A Felt Wall Hanging to Make - Beach Huts in Summer! (with printable pattern)

Beach Huts - a Felt Wall Hanging

I had a lovely time making this felt wall hanging...!

If you would like to make your own felt wall hanging with your group, here is how to do it...

You Will Need...

A piece of felt - I used a 9 x 12inch (that is how I buy them) but then trimmed off about an inch along the bottom, so you only actually need 9 x 11inch piece.

5 pieces of felt each 2 x 3inch for the beach huts.

5 scraps felt for the doors

Felt scrap for the Sun - I cut one with a die on my Big Shot, but I have included a pattern for a simpler form in the template.

Embroidery thread (use 3 strands to sew with) and needle

A thin wooden dowel x 16inch

Ribbon or cord  - about 24inch

How to Make...

Turn the long edge over and pin a hem of 1inch Check your dowel will fit through (adjust if necessary)

Using a running stitch - sew hem.

Here is the Pattern for the Beach Huts and Sun. 

Cut out 5 Huts and 5 Doors.

Using a running stitch attach the doors to the huts.

Pin the huts to the background felt, getting the spacing even.

Use a running stitch sew them onto the background felt.

Trim off any excess felt from the bottom edge.

Attach the sun with a button in the centre.

Slip in the wooden dowel and tie on the ribbon.

Have fun in the sun...!

For more Beach Huts (and lots more!) to make, have a  look here... 
Buttons and Paint

Quiz - Match 10 Cities to Famous Landmarks

Table Mountain

Here is a Quiz for your group to have fun with - 

10 Cities to match with 10 Famous Landmarks..!

As always, the quiz is aimed to create a background to stimulate reminiscing and chat amongst your group. All good factors leading to an enjoyable few hours over a cup of tea and a biscuit!

If you would like more quizzes suitable for the older generation, please have a look at my 41 x 10 Easy Quizzes in a printable eBook 

Easter Egg Pouches - Templates and Tutorial

Easter Egg Pouches 

 

So easy to make -  these little felt Easter Egg Pouches can then be filled with Easter Eggs, chicks, bunnies or whatever you have on hand! 

We found all our little gifts at our local Poundshop!

What you will need...

Felt 

Embroidery thread and needle

Fabric glue or double sided tape

Easter eggs and other little gifts to place inside your pouches

How to Make...

Print your Easter Egg Template

Cut out two felt "eggs" and then cut the top third off one piece - like this...

Pin the two pieces together and using blanket stitch, sew around the bottom edges.

Attach a flower or a heart to the front of the pouch, using fabric glue or double sided tape. The yellow flower was one I had in my stash! But you can use my templates to cut out your own embellishments...

Here are flower and heart templates 

Hope you have enjoyed preparing your Easter Egg Pouches ready to fill with little surprises to delight children at Easter!

Two Mother's Day Bookmarks - Printable

You will love these Mother's Day bookmarks 

(UK 27 March 2022)- it is something Mum will treasure and is long lasting - especially if you finish it off by laminating it!

You will need...

Thin card that will fit into your printer 

(Or paper which can be glued onto card)

Paints or crayons to colour in your picture

Laminating (sealing the bookmark in a plastic sleeve) will preserve the bookmark (optional)

Here is the link to download and print...

Two Mother's Day Bookmarks

ACEO Watercolour Painting - Using White Paint!

 When I started out, trying my hand at watercolour painting, I was told and I read in my ever growing pile of "How To" books, never to use white paint...

Well I disagree!!

I discovered White Gouache paint (an opaque water based paint) and I use it with my watercolours... 

Because it is opaque it can be applied over watercolours and can be used for highlights, snow and anywhere really you want a pop of white!

Just be careful to spread it out when applying, as thick clumps will crack - unlike Acrylics which dry hard giving texture.

Here are a few of my ACEO paintings using gouache white paint...

Give it a try - but most of all, enjoy painting these little bits of collectible art!

14 Clever and Apt Anagrams - Just for Fun!

I found this selection of very clever and apt Anagrams - have a go at them with your groups. I have supplied the answers if you get stuck...

One to get you going... "ALAS NO MORE Z'S" is "SNOOZE ALARMS"

Have fun with these!

Here is the link...

14 Clever and Apt Anagrams

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

41 x 10 Easy Quizzes - Printable with Answers
 

One for the Kids - Who Will Drive the School Bus?



Tom (age 5) decided that the DOG would drive the bus!

You can colour-in the school bus and because it is your picture, you can then decide, who is the Driver and where the Passengers are allowed to sit...

Click here to download and print the bus and the passengers.

Have fun - especially as some of you are having a half-term holiday!

Mother's Day Placemats - Printable to colour-in!

 

In UK we celebrate Mother's Day (or Mothering Sunday, as it is also known) this year on Sunday 27 March

What better way to delight Mum, than with a Mother's Day Placemat - either on her breakfast tray or at the table, as she starts her special day...

