Pre Thanksgiving Craft!

Crafting is a form of Art Therapy allowing you to take your mind off whatever you are going through that day. It also happens to be fun! Here is a pre thanksgiving craft you can use to get in the mood for the kick off of the Holiday Season.

Make this paper plate Turkey Craft, and I love how the use fall leaves to make feathers!

For the steps go to http://www.easypeasyandfun.com/paper-plate-turkey-craft/

5 D.I.Y. Last Minute Unique Halloween Bags

Happy SPLURGE! Friday Dream Team! Tomorrow is Halloween, and the cloudy weather here at Teen with a Dream is really getting us in a Spooktacular mood for tomorrow! For today's SPLURGE! we want to share five D.I.Y. ideas for last minute Halloween buckets to take with you whatever your plan is tomorrow!

The greatest part about these are they are made from materials you are likely to already have sitting around the house!

Paint Bucket Monsters

Check out how to make them here!

Milk Jug Monster 

Check out how to make them here!

Pillow Case Totes

Check out how to do them HERE!

Cereal Box Monster Bags

Check out how to do them HERE!

Pumpkin Bowl Bag

Check out how to make them here!

D.I.Y. Bookmark Ideas for Kids

Happy Friday Dream Team! To end our week on reading here is the perfect activity to SPLURGE! on this weekend....creating the perfect book mark that your kids can use to mark their place in their favorite books!

Here are our top three favorite D.I.Y. bookmark ideas to check out, but don't forget to click the link at the end of the blog to see an entire Pinterest library of ideas.

DIY Painted Feathers 

Book Worms

Free Printable Bookmarks

Check out a full library of ideas HERE

D.I.Y. Stamping Pumpkin Craft

Happy Friday Dreamers...today SPLURGE! on this perfect fall craft by Crafty morning that is simple and fun!

Materials:

• Plastic Water Bottle
• Construction Paper
• Paint Brush
• Orange, green and brown paint

Directions

1. Dip the water bottle cap in the paint and stamp the circles to your liking to shape your pumpkin. Crafty Morning arranged theirs in a row.
2. Add your stems and stumps with your paint brush
3. Let Dry

See this craft and more at a Crafty Morning

SPLURGE! on a Fall Festive Book

Happy Friday Dream Team! Today, SPLURGE! on a wonderfully fall inspired children's book titled Let It Fall by Maryann Cocca-Leffler.

What is it about?

The leaves turn red, brown, and orange, then drift down from the trees. 

It is time to go apple picking and on hayrides at the county fair. Fall is finally here!

With soft colored art, adorable children, and colorful outdoor scenes, 

Let it Fall celebrates all the seasonal awe of autumn.

Where can I buy this book?

You can find this great children's book at The Scholastic Store and for only $3.99-get it here!

Fall Craft: Popsicle Stick Scarecrow

SPLURGE! on getting crafts with this simply awesome Popsicle Scarecrow Craft by Crafty Morning!  The best part? It is inexpensive and you can easily make multiple to add a little fall decor to any room.

Materials

• 8 Popsicle Sticks
• Small Piece of Card Board [Crafty Morning used a cereal box]
• Glue 
• Brown, Yellow, Orange and White Construction paper
• Scissors
• Brown/Black Marker
• Brown Paint

Directions

1. Start by cutting a rectangle out of cardboard (we used a cereal box) and spreading glue all over it. Stick on 7 popsicle sticks in a row.
2. Glue the last popsicle stick diagonal to make the scarecrow’s hat. Afterwards we realized this is the perfect time to glue the straw hair (yellow paper) WITH the hat brim! Paint it brown and let dry.
3. Cut out some eyes, a nose, and a flower for the hat. You can draw on his smile with a brown or black marker. There you have the cutest little scarecrow around!

[Crafty Morning]

Splurge! to help you during treatment days.

Friday has come and here is our easy Splurge tip for the day. This could not be more easy and it is worth a try to see if you can help yourself during your treatment.

It seems that Chemotherapy will take up your whole day, when I had went through it I got up at 5am to start chemotherapy at 7am and then ended at 5:30pm. So if you think of it in terms of adults it is a full time job to save your life. So just like full time job holders we can also use a some time during the day just for ourselves.

