The Mom I Want to Be

• Craft paper
• Scissors
• Pencil
• 3 1/2-inch cardboard square
• Glue

Step 1: Start with 3 x 2-inch strips of craft paper. Make logs by wrapping each one around a pencil, taping down the open edge and sliding the cylinder off the pencil. Create 24 3-inch logs: 17 to use as is and seven to trim into shorter lengths as called for.

Step 2: Begin to assemble the cabin on top of the cardboard square. Glue 3-inch logs along three edges of the square, staggering the log ends. On the fourth side, create a front door opening by gluing a 1-inch log and a 3/4-inch log to either corner. Glue on two more rows of logs, alternating the shorter lengths on the sides of the door.

Step 3: Add another two rows of 3-inch logs all around. For the last four rows, build onto the front and back only, using progressively shorter logs. Taper the ends to create an A-shaped roofline.

Step 4: For a roof, fold a 3 1/2 by 5 inch paper rectangle in half and glue it in place atop the cabin.

Step 5: To make a chimney, loosely roll up a 5-inch paper square and glue down the open edge. Then, glue the cylinder to the rear of the cabin.

Folk art and in particular the art of making craft objects using salt dough has become a very popular hobby in recent years. To get started requires only the minimum of equipment and materials most of which will already be in your kitchen.

These include:

A bowl to mix your dough
A rolling pin for producing smooth sheets of dough
A grater for making decorative imprints on your dough
A garlic press for making strands for hair and foliage
Small pointed knife for cutting and indenting details
An assortment of pastry cutters and molds for decorative shapes found at any kitchenware outlet.

To make your salt dough I have found the following recipe to be a good all round recipe for most projects.

2 Cups of Plain Flour (net self-raising)
1 cup Fine grained plain salt
1/2 cup water at room temperature

Mix the salt and flour in a large bowl and then add the water. Knead the mixture for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Cover with cling wrap to stop the dough drying out and let the dough sit for 30 minutes before using.

Two other recipes that I often use, depending on the project I am working on, include a:

Fine dough for filigree work

2 Cups flour
1 cup salt
100g cornstarch
1/2 cup water

And a Firm Dough for making tiles and plates

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
2 tablespoons wallpaper paste
1/2 cup water

Make these recipes up the same way as the basic recipe.

Fresh dough is best for modeling. However, if you find you have any leftover dough it can be wrapped in cling wrap or an airtight container and stored in a cool place for a few days.
To improve the elasticity of the dough add dry wallpaper paste to the basic mixture.
The addition of 1-2 teaspoons of vegetable oil improves suppleness of the dough and make it easier to work with.

Different coloured dough’s can be made using…

– Food colouring (red, green, blue, or yellow). Two or more food colours can be combined to make different colours and shades or for a marbled dough effect.
– Add spices that act as natural dyes e.g. cinnamon, curry powder, saffron or paprika.
– Add cocoa powder or instant coffee for different hues of brown.
– Wearing protective gloves add a little paint to the mixture then knead the dough until the paint is uniformly distributed through the mix.

The dough is now ready to use and the next step is to shape your project. For flat or rolled projects it is best to roll out the dough straight onto a baking sheet then it can be put straight into the oven. Models or larger pieces can be assembled on a piece of hardboard that has been oiled with vegetable oil to prevent it sticking to the board. When finished and happy with your results you have a choice of Air Drying or baking your project in the oven. Ensuring your projects are correctly dried ensures they will last a long time so it is important that this is not hurried.

Air drying is suitable for flat, small pieces or for colored pieces where baking will alter the color of the finished project.

Oven drying is the most popular method and requires careful attention to accurate temperature control to avoid burning. Bake for approx 2 hours using a low temperature setting 50-70C for the first half hour then increase temperature slowly to 90-100C and cook until the piece is uniform in colour. While baking if any air bubbles appear pierce the bubbles with a pin and gently depress the dough. If the dough starts to darken before cooking is complete, cover with a piece of aluminum foil. The dough is cooked when it hard and sounds hollow when tapped. Turn the oven off and leave in oven until cool. Any burns can be sandpapered off with fine- medium grade sandpaper. An Emery board or small file can be used for delicate or intricate sanding on objects.

