Douglas is actually one of our kits that you can get at our Two Kids Cooking & More Shop, BUT, today we’re gonna share our pattern so our more industrious, saw-using crafter fans can make their own.

Here’s the supplies you’ll need to make your version of Douglas the Dragon Fly:

-2 feet of wire
- Ten 1/2 inch nails
- One, 1 inch foam brush
- Acrylic Paints
- A 15” x 9” piece of 3/8” plywood
- Sandpaper
-A 19” x 12” piece of ¼” plywood
- Douglas Dragonfly Pattern
- Polyurethane Spray

Here’s the step-by-step, how-to:

1. First trace your pattern on to your wood. 
Note that each square equals 1 inch, but you can make your dragon fly whatever size you want.  Ours is about 13” x 19” when finished.  The downloadable pattern is scaled to the right size (approximately), but if you want to decrease or increase it, you can.  We also use two different thickness of plywood, 3/8 and 1/4 inch, but again, if you want to make it thicker, you certainly can.

2. Next, cut your pattern out on a jigsaw.
This is for adults or older kids with supervision—don’t forget safety goggles!  Alex is allowed to use electric saws (jig, table, circular) at Grandma’s house (and his dad’s and mine) with supervision.  He has taken wood shop in school, his dad is a carpenter and Grandma is an avid woodworker, so he has been ‘trained’.  Soph hasn’t ventured to using saws yet at 10 years old, maybe in a couple years.

3. Drill holes in your top wings.
Once your pieces are cut out, drill two holes on the top wing about 3 inches from the center. These are for the wire hanger.  Again, older kids that use tools can help with this; otherwise it’s an adult Job.

4. Sand it smooth.
Next, it’s time to sand them smooth. Even younger kids can help with this step.

5. Attach the wings.
When the sanding is finished, attach the wings to the body of the dragon fly as shown.  If you are using glue, add the glue to the center area of the wings. Place the body of the dragonfly on the wings. Nail each wing to the body with 8 of the ½ inch nails. Four nails per wing, two per side. An adult may want to start the nails for the kids to make it easier for them to hammer in.

6. Paint!
Use your creativity and paint your dragonfly. Make sure to rinse your brush between colors! Let your dragonfly dry before moving on to the next step.

7. Add Hanger.
Add the wire hanger by sticking about 3 inches through the holes in each of the wings.  Twist it together with pliers, or with your hand.

8. Protect
If you are going to hang Douglas the Dragonfly outside, make sure to spray him with 3 coats of polyurethane spray to protect him from the wind and rain!

You can download the pattern for Douglas the Dragon fly OR order a ready-to-make kit from our shop!

Happy Family Crafting Everyone!

Yeah it’s another fairy recipe…it’s been fairy week if you’ve noticed   This time it’s FIZZ made with fairy dust.  It’s actually kind of ‘Mad Kitchen Science-y’ but we’re pretending it’s magic!

It took us a bit to perfect this recipe.  We started with this recipe from Science on the Shelves, but it was much too baking soda tasting.  We added powdered sugar until it tasted perfect and still added some fizz.  For ours we made a blueberry and basil syrup to add to the fairy dust along with some water, but you could use any sort of syrup really.  BUT, fairy’s like berry’s (at least according to the internet–and everything on the internet is true, right?! ;D)  Anyway, the recipe is really simple.  Younger kids can help with measuring, pouring and stirring, and you can get the older kids in on the stirring over heat for the syrup.  The fairy dust is just measuring and mixing, so even younger kids can help.

Happy Magical Fairy Time!

P.S. Do you have any fairy recipes or crafts?

So, we’ve been in sort of a Fairy mood lately, which you might have gathered from our recent fairy-themed recipe–Fairy’s Delight: Cranberry Poached Pears.  This magical craft was actually inspired by a walk when we were dog-sitting my brother and his wife’s dog, Buzz.  As we walked past the little mini-park near our house, Sophie found a branch that had fallen from a tree.  She picked it up and informed me we were keeping it because she had some ideas for it.  She get’s this knack for collecting things like tree branches, rocks and leaves from her Grandma Sue. I know that Grandma has a least a few pieces of tree that she’s had for many years.  Eventually she does make cool things with these little treasures that some would just discard and Sophia does, too.

