Make It Monday: Coffee Filter Hearts

It was about time to update our kitchen window with colorful creations. Down came the Christmas-y winter decals and up went our new Valentine hearts. The process was both easy and fun! Two ingredients for a winning craft in our house. 

The inspiration came from our coffee filter butterflies. The kids were a little disappointed that there was no water spraying this time though, but mommy was happy that it didn't make a mess. Maybe next week I'll pick a super messy project to make up for it.

 All you need are a pair of scissors, coffee filters, dot markers, and a couple of cute helpers.

Fold the coffee filter in half and cut out a heart. 

 Fold up the heart any which way you want and dab away with the markers!

Make a pattern, color the entire heart 1 color, or dot random colors everywhere. No matter how you decorate it, you can't go wrong!

If the heart is folded a few times, make sure to turn it over to ensure the color bled all the way through.

It's so much fun, you'll want to make lots and lots of hearts!

But the real fun is in opening the hearts up and seeing the designs you made. We found butterflies, more hearts, letters and faces. Each time, we ooh-ed and aah-ed and the beautiful formations. I admit, I had just as much fun decorating the hearts as the kids did! And they look especially pretty on our window when the sun shines through, not that you can tell by looking at the picture I took after the sun started to go down and the sky became overcast. Oh well, I guess you'll just have to make them and experience their beauty yourself!

And even once the markers are all put away, you can still have fun with the filter scraps . . . 

It's the craft that keeps on giving.

Make It Monday: Tissue Ghosts

Zac is in a big monster kick lately. He loves running up to someone, yelling "Monster! Roar!" and chasing the victim through the house. The more he does it, the more we laugh; the more we laugh, the more he does it. It's a vicious cycle. 

Jacob has always liked scary things. He picked out a Scooby-Doo movie at the video store yesterday for that very reason. He's obsessed with snakes, wants a spider-shaped cake for his next birthday, and is constantly teasing his sister with anything "scary." 

I knew the boys would  love this craft. I was pleasantly surprised that Alyssa had just as much fun as they did.

 Gather your supplies: facial tissue, cotton balls, marker, rubber bands, and a couple crazy kids.

 Grab a tissue . . .

 And a cotton ball.

 Cover the cotton ball with the middle of the tissue.

 Wrap a rubber band at the base of the cotton ball.

 Draw on a face.

If you're feeling especially brave, allow the almost-2-year-old to wield the permanent marker.

Or decide to not be lazy and go to the basement to get the washable markers. To each his own.

 Oooh, isn't it scary???

But why stop with just the typical ghost? Add a few embellishments and make a princess, a pirate, or anything else you can imagine!

  

I lost count how many ghosts the kids made. They had so much fun making different characters. They even drew story scenes on pieces of paper to play with them. I love how such a simple craft created meaningful dramatic play!

Who knew a few tissues and cotton balls could be so much fun?