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Party Planner and DIY Projects

- Clay Sandcastles
  August 12, 2022Children will develop their sculpture techniques and creativity by molding and decorating their own clay sand castles. By Christina Eosco Objectives: Children will have an opportunity to observe pictures and models of castles and reflect on the architectural characteristics that contribute to their aesthetic. What You Need: Pictures and/or models of real castles and sandcastles (the decorative sand castles sold at Hallmark are ideal) Chart paper and markers Self-hardening clay Modeling tools, i.e. Popsicle sticks, plastic utensils, toothpicks, clay tools, etc. Liquid tempera and/or acrylic paint Containers and brushes for the paint Fine sand of various colors. Colored sand can be store-bought or made by shaking powdered tempera with neutral colored sand. Sparkly sand can be made by mixing sand with glitter Large trays to hold and spread out the sand Decorative items-sequins, sparkles, beads, shells, pebbles, etc. What You Do: Allow at least 5 minutes for children to explore and talk about the pictures and models of sandcastles. In the large group, ask children, “What makes them interesting? Realistic? Fantastical?” Have children talk about the different parts of the castle’s architecture and design, too-i.e. turrets, towers, moats, drawbridges, flags, etc. The teacher can list children’s observations on chart paper as a resource. Children use the clay to sculpt or build a castle. Children can either build the castle from one larger piece of clay or create individual sections to assemble later. (The latter will also impede the castle’s being damaged/squished in step 3.) The teacher can model different sculpting techniques ahead of time or within the lesson, such as using sides of toothpicks to impress lines in the clay. When the sculpting is finished, roll the castle or pat the flat sides into sand. Children add other objects to decorate their castle. (Flags can be made with toothpicks and small pieces of construction paper.) Allow clay to harden overnight. Optional: Paint unsanded areas of the clay to add color. Vocabulary: Arcade -Row of arches, free-standing and supported on piers or columns. Capital -Distinctly treated upper end of a column. Column -Pillar (circular section). Drawbridge -A heavy timber platform built to span a moat between a gate house and surrounding land that could be raised when required to block an entrance. Dungeon -The jail, usually found in one of the towers. Moat -A deep trench usually filled with water that surrounded a castle. Moulding -Masonry decoration; long, narrow, casts strong shadows. Rampart – Defensive stone or earth wall surrounding castle. Turret -Small tower, round or polygonal; usually a lookout. Wicket -Person-sized door set into the main gate door.... Read more...
- Camp Banner
  August 10, 2022Kids can make a cool banner to decorate their camp mess hall or cabin. All you need is paper, glue and buttons (or other found objects). What You Need: Construction paper: light blue, yellow, orange, brown, blue, red, purple, green White craft glue Buttons Twine, about 5 feet Glue stick Pattern What You Do: Use pattern to cut two tents from light blue paper, 6 logs from brown paper, and two sets of fire from yellow and orange. Cut 4 squares, 4.5” x 4.5”, from purple, red, blue and green paper. Cut strips, 4” x 1”, from the following colored papers: 2 each from yellow and light blue 1 each from purple, red, green and blue Assemble the campfires by gluing the yellow flame to the orange flame, and gluing 3 logs together, then combining the two. Use white craft glue to write the letters C, A, M, and P on each of the construction paper squares. Place buttons onto the white glue and let them letters dry. Use a glue stick to add paper strip hangers to the back of each of the letter squares, tents and campfires. Lay the twine out onto the work surface. Find the center of the twine and attach the letter “A” to the twine by folding the paper strip hanger over the twine and gluing it around the twine and to the back of the letter. Add each of the letters and the tents and campfires to the twine in the same fashion. Tips: Instead of buttons, you can use beans, dried split peas, pony beads or sequins.... Read more...
