How to Make a Paper Snowflake

I’m off to Vail tomorrow to attempt to learn to ski. It made me think about kids who don’t get to see the snow who live in warmer areas. Whether you be in sunny California or snowy Boston – you can grant your children’s wishes for a snowy day by making home made paper snowflakes that hover in the air in their bedroom or in your kitchen. Kids can happily occupy themselves cutting out dozens of paper snowflakes. All you need to do is thread and tape the snowflakes together and see a sweet ‘blizzard’ materialize in your home.

 

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Celebrate the 4th of July with Patriotic Pedicures and Kids Crafts

Celebrate your independence with your kids with these two fun activities! But first – a little history lesson on why we recognize “Uncle Sam’s” Birthday.

Activity #1 - The Patriotic Pedicure

The 101:
Most people in the United States celebrate the 4th of July, but sometimes forget why it is such an important day aside from barbeques and family fun. In 1776, colonists had more and more taxes taken away from them by Great Britain.  People started getting mad and started to make a plan to make their own rules and no longer wanted Great Britain to be able to tell them what to do. What was their next step? They decided to tell Great Britain that they were becoming an independent country.

To make a long story short, the Congress met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and they appointed a committee to write a formal document that would tell Great Britain that the Americans had decided to govern themselves. The committee asked Thomas Jefferson to write a draft (first try) of the document, in absolute secret, until he had written a document that he thought said everything important that the committee had discussed. On June 28, 1776, the committee met to read Jefferson’s “fair” copy of the document and declared their independence on July 2, 1776.  July 2^nd?!? They officially adopted it on July 4, 1776. That is why we call it “Independence Day.”

ACTIVITY #1
Brighten your child’s toes and let him or her paint their patriotism by decorating his or her nails with stars and stripes!

What is Needed:

• Nail polish in red, white, and blue
• French manicure brush (white nail polish with a thin tip brush)

What to Do:

1. First, apply a base coat of red and blue polish, as shown.
2. Let that dry for 2 minutes.
3. Use a thin French manicure brush to add the white-polish stars and stripes.

ACTIVITY #2
Who doesn’t love punch or lemonade on Independence Day?
Plastic cups tend to look more and more alike at any 4^th of July party. Look-alike plastic cups have a way of losing themselves in a crowd. Cut down mix-ups (and garbage) with guest-decorated designed cups!

Activity #2 - Independence Cups

• Plastic cups
• Large and small star stickers (red, white, and blue)
• Placard
• Marker

What to Do:

1. Add a large red, white, or blue star sticker to each cup, along with a few smaller stars for decoration.
2. Put an assortment of markers on a table.
3. Set up a sign or placard directing guests to choose a cup and write their name on it.

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America, America! Flag Pin Craft Fun!

Hope you are enjoying this wonderful holiday!  Did you know that Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day? It is a day of remembrance for those who have died in the service of our United States nation.

Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, but it’s difficult to prove the origins of the day. An interesting tid bit is that there is also evidence that a women’s group in the South decorated graves before the end of the Civil War. All in all, Memorial Day is intended to honor those who have given their all in service to our country.

Show your patriotism and make this beaded flag pin that is fun and quick.  You can hand out these pins at your Memorial Day BBQ party or have it as a fun and fashionable way to show your American pride with the family!

Follow the instructions below to create your own red, white and blue flag pins.

Items Needed:

• red, white, and blue seed beads (you can find at Michael’s or local craft store)  Note: Make sure you get seed beads with holes large enough for the pins to go through.
  
• a dozen large safety pins. (The exact number will vary a bit depending on your safety pin size.)

Steps to make your Flag Pin:

1. On your first safety pin, you will load thirteen 13 seed beads. Seven will be red and six will be white. Alternate them as you put them on the open pin: red, white, red, white, red, white, red, white, red, white, red, white, red.
2. Repeat that six more times, so that you have a total of seven safety pins with thirteen red/white beads on each of them.
3. On the eighth safety pin, you will start making the blue ‘stars’ section of the flag. It’s important that you load the blue beads first; otherwise your flag will be wrong side up. Put seven blue beads on the pin, and push them towards the hinge-spiral. Then add 3 red and 3 white, alternating. From hinge to clasp should be blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, white, red, white, red, white, red.
Repeat that three more times, so that you have a total of 4 pins with flag sections above the stripes.
With your last pin, you will string all the others, by putting the opened pin part through the hinge-circle of the other eleven. Put all the pins with blue beaded sections on the pin first (with the open sharp part of the pin facing your right), followed by the red-and-blue striped ones. BE CAREFUL FOR THE SHARP POINT!
Close the safety pin, and double-check that your flag is hanging correctly.
Pin on a loved one and enjoy!

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