Mother’s Day – Wheel of Affection Craft

Instructions
Trace around a small plate onto colored card stock and cut out the circle (ours was about 7 inches across).

Using this circle as a guide, cut out 3 more (we used different colors), each one slightly larger than the previous one.

Trim the circles with pinking shears, if you like. Glue together the 2 smallest circles and the 2 largest circles to create 2 double-thick wheels.

Use a craft knife (an adult’s job) to cut a small window (ours was about 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches) in the smaller wheel, then write the beginning of a message (such as “To me you are:”) above the window.

From newspapers or magazines, snip complimentary words and phrases to complete your message, such as “amazing,” “wonderful,” “the greatest thing” (they should be the size of the window or smaller).

Poke a hole through the center of each wheel and attach them with a paper fastener. Use a glue stick to attach the cutouts to the larger wheel through the window, gluing the edges down well and spacing them so that only one word can be seen at a time.

Finally, decorate the top wheel with more Mother’s Day greetings and messages.
  

SPRING IS HERE – THE BIRDS ARE CHIRPING - This backyard bird feeder is the perfect project for you and your kids this Spring. The kids will love to see the birds enjoy their creation and you can enjoy the sounds.

1.  Start by drawing a 1/2-inch asterisk on the side of a clean 1-liter soda bottle, about 4 inches from the bottom. Rotate the bottle 90 degrees and draw another asterisk2 inches from the bottom. Draw a 1-inch-wide circle opposite each asterisk, as shown.
2. Use a craft knife to slit the asterisk lines and cut out the circles (a parent’s job). Insert a wooden spoon handle first through each hole and then through the opposite asterisk, as shown.
3. Remove the bottle cap and twist a small eye screw into the top of it for hanging.
4. Finally, fill your feeder with birdseed, recap it, and use a length of twine to hang it from a tree.

Then keep matching the odd and even bulbs. Eventually, it will look like this.

Then once you get them all in your tight little fist… Just wrap the remaining cord around and plug it back in! Now isn’t that better than my husband’s wrap job? And it only takes about a minute a strand–it’s way easy! The best part is next Christmas when you dust off your boxes full of decor, your little strands of lights will be ready to go! You just hold it in your hand and wrap it right around the tree. No de-tangling, no pulling them across the floor, just easy tree lighting!

I love this nontraditional Christmas tree made with books and large bulb Christmas lights. Perfect for the book lover!

Need some Christmas wreath ideas this holiday season? Try this very cute frame wreath. You probably already have a frame lying around the house. If not, get one at the thrift store. Just take out the glass and wrap some garland around. Hang something from the top like these cool ice states and tie a red bow at the top if you have one. Your done, now just admire you custom and chic Christmas wreath!

The “spirit of giving” is a term that is used to describe the motivation within a person to reach out to his neighbor, to join hands for a community and to provide for those who are less fortunate. Show your spirit of giving through gift bags filled with useful items for the under-served, forgotten and vulnerable in your community. Lets all embrace the spirit of giving this year by making some goody bags for the homeless.

Toiletries Bag for the Homeless
Fill gift bags with toiletries for homeless people in your community. Buy or collect travel-size shampoos, conditioners, deodorants, shower gels and toothpaste. Also, consider including a bottle of baby powder and body spray for those who cannot find a shower or do not have an opportunity to shower regularly. A toothbrush, comb, brush and handheld mirror are other nice additions, because these items are expensive and are luxuries when one is living on the streets. If you have many items, consider using a brown grocery bag for your gift bag. You can embellish it by tying it with a bright fabric ribbon. Using a grocery bag for your gift bag also may leave room for a travel pillow, which you can nestle in the base of the bag. Add a candy cane to add the spirit of Christmas.

Lunch Gift Bags
Fill plastic crates in your car or truck with lunch gift bags. You can stock these gift bags with foods that do not need to be refrigerated. You can give these to people you see in your community who are asking for food or who appear to be hungry. Some examples of what you can put in your lunch gift bag are bottled water, boxed fruit drinks, apples, oranges, bags of crackers, cookies and chips, and at least two sandwiches wrapped in plastic bags. You can make the sandwiches fresh every day. Peanut butter and jelly is a nice choice because it will not spoil like lunch meat will. Add a candy cane to add the spirit of Christmas.

As you hand out your bags, you get to make even more choices. Do you engage in conversation with the people you’re giving them out to? Do you find out their stories and solicit feedback on whether raisins are really appreciated or whether candy would have been a bigger hit? Do you look more closely in your community for people who undoubtedly could use goody bags (or more) and tailor your gifts to that group? Do you get to know a local organization helping the homeless and ask for advice and mentoring as you enter into a new world? Does making these bags jumpstart a new phase of volunteering and advocacy for you and your family?

So many possibilities! Enjoy the (often complicated and sometimes heartbreaking) journey, and may the people who reach out to take your goody bags receive them with joy as you give them with an open heart.

Your kids are going to have so much fun with these Nutter Butter Christmas cookies. These easy Christmas cookies for kids are delicious too. Use cream cheese to glue the pretzels and m&m’s.

I just love these easy do it yourself Globe Christmas Lights. Spheres of grapevines wrapped in lights become shimmering orbs on a coat of freshly fallen snow. Place these magical globes in birdbaths, urns, or on stairsteps to cast an ethereal glow.