DIY Decorative Lamp Shade

I had a small lamp on my vanity that had a tiny lampshade. I tried to add a larger shade but it just didn't look right yet the little one didn't look right either so I had to improvise. Since I love anything that shines and glitters. I decided to add beads to it. I bought some tiny crystal beads from Walmart and strung about 12-15 per string. I knotted the first bead so that it wouldn't slip off and then I just continued stringing them and sewed them onto the lampshade. 

It turned out so cute and looks perfect on my vanity. I wasn't planning to add it to this page but I thought someone might like the idea. 

So enjoy!!

Here is a link to the crystal mirror I also did awhile back that's also on my vanity.

http://franandfriends.blogspot.com/2013/03/mirrormirror.html

Froggie Went A Courtin...

Thursday at IV infusions the Child Life Specialist gave Fran several craft projects. One was a beaded frog. It took about an hour to complete.

This is the finished product---

Some books related to our topic---

A Frog Named Waldor

Written by Jacqueline  Rankine-Van Wassenhoven

This picture book story is for everyone who is young at heart or older. It’s about a young girl called Jennifer who loves to read books, especially books about water fairies. One summer’s day sitting by the pond near her village she meets a talking frog named Waldor. Waldor is quite a charming character and introduces Jennifer to some of his friends, the water fairies and Mrs. Nightingale. How does Jennifer get onto the lily pad with Waldor?…And the story continues.

Available through Amazon

Amazon Review--"Everyone loves to be taken away to another place and time. A Frog Named Waldor will give you just that chance to escape into the magical enchanted forest with Jennifer,the fairies and a quite lively pond frog named Waldor! Enjoy this read as I definitely give it 5 stars!!"

The Fabulous Adventures of Fred the Frog
Fred is a friendly frog that lives in a pond he calls home. He is surrounded by many caring friends including Betsy the Butterfly, Hermit the Frog, and the well-known Mr. Flyman and his band. They pass their time singing and dancing to many favorite songs. On Fred’s seventh birthday he blows out his candles and makes a wish. To his surprise his wish is granted! Come join Fred and friends on his journey to many fabulous adventures and discover if he chooses to live in the magical place he wishes for.

Available through Amazon

Amazon Review--"Our 2 year old grandson received this book as a gift. He chooses it to be read to him over other books he has. He really enjoys the pictures!"

Felting

 

Felting is a craft that is pretty new to me but it's been around for a long,long time. The definition for felting is an ancient tradition of creating a strong and sturdy, non-woven fabric from wool.

I found this neat beginner project for my daughter at Michael's for $5.00. and she's been working on it. She's been doing pretty good on it too. But today I ran across a video from Rice and she is also a first time felter (and she's hysterical!) I loved her video and plan to try doing what she did with the sweater. I think it's adorable and makes such a cute present for any age group.

Hope you will check out her video because it is definitely worth watching. I'm going to add the link HERE just in case there is a problem with the video.

 

 

 

This is my daughter's partridge she was working so hard on. It was looking a bit obscene in the picture. I don't have the finished product yet as she is still hard at work trying to complete the project . With felting the more you needle the project the denser the project gets. So the bird is now about half the size as what shown in these photo's. The form has also begun to take shape as well and last night she added the beak.

 



Felting for Little Miss Crafty: Projects and patterns to create and inspire

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Initially Speaking

Wherever you go now a day you see these huge alphabet letters in the craft aisles at places like Walmart, AC Moore and other big name craft shops.

 You can do many things with these giant letters. You can add fabric like the one you see here on your right. Then you can add some type of trim that you can get at any craft or fabric store. This would be one option.

 
On the other hand, another thing you might try is cover the letter in glitter. You can buy glitter almost anywhere. My favorite is the Martha Stewart brand. She has fine glitter and they are so colorful too. Let your imagination run wild. Think of a chameleon and do it in stripes or maybe polka dots.

 

You could decorate a letter with colorful buttons, or maybe with mosaic squares. Alternatively, even with photographs as you see in this photograph to the right. Yes,...there's many fun and innovative ways you can decorate these letter.

 
The key is just to have fun and use your imagination!








