Make it Mondays are brought to us by Rebecca of Tumbleweed Preschool in Advance, NC. She is always looking for frugal DIY projects for her students and her home. We are sharing Rebecca’s DIY project on MoolaSavingMom.com because they can be used for home schoolers, young artists and anyone else who wants DIY ideas that can save them money on projects around the house.

I used word and inserted the outline of different shapes on the page. I printed each shape on a different color of cardstock. I typed the names of the shapes in word and printed them. I cut out each shape name and glued it on the shapes. Then I laminated the shapes.

I downloaded “The Shape Song” by Dr. Jean at www.drjean.org. I, or a student, hold up each shape following along with the song.

 

Rebecca Burriss is an educator of children and avid DIYer. She raised four daughters and taught them how to do make lots of things including ceramics, elaborate doll houses, wood projects and even home interior design projects.

 

Here are 4 easy and inexpensive ways to make clear ornaments so beautiful!

1) Make a Melted snowman!  Put Epsom salts, either black paper circles and a orange triangle or small black rocks and an orange triangle in the ornament.

2) Snowman: Fill ornament with Epsom salts.  Paint black eyes and mouth and orange nose on outside of the ornament.

3) Nativity Scene: Find an image of the Nativity Scene- Print it out.  Put it on laminating sheets and cut out ornament shape that fits your ornament.  Roll up and place inside ornament.  Put Epsom salts on both sides of laminate sheet.

4) Christmas Tree Ornament: Find an image of a Christmas Tree- Print it out.  Put it on laminating sheets and cut out ornament shape that fits your ornament.  Roll up and place inside ornament.  Put Epsom salts on both sides of laminate sheet

I think I am addicted to glitter! Maybe it’s the holiday season or I’m missing some bling in my life…but I’ve had such fun glittering!

This is an inexpensive way to add a little shimmer to your holiday table! It’s so easy directions are not even really necessary but here they are just in case!

You will need:

Candlesticks (I found an old brass pair at the Goodwill for $1 each)
2 Taper Candles (25¢ at my Dollar Tree)
Spray Paint (I used primer + paint)
Tacky Glue
Glitter

Directions:
Candle Stick:

Turn Candle stick upside down on prepared surface (I use a piece of cardboard to spray paint on)
Spray lightly with several coats.
When dry turn right side up and finish spraying

Candle:
Smear glue all over candle – I hold by the wick
Sprinkle glitter all over the candle.  I found it was easiest to hold it horizontally and roll as I poured glitter over it. Be sure to have a piece of paper underneath so you can catch all the excess glitter so you can reuse it.
Dry standing up

Another idea:

Glittered Candle Holder

You will need:

Tacky Glue
Glitter
Votive Holder (I picked mine up at the Dollar Tree)
Paint Brush

Directions:

Using a paintbrush- brush paint on the top portion of the votive holder.
Cover in glitter in color of choice.
Brush glue on the bottom portion of the votive holder.
Cover in glitter in second color.
Allow to dry.

Make it Mondays are brought to us by Rebecca of Tumbleweed Preschool in Advance, NC. She is always looking for frugal DIY projects for her students and her home. We are sharing Rebecca’s DIY project on MoolaSavingMom.com because they can be used for home schoolers, young artists and anyone else who wants DIY ideas that can save them money on projects around the house.

Macaroni can be used many ways  young children . I use it a lot in my preschool. I decided to color some macaroni and then use it for necklaces. I put macaroni in a gallon size bag along with 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol and 20 -30 drops of food coloring. I closed the bag and kept turning the bag every few minutes until the macaroni looked like they had absorbed the color. I put the macaroni out on towels to dry for several days. I repeated this with each color I wanted to make. Then I cut some plastic lanyard cord and let each child thread the macaroni on the cord to make a necklace.

When I was preparing my lessons for Halloween I remembered I had left over macaroni so I decided to use it for gluing. We glued the orange and green macaroni on an outline of a pumpkin then added the face cut out of black paper to make a Jack-O-Lantern.  Macaroni is also makes a fun item to put in a sensory table along with cups and spoons or tongs.

Rebecca Burriss is an educator of children and avid DIYer. She raised four daughters and taught them how to do make lots of things including ceramics, elaborate doll houses, wood projects and even home interior design projects.

 

Make it Mondays are brought to us by Rebecca of Tumbleweed Preschool in Advance, NC. She is always looking for frugal DIY projects for her students and her home. We are sharing Rebecca’s DIY project on MoolaSavingMom.com because they can be used for home schoolers, young artists and anyone else who wants DIY ideas that can save them money on projects around the house.

