Matchbox Mayflower Diorama

Thanksgiving is around  the corner, thought we would share this old favorite from a few years ago!

I gave this to my mother who hosted our Thanksgiving dinner that year!

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It is November, and Thanksgiving is approaching! 

Here is a clever gift to share for the holidays: a matchbox diorama of the 

Mayflower voyage with a ship you can move around through the waves like it is sailing to the New World.

Recycled May Flowers

April showers are supposed to bring May flowers. Here in the Midwest we have some tulips in our yard, but the terrible winter has delayed a lot of our Spring flowers. You can make these flowers in a few moments and transform your paper scraps into an adorable bouquet to tide you over until your garden blooms. This project originally appeared in the April issue of Kids Craft 1-2-3! 
Materials:
paper (I used a map, sheet music, and pages from a gardening catalog.)
stapler
glue
pipe cleaner
something for the center like circles of felt, buttons, circles of contrasting paper, pom poms

Steps

1. Cut a piece of paper into a long rectangle. Try 4 1/2 x 12 inches or pick your own size.
2. Fold the paper like an accordion with small folds.
3. After the paper is folded up completely, staple at the halfway point and fan out the sides.
4. Glue the sides open to make the flower.
5. For the center you can do what I did and glue on a small circle of felt and a button on top of that. You also could attach circles of contrasting paper, tiny pom poms, or other center items. 
6. I used tape to attach the back of my flowers to the pipe cleaners. You could also use a glue gun for a neater appearance.

British Royal Guard Jumping Jack

 They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
"Do you think the King knows all about me?"
"Sure to, dear, but it's time for tea,"
                                                                    Says Alice.

Did you ever run across the A.A. Milne poetry collection  When we Were Very Young? If you like Winnie the Pooh you will find his favorite boy featured in many of the poems.  Anyway that was just one stanza but it is a nice poem, and brings me to today's project: my Brtish Royal Guard Jumping Jack!


I think little kids are always really intrigued by the Royal Guard and their impressive outfits. At least I always was. Plus, I am a pretty huge Anglophile so I have always wanted to make a little soldier for our house. (See the bottom of this post for our many projects inspired by our love of English culture.)
I have some really incredible German craft books that my mom bought in the Sixties in Europe. This one is called "Tiere, Puppen, Hampelmanner" and is by Ilse Strobl-Wohlschlager. It contains some really fantastic jumping jacks that inspired me to make my own. Unbelievably, I did an internet search and this book is available at Amazon! In English! For like $5! So I did not know this when I started and I could not actually read the instructions, but I think I came up with a working jumping jack using her photos for inspiration.
First I cut out the body parts from card stock. There are lots of templates for jumping jacks floating around the internet to inspire you. The German book had a very stylized doll, with a pinched waist and pointy feet, which I totally copied.
You will note that I punched small holes at the shoulders, top and bottom of thigh piece and top of arm and foot pieces. These holes will hold the brads. So, check out how large your brads are and make sure your hole is the right size. The big brass fasteners you get at office supply stores don't work very well with this as they stick out all over the place. I used smaller brads from a craft store.
 I then punched an even tinier second hole at the top of the two arm pieces and the top of the legs. This second hole will be for the string. It should not be too close to the edge as it could tear if people get too rowdy with the jumping jack.

I glued tissue paper onto my body parts. The leg and feet pieces are black and the body is red. I also cut out a hat piece and covered it with black tissue paper. The chin strap is white paper colored black, cut to frame the face. I used Mod Podge to apply the tssue and put a few coats on top to make it a little sturdier.

I drew the face using a black Sharpie. (Pencil first.) After I colored the face I glued on the hair and chin strap. I also used black marker on the cuffs and collar and added a white tissue belt and gold accents using a paint pen.
 I attached the arms and legs loosely with brads so the limbs can dangle freely. Then I took a needle and some embroidery floss and rigged up the back. I tied a straight string between the arm holes. This needs to be tight but not tight enough that it causes the arms to pull up. Don't worry about the ends of the string until later. Tie a straight string between the top of the legs. Then Tie a string from he middle of the top string to the bottom string and have it hang down. I added a bead to the bottom. I don't really care what the back of this guy looks like so I trimmed the edges of the string and taped them down. You could probably do this neater if you are so inclined. My kids LOVE the jumping jack. I am going to make some more blank body part pieces and let them design their own. My daughter wants to make a princess and my son probably has some incredibly complicated design of his own.
Enjoy!
Other projects inspired by our love of England:
What is in Dr. Watson's Desk?


