Bead necklaces and bracelets

I would like to show you how to make bead necklaces.  I am making them for my mom for her Mary Kay customers.  Here's how to do it.

First, you need to have different colors of beads and necklace string.  I use this stretchy string my mom got from Oriental Trading.

You can use pipe cleaners, foam papers, and other stuff if you want to, but you don't have to.  Also make sure you have scissors.

Measure your string out to make sure it's long enough.  Then cut it to length.  Put the piece you want in the middle on first, and center it on the string.  Then put whatever other beads and stuff you want on the rest.  I cut out a circle from a soda bottle and painted it purple, and used that for my center piece.  My mom cut out a red foam heart.  When you are finished, just tie the string!

Here are two necklaces and one bracelet that my mommy and I made.  They were really easy!

mother's day card

I made this card for my mom.  You can make this card for anyone!

First, get tape, glue, glitter, yarn, and construction paper.  Fold your piece of paper in half.

Cut the yarn into 1-2 inch long pieces.

Tape the yarn pieces along the edge of the paper.  (The unfolded edge).  This gives the card a little extra something special!

Spread glue all around.  You can do it in a design, or just random, like this.

Sprinkle with glitter, and shake off the extra.  Now you've got a great decorated card for someone!

The Love Bugs

I love the Love Bugs. They came to my house. I like the love bugs.I really really really like them.So I made them a house.



*(I was so impressed to wake up from a nap to see that Munchkin had made the place all by herself!!)



( I especially loved how she decorated the wall of the baby's room, and the homemade broom she made!)

Here Comes the Penguin...I Mean Bride!

Munchkin made 2 penguins at school...one she brought home before Christmas break, the other she brought home 3 days ago. What better way to bring those sweet penguins together than to marry them? She fashioned the "dress and veil" for the blushing bride, and I thought it was quite crafty:

Frugal Fun Crafts

With EVERYTHING skyrocketing in prices lately, it’s hard to be frugal. It’s also hard to have fun with our kids when everything is so expensive. Here are some things we've done for fun on the cheap!

1. Air Pressure science experiment - What you'll need is a potato and a straw. First, try to stab the potato with the straw. You might get a little dent,but most likely it won't work too well. Now, cover one end of the straw with your thumb. Make sure you've covered the entire hole on one end. Stab that potato again. The straw will go completely through! It's all about the air pressure. Now take that straw out and make some hashbrowns:-)

2. Self Blowing Balloon - You'll need 1/2 cup vinegar, 4 Tbsp baking soda, 1 medium-sized balloon, and 1 empty water bottle. Pour the vinegar into the empty bottle. Then pour the baking soda into the balloon. If you can't get all 5 Tablespoons in, just fill the balloon as much as you can (it's easiest to use a funnel to fill it with). Then put the balloon onto the top of the water bottle. Get it on good. Lift the balloon up and allow the baking soda to fall into the bottle. Voila! That balloon will start blowing up all by itself!

3. Cooking activity Homemade Tortillas – gather and mix the following:
2/3 cup warm water
½ tsp salt
3 Tbsp canola oil (or vegetable oil)
2 cups flour
Mix together to form a dough. When formed, separate into 12 small balls. Roll each ball out flat (if you have a tortilla press, don’t roll them out). Cook in a lightly sprayed hot skillet (to avoid sticking) for a few seconds on each side, or until each side starts to brown. Serve plain warm, or add cheese or anything else for a fun snack!


3. Love the computer? Check out these web sites for free and often educational games:
http://www.pbskids.org
http://www.pbskidsgo.org
http://www.pixiehollow.com
http://www.disney.com
http://www.handipoints.com (GREAT motivator to get kids to do their chores!)

A LOVEly Purse!

We decided to make purses last week. Really easy; just cut out two pieces of construction paper into heart shapes, punch holes around the edges, and "sew" the two pieces together using yarn. It's sure to be the hit accessory this coming season...just look at Munchkin!

Bucket Fillers

Ever read the book Fill A Bucket? If not, it's a must read. It teaches children and adults about being kind to others by "filling their buckets". In honor of the bucket fillers, we decided to make our own paper buckets for filling. It was really easy! We simply cut out bucket shapes out of paper, colored and decorated them, and hung them up! Now we have a great reminder to be kind to each other, and we have fun trying to decide what we will do to fill someone's bucket. It's been fun to write down compliments and put them in each others buckets!