How To: Making A Stuffed Furry Snake

Yesterday, I didn't do a lot of crafting, but I did manage to get a few projects done. As Christmas draws near, I am looking to shore up the Christmas stash, and find gifts to make for people that are both frugal, and nice. One of the things I did yesterday, was make a stuffed furry snake out of left over fake fur boa. I used this in re-fashioning a sweater for Gillian. Sadly, I have no before photos of this project.

The fur was already sewn into a tube shape, and since I had cut a section off, it was a long skinny open tube, perfect for a pet snake. I made eyes out of black & white felt I picked up over the weekend, and a long red tongue out of red felt. I sewed the eyes on first, then stuffed it, added the tongue to the opening and sewed it shut.



When it was "done", it just felt too bare, so I glitzed it up a bit. Using some sparkly green costume fabric, I fashioned a bow. Now, while this may seem like the easy part, let me explain just why it wasn't.

I love glittery, sparkly, slippery, shiny fabric for costumes. However, my sewing machine has never, ever agreed with it. It doesn't matter the settings or needle, the machine balks at sewing it. I only buy it when it's a remnant, but it's still an impossible dream for me.

In order to fashion the bow, I used hot glue. I folded the ends to the middle, width wise (narrow), then put a strip of glue on one side, and folded it together again, making a long skinny strip. Once that was done, I folded it into a simple bow shape, and was actually able to sew down the middle to secure it, before cutting the loose ends off.

I attempted to sew the middle together, to gather it, but that was a failure. Instead, I used a regular needle & thread to go through the fabric once, then I just wound the thread around it, over and over, and tied it off. Lastly, I hot glued a purple flower shaped rhinestone to the middle and called it good.

I also added rhinestones to the eyes, so it's a pretty, sparkly furry snake. It obviously is not good for small children prone to eating things, as the rhinestones can pop off, but it'll make a good gift for the 7-8 year old range my family is swamped with. Counting all 3 sides of my family, there were 5 little girls born from August 2001 to August 2002. Actually, I think there were 6, come to think of it.

Anyway, these will make a cute little add in. I am toying with the idea of a cute, removeable skirt. I have some various laces that make for a quick, easy, & dressy skirt.

Thanksgiving Kids Crafts

These are more of those craft ideas that can help keep little hands busy while the adults make their Thanksgiving Feast. It would also make for a fun school craft while talking about Thanksgiving.

Harvest Necklace

What You'll Need:
Thread or Fishing line
Needle
Cheerios
Dried Fruit- Raisins, Apricots, Apples, Cranberries, etc
Popped Corn

This is a simple project, just stringing things on a thread. Set each child up with a length of thread or fishing line, knotted on one end, and threaded through a needle on the other side.

Let the kids do an assortment or pattern of the foods provided on the thread. When it's close to full, take it off the needle, and tie together like a necklace for the kids to wear, and snack on!

Candy Cornucopia

What You'll Need:
Sugar Waffle Cones
Fruit Shaped Candies or cereal or Nuts & Dried Fruit
Decorating frosting with a writing tip

Have the kids or an adult write their names on the side of the waffle cone. Once it's dried, let the kids scoop some candies or dried fruit & nuts into the cone for their own cornucopia Thanksgiving treat!

Thumbprint Turkey Placecards

What You'll Need:
Ink pads in various fall colors- browns, golds, oranges, reds, and yellows
Black & Red Marker
Construction Paper or Card Stock

• Press a thumb into the inkpad and then on paper to print a turkey's body. Use the same technique with fingertips to create a head and feathers.

• Use markers to add a beak, wattle and feet.

• Complete the cards by writing in guests' names

Most of all- have fun, and enjoy your upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday!

Gifts Kids Can Make

I have 3 kids, and a whole lot of extended family. While we no longer try to buy for everyone, I do like to give something to as many people as I can, even if it's something small. This year, we are focusing on homemade gifts, such as the Christmas Dishtowel Angel.

With 3 kids, there is no reason not to involve them in the process as well! What Grandparent doesn't love a small homemade ornament, or a card? Or hand print art? While Christmas is still 2 months away, now is the time to get started on craft projects, so that you don't feel so rushed when December arrives. I like to set aside a Saturday with no other plans, and let the kids get creative.

Here are a few idea's I've been looking at to help get the kids into the spirit, and to help cut back on our Christmas gift costs.

