A simple beaded necklace project that I wouldn't actually mind getting for mother's day. I came across this project while I was student teaching at an elementary school.
1. Cut 8-10 inch long triangles an inch to an inch and a half wide from a gloss thicker magazine page. National geographic or Nordstrom fashion mailer booklet work really well. High quality print on a slightly thinker paper.
2. Run a thin strip of white glue lengthwise down the center of the triangle
3. Starting with the 1 1/2 inch side, roll the triangle up. For young kids have them roll the triangle around a pencil so they create a nice big hole for easy threading.
4. (Optional) glaze the beads with a thin coat of clear or translucent finger nail polish. I like clear with glitter. That way I can still see the colors of the paper and still have a little sparkle. You can also experiment with the with and length of the paper to make a different look.
5. Use yarn or dental floss to thread the beads. Tie the ends together when you reach the desired length.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Card board play house
As a kid my family moved around a lot. Not those quick moves across town where you can borrow your friend's truck but country to country move, across oceans. Thus I spent much of my childhood waiting for my toys to come by sea freight. Consequently, I have a number of memories of playing with boxes. Making a house, an airplane, or a tank, anything seemed to be possible. I actually cringe as I remember my five year old self running around with a serrated knife, plunging it in to the cardboard to make working doors and windows.
Still it was a lot of fun and my creations stretched my imagination and took me so many places farther than my own back yard.
As a parent, card board boxes are great tools for all kinds of play. And it's so simple. Anyone can cut a hole in a box for the door and a smaller one for the window. Give your kids some markers and they can decorate the walls of the house all by themselves. Put a few smaller boxes together and you have a network of tunnels. When your kids grow tired of them (or you do) just recycle. It's simple, easy, can entertain your kids for hours and it's free.
Still it was a lot of fun and my creations stretched my imagination and took me so many places farther than my own back yard.
As a parent, card board boxes are great tools for all kinds of play. And it's so simple. Anyone can cut a hole in a box for the door and a smaller one for the window. Give your kids some markers and they can decorate the walls of the house all by themselves. Put a few smaller boxes together and you have a network of tunnels. When your kids grow tired of them (or you do) just recycle. It's simple, easy, can entertain your kids for hours and it's free.