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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Popsicle Stick Bracelets

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Popsicle Stick Bracelets

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My daughter loves playing dress-up, and most of all, loves jewelry of any kind. Sure, you can find all kinds of kids' jewelry for cheap, but sometimes you also get what you pay for...meaning lots of tears after a necklace or bracelet breaks after 5 minutes of wearing it. So, if you're wanting cute kids' jewelry that costs you almost nothing, then these popsicle stick bracelets are perfect! Plus, it's a fun way to spend an afternoon and keep the kids feeling creative.


To Make Popsicle Stick Bracelets, You'll Need:
Popsicle/Craft Sticks {I got mine from CraftProjectIdeas.com}
Emery Board or Sandpaper
Acrylic Paints
Paint Brushes {I got mine from CraftProjectIdeas.com}
Glitter Glue {I got mine from CraftProjectIdeas.com}
Acrylic Jewels {I got mine from CraftProjectIdeas.com}
Craft Glue


Step 1: Place popsicle sticks in saucepan filled with water*. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for another 20 minutes {You could also place the popsicle sticks in a bowl of water and let sit overnight}. This will make the popsicle sticks pliable and easy to work with.

*You may have a few sticks break or split while trying to bend, so prepare to have extras as backup.

Step 2: Start working the popsicle stick into a circle*. If you use larger craft sticks, you can fit them into the opening of a drinking glass to keep the round shape. My daughter's wrists are pretty small, so I ended up putting the sticks into the inside of a toilet paper roll.

*If they start to dry while you are working with them, they will most likely break or split. So, just get them wet again as needed. Hot water works better than cold water.

Step 3: Let the sticks dry overnight. Remove from glass or toilet paper roll and try them on your child's wrist. You don't want to make bracelets that don't fit! If they are too small or are bent weird, you can re-wet them and start again or adjust. If you have small splinters, you can smooth them out with an emery board or sandpaper.


Step 4: Time to paint! For little kids, these brushes worked great and I didn't have to worry about my nice brushes getting ruined. They are the perfect size for little hands! I also like to use plastic Tupperware lids for acrylic paint projects. It peels right off and works great as a nice little palette for the kids to paint with.


Step 4.1: Paint the outside of the bracelets in any colors you choose. You can paint the insides if you want, but with a three year old, that's a little more of a mess than I'd like to deal with... Let dry completely.

I also wanted to give Christy's Cuties a shout-out for making the adorable apron!


Step 5: Add glitter {of course!}. Glitter glue in tubes worked great for little hands. Sure, it got a little messy, but she had a lot of fun being in control of this part! She wanted to use every color of glitter in the package, and we even made a few shapes {like the heart in the picture above}. It was a great learning activity covering colors and shapes. You can leave the glitter on thick*, or paint a line and use a brush to even it out for more coverage. Let dry completely.

*If you leave the glitter on thick, be sure to keep an eye on it as it can {and will} run! It will also take longer to dry.


Step 6: Bling it up! This is another opportunity to talk about shapes, colors, and sizes. The package of acrylic jewels had a good variety to choose from, and it was fun to let her make her own decisions to personalize the bracelets. Glue the jewels on with craft glue, or use E6000 {with a lot of ventilation!!} for a better hold. Let dry completely.


Now you're done! These were so fun to make, and would also be a great gift or party activity.
The possibilities are really endless for personalization.


Thanks again to CraftProjectIdeas.com for sending us craft supplies to play with!
Monday, February 25, 2013

Free Printable Lucky Banner

Monday, February 25, 2013

Free Printable Lucky Banner

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Lucky Shamrock Printable Banner & St. Patrick's Day Shelf

I'm so excited to share my St. Patrick's Day shelf with you today! It was so easy and inexpensive to put together. I love the look of burlap, but I really don't like cleaning up the mess after crafting with it...so I made a mess-free printable version of a St. Patrick's Day banner. It is super cute on it's own, but I added a little extra to give it some fun. You can also see how to make the St. Patrick's Day Clothesline Art here.
Friday, February 22, 2013

Giveaway: Origami Owl

Friday, February 22, 2013

Giveaway: Origami Owl

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I'm so excited about this giveaway from Origami Owl today!

If you haven't heard of Origami Owl, they are a custom jewelry company with a unique twist: they were founded by a 14 year old entrepreneur! You can read more about her story here. It’s been said that Living Lockets are the latest trend in jewelry. But the truth is, they’re so much more than that! Living Lockets are an extension of YOU – because each and every piece is custom designed to tell a story of your life, and of what’s important to you.


