Make It Monday: Tiered Flower Planter

I saw this planter a while ago and knew immediately that I wanted one for my front porch. We really needed something to brighten things up.

We used 3 plastic pots (15", 12", 8"), a bag of topsoil, a 3/4" dowel, and a flat of flowers (I chose impatiens because my porch is mostly shaded.)

Don't forget to enlist the help of a pretty assistant.

Drill a hole in the bottom of the 2 smaller pots.

Ours had a convenient spot right in the middle that was perfect for Leighton to drill for me.

Next comes the fun - playing in the dirt!

Alyssa held the dowel in the pot in that middle well (as shown in the above picture) while I poured in the dirt. You could also dump the dirt first and then push the dowel down.

Zac joined in on the fun, too!

Boys and dirt.

After you're done playing with, er, filling in the dirt, thread the middle-sized pot on the dowel.

Fill that pot with dirt, too.

Playing, optional.

Add the smallest pot and fill with dirt.

It's probably a good idea to cut off the excess dowel before adding the final pot and dirt.

Probably.

But where's the fun in that? It's much more challenging to add the pot, fill it with dirt, and then try to use the sawzall to cut the dowel while not cutting the planter. 

Much more fun, right? Riiight.

A smart person would add the pot, mark where to cut, remove the pot, cut the dowel, re-add the pot, and then fill with dirt.

I'll leave you to decide which person I am.

Finally, add your flowers.

Well, I shouldn't say finally. You'll still have to sweep up all the dirt that was spilled, put away the tools, water the flowers . . . and set up the sprinkler to wash off the kids.

You get the point.

It'll be totally worth it though.


The entire project can be done in about 20 minutes and costs less than $25. Next year, all I'll have to do is pay for the flowers.

I love our new planter!

Make it Monday: $2 Birdhouses

Erika asked me to make birdhouses with the kids last year, yes, last year. I, being a Maker and woodworker, loved the idea. Yet I still managed to forget about the request for a little while. Then one day it was brought up again and I hopped to it. I immediately turned to my favorite DIY site, instructables.com, for ideas. One of the first returns on my search was the $2 Birdhouse posted by CheapChuck. A simple birdhouse that didn't cost much, but still did what we wanted. I knew instantly what birdhouse we were making.

The basis for this birdhouse, or our building material is simple. You need one, yes one, five to six foot long dog-eared cedar fence picket. Small disclaimer: in the instructable the house is referred to as a $2 house but my local Home Depot charges $2.25 for the picket, but I still think it is a cheap build. They do sell a $1.18 pine picket, but that one is treated. Not very bird friendly. Plus cedar is a good outdoor, low maintenance building material. Anything else you need you can probably find in your workroom. I did.

So last year I went and got three, we have three kids old enough to make houses, cedar pickets. I spent a few minutes one evening cutting out all the pieces. You need two peaked, end wall panels, two side wall panels and two roof panels. The floor panel you wait to cut out until you put the rest together so that you can measure what you need.

I also trimmed one of the roof panels for each house along its width equal to the thickness of the board. This allows for a symmetrical look to the finished roof.

Cutting it all out really wasn't difficult. Getting around to putting the houses together, now that's a different story. We didn't get around to making them last year before the birds nested. So I intended to get them together for this years nesting. Still not entirely sure if I managed that, but they're together none the less.

To construct these I used exterior wood glue, 18 gauge brad nailer, hammer, drill with 3/32", 1/4" and 1 1/4" bits. I have to admit, I had to buy exterior wood glue since all I generally use is interior, but that is not much cost added to the project. When it came time I covered the kitchen table with newspaper, and ran my air hose in from the porch. I called the kids in and we began assembling birdhouses.

We started by assembling the four walls. A peaked wall goes at either end with the rectangular walls between them. Apply glue to the edge of the rectangle wall, align with the peaked piece, and give it a couple of nails from the gun. If you are going classic with a hammer and nails I recommend pre-drilling the holes so as not to split any wood.

There was no problem getting the kids to help with the gluing process, they're used to that. But the nail gun brought fear to their eyes. It's new to them and loud, none of them like how loud my tools are. I do appreciate their fear of the tools though. It will help them learn to respect how dangerous they can be and the proper way of using them.

From the walls you move to the roof, putting on the piece you trimmed first. Apply your glue on one side of your peaked walls. Align the edge of the roof piece with the other peak surface to create an even surface for the other, wider piece to sit on. Nail again.

And this is when the battery in the camera died. Not too many more pictures were taken. I apologize for that. I plan to make another house with a clear rear wall. At that time I'll take more pictures of the process. We're hoping that we can mount that house someplace close to a window so we can observe what is happening inside.

