Ladybugs

I have recovered from my peg drama but have decided to play it safe and return to my beloved paper plates. I love ALL things ladybugs and Emma thinks they are "cute crawlies" so I decided we'd make some. Emma doesn't believe in things being painted traditionally i.e. ladybugs are red with black spots, no no Emma's one has purple spots.

I have to say, Emma is getting much better at her painting skills, I only have to do a touch up for her these days. We have yet to master cutting. Even with child friendly scissors she just doesn't get it. Telpis!!

So onto the ladybug. You will need:

• 2 large paper plates
• Paint
• Black foam
• Googly eyes 
• Coloured paper
• Glue stick
• Stapler

Paint your plates, one black the other red. Allow to dry. Cut our 8 or 10 spots from the coloured paper and glue onto the red plate. Cut the plate in half. arrange on the black plate, over lapping at one end to form a "V" shape from the black plate. Secure with a staple. Cut a semi-circle out of the foam and stick on the googly eyes. Staple onto the overlapping plates. End product. Ladybugs.

Here is the finished product:

Crafting Block with a happy ending.

I know we have been a bit quite lately. This is due to my mental block. I couldn't think of ANYTHING to make. I goggle imaged, I went to a local play-school, I even went in search of crafting books in the local library. End result = NOTHING. Major sad face. So as I hummed and hawed everyday about what to make, Emma developed an interest in dinosaurs." DING" Light bulb moment.  I remembered seeing a craft on-line using wooden pegs and a dinosaur template. Out came the laptop and the search began. It took me a while but I eventually found it (on page 34 of god knows how many ) on Google Images.

Emma got so excited when I told her what we would be making, so much so that when we went to buy the pegs (a drama in its self) she told the shop keeper all about our crafting project. Bless the innocent of a 2 year old!!

So my peg drama. Deep Breath-here it goes:

I live in a small town. In the country side of Somerset. It's 40 minutes to the "city" so finding arts and crafts supplies is tough. In the town  I live in we have a massive Tesco, they sell everything....everything that is except wooden frickin' pegs. They sell gammy plastic ones in gammy colours though. Grr! Came home defeated and a little p'd off that I'd have to tell Emma we weren't making pegasaurus's until I discovered that 20 minute drive from us was an Asda, surely Asda wouldn't fail me like Tesco had. WRONG!! Asda sell pegs, white plastic ones that could be painted I guess but they came in a frickin' peg basket. I was not paying £3.80 for a peg basket when I already have one. So yet again. I left the stupid store defeated. I gave up for the day. Roll on the next day and I was walking to the Post Office when I noticed a little hardware store right on the High Street. HELLO, where were you yesterday, you cheeky little blink and you miss it store. Anyway in I went and low and behold, WOODEN PEGS!!! Hallelujah. 48 wooden pegs for £1.25. Whoo. Score!!

Peg rant over.

Back to Dinosaurs. I decided to attempt to draw my own template. Now I'm not the best drawer so, after many failed attempts I took one of the internet. Cheating but meh!! This is how we made them.

• Take one dinosaur template and put it on card (we used cereal box card)
• Cut out the template and glue onto card.
• Paint the dino any colour you like (Emma chose red, I opted for purple)
• Take 6 wooden pegs and paint in same colour.
• Allow to dry. 
• Place pegs evenly apart once dry.
• Add googly eye.

• Enjoy your pegasaurus's.