Lately I have been fascinated by anything having to do with unicorns. Did you know that they even have hair dyes to simulate unicorn colors? Since my niece loves unicorns and my Sister In Law is planning a unicorn-themed party for her this year, I have been trying to experiment with inexpensive ideas for party favors and party decorations. We all fell in in love with this idea for making unicorns using craft sticks so I wanted to share this DIY Purple Craft Stick Unicorn concept here on Tough Cookie Mommy! Purple Craft Stick Unicorn Supplies needed: 6 large wood craft sticks Paint in choice of color Paint brush Black marker White craft felt, assorted colors of craft felt Scissors Hot glue, glue gun Directions: 1. Begin by applying two coats of paint to one side of your craft sticks. You only need to paint 5 and can leave one plain. 2. Line your craft sticks up so you have 5 of them side to side. 3. Add a line of glue, and … [Read more...]
Moss And Butterfly Pomander Craft
Now that the cold weather months are here, I'm working hard to decorate our home and make it more beautiful for the holidays. I love doing my own crafts here at home because I can save money and be creative at the same time. You can find all the items we used here to make this Moss And Butterfly Pomander Craft at your local Dollar Tree store. Moss and Butterfly Pomander Craft Supplies needed: Styrofoam craft ball Green ribbon Scissors Hot glue, glue gun Silk butterflies Crafting moss Green yarn Silk flowers Directions: 1. Begin by wrapping the entire foam ball with green yarn. Continue to wrap the yarn until all of the foam is covered and no white is showing through. When finished, add a dab of glue to the end of the yarn and press it to the ball to secure it. 2. Take some crafting moss and gently pull it apart to make it easier to work with. Add dabs of hot glue to the ball. Press some of the crafting moss to … [Read more...]
Felt Lady Bug Craft
Some of my teacher friends from other states have been reaching out to me this month to pick my brain about arts and crafts activities that they could use to start the school year. You see, even though we don't start school until September here in New York City, other parts of the United States go back to school earlier since their school year ended before ours did. Even though I teach high school now, I did start off my teaching career teaching pre-kindergarten so I still have some activities up my sleeves for younger kids. Some of my favorite arts and crafts expose kids to other subjects such as science and social studies. For this reason, projects that deal with nature and insects are a favorite of mine. Felt Ladybug Craft Supplies needed: embroidery hoop red, black, white craft felt scissors craft glue Directions: 1. Begin by placing the sheet of red felt in the embroidery hoop. Tighten the hoop so the felt is securely in … [Read more...]
DIY Easy Spring Snow Globe
I'm pretty sure that I am trying to will Spring to arrive sooner, especially since we had snow today here in New York City. Mother Nature has really been temperamental lately and it really makes you wonder how some people can say that global warming does not exist with all the fluctuating temperatures. Since I'm starting to get cabin here on the weekends, I have been keeping myself busy with some arts and crafts. I've always been a huge fan of snow globes so I fell in love with the idea of making one at home using some household items and art supplies. It turned out adorable and I plan on making more to give as gifts for Easter! DIY Easy Spring Snow Globe Supplies needed: Mason jar Mini white pebbles or fairy garden filler Mini chenille chicks Spring themed bottle brush trees (sold at Michael’s Craft Store) Ribbon of choice Directions: 1. Begin by filling the mason jar with about 1 inch of filler. You … [Read more...]
How Can You Teach Your Children To Give Back? #Clothes4Schools @Schoola #Sponsored
*This sponsored post is brought to you by Schoola, the best place to buy discounted kids clothes all while give back to schools in need. CLICK HERE to learn more about Schoola and to see what people are saying. Anyone who has ever been a parent can tell you that it is not easy. Children don't come with instructions and it's hard to know whether one is doing a good job or not all the time. Early on, my husband and I agreed that we would teach our children to be appreciative for all their blessings and to be able to give back to those less fortunate. This was especially important to us both since we had been raised in households where lack of finances and poverty had been real factors for our parents. The question then became how exactly we would go about teaching our boys these valuable lessons about humility and generosity? An answer might seem simple to some but, in these materialistic times that we live in, it's not always easy to explain to young people … [Read more...]
Save Music And The Arts In Our Schools! #Clothes4Schools @Schoola #Sponsored
*This sponsored post is brought to you by Schoola, the best place to buy discounted kids clothes all while give back to schools in need. CLICK HERE to learn more about Schoola and to see what people are saying. When I first started teaching in 2000, our middle school had a band class, daily arts classes, and put on a full-scale play every semester. During this time, our students were engaged and invested in these activities and it translated into improved academic performance in their core classes. In many cases, they used some of the skills that they learned from the arts to help them learn in the areas of literature, Science, and Mathematics. I have had the opportunity to see first-hand how participating in the Arts helps to improve the overall academic performance of all students. Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, many of these arts programs have been cut from schools and many schools struggle to raise the funds to keep these activities afloat. Since … [Read more...]
Let Curious George® Help You Teach Your Children About the Arts!
I recently received an advanced screening DVD of some of Curious George's® adventures as he takes on the Arts in an all new season premiering Labor Day, September 5, 2011 on PBS KIDS®. Believe me, my boys were eagerly awaiting the package before it even arrived because they are long time fans of the Curious George® books by Margret and H.A. Rey. Since they were very little, we have shared in reading these wonderful books together about a little monkey who is curious and inquisitive about the world around him just like many young children are. These new series featuring Curious George® are designed to teach kids about science, math, and engineering all around them by presenting the topics in entertaining situations and episodes. Each episode lasts one half hour and includes two animated stories featuring George and all of his new friends. These episodes are then followed by short action pieces where real children are shown demonstrating the theories and ideas … [Read more...]
