Celebration Chalkboard Count Down

I don’t know about your family, but holidays are a BIG deal at our house! We LOVE the holidays! I thought it would be fun to create a little countdown chalk board to remember all of life’s important events! I had made some Christmas Countdown blocks last year… but I wanted to create something I could keep up all year long.  This chalkboard is perfect for that, because you can write in any holiday you want.  You can also count down to vacations, a concert, school being out…anything your families excited about!  These are SO fun and the kids will love them!

Supplies for Chalkboard Count Down:

square wooden basewooden dowelmini chalk boardpaintsuper glue“days until” printed vinylembellishments – ribbon, buttonschalk

1. Drill a hole into the wooden base (try to match the drill bit size to the wooden dowel).

2. Remove vinyl sticker and place in center of chalk board.  I cut out the vinyl sticker with my cameo, however you could always use a stencil or write in “days until.”

3. Push down hard on the vinyl and then remove the transfer paper leaving the vinyl on the chalkboard.

4. Paint wooden base, dowel and frame around the chalk board. Allow several minutes to dry. You may want to paint the back of the frame as well if it will be seen.

5. Super glue wooden dowel to the back of the chalk board. Allow a few minutes to dry. Then place a little glue in the drilled hole and around rim of wooden dowel. Push dowel into the hole and hold in place for a minute.

6. Dress your chalkboard up with ribbon and embellishments.

That’s all, simple as that!
Enjoy your new  chalk board countdown to remember all of lives important events!! 

Tagged as: advent calendar, christmas crafts, countdown

Jamielyn created I {Heart} Nap Time where she shares her creativity, DIY Projects, crafts, sewing tutorials and recipes. Jamielyn enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 little ones in Phoenix Arizona. Join her on Facebook or Twitter.  Read other posts by Jamielyn

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Fun and Easy Kids' Craft Idea - How to Make Candles from Old Crayons

If your home is anything like mine, you're constantly picking crayons up off the floor. My son colors everyday, sometimes for hours on end. He loves crayons. We're always buying more crayons because he either looses them or they've been worn down to nubbins and hard to color with. Well, here's a tip for you on what you can do with the worn out crayons rather than throwing them away. You can recycle the old crayons by making them into candles. You can show your kids how they can take something old and make it into something new and colorful that's useful too. You'll want to burn these darling homemade candles yourself and give them as gifts as well.

Use this craft technique as a teaching moment with your kids. Before you start making the candles, talk to your kids about safety. They'll need to know that the crayons will have to be melted using a very high heat, and they will not be able to do that particular step in the process. Tell them they will have other fun steps in making crayon candles.

Get your supplies together. Along with about six crayons, you'll need a wax container of some sort such as an empty milk or orange juice wax carton, one pound of paraffin wax, two full ice cube trays, a double boiler, white packing string. If you're hesitant to use your double boiler to melt the crayons and wax, an old coffee can and saucepan works great.

First, trim the top off of the wax carton, leaving it approximately six inches high. Next, cut the string at least 8 inches long and later cut the wick to fit the holder. Braid the three string pieces together to make a wick that burns easier. Melt the paraffin wax in the double boiler or coffee can. To help it melt faster, cut it into small chunks. Usually you'll need to allow about 20 minutes for the melting process to complete.

Get your kids involved with the crayon candle making fun by letting them remove the crayon wrappers from the crayons while the wax is melting. Be creative by mixing and matching the crayon colors to create your own pretty candle.

Most folks find that they get the best results if they wait and add the crayons to the wax after it's totally melted. Use a pair of scissors and dip the string into the paraffin. Dipping the string will make sure it's coated with paraffin because the ice cubes may make it hard for the wax to stick to the string. Hold the string so that it is in the middle of the carton and fill the carton with ice cubes. Pour wax mixture over the ice cubes. You can even add a touch of scent to your crayon candle by adding a little cinnamon or vanilla to the hot wax.

