Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Alcohol Sharpie Tiles

Sharpie tie dyeSharpie tie dye

Such a fun, easy and inexpensive art project.  We have seen these tiles all over the internet, then a friend taught us how to make them.

You will need:
A cheap (approx. $.30) smooth white bathroom tile (found in your local hardware store)
Permanent markers (we used Sharpie)
Rubbing alcohol (the higher the percentage the better)
A dropper
Clear spray paint or sealant
A table cloth to prevent staining


Sharpie tie dye

Simply draw a design on your tile.
(this design will get ruined, make sure little kids understand that)

Sharpie tie dye

Once you have your design, use the dropper to drop drops of rubbing alcohol onto your design.


Sharpie tie dye

A few drops here or there will look like drops.
However, if you put more drops, the rubbing alchohol with make the permanent marker bleed.
This will either give a ti dyed effect or a crackle effect.


Sharpie tie dyeSharpie tie dyeSharpie tie dye

Be careful not to use too much.  
This is one of those projects that you must find the balance of not enough,
 and too much rubbing alcohol.

The first picture above is too much, whereas the last picture above is perfect.


Sharpie tie dye

This is a fun project, you never know what the rubbing alcohol will do.

Sharpie tie dye

After it dries completely, you can leave it as it is or you can write a fun saying or draw a picture over the design.  We recommend using a black marker for this.

The final step, after it is completely dry and you've added any extra drawing or wording, you will need to spray the tile with a clear spray paint or sealant.

Buy extras, it's addictive and you'll want to do more than one!

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Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Crayon Resist Easter Eggs

Easter Eggs

When you buy an egg dyeing kit, it usually comes with a clear wax crayon.  We just always colored our eggs with regular crayons growing up. They are just as dye resistant and the wax crayon that comes in the kit, but with more bright colors.

This also works if you make your own dye with food coloring.

Easter Eggs

Crayon Resist Easter Eggs

We tried to use a whisk to dye the eggs.  
We hated it.  It was hard to get the eggs into the whisk.  
When we tried to pull it out of the whisk, 
we had to pry it out covering our fingers in dye.  
Then, the egg had stripes where it sat on the whisk.

Easter Eggs

Easter Eggs



I have mixed feelings about the egg drying racks we bought.  
The dye seems to run off the egg and pool in the bottom. 
The egg just sat in the dye and didn't dry.















How to Make a Rubber Egg


Easter Experiment

My daughter made these at school and couldn't wait to teach us how.

Easter Experiment



You need:
a cup
an egg


Place the egg in a cup.



Fill the cup, completely covering the egg with vinegar.



It will fizz and bubble a bit.


Rubber Egg

Leave it for a few days.


The shell will dissolve, but look powdery.
Gently pour out the vinegar and remove your egg.


Easter Experiment

Under cool running water, gently rub the remaining powdery shell.


Easter Experiment


Rubber Egg

It will feel rubbery and might have even grown a little.


Rubber Egg

You can bounce it and play with it a little, but be careful it isn't rubbery all the way through.


Easter Experiment

My youngest burst hers shortly after cleaning it off.


Rubber Egg


Rubber Egg

The kids loved this!
An Easy Cheap Experiment.

Easter Experiment



The egg is no longer edible, so don't let the kiddos eat it.

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Easter Eggs


Non-Candy Easter Egg Hunt Ideas

The kids get so much candy and sweets over the holidays, it's nice to shake things up a bit.


We were brainstorming some fun and creative, candy-free Easter egg hunts, and this is what we came up with.

Charm Bracelet Hunt

Easter Egg Hunt

We were shopping and came across a basket full of charms on clearance for a dollar.  Light bulb moment!  Wouldn't it be fun to have an Easter egg hunt, where all the eggs had a different charm inside them.


Easter Egg Hunt

We bought a long chain that included three clasps, in the craft section of our local superstore.
I believe it was around $3.  
You could also use leather or jewelry cord.

Easter Egg Hunt



If you wanted to insure each child got specific charms or and even amount, you could separate them by colored eggs.  Instruct each child what color egg is theirs.

This would even be fun for a girlfriend/wife.
Many women go without Easter gifts.  How surprised would she be to get lead to her own Easter egg hunt full of beautiful charms.  You could even enclose a note expressing why each charm was chosen.  Very romantic!

TIC-TAC-TOE

Easter Egg Hunt

It would be fun to have a game inside of a game.  
Place games pieces inside the egg. 
As they are found they must be played in that order.
We used a stone game we bought in Mexico, but you could use paper.


Easter Egg Hunt

Puzzle Hunt

Easter Egg Hunt

Put a piece of a puzzle inside each egg.

You could do one large puzzle for the group, or separate smaller puzzles into individual color of eggs.

Jewelry Hunt

Easter Egg Hunt

My girls love earrings.  
We thought it would be fun to  put a pair of earrings in each egg.

You could shake things up and only put on earring in each egg.

Easter Egg Hunt

Fun rings, hair accessories or pins would also be fun.

Beaded Bracelet Hunt

Easter Egg Hunt

It would be fun to put a bead in an eggs. 
After all the eggs are collected, make a bracelet or necklace with your beads.  
We put them on a jewelry elastic cord. 
Be sure to super glue or use clear nail polish to keep the knot from untying.

Easter Egg Hunt

You could use cheaper pony beads for younger children.  Maybe even use pipe cleaners.

Building Blocks

Easter Egg Hunt

You could put blocks inside the eggs to build a project at the end of the hunt.

The kids could use their creativity and build whatever the come up with.

You could buy a set and place the pieces inside specific colored eggs for each individual child.

Perler Beads

Easter Egg Hunt

Perler beads are always a hit with the kiddos.  Again, you could separate them by color to build a specific item or let the kids use their own imagination.

Sticker Hunt

Easter Egg Hunt

What kid doesn't love stickers?
You could just buy a pack of individual stickers 

Easter Egg Hunt

Or you could cut up sheets of stickers.

Easter Egg Hunt

They even sell children's books and coloring book that come with a sticker page included.

Easter Egg Hunt

It would be fun to give the book for Easter, and then hunt for each individual sticker.

Easter Egg Hunt

 Foam Stickers


Easter Egg Hunt

You could put different foam stickers inside the eggs and make a picture at the end of the hunt.

Easter Egg Hunt

Money

Easter Egg Hunt

Who doesn't like money?

Shiny Things

Easter Egg Hunt

I have learned form teaching preschool kids  love shiny things.
It could be a polished rock or one spray painted gold.

It would be fun for a boy to get and car rug, and then hunt for Eggs filled with small cars.

Sea Shells would also be fun!

We hope our ideas spark your creativity.
Now get hunting!

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