Day 10, 11 & 12: Three Weekend Crafts You and the Kids Will Love

Not sure how you're going to keep the kids busy this weekend? 

Here's three ideas that will get the creative juices flowing.  After all, school is just around the corner.

Day 10: Friendship Bracelets

The Purl Bee has a fantastic tutorial making friendship bracelets using the right knot, basic stripes, chevron and diamond techniques.  I think I might have to make a few bracelets of my own!

Day 11: Bean Art

I love the idea of bean art. The supplies are cheap, and you can make the project as intricate as your heart desires. It's perfect for all age levels!

Dose of Creativity

If you wanted to up the ante, you could use jelly beans instead of regular beans!  Kristen Cumings made this piece out of jelly beans!

Thanks to Eighteen25 for the bean art supply list and tutorial.

Day 12: Bird Feeders

It's a great time of year to feed the birds! 

The supplies are few and easy on the budget, too.

Thanks to Design Dazzle for the full bird feeder tutorial.

Have a great weekend!

Another activity you may have missed--

Day 9: Homemade Ice Cream

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Day 9: Davis Family Homemade Ice Cream

By Cassie McCully

There's something about making homemade ice cream that makes summer feel complete.  The process has me reminiscent of younger years, when we'd go berry picking, and with what was left after half the berries were eaten on the way home, we'd make fresh berry ice cream.  I can still hear the roar of the maker churning the cream, and Mom and Dad adding more and more ice to create a finished product.  There's nothing like homemade ice cream.

Here's a Davis Family recipe you'll want to try:

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

4 eggs

4 c. whipping cream

2-1/2 c. sugar

2-1/2 Tbsp. vanilla

6 c. half & half

Beat eggs lightly; mix all ingredients well. Pour into ice cream freezer. Mix and freeze for 20 minutes (follow your ice cream maker's directions). 

It's especially fun experimenting with different flavors and add-ins during the process.  Add pureed or diced fruit or candy pieces in the

last five minutes of freezing.

The other week, our family made nectarine ice cream.  We added one fresh pureed nectarine to the base, and added three finely diced nectarines in the last five minutes of freezing.  It turned out excellent! 

And the recipe made roughly 1.5 gallons. 

Enjoy!

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Day 8: Free Concerts/Opera in the Park

Are you hot, bored and not sure what to do with yourself?  Enjoy a free concert or Opera in the park!

Upcoming events in the area:

Esther Short Park:
Noon Concerts in the Park.
Bluegrass Jams on Wednesdays. 
The Six to Sunset concert series in Esther Short Park on Thursdays.  All events are free.

Crown Park in Camas:
Misty Mamas on Wednesday, August 8, at 6:30 pm in Crown Park.  Old-time Bluegrass, Gospel and Folk.
Stranded on Wednesday, August 15, at 6:30 pm.  Blues.

And since we're so blessed to be just a hop, skip and a jump away from Portland...
Portland's Concerts in the Park:
Stringed Migration on Wednesday, August 8, at 6pm.  Celtic/World Music Synthesis
Bobby Torres Band on Thursday. August 9, at 6pm.  Swinging, Rhythmic Latin.

Portland Summerfest--Opera in the Park:
Free performance of Die Fledermaus on Saturday, August 11, 6 pm, at Concordia University Campus Green in NE Portland.  Families and picnics welcome.

Click links for more upcoming shows and times.

Did you miss Day 6: Kids Bowl Free! or Day 7: Berry Pickin'?

Check them out!

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