Picture chinese lantern

It's raining and miserable outside here! I had been hoping to get my hands dirty in the garden today, but I think I'll spend my day cooking and crafting (and, maybe it will clear up later for some gardening!)!

Here's a simple, little craft that's easy to do with very few resources - that's always a plus! And might take a bit more than a few minutes to do!

As a mum of young kids, I often felt like I spent more time collecting and setting up craft 'stuff' than they spent doing it!! But this craft is not like this! Set up in a couple of minutes and keep little crafters busy!

All you'll need is some paper (or light card), pencils, stapler and scissors!

Ready to get crafting?

Download the free printable below ... Colour ... Cut ... Staple

It's that easy!

Instructions are printed on the printable you can download here.

This colourful craft is based on Matthew 5:14-16, so it would be perfect for family worship, Bible class, or kids' programs at church!

Create for Mother's Day

Have you thought about Mother's Day yet? No doubt the kids at school are all onto this in their classes! But mum, have you thought about your mum? (or maybe you're a bit too old for mother's day craft at school!). A hand-made, crafted gift or special time together always means more ... so have you thought about what you're going to do or create?

So, if you're up for being a bit creative today, here's a quick little project that would add a cute touch to a special cuppa for mum.

All you'll need is a few small pieces of felt, a button, needle and thread and scissors!

1.

Take a small piece of felt and cut it so that it is 10 cm x 3 cm.

2

In the very centre, cut a vertical ‘slit’ 1 ½ cm long.

3.

Cut a flower out of another scrap of felt. To make this easier to cut, first cut out a pattern for the flower and then tape it on to the felt. Cut through the sticky tape around the edge of the template.

4.

Stitch (or glue) the flower on to the tag cover right near the end. If you’re stitching, make sure the stitching is on the edge of the flower only.

5.

Cut a ‘buttonhole’ out of the centre of the  flower – just a horizontal ‘slit’.

6.

Stitch a button on the bottom inside of the  other end of the felt strip.

7.

To use, curl the tag of the tea bag enough to fit through the centre ‘slit,’ fold the cover over the tag, and pull the button through the ‘buttonhole’.

And there you go, you have a cute little tag for your tea bag!

Now all you need to do is make that cup of tea!

Cutlery Pocket

This has got to be one of my favourite 'to-dos' in our current issue! I just had to share it! Pop a little creativity into your day with this quick project!

Such a simple and cute way to lay out a special, girly picnic! Pop your cutlery for each guest inside each pocket. Maybe even add a flower or a little card!

Make it easy and just use hot glue or clear drying craft glue (hot glue is much better for those who are keen to get on with the project!) or practice your hand-sewing skills and use a running stitch instead of glue.

You'll need: 

back pocket from an old pair of jeans

scissors

pencil

glue - hot glue or clear craft glue (or needle and thread)

lace

ribbon

buttons

Cut the back pocket out of the jeans (keep the back fabric on it)

Trim the back fabric close to the edge of the pocket to neaten it up

Fold the pocket in half and mark the centre line on the back of the pocket

Use glue to attach pocket sides down the centre line (or stitch instead of glue)

Decorate the pocket by wrapping lace and/or ribbon around it. Anchor with glue or stitching

Attach buttons

Now, all there is to do - place a spoon, knife and fork in the pocket and head off for a picnic!!

PS You'll find this in Issue 12, available here

Happy crafting and being creative!

6 Benefits of Developing Creativity

You’ll find loads of blogs, pins, posts and infographics about how to keep your creativity on a roll. Just one short search in the internet sea, and you’ll haul in a huge catch.

So, why? Why are we so interested in creativity?

Is it really that important that we develop creativity?

I say, YES!! And have done for many years now. As adults we benefit immensely from using our creativity, and kids need to use theirs, too. All too easily, creativity is dampened by the way we experience childhood. Having to colour within the lines, instructions that the ‘sky must be blue and the trees green’, and hearing ‘this is the way it should be done’…. while these have their place, they can impact (squash!) our creativity. There are benefits to developing our creativity, not just for adults, but for fostering that innate, born-with creativity children have.

