Make-Up Storage
I got this from a Pintrest Post!
What you Need:
Old picture frame
metal sheeting–I got mine from Lowe’s
fabric
craft adhesive–for all materials. It comes in a spray can
Spray paint
hot glue gun
magnets
Instructions:
Take an old frame and paint it. I just decided spray paint was easier. Let it dry for a few hours before handling.
Go to a hardware store and pick out a piece of thin, flexible metal. I think I picked sheet metal. Lowe’s couldn’t cut it to size, but it was easy with a Dremell.
I used the matting that came with the frame and traced it onto the metal so I would have the exact size I needed.
Attach your fabric to the metal using the spray adhesive.
While that dried, using the glue gun, I glued magnets to the back of all my make-up and used little paint cans from Michael’s to hold my brushes and pencils.
Some things took a couple magnets and the pain buckets took four. They peel off easily and can be reapplied when I buy new make-up.
Once everything was dried (about 10 minutes) I just stuck everything up!
I have a few more things to add, but ran out of glue sticks…silly.
Anyway, this was super easy (which is good because I’m not the craftiest person alive) and I now have the basic supplies to make more. I saw someone do this with an old cookie sheet with spices instead of make-up. Very cute!
Shirt and Tie Card
A shirt and tie are a traditional gift for Dad, but here’s a new idea! Use legal-size (8 1/2-by-14-inch) decorative paper.
1. Place paper facedown. Fold in half vertically; unfold. Line up left edge with centerline fold, and crease; repeat with right edge. Unfold, and lay flat.
2. Fold top-left corner in to line up with outermost crease, forming a triangle; repeat on top-right corner. Using index fingers and thumbs, pinch together outside points of each triangle so they meet, and crease.
3. While still pinching triangles, fold down top edge (this will make sleeves).
4. Turn paper upside down, and flip it over. Fold down top edge 3/4 inch.
5. Flip paper over. Fold top left and right corners so tips meet at centerline.
6. Tuck bottom edge under collar, and flatten by creasing. For the tie, cut out an 8-by-1/2-inch strip of decorative paper. Knot paper. Snip close to knot on one side; trim other to a point. Glue to shirt.
Football Cookies
Ingredients
Large, soft cookies (we used Archway oatmeal cookies)
Frosting
Food coloring
M&M’s Minis
Black decorator gel
Black licorice
Instructions
To make each one, first spread a thin layer of frosting on a large, soft cookie. Cut a square from a second cookie to create a helmet shape and set it atop the first.
Coat the helmet with frosting tinted the color of your family’s favorite team, then add eyes (M&M’s Minis with black decorators’ gel dots), a black string licorice face mask, and 2 more M&M’s Minis for the helmet’s ear holes.
Magnetic Bookmarks
For the dads who love books, but hate to lose their spot here is a great and very easy idea.
Tools and Materials
Heavyweight paper
Scissors
Self-healing mat
Straightedge
Craft knife
Bone folder
Self-adhesive magnets
Bookmark How-To
Print any of our bookmark templates. Cut out image, and make slits along solid black lines for collar. Fold along dotted lines. Unfold, and place wrong side up. Adhere magnet to one end. Adhere a second to opposite end, so magnets will align when the bookmark is folded over.
Wrap a rubber band around a notepad cube and have kids write greetings and make drawings on two sides with a broad, pointy marker. (Fine tips will get caught between the pages.) Move band, and decorate the other two sides. Tie the notepad with a colorful ribbon. As an added gift, slide in a pen.
Sources Blank note cubes, $4.95 for three, from Oriental Trading, 800-228-2269 or orientaltrading.com.
Fish Card
What you’ll need:
1 sheet of blue construction paper
Patterned paper (stripes, polka dots, etc)
Scraps of yellow and green construction paper
Toothpick
3″ string
2 medium wiggle eyes
Scrap of tan felt or paper
Scrap of white paper
Hole punch
Pen or pencil
Scissors
Glue stick
White craft glue
Pattern
How to make it:
Fold the blue construction paper in half like a greeting card, set aside. (See photo.)
Print the pattern and cut the letter “D” out. Trace the “D” onto the paper and cut out the letter. Repeat for the other piece of patterned paper.
Cut out one of each triangle shape from the pattern from the yellow construction paper. Repeat with the green construction paper. Use a glue stick to attach the tail and fins to the fish by gluing to the back of the D shaped patterned paper. (See photo.)
Cut the pointed ends off of the toothpick. Tie the string to one end of the toothpick and trim one end. This is your fishing pole letter “A”. (See photo.)
First place your fish and your fishing pole (D A D) onto the front of the card. Once you have them where you want them, use the glue stick to attach the “D’s” and the white craft glue to attach the “A”. (See photo.)
Glue on wiggle eyes and use a sharp pencil to draw a hook at the end of the fishing line. Let dry completely.
Tips:
While patterned paper is cute, you can also have children make their own by coloring white paper with markers or crayons and cutting out your D’s.
Use card stock instead of construction paper for a sturdier card.
Don’t throw away any scraps, cut or tear them into small squares and keep in a zipper gallon bag for future projects. Great for mosaics!
BBQ Cupcakes
This clever trio is a tasty way to honor the King of the Grill on Father’s Day.
Ingredients
Brownie batter
Black food coloring
White frosting
Orange sugar
Caramel creams
Red, yellow, and green candy fruit slices
Hot Tamales candies
Instructions
To make a batch of 12, place liners in a muffin pan, oil them, and fill them two thirds full of your favorite brownie batter, then bake according to the recipe directions. Let the brownies cool.
In a small bowl, mix one or two drops of black food coloring with 1/4 cup white frosting. Transfer the frosting to a ziplock bag and snip a small section from the corner. Pipe grate lines onto each brownie and let them set for 20 minutes. Add embers with a sprinkle of orange sugar.
Prepare the grill food as instructed below and press it in place atop each brownie.
Kebabs = A caramel cream and red, yellow, and green candy fruit slices, cut into small pieces + toothpick skewers
Pork chop = two thirds of a caramel cream, molded with fingers + black food coloring, applied with a toothpick
Hot dogs = Hot Tamales candies + black food coloring, applied with a toothpick
Tee Time Cake
Ingredients
1 cooled 9- by 13-inch sheet cake
green frosting
white frosting
blue decorators’ gel
light brown sugar
1 cup of shredded coconut
6 drops of green food coloring
chopsticks
spearmint candy leaves
pretzel sticks
1 piece of paper
green decorating sugar
3-inch strip of fruit leather
mini jawbreaker or white Tic Tac or jelly bean
Instructions
Bake and cool a 9- by 13-inch sheet cake. Dig out 3 shallow trenches (for the sand traps and pond) near the edges, as shown.
Cover the rest of the cake with grassy green frosting, but coat the trenches with plain white frosting. For the pond, top the white frosting with blue decorators’ gel, spreading it with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon.
Coat the sand traps with a layer of light brown sugar, packing it firmly to give them depth.
