Monthly Archives: March 2012

“Grow” a Flower in Minutes (Without the Pollen!)

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I’ve been having so much fun making these cute little flowers! I knew I had to share them with all of you!

Here are the materials and steps to make a simple little felt carnation-like flower.

Materials:
- one piece of felt
- scissors
- needle and thread
- glue gun/glue sticks
- circle template (cup?)

Directions:
(Heat up the glue gun while doing the first few steps.)

1) Use the circle template that you have chosen and trace 6 circles of the same size onto your piece of felt. (The bigger the circle is, the bigger the flower will be.)

2) Use scissors to cut out all 6 circles. (Tip: Cut inside the line that you traced onto the felt. Then the line will not be visible on the petals.)

3) Take one circle and fold it in half.

4) Then fold it into a quarter.

5) Carefully hold the circle in the quarter position and sew through the corner with the needle and thread. Knot it a few times so it does not fall out-of-place. (You may choose to hot glue the piece in the corner instead of sewing it if you wish.) Repeat steps 3 & 4 with four more circles.

6) You should have one circle left over. Lay it flat and use it as a base. Carefully glue each quarter petal (circle) piece into place like quarters of a clock. You do not have to use that much glue to make it stay in place. A few dots will do. “A dot, a dot, a dot will do. More than a dot is too much glue!” (Sorry, that must have been the teacher in me coming out.)
(Before the next step, fluff up the petals and play with the shape to get ready for the final center petal.)

7) With the 5th petal, put a medium dot of glue in the center of the flower. Then, lay the petal straight down into the center and press down and hold for a few seconds.

8) Fluff up the petals of the flower to make it look how you want it to.

Use your beautiful flower to adorn anything you wish! Glue it onto a barrette to create a hair bow or slide it onto a headband. Fancy up a wreath or another art project. Also, I almost forgot: You can layer multiple fabric colors or mesh inside the felt pieces to create a different look. I tried it with the hot pink/black flower which will be turned into a fancy baby headband. Happy crafting!

P.S. Check back later this week to see how I created a spring/summer wreath using felt flowers!

I’m linking to Someday Crafts, Fireflies and Jellybeans, My Romantic Home, and It’s a Hodgepodge Life.

25 Series to Read if you LOVE the Hunger Games!

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*Update 4/2* The new “must-reads” list is now up! Check it out!

Today is a much awaited day. It’s the day The Hunger Games premieres in theaters! Who’s going to see it?? We are! In honor of this wonderful day, we thought we’d give suggestions on books you might enjoy if you enjoyed The Hunger Games. To help you know a little bit about each book and how it might be similar to The Hunger Games, we’ve taken several elements from the book to use for comparison.

Here are the categories:

  • futuristic- It takes place in a continent (either North America or fictional) in the future.
  • survival- Characters must learn how to survive in rough circumstances- primarily the wilderness.
  • love story- Characters show interest in one another that unfolds through the novel.
  • adventure packed- Each chapter leaves you going *gasp* and you HAVE to read the next one, only to find that it ends in the same manner.
  • contains a revolt- Something isn’t right with the government, and they’re going to do something about it.
  • girl protagonist- The main character or the one the story is following is a girl.
  • series- Contains more than one book.
  • YA- These books are written and marketed for young adults (approximately ages 10-20).

The Books: (In descending order, beginning with the best matches.)

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Jonas is a young boy living in a Utopian town.  Everything is perfect where he lives.  When children turn 12  they are assigned a job, so when Jonas turns 12 he is named the next  ‘Giver’ .  This job changes his life because it opens his eyes to things about his society and its past.  Jonas faces difficult choices about his future and the future of his people.
futuristic- yes
survival- yes
love story- yes (later in series)
adventure packed- yes
contains a revolt- yes
girl protagonist- no, but yes in later books
series- yes, 3 books total
ya- yes, Reading Level 5.9

The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Tally and Shay are two teen girls growing up in a society where they are “Uglies” until the age of 16. Upon your 16th birthday you undergo an operation that makes you a Pretty. Through many adventures, decisions, twists, and turns the character uncovers truths about the current world she lives in and the people she is governed by.
futuristic- yes
survival- yes
love story- yes
adventure packed- yes
contains a revolt- yes
girl protagonist- yes
series- yes, 4 books total
ya- yes, reading level 5.1-6.1

