Mother's Day is coming up on 18 March. Help the children in your care make a special present with a co-ordinated handmade 'shaker' card and flower vase.
MOTHER'S DAY SHAKER CARD
A 'shaker' card is a two-dimensional version of a snow globe. Loose sequins or glitter are trapped in a cellophane pocket so that they move about when you shake the card. Although shaker cards look impressively complicated, they are easy to make at home.
You will need:
an aperture card or blank folded card; craft knife, metal ruler and cutting board; clear cellophane (available from most art and craft shops or stationers); coloured card; sequins; glitter or glass seed beads; double-sided tape; scissors; glue; stickers, paints, felt pens, bows and other items for decorating the front of the card About the materials: An aperture card is a blank greetings card with a hole cut into the front.
You can buy them from craft shops and stationers, or cut your own aperture in the front of a card with a craft knife and metal ruler. Oval, round or heart shapes look good, but they are harder to work with than straight-sided shapes. If possible, use sequins with a 'Mother's Day' theme such as hearts or flowers. Combining larger sequins and tiny seed beads or glitter looks effective. Glass seed beads often come in different sizes - buy the tiniest you can find.
What to do:
Open the card and put double-sided tape around the edge of the aperture.
Peel the backing off the tape and stick a piece of clear cellophane across the back of the aperture so it looks like a glazed window from the front.
Put another layer of double-sided tape around the edge of the aperture, on top of the cellophane. Peel the backing off, carefully place a few sequins and seed beads or glitter on the cellophane and stick a piece of card across the back of the aperture so that the sequins are trapped between the cellophane and the card. Give the child a free hand in decorating the front of the card.
Tip: sequins and beads or glitter must be completely enclosed in the cellophane and card pocket. Make sure the double-sided tape goes all the way round the aperture and right up to the edges. If your aperture is a shape with rounded edges, add a dab of glue to the gaps between the tape.
Mother's Day flower vase Cover an old jam jar with fabric soaked in diluted PVA glue, and turn it into a stunning flower vase.
You will need:
jam jar; piece of cotton fabric; scissors; ruler; felt pen; pair of compasses or large circle template; PVA glue; tablespoon; roasting tin; sequins, seed beads or glitter to match those used for the shaker card; several plastic bags
About the materials:
You will need 100 per cent cotton fabric for this project, as manmade fibres tend to be less absorbent; use a cotton handkerchief or buy a small piece of fabric from a haberdashery. You can use coloured or patterned fabric, but choose colours that will make a good background for your sequins and beads or glitter.
What to do:
Water down the PVA glue by mixing approximately one-and-a-half tablespoons of glue with two tablespoons of water. Pour the glue solution into a roasting tray. Using the felt pen and compasses or a template (such as a plate), draw a circle on the fabric. The radius of the circle (distance from the centre to the edge) needs to be a little longer than the height of the jar. Cut out the circle of fabric and then soak it in the glue solution. Turn the jam jar upside down, place it on a folded plastic bag and drape the wet fabric circle over the jar. While the fabric is still wet, arrange it in folds around the jar. Sprinkle seed beads or glitter on to the fabric folds and leave to dry. The excess glue will drip off the fabric, so you may need to keep replacing the plastic bag. Once the glue has stopped dripping, you can speed up the drying process by putting the jar in an airing cupboard. When the fabric is bone-dry, turn the jar the right way up and stick sequins on to the fabric, to match the sequins in the shaker card. Fill it with flowers.
Tip: if water from the flowers gets on the fabric, it will turn soggy and sticky. Remind the children to carry it carefully when presenting it to Mum!