To make the rough, combine 1 cup of shredded coconut and 6 drops of green food coloring in a small covered container and shake it well. Sprinkle the coconut around the edges of the cake, avoiding the fairway.
For each tree, use a chopstick to poke a hole in the bottom of a spearmint candy leaf, insert a pretzel stick, and plant it in the cake as you see fit.
For a neat putting green, cut a 3-inch circular hole in a piece of paper or cardboard, then lay the stencil on the fairway and fill the circle with green decorating sugar.
To make the flag, wrap a 3-inch strip of fruit leather around a pretzel stick, pressing together the ends. Trim it into a pennant and set it on the green.
Finally, add a mini jawbreaker (or push a white Tic Tac or jelly bean into the turf) for a golf ball. Fore!
Valentine’s Hat
What you’ll need:
Red pre-cut adhesive-backed craft foam hearts in small (2) and large (2) sizes
Red chenille stems
Wire cutters
Pen
Scissors
Hot glue gun
White poster board
Ruler
Stapler, tape, or glue (to fasten hat together)
Pink pre-cut adhesive-backed craft foam hearts in small size (optional)
How to make it:
Cut a strip of poster board to fit around a child’s head and about 2″ wide.
Determine where the sides of a child’s head is by trying the band on. Mark with pen.
Cut red chenille stems in half using the wire cutters.
Glue the stems on the outside of the poster board where marked.
Glue a small heart over each of the chenille stems that are attached to the poster board.
Glue a large red heart at the other end of each of the chenille stems.
Let the children decorate using the remaining small craft foam hearts or any other decoration such as lace, stickers, markers, and crayons.
Tape, glue, or staple the hat closed to fit the child. (Paper clips also work)
Tips:
If you cannot find pre-cut foam hearts, buy regular sheets of craft foam and cut out hearts yourself.
You can use a cookie cutter to obtain a heart shape. You can use tacky glue, but it will need to set up overnight before wearing.
Stained Glass Hearts
What you’ll need:
Waxed paper
Crayon shavings (adults can shave crayons with a scissors or knife)
Scissors
Iron
Hole punch
A few inches of string or ribbon
How to make it:
Fold a piece of waxed paper in half. Draw half a heart with the center of the heart at the fold.
Open the waxed paper and place it flat on your work surface.
Sprinkle/place the crayon shavings on the waxed paper. Little ones may sprinkle randomly, while older kids may want to make a pattern with the shavings. A light layer of shavings works best.
Cover the waxed paper with an additional piece of waxed paper. Put a paper towel on top of the waxed paper (this will protect your iron), then have an adult iron the two layers of waxed paper together on low heat.
Cut out the heart image. Punch a hole near the top of your heart and thread a string through the hole for hanging the heart . Hang it in front of a window so the light can shine through.
Heart Card
What you’ll need:
Heart shaped cookie cutter, about 4-5″
Pink craft foam (We used glittery foam for the front and plain for inside)
Scissors
1 drinking straw
Pencil
Craft knife
2 fluffy pink feathers
White craft glue
White paint pen or a marker
How to make it:
Trace two cookie cutter shapes onto the pink craft foam. (See photo.) If using two different colors, trace once on to each color.
Cut the hearts out.
Lay the drinking straw across the front of one of the hearts. Position it at an angle, then holding the straw in place, use a pencil to lightly mark two dots at the “entry” and “exit” points where you want the “arrow” to go through.
Use the craft knife to cut slits in the heart, using the photo above as a guide.
Insert the straw through the slits.
Use the craft knife or scissors to cut a one inch slit down the center of the left end of the straw. Cut a triangle, about 2″ in length, from the pink craft foam and insert it into the slit you just made in the straw. Add a little craft glue to secure.
Put some craft glue inside the other end of the straw and insert the two pink feathers.
Place the second pink foam heart on the table in front of you. Pipe a line of white craft glue to the top humps of the heart. Place the heart with the straw through it on top of the heart with the glue and line it up exactly. Let the glue dry.
When the glue is dry, open the card and write “hug me” inside!
Tips:
Parents should handle the craft knife as it is quite sharp.
If you don’t have a cookie cutter, make a simple heart and trace it onto your foam.
If you prefer, you can write a longer note inside. If you choose to write something longer, write your message on the foam before gluing the top heart onto the lower heart.
Candy Rings
What you’ll need:
1 chenille stem per ring (pink, purple, light blue, white, or red)
White craft glue
Wrapped candies
How to make it:
Wrap the entire chenille around the child’s finger, and then slide it off.
Take the end of the chenille and wrap it around the circle to secure the ring.
Place a wrapped candy on the table and add some white craft glue.
Place the ring in top of the glue and let dry.
Tips:
Do not use unwrapped candies for this project. Not only would it prove to be messy and sticky, you don’t want children ingesting even small amounts of craft glue.
Chenille stems have pointy ends, just be careful with smaller children.
Foil wrapped chocolate hearts are an ideal candy for this project!
Lollipop Cozies
What you’ll need:
6″ x 4″ piece of Valentine themed fabric
Scissors
3 stick pins
Needle
White thread
Lollipop
Pattern
How to make it:
Print pattern. Fold the piece of paper the pattern is printed on at the fold line indicated on the pattern. Cut pattern out so when the paper is opened, it is in the shape of a heart.
Fold fabric over so that it is two-ply thick. Place pattern onto fabric and pin in place.
Cut around pattern then remove pins and pattern.
Place the lollipop on top of the fabric you just cut out. You will need to make sure that the bottom opening is large enough for the head of the lollipop to fit through. Trim the open of the fabric as needed.
Use a simple stitch (such as a blanket stitch) to sew the two pieces of fabric together. (See photo.) Be sure to leave the bottom open to slide the lollipop into. Tie off the ending stitch and slide the lollipop inside!
Tips:
If you prefer, use hot glue or fabric glue instead of sewing.
You can use felt instead of fabric, just be sure you have a sturdy needle.
If you like, add two strands of ribbon to the left and right side of the cozy opening, then tie them together after the lollipop is inside.
Hand Print Wall Hanging
What you’ll need:
1 sheet pink construction paper
9″ x 12″ piece of white poster board or cardstock
Crepe paper streamers in festive colors cut into 14″ lengths
18″ piece of yarn
Crayons
Acrylic paints (we used light blue, red and pink)
Scissors
Tape
Paintbrush
How to make it:
Have child make a fist with both hands.
Start with the left hand. Use paintbrush to paint the side of their pinky finger and the side of the hand below it. Press onto the poster board to form the left side of the heart. Repeat these steps with the right hand, creating the right side of the heart.
Repeat step 2 for each child, use different colors if you like.
While the paint is drying on the poster board, wash off children’s hands and cut the crepe paper streamers into 14″ lengths. You will 7 all together.
When the painted hearts are dry, trim the poster board edge(s) to fit evenly onto the pink construction paper, this will be your framed border. Be sure to leave room above and below the hearts to write names and a greeting.
