fun with dyed chanukah pasta

When I found this happy bag of Chanukah pasta at World Market I scooped it up with a whoop and imagined how pretty it would be dyed in all sorts of happy colors. So I took it home and did just that using this method.

The bag itself isn't too large so each color is only maybe two cups or so of noodles. The teal and purple were accomplished using liquid watercolor while the dark blue and the white needed a little help from some acrylic paint mixed with water. The white and blue got a bit more wet than usual in the shaking process so needed a day to dry with a manual flip in between to get both sides.

Once the noodles are all dry there are oodles of ways for your kiddos to play! Use the pasta as a stand in for gelt during dreidel play. Add it to play dough or color sort onto a sorting mat made from printed/solid paper taped or stitched together. Felt will work for a more permanent mat but happy scrapbook paper will do in a pinch!

Stack the pieces! Have a contest to see who can stack the most in a set time. Up the ante by using only your pinching fingers. Grab a pipecleaner or some yarn and string the noodles up for a pretty necklace or bracelet.

Work on math and patterning by creating various patterns with your kiddos. Set up an art table with glue, paint, and glitter and get to it! There are all sorts of ways you can play! Happy Chanukah!

snowflakes a plenty

 

A wee bit of fun on the art table during our week of Snow. Snowflake punches, cupcake liners, stickers, and stamps. Oh the flurry of art that was created at this table!

diy glittery gelt

I know, I know...chocolate gelt is a favorite of the kiddos but why not make your own glittery gelt with some tinfoil, gue, crepe paper streamers and glitter? It won't go stale and can be used for the entire season! 

Glittery Gelt

*tinfoil

*mod podge

*crepe paper streamers or tissue paper

*glitter

*paintbrush

*large circle punch or scissors

Gather up an assortment of crepe paper streamers or tissue paper and let your kiddos go to town tearing or cutting a pile of colorful bits, both will get those small motor skills moving. Place on a tray or plate and set aside.

Tear out a large sheet of tinfoil and set it up in a spallter friendly workspace. Hand your kiddo a paintbrush and a shallow dish of mod podge or watered down glue and let them get to covering up their foil a la tin foil festive. Once they are delighted with the color party hand them a glitter shake and stand back! Set aside to dry.

Once dry, fold a section of foil over itself and punch out a series of circles. If you do not have a punch, trace or draw a series of circles over folded bits of foil about the size of a half dollar and cut out with scissors.

The crimping from the paper punch and/or scissors will lightly hold together the double circles. Gently pry apart and slather on some glue or mod podge, sandwich the foil circles back together and give them another coat of mod podge. Set aside to dry.

 Once your glittery bits are dry, gather them up, grab a dreidel, it's game time! These glittery coins are great for play money or fairy money even. Not the best idea to hand to kiddos under three as they might be too tempted to take a bite or swallow and that would be bad. I'm thinking these glittery bits would also make a nifty garland. In fact, I jsut might do that...stay tuned! 

make a dreidel garland

Have any neckties up for grabs? Turn those bits of swanky silk into a nifty dreidel garland. This fun project is easily created with scissors and glue. Here's what ya need:

Dreidel Garland

*eight neckties (old or thrifted)

*scissors

*tacky glue

*clothespins

*ribbon

 Gather up your neckties. I used eight to celebrate each day of Hanukkah but you can choose to use more or less. A single necktie would make a lovely dreidel decoration that can be hung on a doorknob or wall. I collected my neckties from various friends and thrift stores.  If your child is on the wee side (say younger than eight) you will want to cut the fat end of each necktie away from the rest. About eight inches is a good measure. If your child is scissors capable, they can cut off the skinny end of each tie about six inches long. If you wish to add some math fun to the mix, have them use a ruler to measure and a piece of chalk for marking. Mark on the back part of the tie in case the chalk decides to linger. 

Flip each large tie piece over and have your child draw a line of glue along the top cut edge. Tacky glue works best but you can use good old fashioned school glue as well. If you liberated the fat end of the tie before the simple stitch that holds all the folds in place you may wish to add a dab of glue or so to the folds as well. Once the glue is along the cut end, carefully fold the edge over and use a pair of clothespin to anchor until the gue dries. All those layers of silk and such will want to pop away from the glue so don't forget the clothespins. If you do not have clothespins, use a sheet of wax paper on top of the glued bits and plop a large book or two on top until dry.

 After all of the now almost-dreidel shapes have been glued it is time to make the dreidel tops. Pick up a cut skinny end, draw a line of glue along the cut end and fold over but not all the way to the edge. Next, add a blob of glue along the new bottom, flip over and center onto the back of the dreidel shapes. Rearrange the cothespins to anchor down the tops and set aside to dry.

 Once dry, cut a length of ribbon and thread each dreidel onto it. Hang in a happy place and enjoy! 

five hanukkah projects for you

from the scrumdilly-do! archives.

*clothespin menorah

*diy gift bags

*eight days of hanukkah

*tinfoil pretty cards

*sweet treat memory game

Homemade Holidays: Tinfoil Festive Hanukkah Cards

 I never grow tired of the dazzle that is tinfoil festive. I was in in need of a Hanukkah card or two so I whipped out some supplies and created these nifty bits. Wanna make yer own set? You may already have the supplies on hand. Let's see...

