Easy Homemade Ornaments

We just made homemade ornaments. We usually make some every year.  These ones were easy.

Step One- Buy glass globes.  Walmart had them for a great price!  Found them in the craft section.

Step Two- Unwrap a few crayons (less colors the better) and break off a few small pieces.

Step Three- Insert crayon pieces in globe.

Step Four-  Hold globe in hand (use an oven mitt if you need to) and place a blow dryer on its hottest setting near wear the crayons are lying.

Step Five-  Move the globe around so the melting crayons cover the surface of the globe.  This will take a couple of minutes depending on how much you want covered.

Step Six- Shake out the crayon remnants if you can (we couldn't) and put the top back on.

The hardest part was the heat from the blow dryer.

 This one was a red, blue, and white crayon.

 This was an orange, red, and green crayon.

 This was done with green and purple crayons.

I used blue and white.  Forgive the no shower or make-up look.

My husband used red and green.  Those colors mixing turn to warm.  Warning!

Button Art

Had fun with the kids playing with buttons today.  

Freezer Paper Stencils

I finally got into the Freezer Paper craze.  I got this idea here.  We just made our own templates free hand though.  That is the best part of using Freezer Paper.  You can make whatever you want!  My friend made my baby the cutest shirts using Freezer Paper and fabric paint when she was born.  I will be using this again for sure.  This was just our trial run.

You can find freezer paper in most grocery stores by the aluminum foil.  It was $6.00 for a giant box of it.

 First draw whatever you want to have on your shirt on a piece of paper, cut it out, and use it as a stencil for the Freezer Paper.  Draw this onto the paper side of your Freezer Paper.  Cut it out and iron it using dry heat onto your shirt.

 You can either paint inside the picture or the outside.  My younger kids just used Fabric Paint markers to paint dots all around their design and my oldest child decided to paint the inside.

 When the painting is done just peel off the paper.

 She has a K, but she kept running away.

Sun Catchers

I can't decide if Pinterest is making my life better or worse.  I avoided getting on it for years, but I finally did for better or worse.  I got the idea for these sun catchers here. 

I used Pony Beads and filled the bottoms of a metal pie tin and a cupcake tin with a single layer of beads. Well, when I say I I mean my kids did it.  

 Then I baked them at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  You can do it more or else depending on how bumpy or smooth you want it.

 Then we hung them by a convenient hole that formed at the top by our window.  Success!

Finger Paint

We had a snow day today and needed an activity.  I've tried a few different finger paint recipes in the past and this is my favorite one. 

You'll need:

1/2 cup cornstarch
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups cold water
food coloring

In a medium saucepan stir together the cornstarch, sugar, and salt.  Then whisk in the cold water over medium to medium-low heat.  Cook for 5-10 minutes stirring constantly.  You are just waiting for it to thicken and become shiny.  I think I cooked it a little too long.  You don't want it too thick! 

Prepare some storage containers. 

Let it cool and add food coloring.

Then let your kids at it!

\My kids were having hard time not wiping their hands off every few seconds!  Store containers in air tight containers.  I store mine in the fridge.  I've had it go moldy in the past.  Yuck.