Ramblings of a Crazy Woman

The idea you have all been waiting for: THE TOILET PAPER ROLL ANGEL No craft season is complete without doing something with a toilet paper roll. Another easy craft: I used white paper, yellow construction paper cut in a heart shape for wings, yarn, wiggly eyes, and pipe cleaner for the halo. I think I should have made the mouth into an oval shape to make it look like she was singing. Maybe next toilet paper roll angel. My next post is my 100 th post. So look out, you will get to learn a whole lot of interesting fact about me. Lucky you. tee hee !

This is an easy cheap craft. My 4 year old and I did this together. I cut a wreath shape out of a piece of foam and hot glued the candy on (candy was $1 a bag and had plenty left over). I did 2 rows of candy on the bottom and one row one the top. I used a cheap bow and use a pipe stem cleaner for a hook and hot glued it to the back. I am sure any glue would work to hold on the candy, I just hate to wait for stuff to dry.

This may not be the most craftiest thing I have ever done, but it does have a picture of my daughter on it, so I have to love it. I know a lot of people have little trees just for their children, so why not make them their personal angel topper. This would also make a good place setter at the table.( I do not know the official name, by now you should know I am not formal ). I modified it from another project I saw that I thought was cute, but I did not have any of the supplies. So I came up with this. I took a piece of foam and cut it into a rectangle (card stock would work too). Then I coned it by folding the corners together and stapling it. You may have to trim the bottom to even it out, to make it set level. I made some wing and hot glued them to the back. Next, I glued Caity's picture on with hot glue. And the halo is made from a pipe stem cleaner, hot glued also. I then took some glitter glue and decorated. Can other people do better? For sure, but I still like it. The idea ...

I am so excited, I found a new Christmas tradition. While I was reading all the great ideas on Works For Me Wednesday , I found a great new tradition. On Training Tons of Sons she suggests wrapping 24 books and reading on each night. My kids will love unwrapping a present, and then getting to read a book. After I read that I went and found 24 Christmas and winter books and wrapped them. They are already under out homemade ornament tree. I love that tip.

Today was glitter day. Since I have a problem with mess, when we do a messy craft, I like to get it all done at once. The first project is using old Christmas cards. I did this craft with my mom when I was a little girl. Take old Christmas cards and cut out pictures you like off of them. Now a days, alot of Christmas cards have families and kids on them, this would be a good way to make ornament with your kids friends and family members on them. You put Elmer's glue around the border and sprinkle on glitter. Add a hook and some ribbon if you like. This second project has "BLING". Trace patterns using cookie cutters on foam pieces or card stock. Smear glue all over. I let the kids smear it with a Q-Tips. Then Sprinkle on glitter. Add a hook and a bow if you like. These are a lot prettier in person, my photography does not do them justice. I did the glittering on paper plates. They are easy to fold to reuse the glitter. If you are wondering why I always have pictures o...

The magazi ne I got this from said," People use them for gifts or mementos, or they hang them where ever they want a special word." Also it says, they like"holiday decorating that evokes traditional memories and has a funky twist. Things shouldn't look too new or store bought." Well if that is the look you are looking for , this is the project for you. Believe me no one will think you bought these, especially if your kids help. But they are cute and they sparkle. Plus the kids love to use glitter. I printed up different tags using different fonts and glittered around the borders.

Works For Me Wednesday If you are like me, my kids are always coming up with questions about Santa. One is "How is Santa going to get in because we do not have a real chimney?" I did answer that question with he is magic or I will leave the door unlocked. But with the recent break in we have had in our area, I did not think it was good to tell them I would leave the door unlocked. Especially since I have told them not to even answer the door. So I found a cute solution and another excuse to do a craft. Santa's Magic Key. You can make a key or use an old one and attach this saying: Santa's Magic Key If you don't have a chimney For Santa to come down Leave this magic key outside And for your gifts will still be found. I used an old key to attach the saying to or you can make a key out of cardboard. For you that have little kids that are not questioning Santa, trust me it will come. Being prepared is the best way to handle those questions.

