A Creative Project

How to teach numbers and colors with DIY clay numbers

2023-03-17T14:13:00.002+01:00

If you are looking for a creative and educational activity for little ones, then this one is worth making or should I say baking:) Toddlers learn by touch and feel sensory activities. Instead of buying plastic toys, let's make eco-friendly educational toys at home. These clay numbers are smooth to the touch and feel. It is a fun activity to make numbers with and for kids.

You can teach both numbers and colors with these.

To make these you will need the following:

Oven-baked Terracotta clay. I bought it from Amazon.
Number-shaped cookie cutters.
Acrylics or any child-friendly colors.

Procedure :
I rolled the clay with my son with a rolling pin.
We used the cookie cutter to cut the numbers. He pressed the cutters in the clay. Together we pulled the numbers out and placed them on the parchment paper.
I baked them according to the instructions on the package.
Once they have cooled down, he colored them in different colors.

How to use these to teach numbers and colors:

Introduce the clay numbers and let the child play with them. The objective is to get the child used to see the numbers. By touching them, they will get a feel of the shape and curves of each number.
Start by placing the numbers in the correct sequence. Make this a game in which the child has to put the numbers in the correct series.
Talk about the numbers and colors while playing with them.
Ask them to find a number from the bunch.
Trace the outline with the clay numbers.
Make double-digit numbers.
Fix a magnet behind the numbers and stick them on the fridge to play with them.

women's day decoration with white flowers

2023-03-07T20:00:00.000+01:00

If you want to make your home more lively and cheerful, fresh flowers are the easiest way to do so.

Although I prefer colorful flowers, this time I tried something different. This all-white flower arrangement has such a peaceful, calming, and serene feeling to it.

Happy International women's day!!

Sunshine corner

2023-03-03T01:35:00.003+01:00

Winter is the time when we appreciate the sunshine. Tired of sweating, and sweltering heat in summer when autumn comes we start to anticipate winter. I always say I want to feel so cold that I will long for summer. We all like something when that item is scarce. It becomes special and desirable. It's human nature. When this corner in my living room lit up with sunshine, it looked magical. I imagined my plants gleefully soaking in all the sunshine they can get. Store it, save it and use the nutrients later when needed. I did the same. I saved these memories to view them when it gets too gloomy during winter.

I imagined my plants gleefully soaking in all the sunshine they can get. Store it, save it and use the nutrients later when needed. I did the same. I saved these memories to view them when it gets too gloomy during winter.

Festivals of the world : Fasching

2023-02-24T07:01:00.006+01:00

Fasching and Karneval are traditional celebrations in German-speaking countries. This fun-filled festival includes fun parades and carnivals. Hundreds of people gather around the streets to watch the parade. There are elaborate and extravagant floats. The marchers and enthusiastic people wear bright and colorful costumes to the carnival. The most popular costumes are clowns, witches, animals, and wizards. The carnival has game stalls. Food and drinks stalls serve traditional german food like “ FaschingsKrapfen”, a German doughnut filled with jam jelly, bratwurst, pretzel, and Gluhwein.

Fasching has been celebrated in February since the Middle ages. It has a religious significance to it. Today in most countries, it is celebrated for fun and enjoyment.

How to make candle holders from old glass bottles

2023-02-21T06:29:00.009+01:00

Do you have lots of leftover glass jars from pasta sauce, pickles, jams, or baby food bottles? Instead of throwing them in the recycling, how about reusing them.

Reusing is a better alternative to recycling. Reusing gives a new life to the jars. It does not utilize any energy needed to recycle the product and thus, saves pollution. If we have a choice between reusing and recycling, we should choose to reuse.

Glass jars can be reused by using them as containers. Instead of buying plastic containers, use old bottles as containers. Glass jars can keep the food fresh longer than plastic containers. Glass is nonporous and hence no bacteria or insects can get inside. It does not get stained and yellow with use. The food stays fresh and tastes better. The clear glass makes it easy to see what's inside. In case you want to show off what's inside, it also makes a perfect choice. Easy to see, easy to find.

