Wild Flower Candles
(From Nature Smart:Awesome Projects to Make With Mother Nature's Help by: Swen Diehn,
Terry Krautwurst, Alan Anderson, Joe Rhatigan, and Heather Smith 2003 A Main Street Book: New York)
What You Will Need:
paraffin
fat white candles
pressed wild flowers
an old tin can with label removed
an old soft paintbrush
a pot of water
old newspapers
What you will need to do:
1. Collect some wild flowers and press them. Put the flowers between two sheets of paper towel
and stack a big book on top, or use a flower press. They'll need to dry for several days.
2. On the day of the project, gather your materials. Be sure the flowers are flat and
rathar dry.
3. Melt a few chunks of paraffin. To do this, put water in the pot and put the paraffin in
the can. Put the can of paraffin in the water. Boil the water in the pot. Watch the paraffin carefully,
for it can catch fire easily. Never melt paraffin directly over the burner. Always use the double boiler method.
4. Hold a candle in one hand so that one side of it is level, and place a wild flower on the candle.
5. Dip the paintbrush in the melted paraffin.
6. Quickly but carefully brush a thin layer over the flower to glue it ot the side of the candle.
If your paintbrush hardens, dip it in the warm paraffin.
7. Continue placing the flowers and painting them down. The paraffin will cool quickly and
will harden as it cools.
Puffy Top Gift Boxes
What you will need:
mixing bowl
food coloring
spoon
glue and acrylic varnish
flour
salt water
scissors
small cardboard gift boxes
construction paper
pencil
plastic squeeze bottles (the kind that mustard and ketchup are in work great)
What you need to do:
1. Turn the top of the box to be covered upside down on the paper. Draw around the edges.
Cut out the paper and glue it to the top of the box.
2. Draw a simple design on the top of the box with a pencil.
3. Fill the design with puffy paint. Let is dry overnight.
4. Brush on a coat of acrylic varnish to protect the work and make it shiny. Let that dry.
5. Fill the box with special treasures, notes, or anything that you want to give as a gift.
Homemade Lip Gloss
(Comes from FamilyFun Magazine)
What you need:
1 Tablespoon solid vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon honey
1 packet (.13 to .23 ounces or enough to make 2 quarts) unsweetened flavored powdered drink mix or
Kool-Aid
1/4 teaspoon hot water
What you need to do:
1. Combine the shortening and honey in a small bow. In a separate bowl, stir together the drink
mix and water until the powder is dissolved.
2. Stir the water mixture a drop or two at a time into the base mixture, until the gloss is colored
and scented to you liking.
3. Put gloss in a container and stick it in the refrigerator when done using it. It will stay
good for up to 3 days.
Easter Chicks
(From FamilyFun Magazine)
What you will need for each one:
2 round wooden beads (16 millimeter and 25 millimeter) with holes large enough for doubled pipe cleaners
to fit through
6 binch pipe cleaner
a tiny craft feather
fine point marker
What you will need to do:
Paint the beads with acrylic paint. After letting them dry, bend a 6 inch pipe cleaner in half,
sandwiching the end of a tiny craft feather in the fold. Thread the smaller bead onto the opposite end of the pipe cleaner
and slide ip the bead to hide the bottom of the feather. Thread the larger bead onto the pipe cleaner, then bend the
ends of the pipe cleaner into feet. Finally, use a finepoint marker to give your little chick eyes and a tiny beak.
Cold Pack
(Highlights for Children)
Cut off the foot part of an old sock, clean and without holes! Fill it with uncooked rice,
tie it tightly with a ribbon, and freeze it. It's an excellent cold pack ofr a headache or a sore muscle.
Candy Flowers
What you need:
3 inch clay pot
green floral foam
paint
wrapped candy
popsicle-Type Sticks
glue
What you
need to do:
Paint a small clay pot. Place a snug piece of green floral foam (Oasis) in the pot.
Hot glue wrapped candies (You can use very small chocolate bars, kisses and colorful hard candies) to
a wide craft stick or small dowel. You can also make the plants a little fuller by gluing small candies on two small
craft sticks so that you have three stems in each pot.
Place the stick(s) in the oasis.
Fill in at the bottom with shredded tissue or Easter grass.
Optional: "I also backed some
of the candy with some opalescent wrap that I had left over from another project. (An easier alternative is to line the clay
pot with some clear or colored plastic wrap, place some crumpled tissue in the base and fill with candies.)"
