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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Paint Your Own Toast


Share & remember has a fun way to play with your food.  They'll show you how to paint your toast using just milk, food coloring and some paint brushes.  A good after school activity and snack combined.

Good for ages 3 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://shareandremember.blogspot.com/2011/06/rainbow-painted-toast.html


Build a menu paints polka dots and swirls on her toast.

Get the instructions here:
https://www.buildamenu.com/blog/165/

Monday, January 30, 2012

Individual Mini Pinatas


Make It:

Check out these great ideas for creating the perfect mini pinata for a favor or gift.



Ruffled blog has the cutest idea for how to make individual pinatas using paper mache. Their idea is for wedding favors but they could easily be adapted for kids.

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://ruffledblog.com/diy-mini-pinata-wedding-favors/

 
One charming party also has a mini pinata for kids tutorial using two white paper cones, tissue garland, ribbon and of course fun candy and prizes. She uses a hot glue gun but tape should work as well.

Get the instructions here:
http://onecharmingparty.com/2011/04/29/cinco-de-mayo-pinata/


Not martha makes individual pinatas using a balloon, laundry starch, and tissue paper.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.notmartha.org/tomake/tinypinata/


Refinery 29 shares very thorough instructions for 2 different pinatas and has a great idea for how to get the balloon to be a rounder shape - putting masking tape on the oblong end.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.refinery29.com/diy-pinatas/slideshow?page=1#slide-1



Studio diy share how to make a pinata using a square kleenex box as the base.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.studiodiy.com/2012/04/26/diy-mini-pinatas-for-cinco-de-mayo/

Buy It:


Sunday, January 29, 2012

Artificial Pet Jellyfish


Bhoomplay has a video tutorial for how to make a jellyfish in a bottle and they look so real.  All it takes is a plastic water bottle, a transparent plastic grocery bag (the thinner the better, like the ones used in the produce department) and some food coloring. 

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://bhoomplay.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/diy_jellyfish_eng/

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Paper Mache Bank


Smaller has the cutest idea for how to make a bank using paper mache.  They call the money balls and start with an inflated balloon.

Good for ages 3 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://smallmagazine.typepad.com/smaller/2010/02/heres--a-creative-way-to-encourage-saving-which-lets-face.html

Friday, January 27, 2012

Snowball Search Game


The amazing mess has the cutest idea for a game that brings the outdoors inside. Hide cotton balls (snowballs) throughout the house and then give each child an ice cube tray for collection, that way they'll know if they've found all of the snowballs.

Good for ages 3 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.amazingmess.com/2012/01/indoor-snowball-hunt.html

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Colorful Thread Bowl


Elizabeth Andree shows how to make a beautiful bowl out of colored yarn and paste. Your kids will love getting messy with the paste and love the pretty bowl they made as well.  Unfortunately her site is no longer available. 

Good for ages 3 and up.




Eighteen 25 has similar yarn bowl instructions as well.

http://www.eighteen25.blogspot.com/2010/03/yarn-baskets.html

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

How to Make a Bouncing Ball


about.com's chemistry guide has instructions for how to make a polymer bouncing ball.  Once again, the main ingredient, as with most of the science projects is borax.  Beyond that it's just cornstarch and glue and some food coloring to make it pretty.

Good for ages 7 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://chemistry.about.com/od/demonstrationsexperiments/ss/bounceball.htm

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Candy Cane Science Experiment






Candy experiments shows yohow to see the colors that make up a candy cane.  All you need is a shallow dish of water and a candy cane and the stripes of the candy cane will slowly melt into the water.

Good for ages 4 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.candyexperiments.com/2011/12/candy-cane-stripes.html

Monday, January 23, 2012

Make a Snowman Out of Soap


Mama in Wonderland has a really cute idea for making a snowman out of soap.  The main ingredient is a grated bar of white soap. 

Good for ages 4 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://mamainwonderland.blogspot.com/2011/12/yet-another-easy-holiday-craft-for-kids.html


Crafts and crap uses a clear soap bottle.

Get the instructions here:
http://craftsandcrap.blogspot.com/2010/12/snowman-hand-sanitizer.html

Sunday, January 22, 2012

How to Make a Snow Globe


Make It:


Ask listen learn show you how to make a snow globe using glass jars, glitter and virtually any small plastic object.

