Popsicle Stick Mummies



A mummy for your Mummy's Boy or Girl

 You will need:

• Popsicle sticks (two for each mummy you make)
• Wooden craft spoons (Popsicle sticks with rounded ends)
• Glue gun
• Gauze (Our strips were 2 yards in length and 1 inch wide.)
• Googly eyes
• Wire cutters

How to:

1. Use the cutters to snap two Popsicle sticks, not quite in half. (Leave one side slightly larger than the other.) The longer pieces will be the legs.
2. Glue the arms and the legs to a wooden craft spoon to make a person. Let dry.




One arm and one leg make up one stick.


3. Wrap gauze around sticks. Use a dab of glue to hold last piece in place.
4. Add googly eyes.

Thoughts:
We did this craft at this year's Halloween party and it was a little more complicated (for 3 year olds) than I thought it would be. The adults had to lend a hand wrapping the gauze. However, it was also a favorite. One of our crafters now sleeps with his mummy and Elliott says it was his favorite craft from the party. They are awfully cute. So, although this craft is actually very easy, be prepared to jump in with a helping hand, and don't "bury" this craft. Haha, get it?

Elliott's Evaluation:
This was my favorite craft from our party. (Me: Even though Mummy (sorry, I'm on a roll...of gauze) had to help a lot?) Yes. I like my mummy so much. He's sooo cute. I love him.

Manner Ladder

Make the please and thank you fun!

You will need:

• Popsicle sticks (we used colored ones)
• Glue
• Picture of your child

How to:
This is a very simple one. Glue the popsicle sticks to form a ladder. Place a piece of tape on the back of child's picture and place on the bottom rung. Hang somewhere that it will be easily reached. (We clipped ours onto the fridge.)

The story:
Every time we catch Elliott using manners, without being prompted to do so, he gets to move up the ladder. (Please, thank you, excuse me, sharing, playing well with friends, etc.) When he gets to the top, he gets a special treat. (A small toy, an extra television show, a special snack, etc.)

The rules are pretty easy. No moving up the ladder if he asks to move up the ladder or if we have to remind him of his manners. I made a no punishment rule for us as well: We are not allowed to move him down a notch for misbehaving. (Who, my angel?) I want this to be about the behaviors that he is rewarded for, not taking away something that he has earned.

This ladder has gone over very, very well. We have had it up for a couple of months and Elliott still loves getting to move his picture up a rung. Plus, he seems to be picking up some good habits. He shakes hands with people he meets, thanks people who hold doors for him and blessed a sneezing man at the store.

Elliott's Evaluation:
That is my manners ladders. It has letters on the side and Elliott gets to go up, up, up and up and I get a special snack time or prize because Mommy lets me pick.

Sparkly Snowflakes

Christmas ornaments so easy a 2 year can (and did) make them.

You will need:

• Popsicle sticks
• Glitter
• Sparkly sequins
• Ribbon, cut into 4-inch strips
• Glue
• Glue gun* (optional)

How to:

1. For each snowflake use four popsicle sticks. I found it easiest to make two "X"s with two sticks and then layer each "X" on top of one another in a star pattern.
2. Let dry completely.
3. Spread glue on to each snowflake.
4. Sprinkle generously with glitter.
5. Add dabs of glue and press sequins on.
6. Using glue gun (or glue) attach ribbon on to back side of ornament in a loop.

Thoughts:

My sister started our family tradition of our boys making Christmas ornaments for family members each year and it has become the gift I most look forward to each year. If you choose to start a tradition like this, be sure to enclose a picture of your child making or holding the finished product.

This sparkly snowflake was Elliott's 2009 ornament.

Anything involving shaking a big bottle of glitter will be a huge success in this house and this ornament was no exception. However, the real fun in this craft was apparently in upturning the bag-o-sequins. Over. And. Over. For those of you wondering, picking up sequins is ever so fun. Our sequins have made multiple appearances for different crafts and pouring them on to the floor is par for the course. I don't even bat an eye anymore and I'm no longer above vacuuming the stray suckers right up.

*Notes:
I hesitated to suggest using a glue gun with this craft after seeing one of my husband's co-worker's hands from a hot glue gun accident. Seriously, layers of skin gone. Layers! (Google it to see just how severe these burns can be!) However, I did find that attaching the ribbon loop to the ornament just worked better using a glue gun. If you choose to use one, use caution, especially with little ones. I won't let the boy near my glue gun.