Snow Queen Snowflake wand costume extra

If you are dressing your little girl up in a Frozen costume this year why not make a little snowflake wand for her?  It’s easy and it is so much fun.  Many stores already put out the Christmas ornaments or you can order online.  I have included several optional steps that you may or may not choose to use  on your wand.

You will need:

Approximately 3 feet of 2 ¼” wide sheer silver wired ribbon

Barbeque skewer

Sparkle snowflake ornament

Four mini icicle ornaments (Optional step)

Plastic straw (Blue works out well but you can cover it if you don’t have a blue one)

Scraps of white sparkle felt (optional)

Glue of choice, glue gun and glue sticks …or tacky craft glue

Bowdabra mini Bowmaker with ruler

Bowdabra silver bow wire

(Ribbon measurements are approximate and are flexible)

1.     Gather your supplies. Put a dab of glue on the end of the skewer.  Attach the 20-inch piece of wired ribbon.  Begin twisting the ribbon onto the skewer all the way down to the end wrapping as you go.  Attach a dab of glue to hold the end in place. 

2.     Cut a 1 ½” piece of the plastic straw.  Add some glue and place in the center of the snowflake. (Back of wand) Add some more glue to the tip of the wrapped skewer and insert into the straw.  Set aside while the glue dries.

3.     If you didn’t use a blue straw and you want to cover it, cut a small rectangle of white sparkle felt and cut the bottom corner as an angle.  Add some glue and attach over the straw.

4.     Make the Bow. 

5.     Cut an 18 inch piece of Bowdabra silver bow wire, fold in half and insert into the mini Bowmaker with ruler.

6.     Using about 18 inches of the silver wired ribbon place one end into the Bowmaker to the 3-inch line.

7.     Make loop at the 2-inch line on the opposite side

8.     Make a matching loop on the other side

9.     End with a tail at the 3-inch line. Scrunch down with the Bowdabra wand.

10. Insert the two loose ends of bow wire through the loop and pull tight. Remove from Bowmaker and tie a knot in the back.  Tie the bow onto the wand and knot it. Use a pencil or pen to wrap the extra bow wire around to make a spiral.  Repeat on the other side and pull to the front.

11. Glue on four mini icicles on the front of the wand. (optional)

Vacation souvenir rock paperweight tutorial

When you travel for vacation do you visit a gift shop and pick up a souvenir of your trip? Most souvenirs are only visiting just like you and originate in a factory in some other place. So, in effect, the wallet you pull out to pay for it just as much a souvenir. Want a real souvenir?  Well then go get your rock, paper and scissors!

When I vacation I simply pick up a nice rock, or small stone from the side of the road or anywhere it’s ok to do that.  The rock is actually a piece of the place.  When I get home I use a sharpie, some Modpodge decoupage glue and an image that represents the vacation from my computer and printer.  Voila!  An instant real souvenir and it is pretty much free! Follow this tutorial and you can have a piece of your vacation memory forever.  Hint:  Shells and small driftwood work for this project too.

You will need:

Rock, shell, or driftwood in your choice of size

Modpodge decoupage glue (You can use outdoor modpodge if your rock is large and you want to display it outdoors)

Sharpie marker

Computer and printer

Scissors

Small paintbrush

Waxed paper

1.     Wash and dry the rock.  Gather your supplies and cover your work surface with some waxed paper. Use your printer to print an image that represents the area or an even a small personal photo on all-purpose paper.  Carefully cut out the image. (I like to use the state seals)

2.     Brush some Modpodge glue generously on the flattest side of the rock.  Place the image on the glued area and brush some more glue on top.  Let dry.  When dry brush another coat over entire rock.  Let dry.

3.     When the glue has dried use a sharpie marker to write the place and date on the rock.  You can write on the back or the bottom optionally.  Brush another coat of Modpodge glue on the writing to protect it.

Note:  You can also use personal vacation photos, tickets, images cut out from travel pamphlets.  The sky is the limit for personalization!

Is this pear ripe yet?

