8.03.2011

yarn art....

this is the last guest posting post i have.....so after today..i'm officially off vacation....did you miss me?

yeah, i know...nothing to miss.


this was over at homespun threads at her summer soiree....stuff to keep the kids out of your hair...i mean...some quality time project with the wee little lads.

I got this idea in my head and knew my kids would love it...


I took some scrap wood.....(I have piles...but you could buy some for cheap) or just wander around a building site and help yourself...you would be  SHOCKED to see what they throw away.  it's like a crafters gold mine. (and when I say help yourself....i don't really mean help yourself...i mean kindly ask permission and bat your eyelashes at the burly construction men...and i'm sure they will say yes...they might even if you help you load it into you car if you do the bendddd...and snap.




and my kids painted it (they begged and pleaded to spray paint..but normally I would just give them  a paint brush and paint)

while they are drying..
head to your local home depot and buy some nails.
(this package was about 1.30...the only thing I bought...and I'm sure my husband has some but I was NOT digging into his tools...)

the only requirement is that they are straight ...and sharp on the ends (kind of goes without saying)

then I took a sharpie and marked where the nails would go

then I took a hammer and just "started the nails" (you know...so they stayed up when the kids hammered)

[and this would be a fine and dandy time to tell you...that this is more for older kids. my son was 5 and was able to hammer *most* of the nails --we had a basic how to hammer 101 and safety....and we only had a few smashes on our fingers!]

then I gave the kids a hammer and let them go to town...

my son had a scowl in every picture...it's man's work...requires some serious concentration!

warning: don't start this craft if you have a headache...have every had a headache..or anticipate ever having a headache.....

when all the nails were in  (not all the way...just stuck in so you can't pull them out)
we took some yarn

(in my stash..so free)
I cut a strip...then I just tied it on one of the nails

and let the kids start wrapping...
my daughter (who is 7 1/2 {that half is important}) was able to understand were to go...


my son (5) just did a random design

(see the scowl?)

then when they ran out of yarn..I just tied the end to another nail.


my kids had a blast. I could probably give them a hammer and nails and see them in 3 days.



you could do initials....constellations...really...anything. I think it would look awesome if you had 6 blocks all different sizes arranged on a wall.






7 comments:

  1. I am going to do this with my kids...probably today...they need something to entertain them!! Thanks for the lifeline :)

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  2. I've done this before! I had a bunch of small nails in a hexagon shaped outline. I ended up counting a certain amount of nails on each side and wrapped the string around, say every 7, nails. It could look very sophisticated depending on the type of string or yarn used. The camp I went to covered the boards in fabric by stapling it to the back. I'll take and post a picture on your facebook. =)

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  3. They did great - - now, to occupy them for days, have them tackle this:http://www.sugarbeecrafts.com/2010/11/monogram-wall-hanging.html

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  4. What a fun and exciting idea! I thought it looked fun for me to do so I can only imagine how much fun the kids had!!

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  5. I LOL'd at the bend and snap part. You are too funny!

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  6. This looks sooo simple and soooo much fun. Great idea. I like the part about letting your kids do the spray painting (brave of you) and hammering, especially standing on a chair and on the kitchen table! It took me a long time to get used to doing DIY repairs and building projects as a housewife (out of necessity), and especially to get use to power tools. Now I've learned I can do way, way more than I ever thought I could, and save a ton of money in the end. Good to let kids push their limits and learn to do what seems hard. And, yes, a few smashed thumbs are part of the process, regardless of your age.

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  7. These are so cute Kim!

    I’d love it if you shared this with the Fun Family Crafts audience. FFC is similar to Craftgawker but it only features kid friendly tutorials. Looking forward to seeing what fun crafts you submit!
    http://funfamilycrafts.com

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Thanks for your comments!! Unless they are mean. Then I take back my thanks....you are officially unthanked.