Crafts

Eliana's Spookover Door Sign - October 18, 2008

Eliana's Spookover Door Sign - October 18, 2008

Friends:

Saturday was a blast! The night of my 8 year old daughter, Eliana’s Spookover, finally arrived! Eliana was ready for some swashbuckling fun. Argh, matey!

Pirate Eliana - October 18, 2008

Pirate Eliana - October 18, 2008

We worked all day cleaning, decorating, and cooking. I set up my spooky backdrop and decorated the table full of frightening food – bloody pigs in a blanket, petrifying pizza party pinwheels, Jack-O-Jam cookies, popcorn chicken parts, witches brew and more. Check out the table. I love the mummies marrying under the Tree of Terror.

The Spooktacular Table - October 18, 2008

The Spooktacular Table - October 18, 2008

This is what the Witches Brew (lime sherbet ice cream in 7Up) looked like…

Witches Brew - October 18, 2008

Witches Brew - October 18, 2008

All the girls had their own cups with their names on them. The girls came in costume. They are so adorable!

The Spookover Girls - October 18, 2008

The Spookover Girls - October 18, 2008

No one had the same costume on – we had Hannah Montana, a princess bride, a mermaid, Sharpei from High School Musical, a pirate, a hip hop dancer, an angel, and an aquamarine princess. 8 crazy cuties ready to party! Here’s a parent-to-parent tip: I had all the parents/guardians fill out an emergency card with all their contact numbers on it – just in case…

We began with The Ghoulish Guessing Game. They each had a Halloween monster pinned to their back and they had to ask 10 yes-or-no questions. The first to guess their monster won. Next, we had a costume contest. My mom, Josie; my husband, Antonio; and I were judges. We judged the girls on three categories: creativity, originality, and attitude. Each category was worth 10 points with a total possible score of 90. The judges had score cards that were totaled at the end. The girls strutted down the “runway” and then had to talk about who they were. The pirate won with 79 points with the hip hop dancer and princess bride tied for second place. The girls loved winning prizes.

The Pirate and the Princess Bride - October 18, 2008

The Pirate and the Princess Bride - October 18, 2008

After that we moved on to “Pin the Hat on the Witch.” I made a witch with different colored hats with double stick tape on the back. The girls were blindfolded with a sleeping mask and spun around 6 times. They pinned their hats to the witch. I took pictures of each hat after they were placed so we could remove the hat and judge in the end whose hat was closest. It was funny to see where the hats were placed!

Pin the Hat on the Witch - October 18, 2008

Pin the Hat on the Witch - October 18, 2008

After that, we moved on to The Creepy Clothes Race, a relay game. The girls were divided into teams of two, with four girls on each team. They were given a bag of clothes that contained a hat, a cape, a shirt, shorts, gloves, and a scarf. Each player raced to the opposite side, dressing in the creepy clothes and then raced back, undressing, stuffing the clothing in the bag, and handing it off to the next player. I played “Ghostbusters” as they raced. It was laugh-out-loud zany fun!

Creepy Clothes Race - October 18, 2008

Creepy Clothes Race - October 18, 2008

Our last game was “Keepin’ It Under Wraps,” a wrapping mummy with tissue paper game. Again, the girls were divided into two teams of four girls. The smallest girls on each team were the mummies. The remaining girls on the team were the “wrappers.” Each wrapper was given a roll of cheap toilet paper. They had to wrap the mummy as quickly and as best as they could without the paper ripping, which it did – plenty! It was hilarious. They wrapped and rolled to the song “Monster Mash.” The team with the best looking mummy at the end of the song won.

Keepin It Under Wraps Game - October 18, 2008

Keepin It Under Wraps Game - October 18, 2008

Afterwards, the girls had a massive tissue paper fight. I wish I could be a kid again! Such uninhibited joy!

Tissue Paper Fight - October 18, 2008

Tissue Paper Fight - October 18, 2008

And yes, they helped clean up the mess too – very quickly! After all the games, the girls were ready to settle down and eat.

Then we began crafting. We made Batty Sock Bats from socks, foam, googly eyes, and chenille sticks.

