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Bat Leaf Prints

Here’s a quick and easy Halloween craft.  We picked up some nice leaves at the park the other day and realized they looked a lot like bats.  I think these are from a large maple tree.

It’s best to get a leaf that isn’t too dried out or it will crack.  I cut off the stem and the girls painted them with watercolor paints on the textured side.  The leaf resists a bit, but if you keep applying the paint it will adhere.  Then we just turned them over and printed on paper.  I traced around the outside with a black pencil to give it some definition and my three-year-old drew the bat head.  She has just started making representational drawings and is so proud of herself.

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Bias Tape Crown

I love bias tape.  Not really into making it, but I like the kind you can buy.  I made this little crown in about 20 minutes using iron-on interfacing and double-fold bias tape.  And it’s reversible.  I’d like to try one without the interfacing so that it lays down like a kerchief — a crown for everyday.  This little princess would like that.

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Felting

We tried some felting yesterday, thanks to some links and tips from my friend Laura. We used the basic instructions found on the Martha Stewart site here. These felt balls sort of remind me of planets and I think it would be fun to make felt planets for a mobile.

But this is not really a project for young kids. The balls in the photo above were pretty much made by me. In addition to having to use very hot water, you are not supposed to squeeze the water out of the felt, but rather toss it from hand to hand gently. My kids just couldn’t resist the urge to squeeze, so we ended up with these felt wormy things (pictured below). But I’m sure my kids will find some creative use for these.

Then I tried some needle felting. I read these basic instructions. Now this is definitely not for kids because it involves super sharp needles. But I only managed to poke myself and draw blood once. My little bird is not quite dense enough and I need to glue his legs in place, but I think he’s alright for a first effort. I’m going to try some little pumpkins for Halloween and some ornaments for Christmas.

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Beads & Clay

I handed my kids some floral clay today and they made these bead sculptures.  This stuff doesn’t dry, so these can be taken apart and the clay can be reused.  I think the one in the photo above looks like the everlasting gobstopper in the Willy Wonka movie.