DIY Pom poms (plus Youtube tutorial)

DIY Pom poms (plus Youtube tutorial)

by | Feb 21, 2022 | Craft Tutorials

It’s so easy to make a pom pom!  Just grab a fork, a ball of yarn, and some scissors and come watch our Youtube tutorial.

large and small fork pom pom

We find that a regular dinner fork is good for making pom poms from thin yarn, while a serving fork works well for chunky yarn.

yarn and fork pom pom

They can also be fun to play with for little children – throwing them in the air or rolling them (or blowing them with a straw) on the ground.  Paper towel tubes (or tubes made out of rolled up paper) can be taped in different ways to the wall and pom poms can be dropped through them.  It can be harder than you think to get them to land in the bowls!

doll hat pom pom

Pom poms can be used to top off a knit hat (click here to learn how to make an adorable doll hat!).  We used the 24 peg loom in the Boye Loom Set to make this doll hat.

pom pom critter

Our girls like to make little pom pom critters too.

Check out our Youtube tutorial to learn how to make these easy pom poms, using just a fork and some yarn.

Looking for more ways to use your pom poms?  Check out The Creative Hour blog with so many fun pom poms ideas!

What are some ways you might use pom poms?  We would love to hear from you! 

You can submit a comment in the comment form at the bottom of this page. 

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Note:  Some links on this page are Amazon Affiliate links.  Sparkles and Sprinkles is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Other links may or may not be affiliate links.  We provide links because we have found these products or services beneficial, and we think you might too.

Good measure…

Good measure…

by | Feb 20, 2022 | Craft Tutorials

We made some measuring cup and spoon printables we were planning to post sometime, and the Gospel reading this Sunday made us think this would be a great week to give them to you!

Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you. 

Luke 6:38

measuring cups and spoons

Click on the image to get our free measuring cup equivalents practice pages.

good measure writing practice

Click on the image to get our free Scripture writing practice pages for both cursive and printing practice.

 
We did some hands-on measuring equivalents this week too by pouring lentils from one measuring cup to another.  It is a relatively low mess way to talk about how two quarters make a half, and two halves make a whole, etc.  Our girls really enjoyed it and quickly brought out play kitchen cups and bowls to keep on playing with the lentils.  And our sweet toddler made sure that a good measure was poured into our laps… and even onto the floor! 
 
Hope this week you have time to reflect on God’s abundant gifts in your life!
writing practice
measuring lentils
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Special Time Planner Craft

Special Time Planner Craft

by | Feb 19, 2022 | Craft Tutorials

In our family, we love to do special one-on-one times where one child gets to spend time just with Mommy or just with Daddy.

When we first heard about special time, we were advised that we should put it on the calendar.  This way not only the time itself would be a happy one, but also joy could be added to our children’s days in being able to look forward to the special times.

le petit prince
In the classic book, The Little Prince, as the fox and the little prince are becoming friends, the fox explains to the little prince that it makes him happy to know when the little prince will be able to come back to spend time with him: “…if you come at four in the afternoon, I’ll begin to be happy by three.  The closer it gets to four, the happier I’ll feel.”

Since looking forward to special time adds to the joy in our lives, we have some ideas for you to plan special times.

Our printable monthly or yearly planner (subscribe for the pdf link) also includes some images to help you to brainstorm special time ideas.  Of course you can draw your own pictures or just write words as well.

yearly special time planner

If the idea of “planning” stresses you out (like it does for me!), we also have a more free flowing special time “planner” with a printable and craft version.  For the free flowing flower petal and wooded path “planners,” you just brainstorm ideas that you would like to do, but don’t necessarily add a date, time or order to them.  The next time there is room in your schedule for special time, it will be easy to pick something to do from your planner.

To make your own special time planner craft, simply cut out something with a simple design (we made a flower for one and wooded path scene for another) and write the special things you are looking forward to on the cutout shapes.  You can write “Mommy and me” or “Daddy and me” and the child’s name somewhere on the planner too.  (These planners could also be used for children to plan special times with grandparents or aunts and uncles.)  Then glue on the cutout shapes and put your planner craft in a place where it can remind you and your child of your upcoming special times.  Making this craft can be a great special time in itself.

flower planner
tree planner
tree planner

Please subscribe to get a link for these free pdf printables:

special time yearly planner
flower planner printable
tree planner printable

We would love to share our free printables with you to help you plan your special times!  Please fill out the subscribe form to immediately receive a link for the free pdf downloads of all of our printable special time planners. 

Note: when you print the flower petal page or the wooded path page, please select the “landscape” orientation.

