DIY - Temporary Tattoos

I haven't met one kid who doesn't love temporary tattoos. Here's an easy way for you and your kids to make temp tattoos at home.

You'll need:

Cloth
Gel ink pen
Parchment, (or tracing), paper

Optional:

Picture to trace from

Add caption

Of course, the boys wanted an Angry Birds tattoo, so I used an old page from Archer's Angry Birds page a day calender. All my artistic friends out there feel free to draw your tattoos free hand! :)

Cut out a piece of parchment paper and tape it over the picture. Use the gel ink pen to trace over the picture. Use bold lines, it'll transfer better.

DIY Temporary Tattoos!!

Aren't they cute?!

Wet the cloth with warm water. Place the tattoo face down on the skin. Making sure the tattoo doesn't move, gently pat it with the wet cloth for 30 seconds.

The picture will be a mirror image, a good thing to keep in mind if you will be using words.

And voila!!

Remember I said to be careful not to move the tattoo while patting it down?

I was speaking from experience. Luckily, there was still enough ink left on the temporary tattoo to try it again on the other arm. But, if I had done it correctly the first time, the final tattoo would have been darker. Learn from my mistake, these tattoos are much more sensitive to movement than the ones you buy from the store.

I know we've all heard rumors of how people can get ink poisoning from writing on your skin. That's actually an urban myth, click on the below links for more info.

Ink Poisoning: MedlinePlus
eHow Health
LiveStrong

Have fun with this one, enjoy!!!

DIY - Fingerpaint

So, here we are, "enjoying" our first snowfall of the year. As we recently moved, the majority of our toys and arts & crafts items are still packedaway; I needed an activity to keep the boys busy and my sanity intact. I rummaged through my drawers and cabinets to find items I could use to make a quick and easy project.

DIY fingerpaint is great! You probably already have everything you need to make it, the kids love making it, and then they love playing with it.

Here's what you need to get started:

3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 cups water
food coloring

Combine the sugar, salt, cornstarch, and water in a small saucepan.

Even my younger boy got excited about making the paint!

Over medium high heat, warm mixture until is thickens. Give it a good whisk every now and then.

After a few minutes, you'll be left with a thick, clear paste. Remove pan from heat and allow it to cool.

I made my paint thicker than normal, this way, if the container is knocked over, the paint won't come spilling out. If you want your paint the traditional consistency, remove your pan before it thickens too much. Remember, your paint will continue to thicken as it cools.

Portion your paint into small bowls, jars, etc and add your favorite food coloring. Mix evenly and paint!! We didn't use all the paint we made, so I put in an old glass jar and will save it for another day.

Enjoy!

"Angry Birds" Toothpaste

Is it okay to lie to your kids? Probably not. But if your kid is crying because he doesn't like the new toothpaste you bought him and you want him to go to bed so you can finally sit down...maybe it's not so bad to stretch the truth sometimes. :)

Apparently, Thomas the Engine is good enough for Archer to watch, but not good enough for him to brush his teeth with. No amount of begging or negotiation on our part could get Archer to brush his teeth, or even calm him down. How dare we replace his old toothpaste with this impostor one!

Well, hubby came up with a great idea. If you've read a couple of my past blog entries, you know Archer is fascinated with Angry Birds. Hubby took an old Angry Bird coloring book and cut out strips from the back cover. He taped the strips to the offending toothpaste tube and voila! Angry Birds toothpaste, and, more importantly, one very happy little boy.

From time to time, Thomas' eyes peek out from the Angry Birds strips. Archer, without getting angry or upset, calmly asks us to fix his toothpaste for him.

I doubt any parents out there are going to get into the bind we did over toothpaste, but the same principal can be applied to different scenarios. As I like to say, "We do what we can with what we have".   :)

Offending Toothpaste

Redeeming strips cut from an Angry Birds coloring book.

Toothpaste deemed worthy by Archer.

Enjoy!