FAIRY HOUSE

A great way to upcycle an old laundry bottle into something creative. This project is based on the fairy houses made over at Filth Wizardry. http://filthwizardry.blogspot.com/2009/07/fairy-houses-and-fairy-wings-for-your.html While a child could decorate it after it is cut out, I would not recommend allowing children to do any of the cutting and if it was to be used in play, sanding down the edges or covering with duct tape. I am using mine as an outdoor decoration under my eaves outside of the garage as it is protected by the elements by the eaves and nearby bushes (and nothing I have ever planted there has grown). Items used:

• Liquid Laundry detergent bottle
• X-Acto knife and/or craft scissors
• Markers
• Clear Acrylic spray (optional)

Throughly wash and rinse the laundry bottle, remove any labels that you can, then cut a hole in the front. I tried to follow the curves of the bottom.

On the back and side, draw any type of window that you would like.

Use the X-acto knife to cut out the windows.

I made arched windows and a paned one in the back, but you could make them any way you would like.

Decorate the bottle however you would like. I used black market to outline the door and windows.

I also drew squiggles on the bottle in green to represent vines the drew on small "V" shapes to represent leaves.

It is hard to see on the bottle itself, but you can see on the lid that I colored in flowers with a hot pink marker just above the leaves that I had drawn in. I then sprayed the bottle with clear acrylic spray to seal it, but this would be optional. If you use it, go easy on the spray because if you get too much the marker will start to run and bleed.

Your fairy house is now ready for occupancy. I put a small rabbit that I got a thrift store.

"PENWHEEL"

Functional and decorative. My son is always running off with my pen, so I decided to craft one he is less likely to do so with and decorate the desk all at the same time. Items used:

• 1 stick ink pen
• 1 push pen
• 1 spool of thread
• Scissors
• Printer - pick out a pattern/template at

http://www.craftjr.com/paper-crafts-printable-pinwheels/

• Markers

Pick out the template that you want to use - I used the ocean print one, but didn't use a color printer http://www.craftjr.com/paper-crafts-printable-pinwheels/ocean-print-pinwheel/ .

Cut out the template. If you used used a black and white printer, color both sides of the paper - if a color printer is used, just color in the back of the template.

Fold acording to the directions on the template, put a push pin in the middle and push it into the end of the pen, the remove the cap and put the tip of the ink pen in a spool of thread.

Create A Custom Birthday Card

Create a personalized birthday card to print, post or send using free online clipart and software.

The program used to create the card is the the "Fancy Collage" option at www.picnik.com

The images that I used are free clipart from the following site (right click the image and save it), but you could use photos instead.

http://www.webweaver.nu/clipart/birthday.shtml

Go to the "Fancy Collage" area and pick from the drop down menu on the left hand side the collage format you want to use (I used the free "Brag Book" option), then upload your pictures and drag and drop them into the picture area on the collage. To add the personalized greeting, click on the "Create" tab, click on the "Text" option, then go to the drop down menu on the left hand side of the screen and select the font that you want to use and then type your message. You can then drag the message anywhere on the screen that you want to.

To chose the color of the wording, drag the mouse onto the color you want to use and it gives you a preview of what it will be as you do it. There are also other things you can add, like stickers and frames, but I didn't use it for this card.

When the card looks the way that you want it to, go to the "Save and Share" tab then name your project and save it to your computer and it is ready to print, post or send via an attachment to your intended recipient.

http://www.webweaver.nu/clipart/birthday.shtml

15 Minute Sea Creature Cookies

For when you want to bake special cookies and take and/or serve, but just don't have the time. Clean up is minimal as you slice the cookies on parchment paper right on the baking sheet and mix the food coloring right in the can of frosting. Items used:

• Refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 1 can vanilla frosting
• Gummy sea creatures
• Blue Food coloring
• Baking Parchment paper
• Knife

I used a bag of octopus and there were 10 of them and ended up with 13 cookies, but you could use any type of gummy sea creatures. Our local Walmart has sharks and even some "Finding Nemo" ones.

Preheat oven to temperature indicated on package, place baking parchment paper, slice into 1 inch slices and place approximately 2 inches apart then place in oven to bake according to package.

While cookies are baking, open up can of frosting and add approximately 15 drops of blue food coloring and mix in the can using knife.

Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool, or you can speed up the process by sticking them in the fridge for a few minutes if you have shelf space.

I know, cookies are not suppossed to be square - the reason these turned out this was as that I left the dough out of fridge too long before slicing them - wait until you are ready to start the project before taking out of the fridge to avoid this.

Once cookies are cool, frost them with the blue frosting.

Put your sea creature(s) on the top and you are done!