Tag Archives: kid craft

Spring Butterfly Crafts

Here are two springtime butterfly crafts for your preschool or young elementary-school age kids that will welcome in spring and also add a little decoration to your home. Butterflies are a sure sign of sunny weather, so set your kids to work and bring a little sunshine in! Clip-on Spring Butterflies Clip these butterflies on window shades, potted plants, or wherever you want a little color. You will need: Coffee filters Old newspaper or other absorbent scrap paper Watercolor paints Paintbrush Container with water Twist ties or pipe cleaners Glue 1. Spread the coffee filter out on the newspaper or … Continue reading →

Sewing with Felt 1: Door Hanger

When you’re teaching your kids how to sew, there is no better fabric than felt. Felt doesn’t fray on the edges, it stays put, it’s inexpensive and available in every color you can think of. Lately, there have been felt available in new patterns like animal prints, flowers, sparkles and polka dots. A simple project to start with is a door hanger. This one has a heart design on the front, but you can adapt it to any simple design you want. If you or your child haven’t sewn before, or if you need a quick brush-up or some basic … Continue reading →

Bottle Cap Zipper Pulls

Bottle Cap Zipper Pulls These zipper pulls are great on a backpack, purse, or even used on a jeans belt loop. They are a great friendship craft because your kids can make one for all of their friends, or collect one from each friend with his or her initial. You will need: Bottle cap Hammer and small nail Colored Paper (origami or scrapbook paper works well) Scissors Letter Stamps or Pen Mod Podge (or white glue mixture of 1 Tbls glue and 1 Tbs. water) Paint Brush Toothpick Self-Adhesive Page Pebble (found in the scrapbooking section of the craft store) … Continue reading →

The Joy of Receiving Homemade Gifts

I’ve written before in these blogs about the joys of making and giving homemade gifts. Last week, the tables were turned when my birthday rolled around and I received a homemade gift from my fifteen-year-old daughter. She had been hinting around that she had a really special birthday gift for me this year. I knew she was short on cash, so I wasn’t sure what she had up her sleeve. Boy, was I surprised. I knew she was creative, but she came up with this little guy to hang from my car rearview window all by herself without a pattern. … Continue reading →

Homemade Sidewalk Chalk

When the weather is nice enough, your kids will be itching to get outside and play. A fun activity for them to do is to make their own sidewalk chalk so it’s ready to go when Mother Nature cooperates. You can buy sidewalk chalk, but I’ve found that making the chalk is actually just as much or more fun for kids than using it. Whether it’s hopscotch or mural drawing your kids are interested in, this chalk lasts a long time and works well. Homemade Sidewalk Chalk You will need 1 cup warm water about 1 1/2 – 2 cups … Continue reading →

Rainbow in a Bag Kitchen Craft

Spring is a great time for spotting rainbows, but even on a day when the sun won’t peek through and you’re stuck inside with the kids, you can make a rainbow in your own kitchen. This craft will appeal to young children because of the play factor after it is made, and older children because of the experience of cooking up a rainbow. The idea is to cook the concoction on your stovetop, make the goop into different colors and put it into a bag to make a rainbow. Then it’s tactile fun and visual fun, squishing the colors around. … Continue reading →

Pom Pom Friendship Pin Craft

Two years ago, I wrote a book on Friendship Crafts with 199 ideas in it. I kind of thought maybe I’d written myself dry on the subject, but there is nothing more popular, and nothing more appealing to kids than simple projects they can make to express their friendship. I get more requests for ideas for friendship crafts than anything else. So I have a renewed excitement about coming up with good ideas, and I’ll share them with you here. Your kids can make this little pin to give to a friend, or they can make it with their friend. … Continue reading →

Easy Classroom Valentines part 1

If your kids want to do something a little different than store-bought Valentine’s cards for their friends or classmates this year, here are some simple ideas. Each is easy enough for kids to make, don’t take too much time, and are inexpensive. Of course, the most popular Valentines come with a little something sweet, so all of these ideas start with a piece of candy. Conversation Heart Poufs This one is a little girly, but hey, it’s Valentine’s Day and even the boys will appreciate the sweet treats inside. You will need: Tulle or netting Scissors Ribbon Conversation hearts 1. … Continue reading →

Decoupage Wood Beads

Wood beads decoupaged with tissue paper or tiny images can take on many different looks. These are easy even for young kids with a little help from Mom or Dad. You can buy packages of wood beads at the craft store. They are easy to find, inexpensive and come in all different sizes. You’ll want larger size beads for this project so they’re easier to work with. If you don’t want to invest in a container of Mod Podge (I love Mod Podge–I use it all the time!), you can make your own glue/sealant by squeezing about a tablespoon of … Continue reading →

Faux Turquoise Beads

Your kids will love making these polymer clay beads because they look just like turquoise. Materials: Black and turquoise polymer clay Waxed paper or clean, washable work surface Darning needle or toothpick Ceramic or glass baking pan Wire for baking round beads Roll out a log of turquoise polymer clay and a skinnier log of black clay, using about 1/4 as much black as blue. Twist the two colors of clay together Fold and swirl the colors until the black blends in a little bit with the blue and looks like turquoise. Now you can make any shape bead you … Continue reading →