winter crafts – Page 2 – Our Beautifully Messy House

20 Non-Candy Valentine Ideas!

January 25, 2015January 15, 2016 Porter Leave a comment

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner…time to spread a little love and happiness! Instead of giving out candy this year, why not make some NON-CANDY VALENTINES for friends and loved ones? Here are a few ideas for your kids’ friends and for yours…you may even want to make a “Thumbprint Necklace” for yourself! Most of these are really quick and easy to make too! Enjoy!!!

Just click on the link under each picture for the “how-to!”

For kids:

Homemade Sidewalk Chalk

Hidden Fairy Bath Bombs

DIY Pocket Parachutes

Fairy Folk

Sock Puppets

Melted Crayon Stones…Love Rocks!

Craft Stick Fairy Doors

Scented Play Dough

Story Stones

DIY Capes…Wizard Capes…Superhero Capes

Sensory Bottles, Sparkle Bottles, Glow-in-the-Dark Bottles, and an Ocean in a Bottle!

DIY Flower Fairies

Doorknob Mushroom-Fairy Houses

For adults:

Thumbprint Necklace

DIY Chocolate Orange Sugar Scrub

Semisoft Honeysuckle Soap

Heart Wreath

Strawberry Jam Scones

Cardboard Heart Stamps

Melted Crayon Art with Variations

Melted Crayon Rocks

January 22, 2015November 3, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

I remember doing this craft as a kid and how much I loved it, so today I introduced MELTED CRAYON ROCKS to L. And of course, she loved making them as well!!! It was the perfect way to spend this snowy afternoon!

This is definitely a craft to do with older kids, as the rocks get extremely hot! L was just old enough at 3 yrs of age. I constantly reminded her not to touch the rocks and kept a close eye at all times!

Materials needed:

rocks
crayons
tin foil
towels, cardboard, or newspapers
oven mitt or tongs
oven

First, clean and dry the rocks if there’s any dirt on them. Lay them out on a cookie sheet and place in the oven, set at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes I turned the oven off, leaving the rocks in there until we were ready to use them. I removed one rock at a time as we went along.

As the rocks are heating up, remove the paper from some crayons. If you use a knife to carefully cut down the side of the paper, it comes off in one nice, big piece. Prepare your work area with towels, cardboard or newspapers beneath a sheet of tin foil.

When you are ready to create, remove one rock at a time using an oven mitt or tongs. Obviously, be very careful…you don’t want to burn yourself or have the rock fall, roll and burn anyone else.

Gently press crayons onto the rock and watch the wax melt down the side. Sooo relaxing and mesmerizing!!! You can draw pictures, designs or make them completely random! It’s a fun craft to experiment with!

MELTED CRAYON ROCKS would make sweet little gifts for family and friends…a fun surprise to leave in your neighbor’s garden or on their front steps! I think we’ll be making more this coming month to hand out on Valentine’s Day, because LOVE ROCKS!!! Enjoy!!!

DIY Heart Wreath

January 14, 2015January 12, 2016 Porter Leave a comment

I’m so glad I dreamt this HEART WREATH up last night…it’s that time of year when your Christmas wreath needs to come down off the front door, but it’s not quite time for your Spring wreath to go up. This HEART WREATH is cute, simple, sweet and perfect to get us through the months of January and February!

Materials needed:

wire coat hanger
fabric scraps
scissors
pliers
ribbon

First, untwist the coat hanger apart. It’s easiest to do this part with your hands, holding the top of the hanger in one hand and untwisting it from below with the other.

Once the hanger comes apart, try to smooth out some of the bends. Gently fold the hanger in half as well.

Next, bend the hanger into a heart shape, looping the ends together with the pliers. It’s okay if your heart isn’t perfect…the fabric scraps will hide any blemishes.

Once you are satisfied with your wire heart, it’s time to cut some fabric strips. Each strip should be about 1-1.5 inches wide and 5-7 inches long. They do not all have to be the exact same length!

Now to assemble your wreath…simply knot the fabric strips around the wire. Pull each knot taut and, every once in a while, push the knots down so you can squeeze on as many fabric strips as possible.

