Week 13 of Crea-cross already… Maybe I should have know the number 13 wouldn’t work so well! 

If you don’t know Crea-cross you can read about it on the crea-cross 2017 page above.

Co-host

This week Marije is my co-host.  I’m so happy she took this difficult prompt and I’m curious to see what she did with it.

Silence

As I already said, I found this a difficult prompt.  I wonder if I would have had this idea if the internet wouldn’t exist.  But than again, I wouldn’t want to blog either.
I started googling and pinteresting and came accross great activities for children, put in a quiet bags or busy bags.
Activities they can do on their own, without any help and in silence… hear hear 😉
Because we mothers, do need some piece and quiet sometimes! 😉

Busy bags diy

Colorful feathers in velt pockets.

I bought colored feathers and felt in a local dollar shop and made pockets out of the felt.  With some scissors and textile glue that’s easy peasy!
When finished this is a sorting activity!

Counting with small clothes pins

I found these lovey baby pink and baby blue clothes pins.
I drew some circles with numers on them on the computer and laminated the circles.  This activity is for sorting and counting.
The number of pins and the color of the pins should be correct.
Smaller children can just sort by color.

Button sorting.

Using pipe cleaners and buttons in de same colors, I made a sorting branch.
Very easy and cheap an works like charm.

reusable garland

With long pieces of felt and self-adhesive velcro I made this reusable garland.  My youngest loved it.  I want to make this in several colors, so that we can reuse them at the birthday parties of the kids.    In the movie you can see how she puts it together.  (It is in Dutch, my daughter doens’t speak English 😉 )
For the older childeren I put a card with possible color patterns into the bag.  That way it’s more challenging for them.

My first sewing project.

I also found a little I spy bag I wanted to sew, but fair is fair, I’ve never sewn before.  Using the manual I did my first sewing project.
I got the machine to stitch and everything!
But I should have taken more time to prepare thoroughly!  It is safe to use, but it looks like … euhm well – sorry ‘shit’!

I am going to do this again though!  I found a great tutorial! 🙂

 Pinterest board for busy bags activities

I made a pinterest board to put all the silence bag or busy bags ideas on, because I really like this idea!  Welcome to join!

Letters

Next week the prompt is Letters… so handlettering people, please join in! 😉

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Frozen tealight holders  DIY

What do you need to make these Frozen tealight holders?

Little empty glass yoghurt jars, a glue gun with white/transparant glue and tealights!
Be sure to use the white/transparant glue.  The yellow colored won’t look like ‘ice’! 😉

This is a nice way to upcycle empty glasses!

How do you make Frozen tealight holders?

Let the glue gun heat up.  Be sure that you use the transparant glue, as I already said.
Start at the edge of the glass jar and go around.  Don’t make all the icicles the same length. Try to vary: a short one, a longer one,…

Let the glue iciles cool down.

Working with a glue gun, you will often have thin glue threads.  You can use tweezers to pick them off.  Be sure the glue has cooled before you start with the tweezers, though! 😉

Oh no! Out of wrapping paper

I’m so good in not having enough wrapping paper or being out of wrapping paper on the most frustrating moments.
Since I have thought about this hack, I always have spare paper at home.
The best thing about this hack is the fun the kids have when stamping it together, no doubt about it!

Ikea hack DIY wrapping paper with Mala drawing paper.

A few weeks ago I bought foam stamps that go nicely with Christmas decorations.  There’s an angel, a christmastree, a bell, a snow-flake and a gingerbread man.
I have foam stamps in many different designs, so you could do this one for easter or a birthday too!
If you don’t have those stamps, you can do wonders with a pototo! 😉

Supplies you need:
* Mala drawing paper from Ikea
* gouache paint (Acrylic works too, but I wouldn’t recommend it with children!)
* foam stamps or potatoes
* paintbrushes

Ikea hack DIY wrapping paper: step by step

1. Put a large piece op the paper on the table and use tape on the edges to flatten
2. Make a plate for every color you want to use and put a brush on it.
3. Explain to the kids that you use a different brush for each color.
4. Show them how it’s done: paint the stamp with the brush and ‘stamp’ on the piece of paper on the table.
5. Tell the kids to spread around the designs and the colors.
6. Make sure they stamp on all the empty spaces, so the wrapping paper looks ‘full’
7. Let the wrapping paper dry
8. Let the wrapping begin!

TIP

Don’t let them use the paint too thick.  That way it won’t smudge!

Personal is so much more

Personal wrapping paper is so much more… So even if you arn’t ‘out’, you can still use this hack to make wrapping paper.  It’s fun to do and quite cheap.

This is how the presents looked when my son (6) and my eldest daughter (4) helped stamping and wrapping!  Hope you’ll all like this hack!  Merry Christmas!
Please let me know if you use this ikea hack DIY wrapping paper, I’m curious to see your results!

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