Thursday, June 6, 2013

Glitter Gradients!

Everyone loves gradients! Especially when it is glittery too! Today we are going to learn how to make glitter gradient nails! It is really easy and looks magnificent!

You will need:
  • OPI-Sweetheart
  • Orly-Tiara
  • Revlon-Sparkling
  • Fast drying top coat
First, paint two layers of OPI-Sweetheart on your nails. After that dries, take the Orly-Tiara and start from the top. Be careful not to put chunks of glitter on your nail first. Try the finest pieces of glitter. As you move your brush down your nail, try using less and less glitter as you go to make a gradient effect. Leave at least 1/4 of your nail with no glitter.

Now start to use the chunkier glitter. Take the Revlon-Sparkling and take just a little bit of glitter on your brush. Furthermore, just paint a second coat of glitter. Try to add most of the glitter on the tippy-top of your nail. In summation, apply a fast drying top coat and you're done!

HAPPY POLISHING!

The Intrepid Museum *special post*

The Intrepid was a battleship used in World War II. On April 27, 1981, the ship became a sea, air, and space museum located on the Hudson River in New York.

One of the many aircraft's on the Flight Deck at the Intrepid is Vought F-8K Crusader. This aircraft was the first supersonic fighter designed for carrier use. On March 25, 1955, it became the first single-seat aircraft to break the sound barrier on its maiden flight. It was the fastest aircraft with speeds of 1,322 mph that can go 52,350 feet. The Vought F-8K Crusader was used extensively in the Vietnam War. It has been on the ship for a long time, around 37 years from when it retired.

The Berthing Deck was where all the soldiers slept and kept all their personal items. They slept on bunks with thin mattresses in small rooms and used a three man locker to keep personal items. Over 3,000 sailors, officers, and Marines lived on the Intrepid so of course this deck was a "must have." Soldiers could keep photographs, letters, and other hygienic items in the three man locker.



Our class just had a field trip to the Intrepid and we learned many things. We learned that the Intrepid was used in World War II. This is important because World War II was a big part in our history. People should know this because many people who didn't go on the Intrepid, wouldn't be alive right now. We also learned that the Intrepid was home to many soldiers during World War II. This is important because those soldiers helped fight freedom from other countries. People should know this because some soldiers wouldn't have a home if it wasn't for the Intrepid. Finally, we learned that many aircraft's that were used in World War II were held on the Flight Deck. This is important because these aircraft's are really old and they are still held on the ship. People should know this because those aircraft's could have been flown by someone you know.


The 8 Ports:

  • Port 1: Newport News, Virginia: April 26, 1943 - The Intrepid launches after 18 months of construction
  • Port 2: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, USA: January 10, 1944 - The Intrepid arrived in Pearl Harbor and began many missions
  • Port 3: Western Pacific Ocean, Philippines: November 25, 1994 - 69 men died and 35 wounded in the Kamikaze Attack. 
  • Port 4: Ulithi, Micronesia: March 13, 1945 - Men were allowed to explore the ports while on Liberty
  • Port 5: North Atlantic Ocean: May 24, 1962 - Helicopters picked up Scott Carpenter from Mercury 7
  • Port 8: North Atlantic Ocean: March 23, 1965 - Intrepid picks up John Young and Virgil Grissom

I think the Intrepid is a very memorable place and everyone should visit. It shows how the people used the ship during World War II. It's importance in our history as a country is that since many people have died and got injured from this war, it is our responsibility to respect them.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Purple Ombre Nails

Ombre is big! Whether its on clothing or makeup. Subsequently, it has to be on nails too! Today we are going to learn about purple ombre nails.

You will need:
  • white nail polish
  • Essie-Nice is Nice polish
  • China Glaze-Spontaneous
  • China Glaze-Coconut Kiss
  • OPI-Siberian Nights
  • makeup sponge
  • cotton swab
  • bottle cap
  • nail polish remover

First, paint a white base coat on all your nails. This will make the colors pop! Let it dry now. Next, dampen your makeup sponge and get out all the excess water. Take your polishes and paint a stripe going light to dark. (As shown in the picture)

In addition, line the sponge up against your nail and press down. It's okay if the color gets on your skin because we can clean that up later. However, be careful not to overdo it! Do this with all your nails and then start adding a second and third coat so it becomes darker. Now let it dry.

