Memory Lane Art Shows for Kids

Do you collect your kids school papers and art? Does it go into bins where it gets bent, never gets sorted and you really know it will never get hung on the wall but just have a hard time letting it go?

I heard someone suggest once that they video tape their kids while growing up in the same place in the house once a month on one video so that over the years, the kids grows in fast time with just little snippets. I thought that was a great idea.

From that idea, I started to have my kids talk about their school work and art projects on video once a week so that we could then throw the papers away (we actually use them to start fires in the winter) and not have to collect and store tons of papers.

Each child gets a turn to show one item and then once they have all had a turn, we go through again. We had them show awards, play instruments they were learning at school, sing songs they had learned for programs and play the piano or do a dance.

One night, I was looking for a snippet of one of these "art shows" for a class I was teaching. One of my older girls and I spent hours looking for one that would be appropriate for my class. We laughed so hard watching the videos that we were crying and we woke another daughter who was in the basement which was far from us.

It was so funny to see the girls pretending to be news anchors talking about their art. Or, one picking their nose. Another runs out after taking a shower with no close on. Still another burps or shares from the other end. :-) I never imagined when we were taking the time to video them how much fun we would have watching them later. It was so cute to have them describe the craft or how they made it in their high little voices.

Not only do we have the "art" on video but we have the emotion and situation of the time captured as well. It also saves on space for those who don't have lots of storage and best of all it gave my girls pride and ownership in getting to show off their work, craft or talent.

We did keep a few notable pieces of art that were framed or will be at some point but in general it is enough to have it on film without keeping the bulk. I did my last one yesterday with stuff they entered in the fair for which they won ribbons.

Here is to your "memory lane" art show!

Recycled Bag from Plastic Tablecloths

We went to a party at my brothers house and my sister-in-law showed me the cutest bag out of old plastic throw away table clothes. The white strips are just grocery sacks and the other colors are all from used party table clothes. Her dad makes these as gifts for his family. I was extremely impressed at the strength and brilliance of the bag along with the idea.

I have a bag made of grocery sacks I got a few years ago and when we were going to Peru to do our service mission, we took tons of plastic bag strips for the natives to make these plastic bags. I think it is a great idea and wonder how you could collect the table cloths.

My guess is around graduation time or the holidays there would be lots thrown out but to get the word out to collect them in order to have enough to make bags would be a challenge. However, if you sent a note around the elementary school, little children are great to want to recycle. I bet they would wash them and bring them in for recycling.

He sews the handles on all the way down weaving it through the purse or bag part as you can tell by the green strips woven through the handle part giving the handles more strength allowing you to carry more things in the bag weight wise. I thought this was a very fun thing and think I will try it next time I have a party with disposable table cloths.

What can you make using old table cloths?

Mad Hatters of Service - part 2

My girls went to their dad's for three weeks. They don't have much to do while he is at work so I suggested that they take their hat looms and make some baby hats to donate to the hospital or woman shelter.

In two of the three weeks there, they made about 10 hats. Using time they would have used just to watch tv, they were able to use all the yarn they took with them and make some cute hats.

They finished them to the point that they either needed to be tied off and made into a beanie or have a pom pom made and finished up. I spent a few minutes this week finishing off the hat they did. I have some regular yarn they could use but they don't like that yarn as much and lose interest with the solid colors. So, I thought that we needed more cute yarn to keep them interested and give variety to the hats.

Heavenly Father is so amazing in our lives. If we think of something we want or need even without verbalizing it, we are blessed with it within days. I went to one of our favorite second hand stores and just coming out was a cart with skeins of fun yarn. They were all less than $1 a skein and now we have plenty of yarn for hats.

The girls each entered one of their cute hats into the county fair and both won ribbons for their work.

I am hoping they will have enough soon that we can donate them. They did give one to their newest cousin born last month. He looked so cute in his camo hat!

Thank you Lord for always providing just what we need when we need it!

Flower Power - Hair Bows part 2

These fun bows were made from gift bows. They are in the colors of the schools they attend. They dress up crazy for "spirit" day and when I saw the bows, thought they would be perfect.

The bows I made out of flowers, I just glued onto the back of the flower using a hot glue gun. I cut a small piece of ribbon and glued it over the bottom of the clip which helped secure it onto the flower as sometimes hot glue when cold will peel off metal. The clips I used were pointed so would glide through the hair without catching, however, there are another type that make a "u" type shape that catch on the hair.

Someone gave my girls a bow with the ribbon starting on the inside of the bottom, rounded around the tip, over the bottom of the clip and up and over the clasp so that the clasp doesn't get caught in the hair. So, when I made the girls fun bow clips, I used this method which makes it easier to use.

