Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Vinyl Water Bottles

Another great tutorial that we found for Girls Camp - Vinyl Water Bottles.  The original post that I found was on DittleDattle and she also did a great job of explaining how to make these.

 Now - she made them for Valentines day - but we did ours for Girls camp.  She was right - the glossy vinyl holds up really well with water.  I didn't have a single problem once we got the vinyl affixed to the bottles.  Therein was one issue though - I let the girls do this but due to the curves on the bottles I would recommend making sure that as they affix their names, lift and smooth out any wrinkles before taking all of the transfer tape off - they were in such a rush to get them done that there was a lot of fixing afterwards.

I used my Pazzles machine to cut out the vinyl and I chose different fonts - though DittleDattle used "Loki Cola" I went through several different sites to find free fonts that I felt would work better for what I was doing.  My best recommendation would be that you measure your bottle before you start cutting your own vinyl, I did have a few issues with that - but otherwise, they were perfect!  Thank you for the tutorial DittleDattle - these turned out to be an amazing camp craft!

Nutter Butter flip Flop Cookies

So - I actually did not bring this craft to girls camp this summer - my fearless leader did.  However, I had seen it on Pinterest - so I figured that since it was such a huge success with the girls - I would post it here.  The Pinterest link that I found for it (the one that I had pinned) was found at "Come together Kids" - But as I continued to look around , I see that there are several places that also did this craft.

It is - SUPER - EASY.  You just need a bag of nutter butters (And hope that they do not get eaten to quickly by ravenous teenagers) - and some tubes of decorators frosting.  The small tubes meant for decorating are really the best.  And then let them go crazy decorating their flip flops - Here are some of our own creations!




Don't forget - you can use decorator's icing and small beaded candies and all sorts of things - the possibilities for shoes are endless...  Totally easy and delicious craft!

Paper Bag Journals - Another success!

So - the Paper Bag Journals for Girls camp did take a little bit more preparation - the fantastic tutorial can be found here - at Burlap and Denim.  They really did do a fantastic job of explaining how to put this together.  I knew that I would be at "Girls Camp" though  - so I did a bit of the preparation at home.  I precut papers, folded bags, and even taped the ends of the twine that needed to be threaded through the bags.  The rest I left up to the girls and their creativity went totally out of control.  Here are a few pictures of our finished projects:

 I would recommend cutting out the word lists that are at Burlap and Denim on their printable sheets - as well as bring lots of embellishments - you never know what the girls are going to want to create when they get started.
some of our books were fat and thick - full of papers and ribbons and stickers - others were thin, with a few things here and there - and sparse - everyone is different.  There is no right or wrong way to do this craft.  Overall, I would say that it was very successful and one of the least expensive crafts that I put together (Mostly because I am an avid collector of scrapbook paper and I had plenty on hand that I could just cut up and let the girls use for their creative purposes).  Make sure that you print off the directions from Burlap and Denim!  It was a fantastic Tutorial!

If you do not feel like visiting their site - here are the full set of instructions - however, I am not going to copy over their PDF Files for you to print - you will have to create those on your own or visit their site to get those goodies:



  It is an inexpensive project and with a lot of prep work, goes very smooth in the woods.
YW Camp Scrapbook
Supplies (per journal):
    • 3 lunch bags, folded and pre punched with 5 holes
    • 22″ twine, taped on one end for easy threading
    • scrapbook paper pre-cut to fit pages of the journal (16 total, 3 sizes)
    • velum labels (printable below)
    • testimony card for insert (printable below)
    • 1 mini zip lock bag 2″X3 1/2″ for nature souvenirs insert
    • 1 small envelope for letters insert
    • pictures of Christ torn out from church magazines
    • ribbons and embellishments
    • glue stick
    • scissors
    • stapler

Before I bought any supplies, I dug through our closet and used anything we already had.  We didn’t need to buy any scrapbook paper, I just cut up what we had and made the most of it.   I used leftover ribbon scraps from other projects.  The twine was very inexpensive from Home Depot and we used it for other projects as well.

Construction:  To make a journal, fold three paper bags in half with some folded each way.  Take one with the clean sides out and use that as a cover with the other two nested inside.  Punch 5 holes down the folded side (this is difficult unless you have a really nice hole punch).  Lace the taped end of the twine from the top to the bottom and back up again as shown below (note: if you want a “binding” look, cut a piece of paper and match up the hole punches, glue it down and THEN lace).
Camp Scrapbook
Inserts:  Since there are three paper bag openings in one journal, I made three separate inserts for the girls to use (of course they could make up any other ones they wanted to add to them as well).

