I like when my days are full of crafting. Sometimes this directly involves the children at my day care and sometimes it doesn't but it is usually "for" them either visually or to play with. I do love my job.
I recently purchased a copy of Taproot magazine, Issue 16 Shelter, and was very pleased the second I opened it. Not only is there good reading throughout the magazine along with recipes and such, there was also a template to make two different tiny paper houses. I knew I would want more than two and possibly more and more for the kids to make too. So I took my scanner to the day care (where it should have been for a long time) and scanned the two pages housing houses. I printed copies onto white cardstock and the kids here today and I colored away using markers and crayons... depending on age. While they were working I cut out the houses, folded and glued them together one by one. They were all tickled to see their little houses take shape.
Well... somehow this exercise wasn't enough for me. I made the houses a bit bigger on my computer and printed them out. During naptime I colored, cut and pasted again but you know me... I didn't stop there. I broke out the Mod Podge and fine glitter and painted roofs, windows and sides of the houses. That felt better. Then I decided, since I have been craving a centerpiece for our table ever since I put the fall leaves up, that I would make a tray of some sort and glue the houses to it. I cut out an oval from cardboard, painted it white, hot glues some small silver tinsel around the edge and painted a dusting or white glitter glue over the surface. It is a very colorful and quaint little village that can be moved all at once when need be. I may even leave it out through winter since it is not necessarily Christmas. I did punch a hole and ran a piece of yarn through the ones the kids made so they can hang theirs.
I love volunteers to help clean up.
I don't feel like I can share the house template from Taproot. I don't feel like it's mine to give. But I did do a search on Pinterest for paper house villages that showed some good templates too. Then you can make them how ever you wish. So easy and fun to do. I just never know what craftiness I will break into each day.
Now... you didn't think I'd leave the Barbies out did ya??
Barbie girl that I am once again.
This is also the Barbie that I gave a perm to... later post... when I find my other camera.
I obviously used my glitter gel pens. Fantastico!!