Materials

*tin foil

*white glue

*cardboard (I used a cereal box)

*scissors or for grown ups only, a straight blade

*crepe paper streamer or colored tissue

*embroidery thread

*glitter, sequins or other flat sparkly bits

Set up your work area by laying out a splat mat or a large sheet of wax paper. Have your kiddo cut or tear a bunch of colored tissue (I used crepe paper streamers), other thin papers and embroidery thread or yarn. Place them on a plate or nearby for easy access.

 Lay out a large sheet of tinfoil (size is up to you). Poor a blob of glue onto your tinfoil and have your kiddo spread the sticky mess all over using a paintbrush, damp sponge or sponge brush.

Brush on or flatten on bits of tissue paper. The more you play around with them, the wetter they get which causes bunching and tearing. Add snipped bits of thread, yarn or string and then more tissue for a layered look. While the glue is still wet, dazzle it up even more with a shakey shake of glitter or salt. Set aside to dry.

While the festive fun is drying, grab some cardboard boxes (cereal and cracker boxes work great, I think I used a yogurt box) and cut into manageable, card-sized rectangles.

Create a stencil for your kiddos of whatever shape you like. I cut a triangle from a magazine insert to create the Star of David. The dreidel was drawn free-form. Flip your rectangles over so the blank side faces down and have your kiddos trace the shape onto the printed side using a dark colored marker.

Cut out the shape your kiddos traced. This part is for the grown-ups only as blades are involved.

 Once your tinfoil fun is all dry and the tack is gone, smother the printed side of your cardboard cards with white glue and have your kiddo place the cards, sticky side down on top of the foil fun. Repeat until all your cut pieces are camping out onto the foil. Lay a sheet of wax paper on top and stack a pile of books on top of that to flatten out the cardboard and give the glue a chance to stick. If you have chosen to cut your foil first, then use paperclips or clothespins to hold the edges places.

Once everything is dry, cut around cardboard with scissors and write a happy message on the back. Happy Holidays!

Holiday Fun: Edible Memory Game

  I was hopping around the internet this morning when I came across this happy, lovely round up on Tatertots & Jello. I thought to myself "how brilliant!" and immediately clicked on over to Shindig Parties To Go to see that what I thought was an edible memory game was really a bunch of happy in a jar (which is also pretty nifty). So...taking a cue I thought "why not?" and so I present to you an edible memory game, perfect for Hanukkah, Christmas and most any other holiday.

Materials

*1 bag of wrapped flat bottomed candies (like Kisses or Patties or Hanukkah Coins)

*Printable sheet from Shindig Parties To Go, round stickers, labels or a handy decorative punch

*assorted paper for decorative punch

Dump out bag of candies. I used world coins from here. They are nice and flat and perfect for my scalloped paper punch.

Count out an even number of coins and punch out paper bits. I had 24 coins so needed 12 different prints of paper.

Smother paper bits with glue stick and place one each onto a chocolate coin or candy. You can also print out your own designs on round sticky labels or use happy holiday stickers.

 

 

 

Flip over and play a coupe of rounds. Save this for a party and the kiddos can keep the candy they "win".  Candies can be stashed into handmade bags like these! Happy Holidays!

make a clothespin menorah

More as a learning and play kind of menorah...no hot fire involved!

Materials:
*nine wooden clothespins
*tempera or acrylic paint
*paintbrushes & water
*splash happy work area
*small cardboard box with the top flaps cut off
*yellow and/orange felt
*scissors
*needle & thread, glue or a sewing machine
*small ruler or tape measure
*paper & pencil optional

scrumdilly-do it:

Set out your supplies making sure to cover your area for easier clean-up.

Have your kidlets paint up each clothespin in the manner that they choose. Go with all one color across the board or have your tots mix up their own colors. You can start with one color and add a little white each go to further tint up the color or add a little black to shade em out. It's all up to you and your young ones.

Snuggle the paint happy clothespins over the edges of the box to dry.

Gather up your felt and measure across the top of an unpainted clothespin to see how wide you need to set your "flames". If you wish, eyeball and do it yourself or turn this into a lesson in measuring and ask your kidlet(s) to give it a try. Practice drawing out some flame shapes on paper that match the measurements you took. When in doubt, a simple triangle will work.

Cut out your flame shapes and then glue and/or stitch them up. You should have nine.

Create the menorah by gluing tissue paper to the outside surfaces of the box you used to dry your clothespins on. Arrange your clothespin candles on top of the boxes' edges and pop a flame on the center one if you choose and proceed to "light" one up each night of Hanukkah. If you find your clothespins slipping down and going all crooked, layer up a couple of pieces of tape to the inside of the box. It shouldn't take much to anchor your candles in place. When you are finished with the menorah play, your kiddos can use the box to store their candles.

**I have a very bad habit of coming up with ideas in the middle of the night which causes much rushing around to write them down. If I were a better planner I would have one notebook with all my notes but I have many and this has been a project floating about for a few years now. Back when I thought of it, I took a cruise round the web to make sure I hadn't appropriated it from anyone else and proceeded. Then, since I took so long to actually make the darn thing I stumbled across this version (also done a few years ago) earlier today. So there you have it. Serendipity and a couple of different takes on making a clothespin menorah.