How to make a free Christmas wreath

Younger Daughter has been very keen to make a Christmas wreath so this afternoon, we make one from some items found around the house and garden. Younger Daughter (aged 8) did most of this with a little help and guidance. Children from about four could probably help with this project.

The whole wreath took about an hour.
We paid nothing for the project although if ribbon/tinsel/ornaments were purchased then the wreath would not be free. It would probably work to substitute wool for ribbon provided that there was sufficient tinsel. Ornaments are optional and can be varied according to what is available in your house.

Items needed:
Wire coat hanger

Willow twigs (live not the snappy dead branches). I think that any creeper would probably work as well.

Short lengths of fir branches ( we used Leylandii). This might be the most difficult part if you do not have a garden or fir tree but there are plenty of Leylandii around so check with friends and family.

Ribbon (we used a length that we already had so it was a rather pinky colour rather than red but red/green/gold/silver would do well).

Tinsel (we already had some).
Optional Christmas tree decorations.

Method
Pull the wire coat hanger into a circle.

Wind willow around the hanger so it is well covered. We didn't use anything to attach the willow and tucked the ends under other pieces of willow.

Once the hanger is covered,

wind the fir branches around the willow.

They will not wind so well and may stick out a bit. This doesn't really matter. Add fir until the willow is completely covered.

Secure the fir with ribbon.

Wrap tinsel round the wreath and decorate with tree decorations if wanted.

Tuck in any loose ends!
Hang the wreath.

You may also like 
Grandma's Christmas Pudding

Christmas Pudding Spice Sauce
and
Four Picture books about Christmas

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Making bath bombs

Making bath bombs uses the reaction of acid plus alkali producing a gas (carbon dioxide) plus water. The reaction doesn't take place until the chemicals have water added.

Bath bombs make excellent presents and are fun to make. The ingredients used are things that are relatively safe and are found around the house or in household products (citric acid is in lemons) so young children can take part in making these. They should wash their hands after touching the chemicals and be old enough not to eat the ingredients. My four and seven year olds made these, with supervision from me.

Ingredients:
Sodium bicarbonate
Citric acid (we bought ours from Just a soap but I am sure that this can be brought elsewhere)
Almond oil (I am sure that other oils can be used)
Food colouring
Optional: essential oils or vanilla essence

Method:
Add 3 tablespoons to sodium bicarbonate to 1 tablespoon of citric acid in a dry mixing bowl. Mix well, add a few drops of food colouring to required colour. 

Add essential oils or vanilla essence. Be sparing with the vanilla-it contains water and will lead to the sodium bicarbonate and citric acid reacting. Large quantities will mean that there will be no acid and alkali left to react.

This is what happened when we added a large quantity of vanilla essence

Add almond oil slowly to combine. We started with 1 teaspoonful but needed to use rather more than this to make sure the mixture stayed together.
Put the ingredients in a model. We used doll's cups as well as a brought mould. The cups worked just as well.

Allow the bath bombs to dry then turn out into cupcake cases.
Store in boxes to give as presents.

Do label these as bath bombs and not for eating! I thought that the red bath bombs looked rather like coconut pyramids.

Put in the bath to start the reaction and watch the fizz!

Outside art

We looked at a picture of Andy Goldsworthy's picture Hole in leaves sinking in the Usborne First book of art. This book is a great resource for me as a non-artist. 

The book suggested going on to make some outdoor art. Younger Daughter looked at the picture made with stones and shells in the book then went on to make her own art.

This was the sun-I'm afraid that a few days ago we chalked on the patio and so some of these have a numerical background!

Rainbow over land

Flower

Cloud with rain falling

In the meantime, Youngest Son was making his own outdoor art around his "well".

A happy and easy creative afternoon!

Garden world using an egg carton

Having come home from a rather soggy egg trail,

 I was pleased to find out about Tinkerlab's creative challenge using an egg box.
The idea is for children to create something with an object-in this case an egg box. The aim is that this is child directed.
Miss Belle wanted to make a garden. She cut the box in two and used the lid of the box for her garden. She used up-cycled green tissue paper for grass.

Shells from the beach, last year, were added for a path, along with plant pots made of cut out egg holders from the bottom of the box.

She started out making paper flowers but this became a rather gluey and ineffectual procedure so added camellia flowers from the garden with the one paper flower that did work.

The finished article

Knitting and children

Miss Belle has wanted to learn to knit for months. I've been a bit reluctant to teach her, thinking she was a bit young and wouldn't manage. A friend suggested that she learnt to finger knit and so for several months she has been producing lengths of finger knitted ribbon initially, and then finger knitted wool bracelets.

 Recently, she has talked more and more about knitting and the time seemed to have come. I found some helpful advice here. I was especially encouraged that plenty of other children of this age, five, have learned to knit and little saying about the process of making a stitch useful. So we have started and Miss Belle is well on her way to making a little mat.

We are only doing a little at the time, two or three rows an evening. This seems to be about the right amount.

Our Five in a Row book, this week, is Mrs Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco.   Miss Belle suddenly stopped me and pointed out Mrs Katz knitting. Fitted in so well although I hope the knitting lasts longer than a week.

This is linked to It's Playtime and Kid's Co-op.

Mats from calendars

Happy New Year.

Today, we decided to reuse some old calendar pictures. It seemed sad to throw them away so I let my little people cut and stick. Miss Belle wanted to write so that she had a different mat for each meal.

No, I don't teach filled in "a"s.

Lunchtime

I laminated the results and teatime has already been used!

There are still plenty of old calendar pictures. I had envisaged a more collage type effect which would use up more calendar but the children weren't so keen on this idea- perhaps another project for another day.

Rocket thank you cards

After a rather unsuccessful attempt at thank you cards yesterday, I was looking at the Usborne  Big book of Science things to make and do and realised that there was an idea for a space picture and another for rocket tessellations which could be tweaked to make cards.

So I cut out simple rocket shapes from coloured card and Mr Exuberance, 35 months, glued these onto card. He then sprinkled glitter onto glue to make fire.

 Rockets need doors and extra flames-I cut out and Mr Exuberance glued. There was a fair amount of glitter around!

We were both quite pleased with the results and had to find Roaring Rockets to finish the rocket theme.

This is linked to Works for me Wednesday where there are many, many more idea, the linky party at Living life intentionally and It's playtime.

Autumn thankfulness

We have so much for which to give thanks.

The other day, Eldest Daughter decided to carve a thankful pumpkin.
First she took out the flesh and made soup. Then she carved the flesh with "In all things give thanks."

A lovely way to carve pumpkins in a profitable way.
Do be careful with the very sharp knife though-not an activity for young children.

Blooming chickens

We have roses in our garden which are just beginning to blossom.

Last year, we pressed some of the petals and just last week, I realised that there were still some sitting in the flower press.

Ideal for making a princess dress, I thought but Miss Belle decided that they would make a much better chicken so chicken they became.

First, we used them for a counting activity and then, Miss Belle filled in an outline of a chicken with petals and added an eye with oil based pastel. The chicken now adorns our kitchen wall.

I've linked this to the It's playtime link up. Do visit to find plenty of play ideas.