Homemade Toys: Exploring Rhythm and Music

Here is a fun project to do with kids- it is almost guaranteed to be a success with toddlers and preschoolers because 1. They love music and making noise, 2. They will be fascinated by watching normal household items transform into "musical instruments", and 3. These kinds of toys require them to use their imagination, thus holding their attention longer.  We made an afternoon of it today, and had great fun trying out all our different creations.

Let's make some music!

Marching Drum

1. Find a large plastic container with a lid, like this potato salad bucket.  Make sure it's clean, and the lid fits.
2. Use a hole punch or crop tool to make two sets of 2 holes, one set on each side.
3. Thread a ribbon, thick yarn, or large shoelace through the holes.
4. Tie a knot and poke the end of the string back into the bucket.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the other side.  You have a drum that can be worn and played at the same time!
6. Find "drum sticks"- this could be chopsticks, popsicle sticks, plastic spoons, or anything you feel comfortable giving your child.

Egg Shakers

Just put a little bit of uncooked rice into one side of a plastic Easter egg, put strong glue all around the rim, and close the egg tightly.  Allow glue to dry before giving to you child.

Fun and colorful percussion!

"Jingle Bell Stick"

My son loves to sing "Jingle Bells" (still! Two- year- olds don't get the whole seasonal music thing...) so I wanted to make him a percussion instrument with bells.

This "Jingle Bell Stick" only took 3 minutes to make.

1. Gather a craft stick or popsicle stick, mini jingle bells, and a pipe cleaner or wire.
2. Hot glue one end of the pipe cleaner to the stick, and string the first bell onto the pipe cleaner, pushing it all the way to the top.
3. String the rest of the bells on, 4 or 5 total, with a centimeter or so between them on the pipe cleaner.  Trim the excess pipe cleaner.
4. Hot glue the other end of the pipe cleaner onto the stick and jingle away!

Kazoo

This is one way to make your own kazoo!  It is nice for little kids because they can fit their whole little mouth inside the open end, and that allows them to sing- much more fun than saying "doo doo doo" the whole time.

All you need is a toilet paper tube, a rubber band, a small square of wax paper, and a hole punch.

Not much to it, just secure the wax paper onto the TP tube with the rubber band, and punch a hole or two with the hole punch- this allows some air to escape which will let the air vibrate better against the wax paper, making that fun buzzing noise.

You can also make a kazoo "harmonica" by folding wax paper over a comb and blowing at the open end.

"Guitar"
I guess you could call this a harp as well, not that it actually sounds like a guitar or harp, but it gives you the idea.  I used a embroidery hoop and some rubber bands.  This is another very easy and fast "instrument to assemble, and it will come apart easily when you are done, and nothing is wasted!

Just stretch the rubber bands across the inner hoop...

... and set the inner hoop inside of the outer one and tighten the screw to keep it in place.

Voilà! You've got yourself a string section! 

Bottle Flute

I myself was a player of woodwinds in my day, so of course we had to do something along those lines.  Bottle flutes are easy, as there is really nothing to "make"... you just blow across the top of a clean glass or plastic bottle.  Tip: the smaller the opening, the easier it will be to make a noise.  It is fun to guess which ones will make high or low sounds.  Try putting different amounts of water into the bottles to see how that changes the pitch.

The fun thing about this kind of activity is that you can find music in so many different places, and your possibilities are as limitless as your imagination!  Of course, with all of these fun instruments, young kids should be supervised.  For older kids, try playing the spoons by holding a pair of small spoons together with the edges facing away from each other, and shake them in such a way that they clack together.  Or try filling some glasses partially with water and (very gently) tapping them with a spoon.  It would be fun to make a preschooler "orchestra" or band (ooh, or maybe a parade!?) using homemade instruments.

I know there are tons of other possibilities out there, have any of you done homemade instruments with kids?

Making the World a Little Sweeter- January

Are you ready to jump into the first Making the World a Little Sweeter project?  I'm excited!  Click here to read the background on what Making the World a Little Sweeter is all about!

Our first project this year is a crocheting/ knitting project. We will be participating in the Good Goes Caps for Good program. It requires minimal time yet has the potential to make a big impact. Consider the following:

"Nearly 4 million babies die each year in their first month of life - half within their first 24 hours - mostly from preventable or treatable causes. But by giving mothers and caregivers a package of simple tools, including guidance on healthy newborn care practices, the majority of these deaths could be prevented.... This is where you can help by making a cap! Your caps will be sent to Save the Children’s newborn health programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America." (taken from the Caps for Good Action Kit)

Basically, you can help save a baby's life by making a tiny little hat which will be given to a new mama and baby somewhere far away.

What to do:

• Click this link for a Caps for Good Action Kit which has more information, including free knitting and crochet patterns, as well as a gift tag and the address to send your completed cap.

• Check out even more free newborn hat patterns here and here, or feel free to scroll down and use the crochet pattern and tutorial I have shared with you.

