DIY Floppy Newspaper Hats

Oh, we had so much fun making these FLOPPY NEWSPAPER HATS today! I thought I'd write up this tutorial this weekend, but I just couldn't wait...they're just so much fun! If you have little boys in your messy house, please don't think you can't make these with them...a hat's a hat! A floppy hat's a floppy hat! I'm sure they'll love them just as much as any girls will! Do it! There will be lots of giggling for sure. 

Materials needed:

-newspaper

-acrylic paint

-painters tape

-tissue paper, poof balls, feathers, etc.

-white glue

First, prepare your painting area. I taped some trash bags to the floor to protect it from paint...not usually necessary for painting, but the newspaper sheets are just so large. 

Next, paint, paint, paint! Paint an entire sheet of newspaper, just one side though. Don't worry if some  of the newspaper can be seen through the paint, nobody will notice when the hat is finished! Allow the paint to dry completely.

After the paint is dry, lay the paper overtop of another sheet of newspaper...two sheets will make the hat a little more durable. Fold the papers twice, once in each direction, and cut the paper so when you open them back up, you have a circle. The circle really doesn't have to be perfect, it'll look great when you're done! 

Next is the tricky part because kids tend to wiggle...lay the paper over your child's head and scrunch fold it into shape. As you go around, use painters tape to hold the the folds in place. The great thing about painter's tape is that you can fix any little mistakes and it won't tear up the paint or paper. 

In making WB's orange hat, I just shaped it around my knee and it worked just fine. I also experimented and used a stapler instead of the painters tape. Stapling worked great and looks fantastic, but it is a little trickier to do. The paper tears a little easier with staples in it too. 

Now to decorate your hat! You can cut flowers out of tissue paper or just cut squares and scrunch them up. If you layer the tissue paper a bit, the flowers are a little fluffier and prettier. You can also glue on poof balls, jewels, feathers, anything you can think of and find around your house! 

Super cute, huh!? Forget Easter bonnets, we'll be wearing these to Thanksgiving dinner!!! That is if they survive a month's worth of tea parties... 

Wouldn't these be adorable for a birthday party? You could make the hats beforehand and let the kids decorate them at the party...so many fun possibilities! Enjoy! 

The Best Pumpkin Seed Recipe Ever!

Store-bought pumpkin seeds don't even compare to freshly roasted ones made right in your own home! This year I think I made ours too good...they barely lasted a weekend, most didn't even make it out of the pan and into a serving bowl before they were devoured! I know Halloween is over, but you may have some un-carved pumpkins sitting on your front porch still full of seeds... Those seeds are calling your name...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds

2 teaspoons olive oil

salt

Plus any or all of the following:

garlic powder

chili powder

paprika

roasted cumin

cayenne

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

First, rinse the seeds under water washing away any pumpkin guts.

Pour the seeds out on a towel and gently pat them dry. (They don't have to be perfectly dry.)

In a small bowl, toss the seeds with the olive oil and salt. Add your spices and toss some more to thoroughly coat the seeds. Make them to suit your preferences...if you like really spicy snacks, add more cayenne. Paprika is one of my favorite spices...kinda sweet, kinda smoky and a little spicy. 

For little or no mess, line a baking pan with tinfoil. Spread the seeds out in a single layer.

Bake for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Delish!!! (This handful of seeds was all that was left by the time I got my camera out to take a picture! They are just too good!) Enjoy!!!

Leaf "Glitter" Art

As the girls and I were crunching our way through leaves this week, this leaf "glitter" project came to mind. The leaves in our neighborhood are changing yet again...this time from their vibrant reds and oranges to dried-up, crunchy browns. No fear though, we can get one more craft out them!

Materials Needed:

-crunchy leaves

-paper (look in the recycling basket first!) 

-white glue

-a small container or bowl

First, crumble the leaves into the tiniest pieces possible and collect them in a small dish. 

Next, draw a Fall picture on the paper with the white glue. Feel free to draw some for your little ones, but let them scribble a glue picture too! 

Now, as you would do with glitter, sprinkle the leaf dust all over the glue. This was definitely L's favorite part.

Once the glue is all covered, gently shake the excess leaf "glitter" off and reveal your masterpiece! 

Pumpkin Seed Necklaces

There's a lot of pumpkin carving going on this week, so I thought I'd hurry and get this one out there! Have you ever turned your pumpkin seeds into jewelry? The key to stringing pumpkin seeds with ease is to make sure that they're fresh...no baked or thoroughly dried pumpkin seeds here! This year we tried dying some seeds before stringing them too. This craft is super easy and so much fun! 

Materials needed:

-fresh pumpkin seeds

-dental floss, embroidery floss, or thread

-sewing needle

For colored seeds you'll also need:

-food coloring

-vinegar

-boiling water

As you carve your jack-o-lanterns, separate the pumpkin seeds from the pulp. Rinse the seeds in some water to get any excess pumpkin guts off. 

If you'd like some colored seeds, boil a cup of water. Add 1-2 tsp of vinegar and lots of food coloring. (I basically followed the directions for dying eggs on the food coloring box, adjusting it a little bit.) Let the water mixture boil for 5 minutes.

Turn the stove off and add your pumpkin seeds. Let them sit for 15-20 minutes, stirring the seeds a couple times, until you achieve the color you like.

Pour your seeds into a colander to drain them and run some cold water over the seeds briefly. Spread the seeds out on some cardboard to dry a bit. You can pat them dry with a paper towel too if needed.

Now, time to make some necklaces! Using the needle and thread (or dental floss), string the seeds on one at a time. If the seeds are a little tough, you can lay them flat on cardboard and push the needle through. 

This is a great time to talk to your kids about patterns! Have your little ones pick out seeds and lay them in order to help you string. When you're finished threading seeds, tie the ends in a knot or two to complete! Enjoy!

Some early morning necklace-making in our pajamas in Our Beautifully Messy House...