A Charming Teacher Gift!

Well, school has officially ended for the year, but not before the presentation of teacher gifts. Mia took her teacher and the para-pro the gifts that we had made, birds nest earrings with handmade cards. We were down to the wire on this, too, because I didn't get her to write in the cards until yesterday. So they were not delivered until this morning, the very last day of school! Both of these lovely ladies thanked me at pick-up time, so I decided the gifts were a success.

But, what really surprised me was that her teacher, Mrs. Myers, gave ME a gift! It was completely unexpected, of course. I can't imagine too many teacher give gifts to the parents at the end of the school year when they already have so much on their plates. This is what makes it so special and so very sweet!

{My life is charmed -- a gift FROM the teacher!}

She gave me a bright pink Gerbera daisy, and told me that Mia had selected the color she thought I would like best. (Secretly, I believe that Mia selected the color she preferred, but that doesn't really matter. I do LOVE it.) Here's the really special part about the gift. It was completely personalized because Mrs. Myers, along with the entire kindergarten class, had stamped their thumb prints in various colors and then signed their names. (And, the teacher in me noted that every child's signature was legible, which is an accomplishment for many of them! Trust me, I can tell you this from personal experience, having sorted many, many papers over the past several months. This was the first time that there wasn't one or two I was unsure about, and I like to believe that my special education background has given me pretty good handwriting analysis!) That she would find the time to have the whole class do this for me was so thoughtful, and it completely made my day to receive this on Wednesday!

{Look how they've "bloomed!"}

It felt amazing to read these words, "Thank you so much for your support in my classroom this year! It's because if parents like you that we can do as much as we do with our little sweethearts!" (See, Self, it's not a waste of a master's degree to collate, file, and do other mundane classroom housekeeping tasks! Not that I miss doing these things in my own classroom one bit, thank you very much.) While it felt wonderful to be appreciated as a volunteer, it had me thinking that this would also make a very thoughtful gift FOR a sweet teacher, if you happen to be looking for ideas. The trick is just to find a way to get all the kiddos in the class to sign it in secret. I especially love the thumb prints, too, it's just a little something extra.

3-D Paper Plate Flower Craft

Here is a simple flower craft that Logan made at Story Time a couple of weeks ago. Since he chose only the tiger-striped paper for his petals, I called this flower his "tiger lily." It would be pretty to fill a wall with these paper petals, which are so very spring-like!

{"Tiger Lily" by Logan, Age 3 1/2}

Materials:

• small paper plate
• cupcake liner
• paper (decorative or solid colors)
• scissors
• decorative scissors (optional)
• green crepe paper
• glue stick/glue
• circle punch (optional)

Directions:

1. Pre-cut paper into flower petal shapes. Tip: If desired, use scalloped or zigzag scissors. Tip: You can also cut or use a circle punch to create colorful paper circles for the center of the flower.
2. Have your child glue the petals onto the top (eating side) of a paper plate. Tip: I think it would look nice if the child first colored the paper plate, but we didn't have that option due to time constraints.
3. Have your child apply glue to the bottom of a cupcake liner (ours was decorative foil, but paper would work, too) and the adhere to the center of the paper plate. If desired, add glue to a colorful paper circle and then insert it into the middle of the cupcake liner.
4. Help your child cut some crepe paper for the flower's stem and then glue it to the back. Tip: For a little something extra, Mrs. D., the Story Time lady, suggested making the stem the same height as the child. Cute, right? It made me think that this could be adapted to make a more permanent growth chart for the wall with a measuring stick, perhaps? I guess that's an idea for another time... Tip: You can find 2-packs of crepe paper at Dollar Tree, which is the cheapest that I have seen it. Both are the same color, which is the only downside, but it's still a good deal.
5. Allow glue to dry completely before displaying your child's flower craft.

Easter Eggs Everywhere

Considering that nobody really ate our colored eggs this year, it seems like we are overly obsessed with Easter eggs. (Actually, I take that back. Earlier, I caught the dog standing in our outdoor trash can, which had tipped over from the wind. And she was eating -- you guessed it -- all of those forgotten hard boiled eggs that I had just pitched. Wanna bet I will not be having a fun evening when those catch up with her?) Hard boiled eggs are fun to decorate, but maybe we should stick to other goodies in the future.

For example, we made our Jell-o eggs, as we always do. They were a hit as usual. You pretty much can't go wrong with kids and finger Jell-o.