Glue poster board to the construction paper, and then trim construction paper if needed.
Use crayons to write children’s names below their handprint hearts.
Use crayon to write Happy Valentine’s Day above the hearts.
Turn paper over and tape the crepe paper strips to the back of the paper so that they will hang down from the bottom of the sheet.
Use tape to attach the yarn hanger to the back, trim with scissors if needed.
Hang up on a door or a wall for everyone to see!
Tips:
Watch the clearance racks for yarn, you can often find it for as little as 50 cents.
If you don’t have cardstock, use construction paper for this project!
Buy construction paper in large variety packs to have on hand for impromptu projects.
Bread Dough Ornaments
From Kaboose.com: Bread dough clay has been around for years because it’s very easy to make and just as easy to use. You and your kids will have a blast making these ornaments.
What you’ll need:
5 slices of white bread, crusts removed
1 tablespoon white craft glue
Cooking spray
Bowl
Rolling pin
Cookie cutters
Toothpick
Cooling rack
Glitter glue and paint
String
How to make it:
Wad each piece of bread in your hand then place into a mini food processor or blender. Only adults should run these appliances. (See photo.)
Process the bread until it turns into crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a bowl.
Spray the tablespoon with cooking spray so that the glue will slide out easily. Fill the tablespoon with glue then pour it into the bread crumbs. (See photo.)
Mix the glue and bread crumbs together with your fingers until completely incorporated. Keep working it with your hands and fingers until it feels consistent. (See photo.)
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin and cut out ornaments with cookie cutters. (See photo.)
Use a toothpick to create a hole near the top of each shape and place the ornaments on a cooling rack to dry. Leave the toothpicks in the holes so that they do not close up and allow to dry overnight. (See photo.)
Now you can decorate your ornaments however you like. You can paint them with paint and/or glitter glue, or even decorate them with markers. You can also leave your ornaments plain. (See photo.)
Run a piece of string through the hole and tie to create the hanger.
Tips:
You can skip the need for the food processor or blender by tearing the bread into pieces and mixing with the glue. The process is much longer, but will achieve the same result.
If you have a pasta maker, run your dough through it instead of using the rolling pin!
If you are not concerned about the end color results, you do not need to remove the crusts from the bread.
Soda Bottle Polar Bear
From Kaboose.com
Turn an empty two liter soda bottle into this cute giggling polar bear! Choose your child’s favorite colors for the hair and mittens.
What you’ll need:
Gesso (recommended: Liquitex Basics Gesso)
White and black acrylic craft paint
Paint brush
2 liter plastic bottle
2 mismatched socks
Black marker
Pink crayon
Scissors
12″ white yarn
White craft glue
Rice, pebbles, pennies, sand, etc (for weight)
Pattern
How to make it:
Remove all labels from bottle and rinse out well. Allow to dry, add some weights (pennies, sand, rice, etc.) and place cap back on bottle.
Paint bottle with one coat of gesso and let dry. Paint with one coat of white paint and let dry.
Cut one of the socks on half (see image). You will be using the end with the cuff. Use scissors to fringe the cut end of the sock (see image).
Use pattern to draw face on the front of the bottle using a black marker (see image). Fill in the nose with black paint. Use a pink crayon to color circles for cheeks (see image).
Using the pattern, cut out two mittens from the other sock. Glue one mitten so that it is partially covering the bear’s mouth. Glue the other one lower and pointing toward her belly.
Place the cuff end of the first pink sock over the top of the bottle cap. Use yarn to tie a knot around the sock in between the cuff and the fringe. Tie yarn into a bow trim off excess ends, leaving a couple of inches in place. Arrange the fringe so that it flops on top of the hat.
Tips:
Don’t toss out your mismatched socks! Save them for fun winter projects such as this.
Instead of a two liter bottle, you can make this smaller with a water bottle. We used a 3 liter bottle for ours!
Gesso is a craft medium that allows paint to adhere to many surfaces. It is available in the art department of your local craft supply store.
Snowman Thermometer
What you’ll need:
1 jumbo craft stick
White acrylic paint
White and red glitter glue
2″ piece of white chenille stem
2 medium blue pom-poms
Wax paper
½ orange toothpick
1 blue toothpick (colored toothpicks are not required, plain will work)
Scrap of material for scarf
Scrap of white paper for sign
Black marker
White craft glue
Glue stick
Scissors
How to make it:
Paint craft stick white and let dry. Repeat if needed.
Make the snowman face by using a black marker to draw on eyes, eyebrows, and a mouth. Glue the orange toothpick piece between the eyes and the mouth.
Place a piece of wax paper on the work surface. Glue the blue toothpick to the back of the craft stick, about 2.5″ down from the top. Leave about 2/3 of the toothpick visible. Cut a piece of white paper, about 2″x3″ (approximately) and fold in half. On one half, use a black marker to write “BRRR!” Line the inside with a glue stick and fold it around the blue toothpick to create the sign. (See image.)
Glue a piece of scrap material around the neck area to create a scarf.
Bend the chenille so that it is rounded and fits around the top of the craft stick. This is the band for your ear muffs. Glue in place. Trim a little off the side of a pom-pom (to make one side flatter) and glue to the side of the craft stick where the chenille ends. Repeat on the other side.
Starting at the bottom of the craft stick, use the red glitter glue to create a “ball” of mercury, then draw a line halfway up the stick. (See image.)
Switch to the white glitter glue and continue up the craft stick until you reach the scarf. Let glitter glue dry, this will take several hours. (See image.)
Use a fine tip black marker to add dashes and numbers to your thermometer, including the Fahrenheit and Celcius symbols (F and C).
Tips:
Jumbo craft sticks are available at discount department stores and craft supply stores.
Hint: Start your number 0 where the red and white meet, then fill in remaining numbers from there.
Glitter glue takes several hours to dry, so be sure and plan accordingly.
Cereal Box Snowman
What you’ll need:
Empty cereal box
Zipper sandwich bag
Rice, dry beans, pebbles, pennies, etc (for weight)
Tape
Acrylic gesso (recommended: Liquitex Basics Gesso)
White, black & yellow acrylic paint
2 foam cups (coffee size)
Construction paper: yellow, orange, light blue
Pink crayon or colored pencil
Black marker
Glue stick
White craft glue
Scissors
How to make it:
Fill sandwich bag with rice, pennies, dry beans, or anything else you like that will give your box some weight. Seal the baggie and place it inside the box. Tape the top of the box closed.
Paint the entire box with gesso and let dry. Paint entire box with white paint and let dry. (See image.)
While box is drying, cut slits in the side of each of the foam cups. Cut the slits to about an inch and a half from the bottom of the cup. (See image.) Bend each flap to snap off the sides of the cup. (See image.) Use scissors to trim the rest of the cup evenly.
Paint the bottom and sides of the cups (ear muffs) with yellow paint and let dry. (See image.)
