Jean Leg Tote

Daughter W and her friend needed a purse to decorate during the birthday party. (See earlier posts.)I did not have time to make them the same purse as the bigger girls, so I made these totes out of a jeans leg. They each chose the ribbon they liked for a handle and I sewed it on for them. Then they stamped the fronts with acrylic paint. W's is a new mail bag that collects and distributes mail.

Joyful Moment-Poppies

Today's joyful moment: roadside poppies

Joy is there to fill your soul if you watch for it.-JGS

Classic Jeans Purses

This is a classic sewing project that was HOT when I was a girl. My 10-year-old and friends enjoyed this project today for her birthday.

I started with kids' jean shorts or skirts from Goodwill. The skirts were much easier to sew up than the shorts, so next time I'd only look for skirts. I liked the sizes around size 5. We got one that was a bigger size, and it was not as attractive. Kids clothes at our Goodwill are $1.80 each. The skirts were simple to turn inside out and sew the bottom closed.

I used old jean legs to make straps for handles. I made them appx. 3 " wide and 30 " long and folded them in thirds, then zig zagged along the seam, so I did not have to turn them inside out. : ) Sew firmly to the inside of the waistband on each side.

When the girls got here, they each chose a purse, and then chose a ribbon or old tie to tie around the belt loops. We had acrylic paint, beads, and buttons that could be added. (You can add textile medium if desired-sold near the acrylic paint bottles in craft or other stores. Directions on the bottle.) We used stamps and paintbrushes to decorate. After drying we sewed on the beads and/or buttons. I did not iron on the paint to set it, since these would not be washed too often, but it's never a bad idea to do that, if you have time. (I did not have time!)

Picture : #1-stamping with acrylic paints, #2/3-undecorated purses, #4/5-finished purses

Purse Party Birthday

Tenth birthday purse party. Friends Maria, Nicole and Ann (with friend Tessie for Daughter W.) helped Daughter M celebrate her 10th birthday today. We played games, decorated jean purses, had a coloring contest, and ate supper and cake. Fashion shots with new purses closed the party. Daughter Mac even made a purse cake for her.

Star Hangers

These are two versions of a simple craft with Fun Foam. Cut out several sizes of stars. Add glitter if desired. Stack and glue. (Aleene's Tacky Glue.)Punch holes and string onto ribbon, string or yarn. Hang on doors, walls, trees for July decorating.

Fourth of July Table Toppers

This is a quickie craft we did a few years ago. I saw these unpainted wood pieces at a craft store, and after painting them white, I let the girls decorate them for the Fourth. After they dried, I hot-glued the glittery pipe cleaner "sparks" on them. I made the "Liberty" glitter one.

Stained Glass Jello

I wanted to make a colorful jello for the 4th, but had no time and patience for the traditional layers of red, white and blue jello. I found this great idea on-line, and it was fun, pretty and tasted good. For more pictures, go on-line and search Stained Glass Jello.

Stained Glass Jello

4 small boxes of gelatin (or two large boxes) in desired colors
4 c. boiling water
2 pkg. unflavored gelatin (Knox)
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)

For each color, dissolve one box of Jello in 1 cup of boiling water. Adjust amounts for larger boxes, if using them. Pour into smaller square containers and chill at least 3 hours, or overnight. After chilling the flavors, cut them into small blocks. Mix the blocks in a 9×13-inch pan.

In another bowl, sprinkle 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin into ½ cup cold water. After the gelatin melts, add 1½ cups boiling water and stir to dissolve. Add the can of condensed milk. Stir and let cool but not set. Pour cooled milk mixture over Jello blocks in 9×13 pan. Skim off any small bubbles. Chill overnight or at least 3 hours until firm. Cut into blocks or appropriate shapes.

Wonderful Fourth

Laura Ingalls' DeSmet Home

This week my friend Beth and I took our school age girls to DeSmet to visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder sites. We have both repeatedly read the Little House series aloud to our students over the 20 or so years we have home schooled. Beth and I met at the first home school conference I ever went to and our families have been friends ever since. They have moved here and there, and now hail from Washington State, but we get together whenever possible.

We stopped first at the Harvey Dunn museum in Brookings and got to see Dunn's and other artist's works. A quick stop at SDSU's dairy department for the homemade ice cream (cookies and cream, butter brickle and butter almond!) refreshed and fortified us.

Our tour in DeSmet included the Surveyor's house, a replica of the school Laura taught in, and the real DeSmet school Laura and her sisters attended. Also we saw the house that Pa built for the family in town after Laura and Almonzo were married, and we visited the grave site where Pa, Ma, Mary, Carrie and Grace and baby boy Ingalls Wilder are buried. We saw many authentic artifacts, including Pa's big green book of animals, letters in the families' own handwriting, and household items owned by the Ingalls family. For IngallsWilderophiles, it was a great day.

Trivia: What were the three things the Ingalls ate the first night they stayed in the Surveyors house? (By the Shores of Silver Lake-Chapt. 14) It was considered a FEAST! (I knew this answer on the tour.) The Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder is truly one of our favorite things. Answer: canned peaches, pickles and crackers

Sleepover Camp Out

The girls had a sleepover outside on the trampoline and hammock. I remember doing the same thing with my brothers when we were young. Big adventure. But we had to set our cots up right outside Mom and Dad's window so we felt safe.