{Mmmmm..... raspberry!}

{He likes almost anything he can eat with his hands.}

For something new this year, we tried the Rice Krispie treat eggs, which weren't quite as successful. They're supposed to have M & M's inside. I was lucky just to get Rice Krispie treats that somewhat resembled eggs, and there was no way the kids could really help. It was a sticky mess, one that I will not be repeating any time soon. Word of warning: these things always sound easier than they actually are. The good news is that they taste fine, unless, of course, you ask Logan his opinion. Even though he LOVES Rice Krispies and marshmallows, he apparently does not like them together. Weird.

Okay, you can't eat it, but I LOVE this paint chip Easter egg garland that I made, so I will likely be making one or two more of them for around the house. It's an ingenious way to use up something I had been saving until I had a project idea, and so, so very adorable. This is easy, but a bit time-consuming, and definitely an adult-only project.

As for the actual eggs, we tried some different techniques, some more successful than others... For some reason, I thought that if we stamped on circles of glue, with foam paintbrushes, we could add glitter and have nice glittery circles on our eggs. In actuality, they dribbled and weren't really circles, but all that glitters makes Mia happy so no harm done. Next, we added the glitter that was left on the plate, to some purple poster paint and applied that. (I don't suggest doing this even though it was easy, and washable. I thought they were dry, but somehow they got moist again in the refrigerator, so when I went to peel some to eat, paint got smeared all over the place.)

{Purple + glitter = one happy little girl}

Here is what I think is a great idea, and I am pleased I thought of it: decorate eggs with Bingo markers. So simple, even the littlest egg decorators can do it, and it's fairly mess-free.

{Need something to rest your eggs on while they dry? Cut up toilet paper tubes work perfectly and they are very cheap!}

I wish our tie-dyed eggs came out a little clearer, but I do like this technique that we have tried in the past, and brought back again this year. I have done it two ways: dye and then wrap with rubber bands and dye again or wrap first, dye, let dry, and dye a second time. I'm not sure if I have a preference or not.

{There are only so many ways you can get a rubber band to stay on an egg.}

{Our finished tie-dyed eggs}

{My "egg-cited" little helpers}

After tie-dying some eggs, we had dye left over, so we made some coffee filter carnations. They look nice as a centerpiece.

The last of the dye went toward a science experiment. We used it to dye some real carnations. Mia loved this even though they aren't as brightly colored as our paper bouquet.

As much as I am thinking we should avoid decorating hard boiled eggs next year, I am sure we will be doing it. And more likely than not, we'll be trying out more new ideas. I can't seem to not try new craft ideas when they come along. Plus, Mia will expect it. She told me recently, "Mom, I wish you were the Easter Bunny." When I asked why, she replied, "Because you make the best Easter eggs in the whole world!" How can I not at least attempt to live up to her expectations?

Rose Bouquet Print Project

{Bouquet by Logan, Age 2}

The inspiration for this project comes from the current (Feb. 2012) issue of Disney "FamilyFun" magazine ("Pretty Produce" on page 18). At first, we just made cards with the end of the celery stalk like the article suggested. Here's Logan's -------------------->
Then, after the kids started stamping all over the paper (which is fine, of course), I realized that we could take it a step farther and make bouquets. They're perfect for Valentine's Day, but would also make nice Mother's Day gifts.

Materials:

• construction paper
• tempera paint
• Styrofoam tray to hold paint (or plate or bowl)
• foam paintbrush
• end cut from bunch of celery (Ours was about 2 in. long.)
• cardboard (Ours was a cereal box.)
• scrapbooking paper
• pencil
• scissors
• glue
• newspaper to protect work surface
• optional items for decorating: rhinestones, pom poms, ribbon, etc.

Directions:

{Bouquet by Mia, Age 5}

1. Pour a small amount of paint onto a Styrofoam tray (or similar). Dip paintbrush into paint and spread on the cut part of the celery. The child will stamp this repeatedly onto the paper to make a cluster, adding paint as desired. Tip: I think it looks nice if you make a few impressions before adding more paint because this gives variation in the color. Let paint dry completely.
2. Draw a vase shape onto one side of an empty, flattened cereal box. Cut out. Trace this same shape onto a piece of decorative paper and cut out. Glue paper on top of cardboard. Let glue dry.
3. Once painted flowers are dry, cut around the bunch leaving some colored paper border. Glue the flowers onto your cardboard vase. Another option would be to make stems from paper, pipe cleaners, or drinking straws. Affix to the back of the vase and then glue or tape the printed flowers on top of the stems.
4. Decorate as desired. Mia added self-adhesive (a lot of) rhinestones and some pom poms.

