Block key chains
A while ago I pinned a picture of a Duplo key chain and holder. The link only goes to a static picture but here it is: http://media-cache-ec4.pinimg.com/originals/64/72/11/647211fc6042bd6d3d9e2f5d943b24d2.jpg
I decided to one day make one of my own. I’m a big thrift store shopper and looked for some blocks on my travels that way. I found a set of blocks, not Duplo or Mega Blocks but something. I liked them because it had a single row block.
The materials for this are
- Duplo/Mega Blocks/other type of blocks. Small one for each key chain and a base.
- strong string (I used suede lacing)
- drill
- scissors (not shown)
I did this craft in the brother-in-law’s man cave/train room because that is where the drill is.
Basically, drill a hole into one end of your block.
Thread your string though the hole and tie a knot.
Clean up the plastic curlies.
Drill holes into your base. This one had little indentations which made it easy to make it level.
I need to hang the base on the wall still but I think it’ll work out well. (maybe make my keys a little lighter?)
I took the red one because I have a red car.
A pretty easy and quick craft and really easy to make Good Enough!
I saved some of the blocks in case I want to make more but the rest are going to day care.
Mother’s Day washer key ring washers
Every year it is a struggle to come up with something new a different for the BIG crafts at day care, especially in school aged after school care. A few months ago I wore a washer necklace that I had made and the kids loved them so I decided use that as a jumping off point for our Mother’s Day present this year.
Not a lot of pictures but I’m sure everyone who has ever gone near Pinterest has seen washer jewelry.
(this is a good one: http://acreativeprincess.blogspot.ca/2011/03/easy-washer-tutorial.html)
I have done paper on my own but decided at day care to use nail polish and Sharpie markers.
General directions time:
*remember, I am the Good Enough Crafter and go with the flow which is a good thing when working with children.
- I had the kids use the nail polish on the washers in any design they wanted (I don’t wear nail polish but own quite a stock and donated it to the cause)
- When they were dry, **I** put on Mod Podge Dimensional Magic
- Let it dry (the hardest part ever!)
- Using plastic lacing, loop though the hole and thread on some heart shaped pony beads. (we had these in the craft closet)
- Make card for mom and tape the washer inside.
Here are a few of our final products:
Can’t wait for Monday to hear what the moms think!
The Billion Dollar Wallet
We made duct tape wallets at day care today! The kids were between 6 and 9 and all had a great time. About the title, I said I would write a post for my blog about the adaptations I made and one child commented that I was going to be a billionaire since this was fun. Oh how I wish.
This is a one pocket wallet. I didn’t measure anything, just eyeballed. It is basically big enough to hold a credit card or pizza money. The materials needed are basically the same as the other duct and electrical tape wallet.
- duct tape
- electrical tape
- scissors
- paper
- Velcro dots
Lay down two strips of duct tape over a strip of paper. Leave a small space between them. Cover that space with a strip of electrical tape.
Flip over and put down two strips touching or slightly overlapping. This will make for a little slack in the pocket of the wallet.
Cut off one end and fold a piece of electrical tape to cover the cut end.
Fold your taped end up making your pocket to the size you would like.
Run out of one colour of electrical tape. Pick another colour and put it along one side folding it over to the other side.
Tape the other side the same way.
Fold over the top flap and cut to the size of the flap you want. This one is straight across but most of the kids wanted a V-shaped flap. The barrette is because we ran out of Velcro.
Clean up your work space. Crafting ain’t pretty! We needed to use adult scissors (under supervision) because duct tape is awful to cut with kid scissors!
Here are some combinations that were made today.
It was a fun day. They all loved it and I’m going to be a billionaire!
Duct & Electrical Tape Wallet
I like duct tape. Always have. Pretty patterns make it even better. I’ve been playing with different types of wallets including this one using envelopes for different pockets.
At the store the other day I saw Kleenex wallets with a pocket on each side to hold your tissues. It looked easy so I tried it and now I’m obsessed with these. In a very Good Enough way.
The materials are:
- duct tape
- electrical tape (optional)
- scissors
- paper (optional)
- Velcro dots
- paper cutter (not pictured here)
The paper is a rough guide. If you choose to use one (one the zig zag one up there ^ I didn’t) it should be roughly 7 inchs-ish. Lay down 2 strips of tape about 8-9 inches long then run a line of electrical tape down the middle if you want. You could do a third row of duct tape to shake it up. (thinking about using 2 different patterns on another wallet, hmmm) I found on the zig zag one it was a tad tight when you got down to putting cards in when you go with 2 rows together.