Other than containers, glass bottles can be used as flower vases. We can use them to hold tissue papers or cutlery. The list is as big as your imagination. Today, I am sharing with you a project I did with glass jars. I have many small jams and honey jars at home. They are small so cannot use them as a container or flower vase, but these are the perfect size to use as candle holders.

It is an excellent project to be done with little children. All you need is acrylic colors and decoration accessories like string, sequins, or beads. We painted the jars in bright colors. We used red, blue, orange, yellow, green, and purple. Paint it from all sides. When they are still wet, press sequins and glitter to embellish them. They adhere to the paint when they are wet. If not, dry the jars and then glue them on the jars. We tied a golden string around them.

What I like is that when a child paints, the brush strokes are rough. They are not smooth and perfect like adults would paint. That's what makes them look prettier.

Last but important is that when you reuse the bottles, always remember you are inspiring others to do the same. The little eyes are watching you. Inspiring people and spreading the importance of recycling, reusing, and reducing is done by action, not words.

Books for potty training

2023-02-15T12:52:00.000+01:00

Potty training is an important milestone in a child’s life. Daytime and nighttime potty training are two totally different issues. Children learn to stay dry during the daytime faster and it is easier compared to nighttime. In this post, I will write only about daytime training in this article.

Children should be potty trained before joining a nursery. Many schools have this as a mandatory policy. Around the age of 3 or 4, most children stop wearing diapers. Occasional accidents might happen but they soon learn to hold it. It takes around 3 days to train a child. In my case, It was possible because I was with my child the whole day. That’s how I was able to manage the timing. I would like to share some tips which worked for me and believe will help others as well who are in similar situations.

You will need books. Not self-help books for parents but books for toddlers and preschoolers. You might be wondering what potty training has to do with books. Believe me, books have been a big part of training.

It sounds funny when I say this but for a child or even an adult, to sit still on the pot for more than 2 minutes is boring and daunting. While training they have to do this every hour. They will cry, throw a tantrum and resist. To avoid this, you have to keep them busy and find ways to entertain them. I feel taking a toy to the toilet is unhygienic. I am not suggesting taking a book inside either.

It goes without saying that books take the reader or listener to another world. It takes the mind off any problem or difficult situation. And it is the best solution to pass time.

This is what I did to keep my child busy and patient while training. I sat on a stool outside the toilet and read him his favorite books. I read them animatedly to keep him interested. I had kept some books aside just for this purpose. I didn’t read those to him any other time during the week except during potty training. Anytime I thought he is losing patience, I would say “Do you what happens next?” Or “ Let me read you another book?” Talking about books is another way to change the topic.

Every hour I took him inside and read his books. I asked him questions about the story or we just talked about random things. After 3 days, I increased the time duration between two visits. It worked very well.

If you are thinking, why not watch youtube videos to keep the child busy? My answer is that watching videos or playing video games, takes away too much attention. The child will completely forget why he sitting there in the first place.

Additionally, buy a potty ring with your child’s favorite character on it. We had a ‘Thomas and friends’ themed potty ring. In the beginning, boys also sit on the ring for peeing. The new underwears also have to be of the child’s favorite character for encouragement.

Tell each other before going to the toilet. This way they will start telling you when they have the urge. A new house rule is to be introduced which is going to the toilet before going out of the house.

Also, washing hands properly has to be taught. What will help is: A bubbly soap, a rhythm to sing when washing hands, a cute little towel, and a step stool to reach the sink.

There are several cute toilet training books for toddlers. It is good to read some of these to encourage them.

The essentials of potty training are a Tiolet ring, wet wipes, toilet paper, new underwear, bubbly soap, small step stool for reaching the sink. We had bought everything with his favorite book character on them.

The right time to start potty training is when you have time and patience. Every child has a different personality. The time taken to learn any skill will be either longer or shorter. Please don’t compare them with other children or come under pressure to train the child when you are not ready.

Three kings Day

2023-02-11T04:54:00.002+01:00

On the 6th of January, many European countries celebrate Épiphanie, also known as Three Kings Day. Épiphanie is celebrated after the 12th day of Christmas on January 6th. It is the day when three wise men visited baby Jesus and brought him gifts. The gifts included gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Three kings’ cake is made to honor them.