I had a “Testimony” card with a sheet they could write down their testimony (an activity we did in the woods) with a temple cards (we had on hand) on the back side.  They could attach a piece of ribbon as a tag to pull it out.

I also found mini zip-lock style bags at the craft store (I think $1 for 25?).  They could gather small pieces of nature from a hike or campsite to keep in there.

An envelope with a ribbon tag is a space for letters from home to be stored or letters from secret sisters.
Camp Scrapbook
Embellish!  This is where the girls creativity comes out.  I printed off labels for the different activities I knew we would be doing to help guide them as to what to put on the pages (printable found below).
Photos: You might notice this book has pictures in it…that turned out to be a fun surprise.  We made the journals on the second day.  I took tons of photos for the first two days of camp.  I had to go home for a day to my babies and then came back up for the last night.  While I was home, I printed the photos off and cut them with a paper cutter.  We passed around the photos in a zip-lock back and each girl was able to choose 6 to glue in to their journals.  When they got home, they already had something to show their mom’s and dad’s from their camp.  After we got back from camp we had another activity where the girls brought more photos from their cameras and other leaders photos that they could add to their journals.
Camp Scrapbook

Watermark T-Shirts - Success? Yes!

First off - I want to point out that this was a fantastic tutorial.  Found HERE - The Instructions to the Watermark T-shirt done by Sweet Verbena (Just click on the link - this is her awesome Blob).  They were easy to read, and easy to do - but here are some of the issues that we had:

 So, I need to clarify before I get started on my "Issues" with the project.  We did this project at "Girls Camp" and I was limited on certain resources.  I was also catering to several young ladies that wanted to do more than one shirt - and I was limited on time.  So - first thing's first - Make sure that you (if you are doing it for a group) have plenty of buckets for the shirts.  I did each of these in 1 gallon buckets that we got at the dollar store.  ALSO - Make sure that you have plenty of the Gel glue.  I didn't realize how much glue one creative mind would go through when I got started with this.
 So, I didn't have plastic bin lids to pull the prepared shirts over - I used (Instead) cardboard that I cut out.  the issue with this is that the glue will pass on through and stick to the cardboard.  and after you let the shirt dry fully , then you have to peel it from the cardboard - so if you can help it, don't do that.  And, follow her instructions - make sure that you have gloves to cover your hands - I am still trying to get blue dye out of my cuticles. :)
 Also - Drying time took quite a bit of time - one day for the prepared / Glued shirt.  Plus, since we did this at girls camp - the overall time took three days - one day for prepared shirt and glue to dry - one day for the dyed shirt to dry, and the third day we washed by hand and let dry.  Overall though, this craft was a huge success - make sure that you follow the RIT Dye instructions so that your colors will set, and they will turn out perfectly.  We washed the shirts when we got home from camp and the color is just a few shades lighter than in the images, but they turned out perfectly.

I hope you enjoy   -   this craft was a BIG success for us!

72 Hour Emergency Kits - Comprehensive List

So, on Pinterest I have seen so many lists for "72 Hour Kits".  Admittedly, I know that I should have one, however, each time I approach the subject of the 72-hour kit I get really overwhelmed.  After all, I went to several different blogs and sites (with GREAT Pictures) and found that there were things that were missing.  SO, I copied lists from all of the sites and made a full list of things that were in all of the kits - and I decided that I would put it here for you all to enjoy.

I agree on a few points - with the 72-hour kit, some of these things can get to be expensive.  So, please spread out the planning of the kit over some time.  Also, I had read a comment that someone had made about the "Pre-Made Kits" being less expensive and probably a better buy.  From my research, this is not the best idea guys.  That stuff in there is typically cheap and won't really help you in a survival situation.  I recommend at least putting it together your self so you can at least know what you have, where you put it, and that you purchased something that is of good quality.  Just my two Cents - moving on now.