Now lets clean up all the excess polish on your skin! Pour a little bit of nail polish remover in a bottle cap. Dip your cotton swab into that and rub it on the excess polish. Be careful not to get it on your nails! You may also add a top coat if you like.

ENJOY!
 


Friday, April 12, 2013

Pink Leopard Nails

Animal Prints are big these days! Why don't you try out pink leopard print nails? They look marvelous on your nails and its very enjoyable too!
 
You Will Need:
  • light pink polish (Pure Ice-Love works best!)
  • whitish pink polish (Orly-Kiss the Bride works best!)
  • hot pink polish (China Glaze-Rich and Famous works best!)
  • tiny pointed paint brush
  • piece of paper
First, take the light pink polish (Pure Ice) and paint a base coat on all your nails. Make sure it dries completely before you do anything else. Next, take the whitish pink polish (Orly) and make random spots on your nails with a tiny pointed paint brush. Make sure not to keep too much nail polish on the brush because then it will look like globs on your nail. In addition, dip your paint brush into the hot pink polish (China Glaze) and put a small glob of polish on the piece of paper. Take the excess polish off your paint brush. 

Furthermore, take a little polish from the glob and make a semi-rounded line along the spot on your nail. Then make a another one and make sure they connect.Make one more line on the bottom and there's your one spot! Now do the same with all the spots! Once you're done and all has dried, take the same color and make random small circles just for design. After that dries, just put on a top clear coat!

ENJOY!

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Tie Dye Nails!

Welcome back! I was just thinking how spring is here and summer is going to bounce in after a few months. This is my first post on nails so we are going to start by learning how to make tie dye nails! Well, lets get started!

You will need:
  • Clear top coat
  • Any four colors of nail polish that look good together
  • A pin or needle
  • A paper towel
First, take one of your nail polish colors and color in a small circle in the middle of your nail. In addition, take another color and make a circle around the middle one. Make sure that the colors you choose to put together are able to blend. Next, take your third color and make another circle. Furthermore, choose your last color and make one last circle.

Make sure that your nails didn't dry yet because now we need to blend the colors! Take the pin or needle and make any lines to blend. You can make straight lines or even curved. After that dries, apply a top clear coat. Clean up the excess nail polish before you say you are done! Have fun with your nails and hope you liked my first nail post!

Monday, March 25, 2013

Swirl Tie Dye

Welcome back! Its Spring Break here and some kids are home with nothing to do. You can pass your time by making swirl tie dye!

Materials
  • 100% cotton white t-shirt
  • Latex Gloves
  • Dye
  • Squirt bottles
  • A bucket
  • Drop Cloth
  • Rubber Bands
slideshow imageFirst, put on your latex gloves. Place the shirt on a flat surface. Pinch the fabric in the middle between your thumb and your forefingers and slowly twist the fabric in a clockwise direction until all is turned. Make the twisted fabric into a tight bundle and keep a neat spiral. In addition, secure the bundle with rubber bands. At this point, the t-shirt should look like the picture on the right.

More importantly, squirt different colors of tie dye onto the shirt and make sure it goes inside the folds too. You may need to move the rubber bands around a little bit as you go. Now, let it dry. Furthermore, slowly take out the rubber bands. In summation, rinse the shirt so the excess dye is removed. Have fun with your new t-shirt!

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Kaleidoscope

A kaleidoscope is a fun toy and you can always go out to the store to get one. Well, save your money by making one yourself!

Materials
  • Clear, heavy plastic
  • Ruler
  • Pen
  • Scissors
  • Clear Tape
  • Paper Towel Tube
  • Black construction paper
  • plastic wrap
  • Shiny jewels, gems, or beads
  • Wax paper
  • Rubber Band
  • Wrapping Paper
First, draw an 8x4 rectangle on the plastic with your pen. Second, draw three lines parrelel to eachother on the rectangle. Next, fold your rectangle along the lines you just drew. Make it into a 3D triangle and tape on the top. In addition, cut the paper towel tube to a length of eight inches and then slide the triangle inside the tube. Furthermore, place one end of the tube on the construction paper and trace it. After, cut that out and tape it to one end of the paper towel tube. More importantly, poke a small hole in the middle of the construction paper circle with a scissor.

