October 23rd 2015 - Halloween day at school

As today is the last day of term the school allow the children to go dressed up in Halloween outfits and they have a day of fun as wel as some work.

This year my middle son (eldest of the 2 at the school) wanted to go as a Skeleton Pirate, and this is what we did for him:

This  was very easy to sort as all 3 boys have pirate outfits and we had  2 skeletons outfits so it was just a case of mix and match of what fitted him best.  He had to have a mask as he is allergic to face paints.  Apart from fact skeleton legs bit short he looks really good.

My youngest  son found a pair of monster feet in a charity shop and said that he was going to wear them and go as a monster for Halloween at school.  Meet the feet:

The only problem we faced now was he had no monster outfit.  "Not a problem you can make me one mummy" says son!  Hahaha!

Well I hunted ebay and found a cute fluffy dog onesie that was similar colours to the feet, and thought I could alter it (see post).  It altered really well and here is lil man dressed as a monster ready to go to school:

I think he looks really cool.  I'm not sure the school are going to be happy as the monster feet make monster noises as he walks!!! lol.

Hope they both have a good day.

August 21st 2015 - Frozen party

August 21st 2015 - Frozen party

The local food bank had a frozen party today, complete with Olaf and Elsa.  Lil man wanted to go (so we went) and he was dressed as Sven the reindeer.

He joined in the singing and dancing and playing games even though he was only boy joining in, there were 2 others there but they sat with parents.  He said he really enjoyed it.

August 4th 2015 - Mr Maker has nothing on Mummy!

august 4th 2015 - Mr Maker has nothing on Mummy!

Today the local food bank had a viking day.  Lil man said he wanted to go dressed up.  Now if you have followed my blog you will remember how I made a Viking Tunic from a bath mat for world book day for middle son and also a viking shield.

So we were half way there for today.  I had hoped to use the knights helmet altered to make a viking helemt BUT we couldn't find it anywhere.  So I looked on pinterest and found this hat that can be made from cardboard and duck tape......cue my next problem the recycling was taken by hubby first thing this morning and I have no silver duck tape!  Ok not a problem, I sent the boys upstairs for the army hat, I started to cover it in white gaffa tape and then it came to me - tin foil!!!

This was my next yell at the kids, find me tin foil and sellotape.  They found them and gave them to me.  I covered the hat with tin foil and held in in place on the inside with selloptape.  From here I managed to find a small box that I could cut horn shapes out of and I covered them in white gaffa tape and stuck to the sides. 

From start finish was about 10minutes in making time, just before we charged out of the door!

Here is lil man as a viking:

and here is lil man, his brother who the viking at the food bank dressed up and the viking:

They had a really nice afternoon, it was very informative and they enjoyed being able to touch and look at things that the vikings would have had.  Thank you North Lakes Food Bank, Cumbria for hosting this event.

February 27th 2015 - Making a viking tunic

February 27th 2015 - Making a viking tunic

Following on from yesterdays post about making a viking shield (which is almost complete, just needs the front bit glueing onto it with hot glue).  I have set about making the viking tunic.  I got the idea from this pin which came from Where's my Glow blog.

As I said yesterday I bought a toilet and bath mat set for £3.99 to use as the base to make his tunic/ wasitcoat.  They are a great idea as they are brown and fluffy like fur.

I started by marking a line down the middle of the toilet mat on the back.  From the toilet mat I stitched the small top bit to one corner of the bath mat (I turned it the other way to the photo).  I then made my son hold it all whilst I worked out where the arm hole needed to be to, marked it on the inside with pen and took it off him.  I sewed up the side to where I had marked and tried it on him again.  It fitted ok.  I went to start the other side only to realise that the top is narrower than the bottom, so I had to cut on my line to make it into 2 pieces and then stitched the other small top piece to the bath mat - it was just over half way so I had to cut it.  I then stitched the side and left the arm hole.  This side was much harder to sew as it didnt have the nice bound edge, so I stitched it twice to make sure it holds.

This is what it looks like:

We are slowly getting there as a viking!

February 26th 2015 - Making a viking shield

Februatu 26th 2015 - making a viking shield

Next Thursday (5th march) is world book day.  Yesterday on our family learning at the school we were talking about books (its a literacy course after all) and world book day came up and how the school doesnt do dress up for it etc, the teacher who is sat in on the sessions said that as the school iss doing a big push on reading at the moment they ARE allowing the kids to dress up as a book character this year.

