Hamster Valentine Box Tips

Annie's Hamster Valentine Box

Tips

I know what you are thinking,

"That's a hamster?!  I thought it was a cat!"

But my girl wanted a hamster box.

So it's a hamster.  

Trust me it looked like a hamster in my head before we started.  

 Lucky you, you can now make a hamster OR a cat!

It's just paper Mache & slap on fur, so

there really aren't "directions" just some tips.

2 days needed.

The most helpful tip is what we papered over.

We stuffed 2 gallon ziplocs full of paper towels and duct taped them together.

Stuff it good!   It needs to be strong!

Don't worry when you remove them later just stack them up & you can still use them.

Then, they just Paper Mache.

When it is dry cut 3 side of a square (steak knife) to make 

a door flap in the belly & pull out the paper towels.

Use a glue gun to wrap with fur.

The front and back are tricky but you'll get the hang of it...wrap it like a gift, butting the colors up against each other. Start on the top and wrap downwards.  Anywhere the hamster was a little odd shaped we added folded paper towels under the fur to round him out.

Then, add your embellishments,

heart buttons & whiskers stolen from our broom.  

We used fun foam for the eyes & nose.  

Ears cut from fur with longer flaps in the back.

 I just freehand cut her name out of cardstock.

She loves her little hammy.

Even if it does look like a cat.

Snake Valentine Box Directions

Bo's Cobra Valentine Box

Directions

Supplies

 3 copper pipe insulation 

(.97cents a piece)

a metal hanger

spray paint

oatmeal can

hot glue gun

google eyes

cardstock for the tongue

Tape the 2 of the 6 feet lengths of insulation together with packaging tape to make one Loooong strip.

Hot glue the strip around the oatmeal can.

The third strip you will really just use a 

few inches to make the hood.

Fold a metal hanger into thirds and 

shove it down that snakes neck :)

Fold it how you would like!

Then I forgot the picture but also close up the end of the face with a little circle cut from your extra strip.  Just hot glue it in- but leave the bottom unglued until you tuck the tongue later.

The best part for the kids is:

Spray Paint!

(We took 2 coats & picked a shiny paint, CHEAP shiny paint!)

After it dries, glue the eyes & tongue on & you are set!  

Now stuff that snakes belly with some candy!

Rocco's Tarantula Valentine Box

Rocco's 

Tarantula Valentine Box

Rocco's box took the most time this year. 

But he fell in love with the hot glue gun.

Supplies

2 large empty "Whipped Topping" containers

2-3 wire hangers

3/4 yard fur

google eyes

hot glue gun

paper for stuffing

we used some copper pipe insulation for 97 cents

Duct Tape 

Fun Foam

First, eat the whipped cream.

We actually put it in the freezer into big Ziploc bags.

Then, pad the containers.

You could just crumple paper around the sides and tape it on.

Then just drop some fur over it, tuck, wrap & and hot glue.

We trimmed and glued it right to the edges.

If you have a small head you can wear it.

Wrap both the containers.

Cover the lids.

Now, the next part is not as fun.

Legs. 8 of them.

Bend hangers back and forth until they break.

4- 12 inch & 4- 11 inch

Roll it up, hot glue it shut, and you have a leg.

I trimmed a little off the back to make a tab for gluing it on the body.

I glued the toes together after it was secured onto the spider.

Now just glue EVERYTHING together.

bodies & legs.

Then just add eyes & a smile, and a heart if you'd like.

 I read that tarantulas can have as many as 10 eyes!

We thought 4 were nice.

Happy Spider, happy boy!

Yes, We Are Crazy.

Yesterday, after 3 months of on the job training,

 my niece was sworn in as a police officer.

Just yesterday she was just our little baby girl,  

and now she's a police officer holding my baby!

We are so proud of her!

Since we were headed to the police station 

I thought it might be kind of fun to bring some bad guys.

If you notice Bo & Rocco were not pictured.

They were too afraid they would be arrested in this room full of cops, so they refused to put their masks on.

I would advise you, if you are over 18, 

don't try heading to the police station dressed like this.

'

But as it turns out, the cops wouldn't lock 'em up 

so I had to take them home.

Yes...we are a bunch of crazies~

Good thing today at school was crazy day!

Plenty of those here!

He Will Survive!

When Rocco was just 2 days old,

I set him on the couch for a minute.  

I turned around and Bo was in the middle of the family room holding him as high as he could, by his ankles.

I don't think I ever ran faster in my life.

I'm pretty sure this was taken that very same day.

Today, Kit came in the room carrying Blue.

It was actually kinda cute.

I was like,

"Kit!  You are not suppose to pick up Blue! 

But here, let me take your picture." 

(mom of the year)

So, I helped him set Blue down and I went to get my camera. 

Then when I was all ready I said, 

"Okay Kit, pick him up gently and I'll take you picture."

I was holding the shutter down waiting for an adorable picture, 

and I captured this:

"Oh no! Oh no!

Set him down, Set him down baby."

Opps.

Here, let me help you:

"There....now we got it."

Can you see why I needed a picture? 

"Okay,  now remember Kit,  no more holding Blue."