Craft Basket Wednesday

Today, we hosted a farm field trip four our homeschool group, FMCHE.  To give each child a momento to remember the trip to the farm, each made a simple garden stepping stone. Our kids have made the bigger stones … Mother’s Day gifts for the grandmas and I have one for each child in my gardens … except for Graham  & Louis. 

I found the idea for the mini stepping stones in a craft magazine a while ago, but hadn’t had a chance to try it out.  So, on Monday, I decided to check the mix and measurements to make sure I had enough supplies on hand.  I THOUGHT the mix would stay liquid enough in a sealed container.  Good thing I checked it when I arrived home from dance Monday night because it DID NOT stay liquid enough!  So, after adding a lot of water and wrestling with the mix in my bucket, it would eventually pour again and I was able to make two 9 inch stones.

This stone is for Louis (Leo).  It’s flowery, but it was late and my creativity was limited!  I’ll make one with Graham later this week.

 

The second stone is flowery, too.  I like it.

 

The little mini stone is my sample/test.  It’s my first initial.  I just wanted to make sure the stone would come out easily (it does, thank goodness!).

To make the mini, it takes a cup of the stepping stone mix in a styrofoam bowl – I would have used foil pans, but I couldn’t find them as readily on my trip to Fargo and ran out of time to stop at different stores.  I purchased all the stones/glass beads and shapes at the dollar store.  It was a great ‘find.’  I did purchase the stepping stone mix at the craft store, but I believe each 10lb. box will yield at least 12 mini-stepping stones.

The mini-stepping stone was poured and decorated at about 2pm; it was quite set when I returned home from dance at 8pm.  However, the stones should be left untouched for at least 48 hours.  I’d recommend longer just to be sure.  The first time we made the stones, I left them sitting for about a week.  It would be horrible to have one crack after all the creativity used to create the patterns. 

After the stones have cured, an old brush can be used to ‘scrub’ the cement off the stones and clean up the surface.  For variation, colored powders (blue, green, terra cotta) are sold at the craft stores.  I kept the craft simple and easy for the large group; however, I may try that with my kids later.  I’ve also seen wire added to the stone – twisted round so that it holds a seed envelope.  The mini-stones could also be used to mark herbs or flowers in your garden bed.  Letter and number stamps can be used to write names and dates, too. 

 

For more Craft Basket Wednesday posts, check out Amy Caroline’s blog today!

Craft Basket Wednesday

This past Saturday, our family hosted our 4-H club for a rocket building/pillowcase sewing meeting.  Most of the members worked on rockets, but three chose to make pillowcases.  Angelina has no interest in rockets, so she was one of the three seamstresses who made a pillowcase.  She chose fabric from samples I had on hand (purchased when Hancock Fabrics went out of business a couple years ago).  I had wanted to make her a quilt out of these fabrics, but… we moved… and I had a baby… there’s really not much time to quilt!  Pillowcases are quicker/easier to sew and the bed-set came with linens and a pre-made quilt. On a side note, the bed-set came from my childhood room and was the wedding gift given to my maternal grandparents by my maternal great-grandparents – it’s mahogany and beautiful – this bed-set started my longing for dark cherry furniture.  Anyhoo, maybe I’ll make her a matching lap quilt to curl up in while she reads late into the winter nights.  You know the kind that lay across the the foot of the bed in pictures, but in real life are in a heap on one side of the couch!


The pattern for the pillowcases came from a kit … I just really liked the fabric combination.  Of course, the colors don’t match anything in my bedroom, but the fabric is a silky cotton that I’ll enjoy.  This pattern is quick and easy to sew – definitely under an hour.  Why do I buy pillowcases when construction is this easy??


The bold floral prints are from the kit …



The brown & pink that match Angelina’s room decor…




The full size view – hard to really appreciate the layering in the smaller photos…

 


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Craft Basket Wednesday

Stations of the Cross: Part II
This craft is not for the faint of hand!  The cutting is definitely an adult task … or at least an older child with steady hands and an eye for detail.  Last Thursday, I made it through the cutting and piecing/layering of 6 stations.  Graham placed the description on each station, while I positioned the Roman numerals.  I was able to complete the cutting and layering of the last 5 stations last Friday morning. 








 






On Tuesday afternoon, Angelina, Zeke and Graham helped apply the rock (obsidian, coral quartz & amethyst quartz).  Zeke and I took turns applying the glue.  The kids lost interest by the time the stations were dried fully, so I glued the pipe cleaner hangers on the back of each.






 






    

We are DONE!  Just in time to use the stations during Lent. 
 

To see more Craft Baskets, check out Knit Together

Craft Basket Wednesday

  Stations of the Cross: Part I

This Stations of the Cross kit from Illuminated Ink is a craft I have wanted to complete since I first saw it … and we are finally getting it done … just in time for Lent 2010!  The kids and I made it about half-way through the kit today; we hope to finish up tomorrow after the grottos are completely dried.  Zeke and Graham have done the bulk of the work up until this point (with me distributing glue where needed).  Dash and Angelina helped towards the end of the popsicle stick gluing.  Baby Louis was entertained by all the commotion throughout the project!

 

To see more Craft Baskets, check out Knit Together