Tricks and Treats

Any excuse to turn a day into a party. We've been busy planning our halloween night. Looking for ways to transform the house and fun things to make and do. Here's some of our favourite and noteworthy things that have inspired and kept the kids busy and entertained as their excitement builds up. 

Top to bottom / left to right:

1. A perfect pink pussy cat pumpkin via charlotte

2.Giant haunted house colouring poster - this has been at are our table all week and the kids are loving it... even though they did the same last year. Its a winner and older children will enjoy using it to get even more creative with detail.

3. Pop up mad laboratory - we've earmarked this one for a halloween game. Everything here is ready to print and its the perfect party inspiration for all ages.

4. bat buddies - recycling at its cutest 

5. A perfect pink pussy cat pumpkin via charlotte

6. EEK! free printable - from previous blog post here 

7. printable eye - these eyes dotting around a room or as a backdrop on a wall is pretty spooky

8. paper plate eyes - fro previous blog post here 

9. ghost tassels - a beautiful and simple way to add a little ghostly softness to the halloween decor.

10. bag 'o' bones invitations - We just sent our invitations and these were our favourites. Use black envelopes and a chalk pen to write the address. 

Take a look at more printables, crafts and ideas form our previous blog here 

have fun

xx

Advents 4th Door : Printable Fortune Tellers

I remember making origami fortune tellers when I was little and filling them with silly jokes and dares and fortune predictions for siblings and friends. Then, introducing them to my kids and now its their 'go to' paper napkin trick. They're really good fun, simple to make and good fun coming up with silly ideas to put inside.

We found these adorable festive themed ones on a great little crafty blog and love their festive faces. There's four different styles to make; Rudolf, Father Christmas and Elf and a pretty patterned gift. The kids have loved them and were easily able to assemble them by themselves. A great craft to have on hand to busy little hands and keep them entertained.

Get the free printable and how to here

What tricks, dares, jokes and messages will you put inside? Add yours in the comments below.

xx

Advents 3rd Door : A Winter Wonderland

Dash through the snow on a sleigh pulled by huskies into a wintry wonderland. Behind the tall snow topped trees you discover the most friendly animals. There's a polar bear and a moose and a beautiful dear deer with magnificent antlers and a snowy white tummy.  This playful scene has become the most enchanting place of play at home this week and we think it makes a great weekend activity to make. 

This little snowy scene when not being played with sits on our window sill and has become the first of our Christmas decorations. Wouldn't it make a fun centre piece for the Christmas table too. 

It's simple to make, just pop over to Mr Printables for the free template and instructions.

Winter Wonderland printable here

xx

Advents 24th Door

Be sure to say 'Thank You'. Be it thank you for the Turkey Sandwiches. Thank you for helping me with the Christmas lights. Thank you for the festive feast. We will all have so many thank you's to give after spending Christmas with family and friends. 

Here's a few of our favourite free printable thank you cards and notes from this year and last

Hello >>> download 

Thank you >>> download

thank you >>> download 

thank you in red >>> download

here

here

here

Advents 23rd Door

Secret Garden by Johanna Basford is a colouring book that transports you into a magical world where you'll discover the most intricate pen and ink illustrations to colour.  We've been obsessed with its pages since we bought our first copy. We've just discovered that the Guardian have 5 pages to print and colour on their website. A great way to keep little (and big) hands occupied in the last days before Christmas.

download and colour here

Advents 22nd door

A little obsessed with Valesca van Waveren's work I was excited to discover she's got a printable gift tag selection over on her blog ready to download and print. I love this collection of festive characters. Print, cut out and adorn your gifts with these wonderful creatures.

Head over to the blog here to print yours

Advents 20th Door

This little gang of mischievous creatures look ready for some festive fun. With their party hats and legs ready for dancing I think they just need a little tinsel scarf for a full festive feel. Wouldn't they look adorable sticking out the stockings on Christmas morning. I'm sure Father Christmas's elves will be busy printing these off ready for some Christmas morning fun.

download them here

Advents 19th Door - Garlands, Games and Gift Tags

Splashes of colours and lashings of sprinkles these printable donuts are such great bright fun and sure to delight. I know my youngest daughter Oona , self confessed donut lover, will just love to find these in her advent or even in her stocking (if its not too late Father Christmas). Used as a Memory Game, or as Amy Moss suggests; bunting, gift toppers and party bag fillers these really are a wonderful treat. 

The Memory game is always a popular game in our house and quite often the girls will play again and again especially if the images appeal. These Lollipop's will make a popular family game so too will these pretty Matrioska dolls. Discover them all and find your favourites be it for garlands, games or gift tags.

download the donuts game here

download the lollipop game here

download the matrioska dolls here 

Advents 18th Door

The tree has been chosen and is now standing tall and proud in its traditional spot. We're in full festive spirit and day by day our home is being transformed. We're a little star obsessed this year and as soon as we saw these paper stars we knew we had to use them for something. So, we're printing them out onto coloured card and we're going to incorporate them into our table decor, with a sprinkle of colour on the table and a garland hanging above.

download yours here

and discover more below:

 \via\

\via\ 

 We're thinking of ways to turn our stars into a game so if anybody has any ideas do share them. 

xx

Advents 17th Door

After our fun with the photoboother yesterday we thought it only right to share some of our favourite free printable Photo Booth props. So, here's a few of our favourites, guaranteed to bring giggles to any occasion. keep them in a pot next to an empty wall, place them on the table as part of the place settings, ask Father Christmas to put some in your stocking or send some off to friends near and far.