Snowflake Crayon Resist Watercolor

Snowflake Crayon Resist Watercolor

by | Feb 13, 2022 | Craft Tutorials

snowflake art

Last week I looked at the weather and saw there was snow in the forecast for the weekend, so I decided to get some non-washable crayons.  Why?  I was thinking it would be fun to make watercolor resist snow scenes this weekend, and we don’t keep the non-washable crayons needed for this project in our house.  Years ago, a very wise friend of ours said that she only allows washable markers and crayons in her house.  We thought this was a great idea, and we have done the same… it has probably saved us from a lot of impossible cleaning jobs over the years.

As our 3 year old is a budding mural artist and furniture decorator, I hid the crayons when I got them.  When the snow was falling today, I thought it would be a perfect time to do this project… but I had forgotten where I hid the crayons.  Fortunately, I eventually found the crayons, and we had a wonderful time drawing snowflakes and painting together.

With art projects, it’s great to have inspiration.  Today, we were able to be inspired by looking at the falling snow.  Another way we love to find inspiration is through looking at illustrations in children’s picture books.

We’ve been guided in letting books inspire us through Five in a Row (a lovely picture book-based curriculum for preschool and early elementary) and the Read Aloud Revival (they invite wonderful published authors to give really inspiring online classes to kids, and they also have amazing book lists).  Whether you are a homeschooling family or not, I highly recommend Read Aloud Revival for their book ideas!

Ella Bella Ballerina Nutcracker

Here are a few of our favorite books with great snow illustrations:

Ella Bella Ballerina and the Nutcracker

Fletcher and the Snowflake Christmas

Ezra Jack Keats, The Snowy Day

Books by Lita Judge: Red Sled and Hoot and Peep:  a song for snow

 

 

We hope during the next snow fall where you live, or the next time you are dreaming of snow, you can have fun making crayon resist watercolor snowflake scenes too!  Let’s get started…

Gather your supplies:

Water color paper

Crayons (the non-washable kind)

Watercolors

Paint brushes (wide brushes are probably best for this project)

Cup of water (a cup that is not tippy is best)

Paper towels (to clean up spills and dry the paint brushes if needed)

supplies snow

Let’s create!

crayon resist

Draw snowflakes (and other pictures) with your crayons - be sure to press hard

watercolor wash

When you are done with your crayon drawings, brush with watercolors and watch the snowflakes appear.

ella bella book inspiration

You can use the snow you see outside or a picture book to inspire your painting.

snow image

Sometimes little ones like to create a painting together with an adult or older sibling.

snowflake crayon resist

Happy Snow Day!

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Note:  The book links on this page are Amazon Affiliate links.  Sparkles and Sprinkles is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. 

Valentine “Love is…” Banner

Valentine “Love is…” Banner

by | Feb 4, 2022 | Craft Tutorials

The lector at Mass last Sunday unknowingly inspired this craft.  She read the scipture passage from First Corinthians so slowly, peacefully and joyfully that I really kept thinking about it for the next few days… and soon enough it inspired this Valentine garland.  It’s a project the whole family can work on together.

To make the banner, simply cut hearts out of colored cardstock.  Then cut slightly smaller hearts out of white paper.  Write the key words about love from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 on each heart.  Punch holes in the top corners of the colored hearts.  Then string the hearts together with ribbon or yarn.

You can either write the words yourself, or if you would like, a digital download of all of the hearts is available for purchase on Etsy.  (We also have a French version of the bannner.) Your purchase will help us to keep bringing you new craft and baking ideas.

cardstock heart pdf etsy
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails. 
supplies
decorate heart garland

Parents and older children might need to do most of the work of cutting out the hearts.  But the most fun part is letting even the youngest children decorate the hearts. 

And at sparklesandsprinkles.blog, of course…

WE ADD GLITTER!

glitter scripture heart garland

Happy Valentine’s Day!

P.S. If you would like to purchase the digital download of the scripture hearts, simply click here.

P.S.S.  We also have a French version of the banner because we love French, and you might too.

francais French heart banner
Unicorn Valentine

Unicorn Valentine

by | Feb 4, 2022 | Craft Tutorials

We are excited to share with you our first ever Youtube tutorial for this sweet little unicorn Valentine!  So gather up your supplies and come make a Valentine (or a bunch of them!) with us!

valentine supplies

Click on the Youtube video and have fun making Valentines!

Extra note:  Our oldest daughter has been working through a wonderful class from Film School For Teens.  The online classes are created by a Christian family with expertise in film and Youtube.  If you have a child interested in film, you can check it out here:  FS4T