Play Time! The Bubblerator AKA Bubble Snake Maker

We've had such dreary, miserable weather here the past week or so, and I think everyone's been going spare trying to entertain themselves and/or their kids. So today is a blissful change - the sun is shining, it's warm, I'm even wearing a t-shirt!

I actually had to drag Isy outside with promises of bubbles (strange, seeing as she's usually trying to get outside as soon as humanly possible most days) but she warmed up to it soon enough.

We started off with regular bubbles (always a hit) and then I remembered the Bubblerator AKA Bubble Snake Maker.

I read about this little contraption online somewhere last week (can't for the life of me remember where though) and it's really easy and quick to make - about 3 minutes - and bonus: it's repurposing!

You'll need:


an empty plastic water bottle, or similar, lid removed
a strong rubber band or a hair elastic
a bowl of water
a bowl of dishwashing liquid
a small face washer or teatowel scrap (10cm x 10cm-ish)

1. Cut the bottom off the bottle.

2. Place the washer over the cut end of the bottle and secure with the band.

3. Dip the washer end into the water, then the dishwashing liquid. Blow through the other end and... BUBBLE SNAKES AHOY!

Easy, fun and sudsy!

Gift Challenge: 6 Year-old Boy

A few months ago, I challenged myself to only give gifts that were either handmade, homemade, vintage or repurposed/recycled. I've had it fairly easy up until this point, with only Easter (homemade chocolates) and Mother's Day (a bunch of handmade blooms as mentioned here) but we're coming into prime birthday season here so I've had to put my creative thinking cap on and get cracking.

One of our nephews had his 6th birthday last week and I decided about two months ago that I would make him a gift that would help with his reading and sight words. He's in kindergarten this year, so the challenge was to make it age-appropriate and fun enough to not look like a learning toy.

After thinking on the idea for a long time, I eventually came up with a magnetic storyboard. (You know the magnetic words you can buy in gift shops, where you use them to make up funny poems or crass stories on your fridge? Think a six-year-old's version of that.)

You'll need:


large magnetic whiteboard
OR
large whiteboard 
AND magnetic paint (I had trouble finding it, but this would be a cheaper option)


primer (multisurface white undercoat is your best bet)
tin of blackboard spraypaint (I use White Knight as outlined here)
acrylic paint of your colour choice
magnetic tape
scissors
paintbrush
plain paper
list of sight or Dolch words and nouns

1. Prime the frame and magnetic surface of your whiteboard. Allow to dry.


2. Paint the magnetic surface using your blackboard paint, being sure to follow instructions. I've outlined my tips here. A good rule of thumb with spray paint is to either recoat within one hour or wait at least six. I'm impatient so I'm sure to recoat within one hour.

3. Allow the blackboard paint to dry thoroughly. Using a paintbrush and an acrylic paint of your choice, paint the primed frame, being careful to not get paint on the blackboard. Allow to dry and recoat if necessary.

4. Once dry, prepare the chalkboard by rubbing a piece of chalk over the entire surface and then cleaning it off with a damp cloth. It's now ready to use!

5. Print the Dolch word and noun lists as shown here and here. Print them in the tables, as is, this will make the assembly much easier.

6. Put on a good movie and, using the table as a guide, cut out each of the words. I tended to cut close to the first letter and then left a gap of two or three spaces after the last letter, so the words wouldn't run into each other when put in a sentence.

7. Put on another good movie (or maybe season one of Arrested Development) and apply each word to the sticky side of the magnetic tape, pressing down firmly as you go.

 8. Cut each word to size.

9. Stick to the board and you're done!

Also be sure to include an amazeballs handmade birthday card (courtesy of Isla).

The birthday boy dug his gift a lot, and was really excited about having his very own blackboard. A few things I would do if I made a gift like this again though:

1. I would spray each of the words, once magnetised, with a gloss spray or a paper sealer. They just tended to get a little grubby with constant handling.


2. Include a couple of magnetic tins to store the words in while not in use. This would keep it much tidier and not as overwhelming for someone who is just learning to read.


3. Include 10 or 20 blank paper magnets, to allow additional words that aren't on the list, as well as names and places that would make story writing more fun.

I'm really enjoying the challenge so far though, and have already started planning Christmas gifts. Between now and then though, I think we've got 8 kids birthdays, a handful of adults and Sparky's 30th, so I'd better keep planning. (And not leave it to the last minute again.)