• Knit or crochet a tiny cap.

• Mail the cap to: 

Save the Children, Caps for Good
c/o The Doe Fund
173 Cook Street
Brooklyn, NY 11206 

by the end of February (program ends then).

• Tell someone about Caps for Good so they can get in on the fun.

I know some of you are thinking "A tiny little cap?  Easy.  I can bust that out in about 20 minutes."  People like my sister Marissa.  Come to think of it... why didn't she write this post?  Oh, right, because she is super busy with her public health internship...  oh well, you're stuck with me.  The rest of you (myself included) may not have such stellar skills in the needlework department.  BUT- this project really is easy.  If I could do it, you can do it too.  The hardest part for me was figuring out how to read a crochet pattern, which I have never done before.  But after some sweat and tears (well, ok, figuratively) and 5 attempts (the last two finally looked like hats!), I think I might be able to help.

This is the pattern (minus the fancy cherries on top) which made me feel as if I could actually successfully crochet a hat, so with a few modifications, I did it!  The body of the hat is just really simple; all you need to know how to do is a single crochet stitch (click for an illustrated how- to).  So, the hat is made in a circular fashion, starting at the top, and coiling around until you get the desired length.  The instructions will be given in rounds, i.e. Rnd 1, 2, 3, etc. Most patterns will have you begin by crocheting a small chain, and working several stitches into the first stitch you made.  That really confused me at first, but you really do add all those stitches in that one little loop.  Well, I'm getting ahead of myself.  How about a picture tutorial to get you started?

Simple Baby Beanie Tutorial & Pattern

This beanie is sized to fit a very small infant, or newborn's head. 

Use any type of soft yarn to make this hat.  I used baby yarn because I have quite a bit that belonged to my husband's grandmother, and it was just begging to be used (after 20+ years...).  I used my smallest crochet hook, I would say a size F or G.  Adjust the size of your hook according to the thickness of the yarn you are using.

First make a slipknot in your yarn, like this:

Now crochet a chain 3 stitches long.

Then, connect your short little chain so that it becomes a tiny little circle, by adding a single crochet stitch to the other end of the chain.

Now add 6 more single crochets into that same stitch, and you end up with a flower- like circle, like this:

That was Round (Rnd) 1.

For Rnd 2, add 2 single crochets into each stitch in your circle (14 stitches in all this time around).  Your circle is getting bigger!
 

Rnd 3: Add one single crochet (sc) into the next stitch, two sc into the next, and keep alternating between one and two sc per stitch for 21 stitches.

Rnd 4:  One sc into the next two stitches, then two sc in the third stitch, and repeat that pattern all the way around the circle (28 stitches).

Rnd 5: One sc into the next three stitches, then two sc in the fourth stitch, and repeat that pattern all the way around the circle (35 stitches).

Rnd 6: One sc into the next four stitches, then two sc in the fifth stitch, and repeat that pattern all the way around the circle (42 stitches).

Rnd 7: One sc into the next five stitches, then two sc in the sixth stitch, and repeat that pattern all the way around the circle (49 stitches).

Rnd 8: One sc into the next six stitches, then two sc in the seventh stitch, and repeat that pattern all the way around the circle (56 stitches).

Rnd 9-23: One sc in each stitch until the hat is the desired length (approximately 14 more rounds).

Finishing the hat: Try any style of trim you want, or just do a simple slip stitch in each stitch once around the hat.  A slip stitch as I understand it starts out just like a sc but when you put your hook through the middle of the stitch and grab the yarn, you pull it through both of the loops you have on your hook at once.

Cut the yarn and tie it off by threading the end of the yarn through the loop your hook was in two times, then pulling tight.  You can then trim the yarn close to the knot or leave a tail and weave it into the hat so it doesn't show.

I turned my hat inside out because I like the look of the stitches on the inside best.

Now, don't worry if the number of stitches isn't quite the same or stitches aren't perfectly even or you think it is too big or too small or too anything.  The point of this is to make something to keep a little one warm and to feel warm fuzzies (no pun intended) for the recipients.  Just take a deep breath and say "It's good enough!"

If you need clarification on anything (or if you are a crochet pro and you find a mistake in my pattern and want to correct it), shoot me an email at rochelle@homesweethomebodies.net and I will do my best to point you in the right direction.

Good luck and I would love to see pictures and/or a link to your blog post if you make a hat! 

New Year's Resolutions

I have noticed something about the holidays; maybe you have noticed it too.  There is a spirit of giving, of goodwill, of kindness that literally has the power to lift you right up out of sadness, apathy, and self- pity.  It is not so much the specific holiday as the spirit that surrounds it; a spirit which puts into our minds the needs of others, sparks generosity, and helps us put aside our own selfish desires.  Call it what you may, but the spirit of the holiday season motivates us to use our resources and abilities to bless the lives of others, and in turn we are blessed.  It is true- have you noticed that when you perform a labor of love, the work seems light?  I love the joy and feeling of lightness that comes after serving or giving a gift from the heart.  In most circumstances, forgetting yourself and focusing on giving and serving others makes a big difference in your outlook on life, and leaves you feeling invigorated.