Here is the easiest splurge ever, get up earlier in the day, I know it sounds crazy, but it is proven that if you have more time to do things before your scheduled to be somewhere you are more relaxed. You can go a step further and even do things during that time to make you happy, watch happy videos, meditation, or read a book you love. Just take some time during your day before you have to go and do something awful like chemo and then take a nap during treatment or after.

SPLURGE! D.I.Y. Fall Leaf Sun Catchers

Happy Friday Dream Team! Today for our SPLURGE! friday we would like to share this fabulous fall inspired craft that is great for kids of all ages. Also these sun catchers would be the perfect addition to bring the warm fall feeling to your hospital room or cancer center! Check out this awesome craft by The Ramblings of a Crazy Woman and more!


Lets take a look at the basics....

Materials

• Wax Paper
• Leaves
• Grater
• Crayon 
• Hole Punch
• String

Directions

1. Gather Leaves from around the yard-wherever
2. Grate the Crayons of your choice--try all fall colors
3. Lay out wax paper and arrange your leaves and Crayon shavings into your desired pattern/layot
4. Top off with another piece of wax paper on top of your leaves and Crayons
5. Iron on a LOW setting
6. Let cool
7. Punch hole through sun catcher and tie string through to allow hanging capability

Look at the full craft HERE

#ClassicJokeFriday

What do you call a dinosaur with no eyes?

A "Doyouthinkysarus"

#ClassicJokeFriday

#ClassicJokeFriday

Happy SPLURGE! Friday! If you are gearing up for back-to-school we have the perfect joke for you!

SPLURGE! on taking time to learn something NEW!

Sometimes there is no better feeling than accomplishing a new task or hobby. That is why for this week's SPLURGE! Friday we would like for you to try something new and teach yourself an unexplored terrain.
Whether that is learning how to cook a new meal or tackle a local bike path, go out on a limb! According to Interest.com "Learning can improve your cognitive abilities, add a new dimension to your life, and encourage you to look, listen and learn more about the world around you."

As you may already know, chemotherapy can have huge impacts on the everyday workings of your brain, that is why continually seeking out innovative tasks for your brain can be so important.

Here are just a few suggestions for this SPLURGE! Friday....

1. Learn a new language
2. Learn to cook a new meal 
3. Try gardening [such as growing your own produce]
4. Ride a bike
5. Pick up a new book
6. Learn how to play chess
7. Learn how to knit--which is great for those who have started the process of hair loss!
8. Take an online course

[Image Source]

SPLURGE! on Astronaut Ice Cream

We have discussed many a times how cold treats are a cancer patients friend during treatment. That is why today, SPLURGE! on a classic treat with a little spin--astronaut ice cream!

So, what is astronaut ice cream? Lets look at this brief overview provided by Astronaut Ice Cream Shop.......

Originally developed for the early Apollo Space missions, food is frozen to -40 degrees and then vacuum dried and placed in a special foil pouch. This is the same ice cream found at science museums for a fraction of the price!

The shelf life is 3 years, so there is no worry about it expiring. These products are manufactured by the same company that supplies freeze-dried foods to NASA for the Space Shuttle missions. Freeze drying removes water from the ice cream by lowering the air pressure to a point where ice shifts from a solid to a gas. The ice cream is placed in a vacuum chamber and frozen until the water crystallizes.

The air pressure is lowered, creating a partial vacuum, forcing air out of the chamber; next heat is applied, vaporizing the ice; finally a freezing coil traps the vaporized water. This process continues for hours, resulting in a freeze-dried ice cream slice. Try our other great flavors of ice cream!

 They also have other choice beyond ice cream such as fruit snacks! Get yours today from Astronaut Ice Cream's website or check out your local grocery stores to see if they sell astronaut ice cream as well!

Puffy Ice Cream Cone Craft: SPLURGE! friday

Happy SPLURGE! Friday! In honor of Ice Cream Appreciation Month today's craft is the perfect way to spend your SPLURGE friday! Check out this awesome craft by Crafty Morning

Materials Needed:

• Green, Red & Brown Paint [or substitute the green for a color of your choice!]
• Elmer's Glue
• Barbasol Shaving Cream
• White card stock Paper
• Cardboard
•  Markers
• Scissors
• Paint Brushes

Once you have your materials ready to go, begin by....

