Archive for the ‘Kid’s Crafts’ Category
Do you love the sound of wind chimes? - the tinkling music they make as the breezes blow. Why not let your kids make one? This would be a great kids craft. With your guidance and a few supplies, they will enjoy the time spent with you and appreciate the end result, too. Kids just love to see the result of making something with their own hands. And the cost will be minimal.
The one I have in mind is made of bamboo and comes in a kit. My son and daughter-in-law just recently bought me a very cute bamboo wind chime. When I first saw it, after thinking how cute it was, I thought to myself that it would probably not make a very pleasant sound. How surprised I was when I hung it on my porch and heard the subdued musical notes that came from it.
If your children have taken an interest in arts and crafts, scrapbooking is an enjoyable activity that you can share with them. This is also one of those activities that they can perhaps ask their friends and playmates to participate in. If you plan properly, this could just be a means of keeping them occupied for an extended period of time.
A few suggestions to help you keep down the cost of your supplies are:
* Let them cut out pictures from old magazines.
* Gather up old photos that you no longer want or need and let them scrapbook with them.
* Make photo copies of your pictures for them to scrap.
* Kids always love using stickers. Often these can be bought very inexpensively.
* Check your scrapbooking supplies for leftovers and odds and ends. Kids are good at finding uses for unused pieces you will probably not use.
Christmas is just around the corner, and while it may be a little late to start our Christmas crafts, I just have to share this one with you. Considering that it is a simple project, hopefully you will find the time to fit it into your schedule. It is so much fun. And this might just be a great project for your kids.
I saw this recipe in our local newspaper yesterday. Now it may not be new to you, but it is to me. At least, if I’ve run across it before, I have forgotten it. (Maybe you don’t have that problem.) Anyway, the column was written by Carol Cloud Bailey, known in our paper as “Yard Doc.” The recipe is for dough ornaments which will have your house smelling great for a long time. The ingredients that you will need are:
1 1/2 cups cinnamon
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup white school glue
If you prefer a different aroma, Carol suggests that you add 1 tsp. to 1 tbsp. each of ground nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice.
You also will need the following supplies: a bowl, plastic wrap, a drinking straw, and a cookie sheet.
Use a spatula to mix all the ingredients, adding the cinnamon slowly. The dough should be thick like a stiff cookie dough, but not sticky. Knead the dough slightly until smooth and cover with plastic wrap. Then let it sit for at least an hour. Flatten and roll the dough until about 1/4 inch thick. (Thinner dough tends to crack and curl; thicker dough doesn’t dry well in climates such as ours here in Florida.)
Cut into desired shapes using a template and knife or cookie cutters. Use the drinking straw to punch a hole for the ribbon or yarn to hang it.
The ornaments may be placed on a rack to dry, turning every so often; this will take three to five days, or longer if the air is damp. She prefers to put them on cookie sheets in a warm oven, about 170-200 degrees, for about two hours, flipping them several times. When cool, you may decorate them with beads, ribbons, paint, or glitter. Do not cover the entire surface to allow the fragrance to fill your house.
Carol suggests storing them in sealed containers with silicone packets to absorb moisture.
Preschoolers are full of life and energy. Keeping them busy and entertained often becomes quite a challenge. One solution is to come up with some preschool craft ideas.
Doing arts and crafts is one of the highlights of a preschooler’s day. These various activities allow children to express themselves and during the process they learn many things as they are participating in these projects. They can learn letters of the alphabet and simple words. They can be taught to identify and name animals. Colors and their names become familiar to them. The list goes on and on. The benefits of involving our youngsters in these learning arts and crafts are varied and numerous.
If you have a crafter friend or relative to buy a gift for and just are lost for ideas, check out my holiday gift ideas for crafters of all ages. What crafter does not enjoy receiving a craft items for Christmas or for a birthday?
There are so many holiday gift ideas for crafters that the only problem one may have is which one of the many choices to settle on. In that case, a gift certificate to a craft store is always welcome.
Magic Reindeer Food for Rudolph and Company
It’s a holiday tradition for small children across America to leave out milk and cookies for Santa to enjoy on Christmas Eve night. When you think about it, it’s a small price to pay in exchange for a stocking full of treats and a boxes of presents overflowing beneath the tree. Still, it doesn’t seem quite fair to leave a treat for Santa while neglecting the loyal reindeer that helped him reach his destination in the first place. When my own kids were young, I taught them one of my favorite Christmas crafts: magical reindeer food.
First we would gather up the supplies, which included raw oatmeal, some colored glitter, snack baggies, paper and ribbons. We would combine the oatmeal and glitter inside a baggie and close it, attaching a ribbon to the front of the bag with a message. Then I would have the kids sprinkle the food around the yard in hopes of attracting Rudolph and the rest of his reindeer friends.
There are any number of kid’s crafts to keep your children happy as well as occupied, at least for a short while. One simple idea is to have them build a bird feeder. I realize that you could buy one, but that would spoil the fun and could turn out to be rather expensive. Why not save that money and try this easy project?
Below is a list of the supplies you will need. (You probably will have these all on hand.)
* An empty milk or juice carton (any size you choose or have available).
* Scissors
* Strong string
* A stapler
* A hole punch
* 2 small sticks or wooden rods
* bird seed
* Non-toxic paint, markers or other items to decorate the bird feeder.
Gather these supplies together and check back tomorrow for the instructions to complete your bird feeder.
Yesterday, hopefully, you gathered together all the supplies need for our kid’s craft – a bird feeder. You’ve probably figured out how to put it all together, but if not, here are the instructions:
1/ Wash and dry your carton thoroughly.
2/ Decorate your carton as desired. (see photo for ideas)
3/ Using your scissors, cut a square on each side of the carton. (see yesterday’s photo). The square should be at least large enough for a bird to stick his head through.
4/ Using your hole punch or scissors, make a small hole below each square. Be sure that the holes on opposite sides of each other line up with each other so that the stick will be level or straight.
5/ Push your sticks or rods through the holes from one side of the carton to the other.
6/ Fill the bottom of the carton with bird seed.
7/ Staple the top of the carton shut.
8/ Punch a hole or two in the top of your carton to run the string through.
9/ Hang your finished feeder to a tree branch.
Although this will not last a real long time, it is a fun project and an inexpensive way to teach children about birds and the importance of caring for our wildlife.
There are any number of kid’s crafts that will keep your children busy, yet entertained. When considering projects, it is important to be sure that these projects are safe for them. Kids left alone just do not realize the danger of doing certain things. While we know we cannot watch youngsters all of the time, and we know that kids will experiment, we must do our best to teach them safety.
Just recently, two youngsters decided to mix vinegar and baking soda. (If you’ve ever used this combination to clear your drains, you know what happens.) I do not know what they were attempting to create, but as I understand it, the two kids put the vinegar and baking soda in a large container and nothing happened. They then decided to put the two products in a smaller bottle and shake it. This caused the bottle to explode, causing damage to the face of the one boy – a lesson learned the hard way.
Kids crafts – these two go together as naturally as a nut and a bolt. Kids love to make things, and perhaps the most rewarding thing that you can do with your children is to put crafts together.
You will find that crafting will encourage children to show some creativity, and they will be proud to show off their skills, giving them a great sense of achievement. In the process you can teach your kids how to recycle items, such as tin cans, glass bottles, can lids, and tissue boxes (things you would normally throw out) by making beautiful projects out of them.