Kids Crafting

Next up from the Wee Folk Activities Archives is our Paper Mache Dinosaur Eggs. This time of year everyone is thinking about cute Easter egg projects and you can easily adapt this project to have an Easter flair if you would like. I had comments from readers the last time around that suggested tucking small prizes into their eggs for a fun treat. You can of course do this with smaller balloons too... if you aren't going for a Dino Egg.

Paper Mache Dino Eggs (part one) was originally published Feb 2009.
 

The kids decided that they wanted to make a dinosaur nest after reading one of the Magic Schoolbus books where Frizzle's class went looking for Maiasaurus eggs. So it was time to make some paper mache dino eggs.

My mom did this project in her preschool whenever she ran a dino unit. It can be quite messy... of course three kids at the dining room table is nothing compared to the year when I helped in her classroom with 24 students. Yikes! Preschoolers can easily do this project... though in my experience only about 1 in 4 will stick with it long enough to completely cover their egg.

I'll give you one guess which one of my kiddos completed hers and helped me finish her siblings... Pixie girl of course. You can't tell me that 2 year olds don't have amazing attention spans.

You need one balloon per egg, a bowl to set the balloon in, newspaper shredded into long stripes (my kids loved that part) and a basic mixture of paper mache goo (I used approximately 1 part flour to 1 1/2 parts water mix).

Be sure to cover the entire balloon with paper mache, leaving just the knot exposed. (You might want to cover your table first - ours is a second hand table that we plan to refinish at some point in the future so I generally skip that step). Using a bright colored balloon can help you see any gaps. Try not to make it too thick or it will take forever to dry but you do want solid coverage or the egg will collapse when you pop the balloon.

Once the eggs have dried hard (btw - flip them over in the bowl occastionally so all the sides get air) we will paint them... I will post more when we get to that part.

"Once there was a peddler who sold caps. But he was not like an ordinary peddler, carrying his wares on his back. He carried them on top of his head." So begins the tale of Caps for Sale, the lovely story of an unorthodox peddler and a tree full of pesky monkeys! Written and illustrated by Russian author Esphyr Slobodkina in 1940, it has remained a favorite amongst children for generations. I can remember when my kindergarten teacher read this book to our class. I immediately feel in love and have reread it many times over the years. Although the list is long and mighty, I can honestly say, this was my very favorite book as a child. Why? 

I loved the absurdity of the book; a man balancing 17 caps on his head, monkey's in trees wearing hats, and the interplay between man and monkey! 

I also was empathetic to the peddler's loss. Can you imagine losing your wares to a bunch of renegade monkeys!  
 

Well, far be it from me to give away the end of the story, suffice to say, I've always been a sap for an "all's well that ends well" read. As a bit of an aside... the peddler's frustrated, and sometimes angry exclamation of, "You monkeys, you", became a favorite exclamation of mine as I was raising my children, although mine was uttered playfully, and usually followed by... "Move it, monkeys!"

Caps for Sale is a perfect story for children to act out. The plot is simple, and if you reduce the number of monkeys, the cast is small. To that end, I have crafted a set of characters and props to help your children extend the story to their own imaginative play. 

Met the peddler. Ready to take a little rest under a shady tree.

 

Met the monkeys. Ready for a little mischief and mayhem.

Feel the frustration of the peddler, bested by the monkeys!

And, feel the exhilaration brought on by an unlikely turn of events!

The directions on how to create your own Caps for Sale storybook characters can be found HERE, or with our FREE Patterns. The directions for making the Autumn Tree can be found HERE. Enjoy! 

 
The book Caps for Sale, by Russian author Esphyr Slobodkina, has been well loved for generations. Now you can make the characters so children can extend the story play.
 

The original blog can be found HERE.

