16.6.13
14.6.13
Shell pictures
We've had a big bag of shells knocking about the house since our beach trips to the Gower a few weeks ago. Most of them were gathered at Rhossili, and they're quite large things like razors, marine snail shells, whelks, mussels and cockles (some still with wizened, whiffy occupants..)
Too big basically to make more ladies with prams like last time.
So I've put some around plants in a flowerbed/rockery, but kept smaller, pretty shells like this to make a picture for Nanny's Birthday. It's a tellin shell, and quite a lot of the ones we found were still joined together.
So first off, my 6 year old painted a thin piece of card blue, leaving a few cms at the bottom. You could cut out part of cereal packet and use that instead, if you don't have any plain card.
While it was drying we put some broken shells in a plastic bag and bashed them. Very popular this bit! But don't smash them to smithereens - looks better I think if there's a mix of different sizes.
When the blue is dry, we added some fluffy white clouds using an old sponge, and then covered the bit left at the bottom with a good layer of craft glue before sprinkling over all the shiny shell pieces.
Shake off any loose stuff.
Then glue on the butterflies.
Just match up some shells if the ones you've got aren't in pairs, or experiment with cockles and mussels. Perfect for flower pictures too, and all kinds of other things really. Once you get going the world's your oyster (shell).
Too big basically to make more ladies with prams like last time.
So I've put some around plants in a flowerbed/rockery, but kept smaller, pretty shells like this to make a picture for Nanny's Birthday. It's a tellin shell, and quite a lot of the ones we found were still joined together.
So first off, my 6 year old painted a thin piece of card blue, leaving a few cms at the bottom. You could cut out part of cereal packet and use that instead, if you don't have any plain card.
While it was drying we put some broken shells in a plastic bag and bashed them. Very popular this bit! But don't smash them to smithereens - looks better I think if there's a mix of different sizes.
When the blue is dry, we added some fluffy white clouds using an old sponge, and then covered the bit left at the bottom with a good layer of craft glue before sprinkling over all the shiny shell pieces.
Shake off any loose stuff.
Then glue on the butterflies.
Just match up some shells if the ones you've got aren't in pairs, or experiment with cockles and mussels. Perfect for flower pictures too, and all kinds of other things really. Once you get going the world's your oyster (shell).
Linking up with Red Ted Art's Kids Get Crafty
10.6.13
Tooth Fairy Cushion
'WHY aren't my teeth falling out mummy?'
Totally over-dramatic, but I know what she's on about.
She's six; quite a few of her friends have wobbly teeth, and there's talk of the Tooth Fairy...
Now obviously the Tooth Fairy already knows where we live...but has, on occasion, found it VERY tricky to locate the little pearly whites in the pitch dark, because both my boys have insisted on burying them under their pillows...
Anyway I thought I'd stay ahead of the game with number 3 and make her a Tooth Fairy cushion, after seeing some gorgeous ones online.
Spotted this bright pink jumper on the pound rail in a local charity shop for the cushion bit.
I've made plenty of cushions out of old jumpers, and there's a more detailed run through of what to do here. Honestly it's very easy, and no zips or buttons to deal with. Mine is a 12" square cover.
I drew an appropriately sized fairy on a piece of tracing paper, then followed this as a guide to knit a dress shape.
All the other bits are cut out of felt using the tracing paper fairy as a pattern.
A little bundle of wool for the hair and a square of felt for the tooth bag.
The sewing-on took a while, but a good in-front-of-the-telly job and worth it, because she loves her cushion.
So we're all ready; well I'm not - never really ready to pass another milestone, especially as she's the youngest. I also have a strong feeling she won't be quite as forgiving as the boys if the Tooth Fairy gets a bit snowed under and em, you know just happens to..accidentally...forget...
Totally over-dramatic, but I know what she's on about.
She's six; quite a few of her friends have wobbly teeth, and there's talk of the Tooth Fairy...
Now obviously the Tooth Fairy already knows where we live...but has, on occasion, found it VERY tricky to locate the little pearly whites in the pitch dark, because both my boys have insisted on burying them under their pillows...
Anyway I thought I'd stay ahead of the game with number 3 and make her a Tooth Fairy cushion, after seeing some gorgeous ones online.
Spotted this bright pink jumper on the pound rail in a local charity shop for the cushion bit.
I've made plenty of cushions out of old jumpers, and there's a more detailed run through of what to do here. Honestly it's very easy, and no zips or buttons to deal with. Mine is a 12" square cover.
