Homemade Labels

I have to label a ton of stuff. Folders, books, etc. for all my different activities. This is a fun way to make your own labels at home, and get away from the boring, standard Sharpie look. You can also use this to make stickers for friends or for yourself. My mommy and I used it as a way to use up some of the scraps from the map we made. 

Here's what you'll need:

Sturdy paper- cardstock works well

Scissors

Markers, buttons, ribbons, etc. to decorate. 

Sponge

Vinegar

Water

Elmer's Glue

Start by making your labels/stickers. Cut them into whatever size and shape you want. Marker works best to get vibrant colors, but you could probably use crayon too. Make sure you use a strong paper, otherwise the glue solution will soak through.

After decorating your labels, let them dry (if necessary). Then mix some glue with vinegar and water. Half of the mixture should be glue. 1/4 should be water and the last 1/4 should be vinegar. 

Once its well mixed, use a sponge to put a thin layer of the solution onto the back of your sticker. Allow the solution to dry completely.

When you are ready to stick your stickers, simply moisten the backs and stick! (Side note: you can lick the stickers to attach them- Elmers is non toxic and its comparable to licking an envelope. But I prefer to use a moist sponge)

US Map from Craft Paper

This is the type of project you're gonna want to start when you have a lot of spare time on your hands. It started as just a project to help me learn the states and where they are located on the map. So my mommy bought this puzzle:

Then I told mommy I wanted a map for my room, so we thought about painting this puzzle to match my room. After painting it, we realized it looked pretty awful. Because the puzzle pieces were so vibrant, the paint didn't really cover them. So my mommy suggested paper. We took out our craft supplies, and started with the oceans. It looked great, so we kept going. She worked on the east coast where the smaller states are, and I worked on the west. But it was a very, very, VERY long process. We started this in mid summer and only just finished. If you have brothers and sisters, let them help. The more people you have, the faster this will go. With just two of us, it took a while. And to be honest, I got a little bored after a while, so we put it a way for a few weeks. But, once we finally had it all covered, we added some buttons and stickers to make the map pretty, and we did the border with ribbon. I love it now but I don't think I want to make another anytime soon :o)

Bowtie Magnets

These magnets are the perfect pairing for your magnetic board, and they are super easy to make. My mommy bought a box of bowtie pasta just for this craft, and I only made about 8. But you can get really creative and use your decorated bowties for all sorts of things: Cards, jewelry, etc.

For the magnets, you'll need:

Bowtie pasta
Paint
Magnets
Craft glue
Sequins, glitter, buttons, etc.

Start by decorating your pasta. Use paint and glitter to decorate them. Once the paint is dry, use your craft glue to attach the pasta to the magnets. We used magnets that were a bit bigger than the pasta, so I decorated the magnets too.

It's also a cute balance for your board to make some button magnets too. Just use your craft glue to attach some of your bigger buttons to magnets.

Magnetic Board

This is one of those projects you're gonna have to have your parents make for you. It's perfect for hanging homework schedules, art, notes, etc. You can also use it to hang photos (ignore how crazy I look in that one :o) While your parents are working on the board, you can make the magnets.

For the board, you'll need:

An old picture frame (my mommy didn't have an old one, so she bought one from the dollar store for $3)
Paint
Fabric
A sheet of metal.
Heavy tape

Start by painting the frame (if you like). You can use regular paint or do like my mommy did and take it outside and spray paint it.

Once the paint is dry, wrap your fabric around your metal. We got to take a trip to Home Depot (which I love but my mommy doesn't) They sell sheets of metal precut. Ours was about 12x18 and the frame was 14x18 so it was a pretty great fit. Just center the metal and use the cardboard that comes in the frame to help with the extra 2 inches.

Secure the fabric to the back of the metal with a good heavy tape. Then fit it into the frame and put the back of the picture frame back on. All done.

Easy, Peasy Homemade Bird Feeders

One of my favorite things about being homeschooled is that I get to learn all sorts of random things. And my mommy and I always do projects that tie in with what I'm learning. So, lately we have been talking about the different classes of animals. This week, we're talking about birds. How they can fly, what they eat, migration, etc. So here is a fun little craft we did to make bird feeders. Hopefully it will attract some birds to our balcony so I can learn up close!

Here's what you'll need:

1 packet of Knox Gelatine

3/4 Cups of flour

3 Tablespoons of Corn Syrup

1/2 Cup of water

4 Cups of Bird seed

Cooking spray

Cookie cutters

Wax paper

String, yarn, or ribbon

Just so you know, this makes a ton of mix. My mommy and I realized at the last minute that we only bought a small bag of bird seed mix (about 2 cups) so we had to cut the recipe in half and it still made seven feeders. This recipe will probably make about 14 or 15 (depending on the size).

Start by mixing the gelatine, flour, corn syrup, and water until smooth. Next, slowly mix in your bird seed until its coated. 

(If you're wondering why our bird seed looks strange, its because we used a bird seed mix- it has fruit, seeds, and nuts)

Spray your cookie cutters with cooking spray, and put them on your wax paper. Then fill your cutters with bird seed. Use an unsharpened pencil to poke through the center near the top of each cutter.

(Is it odd that I picked a bird to be the shape of the food for other birds? It seemed like a funny idea at first, but now that we will be hanging them outside to be eaten soon, I'm not so sure)

Leave your cutter molds to dry for an hour or 2 inside of the cookie cutter. Then gently slide them out and let them dry completely over night. Next morning, tie through your string, hang them outside, and watch the birds flock!

PB&J Wraps

Unfortunately, my mommy won't let me eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with every meal. But, we have gotten creative with them since I love them so much. Try this tasty (and healthy) version of every kid's favorite lunch. All you need is a whole wheat tortilla, jelly, peanut butter, granola, and fresh fruit of your choice.

Strawberry Lemonade (a delicious thermos surprise)

I love strawberry lemonade popsicles. They're tart, yummy, and refreshing. Here is an adapted recipe for a drink. Perfect for making to take with you for lunch!

You'll need:

1 can(12oz) of frozen lemonade concentrate (thawed)
4 1/2 Cups of water
1 (10oz) package of frozen strawberries (partially thawed)

Get a great big pitcher and mix the lemonade concentrate together with the water. Once its mixed well, stir in the strawberries. Enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~*

On a side note, if you're like me and fully believe popsicles are a year-round treat, here's the recipe adapted for popsicles. You'll need mommy or daddy's help with this:

You'll need:

1 can(12 oz) of frozen lemonade concentrate  

3 Cups of cold water

1 (16 oz) package of frozen strawberries

In a big pitcher, mix the lemonade concentrate and the water. Put the strawberries in a blender and puree until smooth (use some of the lemonade mix as needed to help puree). Slowly stir strawberry puree into your lemonade. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze until firm. [usually 3 to 4 hours of waiting :o( ]  

Back to School Time!

Even though I'm switching to homeschool this year, back-to-school time is one of my favorite times of the whole year. I get all sorts of shiny new school stuff- pencils, notebooks, fresh box of crayons, etc. Since its that time of year again, I thought it'd be fun to do some back-to-school time posts. Stay tuned for some yummy school lunch recipes, homeschool activities, craft ideas, etc. It's all stuff that will be fun for my "traditional schooler" friends as well :)

Peanut Butter Putty