DIY Light Box

Winters in Wisconsin are long (especially this year) and the days are short.  In my search to find some fun activities that take advantage of our early sunsets, I happened upon light boxes and tables.  But the price tags ranging from $50 to $400 were a bit more than I wanted to pay for something I knew my children would use a few months out of the year, but it gave me an idea.  And so I present to you my $5 DIY Light Box. 

To make this you'll need the following items:

• 1 plastic "frosted" storage tub/bin (or with a "frosted" bottom)
• 1 can of black spray paint
• Strands of white Christmas lights or tap lights

To make this light box I first covered the bottom of my bin (the one I found in my basement had clear sides and a frosted bottom) with paper and taped it neatly.  Next, I spray painted the sides of the bin black and removed the paper and tape.   If you can't find a frosted bin, I've discovered some plastic frosted sheets you could apply to the inside of your plastic box. 

We first tried tap lights inside the box which worked just fine, but I couldn't help but wonder if a strand or two of white Christmas lights would disperse the light a bit better...and so I ventured to our basement yet again and dug two strands out of a box.  I can't say if the Christmas lights provide better light or not, but I do know we stuck with them.  One corner of my bin had a crack which actually works perfectly for this project, allowing the light cord an exit from the bin.

And voilà, my light box was complete. 

The only money I spent on this light box was on some inexpensive toys from a local educational store, but even they probably weren't necessary.  My kids have enjoyed using the light box to trace pictures, they've laid out parquetry blocks to create silhouettes, and they love playing with their water beads on the box which roll around and feel squishy (it's a sensory explosion!). 

Camp Classic Play

If you're like most parents I know, your children's planned summer activities are coming to an end.  Almost every parent I've talked to the past few summers have their children participate in organized camps and classes at some point in June and July, but leave the month of August open for spontaneous fun and family time (my family included). 

Camp Classic Play is a week-long list of classic activities put together by some of my favorite fellow bloggers.  If your family completes the activities, there are badges and a downloadable certificate to print out in the areas of Science + Nature, Athletics + Games, Gardening, Arts + Crafts, and Cooking. 

To get your family started on this classic play adventure, visit classic-play.com.  Now go and make some summer memories!  

Olympic Printables

My children, like many across the world, are enthusiastically following the Olympics.  In searching for some games-inspired activities for them to do, I stumbled upon these amazing printables from Tinyme and thought I'd share. 

Included in this free selection are medals (to personalize prior to printing), a board game, flags to create, bookmarks, an opening ceremony bingo game (fortunately for us, it's still unwatched on our DVR because I was out of town on Friday), and more!

I can't wait to get started on these fun activities with my children in the next few days...especially since we have some storms rolling in later today.  Snugging on the couch, watching the Olympics, making crafts...sounds like the perfect way to spend a rainy day!

Printables available to download here.

Marshmallow Peacocks

My three-year-old daughter, Hazel, has been obsessed with peacocks (the word, the bird, their feathers, their specific shade of blue, etc.) for the past few months.  She has named stuffed animals Peacock, signed her name in blue (instead of her usual favorite of green) inside of Mother's Day cards, and anytime there's been a lull in conversation lately, she's yelled out, "Peacock," and laughed like I used to when watching Seinfeld.  However, nothing prepared me for Mother's Day morning, when she came downstairs and said, "Today is Mother's Day.  Tomorrow is Peacock Day." 

She's fortunate she has a mother who never misses a chance to celebrate...even if the party is for peafowl.  In addition to our regular homeschool day yesterday, we learned all about peacocks.  (FYI: males are peacocks, females are peahens.)  And then, using marshmallows, they created peacock paintings.  Here's how they did it:

1. I had the kids freehand a peacock body shape and then paint over them, filling them in.  
2. We selected a few different shades of turquoise for the feathers and using large marshmallows, they added them to the paper. 
3. I added different colors found on peacock feathers (purple, navy, emerald green, etc.) to their palettes, and the kids took miniature marshallows and added the eyes of the feathers (swirling a couple together looks great).  
4. And lastly, they painted lines to connect the plumage to the peacock's body, and then added beaks, legs and eyes.  

Last night when the kids were getting ready for bed they said, "Tomorrow is Bee Day!" (I have a feeling this is the start of something great!)  Stay tuned for bee-themed art project...

Jordan Grace Owens

I opened a package this morning that took my breath away. Lovingly, carefully, and delicately enclosed were the paper dolls you see here of my family of six: My husband Aaron, daughters Martha and Hazel, son August, myself, and our wire fox terrier, Skone. It is no exaggeration to say my heart skipped a beat.