The three kings cake is known by different names in European countries. In France, the delicious ‘Galettes des Rois’ is a tart made of puff pastry and almond cream filling. In Switzerland, sweet and fluffy “Dreikönigskuchen” is made with puff pastry, fruits, and raisins. In Spain, a doughnut-shaped “Roscón de Reyes” is baked with crystallized sugar.

A small lucky porcelain charm is baked inside the tart. A gold paper crown is placed over it. Whoever finds the lucky charm gets to wear the crown and be the king or queen of the day.

Illustration and text by Purnima.

A new start

2023-02-10T08:02:00.002+01:00

Hello everyone!!

How to make a Ice bowl : Fossil science + decor

2018-03-08T05:17:00.000+01:00

Avaneesh and I have been exploring the fossils topic. I love to do projects with my son which are fun + art + educational. A child can learn so much if there is some fun activity involved in it. My son loves science experiments. It was a very hot day when we started this project. Two things I believe any child likes is playing in water or with ice. Our afternoons are spent on the balcony with ice - breaking with toy hammer or watching them melt. So one day when playing with ice cubes I was thinking if I would do something more interesting.. So came the idea of making a bowl!!

We plucked some flowers from our little garden. First we took a larger bowl (salad bowl) and kept a smaller one in it. Some pebbles went in the smaller bowl to keep it down. We poured water in bigger one just enough water taking care not to overflow the water. He placed the flowers in the water. I carried it carefully to the fridge avoiding to spill it and create a puddle in the house.

We had one of those refrigerators which are divided into two parts. One is the freezer and other is the fridge section. I placed it on the lower rack so that he can see it. When I was a kid I wquld check the fridge n times when my mom would be making icecream. Avaneesh checked the freezer several times just like that. He soon lost interest as it took time for the water to fridge. I kept the reveal time for next day.

Next day in afternoon we took it to our balcony table. We set it out in the sun to melt on the sides. Soon we were able to remove both bowls. It looked so glorious with the summer sun fell on it. It looked like a glass bowl.

It would make perfect to keep strawberries or berries for dessert. For those early spring days when it is not too hot or cold, just perfect for having a drink and enjoy the strawberries.

In our case, it was like finding treasure from the bowl. Soon the bowl was broken and crushed with a toy hammer. All flowers were 'rescued' and the remaining parts were left to melt.

Minion craft - Minion mask diy

2015-09-04T05:09:00.000+02:00

Sunny boy and I were talking about masks.. We had made a spider man mask some days back ...Sunny boy does not wear it at all.. So when asked why , he said he would rather like a minion mask. Ok.. So I thought about a moment.. Ok I said lets make it !!
I measured his head and then cut the head part. To make eyes I folded the mask and cut out two circles for eyes. Then I cut two larger circles and two sides of strap. Three pieces for hair as well.
Sunny boy painted all the parts and glued it together.
After it was dry I glued a ribbon on the sides. This mask is a big hit with him. He loves it!!!

Minion Craft with recycled can

2015-09-01T04:57:00.001+02:00

We love Minions!!! Recently we have been doing many Minion crafts. This one is made with a big size recycled can. All you need is paper, a big box to be recycled, poster colors , glue and scissors. Optional is felt for eyes and hands.

I cut out all the parts from a thick sheet of paper. First sunny boy (3) covered the can with plain paper which he colored yellow with poster paint. Next he painted and glued the clothes. The parts of specs are made separately. The eyes are made of felt. For the specs I had cut the strap and the circles...over which we glued the felt eyes. The arms were painted and then rolled up. We glued hands made from felt in it. The smile is made of scrap felt which sunny boy thought looks like a smile!! Oh yes almost forgot the beret.. We put the lid on and then glued a pompom over it!!! Hooray the minion is done!!!

Sunny boy had lot of fun doing this craft and he is very proud of his creation!!

Color mixing chart for little artists

2015-08-22T18:26:00.000+02:00

Sunny boy likes to paint so he is always asking which color is formed by mixing x and y colors!! So I did an activity to make a color chart. This activity helps in understanding combinations and permutations , how the value/ shade of the color changes when either white or black OR lighter or darker shades of colors are mixed...different quantity of colors can result in different shades.

