ROCK PAPER SCISSORS

by Rock Paper Scissors - August 2, 2020August 4, 2020

Let’s make homemade ice cream

During this summer, my daughter had to make homemade ice cream as one of her summer science experiments. I tried making ice cream several times in the past with my daughter, but it never really worked. We would just stare at a white blob together and pour sweet milk (sadly not a vanilla shake) into a cup. This time, her teacher provided us with a video and it actually worked this time!

Homemade Maple Syrup Ice Cream
PREP TIME 5 MIN COOK TIME 10 MIN TOTAL 15 MIN

Ingredients

1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup of milk
2-3 teaspoons of maple syrup (or honey)

Things you will need

1 small storage bag
1 large storage bag
4 cups of ice
3-4 tablespoons of salt

Directions

1. Pour 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream, 2/3 cup of milk, and 2-3 teaspoons of maple syrup into the small storage bag.
2. Remove all the air from the storage bag and seal tightly. (Closing the bag properly will save you from spilling all your ice cream or salty ice cream!) And mix well!
3. Now pour 4 cups of ice and 3-4 tablespoons of salt into the large storage bag.
4. Put your small storage bag with ice cream into the large storage bag filled with ice with salt.
5. Shake, shake, and shake! (I mean rigorously but also without destroying the small storage bag.)
6. Check your ice cream. Add ice and salt into the large storage bag, if your ice cream is still liquid. If your ice cream is ready, go ahead and serve!

From my experience, lots of ice and salt (plus adding a little more heavy whipping cream) are the success of making delicious ice cream! I’ve tried honey instead of maple syrup – my kids loved them both! I hope you will have fun making ice cream as well, and please follow me on my Instagram account @byasamihasegawa for more tips and more.

by Rock Paper Scissors - July 28, 2020May 7, 2022

Connect the dots Printable

I hope everyone is keeping busy but also just enjoying and relaxing the summer weather. During this summer, my eldest took an online summer Japanese class, which kept her pretty busy this past summer. Now that we are preparing for the new school year, I told her and my little one that this week is our stay-at-home summer vacation.

Spending time with the kids can be fun while somedays it can be challenging to keep them entertained. Since it is summer, I decided to create some activities for them with a “bohemian summer” theme. I always try to find things that will keep them occupied for a good half an hour. So, I combined dot-to-dot, cut-out, and write-a-card activities – all into one! I made this printable for kids, but surely adults can enjoy this little activity too.

Feel free to download the connect the dots printable and have a summer craft time with your family. Once you connect the dots, cut along the lines to make an ice cream card. While cutting your card, cut inside the dots and lines for better results! (These are only for personal use only.) And follow me on my Instagram account @byasamihasegawa for more tips and more.

All downloads are for personal, non-commercial use only. Please do not redistribute and/or modify any of the downloads. Please link to this post if sharing, and not directly to the pdf file. Thank you. © Asami Hasegawa

by Rock Paper Scissors - July 22, 2020July 28, 2020

Summer Word Search Printable

Hello! It’s been a while, but I hope everyone is having an alright summer so far. Over here, I have been working on a few projects, and my daughters are catching up with their summer reading and writing activities.

Lately, my daughter has been into word search, so I decided to make my own using my handwriting fonts. I have always been a font and calligraphy/handwriting addict, so I can swear that I can spend watching calligraphy videos instead of Netflix. Several years ago, I took an online calligraphy class, but I haven’t been fully able to embrace my work. My biggest issue is that I have an unstable and inconsistent handwriting. Somedays, I am able to achieve that “pretty to post handwriting,” while somedays I feel like “my toddler has better handwriting than me.” Maybe I am lacking in sufficient practice or I may just not be patient enough.

While experimenting with several calligraphy pens, brush pens, pens, and pencils, I decided to make my handwriting fonts with the ifontmaker app on my iPad. It allows you to edit your handwriting and have that perfection and consistency that I especially strive for. The ifontmaker was straightforward and extremely easy to use! Ever since I have been using my fonts here and there on my website and work.

Feel free to download the summer word search and spend a quiet afternoon with your little ones! I hope this little summer activity will make your summer day brighter. (These are only for personal use only.) And follow me on my Instagram account @byasamihasegawa for more tips and more.

by Rock Paper Scissors - April 10, 2020April 10, 2020

All-Natural Egg Decorating

Hello, I hope you are having a wonderful day! Today, I wanted to share how I decorated all-natural eggs with my kids (an eight-year-old plus a three-year-old) – the old fashioned way. I remember when I was a child, I painted hard-boiled eggs with my mom (or it may have been at school.) It was fun and cool, and it was easy!

