It’s my eldest’s birthday party on saturday, and I am just weighing up whether I should do party bags or not. We all know that they are normally full or rubbish, but the kids love them!

A few years ago I wrote a story for my youngest about ‘Lucas and his Lion Mask’, made up a craft pack to go with it and gave it out at the end of his party. I have been milling on this idea for a while but I have decided that now would be a good time to release some of our Woolly ideas and create party packs for children. The names in the stories will be personlised and there will be four crafts to choose from. So watch the website and our Facebook page as we will let you know when they will ready to buy. However in the meantime if you would like to place an order just drop me a line and I will endeavour to help if your party is coming up soon. contact@makeanddotogether.co.uk

Just a few ideas just in case you get asked to come up with a last minute Easter bonnet at school.

For the basic hat just use an old pizza base. Place a bowl on the top, draw around it and cut out the circle, use this at the top of the hat. With two strips of card stapled together to match the width of your child’s head, stick with double-sided tape to the base and the top. To do this stick some double-sided tape all around the top and bottom lengths of the card, peel off the backing and then trim into the card all of the way around and stick it down on to the pizza bases both top and bottom. This can be a bit fiddly but it doesn’t have to look pretty as you are about to cover it up.

Fried eggs hats:
Mix some white paint with PVA glue and paint the pizza base OR cover in cotton wool. Cover the top of the hat with anything yellow – tissue paper, an old t-shirt… And there you have a really easy and in-expensive fried egg hat!

A Bunny Bonnet
Use the basic hat recipe and (I can’t believe I am about to say this) and if you have an old teddy or something similar cut it up and stick to to your hat base. Cut out some ears from cardboard and colour them in before sticking to the hat in the appropriate spot. Colour your nose pink with some face paints and maybe a few whiskers.

Dinosaur nest
Again using the basic hat mix some PVA glue with some mud and brown paint and cover the base. Either using shredded paper or scraps of brown material cover the top half of the hat and make the middle really full as this is the nest. Stick a few eggs (the chocolate variety) inside with some double-sided tape and watch all your friends drool enviously!

Butterfly Beauty
If you have any floaty fabrics (like chiffon) this is the hat to really go to town on. I used a scarf and some net. Cover the basic hat all over, making sure it is all tied and tucked in place. Get your children to make some butterflies from card and cover them in anything sparkly. Stick onto some pipe cleaners or similar and twist the ends into the fabric. Make lots and it will look stunning.

I am not always my best in morning, sometimes even talking to people is a challenge! Sometimes I tend to forget that my boys have their moods too so I thought why not let people know how you feel without actually having to open your mouth! These pots are double sided – happy face one side and moody face on the other. Each morning you can turn them to match your mood and they can also double up as pots to pop your coins / pocket money into.

For these you will need:

A jam jar for each family member
PVA glue Scissors (child friendly and adult)
Scraps of tissue paper, fabric, card, felt—whatever you can get your hands on.
Wool
Wibbly wobbly eyes.

There is no need need to give you step by step instructions for this craft. Just create a collage of each family members face on one side of the pot and apply with LOTS of PVA glue (it will dry clear). For the other side make a collage of them looking a little grumpier. See how long it takes for the pot to be turned around if it is looking a little angry!

Happy Mothers Day

Fiona

Being a mum and obviously loving crafts, I am sitting here wondering on earth I would like to see given to me on the imminent sunday morning (besides a cup of tea). My boys are pretty cheeky, and like most parents when they giggle and smile it makes me so happy so I thought how about displaying those cheeky chappies all the time. Why not give these a go…

You will need:
A small container that can be your make do flowerpot
Some oasis or plastercine enough to put in your flower pot. I used kitchen towel with green tissue paper on top. Whatever you have to hand.
Drinking straws
Happy pictures of cheeky children’s faces
Different coloured card
Different coloured tissue, glitter (optional)
Scissors (adult and child safe)
Double sided tape or glue

Step one
Fill your flowerpot with the oasis or plastercine.

Step two
Stick in your straws at all different angles, if they are too long just trim them.

Step three
Draw a small circle around the smiling face and cut it out.

Step four
Stick the face on to the card, draw a flower around the outside and cut this out.

Optional
Step five
Decorate the petals in screwed up balls of tissue or glitter and stick with loads of glue.

Step six
Stick the flower heads onto the stalks – gorgeous!

Time to sit down with your little ones and make and do together. This is a great craft for Mother’s Day.

