‘Craft’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Craft Time: Chinese New Year City Skyline

January 26, 2017 · Craft Ideas, Narrative

A super simple and inexpensive craft to celebrate Chinese New Year.

A few weeks ago, I taught a kids’ workshop that focused on celebrating Chinese New Year, which kicks off this weekend. We made two crafts (this being one of them), and the Asian Quinoa Salad recipe that I shared recently. I love this craft because it’s so simple to make, uses (mostly) items you have around the house already, and it makes for a beautiful piece of art.

I can’t take all the credit for it, as I stumbled on it while falling down the deep rabbit hole of Pinterest, but love how it turned out, and the kids loved it as well. You can, of course, change up how YOU make this craft, putting your own unique twist on it as I did, but however you make it, you can’t go wrong with it. Easy + forgiving = a crowd pleaser and that’s pretty much a recipe for success.

Here’s what you’ll need:
– background paper (I love the one I used; it’s not exactly patterned, but definitely not solid, so it gave it a look of being textured)
– wine corks
– Chinese newspaper (of course you can use a “regular” newspaper, but when we’re celebrating Chinese New Year, it seemed more appropriate to use a Chinese newspaper and I got them for free at a local Asian grocery store)
– paint
– black Sharpie
– glue stick
– scissors

Cut the strips of newspaper for the city skyscrapers. I suggested that the kids alternate some of the print between ones that were more straight text with ones that had more of the bold, blacker backgrounds. I also told them to feel free to use some of the newspaper print that had pictures on them because it would kind of look like billboards. Make them varying heights on glue on your background sheet from left to right. Although it isn’t reflected in my sample above, I went back with a black Sharpie and drew some rows of black squares to mimic windows on some of the skyscrapers.

…

Make: Stained Glass Rainbow Craft

April 25, 2016 · Craft Ideas, Narrative

A fun “stained glass” craft that is perfect for an at-home birthday party or quelling those “there’s nothing to do” cries from the kiddos.

When we celebrated Madeline’s birthday earlier this year, she chose to eschew a big party and, instead, wanted to go into the city with two of her friends for the day. Which I thought was an awesome idea (you can check out where we ate lunch here). But with that big heart of hers, and having many good friends, she didn’t want any of them to feel left out, so we fixed that by having a low-key party at home.

You know … we went old school.

And, of course, if you know my daughter, it should come as no surprise to you that she wanted a rainbow themed party.

I mean, she IS my kid after all.

Which is how I found myself researching rainbow-themed craft ideas that we could do.

One of the crafts we made was one that we have made before, these hanging rainbows. Ours has long since faded, so it was the perfect excuse to get a new one hanging from our back door, and I still love it now just as much as I did then.

…

Make: Molded Crayons for Any Occasion

July 13, 2015 · Narrative

Whether you want to make special crayons for a party or as a fun summer activity, it’s a fun and inexpensive way to get creative.

Over the past six months or so, I have probably made six different varieties of molded crayons to cover some fun occasions.

Hearts with a pink, purple, and white color theme for Valentine’s Day treats for Madeline’s classmates.

Woodland animals to go in goody bags for Madeline’s birthday party.

Woodland animals for a teacher friend’s kindergarten class.

Hearts with bright colors for Easter treats for my nieces and Madeline.

The possibilities are endless, and it’s super cheap to do.

Here’s how.

You need silicone molds first. You can buy all sorts of shapes on Amazon, and I’ve gotten a few there, and during a holiday season, you can usually find them really inexpensively at The Christmas Tree Shop as well (the heart and egg molds came from there, and the woodland animals came from Amazon).

Crayons.

You’ll need lots and lots of crayons.

This is the perfect use for all those broken crayons that are impossible to color with. I usually have an empty tub, and every time I go through our crayon collection to purge all the broken bits, I pop them into the tub. That way I have enough when I need them for a project. I don’t recommend using off-brands for this project (or for coloring). No dollar store stock-ups for this project. Crayola is the best.

Decide your color theme. If you just use all the random colors together, your finished product may look a little muddy. I try to stick within the same color section — pink/purple/white, blue/green/white, etc — so you have complementary colors.

…

Craft Time: Rainbow Embroidery Hoops

July 26, 2013 · Narrative

As you may have noticed, I’m punting the slated book review for tonight, and sharing a craft instead. Too tired, and we have a busy day tomorrow with a big event with the rescue group we volunteer with. So, a quick craft, and then I’m off for the weekend.

I saw this easy craft on Make and Takes awhile back, and finally had some free time to make it with the kids.

A craft under three dollars that you can customize with your own colors? Yes, please.

And it couldn’t be more simple.

Buy embroidery floss in the colors you want to use. And an embroidery hoop. Wind it around. Done.

I used a full thing of floss for each color, but you could certainly use less. I used my thumb to measure the starting point for each color going around, so they were reasonably evenly spaced out (I noticed one moved after I took the picture, but that’s easily adjusted).