Materials:

Felt Pieces
People turnings (wooden pegs) 
   1 - Adults 2 3/8" x 7/8"
   3 - Children 1 11/16" x 5/8"
Craft glue
Embroidery floss
Fine tipped permanent markers
Brown Paint
Pattern

Important Note: People turnings (wooden pegs) are not all created equal. Even pegs bought from the same company can be slightly different. I highly suggest you make a copy of the pattern, cut it out of paper, and “try it on” your wooden pegs. Make adjusts to the paper pattern before cutting out your felt.

Monkeys:
1] Using the pattern or book as a guide, draw face on moneys with a pencil. (I started by drawing a circle, then 2 overlapping small circles for ears, then added the facial features. Using the fine tipped permanent marker, trace pencil markings. After the marker dries you can erase any visible pencil marks.

2] Paint monkey brown except for face and ears. Allow paint to dry.

3] Using the pattern as a guide, draw on tail with pencil, then trace and fill in with permanent marker. 


Peddler:
1] Using the pattern, cut out felt pieces.

2] Using the pattern or book as a guide, draw face on peddler with a pencil. (I started by drawing the mustache, eyes and eyebrows. I then added the hairline and ears.) Using the fine tipped permanent marker, trace pencil markings. After the marker dries you can erase any visible pencil marks.

3] Using the pattern for placement, French knot 2 buttons to shirt using 6 strands of black floss.

4] Glue shirt to peg, with buttons centered in front.

5] Glue on pants, placing seam in back.

6] Using 6 strands of floss, tack on jacket (cape). You can either use contrasting or same colored floss.

7] Lift jacket in back and put a dab of craft glue near the collar line. Smooth jacket in place. The little dab of glue will prevent the jacket from turning on the peddler.

Caps:
1] Optional: Using 6 strands of floss, place a French knot in the center of the cap circle.

2] Using a running stitch and 3 strands of coordinating floss,  sew around the outer edge of the circle. Make sure you do not over lap the stitches because you will need to gather the stitches.

3] Gently gather the running stitch. Gather so the cap fits snugly on the peddler's head. Tie off but do not clip the thread.

4] Place the concave side of the brim along the gathered edge of the cap near the attached thread. Slip stitch the brim to the cap.

5] Make one cap for the peddler and extra caps to carry on his head.

Note: You can chose to glue the peddler's cap to his head or not. Near the end of the story the peddler removes his cap from his head and throws it to the ground... leaving him capless. Obviously, if you glue the cap on, you cannot do this. I decided to glue the cap to my peddlers head for a couple of reasons. First, by gluing the cap to his head I was able to shape it to his head better. Then, I found it much easier to stack the additional caps on the peddler's head when his hat was firmly adhered to his head. Of course, indecisive me wound up making 2 peddlers... one with a hat... one without!

EDIT: One of our readers, Katye, suggested gluing a small piece of black Velcro, the "hook" side, to the top of the peddler's head. It is barely visible, and the hooks will stick to the inside of the peddlers head so he can throw it down at the end. Thanks for the suggestion, Katye.

6] To glue cap to peddler's head, place crafting glue on the peddler's head where the hat will sit.

7] Position the cap. Squeeze the cap here and there, until it is positioned where you want it, with the right jaunty look! 

Now you are ready for the peddler and monkeys to play. Have fun!

OUR "DISCLAIMER"! We are sharing patterns we have designed and made for our own children, families and friends. Every effort is made to share information in a clear and accurate manner. But we are only human, although I often long for superhuman powers, and as humans, mistakes will be made. We offer preemptive apologies for any aforementioned mistakes. Please let us know via comments or emails if you stumble upon a mistake or if you encounter directions that leave you scratching your head! We will rectify the situation as soon as humanly possible! Before beginning any of our patterns, think of yourself as a Beta Tester. We do not have a staff, editors or even volunteers that are crafting our projects before we share them. YOU are the first to have a go at them. As such, other than a heartfelt apology, we accept no responsibility for mistakes made, or in an extreme circumstance, for time or supplies wasted. Please tackle our projects in the same manner that we are sharing them, with a spirit of goodwill and global friendship!

