Friday

Friday Finds – Feb 25

Another week and another group of fantastic ideas from around the web! After spending lots of time traveling in the car this week, I’m looking forward to setting Claire loose to work off some energy. Thanks for sharing your own strategies via Facebook and Twitter. It seems I’m not the only Mom out there who loves audiobooks for kids and snacks to get through long car rides! Parents have been traveling with kids for eons, I suppose keeping the little ones safely occupied has always been on the minds of parents, thanks for sharing your methods!

And without further ado - here are my Friday Finds:

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{1} Easy Batik Pillow Cases @ Zeah Renaissance
{2} Ice Mandalas @ Garden Mama
{3} Origami Tutorials @ Origami Club
{4} ABC Mat House @ Hands On As We Grow
{5} Toddler Sewing Frame @ TinkerLab

I’ve been bookmarking Batik projects around the web for ages but these Easy Batik Pillow Cases really caught my eye. I’ve got a few “not so white anymore” pillowcases AND I’ve seen some cute patterns for pillowcase skirts, see where I’m going with this? Beckah at Zeah Renaissance says using Elmer’s blue school gel is a must - luckily I have some leftover from the tissue paper collage on our backdoor.

I cannot believe I am wishing for a few more days of cold weather so we can create these gorgeous Ice Mandalas I found over at Garden Mama. The photos of these icy garden sculptures filled with flower petals, evergreen twigs and cranberries are just breathtaking. My only wish is that I had seen these a bit earlier in the season.

I adore paper crafting of all kinds and this origami site is top notch. It even includes animated instructions, something I’ve found essential for the tougher projects. You can search for projects by difficulty level and there there are a few basic ones Claire can complete with assistance. Origami is a fantastic “center” activity in the elementary classroom – a quiet, independent activity that builds fine motor skills and stresses the importance of sequence with following directions.  Of course, it’s just plain fun as well!

Aren’t we all looking for new ways to use old toys? I love this creative use of ABC mat tiles to make a club house over at Hands On : As We Grow. Jamie has listed lots of fun “out of the box” ideas for using the ubiquitous rubber tiles. What fun her son has had learning his letters and constructing a little hideaway!

Rachelle of TinkerLab shares a fabulous sewing basket for her daughter on her blog. I’ve seen quite a few of these floating around the web, but I think her sewing frame is ingenious! Check out how she used a square of cardboard and an onion bag to create a weaving surface. Anything I can make at home without a trip to the craft store makes me happy!

5 comments:

  1. What a nice surprise to find our sewing project on your wonderful blog! Making batiks hasn't crossed my mind as an activity for little ones, but now you know I'll be bookmarking them too! I can't wait to try the pillowcase idea. We made something similar to the mandalas right here in sunny California -- just stick your creation in the freezer, and then hang it outside. I know it's not quite the same experience, but it's still beautiful to look at :) Welcome home.

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  2. What great ideas! I've wanted to try that batik idea for ages! I'm excited to check out that origami site too. My husband is the origami expert and I'll let you know what he thinks! Thanks for sharing all these wonderful inspirations!

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  3. He thought it was Great! All the origami models you could ever want! Cool!

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  4. Thanks for stopping by my blog :). You've got a lot of great ideas here! I'll be back often.

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