Once you have poured your candle, make sure your kids know the importance of leaving it alone to harden. The candle will usually set in about half an hour, but leave it alone for a couple of hours and until the ice is melted. Put the candle in an area that is safe and where it will not be bothered. Be sure the little ones know they could be burned if they touch the hot wax before it's cooled. The wax can stay hot for hours after pouring and can be a potential hazard to kids and animals. When you're ready, all you have to do then is pour off the melted water and then peel off the wax carton.

If you're looking for a new and easy craft project to do with your kids or with a small group of kids, then making crayon candles is great idea. You can spend a fun afternoon with your children and make a useful candle for your home or as a gift for grandparents and friends.

Learn more about crafting and find free patterns for scrapbooking and all sorts of craft projects at Free Craft Ideas http://freecraftideas.homestead.com

Step Up to Memories - A Kids Craft Project

If you've been looking for a creative art project to do with the kids, look no further! I recently did a fun project with my daughter and thought I'd share the how-to for other parents who are looking for ways to keep their kids busy and creative all while making something useful for around the home!

What You'll Need

A wooden step ladder

Spray paint (your choice of color)

Sponges (either cut into shapes of your choice or pre-purchased in shapes)

Letter Stencils (of your child's name)

Craft Paint (your choice of colors)

Newspaper (the older the better)

Smock or old clothing for you and your child

Now you're ready to start creating. A little preparation is needed before bringing your child into the project. Take the step ladder outside and put it on the newspaper and spray paint it, covering the entire step ladder thoroughly. Let it dry overnight and you'll be ready to bring your child into the project the next day!

Bring the painted ladder to your work area (outside is recommended). Work with your child to sponge paint the shapes onto the ladder in the colors of your choice. Let it dry thoroughly.

Next, help your child stencil their name(s) onto the ladder. I'd recommend doing it on the side, and not the top, as the top will take a bit of wear if you plan to let your child use it. If it is to be a decoration for the porch of your child's room, putting the name on top will be ok if you choose to do so. Let it dry.

Your child now has a ladder, personally designed by them, to use. Put it in the corner of their room and through their favorite stuffed animal or trophies or photographs on top. You can also use the ladder as décor in your garden or on your porch. More practically, you can let your child use it for help in reaching the bathroom sink or other out of the way place they need to get to on a frequent basis.

While you can buy a step stool in the store, making one with your child not only gives you an activity to do together to get in some quality time, but it also will serve as a reminder for many years of the time you spent together and may even end up as a hand me down to your grandchildren.

And remember, above all, have fun!

Chuck Greene is the owner and operator of a little ladder website called Ladder Fanatic. It is a testament to his unique (some may call it crazy) love of ladders ? especially the Little Giant Ladder brand ladders. http://www.ladderfanatic.com

Simple Crafts For Kids-6 easy Kids Crafts

Children enjoy arts and crafts. Creative and tapping into their imagination is what they do best. Crafting skills children every opportunity to hone that openly volunteer. It is a fun way to entertain the children while improving their cognitive skills. Learn how something works and to create an object is a fascinating way for children to spend extra time. A few hours of paper or wooden crafts can a period adhesion between you and your child. Crafts can also a great activity to keep children busy during rainy days, holidays, breaks and weekends.

There are six children easy crafts that every parent can do at home with their child. The most common craft project for children is pasta art. All you need is the various pieces of colorful construction paper, glue and a box of dry macaroni, noodles. Using different type such as penne pasta to make the art more interesting. Kids love to play around with the set-aside obligation pile dry noodles. It is a fun activity for them. Finger painting runs a close second place for easy kids crafts. The big kid in all of us loves to messy. Painting is a great form of expression. Children practice finger dexterity if they dive and glide their little fingers on the paper. Establishment of old newspaper and put special play dress up your kids that you don't mind is damaged you will ease clean-up of a stressful.