Butterfly Garden Collage Craft

After dying pasta recently, I decided that the bow ties (farfalle) would make cute butterflies so I came up with this spring collage craft for Mia to do. It was a perfect activity for this rainy spring day.

{Butterfly Garden Collage by Mia, Age 4}

Materials:

• construction paper
• tacky glue
• cupcake liners
• scissors
• bow tie pasta
• green pipe cleaners
• markers (optional)
• green construction paper (optional)
• food coloring for dying pasta (optional)
• corkscrew pasta (optional)
  
• beads, buttons, foam, yarn, etc. (optional)
• clear tape (optional)

Directions:

1. Glue about 3-5 cupcake liners to a piece of construction paper to make flowers. We put glue just on the inner circular section so that the outside part stood out to make 3-D flowers.
2. Decorate the flowers. Mia used markers for the flower's centers, but you could use buttons, beads, craft foam, paper circles, or yarn. 
3. Make flower stems. Trim green pipe cleaners to fit the paper and glue down for the flower stems. You may need to press down and hold for 10-20 seconds to help the pipe cleaners stick. We also added a small amount of clear tape to help hold them. You could also use drinking straws or paper for the stems or just draw them with markers.
4. Add some "butterflies" to your garden by gluing bow tie pasta to and around the flowers. You might also choose to add corkscrew pasta "caterpillars." Again, it helps if you press down gently and hold for about 10-20 seconds to make sure the pasta is securely attached to the paper. Note: If you want dyed pasta shapes, follow the same directions for making dyed pasta necklaces.
5. If desired, add grass or dirt to the bottom of the paper. Mia chose to draw these with markers but you could also use yarn for grass or cut some fringe on green construction paper and glue it to your paper.
6. Once the glue is dry, you can display your butterfly garden collage.

Earth Day Flower Crafts

I came up with this recycled craft in honor of Earth Day.

Materials:

• newspaper
• scissors
• watercolor paints
• paintbrush
• construction paper 
• pencil
• buttons (optional)
• decorative scissors (optional)
• lids, cups, bowls, plates, etc. for tracing
• drinking straws, pipe cleaners, or yarn (optional)

Directions:

1. Trace various sized circles onto newspaper. (I used lids and plastic containers from the recycling bin for this, but you could also use cups, bowls, or plates.)
2. Fill in circles with watercolor paints. 
3. Allow to dry and then cut out circles using scissors or decorative scissors. I used some with scalloped and zigzag edges, for example.
4. Layer and arrange circles as desired to form flowers. When you're happy with the arrangement, glue flowers onto construction paper.
5. Add extra decorative touches to the flowers if desired. I used buttons for the flower's centers, but you could also make stems using straws, pipe cleaners, or yarn.

   

   {Mia, age 4, put her own spin on this craft. After cutting out her circles, she pinched them into flowers and added pipe cleaner stems like we had done when we made coffee filter carnations.}

Pasta Petals Project

{Pasta Petals by Mia, Age 4}

While cleaning out the pantry, I came across some expired pasta -- really, really expired. Mia wanted to do a craft so I decided they could be made into flowers (although my husband said they look like pinwheels). Problem solved. I won't feel guilty about wasting food. And I don't have to serve pasta that has apparently been in our house longer than Mia!

Materials:

• paper (or cardboard)
• glue 
• pasta
• scissors
• drinking straws
• buttons

Directions:

1. Decide on the arrangement for your flowers.
2. Glue buttons onto construction paper be the centers of the flowers. You could also use cardboard if you want something sturdier.
3. Arrange pasta around the buttons and glue down to form the petals. We used Kroger Rainbow Salad Twirls, but most any pasta would work. We liked that there were three different colors already, but you can paint or dye plain pasta if desired.
4. Cut drinking straws to desired length and glue onto paper to form stems for the flowers.
5. Once the glue is dry, display your artwork.

Coffee Filter Carnations

This craft was inspired by a coffee filter flower that Mia made in preschool. Hers was painted with watercolor paints, which you could also do, but I thought this was a quick and simple alternative. Another option is to color the coffee filters with washable markers and then spray them with water. If you didn't want to mess around with coloring or painting, you could also just cut out circles of colored tissue paper to make these flowers. Thanks to Sue for adding that this is a great way to use up your extra dye after coloring Easter eggs!

