card gift wrap

a simple way to wrap a print/photo/children's drawing gift into a card...

 

 

cut out a simple deisgn,  then fold paper,

wrap gift in colored tissue paper and insert :)

 

Our anual St. Nicholas Day ride :)

 

 

...when we got to the station, the sun was just rising and it was so magical!

inside we sat next to a coal burning stove and there we 2 devils(St. Nicholas' "accomplices") with

guitars sitting behind us and the whole ride we sang carols and folk songs - it was so much fun!

willow and birch branch advent wreath

h a p p y   a d v e n t !

...same technique as the advent mobile, only after

i weaved in some birch branches and decorated :) 

willow branch advent mobile

just some willow branches intertwined into a circle,

wrapped in jute ribbon and red twine

attached straw ornaments

 

 

tip: when weaving the circle, you need to tie

the intertwining branches in at least 3 places

to keep the unruly branches in place :)! after tied, 

you can form it a little more - to make a nicer circle ;)

sparkling morning frost

after a couple of really gloomy fall days, this morning we

got to see this! on our front lawn while eating breakfast....

 

 

 it only lasted for a couple of minutes but the sparkling colors were so magical!

some fabric...

 

why do i always come home with more fabric, than i intended on buying? ;)

papier-mache hot air balloon decoration

we used this pinata tutorial, only ours is a decorative and healthier version.....no candy ;)

 

p.s. this tutorial uses the flour-water "glue" - great for smaller kids!

 

a craft for both of the boys :)..... i love it when they work together!

a play-hole in our coffee table

you can't see them on the photos, but there are A LOT of holes/dents in our wooden coffee table!...we bought it 4 yrs ago, and it's basically it's the boys' play table, so a lot of damage has been done(...luckily it was really cheap)!
so i decided to contribute with a hole also, but this one is not from play but FOR play! and it's not going to be just for marbles!

i used a forstner drill bit so i could cover it up with a faux wood knot

 

...St just loves to just drop the marbles into the hole

(we put a bowl underneath the hole to catch the marbles)

 

 

p.s. i plan on making some interchangable wood knots

for other activities...and maybe some more holes ;)

 

twine fish

 just twine and glue :

 

i dipped my fingers in glue and applied it to the twine until it was soaked with glue,

then layed it flat onto non-stick baking paper and formed it into a fish shape :)

 

tips:

- if yor twine is really thin, braid it first.

- if you use alot of twine, it will be heavy and the shape

could deform after being hung for a while.....but you

could glue it onto paper and have it as a picture instead :)

- it's fun to play with the shadows!

 

...picking up some trout at the local fish market :)