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We all love our kids, don’t we? Adore
them, really. I would do anything for my tender little tikes. I’d die for
them. I’d kill for them. But let’s be honest. Sometimes, just
sometimes, they are the ones I’d like to strangle. My husband and I were
discussing it and decided the odd thing is, that it’s often the things we love
the most that push us over the edge. From that little realization came the idea for
this craft. We gave it as wedding gifts from the girls to two young couples that had
no children (yet!). It also makes a great mother or father’s day gift.
The general premise of this
project is:
Your child’s name TOP
5 REASONS TO HAVE KIDS
and
Your child’s name TOP 5 REASONS NOT
TO HAVE KIDS
Sort of the ying and the yang of parenting.
99% of my crafts are pretty much just for young
kids. But this one is fun for the young and old alike (I love making scrapbooks!!)
This project is by far the largest I've put on
my site. But don't be intimidated! Rather than making an entire scrapbook, you
can just pick your favorite pair and make a reversible picture.
MATERIALS:
- Printer
- Paper
- Scissors
- Something to colour with (paint,
crayons, etc)
- Various photos you can cut up
- Magazines, old cards or books you
can cut up (optional)
- child’s artwork (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Choose the template pages you
want to use.
- There are a number of HAVE KIDS
and DON’T HAVE KIDS pages to choose from.
- There is ample opportunity here
to make up your own ideas too.
- You can use child’s artwork,
magazine photos or clipart to create your own templates.
- You can also get lots of
different preprinted scrapbook pages at most craft stores.
- If you're feeling really
energetic you can do the Top 10 reasons, but it takes quite awhile.
- Cut out the photos you want to
use on the page. Be imaginative in how you chop up your photos (I’ve given some
possible ideas beside each template)
- Cut out any magazine pictures,
cards or artwork that you wish to use on the page (again, I’ve given some thoughts
with the template pages)
- Write any captions that make the
page more meaningful to the recipient.
- When writing captions, write them
out on a separate page.
- Then cut them out and glue them
to the template page.
- That way, if you make mistakes
you don’t have to print out a new template.
- Arrange everything on the page to
ensure you like the look. Once you're happy, glue it all together.
- There are a number of different
ways to actually put the scrapbook together once you've completed the pages. If you
need some thoughts, go to the scrapbook options page.
THE TEMPLATES
I’ve put various thoughts on what you might
put on the page, but there’s lots of opportunity here to use your imagination!
You can either read the thoughts and ideas below and click on the individual templates you
want to print. Or you can click here (Colour) or (Black & White) to go to small pictures of the various
templates to get a feel for what they look like. Not all of the templates have been
completed yet, but you can put them together yourselves with a little imagination.
Stay tuned for more!
TEMPLATE SET 1:
PLAYING IN THE BATHTUB
-
rubber duckies or bathtowel
magazine pictures
THE FACT THAT IT TAKES ONE
UMBRELLA, TWO PARENTS AND SIXTEEN TOWELS TO GIVE THEM A BATH
-
rainjacket, rainboot, or umbrella magazine pictures (or stickers)
Template for (color)
or (B&W)
TEMPLATE SET 2:
THEY MAKE YOU FEEL YOUNG
- Try using a photo of mom or dad
when they were young.
- Or use a photo of mom or dad
doing something youthful with the kids (like playing catch)
- Cut the photo into a circle shape
and glue to the center of the sunshine on the template.
Template for (color)
or (B&W)
THEY MAKE YOU FEEL OLD
- weird clothes or weird hair
magazine pictures (things mom or dad wouldn’t be caught dead in)
TEMPLATE SET 3:
THEIR PEACEFUL SLEEPING
FACES
- take some light blue and white
paint and swirl it together (don’t mix it, just swirl it around). Dab a sponge
into the paint and then blot it onto a paper towel (kids like sponge painting paper towels
as much as they like sponge painting scrapbooks!) Then sponge the entire blank area
of the template to give a sort of peaceful/serene cloudy look to the background.
- Cut out a picture of an angel
from old cards or child’s artwork (colouring books make a good source!)
Template for (color)
or (B&W)
THEY WAY THEY SCREAM WHEN YOU
TELL THEM IT’S BEDTIME
-
Find a photo of your child
crying, complaining or pouting. Or spend a week snapping pictures of them every time
they look grumpy. Actually, do this even if you aren’t going to make the
scrapbook the reactions you get are hilarious! (kind of a cross between “have I
forgotten how to whine” and “mommy’s completely lost it this time”
*grin*)
-
Cut the photo out so that it fits
into the circle part of the moon.
Template for (color)
or (B&W)
TEMPLATE SET 4:
HUGS AND KISSES
- put some bright red lipstick on
your daughter and have her kiss a sheet of white paper (tissue paper works well here).
- Cut out the kisses and glue them
to the template.
Template for (color)
or (B&W)
TEMPER TANTRUMS
- Draw little devil horns and a
devil mustache on the photo
Template for (color)
or (B&W)
TEMPLATE SET 5 (yes,
it’s supposed to say the same thing twice here):
FINGERPAINTS
- Cut out some of the nicer pieces
of artwork your child has done.
- For younger kids, you can have
them fingerpaint and then cut out some shapes (like hearts or butterflies)
Template for (color)
or (B&W)
FINGERPAINTS
- Make a fingerpaint handprint
right in the center of the “important document template” Use a small
amount of a very watered down paint, so the “document” still shows through.
- Otherwise, use regular tempra
paint or finger paint and make a handprint on a separate page. Cut it out and glue
it to the side of the “document” (so you can still see part of it).
- I tried to make this document
generic. If you really want to get cute, go snitch some of mom or dad’s work
papers from the garbage to use as a template. ASK A GROWNUP FIRST IF IT’S OK.
Template for (color)
or (B&W)
TEMPLATE SET 6:
SINGING SONGS
- pictures of musical notes or
instruments can be cut out of magazines or colouring books
- write some of the words from your
child’s favorite song or first song learned on a separate piece of paper and glue it
to the template page.
LISTENING TO THEM SING SONGS AT
THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS WHILE YOU SIMULTANEOUSLY WASH DISHES, PREPARE SUPPER AND TALK ON
THE TELEPHONE
- find a photo of mom or dad
looking frazzled (go snap a shot when they’ve just got out of bed)
TEMPLATE SET 7:
SWEET LITTLE HANDS HOLDING YOURS
MESSY LITTLE HANDS LEAVING
PRINTS EVERYWHERE.
- Here again a child's handprint
works really well!
TEMPLATE SET 8:
THE CUTE LITTLE OUTFITS
- Make a paper doll (in a cute
little outfit) and include it on this page with a cut out photo of the child (about the
same size as the doll) in a cute little outfit.
THE FACT THAT SUCH SMALL LITTLE
PEOPLE CAN GENERATE SUCH TERRIBLY MUCH LAUNDRY
TEMPLATE SET 9:
THEIR LOVING SMILES
- Include a picture of a smiley
face
THE FACT THAT THE OLDER THEY
GET, THE MORE IT WILL COST TO SEE THEIR SMILE (HIDE THE CAR KEYS WHILE YOU STILL HAVE
TIME!)
- Picture of the child behind the
wheel of grown-up's car or riding a toy car/tricycle
TEMPLATE SET 10:
The knowledge that one day they
will grow up, get married & have kids of their own and that as a grandparent you
will someday be able to seek REVENGE!
(refer to other side of book for
details)
The knowledge that one day they
will grow up, get married & have kids of their own and that all too soon you
will have nothing left but the memories of all the wonderful times you had TOGETHER
(refer to other side of book for
details)
- Are those tears I see, Mom?
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