Family Craft Boutique

My brother recently got back from a year-long tour in Iraq. We missed him horribly and were so excited to have him back home. A couple of weeks before he arrived home my mom and I decided we would redecorate his room for him. We thought it would be really cool to follow a patriotic theme.

We started by hiring a local artist to paint a mural of the American flag on the wall. Next we found a throw rug with a bald-headed eagle embroidered on it. Then we replaced his boyhood curtains with more masculine navy blue ones. We even found light switch covers that matched out patriotic home decor theme. When he got back he couldn’t believe it! I knew he would love it.

Household odds and ends like bottle caps and wine corks that would normally just get thrown away can be used and recycled by making craft projects. Craft projects are a great way for parents and kids to bond while learning new art skills. For younger kids it’s best to start out with a simple activity. One suggestion is to make a pumpkin magnet. This is a timely suggestion since Halloween is right around the corner.

Here’s what you need:

• Bottle Caps
• Orange pipe cleaners
• Green pipe cleaners
• Black seed beads
• An adhesive-backed magnet
• Glue

Directions:
1. Bend the orange pipe cleaner into a zigzag shape and then gather the folded edges together.
2. Stick on side of the folded edges so they catch on the inside of the bottle cap.
3. Stick the other folded edges inside the opposite side of the bottle cap.
4. Fluff the center part of the pipe cleaner to make it look like a rounded pumpkin.
5. Cut a 1-inch piece of the green pipe cleaner and stick it in the top of the pumpkin like a stem.
6. Cut two small leafs out of felt and glue them near the stem.
7. Use black seed beads to form the eyes, nose, and mouth.
8. Stick a small piece of the magnet strip on the back of the pipe cleaner.

I apologize for being a little absent from the blog lately. I haven’t been feeling like myself for about a month, really tired, etc.

Well, we just got the news confirmed this week that we have our first baby on the way! Hubby and I are so excited, as we have been wanting a baby for a long time now!

He or she is set arrive around June 15th. We will not be finding out the sex of the baby, it would be like peeking at the best Christmas present you ever got~ no fair!

Makes me feel better about my 6:00 pm bedtime for the last few weeks.

So, I promise to keep crafting when I can. I am feeling a little better now, so hopefully I can get busy crafting again.
I’m already thinking about how to decorate the baby’s room, so be sure that I will keep you updated.

Until then, be sure to check out the baby items section of our website, as you can be sure that I will be adding new items to that category in our store. Also, now is the time to start making a scrapbook for the new arrival, while you still can stand, and before you are too sleep deprived! I am making our album right now, planning pages that I now we will need, like coming home from the hospital, etc. Make a basic page layout and then I can just add the pictures when the time arrives, save so much time! Check out baby scrapbook supplies, and baby scrapbook paper in our scrapbook section of the store!

OK,

being the kindergarten teacher that I am, I came across this great recipe to make letter pretzels. I am always looking for a new way for both myself, as a kindergarten teacher and as a parent, to help kinders learn their letters.

Great for older kids too, they cam make them to spell any word they choose!

Letter Pretzels

oven or toaster oven required

1.5 sticks butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vainlla

1 1/4 cup[s enriched all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons milk

beat butter and sugar intil blended. Add the flour and the milk

Chill.

divide dough into 4 parts

Divide each of the 4 parts into 8 pieces

Roll each piece into an 8″ strasnd.

Twist into a letter shape

Bake at 375 for 8-20 minutes, depending on the letter size!

Enjoy with nacho cheese, cream cheese or peanut butter for an extra special treat!

Hope this helps make learning letters easier on your child!