Ms. Marple's Desk


Sherlock Holmes Stenciled Pillow
 

The Parlor from Longbourn House

Easy Nancy Drew Lampshade

I am still having fun with my cutting machine. Last week I made a Sherlock Holmes pillow using freezer paper. I had to follow up with my other favorite detective! To make this I used my Silhouette cutting machine but you absolutely can do it with scissors if you are a careful cutter. I printed out multiple copies of Nancy Drew's silhouette on black craft paper and cut them out. Then I took a Dollar Store lampshade and glued them on using matte Mod Podge. I added trim and pom poms and the shade was ready.  The base was clear glass and I covered with with black tissue paper and Mod Podge. I think the texture looks pretty good but it would be easy to find a base that doesn't need to be altered or to alter it in a different way like by painting it.
I actually was in such a hurry I didn't do a very good job placing the figures. It would be worth your time to use a ruler and mark off where you will put the cut outs. I also should have marked where the pom pom and trim would be placed as I will confess these are a little haphazard as well. However I am still pretty pleased with this cute little lamp and am already thinking about other shades I can make people like a Virginia Woolf shade for my mom or a Beethoven shade for Annabelle's music teacher. You can pick any image and see how easy it is!

Greek Goddess Paper Dolls

 I just made my kids something I wish I had had as a young girl. Magnetic, Greek Goddess Paper Dolls.

I am aware how nerdy this is.

We went to the library, pretty much weekly when I was a kid, and each got to pick out our own selection of books, and movies. One day I discovered this book,  D'Aulaires Book of Greek Mythology  and I never forgot it. I poured over all the information inside, and studied the illustrations.  I would return the book, and quickly check it out again. This is where I learned all about Greek Mythology and really, never forgot it. 

So, I really enjoyed coming up with these dolls and finding the right distinctive items to showcase each goddess with dress and hair.

 The doll is a simple Greek maiden with braided, pulled back hair and simple white dress. 

 Artemis-goddess of the hunt, archery, children, animals, virginity, the moon.

(she was my favorite, when I first read about them)

 Athena -goddess of Wisdom and defense, handicrafts, strategic warfare.

(she is my new favorite!)

 Hera - Queen of the gods, marriage and family.

 Aphrodite-goddess of love, beauty and desire.

 Hestia -goddess of the hearth and family.

Demeter-goddess of fertility, agriculture, nature, the seasons.

Here is the link to the pdf if you would like to print out and make your own paper dolls. (not for resale!)

Just print them onto a sturdy paper like cardstock and then cut them out. Glue thin magnet paper onto the backs and you are ready to play.

I will be making a set for the gods too, the goddesses were just more fun to make and came first!

If you want to learn more about the Greek Gods and Goddesses online, here is a start. Although I prefer the book I mentioned above.

I came across this quiz too, and just for fun had to take it. I got Athena! (although it was pretty easy to manipulate that, I thought)

Which Greek God are You?

'Little Red' Matchbox Paper Dolls

 So lately it seems I am a bit obsessed with re-purposing matchboxes into little worlds.

I have also always bit a bit obsessed with fairy tales, so what a perfect match this little project has made!

 Outside, the tiny box displays a deep forest and title, "Little Red", giving a clue 

to what is inside.

 Another forest scene with a path and tiny Little Red Riding Hood and one Big Bad Wolf paper dolls

to play with.

This was very simple to make.
Materials

• one small matchbox
• decorative tape
• paper (or photos)
• drawing items of choice if you choose to draw your own. Pen, marker,colored pencil, water color, etc.
• glue
• scissors
• ruler

Steps

1.  Just measure the cover and inside dimensions of matchbox to create the inside image and cover in these same dimensions. Use printed images, magazine cut outs, photos, or draw by hand as I did on paper.

 

2. I used decorative tape to cover the edges, inside and out.
3. The characters measure about 2" tall and were drawn on heavy card-stock.
4. You could glue your printed images or photos to card-stock to give the paper dolls more stability.
5. For the scalloped edge I just used scalloped edge scissors, and cut a thin trim.  Glue it to the top edges of the matchbox, finishing it off nicely.

This makes such a sweet gift, and fun, portable little toy for someone special.

Notecards for a Mystery Reader

I am winding up my Christmas posts this week before we go out of town for the holidays. If anyone reads this blog regularly you will know that a lot of our projects are intended as gifts for people who love to read. We have made mini book ornaments, dioramas featuring favorite fictional characters like Dr. Watson and even a magnetic Portable Pride and Prejudice.
Everyone in my family reads a lot and we are all absolutely crazy about mystery books.