.: ~ A Day at Home & "Shakers!"

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

~ A Day at Home & "Shakers!"

Last week on one of my days home with the kids I decided it would be fun to sit down at the kitchen table and make a craft with Greta!
Since I am such a "crafty soul" one of the things I have looked forward to most is the day I can sit down and craft with my kids! Or the idea of all of them surrounding me at the counter helping me stir and bake something yummy is another dream of mine.
I just love to do those kind of "domestic" things and having my babes around to help just makes them even more enjoyable!

So two weeks ago, Greta and I got to enjoy her first time helping me in the kitchen. We made blueberry muffins. - She had so much fun and was such a good "helpoo".
Since that went so well I decide it was time to try a craft!
So I looked through the house, grabbed some things I had, and off to the kitchen table we went!

Remember back when you were little, way back in preschool.... did you ever make rain sticks?! Or better known to Greta as "Shakoo's!" (shakers that is - she has a terrible time with any word ending in e-r.)

I remembered making these back when I was little and I remembered how fun something this simple could be! And anything that makes noise is always a hit with kids!
So... we made Shakers and you can too!

Here's how easy they are:

We started off with these items...

~ A Paper Tube (from toilet paper or paper towels)
~ Scrapbook Paper (you could use paint, glitter, buttons, etc.)
~ Plastic Wrap
~ Rubber Bands
~ Rice (dried beans or corn kernels would work too)
~ Tin Foil
~ Tape or Glue

Ok... I did NOT take pictures and I am sorry... but I had an 18 month old eating and playing with rice! :) She had fun, so it was ok!

So no pictures, but they are super easy! Here's what I did:

1. I cut my paper towel tube in half so Greta would have 2 shakers to hold. (kid's always want something in BOTH hands, am I right?!)

2. I taped (glue was not drying fast enough for Greta) scrapbook paper around the tube.

3. I then took a piece of plastic wrap and folded it down into a square. By folding it you create a little thickness to it... which you will want once the shaking and noise making begins!

4. Then I placed the plastic wrap on one end of the tube and secured it in place by wrapping a rubber band around it.

5. Once the bottom was in place we started to fill up the tube! We krinkled tin foil in loose balls and put them in there first and then filled it up with rice. - This step is pretty flexible... you can fill your tube however or with whatever you have on hand.

6. After the tube was filled we "capped" the other end with plastic wrap and another rubber band.

7. DONE!

Let the shaking, noise making, and music begin!!!