Fun with photo gels

This is a relatively quick and easy toddler art project that makes a burst of color for your windows.

 Materials needed:

Photo color gels -- I bought mine inexpensively on Ebay. They can be had all over the Internet at various price points. This would also be a good project for a swatchbook. Photo gels are nice for their durability in small hands, but tissue paper will do in a pinch.
Contact paper
Cutting tool and straight edge, or scissors
Masking tape

Cut your shapes. We went with triangles. Whatever's clever.

Peel your contact paper and place adhesive side up on your work surface. Ours has a faint traced pencil circle because I originally planned to affix the triangled contact paper in a wood embroidery hoop. I later abandoned that plan as unnecessary. Also, the decorated contact paper didn't really have the give to go in the hoop cooperatively.

Hand proceedings over to your small artist for decoration. 

After things are arranged to suit everyone, affix another sheet of contact paper to the exposed adhesive side, sandwiching your gel shapes in between. Trim the edges as desired and enjoy your beautiful stained glass-esque masterpiece.

How to: Plasti Dip Sewing Pattern Weights

I've been looking for pattern weights for quite awhile, but I found the ready-made options to be either too expensive or not what I had in mind. I wanted something like old-school Wonder Weights -- rubber-coated metal and hefty.

These are easy to make and each weight should cost less than $2. My washers were 40 cents apiece and my can of Plasti Dip was $5 and change. The tube of glue, as you can see by the pliers-worn cap, was already on hand.

Parts List:

• One can spray Plasti Dip (comes in several colors)
• E-6000 or other strong glue
• The largest washers you can find at your local hardware store

Optional, but helpful:

• Milk bottle caps

Glue your washers together. I used stacks of three. Two is probably sufficient, but I wanted the extra heft. Don't go crazy or the glue will squish out of the sides.

Milk bottle caps (or similar) will make it easier to spray your weights. This is something you will want to do outdoors on a piece of cardboard or newsprint.

Follow the application directions on the Plasti Dip can (30 minutes in between coats.)

And you're done. Rubberized pattern weights for less than $2 a piece. Quicker, easier and less destructive than pins.