Showing posts with label Craft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Craft. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Fairy dolls and houses
8:00 AM | Posted by
Heidi-rose |
As we enter June we welcome summer on the shortest night and longest day of the year, the Summer Solstice. This year it is on June 21st. This has always been an exciting time for me as a child, as school lets out and summer camp, lawn sprinklers, pool parties and beach trips begin. We celebrate the seasons in our household, and for summer that means leaving treats for the fairies, playing in nature, eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and celebrating the sun.
We also love to do nature arts and crafts. One of the crafts I did as a child was making fairy houses and dolls from pine cones.
We also love to do nature arts and crafts. One of the crafts I did as a child was making fairy houses and dolls from pine cones.
Materials:
leaves, pine cones, bark, acorns, twigs, flowers and other items found outside
leaves, pine cones, bark, acorns, twigs, flowers and other items found outside
tape
string
glue.
Start with a pine cone or twig. Take another small twig and cross the first one to make arms. Twist your string in an X pattern to hold on the “arms.”
Start with a pine cone or twig. Take another small twig and cross the first one to make arms. Twist your string in an X pattern to hold on the “arms.”
Next find a flower to put on the “head.” Attach with glue or tape. Use a leaf to make a dress or other clothes for your doll. You can use grass to make hair, seeds to make eyes, etc. The possibilities are endless!
For the fairy houses, which you can also use for your pinecone dolls, it helps to start with a large piece of bark. Lean two pieces together like a teepee, or make a box with 3 or 4 sides. Glue on sticks for windows and make shades with petals or leaves. Larger leaves make a great roof! Have fun designing and decorating with your child, and remember to leave a little treat inside for the fairies!
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Thursday, June 9, 2011
Taco Time!
A few months ago, I saw this interesting contraption going around on my sister and brother-in law's facebook page. I had no idea what it was, so the next time I saw her I asked her what it was. That is when she introduced me to my newest favorite kitchen product, Tupperware move over, ha!
Here they are on their first new years together!The Taco Press! Here is it in its full glory, made just for me by my brother-in-law who has real skills!
We made our first homemade taco's last night, and they were delicious! I mean so very melt in your mouth good. Andrew scarfed his down, and Matt definitely approved too!
My original thought in making these myself was, we could make them inexpensively compared to the organic ones we buy now, but when I put them in my mouth, all I could think was how delicious they were.
So here is how I made them.
Ingredients:
2 cups flour ~ I prefer half a whole wheat and half white flour mix
4 Tablespoons butter
1/3-1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
I combined the flour in a bowl then cut in the cold butter, think pie dough making here. I used my Quick Chef Pro chopper but you could use two butter knives. It blended perfectly. Then I added water slowly until the dough is a little thinner and tackier than pie dough.
Placing a lump of dough the size of two tablespoons inside gallon size baggie (that had one seam cut open I put it in the taco press, press down as hard as you can and whalaa a nice thin taco.
I pan fried them with a little vegetable oil for less than 30 seconds on each side. They were crisp on the outside, and just a bit soft on the inside. We served the usual insides of meat, vegetables, and fixin's, it was a great meal. It was healthy, frugal, and delicious!
Warning Frugal Nerd Alert!
Because I am a bit of a frugal nerd here is how my cost comparison broke down for the taco's
Organic soft tacos: $2.79 for a 10 count package = .27 per taco
Homemade soft tacos: $.70 for 12 tacos = .06 per taco
Ok so that doesn't look like much savings right? Well saving cents makes cents! Actually I have another post about changing behaviors to save cents that add up quickly to many dollars coming soon.
Thinking about it we eat lots of tacos in this house. So lets just say we eat...
10 tacos per week x 53 weeks a year = 147.87 is what we would spend on store bought tacos and my homemade tacos that would cost us 31.80, which saves us 116.07 a year. Yep I am a nerd but the cents do really add up!
Submitted by Elizabeth (Abeth78) from NorthMetroDCMommies.com
{Originally published on The Whimsical Housewife blog on April 30th, 2011}
Monday, June 6, 2011
Amazing Art and Mom's Night out
Soon, we were addicted! A wine goblet, picture frame, and cute little penguin were added to our collections. Then we got our girls involved with another outing. Minnie Mouse, a guitar, a mug, and Mater the Tow Truck were painted by big and little hands in ways only a mother could love!
If this sounds fun to you, too, be sure to sign up for our next Moms' Night Out on Thursday, June 9th! You can sign up on NMDCM's calendar at or you can sign up via Facebook.
I'll be the one painting a Lucky Cat bank; hope to see you there! :)
If this sounds fun to you, too, be sure to sign up for our next Moms' Night Out on Thursday, June 9th! You can sign up on NMDCM's calendar at or you can sign up via Facebook.
I'll be the one painting a Lucky Cat bank; hope to see you there! :)
Saturday, May 21, 2011
My Lips are Lovin' Me!
When I made my first "homemade product" over a year ago. I was such a consumer. It wasn't quality if I didn't buy it right? I was just looking to be frugal. Wrong! Instead of frugal, I am making high quality products for pennies compared to store bought
Recently the make-my-own bug has bitten me. Renee over at FIMBY has been motivating me for several months now...and so after loving my laundry soap, then deodorant (will never buy Secret again), followed by my homemade soap which is curing right now awaiting my Mother's Day. I have yet again made something I will never go back to buying! My lips are in L.O.V.E.
I must give Renee the credit for the recipe. I am still learning, but the more I make my own, the more I am branching out to create my own.
I think the hardest part of making my own products is actually gathering the supplies. In this case most of my ingredients came from my local organic health store. Once I have them on hand, it takes no time at all to be reaping the benefits of my own goods.
A few of you have asked where I got my supplies, so I noted it for you. I am sure you could get it online too.
Ingredients
- 1/2 oz. (approx. 3 tsp.) grated or roughly chopped beeswax (local organic Co-operative)
- 1 oz. (approx. 6 tsp.) coconut oil (local organic Co-operative)
- 1 1/2 tsp. lanolin (Left over from Breast feeding my babes)
- 3/4 tsp. vitamin E (I had capsules in my cabinet and poked holes in them to add up)
- 2 tsp. hard honey (local organic Co-operative)
- 3/4 tsp. peppermint essential oil (local organic Co-operative)
Assemble what you need:
This actually takes the longest, the making is a breeze!
This actually takes the longest, the making is a breeze!
Grate the beeswax and melt with the coconut oil, Lanolin, and Vitamin E. It was the consistency of vegetable oil when melted completely.
Second add the Peppermint extract and Raw honey (some know it as hard honey). If you are buying it new for this purpose I would scrape the top and use for something else. Particles don't break down well.
Mixing the peppermint extract and Peppermint was tricky to incorporate. You have to be really fast. I started with a wooden dowel but quickly moved to a rubber spatula which worked so much better for me.
I did have to reheat some to pour it in. I do not prefer the tubes, as much as the round containers. It goes on so smooth and the peppermint is yummy and tingly.
The best part of making my own, is there is always plenty to share with others. I love being able to pass some on to family and friends to enjoy as well.
Try it for yourself and let me know how you like the recipe. If I can do this you you definitely can do this!
And if you want to try this with some help- check the forum! We have a MNI planned to make some together!
{originally published on The Whimsical Housewife on 4/28/11
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