Books related to our project:


Alphabet Fun Children's Rhyming Picture Book Alphabet Fun rhyming book is filled with creative pages that are meant to be silly and have your children wanting to read it over and over again. The book uses colorful pictures that makes it fun to learn their ABC's and all the letters in the alphabet. Available on amazon




ABC Come Play With Me: A Picture Alphabet Book for Young Children

Available on amazon

Resin Art

I've been anxious to try this craft ever since I saw it on Pinterest. It's called RESIN ART.

You can make all sorts of neat things. Things like jewelry, coasters, art, bangles and other cool projects.

Here's a link with the tutorial and some additional links. I can't wait to try this soon.

Resin Tutorial

 

Jewelry Ideas

 

Resin Bendie Rings

 

 

Books related to our projects:

 

Resin Jewelery

Accessible and flexible, resin is an ideal material for creating jewelery. Kathie Murphy's book is an essential introductory guide to resin jewellery for newcomers and a highly useful reference tool and source of inspiration for established jewelers. It discusses resin, its history, how to store it, different types of resin and their uses and employs a step-by-step approach to demonstrate how to make a wide range of resin jewellery. It is illustrated throughout with examples of pieces made by an international group of artists. Available on Amazon

 

 

Sharon's NO-FAIL Guide to Pouring Resin Jewelry

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Sharon's book is detailed, organized, and easy-to-follow. She wrote her "How-To" book because she wanted to help others enjoy first time success with resin. In addition to her step-by-step presentation, she also provides her readers with a humorous look at her own personal ups and downs using resin. "It’s so important to take oneself lightly", she says, "I've enjoyed life more, I think, because I'm able to laugh at myself". Sharon is a life-long artist, but her journey with resin jewelry, has just begun. She shares how, and why she decided to explore this medium during the first chapter of her book. In the beginning, Sharon experimented with many different materials and techniques, taking photographs of her acrylic paintings, and then downsizing them to fit into various jewelry styles, shapes and sizes. Sharon’s husband writes "The Business Bonus Chapter". Lyle has over 40 years of successful business experience. He provides a brief overview into marketing your handcrafted jewelry. Available on Amazon

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Marshmallow Catapult

Here's another neat craft from Pinterest. This one can be for boys or girls but I think the boys are really going to be partial to this one. (smile!)
Here's what you are going to need:

• Family-size tissue box
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Ballpoint pen
• Push pins
• 2 rubber bands
• 2 unsharpened pencils
• 4-inch length of pipe cleaner
• Tape
• Plastic cap
• Glue dots

Click HERE for directions on how to assemble.

Books related to subject:

 

 

Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult

When Joe's parents disappear, he becomes the target of the radical militant group that enslaves them and his fate could be worse than death. Available on Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, and More Ancient Artillery

Whether playing at defending their own castle or simply chucking pumpkins over a fence, wannabe marauders and tinkerers will become fast acquainted with Ludgar, the War Wolf, Ill Neighbor, Cabulus, and the Wild Donkey—ancient artillery devices known commonly as catapults. Building these simple yet sophisticated machines introduces fundamentals of math and physics using levers, force, torsion, tension, and traction. Instructions and diagrams illustrate how to build seven authentic working model catapults, including an early Greek ballista, a Roman onager, and the apex of catapult technology, the English trebuchet. Additional projects include learning how to lash and make rope and how to construct and use a hand sling and a staff sling. The colorful history of siege warfare is explored through the stories of Alexander the Great and his battle of Tyre; Saladin, Richard the Lionheart, and the Third Crusade; pirate-turned-soldier John Crabbe and his ship-mounted catapults; and Edward I of England and his battle against the Scots at Stirling Castle. Available on Amazon

Blinged Out Clock

Hi everyone!!

This is for pre-teen and up. **We use a glue gun for this project so please make sure you have your parents permission and supervision.

 

I had my eye on a fancy decorative clock at Walmart. My house was recently painted and I have been trying to decorate each room and as you know it can get very expensive. So, I decided why not make the clock myself.

 

So, I used the $5. old clock on my kitchen wall and I bought---1 pack of clear bugle beads,and 1 pack of rhinestone flowers in assorted sizes. The cost was approximately $5. @ Walmart and I had leftover beveled clear beads from another project.

 

I used my hot glue gun and in tiny sections I glued the bugle beads on over the entire clock. Make sure you sit the glue gun on a oven mit or a plate because it gets hot and can make quite a mess. Also be very careful as the glue gets extremely HOT. I use a Popsicle stick for places that are difficult to reach. The project was quick and easy to do and as you can see it looks quite beautiful to use in any room of your house.