- Sunflower Letter Matching
  August 8, 2022Kids will have fun working on visual discrimination and learning their ABCs with these super cute sunflower themed, Letter Matching activity. This is a fun way to practice pairing upper and lowercase letters. This ABC Game is perfect for preschool, pre k, kindergarten, and first grade students. Letter Matching Whether you are looking for a summer learning activity, flower themed activity, or just a free engaging literacy center idea – you will love these super cute Sunflower Letter Matching printable puzzles. Whether you are a parent, teacher, or homeschooler – these cheery yellow sunflowers are a great way to make learning fun for toddlers, preschoolers, kindergartens, and grade 1 students. Printable Alphabet Puzzles Start out by scrolling to the bottom of the post, under the terms of use and clicking on the text link that says >> _____ <<. The pdf file will open for you to save and print. Print the alphabet sunflower pages in color on cardstock or laminating for durability. Letter Matching Activity Cut the alphabet printable into separate cards. You will have a lowercase stem and uppercase sunflowers for each letter of the alphabet from A to Z. Whether you are a parents, teacher, or homeschooler – you will love these low prep alphabet cards to help preschool, pre k, and kindergarten age children work on matching capital to lower case letters. Alphabet Matching Game In this literacy activity for spring, summer, or fall, students will match the upper and lowercase letters together to make complete sunflowers. Sunflower Printable Kids will have fun making a field of alphabet sunflowers! This is a perfect kindergarten activity for around labor day / fall when the sunflowers are in bloom. ... Read more...
- DIY Tie Dye Headbands from T-Shirts
  August 3, 2022These DIY tie dye headbands are easy to make from t-shirts and look great! Both kids and adults will love this fashion craft. Make a DIY headband for spring or summer using one of these three methods! If you want to see this craft in action, scroll to the bottom of the post for a video! Well, hi there! I’m Liz from The Pretty Life Girls and I love tie dye! It’s colorful, crazier you are with it the more awesome it turns out, and it is a fool-proof way to add some fun to your summer wardrobe. If you like fashion crafts, you’re going to enjoy this project! Tie dye is also a great boredom buster, especially for tweens and teens. I love tie dye! I made a tie dye dress before, and now I want to change things up a little bit! I decided to take some white t-shirts that were taking up space in my closet and give them a little tie-dye makeover, turning them into a handful of fun DIY tie dye headbands perfect for basking in the summer sun. This is one of those easy crafts for adults you’ll have to try! It’s also a great summer craft for kids. Tweens and teens love this idea! DIY Headbands For my DIY tie dye headbands, I picked up a basic tie-dye kit you can find at any craft store. If you’re wondering how to tie dye a headband, this kit works perfectly. However, if you choose to buy your tie dye separately, make sure you have rubber bands, gloves, and plastic wrap (these supplies are generally included in a kit). Like mentioned before, I used a plain white t-shirt and turned it into fabric for the DIY headbands. You could also use any light colored t-shirt you have around the house. Lastly, you will need a sewing machine and a good pair of scissors to put the DIY headbands together. One of the most fun parts about using tie-dye is the different patterns you can make depending on how you fold and bundle your fabric. I love the surprise of seeing how they turn out after the colors have set! Once you have chosen your pattern, fold and bundle accordingly, apply tie-dye according to package directions, and wrap in plastic wrap to keep moist. For DIY headbands with the most vibrant colors, allow your shirts to set for 6 – 8 hours. If you want to produce more pastel colors, let set for 30 minutes or so. Once the dye is set to your desired intensity, unwrap, remove rubber bands, rinse off the remaining dye, and toss the t-shirt(s) alone in a hot washer with minimal soap. Dry normally and you’re done! You have now created some one-of-a-kind fabric for some adorable DIY headbands! Here are the kinds of tie dye headbands I made with my t-shirts and the steps and tutorials I used. Tips and Tricks for Successful DIY Tie Dye Before you begin, I want to share a few quick tips! DIY tie dye projects are relatively easy, but there are a few things you should know: Wear gloves unless you want your fingers dyed for awhile. Also wear an apron or old clothing and cover any working surface. Tie dye stains most things and it’s permanent on fabric! Use cotton items. Some poly blends will dye, but are much more likely to fade during the wash cycle. Stick with 100% cotton. Tie tightly as material (like a cotton t-shirt) expands when it’s wet. Make sure to get dye into the folds if you want the fabric completely covered with color. Remember your color wheel! Select colors that are next to each other. I’m sure you remember that ed and blue make purple. Don’t choose complimentary colors; you’ll make a brown mess if you combine orange and blue (for example). Are you ready to make a DIY headband? Try one of the three methods below! 