Pop Up Cards

The kids have really loved doing these.  It's just a matter of adding a few slits into some card and adding anything you want to the pop up mechanism.  Have a look at this website for more instructions and photo's of the mechanism.  I think we are going to do all of our Christmas cards this way.  x

http://lahinks.blogspot.com/2009/07/whatever-wednesday-pop-up-zoo-birthday.html

Miniature Gardens

It's been a long time since I last blogged.  You might think that it's because we haven't done any craft.............. gosh that would be terrible!!!............Thank goodness it's not so. You will be happy to know that my kids have not missed out.  I just haven't had the time to photograph and blog about it.  So I'm very sorry about that.  These little craft gardens were so special I made some time to add them.  They aren't step by step but I think you will get the idea.  Enjoy xxx

To start them off we gathered paper plates, air drying modelling clay and green tissue paper. 

• Roll up some modelling clay and flatten it out a little and add it to a section of the paper plate.  How much you need will be dependant on what needs to "stand up".
• Add some PVA below and over the modelling clay and include the rest of the paper plate.  Use the sheet of tissue paper All over the top of the plate and modelling clay.  This we be the grass and the base of the garden.

From there it's really up to you what you want to add.  Here are some ideas:

•  Pipecleaners through buttons make great flowers.
•  Stickers can make a great path
•  Cut out shapes for trees and pond out of coloured paper.  Stick a twig or icypole type stick onto the back of the tree shapes
•  Add some stickers/split peas/rolled up crepe paper to the trees for colour
•  Modelling clay can make some great little ducks and small buttons can be beaks.
•  Button furniture
•  Icypole sticks or matchsticks for fences

The sky is the limit!!  My kids are 3 and 5 and they loved making them.  You will too!!!

Polystyrene / Styrofoam ball Ducks

I think these little ducks are a "quack up"......so so cute!!!

Materials:

• Foam sheet (whatever colour)
• Marker texta
• Googly eyes x2
• Scissors
• PVA glue
• Hot glue gun
• Large (eg: 10cm) polystyrene ball
• Medium size polystyrene ball
• Small polystrene ball
• Feathers

Method:

1.  Cut the small ball in half
2.  Use hot glue gun to stick them to the bottom of the large polystyrene ball. Flat part of      ball should be used for stability (don't want no falling duck) so glue rounded edge to large ball.
3.  Using sheet of foam cut out 2 duck feet. I laid one piece on top of each other and cut the scalloped edge. Round out the back of foot as appropriate. Glue to bottom of each small 1/2 ball.

 

 

4.  Cut a large oval out of the foam sheet that can be folded in the middle to create a beak. 

5.  Add a line of hot glue, off centre, fold together and create a bit of a ridge.

6.  Add 2 dots with marker texta for nostrils.

7.  Use a pair of scissors to score a line in the middle size ball (this is optional as you could glue it directly without scoring).  My line was pretty rough but you get the idea.  Now use hot glue to stick your beak into the groove.

8.  Glue on the head to the larger ball.  Attach the googly eyes to the head using hot glue or PVA.

9.  Now go nuts with the feathers.  You can see that my kids have had fun with the those!

The only thing left to do now is give them a name...... in this case maybe Huey, Duey and Louie?

Food colour painted flowers

I had to share these as they looked so beautifu!
Food Colour painted flowers. The only instruction was to
extend the flower as close to the edge of the page as possible and this was what they came up with.
Sharpie marker texta's were used for the outline.
Gorgeous!!

Foam sheet or paper Dinosaur with movable parts and button toes.

Materials required:

• Coloured card or Foam Sheets
• Scissors
• Hole Punch
• Pattern from here: http://crafts.kaboose.com/img/craft_images/moveable_paper_dinosaur.pdf
• Buttons (one for eye and some for toenails)
• Googly eye
• 4 x split pins

Method:

1.  Cut out all the pieces as per pattern and punch holes as per pattern.

  

2.  Match up all the holes and work out where you will put the spikes on the back

3.  Glue down the spikes.  Glue down the extra button where the eye will go and then glue on the googly eye.



4.  Glue on the buttons for toenails.

5.  Where the holes line up put in the split pins.  (mine were a little long but worked ok).

6.  My kids were happy for them to be plain but you could easily use sequins for scales etc to add another dimension. 

The boys loved doing the dinosaur roar!!!!

Cardstock Robots with button parts

 

Materials required

• Scissors
• Glue
• Various Cardstock (the shinier the better)
• Assorted Buttons
• Pipe cleaners
• Sticky dots
• Scatter stars (or sticker stars)
• Black heavy paper for background

Method: 

1.  Firstly cut out a oval head shape. 

2  Just below the centre cut the oval in half

3  Assemble it so that it looks like the robot has an open mouth.  When happy glue it onto the paper....see below:

4.  Then cut out some feet, hands and a rectangle body. Place them slightly apart on the page and glue down

5.  Between the body and hands/feet glue down pieces of pipecleaner.  You can twirl them if you wish.

6.  Stick on the 2 stickers for eyes and add some button eyes. 

7.  Cut a smaller rectangle and place it onto the body of the robot and then glue it down.  Add some buttons for the robot components and also glue in place.

8.  Finally add some scatter starts to the page so it looks like the robot is standing against a twinkling sky.  You can also add other items such as rockets etc :)

The Girl Robot

The Boy Robot

Mothers day cards with fake flower petals and patty pans

Mothers day 2011



.

Pulled apart fake flowers with patty pan centres and glitter added. Icy Pole stick used for stems and leaves were from pulled apart fake flowers.





Another version of description above. Recycled using cut up old box. This enabled the cards to stand on their own.

Slightly different centres. Some foam flower shapes. A stickers, paper letters and hearts.

Photo's are always a great thing to add to any card. So personal.

My daughter finished hers off by writing a greeting inside.  Beautiful job guys. xx