If the fabric you’re using is blank on the underside, simply fold it in half before knotting.

Once your heart wreath is made, use a ribbon to hang it on your front door! So sweet!!!

This wreath would also be beautiful hanging inside in a kitchen window or on a wall! Enjoy!!! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Winter Shelter for Strays

January 12, 2015September 27, 2015 Porter 3 Comments

Though we don’t own any furry pets ourselves, our neighborhood seems to have its own little cat community. On any given day we may have up to 5 or 6 cats playing in our yard, hiding under our front porch or napping beneath our Little Free Library. Some of the cats have collars and tags, though quite a few do not. With the temperatures dropping well below freezing, L and I decided to make a warm place for our kitty friends to rest.

Materials needed:

styrofoam cooler (found at your local grocery store)
knife
paints (optional)
old towels or bedding
tape

First, remove the lid and turn the cooler over. Using a knife, cut a small doorway for the cats to go in and out. Next, paint the cooler whatever snazzy way you like!

Once the paint is dry, fold up some old towels or bedding (we cut up an old mattress pad) and place it inside the lid.

Put the cooler on top of the lid and tape it in place.

(My friend Helen takes this project a step further…she places the styrofoam cooler inside a plastic rubbermaid-like box with a hole cut out and layers hay in between! Extra warm and cozy!)

Now for the final step, find a safe place near your home to put your WINTER SHELTER FOR STRAYS, preferably up against a building and out of the wind.

We put our Winter Shelter in our backyard where we often see cats passing through and, an extra bonus, we can see the shelter from our kitchen window. I know L will be watching for her feline friends first thing every morning! She was so proud today knowing she was helping others!

Giant Ice Marbles

January 9, 2015December 3, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

How cool are these GIANT ICE MARBLES!? I’d seen pictures of something similar before, but never a “how-to” on making them. Figuring it couldn’t be too hard to do, we gave it a try! There is definitely a list of things not to do we quickly found out. Haha! Hopefully I can help you avoid such mistakes! These GIANT ICE MARBLES are just beautiful in the snow!

Materials needed:

regular sized balloons
food coloring
warm water
below freezing temps

First, put 5-10 drops of food coloring in a balloon. Next, fill with warm water and tie off with a knot. Do not try putting food coloring in last…your hands may become dyed blue for a day or two if you do. Make sure to use warm water instead of cold…it helps the coloring spread evenly around the entire balloon. If you fill the balloon to only mid-capacity it will help make the marble round as a ball. Before tying the knot, very carefully let any air residing just above the water line out of the balloon…simply do this by loosening your grip on the mouth of the balloon until a bit of water starts to leak out.

Now, it’s time to put the balloon outside. Placing the balloon partially on its side (like the balloon pictured on the far right) and in snow is best…helps it keep a nice round shape rather than flattening out.

Leave the water-filled balloon outside in below freezing temps for 36 to 48 hours. Even if the temperature is in the single digits, one night is not enough for the entire balloon to freeze. As you can see with this one, the water in the center will flow right out.

Finally, after the water is completely frozen, cut and remove the balloon from your GIANT ICE MARBLE. Beautiful!!!

DIY Flower Garden Entrance

January 7, 2015September 27, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

I made this FLOWER GARDEN ENTRANCE for WB’s first birthday this week and I just love how it turned out! We put it up in our kitchen, but eventually we’ll move it to brighten up the entrance to her bedroom! A FLOWER GARDEN ENTRANCE is the perfect decoration for birthday parties, tea parties, or anytime you want to bring a little sunshine inside! You could hang it in a doorway or above a window!

Materials needed:

adjustable shower curtain rod
2 rolls of green tulle
silk flowers
florist tape
hot glue gun and glue
piece of string

(Silk flowers are on sale during the winter months at most craft stores…I got these all 50% off!)

First, I measured the height and width of the doorway where our FLOWER GARDEN ENTRANCE would be. Our house is old with doors of various heights and widths…I wanted to make sure that if I made it in the kitchen doorway it would fit in the doorway to my daughter’s room.