With the branches however, I was also inspired.  I asked Soph if she could spare a branch or two for a Fairy wand, and she said, ‘Yes! Can I make one, too?’  So that night we got to work, here’s how me made our very own, sparkly fairy wands.

What you need:

• A stick, any thing you find outside is fine. Just make sure you can hold it in your hand, you don’t want it to be, too large.
• Scraps of ribbon
• Scraps of fabric
• Silk flowers and leaves
• beads and thread
• glitter
• pipe cleaner
• any scraps of cool stuff you might want to use.

Step 1 – Prep Your Stick:
Before you decorate it, you’ll want to cut your stick to size and snip (or keep) as many smaller branches as you’d like.  Soph left more branches on and I just kept a couple shorter ones on mine. It’s really up to you.

Step 2 – Wrap Your Stick:
You do not have to wrap your stick.  I wrapped mine all the way up with a flower wire and Soph wrapped parts of hers with ribbons.  For me, the ribbon was a base and I recommend doing it first.  You could use ribbon, which you’d have to secure the ends with glue, or something with wire in it that holds without glue.

Step 3 – Add flourishes:
Once you’ve got the main body of your wand covered, it’s time to add flourishes like flowers, bows and beads.  Sophia added feathers, flowers, beads and flowing ribbons to hers.  I added a few simple bows and some strings of beads to each tip of mine.  You can get as elaborate or simple as you want–it’s your fairy wand so it should reflect your personality.

Step 4 – Make it Sparkle:
This step is also optional, but since we love glitter and sparkle, Soph and I both added glitter to our wands.  First we squeezed on some hot glue and then sprinkled on some clear glitter.  You could use plain old white glue as well, it would just take a bit longer to dry.  I ended up using more glitter thank Soph, but we both added a bit to make ‘em sparkle.

Here are some pics of the wands we made…it was hard for me to photograph the full Fairy wands, but these photos give you an idea of just how cool they are:

Sophia had a friend over the night after we made them and after seeing ‘em, she wanted to make one, too. Unfortunately I didn’t get a pic, but she did her’s with a fall theme, lots of silk leaves and fall colored ribbon.  Even Alex got in on the action, making more of a Harry Potter style wand wrapped with twine, but still a wand–he wouldn’t let me take a picture and I’m sure would never admit to it, but Soph and I witnessed it ;D

It was a lot of fun to design our own wands and we have them as a spring centerpiece on our table right now.  Next time you’re out for a walk and see a stray stick in the grass, pick it, bring it home and get your fairy on–when you do, let us know, we’d love to see you’re fairy wand design!

Happy Fairy Crafting!

When I was browsing on Facebook, one of the awesome crafters I follow had posted a fairy craft.  It was Tinkerbell made from a clothes pin from one of our favorite crafters RedTedArt. I was super cute and got me wanting to imagine some Fairy recipes…what do fairies like to eat? Well, I did some research online and apparently, fairies are in to natural foods and enjoy things on the sweeter side. Honey, berries, pixie pears and mallow fruit.  I’m not real sure what mallow fruit is, but I do know what pears, honey and berries are, so I thought Poached Pears would be perfect.

Soph is not a fan of honey, so when we did our recipe testing, we stuck to sugar.  You could substitute honey for the sugar if you want to be more fairy-ish.  As far as the age of kids to help make this, younger kids can help pouring ingredients in, and older kids can help with peeling and stirring over the heat.  Kids of all ages will enjoy the eating part though!

We hope you enjoy our fairy inspired recipe

Happy Fairy Cooking Everyone!

Mother’s day is tomorrow.  If your still in need of something special to show mom how much you care, or, even if you have a gift, and want to just add another fun something for Mom this is one quick and easy idea for you.  All you need to make a personalized flower pot for mom is a container big enough for a plant and some paints.  Then, if you want to add a plant, you’ll need a plant, some rocks and some soil.