1. Braided DIY Headband If you can braid, you can make this tie headband! Cut your fabric into nine 1/2-inch strips, long enough to wrap around your head. Create three braids. Connect the ends of each braid individually by running them through your sewing machine. Once each braid is connect separately, line up each braid and run through the sewing machine again, attaching them to each other. 2. Knotted DIY Tie Headbands Once I got the hang of this tie headbands technique, I liked it so much that I made it twice! I can’t say that I came up with the tutorial for this one though. Instead, I followed the tie headbands tutorial shown here and adjusted them to fit my head. Tie headbands are nice because you can adjust them easily on your head. I love that part! 3. Twisted DIY Headband To make this twisted DIY tie dye headband I followed the steps shown. This was definitely the easiest to make, and I love the way this style lends itself to really letting the tie dye patterns stand out! Which DIY headband is your favorite? I’d love to heard in the comments! Are you ready to see a video of these DIY headbands in action? Just watch it in the post! Learn how to make a tie dye headband three different ways! This is such a cute fashion statement for summer. PREP TIME30 minutes ACTIVE TIME1 hour SET TIME8 hours TOTAL TIME9 hours 30 minutes DIFFICULTYEasy ESTIMATED COST$5 Materials Basic tie dye kit Plain white t-shirt Tools Sewing machine Scissors Iron Instructions Tie Dye the Shirts Wash and dry the t-shirts. Bind them with rubber bands and dye them according to package instructions. Let set for 6 – 8 hours and then proceed with one of the patterns below. Braided Headband Cut a portion of a t-shirt into nine 1/2-inch strips, long enough to wrap around your head. Create three braids. Connect the ends of each braid individually by running them through the sewing machine. Once each braid is connect separately, line up each braid and run through the sewing machine again, attaching them to each other. Knotted Headband Cut a large piece of fabric from the t-shirt. With the fabric folded, cut two rectangles 13″ long (along the stretch) and 2 1/2″ wide. Use a rounded object to trace a half circle on the open end (opposite the fold) of the rectangle and cut. You’ll have two long ovals. Place them right sides together, press a little with some steam if the knit starts rolling over on itself. Use a serger or a zigzag stitch to sew all the way around the ovals. You want the knit to maintain its stretch, so don’t use a regular straight stitch. Leave a 1 – 2″ opening at the center along one side only for turning the headband right side out. Turn the headband right side out and reshape. Press. Cose up the opening. You can just zigzag stitch on the outside of the fabric since this spot will be at the nape of the neck and won’t show OR you can slipstitch it closed so it doesn’t show. Wrap around the head and double knot. Twisted Headband Cut two long pieces of t-shirt about 6 inches wide; fold in half and sew. Turn right side out. Measure your head and trim the sewn pieces down. Fold the two pieces in half and cross over. Sew together each end. Make sure to not sew the wrong pieces together! Sew inside the slit to keep the pieces together.. ... Read more...
- DIY Spray Chalk
  August 1, 2022While I was at 5 Below I also picked up a few empty mini spray bottles. For $1 I figured we’d use them for something this summer. I saw a recipe to make your own spray chalk and gave it a try. It took a few minutes to make and these little bottles have lasted us a while. I bought a set of Watercolor Magic colors on Amazon. They seem pricey but they are amazing. The color washes out SO easy. My kid hands and clothes were covered in paint after this activity and it washed right out. These are great to have on hand for all kinds of crafts with kids. Supplies: spray bottles, Watercolor Magic (you can use food coloring too, but I have no idea how that would stain), baking soda and cornstarch Directions: Put some baking soda and cornstarch in the bottles – a little of each, filling the bottle about 1/3 of the way. Add in some of the Watercolor Magic. Fill the rest of the bottle with warm water and shake it up. Then spray on the sidewalk! My girls had fun spraying it on their hands and making chalk handprints. The spray goes onto the sidewalk like paint and dries really pretty like chalk.... Read more...
