Welcome to the resource for the Feast of Words. First a few suggestions on activities that are not craft related:
Play a word game using simple words the child can recognize such as : “We”, “Are”, “Baha’i”, “love” etc.
Cut out blank cards or use index cards and write simple words on them . A word game like go fish can be an activity to play or just use the cards as flash cards.
Craft: make the card (template below) to give to someone at feast
This is the coloured version that can be used on a card or to frame:For the children, this is a very simple activity that takes 5 to 15 minutes.This craft uses cotton balls for the clouds, Sparkles if you want to add to the sky or cloud or the Greatest Name, and the template picture to colour in.
My popup card was made by the children when they went to deliver gifts of old blankets to the animal shelter.
This is an easy card to put together: if you are not using a cutting machine like Silhouette Cameo or Cricut, it will take a little bit longer to cut the pieces… but not a HUGE amount of time, as the pieces are big.
Here is what you need if you are going to make the card
2 colour Card stock for the card
Scrap pink cardstock
Scrap red cardstock
1 colour for cat head, and body
1 colour cardstock for tag
pen
glue.
Cut out the pieces
Download the link to my template below and print out. You can use as is and cut the images out out use the image to cut your own colour choices.
the two card bases are cut from 2 different colours. I used pink on the outside and grey on the inside
Cut the body and head of the cat out of one colour cardstock
Cut the nose out of pink cardstock and Tongue out of red cardstock
cut the tag pieces out.
cat body and head, nose and mouth as well as the first inside card base
Glue it all
Use the smaller card base and glue the back of the cat with tail onto the top of the card, glue the paws down to the bottom of the card.( right close to the centre line where the card folds. Glue the middle of the cat on to the cat a little way down from the tail.
Back of cat with glue
Back of cat stuck down and body piece glued
Next add the nose and mouth to the head of the cat.
glue to the head to the front of the cat .
Glue all to the body of the cat.
head with nose and mouth.
head attached to front of body and glued to back of cat
next write your message on the blank tag provided or print the tag with the quote of kindness to animals.
I used dimensional foam tape to attache two tags and then glued to front of card.
Glue the inner card with cat inside the larger outer card
Cat with inner card (grey) attached to larger card
message written on tag.
Hope you card turns out fabulous!
Here is the link to the template to cut and use your own colours or print with my colours.
Just lost my beautiful 16 year old cat Coco . The next few crafts are dedicated to him.
I made this little kitty about 17 years ago when my daughter was 6 years old. It is easy to make, looks like a cat using basic shapes and needs no modelling skills, can be make with plasticine, Fimo or Sculpey Clay or home made dough.
If using plasticine, this will be just an ornament as the string will cut through the plasticine material.
For Fimo clay you will need to bake the object so that it hardens and can be used as a necklace or an ornament.
Home made dough depends on recipe you use and if it will be air dried or baked. I have a few recipes pinned on my Pinterest board if you are looking for the ideal dough.
Materials needed
Any colour Clay/dough/plasticine
Ruler or Mat with grid
Plastic knife or other cutting implement
Toothpick or wooden skewer
Tray to bake item
Instructions for Cat
Body of cat
Use a small ball of your clay material about 1 inch diamiter
Small ball of clay
Roll your ball of clay to about 5 to 6 inches long snake like piece.
6 inch long “snake”
Cut a piece about 3 inches long and form an arch ( upside down “U” ) the two ends are the front and back paws of the cat.
You can form little paws, I did not.
Make sure that your “U” balances correctly and that it will stay standing. This is important if using as an ornament
3 inche strip for body of the cat
arch that forms the cats body
Head of cat
Cut a dime size piece of clay and form it into a triangle
Pinch the two points of triangle to form “ears”
Tail of Cat
A small piece rolled into a rope /snake shape will form the tail. You can choose to use about 1 inch piece or longer.
I am always on the look out for an easy craft that kids can help with. I like crafts that kids, can do that are not just paper plates, tissue paper etc. Those types of crafts are nice but sometimes I want an extra wow factor. This year I was looking for a Naw-Rúz gift.
For those who have never heard of Naw-Rúz it is the Baha’i New Year, which falls in March, sometimes it is on the 20th and sometimes on the 21st. Many other people around the world celebrate this time of year also.
This year Naw-Rúz on the 21st March and it marks the Vernal Equinox in the Earth’s Northern Hemisphere and the Autumnal Equinox in the South—that day when the sun’s light strikes the Equator directly and illuminates every continent equally.
Shopping for Naw-Rúz is like shopping for any major holiday where gifts are exchanges. The shopping experience can be frustrating, fun, overwhelming, happy, sad… you name the emotion we most likely experience it. Like everyone during a festive season, we went looking for the perfect gifts. Although we did get great gifts, it felt like they did not reflect the holiday in a special way. For those of you with young kids, well I think online shopping looks very appealing right now and you are thinking there is no time to make anything personalized. Well read on and I promise this is a 10 minute easy mini craft for you and the kids.
My 6 easy steps to making a personalized pendant
So, here is what I decided to do in a few really easy DIY steps that even if you have newborn triples it will be finished in under 10 minutes, I promise (not including the purchase of course!) .
It took me less than 10 minutes to do 6!
Step One
I went to Michaels and found theses very cute pendants: 2 in a pack for about $14. The pendants are in the jewlery making section and I am sure any craft store will have something that you can use that is similar. Michaels always has a coupon so make sure and use it. This time it was 40% off
Step 2
Next I printed a photo of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the Son of the Baha’i Faiths founder Baha’u’llah) and printed it on white regular cardstock. You can of course use any photo or symbol.
I choose the photo and not just crystals or little heart charms because I remembered my two friends discussing the best gift they received as children. I am sure the gifts my friends discussed was not a photo in a costume jewelry pendant like mine, but they loved this gift from their mum! I think it was because it was so small and wearable and different from the other gifts they had received.
The photos of Abdu’l-Baha needed to be small enough to fit the frames.
If you buy the same frames, the size for the square frame is 2/8 inch and the round is 3/8th diameter.
Here is alink to my file for you to download and print. Or you can find a photo you like better by searching Google make sure that the usage rights allow for reuse.
Step 3
I cut the photos by hand. There is no need to be exact as they are so small little imperfections really do not show.
TIP: for cutting anything round, move the paper not the scissors, it is much easier that way.
Step 5
The next step is to remove the little mockup photo that came with the frame. I used this weeding hook I had with a piece of sticky tape, this grabs the insert really easily and pulls it out. You can also use a straight pin to push the photo out from the bottom of the frame
Step 6
The final step, put the images into the pendant. The square image inserts on the top. The round pendant opens on the side with a magnetic closure. The round pendant is also glass on two sides so the back of the photo shows. I decided to put a Baha’i symbol so the pendant can be worn either way. I have included it in my file for download. Cut the photo of `Abdu’l-Bahá and The Greatest Name and stick back to back then insert into the round frame
Round Pendant without a photo
Round Pendant with photo
close up of Round Pendant with photo
square pendant with photo
You are done!
You can stop here. What do you think? pretty easy DIY project right? I think it turned out beautiful.
I went and did a few extra steps.
Optional
I have some blank little bags that I will put the pendant in and so I will decorate them.
You can find little bags in the dollar store if you want to venture out or use my little rectangle box template: It should take about 5 to 10 minutes to print, cut and glue it together.
I have a few heart shaped boxes in red that I painted white with dollar store craft paint. I am still deciding if I like this container for this special gift.
If you want a box to put your gift it, here is a link to my square template box with a lid. Decorate it as you like.