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.asklistenlearn.com/blog/make-your-own-snow-globe

Design mom shares photo snowglobes.  She "laminates" the photos by placing them between clear packing tape before inserting and adds grated pvc pipe for the "snow."

Get the instructions here:
http://www.designmom.com/2010/12/diy-photo-snowglobes/


My so called crafty life uses plastic wine glasses and scrap booking paper for a pretty base.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.mysocalledcraftylife.com/2012/11/06/diy-vintage-inspired-bell-jar-ornaments/ 


Six in the suburbs uses glass jars, small trinkets, glitter, distilled water and glue.

Get the instructions here:
http://sixinthesuburbsblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/home-made-snow-globes.html 


Apartment therapy uses mason jars to make giant snow globes. The good thing about these is that you can fit a lot more items into them.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-make-mason-jar-snow-globes-apartment-therapy-tutorials-181673 


Babble dabble do calls her version winter terrariums.

Get the instructions here:
http://babbledabbledo.com/mini-winter-terrariums/


The pink doormat includes just snow using glitter glue and snowflake cut outs.

Get the instructions here:
http://thepinkdoormat.blogspot.com/2013/11/mason-jar-snow-globe.html

Buy It:

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Paper Lantern for the Chinese New Year


Kiboomu has details on how to create a paper lantern for the Chinese new year.  It's tradition that the celebrations begin with a lantern festival.  Each color means something different.  

Red: Good fortune 
Pink: Romance 
Peach: Opportunities 
Orange: Money 
Yellow: Success 
White: Health 
Green: Growth 
Blue: Hope 
Purple: Idealism

Everyone chooses the color that shows their wishes and writes down a written message on the lantern itself.

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.kiboomu.com/2012/01/19/chinese-new-year-paper-lantern-craft/

Friday, January 20, 2012

Squishy Balloon Birthday Party Favors


A cute send off for a ballooned themed party is to make squishy balloon people.  Simply fill a balloon with playdoh or sand and draw on some cute faces.


 We made that gives a step by step account and adds googly eyes to her version.

Balloon Birthday Present: Balloon Birthday Party


 Balloons make for a creative gift wrapping for a fun birthday present.




Choose craftiness has a really innovative idea for making balloons into a very special birthday gift.  She recommends placing dollars and special notes into blown up balloons and then tying and mailing them.  Kids will have so much fun receiving a box of balloons and even more fun popping them to find all of the gifts inside.

Get the instructions here:
http://choosecraftiness.blogspot.com/2012/01/birthday-balloons.html


Be different act normal has a similar idea adding confetti to the balloons as well.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/2012/05/money-balloons-gift-wrap.html


 11 cupcakes shares how to make the balloon packaging really cute.

Get the instructions here:
http://11cupcakes.com/2011/07/25/gift-wrapping-balloon-pop-2/


Increasingly domestic hangs the balloons up to be popped in the air.

Get the instructions:
http://increasinglydomestic.blogspot.com/2011/04/very-extra-special-happy-birthday.html

Balloon Filled Favors


The gunny sack fills balloons with candy and then blows them up and decorates with markers.  A really creative balloon favor idea.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.thegunnysack.com/2013/03/easter-basket-filler-idea-balloon-egg-pinata.html

Balloon Favor Bags


Domestic goddesque simply ties a helium balloon onto the favor bags for a really pretty favor.

Get the instructions here:
http://domesticgoddesque.com/2012/03/rainbow-themed-birthday-party/


Another idea is to make hot air balloon favors placing goodies in the basket.

Original image here (source unknown):
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeW77AWhUwfkVYLRuaVQJUoVX4pvWB9EGFQswLX8N-qtMuVnS8bn96WNsryQ4Bg19v_OQIAsJMm-vJ1Y9HBBqfR198TmrUoYiWfDnfjGlYAw7w9n0A7-fMTnddfffaQP4DJJhPUU-mcdj/s1600/3rdbirthday6.jpg

Balloon Candy Favors


Turnstall times has a very cute way of turning a giant pixie stick into a balloon party favor by simply taping on a cutout balloon and writing a short note.

