Tao Of Craft

Pirate Skull and Cross Bones Stencil

My love with Silhouette continues....

 

Dinosaur Play Mat Tutorial

WOW! My Dinosaur Play Mat won the last round of SYTYC... THANKS to everyone who voted for me! I am psyched to have made it into the final 4!... The tutorial for this is SOON to follow. I am hoping to play catch up this week. Congratulations to the other crafters! SO many awesome crafts again this week!

Felt Dinosaur Play Mat

We love all things Dinosaurs around here! So, for the animal theme I made a Dinosaur Habitat.

 

This habitat is full of hand sewn prehistoric creatures... Including a lava spewing Volcano, Brontosaurus, T-Rex, Stegosaurus, and some Prehistoric Trees.

 

Each piece is movable which allows for endless combinations of prehistoric play.The felt mat can even be folded up and taken along with you to      grandma's house! 

 

 

   
 

  

 

Felt Pirate Crown

I have really been loving the "Celebrate The Boy" month from Dana and Rae at Made.... 

Keeping in the spirit of crafting for our boys... 

Here is a Pirate Crown that I made for Milo. 

I love making felt crowns... 

In fact, each of my children recieve a new one each year for their birthday!

This pirate crown was part of a gift that included a pirate tunic and pirate hook!

 
  

Space Boy and Robot

Keeping in the spirit of  Celebrate the Boy month.... 

I give you Space Boy and Robot!

 

These are so fun to make! 

I found the pattern at Wee Wonderfuls
 

 
  
 

Cornstarch and Baking Soda STARS!

A traditional favorite in my family (my mom's famous recipe) are these 

baking soda/cornstarch star ornaments!

 

We bundle them together and give them as gifts, we hang them on our tree,

and use them as gift ornaments! 

Last year I gave each teacher at our school a bundle of them with a note that read,

"Thank you for being a brilliant star in Nadira's life" 

 

Cornstarch and Baking Soda Ornament Recipe

2 Cups Baking Soda

1 Cup Cornstarch

1 1/4 Cup Cold Water

Mix cornstarch and baking soda together, add water. Cook over medium heat,stirring constantly, until it becomes the constancy of mashed potatoes. Turn into a bowl cover with a damp cloth and let cool a bit. Knead dough untill it is soft and smooth. roll out the dough and cut into stars. 

Let them dry a bit on a flat surface and then poke a hole in the top of the star with a pin. 

I like to flip them half way through the drying process so that they dry flat and evenly.

The possibilities are truly endless!

Have Fun!

How To Dye Silks With Kool-Aid

Dying play silks with Kool Aid is a favorite pastime around here. 

I buy my silks from Dharma Trading. 

We like to dye allot at one time so that we can give them away as gifts throughout the school year. 

The Habotai 8mm 30x30 work well.  

So, Here we go with my first craft tutorial! 

 

 

HOW TO DYE SILKS IN KOOL AID (or Food Coloring)

You will need:

White Vinegar (2 cups per silk)

3-4  Packs of Kool Aid (per silk) 

* or 1/2 Tsp Wilton Gel Paste Food coloring (if you want a color not found in kool aid)

Metal or Glass Bowls - 1 per silk 

Hot Water

 

1. PREPARE SILKS FOR DYING

Soak your silks (as many as you can fit into the pot) on the stove in a pot of very hot water

 with 1 cup vinegar. Let sit 1/2 hour.

 

2. PREPARE DYE BATH

In your metal bowl combine Kool Aid packs, 2 cups Vinegar,approx 3 cups of HOT water 

The amount of H2O will depend on the depth of your bowl. You want enough H2O to cover the silk 

Stir until the powder is dissolved. 

*If you are using the Gel Paste Food Coloring add 1/2 Tsp instead of the Kool Aid.  

3. DYE THE SILKS

Take the silk from the hot water and ring out some of the water.

 Add the silk to the dye bath.

 Stir it around a bit and let it soak for about 15 minutes

 

4. RINSE

Pour the dye bath down the sink and cold rinse the silk until it rinses clear. 

I put it into the metal bowl and swish it around and rinse repeat...

This part is always seems to take a while and disturbs my sense of water conservation 

but i do not know any other way.

5. DRY 

Hang the silks up to dry. This takes only a few minutes. Then iron then. This will heat set the color.       

  

6. PLAY

Last Days Of Summer Camp

We have had such blast all summer going to Camp Oginali. 

A Waldorf inspired nature, art, adventure camp

Lucky for us that it is run by my super fun sister!

Knights and Dragons, Rhythm Week, Solstice, Building Shelters Week....

We love it all!