This Christmas we opted for a handmade holiday. We turned our little creative space into Santa's workshop and settled in for some merry-making. (It seems we're not alone -- check out this article). I chose projects that I thought would be simple enough for Jack to help with; I really wanted it to be a joint effort. In the next few days I'll post some of our favorites. You can be sure if we did them you can too -- I only attempt projects if I'm pretty sure the process is kid-friendly and non-frustrating and the product is cute enough to be worth the work.
Case in point: the daisy pencil pot. We made this for my sweet three-year-old niece Courtney, inspired by this one from Family Fun.
We used artificial daisies from the craft store, pencils, a flower pot, a bag of beans, a glue gun, and a hole puncher. Here's the basic how-to: As I pulled the erasers out of the pencils, Jack pulled the flowers and leaves off the stems. Then, as I hot-glued the flowers to the tops of the pencils, Jack punched holes in the leaves with a hole puncher. He poked a pencil through the hole in each leaf and slid the leaf up under the flower. We filled the flower pot with beans (covering the hole in the bottom with a sticker), arranged the pencil-flowers inside, and personalized it with another sticker.
How do-able does that sound? And how cute is the finished product?
Honestly, it makes me happy just looking at it. We might just have to whip one for everyone we know (and one for me too!).
The added benefit, of course, is that this gift is such a fun way to encourage and inspire young writers. What a cheerful addition to a child's desk! I'm sure this will make writing irresistible. (This would also make a great teacher gift, or a present for a classroom's writing center...)
Is there a budding writer out there who wouldn't love this?
That looks so cool! I could see it being appropriate for a variety of different ages, even for Mother's Day! I thought your ornament hoist was really cool, too. What a lucky boy to have a mom who finds such clever projects that are totally fine-tuned to what he's really into!
Posted by: Lynnie | 30 December 2008 at 07:20 AM
I was just thinking how cool this would be with colored pencils and felt flowers in coordinating colors. Or cute bugs for a boy.
Good gift for Easter.
Posted by: rowena | 30 December 2008 at 12:12 PM
I love it! (And I loved peaking into your creative space too - so inspiring!)
Posted by: exhale. return to center. | 30 December 2008 at 05:54 PM
Your blog is great! I found it recently via Crafty Crow and I've know read every post! I just started a new blog and your blog was one that inspired me so I wanted you to check it out!
http://littlehandsbigwork.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Sam and Nate | 05 January 2009 at 11:46 PM
This is very nice.
Posted by: Krishna | 03 February 2009 at 11:57 PM