I have always loved paper dolls. And even more, I love hearing my own mother talk about how much she cherished her paper dolls when she sees my daughters' paper pals...the combination of picturing my mother as a little girl and seeing my own daughters play is very magical. Martha and Hazel change their doll's clothes nearly as often as they change their own; my real life Barbie dolls. (In frequency, not in build. Thankfully.)

The man behind these intricate and beautiful works of art is Jordan Grace Owens. I found this talented artist/illustrator on Etsy where she has a wonderful shop full of various paper goods she's created.

You too can commission Jordan to create custom paper dolls of your family members by contacting him through Etsy where she'll create a private sale for you. Each doll will cost you $25.00...a steal in my opinion for a custom, personal, and timeless work of art! You'll need to send her close-up photos of each family member along with details of their personalities.

For example, I mentioned Martha is a lover of all things pink and frilly; she dressed her in a tutu! It's a rare occasion Hazel and I don't wear cardigans, or that my husband isn't wearing a blue plaid shirt. And anyone who has met my son August will admit this is a carbon copy of him. I don't know how Jordan Grace Owens does it, but I sure am glad she does. And I'm even more thrilled that she shares her talents with the rest of us!

Visit etsy.com/shop/hollandsworth to see her shop and get started on ordering your own family.

J.Crew Coloring Pages

Yesterday was Mother's Day and I trust you all spent it being doted on by your little ones...although this wasn't quite the scene at my house. My girls were tired and crabby for most of the day and I logged quite a few hours refereeing fights. Not quite what I had planned. So to treat myself, I just printed out these fashionable and frame-worthy coloring pages from J.Crew's Crewcuts.

As I type this, each of my children are gathered around a table and coloring as they chat happily about which colors they're using. August just asked two-year-old Hazel, "What color are you using?" and she said, "Dark pink." As a color-lover myself, I'm thrilled at her being thoughtful about color at such a young age! Now this is a happy memory! (Oh, I spoke too soon...now she's crying that she can't find turquoise.)

These mom and shoe-print pages are available for FREE printing at jcrew.com. They are also available online where your child (or you) can "color" them by clicking and choosing colors right on the screen...although I prefer the old fashioned way.

The Royal Wedding

Despite my resistance, I caught the royal wedding fever. I watched it delayed with my children this morning, complete with tea and tiny finger breakfast sandwiches in front of the television...the girls wore tiaras.

And now my Martha is busy crafting royal wedding-inspired creations: crowns, Kate Middleton paper dolls, and coats of arms...all compliments of the Disney website.

If your family is excited about Prince William's marriage to Princess Catherine, visit disneyfamily.com for your own printable crafts.

Newspaper Fort

The kids and I started building a geodesic dome newspaper fort this afternoon when my (unlucky) husband walked in at the perfect (for me) time...to help hold up some pieces. He comes home to many a projects, but this one took even him by surprise.

I'm not going to lie, this project will not be for everyone. There was a time when I wanted to give up...but then Mr. Mugga poured me a rum and Coke. I'm so glad he didn't work late tonight!

I think we'll cover at least part of this with newspaper sheets or a blanket tomorrow for the kids to play in. That way it'll seem more like a cozy fort than a cold piece of abstract art.

The directions below are for a fort a bit larger than the one you see my children in. We only used 8 pieces for the bottom instead of 10...we simply do not have the room in our play room. But as you can see, it's plenty big for the three of them and their Pillow Pets...and that's all that mattered to them! Make it work for your family...just be sure to use an even number of base pieces on the fourth step.

Here are the directions...if you dare:

