Throwback thursday... Dedicated to my eldest, who turned 4 this week. When we decorated her babyroom I decided to turn the ugly algove/hollow molding into a tree. Because, come on, who doesn't want a tree in their bedroom?! First we needed to make the shape of the tree. I used chicken wire to do this. Choose the type you can bend easily. Don't worry, it's strong enough. I used the wire to make a tree trunk, roots and branches that went across the ceiling. To be honest, I don't really remember how I fixed it to the wall, but I did use some nails. I made a dent in the wire, to create the suggestion of a hole in the tree. I might have done more of those if I could do it again! The second question was, what to put one the wire to create a real structure. I was afraid that paper mache wouldn't work, because of the gaps in the wire. I had some linnen fabric left over and I used this to make a first layer. A good friend helped me to put on newspapers with wallpaper glue as a second layer. This was structurally fine, but I was afraid that the newspaper would shine through when I started painted, so I added a third layer, of white paper. Thanks to the chicken wire and the paper, the tree already had a nice tree-like structure. I started with a lighter brown, but it turned out rather dark, not too dark I think. But that's a question of taste. I used a simple waterbased gouache (plakkaatverf), but did need a few layers before I couldn't see the paper anymore. Be careful and wait a while between layers, to give the paint time to dry. You've got yourself a tree! Now go to a store with seasonal decorations and buy boatloads of leaves. They will probably be fall leaves, but those have to best colors anyway. faux ivy branches are also great to get a nice result. Complete the tree with forest critters, such as birds and squirrels, stuffed animals might be a bit heavy, so papercraft is perfect for this! Also: we included white Christmas lights in the leaves, for a the feeling of a magical forest!
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It the season for cookies! A great way to entertain Geeklings when it's too cold or rainy to play outside. The dough is like clay you can eat, and the cookies are nice too! ;-)
Geeks wouldn't be geeks without Geeky cookies cutters. I found a bunch of them on the website Wish. Especially Marvel is well represented.. I bought several versions, the more traditional cookies cutters, but also some silicone molds. The good thing about the last category is that you can use them for all kinds of things, cookies, chocolate, icecubes, and even soap. After the first batch I noticed that the cookie recipe is very important when you make detailed cookies like these. Otherwise the dough will flow out too much and ruin the design. So: use the best basic recipe! I use the recipe from this website: 150 grams white caster sugar (basterdsuiker), 50 grams vanilla sugar, 200 grams butter, 1 egg, and 400 grams of flour. It is the flour that keeps the cookies 'in shape'. Also, keep the dough in the fridge for at least an hour! See the results above: which cookies do you prefer? I like the regulars best, for a normal cookie recipe. The silicone mold is quite deep, so the cookies get rather thick. You can make them thinner, but it's a hassle, especially for Geeklings.
Somehow, being Geek is related to arts and crafts for me. I don't know why. Maybe the arts and crafts community are Geeks in their own right? And imagination and creativity are things all Geeks have in common.
I love to find craft inspiration online, but also like to personalize things. Like you would with a good food recipe. Anyways, a heads up for those of you who love nature. I recently found this nice project of the moon in its different stages. Very nice to do with older kids, or to make yourself for a kids bedroom (or the living room). You can follow the steps in the video, but I would recommend mixing glow in the dark clay with the regular clay for extra effect. Don't be shy to change other things as well, but I love the idea of this! This Facebook page often has nice craft suggestions. |
AuthorTamara, Geek, mother of two Geeklings, editor. Archieven
February 2021
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