Crafting Batty Sock Bats - October 18, 2008

Crafting Batty Sock Bats - October 18, 2008

These are the finished bats. Aren’t they the most boo-tiful bats you’ve ever seen?!!

Batty Sock Bats - October 18, 2008

Batty Sock Bats - October 18, 2008

Here is a closeup of the bats…

Batty Socks Bats Closeup - October 18, 2008

Batty Socks Bats Closeup - October 18, 2008

Next, we made mummies out of toilet tissue rolls and Boo Bags from white paper lunch bags.

Boo Bags - October 18, 2008

Boo Bags - October 18, 2008

After our creepy crafts, we headed outside to the screened, covered patio for marshmallow roasting and spooky stories. I told several stories including “The Ghost of Mable Gable,” “Bloody Fingers,” “The Ghost with One Black Eye,” and “Blood Red Lips.” The patio was dark except for several lit candles. It was the perfect spookmosphere.

Gathering for Ghost Stories - October 18, 2008

Gathering for Ghost Stories - October 18, 2008

Finally, around 1:30 am, we headed inside and set up the sleeping area on the floor of the living room. Everyone brought their sleeping bags. I put in the movie, Ghostbusters, and all but three girls fell asleep. The last three girls fell asleep around 4:30 am! That meant that I was up with them!

In the morning, Antonio made Eliana’s Devil’s Food Monster Muffins. The girls had a spooktastic time and I was ready for a nap!! LOL Two of the girls had never been to a sleepover and they loved it so much, they want to do it again! (Yes, maybe next year, girls!! hahaha)

Wrapping the Mummy - October 18, 2008

Wrapping the Mummy - October 18, 2008

It was a successful Spookover and Eliana was elated. And that’s all a Mummy can ask for, right?! Happy Spooky Season!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

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Craft: Spookover Invitation

by admin on October 7, 2008

Eliana\'s Spookover Invitation

Eliana's Spookover Invitation

Friends:

My 8 year old daughter, Eliana is having a “Spookover,” a spooky sleepover. The Spookover (which was an annual tradition for my 18 year old when she was younger) will feature “Frightful Food, Ghoulish Games, Creepy Crafts, and Spooky Stories.”

We made the invitation entirely out of construction paper, Elmer’s Glue, and a paper towel (for the ghost). I created a template from card stock for the haunted house. The rest of the invitation is a matter of cutting and cutting and cutting. The windows and the front door open up to the text of the invitation. This “BOO-tiful” handmade invitation is sure to win some attention!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

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Library Mouse Craft and Book

Library Mouse Craft and Book

Library Mouse – Tissue Paper Roll Mouse & Book
Library Mouse written and illustrated by Daniel Kirk is a fantastic book about reading and writing. Sam, a mouse who lives in the library, loves to read. He is so inspired by books that he decides to write one and sneak it into the library collection. Soon, all the children are buzzing about Sam, the new author. They ask to meet him and in a clever twist, Sam surprises them all and inspires many more authors. In this craft, you will make the tissue paper roll mouse and a small book.

Materials:
Tissue paper roll
Construction Paper
Chenille Sticks (pink and white)
Glue
Stapler

Directions
To make the mouse, from construction paper, cut out a tail, two ears, and two eyes. Pinch one end of the tissue paper roll shut, inserting the tail in the middle. Staple it shut. Wrap the tail around a pen or pencil to create a curl. Pinch the opposite end of the tissue paper roll in the opposite direction (it will look like a triangle). Glue ears at the top and an eye on each side. Cut a small piece of pink chenille and ball it up into a nose, leaving an end sticking out to insert into the tissue paper roll. Cut two small white pieces of chenille stick and fold it in half, creating whiskers. Glue on each side of the nose. Your mouse is ready and will look like this.

