Stringing Beads - Always Relaxing and Fun!

 We had a Bead Stringing session at Mencap last week - always popular with the girls. 

Here they are showing off their new necklaces...

Watch out for a Keyring Bead tutorial! Coming up soon...

Wall Hanging to Celebrate Mencap 60th Anniversary

As Mencap is celebrating its 60th Anniversary, we decided to make a crafty Wall Hanging at our Art and Craft group.

First we made the woven "squares" using the cardboard loom method.

Then next we made some felt flowers like this 

Easy Button Felt Flowers

The "60" I found on eBay

The straps we made from strips cut from an old T Shirt, plaited with lengths of coloured wool, to brighten the grey.

The material was in the 20p box at the local charity shop

After stitching on the squares and the 60 (on my sewing machine) we attached the flowers with little gold safety pins. 

Folded the material up to make a "Cushion" which we filled with toy stuffing.

Attached the straps and there it is - bright and bold and made with such pleasure...!

Printable Quiz - "Richard and John" Famous men - Fill in the Surnames

 An easy quiz, all about Famous Men called Richard or John!

Twenty printable Questions and Answers to ponder over...

A cup of tea and biscuit will always help to make this an enjoyable activity - a quiz that will stimulate the memory and encourage reminiscing, while having fun...

Quiz - Richard and John

If you want more quizzes have a look at my eBook...

41 x10 Easy Printable Quizzes with Answers

Easter Basket to Make - A4 Printable Template

This Easter Basket is made of thin card and can easily be printed, as the Template is A4 in size. This is how we made it up...

You will need...

A4 Sheet of thin card

Paints or felt tip pens

2 Split Pins

"Nest filling" - we used toy filling, but you can use cotton wool or shredded tissue paper just as well.

Stickers for the handle (or draw your own pictures)

Mini Easter Eggs

Chicks - we bought ours at our local craft shop.

How to Make it...

Print the Easter Basket Template directly onto your thin sheet of card.

Colour-in the Bunny and Easter lettering.

Cut out the basket and round off the corners.

Cut along the four lines as in the picture.

Cut out the handle.

Fold up the two ends and fold the pieces with the rounded corners over them. 

Slip the end of the handle against the inside, so you now have four layers. 

Make a small hole through these four layers (we used a large darning needle) and hold them together with a split pin (also called a Brad)

Decorate the handle with stickers.

Place your Nest Filling into your basket and arrange your eggs and chicks.

 

Have fun making your Easter Baskets! And eating all that yummy chocolate...!

We Painted "Frozen" Calico Tote Bags!

 At Mencap this week we painted on Calico Tote Bags...

The choice of picture was FROZEN characters (of course!) 

But you can do any picture you like - endless choice!

So using the print-outs of Princess Anna, Princess Elsa and Olaf (Google search for "Frozen Colouring In" gave us many to chose from) we got started...

 You will need...

Calico Tote Bags-we bought ours on eBay

Fabric Paints

Brushes

A sheet of card slightly smaller than bag size.

Printed picture
 
We found the easiest way to trace the image onto the bag, was to slip the print of the picture into the bag. It can easily be seen through the calico and so the image is traced onto the bag with a soft pencil - we used a B pencil.

Slip a sheet of card into the bag before you start painting - this will prevent paint seeping through to the back of the bag. 

Remove it before the paint dries too much (within half an hour we found) otherwise the card will become stuck to the inside of the bag.

Using Fabric Paints we then painted the pictures as you can see... 


Notice Olaf has Red Soles (as seen in those famous Christian Louboutin shoes!!) 

Allow 24 hours of drying time and then iron on the wrong side to fix the colours. 

Easy to do and great fun...!

New Year A4 Posters - Printable Colouring In

Ease into 2015 with some A4 Posters

ready for you to print and colour-in 

with your family or groups. 

2015 Dog

2015 Flowers

2015 Crinoline

Thanks to Raising Our Kids for sharing their free pictures, two of which I have used in the posters.

May the New Year bring Peace to our world

 - after all, it is the only one we have...

Halloween Paper Plate Pumpkin - Printable Tutorial

Halloween Paper Plate Pumpkin

We made these Halloween decorations at Mencap Braintree - if you want to have a go with your group, they are easy and fun for any age and make a bright display on a grey Autumn day...

You will need

Paper plate - approx 9inch (23cms)

Orange paint

Green paint

Thin black card

Glue stick

Silver metallic pen for drawing eyes etc (optional)

How to make

Print out the templates - Halloween Paper Plate Pumpkin

Cut the paper plate into the pumpkin shape, using the template as a guide

On the back of the plate (so you have a rounded shape)...

Paint the pumpkin orange, with a green stem

Cut out the black shapes (owl, ghost etc) from the black card

Stick the silhouette onto the pumpkin

Draw the eyes etc with the silver metallic pen (optional)

Hang them up and have fun at Halloween...

Printable - Something for the Kids - 4 Activities!

