Tag Archives: crafts

Book Club Journal

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I have friends that keep a notebook of all the books they’ve read. I kind of wish I had started that years ago. I get most of my books online through the library. Fortunately I can look through my history there and see what I’ve read but those are only the ones I read in the last 12-13 years.

Since joining the Book Club I fee/think/need to keep a record of the books and a brief description of the books we’ve read along with some discussion questions or points that meant something to me.

I like writing on lined paper, specifically graph paper. (That’s the architect wanna-be in me.) I bought ten of these notebooks before I retired and only have two or three left. I use one for my knitting projects. The only thing I don’t like is that they are bound in a way that they don’t lay flat when opened.

Solution: Clamp the book shut. Take a hack saw to the spine and cut it off. Trim the cover and cut pages with a paper cutter or craft knife. Use a special comb-binding machine to make a wire-bound book. Recover the cover (optional). Assemble the book.

Voila!!

I should add some pockets to the inside covers to stash notes. An elastic band to hold it together would be a good idea, too.

I had some plastic rulers from a now renamed bank that I cut down and made into a moveable bookmark.

Something to do

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A long, long, long time ago Mr. Aitch had gifted me an origami kit as I was obsessed with this cool art form using a sheet of paper.  This kit included a great booklet that showed the basics of paper folding.  The last project in the booklet was the flapping bird. This is different than the famous crane.  The crane is a stationary object and the flapping bird can move.  I still have the original kit but loaned the booklet to a friend…and never got it back.

Last October I taught one of the twins how to make an origami flapping bird as she had learned how to make some shapes. We made several birds and she got quite good at it.  So I emailed her yesterday with a suggestion of something to do every day during this unusual period in our lives.Email to granddaughter

This is the flapping bird.

You can see that by holding it at the base of the neck and pulling on the tail…

…the wings move.origami, flapping bird

Here is a short video of the flapping bird in action.

There are several videos and written instructions on the interwebs that you can find but I made my own instructions based on how I learned how to make it.  If you are interested, click here.  Warning, you will need some basic knowledge of origami folds that I do not provide.

New knitting tool

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I am not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Manhasset music stands.

Mr. Aitch is a retired music/band teacher.  He used to play piano, saxophone. clarinet, trumpet, and flute on a regular basis and owned all of those instruments of torture (just kidding) at one time.  We still have the piano and he plays his saxophone in the college/community jazz band.  He practices at home between rehearsals. As of now all rehearsals and concerts are on hold because of, well, you know.

Anyway, the point of this was to tell you about my new knitting tool. I wanted a way to watch videos or read books on my iPad while knitting.  I tried to prop it up enough so I could see the screen and not hurt my neck but no matter what I did, I was not comfortable.  When I mentioned my dilemma to Mr. Aitch, he suggested his music stand.

Voila!  It was perfect…almost.  It was a bit too tall even when in the lowest position but it was something we had and it worked…until he needed it to practice.  Then I was out of luck.

So I did some research and found the perfect solution for me.Manhasset 48CA music stand, knitting stand

The Manhasset 48CA stand is the same stand but the concertina size so it’s shorter than a regular music stand and designed for those who sit when performing.  This is great as I can sit comfortably in my favorite chair and watch videos, read, or listen to a book or music and knit!  No more straining my neck to see over the stand when Mr. Aitch is talking to me.Manhasset 48CA music stand, knitting stand

The stand is a sturdy metal and heavy so it would not tip over though it can be moved.  The height is adjustable and the stand can be tilted from almost verticle to horizontal as desired.  The lip is wide enough for books, pens, pencils, note pad, and/or an iPad.  Manhasset 48CA music stand, knitting stand

I love how all my knitting necessities fit nicely on the stand.

Have you taken something unusual and made it fit your needs?

 

I’m bored

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With many schools closed for a few weeks, children will get bored.  I know my grandchildren will be home for an unexpected vacation from schoolwork though some will have access to remote teaching, online classes or whatever the counties/school districts are calling it.  Not all children can think of something constructive to do with their newfound “free time.”

I’ve come up with some ideas for my grands when the “I’m bored” statements happen to escape their mouths.  None of these suggestions include looking at a screen and most of them can be done alone.

This list includes:

1. Paint nails or do nail art on your toes.  Acrylic paint will work for nail art as long as a clear coat of polish covers it.
2. Clean the top of your dresser.
3. Clean under your bed.
4. Make a bracelet.
5. Make your bed.
6. Write a note to someone you haven’t seen for a while.  Friends, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents.
7. Make a card…birthday, holiday, get well, thinking of you.
8. Practice a new language such as sign language or Spanish.
9. Walk 1,000 steps.
10. Do 30 jumping jacks.
11. Do 30 sit-ups.
12. Write in a dedicated notebook or journal about gratitude.
13. Relax with a cup of tea or hot chocolate.
14. Paint or draw a self-portrait.
15. Color a picture.
16. Write a book report about the last book you read.
17. Ride your bike/scooter.
18. Draw on the driveway with chalk.  Ask Mom or Dad first.
19. Pull weeds from a flower bed or garden plot.
20. Play hopscotch.
21. Jump rope 100 jumps.
22. Make a paper chain to count the days till an upcoming event: party, birthday, special trip, last day of school, vacation.
23. Clean your bathtub or bathroom sink area.
24. Learn how to sew a zipper pouch.
25. Knit a scarf, hat, mitts.
26. Work on a jigsaw puzzle.
27. Play a board game.
28. Build a Lego house or castle.
29. Learn a new origami figure or teach someone how to make one.
30. Measure something: the back porch, your bedroom, or any room or furniture in your house.

I’m sure you can think of other activities as well.  Do you have a game plan for “I’m bored?”