Next, put up the curtain rod and tie a piece of string around the middle. You will thread the tulle through this, so make it not too tight, but not too loose.

Now thread the tulle through the string, cutting strips in similar lengths. The tulle will travel along the top of the rod and straight down (see the next steps), so measure and cut accordingly.

Next, wrap a small scrap of tulle around the middle a few times, tie and cut. You can now remove the string that was holding everything up.

Do the same at both ends of the curtain rod…wrapping a scrap of tulle around the long tulle strands, tie and cut.

Now, figure out where you want your flowers to go. For long stems, I used floral tape to secure them to the curtain rod in various spots. With individual flowers, I just used a hot glue gun to glue them in place. Other smaller stems can be tucked in and behind the rest and may not even need tape or glue.

And finally, pick a few small, delicate flowers to glue in place along the long strands of tulle. My favorite and final touch!

My girls were so excited to find this hanging in the kitchen this morning! Easy, beautiful and fun!!!

Sock Puppets

January 4, 2015September 27, 2015 Porter Leave a comment

This craft is as old and simple as they come, but so much fun!!! We often forget about SOCK PUPPETS, though I’m sure most of us played with them as kids! L and I made these sock puppets last week to give away as party favors at our girls’ birthday party. We made two for each kid and they were a big hit!

Materials:

socks
buttons, googlie eyes, sequins, felt, pompoms, bells…
hot glue gun and glue

First, empty your sock drawer! Your kids will love this step, digging and swimming through your socks. Pick out a few pairs that you don’t wear…it’s definitely a bonus if they’re bright and colorful, but plain ol’ white socks work just as well.

Next, decorate! We made unicorns, dogs and million-eyed monsters this time around! Get creative and have fun! It’s nearly impossible to mess this one up!

A fun craft to follow this one, especially with older kids, is decorating some cardboard for a backdrop and putting on a sock puppet play! So much fun!!!

Magical Fantastical Christmas Fudge

December 22, 2014January 12, 2016 Porter Leave a comment

This MAGICAL FANTASTICAL CHRISTMAS FUDGE is always a favorite among my friends and family…I make it every year! It’s quick and easy to make, looks beautiful, tastes divine, and the kids love to help with this one! The recipe is adapted from the “Sweet Dreams Chocolate Fudge” recipe by Max Brenner…we like to leave out the nuts and add some candy cane dust instead!

Ingredients:

1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow cream (clouds)
1 1/2 cups white sugar (princess diamonds)
2/3 cup evaporated milk (mountain snow)
1/4 cup butter (candy bricks)
1/4 tsp salt (the lost sea)
3 cups milk chocolate chips (from the milky way)
1-2 crushed candy canes (from Candy Cane Forest at the North Pole)
1 tsp vanilla extract (from a magical island)

Line an 8x8in pan with aluminum foil. Set aside.

In a large saucepan over med-low heat (on a scale of 10, put the stove on 4), combine the CLOUDS, PRINCESS DIAMONDS, MOUNTAIN SNOW, CANDY BRICKS and the LOST SEA. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 5-10 minutes. You don’t want the mixture to burn, but you do want the sugar to be good and melted so the fudge isn’t gritty…that’s why I turn the heat down to just below medium and stir, stir, stir!!!

Turn the heat off and pour in the CHOCOLATE CHIPS FROM THE MILKY WAY. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in the VANILLA FROM THE MAGICAL ISLAND and 1-2 tsp of crushed CANDY CANES FROM THE CANDY FOREST.

Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining CANDY CANE DUST on top. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours or until firm. Lift the fudge out of the pan, holding onto the foil and place on a cutting board. Peal the foil down and cut into small squares. Store, layered in wax or parchment paper, in the refrigerator. Devour and enjoy!!!