 

 

Africa---The Water Project

Many Christmas's ago my daughter was very young and so sad because Santa brought everyone gifts but no one took Santa presents. I had to take my daughter to the dollar store so Francessca could buy Santa some socks and then she marched right up to the mall Santa with her little present in her hand and gave them Santa. Santa looked at me and I said, "Santa, she was sad for you. Merry Christmas! "

Another time we were on the road and she would ask to take sandwiches to people standing begging for money. Other times she would want to get scarves or gloves for those standing on the corners in the freezing cold. These are times as parents that our heart feel good and we know we are raising our kids right.

Like my daughter Francessca, I would like you all to meet aother very special 8 years old who has a very BIG heart too---her name is Nina. Nina is quite special. She is very talented. She writes her own stories and songs. She helps create smoothie's and healthy food ideas with her Mommy (Bernice Website) She helps her Mommy with her little adorble brother and she's a great big sister I hear. She is a 3rd grader and an honor roll student. And as you can see she is beautiful outside but she is also beautiful inside too.

One admiral thing that touched me about Nina---she has a BIG, BIG heart. She has big goals and wants to do BIG things in life. At just 8 years old, Nina started a fundraiser and is raising money so she can help build a well in Africa.

Over a billion people in Africa need fresh water. There is disease, lack of water, and a cycle of sickness due to this lack of water. Nina wants to help build a well to provide clean water to people but to do this she needs our help. So through the grace of God, prayers and kind people like you we can help make Nina's dream come true. Please click on this link below for further information---

http://thewaterproject.org/community/profile/nina-lakota


So in honor of Nina and our African friends and the well fundraiser today's crafts is---  



African Rainstick








http://www.freekidscrafts.com/recycled_rain_stick_craft-e89.html

 

 

 

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer

Had a very shiny nose.....I love, love, love Christmas!!!! In fact tomorrow we will put our decorations up for Christmas. YAH!!!! One of my favorite children's holiday songs is Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Maybe you like this one too or perhaps you have your own favorite.Here is a cute reindeer craft that is easy to make and adorable for the holiday.


Materials Needed:
Brown Foam
Wiggly Eyes
Craft Glue
Green Foam
Red Pom-Pom
Tan Foam
Ribbon(if you want to hang it up) or magnet (to stick on the fridge.)


Reindeer Templates


Directions: 
Print templates and cut out. Once you cut out lay the templates on the foam and trace then cut out the design.


Glue ears and antlers onto the head of Rudolph. Once they are in place and secure you can wrap the wreath around Rudolph's neck and glue securely into place.


Now it's time to decorate. You can either use my picture of Rudolph as a guide and decorate to your satisfaction. Whatever you do have fun!


Books related to our topic:

Reindeer Christmas
Reviewed on amazon--"Another true classic from Mark Moulton with a wonderful storyline, lyrical narrative and incredibly beautiful artwork by Karen Good. Scarecrow Pete was my first introduction to these books and this, plus The Secret Santa of Olde Stonington, will complete all the Moulton books I have purchased for a collection for my grandchildren." For more info

The Reindeer Christmas
Reviewed on Amazon--"Without a doubt, Morozumi's illustrations are the most beautiful we have seen. The story tells of Santa's decision to use reindeer instead of other animals to make his deliveries. Read this book to see how they were chosen. This continues to be a favorite in our household." For more info

Handprint Turkey

It's almost turkey time. Thanksgiving will be here on November 24th. Here is an easy craft for children.

Materials needed:

Paint or crayons
Sturdy paper plates
Construction paper
Colored feathers
Scissors
Wiggly eyes
Glue
Ribbon
Duck Tape
Hole puncher
Ribbon

TEMPLATE (I made a template for those who need one.)

Directions: (Requires adult supervision.)

