Tissue Paper Mural

Wondering about my blog name? This artwork is a prime example of craptastic!

You will need:

• Cardstock or construction paper
• Tissue paper (or construction paper) in different colors, torn into pieces
• Glue
• Paintbrush

How to:

1. Water down the glue slightly.
2. With the paintbrush, "paint" the glue mixture onto paper.
3. Place tissue paper wherever!

Thoughts: I was soooo disappointed with how this art turned out:

But, seriously, what was I thinking it would look like?  Apparently I was picturing this amazing , frame-worthy, 3-dimensional sculpture. Uh, not so much. So, here's the point: Elliott loved tearing apart the paper, mixing the glue and water and especially painting the glue mixture onto the paper. Placing the tissue paper lovingly and thoughtfully in artfully arranged scenes was supposedly not on the menu. After patting, OK, slamming a few pieces on, he called it a day. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. Do I have this "art" framed anywhere in the house? Uh, no.

Optional: Want to make it more craptastic? Before the glue dries, add glitter, pom poms and googly eyes.

Want to be rid of the artwork but not throw it away? Crop the art, being sure to include any parts with googly eyes and add sayings like "Eye hope you're feeling better", or "Eye am thinking of you", etc. Fold paper in half and send to that unsuspecting relative who won't have the heart to throw away any of Junior's art. Suckers.

Pine Cone Bird Feeders

This was Elliott's and my first trip down the project lane. We had a surprisingly warm day in January and to take advantage we ventured outside for these easy-to-make feeders.

You will need:

• Pine cones
• Yarn
• Shortening or peanut butter
• Bird seed
• Pan to hold bird seed

How to:

1. Tie a bit of yarn around the top of a pine cone.
2. Smear the shortening (or peanut butter) over the pine cone with a plastic knife.
3. Roll pine cone in bird seed.
4. Hang on a tree branch

Thoughts: This was a super easy project. Elliott was one and a half when we made it the first time, so this is a good one for young kids. We have reseeded our feeders several times and the smearing and rolling always goes over well.

Note: If pine cones contain any sap, try this helpful hint before beginning. Soak them in a sink full of warm water and one cup vinegar for 30 minutes, rinse and dry on newspapers.