Some craft ideas

It's been a while once again since I have shown you what crafting stuff we have been up to in the house. Nothing big and great, just small little things. So I present 3 super easy quick crafts:

Pen holder tins

The Princess and I made these for teachers gifts. If I can find the time I like to send a small little something to the teachers at the end of the term - both really go above and beyond duty for our kids. After the first term it was my little note books with an Easter egg and at the end of the second term it was these. Both teachers have them on their desks and even nicer - I see them writing with the multi coloured pens.

To make:
1 empty tin - washed nice and clean - I have subsequently found that condensed milk tins are smooth so they will work even better.
Pretty wrapping paper - I loved this one with the little birds
Modge podge
Ribbons
Coloured ball point pens - these were R14 at Checkers a packet (the very same ones for R24 ar CNA!)
Cut the paper to size and stick on the tin with modge podge, add one layer over. Let it dry. Add another layer brushed in the opposite direction. Continue until you have about 8 layers on.
Add the ribbon and stick with Bostik clear to the tin.
Add pens and put in a cellophane bag that you tie with a ribbon and a note.

Finger puppets:

We made these over the holidays - the Princess and a friend with their grannies did the first batch - the learned how to sew by sewing the edges and then glued on googly eyes etc. The second batch I made with all 3 kids and we glued the sides together and each made their own 3 puppets (and I made 1)

To make:
1 Packet of felt puppets from CNA (R20 for 10 puppets) or you can cut felt to size
Glue
Embroidery needles and embroidery thread
Glitter glue
Googly eyes
Feathers, pieces of ribbon, felt, pipe cleaners(nice striped ones at the Crazy store) etc.

Either sew the sides of the puppets or glue (depending on the age of the kids)
Create your own aliens by gluing, cutting etc - just get down on being creative
Make a show! Apparently our were all aliens so we had an out of space show.

Birthday card books
I never buy birthday cards - they are just too expensive - so I have been making cards for years. But let's face it, most ends up in the bin after a while. So after Marcia gave me pretty note books last year that she decorated, I have sprung on the idea to use note books as cards.

To make:
Coloured plain note books (now again available at the CNA for R6 for two small and R14 for two big ones)
Die cut  letters (I buy these at the Crazy store)
Stickers, scrapbook stickers etc - depending on age and gender.
I try to always have birthday paper that match the colours of the books I have so that they look great on the presents.

Stick the name onto the front with the die cut letters and add stickers to taste (the Princess loves to do this for me)
Write your message on the inside of the first cardboard page.
What I love most about these is how I see the kids with their note books at school - they all love to draw in one.
And seeing my friends with theirs in their handbags.

So what crafts have you been up to?
(Will be linking this to Marcia's craft party for July)