Here’s how we made ours:

1) Pick and Paint Your Container -
The first step is to decorate your container. We have lots of clay flower pots from herb planting previous years, so we cleaned up one of those and the Soph went to work painting.  Now, you can use any kind of wide mouth container you want, you just have to select a plant that’s appropriate.

Some things that might work as your container are:

• wide mouth canning jar
• cleaned up wide mouth salsa jar
• an old, plain soup bowl
• a large old coffee cup

Be creative in your container selection, lots of non-flower pot things can be decorated and made into pretty cute flower pots.

2) Pick Your Plant
If you want to add a plant to your container, you’ll have to go to the store.  Maybe take mom with to pick the plant out, or you could have another adult go with you to the store and pick one for her.

3) Plant you Plant
Once you’ve picked out the perfect plant, it’s time to get it in your decorated container:

-First, add some rocks to the bottom of your container.  This is to stop soil from getting out the drainage hole in the bottom of flower pots. But, if you used a ‘hole-less’ container, it will also help with drainage in the soil of your plant. Extra water will flow through the dirt into the rocks so the plant doesn’t get too wet, but can draw on the extra water in the rocks later–almost like a self-watering pot.

-Next, fill your pot with soil.  You can use a potting soil from the store, or take it from outside.  Potting soil is best because it’s lighter and absorbs water best. We used some dirt from one of our herb posts from last year, which is a combination of potting soil and compost.

-Once your pot is full of soil, dig a spot in the middle for your plant with your hands.

-When your hole is ready, plop in your plant and fill the edges with more soil.

That is it…quick and easy.  Plus, if you want, you can even have mom help…I love doing stuff with my kiddies on Mother’s Day. It reminds me that I am the luckiest Mom in the world!

Happy Mother’s Day Everyone!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Your parents are very different from other parents and they are often world’s apart from you. While you may revel in the thoughtfulness of personalized towels, your mom … she’s been there and done that. She’s over it and would like something that fits her lifestyle. Not yours and not your dad’s. Hers.

Get the feeling you’ve exhausted the random owl knick knack or meaningful birthstone necklace idea? This year and for every year to come, take a look at your matriarch in a new and entirely different light.

It Gets Better With Age

When you were growing up, it was all casseroles and crock pots. Have you noticed lately that your mother has refined her palate a bit and turns to bagels and lox for breakfast instead of biscuits and gravy? She chooses tuna tartar as an appetizer in lieu of potato skins.

Show her you’ve noticed her shift to gourmet and order her a cheese of the month club from New York City’s Murray’s cheese shop. Or, subscribe her to Bon Appetit magazine and ship her one of the wine gift baskets by FTD. This will certainly remind her that things get better with age. And that you are certainly the most thoughtful of the children.

Full Steam Ahead

Taking charge of the treadmill — that’s what this mom is all about. She knows the importance of keeping healthy and in shape and will stop at nothing to keep moving. Bye-bye Ms. Fonda, there are new systems in town to get her booty shakin’. Whether you get her the newest pair of Adidas ClimaCool Seduction running shoes, a stainless steel water bottle that is BPA-free and recyclable or the Nutribullet for all of her juicing pleasures, just noticing that she’s taking charge of her body (and future) will put an extra skip in her step.

A very important note: If she does not workout, do not by any means get her anything fitness.

The Adventurer

A life experience can outweigh any tangible gift for the mom that loves adventure. Bucket lists are very popular as the aging want to live life to its fullest. Take your mom on a hot air balloon ride. Journey together on a weekend getaway for the luxury spa treatment in the mysterious red rocks of Sedona, Arizona. Or, get her surfing lessons — if that’s something she wants to do. Take the old adage, "Calgon, take me away," to a different level.

The Thinking Woman

Notice that your mom is going through books faster than ever? While she might enjoy her trips to the library, the perfect gift for the reader is a Kindle (and a super soft blanket). She might say to you, "But I like the feel of the actual book in my hands. I like to turn the pages," but this feeling will pass.

Any book lover will appreciate having access to almost any book at any time. And there are always stores and libraries to visit from time to time that can give the vintage feel of reading a real book. If you decide on an electric reading device of any kind, be sure to make yourself available for instruction.