I spoke to my sons when we got home about it, neither had a letter (we were told they would be going out in day or so), and asked what they want to go as.  You name it and i'm pretty sure in 1 of the 3 boys cupboards, the box of dressing up "bits" (hats/masks/gloves and extras) or the halloween box in the loft we have most things or can at least make something from a combination of.  My youngest said he is going in his thomas the tank outfit (like a onesie but is a full thomas suit not just a picture of him)  and will take 1 of his thomas books.  Brilliant I don't have to do anything there.  Asked my middle son what he wants to go as hoping he says something we have etc and he goes upstairs to his books, comes back down and says "I want to go as a viking!"  ME -  "errrr it has to be a character from a book, you have no viking books", Son replies "I do, my how to train your dragon books have vikings in, can I go as Hiccup and take my toothless pillow?"  Well that shut me up didn't it, nothing like a smarta** kid and his comments. lol.

Well I started hunting the net for "proper" outfits and I am not paying the price that they are - £7.99 upwards, i'm not paying that much for one!  So I did my usual and hit pinterest in the hope of finding a "how to make a viking outfit".  I found a few including a really good tutorial on making a "furry" waistcoat" from a bath and toilet mat!  I went to town today and bought a bath and toilet mat set in brown for £3.99, but this will be tomorrows pin as I need to meansure son before I start cutting and sewing.

Todays pin is how to make a viking shield.  This picture is taken from google and is Hiccups orriginal shield from when he was younger (about the same age as my son is), in the later films he has a dragon it, this is the design I will be painting onto our shield.  There is also this pin that shows you how to make a shield in general.

I have cut out the curcle and have the duck tape to go round the edge, I have covered a small plastic pot in duck tape to make the silver bit in the middle of the shield - i'm going to hot glue gun this on once its painted, I also have a piece of cardboard that will be glued or duck taped to the back to  make the handle.

February 6th 2015 - Clowning around

February 6th 2015 - clowning around

Near Easter as part of my St John Ambulance Badgers Entertainment badge we are having a circus evening.  The plan was that the kids all dress in bright coloured/baggy/spotty/striped clothes as clowns, and had their faces painted and I was going to make them all a clown wig and I was going to go as the ring master (as i'm the leader in charge).  Well this won't be happening fully as 1 of the children doesn't like clowns, but has said as long as no-1 is completely covered with face paint and a wig etc she will be fine, she said as long as she can see its us even with just a red nose she can manage.

Well I started to look for a ringmasters out and top hat, I found a jacket in my size on ebay and have been watching it but it has gone up to a silly price and still has 4days to go.  I also looked at making a top hat rather than buying one, but in order to cover it with felt it worked out more expensive than buying one - £3.99 to buy one and £4.50 for the felt. 

So I thought I would make myself a clown outfit (today's pin) like the one on pinterest - very easy and cheap to do.  I had to go into town for a few bits and was on the hunt for animal print fabric as cheap as possible for another SJA event later in the year.  I didn't  find any cheap animal print fabric but I did find a blue with multi-spots onesie in the charity shop.  I had seen it last week and left it as I was going as ring  master.  But as I said to hubby the fact the ring master outfit was selling for a lot and this onesie was still in the shop it was fate I was meant to go as a clown!  Hubby reckons it means that everyone else in our town has sense and wont be see in it! LOL!

The onesie:

I think I will pass a bright clown!  However, I have a suspicion that the  night I need to go as a clown will fall on a night that I need to stay to the adult section of SJA for training or a unit social evening down the pub - but that's fine with me, I think the adults will be embarressed by what i'm wearing more than I will!!!

The evening will be a fun one for the children, where we will be trying out an assortment of circus skills.  I have plastic eggs and spoons (from my children's summer bag of outdoor toys), we have a plate spinning set, soft balls to juggle with, there is a set of plastic stilts they can walk on, try and balance a ball on their finger, I plan to make a set of weights from balloons with rice in them attached to a pole, walk the plank (from pirate party last year) and i'm getting some modelling balloons so we can try and make balloon animals - I know how to do a snake and an earthworm (inflate balloon and tie! lol!) but hubby said no!