Flip it over and repeat. Or go with another pattern but cover the other side. You won’t see a whole lot of it when you are done.
Cut off one of the short ends so its pretty straight. I got out my old school paper cutter for this.
Now comes the fiddling. Get a card (I used a book store gift card) and figure out how big you want your pockets and all that stuff. You kinda want it to be about 7-8 inches at this point. You can always cut more if you need it shorter.
Tape your short ends using your electrical tape folding it around to the other side.
Fold it up into the sizes you have decided are Good Enough. Use your very special crafter clips to hold it closed. Then tape along the edge and fold it around to the other side.
Cut off any overages you have. Insert a card to test how Good Enough you did. Add a Velcro dot and there you have it.
When working with tape you might want the cat away – tape and fur don’t mix – but that is really the only hazard to this craft. You could get fancy with measuring and stuff but I think this is Good Enough.
crafty — Clothes Pin Spring Star
Another “I saw it on Pinterest” post http://lifeontheridgeside.blogspot.ca/2010/12/clothespin-spring-star-ornament.html (I can’t get the link-y thing-y to work)
My sister loves stars so I knew I had to do this. Super easy once I remember to grab clothes pins at the dollar store. You can also have scissors and string on hand for finishing up.
Take the springs off the wood parts. You need 10 springs for each star.
Attach each spring to each other putting the open ends though the coil part. They go together easy for the most part but you sometimes have to work it.
when you get to the end of the 10, attach the ends together in a circle and work it into a star shape. Here is where you get “Good Enough”, you could work it for ages.
attach a string (here is where the scissors and string come into play) and hang. Here it is on my Good Enough tree.
Now comes the question, what to do with all the wooden bits?
for kids : Christmas Tree game
I’ve seen Gingerbread dice games like this and others like it all over pinterest. http://kinzieskreations.blogspot.ca/2011/11/gingerbread-dice-game.html We did the version with bingo dabbers yesterday and I decided to change it up with trees today.
I traced several Christmas trees onto newsprint and numbered them myself. The kids could use different markers to colour in their trees as lights.
It can be a race or it can be for number recognition. It was a hit!
Surprise tree
I teach after school day care. The group of kids I have this year love crafting. This was a big hit this week.
I first saw something like this made on Martha Stewart’s tv show many years ago. Of course that way fancier and stuff but this is Good Enough and fun to make.
You are going to need
- 2 pieces of paper (coloured or construction paper would be best but I don’t have any at home - of course)
- scissors (yes, I use kid scissors at home)
- something to colour with
- glue (a glue stick would be best but yeah, don’t have one of those at home)
Fold the paper into your basic snowflake cutting shape. I like this way:
make a triangle
half that
fold each sides back on each other
Cut the extra bit off the end. (but save it for later)
You could start cutting a traditional snowflake now but this is my blog so we are making what I want to make.
Cut across the top of the triangle about an inch in. Don’t cut all the way though!
Turn the paper over and cut the other way across then continue back and forth all the way along.
At the tip, cut just a bit off.
Open you “flake” up. This is actually super fun.
Set that aside and create your surprise picture on the second page. Make sure it will fit inside the outline of your tree.
Get your cutting off part back and cut a strip off of it for your handle.
Put it though the middle hole and glue it down.
Glue your tree down onto the paper over your surprise message.
Pull up on your handle and SURPRISE!
There you have it. You can fancy it up however you’d like but this is the basic idea.
Cup holder
I’d been thinking of knitting a take out cup holder for my hot chocolate but then decided I didn’t want to knit. One day I was bored and ripped my 7-eleven cardboard holder open and had a brainstorm, I could make one out of felt! I had that at home!
On the way home I hit the dollar store and walking up the stationary aisle I saw a neoprene pencil case and my brainstorm went off again. This was back around January and I made a few including this one:
Recently, a co-worker mentioned how much she liked it and I said I’d make her one. Off to the dollar store again and here are most of my materials
dollar store neoprene laptop cover
- scissors
- pencil
- pattern
- not shown – glue gun and button or other embellishment.
Open up the pattern and trace it onto the neoprene. Cut. Glue together. Add embellishment. There you go!
Well, there aren’t any embellishments on these since I let my co-workers (I made one for each) pick out the button they wanted.
Really, quick and easy.
Hello there
My name is Kendra and I’m a crafter. More importantly, I’m a “Good Enough” crafter.
A “Good Enough” crafter is someone who loves doing crafts but doesn’t get all up into the details. To me, it’s the process not the product. As long as you enjoy doing it and can be happy enough with the product you are good. It doesn’t have to be Pinterest perfect!