1. Start by mixing the elmer’s glue with the shaving cream until you get “stiff peaks” in the mixture.
2. Add some green paint or food coloring to the puffy paint. Cut out a triangle cone with cardboard and draw lines with a marker. (I used an Amazon delivery box I had laying around)
3. Using a paintbrush, paint an ice cream cone shape on top of the cone. Take a tiny paintbrush/brown paint and add little chocolate chips!
4. Add some red cherries at the top if you want! Let it dry overnight and it’ll be puffy to touch!

Check out the full article HERE and check out all of Crafty Mornings posts!

Melted Bead Sun Catchers [Bringing Sunshine into your environment]

Happy SPLURGE! Friday! Continuing with this week's theme of "bringing sunshine" to wherever you are, today's SPLURGE! Friday is an awesomely vibrant craft we have found from Artful Parent. This craft takes a little time but is well worth the effort and is a great therapeutic activity. If you want a sun catcher craft that may not take as much time, check out one of our previous sun catcher crafts "Cosmic Sun Catchers" here.

Now lets take a look at Artful Parent's incredible Sun Catcher Craft

Here are the supplies you will need:

1. Translucent plastic pony beads
2. And/or glitter pony beads
3. Metal cookie cutters
4. Metal baking dishes, including a pie pan
5. Gas grill
6. Electric drill
7. String

Directions:

1. Arrange beads into desired shapes or position for sun catcher
2. Put pans of sun catchers onto the grill, rotating carefully for about ten minutes
3. Carefully remove sun catchers from their mold
4. Drill single hole in sun catchers
5. Tie string to each sun catcher and arrange to your liking

Check out a more detailed list of instructions and hear first hand experience about this project at Artful Parent's post HERE

DOUBLE SPLURGE!: 4th of July Craft and Recipe

Happy SPLURGE! Dreamers! Today we are featuring a double SPLURGE! for you: a craft AND a recipe to gear you up for this holiday weekend!

Fourth of July Craft for Kids: American Flag Stick Project

by Glue Dots

Designed by: Dawn Barrett
Time: About 1 hour (without dry time)
Level: Intermediate

Here’s what you need:

• Glue Dots® Advanced Strength Dispenser
• 10 old paint sticks (or 1/4″ board stock cut to size)
• Wood stars
• Acrylic paint (red/white/blue)
• Twine
• Saw
• Drill
• Sponge brushes (one for each color)
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Acrylic fixative if hanging outside

Here’s what you do:

1. Cut the handle end off of 3 paint sticks so that they measure 8″. Note: If you purchase the 1/4″ board stock from The Home Depot, they will cut your pieces to size.
2. On another paint stick, drill two holes at 3″ and 9″ using a small drill bit.
3. Arrange 7 paint sticks into rows, making sure the top one has the two holes drilled in it.
4. Lightly sketch a pencil line at 4.75″ for the top 4 sticks. Use a sponge brush to paint this section blue. Let dry before adding another coat of paint.
5. Using a sponge brush, paint the first stick red, then use a new brush to paint the next stick white. Allow each stick to dry before adding another coat of paint. Remember to paint along the edges, but do not paint the back. Continue painting the sticks until they are all painted with the appropriate colors.
6. Use a new sponge brush to paint the stars white. Again, do not paint the back.
7. When all of your pieces are dry, line up your flag and flip each stick over, as if you were turning a page in a book. Spread the sticks slightly apart.
8. Three 8″ sticks will lay across the long sticks. Once everything is in place, use Glue Dots Advanced Strength Dispenser to adhere the sticks together, pressing everything firmly into place.
9. Then, flip the entire flag back to the front. Use more Advanced Strength adhesive to adhere the stars onto the blue field in the upper left.
10. Thread twine or sisal through the drilled holes and tie off to hang.
11. *Note: If you are going to hang this flag outside, spray it with an acrylic fixative to protect it.

