Teddy Bear Ears (Teddy Bear Picnic Preparation)

We had a wonderful family day today. I will share the details for Happy Family Times. As a result we have not done too many crafts, but we are preparing for Hazel's teddy bear picnic that we are hosting next week. So here is a simple craft I have been doing at night. I have been hand sewing them, though the machine would probably be faster, but I've been doing them in front of the television and like the quiet of hand sewing. We are making a pair for each person coming to the picnic. 

Materials:

4 felt/fabric ear shapes (I used a furry felt, but any fabric would work)

1 headband

thread

needle

pins and scissors

Take two of your fabric ears and put right sides together and pin to hold in place. Then stitch around the side (I did about 1/2 inch seam). 

Then clip the curves. (This means make small cuts up to the stitches where the object is curved. This will help it lay correctly when you turn it the right way. Be careful not to cut the stitches!) Note: I did not cut the thread until the end and just kept using it.

Turn the ear right side out.

Baste stitch the bottom shut. (Basting are long stitches that are used for gathering.)

Pull on your thread and gather the bottom of the ear. I actually put a few stitches in the bottom to keep it folded in half there.

Then decide on where the ear will be placed on the headband and stitch it securely on the band. I used fabric covered headbands so this was easy. If I hadn't bought fabric covered, I would have covered the head bands with brown ribbon or fabric.

Make another ear for the other side and sew it on! Now give to your teddy bear and get bear hugs!

Daddy was resting after our long day out while I finished up another one.  Then I got my teddy bear hugs from her!

Post Card Swap Map

So remember a few weeks ago, I mentioned we are participating in the USA Post Card Swap that Beth at Living Life Intentionally is running. I showed you the post card we picked and a map of the USA and promised a project to tie it all together. Well today is the day. Since Hazel is not quite ready to really get all she can from these great post cards I want to make them usable for when she is older. Well I took our map (I got it at AAA for free as a member) and Mod Podged it onto two pieces of poster board (I think I would use cardboard or foam board next time). I also put a layer of Mod Podge over the map to seal it. I bought a package of very small Velcro dots that had 56 of them. I started putting one side around the map and the other part of the Velcro on the post cards so we could see all the post cards around the map and then take them off to read all the wonderful things people wrote about their states.

Once we have all fifty post cards we will hang this up in our craft room. When Hazel is a bit older we can use it to learn about where the states are and a little bit about each one. I have to say I love this post card swap idea!! I may have to try something like this. Would you be interested?

Butterflies Part 3

Special Note: My dear husband is off this week, so if I miss a day it is because I'm enjoying some quality time with my family!!

Sharing Saturday is open until Wednesday at midnight EDT! Please stop by to share your child-oriented ideas or to be inspired by the amazing ones already shared!

Happy Family Times is still open as well. Please come share what you have done with your family this week!

Now onto our butterfly post. If you missed the first two, please stop by and check them out. Butterfly crafts and books is the first one and Origami Butterflies is the second one.

Today I am going to share a butterfly craft I thought of on my own--or at least I don't remember seeing it anywhere, but I'm sure it has been done. We made some toilet paper roll butterflies. We covered the toilet paper rolls in black construction paper, but they could be painted as well.

Then I folded some construction paper in half and cut out the wings. We glued this to the black toilet paper rolls after Hazel colored on them.

Then we added antennae. We cut a pipe cleaner in half. And used one half for each butterfly.

Next we folded the half pipe cleaner in half and curled the ends. 

Then we glued (and taped) the antennae on to the butterfly. We taped since we got sick of waiting for the glue to dry while holding them. 

Hazel could not wait to play with them. Last night we read Fancy Nancy Bonjour, Butterfly by Jane O'Connor, and she loved it. She started making a story about the butterfly and the blue one is named Fancy!

The next four are ones that have been shared at various Sharing Saturdays or Happy Family Times. I have tried two of them. One is from The Mini Mes and Me: Dolly Peg Butterflies. (Sorry, I can't provide a picture, but check them out. They are so cute. We ran out of time to do this one today, but may try it soon!)

The next three are from Wesens-Art. The large one is her Swinging Butterfly. Then there is one of her Quilled Butterflies. And finally her Gift Boxes which include a butterfly. I attempted the gift boxes and the swinging butterfly. 

Although I would make the pattern bigger next time, I liked these. My swinging butterfly, however needs some work. I rushed to finish it and haven't gone back over it yet. I think I may have miss threaded something.

So that is the end of our butterfly crafts for now. We have plans for a few dragonfly crafts, but we need to start working on our teddy bear ones since our teddy bear picnic is next week!