Once that side of the roof is secured you can apply glue for the other side. Make sure you put plenty along the top ridge so that it will create somewhat of a seal from rain when it dries. Place the piece and nail again. Once the roof is in place you can work on your entrance. I drilled a 1 1/4" hole center on the front in line with the bottom of the roof. Make sure to sand both sides of the entrance so has to help avoid a splintered bird. Before you drill that hole though, mark the spot for a perch two inches below the center of the entrance. I used a 1/4" drill and inserted a sanded 1/4" dowel roughly three inches long.

Now for the bottom. This will also be your entrance to clean the house out once the occupants leave. Yes, just like human renters, these users do not clean up after themselves. Cut you base leaving yourself about an 1/8" around the perimeter, 1/4" smaller than what the house measures. On one end cut or sand a 45 degree angle off the bottom so the panel can hinge out for cleaning.

Pre-drill holes for a standard nail, I used a 6d 2" nail on either side as my hinge. A 3/32" bit made a hole just the right size so I could simply push the nail in with almost no hammer use. On the other end of the base I drilled a hole the size of which I do not remember and insert a standard coarse thread drywall screw to hold the floor up. When it comes time to clean the home I will remove this screw and swing the bottom out and allow the contents to empty.

Yes the kids did help me with this project in between trips to the living room to slide on a big cardboard box they had been playing with. I still get a little nervous having them run power tools so I do a lot of that for them, but I try to get their hands on the tool while I am doing it.

What they had fun with was painting them. I was not at home for this process, but it was something they can do mostly on their own. So with no one hindering what they had to do, they went wild painting them however they felt.

Well, our kids had fun making our "$2" birdhouses, and if I manage to get them up in time some birds will enjoy them. How about you, want to give your kids, or yourself, a good time and a couple of birds someplace cozy to stay for a while?

Make It Monday: Treasure Map

Remember how much fun we had on Talk Like A Pirate Day? Sailin' the open sea, coming face-to-face with a sea monster, adventure, and treasure! It was quite the day.

I promised a tutorial on how to make an authentic-looking treasure map. After all, every pirate needs a real map to find the treasure, right?  

Start by taking a piece of paper and tearing it to resemble a map.

Using a black pen, draw your map. I started by drawing a big land mass. Then, since this was for a real hunt through our house, I marked the path that would lead to the treasure. Don't forget X marks the spot! After that, I added the details - compass, mountains, trees, lake, a danger zone, and the waves in the sea.

For some people, this step would be really easy. Just draw some random markings and voilà, you have a map. I am not some people. I have never been artistic. But more and more, I'm having to draw and create things for my kids. So, I drew a map. All by myself! . . . After a trial run on another piece of paper. After spending copious amounts of time, attempting to be precise. After tracing over everything a second time to darken my first hesitant attempt.

But I did it. And my kids love it! It's by no means perfect. My eyes are drawn to the mistakes immediately. But I'm learning to except it. You know, since I'm not good at drawing I've never really done it. I've never even been a doodler. If I'm not good at something, I don't enjoy doing it. It's that perfectionism trait. Doing things with the kids though has been teaching me not to be quite so critical of myself. I mean, they don't care if my circle is not completely round or if my measurements are not exact. Kids are genuine. They love unconditionally. They teach me all the time and help me to grow as a person.

Moral of the story - even if you think I can't draw, go ahead and try making a map anyway. I guarantee your kids will see only the excitement of a treasure and be oblivious to any mistakes.

And if you can draw, then just ignore the last three paragraphs. {grin}   

After all the details are drawn on the map, wipe a wet tea bag on both sides of the paper, making sure to wet it thoroughly.

Crumble the paper and allow it to dry.


Open the map. If desired, carefully burn the edges a little at a time in an open flame, blowing on the paper to stop the burning. Of course, use extreme caution. My kids were not in the kitchen as I burned our maps using a candle. Also, you will have some ash and a lingering smoky smell. You don't have to do this step, but it does clean up the edges of the map and make it look more authentic.

If you want, you can skip tearing the paper in the first step. When you burn the edges, you will have a similar result, but you will have to burn each section longer. You will make more ash and smoke and the edges of the paper will turn black and look burnt. I tried it both ways. I definitely suggest tearing the paper first and burning it, as well.

If your map doesn't look weathered enough, you can use a brown crayon or used coffee grounds to add some character. Use either option in a sweeping motion across the paper.

Finally, dab some cooking oil on a paper towel and wipe both sides of the paper, blotting off any excess. Not only does the oil preserve the map, it really makes it look more authentic.


And now you have a convincing treasure map and are ready for your very own adventure! Make a map for a birthday party or just for playing around the house. Searching for treasure is always exciting!