- DIY Sun Print Leaf Art
  July 29, 2022HOW TO MAKE ART WITH SUN PRINTS Here’s an art project that is a science experiment, a nature exploration, a great kids’ activity, and a beautiful piece of decor all wrapped up in one! This sun print leaf garland was made using leaves found in our yard. Hazel and I spent an afternoon outside gathering leaves and making prints using sun sensitive paper from Oriental Trading. Then I turned the prints into a pretty summery garland for our living room mantel. Have you ever used sun sensitive paper? If not, it is a must try! I love the deep indigo blue created by the sun prints – it just happens to be one of the trendiest colors in home decor right now! The garland adds a nice punch of color and nature to our living room. We found that ferns and plants with small intricate leaves made the most beautiful prints. This is such a fun project to do with kids. Hazel was a big helper with gathering the leaves and making the prints.... Read more...
- DIY Lava Lamps For Your Dorm Room
  July 27, 2022How many of you have owned a lava lamp in your lifetime? I remember having one of those glitter ones when I was younger, and after leaving it in front of the window for too long it stopped working. Ha! I definitely learned that sunlight and lava lamps don’t work well together. Anyways, with all this talk about lava lamps, we’re obviously bringing them back today in a DIY way for your dorm room decor! It’s so easy to create a lava lamp-like reaction, and you probably already own everything you’ll need to do so. If you’re gonna use a lamp, you might as well have a really fun, colorful lamp, right?! Let’s get makin’! Supplies: Glass bottle Vegetable oil Liquid food coloring Water Alka seltzer tablets Waterproof tea lights How To: 1. Put a small amount of water in a bowl and color it with liquid food coloring. Set aside. 2. Fill your glass bottle 3/4 of the way with vegetable shortening. Pour the colored water into the bottle, leaving a little bit of room empty at the top. Allow the water to settle at the bottom of the glass. 3. Drop your tea light into the bottom of the glass. 4. Break up an alka seltzer tablet into small pieces and place them one at a time into the bottle. Close the lid and watch the magic happen! (Note: this reaction does only last a few minutes, but you can keep putting more alka seltzer in time and time again to continue the reaction) How fun would these be to make with your roommates? I know I wish I would’ve had these for my dorm room! And if you’re looking for another back-to-school project, we’ve got a DIY for some sweet lunchboxes right over here!... Read more...
- Toddler Camp: Rainbow Day (Themed Activities and Crafts)
  July 25, 2022Since our home is filled with so many colors, rainbow day was a no-brainer theme for our Toddler Camp! This day focused on learning, recognizing and talking about all the different colors of the rainbow (and then some!) and we had so much fun. Take a look at all the ideas below for different rainbow crafts, sensory activities and more to do at home! MOVIES + SHOWS TO WATCH Here are some movies and shows that perfectly fit the rainbow theme: The Wizard of Oz Up – Available on Disney+ Inside Out – Available on Disney+ ACTIVE PLAY Color Hunt Set up different baskets or sections, one for each color. Then send your kiddo(s) on a hunt to find items around the house of each color and race them back to the corresponding basket/section. You can give them specific challenges like “Find something pink! Now something yellow!” or just let them loose and they can find different colors on their own terms. SENSORY PLAY Marbled Paper with Shaving Cream This is a great sensory project that results in art you can frame or re-make into gifts and cards! You’ll want to cover your work/play space with something like a towel or tablecloth for this! Start with a plastic tub filled with shaving cream (the classic, foaming type!) and drop drops of food coloring or paint on top. Swirl the colors together with a butter knife, bamboo skewer or paint brush etc. Place a piece of card stockor other thick paper on top of the colors swirled and remove. Scrape off the shaving cream and you’re left with beautiful marbled paper! CRAFTS Cardboard Rainbows I saw this project on The Mama Notes and loved it! We gathered up some different materials like yarn, pipe cleaners and ribbon. Then, depending on your child’s age, you can draw the glue lines and have them place the different materials along the lines. Or, they can do it all themselves! If you have any cotton fill or cotton balls, use those for clouds! Rainbow Coloring Sheets There are so many rainbow coloring sheets online and these make a great coloring excercise! Make a dot of color on each side of the different stripes of the rainbow and have your child connect them with the corresponding color! The one I used was from Lil’ Libros email newsletter, but you can find many by googling “rainbow coloring sheet”! GAMES + PUZZLES Here are a few rainbow toys, games and items that would be a great gift or addition to your toy collection: Rainbow Stacker (Pictured Above) Rainbow Peg Dolls Rainbow Wooden Blocks Set Rainbow Alphabet Puzzle Rainbow Baskets (Great for toy storage, and for the color hunt!) BOOKS If you’re looking for children’s books about rainbows, here are a few of our favorites: What Makes A Rainbow by Betty Schwartz Steam Train Dream Train: Colors by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld A Pocket Full of Colors by Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima And there you have it, a full day of rainbow fun!! If you want to learn more about how I structure our “camp” days, check out this post. The schedule allows for free play and downtime as well. ... Read more...
