School Holiday Ideas - Design and Create

Want a great idea to keep the kids amused during school holidays?

Have them custom design their own canvas shoes, tshirts, hats  or even jeans or bags using fabric paint pens.

My youngest son and his friend spent hours one day last  school holidays designing their own t-shirts.  We later ventured on to custom designing  and colouring in white canvas shoes.

All you need are:

• ·      Pencils and Paper (it is a great idea to draft a design beforehand)
• ·      Fabric Pens
• ·      Clothing (white tshirts, canvas shoes or caps are great)

Fabric pens  can be bought from Target or Big W (Stainers by Sharpie) for $6-$10, or at Office Works you can buy a pack of 10 pens (Crayola Fabric Markers) for under $10 and also extra black markers for  $2.00 which certainly come in handy as black tends to be used fairly quickly.

Tip:  For t-shirts make sure you place sheets of paper in between t-shirt to prevent bleed-through. 

Once design is finished, let ink dry and heat set.  (Set iron to cotton setting and iron the reverse side of design using a back and forth motion for 4 minutes.)  Or in the case of shoes or hats, tumble dry in dryer for 30 minutes on the hottest setting.  Rather tumble dry shoes, I sprayed mine with a couple of coats of clear  sealer and left shoes out in sun to dry.

Let the budding artists create.

Until next time have a great one.

Angela xx

Beach Hanging Sculpture and Yummy Wagon Wheel Slice Recipe

Want to create a unique  fantastic beach   hanging sculpture?

I am always thinking of creative new ideas for home. 

As my neighbour was cutting down branches  a few weeks ago, I picked up a couple of branches originally to put in a pot but thought one could be used to hang from the ceiling.    The man of the house thought I was mad when I tried to explain it to him at the time what I was doing but he now  does admit he likes it. 

To start I pulled off all the leaves and left most of the small branches including the little twigs on and put branch out in the sun to dry for a week.   With a can of white spray paint,  I gave then gave the branch  a good coat of paint.  I bought some clear glass crystal beads at Spotlight in different sizes.  You could also use glass baubles or  little silver disco balls  that you can get at an outlet shop.  

Thread beads on to fishing line and arrange how you like ensuring that you place plenty of knots to ensure beads do not fall off, (it is a bit like macramé).  Make  a loop to hang beads over the branches.

Ready  to hang?  Screw 2 cup hoops into roof, or to see if you like it first, stick self adhesive cup hooks to roof.    Work out what height to hang sculpture and cut fishing line twice the height.  Knot line together and loop through sculpture on both ends and hook  on to cup hooks.  

The  result, a great looking original sculpture! Let me know what you think.

    Wagon Wheel Slice 

I found this great recipe in a Good Food magazine and made it for morning tea at work.  It  went down a treat with many coming back for seconds! It is also a great recipe for the kids to make over school holidays.  Enjoy and until next time.. have a great one!

Angela xx

            
235g butter, softened

            
1/3 cup caster sugar

            
1 1/2 cups plain flour

            
1/3 cup self-raising flour

            
1/2 cup raspberry jam

            
145g white marshmallows, halved

            
185g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

        


Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 3cm-deep, 16cm x 26cm slice pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 2cm from edge on all sides.

Using an electric mixer, beat 185g butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift flours over butter mixture. Stir until dough comes together. Press mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes until golden.

Spread warm base with jam. Cover with marshmallows, cut-side down. Bake for 2 minutes. Remove from oven. Press down on marshmallows to level surface. Cool in tin.


Combine chocolate and remaining butter in small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until melted. Pour over marshmallows. Tap pan to level surface. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before cutting into pieces and serving.