Some of you may have noticed that I have closed down my homeschooling blog Wee Folk Activities. It is just too hard to keep up with it all. But I want to make sure the most popular crafts and activities from that site were still available so I will be importing them here over the next several weeks. And of course, as we do more crafts I will continue to share our Kid Crafts here.

First up... several activities from our Dinosaur unit we did last winter. Here is our mighty Boxasaurus originally published Jan 2009.

Bug is totally getting into the whole "My Project" thing. We have recently moved into the world of dinosaurs and prehistoric animals. While pouring over some prehistoric ZooBook Magazines my mom lent him... Bug came up to me with a activity guide (which I didn't know was in the set) saying "this is what I'M doing next for my project." He wanted to make a Boxasaurus. Sure, sounds like fun!

We spent several days collecting boxes of various sizes. We raided the garage, basement, recycling bin, etc. Once we had a decent collection it was time to start designing the dinosaur. Bug spent some time just stacking and sorting until he decided to make a T-Rex (not surprising).

I helped him assemble the boxes. He did the glue and I taped the pieces in place to help hold them until the glue set. At this point his Boxasaurus project serendipitously tied in with this week's Unplugged Challenge theme Balance. The T-Rex was very front heavy and had to lean against the wall until we got the tail in place. What a great lesson in balance and a perfect hands on lesson as to one of the reasons why many animals have tails! He wanted a longer tail on his Boxasuarus but that in turn made him back heavy. In the end we found the perfect balance of tail length to support the head and arms.

Next came the whole family production (and I do mean PRODUCTION) of painting the Boxasaurus. Since painting outside was out of the question (neg 10 not factoring wind chill), we cleared the furniture from the kitchen, set down some plastic bags (lol) and set up shop to paint. Good fun was had by all. AND Thank goodness it was a weekend and Daddy was home to carry the kids directly up to the tub while I cleaned up. The floor was a showcase that would have done Pollock proud. Fortunately Bamaboo cleans up so well!

Once dry, eyes, teeth and glitter (hehe, a well dressed Boxasaurus) were added.

This is a recycled post from Wee Folk Activities, first published October 2008. We have made this recipe for Bath Tub Paints several times now... with some modifications (namely I've added more cornstarch over time). The recipe shared below reflects those changes.

I googled bath tub paints and ended up combining a few directions to accommodate what we had in the house. No shaving cream and I wasn't about to use up our California Baby shampoo (although if we do this again in the future I will definitely use a tear-free clear shampoo instead of the dish soap - we got some bubbles in the eyes!).

Ingredients:

1 cup mild clear dish washing soap or baby shampoo

8 TBSP cornstarch

food coloring

Directions:

Mix slowly mix in corn starch to dish washing soap until you get the right finger paint texture. It should be thick enough to not be drippy. Divide into separate containers (you can use ice cub tray for small amounts of lots of colors). Add food coloring to get desired colors.

Before we cleaned up we took some prints of the kids work. I think the tile pattern looks pretty cool. The food coloring cleaned up with no problems... my grout looks better than before. We used some store bought bath crayons before and they left color in the grout. Please note: This does produce a lot of bubbles when you start cleaning it up.

I posted about the bath tub paints again in May 2009. I made a batch of the Paints and we used it outside. It was a great way to clean up our patio furniture in the spring. When the kids were done painting, I sprayed down everything with the power spray setting on our hose.

Funny excerpt from that post: All was well until Pixie decided to clean the dog when I had my back turned. LOL! I ended up with a half sudsy, half muddy, annoyed schnauzer. But other than that it was a great way to make a mundane chore a lot of fun.

