Little Chick

With Spring just a day away, and Easter looming on the horizon, we decided to make a little creature

who we think adequately represents this time of year!

the Little Chick

Here is our bead head and base…these items can be picked up easily from Michaels or online at "stockade".

To make your own you will need:

wooden bead

base, (we used a wooden "pot")

paint and paint brush

wool felt

glue and glue gun

To start paint your "Little Chick"…

if you wanted to change this into a bird instead paint whatever colours you wish.

Try using a toothpick for the little dot eyes…it works very well.

Cut out your "wings" and "beak" from felt.

Using your glue gun, glue them on and glue your wooden head onto the base.

Cut out some little felt feathers...

And here you go. 

 A sweet little chick to welcome in Spring or to stick in an Easter basket!

(I don't think bunnies are too far behind)

Tomorrow is the first official day of Spring…

hope looms on the horizon!!

Coaxing Lilacs To Bloom Indoors

I had read somewhere that you could bring lilac branches in during winter and coax them into bloom. I decided I had to give it a try. How could I resist the thought of getting to experience one of my favorite spring gifts a little early?! My eyes yearned for the bright green of new life and buds blossoming.

It was such a wonderful thing for us to watch the day-by-day process as they unfurled their gorgeous green. Then their delicious flowers came forth to bring us the scent of spring. A small miracle in these parts right now.

I thought I'd share the journey in case you are inspired to give it a go!

I cut some branches off our favorite lilac bush.

Gently, I broke the cut ends open with a hammer to help them drink.

I put them in water (with a bit of sugar), misted them daily and together we waited...

Such delight at the sight of all that green and sweet little lilac blooms.

Can't you just smell them?!

Soon they shall be bursting forth *for real* in all their spring glory.

In lilac love,

Rainbow Wax Suncatchers

These rainbow wax suncatchers were simple to create and a wonderful way to bring a splash of color to our windows while we wait for spring!

To create you will need

Crayons in the colors of the rainbow

pencil sharpener

wax paper

iron

regular paper

To begin:

Create shavings from your crayons, separating into little piles of each color of the rainbow as you go.

Sprinkle your shavings into rainbow layers on your wax paper.

Until it looks something like this!

Place wax paper over top of your rainbow.

Place it between two sheets of regular paper and iron it on low.

Cut out your rainbow.

Place in a window like this to catch the sun or...

Cut out shapes from your rainbow. 

We were feeling the love so we decided on hearts!

They now brighten up our dining room offering us some colorful love to brighten our days.

Rainbow Lantern

To light up up our St.Patty's day celebration we decided to try our hand at creating a bright rainbow lantern. I have never done paper mache and as we were creating it I had my doubts it would all hold up once it was dry. I was happy to see that that it worked and that the process left us with a lovely lantern!

To create you will need

rainbow tissue paper

glue

balloon (we used a punching balloon for an extra large lantern)

paint brush

scissors 

battery operated tea light (or real tea light in a small pie plate)

To begin, cut your tissue paper colors into strips and then into squares.

Cover your work area with protection (this is going to get messy!)

Blow up your balloon.

Secure your balloon into a stand (a bowl or a strip of cardboard taped together to form a circle...) so that you don't have to hold your balloon up as you work. 

Mix your glue with water (with the ratio 4:1 ~ 4 parts glue, 1 part water).

Paint a strip of glue around the top of your balloon and place a layer of squares on top of the glue. Then cover the strip of squares in glue once again. Continue going around the same strip of color until you have three layers.

Keep going all the way down your balloon in strips, following the colors of the rainbow.

Tie a string around the top and hang to dry for 24 hours. 

Pop your balloon and pull out the pieces.

Add your candle....

and enjoy!

With warmth, 

Rainbow Wands for St Patricks Day!

Head on over to the CBC Parents site to get the instructions on how to make

a Rainbow Wand for St Patricks Day!

Rainbow Sunbursts

This week we're featuring some

RAINBOW

crafts we've been working on!

We're still up to our hips in snow, but hope is in the air!!

Today we whipped up some colourful rainbow sunbursts…they serve no official purpose, but they do bring in some much needed colour into my home, and they were fun to make…art for the sake of art!

To make your own you will need:

food colouring

toothpicks

cardboard

paint & paintbrush

glue

To start mix up your food colouring…all the colours of the rainbow.

Then put in your toothpicks…soak them for about an hour.

After they are done drain them on paper towel…they will be dry in about another hour or so.

Aren't they pretty??!!

Next enlist the help of a pint sized friend…cut out circles of cardboard…

paint them whatever colour you wish…front and back and sides.

Next, when your paint is dry, cover the surface with white glue…just plain craft glue works fine.

Then start laying down your rainbow pattern with the toothpicks…

Eventually they will look like this.

Then take a piece of string and needle and poke a hole through the top for hanging!

Enjoy the "BURST" of rainbow goodness!  

Wishing you all colour, JOY and a "spring" in your step!