Your finished projects can be left unpainted but they must be sealed on all sides with varnish, gloss or matt for protection otherwise they will not last long when exposed to air. When thoroughly dry sand any imperfections. At this stage you can paint your projects then seal with a final coat of varnish. Brightly colored pieces will look more vibrant painted with a glossy finish and neutral muted colors are suited to a matt finish. Using a polyurethane varnish on food colored models instead of water-based varnish helps to intensify the color.

uncoated paper plate
markers
yarn for hair
scissors
white glue
small pink balloon

Use the markers to draw a face on the paper plate. Cut bits of yarn to glue around the face for hair. Poke a small hole through the center of the mouth. Slip the end of the pink balloon through the hole in the front of the plate, so that the end of the balloon is behind the plate face. To make your face puppet blow a bubble, just blow on the end of the balloon. If a younger child is doing this project, just inflate the balloon slightly, knot the end, and slip it through the hole so the face looks like it is blowing a bubble.

For younger children, this would make a great Letter B activity.

Here it has been added to a How To… Informational Writing.  So cute!

 

With this project, kids blow an egg, and then turn it into a flying wonder. All you need is a raw egg, paint, craft supplies, and fishing line for hanging the egg. The best part? This blown-egg creature will keep indefinitely.

Eggs
Newsprint
Egg dye
Paper towels
Birthday candles or crayons
Red and black acrylic or tempera paint
Brushes
White tissue
Glue

Blow the Egg: Wash and dry the raw egg. Cover your table with newsprint and set out bowls, pushpins, and paper towels. Shake the egg to break the yolk. Next, pierce the top and bottom with a pushpin, making the hole on the wider end a bit larger. Position the egg over the bowl and blow through the small hole, allowing the inside of the egg to seep into the bowl. Set the empty egg, with the large hole down, in an egg carton to dry. Be sure children wash their hands after handling raw egg. Degg-orate the Egg: Let the kids paint half of the egg, stand it atop a bottle cap to dry (use a hair dryer to speed things up), then paint the other half. Centering the face on either hole, paint on features with contrasting colors. Paint your bee bright yellow, then paint on a red smile, black eyes, and black stripes. Glue on white tissue paper wings. Take Flight: Tape a long length of fishing line to the end of an unfolded paper clip. Starting at the small hole, thread the line through the decorated egg and out the large hole. To keep your flying critter upright, tape the fishing line just above the hole in the critter’s back. Hang it from the ceiling or an egg tree.

Polymer Clay:  Colors as desired

Colored Wire:  20-gauge Metallic

Beads & Buttons:  Assorted

Place the clay between two pieces of waxed paper and flatten with a rolling pin.   Fold and stack the clay. Press down gently to remove air pockets.  Cut out 3^-inch squares or 4-inch circles using a crafts knife.  Snip off shanks of buttons. Bend small pieces of  gold wire into shapes. Press buttons, wire, and beads into clay. Bake according to the manufacturer’s directions.  If desired, brush the coaster surface with glaze for protection.

2 Cups Baking Soda (1 box)

1 Cup Cornstarch

1 1/2 Cups Water

Color (we added a bit of tempura paint until we received the color we  desired)

Scents (optional): We added Orange Oil giving the dough a nice aroma

Preheat the oven to 350. Place salt (table salt/sea salt) into a small bowl. Add drop of food coloring and mix with the salt. Spread mixture onto a baking sheet in one layer. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Let cool, then transfer into a storage container for use.

A creative and pretty way to practice letters & numbers. Things you need – Gallon size Ziploc bag, glitter (optional), food coloring, hair gel (dollar store).