You can choose a Living Locket, or there are also really cute tags you can add to personalize jewelry even more. There are a lot of tags to choose from, including Empowerment phrases, Initials, Inspiration words, Accent shapes, names, and phrases, and Earth Elements jewels in 13 colors! Any of these would be a perfect unique gift for anyone you love {including yourself!}.


I was so happy to receive a Living Locket of my own, and it was so fun {and hard} to choose four charms to go inside the locket. There are so many charms to choose from, you are sure to find a combination that reflect what you are about! As you can see in the photo of my necklace above, I went with the Silver L with Crystals, a Laptop, a Plumeria Flower, and a Radiant Aqua Accent Stone.


Not only is the necklace unique and beautiful, the packaging was worth mentioning as well! Everything was packed neatly into a Chinese take-out favor box! Really cute touch! Inside the box is a gorgeous satin fortune cookie coin purse with the fortune/slogan "Every Locket Tells a Story" sticking out. Inside the coin purse was my beautiful necklace! Needless to say, it was a really fun way to open such a cool gift!

Origami Owl is also offering one lucky Artsy-Fartsy Mama reader their very own necklace!
You will win a Medium Silver Living Locket {16-18" silver ball chain included},
and four Charms of your choice!

Giveaway will end on March 1st at Midnight MST

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To stay up to date on the latest fashion trends, specials, new products, and so much more send your email address to nolaowl@gmail.com to receive The O2 Connection, their monthly newsletter.


Want to join the Origami Owl team?

With Origami Owl, you can do what you love and love what you do. Get involved with a unique social selling business that’s setting a new standard in the industry. Be a part of the trend that’s sweeping the nation! Origami Owl is extending an invitation of exclusive opportunities to join our team. Launch your own business as a Designer with Origami Owl and help others create stylish, customizable jewelry that they’ll cherish. For more information, please visit www.kristyrohr.origamiowl.com.

If you have questions about BECOMING A DESIGNER…Kristy would love to hear from you! Please e-mail her at nolaowl@gmail.com. Run your own social selling jewelry business that’s anything but typical! Learn more at http://kristyrohr.origamiowl.com/join/opportunity/.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

DIY Wax Paper Lantern

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

DIY Wax Paper Lantern

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With a busy toddler, sometimes it can be hard to come up with something fun to make that will keep her interested and, most importantly, learn something once we're done. This kid's craft covered a little bit of construction skills, colors and color-mixing, and creating unique artwork. With a few simple supplies, you can create a cute and colorful wax paper lantern and have a great time!


To make a wax paper lantern, you'll need:
Wax Paper {any brand should work great}
Crayons in multiple colors
Craft Sticks {I got mine from CraftProjectIdeas.com}
Iron
Scrap Paper or Newspaper

*Depending on the age of the child, I would highly recommend a bit of adult supervision. There will be the use of an iron, so we don't want any little hands getting burned!


Step 1: Cut or tear a piece of wax paper off the roll about 10-12 inches long. Fold and cut the paper in half length-wise. Fold each half in half again width-wise {don't tear it!} so you now have 2 sheets to work with that are each about 5x10-12 with a folded seam.


Step 2: Depending on how hard you or your child can color, you can color your own design on one half of the wax paper sheet. My daughter tried, but wasn't getting a very dark image. The darker your coloring, the better it will turn out.

Step 2.1: Since we couldn't draw a dark enough image, we did the next best thing: place crayon shavings into separate paper cups. Sprinkle the shavings {not too many} on one side of the wax paper. From a little trial and error, adding too many shavings can make a big mess when melted and will also end up blending all the colors into one. So, use a few and spread them out a little for best results.

Teach what colors work together when mixed {like blue + yellow = green}, and what will happen when you mix colors like yellow and purple that will turn a muddy brown. We made a few extra sheets so we could experiment with different colors.


Step 3: Fold the wax paper over with the shavings inside. Place on a piece of scrap or newspaper, then cover with another piece of paper. With your iron on medium heat, run it across the paper with a small amount of pressure. This should melt the crayon shavings and fuse the wax paper together. Having the scrap paper will help absorb any crayon that melts out of the wax paper and protects your iron. You can make as many sheets as you'd like, but you only need 4 for this project.

Step 4: With a little bit of glue, or using a glue gun, glue the craft sticks together to make a square {as seen in image above}. Make sure all the craft stick frames are completely dry before the next step!!


Step 5: Carefully trim your wax paper sheets to about 4x4 inch square {measure your frame to make sure what will fit} and tape the sheet to the inside of the craft stick frames.

Step 6: To put the lantern together, start by taping two of the frames together on the inside. Line the frame sides up, and add a few pieces of tape. Add the third frame the same way, then carefully fold them all in to form a cube. Add the fourth frame, and tape both edges so that all the frames are connected.