Make It Monday: Liquid Hand Soap

This is another DIY project that's been on my list of things to try - liquid hand soap. This particular method starts with a bar soap. You grate it, melt it down, and have soap. It's very similar to homemade liquid laundry detergent.

Jake was very excited when I said we were going to make soap. He asked if he could do everything by himself.

And everything he did.

Start by grating a bar of soap into flakes.

I hand-grated my soap for laundry detergent for years because I didn't want to possibly hurt my precious food processor. It's a pain and it takes forever. One day though, I took a chance. Let me tell ya, no more hand-grating for me! It works quickly and efficiently. My food processor is truly one of my favorite gadgets in the kitchen.

Besides, hand-grating never produced that pure-joy smile!

I tried telling them that this wasn't supposed to be fun - it's work!

They just wouldn't believe me though.

Pour 10 cups of water into a large pot.

We used purified water instead of the chemically tap stuff, but I'm not sure you have to. Well you don't have to have to. You can really do whatever you want, but you know.

Add 1 tablespoon glycerin.

We had a bottle in the closet from making bubbles. Yea!

Add 1 cup of the soap flakes.

Heat on medium-low, stirring occasionally, until the soap dissolves.

Let it cool completely (some have had best results with letting it cool overnight.)

While you're waiting, definitely take time to play . . . um, I mean . . . test. Yes, take time to test your soap. 

I may have been the first one to plunge my hand into the cool, goopy, slimy substance. And I may have enjoyed it a little too much. And I possibly called the kids over to test it, as well. And they definitely loved the sensory experience. It reminded me of this messy science experiment and this even messier science experiment.

At least this time, the messy science experiment was actually cleansing in and of itself!   

When you're soap is thoroughly cooled - and you're done playing - pour it into bottles using a funnel. Squirt and wash.


So, what do I think?

• First of all, it's extremely easy to make. My 6 year old made completely it by himself.
• Second, it's very cheap. And I like cheap.
• Third, I don't know. It's watery and suds very little. Not that you need the sudsing, but it's a mental thing. I also filled the kids' foaming soap dispenser, and it works great in there.
• Fourth, it smells great, but that's determined by the bar soap you use. We used Jergens.

I'm semi-pleased with this soap. When we run out, I plan to experiment a bit more. There are many helpful comments that might help me produce a better soap. The important thing is that it is indeed cleaning our hands.


Have you ever tried making liquid soap? How did it turn out?

Make It Monday: Kool-Aid Play Dough

Happy National Play Dough Day yesterday! The kids and I love play dough. They'll play with it for hours, giving me time to get some things done. Sometimes they'll talk me into playing with them. We'll make all sorts of yummy treats, silly creatures, shapes, or letters. A big chunk of soft dough is fun to squish around and roll into a ball. It's also really great for strengthening hand and finger muscles and helps with fine motor skills. See, it's not all about fun!

We love to make our own play dough. The texture is so much better than store bought. Along with our regular dough recipe that we usually make, we've made gingerbread scented play dough as well. This time, in honor of National Play Dough Day, we made Kool-Aid play dough. Combine the joy of play dough with the scent of Kool-Aid and you get an activity that produces many smiles!

My kids did all of the dumping, pouring and stirring (except Zac did not pour the boiling water.) Remember to use your own judgment. I did the kneading since the dough was so hot. Once it cooled a bit, they enjoyed smooshing the warm dough on their bellies though. Silly kids.

We made a batch of cherry, lemonade, and blue berry. Smells yummy! The boys each chose their favorite colors. Alyssa originally picked pink lemonade because of her favorite, but Jake talked her into regular lemonade so it would be close to red, white, and blue. So patriotic! 

Tons of play doughy fun! They really do smell fruity. Jake asked, "Are you sure we can't eat it? It is dough." Then he asked to keep the dough in his room so he could smell it at will.

Yeah, they liked it. 


Do you have a favorite play dough recipe?



No Cook Kool Aid Play Dough
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 cups boiling water
1/4 cup salt
1 packet Kool-Aid
1 Tbsp. cream of tarter
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Mix all dry ingredients into a large bowl and stir.
2. Add oil and boiling water.
3. Mix well until dough begins to form and let cool slightly.
4. Remove from bowl and knead until you reach desired consistency, adding a little more flour if dough is too sticky. Keep in air-tight container or bag.
adapted recipe

Make It Monday: Pom Pom Critters

I have been wanting to make busy bags for quite a while. What is a busy bag? It's an activity that is small enough to be kept in a bag and is perfect for those times when you need to keep the kids busy and quiet (restaurant, church, doctor apt., nap time, car ride, etc.) They are so convenient and good for learning and imaginative play. And some projects (like this one) take very little time to prepare. So why did it take me so long to make up some myself? Oh, you know, it's just one of those things that gets pushed aside when there are always so many other things to do. Our recent vacation was motivation to finally start assembling some bags though. Yea!

