Posts Tagged ‘children’

It is funny how cleaning out a closet, or the boxes in the basement, will lead to not only memories but refreshing ideas for crafting.

Recently I was cleaning out my cedar chest where over the years I have put all the little presents the kids have given me and I came across a decorated box from my daughter. She must have been around kindergarten age when she made it for her Dad. She took a empty shoe box and decorated it with drawings, and cutouts of all the things that she thought her Dad would like.

Of course there were pictures of cars, racing, animals (at least I think they are animals) and pictures of books that her and Dad read together. These were her important “treasures”.

When looking at the box I remembered clearly the Christmas morning she gave it to him, all wrapped up with a pretty bow on top, she told him it was his “Memory Box”. He was to put every memory he had in it to keep them safe. Little did she realize at the time that the memories stored were all of her and her brothers. Little gifts made by little hands.

The box is so fragile now that I hesitate to move it around, so sorry no picture.

This is one of the first crafting projects she made, all of them kept in the “Memory Box”.

Ever wonder what to do with those left over blocks?  The ones that show up and you have no idea which building set they belong to?  Or how about the little matchbox cars that no one wants to play with anymore?  Doll accessories?  Puzzle pieces?  I can think of a hundred uses for this simple craft projects.

The size of the magnet is going to be determined by the size and weight of the toy.  For instance a matchbox car/truck will take more than one magnet, it might take two or three to hold it up.  Whereas the Lego blocks should only take a small amount.

The end result is limited only by your or your child’s imagination.   Make Christmas gifts for the grandparents out of leftover toys.  As a would be grandparent I can safely say that anything made especially for me by one of my grandchildren would be cherished.

So have fun with your creativity!

Materials and Tools:

small plastic toys
strong, quick-setting glue
disc magnets

Steps:

1. Gather small items to turn into magnets. Building blocks (shown) work great as do any lightweight toys such as dice, plastic figurines or puzzle pieces. Other options are sea shells, smooth river rocks or glass gems.

2. Add a blob of glue to magnet and attach item. Press firmly until the two pieces begin to bond then set aside and allow glue to fully cure.

This an easy project for you and your children to try.  There are different variations and I have found that you can use gourds, small pumpkins, or apples to make this wonderful centerpiece.

Remember any craft is made up of your imagination.  There are no set rules to a craft project.  As they say “It is in the eye of the beholder”.

Use different color tapers, different bases, ribbons, glitter…imagination is the key element.

Materials

• Large Rome Beauty apples (that will stand straight on the table)
• Candles
• Waxed paper

Instructions

1.Using an apple corer, make a hole about halfway through the middle of an apple. Make the hole as straight as possible and remove the core piece.
2.Insert a candle into the hole. It should fit tightly; if the hole is too large, wrap waxed paper around the candle’s end.
3.Older kids can decorate the apples by carefully carving designs in the skins with the tip of a potato peeler (to prevent the designs from turning brown, rub them with lemon juice).

4.Arrange the candleholders in a circle on a plate or cutting board.

One of the great regrets of my life is that I did not get into the whole Scrapbook action until my children were adults.

I have fond memories of school events for each of my four children. I remember carnivals, musical performances and library events. I don’t have any photographs or written accounts to remember those days. As a result, I am attempting to include those things in scrapbooks for my children. I want them to remember the special days and events from their school.

Your own school is unique with its excellent qualities and experiences for your children. Remember to photograph, journal and scrapbook about those special days and events at school. School-Wide Events, Dramatic Productions, Art Projects, Musical Performances, Special Days, Class or School Honors, Fundraisers all are opportunities for you to photograph the events for your childrens’ scrapbook

Scrapbooking these events will provide great memories for your child. If you can be there to take photographs remember to get shots of your child and his or her classmates as well. Your child will want to remember who was in his or her class. If you can’t be there in person, try to obtain photographs from the teacher. In our digital age most teachers will have a digital camera and will take photographs of special events. After the event, sit down with your child and ask him or her about the special event. Finally, create an appropriate layout of mini-book about your child’s school experiences. It will take some time but it’s worth it.

