Decorative Mosaics from your Colored Easter Egg Shells

This is a simple project that will use up those egg shells from your Easter Eggs.  It is fun for all ages, and can be done on a number of different types of paper.  I recommend that you use Black or Navy Blue paper, as these colors really "Set off" the colors of the easter egg shells in the art work you design.

Here's What you need to do to get started...

SUPPLIES:

*  Colored Egg Shells
*  Posterboard
*  Glue

DIRECTIONS: 

1.  Save all the shells from your easter eggs (once they have been eaten)

2.   Break the colored egg shells into small pieces so that they are fairly flat, I recommend that you put them on a flat surface and roll over them with a rolling pin, this will give small pieces that are flat.  Some people prefer a little bit larger pieces, so if this is the case, you can break them up by hand.

3.  Draw a design on a dark piece of posterboard or cardstock.  Construction paper is not sturdy enough to hold the weight of the egg shells, so be sure to have a heavier paper.

4.  Work in small sections.  Use a cotton swab or an old paint brush to spread glue onto your design.  The glue should be fairly thick to be sure to adhere to the eggs...  Be sure to use a glue that dries clear.

5.  Stick the egg shell pieces, colored side up, onto the glue.

Continue with step 4 and 5 until your design is completely filled in with egg shells.

Set your mosaic aside to dry completely.

Share your mosaic creation with us, and we will post pictures on the blog!  E-mail pictures to jallen@loudoun.k12.va.us or if you are in the FACS classes with Mrs. Allen, bring your creation to school and we will take a photo of it and put it on the blog!  Thanks for participating!

A fun family easter egg project!

I want to share a fun Easter egg activity you can do with your family. I did this last year with my kids (6, 8 and 10 years old), plus, my husband Don. It is an activity the whole family will enjoy doing. It is dyeing eggs using old silk ties.

The directions can be found here...

SILK EGG DIRECTIONS

Here is a basket full of silk eggs made by my friend in Arkansas.  She makes these with her adult children every year and they LOVE IT!

I went to the local Good Will store and bought silk ties (must be silk). We had so much fun dyeing eggs while Easter dinner was cooking.

Have fun and let me know how your family enjoys this activity that can become a tradition to be handed down to many generations to come. Send me photos of your prize eggs! Feel free to share this blog with your friends, and have them send me their egg pictures too! 

E-mail egg photos to jallen (at) loudoun.k12.va.us

Have an eggs-eptional fun time!

Those who are in the FACS classes at LCPS can bring their egg creation to school and will will take a picture of it and post it on the blog for all to see!  Thanks for participating.

These Eggs were made by Meri-Tate - I think they look Eggs-ceptional!

Thanks for sharing these with us!

Some more eggs brought in by Laura, Lauren and Grace - Beautiful job girls!

The fabric under the few eggs above where the fabrisc used to die the eggs.  A really cool way to transfer dye to the eggs!

The Time Has Come, The Time is NOW!!!

Well as heard in the Wonderful World of Dr. Seuss... The time has come, the time is NOW!!! (from Marvin K Mooney)

That is right... The Time is NOW to start thinking about what you want to do with your life... in that ever changing 7th or 8th grade mind, you need to make some tough choices about what you want to do and be when you grow up... Sometimes I think I am still figuring that out for myself, but it sure is fun!

The Wonderful World of FACS awaits you (sometimes referred to as TEEN LIVING) the 8th grade FACS curriculum at Loudoun County is full of fun and surprises - Everything you need to know about life to get you to where you want to be! Be sure to read EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE... it really is true.

Think about this...

What are the THREE most important things in your life?

The responses that I typically hear are (not in any particular order)...
1. family
2. friends
3. food
4. shelter
5. clothing
6. water
7. money
8. clean air
9. good health



Now think about the classes that you are taking in school... What are you learning in those classes that relates to all of these? Sure you go to different classes with your friends, but are those classes teaching you how to be a great friend, child care provider, cook, personal finance manager? Do you cook in those classes and learn how to prepare nutritious meals? Learn how to manage your money so that you can pay your mortgage when you get older, or the car payment so that you don't lose that car once you get it? How are you going to decorate that house now that you have it? What if you have a leak in the faucet or a door knob goes through the wall? Can you fix it? Can you sew that button back on to your shirt that fell off, or are you just going to spend more money and buy a new one?

We come from an expendable society, and it is high time to LEARN to take care of things for yourself, because trust me - When you get to be as old as me... and MAN AM I OLD... No one is going to do it for you - You have to know how to do it yourself... And if you can't do it yourself, well... i hope that you learned to manage your money.

SO... Where does FACS fit into all of this?

Well... Lets see...

* You will learn how to manage your finances so that you can pay your bills and save your money for the things that you want to purchase. We don't want you to get into debt!

* You will learn how to take care of children without stressing yourself out! Learn effective ways to take care of children, have fun with them and enjoy the time that you are babysitting.

* Be a good citizen - We look at leadership and being a integral part of your community... Volunteer and help others, not only is it good for you as a person - It is great for the community!

* SEW - now we know that not everyone is going to be a seamstress or tailor, but being able to sew on that button that falls of on the way to an interview is essential, you don't want your shirt (or pants) falling off on the way in the door... That would not be a very good first impression to a future employer.

* COOK - You cannot expect to live on take out all of your life, so why not learn how to cook some simple meals that your family and friends will enjoy? learn about the importance of getting the proper amount of nutrients and how to balance your diet with the essentials for good health!

* Learn to like others, AND yourself. You will become a well rounded individual in FACS class, and others will see that in you as a member of FCCLA.

And the list goes on and On...

As I write this I have posted a FACEBOOK question to all of my friends as to what their favorite memory from FACS (aka Home Ec) was, and I will be compiling and posting those from some adults that took FACS (Home Ec) when they were your age. I think it will be fun to see what they have to say!

So what are you waiting for???

Get out there and sign up for 8th grade FACS (Teen Living) or your 9th grade FACS equivalents. There are a ton to choose from, and you don't want to miss out on this great opportunity!

So PLEASE GO NOW and contact your counselor about becoming a part of the awesome FACS classes in Loudoun County schools!

All I Ever Needed to Know I learned in Family and Consumer Sciences

Most of what I really need to know about life and what to do and how to be…..I learned in Family and Consumer Sciences.

I didn’t learn it in math or science or Spanish…I learned it in my Family and Consumer Sciences classes.

This is what I learned…..

Choose food from the Food Pyramid. Avoid fats and sweets. Keep food safe.

Choose clothes to flatter your body type. Clean and fix them when needed.

Budget your money wisely. Shop sales. Read labels, leases, sales and mortgage agreements very carefully.

Don’t be a parent too soon. It’s also a good idea to be married first.

Choose someone you get along with…then have the baby. Nurture it, love it, give it the right discipline and know when to let it go.

Learn to balance work and family. Learn to get along with others…Learn to like yourself!

Think of what a better world it would be if we were all equipped with the life skills taught in Family and Consumer Sciences…

If we all had strong happy families….Had balanced budgets…Could resolve conflict without violence.

It’s still true, no matter how old you are…Whether you are male or female… What career you’ve chosen…

It’s still best to go out into the world equipped with basic life skills.