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Craft Corner

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Craft-Related Websites:

Free Kids Crafts

Discovery School (Free Clipart)

Color By Numbers

Papa Jan Coloring Pages

Coloring Castle

Making Friends

 

Fun Crafts:

Altered Paint Cans

 

Try out this trendy arts and crafts craze this summer.

Length of Time to Complete:

1 hour (includes drying time)

Materials:

Unused paint cans (various sizes)

Paint or nice background paper

Liquid adhesive

Decortive embellishments (sequins, beads, silk flowers, sitckers, etc)

Basic Directions:

    1. Buy a clean, unused paint can at a hardware store (mine were like $3-$4/each)
    2. You can either paint your can, or choose a background paper of your liking.
    3. If you are using paper, cut it to the size of the can and apply it with a liquid adhesive like Mod Podge. Make sure you allow space for the handles if your can has them. After you get it all smoothed down, apply another layer of Mod Podge.
    4. Let either the paint, or the Mod Podge dry, and then comes the fun part – embellish and decorate with whatever you want – sequins, fringe, artificial flowers, stickers, rick rack, sea shells, whatever you want!!!
    5. Use your finished cans to store arts and crafts supplies, school supplies, toys, etc. You can even use bigger cans as gift baskets for loved ones.

 

Spring Place Settings

Set a spring time table with these fun place settings:


Length of Time to Complete:

15 minutes per setting

Materials:

Paper napkins: bright orange - dinner size

Plastic utensils: green

Green ribbon

Silk or green construction paper leaves

Paper plates: white

Plastic cups: yellow

Construction paper: yellow

Markers: black, pink, and blue

Glue

Basic Directions:

1. If using construction paper for leaves, cut 3" leaf shapes out of green construction paper.

2. Fold the orange napkins in half length-wise to form a rectangle; then place one set of green utensils in the bottom left corner with the handles at the bottom.

3. Roll up the utensils in the orange napkin, tie with a green ribbon and insert leaves into the top to form a carrot.

4. Cut one white paper plate in half and use a marker to color the inside (flat bottom but not rim) light pink.

5. Glue the two half plates to an uncut white plate to form ears on a bunny's head; then use the black, pink, and blue markers to draw a bunny face on the full plate.

6. Cut a large 5" flower shape with pointed petals from yellow construction paper and glue 2 green leaves to the back.

7. Set each place at the table with one carrot of utensils, one yellow flower coaster with a cup on top to form the flower's center, and one bunny head plate.

8. Serve and enjoy a fun spring meal!

Merry Mice

Merry Mice make cute decorations that can be hung up by their tails:


Length of Time to Complete:

30 minutes

Materials:

Brown and pink felt

Scissors

Glue

Plastic googly eyes

Small pom poms

Standard sized candy canes

Tape

Ribbon and small jingle bells

Basic Directions:

1. Cut a six-inch long tear-drop shaped body from the brown felt. Near the center, cut two parallel lines one-inch long and about 1/2 an inch from each other.

2. For mouse ears, cut a five-inch long barbell shape with rounded ends from the brown felt and two circles (smaller tham the ends of the barbell shape) from pink felt. Glue the pink circles inside the ends of the barbells.

3. Assemble the mouse by fitting the ears through the slits in the body and gluing on eyes and a pom pom nose.

4. Add a curly tail by sliding the straight end of a candy cane between the body and the ears and taping it beneath the mouse to hold it in place.

5. If desired, tie a bow with the small jingle bells attached to the tail near the end of the mouse's body with ribbon.

 

Pine Cone Bird Feeders

Length of time to complete:

20 minutes

Materials:

Large pine cones

String

Large paper clips

Peanut butter

Birdseed

 

Basic Directions:

1. Tie a 2-4 ft long string to the top of each pine cone (length depends on where you want to hang it), and then tie a paper clip to the other end of the string.

2. Roll the pine cone in a plate of peanut butter.

3. Roll the peanut butter covered pine cone in a plate of birdseed.

4. Gently shake off excess seeds, bend the paper clip into a hook, and hang the pine cones from a tree, fence, or other place where birds can find them.

