We love being crafty here at The Green Kangaroo and our Handmade articles are some of my most favorite.  This extra special one is no exception.  Lori’s own little joey, Noah, is about to turn two and she’s planning a super exciting safari themed birthday party for him… complete with safari hats, binoculars, and, of course, wild animal prints everywhere.  Last week she brought in a few projects to share with us!

Using 12×12 sheets of patterned paper, she showed me how to make these great pinwheels (or rosettes).  The project simply involves folding sheets of paper accordion-style and then gluing the seems together to create the pinwheel.  We used two sheets, but one or two more would bring your folds closer together.

Lori used a scalloped craft punch to make contrasting medallions for the centers.  Just glue them in place and voila!  Use a small hole punch at the top of the pinwheel, attach string, and then they are ready to hang.

We also worked on safari animal silhouettes, which I love.  Lori sketched these onto black poster board and cut them out — easy-peasy!  She’s going to set them around the perimeter of her backyard fence and have the little ones “go on safari” to find them!  How cute is that?

We also made tissue paper poms in zebra and cheetah prints!  And we prepped pieces for a funky flag banner.  One thing’s for sure, Noah is going to have a cool and very well decorated party!  Lori has promised to share photos with us in a few weeks so we can see how all of these prints and colors come together for a roaring good time!  (We can’t wait!)