Craft Stick Valentine’s Day puzzles

Is your child’s classroom requesting a non-candy Valentines to be sent to school this year? If you have little ones at home this might be the perfect idea to send.

These homemade Valentines are fun little craft stick puzzles that your kiddos can help create! Add them to your Valentine’s Day crafts for kids to-do list!

We usually send Valentines without candy each year, we have done beaded necklace Valentines, and glow bracelet ninja Valentines, but this is the first year it was actually requested!

I was happy when I figured out a fun homemade Valentine that V could actually help me create. She will be proud to pass them out to all of her little friends at school.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we may receive an affiliate commission.

What you need for your Homemade Valentines:

• Craft Sticks. (We buy these in bulk!)
• Permanent Markers.
• Washable Markers.
• Tape.
• Snack Size Baggies.

How to make your Craft Stick Puzzle Valentines:

Start by taping your sticks together. I used 8 sticks each.

Then flip over and draw a fun Valentine’s Day design using your permanent markers.

Hand it over to your little one to fill in your hearts and swirls. Or even the whole thing…

Washable markers will be a bit lighter letting your design show through.

Once they are all colored, take the tape off, and place the pieces in a snack bag. Seal and write on the front. “Love you to pieces!” and your To: and From:

These will be so fun for them to pass out. Make sure to make one or two extra to keep at home for your little one to play with!

The post How to make easy craft stick Valentine’s Day puzzles for the classroom appeared first on Twitchetts.

Naturally Dyed Heart Pancakes

Nothing can beat homemade pancakes unless you add a cute little accent that your whole family will love. They don’t take too much extra time to make and it is totally worth it to make the morning extra special!

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we may receive an affiliate commission.

What you need for naturally dyed pancakes:

• Pancake Batter. (Make it from scratch with this recipe)
• Frozen Blueberries and/or a Can of Beets.
• Squeeze Bottle.
• Pan.
• Strainer.

Making Your Valentine’s Day Breakfast Pancakes:

To create your natural pancake batter dye, just reduce your berries and/or beets over medium temperature.

Add a little water to the berries if needed. It doesn’t take much juice to dye your batter.

Strain and let cool completely before adding to your batter.

Mix batter and juice together and then add into the squeeze bottles. I cut the tip off of my bottle to let out the thicker batter.

I use this all of the time to make fun pancakes even without using the dye.

Create your heart, let sit a moment, then add the plain pancake batter around the edges. Continue to cook like a standard pancake.

Your little ones are going to love these special heart pancakes! They aren’t just for Valentine’s Day breakfast either. You can do this to make a birthday or the first day of school special too!

If you don’t make your batter from scratch I highly suggest you give it a try. It is really quite simple and very inexpensive! Check out our recipe here!

The post How to make naturally dyed heart pancakes for Valentine’s Day appeared first on Twitchetts.

Rainbow Hearts:

This Valentine’s Day activity is great for those working on those fine motor skills. We have used this process before to make our rainbow bookmarks and our fine motor turkeys. You can head to either of those posts for more details. You can simply stick the dots in the shape or turn it into a piece of art to hang in the window. I still have mine from last year!

Valentines Day Sensory Bin:

Preschool activities don’t have to be a one and done thing… A sensory bin is always fun to set up for your little one. When they are done throw a lid on it and bring it out tomorrow! They are easy to customize to any theme you want! Start by cutting out some cardboard hearts and let your little one paint away. Make sure to tape them down from behind. This will make things go much smoother. While those are drying make your homemade colored salt. Add a few scoops and spoons and you are set!

Shaving Cream Marbling Hearts:

Here is one we got from Red Ted Art. This is one of the many Valentine’s Day cards for kids on her blog. This process uses shaving cream to create a fun marbling effect. Kids of all ages will really enjoy this one!

Melted Crayon Hearts:

One of my favorite Valentine’s Day activities are these melted crayon hearts. We have been making them for years! Both of the kids enjoy watching the crayons melt and blend together. They also look great taped up along the top of our windows and doors. Check out these step by step instructions from our melted crayon turkeys!

Wrapped Nature Heart:

Anytime we can bring a piece of nature inside to craft with we do. This activity for kids starts with a trip outside. Have your child help pick out the perfect sticks for your creation. Then using yarn or pipe cleaners assemble following the directions here from our nature ornament. They can wrap and unwrap their hearts over and over again.

Lacing Hearts:

These cardboard lacing hearts are a great little boredom buster to keep on hand. You can let your kid help in the creation by painting your cardboard hearts before attaching your yarn. Make sure to use a piece of tape on the tip to act like a needle. This will help the yarn from fraying at the end. They can go along the edges or criss-cross the top of the heart.