Cut a one inch wide strip of construction paper, the full length of the sheet (about 11″). Center the strip across the top of the cereal box and glue in place. There should be a couple of inches that hang over each side. Glue those down on the sides of the box. This will be your ear muff headband. (See image.)
Cut a triangle from orange construction paper for the “carrot nose.” Glue the nose to the front of the box.
Cut three 1-inch wide strips of light blue construction paper. Glue all three together, end to end. (See image.)
You should now have one long strip. Use scissors to fringe both ends, this will be your scarf. (See image.) Glue the scarf around the bottom of the cereal box so that both ends are to the right.
Dip your finger in black paint and dot on an eye. Move your finger in a circular motion to make the black circle larger. Repeat for other eye and the dotted mouth.
Use a black marker to add eyebrows and a pink crayon to add cheeks. (See image.)
Use white craft glue to attach the yellow cups to the sides of the cereal box, lining up with the ends of the yellow construction paper strip.
Tips:
Gesso is a craft medium that is available at your local craft store in the art department. Gesso provides a surface that paint adheres well to.
Alternatively, children can use a black marker to add eyes and a mouth instead of the paint.
Instead of a cereal box you can use a cracker or granola bar box.
Polka Dot Ornament
What you’ll need:
Glass ball ornaments
Red and green acrylic paint
Paint brush
ribbon
empty egg carton
How to make it:
Turn the empty egg carton upside down. This will serve as your stand as you decorate.
Place ornament upside down on egg carton, resting it between egg cups.
Using the handle end of a paint brush, dip the end of the handle into paint then dot onto the ornament. You will need to re-dip after each dot.
Dot all around the ornament and let dry completely.
Once dry, tie a piece of ribbon through the hanger hook on the ornament.
Tips:
You can use clear glass ornaments for this easy project, or if you prefer, use frosted or colored bulbs, adjusting the paint color accordingly.
Glass ornaments are available in abundance at most stores that carry holiday decorations. You may even have some packed away in your Christmas boxes!
Change the size of the polka dots by using different sized paint brushes.
Penguin Pals
Gourd Candles
Using small winter squash as molds creates graceful shapes for these candles, and they can be made at home quite easily. Choose various colors of tablets to represent the range of harvest tones.
Materials and Tools:
acorn and hubbard squash (and others, if available)
beeswax or regular paraffin candle wax (allow about 1/2 lb. for each candle)
yellow, orange, coral and/or purple wax color tablets
candle wicks
wick tips
melon baller
double boiler
Steps:
Cut off the tops of the squash and hollow out the insides. (For hubbard squash, scrape out the seeds with a large spoon. For acorn squash, use the melon baller to scoop out the flesh, following the natural grooves of the squash, making the grooves as deep as possible, and smoothing them with the back of a spoon.)
Melt the wax in the top part of the double boiler over–not in–boiling water.
As the wax melts, add color tablets. If you want to make different colored candles, melt the wax in batches, adding various color tablets each time.
Meanwhile, cut lengths of wick a few inches longer than the squash are tall. Attach the wick tabs to the wicks.
When the wax is completely melted, carefully pour into a squash. Drop in one wick tab, with the wick attached, and let it settle to the bottom.
Lay a pencil across the top of the squash and drape the end of the wick over it so it is as centered as possible. Repeat, in batches if you like, to make more candles.
Let the candles harden completely–about five to six hours, then peel the outside of the squash away from the wax.
Leaf Napkin Rings
These napkin rings mirror nature’s beauty.
What you need:
Gold polymer clay
1 button, 3/4 inches tall, leaf-shaped
Tracing paper (optional)
Needle tool or wooden toothpick (optional)
Skewer
Baking dish
Gloss varnish
Paintbrush
10-inch piece of 3/8-inch-wide ribbon for each napkin ring
Fall leaves (optional)
Instructions:
1. Mold and stamp clay beads. Knead clay between the palms of your hands until smooth and pliable. For each napkin ring, form a 3/8-inch-thick cube-shape bead measuring 3/4 inch x 1 inch. Press the leaf button into the clay on the top of each bead to imprint pattern. (If a leaf button is not available, draw or trace a small leaf pattern onto tracing paper; cut out. Center pattern on bead, and use a needle tool or toothpick to carve around the pattern. Remove pattern; carve veins in leaf.)
2. Make holes and bake beads. To make holes in beads, push the skewer through the centers horizontally. Leave beads spaced on the skewer, and place it on a baking dish so the ends of skewer rest on the sides of the dish, allowing the beads to hang without touching the bottom of the dish. Bake beads according to clay manufacturer’s instructions; cool.
3. Finish with varnish and ribbon. Apply varnish to all sides of each bead, using a paintbrush; let dry. Remove beads from skewer. Thread a length of ribbon through each bead. Wrap each napkin holder around a folded napkin, tying the ribbon in back. If desired, insert a fall leaf between the napkin ring and napkin.
Cornucopia Centerpiece
Make your own beautiful cornucopia for a festive Thanksgiving centerpiece.
Styrofoam balls (any desired size)
Tacky glue
Variety of beans (split peas, small redbeans, navy beans, black beans, and lentil beans)
Black acrylic paint (optional)
Instructions:
1. Cover a small area of the Styrofoam ball with glue. Start placing your beans onto the glued area, trying to keep the beans in horizontal rows.
2. Allow each section to dry before starting a new area to help prevent the beans from falling or sliding off while working. If desired, when using black beans, first paint the Styrofoam ball black and allow the paint to dry before gluing on the beans.
Coffee Can Scarecrow
This adorable scarecrow made from a coffee can is the perfect decoration for your fall party table!
What you’ll need:
Coffee can
2 sheets tan felt
Small scrap of orange felt
2 large mismatched buttons
18″ twine
Scissors
White craft glue
Instant grab glue
Raffia
Small straw hat
2 silk flowers
How to make it:
Put lid on coffee can. Cover coffee can with tan felt using white craft glue.
Place coffee can on its side and use instant grab glue to pipe on the mouth. Cut twine to fit on the glue smile and press in place. Cut remaining twine into one inch pieces. Use instant grab glue to attach to the smile in a stitch type fashion.
To make the nose, cut a triangle from orange felt and use instant grab glue to attach it just above the smile.
Use instant grab glue to attach two buttons for eyes.
Stand coffee can up and pipe a generous amount of white craft glue onto the coffee can lid. Cut raffia into 18″ lengths and place on top of lid, covering the lid (be sure the raffia lines up properly with the facial features!). Let dry.
Glue the hat onto the raffia hair.
Glue two silk flowers to the hat.
Tips:
Many coffee companies are moving using plastic containers. You can still use these plastic containers to create this craft, or scale down the size and use a vegetable can instead.
If you prefer a more cutesy face, use wiggle eyes instead of buttons.
Yarn can be used instead of twine for the smile.
Water color Leaf Rubbing
By using certain crayon colors matched with brown watercolor paint, you can create a cool, almost neon affect with your leaf rubbings!