Next, take plastic wrap and wrap it around the other end of the paper towel tube. Poke your finger about one inch in the middle and then fill it up with shiny jewels, gems, or beads. Then, cover that with wax paper and wrap a rubber band around it. Now, cut off the extra plastic wrap and wax paper. In summation, to decorate, wrap the outside in wrapping paper so it looks pretty. Make sure not to wrap the two ends.

Look through your kaleidoscope facing a lamp or the sun and keep turning it to see the pretty designs you have made!

HAVE FUN!!

Tulle Flowers!

Welcome Spring! Spring is finally here and the flowers will start to bloom. Lets get those flowers blooming early by making tulle flowers. This is a simple and very fun craft to do! You can put this flower anywhere and decorate anything. You can clip it on a hat or even a t-shirt!

Materials
  • tulle
  • scissors
  • needle
  • thread
First, cut four pieces of tulle, each being one inch wide and 30 inches long. Second, fold each strip two times. Next, thread a needle with thread and tie a knot at the end of one strip. (The thread should be the same color as the tulle.) In addition, take the needle and weave through the top of the tulle. When you reach the end of one strip, start with another strip. Cinch the tulle as you go to make the flower more fluffy.  When you are done, cinch all of it tightly and sew the beginning of the flower to the end and tie a knot.

Furthermore, separate the tulle pieces so it looks more fluffy and realistic. Now that you're done can add a clip on the back so you can clip it on anything to decorate. You can also hang it in your room or just leave it. Have fun and Happy Spring!


DECORATE

Friday, March 15, 2013

Shamrock Stamp

Welcome back everyone! St.Patrick's Day is just around the corner so lets get in the spirit! Today we will learn to make a shamrock stamp! You can stamp this any place you want to decorate for the special day!

Materials

  • Cardboard (4x4)
  • Foam Sheet (4x4)
  • Scratch Knife
  • Liquid Glue
  • Green Acrylic Paint
  • Paper
  • Pencil
First, take the foam sheet and glue it on the the cardboard. Let it dry for a few minutes until you start working again. Next, take your pencil and draw a shamrock on the foam sheet. To draw a shamrock, draw a heart and two other hearts coming from both the other sides. In addition, draw two lines coming from the bottom of the three hearts and connect them.

Furthermore, take the scratch knife and cut over the shamrock that you drew. Cut it so it almost looks like you drew it in bubble letters. More importantly, take green acrylic paint and paint on the shamrock. Before that dries, make a test by quickly stamping it on a piece of paper. Press it down for a few seconds and once you think it's ready, take it off. Now you should be able to see the shamrock!
                                         Have fun!

 
 
 
 

Saturday, March 2, 2013

It's Time For One to Die!


The Argument
For many years, people have been arguing about whether or not crayons are better or colored pencils. What do you think is better? Well, let's find out?
Crayons
Crayons have many pros but also have many cons. Crayons last longer because all you have to do is pull the wrapper off instead of sharpening it. Crayons could also be very waxy and don't show smooth marks on the paper. Crayons are also better for little children to use because crayons lead children to self expression, teach them the colors, and also they really amaze the minds of young children. Although the crayons are better for young children, they can also be bad for young children. Research shows that crayons amaze the minds of young children so much that it looks like food. As CRAZY as it sounds, many times in the past, children have actually ate crayons!


Colored Pencils
Colored Pencils are also great to color. Colored pencils are known to be soft-tipped which make you color faster. Although you can color faster, you always have to sharpen the pencil when the point breaks which makes the process slower. Colored pencils are also known for children and adults. Crayons are known for young children. Colored pencils are also great for small details but research shows that if you use colored pencils for a long time, the joints in your fingers can ache and pain. 

Crayons
pro
1. last longer
2. lead children to self expression
3. teaches children colors
4. amaze childrens' minds
 
con
1. children could eat crayons
2. very waxy
 
 
Colored Pencils
pro
1. soft-tipped
2. color fast
3. great for small details
 
con
1. constently sharpen
2. aching fingers
 
 


Friday, February 22, 2013

Cupcake Liner Flower!