Happy Mother’s Day!

by guest author Lauren Rose
SocialMonsters.org

So, you all know that Minnesota is the land of 10,000 Lakes.  I’m pretty sure that isn’t an exact count, but I can tell you that a state with that many lakes likes its fishing.  I like fishing, especially in boats, but since we don’t have a boat, I do try and take the kids shore fishing each summer.  The kids and I haven’t been fishing for a couple of years, even though I like it–but the kids get plenty of fishing in with their Dad. He has a boat and a cabin, so they get some relaxing time in as well.

This fishing opener this year starts on May 11, 2013–yes, the day before Mother’s Day. Sophia also has the luck of being born on May 15, so many times her birthday falls on fishing opener.  She was actually in a boat at one week old…yeah, fishing opener This year, they aren’t going fishing on the opener, but maybe for Mother’s day we’ll fry some fish together.

 Here’s an easy recipe that’s great for making with the kids.  You just measure and pour the ingredients into a large plastic bag, add your fish, shake, remove, and fry! Even toddlers can help shake the fish around in the bag.  The dill sauce is a perfect match for the fish and again, perfect for the kids to help whip up.  We hope you enjoy the recipes.

Do you have a favorite fish recipe? Share it with us!

Happy Fishing Opener!

Lately, I’ve been on a salad kick. Mostly because I’m trying to eat low-carb thing and leafy greens are a great carb for that sort of diet.  Plus, I love salads

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, one thing Alex, Soph and I like to do for Mother’s Day is whip up something tasty in the kitchen that I, the Mom, like. This means that usually, Sophia and Alex will NOT like it.  As Alex get’s older, though, he’s starting to eat more variety in his food, so I hope Soph goes that way, too.

Although neither one of them are big on salads, they will eat the dressings as ‘dips’ for other food items.  Two of these dressings they love, the third, is just for me –They’re easy to make and great to have as go-to’s for salads, dips or marinades.

Each of the recipes involves lots of measuring, pouring and stirring, so they’re great for kids as young as 4 or 5 to help with. All three are great for veggie dips and the vinaigrette is delicious on chicken, pork and even fish.  They would be a perfect addition to any Mother’s Day meal the kids are making for Mom, or helping Mom or Dad prepare.

Do you have any special Mother’s Day recipes you make for or with Mom? Let us know what they are with a comment!

Happy Mother’s Day Everyone!

Scented linen and room sprays are heavenly to smell as you walk into a bedroom or cozy living space.  I know mom would love to open up a pretty handmade package with a personalized room scent made just for her.  I have found a few recipes for scented room and linen sprays for you.  The best part of making your own is that all the yucky and toxic chemicals are left out of the equation so everyone can enjoy and breathe easy.

Here is a linen water recipe that I found in GreenCraft:

•  Clean spray bottle (you can purchase these at craft stores and pharmacies)
• 2 1/2 Cups mineral water
• 5 ml essential oils of your choice
• 1/8 Cup vodka or rubbing alcohol (vodka is preferred because it has no additives!)

First combine the vodka and essential oil.  Next, add water and carefully pour into your spray bottle.  Using a funnel for all the pouring is easiest!

There are many recipes for room spray, as well as oil blend ideas.

Here are a few oil blend ideas:

• 10 drops Lavender essential oil
• 10 drops Clary Sage
• 10 drops Bergamot

or

• 15 drops Sandalwood
• 15 drops Bergamot
• 2 drops Rose
• 2 drops Jasmine

Use whatever blend you like or just a single note!  I love lavender all by itself.  I found these blends on SpaFromScratch.com.  After you are finished mixing and pouring, you can decorate your spray bottle with a handmade label especially for mom.