DIY Thumbprint Necklace

December 21, 2014September 28, 2015 Porter 2 Comments

All the thumbprint ornaments and Christmas decorations I’ve seen lately have led me to think about making a smaller version for a necklace. I love anything that helps me savor and preserve these precious years and moments with my little ones. So, I started researching ideas for thumbprint necklaces. There are lots for sale out there for nearly $150-$200…yikes! But there are also some DIYs out there. We tried a few styles and techniques this week…some were okay, others didn’t work out at all, but this one was nearly perfect! Simple and sweet! We modified it a little to make the THUMBPRINT NECKLACE work for us and I just love how they turned out!

I made one using my thumbprint for L to hang around her neck and we made one using L and WB’s thumbprints for myself. (Pssst…we also made a little keepsake for Daddy to keep in his pocket too! L can’t wait to give it to him for Christmas this week!)

Materials needed:

Sculpey, silver (oven-bake clay)
wax paper
hardback book
tiny heart cookie cutter
letter stamps (optional, though leather printing kits work great!)
toothpick
crayons

First, roll and knead the clay until it becomes soft. Finish by rolling it into a ball.

With wax paper underneath the ball and wax paper on top, flatten the ball using a hardback book. Board books work great for these little project…flattens the clay evenly and quickly.

Next, using the cookie cutter, cut out a teeny, tiny heart.

On the backside you can print a name, date or initials using the letter stamps. Of course you could print the word “love” or skip this step altogether.

Carefully flip the clay over and on the opposite side press your thumbprint onto the heart. With little thumbs, you can carefully press one on each half of the heart as I did with L and WB’s.

Next, poke a hole in the heart with a toothpick. You can place the hole in the middle of the heart, though we chose to put ours to the side. Notice I left one heart without a hole…that’s the one we’ll give to my husband to keep in his pocket.

Now to bake! Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or foil) and bake the thumbprint hearts for 10 to 15 min. When they come out of the oven, wait a few minutes for them to cool. Sculpey typically hardens completely upon cooling.

Once the hearts have cooled, you can gently rub a crayon over the thumbprints to make them more visible. I tried using a gold crayon first, but on the silver clay black definitely shows up best! If you made this necklace using white or pearly-colored clay, I think any color would shine through. We may try that next time!

Of course, you can also leave the thumbprint as is, without rubbing crayon over top. Just as sweet if you ask me!

Finish your necklace by adding a jump ring or some wire (as we did) and a chain. L and I are pretty smitten with our new creations! So much love!

DIY Peppermint Play Dough

December 17, 2014January 12, 2016 Porter Leave a comment

While you escape to the bathtub to enjoy your Candy Cane Sugar Scrub you need something to occupy the kids, right? So, here’s my recipe for PEPPERMINT PLAY DOUGH!

This play dough takes only a few minutes to make, but stored in a gallon-sized bag or an air-tight container, it’ll keep for nearly a year! Whenever L has friends or cousins over I love whipping up a batch of play dough…it keeps them happy and busy for at least an hour and I can split the dough in half and send the other kid home with some. This recipe makes plenty for 2 or 3 kids to play with!

A tip to keep your kids entertained playing with play dough for longer: Start off with plain play dough. Let them play 15 or 20 minutes, then throw some glitter into the mix. Once their attention starts to drift, add some colorful beads or buttons. Add some measuring cups and kitchen utensils, some lil plastic dinosaurs or army men. Just don’t give them everything at once, instead add to the play dough in intervals…works every time!

Ingredients:

2 cups + 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 Tbsp cream of tartar
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1.5 cups boiling water
food coloring
1/2 – 1 tsp peppermint oil

First, put the water on to boil. Add about 10 drops of red food coloring to the water. As the water is heating up, mix 2 cups of flour, salt and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl. Then add and mix the vegetable oil into the flour mixture. Once the water is boiling, add it to the bowl and mix with a spatula. The dough will be a sticky mess while warm. Mix it as best you can, then let it cool off. After a few minutes cooling off, sprinkle your working surface with some of the remaining flour. Dump the play dough onto the flour, adding more flour to the top, and knead the dough. Continue working with the dough, adding a bit of flour as needed, til the dough is not sticky anymore and you’ve reached the desired consistency. Once the play dough is made, fold in the peppermint oil to make a fun smelling PEPPERMINT PLAY DOUGH! Enjoy!