Shrinky Dink Charm Bracelets

Its been a long time since I've posted.  Baby doesn't sleep as well as I'd like so getting to the computer is impossible.  Big Sissa had a play date with one of her friends and they made charms out of Shrinky Dinks to add to their bracelets.  They turned out really cute and had a glass bead look.

I ordered these from Rainbow Resource.  You can probably get them at Michaels or Enasco...

We used one sheet of Shrinky Dink paper cut into six squares.  The girls made their designs with Crayola colored pencils and cut them out.  A hole punch was used to make the opening for the string before placing them into the oven.  Make sure that your hole is not to close to the edge like the bumble bee...that one broke. 

Clear beads from Michaels were used and a clear nylon string.  Those little boxes of beads last forever.

Very cute!

Easter Cross Project

This week's school will consist of fun projects for my little people in reflection of Jesus' death on the cross. My oldest daughter went to a birthday party over the weekend and painted this painting of the cross which was a great way to start the week.

Some of the supplies I used are pictured here.  Yes, I buy crafts sticks by the box!  Why not, we make a log cabin, a cross, picture frames or popsicles at the drop of a hat.

First I hot glue gunned the craft sticks together.  Next the kids colored them with colored pencils.

I wrapped twine around the middle (not picutred here).

Next the kids made a crown from gold pipe cleaners.

Last they placed their crosses in the air dry clay and embellished as desired.

My oldest wanted three crosses so I pulled out the toothpicks last minute.

This weekend they will be our centerpieces for Easter Dinner.

Cherry Blossom Water Colors

Hello Friends,

I am very behind on blogging this month.  With baby number 5, I have lost track of time and even signed into the HHH on Wednesday last week...no wonder I couldn't log in!  I hope you take the time to check out my last couple posts on organizing my curriculum mess and one on  Childhood of Famous Americans.

Here is our latest water color project, Cherry Blossom Water Colors.  These are some of my favorite trees and I remember doing a pastel of cherry blossoms when I was in 3rd grade.  Just this past week, we had a huge storm blow over us and I watched as my blossoms were blown from the trees and covered the grass like the snow.  We were supposed to get a rare sprinkling of snow, but the storm just headed up to the mountains.  Thankfully most of the blossoms are still there.  When we completed our fall paintings last fall, I decided to have the kids paint seasonally as we discuss and celebrate the changing seasons.  If you haven't done so, I hope you check out the fall and winter ones too!

Amie

Joy-Joy is supposed to be fishing the chocolate chips out of the raisins but finds great pleasure in yanking the clip out of her hair...

Kids working on thier horizon lines, grass and sky.

Adding the tree and giant roots!

Adding the blossoms and other details...

Lego Fun

My second son, aka #3 wants to enter a Lego creation in a contest so he can "win" a gift card for the lego store.  The theme something to the effect of things that fly.  He decided to make a bee with a supply of bricks, wings, and other misc parts collected over the years...and I mean years as my parents contributed a 13 gal container of all the Legos my siblings and I collected as kids.

Valentine's Day Craft #2

This week's Valentine's Day Project was replicating those lovely candy hearts in paper form.  We used foam letters in a variety of sizes and colors, pipe cleaners, and heart die-cut hearts used for pocket calendars in the classroom.

Big sister used the letters to form Valentine's Day words like: hug, kiss, be mine, etc. on the hearts, punched a hole in the top and hung them with metalic pipe cleaners.

Then we hung them on the light fixture above our table.

Vola!

Valentine's Day Craft

This week's craft was focused on Valentine's Day.  We did a couple projects but I will feature my last minute, hair brained frame idea.

We started with some premade wooden frames from Lakeshore and painted them with red acrylic paint.  The next day, we used some glitter paint from Lakeshore...Love them.  These glitter tubes come in 6 colors, 12 per box.  They are great for using as paint or the pointy tips can be used to decorate.  We used them for both in this project.

Next, the kids cut out some white paper to insert into their frames...we used the back insert of the frame as a template.

Today's bible focus was 1 Corinthians 13...very Valentine's Day appropriate.  My oldest wrote the whole verse.

Number 2 son wrote, "Love is kind..." and big Sis wrote, "Love is patient..."

Little Sis/Soon to be big sis...chewed on a spatula and ate...Those molars are killer.

The final product...We LOVE glitter.  Big sister loves to decorate!

Number 2 son, loved mixing his glitter to make different colors.

My oldest opted for the simple choice of smearing one glitter color on top of his frame.

On display by the front door for all to see.

Seasonal Watercolors

This year we have been focusing on using watercolors for our main art medium.  They are inexpensive and in my opinion produce a better product that tempera.  The kids have enjoyed using the watercolors and brushes to create different lines and hues.  Since the fall, the kids began hounding me that we needed to create "Winter Watercolor Art" in addition to our regular Christmas Decorations.  So over break (a little later than planned), we took down our fall watercolors paintings and replaced them with the winter ones...Notice that the kids are focusing on creating a horizon line and are quite proud of how their pieces turn out.  Next season...blossoms.

Note:  We used Prang Watercolors which come in palates in many shades: primary, earthy, metalic and glitter.  Also used was Strathmore Watercolor Paper to prevent buckling when the paint dried.

Here are their fall paintings: http://ahandfuloffun.blogspot.com/2010/10/fall-has-arrived.html

Yes the baby girl HAD to paint too.  In the big chair, with paper and real paint.

The snow is a little difficult to see but the kids added that element to their paintings for the winter effect.

Now for the "Winter Watercolor Art."