Supplies:

• 14 oz. Glue
• 1 Cup Hot Water
• Food Coloring
• Glitter
• 3 teaspoons Borax
• 2 Cups Hot Water

Directions:

• Put glue in a tub.
• Add in 1 cup of hot water.
• Add in your food coloring and glitter.
• Stir until smooth.

• In a separate container, dissolve 3 teaspoons of Borax in 2 cups of hot water.
• Slowly add the water into the glue mixture and stir together.
• It will goop together almost immediately.

• You may not need all the water, so pour slowly.
• Once it’s mostly gooped up, begin mixing with your hands. (This is the fun part!)

• We started with red and black food coloring, because that’s all I had, and it turned more into pink and purple, which was pretty perfect for Valentine’s Day.
• As you can see, the slime is a HUGE HIT.

My family loved making this slime recipe and I hope your family will too! Have fun getting messy!

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Supplies:

• Size H crochet hook
• Medium (4) yarn in any color or multiple colors
• Scissors
• Needle
• Button (optional)

Terms:

• Chain = the stitch used to increase the height for new rows or rounds
• HDC = Half Double Crochet
• SC = Single Crochet (most basic crochet stitch for designs)

Directions:

• Chain 30+1 (or however long you would like your pouch to be. I measured based on pens and pencils. The plus 1 is a chain for the upcoming half double crochet (HDC).
• HDC into the second stitch from the hook and all the way across. Chain 1, and continue in this pattern for 20 rows or you can switch colors to make a block type pattern
• After row 20, chain 1 and you are going to start to decrease. Decrease 1 at the beginning of the row, and decrease 1 stitch at the end of the row. So you will be decreasing 2 stitches on each row. I ended up with 14 stitches across on my final row.

• Once you are done with the piece, I folded the bottom (be sure you are on the wrong side of the work) up to meet the last full row of 30 stitches (so right before you started to decrease. You can use a stitch to marker to keep your place, or I just threaded my beginning tail into where I wanted them to join.
• I then took a different color and sewed the sides together using a needle. It is important you are sewing on the wrong side of the work because you are going to flip this inside out.
• Once I was done sewing, I then single crocheted around the top of the pouch in the same color that I sewed the sides with. You can then add a button of you choice to the middle of piece.
• Then, you are done!

This is great pouch that can be customized in so many ways! So, make sure to get your creative juices flowing and start crocheting today!

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Keep your kids busy this summer by creating easy crafts using supplies that you probably already have at home. This DIY photo frame is so cute, and it will make the perfect decor for your kids’ playroom or bedroom. What’s even better is that this craft is so quick to make your kids can construct several frames to display their favorite photos.

Supplies:

• Craft Sticks
• Construction Paper 
• Colored pencils or crayons
• Glue
• Scissors

Directions:

• Start by cutting the Construction Paper  to make your design for the front of your photo frame. 
• Glue Craft Sticks together. Note: The number of Craft Sticks needed may vary depending on size.

• Assemble your stand and glue Craft Sticks together.

• Decorate the front of your stand with the construction paper shapes you cut out, and paste the shapes on the stand.
• Allow your photo frame to dry completely. Once dry you can tape a photo in place.

You can customize your photo frame with any design. You can create a bakery stand or a lemonade stand. You can even add stickers or beads for an extra fancy touch.

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This was my first piece – using that German newspaper that listed nearby cities that we often visited, restaurants that we enjoyed, fests that we attended, and other current events that we were a part of… It’s something I’ll cherish forever.

Once we relocated back to the United States, our next duty station was still a world away from “home.” We were living outside of Buffalo, NY and I decided that although it’s not an exotic country, I’d like to document our time spent there as well! So, the tradition has continued…now every state or country that we may be moved to, I will always collect a newspaper and create a canvas to capture these places in time.

I’m going to take you step by step on how this is done if you are interested in creating one of these for yourself! Especially for us military families, I think this is a neat way to show off all of the exciting places we have been!