All you need is some card to print onto, (or print onto paper and stick onto card), and some straws or little wooden bbq skewers. 

We've accumulated quite a collection over the years from sets we've bought, made ourselves as well as great free printables we've discovered. Here's a great way to get going or even to add to your collection:

Top to bottom: Sweet lips here , more fun props here and here

There are lots of props to print here 

Pick your favourites from this collection of accessories, beards and moustaches here . 

The beards here have become our favourites

These here are great for the kids to colour in and have fun designing there own. 

The girls loved this Father Christmas beard and festive accessories here

Advents 15th Door

The day's are whooshing by as Christmas day is drawing nearer  and with the children now having finished school for the Christmas term I'm finding that time has become even more precious. We're all enjoying slow mornings and lazy afternoons and re-discovering favourite games and pastimes. It feels as though the time is ours to spend as we wish and so thats what we're doing.

We've pulled out our Shadow puppet theatre and found some of our shadow puppets and made more characters to add to stories.  Its such a beautiful way to spend the winter afternoons inside warm and cosy and there's no end to the characters and sets that can be introduced. Bedtime stories have been drawn into long bedtime productions and I think there's a secret rehearsal of a special Christmas spectacular!

Here's a great place to start your collection with this free printable download here.

Once you begin you'll see how easy it becomes to make your own, drawn onto cardboard and cut out or discovering silhouettes to print.  These below are a perfect addition to any set of shadow puppets. You can find them here and here .

Today I discovered these incredible detailed ones which I hope to cut out and give for another advent creation for them. If I can figure out how to upload our creations for printing I'll be sure to pass them on.

xx

Advents 14th Door

Is it time to start wrapping yet? We love this special part of the festive season; wrapping and decorating the gifts. Though it might be a bit early for the creative wrapping I'm certainly looking for the right gift tags. We've discovered these beautiful free printable gift tags from creators we know and love as well some new ones.

Top to bottom:

These beautifully illustrated gift tags are so enchanting I'd like to frame them so its a joy to discover their creator has the most wonderful collection of prints and cards for sale too. Take a look at Kelli Murray's website and shop here and download the collection of free printable gift tags here.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday gift tags by the brilliant family at Wee gallery. We love these Woodland animals and are certain children of all ages will love them too. Discover your free downloads here amongst many more!

These watercolored gift tags in greens, blues and reds are perfect for pretty colour bursts on top of your gift. Discover the free download here.

For more inspiration, gift wrapping ideas and free printables take a look here!

xx 

Advents 13th Door

We've fallen so in love with this festive doll we want everyone to have one.  Such a wonderful paper toy to be made into a jumping jack, a puppet, the character for a new story or for a spectacular gift tag. We snuck ours into our advent and it was a huge hit with the kids. Take a look at her shop too Ekaterina Trukhan the prints there are beautiful.

Download your paper doll here

Print it and play

xx

Advents 11th Door - Sew Pretty Printables

There's something so utterly charming about these lacing cards,  the comfort of continuity of childhood pastimes and the thought of sitting still and being creative is all too inviting at this busy time of year. 

I love the warm colour of this Owl lacing card along with the three other animal designs ready to be downloaded here.  Hung on the wall, stuck to the fridge or turned into a festive card you can colour match their feathers and fur or have fun with bright colours and patterns. 

These cross-stitch animals are in need of some warm wintry jumper designs and though these might be better suited for slightly older children I think children (and adults) of all ages will love these creatures. I think they'd make wonderful gift tags too. 

Discover all our favourite lacing cards:

Owl and other animals 

Cross Stitch animals 

Cowboy / cowgirl lacing cards 

Constellation lacing cards here (not pictured) 

Little chick lacing card

geometric lacing cards 

People lacing cards with great characters and hairstyles here

Advents 10th Door - A squeal, a squeak and a squawk

With a squeal and a squeak we welcome this wonderful cast of creatures. Its been a busy day at the breakfast table this morning with this bunch neighing, oinking, meowing, nose-twitching and hopping out of our advent. There's a horse, a bunny, a cat, a pig and a mouse perfect for little hands and big imaginations.

Such a great free printable to print and create together with the kids or to print and post to someone as a surprise. Download the template alongside the simple instructions here.

This flock of fancy birds (below)  have come along to the Christmas chorus too. With their vibrant colours and  elaborate patterns they are so satisfying to make and simple enough for little hands to create. The free template can be downloaded here and the set includes 4 beautiful bird designs. 

Download the farm animals 

Download the birds

x x

Advents 9th Door : printable tags and gift wrap

I am utterly obsessed with these gift tags and patterned paper. Obsessed.
One of those printables that I know I will be coming back to again and again. Creative gift wrapping is always the best part of the giving (lots more ideas & more free printable here). The quirkiness of these are exactly what my siblings and daughters would love, and those eyes ! what more says 'open me' than that. I can't wait to start wrapping.

Thanks to the always brilliant Amy Moss for creating them. Go get print happy here