That is how I remembered it, but the reality is…every part was challenging. First, I tried emptying the eggs. I wanted hollow eggs since I wanted to make easter eggs that we can keep. So, I tried poking a hole on the round side (not the pointed side), but my needles were too weak. (A pin would have been the best, but sadly I did not have one on hand.) I tried several different needles and used the thickest needle I had. And I finally poked a hole, however, the egg yolk and whites did not cooperate with me. I made a larger hole and shook the egg hard as I can – but no luck. After trial and error, I found that blowing into the egg with a straw worked the best. There is also a way to make two holes, one on the top and bottom, and blow all the egg yolk and whites. I preferred only to have one hole since I wanted to paint the top of the egg.

Before painting, clean the egg and let it dry very well. Spray on some alcohol to sanitize the egg. When painting the egg, use gouache or acrylic paint if you plan to paint something. Watercolors are great if you want abstract art. And make sure to keep the eggs dry while painting. If you make a mistake, use a wet cotton swab to correct your mistake, and wipe the excess moisture. Any moisture or water will ruin your art right away!

I had to re-paint several times, and my eldest daughter was going crazy since she had to re-do her eggs so many times. She decided to paint her egg all pink. My younger daughter seemed to have a lot of fun, considering that she wanted a purple egg.

During this project, my daughter accidentally dropped my brown egg and my egg has a dent at the bottom. The best part of the project is that we got to eat french toast, which was rewarding for our whole family! And follow me on my Instagram account @byasamihasegawa for more tips.

by Rock Paper Scissors - April 6, 2020June 21, 2021

Free Bunny and Egg Printable

It’s April, and spring break is here! Since we are unable to travel or go out this spring, I am planning to celebrate spring in our own way. Hopefully, this will help us (and you) get in the Easter mood. Every year, we go out to a local egg hunt, but this year, I am planning to do one in our home.

Free Easter Bunny and Egg Paper Doll Printable

Spring color palette is one of my favorite schemes, especially when it comes to illustrating and designing, and it always makes me feel good to create something with pastel colors and listening to Disney Jazz or Bossa Nova. For this project, I created little bunnies, eggs, and a carrot. During this challenging and unprecedented time, we need things to make us happy and positive – so, I decided to share my illustrations! Feel free to download and use them (for personal use) as wall decor, garland, and many more. And follow me on my Instagram account @byasamihasegawa for more tips.

Have fun using the plain eggs or decorate the eggs with your loved ones! My daughter loves to play with patterns and she was excited that her artwork will be featured in my blog. Enjoy!

by Rock Paper Scissors - April 2, 2020April 7, 2020

Free Schedule Printables

Hello! With the “shelter-in-place” order, our family has been cooped up for more than two weeks. It feels like it’s been more than a month, and it surely does not feel like a vacation. While I am able to enjoy crafting and spending time with the kids, I have been working with them to keep on schedule and to get our tasks done. With my husband swamped with zoom meetings and my daughter joining zoom classrooms and other afterschool programs, it surely has been difficult to stay on track. So, I decided to make a schedule worksheet for the family.

Simply download the schedule printable and cut each activity and illustrations to fill in your schedule! Draw the hands on the clock, and let your kids learn telling time. I usually laminate all the worksheets so that I can reuse them. (These are only for personal use only.) And follow me on my Instagram account @byasamihasegawa for more tips and more.

My heart goes out to those, who are affected and impacted by the COVID-19 virus. Every family has its own challenges, and I truly hope that every family is able to overcome these unprecedented times. And please stay safe and well.

by Rock Paper Scissors - March 20, 2020April 6, 2020

Face Mask Tutorial

When the COVID-19 was becoming a problem in Japan, my parents told me that they were scarce on face masks, sanitizers, and yes – toilet paper. Knowing that it is uncommon to wear masks here in the United States, I didn’t really see it as a problem. Then I thought, why not make a few masks out of fabric and send it to my family and friends in Japan? That was in February.

Now fast forward to March, before the COVID-19 became a pandemic, I decided to make one for each of our family and friends. I still remember when the clerk at JoAnn’s Fabric asked me what I was making, and with hesitation, I told her I was making face masks. And just as I imagined, she gave me an odd face. And now that it is recommended to wear a face mask to protect others and ourselves, I thought it was time for me to share a face mask tutorial.

The best way to protect others and ourselves is to stay home, but of course, not all of us can stay home. There are many ways to make masks, even with household items such as paper towels, staples, and rubber bands, but the great thing about fabric face masks is that they are washable and reusable.

