Homemade art materials
My book ^_^
Yey! My book has finally been released. The whole process has taken over a year and, at times, I really didn’t think I would get there! It’s wonderful to finally be able to show you some pictures, and also to feel a bit more relaxed about the whole thing.
The book is called “eco-friendly crafting with kids” and contains 35 step-by-step projects for preschool kids and adults to create together. (Even though the book is aimed at preschoolers the projects would also be suitable for 5, 6 & 7 year olds).
I picked a fairly random set of images to show you…I was finding it hard to choose. The book really does look stunning, largely due to the efforts of photographer Carloyn Barber, stylist Liz Belton and Designer Sonya Nathoo.
The book is split into eight sections; homemade materials, music, nature, recycling bin, paper and card, sewing and threading, science and boredom busters.
I would love for you to buy a copy if you like the look of it *^_^*. You can purchase one at amazon.co.uk, amazon.com, amazon.ca, barnes & noble (and many other places). You can also order it from the book depository (which does free worldwide delivery) and lots of other websites! (btw my Australian pals and I use the book depository to send presents to one another and we’ve always been really happy with the service!)
Images excerpted from “eco-friendly crafting with kids” by Kate Lilley. Photography Copyright © Ryland Peters & Small Ltd. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.
Space crayons
Hello! We’ve been struck down by some nasty bugs in the last few weeks so sorry (once again!) for the lack of updates.
Last night, I finally managed to peel myself off the sofa(!) and made these galaxy crayons for son #1 (he is currently fascinated with stars and planets).
If you, too, are interested in the night sky then did you know you can download high-res images from the hubble site? {Thanks Oh Happy Day for the heads up}. (I can feel a project coming on!)
Anyway, the crayons are really easy to make and fun to draw with. If you wanna have a go then see the tutorial after the jump.
If your little ones (or you) prefer bright colours then you can also make regular glitter crayons! Yay!
More starry links:
Galaxy playdough here!
Amazing ‘Stardust’ fashion photography by Ignacio Torres.
(I do still regularly pin my favorite crafts at Pinterest by the way…so if you wanna pop over then that would be cool!)
Felt pen inks
Our house is often like a felt-pen graveyard (in spite of persistant nagging)!
If you too are the owner of many a dried-up, squished-nib pen then worry not, simply chuck them in a pot of water overnight and make some really lovely liquid inks. (Use about 50ml of water for every felt pen).
I’m still trying to figure out what to make with all the plastic cases…ideas on a postcard please!
BTW….I’ve seen this idea before of the web, but can’t find the original source. If you know then please leave a comment and I’ll add it to the bottom of this post.
This idea origionally came from an article at childcentralstation – go check it out!
By the way I’m still addicted to pinterest. It’s just such a useful way of keeping track of visual material. Why not sign up…it’s free! You can check out my boards here and read my pinterview here!
Sorry things are still a bit quiet around here…another month and I will be posting more regularly again.
Wax!!
My lovely friend bought me a very cute owl mold for my birthday so I’ve been making some tiny owl crayons to send back to her.
I managed to bag a cute little tin to put them in (I’m a sucker for a charity shop!).
I also made some glitter sticks for my sons (we are all very jackdaw-ish!). They are perfect for adding a bit of a spangle to pictures without the stress, because, let’s face it, little children + glitter = a very big mess to clean up (which is fine sometimes….but not all the time!).
If you wanna have a go click on the link at the bottom for instructions
Tangent #1: The friend who bought me the cute owl mold also told me a long while ago about a fab recipe for scones that required just three ingredients. I’m no cook….so this kind of recipe really appeals to me! Coincidentally I saw the same splendid recipe at Frog Goose and Bear today. Check it out….it’s a fun one for the kids…and you’ll never guess what the three ingredients are.
Tangent #2: I have been trying to make bath crayons by melting soap and adding food colouring….one problem…they don’t work. If anyone can shed any light on this I would be eternally grateful…I’ve got no idea where I’m going wrong!
I do really need to join twitter!
Festive scented playdough
We’ve had stacks of fun today making festive scented playdough. My 3.5yr old loved it and for that matter I did too.
We spent about an hour in the kitchen mixing up our christmassy potions and talking about where all the ingredients came from – it was wonderful. Where’s smellovision when you need it.
If you fancy having a bash, click on the ‘read more’ link below.
Homemade pavement chalk
Making pavement chalk is really easy, lots of fun and the end result provides you with a brilliant excuse to get outside.
To make your chalk will need:
♥ Plaster of Paris (one cup)
♥ Water (one cup)
♥ Powdered tempera paint
♥ Disposable container
♥ Greaseproof paper
♥ Toilet rolls
♥ Masking tape
1) Get your toilet roll and tape one end with masking tape to seal it off. Line the inside of the tube with greaseproof paper.
2) Pour the water into your disposable container then sprinkle the plaster on top (generally its a 1:1 ratio but check the instructions on the packet). Start by adding 1 tablespoon of powdered paint to the mixture and give it a good stir. Add more paint if necessary.
Recipe for homemade glue
I‘d been meaning to try out this recipe for ages and last week we finally got round to it. Paper mache balloons were the order of the day and they turned out really well! Anyway…it’s dead easy, cheap and it works!
Ingredients
♥ Flour
♥ Sugar
♥ Water
♥ White vinegar
Combine flour and sugar in a saucepan (3:1 ratio). Add cold water to make a paste and beat out any lumps. Then stir constantly over a medium heat until the mixture thickens. Add one teaspoon of vinegar. Allow to cool before using. Store in an air-tight container. This glue will keep in a fridge for a couple of weeks or so.
Disclaimer: This recipe has been pinned on Pinterest over 14,000 times and is being described as home-made ‘mod podge’. The description is very misleading (but nothing I have any control over). The glue recipe is great, perfect for papier mache, collage and the like. It’s brilliant for little kids. It takes longer to dry than regular glue/paste. It’s not mod podge though and probably doesn’t compare to any commercial product! It is however, very cheap and completely natural!
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