Korean Paper Hat Craft

Recently we went to a Korean Cultural Celebration at our local college. They had several craft stations set up...calligraphy, book marks, and this, paper hat making. This was the girls favorite activity. They had the hats folded and ready for the kids to decorate with dot paints and tissue flowers.

I dissected the hat to show you how simple it is to make one. Take one large piece of paper.

Fold top edge down about an inch.

Fold paper in half.

Fold bottom edge about 1/4 - 1/2 inch.

Tape along edge.

Tape strings for ties by the corners with the wide fold. The wide fold is the front of the hat.

Let children decorate with paints, markers and tissue flowers.

Have fun crafting with your kids!

Dragon Crown Craft

Sorry, it is a bit late to be posting a Lunar New Year Craft.

Fortunately, dragon crafts are fun year round.

I volunteered in Em's class this week. I read a book and provided this craft.

I started with 4 packages of bulletin board border paper in red, silver and gold. 2 packs were wide and 2 were thin.  I was able to make 23 crowns with lots of paper left over.

Fold the thin border paper in half. Cut. This will be your dragon's body.

The top of the paper is already wavy. Mimic the wave on the body along the bottom. Notice the tail narrows. It was very quick to do. Don't worry about making them identical or perfect.

I stapled the body onto the premeasured (hold up to your child's head and wrap around their head allowing for overlap to accommodate kids with larger heads) wide border paper. Line up the end of the tail to the end of the wide paper and staple.

I used white coffee filters to give the dragon some flair. You can cut them to make them fancier or just fold them in half and glue them on. The head is made from the wider border paper scraps. Fold in half the long way. Cut out 8 shaped head adding as much or as little detail as you want. I glued all the heads onto the crowns since Em's preschool class was going to be making them. Older kids could do this step.

I also added curling ribbon for the whiskers.

Cut out and accordion fold strips for legs. Make sure you cut out extras. Several kids in Em's class glued on 8-10 legs on their dragons.

Make sure you have lots of gems, google eyes, pom poms, feathers, stickers, sequins and paper scraps for the kids to glue on.

Once dry staple crowns closed.

Have fun crafting with your kids! Mama King

A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza

(From the left) Emme's Choco, Lulu's Choco

A Mother for Choco is a wonderful children's book (regardless if your child is adopted or not) about a little bird looking for a mother that looks like him. In the end he discovers a mama bear who does not look like him but is the perfect mother. My girls LOVE this book. Even though my girls are not old enough to understand the concept of adoption they just think Choco is so cute and are happy for him when he finds mama bear. They were thrilled to make their very own Choco. I will be reading this book and doing this craft with Lulu's class to celebrate National Adoption Month. For all you Adoptive Mommies out there: Just ask your child's teacher if you can do something because most teachers will not think of doing anything unless they know someone who is adopted. Lu's teachers were more than happy to have me come in and do something.




















A Mother for Choco (Paperstar) by Keiko Kasza (Paperback - Mar 19, 1996)

Buy new: $5.99

Traditional Korean Sam Taeguk Fan

The Sam Taeguk symbol is found on tradional Korean fans. It is a variation of the Taeguk symbol found on the Korean National flag. The Taeguk is comprised of two colors, red and blue. The red represents heaven and the blue represents earth. The symbol represents harmony similar to a Ying Yang symbol. The Sam Taeguk includes yellow to represent man.

To make your own Sam Taeguk Fan hop over to Grown In My Heart. Click here for the printout and the instructions. Be sure to leave me a comment over there so I know you stopped by!

While your there enter the Crayola Back To School Giveaway. Crayola is giving away one Back to School Gift Pack to a lucky winner.





SAMTAEGUKFAN

Grown In My Heart: No Sew Felt Wallet

As may of you know Frugal Family Fun Blog is one of my favorite blogs. I am always inspired by what Valerie and her equally creative daughter are up to. My latest inspiration came from her tutorial on how to make a felt crayon wallet. I love the size and portability of her wallet design! I wanted to use the same wallet design to make a mini felt mat wallet. I went the no sew route...which is always the best route to take if you can in my world! Head over to Grown In My Heart to see how I put a twist on Valerie's project. Definitely check out Frugal Family Fun Blog to see Valerie's tutorial. It is super easy...even for a beginning sewer like myself!

Grown In My Heart: Panda Party Favor

Come on over and visit me at Grown In My Heart. Today I show you how to make the cutest party favors. I give you the basic technique and then you can tweak it to extend your theme.

Scroll down to see the Panda Party Favor and a variation I made for Emme's birthday.


Don't forget to leave me some comment love over at Grown In My Heart! Thanks :-)













Using the same technique I made these Elmo party favors for Em's birthday. I used little boxes of goldfish since Elmo has a pet goldfish, Dorothy.

Freezer Paper T-Shirt Stencils

Hello! My post is up for real this time! Today I am one of the Craft Contributers at Grown In My Heart. Come on by and visit me there! I give you step by step instructions on how to make a cute Birthplace or Home State Freezer Paper Stencil T-Shirt. Be sure to leave a comment and let me know you stopped by! I loved all of your comments last week! Thanks! Below is a sneak peak!



The shirt I made for Emme, a silhouette of South Korea. The Red sequin shows where Emme was born.

Freezer Paper Stencils are great for any design. I also made this Tinkerbell for Lulu. Using an old party decoration.

4th of July Craft over at Grown In My Heart

Exciting News! I am a new Craft Contributer at Grown In My Heart, a new adoption website. Grown In My Heart is an incredible resource for adoptive parents and for perspective adoptive parents. The crafts I will be posting are great for all children not just for adopted children. I hope you will come over and visit me every other Wednesday! I will always link on my blog on the days I post so you know where to find me! Please leave me lots of comments over there so my new boss is impressed! :-) Just click here for directions to these great projects!

Patriotic Mobile using a cereal box.

























Star Hair Clip or Shirt Clip

(Not Just) Gotcha Day Craft Ideas: For Families!

An adult adoptee shared a beautiful story about how her mother explained adoption by using the analogy of grafting a branch to a tree. I loved the idea of a tree and a branch growing together as one over time. A family tree seems like a natural craft project.



There are all types of ways you can assemble your family tree (it actually doesn't even need to be a tree.) A paper collage is easy for smaller children. The adult cuts out the pieces. Have the child tell you the family memebers names as you write them on the leaves. You can get creative and use other materials besides construction paper. Cut leaves out of an old painting your child did. You can also cut leaves out of paper made from melting crayon between wax paper, leaf rubbing, fabric backed with iron interfacing or glued to card stock to stiffen, colored foam sheets or felt.

You can hang your leaves on a small tree outside your house with colorful ribbon. Remember to laminate your leaves. (You can use clear packing tape or contact paper)

You can also bring in and decorate a small branch with your family leaves. You also do not have to make leaves! You can make flowers or make Aunt So-and-So a squirrel and Great Grandpa an owl. Have fun and be creative!

You can have older children create a family collage on a small poster board using photos, glitter, markers, magazine cut outs...

You can plant a tree together as a family.

Older children may be interested in volunteering, educating, raising money or even sponsoring a child... There are some wonderful organizations that your older child can get involved with helping other children. I know a lot of schools, churches and community organizations run events like providing backpacks filled with supplies for foster kids. Or even holding a bake sale or lemonade stand to raise money for an organization of their choosing.


Another photo from our journey! Emme's last well visit appointment.
Don't you love the hat! Korea 2008