Library Mouse Up Close

Library Mouse Up Close

To create the book, cut four equal sizes of white construction paper (the inside of the book). Create a front and back cover in a different color. Staple the book on one side. Voila! Now you have Sam the Mouse and a book of your own to write in! Happy Tales to You!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

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Book Craft: Wild About Books Paper Plate Snakes

by admin on September 17, 2008

Wild About Books Paper Plate Snakes

Wild About Books Paper Plate Snakes

Wild About Books Paper Plate Snakes

“In a flash every beast in the zoo was stampeding
To learn all about this new something called reading.
Forsaking their niches, their nests, and their nooks,
They went wild, simply wild, about wonderful books…”

And so begins one of my favorite new classics written by Judy Sierra and illustrated by Marc Brown. The story is clever and inspiring while the colorful illustrations slither, stomp, and stampede across the page. To go with this modern classic, I have chosen one of my favorite classic crafts – the simple, slithery paper plate snake.

Materials:
Paper plate
Crayons or markers
Scissors

Directions
Color both sides of the paper plate in any design you wish. Starting on the outer edge, cut the paper plate into a spiral about an inch wide. When you reach the inside, stop so that you have enough paper plate left to form the snake’s head. Make two eyes with a marker. Ssssssssss. Now you and your snake can curl up with a good book.

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

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Eliana Drawing Humpty on a Blown Egg

Eliana Drawing Humpty on a Blown Egg

Humpty Dumpty Egg-Splodes – Blown Egg Humpty
This is a great book by author and illustrator, Kevin O’Malley. Kevin has a wonderful sense of humor (in person and in books). The story begins with a man telling a story… Humpty Dumpty is ginormous and he’s on a rampage. This book is a uproarious romp through Nursery Land with spoofs of nearly every nursery rhyme you can think of. And the end is the stuff made of legends. A great book for boys but equally fun for girls too. Incidentally, Kevin O’Malley won the 2008 Louisiana Young Readers Choice Awards for his book, Once Upon a Motorcycle Dude.

Materials:
Raw egg at room temperature
Pin or Sewing Needle
Pencil
Ultra-thin permanent marker
Colored markers
1X5″ strip of construction paper

Directions:
With a pin or sewing needle poke a hole at each end of the egg. Over the sink or a bowl, blow into one side of the egg. The egg’s insides will emerge out of the other end. Rinse thoroughly then dry in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or bake in an oven for 15 minutes at 275 degrees. The heat will sterilize the egg and harden it further. With a pencil, draw Humpty’s face on the egg. Humpty’s expressions in the book are fun and easy to copy. Next, trace over the pencil with a permanent marker. Color the egg with colored markers. Take the strip of construction paper and tape it into a circle, creating a base for the egg to sit on. We used two eggs (Eliana did one and I did one) and didn’t even waste an egg! This was an egg-citing, egg-ceptional craft!

Egg-ceptional Humpty Dumpty X 2 (Eliana\'s is on the right)

Egg-ceptional Humpty Dumpty X 2 (Eliana's is on the right)

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

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Where the Wild Things Are Paper Bag Puppet

Where the Wild Things Are Paper Bag Puppet

Where the Wild Things Are – Wild Things Paper Bag Puppets
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak was one of Soleil’s favorite books as a child. I read it over and over and over again. And then she read it over and over and over again until Mommy said, “Be still!”

Materials:
Paper lunch bags
Construction paper
Scissors
Glue

Directions:
This is such a fun craft because I basically let the children cut out their own wild thing features – horns, nose, lips, teeth, hair, eyes, ears, arms, and legs. Simply glue them on to the paper bag. Anything goes! Eliana had a ball with this book craft and wouldn’t let me look until her wild thing was done.

“And when he came to the place where the wild things are they roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws…”

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

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Craft: Valentine Box

by admin on February 14, 2008

Valentine Box 2-13-08

Friends:

Happy Valentine’s Day. I made this simple Valentine carrying box for Eliana, my seven year old. She is taking it to school, stuffed with Valentine treats for her classmates. She can also bring home the Valentine treats she receives. It’s very easy. It took less than ten minutes.

