Do you purchase soap that comes in a wrapper instead of a box? Well, stop that! Your kids are missing out on too much fun! Purchase the boxed soaps and you, as well as the children, can have much more excitement. Not that the boxed soap is any better than the wrapped ones or has anything at all to do with the project. Its the box itself that can create the fun. After you and the kids turn the soap boxes into race cars powered by balloons the racing and the excitement shall begin.
Glue the end of the soap box closed then decorate it in any number of ways. Create one look for the little car by wrapping the box in wrapping paper. The paper can be printed or plain. Wrap and trim then tape the paper down at both ends of the box. Instead of paper you can use other things to decorate the entire box.
Use colored tape to create the look for your tiny car. Cover any writing or logos on the box by the design you make with the tape. Create racing stripes, colored patterns and more. Combine tape to make really colorful cars or just use one basic color. The design is completely up to you. The tape can even be used to cover the entire soap box. After you have the basic design down-pat you can move on to the rest of the accents for the car. Use stickers to put a number on the sides of the car. Use other stickers to further enhance. If you used paper to wrap the soap box you can then use the colored tape and stickers to create the final design for the racer. Youll find a wealth of race car-related stickers at any craft store. After youve completely decorated the car use a sharp instrument to poke a hole on each side of the box. The holes will become the area where the wheel axles will go. A sharp pencil works great for poking the holes which should be approximately 3/4" from the end and a quarter-inch from the bottom. Poke two more holes at the opposite end of the car. Slide a 5" section of a wooden skewer into each hole. To create the wheels use small wooden beads and affix them to the skewers. The four beads should each be one-inch in diameter and have an eighth-inch hole in the center. Slide them onto the skewer ends and glue in place. The wheels of this car wont actually turn but the axles will. Since the wooden beads you purchase will likely be tan in color feel free to paint them black - or another color - before gluing them onto the skewers. The finished racer will be powered by air. What better to hold the air than a balloon? Use a small oblong balloon to be the power source for the car. If you blow the balloon up and let the air out of it a couple of times it will be easier to blow up when youre ready to race. Use a bendable straw to make it easier to blow the balloon up after its attached to the car. Work the short end of the bendable straw into the opening of the balloon. Use tape to affix the straw to the balloon. Make sure the balloon is taped all the way around the straw. If the tape isnt secure the balloon will shoot out of the end of the straw when you try to blow it up. After attaching the straw blow through it to make sure the tape is secure and that the balloon will easily fill with air. Tape the straw across the top of the soap box. The straw should be positioned so that the long part of the straw goes across the top of the box, and the short end sticks up, so that the balloon rises up above the back of the car. When the balloon is blown up it should extend from above the end of the box to out behind the box. When youre ready to race simply blow up the balloon by the stem sticking out in front of the car. Pinch the end of the straw shut, line the car up at the starting line, then let go of the straw. The air from the balloon will rapidly escape through the straw and will force the car to propel. The racers are really fast but dont run for long. Create a finish line and see if the other cars can make it over the line. Or, just race and see whose car goes the furthest. Its a fun and creative way to use soap boxes on a boring day!
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Monday, December 3, 2012
Unique Flowerpot Easter Memorial for Lost Loved Ones
Are you thinking of taking a flower arrangement - or other memorial - to a loved ones grave this Easter? During holidays and other special occasions florists see a rise in business because many people are thinking of their lost loved ones during these times. If you have a loved one that youre thinking about this Easter, and if you like making things yourself, why not make your own tribute to your loved one? Cemeteries that feature flat headstones generally offer vases where you can place flowers as a memorial. These vases are handy for doing just that, but at the same time, the vases limit you as to the amount of space you can use. Only what will fit in or on the vase are permitted. For this reason many people view flowers, flags and flat plaques as the only things they can use to honor their loved ones. If you have a plastic flower pot around the house, though, you can make a large, beautiful tribute that will cost little. No, the craft isnt a pot of flowers! Its something much more impressive than that! Glue a small Styrofoam square in the bottom of the pot, in the center. Ordinary white glue will work great. Place a dab of glue on a wooden dowel and push it into the center of the Styrofoam. The dowel shouldnt be very large in diameter but must be long enough to extend several inches above the flower pot. This dowel will be used to hold the finished arrangement in the provided headstone vase. The vases contain an upside-down cone of Styrofoam which will let you easily insert the dowel of the finished project into the vase.
Temporarily set the pot - with attached dowel - in a vase. The rod should slide down in the vase but the upside-down pot should surround the top of the vase. This will make it easier for you to decorate or create the arrangement for the pot. If you need to, stuff the upside-down pot with paper towels, or something similar, so that it wont wiggle while youre creating. When its stable there are any number of memorials you can make with ease.