I had planned to hang this in a small alcove outside our downstairs bathroom, but Madeline claimed it for her own. Because her room has more pinks and greens in it, since she wants it, I think I’m going to make a pink ombre one for her room instead.

Mix and match the colors however you want. And when you get bored with it, take the embroidery floss off and revisit the lost art of making friendship bracelets (something we also did tonight).

And with that, happy weekend! Make it an awesome one!

Hungry for more craft ideas?
Make your own string art here.
A new project for Mod Podge.
How to make marbled paper.
Make cereal necklaces.

Craft Time: Cereal Necklaces

April 25, 2013 · Narrative

In over eight years of blogging, I have never professed to sharing things in a timely manner. Exhibit A: we made this craft with the kids for St. Patrick’s Day. Considering I have restaurant reviews I still need to do from last year, something from last month doesn’t seem quite so tardy now, does it?

While this is perfect for you to bookmark for NEXT St. Patrick’s Day, I’m sharing it now because I think it’s a flexible enough project that you can adapt it for many other holidays or events.

Make yours in blue and pink, skip the coin, and use for a gender reveal baby shower.

Make a red and blue colored one for Fourth of July (look, now I’m early!).

Make them for a kids’ field day or Olympic Day.

A fun treat to make for birthday parties.

Valentine’s Day.

Or honestly, just because.

So I’m not really late.

I’m timely.

It’s all in your perspective.

…

Craft Time: Make Your Own String Art

March 29, 2013 · Narrative

String art has been around forever and a day. And, for those curious, it really took off as a craft in the late 1960s.

So like I said, like forever.

And it’s just the kind of craft I like doing or introducing to the kids.

Because it’s super simple.

And you only need a few supplies (and you might even have everything on hand right now).

It’s hard to screw up.

And it really lets their creativity shine through.

For the supplies, you need the board that you are putting your design on, small finish nails, and the embroidery thread. I had two out of the three items already, so when I placed an order from Hobby Lobby’s web site for some items I needed for Madeline’s birthday party, I added the last item.

The board. I used a barkside wood piece, which I love, but you can find a variety of other wood pieces or plaques that would work just as well at your local craft store or big box home improvement store, like Michael’s or Home Depot..

…

Valentine’s Day Card Inspiration for Boys

February 7, 2013 · Narrative

I think my eyes automatically glaze over when I see all the little Valentine’s Day cards that stores sell for kids to give to their classmates. While I love that they instantly bring me back to grade school when I was exchanging them with my own little friends, and I love seeing the masses that the kids bring home, I yearn for something different. Less common. More unique.

*those cards are just fine. I know this and agree. I use them too, usually one year with those, one year homemade. They have their place and they are all sorts of awesome. This is about those times that you want something a little different. And as an aside, I think the store-bought cards really leave out Nick’s age group, and are more geared towards kids a bit younger.

This year was a year for something different. With Nick’s cards, it all started when I found out that there is a web site featuring gorgeous photographs taken by the Hubble (you know, that space telescope?). (And thanks, Rubyellen, for that little tidbit). Not only is there a web site featuring the photos, but you can download them for free (and, although it’s easy, they give you step-by-step directions on how to do that). Which means these photos are perfect for making posters (as Rubyellen did for her husband) and … wait for it …

for making Valentine’s Day cards!

…

DIY: Mod Podge + Fabric Scraps = Happy Furniture

January 10, 2013 · Narrative

Quick little DIY post tonight, then I am hauling my exhausted little self up to bed.

I have a million projects in the works around the house.

Sometimes I get halfway through and stop because I need inspiration again.

Or because a new project had to take precedence for whatever reason.

Or it’s a particularly arduous task and I need a break.

Or, in this case, a slew of major holidays get in the way.

But tonight I was determined to finish this little project and cross it off my list.

And I did.

I actually bought the fabric I needed for it over two months ago. And the only reason I know that is because I instagrammed a picture.

Thank goodness for Instagram, because otherwise, who knows how I’d keep track of things?

And as an aside, I wish Instagram would date pictures properly, instead of “two months.” If flickr, Picasa, and the rest of them can, then Instagram needs to get with the program.

So the project.

In our kitchen, we have a mini table and four chairs. Originally the table and chairs were in Nick’s room, long ago when he was Madeline’s age. When we moved back into this house over three years ago, we decided to put it in the kitchen, creating a little snack/homework area for the kids.

…

Creating Art with Your Kids

December 3, 2012 · Narrative

My grandmother on my mom’s side died a few years ago. For all the things I loved about her, she was very difficult to get along with. Her home was awash with bright colors, pops of purples and pinks everywhere, but that was in sharp contrast to how negative she was. She was never shy in telling people what she thought and her tongue could be quite acerbic.

I’ll never forget the day she came to visit the first home that The Ex and I had bought. I had just finished painting the living room, and she was going to spend the day with me at our new home, helping me decorate and get us settled. She walked right into the living room and said “Why on earth would you paint it this color?”