1. Place open newspapers in a stack. Begin at one corner of the stack and roll each sheet of newspaper tightly into a tube (if you use a single layer that's fine...but the more sheets together the stronger the structure will be). Tape the tube so it does not unroll. Repeat 64 more times for a total of 65 tubes.
2. Cut 30 of the tubes to 28 inches. You must cut from both ends so both ends are flat and do not taper. These are the long tubes.
3. Cut 35 tubes to 26 inches. Remember to cut from both ends. These are the short tubes.
4. Staple or tape 10 long tubes together, end to end.
5. When you get to the end, staple/tape the first and last tubes together. When you do this, it will curve around to form a 10-sided polygon. This is the base of the dome. Place it on the floor.
6. Staple/tape one long tube and one short tube to each joint on the base. Place them in the same order on each joint so that two long tubes are adjacent to each other alternating with two short tubes that are adjacent to each other. Continue this pattern all the way around the base.
7. Staple/tape the free ends of two adjacent long tubes together. This forms a triangle. Repeat for the next two adjacent short tubes. Continue this procedure all the way around the base until you have five triangles made from long tubes and five from tubes.
8. Staple/tape short tubes to the tops of these triangles, joining the top points. This should form a 10-sided polygon of short tubes. The geodesic dome will start to take shape.
9. Staple/tape a short tube perpendicularly at each point where four short tubes connect. Staple/tape one end of a long tube to the free end of one of these short tubes. Staple/tape the other end to the next joint on the previous row where two longs and two shorts meet. Repeat this all the way around. The result is a shape that will resemble a five-pointed star.
10. Add another row of long tubes connecting the inner apexes of the star. This will form a pentagon in the middle of the dome.
11. Staple/tape one end of each of the last five short tubes to the angles of the pentagon. Tape the other ends of the short tubes together where they meet in the middle on top of the dome.

And in between each step, take a sip of your drink...unless your pregnant...then you earn an extra-special merit badge! Seriously.

Let me know how your structures turn out!

Drive-In Movie

The kids added two more stars to their winter activities list this weekend: build cars for a drive-in movie and watch a drive-in movie.

I grabbed some large boxes last time we were at Costco and the kids spend a morning decorating them to look like cars complete with paper plate steering wheels, headlights and personalized license plates on the bumpers. I hit Walgreens and bought some candy for the concession stand in the kitchen and we rented a Disney Fairy movie they hadn't seen yet. It was a hit and a perfect way to spend a day when it's below zero outside!

If you're not a member of a superstore like Costo you could always call ahead to a furniture store and ask for them to set aside some large boxes for you. And why stop at cars? Winter is the perfect time to construct a refrigerator-box house!

Snow(dough)men

Nearly two years ago I posted a recipe for homemade play dough...it was a big hit! But that dough is more like the kind you'd buy at the store...something you want to hold on to and use over and over again.

The recipe you'll find below is more of a create-something-and-let-it-harden kind of dough...like the snowmen (and snowdog and snowfairy) my children and I made shown here.

It's a ton of fun and can be made into any color with a bit of patience (it's kind of messy to do and you need more food coloring than you'd think)...but it's worth it...the kids love the colors! Here's the how-to:

Ingredients

• 1 cup salt
• 1-1/2 cups warm water
• 3 cups flour
• food color - optional

Directions

1. Dissolve the salt in the warm water until it's nearly all gone by stirring for several minutes.
2. Add the flour and knead and pound until nice and smooth (if it seems too sticky, add a touch more flour).
3. Divide it up and add food coloring if desired.
   

We made some orange, pink and a greenish/brown (we were trying to reach black, but stopped at this shade). We also had some chopsticks on had to poke in eyes, smiles and buttons. And for the stick arms we rolled out a think strip and let it harden while we created our figures...and then poked them in at the end.

The kids really had a great time and really got creative! August helped Hazel make the guy on the left, August made the man on the right on skis and Martha made the pink snowfairy. And yes, I made the tall guy in the back and the snowdog at the kids' request. And then we showered them with snow (flour).

Snow Globe Ornaments

Each year the kids and I make ornaments for family members. Yesterday we created these snow globe ornaments with little penguins. I had originally pictured these with miniature trees and deer and perhaps a snowman inside, but my children have been obsessed with penguins since we read Mr. Popper's Penguins this fall. And when they saw these figures at the store I couldn't talk them out of making a penguin (or "gork gorks" as they've been calling them...you'll have to read the book to understand) project.

These look beautiful on the tree with the lights around them shimmering the glitter inside. And I must say the penguins are adorable. This project would be great to do in the new year as well when winter is still in full force...you could simply skip the hanging loop part and make a scene to sit on a shelf.

