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
Family Nature Crafts and Projects
There are so many crafts we can make as a family to enjoy or give away that simply
use the items nature has provided us. Since we are all in different parts
of the world, some of our yards are covered with snow and others are in the
midst of summer. Whatever time of year it is for you there is always a nature
craft to be completed!
Pressed Leaf Bookmarks
Leaves are wonderful! Collect nice
whole leaves and press them between
two clean sheets of paper in a large
book like a phone book or dictionary.
After 2-4 weeks they will be dried and
flat. Here are some things you can do
with them:
Buy white posterboard and cut several
bookmark shape rectangles out with
scissors. I usually cut them about 2 inches
by 8 inches. You will need smaller leaves
for this project. Ivy leaves work will
or thin long tree leaves. Place the leaves
on the bookmark with a touch of glue.
Allow to dry for a few minutes. You may
decorate with marker too, or simply write the
person's name on the bookmark at
the bottom or top, or inbetween the
leaves. You can also use dried flowers
for this.
Cut a section of clear contact paper that
is twice as big as your bookmark, plus some
extra. So, mine would be about 5 inches by
17 inches. Lay your bookmark upside down
very carefully on one edge of the contact
paper so you can fold over the rest of it on
the back of the bookmark. Carefully smooth
down the contact paper so there are no
bubbles then trim the contact paper to the
edge of the bookmark. You then may put a
hole in the top with a paper punch and tie
a ribbon through the hole. This makes a
wonderful gift for friends or teachers!
More Leaf Crafts
Leaves are wonderful to use for tracing!
You can tape leaves to a pumpkin and trace
the shape to the pumpkin with a pen or
marker. Then, cut out the leaf shapes. Place
as many as you can on the pumpkin, and
you will have an unusual neat lantern to
light up at night!
A leaf mobile is a wonderful thing for the
fall season! Trace outlines of five leaves
onto white foam sheets; they should all be close
to the same size. Foam sheets are bought
like poster board and can be found in craft
supply stores. Cut out the shapes, and
punch a hole in each cutout. You can
now sponge paint your leaves! Use yellow,
orange and red paint. Dab your sponge
lightly into the paint and then onto your
leave shape and press the sponge all over
both sides. While these are drying you can
make the mobile. Glue two sticks together
so they are crossed at the center. You can
use twigs, or craft sticks. They should be
about 5-6 inches long. Tie raffia ribbon or
twine to each leaf through your hole and
then knot the other end onto end of each
stick and the fifth one in the center. Balance
the mobile by adjusting the length of each
leaf if it hangs crooked. Tie a final ribbon
or piece of twine to hang the mobile!
You can also make leaf magnets the same
way as above by gluing a small magnet
on the back of each leaf instead of making
the mobile. You can write each family
member's name in the middle of the
leaf after sponge painting.
Finger Paint Projects
Paint Recipe:
1/3 cup of cornstarch
3 tablespoons of sugar
2 cups of cold water
food coloring
Mix cornstarch, sugar and water in a
1 quart saucepan. Cook, and stir over
medium heat about 5 minutes or until
thickened; remove from heat. Divide
into cups or containers. Tint each
cup of mixture with a different food
coloring. Stir several times until cool.
Store in airtight container. ( The paint
works best the same day it is made)
Project Ideas: Look out your window and observe the colors you see. Tint
your paint these colors and paint a picture of your own backyard! You can do
this for each season, and keep the together to make a journal of your
backyard throughout the year. You can also leave room on the paper for notes
or poetry you may want to add.
A Window Ornament
We have found many small pine cones, chestnuts,
walnuts, tree seeds and outside this year. We seem
to just keep collecting them! Here is a neat craft for
the whole family using these nature finds.
You will need:
A larger Styrofoam ball
Raffia, twine or ribbon
small pinecones
gumball (spiky pods)
nuts of any kind
acorns
seedpods
hot glue gun
Use a low temp glue gun and glue a
doubled section of ribbon, twine or
raffia to the top of your ball for hanging.
Now simply hot glue your nature finds
very close together until the entire ball is
covered. You could also spray with
gold paint or leave natural. Hang in
a window for a natural decoration!
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