What you’ll need:
Various leaves
2 sheets of white copy paper
Glue stick
2 paper clips
Orange and green crayons
Water color paints: brown, orange, yellow, red
1 sheet orange construction paper
How to make it:
Place a piece of white paper onto the work surface. Arrange leaves face down, onto the paper. Tack them in place with a glue stick.
Place the second piece of paper over the top of the first and hold together with a couple of paper clips.
Use orange and green crayons to color over the top of the leaves on the paper, causing the imprint of the leaves’ veins to show through.
Remove the paper clips and take the paper with the leaves out from underneath your rubbing.
Paint over the top of the entire picture using brown watercolor paint. Water down the paint so it is rather thin and add a bit more paint when painting over the leaves since it will bead up a little. Spread the paint around with your fingers and spread it around. You will see the colors of the crayons come through the paint.
Mount the white paper on a larger piece of colored construction paper to give it a framed look.
Tips:
This creates a pretty cool picture on the back of your painting as well! Turn it over to see the result.
Look for leaves that are free of bugs or any small growths.
You do not have to use a glue stick to attach the leaves, but it does help to keep them in place.
Leafy Door Hanging
Celebrate the return of fall right from your front door. Kids will love putting this craft together by getting their hands dirty with finger painting.
What you’ll need:
1 large piece of art paper or 2 sheets of white construction paper
Acrylic craft paint in fall colors such as red, orange, brown, yellow, gold and green
Scissors
15″ twig or branch
4- 15″ lengths of jewelry cord
White craft glue
Football-shaped cookie cutter (optional)
How to make it:
Using a paper plate or paint palette, squeeze out about a quarter-size dollop of each color of paint.
Finger paint the entire piece of art paper with the different colors. Let children be creative, just guide them if they start to blend colors too much as you can end up with a brownish gray color. Let the paint dry completely.
When the paint has dried, turn the paper over and do the same thing on the other side. Let dry.
When paint has dried, use a football-shaped cookie cutter to draw out as many shapes as you can on the painted paper. If you don’t have a cookie cutter, draw out simple leaf shapes.
Cut out the leaf shapes and set the scraps aside to use for another project.
Set a bug-free branch on the work surface. (See the tips section for methods of ridding branches from bugs.) Line up three pieces of the jewelry cord, evenly spaced from each other, along the stick.
Glue the leaves onto the cord, placing one under the cord, and then overlapping a second leaf over the first leaf and the cord. Repeat until all three cords have leaves.
Tie the top end of the cords to the stick. Secure with some white craft glue.
Tie the remaining piece of jewelry cord to both ends of the stick to create the hanger. Secure knots with some glue. Let glue dry.
Trim the excess cord ends.
Tips:
Save the reserved scraps of painted paper for another project. These would be perfect for a mosaic craft.
Rid twigs of bugs by soaking them in a combination of water and bleach. Fill a bathtub up half way and pour in 2 cups of bleach. Make sure to turn the twigs so all sides are soaked. After 24 hours, transfer the twigs into a large clean plastic bucket and soak in cold water for an additional 24 hours. Let dry completely before using.
White craft glue is best and safest, but hot glue can be used to attach the cord to the sticks and will adhere faster.
Chalk-Paint
Need a quick summer activity that will keep your kids busy for hours? Try making (yes, we said making) your own chalk paint out of ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
What you need:
1-2 cups corn starch (depending on how many colors you want)
1-2 cups water
1 box food coloring
An old or disposable muffin tin
Sponge paintbrushes
What to do:
Place 2 tablespoons corn starch into one cup of the muffin tin.
Pour 2 tablespoons water on top of the corn starch
Add 4 drops food coloring (any color) to the muffin tin. Stir well.
Repeat for each color that you’d like to make (Note: This would be a good time to each your kids about mixing colors. They can make purple by mixing blue and red or make orange by mixing red and yellow)
Give your kids each a foam brush and head outside to paint on the driveway, street or sidewalk.
Bubbles
What you need:
½ cup dishwashing liquid Joy and Dawn brands seem to work best
1½ cup of water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup or glycerin You can find glycerin at the drugstore.
A bowl
A measuring cup and spoon
What to do:
Measure out the ingredients.
Dump them into a bowl.
Mix them up and blow, blow, blow using leftover wands from store-bought bubbles, or make your own from pipe cleaners, wire, hangers or even string!
Backpack Keychain
Have your kid make this cool double-duty keychain/coin holder out of a plastic clip and a bottle. He’ll be good to go with his cash and keys all in one place. Now if only you were that organized!
What you need:
Prescription pill bottle or film canister or some little jar or vial about that size. (If you pick a prescription bottle, just make sure to clean it out before you use it.)
A small spiky rubber ball – Get them cheap at the dollar store.
Construction paper – Just a piece will do.
Big googly eyes
Needle nose pliers
A safety pin
Hot glue gun: Kids and hot glue don’t mix, so make sure you do all the gluing.
A carabineer: Look at the dollar store, craft store or outdoor store and buy a cheapie one.
Super glue
A keychain on a ring: Buy one at your local hardware or craft store.
Embellishments: Small pom-poms, craft foam scraps, buttons, yarn, etc.
Hot glue gun and glue sticks: Kids and hot glue don’t mix, so make sure you do all the gluing!
Scissors
What to do:
Get your kid to remove all the stickers from the bottle.
Remove the cap and use the safety pin to poke a hole 1/2 inch down from the top of the bottle. This is definitely a grown-up job and even you should be super careful!
Next, make hole bigger by sticking one side of the needle nose pliers nail into the hole.
Have your kid pull out his favorite color of construction paper and lay the medicine bottle down in one corner of it.
Now, for a math lesson: Help your kid measure the height of the bottle and mark it on the paper.
Using the hole you poked as a guide, roll the medicine container one turn and mark with a pen—this will be the circumference of the bottle. Help your kid connect the marks to make a long rectangle and cut out.
Have your kid glue the paper onto the bottle to cover it.
Using the safety pin, re-poke the hole from the inside to poke through the construction paper.
Next, let your kid glue a face onto the bottle using googly eyes, pom-poms for the nose and craft foam for the mouth. Let it dry.
Using about 3 inches of the keychain, open up the last loop of the chain with the needle nose pliers to straighten it.
Push it through the hole in the bottle and then bend the chain on the inside so it won’t slip out.
Use the pliers to bend the other end around to close the loop outside of the bottle so the chain won’t fall apart.
Next, attach the keychain ring to the end of the chain and attach the carabineer to the keychain ring.
Use super glue to glue the spiky rubber ball to the top of the lid of the bottle to make the hair.
When everything is dry, have your kid fill the container with lunch money or his key and put the lid back on.
Let your kit attach the carabineer to his back pack and tote his kooky new friend (and his cash) to school!
Dad & Me Coffee Mug
What you’ll need:
White coffee mug
Enamel paints: black, red, blue or pink
Thin pointed paint brush
How to make it:
Be sure that coffee mug is clean and dry.
Use child’s thumb and red enamel paint to add the “daddy” figure on the cup. You can make the figure larger if it looks too small.
