What is Jumble Tree?

Jumble tree grew out of my other blog - A Patchwork Life.

I started sharing some of the crafts I made with the kids, and slowly but surely realised I loved the challenge of coming up with new ideas. Happily, other people seemed to like them too.

There are so many fantastic sites out there, covering all aspects of kids craft - so, I'm going to stick to what I know and what I enjoy, which is developing and adding to ideas to see where they go!

This is what happened with Roll Up to the Zoo - it started with a lion and a lioness, then there was zebra, followed by a giraffe…and the Zoo just kept on growing.
Now we have all manner of creatures, with enclosures and trees and mini food…and this is what I mean by creating a scene!

I found my (now 7 year old) daughter loved being involved in something we could build on - it made her think, and use her imagination. She came up with a few of the ideas herself, like the turtles and the flamingo. She learnt new skills that she could practice because they were repeated in the different animal projects. Cutting slots is a good example, and snipping round small shapes. I got some pretty outlandish requests too - like a whale, but that's what I love - finding ways to make things happen. (Haven't tried a whale yet, but we did make a shark!)

And everything is made from stuff we all have at home - all that cardboard packaging that usually ends up in the recycling bin. This is another important part of Jumble Tree - making the most of what's already in the house. It's cheap, environmentally friendly and it's all just sitting there, waiting to be transformed into something!

A pile of cardboard tubes, egg boxes and cereal packets is a pile of possibilities, but it's not an exact science - packaging varies, so it's important not to worry if your egg box looks different from the picture - be ready to adapt and work with what you've got. This really is half the fun - putting your own personal spin projects. Whatever you make will be unique, and that's the beauty of this kind of craft.

Most Jumble Tree crafts are for school age children (5+) Remember to supervise all projects - you are the best judge of how much help your child needs, but let them have a go at some of the more challenging bits too - the more they do, the more fun they'll have, and the better they'll get.

When I started blogging about the crafts I do with the kids, I had no idea where it might lead. Fast forward a few years and I'm now writing my first kids craft book, to be published in the summer. Still can't quite believe it!
You just never know, do you.