I love pretty paper and before I started blogging I used to make greeting cards and sell them on Etsy.com I still have many supplies and I decided to make this garland to add some more color to my daughter’s nursery, but it would be a cute craft for any kids room, just adjust the colors to match the decor.
- Gather your materials. You will need some cards stock in a plain color, and various sheets of patterned card stock, scissors, a circle paper punch ( ours in 1″) , glue, ribbon, and a hole punch.
- Start by cutting your plain paper into squares. I purposefully made mine imperfect. There is something about birdhouses that suggest that imperfections are the way to go.
- Next cut the patterned paper into triangles for roofs.
- Punch the holes.
- Glue the roofs and circles on. Let dry.
- Punch a hole at the top of each house.
- Thread onto your ribbon, either randomly or in a pattern.
- Hang up!
This too sophisticated a craft for your little one? Try Feather Painting!
Bird Books
Birds by Kevin Henkes , illustrated by Laura Dronzek is stunning. I love this author but this book is absolutely about the pictures. The cover is beautiful but there are pages that I just wanted to look at the way I look at paintings at a museum. The book is perfect for toddlers and young preschooler, it’s non fiction , simple and has a great flow. The colors are so vibrant I would bet that infants would dig it too! Awesome awesome awesome!
Bird Talk by Ann Jonas was enjoyable but I didn’t get it at first. I thought that the book was what the author imagined the birds would be saying while observing humans daily lives. In actuality what the birds are saying are the “memory phrases” that bird watchers use to remember the bird calls. The author has matched these up with scenes where they fit. My son laughed at the Common Night Hawk who’s saying was “Pork and Beans” and kept repeating that after we read the book. There is a full guide in the back of the book of all the birds included.
A Poet’s Bird Garden by Laura Nyman Montenegro is an enjoyable book about a little bird who escaped his cage and the poets and little girl who try and try to catch him. The poets come to help bring Chirpie back and each have lovely but unsuccessful ideas to bring him out of the tree. Finally Claude the cat comes out of the tree and then Chirpie and many other birds enjoy all the poet’s efforts ( seeds, yarn for nests , etc… ).
coco.nut says
wonderful idea, looks beautiful!!!
.-= coco.nut´s last blog ..a niech tam =-.
Elissa says
so cute! I’m always looking for a way to use some of my “fancy paper”!
.-= Elissa´s last blog ..C2-5K Week 1 done! =-.
Love and Lollipops says
How Lovely!!
.-= Love and Lollipops´s last blog ..Raising Brainy Babies =-.
Jen says
We had fun making a birdhouse with a juice container and popsicle sticks just last week. My girls enjoyed painting it with neon paint. I haven’t seen any birds yet;maybe they are afraid of it due to the neon colors. lol
I’ll have to share the Kevin Henkes book with little man and my girls would probably enjoy the illustrations, too. I can just tell from the cover.
.-= Jen´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday- My Crew! =-.
alecat says
I’ve just come over for my first visit to your blog, upon recommendation. 🙂
I love the ideas you share!!
Looking forward to reading more, and catching up on older posts too.
Catherine (aka alecat, Australia)
.-= alecat´s last blog ..Craft giveaway through The Handmaden =-.