Spring is just around the corner and the flowers will bloom with rain filling the air. Well, lets get the flowers blooming early by making Cupcake Liner Flowers! It is a beautiful looking craft and a great decoration to keep in your house.

Materials
  • Cupcake Liners
  • Washi Tape (printed masking tape)
  • Pipe Cleaners
  • Light-Gauged Wire
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Buttons
First, fold the cupcake liners in half. Next, wrap the cupcake liner loosely around a pipe cleaner. With the washi tape, tape around the bottom of the flower and keeping wrapping until the whole pipe cleaner is covered. For the leaves, sandwich a 5 inch piece of light-gauged wire between two cupcake liners that are flattened. In addition, glue it on but leave 2 inches of wire left.

 More importantly, take the wire that was left and wrap it around the pipe cleaner and tape it if you like. Next, glue a button in the middle of the flower. Now, take 5-10 cupcake liners and wrap all around a stem. When you are done, it should look a flower with many petals! Have fun and decorate!
Cupcake Liner Crafts

Friday, February 15, 2013

How to Draw a Peacock

Today we are going to learn how to draw a beautiful and colorful peacock. It is easy to draw and all you need is a paper, pencil, and an eraser.

how to draw a peacock bird step 1

First, draw two big semi-circles under each other. Next, draw a small circle in the middle for the head and then a line going down for the neck. Third, draw a body shape from the neck and two lines for the legs. Also, make two lines coming out from the bottom of the body.


how to draw a peacock bird step 2

In addition, draw oval like shapes for the tail feathers and a fluffy cloud like shape in the middle of the body.



how to draw a peacock bird step 3
You are half way done! Now, add larger feathers to the feathers you already have, an eye and a beak. After, add three curls on top of the head.


how to draw a peacock bird step 4

Furthermore, add another set of feathers that are larger than the others. Then, add another cloud like shape under the other.



how to draw a peacock bird step 5
More crucially, draw the "eye" feathers on the peacocks' feathers. To do that you have to draw straight lines from behind the peacock and a tear drop shape. Inside, draw the eye.

Finally, erase all the unneeded lines and color! Have fun coloring!
how to draw a peacock bird step 6

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Pom Pom Flower Balls

Hey guys! I'm back! Today we are going to learn how to make Pom Pom Flower Balls! This is a fun and exciting craft to make and great to hang in your bedroom! Let's get started!

Materials
  • Five pieces of tissue paper (same or different colors)
  • Scissors
  • Curling ribbon
First of all, line up all the tissue paper so it is in a pile. Next, fold all the tissue papers in half. In addition, cut on the crease so you will have ten pieces of tissue paper. Once again, lay the ten pieces of tissue paper so they are aligned. Furthermore, fold the tissue paper all the way so it is like an accordion. Basically, you fold the top an inch down and then turn it over. Next, you do the same thing to this side and you keep doing it until you have to more tissue paper left to fold. After you have done that, trim the ends so it is in a shape of a triangle. Now, fold it in half so you can find the middle point.

More importantly, cut a small piece of curling ribbon and tie it in the middle point really tight so it wont come off. In addition, fan the two sides out and then take each tissue paper and fluff it out by pulling each piece up or down. In the end, you will have a Pom Pom Flower Ball!

HAVE FUN!

Friday, February 1, 2013

Heart Mobile!

Hey guys! Valentines day is around the corner so we are going to make a Heart Mobile! This is great to hang down from your ceiling and is a great February craft! Although you can make this with any shape, I am going to teach you with hearts!

Materials
    White Bright Butterfly Mobile KIT-DIY-Great Craft Project
  • Large hoop
  • String
  • Red or pink construction paper
  • Ribbon
  • Scissor
  • Glue gun
Now we are ready to start! First, cut out four pieces of ribbon. Each should be about a foot long. Next, find the middle of one string and place the middle on the hoop so it wraps around. Do this with each ribbon and tie all of them together on the top just like the picture. In addition, take the construction paper and cut about 100 small hearts. After, cut out different sizes of string and make them long enough so you can hang them up on the mobile. Cut about 50 strings Furthermore, take the glue gun and glue the small hearts to different parts of the string. Hang them up and down so it is filled with hearts!

