Get Crafty – Aug 2010 – SUMMER!

Welcome back to the monthly Get Crafty feature. Design to inspire people to “Get Crafty”. Hope you find something lovely to make!

This month I bring you “Summer” – anything to do with summer – from trips to the beach to hanging out with friends to sunflowers and butterflies! Hope you find something lovely to make!

If you like what you see, do go and visit all the relevant sites – the crafty peeps would really appreciate it and they have so many other things for you to see!! Go on… you know you want to!

If you feel inspired, do embed the Get Crafty logo on your site – go to the Get Crafty tab and scroll to the bottom of the page for the code! 

 

Get Crafty with Children

Pinwheels

What is summer without a pinwheel. What is CHILDHOOD without pinwheels. If you can’t quite remember how to make them, visit Mari-Ann at Counting Coconuts for her beautiful Pinwheel tutorial. Lovely! This, btw, is a great way of recycle toddler art: if you have been painting with your toddler, you can use their wonderful creations for this too! They will love it!

Driftwood Boat

I love things made from nature’s finds. And driftwood is particularlybeautiful. Mary at Lavender and Linen made this beautiful driftwood boat. Take you kids to the beach. Go search. And Get Crafty!!!

 

 

Shells

This is actually a traditional Galician craft and it is lovely to learn more about another culture. So go and take a look  Meninheira over at Dalle un colino and have a go! (Use Google Translate to help you along a little…)

 

 

Window Display

Valerie over at Frugal Family Fun always comes up trumps with crafts for and with kids. Here she has  a quick, fun and very easy window decor craft using paints and coffee filters. What lovely birds and how they light up as that wonderful summer sun shines through! Valerie is the author of Frugal Family Fun Blog, where she posts daily about her obsession with inexpensive crafts, family activities, and all around good times on a budget!

Home Made Water Bombs

Even the title of this blog is awesome “Making Memories, One Thing After Another” – with a title like that you know you are onto a good thing. Now this a very simple idea, but I can just hear the squeals of laughter and joy. Hop over to see how the made their Water Bombs! I think we will be doing this one at Opapa’s house!

Evolution of the Artist

As an advocate to Get Crafty, I am ashamed to admit that all my painting focus has been on Red Ted (2.5yrs), not on Pip Squeak (8mths). This post served as a lovely reminder to let Pip Squeak have a go too. We have. And we now have two awesome keep sake paintings in our hall way! Thank you! Summer is the best time of year to do this, as you can strip your little ones down and let them have fun! Like the idea of doing a background colour first! Hop over to For What It’s Worth and check it out!

Ice-Lollipop Stick Puzzle

“Impress Your Kids” impressed me when I saw these super easy puzzles. After filling your bellies with lollipops this summer, make sure you save all the lollipop sticks. Then on a rainy day, rush indoors, grab some holiday snaps and make these super easy puzzles. Give them as stocking fillers at Christmas. Easy. Fun. Effective. Job done!

 

Paper Flowers

Lots of flowers around during the Summer months. However, as school term drew to an end and the Summer Holidays a, Jen at The Madhouse made these lovely flowers with her boys. These could serve well as a thank you to teachers or as a simple “I love you”  to a loved one. Love the fact that the petals are heart shaped and that Jen’s boy was able to make these by himself!

Cork Boats

Our very own little Cork Boats. We went to visit Opapa for some splashing in the paddling pool and came away having been Crafty! Hurray. Super easy to make and provides you with an excellent excuse to drink some wine…

 

 

Memory Jars

After a perfect summer holiday, what do you do? Come home and feel the back to school blues? Not anymore! Make these wonderfully simple Memory Jars! Put all your little special somethings in it and come back to them on a rainy day. They look so pretty and are a great way to “do something” with all those little collectibles. Fabulous. I saw these by Melissa at the Inspired Room and indeed was inspired!!

Animal, Vegetable or Mineral

The lovely Christine over at her blog has a host of Summer Time activities to keep the little ones occupied, happy and away from the TV!  In this post she shows us their fabulously crafty vegetable animals. My favourite is Marvin (featured) and Parsnip the Unicorn. Go and take a look and then have a go with your kids too. You can always kid yourself that they’ll eat more veg after or stop playing with their food… mmmh. Or check out Christine’s other fabulous summer time ideas!

Beach Art

Some of you may remember how much I loved the V&A project that I mentioned on Nature Get Crafty (scroll down to the bottom for it). Well, Jude at Artful Adventures did just that (unrelated to my post, I hastened to add – she is a wonderfully creative person!). So take a look at her fabulous article on Land Art involving kids. And when you are at the beach this summer, DO HAVE A GO! We are going with Red Ted in 2-3 weeks time and I can’t wait to get Arty!

