~birds~

Frida Viola is 5 tomorrow and before Easter we spent a cosy afternoon making little heart-bird invitations for her birthday party. I thought I would share them here since they are so easy and quick to make that even small kids can handle the project from start to finish. I only did the writing. We used washi tape as the birds' beaks.

*Gækkebreve*

I am so happy to tell you that my little assistant and I made a contribution for the inspiring & beautiful Lille Nord. I am quite sure that Lille Nord needs no further introduction for all of you and it feels good to be a contributor to this fine site on Scandinavian culture, lifestyle and family life.

Our first contribution is on the Danish tradition of papercuts for Easter - "gækkebreve".
Did you know that this is a specific Danish tradition that exists nowhere else..?
And that the tradition has its roots all the way back to the 1700s ?
Read about the tradtion here.

This year Frida Viola and I have been cutting & cutting, experiencing the childlike joy of unfolding our papercuts to see what new patterns the scissors made us - and we can only encourage you to do the same.

painted leaves

Today's afternoon joy:
painting little creatures on leaves & beautiful plum tart from Nordisk Brødhus (that I can highly recommend!).

How did you spend your Sunday afternoon?

just a piece of paper

This little book is a thrift store find from the other day with simple and fine inspiration for paper cuts - maybe for dark December afternoons. The author, Elizabeth Brozowska, has done quite many children's books with cute illustrations - but this one is the only I have stumbled across with paper cuts. The book is structured around a narrative, a story about a grandmom who makes Polish paper cuts for her 3 grandchildren, and the kids get inspired to make some themselves. We don't need the story to get inspired but it's a sympathetic way to present little DIY projects.

Originally "Just A Piece of Paper" ["Leg med saks og papir"] by Elisabeth Brozowska, 1969.

Lena Corwin's Made By Hand

Made By Hand by Lena Corwin - I would love this book!

box for secrets

The girls have been ill the last couple of days, as a little reminder that the barefooted days are over. We have been reading, baking and watching Pippi over and over again. We also finally finished Molly's 'box of secrets' for her day care. I have piles of old paper scraps which I don't have the heart to get rid of - so what better use than a paper patchwork. I quite like the result and it was almost therapeutic to make it - cutting and gluing without thinking too much. Frida Viola thinks it's a grown up's box, though, and I guess she's right, so I'll have to come up with something else for Molly.