CONNECT WITH GOD

All of us are creative. We are created in the image of a Creator God, so this shouldn’t surprise us. And that is one of the greatest benefits of developing creativity! When we use our creativity, we connect with God. I recall hearing an interview with a ‘creative’ years ago (have no idea now who it was – a writer or musician or such), and I was amazed that they openly said their most profound creative moments, came from ‘something’ outside of themselves. And when that creativity is good and pure and true, it is our expression of what God whispers in our hearts. Perhaps, we also reflect God’s character when we use our creativity? I love the way Max Lucado puts it - ‘In fact, we are much like God when we dream.’

FIND YOUR VOICE

The ability to express ourselves, to communicate our thoughts, feelings and ideas, is a basic need for everyone. Using our creativity gives us a broader canvas on which to paint our voice – we might express with language, music, art, handcrafts, photography, play-dough sculptures, tree-house building … (the list goes on – you get the idea!) In expressing ourselves, we start to find out who we really are and share ourselves with the world (and the world is all the more richer for it!).

HANG ON TO CHILDHOOD

Being creative gives permission for the freedom of your inner child. My mother, for many years, has spoken (and practiced well!), about letting out your inner child. It allows you to dance in the rain, giggle over bubbles, and snuggle a teddy bear. And when it comes to creativity, it allows your inner child to come out and be curious about the possibilities, to make a bolder stroke with your brush, to play with new materials and enjoy it for ‘plays sake’.

STEP INTO SOMEONE ELSE’S SHOES

Looking at the world with a creative mindset helps us to see things in a different way – we can see things from a different perspective. We see possibilities, the ‘what might be’s’ and the brighter futures. Not only that, but you can imagine what it might be like to step into someone else’s shoes. We develop empathy and compassion for others because we can imagine what life might be like for someone else.

GROW COURAGE AND BE BRAVE IN OUR 'UNSUCCESS'

It takes courage to express yourself creatively. You open up the vulnerable parts of your soul, and it can be risky exposing that to the world around you. Using our creativity gives opportunities for rehearsing, developing and strengthening bravery. Not all creative expressions turn out the way we plan. All too often we see our creative endeavours as failures (eg when they don’t live up to what we dreamed they would be like). And so we learn to deal with what we perceive as unsuccess – we grow strategies for bouncing back, coping with constructive criticism or even knowing when to quit and start over again!

FIND YOURSELF

You are unique! If you were to not use your creativity, the world would miss out on the beautiful way you create, make things new, or bring art, life, love and self-expression into this world! Expressing our creativity develops our unique qualities, so we are not all the same. God loves variety and He created us all unique.

You were made to be creative. Go on … grow, free your soul, add your unique ‘colour’ to the world and make it a better place.

PS - I realise this probably seems out of place at this stage! For two months now, I’ve decided to be more serious about our blog and facebook. I’ve started on a number of articles and themes, and not done anything with it. They’re on the back shelf now! This is a topic dear to my heart. It’s my hope that all young girls realise their creative potential (and are ‘proud’ of it, too!). It’s one of the reasons we include in our magazine, ways to use creativity and imagination!

Easy 3-step lace painted bottle

This is actually bit of a sneak-peak into our next issue! I wanted to do these as a prop for an upcoming photo shoot for our first issue for 2017. The weather has been super hot here, but today it was a little cooler, so my young PA (my little miss!) and I got outside this afternoon and had fun making a bunch of these! In fact, she made more of them than I did! We loved being able to be outside doing something crafty together.

 In just 3 simple steps, you can have these decorating your room, window, even trees!

1 Hang an empty, clean bottle outside - we hung ours from the swing set! (we just used a glass soft drink bottle)

2 Tape a strip of lace around the bottle. The bigger the holes in the lace, the more paint will end up on your bottle.

3 Spray paint over the lace - not too close, and thin layers at a time so you don't end up with thick paint that wants to drip. We just used a plain white gloss spray paint.