Cheap, Quick, Handmade Mothers Day Bouquets

I'm still on my "handmade, homemade, vintage or repurposed" gift challenge, but I'm going in with my sisters to buy my mum a Mothers Day pressie that doesn't quite fit into the HHVR categories. So I've been perusing the interwebs for something sweet, handmade and cheap (because the pennies be tight here at the moment) and have come up with a few options, that you may or may not be interested in yourself.

I'm keen on bouquets of things other than real flowers AND super-keen on pompoms. Behold, the joining of the two!

I made these two pompom flowers in the time it took my coffee to brew (and, if I'm being honest, to go slightly cold) so they are classified as a quick-fix craft for me. They really are very easy, and I followed the directions found here on domestic fluff, which includes a much much much easier pompom making method than the cardboard doughnut one I posted a while back. Praise!!

I have plans on making bunches of these for the mums that I know, and my fingers are itching to get into it.

Before I do though, I thought I'd share another non-flower bouquet that I put together a few weeks ago, using Japanese washi tape and skewers.

I just wrapped some tape around the blunt end of the skewers and snipped them into various flag shapes. A cute little handmade gift idea, or something to brighten up your bedside table or bathroom vanity.

(You can also make miniature versions using toothpicks, which are super-sweet as gift tags, place markets or cupcake toppers.)

Do you have anything special in the works for your mum/mum-in-law/sisters/grandma?

Sweet Peas and Sickies

Do you know what's worse than having a sick kidlet? Having two. Which is where we currently are. Awesome.

But both littlies are currently sleeping off their cold/fever/cough thing so I am going to get in a spot of quickie gardening and a dash quickie crafting. Then some longie ironing.

Quickie gardening first. Hurray for the sunshine!!

source: Muck About

12-14 weeks and I hope to have something like this blooming on our front and back decks. Because in 12-14 weeks, it's going to be miserable winter to the maximum and some sweet floral tones will be much needed. Enter sweet peas! And if you have 15 minutes and a plant pot spare, you could share in the joy.

It's traditional to plant your sweet peas on St Patrick's Day (apparently seeds planted before sundown on St Paddys Day gives you the strongest, most prolific flowering plants) but all around Australia you can plant your seeds any time before Anzac Day, to give a beautiful show of winter/early Spring flowers.

I have a few spare terracotta pots in the backyard that I'm using, but you can grow sweet peas in the ground, as long as the soil is rich and free-draining. They also require full sun (at least 6 hours a day).

I picked up a few packets of seeds at Bunnings - they're Mr Fothergills - and they were about $3 a pack. One is a dwarf, and the other two grow to around 1.5-2m tall, so obviously need a trellis or some sort of support support.

I bought some 1.5m bamboo posts from the local nursery that I'm making into teepees (check here for instructions) and have a good quality potting mix. Plant your seeds about one knuckle deep (roughly twice the depth of their diameter and water the soil. If the soil is damp when sowing, you won't really need to water them again until the seedlings emerge in a couple of weeks' time.

*Gardening Australia suggests gently rubbing your seeds in some sandpaper and soaking them in some water overnight prior to planting, but I need a fix right now, so I'm popping the seeds in straight out of the packet. Tut tut, I know.

As the seedlings emerge and tendrils start to grow, gently wrap the shoots around your trellis, to encourage the plant to grow upwards. And once flowers start blooming in 12-14 weeks, be sure to cut them regularly, as the more you remove the flowers, the more the plant will produce. And that means more beautiful, fragrant, ridiculously pretty blooms for your house. And your friends' houses. And your nana.

source: Cupcakes and Cashmere

Have you planted anything lately? Got some soil beneath your nails? Sun on the back of your neck? x

Repurpose Me: Framed Chalkboard Tutorial

When I saw this bear print at our combined garage sale a while back I managed to look past the freaky-looking bear and saw the big, solid timber frame around it. I knew I could do something with it so took it off my sister's hands.

It's only been this week that I had time to actually do anything with the frame, and I'm pretty chuffed with the results. So chuffed that I think I might have to do it again sometime!

So here's a quick how-to to turn a fugly print into a sweet little chalkboard.

You need:

- an old framed print, glass removed (you won't need the glass for this project)
- a can of spray paint in any colour (I used High Gloss Cherry Red in the Squirts range from White Knight - I bought it at Bunnings for about $7)
- a can of chalkboard spray paint (White Knight too)
- an old sheet or a plastic drop sheet
- newspaper (I didn't use it and it was annoying)
 

One creepy bear print.