All of these projects make great Valentine’s Day activities for preschoolers. Some of them will even entertain your older children too! We will be adding to our Valentine’s Day archive all season long so make sure to check back soon!

Don’t forget to Pin these Valentine’s Day Activities to your Valentine’s Day Board on Pinterest!

The post Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids appeared first on Twitchetts.

New Year’s Eve with Kids

Now our little ones don’t always make it to the countdown… sometimes it is hard to make it there ourselves. However, we do like to have a few fun things for them to do. This printable was created with kids of all ages in mind. Whether they get into every tiny detail or color over with a broad marker stroke the bold black lines will help give it a fun look they are sure to be proud of! (NOTE: this picture is from last year’s coloring page. But the 2018 free coloring page is just as fun!)

Since the printable is free you can print off as many as you like! I always find coloring is relaxing and this design is fun for older children and adults too!

As we move into a new year this printable is dated… but, we have some more fun below to help you ring in the new year!

More fun New Year’s Eve Kids Activities

While we love this free printable you will still need a few more things to pass the time… So we have grabbed some fun ideas for you!

Adding a little treat to make together is always a fun idea! Staying up until midnight means you will get the munchies and these stuffed chocolate covered pretzels have the perfect balance of sweet and savory. 

Or how about a fun board game?! This printable homemade board game creator is great to go back to time and time again. Since the kids are involved in creating the cards and the game boards it will be different every time you play!

Still looking for more? Check out over 15 New Years Kids Activities here!

We hope you have a memorable New Year’s Eve with your family!

The post New Year’s Eve with Kids – A Coloring Page and Activity Ideas appeared first on Twitchetts.

Christmas Morning French Toast

I am a huge fan of making Christmas brunch. It’s become a family tradition. A fun spread that I can place out, to munch on, while we play with our presents and enjoy each other’s company.

This fun french toast platter is perfect because it’s a way to make your food special for the morning and is an easy recipe to pull off! This is a perfect recipe for kids to help make too!

This Fun French Toast is perfect to serve for Christmas morning breakfast! It’s much easier than a french toast bake and can be eaten all day long.

I pair it up with some slices of bacon, fruit, and tasty mini frittatas.

Everything is finger food. Perfect for a few quick bites between playing. Perfect for Christmas morning.

I like to pair up our Christmas morning french toast with tasty toppings. A light dusting of powdered sugar, homemade whipped cream, and a simple strawberry sauce!

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, we may receive an affiliate commission.

No time to make this breakfast? Pin it for later!

If you’re currently in the middle of holiday planning, save this pin to your favorite Pinterest board! That way you’ll be able to grab the recipe when you’re ready!

Tips for making these Christmas brunch finger foods

Choose your shapes wisely. I went with bulbs, stockings, and elves this year. Snowflakes are cute, but leave a lot of waste.

The recipe makes 4 slices of French Toast. I plan on 2 pieces of bread per child. I usually eat the edges.

This is a great recipe for kids to try and make. With a bit of adult supervision on the griddle of course. Kids love choosing their shapes and helping with the dipping.

You can use this french toast recipe for any special occasion. Just switch up the cookie cutters to match your event.

Other foods for your french toast platter:

• Cinnamon Rolls
• Fresh Berries or other fresh fruit
• Pure Maple Syrup
• Egg Casserole
• Bacon or Sausage

Yield: 2 servings

Christmas French Toast Recipe

Print

This French toast recipe is perfect for Christmas morning brunch!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 Slices of Bread
• Whipped Cream
• Powdered Sugar

French Toast Mix

• 2 Eggs
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon Cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon Ginger

Strawberry Sauce

• 1/2 Cup Frozen Strawberries
• 1/2 Tablespoon Sugar

Tools

• Christmas Cookie Cutters

Instructions

1. Preheat a griddle to medium heat.
2. In a small saucepan, add your strawberries and sugar. Place on low heat and let the strawberries warm through until you can smash them with a fork.
3. Continue to simmer as it reduces to a nice sauce consistency.
4. While the sauce is simmering, whisk together the French Toast mix in a large bowl.
5. Dunk a slice of the bread into the egg mixture, letting the excess drip off.
6. Place onto the hot griddle and cook both sides evenly.
7. Move to a cooling rack.
8. Repeat with the rest of the bread.
9. Use the cookie cutters to cut the bread into shapes.
10. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
11. Serve with whipped cream and strawberry sauce.

More snacks you will love!

If you loved these creamy cheesecake treats, you’ll love these other great dessert ideas.

