Thumb, Thumb, Finger, Hand{print} Canadian Flag

This is a great craft for the little ones because it takes very little skill and provides you with a cherished keepsake you can keep up all year or pull out every Canada Day as they get older.

Materials Needed:

• Tempera Paint - red
• Plain canvas 
• Painter's Tape
• Disposable Pie Plate or other vessel for the paint

* If you can't find an inexpensive canvas (I got mine at the dollar store) then you can do this craft on a sheet of white paper and frame it with an inexpensive frame to protect it for years to come.

Instructions:

1. Use the painter's tape to mark off the two vertical spaces at the left and right of the canvas that you want to be painted red by your child.
2. Have your child use their finger tips to fill in the bulk of the tow vertical spaces you created.  
3. When the spaces are complete, remove the painter's tape.
4. Help your child dip their entire hand into the red paint.
5. Carefully press their hand down in the middle of the white space left in the middle to form the 'maple leaf'.
6. When it is dry, if your child can write, have them sign their name and date on the corner.  Otherwise you can do it for them.

Hang your flag in a place of honor.  Happy Canada Day!

Canada Flag Windsocks

With Canada Day just around the corner it is a great excuse to get crafting with the kids.  These windsocks are perfect hung from a tree our even the deck.  Show off your Canadian pride with some windsocks hanging at home and at the cottage.

Materials Needed:

• Tin Cans - cleaned
• Spray Paint or Craft Paint - red and white
• Cardboard or wax paper for template
• Ribbon - red and white
• Craft Glue or Glue Gun
• Twine or other string
• Hammer
• Nail
• pencil (optional)
• scissors

Instructions:

1. Using the hammer and nail, poke two holes into the top of the can.
2. Paint the can either red or white.  Let it dry.
3. Using the opposite colour paint, paint a maple leaf in the centre of the can.  Let it dry.
4. Meanwhile, cut lengths of red and white ribbon approximately 24 cm long each.
5. Cut a length of twine approximately 2 feet long (or double the length you need it to be for hanging in your desired location).
6. When the paint is dry, feed the twine through the two holes on the top of the can.  Pull them through the opening and tie them together in a knot.  It will be hidden in the can.
7. Using glue, attach ribbons to the bottom of the can alternating between red and white.
8. Hang your windsock proudly!

*You can see in the bottom row of the photo above that for step #3 we created a template for our maple leaf.  We used Elmer's adhesive to keep our template in place.  As long as you don't leave it too long, it can be removed and re-used.

Think the kids will have trouble painting a maple leaf?  Here are a few suggestions:

1. Create a stencil that you can stick to the can and have them dab on the paint then remove the stencil.
2. Pre-draw a maple leaf for them and have the kids fill it in with paint.
3. Find a small maple leaf from a tree and use it like a stamp. 
4. Hand them a bunch of maple leaf stickers and let them go to town.  They may not hold up as well in the long run but they'll look great on Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day!

Hair Guides, Make-up Maps - Oh My! - It's Recital Time

I'm not sure about you but the thought of a makeup map and hair guide scared the heck out me.  My daughter had her first ever dance recital last night.  Prior to the event we were given a few pieces of paper that outlined exactly how their hair and makeup should be done.  Now, as I mentioned a few days ago, I have been feeling a little overwhelmed lately so I tossed said instructions in her ballet bag and didn't give them a thought again until the night before her performance.

Yikes - sheer panic set in.  I wear mascara religiously but outside of that I might throw on a bit of blush and on a fancy day some lipstick.  I have NO idea how to apply eye shadow or worse yet, eye liner.  I know nothing about the crease of the eye, the contour of a cheek..  I've always thought it would be great to get a makeup lesson but there is no time now.  I even have a whole board on Pinterest dedicated to the craft but that doesn't mean I've had the chance to try them.

Lucky for me (well, really it is lucky for my daughter) I remembered that my neighbour is a makeup artist.  At the mere mention of this my daughter was begging to go next door to ask if she would help us out. Yippee, she said 'yes'!  Another crisis averted.

It took about 30 minutes to put on her face and pull her freshly cut short hair into a bun using hair extensions bought at the dollar store and a bun donut to add fullness.  I think it would have taken me about an hour to do the same on my own and I promise you the results would not have been nearly as pretty.

Proud of my bun of fake hair.

While the end of her dance year was a little rocky (long story) and we weren't sure we were even going to make it to the recital, I was a proud Mama watching her light up on the stage.  She had a magical night and felt like a prima ballerina.  Just goes to prove, sometimes you just need to ask for some help.

PS - my husband almost had a heart attack seeing his baby girl so made up.  Do dads ever want their little girls to grow up?  Probably not.