Materials:

• glass of water
• food coloring
• coffee filters
• green pipe cleaners
• newspaper (optional)

Directions:

1. Add a few drops of food coloring of your choice to a glass of water.
2. Fold a coffee filter into quarters and dip the pointed end into the glass of water. Allow the color to seep all the way up, unfold the coffee filter, and then set it aside to dry. (I sometimes do this on newspaper, but I've also found that a wire baking rack works nicely because the coffee filter won't stick to it.)
3. Take the dry coffee filter, pinch it in the center, and twist it tightly so that the twisted portion is about 1/2 to 1 inch long.
4. While holding the twisted part of the coffee filter in one hand, wrap the end of a green pipe cleaner around it until it is covered (about 4-6 times.) Kids may need help with this part.
5.  Make several flowers and display them in a vase or give them away as Easter or Mother's Day gifts.

April Showers Bring May Flowers Sun Catchers

I've been on a sun catcher kick lately so these umbrella and flower sun catchers were the perfect craft for this dreary day. Mia enjoyed them too, and she asked if we could make some more. Their bright colors look cheerful in the window even if there isn't any sun, so she may have the right idea! It seems like spring is never going to arrive...

{Sun Catchers by Mia, Age 4}

Materials:

• construction paper (any color)
• scissors
• clear contact paper
• tissue paper (any color)
• pencil 
• clear tape
• paper trimmer (optional)
• hole punch (optional)
• yarn, string, ribbon, etc. for hanging (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut tissue paper into small squares. Older kids can do this themselves. We used approximately 1/2 inch squares, but you could make yours bigger. 
2. Fold a piece of construction paper in half like a hamburger (or use two pieces of construction paper if you would like to make a larger sun catcher).
3. Draw a flower or umbrella shape (or trace around a cookie cutter or a picture from the Internet) onto one half (or one piece) of the paper, and cut out the flower or umbrella shape. Do not draw your design too close to the edges of the paper. Cut paper in half along the fold. You should now have two pieces of paper with identical fish cut-outs.  Tip: If you are using two pieces of paper, you will need to make sure they stay together so that you get identical flowers or umbrellas.
4. Cut two pieces of clear contact paper (I used both a paper trimmer and scissors for this.) so that they are 1/4 inch larger than the construction paper all the way around. Tip: Do not remove backing from contact paper until you are ready to use it.
5. Adhere one piece of paper to the clear contact paper so that there is a border of 1/4 inch all around the paper. Tip: Slowly peel the contact paper away from the backing as you smooth the construction paper down onto the contact paper. This way you don't end up with "bubbles."
6. Have your child stick tissue paper squares onto the contact paper flower or umbrella shape until it is filled. (Mia chose pink and purple for the flower petals and green for the leaves and stem, and she decided that the umbrella should have rainbow colors. She came up with her own technique for filling in smaller spaces like the umbrella handle: crumple the tissue paper into balls. This makes it a bit bulkier, but it still works, and it gives it some visual interest.)
7. Layer the second piece of construction paper on top of the first, making sure that the flower or umbrella shapes line up.
8. Add the second piece of contact paper over the top, smoothing it down as you go. Trim away excess if desired, but don't trim too much or the sun catcher will not stay together. 
9. You can display your sun catcher in a window using clear tape. Another option is to use a hole punch to make two holes near the top, thread some ribbon or yarn through the holes, tie it off, and then hang your sun catcher.

Hand Print/Foot Print Flower Painting

{Flower by Mia, Age 3}

We've seen the first few flowers of spring poking through the ground and it made me think of a spring flower painting Mia and I did last year around this time. With adult help, this craft would work for practically any age. It's easy to do, but can get a bit messy if you're not prepared to clean up as you go.

Materials:

• paper (We used pink.)
• green paint
• another color of paint 
• paint brush (foam worked well)
• newspaper to protect work surface (optional)
• paper towels, wash cloths, baby wipes, etc.

Directions:

1. Cover child's hand with paint and press onto the center of the top part of the paper. Clean off child's hand.
2. Cover bottom of child's left foot with green paint and press onto the paper underneath and to the left of the hand print flower. (We found that doing this on the floor and having the child stand on the paper was easiest.) Clean off child's foot.
3. Repeat step 2 with the right foot. 
4. Using a paint brush, add a green stem to connect the flower with the leaves.
5. Once the paint is dry, display your flower craft.

Note: We used acrylic paint, which dries fast but stains clothing, so be sure to cover clothing or wear some you don't care about ruining if using acrylic paints.