When illuminated, these votive holders cast an eyeful of moody shadows on the walls.
CRAFT MATERIALS:
Glass votive holders
Black construction paper
Hole punch
Mod Podge
Paintbrush
Black paint

Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. Tear a sheet of black construction paper into about a dozen small rectangles that measure roughly 1¼ inch by ½ inch. Use a hole punch to add two eyes to each piece.

Step 2  Brush a portion of a plain, glass votive holder with Mod Podge, affix a paper rectangle, then paint more Mod Podge over it. Add the other pieces the same way, making sure the edges overlap.

3. When the candleholder is dry, use a tiny paintbrush and black paint to add little round pupils inside the eyes.

I found this little craft at Family Fun, which is a great source for crafts for kids.  But when I saw it I thought how this doesn’t necessarily have to be only for Halloween.  Using different colored construction paper you can adapt it to Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Valentines Day or any gift giving time.  You could even get different colored tissue papers glue them to the back of the construction paper and then proceed as usual.  Hint:   I  found that using marker for the “eyes” was easier than trying to paint little dots!

This is a fun way to keep track of the days until Christmas, especially for younger kids. It’s also a good way to get in a little counting practice if you make them count the days off each day.

What You’ll Need:

• The template below printed on yellow construction paper
• Red construction paper
• Green construction paper
• Glue
• Scissors
• Stapler
• Crayons (optional)

What to Do:

1. Cut 13 strips of red construction paper that are about 1 inch wide and 8 inches long. Cut 12 strips of green paper with the same dimensions.

2. Print out the bell pattern below on yellow construction paper. Color with crayons if desired and cut out. (You could also decorate the bell with glitter, sequins, markers, etc. if you want.)

3. Roll one of the red strips of paper into a loop and staple it onto the bottom of the bell. Loop a green strip of paper through the red loop to get the chain started. Continue to alternate the red and green strips of paper to make a chain that has 25 links in it.

4. Hang the bell and chain up in a prominent place and tear off one link at the end of each day until Christmas.

Courtesy of Free Kids Crafts.com

Like the mouse in the Clement Clarke Moore poem, this one isn’t stirring, but he does make a sweet holiday gift or decoration, no cheese required.

The kids could have fun making this little mouse for each guest.  Place it next to the guest dinner plates for a special take home present made by the children.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
	2 1/2-inch Styrofoam egg
	White acrylic paint
	Fishing line
	Corsage pin
	White felt
	Pink felt
	Glue
	Googly eyes
	Craft wire, 5 inches
Time needed: Under 1 Hour

1. First, use a serrated knife to cut a 2 1/2-inch Styrofoam egg in half lengthwise (parents only), then cover one of the halves with white acrylic paint and let it dry.

2. For whiskers, fold a 2-foot length of fishing line into quarters and tie a knot at the middle. Trim the ends to about 1 1/2 inches, then stick a corsage pin (available at craft stores) through the knot and into the narrow end of the egg half.

3. For each ear, cut a 1-inch circle from white felt, making a cut halfway through it, as shown above. Overlap the 2 sides of the cut and glue them together to create a curved shape. Glue a 1/2-inch pink felt circle to the center, then glue the ear in place.

Crafting helps children explore holidays, birthdays, and other events in their lifes with little or no costs. Pick activities that are age appropriate for the child, but don’t think because your child is three and the age on the craft says for a five year old that they can’t do it. Children thrive on simple projects as it gives them an opportunity to work independently and to create something of their “own”. It might not be picture perfect, but they will be proud of it nonetheless. So be sure and display their crafts for all to see.

One of the more important things I learned in working with my children and crafts was that if I let them do projects around a theme (Thanksgiving, for instance) they gained a better understanding of what the holiday was all about.

It is important for you as a parent to talk to your children about the coming holidays, why we celebrate them, how they are celebrated differently by different cultures. Try reading children stories about the holidays. A few excellent choices are:Thanksgiving Is… The Pumpkin Book Santa Who? By Gail Gibbons