Pinewood Castle

Free to a Crafty Person

Last year I was thrilled to find what I thought were pre-made ornaments for the Twelve Days of Christmas. I bought them on impulse for $30. Don't these look darling?

But when they arrived, my heart fell when I realized it was a kit. It was from Herrschner's Quality Crafts after all. Silly me.

Also silly me for actually opening the package and starting to cut out the patterns instead of returning the item asap. After looking through the instructions I realized that there's no way I would ever be able to complete such a project until I am an empty nester with a designated craft room!

If anyone wants this kit, it is free to a good home. Just leave a comment and I will email you to ask your address. OR, if there is anyone out there who would be willing to complete the kit and sell the ornaments back to me I would consider that too. I just don't know how much a fair price would be - it looks like sooo much work!

More Fall Fun

In between coughs and fevers . . .

Pumpkin treat bag - kits from Oriental Trading Co

Leaf Mat weaving from Oriental Trading

Pumpkin grid drawing from mathwire.com -

beeswax candle rolling kit from Magic Cabin

still life

ideas from Jamie

Hope you are having a wonderful fall day!

Fall Fun Things

Here are a few activities we picked to tie in with Fall Circle Time themes -

From Be Nice to Spiders

 

$1 at Michael's

 

 

afternoon snack

 

From Art Projects for Kids

Art Supply Organization

Remember Jen's post about her amazing learning room and her clever art supply organization? Many of us went straight to our arts & crafts cabinet to reorganize!

I recently came across some more great organizing tips in the September issue of Parents magazine. I wish I could find a link or photos, but here are a few of the tips:

• put glitter into salt and pepper shakers, place high on a shelf
• old fashioned glass straw holders for chenille sticks
• a rotating spice rack for small items - buttons, brads, beads, sequins
• glass sugar dispensers for yarn and ribbon - thread the end through the spout
• pom poms and feathers in plastic or glass jars with lids
• turn cereal boxes into organizers for paper
• use a silverware tray for markers, highlighters and colored pencils

I don't know about you, but I know I need a bigger craft cabinet!

Hey, Sarah! (my cousin Sarah)

Look what the girls (and I) finally got around to making ~

It's unanimous - we all want to move into this thatched cottage. How much would a place like this go for in the English countryside?

(My cousin sent these to me from England - English Village Designs - aren't they charming?!)

Candle Decorating

Don't be intimidated - this is easy.

First, for many reasons, get a good quality 100% beeswax candle. I like the pillars from A Cottage Stillroom lately.

Second, purchase sheets of candle decorating wax from a place like Nova.

Third, make your design on paper first to get the proportions right. For some designs it helps to make a paper pattern first. A book like this one has some design ideas that we used at Christmastime.

Then, just cut with little cookie cutters or table knives and press into the candle. The warmer you get the wax the better it will stick.

Light and burn as usual. The decorating wax will melt along with the candle.

Here are several sides of one spring candle. The flowers were made from one of these pattern cutters:

Kids to great at this - here is one Sunshine did all by herself!

Snowmen!

Thanks for the idea Jamie! This was so fun!

Back to Beading

Advent napkin rings ~

These are so easy! Here's what you need:

• needle nose pliers
• side cutters
• bracelet sized memory wire
• beads

Directions:

1. Cut the memory wire in an overlapping circle.
2. Use the needle nosed pliers to curl one end. 
3. Thread on beads. Make a pattern, or just place on randomly.
4. Save enough room at the end to curl the wire.
5. Insert cloth napkin!

That's it! We have saved soooo many paper napkins since I first made these. A set of six would make a great homeade Christmas gift!

Nuts about Nuts

It's that time of year - to buy nuts IN THE SHELL! Try finding them in March. Impossible.

Nutcracking was the girls favorite "work" the year they went to Montessori. The nutcrackers pictured above were a stocking stuffer that Christmas.

And those perfect halves of walnut shells? They can be made into little candles as pictured in my last post. Those candles can float, bty.

They also make sporty boats:

colorful turtles:

Fairy Baby Cradles

And I'm sure much more.

So stock up while you can!

And be sure to check out these free nutty Montessori three-part cards.

Wax + Fire = Save Big Money

The candle molds and the $5 hunks of beeswax from Hillside Honey finally descended from the shelf of my laundry room to be transformed into these:

The orange and walnut shell candles were ideas straight from Living Crafts.

I just love how everything turned out, especially the golden color of the pillar candles. Didn't I my husband do a good job? Must be that element of fire that inspired him to help me do most of the work? Or maybe he was just happy that I didn't spend $100+ stocking up on beeswax candles for the winter. The molds and pouring pitcher are definitely worth the investment!