City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Ember is a city of darkness lit only by lamps where the people live off food kept in storerooms. When the lights they use continue to flicker and the shelves of food become empty it makes survival impossible. It will only be a matter of time before the life they know is over. Young friends Doon and Lina are determined to find a way to help their people survive.  Read Lena and Doon’s adventure of how they try to bring hope to their city! 
futuristic- yes
survival- yes, from hunger
love story- an affection story, wouldn’t call it love
adventure packed- yes
contains a revolt- somewhat in some parts
girl protagonist- yes
series- yes, 3 books + prequel = 4 total
ya- yes, level 4.9-5.2

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Imagine you live in a country with strict population laws. Only two children per family. What happens when you are the third child? What will you do?
futuristic- yes
survival- somewhat
love story- no, strong friendships
adventure packed- yes
contains a revolt- yes
girl protagonist- each book contains a different protagonist. Some are girls, some are not!
series- yes, 7 books total
ya- yes, levels 4.8-5.6

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Jonah discovers one day that his life is not what it appears to be. Not only is he adopted, but he belongs somewhere else entirely! The journey begins when he receives a note saying “You are one of The Missing.”
futuristic- yes
survival- yes
love story- maybe?
adventure packed- yes
contains a revolt- yes
girl protagonist- no
series- yes, 4 books total
ya- yes, level 4.6

Dark Life by Kat Falls
Ty, the main character lives with his family in the world’s first subsea community, where they provide fish and other food for the citizens of North America’s remaining communities on land. Ty is swept up in an unexpected chase for bandits who are out to get take everything from his family. He learns more about people he thought he knew, and in return they learn more about him too!
futuristic- yes
survival- yes
love story- yes
adventure packed- yes
contains a revolt- yes
girl protagonist- no
series- yes, 2 so far
ya- yes, level 4.3

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Percy, a teen boy finds out he’s a half-blood and later learns that his destiny involves having to make a choice of whether or not to save the world. He takes along 2 friends with him to fight creatures (and Gods!) from Greek mythology hidden among our world. Will he and his friends have what it takes to complete the incredible mission they have been given?
futuristic- no
survival- yes, trying to save the world
love story- yes, slightly
adventure packed- yes
contains a revolt- yes, against the Gods
girl protagonist- no
series- yes, 5 books total
ya- yes, level 4.1-4.7

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
This is Peter Pan before he becomes Peter Pan. Find out how he became able to fly. How does he know Wendy? Each book is a new adventure (yet building on the last) and equally as good as the last.
futuristic- no
survival- yes
love story- contains hints at one
adventure packed- yes
contains a revolt- yes, against the “Others”
girl protagonist- told from Peter’s point of view, but there is a girl main character
series- yes, 4 books total
ya- yes, level 5.2-5.6

PEAK by Roland Smith
Ok, this book does not have as many yes’s. BUT it is an awesome book, so much so that we couldn’t leave it out. If your favorite elements of The Hunger Games were survival (in the arena) and adventure, then this is a good pick for you.
futuristic- no
survival- yes, in wilderness in the mountains
love story- no
adventure packed- yes
contains a revolt- no
girl protagonist- no
series- no
ya- yes, level 5.0

Here are some more great books that we’ve heard have commonalities with The Hunger Games, but unfortunately we haven’t read yet. We look forward to reading:

  • The Secret Hour (1st in trilogy) by Scott Westerfield
  • Matched (1st in trilogy) by Ally Condie
  • Divergent (1st in series) by Veronica Roth
  • The Maze Runner (1st in trilogy + a prequel) by James Dashner
  • Birthmarked (1st in trilogy) by Caragh M. O’Brien
  • Across the Universe (1st in series) by Beth Revis
  • Graceling (has 2 companion books) by Kristin Cashore
  • Partials by Dan Wells
  • Cinder by Marissa Meyer
  • Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari
  • Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
  • The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
  • The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch
  • Legend by Marie Lu
  • The Bar Code Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn
  • Life as We Knew It (1st in trilogy) by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Did we leave any out? What books would you recommend to Hunger Games lovers? Have you read any of these? What did you think? And what do you think of the movie!?!