The next step in your Mother’s Day gift is wrapping it up in a beautiful gift box that you can make by recycling a shoe box, or any box that your linen spray will fit inside.  This idea was also found in GreenCraft Magazine.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your gift box:

• Acrylic inks or paints
• Adhesive: gel medium or glue sticks
• Boxes: any shape or size
• Colored pencils
• Ephemera, which is anything too fantastic to toss that you can adhere to your gift box
• Markers
• Paintbrush
• Stencils

 Technique for creating:  Create anything using leftover scraps….there is no wrong way to create your gift box!  You can paint with a brush or your fingers.  You can glue on scraps of paper or fabric, buttons, etc.  Let your imagination flow and add layers!  Make the box look lovely for mom!

Once the box is dry, put your especially-for-mom linen spray inside with some tissue paper and you are all set for the big day!  Wasn’t that fun??

Of course, if you have a little extra time, you could also make a pretty card for mom, too!  Here’s wishing you a fabulous day with mom or any special person in your life who means the world to you!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Aunt Dani

Credit to:  GreenCraft Magazine / Spring Issue 2013

GreenCraft Magazine / Summer Issue 2009

SpaFromScratch.com

Pac-Man Halloween Garland by www.minieco.co.uk
You can invite as many friends as you like or keep it simple with family.  Let’s start with some decorations, shall we?  I found these adorable Pac-Man ghost garlands awhile back and I knew they would show up at a fun party!  They are easy to make and you can make the ghosts in any color.

You should definitely save these cute little ghost-men after the monster bash is over.  They might look good hanging up in your room!

Frozen Boo-Nana Pops from www.SkinnyTaste.com
You’ll need to keep your energy up during the festivities; why not make these adorable ghost banana pops!  They are super-cute and healthy, too.  What’s not to love?

You can make these in advance to serve all of your friend-monsters!

Tattle Monster by GigglesGalore.net
After your snack-attack, it’s time for another nifty monster craft.  A tattle monster!  Of course, you can call it any kind of creature you want.  This is such a great project because of all the ways you can decorate it….paint, stickers, colored paper pieces, googly eyes, pipe cleaners for antennae….go crazy with your imaginations!

Your tattle monster can hang out on a shelf in the house and add a little silliness to your life!

Monster Cookies from TheDecoratedCookie.com
Now for the grand finale of monster fun…..monster cookies!  It is such fun to decorate cookies and it’s an activity that everyone can do.  It is a good idea to have the “blank slate” cookies prepared in advance so you and your guests can get to the fun stuff right away.

Make sure to have plenty of sprinkles, frosting, chocolate chips, etc. on hand so a wide variety of monster cookies can be created.  Everyone can leave with a little party bag of cookies to take home and share!

 There are plenty of other ideas to add to a monster-themed party; here are a few suggestions if you want to get fancy:  have your guests wear silly costumes, listen to silly music that makes you laugh or your favorite CD ( music makes everything more fun!) and maybe a funny movie or cartoon that makes you giggle…..I love Sponge-Bob!  He makes me laugh all the time!  This party is all about fun and friends, so let loose and let the monster bash begin!

Happy Spring Monster Party!

Aunt Dani

I received this fabulous magazine for my birthday called GreenCraft (http://greencraftmagazine.com/).  It is filled with amazing ideas to reuse and create cool artistic stuff out of recyclable materials.  There are loads of cool projects in there; the first one that caught my eye was artful organizers.  Artful organizers are  made out of empty french fry containers!

Here is what you need along with easy directions:

Empty french fry containers (cleared of all food!)
Gesso (acrylic paint primer)
Paint brushes
colorful acrylic paints of your choice
Ribbons, lace, stamps, buttons, etc
Glue
Paper punch

NOTE: When Kelly and Sophia made this craft, they used an egg carton instead, so that’s what you’ll see in the pics–you can use lots of types of cardboard containers for this project!

1. First you will need to prime your fry container by painting it with gesso.  Allow it to dry!

2. After it is completely dry, the fun starts.  Go ahead and decorate and paint your container however you like.  You can paint it and embellish it with ribbons, beads, buttons or whatever you have available.

3. When you are finished, and after it is dry, take a paper punch and punch a hole in the back.

4. Finally, you are able to tack it to a bulletin board (if you like) and fill it with supplies!

Your artful organizer is perfect for holding pencils, pens, post-it notes, etc.  I love anything that helps me get organized and looks nifty!

