Spring is here, well and truly! Don't you just want to make the most of it? Here are 5 things you can do to enjoy Spring as a girl, and make it as 'girly' as you like! Some of these would be fun to do with a friend or mum, too!

• pick flowers and put them in your room - or better still, give them to someone you care about or you think might really appreciate them.
• make a daisy chain - you don't need to use daisies for this - any flower with a soft but thick stem will work - as a little girl, I used to make them with clover flowers on the school oval! Dandelions work well, too.
• plant a flower garden - it can be really fun to go to the nursery and pick out flowers, or just a couple of pots here and there when you help mum with the groceries.
• read a book in 'dappled shade' - a blanket and water bottle, even a cushion, can make this really pleasant! I love reading 'Anne of Green Gables' at this time of the year!
• give your bedroom a spring clean - maybe re-arrange the furniture a bit, too! I'm sure mum would just love it if your room was given a really good clean! Make sure you check with mum first about re-arranging furniture, though.

Enjoy Spring and all the freshness of life it brings!

Make a wooden spoon doll!

A wooden spoon doll is so easy to make and offers a chance to spend time together with mum (or grandma or a special aunt) – and she might even want to make one with you, too! Why not ask her about the special dolls she had growing up while you are making a wooden spoon doll? And afterwards, she might even bring one of her special dolls out for you to have a look (I think most mums, grandmas and aunts still have at least one doll tucked away in a cupboard - or at least a photo of them playing with one!).

Ask mum for a wooden spoon you can use - it may be one that is no longer good for cooking with, or a cheap one from a discount store (you can pick up wooden spoons in these types of shops for less than $1 each!).

You will also need:

• Sandpaper - fine grade
• Acrylic paint
• Paintbrush
• Jar of water for rinsing brushes
• Plate etc to mix paint on
• Newspaper to protect the table
• Pencil
• Fine tip marker in black and red
• Eraser
• Doily, hankie, serviette, fabric scraps etc for a dress
• Ribbon, lace, buttons
• Glue
• Needle and thread

Let's get started!

• Using some fine grade sandpaper, give the spoon a little rub to smooth the surface (that will make her nicer to play with). 
• Set up to do some painting: get a jar of water ready, something to mix paint on (an old plastic lid is good for this) and cover the table with newspaper.
• Mix some acrylic paint to make a skin colour - sometimes you can buy a skin coloured paint. Paint the front of the spoon, let it dry, then turn it over and paint the back of the spoon (that way you make sure you don't accidentally ruin her face because the paint hasn't quite dried properly!).

 

• When the paint is dry, you are now ready to make her face. To make it easier, you can download a face template here. 
• If you use the template, print it off, trace it onto greaseproof paper using a lead pencil, then place the greaseproof paper template face down onto the wooden spoon and trace over again. This should transfer the template to your wooden spoon.
• Otherwise, just use a pencil to mark out her face on your wooden spoon.

• Use a fine-tipped marker to outline her hair and facial features (eyes, mouth, cheeks), rub out the pencil lines and then fill them in with paint or marker. The smaller sections will be easier to do with a marker.
• From your selection of doilies, hankies, fabric scraps and so on, decide on what her clothes will be made from. We made a dress out of an old doily and then a little 'apron' dress over the top out of the corner of a piece of embroidered linen.

• To make the dress, cut a circle out of the centre of the doily.
• Thread a needle with some thread and stitch a running stitch all around the edge of the circle.
• When you get back to where you started, place your wooden spoon doll inside the hole, draw up both ends (starting and finishing) of the thread, and tie a knot or bow to secure it.

• Repeat for the 'apron' dress or anything else you want to put over the top of her dress.
• Or, attach some ribbon or lace with a small stitch or some glue, wrap the lace/ribbon back around to the front and stitch or glue it in place. We stitched around the top of the 'apron' dress just so it could hold up to being transported to workshops and being played with!

• Finish off with pieces of lace or a button, either glued or stitched in place at the front.

Now, have fun playing with your brand new doll!

Extra tips:

• Create dolls that represent girls from different nationalities - start with a more local area
• Make a wooden spoon doll to ‘replace’ an old doll you have chosen to give to a charity
• Just for mums and 'big people': there is value in a young girl making a doll herself. The doll she makes might represent the feelings she has at the time, it might be a reflection of one of her role-models, and she is able to develop some drawing and fine motor skills at the same time!

What warms your heart?

It's nice in the winter to think of warm things! So, while you're crocheting your pudding warmer (or enjoying the 'fruits of your labours' and eating your cosy-ed up pudding!) take a moment to think of what warms your heart!

What makes you feel warm, happy, full of joy, satisfied? Is it cuddles with your mum, creating something, reading a book, being outside playing in God's beautiful nature?