*Update 3/29* We have really enjoyed reading all of your comments. There is no way we could have read and recommended every book series that qualifies as “Hunger Games-like.” But thanks to all your comments, we’ve discovered a few more! There’s been such a response that we’ve decided to make a new post: “Must Reads if You Love The Hunger Games.” We will add all the books you recommend, so get those comments posted. To make it easier for people to select their books, in your comment tell how your book is comparable to The Hunger Games using the 8 categories we used. Have your comments in by Saturday the 31st and we’ll have the new and improved must-reads list up by Monday! Happy reading!

*Update 4/2* The new “must-reads” list is now up! Check it out!

Confessions of a Thrifty Crafter

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We have two wedding showers coming up at church and usually I make personalized casserole dishes by etching the new name onto the glass. But I’ve given over half a dozen of these, so this time around I thought I would try something new. I visited Goodwill and Salvation Army and walked away with two picture frames-having only spent $3! Here’s what I came up with.

These frames were so fun to convert! I’m tempted to make one for myself, except for there are only 3 letters in my last name, so it might not look so nice. =(

If your interested in how to transform your own frame, here’s the details.

First, buy a frame (mine were about 20″ long. You could go longer or shorter depending on how many letters are in the name). Like I said, I found mine at a Goodwill and Salvation Army for $3 total. I found another one today at a yard sale for 50¢! If you can’t find the color you want, just spray paint it. I used the 97¢ stuff and it worked fine.

Next, using your cricut (or other cutting machine), cut out your name on vinyl (I used black cricut cuttables vinyl- sold at Wal-Mart. The settings on my cricut were: blade depth-3, speed-3, pressure-3.This resulted in what’s called a “kiss cut,” where the vinyl is cut, but the backing is not.). I used the program “Sure Cuts-A-Lot” to cut mine. I have version 2.0, so it works with my cricut. The current version does not work with cricuts. You don’t have to have a cutting software though, just use a cartridge that has a font that you like. Or, if you don’t have a cricut, you can order pre-cut vinyl letters from a number of sites online.

Weed your design by peeling off the pieces of vinyl you don’t want. Be careful to not let the sticky scraps get a hold of your lettering. I cut strips off as a I go to prevent that from happening.

Place transfer tape (again, I used the cricut brand from Wal-Mart because that’s all that is available in my small town!) across your name. Use the red grid lines to your advantage. They will help you center your image on the glass, so keep them straight!

Peal the backing off the vinyl. As you peal, be sure the letters stick to the transfer tape.

This is the scariest part to me- putting your sticker on the glass. To make this part easier, I placed my cricut mat face down underneath the glass. This provided a grid for me to line my transfer tape up with. It also helped me get the sticker  level by making sure the lines in both grids were parallel. You may also find it useful to make marks on your glass. You can do that by using pencil eyeliner. Once you’ve got it lined up press down on your design. I pressed from the middle (because I had just lined up the center grid line on my sticker to the one on the mat below), and worked my way out to the edges.) Once the sticker is applied, peel off the tape to reveal your name!

I love the way the shadow plays on the wall.

See what I mean?

FYI:

  • For the “Kittinger” frame I used the (free!) font, “Alex Brush.”
  • For the “McGrath” frame I used the (also free!!) font, “Simply Glamorous.”
  • I spray painted the  ”Kittinger” frame, but couldn’t find a cheep brown spray paint at Wal-Mart, so I used an acrylic paint for the “McGrath” frame. First, I sanded the frame so that it would be more porous. Then I used to coats of the acrylic paint and finished it with two coats of modge podge to protect the paint and give it a shine.
  • Total I spent $5 on new supplies for these two frames. Here’s the breakdown:
      • Frames: $3
      • Spray paint: 97¢
      • Acrylic paint: $1-ish
  • I already had the vinyl on hand, but originally I paid $9 for two 12″ x 24″ sheets. So to make these frames it cost about $9 total! (Judging that I used about $4 worth of vinyl.)

So now I have two wedding presents that (to me) are worth at least $20. I know they were inexpensive, but I’ll be proud to give them!

