Christmas Nature Craft: Stick Stars

Source: allendesigns.typepad.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Coffee Filter Cut-out Snowflakes

A bag of coffee filters from the dollar store go a long way! These make the easiest snowflakes - no rounding off the ends. More here.

Source: heartofwisdom.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Children's Viking Ship Cut-out

We are using this as an ornament on our Christmas tree this year because everyone needs a viking ship on their tree. ;)

Source: crayola.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Christmas Birds Coloring Page

Source: activity-sheets.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

DIY Disposable Stick Branch Christmas Tree

My seven year old daughter created a stick (branches)Christmas tree this year, and everyone in the house seems to like it, so it's our tree this year. We've been adding ornaments as we make them. It's been fun and after Christmas we can chuck the entire tree, ornaments and all - easy clean up! Next year we'll start the creative process all over again with a new stick tree and new ornaments. The lights were from the dollar store...we'll keep these for other projects.

The branches can be held in place with large rocks in a bucket. We took our rocks from the garden.


Here's a pretty one that has been painted white:

Source: ehow.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Rustic Christmas Tree for Small Spaces

Source: imgfave.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

I love this idea! I may do this next year with driftwood.

Make an Easy Sparkly Cat Ornament - Free Cat Outline

Source: rovingfiddlehead.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Use this outline as a template for a glittery cat ornament. I plan to cut it out on black paper, glue to recycled cardboard, and cover with glitter. I'll add a pretty pink bow and hang it on the tree with my pet's name on it.

Some Simple Vintage Christmas Designs for Drawing, Cuttings, Etc.

From The Kindergarten-primary Magazine, 1914

1918 Christmas Tree Cut-out Outline

Free to copy and print.

1908 Free Christmas Art for School and Crafts

Free Pearl Harbor Day Educational Printables for Children

Activity ranger book from the World War II Pacific National Monument(USS Arizona). PDF here for younger children and for older children here(answers could be looked up on Google).

Pearl Harbor Day printable here.

How To Make A Desk With a Door

Poor Grammar in Modern Educational Items

It is getting more and more difficult to find educational freebies(and paid) that use proper grammar. I am not a gifted grammarian. In fact, I often have to look things up. Going through my son's Rod & Staff English with him for eight years helped a lot! Mostly, I am punctuation challenged. So if I notice mistakes, it's moderately obvious. Anyway, I was browsing a teacher authored curriculum site for first grade freebies when I came across some really nice packets for language arts. It was disappointing to see run-on sentences and incorrect grammar(colloquialisms) such as confusing "was"and "were" - "If I was a cat" instead of " If I were cat" . You can never be a cat, so "were" is correct." I feel badly for the children whose teachers are purchasing these items.I wonder if the parent's notice?! What's weirder is the perfect feedback from almost a hundred buyers. I guess if Justin Bieber says it in a song, it's okay?

Educational items offered by individuals, even if they are certified teachers, should be reviewed thoroughly before purchase. If you are poor at proof reading, I'd avoid these and go for professionally edited curriculum. There can still be mistakes, but they correct them upon notice, and errors are less frequent. While content is very important, it is also crucial that children are challenged with learning proper English.

Winter Nature Craft: Pine Cone Snowman

Source: original-kids-crafts.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

DIY Modern Lumber Furniture

We seem to making a lot of lumber furniture these days! The more pieces we make, the more we like it. As furniture wears out, we are replacing it with homemade lumber furniture. I liken the style to be somewhere between IKEA style pine and rustic pallet furniture. You certainly can't beat the price! Rough pine lumber is very inexpensive.

Here's what we've made so far. I hope this inspires someone to try this for themselves. It takes very little skill. We are complete amateurs, and yes, it is not fine carpentry work, but we weren't going for this, nor did we expect this.

My daughter's bed with room for storage underneath.

Tall table...we are using this as a kitchen island now. 

Young children's pallet book shelf

Cat ladder and sleeping box

Pallet/scrap wood toy shelf

Entertainment center or bookshelves

Platform bed and DIY mattress

Sectional sofa 

Not lumber, but free - stump side table/stool

Free standing kitchen(full pictures will come later...we are still putting on the final touches.)
12/9/12: Okay, here is the rough unfinished version of our DIY kitchen:

My husband recently made a child sized computer table with bench for my daughter which I'll add here later.

Dollar Store DIY Bookends

These are items from the dollar store: two acrylic picture frames and cut plastic animals.  She spray painted them with Krylon paint in rubbed bronze. Tutorial here.

Source: madincrafts.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

DIY Plastic Bag Storage

Source: creatingahouseofgrace.blogspot.com via Brittany on Pinterest

It's a coffee can! Great idea. Paint can and cut a hole in the lid. I plan to use this for plastic grocery bags which we recycle as garbage bags. I think it will work if I tie each bags together, so that they come out the hole to detach without getting lost in the can. I could tie each one by a handle and roll together inside the can. I think this will make a more compact storage option than what we currently have which is a cardboard box with bags thrown in..