Young at art

Today we made this artwork for Eliza's room. I say 'we' but really she did the whole thing herself part from the mounting and framing. This is how we did it...

Cut out the shape you want to use, you can do this by hand or use ones of these nifty cutters, available from art shop.


Paint the cut outs with different coloured paints


Using a clear drying glue, sprinkle with beads, glitter and little buttons and anything else that takes your fancy. leave to dry then shake off excess.


Cut out some cardboard for mounting, I used the inside of an old sticker book.


Then arrange your cut outs onto the cardboard and stick down, double sided tape works well and is easier to use than glue. It is such a simple project for kids to do and provided you don't use too much paint and glue it is achievable in an afternoon! Enjoy making your creations, trains would be gorgeous!

Swift gifts

My Tuesday kids sewing group and I came up with this simple gift for Christmas. It takes only about 30 minutes to make and is ideal for little ones looking to make gifts for Christmas.

First, cut two strips of felt measuring 22.5 cms long and 11cms high and two circles with a radius of 7.5cms. We used a blue and purple piece of fabric.

Second, make a cylindrical shape out of the two strips and pin together, don't allow the fabric to overlap as you don't want it to be be bumpy. This shape will form the basis of the holder. We did a simple over stitch to secure it, which worked well. Trim any excess felt to ensure the two pieces are the same size.

Third, seal one end with blanket stitch. Pin the two pieces of felt together then attach the circles of felt to the other end also using a basic over stitch.

The project is suitable for children as young as six, as the stitches are very basic they will need help with pinning and trimming the felt.

You can add things to your holder like embriodery or buttons or felt applique, enjoy!