Use blue paint (or pink for a girl) and pointing finger to add the child on the cup.
Use a thin paint brush to draw on legs and arms, connect arms between characters so that they are holding hands.
Use thin paintbrush to add hair.
Use thin paintbrush to write “Daddy” above the characters and “& me” below the characters.
Bake mug in the oven as directed on the back of the enamel paint bottle. You can also air dry, however air drying requires many days as opposed to a few hours in a low temp oven.
Tips:
Acrylic paints will wash off this mug. However, if the mug will be used for decorative purposes only you may use acrylic paints and coat with acrylic sealer. Wipe clean with a damp cloth when needed.
Check your local dollar store for inexpensive mugs.
Personalize this mug even more by writing your dad’s first name on the other side.
Hand Print Poem
What you’ll need:
Small child in play clothing.
Print out of handprint poem (make extra copies).
Optional small photo of child.
Water based paints – finger paints or tempera paints.
Bowl or something to hold the paint.
Brush or sponge to apply paint to child’s hand.
Paper towels or some other way to do a quick cleanup!
How to make it:
Here’s the poem for you to copy, format and print in your favorite word processor, or you can print out this version :
Sometimes you get discouraged
Because I am so small
And always leave my fingerprints
On furniture and walls
But every day I’m growing –
I’ll be grown some day
And all those tiny handprints
Will surely fade away
So here’s a little handprint
Just so you can recall
Exactly how my fingers looked
When I was very small
Put a date here
Love, put child’s name here
What to do:
Print the poem (make extra copies).
Apply the paint to the child’s hand, then press their hand to the paper near the poem. This might take several attempts to get a good print, patience is the key.
Clean that little hand, before you get handprinted, too!
Personalize with the date and name (if it isn’t already).
Let dry, then glue on a photo, if desired.
Family Magnets
What you’ll need:
Photographs of family members
Flat backed clear marbles
Round magnets
White craft glue
Scissors
How to make it:
Choose photos that have family members smiling and their faces will fit inside the marble. Place the marble onto the photo to gauge size. This is great for using snapshots that don’t have very good framing or are otherwise not frame worthy. (See photo.)
Once you have decided on a photo, place marble over face and trace around with a pen. (See photo.)
Cut the face out inside the trace line.
Use your finger to smear a thin layer of white glue onto the flat back of the marble.
Press the marble gently down onto the cut out photo face. Allow to dry. 6. Glue a magnet to the back and let dry. (See photo.)
Tips:
If you prefer not to cut up photos, kids can draw faces on white paper using crayons. Markers may run with the glue, so crayons are best.
Make a great gift set by creating magnets using the faces of everyone in your family–Mom, Dad, brother, sister, and even your pet!
These are perfect for hanging on an office file cabinet, at home on the fridge or on Dad’s toolbox.
Salt Dough Flower Magnet
Spring is here! As April showers move in, may flowers will sprout. No need to wait for your own flowers, make some that will last all year long.
Hint: This is a very fun gift to give to teachers!
You will need
1 cup salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup water
purple and light blue acrylic paint
paintbrush
flower shaped cookie cutter
magnet
white craft glue or hot glue
IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe for salt dough makes a lot of projects. If you only plan on making a few, cut this recipe into fourths or in half.
What you do
Preheat oven to 250 F. Mix together, salt, flour, and water until a dough is formed. Knead the dough on a floured surface until the mixture is elastic and smooth. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle with flour, continue to do so until stickiness is gone. BE CAREFUL. Do not add too much flour, this will dry out the dough and will cause it to crack before you get a chance to bake it.
THIS DOUGH IS NOT EDIBLE, though it won’t hurt you or your kids, it just won’t taste very good!
Roll dough flat with a rolling pin, about 1/4″ – 1/2″ thick.
Use cookie cutter to cut out flowers. Roll a small piece of dough into a ball and flatten onto the center of the flower cut out.
Bake for approximately 2 – 2.5 hours. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. For best results, allow to cool and dry overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
Paint flower with one or two coats of purple paint, then paint center of flower wih light blue.
Let dry completely. Glue a magnet to the back of the flower.
Cardboard tube Campfire and Marshmallows
Camping season is almost here! Children love to pretend, so nurture that creative side by making this easy campfire and roasting marshmallows from toilet paper rolls and cotton balls. Your child will love pretending she’s roasting tasty treats on an open fire!
What You Need
6 cardboard tubes
brown acrylic or poster paint
large paintbrush
tissue paper: yellow, red and orange
2 twigs
cotton balls
white craft glue
hot glue gun
What you do
Paint all cardboard tubes with brown paint and let dry. repeat for a second coat if needed.
Cut tissue paper into three squares for each color. The yellow squares should be a little larger than the orange and the orange should be a little larger than the red.
Glue cotton balls to the ends of twigs for marshmallows.
Arrange cardboard tubes into a pile, you will need three of the tubes to be pointing upward with some room in the center of the pile where the tissue paper will be.
Use a hot glue gun to quickly tack them together, but reinforce with white glue as it holds together better.
Place a square of red tissue paper into the palm of your hand, lay a piece of orange on top of that and a piece of yellow on top of the orange square.
Stick your pointing finger into the center of the yellow square and close your palm around your finger. Hold tissue paper in place and remove your finger.
Put some glue on the end of the gathered tissue that is in your palm and insert it into one of the open cardboard tubes that are sticking up at the top of the campfire pile.
repeat this process for all the other two sets of tissue paper and glue into the remaining two tube that are pointing upward.
For added stability, and to make this easier for your child to carry, glue the entire project to a piece of sturdy cardboard to create a base. You can even create some pretend rocks to go around the campfire!
Egg Cup Insects
Bird Feeder
Compost Bin
This project isn’t only fun, it’s great for the environment and your garden. This Earth Day craft will help you create your own compost bin to keep on your porch or back deck.
What you’ll need:
3-5 gallon plastic storage bin with lid Craft paint in bright colors
Foam alphabet stamps (letters C, O, M, P, S, T), Foam leaf stamps, Clear acrylic sealer spray, Heavy-duty knife or power drill.
How to make it:
Have an adult cut the following holes into the storage bin: A series of holes, about a centimeter wide and three centimeters apart, along both edges of the bin. On the bottom of the bin, cut a hole one centimeter wide and three centimeters long in two opposite corners. The compost bin will need ventilation in order to let air and moisture circulate.
Place plastic bin on its side and use the craft pain to create designs. Use bright colors to create simple flowers, stems, leaves and grass.
Allow all the paint to dry.
In a well-ventilated area (preferably outdoors) spray all painted surfaces with acrylic sealer spray. Let dry. Repeat this process for a total of three times. This will help protect your painted surface form the outside elements.
Make your starter compost and place outside. If you are placing the bin on the porch or patio, you may want to use an extra lid cover as a drip pan.
