How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies
in Your Kitchen the Frugal Way

crafts

Columbus Day Activities for Kids

by Home Heart Strings

Columbus Day Activities for Kids

You can have fun and teach your kids about Columbus Day at the same time. Crafts and activities are a great way to give kids a hands-on experience that underscores their learning. Here are some ideas for kids’ activities for Columbus Day.

1. Boat Race

For this activity, gather the following items:

* Wading pool
* 3 egg cartons, Styrofoam or cardboard
* Floral foam
* Craft sticks or wooden skewers
* White paper
* Scissors
* Electric fan
* Permanent markers and/or crayons
* Hot glue gun

First, cut the egg cartons apart along the hinge. You will be using the lids. Lay slabs of floral foam evenly in each lid so that it’s balanced. Decorate the outside of the egg carton lids however you like. Maybe give them a wooden look with brown, gray and black crayons and markers.

Cut sail shapes from the white paper and decorate them with the names of Columbus’ three ships (the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria). Hot glue the sails to the craft sticks or skewers, then stick them into the floral foam sail-side-up.

Fill the wading pool with several inches of water. Keeping the cord and fan well away from the water, place it near enough to create a breeze on the water. Line up the ships, turn on the fan, and have a boat race.

2. Spanish and Italian Feast

Christopher Columbus was a native of Italy, and his trip was funded by Spain’s Queen Isabella. Find recipes online or at your local library for classic regional foods and have an ethnic meal. Here are some ideas for various foods and dishes.

Spanish:
* Paella (traditional chicken and rice dish)
* Gazpacho (cold vegetable soup)
* Chorizo (pork sausage with paprika)
* Tortilla de Patatas (tortilla made with potatoes and eggs)

Italian:
* Frittata (savory pancake with egg and various ingredients)
* Fresh pasta (making pasta noodles can be a fun activity in itself)
* Tiramisu (sponge cake-based dessert with chocolate and Kahlua liqueur)
* Risotto (slow-cooking skillet rice dish)

3. Make a Map

Use butcher paper, large sheets of brown wrapping paper, or even brown paper bags (cut along the seams to make a flat sheet) to make a big map. Research in order to get Columbus’ route accurate, and draw a map of the countries and the route. You could use construction paper to cut out three little ships to go along the route on the map.

The finished map can be put up on a wall if you like, and the ships moved a little each day.

4. Explore

You don’t have to go finding another country, but the whole family can go out exploring with a goal in mind. Put away the GPS and use a paper map and a compass to go on a drive or a hike. Circle the destination on the map and find your way using the old-fashioned implements. You could also replicate this spirit of exploration and map reading with a scavenger hunt.

Share this:

{ 0 comments }

How to Make Homemade Soap

by Home Heart Strings

How to Make Homemade Soap

We all use soap. In the old days, most people made their own. Today, we are much more likely to buy it from the store. There are lots of brands to choose from, and each brand has various formulations and scents.

But making your own soap has some definite advantages. One of the most significant is the price. We can make soap much cheaper than we can buy it. Making it ourselves also gives us complete control over the ingredients, so we can create a soap that’s perfect for our skin type in a scent of our choosing.

Making soap is much easier than you might think. It is, however, important to take certain safety precautions. Here’s a basic recipe:

Ingredients

* 12 cups lye crystals
* 5 cups softened water
* 6 pounds lard

Instructions

1. Put water in a glass or plastic bowl. Carefully pour lye into water, stirring constantly with a plastic or wooden spoon. This should be done outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, because it produces caustic fumes.
2. Mixing lye and water produces heat. When the lye is completely dissolved, set the mixture aside to cool.
3. Place lard in a stainless steel or enamel pan. Melt over low heat.
4. Allow both the lye solution and the lard to cool to room temperature.
5. Slowly pour the lye solution into the lard, stirring slowly and constantly with the plastic or wooden spoon.
6. Continue stirring after all of the lye solution has been added. Drizzle a small amount of the mixture into the pot periodically. When the soap keeps its shape for a moment before sinking into the mixture, you can add scent, color and herbs.
7. Pour the soap into a mold greased with Crisco. Wrap in a towel, and let set for about 18 hours or until completely cooled. Uncover and let set for 12 more hours.
8. The soap may now be unmolded and cut into bars. Let the bars cure for 3 to 4 weeks before using.