This is a fun song that children love. I purchased the baby and mother ducks at my local Dollar Store. I purchased the book used with free shipping from BetterWorldBooks.com and the song here:  Five Little Ducks -Raffi I play the song while I hold up the book and turn the pages. When I take away a duck I hand it to a child or I let one child hold the ducks and take away each one in turn to the song.

Again,, this works great in a listening center.

Rebecca Burriss is an educator of children and avid DIYer. She raised four daughters and taught them how to do make lots of things including ceramics, elaborate doll houses, wood projects and even home interior design projects.

 

 

 I have been collecting bottle caps for awhile. I was excited to finally have a project where I could use them. This is an easy and fun ornament to make. You could use larger lids and let your children make some too or use three different size lids for each snowman!

Materials:

• Bottle caps
• White spray paint
• Ribbons
• Buttons
• Hot glue gun
• Thin permanent markers

Instructions:

1. Paint the bottle caps with white spray paint

[Read more…]

Make it Mondays are brought to us by Rebecca of Tumbleweed Preschool in Advance, NC. She is always looking for frugal DIY projects for her students and her home. We are sharing Rebecca’s DIY project on MoolaSavingMom.com because they can be used for home schoolers, young artists and anyone else who wants DIY ideas that can save them money on projects around the house.

I use a miniature Menorah, Advent Wreath and Kinara when we do the winter holidays and celebrations in December. The children love that they are  just their size! I made the Kinara out of wood and drilled holes for the candles. I have used real candles in the past but they never lasted long so I cut and painted dowel rods. This way the children can take them in and out as much as they want and they don’t break.

I made the Mkeka (mat) out of felt. I cut a black rectangle. Then I cut strips of green, red and black. I wove the red and green strips over and under the black strips. Last, I glued them to the black rectangle.

I use two songs that go great with this lesson: Kwanzaa – Literacy in Motion and Swahili Counting Song – Literacy in Motion

Here is the template for the Kinara:

Rebecca Burriss is an educator of children and avid DIYer. She raised four daughters and taught them how to do make lots of things including ceramics, elaborate doll houses, wood projects and even home interior design projects.

 

I started going through my boxes of Christmas decorations and decided I did not want to put out my tired old candleabras with the greens and red berries as the centerpiece on my table this year.  I know that traditionally people use greens and candles but I wanted to find a different look this year. I noticed how many beautiful ornaments I had that never made it to the tree. They just sat in the box year after year so I decided to come up with a centerpiece that would highlight the ornament.

But what should I use? I realized that I had several different size and shapes of glass bowls that had been used for table decorations at various functions that just sat in my china cabinet. They had been filled with flowers to sit on the table and never used again. I tried combining several of the glass pieces to come up a new look. This is a simple and inexpensive centerpiece to make. You may already have the items around your house and never thought to put them together to make a centerpiece for your table at Christmas. If you do not have any bowls or candle holders you can purchase them for a few dollars. It only takes a few minutes to assemble this centerpiece. You can make these unique by using different size and shapes of bowls and ornaments.

Materials:

• Ornament of your choice
• Clear candle holder from Dollar Store
• Clear bowl from Dollar Store
• White sand (snow)
• Extra candles and ornaments of your choice

[Read more…]

Make it Mondays are brought to us by Rebecca of Tumbleweed Preschool in Advance, NC. She is always looking for frugal DIY projects for her students and her home. We are sharing Rebecca’s DIY project on MoolaSavingMom.com because they can be used for home schoolers, young artists and anyone else who wants DIY ideas that can save them money on projects around the house.

The 5 senses is one of the children’s favorite themes. I always have at least one fun activity for each sense. I use a fun game with the children when we learn about hearing. I play a sound and then I lay several pictures out in front of them. They have to say and point to the picture once they know what the sound is. I also teach them the ASL sign and the next time they do the sign when they recognize the sound. I extend this when we go outside to play. I ask all the children to close their eyes and just listen. They are amazed at all the sounds they hear. Many weeks later they are still listening very carefully when we go out to play.

I found many sounds that were free to download. Then, I found free shadow pictures to go along with the sounds. I put them in word, typed the name, cut them out, glued them to colored paper, printed and laminated them.

Children enjoy doing this in pairs at the listening center as well.  Easy and so much fun.

Rebecca Burriss is an educator of children and avid DIYer. She raised four daughters and taught them how to do make lots of things including ceramics, elaborate doll houses, wood projects and even home interior design projects.