I know Britta must be thinking... why would a perfectly lovely lady (me) knowingly encourage leprechauns to run amuck in the Thicket? Well.... because at heart, I think we all have a little leprechaun in us, especially at this time of year! So, I would like to introduce you to our little Gnome Leprechauns. And, yes, we do have multiple leprechauns in The Thicket, although it seems the ring leader of the group is this feisty little lad named Ronan. Ronan and his cohorts are country leprechauns, donning modified gnome hats, unlike the top hats and bowlers often seen on city leprechauns. (For those in the know... it looks a lot like a Gandalf or Sorting Hat :)

If you dare, you can make your own leprechaun... but be warned, Wee Folk Art accepts no responsibility to the havoc they may wreak! You can get the directions HERE or with our Free Patterns.  

In another life I must have been a man, because I hate to stop and ask for directions... (I'm never lost, I always know where I am... in my car!) and I insist on trying to figure things out for myself before I turn to instructions. So, the other day, when I put our new loom together, I decided to dig right in. Sure, next week there will be a stack of weaving books on my nightstand, but for right now, I just want to touch and feel and experiment. Later, I'll learn technique and truly appreciate the advice of experienced weavers. But right now... it's all about sensations.

We bought a simple table top loom... very suitable for children. I can't use any technical terms yet, because I don't know them, but suffice to say, Michelle and I successfully strung the loom (see what I mean... I have no idea of what the correct terminology is) and set to weaving. I am sure we are doing many things wrong... like, do you start the weaving right at the bottom, or do you leave space? And what is the best way to stop and start new fibers? There will be time to answer all those questions. For the time being, this is about process, not product.

The kids weren't very interested in the loom construction. The girls were off playing with their spoon dolls, and Bug was somewhere saving the world. So, I sat down and started weaving. I brought down a stash of weaving yarn I had received by mistake many, many years ago (I have a blog written about THAT already) but after making several passes back and forth, and squinting to check my work, Michelle disappeared. She returned with a large ball of extra chunky yarn. "Here", she said, "try this."

WOW! With a few more passes I felt like I was on my way. Okay... so I'm often about immediate gratification and this chunky yarn gave me a feeling of accomplishment. Thank you, Michelle! About this time, Fairy and Pixie came into the room with their entourage of spoon dolls. Fairy watched me make a couple passes, them promptly climbed on my lap and wanted to give it a go! She immediately fell in love with weaving! Her fingers worked the threads adeptly... maybe more so than mine... and she only needed to be shown something once before she incorporated it into her technique! So, for the next hour we wove, gammy and granddaughter, guiding each other's hands and equally delighting in the beauty of the creation that was unfolding before us. 

I can guarantee you that you will be hearing much about weaving over the next couple of months. We will show you how to make a couple of quick, inexpensive looms that will get you and your children started weaving. And, as we learn, we will share our triumphs and our tribulations. I'm excited! 

Materials:
Polymer Clay

1] To make 4 plates and cups, begin by cutting 8 pieces of polymer clay. (Note: If you are using clay that has the ridges prestamped in them, I cut off 2 strips, then cut each strip into 4 equal pieces. I used one little square of clay for each piece.)

2] To make a plate, work clay until it is malleable. Shape into a flat disc.

3] Find something to use as a "cookie cutter". I used the top of a glue stick which measured 7/8". A bottle cap from soda or shampoo may also work. Think of the size of the table you will be placing them on.

4] Soften the edges slightly, removing any "hang nails". Slightly turn up the edges so the plates will hold food. Set on a cookie sheet so they are not touching other pieces.

5] To make the cups, repeat steps 2 and 3. Using a pen or pencil that has a smooth end, form the circle around the end of the pen. Tap on your work surface to flatten the bottom. Make sure you don't push too hard or overwork the clay or the bottom will become too thin and break.

6] Using a thin blade, determine the desired height of the cup, and cut away the uneven edge.

7] Carefully slip the cup off the end of the pen. Set on a cookie sheet so they are not touching other pieces.

