Family Resources Kid's Resources
Family Support
The Parlor Join us on our message boards for conversation, introductions, support, encouragement and chit chat. Stop by and introduce yourself Here!
Recipes
Tea
Crafts
Garden
Forums
Acorn Crafts
By Brenda Hyde
My kids range in age from 2 1/2 to 9 and they all
love nature crafts! We returned from camping
with a big bag of acorns. They took part of the tops
off because they want to pretend they are bowls and
dishes for the fairies. Yes, they have big imaginations!
I've been experimenting and looking for all sorts of
acorn crafts and thought you all might enjoy them too.
Place cards:
Glue small acorns to a small business
card size piece of cardstock and tuck little pieces of
dried flowers or spanish moss around them. Glue it
to the left side, and write your guests name to the
right. Set it directly in front of each place setting.
Bird house roofs:
Buy or make small bird houses and
glue just the tops of the acorns onto the roofs. You can
do this with full size birdhouses too-if it's placed outside
spray with a clean sealer.
Wreaths:
I love using the 6-8 inch grapevine wreaths
found in craft stores. They are usually less than a
dollar and you can do so much with them! In this
case, glue a row of acorns (try to pick ones of the
same size if possible) around the wreath, centering
them, so that you have room to tuck baby's breath
or other tiny dried flowers around and inbetween. I've
also gotten very rustic and used moss and dried
seeds with the acorns. Place on a simple raffia bow
and a loop in the back to hang. Note-if the tops come
loose simply glue them back on!
Old Frames:
Hot glue acorns around a small frame
then spray with a clear sealer. I always have old
frames laying around, so this is an easy one! I like
using the 5x7 size and putting in a picture of the kids
doing some autumn activity! If the frame is still too
nice to cover completely, you can just glue them in
the corners as accents. Oh, and take the glass out
when you are working with it-add it and the picture
back in when it's dry and set.
There are many little odd things we do with acorns
too. Other years we collected them at my parents'
house-for which they were grateful:) I like putting
them in baskets with pinecones and seedpods.
We also make silly crafts with construction paper
and glue. Acorn people are a favorite. One note-
don't keep your acorns in a sealed plastic bag.
They most often still have moisture inside and will
mold. Collecting them in baskets works great!
About the Author:
Brenda Hyde is Mom to three little ones, a freelance writer
and editor here at OldFashionedLiving.
SeptemberLady "Born and have lived in Southern MD most of my life. My husband and I just finished building a new home on the family farm, where I hope to retire in the near future.
My interests: Doll collecting, cookbook collector (especially old ones), antiques, family/friend get-togethers, cooking/baking, flower and vegetable gardening, bird-watching."
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling Memorial Day signals the start of barbecue season. Everyone wants to light that fire and charcoal that first meal. A few tips might pre- vent your entree from becoming a "Burnt Offering."
Read these tips for plenty of grilling ideas, make this year's barbecue perfect!
Growing and Using Garlic Chives Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, is a hardy perennial (Zones 3-9) that will grow to about 12 inches high. The stems are skinnier and flat, instead of hollow as are regular chives, with greenish white blooms that are about an inch wide and not as rounded. They bloom in the summer rather than spring. The bloom stalks grow much taller than the leaves, sometimes up to 30 inches.
The stems and blooms are both edible and have a mild garlic onion taste. I've noticed many writers will list this as primarily as an Asian herb, as they are also known as Chinese chives, Chinese leeks, ku chai (China) or Nira (Japan), but it has many other uses as well!
The Perfect Porch Swing Perhaps it is the soothing rhythm or the reassuring creak of the porch swing that attracts us. Perhaps it is the companionable silence or quiet conversation. Or maybe swings simply remind us of more genteel times.
Although porch swings can be purchased in a wide range of materials, the most common are wicker and wood. You can also make your own porch swing from one of the myriad of woodworking patterns available at garden centers, hardware stores, or on the Internet.
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling
Growing and Using Garlic Chives
The Perfect Porch Swing