 I have put together four activities - Word Search, Colouring-in and the old favourite  - "The School Bus"

Although aimed at the youngsters - I think the Mosaic and the Word Search will appeal to all ages...

So click on the link and have a look - print off all or just what you fancy... Enjoy!

Something for the Kids - 4 Activities

Leave me a comment if you need answers!

Printable Mosaics to Paint or Colour-in...!

Mosaics are the most rewarding pictures to paint or colour-in...! 

No matter what artistic ability you might or might not have, results from the combining of different colours can be stunning and thus a big boost to your confidence and satisfaction! 

So try some yourself, with your children or with your groups - here are two I have designed for you...

2 Mosaic Designs

For more Mosaic Designs and loads of other craft ideas, with printable templates see my NEW eBook

Simple Crafts and Activities

Also includes new quizzes and favourite games for Seniors and all ages...

My NEW eBook is out - SIMPLE CRAFTS AND ACTIVITIES...!

My new eBook is out and ready for you to order -  

Simple Crafts and Activities

- saving you huge amounts of time, when preparing craft, quizzes and games for your groups. 

I have complied it with Senior Folk in mind, but a lot of the content is for all ages - for your groups, your family and yourself!

Do have a look - there is a full list of contents for you to browse through.

Loads of printable Templates (no links to go elsewhere - just all there in the eBook which is formatted in a Compressed PDF File - very easy to use)

The instructions are clear and the materials easily obtainable, with cost always  in mind.

My email is in the eBook - should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

So have a look -  Simple Crafts and Activities and place your order now for an instant download...

Printable Quiz - 12 Books with Numbers!

When researching "Books with Numbers" - my latest Printable Quiz, I was surprised to find so many book titles that do actually contain numbers... 

After a good browse, I have chosen twelve for you to put to your group - and to make it a bit more challenging I have then asked for the relevant authors...

Here it is - with Answers!

Printable Quiz - Books with Numbers

If you enjoy doing quizzes with your groups, have a look at my ebook - 
41 Easy Quizzes with Answers

Though they are aimed at Seniors, based on the knowledge of their generation, they are actually fun for any age group (unless you are looking for questions on Pop Celebs!)

So have a look - will save you many hours of the preparation involved, in keeping your group entertained!

Stringing Beads - a relaxing afternoon!

A big bowl of beads and charms and thread - 

what pleasure there is in stringing beads!

Easy and fun for all ages and abilities - 

we are going to try Loom Bands next...!

Printable Quiz - William and Thomas - What are their Surnames?

 So many famous people are called William or Thomas...

Here are twenty for you to work on, with your groups - ten of each name

 Quiz - William and Thomas - What are their Surnames?

If you want more of my Quizzes - all Printable with Answers, have a look at my eBook  41 Easy Printable Quizzes with Answers

Nothing better than a good quiz, over a cup of tea, to stimulate and share memories. Enjoy!

Make Fun Summer Hats Collage - Tutorial!

Fun Summer Hats Collage!

This week we decided to celebrate Summer (at last!) by making some Fun Summer Hats Collages. 

Easy for any age or ability and some striking results - quite the thing for Ascot we believe!!

What you will need...

A4 sheets white printer paper

Decorative paper / thin card for hat

Embellishments - cutouts of flowers, butterflies,  buttons, ribbons, bows - these can also be the kind you stick on gift parcels - glitter and anything else you have on hand...

Glue sticks (any glue really, but the sticks are less messy and dry quickly)

Double sided adhesive pads to attach bows etc

A4 sheet of card to glue the finished hat onto

How to make it...

Print out the Hat Template

Turn your print over and draw the same shape on the other side of your paper. 

Easy way to do this is, is to hold it against a window so you can see see through the paper...

Now work on this side (your drawn hat outline) 

Cut strips/shapes (whatever you want) of decorative paper/thin card and glue them across the hat shape - overlap each piece and go over the edges of the hat shape line.

When this has dried, turn your paper over and cut out your hat from the shape on the back of your sheet.

Now the fun part ...Add your embellishments...Buttons, bows, flowers, ribbons, glitter etc

Here are some Flower Templates you can use 

When you are happy with your hat, stick it onto an A4 sheet of card, at a jaunty angle and stick something in the corner to finish it off!

And here are some of our hats we made at Mencap...

 Have fun with your group as we celebrate Summer!

Our South African Wall Mural is finished...

Our South African Wall Mural at Mencap, Braintree is now complete...

The super-imposed flag on the map of SA was created by glueing on small screwed-up pieces of tissue paper and the ocean using flat sheets of tissue. 

Our class loved choosing and colouring-in the animals and of course Nelson Mandela had to be included - plus Rugby!

To complete the frame we strung coloured pasta "beads" in loops down the sides and across the bottom edge. 

Having just returned from a trip over there, I can say that South Africa is a beautiful, vibrant country with friendly people and so much to see and enjoy...

Thank you South Africa!