- Pool Noodle Boats
  July 22, 2022These pool noodle boats are such a fun way to make a DIY water toy that kids will love. All you need is a pool noodle and a few other supplies to make these adorable boats! Pool Noodle Boats – A Fun Summer Craft! Pool noodles cut easily with a serrated knife, so you can make a whole bunch of boats from just one noodle! Have an adult cut the noodle up and then kids can help decorate it with a sail, straw and flag. If you have old pool noodles starting to rip in one spot – this is also a great craft to recycle those old pool noodles into something new! Then grab some water toys and animals or small figurines to ride on your finished boats! Supplies Needed To Make Pool Noodle Boats 1 Pool Noodle Colored foam sheets Paper Straws – we like these colorful ones Colored washi tape Scissors Steps To Make A Pool Noodle Boat 1. Using a serrated knife, have an adult cut the pool noodle into pieces that are about 3 inches thick. 2. Cut foam sheets into the shape of a sail. 3. Using scissors, make 1/2 inch slits in the top and bottom of the sail. 4. Thread a straw through the foam sheet. 5. Add washi tape to the top of the straw. 6. Cut a triangle piece out of the end of the washi tape. 7. Push the straw into the pool noodle. You may need to make a small hole in the noodle with scissors to help attach the straw. Now your pool noodle boat is ready to float! Grab a clear bin and fill it with some water and watch them sail away. Play with them in the pool or even the bath tub. This would also be a fun craft for a summer birthday party! ... Read more...
- Kids Craft: Popsicle Stick Boxes
  July 20, 2022My two older boys (age 6 and 7) are hardcore crafters. There’s nothing they like more than a good project. I often find them surrounded by a pile of construction paper, glue, and scissors, so when they came up with the idea to make popsicle stick boxes I grabbed my camera and let them have at it. SUPPLIES NEEDED TO MAKE POPSICLE STICK BOXES: Craft Sticks (or clean recycled popsicle sticks) White Glue Craft Paint Optional embellishments – glitter, sequins, rhinestones, etc. Start by painting your wooden craft sticks and allowing them to dry (alternatively, you can also purchase colored craft sticks). Lay out the base of your box – depending on the size of the sticks you will need 10-11 to make a square-ish base. Glue two sticks on top of the base along the perpendicular edges. This will hold the base sticks together. My kids still get a little glue-happy, so to cut down on the mess and waste, I like to give them a small bowl of glue and a q-tip. The q-tip is the perfect size for making dots of glue at each corner as you build your box up layer by layer. Continue layering until you reach the desired height. These boxes have a million and one uses! They make a great desk set that would be perfect for a homemade Father’s Day gift! Organize your party supplies in style! These boxes are great for straws and plastic cutlery! Let the kiddos store their favorite treasures inside their craft stick boxes. You can even add a lid if you want! LEGO T-rex on the loose? We’ve got a solution for that, too! 😉 Add a mason jar insert, and these popsicle stick boxes also double as a great vase! Add a tealight candle to the mason jar to create fun party lights! These useful little boxes are fun for the entire family to create together, and I guarantee you’ll want to make a bunch once you realize just how handy they are!... Read more...

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