Completely deflating the sense of pride I had in the first room I had finished in our new home. And so began a very long day. My time with her, both that day and otherwise, was filled with her constant negative comments about everything. My hair. The clothes I wore. Choices I made, decorating, life, and otherwise.

And as much as I hate that my kids will grow up never knowing her (Nick’s last visit with her was when he was 10 months old, so, of course, Madeline and my three nieces never got the chance to meet her), I am glad that what they *do* know of and have learned about her, is happy.

She was a master with the paint brush, and was known for turning out beautiful water color paintings with a quick flick of her wrist. She took art classes every year at her local college, withdrawing right before the end, so she could re-enroll again the next term.

…

Pin It

Craft Time: Crayola Art Project

September 6, 2011 · Craft Ideas

This is how we spent the Friday before Hurricane Irene. Making art work. Less than ten dollars of supplies and inspiration from Pinterest, this is a reasonably kid-friendly craft that I love because a) it has the rainbow and b) you can totally customize it to use whatever colors you want. You can coordinate it to match your kids’ rooms, or a specific theme, or do a rainbow like ours. Get creative!

With school supplies on sale, this is the perfect time of year to make this art. You will need a canvas, boxes of crayons, glue and a hair dryer. The canvas was 40% off at Michael’s for a two-pack, the crayons were 40 cents a box (I ended up using four) and the glue was $4. My grand total was $9.60 for individualized art that we could do together as a family. Which you all know is priceless, baby, priceless.

I opened up all the boxes of crayons and removed all the whites, browns, blacks, pinks, aquas and any other non-rainbow colors. Then I arranged them neatly across the top of the canvas in ROY G. BIV order, making sure the Crayola label was front and center for all of them.

Madeline helped by arranging crayons on her coloring book.

Like so. She is not the OCD member of the family.

She also helped me by grouping colors together.

Man, I love crayons. Especially Crayola crayons. And crayon art even more.

…

Crafts: Scrabble Tiles + Magnets = Alphabet Magnets

August 30, 2011 · Craft Ideas, Narrative

Remember that game in school where the teacher would give you a big word and you had to see how many other words you could make out of it? That was always one of my favorite games in between tests and lessons, and I was really good at it. Still am. Not that I get a chance to practice that very often, mind you. We had a contest in 8th grade to see how many words we could make out of the word Washington. I won. The prize was a Snickers bar. The only reason I remember this is because I forgot my lunch that day, and without Washington and that Snickers bar, it would have been a very long day.

For as long as I can remember, we’ve always had alphabet letters on our fridge. When Nick was much younger, we had those Leap Frog sets where it will say the letter and sound it out and give example words, and then you could use the letters on the refrigerator to spell out words. Love Leap Frog! The Ex and I would make words and leave messages for each other. Now, you know, since we’re divorced, we kinda don’t do stuff like that. But I still do it all the time with the kids. And now Mystic.

The Leap Frog set long gone, we now have this weird collection of random wooden letter magnets that I got from a garage sale a few years ago. It wasn’t a full set at the time and with two moves since then, it has become even less full. So the challenge is even more fun. How many words can you make out of some crazy assortment of mismatched letters and not enough vowels? Mystic holds the record with six words.

I was itching to buy a new set of letters so we could all play along and spell out way more than Siam, and then I thought I would make some. In fact, I bought a package of wooden discs and some transfer letters and was just about to get started on it this weekend, but then inspiration struck. Scrabble tiles!

…

Craft: Easter Goody Bags

April 20, 2011 · Craft Ideas, Narrative

One of these days, I’m going to be the type of blogger that gives you a craft or food idea *ahead* of the holiday. You know, so you have enough time yourself to actually make it, if you’re so inclined. Today just won’t be one of those times. Hey, it’s all I can do to actually get things done in our house before the holiday hits, let alone be ahead of the curve for you guys. I’ve only been blogging for six years now; eventually I’ll get the hang of it. In the meantime, I can still share, and you can bookmark, and you’ll be all set for the NEXT time the holiday rolls around. You can start a holiday file in your filing cabinet, like I have.

I am busy as a bee making these little carrot goody bags for the kids to take to their respective classes tomorrow. Only 28 more to go. I am filling ours with whole grain goldfish, but I have seen them filled with Cheetos. Madeline would have certainly loved that, but that’s not how I roll. Orange jelly beans or M&Ms would be fun too though!

The only supplies you need.

The secret to the carrot shape? Use cake decorating bags! Genius, right? At first, I bought clear treat bags and was going to tape the sides in to make the cylindrical shape, but then inspiration struck and saved me boat loads of time. Since I still have an article due to Betty Crocker tonight, saving boat loads of time is pretty awesome. The only drawback to the decorating bags is that Wilton stamped their logo on each bag. I just cut the bags from the logo up and solved that problem.

A little tag slipped inside and green curling ribbon tying the top, and you’ll be the coolest mom in the class, guaranteed.

…