1. First either use the template or trace your hand onto brown construction paper.
2. After tracing hand, slowly and carefully cut the hand out.
3. Now glue the hand to your paper plate.
4. Next decorate and make as pretty as you wish,use your imagination.
5. If you do not have feathers you can improvise with colored construction paper. Just cut out some feather shapes and glue onto plate. (They will go right where your fingers are on the cut out hand.)
6. Now trace and cut out the wattle. The wattle is red.
7. Once you cut out then glue under your turkey's chin.
8. Now trace two yellow legs for your turkey.
9. Once they are cut out glue onto your turkey.
10. Finish by glueing some big wiggly eyes onto your turkey.
11. Punch a hole into the paper plate and attach a ribbon so you can hang your turkey up for thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Books--

The Littlest Pilgrim
Reviewed on Amazon--"This is a very sweet story with which many little kids (especially ones with big brothers and sisters!) can identify. The book is about Mini, a pilgrim who wants to help. But everyone is too busy or she's too little to help with any chores. What makes this book unique is the setting. She's wanting to help stack wood and mend dresses and bake bread... all of these activities can lead to great questions/discussions about early Americans. So cute!" For more information

The First Thanksgiving
Reviewed on Amazon--"I like this book, it has cute pictures, but the story doesn't really flow well especially with the flaps. There are a lot of flaps on some pages and 1 on others. Some have words under the flaps, some don't. It's just kind of awkward. The story is nice and so are the pictures, but the flaps kind of ruin it all." For more information

Corn Craft

This is an easy to make craft for the little ones.

TEMPLATE

• Print corn template and cut out the pieces.
• Now trace the pieces onto construction paper or card stock (which I preferr) and cut.
• Place the corn and husk onto cardboard to make strogner and glue in place.
• Cover the center corn piece with a layer of glue.
• Add beans to the glue. You can toss them onto the glue or place one at a time---either way will work just fine.

The finished product should look something like this.

Book realated to thanksgiving---

                                            

                                             Ten Fat Turkeys

Reviewed on Amazon---"This cute book counts down the 10 fat turkeys-great for the holidays. One by one, each turkey leaves the fence in a creative way. This book is good for the pre-schooler learning to count or learning the concept of subtraction. The illustrations are great! The turkeys looks as if they have their own personalities, and their facial expressions are adorable. Great buy!" For more information







Teen Craft---Halloween Bead Pins

Here's a cute collection of halloween pins that I discovered just today. It's a great craft for kids ages 8 and up. Maybe you can even make a few for a fall harvest festival...

Coiless Halloween Pin

Here's what you are going to need:

• Coiless Safety Pins (2¼ inches)
• 4mm Round Beads
• E Beads
• Safety Pins Size 2
• Pattern
• Long Nose Pliers

Instructions:

Each row hanging down is a size 2 pin with "E" beads strung on it. Open these pins and string beads following the pattern chosen. Keep in mind that you are stringing the beads upside-down so you will start at the top with of each row and work down. Then turn the pin upside-down. Use pliers to squeeze the pin head closed permanently.

Note: Glass beads are are irregular in size. You will not be able to use the larger "E" beads in your package. It may look like the pins will not close but as long as the tip shows, you can usually just press the point into the pin head opening. The pin will bend out slightly to fit the beads snuggly into place.

Open up the coiless pin. You will need to bend it open to at least a 60 degree angle to get the beads on. Beginning with the beaded pin to the far right, thread the coil of that beaded pin onto the coiless pin, around the bend and over to the head of the pin. Slide on a 4mm bead. Then the next beaded pin, followed by another 4mm bead. Continue until you have threaded on all pins and finished off with a final 4mm bead. These beads help hold the pins in place and keep them from sliding around the coiless pin.

Credit for craft goes to--http://www.makingfriends.com/

Books on Halloween:

Fated (The Eternals)

Reviewed on Amazon--"If you love historical romances with a fantastic paranormal twist, Fated is for you. Set in ancient Rome, Fated is the perfect blend of suspenseful and sultry. Truly a great read. The paranormal element sneaks up on you like an asp in the night until it grabs you by the throat.  

My Sister theVampireReviewed on Amazon--"Young girls often dream that they have a lost identical sister. In this series, twins Ivy and Olivia find one another, but there is a twist. Ivy is a vampire, Olivia is mortal. And vampires are never allowed to tell humans about their existence. Many challenges must be conquered in order for these young girls to be together.

