Play time: winter crafts

As Kesha started growing I found it daunting to figure out where to get craft supplies. I didn't grow up here, so there were no shops I remembered frequenting as a child, and I had not a clue where to even start looking for things like tissue paper, card stock, felt, nor what the words for these items were in Spanish.

As I've become more acclimated to life here with children, I have ventured out on my own and not only found these items, but have discovered that they are relatively inexpensive here as well. Projects have been in full swing and I'm sure, at times, Arturo wishes I had never made this discovery!

So, for you moms out there who live in countries you did not grow up in, know that sometimes it just takes a few solo adventures to figure out where you can get fun craft materials!

Here are a few crafts we have made this "winter" (remember, it's not actually winter here) and a list of the supplies and where I purchased them.


Build Your Own Snowman
This activity was fun because Kesha could be creative and we made all kinds of hats and scarves for the snowmen out of what we had around the house. I originally saw this idea on Pinterest, but I can't find the link to share it here, so if this was your idea. Thank you and please feel free to email me with your link and I'll add it here.

What you need...

• Those round cotton pads that are for cleaning makeup off your face (I bought them at Supermaxi for about $2.00)
• An assortment of buttons/beads for the snowman's buttons
  I already had these at home, but I bought the bag of star beads you see in the picture above at Coral Rio for less than $1.00.
• Sticks for arms
  I got these for free on one of my walks by the river.
• A "carrot nose"
  I used an orange, glittery puff that I got in a pack at Coral Rio. The entire bag cost me less than $1.00. I used the other puffs for other projects and also as an alternative type of button for the snowman.
• "Scarves"
  I used ribbon, felt, string, things I already had around the house.
• Eyes
  Truth, I had my mom send me goggly eyes from the US. However, you can buy them at Coral Rio. A pack of mixed sizes runs about $1.00.

How it works...

• Put a bunch of this stuff on a plate, leave out, let kids play.
• You can also get creative. In the picture below you'll see a "magic wand" we created with some felt and a pom pom.
• Let them use their imagination. Kesha created really tall snowmen and used the scissors to destroy the cool hats I created since she apparently had something else in mind.

Salt Dough Candy Canes 

I love salt dough.

It's easy to make. I almost always have the ingredients. It's hard to mess up. It's versatile. And if kids put it in their mouth who cares.

For this holiday season, we made candy canes. Correction... I made candy canes since Kesha was not home when I did this. Yes, I'm sure there was a better way to use my time.

I used this salt dough recipe, split it in half, then added red food coloring to one half until I had the color I desired.

Recipe
2c normal flour
1c salt
1c lukewarm water
Red food coloring (as needed)

Mix ingredients, split dough in half, add food coloring. Ta da!

After you have you two balls like I did above, you pinch off a bit of each and make a small snake out of each color. Enter twine the two colors and roll. Shape like a candy cane then stick on a silpat on a baking sheet.

Bake at around 200 (f) until done (will depend on size and thickness... ranges from 45 minutes - 3 hours).

Let them cool then hang around the house, on the Christmas tree, etc. Then let your 3 year old find them and break them all by using them a drum sticks. Nice! Here's a picture of them before they were massacred. 

Fresh Eucalyptus Wreath
This one not many of you will have the materials do make this. I do because I live by a Eucalyptus infested river area. We are never at a loss for Eucalyptus leaves. However, since some of you who read this blog are in Cuenca, here ya go....

Get a bunch of fresh baby Eucalyptus branches (it has to be baby or you'll have a hard time manipulating the branches and they won't smell as good).

Start with 3 longer strands. Tie them together to form a circle (I used a gold cord that I had to tie the branches together).

Once you have your basic circle, weave the rest of your branches around the base branches to fill out your wreath.

Adorn with something fun and festive like a red bow, or in our case, red jingle bells.

Your house will smell amazing for a week or so and the wreath will dry and preserve. Also, any leaves that fall off while making the wreath can go in a pot of water on the stove, simmered, and they will help kill germs and clear your nostrils! Great if you have a cold!

Festive Wall Hanging Thing
This is easy, fun, kid friendly, and makes you feel accomplished.

I bought all of my supplies at Coral Rio. I made this for under $5, easily. I'm not going to give you step by step instructions because if you look at the pictures you'll see how it's done. However, I will tell you that to get my circles I traced an espresso cup then hand cut them out.  

Enjoy and happy holiday crafting!