It’s a rainy Wednesday in our neck of the woods – how about yours? If you haven’t already seen our FUN FOR KIDS section then today might be a good day! It’s full of craft ideas, free printable activity pages, interactive puzzles, and free printable colouring pages – check it out!
School is nearly over and summer is headed our way! YAY! The hope is that the sun shines all summer long but there is the possibility that you might experience a rainy day or two. So, Whimsical Publishing has created this fun summery craft for those rainy afternoons. This crafts includes free printable PDFs and requires minimal supplies. 
Materials: Scissors, Paper, Coloured Pencils or Crayons, Glue Stick, Coloured Tissue Paper, and our Free Printable PDF Cut-Outs. (It’s also nice to have white card stock but it’s not necessary.)
Originally I planned to only make the above cut-out page for this craft but my kids got in on the action and they created two more (below). Thanks Hannah and Hunter! 
You can download these free printable PDF pages at these links below >
First, colour your printed pages. 
Then cut out your coloured characters.
Next, randomly tear up tissue paper pieces and glue them onto a plain piece of paper. (I like to use white card stock because it is thicker and makes a nicer backing to glue the tissue on.)
Glue the tissue paper on until the piece of paper is completely covered. 
Lastly, take your coloured cut-outs, arrange and glue them onto your tissue paper ocean. 
Happy crafting and don’t forget to check out all of our other craft ideas as well!
~ Micheline
There’s only one week left until Father’s Day! Check out this cute Father’s Day printable card, designed by Micheline Ryckman. All you have to do is download the free PDF at the link below the picture, print it off and colour it. We hope you and your Dad enjoy!
Click this link here to download a free printable PDF version >>> Father’s Day Card
Learn how to crochet with these simple step by step instructions for beginners.
I love to crochet! Crochet stitches are larger than knit stitches which means your projects can go quite quickly. Once apt, you can complete a small crochet project in less than an hour. Add to that, it’s easy to learn!
I realize there are a heap of how-to-videos online but I personally find it difficult to watch a video and work at the same time. I designed these free printable PDF pages for those folks out there who, like myself, are more tactile and prefer the instructions in hand. These pages include carefully illustrated steps for the most common crochet stitches and they also demonstrate how to hold your hook and yarn effectively.
I have listed the pages individually because you may only want to download a couple at a time. The instruction pages are pictured below and the link to download the free printable PDF version is right below each image. 
> Click this link here for larger printable PDF version of How to Crochet – Page 1
>Click this link here for larger printable PDF version of How to Crochet – Page 2
> Click this link here for larger printable PDF version of How to Crochet – Page 3
> Click this link here for larger printable PDF version of How to Crochet – Page 4
> Click this link here for larger printable PDF version of How to Crochet – Page 5
> Click this link here for larger printable PDF version of How to Crochet – Page 6
> Click this link here for larger printable PDF version of How to Crochet – Page 7
Pictured below are a few more crochet inspirations for ya – I hope they encourage you to learn!
I create many handmade crocheted items for a little Etsy shop called, A+Jewelry and Crafts – please check it out if you have a moment.
Happy crocheting,
Micheline
I ruthlessly purged my closet of old T-shirts and tanks this past summer. Initially I planned to trash them but surprisingly enough the big pile of holey, shrunken and shapeless tops was quite appealing! (I’m a sucker for colour.) I decided to recycle them instead. This is what I came up with > a funky hippie-ish eternity scarf. 
First I cut up my old Tees into 18 various 7.5″ squares.
I used colourful thread and a regular sewing machine to sew the 18 squares together in an eternity shape (see pics below).
Because T-shirts knits don’t fray I left the edges unfinished for a more hippie-ish look and alternated seams.
Fast and easy-peasy! It looks mighty spiffy once it’s wrapped! This would be a quick and affordable Christmas gift to whip up this season. I am planning to make more and sell them in the Etsy shop I share with my Mom and daughter > A+Jewelry & Crafts > but I think I’ll keep this first one for myself.
Happy sewing,
Micheline
P.S. Big hugz and thanks to my beautiful model Rebekah!
We saw these free Halloween party printables on Party Box Design – they are so cute! We couldn’t resist sharing them with you. Check them out by clicking on the image above or below. 
I’ve just returned from camping with the Halls and not surprisingly, learned a new trick to share with you.
In my last camping post, Going Clean, I mentioned how we came up to the campsite on the heels of a pretty intense storm. Although our own home had been rendered powerless when we left Friday evening my husband, Chris, found it fully restored the next day when he came home to shower. (One of the awesome things about camping with the Halls –aside from hanging with them—is that we’re only about ten minutes from the house, even though it feels like we’re in the middle of nowhere.)
Not everyone in town was as fortunate as we were when it came to getting their power restored. At least that’s what I heard when I went to get ice, and again when I went to get ice, and again when I went to get ice… Every place I went had the same story; they were cleaned out by people without electricity who needed to keep their fridges and freezers cold.