Terrarium
What you’ll need:
Plastic 2 liter soda pop bottle with cap
Very sharp scissors or craft knife
Dirt or potting soil
Seeds
Water
How to make it:
Remove the label from the bottle. Discard label. Save cap!
Wash and rinse out the bottle and cap.
Cut the bottle close to the bottom. There may be a “line” near the end of where the label was, that’s a good place to cut. You can cut it higher if you wish.
Lightly place dirt or potting soil in the base.
Plant a few seeds in the dirt. (See photo.)
Lightly water.
Put the cap on the bottle.
Cover the base with the top of the bottle. You will have to fiddle with it a bit to fit back inside the base.
Place in a sunny spot and watch for your seeds to grow.
When the plants are ready, repot them or plant them in your garden.
Tips:
If your soil starts to look a little dry before your seeds come up, you can unscrew the cap and insert the head of spray bottle of water. Spritz several squirts into the terrarium.
This project can also be done with individual sized water bottles. Don’t plant more than two seeds in a small bottle like this or they will be overcrowded and won’t grow.
Marbled Eggs
Materials Needed:
Hard boiled or blown out eggs
- Food Coloring
- Vinegar
- Water
- Cooking Oil (You can use any kind)
Instructions:
In a coffee cup or similar sized container, mix about 20 drops of food coloring with 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Add 1/2 cup room temperature water, then add 1 tablespoon of oil. You can add more or less food coloring to get the desired shade.
Repeat the steps above to make different colors. Experiment with mixing colors. Mix red and blue to get purple, and mix red and yellow to make orange! If necessary, you can add a bit more water so an egg dipped into the dye is completely submerged.
Gently lower eggs in the cup. The longer you leave the eggs in the dye, the darker the colors will be. Once the egg reaches the desired color, remove from the cup with a spoon and set a paper towel to dry. Your eggs should end up colored in some spots with white streaks in others. If you want, color the eggs first and then dip them into the dye with oil. I ended up with better results if I kept the egg moving in the colored oil water than when I just let it sit… Experiment to see what works best for you.
Critter Eggs
Materials Needed:
- Hard boiled, blown out, or Plastic Eggs
- Miscellaneous Craft Supplies (see suggestions below)
- Glue
Instructions:
You can leave your eggs white or color them before you behgin. Let the eggs dry before decorating. If you cannot get the dye the desired color, paint your egg using acrylic paint. I would suggest only doing this with a blown out egg though. If you do use regular paint and glue with your hard boiled eggs, make sure they are non-toxic.
Use a variety of craft supplies to transform your eggs into different animals or even people. You can use, wiggle eyes, pom-poms, chenille stems, craft foam, construction paper, markers, yarn, and just about anything else you have on hand.
Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
Bunny – Add ears, eyes, nose, whiskers, and a pom-pom tail.
Chick- Add a beak, feet, eyes, and even feathers if you like.
Duck – Like the chick, add a beak, feet, eyes, and even feathers if you like.
Cat-Add ears, eyes, nose, whiskers, and a tail.
Dog- Add ears, eyes, nose, a tongue, and a tail.
Cow-Add ears, eyes, nose, horns, and even spots.
Pig- Add ears, eyes, snout, and a curly tail.
Mouse – Add ears, eyes, nose, and a long tail.
Ladybug- Add eyes, a mouth, and spots.
Butterfly-Add eyes, antennae, and wings.
Fish – Add eyes, a mouth, and fins.
Sticker Eggs
Materials Needed:
- Hard boiled or blown out eggs
- Con-Tact Paper and/or Stickers
- Scissors
- Food Coloring
- Vinegar
- Water
Instructions:
In a coffee cup or similar sized container, mix about 20 drops of food coloring with 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Add 1/2 cup room temperature water.
Repeat the steps above to make different colors. Experiment with mixing colors. Mix red and blue to get purple, and mix red and yellow to make orange! If necessary, you can add a bit more water so an egg dipped into the dye is completely submerged.
To prepare the eggs for dying, use stickers or shapes and designs cut out from Con-Tact paper. Any place you stick them on the egg will not get dyed. Experiment with different patterns.
Gently lower eggs in the cup. The longer you leave the eggs in the dye, the darker the colors will be. For some stickers, do not leave the egg in the dye for too long because the dye can bleed through. Also, make sure you flatten all the edges as much as possible because the dye can sneak under them. Once the egg reaches the desired color, remove from the cup with a spoon and let dry on a paper towel. Once dry, remove the rubber bands.
Crayon Eggs
Materials Needed:
- Hard boiled or blown out eggs
- White or Light Colored Coloring Crayon
- Food Coloring
- Vinegar
- Water
Instructions:
In a coffee cup or similar sized container, mix about 20 drops of food coloring with 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Add 1/2 cup room temperature water.
Repeat the steps above to make different colors. Experiment with mixing colors. Mix red and blue to get purple, and mix red and yellow to make orange! If necessary, you can add a bit more water so an egg dipped into the dye is completely submerged.
To prepare the eggs for dying, write messages and color designs using a white or light colored crayon. Experiment with different patterns and designs.
Gently lower eggs in the cup. The longer you leave the eggs in the dye, the darker the colors will be. Once the egg reaches the desired color, remove from the cup with a spoon and let dry on a paper towel. Once dry, remove the rubber bands.
Egg Holder
Supplies:
toilet paper roll
glue stick
fabric glue
ribbon
decorative paper
green paper
exacto knife
scissors
Cover a toilet paper roll with any paper of your choice. Let dry. I used a glue stick to adhere it to the TP roll. I find the paper stays flat and smooth using the glue stick.
Cut the roll into four sections using an sharp exacto knife and scissors. You should now have four pieces that look like the picture above.
Glue a piece of green paper in the inside of the tube. Match up the seam of the green paper with the seam of the decorative paper.
Cut the green paper to resemble grass. Glue a ribbon around the roll where the decorative paper and green paper meet. Done.
Pom Pom Eggs
You’ll Need:
Large yellow pom-pom, craft feathers, small wiggle eyes, orange felt or craft foam, , glue dots or craft glue (see note), a plastic Easter egg a large plastic button for place holders (optional)
Note: For this craft I recommend glue dots, thick craft glue or a hot glue gun (adults only). Regular white glue can be frustrating when using it on felt or pom-poms.
Craft Instructions:
This craft is best suited for children over 10, or younger children with adult assistance.
Snip a small triangle from the orange craft foam to make the beak.
If you are making place holders, glue the pom-pom onto a button and press firmly and then re-shape the pom-pom if needed–this is the stand.
If you are not making place holders then you do not need to use the buttons.
Select a yellow feather for the tail and attach it to the pom-pom with a glue dot. You may need to trim the feather a bit.
Now attach the eyes and beak with glue and place the chick into a plastic egg and you’re done!
For an Easter surprise cover the chick with the plastic egg top and include him in an Easter basket or with your egg hunt. or set a fun and festive Easter table with freshly hatched springtime chick place holders.