5. Enjoy bird watching!

 

Scratch Art

(From SUPERTWINS Magazine Volume 17 Number 2)

Length of time to complete:

10 hours (including drying)

Materials:

White Paper

Bright Colored Crayons

Black tempura paint

Hand soap

Paper clips

Basic Directions:

  1. Take the white paper and completely and heavily color it using the crayons. Use any pattern or design you want
  2. Patin over the entire page of colored paper with the black paint mixed with a small amount of hand soap
  3. Let dry overnight (8 hours)
  4. Use the paper clips to "scratch" out a drawing on the paper. The colors will show through brightly if the paper was colored heavily

Note: Older children can do more complex designes, and younger children can create simple designs.

 

Bubble Prints

Length of time to complete:

1 hour (including drying)

.

Materials:

1 Cup Water

Food Coloring

1/4 Cup Liquid Detergent

1/4 Cup Liquid Starch

Straws

Paper for printing

.

Basic Directions:

  1. In a 6" - 8" bowl, mix water, several drops of food coloring, liquid detergent, and liquid starch.
  2. Using a straw, blow bubbles into the mixture until the bubbles rise above the rim of the bowl.
  3. To make the print, lay a sheet of white paper across the bowl rim, allowing the bubbles to pop against the paper. (Note: if the bubbles pop too quickly, add a few tablespoons of sugar to the water.)
  4. Once finished, the paper makes nice stationery and can be done on envelopes for a matching set as well).
 

Lovebug Brooches

(From SUPERTWINS Magazine Volume 16 Number 2)

Craft idea from Disney's Family Fun Crafts.

Length of time to complete:

1.5 hours (including drying)

Materials:

Plaster of Paris

Plastic spoons (one for each brooch)

Safety pins (one for each brooch)

Acrylic paint (black and red for lady bugs, but other colors can be used)

Small paintbrushes

Clear varnish

Green construction paper or cardstock

Basic Directions:

1. Help your children mix up the plaster.

2. Fill and level off the plastic spoons with the plaster.

3. Press a safety pin in each spoon full of wet plaster so that it opens outward.

4. Allow the plaster to harden for 1 hour.

5. Have the children pop out the brooch and paint each one red or whatever color they want to use.

6. Use black paint to add a head and dots or small hearts.

7. Let the paint dry.

8. Seal the paint with a coating of clear varnish.

9. To give the brooch as a gift, cut out a large leaf from green construction paper or cardstock and pin the brooch to it.

 

Snowman Jar

(From SUPERTWINS Magazine Volume 16 Number 4)

Craft idea from Family Crafts.

Materials:

Baby food jar

White tissue paper (or white acrylic paint)

Small orange pom pom (one for nose)

Small black pom poms (two for eyes, four for mouth)

Thin colored ribbon (one for scarf)

Black felt (for hat)

Glue

Clear glitter or glitter glue

Basic Directions:

1. Glue pieces of white tissue paper onto the baby food jar (or paint with white paint).

2. Paint a layer of glue over the whole jar and sprinkle with clear glitter. (Or use glitter glue.)

3. Glue the eyes, nose and mouth onto the jar.

4. Glue a 1" strip of black felt around the jar's opening for a hat.

5. Glue the colored ribbon around the edge of the jar lid and then glue the lid to the bottom of the jar for a scarf.

 

Decorated Paint Cans

(From SUPERTWINS Magazine Volume 16 Number 3)

Decorated paint cans are a great craft for slightly older children, teens, and adults (both girls and boys).

Basic Directions:

1. Buy a clean unused paint can at a hardware store (around $3-4 each)

2. Choose a paint or background paper to cover the can.

3. If using paper, cut it to the size of the can and apply it with a liquid adhesive like Mod Podge. Leave space for the handles if the can has them. After the paper is moothed, apply another layer of Mod Podge.

4. If painting, paint the outside of the can and let dry. Apply a second coat if required.

5. Let the paint or Mod Podge dry completely.

6. Decorate the can with artificial flowers, frings, sequins, tick rack, stickers, shells, or whatever items you like.

7. Use the finished can to store arts and crafts supplies, school supplies, small toys, etc. Larger cans can be used as gift baskets and cookie tins if lined with wax paper.

Updated 6/27/08