I love hand print art and I love sweet poems. So here are some hand print poems I found on line to go with the hand print crafts. HAND PRINT POEM 1 Children have a certain way of growing bigger every day, But these little hands and this special smile will stay in our hearts a long, long while. Poem 2 I miss you when we're not together I'm growing up so fast See how big I've gotten Since you last saw me last? As I grow, I'll change a lot. The years will fly right by. You'll wonder how I grew so quick When and where and why? So look upon this hand print That's hanging on your wall. And memories will come back of me, When I was very small. Poem 3 Children have a certain way of growing bigger everyday, But these little hands and this special smile will stay in our hearts a long, long while. Poem 4 This is the hand You used to hold When I was only -- years old. Poem4 Here is my hand So tiny, so small to hang somewhere upon your wall. Poem5 My dirty little fingerprint...

I did not make this but I think I am going to. It is Brownies stacked on top of each other. I think I will M&M's for the ornaments. I think that is so cool.

I got this idea from The Family Fun Magazine. I think it will make a great Christmas card. We used finger prints for the mouth, nose, cheeks and the fluff on Santa's hat. The Santa hat is construction paper. Here is a Poem that goes with the Santa: Look very closely and you will see that Santa's beard was made by me! Hang this Santa on your wall to remember when my hands were small. The Hand Print and Foot Print Angel We painted a foot for the body. Painted a hand for the wing. Painted just a palm of the hand for the head. We used finger prints for the hair and cheeks. The halo is made with glitter glue. I used wiggley eye but you could also use finger prints. I use acrylic paint. It dries fast and washes off their hands easily. To paint their hands and feet I use a sponge brush . This is a lot of fun for the kids. They giggle a lot when having their hands and feet painted because it tickles.

I do not know what got into me today. We did so many crafts. It was crazy, but we did have fun. This morning I put up one of our artificial trees and decided everything we put on it we are going to make. It started with that idea and went from there. We made these out of foam (but construction paper would work fine). I cut the stockings and the white tops. We used a hole puncher to make the holes. The kids threaded it with yarn. I had to help my 2 year old with the threading but my other 3 did it fine. We glued on the top with craft glue and wrote their names with a marker. The hook is also yarn. A Stocking For Jesus It's not great deeds we do in life That matter very much, But the love in which we do them And the joy of those they touch ! So let's hang this stocking for the Lord, To honor him above! For Jesus did great deeds for us. And did them all with love ! Then maybe when we leave this life As every mortal must. We'll find the Saviors mantle hung With stocking just fo...

I cut out a bunch of holly leaves and berries (a hole puncher makes good berries). We glued the leaves on a circle I cut out. Glued a ribbon on and used a wire as a hook. For this project I used Alene's Craft glue. I put the glue on a paper plate and the kids used a Q-tip to apply it. The Holy Wreath The holy wreath symbolizes the crown of thorns worn by Jesus at Calvary. Its red berries represent the blood He shed for the forgiveness of our sins. The endless circle is eternal life obtained through Him.

These Christmas trees are made from 3 cut out hearts, large, medium and small (foam or construction paper), beads and glitter glue. The star is cut from a piece of construction paper.

I am new to taking pictures, I would not even call it photography. So please bare with me. These are my photos of hot.

We have several traditions that our family does for Christmas. This is one I read in a magazine a few years back that I love and have been doing for years. Every year I buy the kids new pajamas for Christmas to open on Christmas Eve. They wear them that night, so I have cute children in new p.j.s for the Christmas morning pictures. Sometimes I let them pick their p.j.s and sometimes I surprise them. I would love to hear about everyones holiday traditions, so please leave a comment and let me know some of yours.

This is a tradition we have done since my first child was small. We make paper chains and number them from 1 to 25. Each day we rip off a link counting down the days until Christmas. To make the chain we cut paper strips and staple them together. When we do this project the kids know Christmas is coming soon.

A friend gave me these, I thought they were cute.

Beth emailed me a picture of these cookies from the Pillsbury website. I thought they were so cute. The recipe says to use Peanut Butter or Gingerbread cookies. The antler are pretzels, the eye are chocolate chips and the nose is a cherrys cut in half.