Wooden crafts are not so demanding they may sound. The third easiest children craft includes wood products. It is magnets. This is a simple project that children can have fun with. Buy wood to unfinished wood shapes, paint, magnet strips magnets that self-adhesive or a hot glue gun for standard magnets. Let your child painting their wooden toy parts or shapes, and then set to dry. After they added each additional types of decorations such as glitter or beads attach magnets and hand on the door of the fridge. Will the children smile every time they walk to the kitchen to admire their masterpiece.

Puppet is the fourth easy kids crafts. Creative craft to explore if you are making a puppet. There are many options when constructing puppets. The simplest shape is the sock puppet. A little glue and felt goes a long way in making your creature puppet. All supplies to around the House will suffice. If you would like to put on a more refined show than a wooden doll using wooden sticks and fishing line move your wooden puppet. There are kits available to produce this amazing puppet to help you effortlessly. Kids can put on their own puppet theater whenever they want.

The fifth craft project that many children enjoy is making wooden frames. Most wooden frames come already assembled in unfinished wood. All you have to do is paint and decorating to your own taste. Connected wooden balls, Finials, or small toys wheels to make the frame edges a dramatic effect. Kids can add hours glitter and painting. Similar to the previous project is the sixth child easy craft idea wooden door signs. Taking a piece of plywood which saw the careful monitoring of your child while in their desired shape or buy pre-cut pieces and decorate is a favorite among children. They love hanging from their door sign on their room. Remember when tinkering with children creativity and patience is the key.

Lara Smith is an aspiring artist and an employee at craftparts outside of Fort Worth in Texas in Haltom City, offer many products including wooden toys, wooden toys, parts wheels and plugs and a huge stock of buttons unfinished wood parts for woodworkers and hobbyists. For all your wooden parts CraftParts toys needs, check out

Lara Smith works for Woodworks, Ltd., a wholesale craft parts supplier near Fort Worth, TX, offering wood products such as wooden toys toy parts, wheels, buttons, and plugs. For more information about wooden toys http://www.craftparts.com wheels, check out

Crossing Off Your Bucket List with Just Ask

Jordan and I, along with our kids, have started to talk more about our “bucket list” and what things we want to do during our life. We’ve been talking to our kids about making goals and working to achieve them, and making a family bucket list seemed appropriate. I think it’s good to start this now and involve our kids, making goals and striving to accomplish them when we write them down. It’s also good to have something to work towards and look forward to.

I was thrilled about the opportunity to work with Just Ask, a company who wants us all to stay around for a good long while so we can all cross activities and achievements off that bucket list. That’s why they’ve developed a test that could save lives—the BRACAnalysis test—by warning about chances of getting breast or ovarian cancer.

Here’s the fun part from Just Ask… share your bucket list and you have a shot of winning a trip of a lifetime.  The grand prizes are:

A family vacation of a lifetime to Universal Orlando® Resort.A Las Olas Surf Camp SafariSki Lessons and stay at Park City Mountain Resort

Here’s my family’s “bucket list”, in no particular order of family member. Although you’ll probably know which one came from a child :)

Go on a Disney CruiseSleep in Cinderella’s CastleRun the Disney half marathon (yes, a bit of a Disney theme going on here)Travel to IndiaLearn to surfBe a secret agentMake 2 new friends this yearTry out for the local Roller Derby TeamDo a triathlonKayak through the San Juan IslandsSki the AlpsTravel to New ZealandBe a karate kidSpeak SpanishLive in China like Kai-Lan

To get the full details on how you can share your own bucket list and enter to win those Grand Prize vacation packages, head over to Todays Mama.

But wait, there’s more. Extra Prizes! I get to help you cross something off of YOUR bucket list too!

Simply leave a comment here sharing an item from your bucket list. One random winner will win $500 to go cross an item off your list! Wahoo!

______________________________________________________________

Giveaway Entries: For your chance to win one bucket list prize of $500, leave a comment on this post by Thursday November 10th @ midnight. I’ll announce the winner chosen from random on Friday morning November 11th. Good Luck!

