DIY : masking tape christmas tree

Our super simple and virtually free Christmas Tree.

You'll need:
Green painters masking tape / or Washi tape
Washi or Blu-tack to attach decorations.

This year we won't be at home for Christmas so I didn't want to buy a tradition tree and have all the needles fall out all over the carpet while we are away. Also it's really difficult to get rid of a christmas tree when you live in the city. 

Moo decorated with existing decorations plus some cute mini christmas present decorations.
Which we made from empty raisin boxes and some curling ribbon. Moo loved these! 

Click here to see how to make the little paper stars, 3D paper stars and paper butterflies.

DIY : salt dough star decorations

Over the past week Mima and I have made some decorations for the Christmas tree and gifts. One is salt dough stars. I used the recipe in 'Recipes For Play', full of loads of great ideas, but there are recipes for salt dough on the internet.
Basically you make a dough from flour, salt, oil, lemon juice and warm water. Knead it and let it rest then get creating.
I rolled the dough out and we cut shapes with a star cookie cutter. I used a chopstick to put holes in the stars for the twine. I then placed them on a lined baking tray and baked them on low for 4 hours or you can leave it to dry for 48 hours.

Mima painted them and I added bakers twine for hanging to finish.

DIY : peg santa

A few months ago I received a lovely email requesting detailed instructions for the peg Santa I posted an image of last Christmas.

I have tweaked him a little but here are instructions for everyone.
You will need:
the template - print at A4

a wooden peg
paint - red, black for his boots and blue for eyes
paintbrush
felt - red, white, black and grey
a loop of bakers twine for hanging
a hot glue gun
a large glass to sit them on while you work

1. Print template and cut out all the felt pieces.
2. Sit the pegs around the top of your glass. I always make more than one at a time.
3. Paint the red areas - body, legs and top of his head.
4. Paint the boots black.

5. Glue on his red felt cone shaped body. I place a dot of glue at the top front of his body then down one felt edge at the back, then overlay the other edge of the felt. I have noted where to put the glue on the template in red.
6. Add the white felt beard, hat and boot trims. When gluing the hat trim place the two ends of the bakers twine loop under the felt at the back of his head.
7. Glue on the black belt so the ends meet at the front of his belly.

8. Cover this join by gluing on the grey felt rectangle, his buckle.
9. Glue the white arm trim to the short flat edge of his arm, glue front then fold and glue in place to cover the back as well. Then place a dash of glue at the top curved end of the arm and attach to Santa's body.
10. Lastly add to dots of blue for the eyes.

sky tower

From our bedroom window we have clear view of the Sky Tower. For the passed couple of months Mima has been building "Sky Towers" out of anything. Here are a few.

fifth birthday : princess invitation

So Moo is turning 5 in just a few days now!

Moo had decided she wanted a Princess party. So we made Princess castle invites, suitable for all the princes and princesses being invited. 

You'll need:
Kraft Card / or what ever colour you chose for the castle (I use Kraft card cause it's cheap and you need to use quite a lot.)
Coloured card - for the turrets, doors and windows
Glue stick
Star sticker to close invite
Pens and glitter to decorate.
Invite insert to paste inside or hand write the info.
Templates- use my template or create your own.

Trace templates on to card and cut. Fold castle along fold line. Trace and cut out the turrets in coloured and glue. Decorate!

I really can't believe this has come around so quickly. I still love watching Moo sleep peacefully like she did as a newborn and I love the crazy beautiful little girl she's turned into.


Templates print out on A4 pages.

seedlings

A few weeks ago we started to get our courtyard garden ready for summer. We are big fans of growing our own vegetables so this was our main focus. We brought a few seedlings and planted a few seeds, this will mean we will have vegetables ready at different times. Being slightly lazy I like to just use seeds that you can plant straight in the ground (parsley, greens etc), but this year Mima's Dad wanted to try some chilli and other seeds which need to be raised in pots. So I found a video for making newspaper seedling pots on you tube and got busy. 

While she recommends not using tape or staples to secure the origami pot, I found I needed to use a small piece of tape, I will remove this when I plant the seedling, pot and all!
I made eight pots which we then filled with soil, made holes and added the seeds, then labeled with popsicle sticks.

We left them in the bathroom (warm and humid), watering them regularly and now we have some seedlings to add to the garden.

cardboard box : car

Moo loves pretending to drive her dad's car so I decided to make her own cardboard car to have in the garage with keys, dashboard, working streering wheel and all.

YOU WILL NEED:

1 small cardboard box 

1 large cardboard box

several coloured bottle top lids

1 5cm long screw

2 washers

toilet roll

glue gun

spare keyring

paper tape

paints and pens to decorate

1. Firstly turn boxes inside out if you are recycling old boxes like I am. The small box is you bonnet, the large box your main part of the car. Join the 2 boxes together, using the flap to create an angled windshield down on to your bonnet. Cut the sides to fit the shape and tape up all your joins.

2. Cut out a rectangle for your windshield and the top of the box for where you want to sit, and doors. Mark out with a ruler if you want nice straight lines.

3. To make the dashboard - using a spare piece of the cardboard cut a piece the width of your car. Cut out your steering wheel shape, make a hole in the centre of you steering wheel with a sharp pencil. Mark the place on the dashboard you want attach this, make hole with pencil. Cut a 3cm length from your toilet roll for your steering column. Glue to the underside of your steering wheel. Place one washer on your screw and push through the hole on your steering wheel and through the dashboard hole, attach 2nd washer and glue in place on back of dashboard. Your steering wheels should turn. Glue a bottle lid on your steering for horn and to cover screw end. Glue more bottle lids for buttons and decorations onto your dashboard. Tape the dash board into your car so it sits below the windshield, and so there is room your little ones legs to fit underneath.

4. Cut out different key shapes for your house and car and attach to the keyring.

5. Cut 4 equals circles for your wheels, decorate and stick to sides of the car using glue gun. Cut strips for front grill and circles for you headlights and glue in place.

6. Paint and decorate your car.... VROOM VROOM!