The writing is fairly simple, and the plot lines are predictable, with only small surprises. So, why did I give it five stars? It got my eleven year old to read four books in three days. She didn't play with the brand-new wii games, or the PS3 games we rented. She didn't even want to put it down to eat. There is nothing I find objectionable in them, and these books enthralled my daughter. After all, they were written for her, not me. So, I don't think it gets better than that."  For more info

Shrunken Heads

This craft ought to get the kids screaming..."EWWWW!" When you get some time check out this website for some neat craft ideas that I haven't seen before




Materials:

• Apples
• Whole Cloves
• A few grains of rice
• 1/2 C lemon juice
• 2 tsp. salt

Directions:
Peel a large apple and coat with mixture of lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of salt to prevent browning. With a potato peeler or small knife carve out eye sockets, a nose, mouth and ears. Don't worry about carving small details as they will be lost when the apple dries. Go for the big features and nature will take care of the rest.
Use whole cloves for eyes and raw rice grains for teeth (the faces also come out looking great without these extra props, just carve and let dry if you want to keep it simple).

Sit apples on a wire rack in a warm, dry place for about 2 weeks. Shape the faces as they shrink and harden. You can speed the drying process a little by drying in an oven set at the lowest temperature. However, the process will still take several days.

Halloween books available--

To purchase

To Purchase

Save Your Milk Cartons

Here is a cute craft idea that I found on Family Fun. You can add them to your porch,walkway etc.. 

Materials--

Clean plastic gallon milk jugs

Black permanent marker

Craft knife

String of 50 clear low-wattage holiday lights

Instructions--

Draw ghost eyes and mouths on the jugs. Tip: Leave the caps on while you do this, so the jugs don't dent.Use the craft knife to cut a half-dollar-size hole in the back of each jug (a parent's job). Arrange the ghosts near each other and string the lights between them, stuffing several bulbs into each of the jugs.

Books:

My Halloween Treats: Lift-the-Flap & Scratch-and-Sniff

Reviewed on Amazon--"This is an overall pretty lame book. The story is focused on absolutely nothing but candy. The peppermint, chocolate and peanut butter cup scents are repulsive. The bubble gum smells like nothing really. The apple is the only one that smells good (although absolutely nothing like apples). The only thing at all redeeming about this book is that it is shaped like a little pumpkin treat bag. I'd say this book is a pass." To Purchase

Witches' Night Before Halloween

Reviewed on Amazon--"I loved this book, and so did the children I read it with! The text has a familiar style and tells the story of some creative witches preparing Halloween night for their children. It rhymes and invites kids to repeat lines they like. The theme is Halloween-creepy but it is not scary at all (so it's really child-appropriate) and the kids loved the illustrations. You've never seen witches like these before- all manner of Halloween beasties are drawn so well and there is a surprise on every page. Great for kids under age 10 or so with wit and humor that will entertain the adults reading the book too! Great for the season and highly recommended!" To Purchase 

Three Pumpkins In A Row

I absolutely love this idea---I found it on FamilyFun. It's a nonperishable alternative and you can save it to display for many Halloween's to come. 

Materials
Terra-cotta pots
Yellow craft paper
Mod-Podge Outdoor
Short, fat sticks

Instructions--For each one, invert a terra-cotta pot. Cut eyes, a nose, and a toothy grin out of yellow craft paper. Brush Mod-Podge Outdoor on the surface of the pot where you want the features to go and press them in place.To weatherproof your creation, apply a final coat to the entire pot. Finally, insert a short, fat stick into the hole for a stem.

Books related to our craft--

Duck & Goose Find A Pumpkin By Tad Hills

Reviewed on Amazon~"I was walking through the book store looking for books for my 17 month old and this book caught my eye because of the beautiful fall colors. The story is short (but not too short), cute and funny, and I love the illustrations. This is our first duck & goose book and now I can't wait to get more!" To Purchase

Druscilla's Halloween By Sally Walker

Reviewed on Amazon~"Adorable and hilarious at the same time. I was taken in by the beautiful watercolor artwork that drew me into the storyline, which was, by the way, very humorous. This story revolves around an old witch named Druscilla, who has creeky knees and a real problem being able to scare the children on Halloween night, seeing how witches are supposed quietly creep up on their victims. But, this didn't discourage her from performing her yearly duties, it only made her more determined to find a solution to her problem. A very good real life lesson. Written in a very endearing style, the author gives Druscilla credit for the invention of the flying broom. I loved reading it and will enjoy it for many years to come. A definite must have for your children's library." To Purchase