Here is the list -

Clothing
Long Sleeve Shirt
Sweat Pants
Hoodie
3 Underwear
3 Socks
Beanie
Gloves
Poncho
Shoes
Long Pants
Hat
Thermal Underwear
Sunglasses
Hotties Hand Warmers

Food
Emergency Food
Snacks
3 Waters
3 Water Flavor Packets (Crystal Lite) W/O Aspartame
Dehydrated Fruits
Gum
Jolly-Ranchers
Hot Chocolate
Tuna (In pouches due to weight) or Ready to eat Meats / Fruits and Veggies
Canned Juices
Sugar / Salt and Pepper
PB&J
Crackers
Vitamins
Cookies 
Hard Candies
Water - Enough for 3 days
Raisins
Beef Jerky
Boxed (Shelf Stable) Milk
Sunflower Seeds
Nuts
Granola Bars
Trail Mix
Fruit Snacks
Water Filter
Water Purification Tablets
Tang
Ramen
Fun
Notebook
Pen / Pencil
Post Its
Card Game
Dice
Needle / Thread
BOM
Sudoku
Cross Word Puzzles
Yahtzee
Chalk
The Ultimate Indoor Games Book
Shelter / Warmth
Emergency Blanket - Rolled and Roped
Tube Tent
Regular Blanket
Thermal Sleeping Bag

Light
Flash Light
Matches
Glow Sticks
Emergency Candles
Extra Batteries
Signal Flare
First Aid
Small Kit
Hot Hands
Whistle / Compass
Pocket Knife
Face Masks
Sterile Adhesive Bandages in Assorted Sizes
2 Inch Sterile Gauze Pads (4-6)
4 Inch Sterile Gauze Pads (4-6)
Hypoallergenic Adhesive Tape
Triangular Bandages (3)
2 Inch Sterile Roller Bandages (3 Rolls)
3 Inch Sterile Roller Bandages (3 Rolls)
Scissors
Tweezers
Needle
Moistened Towelettes
Antiseptic
Thermometer
Tongue Blades (2)
Tube of Petroleum Jelly or other Lubricant
Assorted sizes of safety Pins
Cleansing agent/ soap
Latex Gloves (2 Pair)
Sunscreen
Burn Gel
QuikClot
Instant Ice Packs
Snake Bite Kit
Pen Light
Saline Solution
Hygiene
Tooth Brush
Tooth Paste
Chap-stick
Soap
Antibacterial Gel
Kleenex
Wash Cloth
Sunscreen
Shampoo
Conditioner
Contact Lenses and Supplies
Extra Eye Glasses
Toilet Paper
Feminine Supplies
Plastic Garbage Bags
Disinfectant
Chlorine Bleach
Wet Ones
Chapstick
Deoderant
Cotton Swabs
Brush/ Comb
Fingernail Clippers
Compact Mirror
Dust Mask
Dental Floss
Razors
Allergy Medication
Records - Keep these records in a waterproof, portable container
Birth Certificate / Marriage Certificate
Family Picture
SS#
Address / Phone Number List
$10.00 Coins and small bills
Immunization Records
Family Emergency Plan
Emergency Contacts
Photocopies of Credit / ID Cards
Inventory of Valuable Household Goods
CC account numbers and companies / phone number list
Bank Account Numbers
Insurance Policies

Extra
Any Prescription drugs
Map of the Area
Aspirin or Nonaspirin Pain reliever
Anti-Diarrhea Medication
Antacid 
Syrup of Ipecac
Laxative
Activated Charcoal
Pipe Cleaners
Dry Erase Board and marker
Jump Rope
Tools
Mess Kits
Paper Cups
Paper Plates
Plastic Utensils
Emergency Preparedness Manual
Pliers
Aluminum foil
Medicine Dropper
Tape
Whistle
Shut off Wrench (Gas and water)
Clothesline and Pins
Andy Saks (Plastic bags)
Flint & Steel
Lighter
Permanent Marker
Toilet Paper Fire Starters
Small Bars of Soap
Tide Laundry Detergent
Head Lamp
NOAA AM/FM/Weather Radio
Small Shovel
Duct Tape 
Work Gloves

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Pinterest

I am finding that I make a great deal of posts about Pinterest, and the awesome things that I find on Pinterest to do.  Because of this, I have also seen that my blog is turning into a "I did this because of Pinterest" - and I think that it's time I separate the two beasts.  
So, If I try something on Pinterest - or I find things that I think are great ideas from Pinterest, You will now find them in this location!  I hope that this year is eventful, and crafty, and that I get all of the things that I want to try tried (so to speak)  Feel Free to comment if you see something that I've tried that you have also had success with (Or no success). 

Happy Pinning!