I saw this idea here, and knew that I could easily make them myself. And so can you. Here's how:

You'll need googly eyes, pom poms, and something for feet (I used little plastic glob thingies. You could use buttons, foam, beads, etc.) You'll also need a hot glue gun and glue.

The directions really don't even need to be told:

1. Put a glue gun stick in the glue gun.
2. Plug the glue gun into a socket.
3. Once the glue gun is hot and the glue is melty,  squirt a drop of glue onto a googly eye and quickly place it on a pom pom.  Repeat as desired.
4. Squirt a drop of glue onto a "foot" and quickly place on bottom of pom pom. Repeat as desired. 
5. Repeat steps 3-4 as needed.
6. Play with your critters.

Easy, right???

Ok, so I had to try to make it as least sound as complicated as possible because they really could not be any simpler and I just had to have something to write. Seriously though, just throw some glue on a few embellishments and plop them on a pom pom. There. You're done.

 And aren't they so cute???

I made them one night after the kids went to bed so they'd be surprised. We were driving along, many hours into our trip, when I handed them the bag with the critters. They loved them! (I'm pretty sure the feelings were mutual, too.) In fact, when we came home, the kids asked if we could make more. They are so simple and so fun.

Plus, they're really super cute.

What more could you ask for?

Make It Monday: Tangram Creations

If there's one thing that my kids like best, it's building. They love creating with their hands anything that their minds can imagine. In a room full of toys, they will gravitate toward Legos, Trios, blocks, Automoblox, K'nex, Magnetix, a stack of cups, a pile of rubber bands, or a bunch of cardboard boxes. Every single time.

I recently won a bag of 250 tangram wooden blocks from Homeschool Mosaics, a large group of  wonderful women that have joined together to offer support to other homeschooling families. My kids were ecstatic when the box arrived. They had no idea what was inside, but they know that box mail is always fun! We opened it up and dived right in.

There are many sites where you can find tangram templates to print. Some (like this set that we own) have each specific shape shown and you just have to match the correct blocks to the picture. Others have a solid black shape and you have to figure out which blocks are needed to construct it. Instead of having them recreate those predetermined pictures, I allowed their inventive minds to have free reign of the blocks.

 

We had so much fun creating 2-dimensional pictures. Can you find the snake and the rocket? How about the fishy?

 We also made some 3-D formations, like this pizza. Blue mushrooms, anyone?

Then, Zac and I used the blocks to practice pattern matching. I set the arrangement in the first line, and he copied it in the second.

The older kids and I worked on a little geometry. They were amazed to see how to make hexagons using different shapes.
 


While the tangram puzzles are fun and educational (you can also use these to teach little ones colors and shapes), the blocks themselves can be used for far more things. If you don't already own some, I suggest you pick up a set. Soon.   

And then let your kids just have fun building.

Make It Monday: Squishy Bag

Here's an activity that's not only fun and easy to make, but also good for learning too. 

About a year ago, I got a few bottles of hair gel for free after a sale and coupons. I don't use it in my hair, but I knew it would come in handy for something. I saw this post shortly after and knew what that something was.

You'll need a plastic storage bag, glitter (optional), food coloring, and hair gel.

If you don't have any free hair gel lying around, you can pick up a big bottle from the dollar store. Also, you can remove any writing on the bag with a little rubbing alcohol or nail polish remove on a cotton ball. Simply wipe the writing off.

 If you're using a gallon-size bag, squeeze the entire bottle of hair gel into it.

Enlist the help of an older sibling if it gets too difficult.

Don't forget to laugh at the funny sounds it makes!

 Pour in some glitter.

 Add food coloring.

Now comes the fun part - seal the bag and squish it around to mix it all up!

I just love those little hands.

Kids will love using the the squishy bag for all sorts of things.

 Like a smiley face.

Or practicing letters.

And simply just smooshing it all around. 

I found it quite addicting, er . . . I mean the kids, yeah the kids found the bag quite addicting to play with. Smooshing, squishing, squeezing, swiping. Our gel is scented and permeates through the bag, which can either be a pro or a con, depending on the child. The gel is slightly cool to the touch naturally, but you can also place the bag in the fridge for an even cooler sensory experience.  Or, you can place small objects inside to swirl around in the goop. You can add foam letters and have your child find specific ones or use many miscellaneous things and play I Spy. To make the bag more durable, simply wrap the edges in duct tape.

The squishy bag is so fun and economical and has many options for use. You'll definitely want to make one.

Oh, go ahead and make two . . . so your child will have a chance to play as well!