Flapping Paper Butterfly I had a baby so I’ve invited some fave guests to take over for me while I spend time with the little guy. Today’s post is from super crafter and cute mom, Amelia of The Homebook. Growing up, I had an aunt who lived in Canada. I made my butterflies into Monarchs, but you could use different materials to create any sort of colorful butterfly. Materials: You’ll need heavy cardstock, 24 gauge wire, silicone rubber bands (I found mine in the hair aisle at Walgreens) needle-nose pliers, scissors, tape, a paintbrush, a black marker, and a white ink pen. Step 1: Measure and cut your wire. Step 2: Find the center of the longer wire. Step 5: Find the center of the shorter wire, and wrap it around the base of the paintbrush. Step 8: Draw the shape of your wings and cut them out. Step 11: Tape each wing to the body of the butterfly. Thanks for the chance to finally figure out how these darned things are made, Melanie! See more awesome from Amelia on The Homebook
Tips for a Depressed Introvert « A Feather of Truth There is probably something terribly ironic about writing about depression while depressed. Maybe not, maybe it just makes sense because it’s just what I’m thinking about right now. While to trying to find some answers for myself, I read a blog with 21 Tips to Keep Your Shit Together When You’re Depressed. I’ve got a few things to add that I think are probably useful for other introverts. (Not that we’re super special, just that different people need different techniques, and I think for an introvert, having her internal world shrouded in darkness is especially difficult to overcome.) These ideas/thoughts/tips are what get me through the day when I am at my worst. Prevention. Thought processes. These are just a couple examples of how your depressed mind distorts your thinking habits. Remember that being depressed or having a tendency for depressive episodes does not make you weak or incapable of happiness. Be kind to yourself. Self comfort. How would you comfort a dear, dear friend?
deepspacesparkle These beautiful, glowing pumpkins have a lot going on: drawing from observations and sequence, primary color mixing, adding highlights, cutting and pasting skills and composition. I have a very strong group of Kinders this year and they did exceptionally well following this multi-step project. Here’s what we did…. Using a black oil pastel and a white sheet of 12″ x 18″ sulphite (76 lb drawing) paper, children looked at a pumpkin and observed the shape, segments and lines of a pumpkin. Using a tray of 3 colors: red, yellow and blue, the children painted the center of their pumpkin yellow. The next class, the children added highlights to their pumpkins. Using the same white chalk, place a black piece of paper on the tables. Cut out leaves and glue beside and over the pumpkin. There are always a few little ones who don’t quite follow the steps exactly…but who cares, right? I love these beautiful pumpkin collages. Share
Doggie Biscuits I Recipe deepspacesparkle Lois Ehlert’s book, Snowballs , is yet another inspiring book for elementary school art lessons. Instead of the featured snowmen, I gravitated towards the wonderful birds in birch trees. For those of you who don’t like templates, please don’t feel you must use them for this project. Supplies Colored 9″ x 12′ background paper, black & white oil pastels, 9″ x 12″ watercolor paper, liquid watercolors, table salt, strips of white drawing paper, black tempera paint, cardboard rectangles (cut from tagboard). Making the Bird Making the birch trees Second grade students love Lois Ehlert! This post contains affiliate links Share Feather Extension Headband How to Make a Feather Extension Headband Feather extensions and earrings are all the rage right now {especially peacock feathers}. Very bohemian, very awesome. DIY Feather Extension Headband It seriously only took about 5 minutes to create. Here’s how I did it: Supplies: Blank headband Clear thread Hot glue gun Two very small strips of fabric Feathers of your choice *I purchased my feathers at Joann’s and they were already finished on the ends with a clear thread loop. First, take your clear thread and measure about four inches longer than you actually want your feathers to hang. Find the loop part on the end of your feather. Tie your clear thread to the feather with a double knot. See how the thread is basically invisible and it looks like the feather is suspended in mid-air. Take some fabric scrap and cut two strips about 1.5 inches long {no need to be exact here because you can always trim the excess later}. Now for the sorta tricky part. 1. 2. 3. 4. So that’s it. Kinda neat, huh. Happy Crafting!