More importanly, let it dry and then glue the top of each string to the hoop with the hot glue gun. Let it dry again. This project takes about three hours. The longest step is when you need to cut out about 100 hearts. The part where you cut the string is long as well. GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN! :o)

Thursday, January 24, 2013

How to Draw a Cartoon Dolphin

Today we are going to learn how to draw a cartoon dolphin in only seven steps. It is a quick and easy drawing to do and very cute as well. It's a great thing to draw with only a few materials.

Materials
  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Eraser

how to draw a dolphin for kids step 1

First, draw the body of the dolphin. It looks almost like a rain drop but it is slanted. Draw it large because how big you draw it depends on how big you want your dolphin to be.



how to draw a dolphin for kids step 2
Next, draw the dolphins head, nose, and beak. From the round side of the "rain drop," draw a line curving out which connects to the dolphins beak.


how to draw a dolphin for kids step 3

In addition, draw an eye on the round part of the "rain drop." Also, draw a small smile by the beak.




how to draw a dolphin for kids step 4Furthermore, draw two fins from the middle of the "rain drop." One fin should be from your angle and the other should be at the angle from the other side.







how to draw a dolphin for kids step 5how to draw a dolphin for kids step 6


More importanly, draw the dorsal fin on top which is almost like a curved triangle.









Now, you can draw the fin which is like two curved triangles facing down and touching each other.








In summation, erase all the unneeded lines like the lines in step one. When it is finished, it should look like the picture below.

how to draw a dolphin for kids step 7




HAVE FUN DRAWING YOUR DOLPHIN!


Thursday, January 17, 2013

Scratch Board!

Do you remember when you were small and you asked your parents for those little scratch pads where you draw on it by scratching it? Well, there is no point of buying it at the store anymore because you can make it with only a few materials that are easily found around the house!

Materials

SCRATCH KNIFE
  • Paper
  • Oil Pastels
  • Pencil
  • Black Acrylic Paint
  • Paint Brush
  • Scratch Knife
  • Ruler
First, take a pencil and draw lines going straight anywhere on the paper. They have to go across the whole paper. You can draw the lines diagonal, up and down, or side to side. You can make it look like a checker board too! Next, you need to color with the oil pastels. Color each place with a different color so none of the same colors are touching. You can also use a pattern to color like green, blue, green, blue, e.t.c. When you color, you should have no white spaces at all because when you scratch it off, it will look white instead of the colors you chose. Color the whole paper.

Now comes the really exciting part! You need to take the black paint and paint it on top of the paper. The whole paper should be filled with black paint so it is all black and no colored spaces. Furthermore, let it dry completely. When it is completely dry, you can take the scratch knife and scratch off any design you like. While you are scratching, you should notice that the colors you chose under the black paint is the colors that appear when you scratch.

Have Fun!
 



Thursday, January 10, 2013

Decorate Your Candle!

I'm back! This blog post is very special because its my first blog post of 2013 and I find this project really cool! It a marvelous gift too! This would be a great gift for your teachers too! All you need is a few materials:

  • A white candle (any size)
  • Tissue paper
  • A stamp (its length should be about the same as the candle)
  • Ink
  • Decorations (Ribbons, scrapbook paper, e.t.c.)
  • Heat Gun or a Hair Dryer
  • Scissors
First, take the tissue paper and cut it about the size of the width of the candle. Next, take your stamp and put it on the ink so you can stamp it. Rub it on the ink smoothly so the stamp comes out fully colored and moist. Stamp it on to the tissue paper a few times so the whole tissue paper is stamped. Don't worry if it overlaps. In addition, take the candle and lay it down in the middle of the tissue paper and wrap the tissue paper around the candle. More importantly, take the heat gun or your hair dryer and turn it on. (if you have a blow dryer, then turn it on HIGH) Blow it on to the tissue paper so the design would melt onto the candle. You will be able to see the wax melting a little but let it melt. Keep doing this until the tissue sticks to the candle.

Furthermore, you can add decorations to it. This is just an idea. You can cut scrapbook paper to fit around the candle and tape it or glue it on top of the tissue paper. You can also tie a ribbon on top of the scrapbook paper so it looks more fancy! Just use your imagination for how to design it.

HAVE FUN!