Benny Bunny Cutout

Hi homeschooling parents and grandparents. I see you out there, doing more than you ever thought possible. This pandemic has you learning new ways of doing life and seeing things in a new way. Some things are good and some things have you wanting to get back to normal. You are not alone and you are doing a great job juggling it all. But I’m guessing you could use someone to step in and help out. If you need something to make the school day Simple, Fun and Meaningful, I’m here to help. I created an easy yet cute Easter craft for the kids with options on expanding the craft (in case you need a bigger break) and a picture book story suggestion to coincide with the craft. Ready? Let’s have fun.

Step 1: Gather the items you’ll need.

• White paper to put through your printer. Something a little stronger than regular copy paper would be the best but regular copy paper will work too.

• A pair of scissors.

• A gluestick.

• Doublestick tape.

• A cottonball.

• A plastic Easter egg (you know those bright colored ones that can be filled with candy).

• Candy to fill the egg!

Step 2: Print out Benny the Bunny. Click here to download. Note Benny has a front and a back.

Step 3: Cut out Benny’s front and back.

Step 4: Take the gluestick and glue Benny’s frontside to his backside. If it doesn’t match exactly you can take the scissors and clean up any slightly misaligned edges.

Step 5: Fill the Easter egg and place it on Benny’s belly. (You can add a piece of double stick tape to hold the egg in place if you think it is needed).

Step 6: Tape Benny’s arms to the egg with a piece of tape.

Step 7: Glue the cottonball tail in place.

Step 8: Enjoy making more bunnies. Bunnies multiply!

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Options To Expand The Kid’s Time With Benny-

• Tell your children, Benny is also a paper doll and Benny needs some clothes! Let them put their little fashion designer caps on and see what they come up with.

• Let them be in charge of a little Easter egg hunt of their own with Benny’s help of course. Let the kids hide the plastic Easter egg and have the other family members try to find it. The child hiding the egg can use Benny to tell the family if they are getting “hotter” or “colder.”

Picture Book Story Suggestion-

Here is board book suggestion that just came out just a few weeks ago from Zonderkidz Publishing. Author Tara Knudson uses lively rhyme and childhood memories to bring the bunnies together for an Easter egg hunt. The illustrations by Pauline Stewart are ADORABLE. For ages 0-4

Bonus- Egg decorating tips at the end of the story.

Need a snack suggestion? How about Annie’s Organic Cheddar bunnies.

YUM. And healthy too!

Thank you for sharing this Easter art project with your little ones. I hope it was fun and helpful. This will be an Easter like no other. The Corona virus might not allow us to be together in church this year but Easter will still happen. Let’s point the day back to God and make it Simple, Fun and Meaningful.

Please tag me on instagram with your pictures of Benny at wendyelliottdesigns I’d love to see your creativity in action.

Smiles,

Wendy

ME LIKE YOU Valentines

Hi friends! Recently, I’ve been hearing about groups who are making and taking valentines to nursing home residents. I love this idea and wanted to create something to help you do this with your kids. I had to share this fun idea because it’s such an easy and cute one. One which can have heartfelt results for the giver and receiver- no pun intended.

Materials Needed:

• White cover stock for your printer. Something like index card paper will work well.

• Xacto knife and ruler to cut the paper stock. (Do not let the kids do this part! This is for the adults). I’ll give you an option to use scissors on this step.

• Cellophane bags that are 4” wide (You can use ziplock bags in a pinch).

• clear white tape or stapler

• A pen, pencil or crayon

• foil covered chocolate hearts

Timeline:

You can make each valentine in about 10 minutes.

Directions:

Step 1. Print out the Valentines.

Click on the file here to print out on your printer. I used card stock to give it the stability needed to fold. Once the candy has been enjoyed, the valentine can set on a table top too. I’ll leave the file in place for you until Valentine’s day.

Step 2. Cut Out the Valentines.

The valentine pictured in the photo was cut out with an Xacto knife so the area above the fold stands up with a die-cut effect. If you don’t have an Xacto knife or choose not to use one, you can make a straight scissors cut across the top right above the little monster character. This will cut off the To/From section but your child can still write their name on the back.

Step 3. Fold Them

There is a faint grey dotted line to help you know how far you can cut and to help you fold it in half.

Step 4. Sign them

It is easier to do this before you add the chocolate

Step 5. Add Chocolate

The cellophane bag I used was 4”x8” which was too long. I cut the bag in half and folded down the edge and taped in place. I used three Palmer foil covered chocolate hearts for each Valentine but you might have other chocolates. To secure everything, I stapled the edges making sure to catch the cellophane bag too.

Step 6. Make Someone’s Day

I hope you found this project simple, fun and meaningful. I know I enjoyed getting out my pastels and creating this little monster valentine for you and your kids. I would love to see how you shared yours. Tag me in your photos @wendyelliottdesigns.

By the way,

ME LIKE YOU! Oh, and …..me like chocolates too.

Smiles,

Wendy

Make Your Own Big Hug Valentines

Remember the days of homemade Valentines? Aren’t they just the best. I got out my paints and illustrated a homemade Valentine for you and your kids to put together. They will need your paper cutting expertise and you will need them to tape down the chocolate hearts on this little pooch’s belly instead of putting them in their own! :0) Good luck with that! Click on the download here. Remember this is for your personal use only. It is my way of saying thanks for following me on Instagram and Facebook at @wendyelliottdesigns. I also wanted to thank you for all the prayers during hurricane Florence. God certainly was with us and we faired just fine at our house and Wilmington overall is recovering pretty well. Two of my neighbors even got new roofs this week! Our church will be getting a new roof soon too!