• Fruit Cones – Use up those ice cream cones with this delicious fruity snack.
• Pick your pink – Create a DIY lemonade station for your next summer party.

If you loved this Christmas French Toast, share it by pinning or sharing it on Facebook.

This site wouldn’t be here without shares from people like you, and we are so thankful that you took the time to visit Twitchetts.

Know a friend who is looking for a Christmas morning French Toast? Please share it on Facebook or save it to your favorite board on Pinterest.

The post Christmas Morning French Toast Platter: An easy family tradition appeared first on Twitchetts.

gift wrap.

Fun Christmas gift wrapping ideas

Finding fun gift wrap is one of my favorite parts of Christmas shopping. I know that people are just going rip it off, but it’s a fun tradition that I’ve been doing for years.  This year I found inspiration in a role of twine strung with red and green wooden beads.  The twine itself seemed like a little much, but the beads got me thinking.I love how simple this idea was to pull off.Plus, you could change up the beads for something brighter and have a whole new look!I personally love the more rustic looking wrapping paper.  It matches with my rustic Christmas garland.

How I created my Christmas gift wrap

For the is gift wrap, start with some simple brown wrapping paper.  Add some red and green twine.  Quick tip, don’t wrap the twine all the way around the box.  It saves on twine and it makes it easier for people to unwrap your gifts.Next, tie on another string of twine and string it with beads.  Finally, string on a gift tag and you’re done!  Super simple!As much as I love pretty gift wrap, it has to be easy.  Otherwise, it isn’t worth it.  If you liked this gift wrap, you should check out the Christmas gift wrapping from last year.  It was simple, fun, and inexpensive.

Don’t forget to pin these Christmas gift wrapping ideas to your Christmas board! Have fun wrapping presents!

The post Christmas Gift Wrapping Ideas ~ Fun Holiday Gift Wrap appeared first on Twitchetts.

Our tree has always been a pretty good mixture of purchased and homemade ornaments. I have had a lot of fun picking out some Etsy ornaments to give out as gifts, but I also like to make some of my own. These ornaments were actually pretty relaxing to make. Once you get in a good rhythm you can whip out half a dozen while watching your favorite show.

What you need for you Washer Ornaments:

• A washer. Use any size you have lying around the house.
• Yarn. Any color you like. Personally, I like the look of thicker yarn, but any size will do.
• Scissors.

How to make Washer Ornaments:

Cut about 3 feet of yarn and tie around the washer leaving a little extra hanging out. Pull the long end of string around your pointer finger. Then stick the yarn up through the hole in the washer and through the loop being held open with your finger. Pull tight creating a second knot. Continue this process until you have worked your way all the way around the washer.

When you get near the beginning trim off the extra yarn of the first knot. Finish tying your knots over the extra yarn until you are all the way around your washer.Then make a loop to hang the ornament.Tie your string one more time around the base of your loop then cut off the extra yarn.

Then start another one! These are so fun you will definitely make more than one!

If you like these you will love these Snowmen!

The post Washer Ornaments – Easy Homemade Decoration appeared first on Twitchetts.

What you need to make your Rustic Christmas Wreath:

• Sticks. You will need quite a few in 3 main sizes.
• Wet foam floral blocks.
• Hot glue and gun.
• Paint in color of choice.
• Glitter in color of choice.
• Paint cup.
• Natural colored string or hemp.

How to make your Rustic Christmas Wreath:

Start by gathering a bunch of sticks. Sort through them to get them into 3 main size groups. 8 large, 8 medium, and a handful of smaller twigs. Break off any branches hanging to the sides etc so they are straight. Save these pieces for later. I chose to paint the tips of my sticks. I love the sparkle and pop of color.If you choose not to paint them skip down to how to assemble the wreath below. To paint your sticks, dip each stick into your paint. Use a floral block to stick your sticks into paint side up. If you have any little ones at home this is great for them to help with! Next, bring your block and sticks outside and sprinkle with glitter while the paint is still wet.

*Let Them Dry Completely*

Assembling your Rustic Christmas Wreath:

Cut up your floral blocks. You want one to be a nice square to be the center of your wreath. The rest just cut into slices to use to hold pieces in place. Start by spreading out all of the largest pieces of your wreath around the center. Try to place one on each side and one on each corner. Cover the end of your stick in a good amount of hot glue and stick it into your floral block. You want it to be in the center top to bottom of your block. Using your extra pieces of foam block, prop up the painted end of the stick. Work your way around until you have them all in. Now spread out your medium sticks. Using the same processes place all of these sticks into your floral block a little closer to the surface. Last grab your little sticks. These you will press right into the top of your floral block.I ended up using a few of the broken pieces from before to fill in any open gaps. Cover the whole center with a good amount of glue and allow to dry. Flip over and check for any loose sticks. Add more glue to any that need it and let dry.