When I went back to the campsite without ice for any of the coolers I thought we’d be drinking warm water and juice (which is especially gross if it’s apple juice…). I needn’t have worried; my resourceful camping guru Sheila, sent her husband, Dan, home to get ice from their freezer.
What he came back with was brilliant. It was a two-litre plastic milk jug full of frozen water –in essence, a block of ice. Apparently they always have a couple of these in their freezer for emergencies. Not only are they great for the cooler but in the case of a power outage you just place one in yer fridge, keep the other in yer freezer and you won’t have to worry about your food spoiling. Best of all, you won’t waste time running around town looking for sold out ice!
With the images attached here there are some really cool websites on milk carton crafts –from beautiful butterfly window ornaments and a full-size children’s igloo to an honest-to-goodness Star Wars Stormtrooper Halloween mask. Incredible!
~ Trina
For those of you who read Micheline’s recent blog on the grand opening of the Kootenay Child Development Centre you’ll know that my son, Thom, spent most of his time at the craft table there. When I finally went to collect Thom I met and thanked the host of the craft table, Darcee O’Hearn. Imagine my delight when I discovered that she, like I, is a local Kootenay author.
Minister Pierre Trudeau, 6-year-old Michel Trudeau – Photo by Andy Clark.
Darcee lives with her husband and son in Rossland BC. Some may recall Rossland as home to the youngest son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, Michel Trudeau, who died tragically in an avalanche accident in 1998 at the age of 23.
Located high in the Monashee Mountains, Rossland is a Ski town that’s also known as the “Mountain Bike Capital of Canada” for it’s extensive biking trails –32 in all, covering 170 kilometers of alpine beauty. As an outdoor enthusiast it’s no surprise that Darcee, a former forestry worker, chooses to reside, write and craft there.
Photo Credit – Dan Barham
The Cover – click image to enlarge.
I purchased her book, the first of her Legends of the Forest series, Leonard the Larch for Thom. The story, illustrated by eighteen-year-old Ximena Abresch, is about a mischievous larch tree, Leonard, who wishes to have the best Halloween costume in the forest. The book also includes a hidden acorn on every page, craft instructions for how to make amber and fun facts about amber and Larch trees.
Darcee can often be found at fall fairs throughout the Kootenays. With a table full of forest artifacts, puzzles and interactive games she’ll be selling her book and putting her profits toward the next book in her series, Wendy the White Pine.
Please have look at Darcee’s beautiful book on her website >>>
http://www.legendsoftheforest.ca/
Or on her blog darceelegendsoftheforest.blogspot.com.
And if your child is interested in being a tree for Halloween this year, check out National Geographic Kids “Cat Up a Tree” costume how-to @
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/activities/crafts/costume-tree/
~ Trina
My kids actually came up with this idea – somewhere – years ago – and they still seem to make a new model every few months or so.
It is super easy and requires mostly average household items.
As you can see above you only need the following supplies;
- Marbles
- Empty kleenex box
- Scissors
- Tape and/or glue
- Construction or decorative craft paper
- Our printable PDF for numbering – click here to download >>> Numbers Printable Page
Step 1: Cut off the top of the Kleenex box as shown above.
Step 2: Cover the box with decorative/construction paper using glue or tape – shown above and below. You can actually skip this step if you already like the design on your Kleenex box.
Step 3: Cut out numbers from our free printable PDF and glue to the side of the Kleenex box as shown in the two pictures below.
Step 4: Cut various sized openings along bottom edge of box as shown. Make sure openings are large enough for a regular sized marble to fit through.
Step 5: Set the game up as shown above – grab yourself an opponent and see who scores the highest!
Happy marble gaming!
~ Micheline
Every child cheers in victory at the end of the school year and then after about a week or two at home they begin to complain, “I’m boooorrreeed…” Ha ha haaaaaa! So, in response to this complaint I create a summer to-do chart for my kids. Some of the activities listed are chores and some are purely for fun. If my kids complete the chart before the end of summer then they earn a trip to an amusement park.
Although I have seen some pretty beautiful and crafty summer charts out there in the online world I tend to keep mine simple… Years ago I created these charts on my computer which I update (if needed for age appropriateness), print out and pin onto a bulletin board. It is a brilliant solution to “boredom” complaints and gives the kids something to work towards over the summer season.
I also created a sheet of colourful check marks which we cut out and glue onto the chart when a task is completed. I have provided 5 printable PDF’s for you at the end of this post. The ideas and work are all done – you only need to print them off, pin them up, have your child cut out the check marks and then your summer-to-do charts are ready to go! Easy-peasy! 
Click each of the links below to download the free printable summer to-do charts and check mark pages >>>
I hope you and your kids enjoy! 
~Micheline