Materials:
Tissue Box with large opening
2 chenille sticks
Hole punch
Stickers or cut outs
Other decorations

Instructions:
Punch a hole on either side of the tissue box opening. Create a handle from the two chenille sticks, twisting them together. Insert each end of the chenille stick into the holes. Secure the handle by twisting the ends of the chenille a large knot on either side (the knots will be inside the box). Decorate the box with stickers or cut outs. I cut apart a Valentine paper bag for my decorations. Now you’re ready to fill your Valentine box with lovely goodies! Happy Hearts Day!

Warmly, Dianne

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Craft: Coffee Filter Butterflies

by admin on February 9, 2008

Friends:

Spring is around the corner! We can look forward to blossoms and butterflies. This is one of my favorite crafts to do with kids. It’s the classic coffee filter butterfly. It’s simple and fun. I think I learned this from Girl Scouts or summer camp when I was a child.

Materials needed for two butterflies:

1 paper plate
2 coffee filters
2 clothes or doll pins
water-based markers
spray bottle of water
adhesive magnets (optional)
googly eyes (optional)

Coffee filter butterfly supplies 2-9-09

Step 1 – Flatten a coffee filter on top of a paper plate and create a design using water-based colored markers.

Coffee filter butterfly Step 1 2-9-08

Step 2 – Using a spray bottle, spray the entire coffee filter with water, being sure to spray evenly and thoroughly. It will allow the ink to spread, creating a “tie-die” effect.

Coffee filter butterfly Step 2 2-9-08

Step 3 – Flatten another coffee filter. Using the second coffee filter as a blotter, press it firmly on top of the colored coffee filter. The excess moisture and color will be absorbed into the second coffee filter.

Coffee filter butterfly Step 3 2-9-08

Step 4 and the final step – Gather the coffee filters in the middle creating accordion pleats to create “wings.” Pinching the pleats tightly, open a clothes pin and wedge the wings as far back as possible. If you are working with small children, you may want to help with this step. The clothes pin can unexpectedly snap shut if not held firmly. Feel free to color the “body” of the butterfly and glue on googly eyes. You can also add an adhesive magnet to the bottom to make a “butterfly fridge magnet.”

Coffee filter butterfly final step 2-9-08

May your wings take you to new heights!

Warmly, Dianne

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Craft: Handy Valentine Cards

by admin on February 9, 2008

Handy Hearts 1

 

Handy Hearts 2

 

 

These Valentine cards are fun and simple. Trace a hand (I like a child’s hand but your own works well too) onto construction paper folded in half. That way, you’ll get two Valentines with one cut. Cut out a heart to glue in the palm of each hand. Write a word on each finger (five words) such as:

Will You Be Mine Valentine?
I Love You Sweet Valentine!
Valentine You Have My Heart!

On the back of the hand, write any of the following, or make up your own:

Valentine, hands down, you are the best!
Valentine, my heart is in your hands.
I can count on each finger the ways I love you. (Write qualities on each finger – fun, smart, sweet, loving, kind, etc.)
Valentine, you deserve a high five!
Give yourself a hand, Valentine! Be mine!

Handy Hearts 3

Have fun with these “hand-made” Valentine cards. Give these out and you’ll be sure to receive thunderous applause!

Warmly, Dianne

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Re-Cycling Creativity

by admin on February 8, 2008

Friends,

Eliana, my 7 year old, is a bundle of creative energy. She loves to recycle old materials and turn them into new treasures. Today was a “lazy” day in that we stayed home all day (last day of the Mardi Gras holiday). So Eliana took her saved aluminum cans and toilet paper rolls and went to work. All of her industrious inventiveness was unbeknownst to me – she did the work by herself. She “unveiled” her grand plan after dinner, showing the family the frame of what was to become a bicycle for her bear, Butterscotch. Armed with only aluminum cans, toilet paper tubes, tape, and her imagination, she created what I dubbed the “Recycle Cycle.” Take a look…

Butterscotch on the Recycle Cycle 2-8-08

The bicycle is complete with wheels, handle bars, and even pedals. I love how unencumbered children’s imaginations are! The bicycle won’t last long (it’s not even Duck tape) but the memory of her achievement sure will. Here’s to unleashing the imagination and “recycling” creativity! Butterscotch will cycle his way to new adventures. Where will your imagination take you?

Warmly, Dianne

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