Supplies:

• Newspaper
• Canvas
• Mod Podge®
• Thick paintbrush (or foam brush)
• Black acrylic paint and/or black permanent marker

Directions:

• I use a mix of pictures and articles.
• I look for different types and sizes of font for variety.
• I search for article titles that are meaningful to me.
• I look for names of cities that I have been to, school events from my children’s school district, and anything else that will ring a bell later as I look back on my artwork.
• You can cut things out from the newspaper but I prefer the look of the uneven edges from tearing it with my hands.

• Tear pieces out of your newspaper that are appealing to you.
• Place them around on your canvas until you are satisfied with the way it looks. Layer them, angle them, play with them!
• Use Mod Podge® just as you would glue to fasten these newspaper clippings to your canvas.
• Once you have glued everything down, flip the canvas over and use a flat edge (credit card, etc.) to push out any air bubbles.

• Cover the entire canvas with another layer of Mod Podge®.
  • It appears milky white as you lay it down but it will dry clear and create a protective layer to make your art work easy to wipe down and it helps preserve these memories for you for years to come!
  • Let this dry completely before the final step.

• For my German newspaper canvas above, I drew birds on a telephone pole. For my French and Czech Republic paper I painted birds flocking together on a huge tree. For this New York newspaper canvas I decided to make two love birds with some branches and leaves just framing them in.
• You can freehand or sketch any animals, plants, flowers, skylines, etc. to create your black silhouettes. Then, use paint or black markers to color in those images.

Notes:

• A bonus with the top coat of Mod Podge® that you applied is that it makes mistakes easy to wipe off – simply use a wet paper towel to smear off paint before it dries and try again.

I hope this inspires you to start collecting papers along your military journey. Then, get creative and see what you can create! Happy Crafting!

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I love doing fun activities with my kiddos and I love them even more when they’re easy and quick! This Walking Rainbow activity was the perfect distraction from being trapped inside on a dreary day! So, grab your favorite markers, and make the most perfect rainbow with us!

Supplies:

• Markers in all the colors of a rainbow!
• 2 Glasses
• Water
• Paper Towel

Directions:

1. Fold your Paper Towel in half. You can also cut it shorter to make the rainbow walk a little faster :).
2. Using the Markers, color red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple rectangles at the edge on both sides of the Paper Towel. Make sure to make them a little darker.
3. Dip each end of the colored Paper Towel in a glass of water.
4. Watch the rainbow walk!

My kids really got a kick out of this activity! It was simple enough that they could each do their own rainbow as well! I hope you have as much fun with this one as we did!

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Supplies:

• 4 Green Pompoms
• Glue Gun and Sticks
• Green Pipe Cleaner  

Directions:

• Glue 4 pompoms together to make a clover.
• Glue a small pipe cleaner stem at the bottom.

Display Options:

• Glue on a magnet for your fridge 
• Glue onto the popsicle stick to make a bookmark or plant marker (pictured above).
• Glue onto a headband or bobby pin.
• Glue onto a safety pin to wear on St. Patrick’s Day in case you forgot your green.
• Make a loop out of another piece of pipe cleaner and loop into your shoelaces.
• Make multiple clovers and glue them onto a plant pot

My crafts are meant to versatile. You can always use the main part of the craft and make the rest your own way. Happy Crafting!

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This Valentine’s Tree is a craft that little ones can make from start to finish, with just a little help using scissors, if necessary. I had all of the materials set out on the table when my four year old woke up the other morning and she sat down and got right to work, staying busy for close to an hour with just a little break in between to let the paint dry. If you’re looking for an indoor activity and are feeling festive for the upcoming Valentine’s Day…this Valentine Handprint Tree is for you! I think it’d also be a super thoughtful gift to give to a parent, grandparent, teacher, etc.!

Supplies:

• Construction Paper
• Paint, if you are not using brown card stock
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Glue

Directions:

• Cut out a variety of different shaped and colored hearts as well as a few leaves to decorate your hand print tree.

• Set your paper into landscape orientation (long ways side to side instead of up and down) and trace your little one’s hand/wrist leaving a few inches across the bottom of the page for a thick strip.

