Craftiments

Two Color Celery Experiment

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:40:00 +0000

When I found out Juju was learning about plants in Kindergarten, I decided we would perform a little experiment that I remember from my childhood. It's an oldie, but a goodie that demonstrates how plants move water from roots to leaves.

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Hanging Window Bud Vases

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:42:00 +0000

Are you like me and hang onto bottles of unusual shapes and colors, hoping to find a use for them someday?

Years ago an aesthetician persuaded me to buy some skin serum after a facial. It came in little, brown ground-glass bottles that reminded me of something you would find in an old apothecary shop. And very much like the apothecary treatments of days gone by, the serum was useless and a complete waste of money. But I liked the bottles and hid them away. Yesterday I found them again and managed to turn lemons into lemonade be creating this charming pair of hanging bud vases.

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A Little Earth Day Sewing - Scalloped Hem Gauchos

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:34:00 +0000

This past weekend I spent a few hours recycling old clothes into fun spring gauchos for the girls.

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Paper Doily Decoupaged Bottles - Tutorial Added!

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 04:08:00 +0000

I've updated my Paper Doily Decoupaged Bottle post with a tutorial! Learn how to turn bottles and jars destined for the trash into gorgeous vases using paper doilies and a little white glue.

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Refashion Jeans into Side-Tie Shorts Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:07:00 +0000

I am slowly sorting through my girls' winter clothes. Miss Juju had a pair of jeans that were quickly becoming flood pants and my plan was to turn them into cut-offs for the summer. I measured and prepared to cut, then stopped to examine the extra denim that would soon be tossed in the trash. I didn't want to be wasteful and challenged myself to incorporate the extra fabric to add a little pizzazz to an otherwise boring pair of shorts. I decided that side-ties would be a cute addition to the bow pockets on this particular pair of jeans.

Want to refashion your own pair?

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Glow-in-the-Dark Jellyfish Craft

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 22:27:00 +0000

My girls have been fascinated with jellyfish since seeing hundreds of them washed up onto New Smyrna Beach last summer. Together we crafted a sting-free variety out of paper bowls, yarn and glow-in-the-dark acrylic paint. Would you like to learn how?

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Announcing Summer Fun Camp 2013!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:26:00 +0000

I have an exciting announcement. . . Kirsten from One Tough Mother is hosting an online summer camp and I am thrilled that she has invited me to be a camp counselor!

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Maple Snow, or as I call it.... a REAL snow cone

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 01:04:00 +0000

On Friday night, Miss Juju and I had a mommy-daughter date. We ate at a nice restaurant, then went to Disney on Ice with her Girl Scout troop. As soon as we walked into the arena, Juju raced to a table displaying rows and rows of rainbow snow cones. I groaned as I imagined the smorgasbord of artificial flavors and colors, and the stains on her shirt from the inevitable drips. Thinking quickly I said, "It's supposed to snow on Sunday. I will make a REAL snow cone for you and it will taste a hundred times better than these!"

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Kaleidoscope of Butterflies Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Do you know what a large group of butterflies is called?

Entomologists call them a swarm or a lek. They are also know as a flight, a rabble, or a kaleidoscope. I love the imagery evoked by a kaleidoscope of butterflies and think it is a very fitting name for my favorite spring wreath.

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Birds and Bunnies Spring Mantel

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 11:00:00 +0000

In recent days I have seen Robins pulling plump earthworms out of the ground, cottontail rabbits joyfully jumping straight up in the air, and the irises and crocuses blooming..... I knew it was time to redecorate the mantel for spring!

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Pi Day Necklace Craft For Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 22:56:00 +0000

Happy Pi Day! Miss Juju and I crafted this geeky π necklace to commemorate the day. I've seen similar necklaces and bracelets made by older kids in their math classes and thought it could be fun and educational for a Kindergartener too. Would you like to learn how to make one with your child?

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Easy and Frugal Easter Egg Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 17:57:00 +0000

Today I want to share a quick and thrifty Easter decor idea. This Easter egg tree cost about $4 and only took half an hour to make, including the time I spent outside collecting branches.

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Easter Egg Ornaments Displayed in a Milk Glass Bowl

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:24:00 +0000

I've begun to decorate for spring and Easter and want to give you a quick peek. My mom found these gorgeous glass egg ornaments in the floral department of the grocery store of all places. I removed the ribbons and arranged them in a milk glass pedestal bowl. The eggs have an iridescent luster that reminds me of carnival glass. I love how they shimmer in the sunlight!

