Cookie Cutter Art

Yesterday, Trevor and I pulled out my collection of Thanksgiving/fall cookie cutters.  

 

But we didn't make cookies.  We used them for this really fun Thanksgiving art project.  

In addition to the cookie cutters, we gathered watercolor paper, non-toxic paint (I use Crayola Kids' Paint), crayons, and a paintbrush.  I spread brown paint in my Frisbee.  Then we dipped the cookie cutters into the paint and stamped them on the paper.

 

Here's what my paper looked like when I was done stamping.

 

After stamping, set aside your paper and wash your cookie cutters thoroughly.  When your stamping is dry, color in each image with crayon.  

 

You can leave your art like this, or you can paint the background to really make the images pop.  I watered down some blue paint, then we brushed it on.  We kept a paper towel nearby to blot any paint that ended up on the crayon.  (The wax resists the paint, so you can blot it off before it dries.)  As you can see from Trevor's change of wardrobe, we did this project over two days.

 

Here's Trevor's finished project.  (That's mine at the top of the post).

 

You can hang these on the wall to decorate.  You can add clear contact paper and use them as placemats for your Thanksgiving table.  You can fold it in half to make a card to thank your host for a lovely Thanksgiving.  The possibilities are endless!

Homemade Fortune Cookies

Check it out - I made my own fortune cookies!  

 

I've wanted to try making fortune cookies for years. Decades, even. But I've never done it. It was an obvious choice to add to my list of 40 Things. When I told Trevor I was going to be making fortune cookies, he was very excited and immediately volunteered to help. In particular, he wanted to write the fortunes.  

We went to the computer. He climbed onto my lap and dictated fortunes nearly as fast as I could type them. I LOVE his ideas. Pure gold.  

 

After cutting the fortunes, we started making the cookie batter. Check out that recipe next to Trevor. I tore it out of a magazine during the Year of the Ram... 2003. It was one of MANY fortune cookie recipes I'd torn out of magazines over the years, knowing that someday I'd make them.  

 

After making the batter, I spread it on the pan and baked for 4 minutes, four cookies at a time. Then it was a mad dash in which Trevor placed a fortune onto each 400°F cookie, then I folded the cookie in half, and then in half again. Needless to say, we weren't able to take pictures of the process.  

Eating our fortune cookies was just as much fun as making them. Steve hadn't seen Trevor's fortunes, so it was especially fun seeing his reaction as he opened his cookies. His first cookie advised him: Never be a bully. ("What kind of fortune is that?!" he asked.) His others: Be thankful for food. Try your best. You should be careful today. ("Why is my cookie threatening me?" he asked.)      

My fortunes were pretty good: Always think before you do. Listen to your teacher. You are great. Your wish will be granted.  

Trevor's fortunes included: You are awesome. Try to be nice. Always be kind. Make your luck keep going.

Goal #31 completed!

Thanksgiving Napkin Rings

Trevor and I have been busy making Thanksgiving napkin rings. Aren't they cute?!

Materials: cardboard tube, brown paint, cardstock scraps (brown, yellows, oranges, and reds), scissors, glue, and googly eyes.  

Use the scissors to cut a 1-inch ring from the tube. Paint it brown, inside and out. Set it aside to dry. Use the brown cardstock to cut a pear-shaped turkey body. Add googly eyes, a triangle beak, and a wattle.  

 

Cut triangle feet. Bend one corner of each triangle up and apply glue. Attach to the back of the turkey body.

 

Glue the turkey body onto the dry cardboard ring. It should stand up. Here's Trevor with his.

Cut a variety of turkey feathers from the cardstock scraps. Attach to the back of the cardboard ring.

 

 Add a napkin and they're ready for the Thanksgiving table!  

 

I made the turkey at the top of this post. This turkey was one of Trevor's. Like the orange napkins? They're the ones Trevor made for the tablesetting contest he entered. Not only are they perfect for a bunny-themed luncheon, but they're great for all the fall holidays too!

Fall Leaves Wall Hanging

We live near the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area, where fall arrives a bit later than in much of the rest of the country. Our leaves are just starting to fall around here. There have been years where our leaves didn't fall until mid-December. So even though I've been seeing fall leaf crafts around the Internet for about two months now, we're just starting ours!

Today we made a Fall Leaves Wall Hanging. 

Step one was to go for a nature walk. Trevor and I collected a large variety of leaves.

 

When we got home, we gathered clear contact paper (affiliate link), scissors, a hole punch, yarn, and our leaves.

 

Next, we cut a large piece of contact paper. We folded it in half, then peeled back the paper liner from one half. We carefully placed our leaves on the exposed sticky side of the contact paper.  

Next, we removed the paper liner from the rest of the contact paper and folded it over the leaves. Trevor carefully pressed out any air bubbles. Next, he punched holes at the top and tied a piece of yarn on to make a hanger. That's all there is to it!

This project looks absolutely gorgeous in a window.  I tried to photograph it, but eventually gave up and had Trevor hold it outdoors. This gives you a good idea of how it looks in a window. The colors and textures of the leaves are beautiful. 

 

It looks almost as pretty hanging on a wall.  

 

What a fun way to bring a bit of the outdoors in!

Goal #30!

It's been awhile since I've updated you on my 40 Things progress.  (I'm trying 40 new things as a year-long celebration of my 40th birthday.)  October was a busy month and I didn't do any of the things remaining on my list.  But November is off to a good start!

One of the first things I put on my 40 Things list was to go to a drive-in movie.  There weren't any drive-in theaters near where I grew up, so I never went to one as a kid.  There weren't any drive-in theaters near where I went to college, so I never went to one then either.  When I moved to my current city, it never occurred to me to look for a nearby drive-in.  I thought they were an endangered species, on their way to extinction.  But as it turns out, there is a drive-in theater about 1/2 hour away from us.  I signed up for their weekly showtime emails back in May and have been waiting for a) a movie we want to see; b) on a date we're free; c) with a reasonable start time.

Regarding the start time: I'm a total morning person.  I have no problem getting up at 5:00 am but I can't stay up past 9:30 pm.  Obviously, during the summer (when we were free and there were movies we wanted to see), the movies didn't start until 9:00 pm or later since it didn't get dark until then.  That would never work for me - I'd be asleep 1/3 of the way through the movie.  But as the days got shorter, the showtimes got earlier.  Finally, it all came together: a evening we were free (Saturday); a movie we wanted to see (Hotel Transylvania); and a reasonable start time (7:00 pm).

I was really excited.  Trevor and I popped some popcorn and dug through his Halloween candy for some good movie theater treats.  Then we headed off to the drive-in.  

 

Here I am, about to dish out the popcorn to everyone.  (By the way, this was the last of the popcorn that we harvested at Picnic Day in April.  We'll have to switch to store-bought popcorn from now until April rolls around again.)  

We saw Hotel Transylvania.  All three of us loved it!  

 Goal #30, officially completed!