• Paint the hand print and strip brown for the tree trunk.
• Let dry.

• Cut out the hand print and add two slits to each end of the strip (see photo), one side cutting down about 3/4 of the way and the opposite side cutting up 3/4 of the way.
• This is how you will connect the strips to allow the tree to stand upright.

• Glue hearts and leaves to the tree.
• My daughter chose to add some to the bottom strip as well as if the hearts had blown down in the wind.

• If necessary, place your creation under a few heavy books to flatten if the glue and paint has crinkled the paper up a bit.
• Wrap the strip around, slide the slits into each other, and place your hand print tree somewhere for everyone to admire.

I hope your kiddos have as much fun creating this craft as my kiddos did! Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all!!

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Supplies:

• Construction Paper
• Glue
• Scissors
• Wiggly Eyes

Directions:

To Make a Penguin:

• Cut a large black oval, a white heart a bit smaller than the oval, two small orange hearts, and one even smaller orange heart.
• Glue the white heart onto the black oval
• Glue the smallest orange heart in the middle of the white heart for a nose, and the other orange hearts are glued to the bottom for feet.
• Add googly eyes!

To Make a Dog:

• Cut a large red heart, two large pink teardrop shapes, a small black heart, and two even smaller white hearts.
• Glue the teardrop shapes together at the very tips.
• Glue the red heart upside down on top of the teardrops.
• Glue the black heart in the middle of the red heart for a nose and then add the two white hearts for eyes.

• Leave it as is or decorate with spots, stripes, more hearts… anything!

These two little guys are currently hanging on my wall, but we have made a few more to send to grandparents! What a special (and simple, and FUN) way to say WE LOVE YOU!!

Just remember… all you need is love…but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt either. Happy February, y’all!!

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Crafting has done amazing things for our family. We love making things together and it’s become a thing on who can come up with this week’s craft. I hope that you are all spending quality time together as a family. As military families, we don’t know when our loved ones have to go away. Anyways, I got a little sentimental on you. This week’s craft is a very easy and simple Valentine’s Day decoration. I even did two because the first one turned out to be super easy.

This Valentine’s Day wreath is super easy! I love changing up the wreath on my door and sometimes I decorate with them in our home too. I made a small one but you can make it using a larger wreath base too. I chose to go with the stick wreath.

Supplies:

• Valentine’s Day Garland
• Wreath Ring
• Fake Flowers (optional)
• Scissors

That’s it no glue! You can actually take the garland off of the wreath if you want to re-use the garland for something next year. Here we go! Are you ready?!

Directions:

• Grab your wreath ring and your garland.
• Find a spot to tuck the garland in and begin wrapping the garland around the wreath. It doesn’t matter which direction you start just keep going around the wreath with the garland until it’s covered or you run out and need another garland to add to it.
• Keep wrapping until it’s covered.
• I had little extras to add to it. You can find these fun little additions at a one price store or craft store in your town. It wasn’t’ expensive and it looks super cute and custom like in the stores.

It’s very simple, you can get the kids to help out with this craft too. They will have a ball wrapping the garland and getting it everywhere. Trust me on that!

Happy Crafting, Creating, and Decorating!

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Supplies:

• Cereal Box
• Hot Glue Gun & Hot Glue Sticks
• Construction Paper or Fun Holiday Paper (felt could be an option as well)
• Good Pair of Scissors
• And any other embellishments you’d like to add. i.e. felt hearts, conversational heart candy, beads, pom poms, anything. 

Directions:

• Cut an opening.
• Cover the box with felt or fabric.
• Cover with embellishments.
• Spray with sealant.

Back-up Plan:

If you really don’t have time you can always use a bag! Don’t think you will get out of decorating it…check it out! Super easy ideas!

You know what, just because it’s called the Last Minute Valentine’s Day box doesn’t mean it’s going to be ugly! It can be really cute, and it’s homemade so it comes from the heart! It is Valentine’s Day after all! Happy Crafting!

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