My daughter's eleventh birthday party was a success! Although we were expecting a blizzard tonight and the snow was just starting to fall as the party started, most of the girls who live close by still came. They had a great time assembling their own mini-heroes, gingerbread houses, and cupcakes, while singing to Christmas and radio music. Then they all bundled up and went out to play in the snow. Please go to my Examiner article for pictures and instructions on how to bake the gingerbread house pieces and set up for a housemaking party.
Showing posts with label crafts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crafts. Show all posts
Saturday, December 19, 2009
A Gingerbread House Making Birthday Party
My daughter's eleventh birthday party was a success! Although we were expecting a blizzard tonight and the snow was just starting to fall as the party started, most of the girls who live close by still came. They had a great time assembling their own mini-heroes, gingerbread houses, and cupcakes, while singing to Christmas and radio music. Then they all bundled up and went out to play in the snow. Please go to my Examiner article for pictures and instructions on how to bake the gingerbread house pieces and set up for a housemaking party.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Fabric Covered Shelves: An Accidental Project
I accidentally covered my linen closet shelves with fabric this weekend. How did that happen, you might ask?
The linen closet next to my master bath was something I overlooked the first few weeks of living here. One day I turned around and said, “Wow! I have another closet!” It became a place for stashing miscellaneous items.
I have a ton of sewing materials stowed away in shoeboxes and bins in various closets around the house. I actually have stopped sewing because I could not find anything I needed for my projects. If only I could get them all together in one place! Recently I decided to empty out my extra linen closet and use it only to store linens and sewing material.
I started by completely emptying out the middle three shelves. (The top and bottom shelves contain books that I will need to find homes for another day.) I cleaned off the old wooden shelves and decided to cover them with contact paper.
Here is where the serendipitous accident occurred. I grabbed what I thought was patterned contact paper, cut it to size, and started to peel off the backing. Then I discovered that it was actually a clear contact paper, which I use to cover the children’s school workbooks.
Then I thought: how nice it would be to have a pretty paper or fabric underneath! I took out a thin gauzy material that was unsuitable for any sewing projects, cut it to size, attached it underneath with masking tape, and covered it with the clear contact paper.
The result is a pretty pattern on my shelves that are destined for storing materials. This will serve as a constant reminder that I am only to use this space for that purpose. As I go through the contents of other closets and come across more material, I have a place in which to store them.
As soon as I had covered a shelf and put it in its place, I had a pile of curtains ready to go there. My covering is not perfect either, and the paint is original to the house. I am not Martha Stewart, nor do I wish to be. These are real pictures of a real closet in a real house, belonging to a real mom with real kids. I hope I have inspired you to do something fun and different with your fabric today!
The linen closet next to my master bath was something I overlooked the first few weeks of living here. One day I turned around and said, “Wow! I have another closet!” It became a place for stashing miscellaneous items.
I have a ton of sewing materials stowed away in shoeboxes and bins in various closets around the house. I actually have stopped sewing because I could not find anything I needed for my projects. If only I could get them all together in one place! Recently I decided to empty out my extra linen closet and use it only to store linens and sewing material.
I started by completely emptying out the middle three shelves. (The top and bottom shelves contain books that I will need to find homes for another day.) I cleaned off the old wooden shelves and decided to cover them with contact paper.
Here is where the serendipitous accident occurred. I grabbed what I thought was patterned contact paper, cut it to size, and started to peel off the backing. Then I discovered that it was actually a clear contact paper, which I use to cover the children’s school workbooks.
Then I thought: how nice it would be to have a pretty paper or fabric underneath! I took out a thin gauzy material that was unsuitable for any sewing projects, cut it to size, attached it underneath with masking tape, and covered it with the clear contact paper.
The result is a pretty pattern on my shelves that are destined for storing materials. This will serve as a constant reminder that I am only to use this space for that purpose. As I go through the contents of other closets and come across more material, I have a place in which to store them.
As soon as I had covered a shelf and put it in its place, I had a pile of curtains ready to go there. My covering is not perfect either, and the paint is original to the house. I am not Martha Stewart, nor do I wish to be. These are real pictures of a real closet in a real house, belonging to a real mom with real kids. I hope I have inspired you to do something fun and different with your fabric today!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Holiday Decorating on a Dime (Or Less!)
I have to put on blinders as I walk past the Christmas displays already up in department stores. It is too early for me to consider Christmas shopping.
Not that there is anything wrong with shopping early, especially if the intent is to make Advent a holier and more peaceful time. I used to do that until more recent years. Now, if I buy something really special for one of my kids it is too difficult for me to hold onto it, and will find some reason to give it as a reward. I also have no room to store gifts long-term. Finally, I have too many other responsibilities at the time and think my brain cannot handle the organizational energy it takes to shop for four children meaningfully, fairly, and equitably.
However, for those of us who like to give homemade gifts or make homemade decorations, preparing for Christmas can be a yearlong process. Therefore I am going to start putting up some homemade ideas from time to time.