8] To make a vase, I used the remnants from cutting out the other pieces, and molded the clay on the pen end, making it taller than the cups. As for the cups, flatten the bottom, cut the upper edge, and carefully remove. You can leave the rim straight, or you can make a decorative edge by pinching, cutting, curling over, etc. Be creative!

9] Bake according to the directions on your Polymer Clay.
 
You can create other items like tea pots, platters, etc. Make sure you bake items of similar thicknesses together. Denser items will require more cook time. Now, your gnomes will be able to set their table in style!

WARNING: These are definitely CHOKE HAZARDS and should not be used with small children that still put toys in their mouths.

OUR "DISCLAIMER"! We are sharing patterns we have designed and made for our own children, families and friends. Every effort is made to share information in a clear and accurate manner. DUH, right? But we are only human, although I often long for superhuman powers, and as humans, mistakes will be made. We offer preemptive apologies for any aforementioned mistakes. Please let us know via comments or emails if you stumble upon a mistake or if you encounter directions that leave you scratching your head! We will rectify the situation as soon as humanly possible! Before beginning any of our patterns, think of yourself as a Beta Tester. We do not have a staff, editors or even volunteers that are crafting our projects before we share them. YOU are the first to have a go at them. As such, other than a heartfelt apology, we accept no responsibility for mistakes made, or in an extreme circumstance, for time or supplies wasted. Please tackle our projects in the same manner that we are sharing them, with a spirit of goodwill and global friendship!

All photos, text and patterns are copyright protected. You may not copy, reproduce or redistribute any material found on WeeFolkArt.com without written permission. Wee Folk Art retains all rights.

We have had our gnome house for almost 2 years now, and just like my own house, I am always adding a little here and there, changing this and that, and allowing our environment to reflect the seasons. When preparing our gnome house for Valentines Day, I decided we needed plates and cups. There are many different ways I could have gone with this... including using natural clay to craft them, but I must admit I took the easy route this time and used some  Polymer Clay I had on hand. Certainly, the same idea can be used with natural clay, but I do like the pretty pinks and reds for Valentines Day and will make some natural ones for every day use later :)

If you are interested in crafting your own set of cups, dishes, and vases, the directions can be found HERE or with our FREE Patterns. The kids will love helping with this craft. Enjoy!

WARNING: These are definitely CHOKE HAZARDS and should not be used with small children that still put toys in their mouths.

After 30 years of parenthood, 6 years of gammyhood, and over 10 years of being a preschool teacher, I have collected over a hundred different "Make Your Own" recipes. From the mundane to the extraordinaire, I have tried and true recipes for just about EVERYTHING! Glues and pastes, playdoughs and chalks, paints, crayons and sculpting materials. The benefits of making your own crafting materials are reduced costs, immediate availability and control of ingredients.

Over the next few months we plan to share our recipes, hopefully building a useful resource that we can all refer to. If you have a suggestion, a recipe that you would like to share, or a questions, just email us at weefolkart@yahoo.com. If you share a recipe we don't already have, we'll be sure to give it a try and include it in our data base. So, put on an apron, gather the kiddos around, and start concocting with us! 

Our first recipe is for your basic Cooked Playdough. A mainstay in any situation. I prefer home made, because if not overcooked... very important... it crumbles far less that purchase playdoughs, and has a wonderful feel. Plus, added your own flavorings, my personal favorite is coconut extract, and it smells sooooo good. 

COOKED PLAYDOUGH
2 cups flour
2 cups water
1 cup salt
4 tablespoons cream of tartar
2 teaspoons baby oil or vegetable oil (I prefer baby oil)
food coloring and/or flavorings

DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients in a saucepan. 

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat when dough forms a ball. (Important: Do not over cook. Take off heat as soon as it comes away from the sides. It will still appear a bit "wet") Dump on a clean surface. As soon as it is comfortable to work with, finish the mixing process by kneading the dough. 

This dough can keep in an airtight container for months, but with high usage, I replace it every few weeks.