deepspacesparkle Based on the book “Manana Iguana” by Ann Whitford Paul, this adorable collage lesson is perfect for little kinders. Children learn how to draw Tortuga the Turtle as drawn in the picture book and paint a desert background. I do this lesson in three thirty minute classes. Supplies: 12″ x 10″ white paperOil Pastelsscissors and glue sticks12″ x 18″ blue paperTempera paints: brown, white, yellow, light green and dark greenpaint brush and water Drawing “Tortuga” There are some great turtle drawings in this book. Cut out Turtle This step is a challenge for many kinders. Painting the Background This is how I set up for the class. With an oil pastel, the kids drew a straight line across the middle of the page. Putting it all together By now, the kids should have a finished background and a cut-out turtle. The results! Share
fashion loves people » Blog Archive » DIY: Hippie Headbands Sunday, July 27th, 2008...1:47 pm Jump to Comments You’ve felt it coming on for a while now — it’s a DIY day! A trip to your local craft store, and voila, you’re so in. Shop for any combination of: + Leather cord + Suede strips + Feathers (for the wing clusters, this may take a trip to an antique mall) + Seed beads / Metal beads / Wood beads + Chinese coins (also in the bead section) + Stretch lace Happy headbanding! Top three handmade feathered headbands, Windy Freda, $85-$150. Yours, about $15 and two hours. Fairy tale crafts for kids Fairy tales are usually the first formal stories children hear. Kids adore time-tested adventures like Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, and Snow White. This natural enchantment with the magic of fairy tales is a wonderful teaching opportunity. Using a single story as a lesson plan can help kids develop a love for reading, writing, art, drama and music. King, Queen and Princess Crafts For this fairy tale craft, you'll need construction paper and/or poster board, tape, markers, crayons, scissors, glue, glitter, scraps of material and crepe paper. Three Little Pigs Craft Some of the materials needed for this craft can be collected during a walk in the yard. Princess and the Pea Craft Kids love this craft based on the fairy tale of the Princess and the Pea, and it's a great way to use scraps of material that are lying around the house. Jack and the Beanstalk Craft More slideshows
Accents Longs - Twilight - Longs Accents Longs | Feather Hair Extensions Original Featherheads –Original Featherheads consist of four feathers bonded at the tip to create one extension. The average length is 9 – 16 inches. This is our preferred line of feathers! Wispers –Each Wisper is an individual feather ranging from 7 – 16 inches in length. They can be installed alone or paired with Accents. Accents –Each Accent is a wide, individual feather ranging from 7 – 16 inches in length. Shorties –Shorties consist of four feathers bonded at the tip to create one extension. So, what makes our feathers stand out? Fine Featherheads® products come in a full spectrum of colors—from subtle and natural to playful and wild—and a variety of lengths, ranging from 3 to 16 inches. Becoming a Fine Featherheads® Certified Salon has some rather fine benefits (if we do say so ourselves!) - The highest quality feathers available. - Listing in our local providers directory. - Easy ordering & checkout. - Set your own pricing. - The best customer service. Apply Terms and Conditions
Birdhouse and Paper Bird Art Lesson Drawing a birdhouse is easy and satisfying for second graders. By combining some basic shapes, kids create a bird sanctuary complete with their very own feathered friend. This lesson is fairly easy. It only requires two 40-minute sessions, but you could extend it to three classes by adding a more detailed background and more decorations to the bird. Drawing and painting the birdhouse Using an oil pastel, make a dot at the center of the paper near the top. Set out a pre-mixed palette of tempera paints. Paint the roof, birdhouse and stand. Outlining the painting Some days, I just forget my camera. Creating the paper bird Now that the background is done, bring out a tray of colored and printed papers. Second graders make the loveliest birdhouses, don’t you think? Share