Laundry Bottle Pet Food Scoop
Even your pets can go green for Earth Day! Recycle an empty laundry bottle into a use scooper for your pet’s food.
What you’ll need:
- Plastic laundry bottle
- Felt in your favorite shades
- White craft glue
- Scissors or a sharp knife
- Felt alphabet stickers (optional)
How to make it:
- Have a grown up cut the top of the laundry bottle off, leaving the handle in tact.
- Remove packaging labels and wash the outside to remove any residue.
- Wash the inside thoroughly, making sure that all soap residue has been removed. A good rinse with very hot water will ensure all soap is gone.
- If using felt alphabet stickers, stick them to the front of the bottle, spelling out your pet’s name. If you don’t have the felt stickers, simply cut your pet’s name out of felt and glue them to the bottle.
- Cut out fun shapes such as bones, biscuits, and paw prints, and glue them all over the bottle.
- Let dry completely before using.
Butterflies
These beautifully vibrant butterflies are a great way to welcome spring! Suspend them from the ceiling with fishing line, or make several and attach to a paper plate mobile.
What you’ll need:
- ½ black chenille stem
- Paper coffee filter
- Water color paints
- Paint brush
- Water
How to make it:
- Flatten the coffee filter and place it on a plate or newspaper, the paint and water will soak through. Set aside on paper towels to dry.
- Fold the chenille stem in half. Remember, you are only using half of a chenille stem to begin with.
- Fold the coffee filter accordion style, in about ½” pleats.
- Position the pleated coffee filter into the bent end of the chenille stem. Center the filter at the bend.
- Twist the chenille stem around the filter to secure it in place.
- Bend the tips of the chenille stems over about ¼” to create the antennae.
- Fan out the butterfly wings.
- If desired, hang with yarn or fishing line.
Tips:
- For a more vibrant butterfly, be sure to paint all white areas with paint.
- Tie a piece of fishing line around the “neck” and suspend from the ceiling. They will look like they are flying!
- Instead of using all the colors on one filter, make some with warm colors (red, yellow, orange) and some with cool colors (blue, green, purple).
Pencil Cup
Surprise the bug-fancier in your family with an ‘I Love Bugs’ pencil cup. Recycle a Play-Doh can into just the thing for young students ‘bugged’ by homework.
For more great kids’ projects, check out our Spring crafts and Summer craftssections.
What you’ll need:
- Craft foam in the shape of bugs (recommended: Fibre-Craft’s lady bugs and caterpillars)
- Tacky glue
- Large rubber bands (that will fit around a Play-Doh container)
- Hole punch
- Any color of “Painters” paint markers, optional
- Pens or pencils
How to make it:
- Have kids customize their foam bugs. Kids can take the spots out of the red lady bugs and put them inside the black lady bugs, then put the spots from the black lady bugs and put them inside the red lady bugs.
- Let your child glue the bugs on the container wherever they would like.Note: Be sure to keep the bugs from being too near the top of the container so the lid can fit on.
- Carefully stretch a rubber band around the container to hold the bugs on until dry.
- Let your child pick one bug to glue on the lid.
- Together decide where and how many holes you want in the lid.
- Help your child maneuver the hole punch over the lip on the lid and onto the top of the lid.
- Punch out a few holes. You may have to punch a few times close to a hole to fit the pen or pencil into the hole.
- Let the glue dry overnight.
- Remove the rubber bands.
10. If you would like, you may add the child’s name to the container, or possibly one of the following phrases:
11.
- Cute as a bug.
- I love bugs.
- I’m bugged.
- Don’t bug me.
- Homework bugs me.
- Nothing bugs me.
- Bug off.
- Bzzzzz
12. Let the writing dry.
13. Place your pens and pencils in the holder.
14. Let your child keep it, give it to a grandparent, or even a teacher!
Jelly Bean Carrot
Here’s a bunch of carrots kids will definitely want to nibble on.
Materials
- Disposable clear plastic icing bags
- Orange jelly beans
- Scissors
- Green tissue paper
- Twist ties
Instructions
- Fill an icing bag with orange jelly beans, leaving at least 3 inches unfilled at the top.
- Cut out two 8-inch squares of green tissue paper and lay one on top of the other.
- Pick up the squares from the center and give them a little twist so you have a cone-shaped carrot top.
- Place the tissue, twisted end down, into the bag.
- Gather the bag at the top of the jelly beans and secure with a twist tie, wrapping the tie around the “stem” of the tissue paper, so the greenery sticks out of the top.
Ladybugs
Your kids can make these adorable ladybug rocks craft as shelf decorations, or make a large one as to be used on Mom’s desk as a paperweight. While the average ladybug is red, ours come in several vibrant colors.
What you’ll need:
- Smooth, round or oval rocks, washed and dried
- Acrylic craft paint in colors of our choice
- Black acrylic craft paint
- 2 wiggle eyes for each ladybug
- Black permanent marker
- Acrylic matte sealer spray
- White craft glue (recommended: Tacky Glue)
How to make it:
- Completely wash and dry all rocks.
- Paint rocks in desired colors, allow to dry. Apply second and third coats if needed. Lighter colors will require more coats than darker shades.
- Paint head on using black acrylic craft paint. There is no pattern needed, simply paint about ¼ of the rock black in the “front.”
- Use a black permanent marker to draw a straight line down the center of the rock, starting at the center of the base of the “head.”
- Dip the end of a large paint brush, or the eraser of a pencil, in black craft paint. Dot on the spots, reloading with paint after every dot.
- Once the paint is dry, spray the rock(s) with acrylic sealer spray. Allow sealer to dry completely.
- Using white craft glue, attach wiggle eyes and let dry.
Tips:
- If you are doing this in a group setting such as scouts or a classroom, you may find it easier to prepare the rocks ahead of time. Wash, dry and apply a coat of gesso (recommended: Liquitex Basics Gesso) to each rock. This is a craft medium (white) that works well with many projects. It will also create a base so that less coats of color paint will be required.
- Bigger rocks are easier for small hands to manipulate. They are also heavier, so be sure that there are enough adult helpers for a group of little ones.
- White and black paint can be used instead of wiggle eyes. Simply dot on white paint, allow to dry, then use a smaller tool to dot on the black.
- If you cannot find suitable rocks outside, you can purchase them at most craft stories.
Monster Head!
This is a brilliant nature craft for kids, who will love creating their own grass head monster and watching him sprout hair!
You will need:
A nylon sock or a foot from tights or a stocking.
Grass seed
Sawdust or potting soil
Elastic band
Old yogurt pot
Googly eyes
Paper, buttons, ribbon etc to decorate
Instructions:
Fill the toe of your sock with grass seed. Fill up with sawdust/potting soil until you have a ball shape. Fasten tightly with the elastic band.
Decorate the yogurt pot as the body using, paper, ribbon, and whatever else you can find in your craft box!
Stand the stocking ball in the pot with the grass seed at the top. Add some eyes and any other decorative bits you like.
Keep the yogurt pot moist with water. After a few weeks your head should grow hair!
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