Wet felted eggs and chicks

March 16, 2017

Parent will lead us wet felting eggs and little chicks to put inside! The school store will provide wool roving for your eggs and chicks in exchange for each participant making a few little yellow chicks to give back.

March 24, 2016

Fiber-rush baskets

Jennie will teach how to make these baskets of fiber rush (paper fiber), which doesn't need to be soaked like wicker basketry, and it comes in many colors!

March 23 and 30, 2017 (two sessions per basket) 
$18 materials fee ~ contact the School Store by 3/3 to register!

We will use 5/32" diameter rush, which is sold by weight. One medium basket probably uses 1 lb of rush, so it's fun to get a couple of colors and share. You can bring your own materials or order from the School Store (use the email address at the bottom of that page if you don't see a specific link). If you know a local source, please let me know; otherwise, The Caning Shop http://www.caning.com/html/product/FIRUSHC.html in Berkeley, CA is the only source I've found for the colored rush. (Craft brown and yellow are widely available and less expensive.)

Valentines with young children

Valentines for classmates in early childhood can be very basic, and are not too difficult to have the children make themselves. Making enough for all the children and the teachers in the class may feel like a lot, and it's not required. It's definitely not something to lose sleep over! But it can be fun if you have a little time and just a few materials. If you don't have materials, ask your Class Parent for suggestions.

A few ideas:

Painted hearts 

Have your child paint a few paintings, or use some you already have, and cut into heart shapes (adult or child). For the child to cut, the paper can't be too thick or it's too difficult. 

Potato stamp (see photos)

Potato cut in half, cut out a shape with a cookie cutter and stamp with paint on paper, either large paper to cut into hearts or squares or already-cut valentine size.  

Sew paper

You or your child can hole-punch around the edge of a colored paper shape and then sew with yarn -- with big holes and big yarn no needle required. 

Special pens, crayons, or glitter on paper or cloth

Collage

Glue small pieces or paper onto a larger heart shape, etc. 

Valentines are preferably homemade and simple. Please do not address them to individual children as it is so much easier for each child to give everyone a card without needing to figure out which one is meant for whom. Children can of course write their own name on their cards if they wish.

Planting bulbs

In honor of the Jewish festival Tu Bishvat, the "new year of trees" and celebration of trees and plants as we look toward the hope of Spring's growth, we will be planting bulbs in containers to grow now. Tu Bishvat is on January 20, 2019.

Thursday, January 17, 2019 we will have small stones and some bulbs; please bring bulbs and a bowl, jar, or flower pot for yourself or to contribute to a classroom at the school.

Heart pouches

February 2017: The Hartsbrook School Store is selling heart pouch kits for $2-3 to make two felt heart pouches on necklaces. Order your kits now, pick up at the office!

Email hartsbrookschoolstore@hartsbrook.org

Valentines heart pouch

Materials for 2:
2 6" squares of felt in contrasting colors
~ 60" embroidery thread, 36" of it split into two 3-strand pieces
Needle
Yarn for braided or finger knitted length for making it a necklace (more photos soon)

Instructions:
Cut hearts on folded square of felt
Cut accent hearts from the remaining corners
Alternate contrasting colors and stitch the small hearts on the large ones (all around or as a pocket)
Braid or finger knit a strap to hold the pocket around the neck, and sew in place at the beginning and end of sewing up the pouch.
Stitch the large hearts together leaving the top open - use blanket stitch to get nice edge

Mending bee

Dec 15th

Bring your mending basket and let's patch things together! Come see how other parents mend their children's clothes, and show us how you mend yours, and we can make things whole together. We will be fixing holes in woolens, or whatever else you want bring, and sharing ideas as we go.

You could bring:

~ Clothes with holes

~ Mending examples to share 

~ Patch fabric

~ Needles and colored thread

~ Felting needles 

~ Wool roving 

~ Cookie cutters for felting

~ Yarn

Dodecahedron star lanterns

Dec 8: Star lanterns

If you have some, bring:

watercolor or other heavy paper

watercolor paints or crayons

metal ruler and knife

cutting board

glue

Paper clips 

RSVP helps me have enough materials. 

The instructions are here:

http://www.happinessishomemade.net/dodecahedron-star-lantern-tutorial/

I plan to try hexagons and six-pointed stars or octagons and eight-pointed stars, but those polyhedrons may not lend themselves to the magic of this dodecahedron lantern. Geometry will be relevant but optional conversation topic!