You can use these decorating ideas for any holiday throughout the year – just change the colors to match the season!
1. Gather acorns.
Put them in a decorative bowl unadorned; or have your kids paint them first.
2. Make popcorn strings.
You can use food dye to make them more colorful. Add cranberries for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
For instructions see Wikihow.
3. Create pinecone animals.
Glue googly eyes and pipecleaners on pinecones to make your own pinecone critters. Spray silver or gold, or glue on multi-colored glitter; use string to make into an ornament for the Christmas tree, or hang from the ceiling for a festive look.
For instructions see Enchanted Learning.
4. Make cookie cutouts.
Use a recipe using basically flour and water – no butter or sugar. These are not meant to be eaten. Cut shapes to fit the holiday, paint with tempera paints or permanent markers, and put on a clear protective coat. These can be personalized to give as a gift. (My sister Joanna makes really cute ones every Christmas!)
5. Make construction paper cutouts.
This is so cheap but is quite effective when seen from the street. Make a series of uniform-looking cutouts in the same colors – hearts for Valentine’s Day, pumpkins for Autumn, trees for Christmas, snowflakes for Winter – and tape them up in all the windows facing the street. When I first drove up to this house while seven months pregnant with my first child, the pink hearts in the light-blue trimmed windows of the all-white house combined with the snow-covered ground to charm the socks off both of us. They will fade from the sun, so throw them out after the holiday season is over. Snowflake cutouts work well on the Christmas tree as well.
6. Make macaroni strings.
Drop food coloring into the water while cooking to color the pasta. Try different shapes – as long as they can be strung.
7. Gather your own fir.
Use a branch from a pine tree to make into a garland for your front door, Advent wreath, Jesse tree, or Advent tree. Use pieces of any evergreen to decorate railings, mantel pieces, or tops of picture frames.
8. Use your button collection.
Make a string of buttons in various shapes and colors. Hang in doorways, around lamps, or on a tree.
9. Make use of your half-completed projects.
A square of crocheted yarn can be hung from a tree, or placed under a decorative vase. No one will be the wiser.
10. Make use of your baby socks-without-a-partner.
These can be hung from the tree, or from an Advent tree, where your loved ones can find small surprises waiting in the morning.
Not that there is anything wrong with shopping early, especially if the intent is to make Advent a holier and more peaceful time. I used to do that until more recent years. Now, if I buy something really special for one of my kids it is too difficult for me to hold onto it, and will find some reason to give it as a reward. I also have no room to store gifts long-term. Finally, I have too many other responsibilities at the time and think my brain cannot handle the organizational energy it takes to shop for four children meaningfully, fairly, and equitably.
However, for those of us who like to give homemade gifts or make homemade decorations, preparing for Christmas can be a yearlong process. Therefore I am going to start putting up some homemade ideas from time to time.
You can use these decorating ideas for any holiday throughout the year – just change the colors to match the season!
1. Gather acorns.Put them in a decorative bowl unadorned; or have your kids paint them first.
2. Make popcorn strings.You can use food dye to make them more colorful. Add cranberries for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
For instructions see Wikihow.
3. Create pinecone animals.Glue googly eyes and pipecleaners on pinecones to make your own pinecone critters. Spray silver or gold, or glue on multi-colored glitter; use string to make into an ornament for the Christmas tree, or hang from the ceiling for a festive look.
For instructions see Enchanted Learning.
4. Make cookie cutouts.Use a recipe using basically flour and water – no butter or sugar. These are not meant to be eaten. Cut shapes to fit the holiday, paint with tempera paints or permanent markers, and put on a clear protective coat. These can be personalized to give as a gift. (My sister Joanna makes really cute ones every Christmas!)
5. Make construction paper cutouts.
This is so cheap but is quite effective when seen from the street. Make a series of uniform-looking cutouts in the same colors – hearts for Valentine’s Day, pumpkins for Autumn, trees for Christmas, snowflakes for Winter – and tape them up in all the windows facing the street. When I first drove up to this house while seven months pregnant with my first child, the pink hearts in the light-blue trimmed windows of the all-white house combined with the snow-covered ground to charm the socks off both of us. They will fade from the sun, so throw them out after the holiday season is over. Snowflake cutouts work well on the Christmas tree as well.
6. Make macaroni strings.
Drop food coloring into the water while cooking to color the pasta. Try different shapes – as long as they can be strung.
7. Gather your own fir.Use a branch from a pine tree to make into a garland for your front door, Advent wreath, Jesse tree, or Advent tree. Use pieces of any evergreen to decorate railings, mantel pieces, or tops of picture frames.
8. Use your button collection.
Make a string of buttons in various shapes and colors. Hang in doorways, around lamps, or on a tree.
9. Make use of your half-completed projects.A square of crocheted yarn can be hung from a tree, or placed under a decorative vase. No one will be the wiser.
10. Make use of your baby socks-without-a-partner.These can be hung from the tree, or from an Advent tree, where your loved ones can find small surprises waiting in the morning.
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