February Crafting with Kids

February, I know you're a swift month, so I'd really like to make the most of you. The family is finally coming out of a fog of sickness... colds for all, flu for Oona and ear infections (for my littlest one and I). Oona spent the last week home from preschool, and it was truly nice to have her all to ourselves, despite feeling terrible. I'm feeling more than ready to get back to the land of the living, and also the land of creating. One of my favorite things to do, besides creating by myself, is to create with my girls. I'm often mentally jotting down things I'd like to try with them, and I thought it would be fun to put together a monthly list of crafts for us to do together. A few of the items on the list are things we've already tried, but I thought might be of interest to someone else. I have no ambition to do everything on the list, just to do things when we feel like it. The days are already so full with school and their own games and projects as well as my own stuff.

Bead fairies made by Oona from a kit from her aunt... I made one with her and then she took the materials and free formed the rest... adding bits of paper and tape when she felt like it. The picture is actually a set... table, chair, food, chimney, windows, rose garden in the back. Oona loves to draw these interactive pictures that she can use for her dollies. She gave this one to me with a fairy as a Valentine's gift and quickly show me how to play with it! She could have just drawn everything, but cut out pieces of paper and taped them on.

February Crafting with Kids: 
 (note: my kids are 5 and 2.5... younger child can help with some, but not all of these projects)

- wet felted hearts
- cut branch(es) and make a Valentine tree in mason jar with homemade ornaments
- make ice lanterns in milk jugs (a bit too warm for that today at fifty degrees!)
- origami hearts
- owl V-day bookmarks for Oona's classmates
- V-day mailbox out of felt or recycled cereal boxes
- doll Valentines
- peppermint bark hearts and candied orange rind dipped in chocolate
- growing crystals in pretty jars and seashells to decorate
- hanging heart ice lanterns made with natural materials (pine, berries, etc.)  and string using little metal heart pans
- paper V-day fairies to hang in the living room
- loom weaving
- make marbleized paper
- Valentines for family
- bake V-day cookies
- pipe cleaner and bead icicles

Wet felted hearts and bits of dried orange peel in shapes hang from our nature branch.

Collaborative mini mural we worked on last night. It has also been transformed into a playscape for random toys.