Starting on the back, take your string and wrap around the center of your wreath. Slowly rotate and go between each of the sticks until you have covered all of the blocks edges and you like the look of your wreath! Make sure to save enough string to make a loop for hanging it up!It is ok if the block is still showing in the back. Tie off your loop on the main vertical stick. If your wreath won’t lay flush on your door take your loop and wrap it around your vertical stick. (See this in the last picture)

And you’re done! I love how the ends catch the light and twinkle. Because Christmas just needs a little sparkle, even in your rustic decor. Don’t forget to Pin This to your Holiday Decor Board.

Don’t forget to Pin This to your Holiday Decor Board.

The post Rustic Christmas Wreath a Nature Holiday Craft appeared first on Twitchetts.

What you need to make your Paper Star Ornaments:

• Paper… Nothing too thick. Printer paper works well or scrapbook paper if you would like a fun pattern.
• Paper cutter or scissors.
• Beads.
• Fish line.
• A Needle.
• Tape.

Making your Paper Stars:

First, you need to fold your stars. Watch this video or see the steps below.

Click here to check out some beautiful holiday home decor!

Start by cutting your paper into strips. I used 3 different sizes for my stars. For the smallest, you need one strip between 10-12″ long and .5″ wide. The medium is the same length and .75″ wide. The largest star is made with 2 strips taped together 1″ wide.

Fold following the images below.

As of now, you have basically tied a knot. Make sure that you do it with the paper pattern (if there is one) on the inside of the knot.

Fold the short end back across your pentagon. Then start wrapping the long end around the pentagon using theedges to fold against. Continue wrapping around and around. The natural shape of the pentagon will make the paper wrap around each side. Once you are out of paper tuck the end inside.To turn this pentagon into a star start to pinch on the corners. You want to pop the shape open as you pinch.
This takes a little practice, but once you figure it out you will be whipping them out at top speed!Isn’t it the cutest?!

Next, let’s make our paper star ornaments:

Start by tying off the end of your fishing line on a bead. Using a needle carefully guide your fishing line up through the bottom of your star and out the top. Then tie the end off to make a loop for hanging on your tree!

Like I mentioned before once you get the hang of it, you can make them very quick… you might get carried away like I did!Make them in any color you like for your decor!

The post DiY Paper Star Ornaments appeared first on Twitchetts.

Chorizo Stuffing

If there’s one thing that every holiday spread needs it’s stuffing!

The one thing about stuffing… Everyone makes it different. In the past, we shared with you a tasty classic homemade stuffing recipe.

While that is still a go-to recipe for us, sometimes you just want to mix it up. For that, I give you My Man’s Easy Chorizo Stuffing!

Now as the name suggests, this is another recipe that My Man actually came up with… he just loves to cook, and I love to be his taste tester.

This is a really fast stuffing to put together, so you can make it on its own or in addition to your more traditional stuffing.

Making your chorizo side dish:

Brown the chorizo and remove any excess grease.

Add the onions and give them a good sautee.

Add your bread, chorizo, basil, onion, egg, and a pinch of salt into a baking dish.

Then slowly add in your chicken stock as you lightly toss the bread. You want it to be wet but not dripping.

Your hands work great for this. If you prefer a spoon make sure not to squish your bread! (You may have some liquid leftover depending on the dryness of the bread)

Place into an oven at 350 degrees for 35-40 mins or until the tops are golden brown.

Take it out and enjoy this oh so tasty side dish that is sure to please your crowd!

Yield: 10 Servings

Chorizo Stuffing

Print

This is a really fast stuffing to put together, so you can make it on it’s own or in addition to your more traditional stuffing.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 6oz Chorizo
• 1 Loaf of French Bread, cubed
• Basil (about 5 leaves), roughly chopped
• 1/2 of a Small Onion, diced
• 1 Egg
• 1 1/2C Chicken Stock
• Salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Brown the chorizo and remove any excess grease.
3. Add the onions and give them a good saute.
4. Add your bread, chorizo, basil, onion, egg, and a pinch of salt into a baking dish.
5. Then slowly add in your chicken stock as you lightly toss the bread. You want it to be wet but not dripping.
6. Bake for 35-40 mins or until the tops are golden brown.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 219Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 576mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 10g

The chorizo will give it a slight heat and the basil adds in the savory making this such a tasty dish along side of any meal.

The post Chorizo stuffing for a fun holiday side dish appeared first on Twitchetts.