The next idea that looked easy and fun to me was a lovely cuff bracelet made out of a cardboard paper towel roll.  The next time you empty a roll of paper towels, save that core for jewelry! This is a great way to personalize your style and to make gifts for others.

Here is what you will need and the directions to make this green craft:
Acrylic paint in a variety of colors
Cardboard rolls from paper towel, toilet paper or wrapping paper
Mod Podge (clear sealant you can get at craft stores)
Glitter paint (optional)
Paintbrushes
Paper punch & Scissors
colorful ribbon

1. First you’ll need to cut a section of the roll.  Cut it as big as you want it to be and cut your section lengthwise so it will fit on your wrist.

2. Paint the section with 3-5 layers of paint.  You can make it as messy or neat as you want, or striped..it doesn’t matter!  Allow each layer of paint to dry between coats.  The more layers of paint you use, the more durable your cuff will be.

3. When the front is dry, paint the backside and allow to dry.

4. Coat the front and back with mod podge, using 2 to 4 layers, allowing each layer to dry in between.

5. Let the cuff dry 24 hours (I know, waiting is no fun, but it is worth it!).

6. Use a paper punch to punch holes in each side and add a pretty ribbon through each side to tie on your wrist!

Wasn’t that a fun way to up-cycle?  Did you have any idea that you could make such awesome things with stuff from your recycling bin??  Neither did I!  And now I have a colorful organizer to brighten up my bulletin board (no more rummaging around for pens and pencils!).  I also have a beautiful cuff bracelet to show all of my friends.  I am sure they are going to want to make one, too!  Reduce, reuse, recycle….Up-cycle!!

Happy Family Up-Cycling Everyone!

Aunt Dani

*These ideas were found in GreenCraft Magazine, Autumn 2010 Issue*

Many of us like to create our own versions of health and beauty products.  We all have our own reasons; some of us want a healthier alternative or we want to save money.  I like the challenge of “DIY” products and I like to customize scents and ingredients.  With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I though making a beauty product for (or with) Mom would be a great idea. As I browsed through different websites and Pinterest, I found some items to share with you!  They are also perfect for a rainy day project (or snowstorm project, depending on where you live!).

Shampoo from HemmHandmade.Wordpress.com -
My first DIY project is shampoo.  There are so many unnecessary ingredients in the stuff you buy at the store!  Unfortunately, most of the store brand ingredients harm the environment and have harsh chemicals in them.  Why not try your very own shampoo?  Here is a good, easy recipe that is cost effective and smells great!

I found this on Pinterest and gave it a try.  You can use your own scents, too.  Instead of tea tree oil and peppermint, you might try orange and geranium oils.  Use whatever make you happy!

Lip Gloss from www.Beautylish.com -
Next on the DIY agenda: moisturizing lip gloss.  Nobody likes dry, chapped lips.  There are billions of lip glosses on the market, but most of them have yucky stuff added to them.  I discovered a lovely concoction of natural ingredients for you to try!  Here is the website– You can customize the flavor, too!

 Scented Body Oil -
Another favourite DIY project of mine is scented body oil.  These make great gifts for mom or any other special person!  Here is what you will need: a clean, empty bottle with a cover (available at craft stores)

- ¼ Cup oil such as sweet almond oil or jojoba oil
- essential oil(s) of your choice (examples: lavender, rose, sandalwood, etc.)

 All you do is fill your empty bottle with a carrier oil of your choice and then add about 10-20 drops of essential oils and mix by gently shaking the capped bottle.  Here is a mixture that I have used: ¼ Cup sweet almond oil, 10 drops orange essential oil, 5 drops bergamot essential oil, and 5 drops of lavender essential oil.  You can use whatever combination you like!  This is great natural way to smell beautiful and moisturize your body without chemicals!

NOTE: you can also make your own scented oil following our Make Your Own Lavender Oil

 There are so many great DIY projects for beauty products and stuff mom would love available; I have only mentioned a few here that I thought you might enjoy! AND, Mom aside (although she’d dig this, too) There are recipes for natural cleaning products, if you are interested in limiting your exposure to chemicals.

