Mustard and cress grown in an egg box

You can grow seeds in a jar, a carton or an egg box or even an egg shell! (You could also use grass seeds in the end of some tights to make a hairy funny head!)

  • Use mustard and cress to grow your own salad.
  • Make the soil moist before putting the seeds on top. Children can use a spoon to water the seeds
  • Sprinkle the seeds thinly
  • Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil
  • Water regularly. Two weeks later you will have a nice crop.

Cane basket making

This is a satisfying craft as it uses such nice material. It isn’t difficult if you follow this post. You can use a cane basket for Easter eggs or as a table display.

I use 2.5 mm thick cane which you can order from craft shops online. You don’t need to use a wooden base if you don’t want to. If you make a cane base you can use as table mat for hot objects or with longer pieces of cane they can become the sides of a basket. You can stick in new pieces of cane as stems to make the sides longer for something like a waste paper basket

  • soak the cane for at least 10 minutes
  • Start with 4 piece bands laid across each other
  • Here the cane broke because it was too dry. Make sure the cane is wet even re-soak it if necessary 1/2 way through a project
  • Even if your weaving isn’t perfect it will still come out as a very nice little basket.
  • Watch the video to see how to finish a basket
  • If you have put in long stems you can finish with nice arches
  • Here’s another way of finishing
  • This is an example of a wonderful little cradle you can make when you get good at cane weaving!

Seeds and spices and all things nice … for snacks or healthy home made Easter eggs !

  • Oats and ground seeds and chopped up nuts mixed in a bowl. Carob or licorice powder as optional
  • Make an apple puree with spices clovers ginger and aniseed cinnamon, dates and prunes
  • Mix with the dry ingredients in first photo
  • If too runny add more dry ingredients e.g. oats
  • Cling film small portions
  • Here they are; scrummy! Good luck . They are great for diabetics as much cheaper than healthy bars.

Rain

A song for little people

Composed and performed by C.M.Poffley March 2021

Two great poets are quoted at the end:

Shakespeare (Merchant of Venice Act 4 scene 1)

The quality of mercy is not strained; it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blest; it blesseth him that gives and him that takes…..

Wordsworth

My heart leaps up when I behold 
   A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began; 
So is it now I am a man; 
So be it when I shall grow old, 
   Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.

How to make chickens and bunnies from a knitted square

These little knitted projects are a wonderful preparation for Spring and Easter. I loved looking after chickens as a child as well a knitting. I have used wool from my parent’s sheep so this is truly holistic. You can buy hand spun wool and / or the kit to make these projects on Etsy from the link below. If you don’t have time to make your own then they are available as ready made little farm animals in hand spun sheep’s wool in natural colours below too.

  • Etsy kits and finished wooly animals
  • Knit a 20 stitch square to make a medium size hen & 10 stitches for a little chick
  • Turn your square into a triangle . Sew round the edge and fill with sheep’s wool
  • Secure a thread at the bottom and weave the needle in out around the middle of the triangle
  • Pull the thread taut and secure
  • Making the crown . Loop the needle through the stitches.
  • Make a loop at the bottom
  • Make a cross for the eye on either side
  • A flock of bunnies, sheep and hens !
  • Make a square of 30 stitches to make an extra large hen or bunny! 













Preview(opens in a new tab)










How to crochet a bunnie’s tail 













  • Knit a 20 stitch square for a medium size bunny – 10  for a small bunny    (30 for a large bunny)
  • Secure the thread half way down the square and weave the needle in out till the end of the row
  • Weave the needle through from the side to the middle top and back to where started ( this makes a triangle shape)
  • Pull the thread 
  • Before it is closed put some wool in for the head shape
  • Sew down the back and put more wool in for the body – then go in out round the bottom edge and pull tightly closed 
  • Crochet a tail. 
  • Secure it onto the bunny 
  • Here are the three bunny sizes . You can sew on eyes and/or whiskers if you prefer to 





PHOTO-2021-02-25-13-01-59-1
A Chickens and Bunny Knitting Kit 
Includes hand spun wool in natural undyed colours (16 metres each colour) – golden yellow, grey and white . Makes two chickens and two chicks,  one medium bunny and one small bunny. Washed white sheep’s wool for stuffing each animal and a little red wool for the crown. Simple hand written instructions included too. 

If you would like extra skeins of other natural colour wool please contact me on the email form below. They cost £2 for a 16 meter skein and £3 for 25 meters. 
£8.00

				

					
				

				





Go to the Etsy link below to purchase already knitted bunnies and chicks etc…. 




		


			
			

				

		

				
		
		

		


		

		
		
		

		


		

		
		

		


		

			
						

					


		
				
				

							


		


		





https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/starfishcraftshop?ref=search_shop_redirect