Shrinky Dink Wine Charms

"Accept what life offers you and try to drink from every cup.  All wines should be tasted; some should only be sipped, but with others, drink the whole bottle." -Paulo Coelho, Brida

Shrinky Dinks are fun to turn into almost anything, but when a friend of my mothers decided to throw a Disney themed bridal shower, the princesses were ready to make an appearance. By making them into wine charms everyone was able to harness their inner princess while never losing their glass.  (Plus, it's a great take home trinket as well). However, be careful who you have help color in the images.  Some people think Rapunzel and Ariel are the same person.  (FYI: They are not).

Materials:

• Shrinky Dink Paper
• Black Permanent Marker
• Colored Pencils
• Images to turn into the Charms
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Jump rings
• Wire
• Beads

Directions:

1. Start by tracing the images (from the internet) on the paper with a permanent marker.
2. Color in the images.
3. Cut out the images.
4. Punch a hole into the top of the images.
5. Bake in the oven according to packaging.
6. Let cool. Thread a jump ring through each punched hole.
7. Thread a piece of wire through each jump ring.  Add beads and form ends of wire into loops.
8. Bend the wire so that the loops can interconnect as needed to fit around a wine glass.

For everyday use, I made myself a set of DC superhero themed charms.  I am feeling the Wonder Woman tonight!

Easter (Grocery Bag) Basket

"If anyone or anything tries to curse or kill the Goodness at the Center of all things, it will just keep coming back to life.  Forever Easter." -David Housholder, The Blackberry Bush

Easter is just around the corner.  To recycle an old paper bag I had, I decided to make a brown paper bag basket.  I learned how to make this years ago through a 4-H event, and decided with Easter coming it was a perfect project.

Materials:

• Paper grocery bag
• Scissors
• Glue
• Paperclips or clothes pins
• Ruler

Directions:

1. Measure out strips to be 3 inches wide.  Cut out 20+ strips.
   
   
   
2. Fold Each strip in half.  Then fold the sides into the center, so that each strip is folded into 4ths. 
   
3. Weave 6 strips into another 6 strips leaving open space on all sides to create the base of the basket.  Glue the edges down and hold in place while drying with paperclips.
   
4. Fold the edges of the strips up.  Starting behind a strip, glue another end of a strip behind it and start the weaving process to build up the basket.  Use glue on each strip and paperclips (or clothespins) to hold it in place.  If your strip does not make it around, glue another strip to the one you are working with.  
   
5. When you get to the end of a row, glue the end of the strip to the same place you started and clip off remaining strip.
6. Start the next row again behind a strip.  I suggest moving one over from where you started to get the alternating weave pattern.  
7. Continue until you reach the desired height of your basket.
8. Trim edges of left over strips.  
   
9. Glue a rim around the outside by opening up a folded strip once, adding glue, and gluing it folded back onto the basket.  Use the paperclips to keep it in place.  
   
10. To add a handle take one of the strips and glue it to one inside of the basket. Arch across the basket, cut of excess, and glue the other end down to the opposite inside.  Hold in place with paperclips.  
    
11. Remove all paperclips.  For Easter fill with paper grass or tissue paper and your favorite treats.  My boyfriend is getting one filled with Recess Eggs.

Children's Book Birdhouse

"A bird doesn't sing because it has answer, it sings because it has a song." -Maya Angelou

I grew up reading Little Golden Books.  From the Pokey Little Puppy to Sesame Street books, they were short easy reads for a beginning reader.  With spring being here, I decided to pay homage to these books by making one into a bird house.  

Materials:

• Bird House
• Book
• Scissors
• Mod Podge
• Paint Brush
• Hot Glue or E6000

Directions:

1. Carefully cut the pages away from the cover.
2. Cut pages to fit the sides of the bird house.  
3. Use the Mod Podge to attach them to the pages to the house.  
4. Attach pages to the underside of the book cover with Mod Podge as well.
5. Once all surfaces are covered in pages, go over once more in Mod Podge. 
6. Using hot glue (or E6000) attach the book cover to the bird house.  (Hot glue didn't hold the best.)

I love Winnie the Pooh!  I think my bird house might just end up staying indoors.  This would be very cute in a play room or nursery.  

Bobble Heads

"And will you succeed?  Yes, you will indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed)." -Dr. Seuss

Today, I am celebrating the end of my Dr. Seuss themed blogs.  I originally saw the idea for a "spring chicken" in Family Fun Magazine.  I liked the idea so much after making one of my own that I decided to make my own bobble head, but shaped like the fish and bowl from the Cat in the Hat.  It could be done for almost anything.  Maybe I will make a Horton Hatches the Egg inspired one for next year.  

For the Goldfish Bobble Head:

Materials:

• Orange, White, Blue, and Black Polymer Clay
• Spring taken out of an old pen

Directions:

1. Using the white polymer clay shape the bottom of the fish bowl.  Add a lip to the fish bowl by rolling out a long snake of clay and wrapping it around the top of the bowl a single time.
2. Add blue to the bottom to create the water in the bowl.
3. Shape the fish out of orange clay.  Add fins and tail.
4. Shape two small circles for eyes out of white clay. Add to the fish
5. Shape two smaller circles for pupils out of black clay.  Add to the eyes.
6. Attach the fish to the spring and then attach the other end of the spring to the bowl.
7. Bake in the oven at 250 degrees for 20 minutes.

Enjoy your bobble head!

Cat and Bunny Planters

"It is better to know how to learn than to know." -Dr. Seuss

I found these lovely cat planters on pinterest.  I decided to make then and try making my own into a bunny. 

Materials:

• Empty, Clean Soda Bottles
• Paint
• Paint Brushes
• Permanent Markers
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Cut the top off the bottle.

2. Cut the bottle into a cat or bunny shape.

3. Paint the Bottles

4. Draw faces on the bottles.

5. Add dirt and plant into the planter.  (Add a Cat in the Hat, hat to your cat if it is Dr. Seuss week!)

Truffula Tree Pencil Toppers

"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living; it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope.  Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities." -Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss's birthday was yesterday.  Happy Birthday!  Thanks for making reading fun and teaching so many children to read.  (Also, Happy National Craft Month)!

Materials:

• Pencil
• Sharpies
• Poof Ball
• Hot Glue

Directions:

1. Glue ball on top on the pencil. 
2. Decorate pencil with the sharpies. 
3. Add circles to the tree top if wanted.