Fall Artifact Globe Tutorial - Reggio Emilia Inspired

I've been crazy busy since our vacation, so no new sewing projects. However, I wanted to share with you a project that I did with the little boy I nanny for. We have been exploring the neighborhood all year, and he is especially interested in all the little details of nature: seeds, leaves, sticks, berries. We've talked about the leaves changing with the seasons, how berries and seeds make it from the tree to the ground (my favorite was talking about how birds eat the berries and plant trees through their..well, you know. :), and all kinds of separate discussions. To extend this exploration, now that the weather is getting colder, and to make this accessible to the 11 month old (while eliminating the choking hazard), I brought the idea of the wave bottles into play.

Instead of using the little bottles again, I found these plastic snow globes at Michael's for $3.49 a piece. I don't have to glue these shut, because there's no way the kids are going to be able to take out the giant plug (it was really hard for me!), so we can use these again and again. Today, we took a walk around the neighborhood and picked up some Fall Artifacts along the way, including leaves, sticks, seeds, dried berries, etc. I brought them home and made these beautiful Fall Artifact Globes in minutes! Here's how:

Take off the cap and plug.

Fill with your Fall Artifacts, sorted by color, type or size.

Replace the plug and cap, gluing if you are worried about supervision. These seal fairly tight, but it never hurts to be safe!

These are perfect for infant/toddler/preschool and beyond! Reggio Emilia inspired, bringing the natural world into the classroom (or home!) and really focusing on the beauty of the objects. I love these! I can't wait to see what the kiddos think. :)

I also forgot to share my last vacation dress with you! Here's the blue dress I made last minute.

Here I am at the Byodo-In Temple in my dandelion puff dress. I put some beautiful blue buttons as embellishment, and a faux train on the back, much like my tiered skirt had. I love how it turned out, but I don't have any photos of the back.

We had such an amazing time! :)

Happy Tuesday everyone!