Summer Fun: Bug Jar

If your house is anything like mine, you probably have bugs starting to find all those little cracks and sneaking their way in. One solution, or at least one way to minimize the annoyance and maximize learning opportunities for your kids, is to have a bug jar.

Poke a few small holes in the lid of a jar, put the bugs in with some sticks/leaves/dirt, and let your kids observe them.

My boys will literally pick up bugs and come hand them to me...totally grosses me out, but I love watching their wonder at the world around them.

Jack-o-lanterns From a Jar

I have a confession. Ever since I saw these adorable jars on a friend's blog, I have wanted to make these. So much so, that I begged for Mod Podge for Christmas last year (what! ya, I didn't have any Mod Podge to my name before Christmas...I'm sorry!). Anyhow, I've wanted to make these so much that I have been saving, hoarding and collecting various jars for the last year...to the point that my husband has threatened to throw them away several times.

Halloween is coming up...in a month and a half. If you're making decorations this year (you probably want to start soon anyhow right?), consider these: All you need is however many jars you want to deal with, orange and black fabric or tissue paper (I used fabric, and lots of parentheses apparently), scissors, Mod Podge, ribbon and tea candles. Make sure your jar's mouths are wide enough to put tea candles in.

Ok, cut your fabric or tissue paper to the size of your jar, so it will wrap all the way around. Spread some Mod Podge on your jar and press the fabric onto it, working your way around. Make sure none of the fabric is on the inside of the jar and is cut even with or lower than the top of the jar so you can minimize those fire hazards. 











Cut out jack-o-lantern faces from black fabric, or paper, or tissue paper and use your lovely Mod Podge to adhere them to the fabric already adhered to your jar. Let that dry and spread some Mod Podge over the face to seal it on, and if you wish, spread Mod Podge over all the fabric to give it a glossy look. Lighting your tea candle in your jar throughout the process just so you can see how cute it's turning out to be is totally normal...at least by my standards :)
Once your jar is dry, tie on or Mod Podge green ribbon to the top of the jar. You can even add a bow for some femininity, as if Mod Podged jars aren't feminine enough...
Insert the candles. If you want, use something sticky to keep the candles in place.

Use a long candle or one of those fancy long lighters to light your candles and bask in the cuteness of your little Jack-o-lanterns!
There you have it...super cute, cheap decorations for Halloween!
I'm linking up toShow and Tell @ Blue Cricket Design, It's Party Time @ Pony Tales and Fish Scales, Kids Craft @ Red Ted Art's Blog,  Penny Pinching Party @ Thrifty Home, Works for me Wednesday @ We Are That Family, and Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts, Fall Link Party @ Curly Q Crafts, and Crazy Cute Thursdays @ Between U & Me.