Dum Ditty.

One thing I always looked forward to about becoming a mom is the crafts and the coloring involved with raising a child.  I love to color!  In fact, I love it so much that when I was in nursing school I used to buy coloring books and crayons that I'd color in to clear my head after a long stretch of studying.  Something about filling in those lines with all the colors of the rainbow is so relaxing!

Obviously Alice is still a bit too young to color or craft.  Or maybe she isn't and I'm just not ready to deal with the mess that comes with doing those activities with a one-year old.  But that doesn't mean that I can't get my color and craft on until she can join me!

If you read my blog with any regularity you know I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to reducing, reusing, and recycling.  When we finished up a carton of protein powder a few months back I decided to keep the container to make into a drum for Alice.  Of course that container sat in its original state for weeks before I finally got around to decorating it the day before Alice's party.  Let me tell you, nothing motivates me to get things done like having mommas and babies come over for a playdate and have them wonder why your kid is playing with whey protein!  Here's what you'll need:

• Round container, emptied of its contents (the Quaker Oats container would be perfect, too)
• Colorful construction paper (12 in x 18 in)
• Rubber cement
• Scissors
• Colored pencils or crayons
• Printout of a fun animal or alphabet letter (I found mine here)
• Clear packing tape

Measure and cut your construction paper to fit your container.  Paint a thin layer of rubber cement directly onto the container being careful not to apply too much.  Quickly (but carefully!) apply construction paper to container and let dry for a few minutes.  Then cut out your beautifully colored artwork and apply it to the construction paper-covered container and let it dry for a few minutes.  And finally, cover the entire thing with the clear packing tape.  And voila!  You have a homemade drum.
 

Dum ditty, dum ditty, dum, dum, dum!