Advent Calendar From Baby Food Jars (Part 1 of 2)

Another craft idea about Advent Calendar

Since we're overloaded with baby food jars (sick kitty) even after donating to the Y daycare and 1st grade teacher, I figured it would be great to build some of these trees with David. Then over the weekend I realized that if I built one of them like this:





I would have a tree of 25 jars to fill with little trinkets and use as an advent calendar.

Bath Salts
Epsom salts
food coloring
fragrance (ex:scented oils)
Fill a baby food jar, label, and put a pretty covering on the jar lid. (I use wrapping paper and ribbon)

Finger Paint
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups cold water
food coloring
mix ingredients in saucepan. Boil until mixture thickens. Cool, pour into containers I usually double this recipe, omit the food coloring, and pour this into several jars, then add the food colors.

Back to the baby food jars.
If the kids are old enough they could hot-glue lace or appliques on the jars. The lids could be on or off.

Possible uses:
fill the jars with potpouri (sp?)
candy

cut slit in lid for penny jar.
(To be continued in part 2)

(read more)

Dryer Scent Bag

Here is the art and craft tips. For more tips visit this cool art and craft site.

Sew a small pillow (Mine is about 3"x 5"). I used ordinary fabric that I had left over from making kitchen curtains. I filled it with dried lavender and trimmed the edges with lace.
Instead of dryer sheets to make your clothes smell nice, toss the bag in your clothes dryer each time. My clothes smell wonderful! I'm not sure how much use you can get out of it, but I have been using it for about 4 months and it still smells like new.

(read more)