Whether you are surprising Mom or working to benefit your health and keep our environment pollution-free, it never hurts to try something new.

If you have any DIY recipes that you LOVE, please share them with us!

Happy Family Times!

Aunt Dani

So, when we lived in the apartment, every school day, Soph would go to before school care.  Alex’s school starts at 7:30 am and Soph’s doesn’t start until 9:00 am. Although I am super lucky to work from home when I have the kids, I still have to get to work by 8:30, and the apartment was 20 minutes from their school. This meant getting Alex to school by 7:30 am for starting and dropping Soph off early, at before school care, to ‘wait’ for school to start.  Getting up that early sucked for her, but she did enjoy her time at before school care. She had friends there and they’d do crafts from time to time.  Crafts like Finger Weaving

Yep, we got this idea from Soph’s time in before school care. All the kids loved it though–boys and girls–so we had to share it!  There are lots of things you can make with your finger weaving, from scarfs and rugs to pot holders. Today we’re gonna show you how we make pot holders with this cool yarn craft.

What you need:
Yarn, fingers, Sewing machine.

Step 1 – Tie a Loop:
To start the actual weaving portion, you need to start with a loop. Soph just measured one a bit looser than her finger and then tied it with  a knot.

Step 2 – Prep for Weaving:
To get started, drop the loop on one of your fingers. Soph likes to user her pinking. Next, wrap the yarn around your fingers, in and out (see pic) for 2 rows.

Step 3 – Start the Weaving:
Starting with the finger you put the loop on and pull the bottom row up an over the other row. You will have new ‘loops’ on your fingers created by pulling the other loops over. Once you’ve pulled all the loops over, wrap your fingers with another row of yarn and continue the process.  Keep on going until you have the length you want.

Step 4 – Close off your Weaving:
To end your weaving project, you carefully pull off the remain loops from your fingers. Then, after cutting off the yarn, pull the end through the loops and tie another knot.  If you want to just take a break from the weaving before you reach your desired length, you can place the finger holes on pegs like Soph does. We use our hat weaving loom circles as temporary holders for the weaving (see pic).

Step 5 – Layout your Pot Holder:
Take your completed weaving lay it out so it matches how it will be for the finished Pot Holder (see pic).

Step 6 – Sew you Pot Holder Together:
This part is a bit tricky at first, but gets easier as you go. First, pick up the first few rows of weaving and start sewing them together using a zigzag stitch. As you sew, add rows. You’ll have to go slow. Once you’ve got one side done, do the other. Then, about every 1/4 inch, sew another line.  You can sew as many lines ad you want to bring the rows of weaving together.

Step 7 – Trim of Threads and Complete:
When you’ve got your pot holder all sewed up, trim off any extra thread and you are all done!

What would you make with your finger weaving?

Happy Family Crafting,

Most of these treasures where strange lawn ornaments. The ornaments didn’t stand up well to the winter, so many of their decorative rocks and beads where falling off. Soph cataloged all of her finds and then decided it was time to put them to use as ‘sprinkles’ in her outdoor fun.

From the hole where the ‘For Sale’ sign used to be, Soph found some perfectly pliable mud–just right for making mud pies.  She formed several pies and then decorated them with the beads and rocks from her treasure hunt.  She also used some darker, loose soil and a few pieces of shrub leaves to complete her inedible culinary delights. For presentation, she used decorated cement tile, another of her treasure finds. She spent at least a couple of hours outside playing with her mud pies. I remember way back when I was a kid, making pies in our sandbox.  I always preferred mud puddle splashing when it came to actual mud, but the sandbox provided hours of fun and pie production time.

I’ll tell you this, I am so excited and thankful that we have a house in an awesome neighborhood where we can get outside and ride our bikes, explore and make mud pies.  *Happy Sigh*

I hope that you all get outside and make some mud pies of your own (or sandbox pies…whichever you prefer ).

Do you like making mud pies? We’d love to see pics of your outdoor creations! (share ‘em with us at Facebook!)

Happy Springtime!