Now your lantern is done! Add a battery powered tea light or nightlight inside and admire your work!
With all the flammables involved in this project, I don't recommend putting a candle inside the lantern at all!!

Thanks again to CraftProjectIdeas.com for sending us craft sticks to play with!
Monday, February 18, 2013

Peanut Butter Bars

Monday, February 18, 2013

Peanut Butter Bars

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Once in a while, there is a recipe that will take you back to a time when things were simpler, and brings back memories. These peanut butter bars are just that to me. My mom used to make this for us on occasion, and it always made it a good day at school when the lunch ladies decided to whip up a batch of this piece of heaven. If I ever need to bribe my dad or make him a gift he is sure to love, a pan of these will do the trick!

The moment I found out that my poor husband had never had a peanut butter bar or even heard of it, I had to make some. I'm happy to announce that he approves of this recipe and I'm a little embarrassed to announce that I may have eaten more than my share while he was at work...


Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter {smooth or crunchy}
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup oats

Directions:
  1. Cream together sugars, butter, peanut butter and eggs.
  2. Add in baking soda, salt, vanilla, and alternate mixing in the flour and oats. Mix until well blended.
  3. Press dough evenly onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes exactly.
    *Don't worry, it will look like it's a little too "fluffy" for the pan when it comes out of the oven, but it will be perfect once it cools!
  4. Let cool completely.
  5. Frost the bars with peanut butter {smooth or crunchy}.
  6. Frost over the peanut butter with chocolate frosting {canned frosting works great, or use chocolate fudge frosting recipe below}.
  7. Cut into squares and enjoy!
Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
5 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup chocolate chips
  1. Put first 3 ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
  2. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips.
  3. Whip until creamy and cooled.
Would love to hear if you try these out!
What are some of your favorite homemade treats from when you were young?
Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Valentine Love Jars

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Valentine Love Jars

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I love making Valentine projects, especially ones that double as decorations. This project took about a half an hour to make, and cost less than $10. You could adjust this project to fit any holiday, or would even be cute to add to a nursery or child's bedroom. With a little help, the kids could even help put these jars together!
Monday, February 4, 2013

Free Printable Monkey Valentines

Monday, February 4, 2013

Free Printable Monkey Valentines

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Who still needs Valentines? I've made up some new ones this year, and added a little hipster flair!
I've made both boy and girl versions of this printable, plus a set that has both monkeys!

Free Printable Monkey Valentines at artsyfartsymama.com #valentine #freeprintable #printable

You could give out the valentines as-is, or attach to a gift bag to use as a tag.

Free Printable Monkey Valentines at artsyfartsymama.com #valentine #freeprintable #printable

Or, with a little help from an Xacto knife, these valentines can pretty much hold any treat for you.
Just cut along both sides of the monkey's hands and weave a sucker stick through.

Free Printable Monkey Valentines at artsyfartsymama.com #valentine #freeprintable #printable

Don't like to give candy? No problem.  Just add in a glow stick!

Free Printable Monkey Valentines at artsyfartsymama.com #valentine #freeprintable #printable

Or, cut the edges of all the monkey hands and weave a pencil through!

Free Printable Monkey Valentines at artsyfartsymama.com #valentine #freeprintable #printable

Afraid of an Xacto knife or just want a kid-friendly option? Glue or tape your candy on.
The possibilities really are endless!

Click the links below the images to download.
I recommend printing the valentines on cardstock. They are sturdy enough to hold treats and easy to cut.

Some things you should know before downloading:
*Artsy-Fartsy Mama printables are for PERSONAL USE ONLY.
*You may not modify, re-sell, redistribute, or claim the design as your own.
*Please do not remove the credits and copyright.
*If you post this on the internet, credit must be given to Artsy-Fartsy Mama and linked back to my blog.


Free Printable Monkey Valentines at artsyfartsymama.com #valentine #freeprintable #printable

Free Printable Monkey Valentines at artsyfartsymama.com #valentine #freeprintable #printable

Free Printable Monkey Valentines at artsyfartsymama.com #valentine #freeprintable #printable

Enjoy!
Friday, February 1, 2013

3rd Birthday Cake

Friday, February 1, 2013

3rd Birthday Cake

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I'm working on being a better party planner. I have good intentions a few months before the big day, but then things come up and suddenly I'm at the last minute. This cake worked great as a last minute plan and it was easy to convince the party guests that it took me all day. In reality, it only took 1 1/2 hours to make, including the baking time! Not too bad for my first try at making a "fancy" cake!