I drew an appropriately sized fairy on a piece of tracing paper, then followed this as a guide to knit a dress shape.
All the other bits are cut out of felt using the tracing paper fairy as a pattern.
A little bundle of wool for the hair and a square of felt for the tooth bag.
The sewing-on took a while, but a good in-front-of-the-telly job and worth it, because she loves her cushion.
So we're all ready; well I'm not - never really ready to pass another milestone, especially as she's the youngest. I also have a strong feeling she won't be quite as forgiving as the boys if the Tooth Fairy gets a bit snowed under and em, you know just happens to..accidentally...forget...
Linking up with Handmade Monday
5.6.13
I See You Two
The eyes have it,
wouldn't you say?
Whatever she's feeling
they give it away.
they give it away.
Excited, sad,
hard to disguise,
hard to disguise,
28.5.13
Timely makeover
Very pleased with my latest charity shop buys, even if they were a bit manky looking.
I had plans for these tatty two pounders; just needed to find some paint...and a suitable excuse.
So the stool's to go with my revamped sewing machine trolley, and the little useful table is going to be.. useful. That's my story. And there were questions and eyebrows raised on friday when my other half spotted them, tucked in a corner of the spare room. But bless him, he's well used to coming home to shabby bits of furniture. Think I've already mentioned we live a mile away from the local auction...
Anyway, thought it best to be speedy with the makeover. I gave them both a quick sand and slapped on some trusty Blackfriars primer before using up two old blue tester pots.
The top of the stool was screwed in and easy enough to remove. The original pad was under the grim blue pleather, but there were a few rips, and I wanted to use some IKEA material left over from my campervan curtain-making nightmare...
Never quite sure how to cover the top of things, so I've had varying degrees of success; but this time I used the pleather as a guide, cutting the material to size, and copying the corner folds, and it seemed to come together pretty well.
I love the little table I covered in vintage domino cards (the ones in my blog header)
Still won't let anyone use it. I bought these watch dominos in a charity shop a while ago and thought they'd work on my new blue table.
Used PVA to glue them on the top - just had to cut a few to fit around the edge. Then several coats of clear matt varnish and that was it.
Both seem to have won over the doubters..and now I've got this old chair tucked in the corner of the spare room...
I had plans for these tatty two pounders; just needed to find some paint...and a suitable excuse.
So the stool's to go with my revamped sewing machine trolley, and the little useful table is going to be.. useful. That's my story. And there were questions and eyebrows raised on friday when my other half spotted them, tucked in a corner of the spare room. But bless him, he's well used to coming home to shabby bits of furniture. Think I've already mentioned we live a mile away from the local auction...
Anyway, thought it best to be speedy with the makeover. I gave them both a quick sand and slapped on some trusty Blackfriars primer before using up two old blue tester pots.
The top of the stool was screwed in and easy enough to remove. The original pad was under the grim blue pleather, but there were a few rips, and I wanted to use some IKEA material left over from my campervan curtain-making nightmare...
Never quite sure how to cover the top of things, so I've had varying degrees of success; but this time I used the pleather as a guide, cutting the material to size, and copying the corner folds, and it seemed to come together pretty well.
I love the little table I covered in vintage domino cards (the ones in my blog header)
Still won't let anyone use it. I bought these watch dominos in a charity shop a while ago and thought they'd work on my new blue table.
Used PVA to glue them on the top - just had to cut a few to fit around the edge. Then several coats of clear matt varnish and that was it.
Both seem to have won over the doubters..and now I've got this old chair tucked in the corner of the spare room...
25.5.13
Easy Elephant
...the latest arrival at our homemade zoo... and very similar to the giraffe and the zebra I made with my daughter last time.
You'll need two toilet paper tubes, cereal box card, an egg box, black and white paint, a black felt tip and some tacky glue. (Make tacky glue by leaving about a cm of PVA/craft glue in a clean yogurt pot or jar with no lid for at least a day. The longer you leave it the tackier it gets)
First, start with the head so you know it fits into the body. Cut a whole egg cup from the end of the box. The end is best as there's more card here. Draw a line around the cup that curves up at this side. With the longer side on top, push the cup into one end of a toilet paper tube and tilt it forward.
If the head piece doesn't fit, try a different sized tube (a kitchen paper roll might work), or, if it's too big, keep cutting carefully around the edge of the egg cup, following the curved shape until it fits snuggly into place. Take the head out and put aside while you make the legs.