Use waterproof adhesive from your local home improvement store to make any outdoor memorial. Hot glue will not hold up under rain. Purchase a Styrofoam cross shape and decorate it - or leave it white - to use for the main focus of one design. You can cover the cross with glitter, fake jewels or even lace. Since the Styrofoam is white its a beautiful look without embellishing at all. To cover the flower pot you can glue on lace, fabric or even flowers. Even colored foil works great for giving the cross and stand a glitzy look for pennies. Instead of a cross you can also make a unique plaque for the headstone. For a child you can attach a small stuffed animal, some craft balloons and tiny plastic toys. For an adult you can create something completely different. Glue a piece of decorative paper or foil to a piece of cardboard. Lay a printed poem, written tribute or even a photo on the paper. Laminate the arrangement then glue it to the upside-down flower pot. You can bend the cardboard, decorate one side and leave the other side blank, or you can make an arrangement on the backside as well. The images or poem on the front side doesnt have to be the same as the design you do on the back. Glue the folded cardboard so that the ends will connect to the flower pot and the fold will be horizontal above the pot. You can then glue flowers or other embellishments around the ends of the cardboard, where they are glued to the pot. There are many different ways to use this technique to honor your lost loved one. The images can be anything from sunsets across an ocean to pictures of rainbows. Go online to search for printable pictures and images you can use. The upside-down flower pot allows you to have much more space for memorials than you would have by just placing arrangements in the provided vase. The flower pots are lightweight but will hold steady when you insert the dowel into the cone Styrofoam inside the vase. Make the flower pot memorials for holidays, birthdays or any other day!
Temporarily set the pot - with attached dowel - in a vase. The rod should slide down in the vase but the upside-down pot should surround the top of the vase. This will make it easier for you to decorate or create the arrangement for the pot. If you need to, stuff the upside-down pot with paper towels, or something similar, so that it wont wiggle while youre creating. When its stable there are any number of memorials you can make with ease.
Use waterproof adhesive from your local home improvement store to make any outdoor memorial. Hot glue will not hold up under rain. Purchase a Styrofoam cross shape and decorate it - or leave it white - to use for the main focus of one design. You can cover the cross with glitter, fake jewels or even lace. Since the Styrofoam is white its a beautiful look without embellishing at all. To cover the flower pot you can glue on lace, fabric or even flowers. Even colored foil works great for giving the cross and stand a glitzy look for pennies. Instead of a cross you can also make a unique plaque for the headstone. For a child you can attach a small stuffed animal, some craft balloons and tiny plastic toys. For an adult you can create something completely different. Glue a piece of decorative paper or foil to a piece of cardboard. Lay a printed poem, written tribute or even a photo on the paper. Laminate the arrangement then glue it to the upside-down flower pot. You can bend the cardboard, decorate one side and leave the other side blank, or you can make an arrangement on the backside as well. The images or poem on the front side doesnt have to be the same as the design you do on the back. Glue the folded cardboard so that the ends will connect to the flower pot and the fold will be horizontal above the pot. You can then glue flowers or other embellishments around the ends of the cardboard, where they are glued to the pot. There are many different ways to use this technique to honor your lost loved one. The images can be anything from sunsets across an ocean to pictures of rainbows. Go online to search for printable pictures and images you can use. The upside-down flower pot allows you to have much more space for memorials than you would have by just placing arrangements in the provided vase. The flower pots are lightweight but will hold steady when you insert the dowel into the cone Styrofoam inside the vase. Make the flower pot memorials for holidays, birthdays or any other day!
Sunday, December 2, 2012
How to Make a Blanket Hammock
A warm summer day conjures images of pools, water hoses, lemonade and, oh yeah, hammocks. Lying out in the backyard with nothing on your mind but relaxation - what could be more heavenly? You know youll need a hammock but who wants to pay those big bucks for one? And who wants to be challenged by those net-type hammocks that often throw you on the ground many times before youre finally able to actually climb in? You can easily make a much safer hammock and invest a fraction of the money.
If youve got a blanket at home youre well on your way to lying around in that hammock you want. The blanket can be a twin size and hold one person or it can be much larger and hold two people. There are no real requirements when it comes to the blanket type, however, certain blankets work better than others. For example, a blanket that stretches, or an Afghan-type throw, arent ideal. Blankets that are really fuzzy might not be too comfortable in hot weather. A lightweight blanket that doesnt stretch is perfect.
