a swim, eat some lunch…wait a few hours.