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Spring Has Sprung in my Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:39:00 +0000

These are the gorgeous blooms of Iris reticulata, also known as Dwarf Iris and Species Iris. They only grow 5- 6 inches tall and flower in late winter or early spring. When these little sweeties bloom, I know spring is just around the corner!

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Rainbow Peasant Dress with a Bubble Ruffle

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 01:49:00 +0000

Last week I blogged about the rainbow dress that I made for my older daughter. I had about half a yard of fabric left over, and not wanting to leave Miss Imp out of the rainbow fun, I made a coordinating dress for her to wear on St. Patrick's Day.

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Without the Rain, There Would Be No Rainbow Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:53:00 +0000

I have the attention span of a three year old. I tried to sew a few pairs of pants for Miss Imp this past weekend, but this bright and cheery rainbow fabric had other plans for me. I unearthed it while digging through my tote of fabric and all the while I was cutting out pattern pieces, it kept whispering "hey you, make me into something...... come on, you know you want to...... don't worry about those silly pants, you can work on them another day....it will be soooo much fun...." And that is how Miss JuJu ended up with this happy rainbow jumper dress. It is perfect for St. Patrick's Day and I have just enough fabric leftover to make a matching skirt for Miss Imp.

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Looking Forward to Spring - Forcing Miniature Daffodil Bulbs

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 23:15:00 +0000

In anticipation of spring, I planted miniature daffodil bulbs in milk glass to force indoors. I have forced paperwhites in the past, but as you may know, their musky aroma can be a wee bit pungent. I recently learned that miniature daffodils (Narcissus canaliculatus) can be forced just like paperwhites. I have them growing in my yard and let me tell you, their fragrance is wonderfully sweet. I can't wait for my living room to be filled with the heavenly scent of their diminutive blooms. Another plus, these little cuties only grow 4 - 6 inches tall, so there is no need to stake them.

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Craftiments Google+ Page

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 21:12:00 +0000

Craftiments has a new Google+ Page and I would love for you to follow me! Just click the badge below.

If you are currently following my personal profile on Google+, please switch to the new page. I am no longer posting on my personal profile. Thank you!

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Printable Chemistry Valentines + Some Chemistry Love Puns

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:16:00 +0000

This past weekend I thought it would be fun to make some geeky chemistry valentines. I did an internet search for chemistry love puns and quickly realized that there isn't much out there. I grabbed an old chemistry book and started flipping through for inspiration. It didn't take long to write a sizable list of puns. I chose four to make into valentines. Don't worry, for those who don't speak chemistry I have included a translation.

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Miniature Mardi Gras Float from a Shoebox

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 03:44:00 +0000

I recently learned about a charming kids' Mardi Gras tradition that began in New Orleans many years ago. During the carnival season, children create miniature parade floats from shoeboxes and enter them into local shoebox float competitions. I could not wait to make one with my kids!

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Chinese New Year Snake Craft

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 03:34:00 +0000

The Year of the Snake begins next weekend. In celebration of Chinese New Year, the girls and I made paper snakes. We repurposed an empty paper towel tube to make the heads and fashioned the bodies out of folded paper garlands. Would you like to learn how?

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Flickering Paper Lanterns on a Stick - Repost

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 14:54:00 +0000

With Chinese New Year coming up on Sunday, February 10th, I thought it would be a great time to repost the fun paper lanterns that I made for the girls this past summer. Check out Flickering Paper Lanterns on a Stick for the tutorial.

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Valentine Themed Regrouping Manipulatives

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 19:31:00 +0000

I knew that the "algorithm" for addition with regrouping (or carrying as I was taught) would be a cinch to teach my daughter. However, I wanted her to really understand why it works and realized that incorporating manipulatives into the lesson would be the best way to explain it to her. With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought using conversation heart candies and marshmallow hearts would be fun way to do it.

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I've Flipped Over You! Dolphin Valentines

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 03:33:00 +0000

My Kindergartener loves dolphins and wants to be a dolphin rescuer when she grows up. And an astronaut. And a teacher. All at the same time. You have to admire her ambition! So at the future dolphin rescuer/astronaut/teacher's request, I created these cute dolphin valentines to hand out at her classroom party.

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Icy Epsom Salt Luminaries

noreply@blogger.com (Kirstin) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 22:17:00 +0000

After making my No-Glue Epsom Salt Luminary, I wanted to experiment with growing larger salt crystals. The problem was that surface tension causes the salt solution to bead up on the glass. Fortunately the answer was sitting right next to my kitchen sink. A squirt of dish soap is all that is needed to break the surface tension and allow the crystals to spread. Just a few tweaks to the original method and I was able to create these beautiful "icy" luminaries!

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