handmaking with kids : DIY lacing beads

fresh off her 2012 Handmade Olympics GOLD medal (where her gorgeous wooden stacking bowls were voted favourite eco-goodie!) , gail of *bright life toys* is sharing a fun & fabulous lacing beads DIY with us today! you'll just love this easy & charming project, as well as adoring the creative play for creative kids toys in gail's gorgeous, bright & beautiful handmade shop. too!

yay to handmaking with kids!

and yay to beautiful handcrafted toys for kiddies, too!

bright life toys

etsy shop | site | facebook

MAKING LACING BEADS with the KIDS!

Materials Needed - (these can all be found at your local craft store)

-non toxic craft paint in a variety of colors

-paint brushes

-wooden beads in a variety of sizes

-a length of ribbon, shoe string or yarn

-someplace to set the beads while they dry (I used an old pie plate)

-plate (or palette, if you want to get fancy)

-nontoxic wood sealer*

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Lacing beads help a child to learn colors, shapes and sizes. They help to develop fine motor skills and coordination. Your little one will enjoy learning to sort, count and thread while playing with his / her lacing beads!

Due to the sizes of the pieces, I recommend this set for children 3+ or those that no longer mouth their toys. If the chosen beads are small, they can pose a choking hazard.

Wooden beads come in all shapes and sizes. For an easier set, use larger beads with a larger threading hole. For a more challenging set for older children, use smaller beads with a smaller threading hole.

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ONE: To begin this project, open the paint, and squirt a little of each color onto the plate, allowing plenty of room between colors. (Not that it will matter, because if your child is like mine, they will all get mixed together anyway.)

TWO: Dip the brush in the paint, and begin to paint each wooden bead. Allow your child's creativity to truly shine! 

THREE: When the bead is painted, set it on its end on the pie plate to allow it to dry.

FOUR: Allow the beads to dry for 3 hours, or until paint is dry to the touch.

FIVE: When the beads are dry, it is time to seal them. You have a couple of options - you can use a nontoxic wood sealer, which will make your paint shiny and protect it from color transfer or you can use beeswax wood polish. The choice is yours. The wood sealer can be found at local craft shops in the craft paint section.

If choosing to use a wood sealer, gently brush it on using a paint brush. This should be a grown-up job, as it can be messy. Set the beads on their ends once again to dry. Let dry overnight.

SIX: Once they are dry, it is time to play! Depending on your child's age and skill, you can use several things for the lacing part of this toy. Beginners (younger children) can start out with a shoestring. The end is easy to thread through the beads. More advanced / older children can use a ribbon or length of yarn. It will be more difficult to thread the bead onto.

For ease, you can tie a knot around one bead to prevent the others from slipping off.

Enjoy stringing the beads with your child!

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thanks so much, bright life toys! be sure to visit gail's other creations around the web, too!

made anything fun with kiddies lately?

tell us about it!

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scrumptious: yummy emergency biscuits recipe with tiny giraffe

spring has sprung, nicies.

let's come out of hibernation and head out for fun new adventures.

but what to whip up for all those springtime drop in visitors? 

well the lovely Amy of the adorable tiny giraffe shop {and GOLD medal handmade olympics fame!} has the perfect scrumptious solution!

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Amy writes: My most favorite vintage cookbook, All About Home Baking (published in 1933), is as entertaining as it is useful. This charming little book speaks to the modern housewife of the 30's, discussing new revelations such as standard measurements and oven heat regulators. Rest assured, there's a page dedicated to achieving a "smart bridge luncheon" complete with menu and table setting instructions. No more sleepless nights worrying about my next bridge luncheon!

As much as I love to poke fun at the expectations of the modern housewife of this era, this book is filled with recipes that are perfect every time. They're simple and classic -- just the way I like to cook. So, the next time your husband calls saying the big boss is coming to dinner in just two hours, you'll have a simple go-to recipe: Emergency Biscuits.

Now who's the calm, cool, and collected housewife? You are!

Emergency Biscuits

2 cups sifted cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter or other shortening

3/4 cup milk

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift again (btw, I don't sift.) Cut shortening; add milk all at once and stir carefully until all flour is dampened. Then stir vigorously until mixture forms a soft dough that clings to sides of bowl. Drop from teaspoon on ungreased baking sheet. Bake in hot oven (450 degrees F.) 12-15 minutes. Makes 12 biscuits.

And yes, perfect emergency biscuits every time. Serve these to the boss or at your next bridge luncheon.

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brilliant, amy! 

now nicies... after you're done baking up a storm ... you're also going to LOVE the ingenuity and handmade wisdom from the tiny giraffe shop. it's one of my very favourite handmade children's shops. it's filled with gorgeous and stylish, modern and classic wooden blocks in the funnest & freshest array of styles and designs. plus, amy is one of the warmest, sweetest, smartest community-building handmakers around, and she's a pleasure to work with! so head on over and visit this wonderwoman around the web.

tiny giraffe shop

etsy shop | facebook | twitter
 

cheers on your many successes, nicey!

and here's to many more.

i'll put on a batch of *emergency biscuits* and hope to see  all you nicies over at my place for tea shortly!

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