In keeping with my desire to create things that are Simple, Fun and Meaningful- the supplies are simple, this will be fun to do together with your kids and projects like this bring you and your kids closer together which is always meaningful. You will need scissors, transparent tape, chocolate hearts wrapped in foil, index card stock, a printer and 5-51/2” square envelopes.

Cut out along edges. If you leave a little white space along the edge it gives it a nice finished look. Tape the heart to his belly and help him give it a BIG HUG! Then, while his arms are still gently wrapped around the chocolate, carefully slide him into the square envelope. It is important to address the envelopes first.

How cute is this little guy!

When the Valentines are opened, his arms will gently release to give A BIG HUG to the receiver!

A few tips- it might be better to not seal the envelope closed but rather just tuck the flap inside. Also, in order to make his arms release open when the envelope is open, you will need to use cardstock. Regular copy paper won’t have the same effect. I hope you and your kids have a great time working on this together. I had a great time illustrating it for you.

Want another Valentine idea to do with the kids? Check out this DIY Valentine project from 2017.

If your kids like this project, let me know or better yet, send me a picture of your Big Hug time together.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Smiles,

Wendy

Hope from Above

Like many of you, my husband and I have been monitoring hurricane Florence as it moves across North Carolina. We have been fortunate enough to call Wilmington home for the past nine years. A decision to evacuate to the mountains of western Virginia before it arrived was hard, as we gave our neighbors who decided to stay hugs and best wishes. We handed them our keys and encouraged them to use what they needed if things got bad. It breaks my heart to see the images that are starting to surface. It breaks my heart to see what they have had to endure. It breaks my heart to see my lovely town suffocating.

As I am writing this, we are learning the status of some of my husband’s work associates. They are dealing with trees down, trees in their roofs, roofs caving in, flooding roads, evacuations, no power, no internet, limited gas, dwindling food supplies, numerous tornado warnings and 3-4 inches of rain each hour. 

We don't know when we will get back. The local officials have their hands full as rescue efforts are the goal right now.

Our community needs the hope and reassurance that comes from God. He has a plan and we are all part of it. God doesn’t promise that it will be easy but He does promise He will be with us. Love your neighbor as yourself is becoming all so easy to understand right now.

Hang on Wilmington, hang on neighbors. With God’s will, we will hang tight on the assurance of the Hope that only God can give us all as we help each other through this together. 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:6-8

Hugs,

Wendy

Thank You SCBWI Carolinas!

Thank you SCBWI Carolinas for asking me to provide the banner art for this month's newsletter! You can check out the Carolinas page with this link.

Create a Jesus Loves Me Cross With Your Kids

Easter is such a fun time of the year. We are all so ready to put those heavy dark wraps in the back of the closet and bust out our spring colors. And who doesn't like dying eggs with vibrant transparent plaids, polka dots and swirls! Once the eggs are completed and sprinkled across a brunch table filled with fresh tulips, egg strata and pastel coconut macaroons, it is swoon worthy. Ah, I can't wait!

But, the joy of Easter can not be truly felt until we process the sacrifice and suffering that God's only Son, Jesus, endured as he died on the cross for us. He was perfect, blameless, and without sin. And yet, he took on our sins and the sins of the world. Jesus's power over death with his resurrection three days later provides us the joy, hope and assurance in his promise that whoever believes in him will have eternal life.

In keeping with my quest to create things that are Simple, Fun & Meaningful, I decided to design a 3D Easter Cross project that incorporates all three. It is my hope that you are able to use it to teach your kids to celebrate all the fresh, happy, hopeful feelings of Easter but more importantly, teach them why we are celebrating.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Click here for the link to print out the 3D cross project. I printed mine on card stock. I'll keep the link in place until Easter. Here are a few process photos to help you and your kiddos.

P.S. I think they would make nice place holders for each of your guest at your pretty Easter table!

Jesus Loves You. This I know!

Smiles and Happy Easter,

Wendy

True Love Notes

This week your kids probably started talking about their classroom Valentine’s party. Kindness and love will be marketed in store and window displays urging you to purchase, chocolates, candy, flowers, cards and stuffed animals.

While all of these are nice ways of sharing love with each other, it doesn’t compare with the way God shares his love with us. As Christian parents and grandparents, it is important for us to help our little ones know about God’s great love.

Know God’s Love 

I’ve included some love passages from God below that can be found in the Bible. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God” 1 John 3:1

“Dear friends, let us love one another, since love comes from God.” 1 John 4:7

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19

Remember God’s Love

Read them to your child and let them pick out their favorite. You can enhance their learning experience by helping them:

1). Cut out their verse.

2). Memorize it. 

3). Put it in an envelope. 

Address the envelope-

To: Your Child’s Name

From: God

Craft God’s Love

Let you kids have a great time “crafting” those beautiful envelopes with heart stickers, markers, stamps, paint, collage, etc.

Embrace God’s Love

Now that their Valentine from God is complete, let each child put their beautiful works of art in their Valentine box. Consider it a mini “love note from God!” Need a Valentine box idea? Here is a fun one from Plaid, if you have an empty cereal box. 

I also wanted to mention this beautiful new picture book on the market titled, “Easter Love Letters from God by Glenys Nellist and illustrated by Sophie Allsopp, published by Zonderkidz. It is the perfect book to read now and start the discussion of God’s great love for us as we transition into the Lenten season.

Share God’s Love

Lastly, I want to help you give your child a love note from God in the form of an illustrated bookmark.  We can only start to understand love because God first loved us. You can read that blog post here. Click to download the pdf and print out the bookmark on cardstock from your computer. I will leave the link in place until Valentine’s Day.

Let me know which one of the verses your child chose!

Happy Valentine’s Day,

Smiles,

Wendy