What is my point in all this?  I just got to wondering why we tend to keep so much of our giving and serving and goodwill confined to one or two months out of the year.  Not that we don't give during the rest of the year, but perhaps we are not mindful of it.  I titled this post "New Year's Resolutions", but for me, it pretty much boils down to one resolution, which I am going to focus on for the rest of the year.  My goal is to do something each month that is focused on helping others in some way, not only to make the world a better place, but to experience the blessings of service in my own life.  My sentiment is expressed by this quote from Charles Dickens' beloved book A Christmas Carol, "I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."

Each of us are given talents we can use to bless those around us.  If you are like me, you get joy from creating things.  Now multiply that by the joy you get from making someone else feel good!  You know what I am talking about because chances are your nearest and dearest have at times been the recipients of your handiwork.  I think we can reach out even more with our goodwill, and include more people in our circle of giving.  Think how much sweeter the world could be if every person did!  I would like to invite each of you to join with me and experience that sweetness every single month for the next year. 

We will have a post each month with suggestions of crafty type projects or activities that can be done to accomplish our goal.  Feel free to participate for as many or as few months as you feel you can.  Any time or effort you contribute will affect the world in a positive way.

Are you in?  Look for a "Making the World a Little Sweeter" post on this month's theme in the next day or so.

(And please, if you have experiences that have to do with the joy that comes from giving, and you wouldn't mind sharing them, leave a comment or email me at rochelle@homesweethomebodies.net)

Photo frame makeover

Over the past couple of years, I have accumulated a number of random mismatching picture frames, and I never know where to put them. Even worse, I can't bring myself to get rid of them, because I KNOW I can use them somehow...and if I get rid of them, I know that I will regret it the next day when I finally come up with a brilliant idea for them...so they have just sat in stacks collecting dust. The other problem is that we only have so many shelves that can accommodate all the picture frames we have. We currently live in an apartment with a landlord who is very picky - she charges us $3 per hole we put in the wall, and so we haven't been too motivated to hang up many pictures since we have been here. If you are anything like me and have the problems of mismatching picture frames, and/or strict landlords here are a couple of solutions!

Problem #1: Mismatching Picture Frames
Solution: SPRAY PAINT (semigloss). It is magical. Here is why - you can take a whole stack of mismatching picture frames, and spray paint them (I used black), and then all of the sudden, you have a really cool looking collection of frames that match each other!

Problem #2: Hanging pictures puts holes in the wall, which costs $$$
Solution: GROSGRAIN RIBBON. I used black so that it would match my picture frames, but you could really use any contrasting color if you wanted some added flair.
I took four of my frames and spaced them out evenly next to each other, to make a 2x2 cluster. Then I cut two pieces of 1"thick grosgrain ribbon at appropriate lengths to keep the spacing even between the frames. I hot glued the ends of the ribbons to the bottoms and the tops of the frames. Now, you only have to make 2 holes in the wall instead of 4!

Here is my finished product! I kind of like it! :)

More Christmas gifts- Kitchen Edition

I made quite a few kitchen or food- themed items for Christmas this year.  One of the most exciting to me were these casserole carriers.  Seriously- you need to go right on over to 2 Little Hooligans and follow her tutorial on how to make one.  Or 3 or 4.  I made three as gifts (pictured below) and I have one in process for myself.

>happy sigh<

I was so in love with this fabric, and I knew it would be perfect for my mother-in-law.  I just love greens and browns together. 

I made a matching potholder using this tutorial.

I chose some bright and cheery fabric for Marissa...

And this lovely large print for my mom.

Um, the potholder is forthcoming, Mom.

I just love that they have a spoon holder- how many times have you forgotten to bring a serving utensil to the potluck and utensils have to be shared around between dishes?  Yuck.  This little feature will help you remember your spoon and thus avoid getting chili in your jello, or something like that.

For my husband, I made an insulated lunchbox using extra Insul-bright from the casserole carriers.  I used this shirt of my husband's which he loved for so long but which I outlawed from his closet, as the lining for the lunchbox.

Here is the finished lunchbox, or rather lunchbag.

I made a little set of kitchen pretties for my sister Cara... another potholder...

...a decorated tea towel...

An adjustable apron...

...with a ruffle...

..out of fabric from a vintage sheet.  Cute, eh?  What I like most about it is the casing on the sides which the apron strings are threaded through, making it totally adjustable.  I might have to borrow it back so I can make a pattern and make a few more.

Ok, since we are on the theme of kitchen stuff, how about this Christmas dinner tablescape?  Not a gift, but pretty, no?

Well, that is the last of the Christmas stuff I will be sharing for another 11 or so months- promise!  Get ready for some fun stuff coming up!