We're back from China, but it was such a great trip I can't stop thinking about it! One of the things that I really liked there were Chinese seals, also known as chops. Chops are blocks that have a name or symbol carved into them and can be used to stamp documents. Chops have been used in China for thousands of years as official signatures. Originally, chops were used just by the Emperor to sign official documents, but over time other officials started using it, and now anyone can have their own chop!

At the Shanghai Museum there were some really nice chops, which got me wanting one for all my important documents. Then I figured that I could make my own. The problem was that most chops are made out of hard material such as jade, stone or wood. But you know me, I’m crafty, so I figured out a way to make your own chop with easy to use stuff you might have right now!

You'll Need:

Clay that hardens when you bake it in the oven, a toothpick, and some wax paper. I combined green and white clay so it would look marbled, like a piece of jade, but you can use any color you want.

Your stamp can be any symbol or letters that represent you. You could try using your initials like I did.

There are two options for getting your initials on the stamp. You can carve it in (and the stamp will look like the one on the left), or you can add it using raised strips of clay (and it will look like the one on the right).

1. The first thing you need to do is to knead the clay and roll it into a cylinder for a chop with a long handle. If you want a chop with a more decorative handle just shape part of the clay into a block a little bigger than you want your stamp.

2. Press your cylinder down on the wax paper until you form a flat base the size of the stamp you want. Or press your block of clay down until the bottom is perfectly smooth. Try to make sure the bottoms of your clay pieces are as flat and even as possible.

3. If you want a chop with "empty" letters and an ink background then you will want to carve your symbol into the clay. Use the toothpick to do this and carve lightly at first before you go back and make your lines deeper and wider. Push the clay back against the wax paper to even it out and then touch up your lines. REMEMBER: Carve your symbol backwards so it prints the right way when you use the stamp.

4. If you want your chop to have inked letters and empty background then you will want to create your symbol with clay. Roll some clay into thins strips and attach these to the bottom of your chop in the shape you would like. You can use the toothpick to help move the clay around to neaten up the shape. REMEMBER: Apply your symbol backwards so it prints the right way when you use the stamp.

5. The last step is to shape the handle of your chop the way you'd like it. Or, you can create a mini sculpture to put on top of one without a handle.

Then, bake the clay according to the directions on the package and get out your stamp pad. You can start stamping your own letters or homework just like the Emperors in China used to do. Hmmm…I'm not sure they did homework, but you know what I mean!

Seeds of Love - Valentine's Craft

Valentine's day is a time to show appreciation for those you love. I love all my friends, and of course I love gardening. I've decided that I'm going to combine my two loves and give away seeds this February 14th! Of course, I won't just hand people a pile of seeds. Instead, I'm going to make everyone a special card to put the seeds in. Because the only thing better than getting a packet of seeds, is getting a packet of seeds and a really nice handmade card!

This craft creates a really pretty card that looks like two flowers growing out of a flowerpot and it can be given with or without seeds inside.

1. Cut a piece of dark colored paper into rectangle that is as wide as you want your flowerpot, but twice as tall. I'm using handmade paper that is created from plants, but regular construction paper will work fine.

2. Fold the rectangle in half and draw a flowerpot shape on the front.

3. Cut out your flowerpot so when you unfold your paper you have two flowerpot shapes attached by their bottoms.

4. Now take other colors of paper and for each flower you want in your pot cut out:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Put a bead of glue along the side edges of your top flowerpot half. Fold the bottom half up to meet it and seal them together. Do NOT glue the top of the flowerpot closed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Either put some seeds from a larger pack into a small baggie, or get a store bought packet of seeds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Write a message on the front of the flower pot and slip the seed pack inside. I also like to put a second message on the seed pack as well. Depending on how big you've made your flower pot you may have to fold the pack to fit it in.

 

You are now ready to spread seeds of love amongst your friends and family. Remember, Valentine's day is not the only time of year people like to get cards letting them know that someone out there loves them. You can make this any time of year, because people can always use a smile and some seeds to plant. Happy Valentine's day!

 

Love,

Keby

Make an Origami Wombat

Would you like to play momma wombat and have a little wombat to carry around in your pouch (or pocket if you're not a marsupial)? I know it would be much better to have a real wombat but we don't like being pets, so you are going to have to settle for paper.

If you don't have origami paper don't worry. You can take any paper you'd like and cut it into a square for this craft (make sure it's a true square with even sides).

If you want printable instructions just click here.

If you want to follow along online go to the next page.

Remember, don't get discouraged! Origami is hard and it may take you several pieces of paper before you get this right.

Toad House

Are you ready to go into the toad home-building business? Alright, get your hard hat on and let’s start!

Instructions

1. First, get a large can, flower pot, or plastic tub to act as your main structure. If you are using a can, make sure there are no sharp edges around the opening that will hurt the toad.

 

2. Next you're going to decorate or paint it any way you want, but if you are using something with a lot of writing or pictures on it, it might be a good idea to first paint the whole thing with a layer of solid color, just to cover it up.

 

3. Then you can paint your house design on (you can make it blend in with the environment, or paint it to look like a little mini version of your house). You’re going to be laying the can on its side, so keep that in mind when you’re designing it.

 

4. After the paint has dried, and you are happy with your design, spray it a few times with the clear acrylic spray. This will help the paint last through storms and other foul weather.

5. Bring your toad house outside to a nice spot. Toads like water, so the closer to a pond or other water source, the better. Or, if you don’t have a pond, find a moist shady spot in your garden. (Keby told me that she loves toads in her garden because they eat a lot of the pesky bugs.)

6. Then lay the house on its side, and bury half of it. Fill the inside with dirt because that’s what toads like to sit on.

That’s it! Now just sit back and keep an eye out for a toad looking for a new home. If lots of toads are in you area, they probably won’t want to be roommates (unless they’re in toad college), so you might want to build more homes for them. Eventually you could build a whole toad town, with rocks for decoration and a little pond for swimming. Just try not to bother the toads too much or they might move out, after all no one likes an annoying landlord. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a house warming party to go to!

For more great Crafts that you can make at home get our CREATE & PLAY PACKS

Make Your Own Rain Stick

Have you ever listened to the soft drip drop of rain on your roof? Doesn’t it sometimes sound like a song? And even though I don’t like thunder, when it’s far away, it sounds like a wild drummer. Sometimes a storm can be so musical. Now you can make your own stormy music with a rain stick!

Rain sticks are actually traditional instruments in many cultures. The Diaguita people from Chili made them from dried cactuses filled with pebbles. When they rattled the pebbles, it sounded like rain falling, which was supposed to remind the forgetful rain gods to make it rain.

2. Hammer in your nails along the spirals. Place one every half inch for the best sound.

4. All that’s left to do is break out the paints and make it pretty.