Advent Book Tree!

There was this blank space as you walk into my kitchen on the side of the cabinet.  It bothered me because I felt it needed something.

I had a box of Christmas books we've collected over the years.

I put the two together and made my Advent Book Tree.

Tree is made with 12x12 green scrapbook paper cut in half for the bottom three tiers,

 quartered for the top.  Star out of yellow paper scraps.

All the glitter paper!!  Alternating back and forth with red and green.  I made numbered ornaments.

I didn't want to wrap the books so I found a thin box. 

Placed a holiday sheet of scrapbook paper on the lid.

With a removable glue dot attached the first ornament.

Each day as we read the book the ornament can be added to the tree.

The big box of books!!

I'm really excited to read a new book each night and as they find favorites I can make a note for next year.

Happy Reading!!  Happy Holidays!!

Custom paper butterfly's

Waiting for spring to arrive I wanted to make butterfly's. 

I drew a heart with dots on trace paper and let the kids trace it. Cut it out and let them pick two colors to cut the shape out with.

And now they have their own butterfly.

Tristan on the left and Neelie on the right.

Dog toys for Lottie.

We adopted a puppy this weekend.
She keeps stealing shoes and toys so we made her toys I remember making at a camp of took our dogs to about ten years ago.

Plain plastic water bottle, completely dry.
Uncooked beans or pasta.

At camp we used beans, I didn't have any.  We did have a bag of "crazy Mac" the kids refused to eat. So I let them pick the ones they want and fill up the bottle about 1/3 of the way. Put the lid on real tight. I didn't want to use glue.

Super Bowl, 2014

I'm working tomorrow so when this idea popped into my head at 7:45pm I was glad the kiddos were still wide awake.

As usual, made on 12×12 scrapbook paper so it easily slides into a scrapbook for keeping.

The football is Neelie's foot on top and Tristan's on the bottom.  I had them sit on the bench, painted their foot, held it up while they stood onto the opposite foot and step down.  Laces drawn on with a paint marker.

Helmets are the kids palm and thumb. Thumb painted white for the facemask, palms painted in rough colors of helmets. I wasn't going for perfection, this I felt the rougher the better.

All writing done with a paint marker. Tristan picked the broncos to win so he got to be the broncos. I'll probably add the score later.

This is the beauty of having two kids for two teams.

Let's go Manning!  Win it in your brother's arena!    A patient told me Eli won at the colt's stadium. I have not looked into that fun fact to see if it's true. 

Snowflakes day two.

Used my cousins advice and reversed the directions of the hands.

I also mixed the glue with glitter in an empty container and it was way less mess to make them shiny and shimmery.

Definitely need to use thicker paper. Though a blog I read said to use coffee filters which would be weaker but might not curl at the fingers. I don't drink coffee so I'll have to snag some from the next house I visit that has coffee drinkers. I'll ask first.

Snowflakes... day one.

Decided to make hand print snow flakes.

Plain printer paper.
Folded in quarters.
Traced with a white crayon.
Cut out, iron flat, paint with glue and dust with glitter.
Hung in the window with tape and fishing line. 

Not fully happy with the product but working on some ideas to improve.

Neelie took the picture of Tristan and I.

Minions.

The kids have been loving Pickle Me (despicable me) lately so I cut out the pieces and they made and named Minions.

Tristan wasn't thrilled to sit down for a project but he had fun doing this with PJ.