Creative Mom Cafe

If you saw my picture yesterday then aleady know what I’m going to post about today. I found a huge bundel of felt shets from the local thrift shop and had to buy them. So when my oldest son last night began asking for something to cut and glue I knew just what to pull out.

It started with a basic sketch of a stocking on a small piece of paper. Using that I cut out several small stocking shapes from the red felt.

Once the stockings were cut we glued on small rectangles of white felt to the tops to create the perfect stocking look. Then red/green/gold cord and small pieces of felt of various colors was cut and glued on. I started off using regular white glue but switched to rubber cement to hold all the pieces on. Once they were dry I wrapped a piece of red pipe cleaner into a loop and glued it to the back. We made one for each grandparent and an aunt to hang up on their trees.

It was a really quick and simple craft to make. Felt pieces are very inexpensive to buy, even buying new sheets at the store. Cutting out the stocking shapes was probably the hardest part of the entire thing, and that only took a few minutes. This could be a cute and simple last minute craft to do with your kids.

felt, stockings, crafts, kids crafts, Christmas

wordless wednesday, crafts, Christmas, Christmas stockings, kid’s craft

Sometimes the best gifts we can give aren’t what we make, but the thought behind them. Young children espcially love to give but cannot always make something they feel is good enough. Today’s gift idea is one where it’s the thought that really does count.

Make a special coupon book to give! This is something that anyone can make, including young children. Take a sheet of printer paper and cut it into several small strips. I make mine by folding the paper in half long ways then cutting it into 5 strips. Each strip is then cut in half along the fold line for 10 seprate coupons. You can first create your coupons on your computer and print them off before cutting or decorate each one by hand. Get as creative as you want! Draw, paint, glue, or even stitch each coupon into a unique prize.

What you want to give is up to you. Offer a plate of cookies or a loaf of homemade bread once a month to an older relative that lives alone. The company is often worth more than the treat. Give your spouce a coupon book full of special back rubs and candle light dinners. Offer trips to the ice cream store, pizza for dinner, or a free hour of TV to your kids. Coupon books like this make perfect stocking stuffers or go great in a special card.

Once you have your coupons ready then you just need to put them togther. You can do it the simple way by stapling them in a flipbook style, you could even use color yard or ribbon and sew them together. If you want the coupons to last you should laminate them on both sides. It could easily turn into a second gift idea by keeping each coupon as they are used and creating a special memory book. Take pictures and write some journaling on what each coupon was for and what you did.

coupons, coupon book, gifts, 30 Gifts in 30 Days

This is an adorable gift that I have to all the grandparents last year for Christmas. I used a sheet of typing paper, some blue finger paints, and my kids. They were both more than happy to get their hands dirty and make hand prints on several sheets of paper. In fact we turned it into a whole day of fun fingerpainting. On each of the pieces of paper I had already printed off a small poem to go with the painted handprints. Once dry I added their names and ages below their hands then each page went into a frame to be hung on the wall.

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I’ve mostly been posting gifts that adults can make and give this holiday season. But that’s not really fair. Kids can make some great gifts too, ones that many people would love to get. I know my mother would likely hang up anything my sons made and consider it artwork better than anything made before. Doing crafts with your kids is a fun way to gt some presents taken care of and sharing all the fun of creatiing with them.

A favorite craft project around here is making salt dough. It is simple, inexpensive, and you can make whatever your heart desires. Plus there is painting involved, which automatically makes my oldest son happy.

All you need is salt, flour, and water to make the dough. The recipe varies depending on where you look for it. There are several different recipes to choose from, I suggest experimenting and finding which one works best for you.

The dough tends to be a bit like Play Doh, which makes it perfect for shaping and molding. Create whatever you and your children want. Animals, people, designs, the possibilities are endless. Once you have what you want you then bake the pieces in your oven. Here are some tips on baking your salt dough pieces. You have to be careful as you don’t want to burn the figures or over cook them so that they crack or break. Once you have you baked (and cooled) dough pieces them you can lt your kids go wild with the paints. It sometimes takes several coats to get the colors to look right, but painting and repainting can be a lot of fun. Once the paint is dry you should add two or three coats of a clear varnish to protect the piece.

You can make Christmas tree ornaments by shaping a small loop to the top of the pieces and threading ribbons through once they are dry and painted. Or create a wall plaque by adding wire to the back of the clay before drying it. Instant holiday present!

Books you should find:

• Salt Dough
• Dough Folk Art: How To Make Beautiful & Lasting Objects From Flour, Salt & Water
• The Magic of Salt Dough

salt dough, kids crafts, 30 Gifts in 30 Days

I have been staring at this small square of material for weeks. It is light and dark orange with tiny black dots. I’ve been wanting to do something with it but wasn’t sure what. The color reminded me so much of Halloween, but I didn’t have any great ideas in mind. Then yesterday afternoon I came across a perfect craft idea. A pumpkin garden flag! I picked out a great white and black pocka dot background and some green material to make a stem.

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OK…I just found this link on Family Fun.com and it spawned my latest creative decision. I think making seasonal designed shirts would be a cool idea to ring in the new season for your child and their friends.

Check out this simple, yet SUPER COOL T-shirt Craft

Another, no ‘creativity needed’ project for those of you who ask for them!!

You’re welcome!!

What family doesn’t LOVE spoiling the teachers in their lives? And wht better way to do that than with a handmade craft!

This Tote Bag is adorable and SIMPLE!

All you need is a tote bag from your local craft store or WalMart…some apples…and a few colors of acrylic paint.

This would be a great “beginning of the year” craft for a class to give to the teacher putting a child’s name on each apple. One tree on each side.

**HINT: Use acrylic paints as they are permanent and won’t wash out if Mrs. So-and-So has to throw her bag in the wash!

OK…I am in a Family Fun Magazine kind of mood so far this week so I am going to throw some VERY cool, VERY easy crafts at you that I found while searching their site…gotta love naptime!

This first idea I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE and know my kids would love using this Creative Carrying Tin for lunch money, notes to teachers, etc!

But above all, they will love MAKING it AND the interchangeable, magnetic lids!

Very cool idea - some commenters on the site had a few suggestions I thought were worth relaying to you:

**to be frugal - use magnets you pick up around town instead of buying the biz card ones!
**put the magnet on the back for older kids who can stick the tins to the inside of a locker!
**put photos of friends on the lid in place of artwork

LOVE THIS!!

There are many stories your family has written already. But they most likely are not written down - just spoken off the top of your head. The story about Daddy walking through the fresh cement or when Mommy dropped the birthday cake onto the kitchen floor.

Write these stories down with your children and archive them in hardcopy book form! This is easier than you think.

Snapfish.com has a great memory book project that allows you to upload photos right into book form. You can change the layout and add words. It is a wonderful gift to commemorate a date or for your little ones to remember a funny family moment.

Don’t have pictures of the cake falling to the ground? No problem, you can scan in drawings, too. Have your budding illustrators do the work and VOILA!

You can order these in any quantity. A great idea for each season!

A friend of mine - yes, you Jeri! - had a fantastic idea and I just have to share it!

How many GIGANTIC art projects have come home that you want to save but don’t have the storage space or the wall space to house it….this is quite a dilemma and a tragic one if the child finds his work in the trash.

Jeri of Chenango Bridge, NY photographs the artwork and attaches a magnet to the back and there you have it….a 4 foot x 4 foot map of the universe on a 3 inch x 3 inch magnet on the refrigerator.

If you are really good at the digital-thing, you can size the work to fit on a business card pre-adhesive magnet for easy construction and ease in placing the plethora of “favorites” you will inevitably have come June!