Did you know that pears ripen the best when are off the tree?  If they ripen on the tree they get mushy in the center by the time they are ripe enough to eat!  So that is why that pear you just bought is hard and doesn’t seem ready to eat at all!  That is because it isn’t. And it has nothing to do with keeping them unripe while they make their journey to your grocery store. 

So what do you do to ripen your pears perfectly?  First of all if your pick your pears right off your tree (Like I did) you must chill it in the refrigerator first.  For Bartlett a day or two will suffice.  Bosc and Anjou need longer periods of chilling. Grocery store pears have already had their chilling period.  After they chill out Bartlett pears will need 4-5 days to ripen at between 65-75 degrees and up to two weeks for Bosc and Anjou. I do it on my kitchen counter.  The ethylene gas they produce speeds up the ripening.  You can speed up this process even more by putting your pears in a paper bag with another ethylene producing fruit such as bananas or apples, which will concentrate this ripening hormone.

So how do you tell when your pears are ready?  You simply hold the pear in the palm of your hand and push slightly at the stem end of the fruit.  If it gives evenly, it’s ready to eat.  If you have to push harder than slightly, you must wait a bit longer to enjoy it’s juicy goodness.

Fun foam flowerpot person

This project is a great kid's camp craft with some adult help when using the hot glue.  Just add a hanging flower or plant and you've given your flowerpot person some hair and he will never have a bad hair day! It’s quick, it’s easy and its super fun. Add a quick and easy Bowdabra bow to finish.  If you use a bigger pot you can make a bigger bow and glue it to the bottom for a bow tie.

Flower pot person pattern pieces

You will need:

Fun foam red, peach or pink, black and white

1-inch diameter wiggle eyes

Pattern pieces traced on cardboard

Plastic flowerpot in desired size

Ruler

Scissors (pointed)

Pencil

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Bamboo barbeque skewer or butter knife

Bowdabra mini bowmaker with ruler

Bowdabra bow wire

Small rhinestone

1.     Download full sized pattern.  Trace onto some thin cardboard to use as a guide. Trace and cut out two eyes from white fun foam, a mouth from red foam and a nose from peach or pink fun foam. (See photo)  Cut out the center area of the mouth with pointed scissors.  Fold the nose foam piece in half lengthwise  pressing with your fingers to make a small peak down the center.  Fold the nostrils inward on each side. (This is where you will glue the nose onto the pot and the fold line down the center will make it somewhat dimensional.

2.     Cut a 1 ½” x 1 ½” piece of black fun foam.  Make little cut lines across. (Eyelashes)

3.     Using the hot glue gun attach one nostril side to the center of the pot.  Push the opposite side towards the first one to make it dimensional and add another bit of hot glue to attach to the pot.

4.     Arch the cut eyelash pieces and make a guide line with a pencil on each side of the nose. Attach with some hot glue. (Be careful when working with hot glue. Sometimes it is helpful to use a barbecue skewer or butter knife to hold the piece down till the glue sets)

5.     Add some more hot glue on the bottom and under the eyelashes and attach the whites of the eyes. 

6.     Finish the face by adding some wiggle eyes in the center of the whites of the eyes and attaching the mouth under the nose.

7.     Make the bow.  Cut a 12-inch piece of Bowdabra bow wire.  Fold in half and insert in the mini Bowdabra bow maker with ruler.  You will have a loop on one end and two-pieces of wire on the other.

8.     Using a piece of ½” or 1” wide gingham ribbon, insert in the Bowmaker to the two inch line. 

9.     Make a loop to the one-inch line on the other side.

10.  Make a matching loop on the opposite side and end with a tail at the two-inch line.

11.  Use the Bowdabra wand to scrunch down the bow.  Insert the two wire ends through the loop end and pull tight.  Make a knot in the back.

12.  Fold the ribbon in half and cut with scissors to make two points on the tail ends.  Use the hot glue gun to attach rhinestone in the center and attach to the top of the pot.  Add a plant such as a spider plant or other falling leaf plant to the pot for the hair.