October 17th 2015 - paper book folding

I have spent today again trying to come up with easy crafts that are suitable for both boys and girls for my St John Cadets to do that are not the "normal" cut and stick kiddie crafts.

I have a pile of books upstairs that are going to the charity shop, so I decided to try and make a paper book folding christmas tree.  Looks easy enough so I had a go.

The insctructions I found were in German so I had to hunt for some in English asn translation didn't make sense.

Anyway, take a book and remove the cover and take out about 60pages leaving the glue on the spine, the more pages you use the thicker the finished tree will be but it will take longer to do:

From here you need to start folding pages like you would to make a paper airplane!  Make sure you have the spine to the left when you start as its easier.  Take the top right corner and fold down to the spine and crease so its a sharp fold (I use and old store card):

Then you need to take the section and fold onto itself so that you get a thin point at the top and airplane shape, again crease so its a sharp fold:

You will notice that the bottom of the folded page sticks out below the bottom of the book, this also need folding.  If you bend it down over the rest of the book you will get a fold mark, using this tuck the bottom bit upwards so that it is hidden under the 2nd fold:

Keep folding the rest of the pages in the above way (it is time consuming but worth it):

Then once you have folded all the pages you will need to staple the 1st and last pages together to make it as a cone shape and it will look like this:

It is now upto you if you decorate it or leave it plain.  I am going to add a glitter paint to the folded part of each page that makes the tree and add some sparkly stars and a pom pom to the top.

please make sure if doing with children that the books are suitable incase they decide to read any of the pages!  I had planned to use the books that I have upstairs for charity shop but as I made this 1 I realised they are NOT suitable and will still be going to charity shop, so I will be going to buy some more suitable ones (maybe from the kids/teens section).

October 16th 2015 - Christmas Candy Sleighs

I know it is only October and we haven't got as far as Halloween BUT I needed to sort out some craft activities for St John Ambulance including 1 week where they are in uniform which means no paint, glitter or glue or anything that would make a mess.   Yea not the easiest of tasks in the world!

Then I remembered the Christmas Candy Sleighs I made for the boys teachers 2 Christmas's ago - they were very easy to make and used double sided tape.

These were the ones I made for the teachers.  They look pretty good and the teachers liked them.

Que me going shopping for sweets and chocolate to make them.  £19.81 later I have everything I need to make a new demo version and enough sweets for 19 children to make sleighs - that work out at £1 per child - when you put it that way you cant really complain especially as 4 bar kit kats are 79p each in my local shop.  The sweets were from b&m, home bargains and poundland, all in multi-packs.

Take 1 huge pile of sweets:

And  split them to what you need - 1 kit kat, 2 twix bars, 2 maoam blocks, 1 orange segment, 1 choc santa and 2 candy canes:

And you are almost ready to make the sleighs.  You also need 2 pieces of christmas ribbon and either double sided tape or sticky glue dots.

Step 1. Take out your kit kat and 2 twix bars.  Place the Kit kat right way up on the table.  Take 1 of the twix bars and a glue dot to each end on the back, then push down onto the back of your kit kat.  Do the same for 2nd twix and stick infront of the 1st one. You can add a sticky dot between the 2 twix bars to keep them together.

 

Step 2. Place kit kat on the table.  Take 1 of your 2 maoam bars, add a glue dot to each end of it on the back and stick on top of the twix bars.  Do this for the 2nd maoam as well.  You can add a glue dot between the 2 so they stay together. 

 

Step 3.  Place your kit kat on the table.  Take your orange segment and put a glue dot on each end on the base.  Stick this at the back on top of the maoam blocks. 

 

Step 4.  Take your Santa and place a glue dot on the base and 1 on the back about half way up.  Place Santa infront of the bars on the kit kat. 

Step 5.  Take 1 of the candy canes, put a glue dot on the top near the straight end, a glue dot in the middle and a glue dot near the curve.  Stick this to one side of the base of the kit kat.  Do the same for the other candy cane.  The curves need to be at the front near Santa. 

Step 6.  Take 1 piece of the Christmas ribbon.  Place a glue dot in the middle of the kit kat on the base and place the middle of the ribbon on it.  Take the ends up and over the sweet “parcels” and fix with a glue dot on the top.

 

Step 7. Take the other piece of the Christmas ribbon, tie both ends of the ribbon together in a knot.  Place a glue dot just infront of Santa and fix the knotted it to it (leave the knot to flap about like reins).  Take the rest of the ribbon under the front of the sleigh, stick to the glue dot from 1st ribbon if possible and bring up the back of the sweet “parcels” and fix on the glue dot on the top.

 

You now have a sleigh with reins. 

Some websites say to make these with hot glue or super glue - i dont reccommend this as the glue melts the plastic wrappers of the sweets and ends up touching the sweets making them un-eatable.  Therefore it is safer (especially if being done with children) to use double sided tape of sticky glue dots.

October 15the 2015 - SALE

SALE the word all women love and all  men hate as it costs them money!

This sale that I am referring to is in my local b&m store, they have some halloween bits reduced already, not sure if they are last years stock or what but I don't really care either!  I picked up a set of red had print lights (will be used when I do my bathroom as a blood scene) they were reduced to £1.  I picked up a fairly large purple glitter plumpkin again reduced to £1 (my friend is having this she just needs a tealight for it.)  And a mini purple pumpkin that was 10p (again going to friend).

I am also keeping an eye out for cheap witches hats for next year, so again I will be hunting the sales for them.

October 14th 2015 - money matters

Today is wednesday, this means that as per earlier in the year I am back at school.  This term the short course we are doing is called money matters.  We will be looking at ways to save money, banks and building societies, budgeting, making gifts vs buying them, loans and credit unions, sales and offers and anything else that may be money related.

Hopefully it will be helpful and enjoyable like the previous courses have all been.  The difference this time round is that the children will only be in for 1 session and not a short time every session, but that is for the reason the course is aimed at the parents and not how to help the children.

October 13th 2015 - Good days

For today's pin I am going to share a post about good days vs bad days linked to chronic pain.  Today is a good day and I am not in that much pain and have been able to do things.

I appologise for the rude words in the post but it is very true, anyone that suffers from chronic pain will agree that this is how it is.  The good days are few and far between and they dont very often last long.

October 12th 2015 - Frankenstein repair kit

Following on from previous Halloween posts and apothecary bottles I have spent today making a Frankenstein repair kit.  

This has to be one of the easiest apothecary bottles you can make.  You need the following items:

An empty spice bottle.

An assortment of screws, nails, bolts, pieces of wire, springs etc.

Combine them together and seal the lid to itself and then to the jar with a strong glue like UHU.  Allow to dry.  Then you can add a label that says:

And you  have your finished frankenstein repair kit in a bottle ready to add to your apothecary shelf.

October 11th 2015 - Paperwork

Today's pin is off my secondary account that I use for St John Ambulance.  It seemed very apt for today as I have spent most of the day doing Paperwork in one form or another for St John Ambulance.

I have printed documents, I have placed some in envelopes to be sent off to other people, I have made documents on word, I have edited and saved documents off the internet, I have sent and received emails and messages, I have made lists of  things we need etc.

I am glad that I am finished with it for today.