Two Tips Tuesday: DIY Window Shade and a Fun Activity

I am NOT off on my days.  I am just busy because it IS summer, you know. And I have been wanting to really focus on the girls and getting a better schedule together.

Um....let's just say I am still TRYING to get it together. But I am getting there...:o)

So this is Two Tips Wednesday.  Not as fun of a ring to it but it will have to do...

TIP #1:  DIY Window Shade...Use What You Have

I had the hardest time getting a photo of this because the shade makes the room as dark as night and the lamp in there is like 2 watts.  No, really.  I am so serious. SO DIM!  But I loved that lamp and I had to have that lamp.  I mean, a polka dotted, pink lamp just begs to be bought. So the pictures are dreadfully dark but you get the idea.  

 

Here is what I did in a nutshell...

Took my cheap roller shade and spray painted it. I used Mod Podge on Dollar Tree letters for the "good night" on the shade. They are uneven because I was lazy and did not ensure they marched straight across the shade. I can be so craft lazy. I did not even stage this photo.  I consider us all tight like that now.

It looked kind of blah to me so I decided to embellish the bottom of the shade. I glued 2 coordinating ribbons the length of the bottom and the ring is none other than...a shower curtain ring. Give me time and I may find 101 uses for them.  I tried wrapping it with ribbon. Then yarn.  No go.  The thing would not cooperate do I left it and it suits me just fine. The flower is an iron on applique I had in my sewing box. I just hot glued it on. The total cost for this project was the cost of spray paint which was $3.99 and everything else was stuff I had on hand.

Tip #2:  Have a Photo Scavenger Hunt 

I really have struggled to find fun things to do this summer and I came up this idea born of my daughters obsession with the camera.  I daily take photos and if the camera is within her reach she starts snapping.  The other day I found about 8-10 pictures of her one eye and forehead on the camera. Praise God she is not blind.

Things to Find:

red car

bird in a tree

chalk on the sidewalk

mailbox with the flag up

bug

bike

a leaf that is not green

flower

a family

the number 7

water

an animal with four legs

something hot

something cold

a rock

Here's What You Do:

Look around your neighborhood and house to find all the items on the list. Do your best to let your child find all of the items.  When you find one, let your child take the photo .  If they do not have their own camera, show them how to point and shoot with yours.


After you have completed your scavenger hunt, develop your pictures at home or a 1 hour photo place.  (I just upload mine to Walgreens and pick them up).

Scrapbook your fun scavenger hunt as a memory to keep forever. They will be so excited over what they found and the photos they took.


Try to cater the list to your child's age and make it more or less challenging.  You can even create a theme.  Great summer activity to do with kiddies and grandkiddies.

Happy Hunting and HAPPY TUES...er...WEDNESDAY!