Mother's Day Card

I was cruising around the internet looking for fun craft ideas when I came across THIS blog and picture. I knew immediately that I wanted to make it, but Valentine's Day had just passed and I wanted to make this NOW! So, it hit me, I could do this for a Mother's Day project with my fourth graders. Instead of lollipops, we'd insert a flower. It would be simple and inexpensive, but so sweet at the same time. I took a picture of each student with their arm reaching towards me. I let the kids choose black/white or color print (edited at home in Picasa before uploading to Walgreens) and then printed those for about 10 cents each at Walgreens. I bought 2 rolls of crepe paper for the flowers. I followed THIS flower tutorial, which was easy for the kids to do. I modeled how to make it for the kids and then left the tutorial on the Promethian Board for a reference. I had a station set up in the back of the room for the "finishing touches." We hot glued the flower to a green pipe cleaner stem. I used a hole puncher to punch 2 holes for the stem to slide in. The kids tied a bow around the stem and that was it.
This is the finished product.

Owl project

I find a ton of awesome pine cones in my yard every year. I pick them up knowing I'll find a cool project for them. I came across a cool owl pine cone project and made it with my fourth graders one day after a bird man visit. I thought it might be too "young" for them but they LOVED it!
I gave each child one pine cone. They dabbed the pine cone with liquid glue. Each student had about 3 cotton balls that they pulled apart and "stuffed" on the glue drops and in the pine cone. Using the tip of a pencil helped push the cotton ball into the pine cone better. After the "body" was full of cotton, cut out 2 yellow circles and 2 smaller black circles for the eyes. Fold a piece of orange paper in half and cut a triangle for the mouth. All done! Some kids got creative and added wizard hats. It was very fun!

One of the "wizard" owls

Warm Hearts, Cool Hands Project

I was looking for cool projects for kids when I came across this page. I had my fourth grade students trace their hands and then make the "rings" around their hand with a hand made protractor. I have also seen a template that has the rings and then the kids just trace their hands. Go HERE and you'll see the template for the rings. When this kids were done, they did a writing project about someone who warms their heart and why. They loved this project and we had many compliments since they were displayed on the bulletin board in the hallway.



I love how each one is "their" hand and work. Their and right handed kids, left handed kids, kids who chose to use colored pencils, crayons and even glitter crayons.

Back to blogging?? First thing...a few school crafts

I guess I am going to start blogging again. I've had a desire to share some of my crafty stuff and just every day life with words, not just photos on facebook. So, the first things I wanted to share were some school crafts.
Right before Christmas, I volunteered in Natalie's classroom to make these Santa's belly ornaments. It literally cost me about $5 is supplies and I helped make enough for the entire class of kids...about 25. The supplies I used were...
red ornaments that I bought at the Target $1 spot (8 ornaments in a tube for $1)
black felt
gold pipe cleaner
I precut the black "belts". I had the kids spread modge podge on the belt and then wrap it around the middle. I snipped a piece of gold pipe cleaner and had the kids shape it into a belt buckle. There were all sorts of buckle shapes, but that's what made it a first grade project and "their" own project. It's not my ornament so I didn't want to shape the buckle. I learned to hot glue the buckle onto the ornament. I wrote each child's name on a piece of tape with the year and put it on the back of the ornament. Here is the finished product.

and here is a picture of all the ornaments. I love how each one is so different.