Reindeer Pots

What You'll Need:
Scissors
Craft Glue, Hot Glue, or Glue Dots (school glue won't cut it on this one)
Terracotta clay pots- any size you want, but a 4-5" would work nice
Plastic google eyes
Red pom-poms- glittery or non
Three shades of brown craft foam, cardstock paper, or construction paper- your choice.
Tulle or netting to wrap candy in unless the candy is wrapped already
Pretty ribbon if you use the tulle or netting
Holiday Candy

You are going to need to make 2 antlers (dark brown), 2 large ears (medium brown), and 2 slightly smaller ears (light brown) to be the 'inside' of the ear. You'll also need 2 eyes, and 1 red nose.

If you have a larger pot, the easiest way to make the ears is using a child's hand to trace the shape. With the smaller pots, simply draw an ear shape on the medium you choose from the darkest brown color.

Glue the middle ear to the bigger ear, then glue that to the middle bottom of the antlers. Glue the antlers to the inside rim of the pot in the back.

Glue the eyes to the middle of the front of the pot, and the red pom pom nose under that, near the bottom of the pot.

Fill with wrapped candies, or make a tulle or net bag to wrap candies such as M & M's into. Voila- a cute reindeer candy dish to give away. This is great for teachers.

Beaded Ornaments

What you'll need:
Pony beads in assorted colors
Tinsel pipe cleaners
Jingle Bells

This is basically just bead stringing, and twisting the wire to create shapes.

Similar to the Holiday Napkin Rings, you can make a snowman. Bead about 18-20 beads in the middle, then twist to create the bigger snowball. String 12-14 beads onto the remaining portion, leaving enough space to twist the strands together on top.

Cut 3 pipe cleaners in half. Laying flat, twist two of them together in the middle to create a cross shape. Use the remaining two to create an X shape on top of the cross. String 3 beads towards the center of each strand to create a sparkling snow flake.

Use a gold pipe cleaner to form a bell- fold the pipe cleaner in half, and pinch a small bit of the bed to twist. Fluff it out to a circle to create a hanger. Now, shape the two end strands into a small bell shape, bending the ends towards each other to form the bottom. String 1 small jingle bell to the bottom center as you twist the ends together.

These ornaments make a great addition to a tag on top of a gift, and take hardly any time at all.

Christmas Puzzle Frame

What You'll Need:
Assorted puzzle pieces, any size
Red paint
Green paint
Paint brush
Glue
An old picture frame- this works better if the frame is flat, and not decorative with edges and bumps, and designs
Thin holiday ribbon
Glitter

Have the kids paint the puzzle pieces green or red, leaving an assortment of both. While still wet, the kids can sprinkle glitter onto the pieces. Once they are dry, the child can start gluing them to the frame, covering the whole outer side of it. Let this dry flat over night.

Once it's dry, tie a bow to place in the top corner, then run ribbon trails across the top, and down the side, gluing them into place here and there to create a bump going down it.

You can add a pretty picture from a past holiday if you would like, or the kids school photo, or leave it empty. This is a great craft for all those puzzles that are missing a piece or two.

The frame is my own directions, based on doing this when I was younger. Here are some alternate plans I found online, which differ, but could be a lot more frugal!

Christmas Puzzle Frame Alternate Directions

Glittery Holiday Napkin Rings

With two large holidays creeping up on us, I'm looking for new ideas for crafts that the kids can help create, and that will tie in with our holiday fun.

Today, as I was searching up ideas, I came across easy to make glittery napkin rings. These are listed as a Christmas craft, but I think it would make a nice addition to any nice holiday dinner table. I plan to have the kids make a set for Thanksgiving, and for Christmas.

Sparkly Glittery Napkin Rings

What you'll need:

Sparkly tinsel pipe cleaners
Pony beads in an assortment of colors- use translucent for the tinsel to shine through

1. For each ring, string 24 beads into the center of the pipe cleaner, leaving about 2 inches open on either end.
   
2. Once they are on, twist the two ends together a few times.
   
3. You can either use wire cutters to snip the excess ends off, or twist them into curly q's to sit on the top of the napkin.

Some ideas:

Use red & white to make a candy cane motif.
Use gold tinsel, yellow, orange, and red beads for a Harvest theme at Thanksgiving.
For a night time meal, use silver and blue colors, for a Starry Night theme.
Pick up some cute, shaped buttons at a craft store to string into the middle.

To tie a theme in, have the kids string the left over beads onto the left over pipe cleaners, in the same colors. Bead them about 1/2 way up, securing a knot at the end, so the beads stay in place. Twist the pipe cleaner to make a long curly q, and hang them from the ceiling to dangle over the table just below your light from fish string.