I have designed Three Mother's Day Placemats ready to download and print.

So get out the paints and crayons and  colour-in the placemats, ready to surprise Mum on Mother's Day...!

1. Mother's Day Placemat

2. Mother's Day Placemat

3.Mother's Day Placemat

  

ACEO Miniature Painting - Have you got the right brushes?

 

A Warm Afternoon

Have you got the right size brushes for painting ACEO, miniature, watercolour paintings?

The only acceptable size for an ACEO painting of 3.5 x 2.5 inches - no other size will qualify! Thus they do fall into the "Miniature" category...

When I started painting ACEO's, about ten years ago, there were not many suitable fine, detail brushes available. The best on offer, I found, were the brushes sold for painting on model aeroplanes or military tanks etc.

But now I find there are more available...!

I use a Round brush size 10 for skies and under-washes, and then a size 6 and 4 to fill in the backgrounds of my landscapes.

For trees I reach for my Rigger to keep the foliage light, using different shades of green to keep it alive.

Then to finish off a landscape by painting in the details, I use my fine watercolour brushes - I really like the ProArte Masterstroke range - Sizes 1 to 10/0 

They are very reasonably priced and hold their shape well. 

Just make sure they are kept clean and left to dry standing brush-up in a jar.

 

While painting be careful not to leave the brushes in your water jar, head down or they will soon bend out of shape...!

For more about ACEO's look at my menu bar at the top of my Blog!

Enjoy painting your ACEO's...!

Farming in Africa

Winter Fields

 

Easter Bunny Collage - Tutorial using Junk Mail!

Time to start getting your Easter Craft on the go...

Here is a very easy way to make an Easter Bunny using Junk Mail! 

The bunny always ends up as a surprise, as you don't really know what he will look like, until you cut him out and turn him over!

What you will need...

Colourful paper - We used Junk Mail but any coloured paper will do

Glue

A4 sheet of card for background mount - any colour will do 

Thin ribbon, wool or strips of paper for flower stems

Googly eye (optional)

Cotton ball tail (optional)

Butterfly Stickers (optional)

How to make it...

Print out 

Easter Bunny Template

Flower Template 1.

Flower Template 2.

Hold the Easter Bunny drawing up against a window and using a pencil, draw the Easter Bunny image on the back of your sheet of paper

Work on that drawing on the back of your paper

Cut strips from your coloured paper or junk mail

Glue the strips on top of the Easter Bunny - do not keep inside the lines - just stick the strips on and go over the lines of the drawing, until the whole image is covered - as above

When dry turn the paper over and cut out the Easter Bunny using the original print as your guide

Turn it over and there is your "Designer Wear" Easter Bunny!!

Attach a googly eye and a cotton ball tail if you want to finish him (or her?)

To make the flowers print out the Flower Template (links above)

Using these flowers as patterns, cut them out of your coloured paper

Glue your stems in place on your card background 

Glue your flowers onto the card background

We finished off with some butterfly stickers!

Hope you enjoyed this Easter Craft - for more ideas click on the EASTER button at the top of my Blog!

6 New Bookmarks to Print and Colour-In...!

We enjoyed making these simple Bookmarks at Mencap this week...

If you would like to make some with your group or with your children here is a tutorial with printable templates...

what you will need...

Thin card in light colours

Colouring in pens or crayons

Laminator and Laminator pouches (optional)

Ribbon (optional)

Single punch (optional)

How to make up the bookmarks..

Print the templates onto thin card. (If you are laminating them, then you can print onto paper)

Here is the link  Bookmarks

Colour in the pictures

Cut out each bookmark

They will last a long time if you laminate them (seal in a plastic sleeve) but not essential.

Punch a single hole centre top and tie in your ribbon.

Printable Quiz - Ten Words ending in TEN!

An easy quiz - just for fun...over a cuppa tea or coffee!

How many words do you know that end in "ten" ?

For example...often, handwritten 

Ask your group to try to write a list of 

that end in "ten"...

Here is selection of some I have found, but there are lots more...have a dictionary on hand to resolve disputes!

Have fun! 


If you would like more quizzes to have fun with, here is the link to my
Printable Quiz eBook - 41 x 10 Easy Quiz questions


 

Quiz - Classic Children's Books & Authors

Today's quiz is all about our childhood classic books - who are the authors of these books?

How many can your groups get right?

I have given you both the book's name and the author but have muddled them up... so for you to pair them up!

In your groups of senior citizens, this quiz will stimulate much reminiscing about each book - encourage this discussion as it is good mental exercise!

Maybe memories of having the book read to them as children, or seeing the story played out in a musical or stage show - lots of good memories will surface...

Here is the link - printable instantly!

Quiz - Classic Children's Books & Authors

If you would like a supply of easy quizzes that can be downloaded as a PDF file and printed as required, please do have a look at my eBook...

41 x 10 Easy Quizzes