I am a sucker for alliteration. Can you tell?
In a previous post, I lamented the madness that accompanies the merry month of May. From graduations and end of the school year concerts, sports tournaments, plays and awards banquets to Mother’s Day and Memorial Day, it’s enough to challenge even the most seasoned multitasker.
It’s one thing to be present at each event, but quite another when you are responsible for bringing a gift, food item or other contribution. Right now, I am taking it one day at a time. This weekend, my goal is to complete my Mother’s Day gift making/purchasing. Since my mom lives 5,000 miles away, I have to have her presents purchased/made, wrapped and shipped no later than Monday in order to guarantee receipt by next Sunday.
Fortunately, my second grader has no shortage of artistic energy. She is my secret weapon in the war against time. In the next 48 hours she will be putting her crafting skills to the test by completing the following projects which her grandma will likely cherish forever:
Family Photo Tree: Using a leaf-shaped cookie cutter, have your child cut-out pictures of individual family members. Next, have your son or daughter draw a large tree trunk and empty branches (you could also print an image of a bare tree from your computer). Finally, have your child glue the photos onto the tree, and label the leaves with the names of each family member.
Personalized Shirts: Purchase an inexpensive plain colored t-shirt, along with some fabric paint, stencils and stamps. Give your child creative control to decorate the shirt in honor of mom/grandma. Older kids could write, “World’s Greatest Mom” or “Mom = Love,” while younger children could simply embellish the shirt with handprints, hearts, flowers or happy faces.
Napkin Holders: All you need are a few pipe cleaners or memory wire, pony or seed beads and jewelry pliers. Simply twist the pipe cleaner or memory wire into a U-shape. Next, decorate rings with various color beads, and then close the pipe cleaners by twisting the ends together. If you are using memory wire, use the pliers to bend the ends of the wire into a small circle to prevent the beads from falling off.
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