Paper flowers and frames for Cinco de Mayo

 we decided to do a little different project for Cinco de Mayo this year. we took paper board frames and decorated them with confetti then made a picture to fit in the frame of paper roses.

Bottle cap art @WBCL

What to do with all those bottle caps that are not recyclable and too nice to throw into the trash? I found a great book and quite a few websites on making art projects from them so we did. We used styrofoam blocks from one of the neighbors as a base and glued on caps into any design the kids and thier parents could come up with. It was fun and everyone was able to figure out a great design.

Painting wildflowers @WBCL

 This has been a fun project that helps families learn about TX wildflowers. I drew a few on oversized paper then let the fun begin. We talked about the color the flowers really are but the kids sometimes decided on different colors for "their" flowers.

Making Mardi Gras masks @WBCL

 So I got my dates a little wrong this year but most of the kids do not understand Mardi Gras as it is not really celebrated here so we had fun creating masks. 
We started with 2 basic shapes, a butterfly and a bird's head half mask then gave them sequins, mardi gras beads, gems and feathers to use to create their own masks. Last we punched holes in the sides and added chenille stems for ties.  Each one is a unique creation. 

Leaping clay lizards for Leap day @WBCL

  This was fun and  everyone made a cute lizard from bakable polymer clay. I found a softer clay to use, Premo Sculpy,  that really helped in forming the shapes and attaching their parts. In the past the clay has been hard for kids and adults alike to kneed enough to be successful. 
Each table was given several chunks of different colored clay and told to make a long body by kneading the clay then rolling it until it was long and skinny on one end. On the other end we pinched the clay around to form a head and made a hole or slit for a tongue. We then made legs and added feet and spots or stripes. Some even have toes or eggs. It was easy to press the body over the legs to make them mold together, Everyone went home with the baking instructions. Making them on foil makes it easy to bake them too.

Making valentine's cards @WBCL

What is more fun that making your own heart card for Valentine's Day? For this group it would be hard to find a project that captured their creativity more. Of course we set out the things they seem to like best--glitter, sequins, and gem stones in addition to ribbons and lace and of course a wonderful felt heart as the centerpiece of the card. In past years we have made envelopes but this time we spent all of our time on the cards. Time was well spent!