I am not sure how many dads, grandparents or child minders will be reading my blog, but if you fancy some of these and you are a mum maybe you should read no further and just forward this link!

Now I am not implying that all mum’s need the odd bit of help to remember all the things that each family member is up to each day, but I know that I do. I especially need somewhere to keep all those odd pits of paper, party invites etc. These are the answer!

Magnetic Memo Clips, one for each of the family.

You will need:

A wooden clothes peg for each family member
PVA glue or double sided tape (great for instant sticking)
Pipe cleaners
Coloured card
Oddments of fabric, felt for clothes
Wool for hair
Scissors (child safe and adult)
Magnets (either self adhesive or small coin magnets, available from craft shops)
Wibbly eyes (optional)
Felt tips or coloured pencils

Step 1
Twist the pipe cleaner around the peg once to make the arms. Cut off excess and turn the ends over a little to make sure they are blunt. Pipe cleaners can be sharp so please be careful.

Step 2
Cut out a face from the card for each peg. Draw on some features, and stick on some woolly hair. Stick at the top of the peg.

Step 3
Dress your pegs however you would like to using the fabric, card and or felt. If using glue, use lots of it and remember it will dry clear so don’t worry if it looks messy at this stage.

Step 4
Once your pegs look gorgeous, stick the magnet on the back, again with lots of glue or double sided and if necessary leave to dry over night.

Step 5
Make a house out of a small shoe box, pop in a bit of tissue paper and place your pegs inside. You mum will love it!

In a box, in the bottom of my wardrobe I have some of my children’s clothes from the age of newborn to their first school uniform. I also have a vast collection of art work that they have regularly brought home from nursery / school as well as birthday and newborn cards I have saved. Now I need to either keep them hidden away or do something with them. How about making these with your children. I am sure they will love to hear the stories behind why certain things bring back lovely memories.

Memory lane Bunting

You will need:
Pinking shears
String or ribbon. Length depends on how long you want your bunting to be.
Clothes pegs or brightly coloured mini pegs that you can get from craft shops.
Children’s art work
Old birthday / newborn cards
Printed A4 pictures of friends and family, birthday cakes, pets etc.
Clothes (they may need to be backed or stiffened with spray starch so they hang nicely when cut. If cutting up clothes makes you nervous, just stick with the other 3 elements, it’ll still look great.
A piece of A4 card
Normal scissors
Pen or pencil

Step 1
Draw a triangle that fills the A4 card and cut it out. This will be your bunting template.

Step 2
Place your stencil on the art work, photos, clothes, cards but make sure the best part of the image is in the broadest part of the triangle. If the birthday cards are too small, make up an A4 collage of them first. Draw around the stencil and then cut them out. Note. Use pinking shears for the fabric as they will prevent fraying.

Step 3
Tie your string in place and peg your triangles up. It looks good if you alternate the types of image. Card, Picture, clothes, photo, card, picture etc.

If you have the use of a laminator you may find that laminating the art work and photos will make them last longer.

Let me know how you get on, I would would love to see you results.

Fiona

One mum knows that her son wants to make the kits as soon as they are delivered. This can obviously be hard when you are in the middle of doing something, or just not in the mood to get crafty there and then. To make the most of the thrill of the pack arriving and getting on with the craft straight away she hides it, and then when time allows, she pops it on the doormat and pretends it has just been delivered — genius!

Another great idea is to create your own craft club with your friends but on your own agenda. Take it in turns to host a coffee and bring your kits along to make and do altogether. Fun en-mass and at a time to suit you.

Please keep the ideas coming, and thanks to you all for your never ending enthusiasm.

Fiona

You will need :
Hessian or loose thread fabric so the children can use a large child safe need.
A child safe needle (plastic ones are widely available)
Some card to draw a stencil on
Red Wool
Dried lavender or failing that just some cotton wool
A piece of ribbon.

Draw a heart on the card about the size of a saucer.
Cut out the heart and draw around it twice on the fabric. Cut them out.
Match up the hearts and starting at the bottom stitch the edge (but not too close) just to the top of the first peak of the heart.
Loop the ribbon and slot it in between the hessian.
Carry on sewing but make sure a stitch goes through the ribbon. Leave a largish gap at the bottom.
Fill the heart with either the lavender or cotton wool.
Stitch up the gap.
Decorate the front. We just created another heart using the same wool.

Now you can save it for the 14th and give to someone you love, or keep it yourself!