Pinterest INSPIRED - Paper Towel Roll Octopus

Let's start off first with a shout out to our inspirational octopus; Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas is a GREAT site. I have used many of the ideas from this blog and have loved every one of them. There are a lot of different projects for different ages and the octopus was a great one!

Click here to see their Easy Paper Towel Roll Octopus Instructions!

My octopus was more of a variation on an idea that was already fantastic.

• First I cut the tube BEFORE I painted it. Note: this is more difficult than our inspirational octopus, where Posh Lil Divas painted the entire roll, and then cut. 
• I also experimented with a toilet paper roll at the same time, cutting the legs with special scissors. This ended up being a really good choice for the younger kids. 
• I painted the inside first, and while it was still wet I worked on painting the outside. 

• The BIG DIFFERENCE  between my octopus and the Posh Lil Divas' was curling the legs while the paint was still wet. If you try to curl the legs after the paint is dry, the paint will crack and sometimes flake off. If you curl the legs while the paint is damp then the legs will dry curled and stay that way. I made mine 4 months ago and the legs are still curled. 

• I took gemstones to simulate the suction cups on the legs of the octopus and that turned out great.

AND OF COURSE GOOGLY EYES!!!

These guys were a hit at the hospital. We punched two holes at the top with a hole punch and looped string through so that the kids were able to hang them from their IV poles and take them around the hospital with them. Also, if you hang your octopus you can see the suction cup gems more. 

Pinterest WIN - Bottle Turtles

I absolutely loved the idea of these turtles. I love crafts using recyclables. This one was done using the bottoms of 20 ounce soda bottles. Not too many changes with these - the original idea was simple and awesome to begin with. 

• The first thing I did was change the paper base to a foam base to make it a little more sturdy.
• The original pin mentioned using 2-Liter bottle bottoms, but I used 20-ounce bottle bottoms instead.
• I decoupaged the green shell on the outside with green and tan tissue paper and Mod Podge. I added green ultra-fine glitter to the Mod Podge to give it that shimmer without getting glitter all over the place. This way it doesn't shed glitter everywhere after it dries. (*TIP* They sell shimmer Mod Podge. It's easier and cheaper to buy an assortment pack of ultra-fine glitter. That way you can use whatever color you want and not have to have the whole bottle one color. Also, the kids can pick their own color and it adds another choice for them)

• For the pink turtle I decorated the body with pink tissue paper and glued some fun beads and buttons on it. I kept the shell clear on top. I connected the two pieces with a THICK line of hot glue, and then I added the sparkly pink pipe cleaner to hide the line of glue. 
• I added a magnet strip behind these. They are so light that they really stick well on refrigerators and other metal surfaces!

 AND GOOGLY EYES MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER

Because I'm all about giving credit and not stealing others' ideas; here is the link that the Pinterest picture I used directed me to:

http://residencelifecrafts.tumblr.com/post/62435937105

I Was Born with Glitter and Glue in my Viens

First post of a new blog. Let's see where this goes. 

A long time ago...

I love glitter. Don't you? Some good sparkle in your life goes a LONG way. It's not a surprise to people when I tell them I did Arts and Crafts at summer camp for years. It's also not a surprise when they find out that I have an Associate degree in Early Childhood Development and that I work with young kids. I love glitter, 80's Power Ballads, randomly breaking out into song and dance whilst waiting in a long line, Disney movies, DISNEY MOVIES, unicorns, rainbows, and all things that make you happy. People aren't surprised to find out that I'm crafty. Please don't mistake that for being an artist. I draw a mean stick figure, and there is a purpose for that... for a crafter. 

Every week I volunteer at a local children's hospital where I run a craft project with the kids. I work with children from ages 3 to 18 with a variety of special cognitive and physical needs. Needless to say, I have to be prepared with a project that can be made simple, can be embellished upon, and can be done with little to no assistance from others. Pinterest has been a fantastic resource in this adventure. I've been doing this for over a year and every week I post just pictures of the activities on my facebook, and for almost a year my friends have been requesting a blog with directions, where my inspiration came from, and more information. 

I told them I'm too lazy. 

I'm trying not to be too lazy. So for now, I'll going to start with a little segment called "Pinterest WINS" with pictures of the original Pinterest idea and a picture and short note with how I changed it. Let me know if you have any adaptations to add to a project and ideas on how to make it better!