Peg Butterflies

Cathy at the Nurture Store, does the most wonderful craft and activities with her girls. She came up trumps again with this very pretty butterflies – tailored to her girl’s crafting abilities and yet still turning out so wonderfully pretty. A summer without butterflies wouldn’t b the same, now would it? Do check her other activities too, lots of great ideas for you and your little ones!

start Night – Peg Friends

Wonder Mom at The Fantastic Fice Hockman blog has been hosting “stART Nights” for the children in the neighbour during these summer months. I think it is brilliant that she is sharingthe crafty fun amongst the children around her. So this summer, this is one of the things the kid’s made – a “box of cloth peg friends“. Summer is all about meeting new kids on your road, making friends and having fun!!

Get Crafty for Children (or with older children)

Ants

A summer picnic seems to always attract ants! But if the ants that came to our picnic were some of these, I wouldn’t mind so much.. Staci at Craftify It, shows us how!

 

 

Hi-ho apple-o game

If you are planning a long journey this summer or just want some new games to play at picnics or at home, why not try your hand at this fun hi-ho apple-o game? Kimberley at Bugaboo, Mini, Mr & Me shows us how.

 

 

Wooden Sun Crafts

This Wooden Sun really caught my eye, as it was so different and unique. We are shown how to make it over at Wabi-Sabi Wanderings. This would be a great woodwork project for boys and would look lovely in any garden! It would definitely bring some summer sun to the garden in those gloomy winter days.

 

Farm in a Bag

I told you Valerie comes up trumps, because here she is again,this time with something she made for her girls – a “Farm in a Bag” – or should I say the bag is the farm and you put all your farm things inside! I am telling you, once mine are that little bit older (next summer?) they will surely be getting one of these!

 

Sensory Sea Box

What a lovely and detailed how to. My Mommy Makes It not only shows us how to die rice but also how to make the mermaids and the sand banks and even the palm trees. A lovely sensory toy for your children. I think at the very least I will be making a mermaid, they themselves are ADORABLE!

 

I Spy

Michelle came up with super easy, super cute I Spy book to keep children entertained on those long car journeys (when all items in the car have already been spied)  or flights. If you think you are “not crafty”, then stop by here and think again. Simple, easy, effective. And be surprised but what words, letters and numbers your children already know… Michelle was!

Get Crafty for Adults (or older Children)

Bug Candles

Think of those lovely long summer nights. Think of those pesky bugs. No more. Make your very own pretty and effective bug candles a la Positively Splendid, they are indeed splendid!!!

 

 

Summer Sunflower Cushion

Summer is all about Sunflowers! This is the time of year tha they grow to their full height. If you missed out growing some this year, why not Get Crafty and make this gorgeous Sunflower Cushion? Or use the tutorial to make a little flower for your dress or hair? Dangerously Domestic Jen shows how.

 

Lollipop Soap

Ok, so which is it Lollipops or Soap? These deliciously refreshing looking loolies are in fact soap and not at all edible. Sigh. They do however look fabulous and would may be persuade the odd reluctant child to wash their hands more often. I am dead impressed. Pop over to Greanbean’s Crafterole and check it out now!

Get Crafty – Oooooh

Home made Ice Cream (no ice cream makers needed!)

Oooh, how CLEVER is this homemade ice cream? No ice cream machine needed and a “keep them busy” activity included. I am so giving this a go. Go on, check it out how Stacie over at Amazing Mess made it. Another one for our “holidays at home” to do list!

 

 

Rainbow Cookies

http://redtedart.wordpress.com/2010/06/09/book-cook-duckies-rainbow-by-frances-barry/ Back to our Rainbow Cookies! If summer isn’t behaving and we are faced with clouds and rain, make some of these rainbow cookies to cheer yourself up! Alternatively, if summer IS behaving, make some anyway!

Rainbow cookies

Jelly Watermelon Slices

I ADORE these Jelly Watermelon slices that Christine at Little Page Turners made. Summer is not the same without Watermelon treats and to make it crafty and fun you can make these out of Jelly and Limes. This is such a fun treat for any summer party or BBQ! She also made some fabulous looking Watermelon Cookies. Amazing.

Flower Sugar Cubes

Last but by no means least, is Denise at Snaffle Mummy. She made these fabulous Flower Sugar Cubes. Wouldn’t they be lovely at a tea party? She tells me that she has them at the office for her cups of tea. How wonderful to bring a bit of sunshine into the office.

Previous Get Craftys

• July – Made by Man + August theme: Summer
• June – Inspired by Nature + theme July: ManMade
• May – All things Red + theme June 2010: Nature
• April – Nominations Theme + theme May 2010: Red
• Launching Get Crafty + theme April 2010: Nominations