I believe the easiest way for a child to understand and learn something is through practical example/experiment or demonstration. If the activity is fun filled then even better!!

I started by telling him that it is like a science experiment ..We will add colors and find out what the resulting color is. Then we will note it down in a chart ..This way we will know and remember the combinations..

This made him very excited.. I gave him the colors one by one, he mixed and we noted it down.. I have taped this chart in his room ...He remembers all the combinations and if he does not then it is always on the wall to check!!

Recycle craft: Minion

2015-08-12T16:29:00.000+02:00

I did this craft with sunny boy last year when he was 2. 7 mnths old....I always ask Avaneesh what does ' something' looks like to increase his imagination. The yellow egg from the surprise chocolate egg looks like a Minion. He keeps calling that yellow egg a minion so I told him that we will make it a minion with it. He was excited ..".Minion how will we make one out of this" he asked. I was excited too as I find Minions adorable as well. actually everyone finds them cute..isnt it?!!

All that is needed to make is a inside case/egg of surprise chocolate egg ,black felt strip, googly eyes , blue felt or paper and glue. I cut out parts and he glued it in place. Googly eyes were his favorite part of this craft activity.

Sunny boy ( now 3.6 ) is over it and doesnot even like the kinder or surprise eggs.. but I still find it cute so I thought of sharing it with you all!!!

Cloud and wind science experiment

2015-08-09T04:13:00.000+02:00

Sunny boy(3.6) is a curious child and asks a lot of why this and why that questions... I love these questions.. I try my best to answer them based on facts and correct information. Most of the times I know the answers and sometimes I need to find out .. I feel if a child is curious then a mom should try her best to explain and help him understand. When I tell him he absorbs the information and remembers it..So I want to encourage him!!!

So this experiment is simple to do and basic. I wanted to do this experiment to satisfy his two why questions: How are clouds formed? Why and how the wind is formed?

1: Clouds are formed from the condensation of the water vapour/moisture. Due to cooler air ,the water vapour will condense and become clouds. I found this diagram helpful :

via

2: The sun heats the land and thus the air above. The hot light air rises and cold air above sinks. Cold air then replaces the hot air. This air movement becomes wind.

Things needed for this experiment are:

A vase or tall glass container

A plate or lid to cover the container

Hot water

Ice cubes

Match sticks

I explained to him the "NO Touching " terms as it involves hot water and matchstick.

Start by explaining why you doing this experiment and what the result will be..All the science experiment I do at home have a "WOW" end result, so little guy is always excited by the name of experiment.. sometimes when he tired of playing he would say Mamma I want a science experiment:)

Collect all the material needed. I always ask Avaneesh to help collect the things needed.

Heat up the water. Make it rolling hot.

Pour it in the container. Instantly keep the lid on . Put some 4-5 ice cubes on the top. Wait and watch for a while.

Put a lighted match stick inside and again quickly put the lid on. Now wait and watch as the cloud forms inside. Avaneesh was amazed by the matchstick and the cloud forming inside part. I asked him after a while if he would like to let go the cloud. He said yes so I opened the lid and we both enjoyed the cloud coming out..

we did this several times ( till the time I got tired of making hot water:))

Sun prints (science experiments)

2015-08-01T15:55:00.000+02:00

Its really hot this summer in Singapore.. everyone says that but I think it is a bit too exaggerated .. So I said to Avaneesh lets find out for ourselves if Singapore is really that hot?

Its a fun science experiment for hot weather!!

All you need is bright colored construction paper or card stock , some coins and a place where you get direct sunlight for most times..

We found a bright red cardstock.. Avaneesh collected different sized coins and we placed it a place on our balcony which gets direct sunlight most.I explained to Avaneesh how this experiment works.

Sunlight will fade the whole paper except the places where the coins are placed. Like a umbrella or roof the coins will protect the paper from fading. This will also help us to compare the results and we will get a nice design on the paper!!