Extra Entry – Like Just Ask on Facebook and be sure to come back and leave a extra comment letting me know you did.

Tagged as: parenting tips

Marie LeBaron is the founder and managing editor of Make and Takes. Always having a love of crafts, she enjoys getting messy with glue and glitter. There’s always some sort of project going on, her kitchen counter is often cluttered with crafts. When she’s not crafting and creating with her kids, she loves to run, read, and blog! Read other posts by Marie

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Easy Crafts For Kids

There are some really easy crafts for kids. All they need are a few supplies like pipe cleaners, construction paper, toothpicks, macaroni and a few craft supplies.

Here is a list of some kids crafts that they will enjoy. Just let them use their creativity.

Pipe cleaner people Use different colored pipe cleaners and bend and twist them into shapes. They can make people, animals, buildings and whatever they can imagine. This is great when you have more than one child and they can make up a whole zoo or whatever they want to make.

You can either save them and put them on a cork board or set on a shelve or just untwist them so that they can be used again. This child's craft can keep them busy and entertained.

Macaroni Necklaces This craft goes back many years but the kids never get tired of making them. Just string colored macaroni onto lengths of yarn. If your macaroni is not colored then let the kids paint them.

Paint with spongesYou can buy sponge figures or else make your own. Get some cheap sponges and cut them into any kind of shape you like. You can make triangles, circles, stars, half moons, or even animal shapes. Let the kids dip them into paint and press them onto paper. The long rolls of paper or construction paper are really nice for this craft.

Make your own puppets You can buy sheets of foam and any craft store. Cut out dogs, butterflies, snakes, fish or anything that the kids like. Glue them onto popsicle sticks or tongue depressors and then they can make their own puppet show.

Toothpick art This has been around for a long time and the schools even use to use it. You can use either miniature marshmallows or gumdrops and toothpicks. Insert the toothpicks into the gumdrops or marshmallows. Just keep adding marshmallows to make any shape they want. They can make buildings or bridges and any kind of shapes, like a star, or hexagon and make then as elaborate as they want.

Paper chains We use to do this one when we were kids. Cut strips of construction paper and either glue or staple them into circles. When you have one circle done, put another strip through and glue it. Just keep adding circles until you have it as long as you want it. A red and white chain looks very nice for Christmas, or you can use red and green. The kids loving doing this chain. They can even decorate the strips with paint or sparkles.

Headbands Cut construction paper into strips and make one to fit the child's head. Then they can glue anything on them like feathers, buttons, ribbons made into bows, or any scraps of material. They could use the sponges from the craft above to decorate their head band.

Shirley Atkinson
Crafters Love Crafts
http://www.crafterslovecrafts.com

Kids' Crafts Involving the Disney Gang

Most kids just love the Disney Gang. They enjoy seeing their favorite characters, such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy, get into all sorts of hilarious situations. Because of this, it is only natural that your children would want to do things that are related to these cartoon characters. That's why you should do crafts with them that involve the Disney Gang. This will not only be fun for them because you are incorporating their favorite characters into what they are doing, but it is also great because they are getting to be imaginative and creative.

One thing that a lot of children love to do is draw. You can let them draw their own Disney Gang characters if you get some paper and coloring utensils. These could be coloring crayons, colored pencils, finger paints, or watercolors. It's good to have multiple options so that they can mix the media as well. They can also make their own Disney Gang characters by cutting out shapes with construction paper and scissors. If your kids are fairly young, you could cut out the shapes for them and then they could assemble the pieces however they please.

Some children like to pretend to be their favorite characters. Because of this, you and your children could make masks so that they can do this. All you need to do is create the heads of the characters like how you did with drawing their whole bodies. They, affix a stretchy string to either side of the paper and it can be worn as a mask.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for Disney Gang party supplies and fun party games. She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free holiday printable games and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Themes including Party Supplies to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.