Children's Mini Survival Kit Tutorial - For Girls or Boys!

The Eldest's Birthday Party Camp Out is tomorrow and it's getting down to the wire for party preparations.

Here's one of the activities the kids will be doing.  This one is good for rain or shine!


Children's Mini Survival Kit

What you'll need:

Altoid Tin or Similar Tin (I found mine at the Specialty Bottle Supply)
Paint - Black spray paint; Brown and Green acrylic craft paints
Survival essentials
Cotton Balls for paint application

1.  Spray paint your tin black (on the outside only.)  Don't worry if the paint doesn't coat every single part of it, you'll cover up those spots with the craft paint. 


2.  Then, using a cotton ball, apply a layer of green craft paint.  Remember to leave it a little splotchy since we're going for a camouflage look. 

3.  Once that's done, go ahead and apply the brown paint in the same way.  It should look like this at this point:

 Now you get to fill it up.  Here's what I used:

Camouflage Bandaids

Cotton Ball - Could be used on an open wound before bandaid is used.

Fishing Hook - Before giving a child a fishing hook, please remove the barbed ends  with a flush cutter, then

sand the cut end. 

Fishing Line - about two yards or so

Whistle - there are better whistles out there, this is just what I had time to find.

Magnifying Glass - the handle was too long for the box, so I removed it.

Mini LED Flashlight

Compass/Carabiner combo

The possibilities are endless when finding things to fill the tin with!

I will be placing these out in different bowls for the kids to put their kit together.  They will also be painting the tin themselves with the craft paint.  I've already done the spray painting.

If you want to use this idea for girls: 

Spray paint the tin black as above, then apply a light gray and a pink craft paint for girly camouflage.  Then fill it with girly essentials like mini lip glosses, rings, mini nail polish, small mirror or comb, etc!

Have Fun!

Cabinet Uh-Ohs

Just for once I want a project where everything goes well the first time.  I don't care if the project is knitting, making jewelry or kitchen renovation, really.  Every blooming time I pick up a project, something, whether big or small, goes wrong.

Let's use the kitchen renovation as an example, shall we?

I have four cabinet door left to put up.  Guess what?  I'm one cabinet knob and two hinges short.   I don't know if I counted the cabinets wrong, lost one knob or the company shipped one less than I asked for.  Doesn't really matter, I'm still one knob short.  As for the hinges, it looks like when I was grabbing hinges out of the box at Home Depot, a hinge from another pile was in there and I didn't notice until I was fighting to get my cabinet door on.

I'm sore from putting up the doors by myself as well.  Another set of hands would have been much appreciated.  Also, the mosquitoes have come out with a vengeance thanks to the torrential rains that we've had.  I've been eaten alive while standing in my garage painting and while in the kitchen putting up doors.  They are everywhere and they like the tasty Shea meat.

But!  The kitchen is starting to finally come together.  This is what it is beginning to look like:

 After:

The cabinets used to be a bare nasty white, they are now cream and have had wood trim added to them.  Also, new hinges and knobs.  This has really dressed them up.  Here's an example of what they looked like before.  And while you're at it, take a look at that nasty wallpaper too (please ignore the cat, he doesn't need encouragement):

Before:

It's been a long road, let me tell ya.  I still have a good ways to go:

1.  I still have to do the counter top over by the sink, both paint and resin.
2.  I need to purchase a new sink.
3.  More joint compound stenciling above two of the cabinets is needed.
4.  Doors need to be painted and the trim around them as well.
5.  I will be antiquing the cabinets with a brown glaze (very lightly) to warm them up a little.
6.  I still need to put a second coat of resin on all the counters.
7.  I need to start thinking about curtains around the bay window in the breakfast nook and the window above the kitchen sink.  Here's what's going on there:

• Do I make the curtains myself?
• Do I go with curtains or roman shades?
• What style?  I want absolutely nothing "country or cottage style".  Something more modern and contemporary, but I have no clue what would look good around a bay window.  Curtains are not my forte, obviously.

Not all of us around here are working hard during the renovation:

I told you he doesn't need encouragement, didn't I?

What Happened to My Interwebz?

Remember when I said that we got between 12" and 16" yesterday?  Add another 3" to 5" for the area, okay?  No, there's been no damage here, other than school being out.  Have I told you that I hate having school out?  I can't get anything done with the kids in the house!  Seriously though, I find it very difficult to believe that kids are out of school today because of rain.  I know that there are lots of roads and major highways washed out due to flash flooding, but still. 

My internet has been out the whole day thanks to the storms.  It's 8:03 pm and I just got on.  The DT's were setting in.  Or, as my Mom called it, the Down Technologies.  Really, I think I was getting the shakes.  Internet addiction is a terrible thing, I tell ya!

Now, I'm off to put up more cabinet doors by myself.  I've found out that it's very difficult to do by yourself.  Doable, but difficult.

I can't wait to call it a night so that I can go curl up with my knitting and some Top Gear, Oh Yeah!  I love guy shows and movies.  None of that chick flick, gotta find a boyfriend or my life is ruined and I need a good cry kind of movies for me.  (Almost sounds like a country song doesn't it?)  No sir.  I have enough trials and tribulations in my life already.   Just lots of fast cars, excitement, blowing things up kind of fun for me! 

More Paint and More Knitting

I'm so sick of rain and thunderstorms!  We've had between 12" and 16" in the last 24 hours.  Can you believe it?  There are school and road closings due to flash floods.  My yard is washing away.  Oh and do you know how difficult it is to get paint to dry with this much rain? Very.


Here's how my cabinets currently look after more painting this weekend and today.

Here's a bunch (not all) of my cabinet doors:

I have been finding a small amount of time to knit as well.  I have finished both the front and back of the Quidditch sweater.  I've also started one of the sleeves.  I've had to mod the sleeves and I'll give all the details on that later.  So here's how it currently looks.

I have to go unplug my computer now.  Too much lighting to stay on long!