Bubble Wrap Letters

I never know whether to start with a picture of the final product, so that you know whether you want to even keep reading...or, if I should save the picture of the final product until the end to build the suspense.  Oh the dilemma.  Well, today, we'll start at the end.

Letter prints made using bubble wrap.  I liked how they turned out so much, we framed and hung them up.

And now, back to the beginning...

I laid a print-out of the letters underneath the bubble wrap and then traced the letters onto the bubble wrap using a marker.  You can see Abby's little hand popping bubbles.  Really...who can resist?

I then cut out the letters and taped them to the waxy side of freezer paper.

Let the painting begin. 

Each kid chose two colors of paint.  I was concerned that if we used too many colors we would end up with brown gloppy letters.

Get your letter nice and covered with paint...

...and then press a piece of paper onto the bubble wrap.  Thankfully, my husband and I named our children good bubble-wrap-letter names.  An "E" and an "A".  Nice symmetrical letters.  For a non-symmetrical letter, like an "R," for example, be careful.  I am writing this at 5:30 AM, so I can't even picture what you should do.  The bubble wrap letter should be drawn and cut in the reverse of the actual letter, right?  Right?  I am so confused and again, so thankful I had the foresight to name my children with symmetrically lettered names.  I hate to say it, but I guess you non-symmetrical people are on your own.

Some finished products:

 

 For the last set, we just pressed paper onto the bubble wrap letters in a random fashion, using up the paint that was there. 

And here's what happens to your "A" bubble wrapper while you are focused on your "E" bubble wrapper.  Ok, so clearly I knew it was happening since I documented the process with pictures. 

Back to the beginning.  I absolutely adore these!

So, if nothing else, let this be a lesson in choosing names for children.  Symmetry is key.

Not Too Late

We decorated our Christmas tree on November 27.  On the morning of November 28, Eli stood in front of the decorated Christmas Tree in great dismay because there were no presents under said tree.  Upon questioning his rather passionate response to an empty-under-the-Christmas-tree, he said, "I thought it was Christmas."  Before December even hit, I was asked numerous times if it was Christmas Eve, if Christmas was in two days, and if we would be getting presents tomorrow.  Time for an Advent Calendar, of sorts. 

The Kids' Advent Calendar.  I did not actually put this together until December 1, so "2" is our first day.

We did this last year also and it was really easy to put together.  I got little envelopes and stickers at a craft store.  Each envelope is labeled with a number and holds TWO ornament stickers.  (Incidentally, the stickers in each envelope are the same.  Who wants to start their day with a battle over stickers?)  A tree for each kid was cut out of green foam (this year from green sparkly paper).  Each morning, the kids take the appropriate envelope down, remove the stickers, and decorate their tree.    No more tears from a child who, on a random Tuesday in the middle of December, thought it was Christmas morning. 

Here is how it looked last year:

You can see on the second picture how envelopes are gone and trees are getting decorated.  Christmas is coming...but it's not today, dear children.

More from last year...does the scowl make Abby even cuter?  Maybe.

So, it's not fancy, it's not spiritual, but it's a fun, visual countdown.  AND...it's not too late to make one for yourself!  If I am REALLY organized this year, I'll load the envelopes with stickers BEFORE I pack them away.  Then, I'll just have to tape them up, making it more conceivable to start on the REAL December 1.  If I type it here, maybe that will help me to actually do it.  We'll see...

Happy Advent Season

Advent is much, much more than stickers on a Christmas tree...check out this video.