Customizing Your Soap

There are lots of different ways you can customize your soap. To make the best soap for your skin type, you may want to use different oils. Some that are commonly used include olive oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter and shea butter. The correct amount varies depending on which oil you use, so look for recipes online or in books until you get the hang of it.

Essential oils have therapeutic properties and add fragrance. Oatmeal, cornmeal and other grains can be added as exfoliants. And skin-safe colorants may be used to produce the desired color. These ingredients should be mixed together and added to a cup of the soap mixture, then stirred into the rest of the soap mixture immediately before pouring into the mold.

Making your own soap is easy, and it can be lots of fun. Coming up with the perfect concoction for your skin is rewarding, and sweetly scented homemade soaps make wonderful gifts for any occasion.

Share this:

{ 0 comments }

Scrapbooking for Beginners

by Home Heart Strings

Scrapbooking for Beginners

Scrapbooking has been around for ages, but it has recently experienced a surge in popularity. People from all walks of life have discovered the joys of creating albums to showcase their treasured photos and keepsakes. But with all the elaborate scrapbooking techniques and myriad embellishments available, getting started can be intimidating.

The truth is, anyone that can use scissors and glue can scrapbook. And you don’t have to spend ridiculous amounts of money to create attractive pages. With some basic supplies and a little imagination, you can create lovely scrapbooks that will be adored for years to come.

What You Need

You can get started scrapbooking on a small budget. Here are the things you’ll need.

* An album – Scrapbooking albums come in all shapes and sizes. The most popular are 8 1/2″ x 11″ and 12″ x 12″. They can be found at most craft supply stores if you don’t have a scrapbooking supply store nearby.

* Paper – Scrapbooking paper can be found in a variety of solid colors and patterns. This will be the basis for each page. You may also use scrapbooking paper for journaling and to create your own photo mats and embellishments.

* Cutting tools – You can easily get by with just a good pair of scissors. But an Exacto knife might make photo cropping easier. And if you’re no good at cutting straight lines, you might want to invest in a paper cutter.

* Adhesives – There are all sorts of adhesives one could use for scrapbooking. Glue sticks and double-sided tape are quite popular. Some scrapbookers also use rubber cement or glue dots for certain applications. But when you’re getting started, just use what you’re most comfortable with.

* Photos – Beginning scrapbookers often start out with old photos that they’ve accumulated over the years. This makes for a nice, nostalgic album. Of course you can also take new pictures for your scrapbook. A digital camera and photo printer are two modern conveniences that make scrapbooking easier, but they are not necessities. Photos taken by a film camera work just as well.

When purchasing scrapbooking supplies, it’s important to make sure they are acid-free. This will keep them from harming your priceless photos.

Basic Techniques

You don’t have to know a lot about scrapbooking techniques to create an attractive album. Just a few simple techniques will suffice.

One of the first things many scrapbookers learn is how to mat photos. This can be accomplished by simply cutting a square or rectangle that is about a half inch longer and wider than the photo you want to mat. Then glue the photo to the center. To make a photo really stand out, double mat it by cutting out a shape a half inch longer and wider than the first mat, and center the matted photo on it.

Journaling gives scrapbook pages a nice personal touch. Simply write a note about the photos on a page, telling what was happening or sharing your thoughts on the subject. Use paper that coordinates with the background, and be sure to write with an acid-free pen.

Adding borders to your pages gives them a finished look. You can make them out of strips of coordinating scrapbook paper. You don’t have to border all four sides. A strip along the top, side or bottom will do. For easy embellishing, use some stickers.

There’s no need to throw in the towel if you don’t have the time, money or know-how to create elaborate scrapbooks. Just start off simple, and learn new techniques as you go.

Share this:

{ 0 comments }