Fourth of July Recipe: Firecracker Dogs

By Handmade in the Heartland

Ingredients

• 1 can refridgerated breadstick dough
• 2 packages -16 hot dogs
• 16 thick slices colby cheese
• 16 skewers

Cooking Directions

1. First take your skewers and stick them all the way through your hot dogs leaving about an inch and a half exposed out of the top of each hot dog. Then take a piece of breadstick dough and carefully wrap it around the hot dog until you get to the top. Place the wrapped dogs on a silpat (non stick baking liner) or parchment paper and bake according to the package directions for the breadstick dough. It took us about 20 minutes at 350. 
2. While the hot dogs are cooking take out your cheese slices, the key to this step is to go to your grocers deli counter and ask for them to slice you pieces of cheese that are 1/4"-3/8" thick. Then using a small star cookie cutter cut out your stars. Depending on how big or small your cookie cutter is will determine how many stars you get out of each slice of cheese. We could only get one star out of each slice. 
3. After your dogs have cooled for 2-3 minutes stick the star through the skewer at the top. 
4. We used a pail with a styrofoam ball hidden by crinkly papers to display them here, which would also be a great way to display them at a gathering. You can also just layer them on top of each other on a plate. Enjoy!

Art Therapy: Drawing your Cancer Cells

It is no secret that Teen with a Dream truly embraces the benefits of art therapy and the profound impact that it can have on pediatric cancer patients. Today's portion of your Summer Research Project, take a look at Google images of your cancer cells.

Once you have a better idea of the visual of your cancer cells, take some time today and express them through drawing them, painting them, whatever you like best! You can draw them accurately or you can draw what you think they look like or how they make you feel.

Ultimately our goal through this portion of the project is to really get a visual understanding of your cancer's workings that provide you with just another opportunity to educate yourself and more importantly empower your self!

In our post picture you will see Hodgkin's Lymphoma cells which is the type of cancer our founder, Spencer Harrison had.

SPLURGE! Friday: Summer Hats

Image by A Crafter XD

Happy SPLURGE! Friday Dream Team! We are taking a break from our Summer Research Project and spending today looking at D.I.Y Summer Hats! You may be familiar with hair-loss as a side effect of chemo, and you have to start getting creative with your head wear.

A Crafter XD shares lots of free patterns and tutorials to ensure you can find the perfect summer hat- and it gives you a great craft for the day! Below you can check out the different choices of summer hats:

1. Shell stitch Sun hat by Daisy Cottage Designs
2. Granny stitch Sun hat by My Merry Messy Life
3. Toddler Sun hat by Stitch 11
4.  3D  flower lattice Sun hat by Dearest Debi
5. Tranquil waves toddler Sun hat by The Crochet Lounge
6. Toddler cotton Sun hat by My Hobby is Crochet
7. Belmont Sun hat by KatiDCreations
8. Vintage tulip Sun hat by MNE Crafts

#ClassicJokeFriday......SPLURGE! Friday

DIY Glow Firefly Jars on SPLURGE! Friday

Happy Friday Dream Team! There is nothing that gives you that feels more like summer than the sight of fireflies! If you are like us here at Teen with a Dream headquarters, these beautiful bugs are not native to our Colorado state--so we are going to create our very own!

These D.I.Y. Glow Firefly Jars are a great craft for you and the kids! Note: This craft can get a little messy so be prepared!


What you will need:

• Glass jar
• Glow sticks (you can get them at the dollar store)
• Sprinkle Glitter 
• Rubber Gloves to protect your hands
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Use scissors to cut the ends off the glow sticks....This is the messy part-so use caution! 
2. Open your glass jar and shake the opened glow sticks into the jar. 
3. A tip for getting that splatter effect comes from banging it against the sides of the jar
4. Add in some of your sprinkle glitter into the jar, trying to get it to stick on the sides over the glowstick fluid.
5. Tighten the lid, if you have really little ones around the house you may consider gluing it shut
6. The average lifespan of these jars is around 6-8 hours so plan accordingly:)

Image Source

Arbor Dental fighting for pediatric cancer patients-until there is a cure!

All patient’s new and current are eligible for free whitening and with each whitening Arbor Dental Group will donate to the charity Smiles for Life and Teen with a Dream!

For every teeth whitening scheduled, $50.00 will be donated to Teen with a Dream and provide aid & comfort to pediatric cancer patients!

Contact them today to schedule your FREE teeth whitening!

CALL TODAY 720-943-3761
www.arbordentalgroup.com

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