This project is fun, easy and inexpensive to make as most of what you need you probably have on hand...I only had to buy the penguins and the cups. Here's the project blueprint:

Materials

• Clear plastic cups (the short/wide ones are the best)
• Paper plates or other cardboard
• Cotton balls
• Winter figurines
• Ribbon or wire
• Beads
• Glitter
  
• Hot glue gun
• Scissors/scalloped-edge scissors
  
• Utility knife or other sharp object
  

Instructions

1. Cut out a circle from your cardboard base a bit larger than the diameter of your cup.
   
2. Take your cotton balls and break them up a bit to give them a light snowy texture. Place them on your base and cover with a cup to be sure you have the right amount. Then hot glue the cotton to the base.
3. Place your figurines where you want them and then take your scissors and cut out the cotton in that place. Put some hot glue directly on the base and place your figurine. It's important to secure the figures directly to the base and not onto the cotton or they won't be stable. Do this for each figure until your scene is complete.
4. Sprinkle glitter over your scene...we used white to give a subtle shimmer. When it's finished wipe the glitter from the rim of the base (where your cup will be placed).
5. Take your utility knife and make a hole in the bottom center of the cup.
6. Cut about a foot of ribbon and fold it in half. String a bead so that both ends of the ribbon go in at the same time. Then put both ends of the ribbon into the hole of the cup (starting at the top of the snow globe)...and then string another bead on (so that the cup is in the middle).
   
7. Figure out how long you want your hanging loop to be and then tie a knot in place and cut the excess ribbon. Pull it tight and put a dab of hot glue under the top bead to keep the ribbon in place.
   
8. Lastly, put a circle of hot blue around the edge of your base and quickly put your cup in place. Push to secure it and then admire your work!

Winter Activities

You all may remember when my family made a Summer Activities list to help guide us six months ago...it gave the kids many things to look forward to and kept my husband and focused to be sure we didn't waste away the warm days.

Because it was such a hit (and useful for me to stay on track), we've created a Winter Activities list. Winter can be very long here in Wisconsin with the bitter cold and wind and snow...I think this list will become a new tradition to give us things to look forward to. Here's what's on our list so far:

• Build a snow fort/castle
• Go for a hike
• Bake Christmas cookies
• Build a snowman
• Go sledding
• Take a long Christmas light drive with hot chocolate
• Build cars for a drive-in movie
• Watch a movie at the "drive-in"
• Make homemade marshmallows
• Go ice skating
• Have a full day of pajamas and games
• Visit the John Michael Kohler Art Center
• Go to Betty Brinn Children's Museum
• Paint our own pottery
• Stay at a waterpark hotel
• Create animals out of tinfoil
  
• Bake a pie from scratch
• Build a fort out of newspaper
• Take a trip to Chicago for a few days
• Go bowling
• Visit the Milwaukee Public Museum to see the mummy exhibit
• Go on "dates" with each child individually
• Build a gingerbread house from scratch
• Go for a carriage ride

That is our list thus far this winter...and it doesn't even technically start until later this week. We've already done a handful of these activities but instead of crossing them out we just add stars after each one so we can do them over and over. Feel free to use any of those ideas and to pass along more of your own...I'm always looking for fun things to do!

Puffy Paint Recipe

With the real life snow globe we're living in this weekend I thought, I should mix up a bath of puffy paint this week! So, I thought I'd share the idea with the rest of you who want to craft along with us.

The texture is unlike any other kids feel on a daily basis and they can't help but sink their hands right in. It's great as a sensory exploration with hard objects hidden inside for kids to find...it's also great to paint with. The picture here is from the first batch I ever made. August painted with it after a base layer of finger paint and then added cloves as eyes and buttons and real sticks for arms.

To mix up your own puffy paint, you place equal parts white glue and shaving cream (the good old fashioned kind...not the gel). Beat them with a mixer for 2-3 minutes and you're all set to go. You can add glitter if you want or food coloring...or use it white as snow.

When the puffy paint dries it keeps the air inside and stays puffy...but hard. It's great fun! Enjoy!

Ugga Mugga Events

My how time flies! As many of you have noticed, I've stepped away from the blog this past month...for many different reasons. With Thanksgiving, and now the countdown to Christmas, things have been busy. I've also started teaching some preschool art classes in my area and creating those lesson plans and projects on top of the homeschooling curriculum for August has taken some getting used to (although I've got that all down now). But the main reason for my step back from Ugga Mugga, the blog, is to focus on Ugga Mugga Events!

My new project is a culmination of all things I love: art, children, and creative event planning (my job prior to being called MAMA). I'm thrilled to say that I am now for hire if you're looking for some assistance planning your child's birthday party, or simply want me to help with the entertainment...in the form of a special craft keepsake!

If you live in Southeastern Wisconsin and want to work together (although I'll travel anywhere if you want to fly me out of this bitter winter weather!), visit www.uggamuggaevents.com to learn more! And for the rest of you, the blog will be back up and running now...I'm off to write a few posts now! Many exciting things to come!