Seriously...

1. Remove the print from your frame and give the wood a quick wipe over with a clean cloth to remove any dust or dirt. If it's particularly dirty you may need to wipe it with warm, soapy water and give it a thorough dry after.

2. Lay your drop sheet down and newspaper down and put your frame on top. Be careful not to spray near anything precious or white. Time for the first coat of spray paint. I followed these tips and was really happy with the result:

• shake the can of spray paint really, really, really well. for longer than they suggest on the can. this stops any flat or super shiny spots and gives even colour coverage.
• start your spraying off the piece and finish off the piece. this stops any big chunky splotches of spray paint where you first begin
• keep the can about 15-20cm away from the piece you're painting
• keep your paint strokes even
• apply a light, misting coat first and then follow up straight after with a fuller coat (though not too heavy, otherwise it will drip and look splotchy)

3. Check the results of your first coat, get really excited and grab other objects to coat in paint.

After the first coat

I grabbed a heap of frames from our bedroom cause I got so excited!

4. Leave these all to dry for at least 30 minutes before applying a second full coat.

5. Meanwhile, take the print and turn it over, exposing the bare board at the back. (If your print is constructed differently, you may need to use a sheet of thick cardboard here). Give it a wipe over with a clean cloth.

6. I totally forgot to get a shot of this, but, using the same tips as above, spray the board with a misting coat of chalkboard paint, followed immediately by a good, full coat. The can suggested two coats, but I found I only needed one to get really good coverage.

7. Let the frame and the board completely dry (I left mine overnight) and then, with the help of your trusty assistant, put them back together with the chalkboard facing out and the print at the back. You know, in case you ever want to use the print again. Not likely in this case.

Best assistant going round.

Marvel.

8. I think different brands of chalkboard paint vary here, but the White Knight suggested conditioning the board before using it, which means covering the entire surface with chalk and then rubbing it off. I did this, not too sure if it helped anything or not. Also, try to avoid using dirty chalk like I did, as it left some ugly scratches in the paint.

Finite!

For about an hour's work all up, and only a few dollars (I only used half of the can of red paint and maybe one-tenth of the blackboard paint) this was a fun little repurposing project!

I'll be back later with some happy-making!

Crafty Tutorial: Pom Pom Wall Garland

A while ago I mentioned how enamoured I was with pompom garlands, and over the past few weeks I've been slowly working on my own version. I finished the mini one last night and thought I'd share a quick how-to (they're super dooper easy though - you may not need a how-to!) and some of photos.

You'll need:

- a few balls of wool
- some scrap cardboard
- a compass or various sized tins/drinking glasses
- scissors
- time

1. Using the compass or tins or glasses, trace two large circles on the cardboard, with two smaller circles inside. Ensure that the smaller circles are in the exact centre so you get nice, even pompoms.

2. Cut out the outside circle, and then the inside circle on each of your pieces of cardboard. This should leave you with two cardboard doughnut-type shapes. They don't have to be beautiful, don't worry!

3. Chase your little helper around and retrieve your cardboard rings.

4. Measure out a length of wool (I usually do about three armlengths at a time, to stop it from getting too tangled) and start wrapping the ring.

5. Keep doing this.

6. And doing this.

7. Until you can do it no more, or until the wool won't fit through the middle of the ring.

8. Using sharp scissors, separate the wool to find the cardboard rings and carefully cut the wool, making sure your scissors stay in between the two rings. Cut all the way around.

9. Cut a length of wool and wrap it around the centre of the pompom (between the two rings) several times. Tie it off nice and tight. Be sure to have enough length on the wool to be able to form the garland later.

10. Carefully cut the cardboard rings off the wool and remove them.

11. Trim any long bits of wool, fluff up your pompom and presto!

12. Repeat for as many pompoms you would like, or for however many episodes of Kell on Earth you wish to watch.

13. Using the lengths of wool attached to each pompom, tie them together in whatever way you wish, leaving some extra length at each end of the garland to attach it to your hook/nail.

14. String it up and admire your handiwork.

There's something cozy about these little fluff balls, cozy and homely. I'm working on a bigger one for maybe one of the hallways or our bedroom, not sure yet. Maybe both.