Homemade Ornaments---$5.67

I recently saw this at another school and it was just soo cute we had to do it.
What you need:

Food coloring...green and red $1
Shredded Wheat large bricks $3
Tall Glue $1
ribbon $.67
Margarine tub lid x 18
glue gun w. glue stick

Place a 1/8 cup of glue in one bowl and the remaining in another. Combine red food coloring in the 1/8 cup of glue and green food coloring in the other. Add enough food coloring to give the green a pine look.

You can give a brick to each child in a plastic baggy and have them crush. One brick = one ornament. Then on a plate have them mix the shreds of wheat with the green glue to coat evenly. Take mixture and pack it around the plastic lid in the shape of a wreath. Let dry for at least 2 days. After the first day you can paint plain glue on the top to give a shiny look.

using the red you can put little slivers of red around the wreath or tiny beads for holly.

Carefully pop the wreath out of the plastic and turn around to add hanging ribbon for the tree. Attach using ribbon and hot glue.

You can also cut a piece of cardstock and place a picture of child and attach to the back of wreath. Attach a small red bow at bottom and it is ready to hang or gift.

Went to michaels and found some red ribbon and flowers for another $2 to add more glitz to our wreaths.

Chika Chika Boom Boom Craft...

My youngest are reading this adorable book, so naturally a craft had to come from it. So my gears were clanging thinking of what to do.

What you need..

Brown Paper Bag
Green construction paper
Brown construction paper
foam letter stickers
foam circles
fabric glue
stick glue
sand or sticks...
black crayon or marker

Using the bag is the foundation of your tree. On the non flap side paste a 2 inch wide piece of brown paper for the tree trunk. Then cut or rip out palm tree frawns about 5 per tree. Glue the leaves on top of the brown trunk and let dry. Mark xs from bottom to top of trunk to create palm tree look. Then have them decorate with foam letters going up the tree just like in the book. You can add enrichment by having them look for the letters in their name or sorting the letters by color, etc. As a final touch I wanted something that had a sensory feel so I took fabric glue and placed some on a foam circle and then glued some sand/use small twigs or even old grass to look like a coconut (I was considering using real coconut shreds died brown) then glue to their masterpiece. When dry, you can open the bag and the tree should stand up on its own.

Enjoy...my kids had a blast....

Family Thankful Turkey Craft

This craft really worked out because we have so many little hands. I outlined all the little hands and my own and cut them out. Next had my kids outline my husbands work shoe which became the body. We used a file folder to glue the hands and few pieces of scrap for the other parts of the turkey. Once everybody is here we will go over the turkey in detail and write on our hands something that we are thankful for. The ultimate lesson is that we are thankful for Dad who puts his work shoes on everyday for us.

Ollie the Octopus

This idea came from http://z.about.com/d/familycrafts/1/0/D/x/1/ecoctopus-step-10.jpg

a few things I modified: I used Elmer's glue, 2 egg circles, cheerios.

I took some felt scraps and cut the slivers for her to glue inside of her first egg circle. Next she laid them in a circle and then placed the second egg circle on top of the felt to create a sandwich. We also didn't paint as I didn;t have the same color paint but it works. Using stuff that I had on hand made this a cheap and easy craft to learn about something that starts with the letter O.

Fall Sensory Quilt $7

This was an idea that I got from my daughters school.

Supplies

4 bulb medicine droppers - I bought mine but you could probably ask a pharmacy for free

2 - 2pack White Hankerchiefs from $1 store

1 variety pack of Fall leaves form $1 store (also sold at michaels for $3)

1 bag of dried potpourri with sticks -$1

Fall paints (warer colors are best but any will do)

4 Cookie sheet

Place hankie in cookie sheet and have a variety of premixed paints with droppers in each. Take turns squeezing droppers of color onto Hankie. Let dry completely.

Once your hankies are dry glue the fall leaves and potpourri in random order. You can set it out first and then glue. Let dry...

If you are going to tie together cut 1/4" slits in corners about 1/4 from seem. Using ribbon tie in knot and connect your work of art. Although, I didn't think of doing this you could tie a longer piece of ribbon wrapped around a dowel on two outer edges and using nail at top can be hung .

Total Project Cost $7

Pumpkin Toss stand

We recently had a mini pumpkin patch and since we needed a way to have the kids stay in line as the others picked their pumpkins this pumpkin toss was our creative imaginations that took place.

Using a leftover piece of wood that was also used for a luau themed totem pole toss; we painted the other side with pumpkins around the ovals. I made some flannel bean bags for the toss.



Total cost was $3----- $2 needed to buy the orange and green paint. $1 for a Harvest wreath that I found at the local thrift store 75 percent off (Not included in picture my hubby since recycled my wood to use as support under my daughters bed so he removed the nails) We used leftover cans of spray paint and the wood was recycled.

Daybed turned canopy for $10

Using PVC pipes I turned my daughters plain daybed into one fit for a princess.

I used a total of 5 10 feet PVC pipes for this project.

What you need

5 PVC pipe I used 1/2" schedule 40 (thickness)
cut to your desired size. You will need 4 posts, 2 along the sides of the bed, and 4 for the length (these will be connected using the T bars), then one pipe to connect the T for reinforcement.

You will need 4 1/2 PVC connectors at base
4 90 degree 3 way connector
2 t bar connectors

***this project will cost more if you don't have sheer panels. I already had these and made the swag holder from dollar store flowers and some leftover ribbon.

Easy Mini Flannel Boards.

I recently had bought some mini flannel blankets from the dollar store and didn't have any use for them. Then the bright idea began to flicker in this old, dusty, brain. I could use the flannel to make a flannel board.

4 things all you need.

flattened box
flannel blanket
Elmer's craft bond spray adhesive
and fabric remnant to cover the reverse side.

1. spray adhesive on top of box. Then carefully position blanket on top of the adhesive. Flatten smooth

2. Turn around and trim off edges of flannel blanket to not have overlapping sides when folded in.

3. Spray adhesive and fold sides in and top and bottom down.

4. Using a piece of fabric remnant cover the reverse seams for a more pleasing look.

Enjoy!