Besides the perfect blanket youll need two strong dowel rods. The wooden rods are sold in many different lengths and sizes at any home improvement store. Hardware stores and some department stores also sell the wooden rods. Choose two of the same size, about two inches in diameter. Using a larger size diameter is okay; using a smaller one means the dowel could break with the weight of the person in the hammock. And, the dowels you use must each be as long as the blanket is wide. Its not that difficult to assemble the new hammock. Lay the blanket out on a flat surface and place one dowel at one end of the blanket. Fold the end of the blanket over the dowel. Pin and sew this area, straight across, to hold the dowel in the end of the blanket. Or, use adhesive instead. The glue you choose must be waterproof and suitable for fabric. Fold the blanket end over the dowel and glue the fabric down. Do the same to the other end of the blanket with the second dowel rod. Before gluing or sewing the dowel rod in its necessary to make an opening for the tying apparatus to hang the hammock. The easiest way to create the tie is to use great lengths of velcro. Velcro is easy to attach to the dowel, strong enough to hold the hammock, and makes it ultra-simple to hang the hammock from a tree or even deck rails. To add the velcro, place the dowel at the end of the blanket, then fold the blanket over and remove the rod. Now make a slit, right in the center, to allow access for the velcro. Cut the slit through both layers of the blanket, slide the rod back in, then glue or sew the rod pocket. Now slide a length of velcro through the slit in the blanket and around the dowel. The length of velcro can simply be wrapped around the object you want to use to hold the hammock. If you dont have velcro you can use a traditional tie to hold the hammock. Go ahead and fold the end of the blanket over the dowel and cut the slits. Use strong rope and thread it through the slits. So, one length of rope will be through the slits and around the dowel. If you were to fold this rope in half the fold mark would be wrapped around the dowel. Tie the rope once then leave the two ends hanging for tying. Allow quite a length of rope, at both ends, to accommodate the wherever you will hang it. Whenever youre ready to hang your hammock all you have to do is locate two objects that can hold the rope or velcro. It could be two trees or you can hang it in the corner of a deck by tying it around the pickets. The same can be done in the corner of a picket fence. The hammock is easy to get in and out of since theres none of that netting to fumble with. You dont necessarily have to use a heavy blanket to make the new hammock. A sheet works well to make something similar but much cooler. Either way, you likely have the largest part of the hammock already at home. With the dowel rods and rope or velcro you can easily assemble the hammock in no time. Now, lets check the weather report, shall we?
If youve got a blanket at home youre well on your way to lying around in that hammock you want. The blanket can be a twin size and hold one person or it can be much larger and hold two people. There are no real requirements when it comes to the blanket type, however, certain blankets work better than others. For example, a blanket that stretches, or an Afghan-type throw, arent ideal. Blankets that are really fuzzy might not be too comfortable in hot weather. A lightweight blanket that doesnt stretch is perfect.
Besides the perfect blanket youll need two strong dowel rods. The wooden rods are sold in many different lengths and sizes at any home improvement store. Hardware stores and some department stores also sell the wooden rods. Choose two of the same size, about two inches in diameter. Using a larger size diameter is okay; using a smaller one means the dowel could break with the weight of the person in the hammock. And, the dowels you use must each be as long as the blanket is wide. Its not that difficult to assemble the new hammock. Lay the blanket out on a flat surface and place one dowel at one end of the blanket. Fold the end of the blanket over the dowel. Pin and sew this area, straight across, to hold the dowel in the end of the blanket. Or, use adhesive instead. The glue you choose must be waterproof and suitable for fabric. Fold the blanket end over the dowel and glue the fabric down. Do the same to the other end of the blanket with the second dowel rod. Before gluing or sewing the dowel rod in its necessary to make an opening for the tying apparatus to hang the hammock. The easiest way to create the tie is to use great lengths of velcro. Velcro is easy to attach to the dowel, strong enough to hold the hammock, and makes it ultra-simple to hang the hammock from a tree or even deck rails. To add the velcro, place the dowel at the end of the blanket, then fold the blanket over and remove the rod. Now make a slit, right in the center, to allow access for the velcro. Cut the slit through both layers of the blanket, slide the rod back in, then glue or sew the rod pocket. Now slide a length of velcro through the slit in the blanket and around the dowel. The length of velcro can simply be wrapped around the object you want to use to hold the hammock. If you dont have velcro you can use a traditional tie to hold the hammock. Go ahead and fold the end of the blanket over the dowel and cut the slits. Use strong rope and thread it through the slits. So, one length of rope will be through the slits and around the dowel. If you were to fold this rope in half the fold mark would be wrapped around the dowel. Tie the rope once then leave the two ends hanging for tying. Allow quite a length of rope, at both ends, to accommodate the wherever you will hang it. Whenever youre ready to hang your hammock all you have to do is locate two objects that can hold the rope or velcro. It could be two trees or you can hang it in the corner of a deck by tying it around the pickets. The same can be done in the corner of a picket fence. The hammock is easy to get in and out of since theres none of that netting to fumble with. You dont necessarily have to use a heavy blanket to make the new hammock. A sheet works well to make something similar but much cooler. Either way, you likely have the largest part of the hammock already at home. With the dowel rods and rope or velcro you can easily assemble the hammock in no time. Now, lets check the weather report, shall we?
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