Easter Garden

Make an Easter Garden

Last spring I made an Easter garden, and used it to film The Good News of Easter for my virtual Sunday school class. This spring we are able to meet in person, and I decided it would be a great craft for my class to make.  Over the past few weeks we have been making small parts of this project. Today we planted some seeds.  Next week they will take home their gardens, and then during Easter week, each family can use the garden and the Jesus Clothespin doll to act out Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. The garden will last all summer as a visual reminder of the true meaning of Easter. I am including the instructions here in case you want to give it a try. 

Find a Face Masks that Fits!

Not all face masks are created equal, and yet we are all equally expected to wear them. 

Face masks don’t really fit in with my theme of educational resources, but this seemed like a good opportunity to be a blessing to my community. Covid 19 will likely be around for quite a while, and if face masks help us get back to some type of normal, we might as well have nice ones!

As I am out and about, I am always looking at people’s face masks to see how they fit. So often people are pulling at their mask because it is bothering them. Other masks are way too large or too small for the face that they are covering. And then there are the people who wear their mask only on their mouth or under their chin…

A face mask is a bit like a bicycle helmet: unless you wear it properly (and clean it regularly), it will not be of much use to you! A proper and comfortable fit go a long way to making it possible to function for long periods of time in a face mask. This is what I am hoping to achieve with these face masks. There are three different styles of face mask available. Click on this link for a full range of Face Mask Features.

Pioneers Have Joined the Clothespin People Family!

Pioneer Family

 

Pioneer Couple

The Pioneer Couple and Pioneer Family are probably the most appropriate Clothespin People dolls yet.  After all, it is most likely that the pioneers would have made dolls for their own children from everyday objects like clothespins!  Two different kits are available:  the Pioneer Couple and the Pioneer Family.

Either of these kits would make a great activity for a pioneer themed party!  Contact me directly to order a custom group craft kit (5 or more) and save 20%.

Conference Season is Coming Soon!

If you live in southern Ontario, you might just be able to see these products in person!  South Haven Press will be exhibiting at both the KWCHEA and OCHEC Conventions this spring.  Perhaps I can inspire you.  I will be doing a workshop entitled “Encouraging the Writer in Your Child” at KWCHEA, and one entitled “Co-oping for the Fun of It” at OCHEC.  In both of these workshops I will be sharing from my own experience as a homeschooling mother of four.

Debut of South Haven Press at OCHEC 2018

If you are able to make it to one of these conventions, please stop by my booth and say hello.  I would love to show you my products and hear ideas about what other creative educational products you might be interested in.  I am hoping to have the Old Testament Bible story characters available in time for the convention season.

Christmas is Coming!

It is that time of year again where people begin to think about how to celebrate Christmas.  I am working on a few new products this year to help you decorate and celebrate.

If you are wanting to celebrate the original meaning of Christmas and have young children, our Clothespin Nativity Kits will be a great tool for you.  As you make the dolls together, you can talk about who the people were and what each might have been thinking on that first Christmas night.  Once the glue has all dried, you can use the nativity set to act out the story.  The deluxe set now comes in a wooden box that doubles as a stable and storage.

Angel ornaments and Christmas Carollers are currently being developed and should be ready by the middle of November.  Here is a sneak peak of what they might look like!

The Origins of Clothespin People

I invented Clothespin People in 2002. I was looking for a nativity scene craft for a group of preschool children and wanted one that would be simple enough that they could participate in making it, and nice enough that the parents would keep it from year to year.  Our original dolls have had lots of use, and are still around today.  This photo shows the original Mary and Joseph.