After working with this face mask pattern, I felt that this would be the easiest and comfortable face mask to make. In this tutorial, we will need a printed pattern, fabric, and elastic bands, and pencils, scissors, and a sewing machine. (but you can sew by hand too!) For the elastic band, my daughters insisted that the elastic would get uncomfortable, so I found a upcycle solution – grab an old leggings or stockings and use it as an elastic band. It may not look the best, aesthetic wise, but my daughters actually agreed that they were much more comfy. Please feel free to download the pattern, and I hope this tutorial and face mask pattern will be useful in these uncertain times.

don't touch the front of the mask with your hands — Don’t touch the front of the mask with your hands!

Important reminders: Never touch the front of the mask. Remove mask by the elastic band. Always wash your hands after removing the mask. Wash or discard the mask after each use.

Materials Used
Fabric
Elastic bands (or old leggings or stocking)

by Rock Paper Scissors - March 7, 2020April 8, 2020

DIY Doll and Stuffed Animal Vest

Recently, I have been embroidering letters and motifs on towels and pouches. My daughters love watching me craft and cook, and they always have questions to ask. My eldest daughter always has ideas, and she came running to me the other day whether she could make a jacket or a vest for her stuffed animal.

I just knew from her facial expression that she wanted to use a sewing machine or a sewing needle. At first, I thought – is it possible to let an eight-year-old handle a sewing machine or a sewing needle? Then I asked her which stuffy she was talking about. She showed me Teddy, the Steiff teddy bear, and desperately told me he was cold. This Steiff teddy bear is very special to us, especially since we bought him right before she was born at FAO Schwartz at 5th Ave. (before it closed) Okay, I must admit…he does seem a little cold.

I knew I had to make one, but how? So, I went to my favorite go-to place, Pinterest. Everything looked very professional, and adults either sewing by a sewing machine or hand. And with all the inspirations, I decided to make my own no-sew pattern. She first was unenthusiastic that she could not use the professional tools, but I told her that she can do it by herself with just a pair of scissors and felt fabric!

First, measure your doll or stuffed animal. Based on your measurements, make a pattern using the sample pattern provided. I actually had Teddy wear the paper vest pattern, so I could adjust the armhole. Make changes to the paper pattern as much as you like – it will save you fabric! After tracing the pattern on your fabric (felt or stiff fabric preferred), cut the fabric. And you are done!

The toughest part of this project is measuring your little guy or gal and adjusting the armhole. I suggest parents to help measure the doll or stuffed animal and to make the pattern, and let the kids do the rest! Feel free to download the vest pattern. The kids can always draw with a fabric marker and decorate the vest. And follow me on my Instagram account @byasamihasegawa for more tips.

by Rock Paper Scissors - February 24, 2020April 7, 2020

Free Olive Branch TO-DO list Printable

Every day, I remind my daughter to do something – it could be homework or practice the piano or if she has her lunch and water bottle. And she usually responds, “Oh~!” or “Oops!” or “Of course I have it!” with a big (I mean a big) grin on her face. But sometimes, I feel terrible for being like an iPhone notification. She probably sees a red badge with a number next to my head or perhaps like a nagging software update notification.

Then one day, she asked me if I could make her a TO-DO list. “I want it to be cute! And laminated. And I need a marker. And now, you don’t have to remind me!” she says with a big grin. So, I decided to make a TO-DO list that anyone can use, including me. (I myself tend to forget things and usually use the note app on my iPhone. )

This Olive Branch TO-DO list has three boxes in each row. Feel free to download the TO-DO list and use them however you like. Hopefully, this will make it easier to keep track of your everyday tasks. Keep organizing and carry on!

by Rock Paper Scissors - January 17, 2020April 6, 2020

Free Hot Air Balloon Printable

Ever wish you could fly on a hot air balloon and travel to Paris? Well, the reality is that an airplane is probably the safest and fastest way to get somewhere. The incredible thing is that we can always imagine and creatively update our surroundings.

My daughters love things that fly – balloons, bubbles, birds, butterflies… and they learned about a hot air balloon when watching Kiki’s Delivery Service. They are in love with the movie so much and asked me to make a red ribbon headband, which I may do a tutorial someday. With this hot air balloon printable, you can put it on your wall or even make a garland, if you feel festive. I also made a cake topper by gluing (or taping) the hot air balloons onto a dowel and it can certainly be a really easy craft to do with the kids.

Download the printable and cut each hot air balloon illustrations along the dotted blue line! I laminate most of my printable, so they are sturdy enough and can be used again, over and over. (These are only for personal use only.) And follow me on my Instagram account @byasamihasegawa for more tips and more.