When the paint is dry (which on a day like today, didn't take long!), carefully remove the lace.

If you need to pack them up for storage at all, wrap them up in white tissue paper or an old cloth, as the paint can scratch off.

When you get your next issue, you'll be able to play 'I spy' and see if you can find where we used them!

Getting ready to go back to school!

I don't know about other mums, but as a teacher, I think I probably start thinking about going back to school before the previous year even finishes! But for kids, it doesn't usually start until about now! The back-to-school advertising starts and we all begin to think of what we need to get ready for school to return. There's the stationery, the uniform, lunch boxes, school shoes ... the list can seem unending! But what about the things that will help you truly see the year through and your precious girl grow. Here's a back-to-school checklist with a twist.

STATIONERY
While you're thinking of all your stationery needs, consider how you will use them. Use your words to bring joy to others, lift them up, and be a light in your corner of the world. You might even want to consider making some little cards or notepaper to keep in stock.

GRATITUDE
An attitude of gratitude will get you through many experiences that could easily get you down. You might be worried about school starting, how your friends will treat you, or how you'll like your new teacher for the year. Every day, think of something you can be thankful for - even if it is just that the sun is out or you are breathing! Once you start an attitude of gratitude, it will become easier and easier to find the good in your life (and in others!).

DIARY
Oh, yes - where would you be without a diary! I know I can't get by without something to help me keep organised - be it with deadlines, to-do lists or activities. And you'll certainly do better at school with one! But, what would it be like, to plan into your 'schedule' ways to be kind, generous and positive to those around you? It might be a random act of kindness, or a way to give of your time or talents, or a positive activity to do with your friends.

BREAKFAST
You've heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day - it gives you energy for your day's activities, gets your brain firing and helps you to concentrate. A positive attitude from the start of the day will keep your outlook positive for the rest of the day. I well remember getting up grumpy as a child, and my mum telling me to go back to bed and get out of bed on the right side! So true - being positive from the very start will not only impact me, but everyone I come in contact with. It doesn't mean my day will always be great, but it certainly changes the way I handle it!

LUNCHBOX
Every year we do this - make sure everyone has the right lunchbox for their needs, containers for snacks, water bottles ... But there's more to it than just having the right gear - as a mum, I want to make sure my kids have what they need to eat healthy while they are at school. And as kids grow up, they have more say in their food choices (maybe they even share food with their friends). Healthy food choices are a great habit to develop now - and keep up energy levels and health through the stress of a school year. Lunches should include some slow release foods like sandwiches or rice cakes, something fresh like salad or fruit and have little or no added sugar and high energy snacks like potato chips or lollies.

UNIFORM
Almost inevitably, kids will have outgrown their uniform from the year before. Want something they won't outgrow? Develop a sense of pride in wearing a uniform neatly and smartly, respect for their school and school leaders in wearing a uniform as required, and a habit of looking after clothing with putting uniforms in the wash and hanging up when they're clean (and maybe even knowing where their shoes are each day!). While all of that is great for girls to value, it's also important that those who are special in their lives, help them to realise that it is their inner beauty that makes a difference. Encourage them to wear a smile, wear shoes that lead others in a positive way, and adorn themselves with love and joy.

Happy preparing for school to return! And all the best for a great school year!

Getting ready for 2017!

We're getting all ready for a new year! After much frustration getting images the right size, LOOK! We've updated our blog! I'm loving it's fresh, summery feel.

I think, and if you were to ask the girls they'd agree - the photo shoot for this photo was the best one we've done! It's been such a privilege to see these girls grow into young women over the years, and what a blessing they've been to our magazine.

Be sure to sign up to have updates go straight to your email so you can keep your finger on the pulse here at AMELIA. We have insights into our plans for 2017 as well as an annual, prayerful dedication for AMELIA with our staff and regular contributors.