Get the instructions here:
http://tunstalltimes.blogspot.com/2011/08/classroom-pictures-part-2-d-o-n-e.html

Balloon Messages: Balloon Birthday Party


The dating divas has a fun and inexpensive and memorable gift idea for a balloon themed birthday party.  Along with the invitation mail guests a balloon.  Ask them to blow it up and write a message on it and either bring it to the party or send it back in the mail in time for the birthday.  On the day of the birthday have the birthday boy or girl blow them up and read all of the messages.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.thedatingdivas.com/just-the-two-of-us/birthday-floats/


The thinking closet places notes inside blown up balloons and leaves them as a surprise.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.thinkingcloset.com//2013/02/05/the-art-of-the-surprise-note/

Balloon Lollipop Party Favors: Balloon Birthday Party



One charming party has a very cute and easy idea for party favors - wrapping a lollipop in fabric and tying with string. The end result looks like a balloon. She used yellow gingham fabric and bakers twine, but you could use more festive color fabric and curling ribbon to emulate balloons instead.

Get the instructions here:
http://onecharmingparty.com/2012/04/20/spring-party-2/

Balloon Animal Party Favors: Balloon Birthday Party




Make your own balloon animal kits start at about $5.  Kids will love to see you make them and they make a great party favor.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Monster Balloon Creatures: Balloon Birthday Party


Have the kids create balloon monsters using curling ribbon and precut eye, antennae, teeth and mouths.  A very creative idea for a balloon party craft activity from Spoonful.

Good for ages 3 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://spoonful.com/crafts/monster-balloons

Balloon Races - Balloon Birthday Party Activity


A little learning for two has a really great balloon game featuring a balloon, straw and piece of string for each participant.  Each child blows up their balloon and tapes it to the straw and they let go.

Get the instructions here:
http://alittlelearningfortwo.blogspot.com/2010/11/balloon-rockets.html

Parents.com has a cute game using balloons, pool noodles and a laundry basket.  Kids need to use only the noodles and see how many balloons they can get into the laundry basket in 5 minutes.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.parents.com/fun/games/family/camp-mom-20-activities-to-make-summer-awesome-for-everyone/?page=9 

Science sparks shoots what she calls flying balloons into the air and watch them circle around.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.science-sparks.com/2012/08/17/flying-balloons/

We made that uses straws to glide her version.

Get the instructions here:
http://we-made-that.com/balloon-rocket/

Balloon Jewelry Activity: Balloon Birthday Party



Michelle page has a great way to use balloons to make an easy bracelet, a perfect activity for a quieter and less messy option for a balloon birthday party.

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://michellepaige.blogspot.com/2011/08/make-your-own-balloon-bracelets.html

Water Balloon YoYos: Balloon Birthday Party


Zakka life has a fantastic idea for a party activity and/or favor -- making water balloon yoyos.  Think of what fun it will be when they break.

Get the instructions here:
http://zakkalife.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-make-yo-yo-balloons.html

Ballloon Scavenger Hunt: Balloon Birthday Party


Activity mom shares a great game for a balloon birthday party.  Blow up 10 balloons and number them 1-10.  Hide them around the house and have the kids search for them in order.  When they find them have them pop it for the next clue.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.activity-mom.com/2012/07/balloon-game.html

Water Balloon Target Range: Balloon Birthday Party






Motherhood on a dime has a great idea for a balloon party game.  Using chalk she created a target with points and circles and then gave kids water balloons to throw at the target and accumulate points.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.motherhoodonadime.com/kids/water-balloon-target-practice/

Balloon Activity Countdown: Balloon Birthday Party

 Cute ideas for a balloon activity count down.

 


Real dana gentry has an idea for how to use balloons for a slumber party.  She puts written activities inside balloons and marks each with a time.  When the time arrives the kids pop the balloon to see what they're next going to be doing.

Get the instructions here:
http://realdanagentry.blogspot.com/2012/01/happy-2012-new-years-eve-pinteresting.html



Chasing cheerios has a similar idea but instead of using the countdown for a slumber party she uses it to count down the days until the child's birthday, letting them pop one everyday for a new surprise.

Get the instructions here:
http://chasingcheerios.blogspot.com/2012/07/birthday-balloon-countdown.html


How does she does it for New Year's Eve.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.howdoesshe.com/new-years-eve-ideas/

Water Balloon Walkway: Balloon Birthday Party


Another great way to use balloons for a summer birthday is a water balloon walkway or patch on the lawn.  Kids will love stomping, throwing, slipping and sliding.