Papier-mâché piggy bank

I think this little piggy is just too cute. 

The best of all is it's one of those projects the kids can help with as well and they will just love it.

FYI:

Papier-mâché (French for “chewed paper” , alternatively, papier-mâché is a composite material consisting of paper pieces or pulp, sometimes reinforced with textiles, bound with an adhesive, such as glue, startch or wall paper paste (http://en.wikipedia.org)

What you need: 

For the glue mixture, mix one part cold glue with one part water and make sure that it is mixed thoroughly.

First use the toilet roll to make the feet and the nose.  I wanted short legs so I cut one roll into four equal pieces to make the feet, and then used a second toilet roll to cut out the nose.

Now blow up the balloon as big as you want your piggy's body to be and tie a knot.  

Now stick the feet and the nose on using masking or sellotape.

Ok now the fun starts...

Some people say paint the glue on the paper strips, but I don't have the patience for that :-) so I find it much better to get those hand dirty.  I dip the strip of paper in the glue mixture, and use two fingers and glide the strip of paper through to get rid of the excess glue.  Then stick it on the balloon, continue until you feel that the piggy will be sturdy (at least three layers).

Let it stand for a day or two so that it will dry properly.

Then paint the piggy in any colour, or pattern you wish. If you saving for something spesifically make that the theme of your piggy.

When the paint is dry, you can apply a couple of layers of clear varnish to make the piggy more durable.  The varnish will also give you a glossy finish.

Stick some eyes on.

To complete cut a slit in the top for the money to go in...

Put piggy on display and start saving! :-)

Peppermint Crisp Tart

One of my favorite fridge tarts, peppermint crisp tart :-)

Its proudly South-African, quick and easy and super yummy!

You can serve it as a tart, and dish it up, or you can make individual servings.

What you need:
1 tin (375g) Caramel Treat
250ml Fresh Cream whipped
a packet of Tennis biscuits (coconut biscuit)
200g mint crisp chocolate grated

To start, fold the caramel treat into the whipped cream

Then start with the layers... first the tennis biscuits

Then a layer of caramel cream

Then a layer of grated mint chocolate

Repeat until your container is filled to the top

Put it in the fridge for about a hour... then serve :-) And don't expect any left overs!

closed paper protea

This post is a follow-up on the post I made October 2011 "paper protea" where I showed how to fold a protea looking flower with a book.  This is the same thing but it's a different flower that you can add to your collection.  And again all you really have to do is to get out and pick up a few branches, then dig in your bookshelf for a few old books.  I got these books from a local second hand bookshop cheap, cheap... 

You need: 

• Old books (for these 1/2 a book per flower)
• Branches (thin on the one side so it can fit into the hole of the flower)
• Ribbon (optional)
• Wood glue

step 1: Remove the cover of the book, so only the pages of the book left 

Step 2: Start folding the book, two pages at a time and make sure that you fold it neatly at the bottom of the page and the bottom edge neatly against the spine of the book...

Step 3: Then fold again

Step 4: Then fold the top down

Step 5: lastly fold the little triangle in...

Fold the whole book in this manner!

 Keep on folding till all pages are folded in and voila... you have your flower!

Step 6: Now for the stem of the flower! Turn the flower upside down squirt some wood glue in the hole and then push one of the branches you have collected in the hole. You can then cut the branch to the desired length to match the pot you want to put the flowers in.

You can put a ribbon on the stem of the flower or you can use it as is... one per pot or you can make a few to put into a pot and the different flowers. Remember they are heavy so make sure your pot would be able to hold them - alternatively put rocks in the pot to make it heavier!

Enjoy them!!!

pinky ponky

I had loads of fun making these pinky ponky's! Dressing them up and giving them personality was the best part :-) They make great gifts for children and you can even make them and let the children decorate the ponky themselves!

What you need:
wood shavings (you buy it at your local pet shop, they use it for hamsters)
stockings
grass seeds
felt and material to decorate 
glue (that can get wet)
pins
scissors

To start off you need to put about a tablespoon of the grass seeds in the bottom of the stocking.  

Then fill with shavings till it is about as big as a tennis ball, and well compressed.  

You need to make sure that when you are putting the shavings in that you spread the seeds evenly and that they don't end up all on one spot, or that they get so distributed through the stocking that you pinky ponky grows facial hair :-) all the seeds needs to be on the top of the head!

Once compressed and everything in the right place tie a knot in the stocking as close to the ball as possible, and cut off the rest of the stocking.

There is obviously only two ends to a stocking and we don't want to waist! So to make your next one you tie a not as the one open end.  But now throw the seeds on the side so that the knot is not at the top of the head but on the side (like ears). And the seeds again distributed evenly on the TOP of the head!

Now the fun part starts... you need to use your imagination and go wild :-)

I've used felt, and stuck it to the stocking. Then used pins that I stuck in to give a bit of a 3D effect and extra bit of fun!

You can grow your ponky on a saucer, but I've used small recycled jam jars... makes it even more fun so you can dress it up!

GROWING INSTRUCTIONS:
To start you Pinky ponky's hair growing soak in water for 2min
Then place on saucer or recycled jam jar, close to a window where ponky will get some sun
Give pokey love, and water daily and see how his hair will grow!
You should see the first hair appearing within the first 5 days!