Hot glue is the best. Any type of 1/4 inch ribbon will do to cover the clip. Clips come fairly cheap from a craft store or a beauty supply store. Flowers can be purchased at the dollar store, discount stores or craft stores. Sometimes you can get them from second hand stores or yard sales off wreaths, or arrangements.

Today, my youngest had a friend over and her friend was wearing a bow in her hair. They picked out three options for the "first day of school outfit" and two of the three had matching flowers attached to the hanger.

My sister took the mix and match flowers with Velcro camping for the cousins to make as an activity. They had so much fun creating and we even got my dad to wear some! Perhaps he will start a new trend!

Here is to adding "flower power" into your life!

Flowers Power - Hair bows part 1

Hair flowers have become popular again for about a year but over the past few months, they have gotten really big. Last Christmas I made my girls about several cousins 20 hair flowers each and we hang them on a ribbon for easy access and viewing.

My sister made some to sell. She did a fun thing. She put Velcro on the center, the middle flower and base so that you can interchange them. Instead of one bow, you can have unlimited matches and color themes.

Just take a silk flower or a ribbon, take off the stem and center and put a self sticking Velcro circle on the backside of whatever item you want for your center. Buttons, gems, ribbons or smaller flowers all work. Put the opposite sticky Velcro on the top of the center flower you choose. Then, if you want to change out the centers, they will all have the same side of the Velcro strips on them.

I made some fun one's for spirit day out of gift bows. I will blog tomorrow about how to attach the clips and ribbon to avoid tangles. My girls wear these all the time and they can dress up anything from a pair of jeans and a t-shirt to a church dress. They even make a boring pony tail dressy.

Rainbows of Color to Organize your Family

My brother has a system that I think is brilliant. Each child has a color they picked. No two kids can have the same color. Once they pick a color, it is their color for life. When they buy something for that child, it is always in that color.


They have a blanket throw for each child. They know exactly which child left the blanket down because it is their color. They each have a towel in their color. If it is on the floor, they don't have a towel and they know which child left it out. In my house, we all have white bath robes I made. For years when they were younger I would have to run around finding which child left the wet robe on the carpet. They don't have that problem.


They each have one plate, bowl and cup. If they use it, they wash it and put it right away. They then know if they don't, they will have to before the next meal. They have hooks on the wall next to the fridge where they each hang their mug so they don't have cups all over the counters and house. If they take it somewhere and leave it, they have to go find it before getting another drink.


They have cubbies made out of milk crates that they use for stuff that would be left on the floor or tables and for school homework type items.


They have used this system for years and when we go camping, we all know which items belong to his family because their camp chairs, hot dog roasters and even fishing poles are all in their rainbow of colors.


They've also bought carabiners in their colors to attach things and backpacks, fanny packs and water bottles over the years.


It is funny how even down to utensils for camping come in plastic colors. My kids are all getting older now but this is a fun way to give kids ownership and responsibility for their things.


If something doesn't come in their color, they bought the sticky labels that you click raised letter into plastic, in all their kids colors. They use their color label and put their name on items.


Fun idea! My youngest just told me that she is going to use this idea when she has kids.

Peanut Butter Caramel Crunch

I was at a women's meeting for my church a few months ago and someone made this recipe using Frito's and another made it using cereal. Over the past few months, I have made this with most anything in the cupboard. It has never gone uneaten.

I had some amaranth organic cereal that wasn't getting eaten. I had some whole wheat crackers that the kids didn't like. I have children that don't like nuts and I try to get them to eat them.

I used this recipe and put the crackers in in small chunks, mixed in marshmallows, almonds, pecans, cashews, several types of cereal, pretzels were a favorite and Frito's are still a must.

Peanut Butter Caramel Crunch

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
1 bag Frito's or pretzels etc
Other toppings: nuts, cereal, marshmallows, chocolate, m & m’s etc

Bring brown sugar and corn syrup to a boil stirring until mixed well. Take off the heat and add peanut butter and mix well. Pour all the “mix in’s” onto a cookie sheet or in a bowl. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the “mix in’s” and mix well. I find using a spatula helps scrape the mixture off the bottom until it is really mixed, otherwise the caramel sticks to the bottom. If you add marshmallows or chocolate chips, they will melt if added at first. If you want them to hold thier shape, stir all the "mix in's" together and let the caramel cool for a few minutes and then stir in the meltable items. Spread on a cookie sheet and let cool. Pour into an airtight container to store.


I hate to say how much of this I have eaten in the past two months. We took it camping, to the lake, to the condo etc. My favorite is that it is only 5 minutes from start to finish and is so good.


If you or someone you love has a thing for peanut butter, this is for you!