DIY Jacob's Ladder Toy

I really wanted to make L a Jacob's Ladder Toy, but didn't want to make a trip to the local hardware or craft store for supplies. So, we made this Jacob's Ladder out of an old board book! (If you don't have a board book they are easy to find at the dollar store.) I just love the outcome! This one is super-colorful compared to the wooden one I had as a kid and is just as much fun!

I loved playing with my Jacob's Ladder when I was young...it's such a unique toy! Flip-flopping it back and forth is very calming, but it also makes you think creatively and problem solve. I enjoyed watching L play with the one we made today...not only was she ecstatic when she finally figured out how to work a Jacob's Ladder, but she was also folding it into shapes, pretending it was a snake, a bracelet and a funky hat.  

Materials needed:

-board book

-3 pieces of ribbon (35 inches long each)

-glue

-box cutter

-paper cutter (optional)

-scissors

First, using a box cutter, disassemble your board book. 

Next, measure the dimensions of one page and decide how best to cut it. The book I used was 7 in x 7 in. I chose to cut the pages down the middle in one direction and into thirds going the other direction. Each piece ended up being 3.5 in x 2.25 in. If you have a paper cutter on hand, it makes this step super quick and easy! I cut up 4 pages, leaving me with 24 pieces.

Once you have 24 pieces cut, sort them into "nice" and "ugly" piles, 12 cards in each pile. The "ugly" cards won't be seen.

Next, glue each "nice" card to an "ugly" card with a thin layer of wood glue. Put some canned food on top of the cards to keep them flat and clamped down for the first few minutes, while the glue is setting. Once they are all glued, let them dry for an hour or two. You should now have 12, double-stacked cards.

Now, time to make that Jacob's Ladder! Lay one card-stack in front of you, "nice" side down. Spread a thin layer of glue on top of the card-stack. Place the ends of all three strips of ribbon onto the card-stack. As you can see in the photos, two of the ribbons spread out into one direction and the other ribbon to the opposite direction. 

Spread a dab of glue on each ribbon end and press another card-stack carefully on top, "nice" side up. 

Fold all the ribbons over the top of the cards and to the opposite direction. Pulling them taut, place another card-stack on top of the ribbons, "nice" side down. 

Spread a thin layer of glue on the card-stack and fold the ribbons over, keeping them pulled taut much as possible. You can press the ribbons down into the glue to hold them in place.

Spread a dab of glue on top of the ribbons, and press another card-stack on top, "nice" side up. 

Folding the ribbons over again, repeat the last three steps, until you reach the last card-stack and the end of your ribbon.

Trim the ribbon, pull it taut, and glue it in between the last two card-stacks. 

Place a can of food on top of the entire Jacob's Ladder Toy and allow the glue to dry completely for an hour or two. 

Now, time to play!!! If you've never used a Jacob's Ladder before, you flip the top card to one side and let gravity do the rest of the work. The card's flip-flop down, one after another, like magic in your own hands!

Enjoy!!!

Lemonade Play Dough

We love scented play dough at Our Beautifully Messy House and summertime is the perfect time to make LEMONADE PLAY DOUGH! 

I came up with this recipe a couple weeks ago, while mixing up some play dough to take with us on vacation to the beach. And the kids LOVED it!!! It's always nice having play dough handy for any down-time whether you're at the beach with family or you're having friends over for a play date. 

I've tried making citrus-scented play dough in the past with lemon extracts and oils, but that summery lemonade scent never comes through. Adding a packet or two of lemonade mix did the trick...it was super-quick and easy and smells delicious! I suggest using a sugar-free lemonade mix (Crystal Light brand works great!) so your play dough doesn't get super sticky with the added sugar. 

When I made our lemonade play dough I wanted to make both yellow and pink dough, so I split the dough and added the food coloring before kneading it. The colors came out just fine! This play dough takes only a few minutes to make, but stored in a gallon-sized bag or an air-tight container, it'll keep for nearly a year! This recipe makes plenty for 2 or 3 kids to play with! 

My tip to keep your kids entertained playing with play dough for longer: Start off with plain play dough. Let them play 15 or 20 minutes, then throw some glitter into the mix. Once their attention starts to drift, add some colorful beads or buttons. Add some measuring cups and kitchen utensils, some lil plastic dinosaurs or army men. Just don't give them everything at once, instead add to the play dough in intervals...works every time! 

Ingredients:

2 cups + 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

2 Tbsp cream of tartar

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1.5 cups boiling water

food coloring

1-2 packets lemonade mix

First, put the water on to boil. Add a few drops of food coloring to the water (yellow or pink). As the water is heating up, mix 2 cups of flour, salt, cream of tartar and one packet of lemonade mix in a large mixing bowl. Then add and mix the vegetable oil into the flour mixture. Once the water is boiling, add it to the bowl and mix with a spatula. The dough will be a sticky mess while warm. Mix it as best you can, then let it cool off. After a few minutes cooling off, sprinkle your working surface with some of the remaining flour. Dump the play dough onto the flour, adding more flour to the top, and knead the dough. Continue working with the dough, adding a bit of flour as needed, til the dough is not sticky anymore and you've reached the desired consistency. If you like, sprinkle in another packet of lemonade mix to dough! Yum yum, Summer!!! Enjoy! 

Splatter Paint Fun!!!

While SPLATTER PAINT FUN! can be done anytime of the year, we thought it would be an exceptional craft to do on the 4th of July! This can get messy, so be sure to cover your work area with old newspapers or, better yet, take it outside! I helped L with the cut-outs, but let her do most of the splattering on her own. It's so much fun splattering paint, I bet you'll want to join in the fun too!

Materials needed: 

-toothbrush and/or kitchen scrub brush

-paint

-construction paper

-old cereal box

-scissors

-old newspapers, towels, etc.

First, cover your work area with old newspapers. After all, the paint will splatter!

Next, cut some fun shapes out of your old cereal box. We did some wavy stripes, stars, and a city skyline for the 4th of July.

Lay the shapes atop your construction paper. You can do all the shapes at once or, as we did, layer them. 

Next, dip your toothbrush bristles into paint. Facing the toothbrush downwards (bristles facing the paper) have your kids run their fingers along the bottom of the brush splattering the paint. When splattering around shapes, the more the better!

After splattering is complete, remove cardboard shapes carefully.

If layering paint and patterns, you can now lay more shapes down and splatter with a different color of paint. 

Experiment! Have fun! Make messes!

With the kitchen brush, we didn't "splatter" necessarily. (But you could!) Instead, L dipped the brush into paint and then pushed the bristles down on her paper to make her own, unique fireworks display! So cute and easy! 

For more fun painting ideas check out our page "10 New Ways to Paint"! Enjoy!!!