Moomah DIY Project

I was in New York City back in August and stopped by Moomah...a place I had been stalking online since it opened. I was like a kid in a candy store...I'll write more about that soon. But because Halloween is quickly approaching, I want to cut to the chase and share this great Do-At-Home art project.

The templates for the background and the black animals can be downloaded on their website...all you need to do is capture your little monsters in their costumes and cut around their photos. You'll have a keepsake sure to be treasured for mummy many years to come!

Visit moomah.com to get started!

DIY Crayons

I've been trying to do some fall cleaning the past few weeks and have been getting creative with putting it off. This project is one such way. I noticed my kid's crayons were mostly broken so we made them into new, multi-colored crayons with the help of a mini muffin tin I never use and the oven. Here's how:

1. Remove all of the wrappers from crayons (my kids loved doing this part) and break them into small pieces.
2. Preheat your over to 200 degrees.
   
3. Place your crayon bits into a muffin tin or other heat-proof mold. Fun candy molds in different shapes would be great!
4. Place the tray into the oven and watch the crayons melt and swirl together. The whole process takes about 10-15 minutes.
   
5. Remove them from the oven and let them cool until completely hard. I put ours in the fridge because the kids were excited to use them...they cooled in about 45 minutes.
6. Draw to your heart's content.

One improvement I'd make next time I try melting crayons would be to sort them into different colors...put the red and orange together, the yellow and green, the blue and purple, and so on. Just an idea.

Picasso Head

Hazel has been a bit crabby all day today and turned in early for the night leaving August and Martha alone with Mr. Mugga and me. We split up for some quality one-on-one time while it rained cats and dogs outside. In our time together, Martha and I discovered Picasso Head.

This free site allows you to click and drage Picassoesque images to the black board to create your own masterpiece. You can flip them, rotate them, change their size and even their color. When you're finished, you can save them by a random name or email them as an e-painting!

We had a great time picking our eyes, ears, noses and hair and talking about what expression we saw and if our fantasy people resembled anyone we knew. It was a great time using our imaginations and laughing together.

Visit picassohead.com to create your own work of art with your mini Picasso!

Lego for Muji

I nearly hyperventilated yesterday when I happened quite by accident on information that lead to me know Lego and Muji teamed up to make Lego paper crafts. My children, my husband, and myself all love Legos. My children, my husband, and myself all love paper crafts. These kits couldn't be more perfect for us! And I'm sure my family is not alone in our adoration for these hobbies.

So, if your children (or you) are interested, you'll be bummed to learn these are a bit hard to find. They're available from Muji's website (link here)...and you can translate it to English to purchase. Or, there are a few sets popping up on eBay and Etsy.

Personally, I think we'll purchase the puncher and then make our own shapes and designs since imagination runs a-plenty for my kidos. My husband already suggested paint chips for the paper (I love that idea!), and I thought of going to a scrapbooking store for templates on shapes and things.

I can see us glittering them, making Christmas ornaments, banners, and much, much more. I'm thrilled the world has gotten so small!

Painted Sticks

You may have noticed Paint rocks and sticks on my family's summer bucket list a few days ago. The photo here inspired the sticks portion. I saw this recently as a submission to threadless.com by ginetteginette and thought it was a perfect summer day activity.

Could be done indoors on a rainy day or outdoors on a breezy warm one. Either way, you'll have some beautiful artwork your kids will be proud to have on display!

Mini Monets

My friend from high school, Annette, is a talented artist who is sharing her love of creativity with the next generation through her Mini Monets classes, located in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. In the classes, children and adults are encouraged to create projects together...spending quality time and making precious keepsakes...and memories.

But these are not your usual projects...you will go beyond the traditional paper and paint and use canvases and other quality materials to add some sophistication.

If you live in southeastern Wisconsin, you'll want to check out the offered classes...and there happen to be two this weekend that sound wonderful...including a special Mother's Day Event!

Saturday, May 1 at 12:00 p.m., there is a class painting with textural objects such as Matchbox cars, corn on the cob, string, etc. Then, the painted canvas will be transformed into an umbrella or flower to be displayed.

Sunday, May 2 at 3:00 p.m., dads are encouraged to bring their little ones in to create a special keepsake for mom...something she is guaranteed to always treasure!

Both classes are $20 a child and all materials and a light snack are included. To register, contact Annette at aburckart[at]yahoo.com. And visit minimonets.weebly.com to check out photos of past projects, to stay up-to-date on upcoming events, and to get information on hosting your child's birthday party in the art space!