What’s your go-to wedding gift?

I’m linking to Fireflies and Jellybeans, Finding Fabulous, My Romantic Home, and It’s a Hodgpodge Life.

Nutella Dip

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Nutella dip. Need I say more?

Nutella, to me, is kind of a dip to begin with, so why make Nutella dip? Just try it. You won’t need an explanation.

Nutella Dip

3/4 cup Nutella
1 cup Vanilla Yogurt
1/2 cup Cool Whip

Combine all ingredients. Whisk until smooth. Garnish with reddi whip and mini chocolate chips (optional). Yields: approximately 16 oz.

It’s basically my cake dip recipe, but minus the cake mix and with nutella. I used the Kroger brand nutella because it’s slightly less than the name brand, and I like it better. (They have crunchy nutella too!)

This dip is naturally good with anything that nutella is good with (well, probably not bread). I’m thinking vanilla wafers, graham crackers, marshmallows, and fruit.

I hope you enjoy it! Drop a comment if you do!

‘Egg’cited About Easter

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In anticipation of Easter, my husband and I made these eggs last night. Ok, fine. I made these eggs last night while my husband studied Physics next to me. He did make one egg. I guess that was overdoing it for him. =)

I just love them! Here’s the details if you’re interested.

  1. Find some pretty napkins. It looks nicer when the napkins have a white border around the designs. I got these napkins at Wal-Mart. Tissue paper works well too. You will also need modge podge and a foam paintbrush. Oh yeah, and eggs! I used blown eggs, but if you don’t plan on keeping them, you can use hard-boiled eggs.
  2. Cut out the designs you want to use. You can also cut out individual letters to spell a word.
  3. Peal the back layer from the napkins. (This could also be done before you cut out the designs.)
  4. Using a foam paintbrush, put a thin layer of modge podge on the surface or your egg.
  5. Place your design on the modge podged egg. Smooth it down with your finger.
  6. Brush modge podge over your design. This little monster looks like he’s saying, “No!! Not icky modge podge! I don’t want to be stuck to this egg forever!” =)
  7. Let the egg dry. It is easier to do one side at a time, leaving time to dry between sides. I stuck a toothpick in the tiny hole I had used to blow the eggs. Then I turned them upside down and stuck them in an egg carton- that way the eggs didn’t roll around and get smudges or get newspaper stuck to them.

Here’s how they turned out:

Monsters… for my classroom.

I made girly ones for my (almost) seven-year old niece who came to visit me today. (Joshua made the one that says, “easter.” Didn’t he do a good job?)

These springtime ones I made from tissue paper. They are going in my hutch.

Have an ‘egg’ceptional day!

It’s time to spill the beans…

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We planted bean plants back in September, but as we approach Spring, many teachers are teaching the plant life cycle and parts of a plants now, so I thought I’d share the method I used, so maybe you can use it too! Many of you have probably planted beans in zip-lock bags at one time or another. It’s a great way to do it- doesn’t take up much space and they grow really quickly. I did this when I was in school! But, our class didn’t use zip-lock bags…

We used CD cases! We collected about 12 CD cases so that there would be enough for everyone to share with a partner. Then we used potting soil to plant our beans.

Day One:

Watering the bean:

Watching it grow!

Measuring its growth:

Recording observations:

Labeling the parts of the plant:

Tada!

Tips:

  • The hinges of the CD case should be at the top. That way you can stand them up and dirt won’t fall out. Also this leaves a nice hole at the top for watering the plants with droppers.
  • Plant your bean high in the soil. If you plant it toward the bottom the roots will grow out the bottom!
  • Tape the bottom shut. This will keep roots from growing out the bottom, and curious fingers from opening the case.
  • Use masking tape and permanent markers to label whose plant is whose.
  • Around day 5 or so I untaped the cases overnight so that they could have a little bit of space to grow. I taped them back in the morning. By day 7 or so, you will be ready to label your plants. We used paint pens.
  • Plant your bean with the concave side down. It should resemble the letter “n,” not the letter “u.” I didn’t tell my kids this. I just let them discover it… which was a nice learning experience. Just depends on which way you’d rather teach it.

To record our observations we used this sheet from Green Education Foundation.

Happy planting!