As before, cut the other toilet paper tube in half lengthways, and cut one of these pieces in half again. These two strips should be about 4cm wide. Fold them in half lengthways. (Hold onto the leftover card if you're making a rhino or hippo)
Cut a cm or so off the tube body, so it's about 8cm long. Then mark slots for the legs. Hold a ruler along the length of the tube and draw two, 3cm lines about a cm in from each tube end. Move the ruler on about 3cm and repeat, so the slots line up with each other.
With a pair of straight nail scissors or embroidery scissors make a hole on a line (keep them closed, press down and twist from side to side until they pierce through the card). Then cut along the slot - do the same with the other three.
Wiggle the scissors or the end of a spoon in and out of the holes, so it's easier to thread the legs through. When you're happy each side is level, bend the legs inwards, so it stands up. Shorten the legs and trim so it doesn't wobble.
Ok, so now I'm going to sound like a bit of a loo roll craft anorak, but I've a LOT of cardboard middles, and they're all kinds of sizes - the smaller/narrower ones work best for this - you want a cut-out egg cup piece to fit snuggly into the end of the tube.
Put some glue around an inside edge, push the egg box bit in, and angle it down slightly.
Next, get painting - make sure you also paint a piece of cereal box card for the ears, trunk and tail.
When dry, draw a trunk on the painted card - for guidance, the top of the trunk should be almost the width of the end of the egg cup head, and remember to add a cm or so for a tab. (see photo). Draw a large flappy ear, cut it out and use as a template to draw around for the other one.
Put the head back into the body and mark a slot down the centre for the trunk. Take it out again and pierce a hole with the small scissors (keep closed, press down and twist from side to side) Cut along the slot and wiggle the scissors in and out so it's easier to push the trunk through.
Bend the ears slightly so they're curved like the tube body, before sticking in place with tacky glue. Add a small tail at the back (glue inside the tube and bend when dry). Draw on eyes with a black felt tip pen.
You'll need two toilet paper tubes, cereal box card, an egg box, black and white paint, a black felt tip and some tacky glue. (Make tacky glue by leaving about a cm of PVA/craft glue in a clean yogurt pot or jar with no lid for at least a day. The longer you leave it the tackier it gets)
First, start with the head so you know it fits into the body. Cut a whole egg cup from the end of the box. The end is best as there's more card here. Draw a line around the cup that curves up at this side. With the longer side on top, push the cup into one end of a toilet paper tube and tilt it forward.
If the head piece doesn't fit, try a different sized tube (a kitchen paper roll might work), or, if it's too big, keep cutting carefully around the edge of the egg cup, following the curved shape until it fits snuggly into place. Take the head out and put aside while you make the legs.
As before, cut the other toilet paper tube in half lengthways, and cut one of these pieces in half again. These two strips should be about 4cm wide. Fold them in half lengthways. (Hold onto the leftover card if you're making a rhino or hippo)
Cut a cm or so off the tube body, so it's about 8cm long. Then mark slots for the legs. Hold a ruler along the length of the tube and draw two, 3cm lines about a cm in from each tube end. Move the ruler on about 3cm and repeat, so the slots line up with each other.
With a pair of straight nail scissors or embroidery scissors make a hole on a line (keep them closed, press down and twist from side to side until they pierce through the card). Then cut along the slot - do the same with the other three.
Wiggle the scissors or the end of a spoon in and out of the holes, so it's easier to thread the legs through. When you're happy each side is level, bend the legs inwards, so it stands up. Shorten the legs and trim so it doesn't wobble.
Ok, so now I'm going to sound like a bit of a loo roll craft anorak, but I've a LOT of cardboard middles, and they're all kinds of sizes - the smaller/narrower ones work best for this - you want a cut-out egg cup piece to fit snuggly into the end of the tube.
Put some glue around an inside edge, push the egg box bit in, and angle it down slightly.
Next, get painting - make sure you also paint a piece of cereal box card for the ears, trunk and tail.
When dry, draw a trunk on the painted card - for guidance, the top of the trunk should be almost the width of the end of the egg cup head, and remember to add a cm or so for a tab. (see photo). Draw a large flappy ear, cut it out and use as a template to draw around for the other one.
Put the head back into the body and mark a slot down the centre for the trunk. Take it out again and pierce a hole with the small scissors (keep closed, press down and twist from side to side) Cut along the slot and wiggle the scissors in and out so it's easier to push the trunk through.
Bend the ears slightly so they're curved like the tube body, before sticking in place with tacky glue. Add a small tail at the back (glue inside the tube and bend when dry). Draw on eyes with a black felt tip pen.
Linking With Red Ted Art's Kids Get Crafty
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