CREATIVE CRAFTING

Posts Tagged ‘kids’

Like many of my polymer clay projects I find them online. So when I saw this little leprechaun I had to have it. It really is very simple to make and already I am getting a lot of feedback from friends when I wear it.

May your feet never sweat,

your neighbor give you ne’re a treat.

When flowers bloom, I hope you’ll not sneeze,

and may you always have someone to sqeeze!

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY!!!!

Project Courtesy of Crafts For All Seasons

This polymer clay leprechaun is easier to make than you think! Polymer clay is one of my favorite mediums to work with. These step by step directions will show you how easy it is to create this spirited little character.

Things Needed:

• Polymer clay in the following colors:

• flesh colored or pink

• red

• green

• black

• white

• blue or green (for eyes)

• polymer clay glaze (optional)

• a pin to glue on the back

1. To begin the polymer clay leprechaun, the first step is to condition all the clay. You will need a one inch ball amount of the green and flesh clay. The other colors you will not need very much of. Work that clay and warm it up in your hands, until it is not crumbly and is soft and pliable.

It doesn’t seem that long ago that my children were young. I was never a skilled crafter but what I like to call a “crafter wanna be”. In a lot of respects I am still not a skilled crafter. So what does this have to do with the subject at hand? Let me explain.

Some parents are skilled crafters. Others are doing well to cut paper in a reasonably straight line. No matter which group you fall into, crafting with your kids can be beneficial for all involved.

Few things bring families together like crafting. Here are some of the good things that come out of crafting with your kids.

• Crafting builds creativity. Developing minds need a creative outlet, and crafting provides the opportunity for kids to use their imaginations. It helps them learn to solve problems, and it could lay the groundwork for a lifetime of interest in art. For parents, getting creative can help reduce stress and promote using the brain in ways that we don’t have a reason to use it every day.

• * Crafting teaches kids to follow directions. This seems like a very basic skill, but we all know adults who can’t seem to follow directions. When kids craft, they learn the consequences of not following directions when their projects do not turn out as expected. This instills in them the importance of doing things the right way the first time.

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.

Got some little elves with time on their hands? Invite them to help out in a special holiday workshop, creating season’s greetings for everyone on your family’s mailing list. Using four super-simple techniques and such kid-friendly materials as glue dots and stickers, they’ll be turning out festive, personalized cards in no time.  These would also make cute Thank You cards from the kids.

You will need:
# Ink pad with nontoxic brown or bronze ink
# Plain notecards or card stock
# Craft glue
# Googly eyes
# Mini pom-poms, brown and red
# Brown marker

Use a thumb or fingertip to stamp 3 reindeer heads on each notecard. Glue on googly eyes and pom-pom noses (including a red one for Rudolph, of course). Finish by drawing antlers.

Courtesy of Family Fun.com

Here is a fun and easy craft for the kids to make for either grandparents, teachers, or friends.

The pavers might be hard to find this time of year, but you can use the same principle and use Styrofoam forms and use it as a window decoration instead.

Use your imagination…isn’t that why we craft?

Materials

* Keyhole-shaped paver (available at many home improvement stores) *
* Paintbrush
* White and black acrylic paint
* Orange modeling clay
* Superglue

* Fleece
* Pipe cleaner
* Two 1 1/2-inch pom-poms
* Rubber band
* Felt

Instructions

1.Rinse off the paver to remove any loose bits of dirt or cement. Paint it white and let it dry. If needed, apply a second coat and let it dry completely. (if using Syrofoam cover it with white felt or white cotton)

2.Lay the paver flat and paint on the eyes, mouth, and buttons. Let the face dry, then mold a clay nose and affix it with superglue (a parent’s job).

3.Cut a fleece scarf (ours measures 1 by 22 inches) and tie it in place. For the earmuffs, bend a 5-inch piece of pipe cleaner into an arc. Superglue the ends to either side of the head and the pom-poms over the ends (a parent’s job), then wrap the rubber band around the snowman?s head to hold the earmuffs in place until the glue dries.

4.To protect indoor floors, superglue a small piece of felt to the base of the snowman.

You won’t believe how easy it is to create this Fall centerpiece. Even little kids can do this one! It looks great on a holiday table or as an Autumn decoration around the house, and it’s made of mostly recycled materials!

You’ll Need:

* Sturdy paper plate
* Paint (Fall colors)
* Scissors
* Three toilet paper tubes
* Yellow tissue paper
* Glue
* A sponge
* Fall colored ribbon
* Pinecones
* Silk or real fall leaves
* Raffia

What to Do:

1. Cut the toilet paper tubes so that they are in three graduated sizes. Refer to the picture if you don’t know what I mean.

2. Sponge paint the toilet paper tubes and both sides of the paper plate. In order to sponge paint, just dip the sponge into the paint and tap it onto the surface you’re painting. In the example, I used orange, brown, and green paint and tapped the colors onto the tubes and the plate. Let the paint dry completely before you continue.

3. Gather the three painted toilet tubes together on a flat surface and glue them together to that they look like three pillar candles. Cut three large squares of yellow tissue paper. Push one square into each tube so that it sticks out of the top and mimicks a candle flame.

4. Tie a ribbon around all three of the “candles” and then glue them onto the center of the paper plate. Let dry.

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!

A great project for inspiring creativity while encouraging your children to save their pennies!

Use paint to make your piggy bank any color you desire!
Everything old is new again! Many of the crafts that were popular in the ’60s are enjoying a resurgence in popularity. The plastic bottle piggy bank is just such a timeless classic. Kids today will enjoy creating their own personalized piggy bank just as much as you once did!

Materials:                                                                       

one plastic bleach bottle
felt
four tapered fabric softener bottle caps
pipe cleaner
scissors
pencil

Steps:

1. Remove the handle and bottle neck from a half gallon bleach bottle by sawing across the bottle just below the upper end of the handle.
2. Using a knife, cut around the other end of the handle, leaving as small an opening as possible. Close the opening at the top of the bottle by inserting the bottle cap into the hole. Glue a felt flower cutout over the other opening.
3. Glue floppy felt ears in place. Glue on felt eyes and mouth. For the snout, glue a felt circle over the inverted bottle cap. Glue a narrow felt strip around the outside edge of the circle.
4. To make snug-fitting legs, glue a strip of felt around four identical 1-1/2″ to 2″ fabric softener bottle caps. Cut holes to accommodate legs in the bleach bottle. Insert the tapered ends of the felt-covered softener caps into the bleach bottle. Secure with glue.
5. To make a tail, curl a pipe cleaner around a pencil. Punch a hole in the bleach bottle to accommodate a tail. Insert the pipe cleaner coil and glue to secure.