God has given us so many things to fill our hearts with. There is so much beauty in the world, both in what we see and also in our actions and attitudes. He wants us to feel warm and have our hearts 'full'. So fill your heart with the wonderful things God would like to see it full of - there's plenty out there!

'For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.' Luke 12:34

Mum and Daughter workshop coming soon!

How exciting! Our first mum and daughter workshop is coming soon! Our series of workshops called 'stitched together', connecting mums and daughters is also suitable for grandmas and granddaughters or special aunts and their nieces. This will be held in the Lake Macquarie area, NSW, Australia. Bookings are essential. Click here for a booking form.

A special mother-daughter workshop that will be a treasured afternoon, which will foster more precious moments together. Make a bucket list of ideas to spend time with each other, enjoy afternoon tea and have fun ‘crafting’.

Lakeside SDA Church hall

Cnr Fishery Point Road and Pearson Street

Bonnells Bay, NSW

21 September 2-3.30 pm

$5 per person

Bookings essential. Book by 12 September by contacting ameliaforgirls@gmail.com or visit ameliamagazine.blogspot.com.au

Pay an extra $15 (special workshop discount price) for a 2014 subscription to Amelia magazine (digital format)

Attend the workshop and receive a free ‘Amelia’ paper doll outfit exclusive to those attending Amelia workshops

Crochet a pudding warmer

Our first edition of Amelia (Winter 2014) includes a delicious recipe for a Golden Syrup Pudding baked in a jar (for subscription information, look at the column on the left!). What a yummy treat for a winter afternoon, sitting snuggly in a sunny spot and warming up holding this in your hands (and enjoying eating it, too!).

To help keep it warm (and keep your hands from getting too hot if this has just come out of the oven) we have a cute little warmer for your jar that you can crochet. You could use this around a cup, too! 


You will find the instructions here to download. If you have not done any crocheting before, that's fine! There are instructions for crocheting basics here to download, also.

Happy crocheting!

How well can you keep your craft tidy and organised?

It's so nice being able to do craft when you want to and enjoy having time to be creative, isn't it? While it's wonderful to enjoy this, there is some responsibility that goes along with it.

Your mum really doesn't need extra work in cleaning up after you do craft. Keeping your craft area organised, putting things away when you have finished and leaving it clean are so helpful and really show you can be responsible, organised and show initiative.

The little servant girl in Naaman's house must have been very responsible, organised, clean and tidy, as she was listened to by Captain Naaman. What she did around the house must have been part of her showing God's love to Naaman and his family.

Why don't you try showing God's love in your home today by being helpful and responsible?

(If you'd like to read more about the servant girl, have a look in a bible in 2 Kings 5:1-27)

Get organising your craft!

It's coming up close to holidays here. Do you have something special planned for your holidays? Our holidays, amongst other things, inevitably end up with some sort of major bedroom clean-up, and of course, some craft! Do your craft supplies need some organising? Here are some tips and a free printable to help you get ready to do lots of craft, hassle-free, during the holidays!

Grab mum and get her to give you a hand. Mum's are really good at giving advice on how to store things, what things to keep or throw out, or just to label containers. It's also a great chance to have some time just with mum. I'm sure it will make mum really happy to see you taking some responsibility with keeping your things tidy and organised! (there's a little card on the printable sheet, mum, that you can give your young girl as a thank you for her hard work!)

• Find or buy some boxes, recycled tin cans, pencil cases or trays that you could use to store your craft things in
• Make sure your bedroom is tidy to start with, because you will need some clear, tidy space to spread out on!
• Take out all of your craft things, and set up the storage boxes and containers on the floor so they are easy to get to, and have a rubbish bin or plastic bag close by to put rubbish in
• Print off the free printable, cut out the labels and attach them to the appropriate storage containers. You could laminate them or print on cardboard so they are more durable. Try attaching them with pegs, or sticky tape and ribbon, or even blu-tac (if you think you might change your mind!)

• Start sorting through your craft items - check that textas work (if they don't throw them out), if you have craft things that are too 'young' for you, are ruined, or you don't think you'll ever use them, throw them out or set them aside to give away to a friend or the local charity organisation
• As you sort, put things in the new storage containers
• When you've done that, find a place to put your storage containers. You might like them out on a desk or shelf so you can easily use them, or you might prefer to put them on shelves in a cupboard so you don't have too much clutter!

Well done! Stand back at look at all you've achieved! Give mum a great, big hug and thank her for helping you. Take a moment to be proud of yourself and give yourself a pat on the back! Now you can do craft to your heart's content (when you're allowed to, of course!) and know where everything is and it will be easy to use (but, remember to pack it away in its right place when you're finished)! 

Click here to download your free printable!