We talked about how Sun's heat is strong enough to melt ice, evaporate water, fade colors... I told him that we will check this every day.We checked it every day. Our balcony gets sunlight only few hours of a day.. so it took us a 5 days to see the change.

It is interesting to see the results .. This explains how harmful or strong sun's UV rays are, how staying in shade or putting a sunscreen can help you stay safe!!!

Marbleized art print ( science experiment )

2015-07-31T14:59:00.000+02:00

Sunny boy loves doing science experiment... I love them too- they are educational, fun and have a element of mystery, suspense and climax to it which is so cool..I started science eperiments with him since he was 2.5 years old .. Then he just used to watch them ..now he can do them and is curious to know how and why this happened...All the science experiments that we have done have a lovely surprising result to it!!

So with this science experiment we made these cool looking glossy marbleized art prints!!!

This project like our other projects has more than one benefit- educational, art and use of expired milk.

A milk and food coloring experiment!!

Ingredients you will need are:

Milk - full cream ( I used expired milk but otherwise is also ok)

Cooking oil ( I use canola)

Food colors

Dropper

Toothpicks

I took a shallow dish( dhokla plate) I always ask Avaneesh to help me collect and arrange the material for the experiments. Once we had all the things required we were good to start.

I poured milk in the dish. Then poured a thin layer of oil over it. Notice that both the liquids don't mix !! We discussed for a few moments about density of liquids.. why oil is floating over milk.

Sunny boy was excited and impatient to use colors on the milk..I asked him which colors he wants to use.. He choose orange so he poured orange food color with a dropper. The color drops float on the oil..With a toothpick he popped the milk drops/bubbles to see the color explosion.. Swirl them around with toothpick making beautiful patterns !!!

After he had played for a while I put a square piece of paper on the milk and he gently pulled it out. We made many such prints. I kept them out for drying.

We repeated the same experiment a couple of times with fresh milk and other colors till

Sunny boy was satisfied!!

Once the color had dried I wrapped the prints in tissue paper for a day to absorb all the extra oil. Super cool prints are ready to be framed.. I framed them and hung in sunny boy's room!!

Fossils wall hanging on air dry clay

2015-07-27T15:32:00.000+02:00

Like any other kid Avaneesh is also very interested in dinosaurs.. I suppose we all are to an extent...We are totally loving the nature and greenery in Singapore. When we are outside I make it a point to let sunny boy connect, explore and enjoy nature.. Avaneesh collects sticks, leaves and flowers of various sizes and shapes..we stop and admire the bugs, leaves , fruits and flowers!!!!

So I thought of combining a two activities and making one project...Nature finds + Craft + Fossil prints!!

We collected some flowers and leaves from the garden.. Then pressed these in pages of a book and kept it under some heavy books for a day or two. We checked every day to see if it has become dry and crispy .. Once satisfied we started with the work on fossil making!!

I asked him to roll out the air dry clay.. He noticed that it is of different in texture, thickness as compared to his play dough.. Once rolled out I gave him a tin to cut the circles out. Then he pressed the flowers on it. I did apply little glue to fix the flowers while sunny boy was not watching!! For the leaves I asked him to press firmly on the clay and then pull it out to see the print.. He was excited to see the prints.. He did many prints with different leaves .. Some leaves made good prints while some were very faint.. We used only the ones which made good visible prints. I asked him to make a hole in the top part of some of the circles.

We let it dry overnight.. Next day I passed a twine through it and made a wall hanging/bunting with it !!

Space inspired craft : Pluto

2015-07-24T14:37:00.000+02:00

We did this project a day after the spacecraft New horizon reached planet Pluto. We were so excited and my little one enjoyed watching the pictures of Pluto send by the spacecraft. Sunny boy(3yrs) is total planetary science enthusiastic... So he wanted to do some Pluto inspired art /craft.

For this project, you will need:

Paper and colors(black and white)

Flour

Water

Lid

we started by making the background space first. Sunny boy painted the paper black. We kept it for drying while we made the mixture for making Pluto. I kept the ingredients on the table and he had to scoop flour into a bowl, added water , some glue and squeezed some white color from the color tube. He mixed it with a spoon till it formed a sticky dough. This activity helps in fine motor skills.

