bookhoucraftprojects

Project #52 Scrap Paper Pictures

Scrap Paper Pictures by Khali from Little. Lovely.

Mem Fox is a well known Australian children’s book author. I loved her books when I was young and have had great delight sharing them with Hunter. The latest in our collection is Hattie and the Fox – a lovely story about a black hen. The illustrations in this book were the inspiration for creating these scrap paper pictures. We chose to make a black hen but you could use this technique to create a picture of any animal.

You’ll need:
* Paper (coloured and plain)
* Pencil
* Glue

Step one:
Select a picture of an animal to use as a guide for your drawing.
Step two:
Collect pieces of coloured paper that match the colours of the animal’s skin, scales, feathers or fur.
Step three:
Draw the outline of your animal on a plain piece of paper.
Step four:
Tear the coloured pieces of paper into small squares.
Step five:
Glue the pieces of coloured paper onto the outline of your animal using your picture as a guide.

Note: Some children may need guidance with various steps in this project. I drew an outline of the hen for Hunter, but older children will be able to draw their own. Hunter was able to tear the pieces of paper by himself and we worked together to select the pieces that he then glued to the outline.

..Little. Lovely...

Project #51 Alphabet Puzzle Print

Alphabet Puzzle Print by Kristen Sutcliffe from New House Project

I used an inexpensive foam alphabet puzzle to make letter stamps.  Then I made a poster with a line from one of my daughter's favorite bedtime books*.  Sweet for Valentine's Day!

What you'll need:
*foam alphabet puzzle like this one* or this one*
*wooden blocks
*double-sided tape
*ink pad (one color or multi-colored)
*ruler (preferably L-square)
*sheet of card stock or other nice heavy paper

Step one:
Choose a phrase or line from one of your child's favorite story books.  
Step two:
Use double-sided tape to temporarily attach the letters that you will need for your phrase to wooden toy blocks.  Don't forget to reverse the letters when you tape them on.
Step three:
Plan how you will layout the phrase on the paper.  You may want to practice on scrap paper.  I originally tried to use an 8.5" x 11" paper but found that the letters looked too squished, so I went for an 11" x 17" sheet.
Step four:
Use your stamps and ink pads to carefully stamp out the phrase.  Use an L-square ruler to make sure you are stamping the letters in a straight line.
Note:
I originally tried to use the textured front side of the foam letters when I could, but found that the front side wouldn't absorb the ink as well as the back.  It might be best to use the reverse side of the all of the letters.

*Links
-I love you all day long
-Child's Foam Alphabet Puzzle
-Foam Puzzle Mat

..New House Project..

Project #49 and #50 Valentine

Hug Armband by Khali from Little. Lovely.

Mike is currently on three months paternity leave. 'H' is especially loving having him home and has developed a serious case of hero worship. He insists on giving Mike a ridiculous amount of hugs throughout the day, so we worked together on a project that made his little hugs more permanent. Here’s how to give your loved one a hug all day long.

What you'll need:

- Paint- Paper (plain and patterned)
- Cellotape
- Double sided tape and scissors

Step one:
Cover your child’s hand in paint.
Step two:
Stamp hand prints on a plain piece of paper and allow to dry.
Step three:
Assist your child in cutting out their hand prints.
Step four:
Cut a long strip of coloured paper the width of your child’s palm.
Step five:
Use cellotape to attach the handprints to the strip of coloured paper.
Step six:
Attach a piece of double sided tape to the underside of one hand.
Step seven:
Give someone a special hug by securing the band around their arm.

Valentine’s Day Garland by Khali from Little. Lovely.

Charlotte is still too small to participate in craft activities but I didn’t want her to miss out on the fun of Valentine’s Day, so I created this special garland for her room. This project would be a great craft activity for older children who are comfortable using scissors.

What you'll need:
- Coloured paper
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Cellotape
- Scalpel

Step one:
Draw nine hearts onto the back of a piece of coloured paper.
Step two:
Cut out the hearts.( You could use a heart paper punch, but I prefer the look of hand cut hearts.)
Step three:
Using a scalpel, make a vertical slit into the side of each heart.
Step four:
Cut strips of coloured paper that are the same width as the slits made on the hearts.
Step five:
Thread one strip of paper through one side of two hearts and secure with tape as shown. Repeat.
Step six:
(Optional) Write a sweet message onto your garland. I took inspiration from John, Paul, Ringo and George and wrote “Love, love me do. You know I love you.”
Step six:
hang your garland from the wall.

..Little. Lovely...

Note: The heart and bird decals shown are from Love Mae.