This dough was pressed on a lid. We discussed about the features of Pluto and its surface. We made craters, bumps and texture with hand...

The flour dough gave out a pungent smell the next morning.. so it went to the dustbin..

Art and Plant science : Recycling wine bottles

2015-07-23T09:39:00.000+02:00

Me and sunny boy(3yrs) do lot of recycling art and craft activities in the afternoon. I strongly believing in recycling. I have been doing it since I was a kid ... I want to infuse the similar ideas about recycling in his mind.. The another thing is that it does save a lot of money which I would be spending if I have to buy new stuff for toddler activities..

This project is a Recycling + Kids craft activity + Bathroom decor.

I had these two empty wines bottles. These look perfect to put a money plant in it.

My son gets very excited for a painting activity. We started first by putting sticky tape on it. Sunny boy found circle stickers which he put on one bottle. He kept on asking why are we putting sticky tape?I told him to wait and watch. He decided to paint it blue.

I was a bit apprehensive about letting him hold a glass bottle so I held on it all the time while he painted. The next one I choose to paint it golden. So he did paint it.

We kept it for drying for a day or two. I pulled the tape to reveal the design. The effect is Wow..It does look pretty..

We put the creeper in the bottle..discussing about plant science- what and why plant need - sunlight and water, also we are observing the growth of roots and how the plant turns itself towards the sunlight .. Who knew a simple project could teach a toddler so much!!

Similar designs can be made on mason jars to convert them into tealight candle holders!!

Cookie for two

2015-07-21T14:49:00.000+02:00

After baking almost 50 cakes in last 1.5 years my little baker is bored of baking cakes..He doesn't even want to eat them anymore ..So he as ventured into baking cookies..These cookies were baked yesterday.. I found a super easy recipe for two cookies.. I melted the butter, read the instructions and kept the cookies in the oven to bake..Sunny boy measured the ingredients and mixed them together..made a dough and flattened in out to make the cookies.. The outcome was superb..We didn't put any cocoa or choco chips and the sugar was less but then he does not like sugar and chocolate (strange) so it worked well for us..You can find this recipe here: in Katrina's Kitchen

On a other note, I know I have been writing after November 14...

I have been on a beautiful creative project of my own- raising a child.. It is a most rewarding and satisfying job I have ever done.. Its my joy of my life.. I spend every week day doing creative projects with my son. My son is now 3 years old. My sunny boy is a bundle of energy full of curiosity and inquisitiveness.. I have been doing a variety of creative projects with him in all areas he is interested in...I am discovering myself through this journey..I love my job as his mom and I don't think or read about anything other than creative projects .. These include art and craft, science, baking, planetary science, construction, writing and reading skills, reading and books, sports ..

We have moved to Singapore a few months back and my house just like all my previous homes is pretty and elegant..but interiors and decorating is just a small tiny part of my personality now..

I intend to start to write about my creative projects with my son..I need someplace to document these and hopefully this information is useful for some mom somewhere ..

Hello beautiful!! - Freebies- free Printable Quote, wall art printable, wall art quote

2014-11-15T04:34:00.000+01:00

I created this uplifting wall art print for my room... something I would love to read first thing in the morning... something which will give me that quick start.

It is a daily greeting for yourself or a loved one! It would make a lovely greeting card as well.

♥ "Hello Beautiful" Printable Quote, wall art printable, wall art quote. You can download this lovely print in pdf from here. As you know Pdf has lot of features, you can make greeting cards or tags with it!!

It is for personal use only.

Share a picture if you use it, I would love to see your creation with this.

Be Thankful for the beautful thing for life- free printable- Art print

2014-11-08T17:56:00.000+01:00

I love the idea behind the celebration of Thanksgiving and think every one should make it a point to be remember the important things in their life for which they are or should be thankful for.. Things that we take for granted!! Although it would be nice if we could remind ourselves this all year round but we do forget that in midst daily chaos .. I made a digital art print for my desk which will remind me to be thankful about life..

So thankful for the beautiful thing called LIFE..

You can download the pdf print from here. The print has a border for framing. PDF as you know has variety of options which lets you make smaller prints which can be used as gift tags or cards. Go ahead, use your creativity and imagination. I would love to see and feature your creation if you make something from this print.

Let us continue the festivities..

2014-10-29T11:12:00.001+01:00

Last week this day ,the house was filled with the fragrance of flowers and incense sticks. In the evening, warm glow from the tiny diyas spread happiness and love in every corner .Their flames danced in the cool breeze. Akashkandil -paper lantern, diyas and the twinkling string of led lights dazzled the outdoors. Rangoli designs were made by sprinkling the white powder all over and making designs in a heap of powder with 2 year old insisting on 'helping' me. My son's eyes gleamed with joy to see the shapes we made with the sparklers.

After day 3 of Diwali, some flowers in the garlands began to dry.. became dull, brownish. It is then when you realize that the festival will soon be over. How we wish that it would last a bit longer, isn't it? The festival won't but what I would like very much is for the decorations and euphoria of the festivities to continue a bit longer. I hate to remove the decorations down so early but then I had to save the ones which are still so much alive and happy..

Let them spread the love and joy.. So I took down all the garlands, cut the string and sort out the better ones. You can make this with fresh flowers as well.

Take a slightly deep dish and fill it with just enough water to dip the stem of the flower. This helps to keep them fresh for many days even week(s) additionally it looks good from aesthetic point of view. This vase is a heirloom .. Belonged to my grandparents.. I was so happy when my father gave it to me.

As for now I am happy that I get to enjoy the flowers , cherish the memories and continue the festivities. They make a good centerpiece as well!! This centerpiece can be good for India themed party or Indian wedding.

Halloween DIY treat bag ideas

2014-10-27T19:58:00.002+01:00

Halloween is just around the corner - just a few days away. Here are some last minute , easy to make DIY ideas with free printable and a tutorial as well. Halloween treat bags are a must. Instead of just handing out the candies or cookies , lets personalize them, make it extra special for the little ones- something different ..something unique..something thoughtful !!! My son is invited to a Halloween party and we are super excited. I really want to make a treat bag which they will remember and say" That lady is so amazingly creative"..Hahhaaa.
Avaneesh's mom is so cool..LoL

So lets look at the round up of ideas..

This is a Halloween party invitation but I think it will look good as a treat box. You can see the tutorial and download the printable from do-it-yourselves invitations. Instead of "You're invited ", print BOO or happy Halloween label.

Another cute Halloween treat bag idea !! These are mummy, pumpkin, Frankenstein and vampire free printable. Just print on paper and have to roll into cones. So simple and so adorable!! Free printable and tutorial can be found on like a pretty putinia.

Something homemade creative to fill the treat bag ..... If you have time on hand and if you find these cute little knifes, give bleeding red velvet truffles a try. Get the recipe from Cookies and cups.

My son loves gingerbread man. This ginger bread skeleton is a new twist to the traditional story. Make the gingerbread man cookie and make the skeleton on it with royal icing !!

This is from Martha Stewart.

Some last minute decorations for your front door. These Lanterns are super easy to make with paper cups and led lights. See Australian baby blog for the tutorial.

If you want to make a family dinner Halloween menu, this is tomato and mascarpone soup with witches broom dippers are perfect starter. I found it in a local grocery shop - Spinneys.

You can get the recipe here.

This one is also from the same store's website. The orange is scooped out and carved. It is then filled with orange and hazelnut salad. You find the easy and quick recipe here.

Some fun games for toddlers. This 'I spy' print is too cute!! I am thinking of putting it with the Halloween treat bags. These free printable can be downloaded from pleasantest thing.

You can see the Halloween ideas I have shared earlier here.

So what I am planning to make.. well the plan is to carve a watermelon, cutify some healthy treats like raisin - boxes which are so popular among toddlers, coconut and chocolate truffles, customized to the theme treat bags and some more.

Wish me luck..:)

Happy Diwali!!

2014-10-23T06:38:00.000+02:00

The Festival of Lights is the time when we think of the triumph of good over evil, of light over dark. May this Deepavali bring you lots and lots of happiness in your life and fulfill all your dreams !!

A very happy Diwali to everybody!!