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Arts & Crafts

Posted on April 7, 2015 in Crafts

princess

HobbyScience Kids Arts and Crafts

How-To Projects By Kids For Kids

Make a Tin Can Luminary!
click here

shanflowers1
Shannon’s Flowers!

FLOWER ART

What you need:

  • Pom poms; assorted colors and sizes
  • Green chenille sticks
  • Brown construction paper
  • One small (4″) flower pot
  • Tacky craft glue
  • Clear tape

What you do:

  • Glue 5 pom poms around a yellow one.
  • Tip: white ones around a yellow center will look sort of like daisies!
    and blue ones sort of look like Forget-Me-Nots!

  • Tape the end of a chenille stick to the back of the flower head.
  • Tip: Make 3 or more of these flowers making the stems different lengths for a nice look!
  • Decorate the ouside of the pot any way you like.
  • Scrunch up the brown paper and push it into the flower pot.
  • Push the flower stems into the brown paper’s creases, gaps and folds
    arranging them the way you like.

worm2
Worm!

THE GREEN WORM!
What you need:

  • Six green pom poms
  • Tacky glue
  • Eyes…can be black felt spots or glue on wiggly eyes
  • the Smile…Cut from red or pink felt

What you do:

  • Glue 5 pom poms to each other in a row and let dry
  • Glue eyes and smile to sixth pom pom and let dry
  • Glue this head to the near top of one of the ends
    for a raised head appearance.

These are worms are fun for kids to make
and can be used as gifts, to decorate gifts, planters, etc…


birdhouse2
Make and Decorate a Bird House!
What you do:

  • Daddy found some wood scraps for us to use. We used
    a 6″X12″X1/2″ for the floor, the pieces for the sides were
    2 6″X12″X1/2″ and 2 6″X6″X1/2″ for the front and back.

  • 2 roof shingles for the top.
  • One of us kids drew the door with a pencil and Daddy used a saw to cut it out.
  • We took turns nailing the sides to the base. Daddy
    helped to line up the shingles and we nailed them with
    small nails.

  • We had lots of fun painting it and when it dried Daddy put it high in a tree.

sprinkle


Article:

Crafts for Kids: Homemade Bird Feeders
by James Hunt

There is nothing more enjoyable than eating breakfast and watching birds
flutter and dance outside the kitchen window on a snowy morning.
Unfortunately, while children often wonder at the birds and wish to take
part in helping to feed them, there is rarely anything a child can do to
help. Here are a couple of suggestions to help them get involved and to let
them make their own special bird feeders.

Most children hate eating crusts of bread, but birds love them. Next time,
rather than tossing the crust, hand them over to your child with a pencil or
straw and have them poke a hole through the slices, about 1 inch from the
top. If they wish, food coloring can be used to lightly dab some color on
their bread slices, letting them make special designs for their bird
friends. The bread should then be left to sit on the counter overnight so
that it will dry out. The next day, thread a piece of yarn through them,
hang the bread from the branches of a nearby tree and watch feathered
friends flock to their new bird feeders.

With a string of yarn, a straw, and some Cheerios, even small children can
help create these fun bird feeders. Take the yarn (about 24 inches works
well) and tie it around the middle of the straw. This will provide a base,
allowing your child to thread the yarn through the cereal, not only making
an effective bird feeder, but helping develop motor skills. When they have
threaded the cereal up to the top, carefully hold the top of the string and
then untie the bottom from the straw. Knot the two of these ends together,
forming a circlet of cereal, which can be hung outside as a great bird
snack. This can also be done using different colored fruit cereals, helping
your child with repetitive pattern exercises.

Letting your child become more involved in tasks like this, not only helps
them learn but gives them a sense of responsibility as well. Have them keep
track of how long it takes for their homemade bird feeders, so they know
when it will be time to make more. Have them make charts or draw pictures
of what kinds of birds come to their feeders and let them look through
books, to identify who their new feathered friends are. Not only will the
birds thank you, but your kids will have a great time too.

James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher
covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of interest.
Read more at
www.birdfeeders-guide.info


Halloween Projects:

Halloween Art Projects For Kids
by ShowKidsTheFun

Fall is just around the corner, and with the cooler weather
comes more inside time for the little ones. Naturally, they’re
going to need something fun and creative to keep them busy.
Help your kids prepare for Halloween by constructing these
adorable craft projects! They’re easy and fun to make and the
kiddos will love displaying them for the holiday.

Egg Carton Spiders

What you will need:

Cardboard egg carton
Pipe cleaners
Poster paint
Elastic thread
Something to poke small holes

Instructions:

Cut the egg cups out of a cardboard egg carton. Cut pipe
cleaners into 3 inch sections. To make each spider, poke four
pipe cleaners through each cup sideways. Bend the ends to look
like eight spider legs. Paint the spiders black or in any
wildly creative way you want! After the paint has dried, attach
a length of elastic thread to the middle of each spider. Have
fun holding your thread and bouncing your scary spider up and
down as you take it for a walk!

Plastic Bag Ghost

What you’ll need:

White plastic trash bags
Black marker
Balloons
Some string
Scissors
Masking tape

Instructions:

Blow up/inflate the balloons and cover each one with a trash
bag. With the string, gather and tie each bag under the balloon
to make a head. Using your markers, draw a spooky face on the
trash bag. Be as creative as you can …make a scary face or a
funny face. Whatever you want! Attach a piece of string to the
top of your ghosts and display them all around your house and
yard.
About The Author: For more crafts and activities for your children, visit www.ShowKidsTheFun.com. And don’t miss Free Online Preschool Themes showmomthemoneyfor more fun ideas to spend time with your children.

Kids Activities – 10 Inspiring Ideas For A Rainy Day
by Lindsay Small

There is nothing worse than a rainy day in the middle of the
school holidays, when children are cooped up inside, you have
nothing planned, and the inevitable cries of "I’m bored" are
not far away! Keep this list of rainy day activities ready for
just such a day. Older children may enjoy choosing from the
list themselves.

1. Sort through the toy cupboard:

It’s surprising how much fun this can be! Get everyone together
and aim to clear one shelf or drawer. You will probably find
that old treasures are rediscovered, odd pieces can be thrown
away, and some things will be ready to be passed down or sold.
If you are not sure whether to get rid of some of the toys, try
packing them away in a box and hiding them in a dark corner of
the cupboard for a few months. When they come out again they
will either cause a sensation, or not – which will make it easy
to decide on their fate!

2. Record the sounds around you:

Get out the tape recorder and make a project out of recording
everyday sounds. Try water running in the bath, someone ringing
the bell and opening the door, or flushing the toilet! It
certainly makes you think about things a little differently
than usual. Suggest that some friends or neighbors do the same
thing and then get together to see if you can identify each
other’s sounds!

3. Make a story tape:

Grab that tape recorder and a blank cassette, find a story you
enjoy, and make your own story tape! Each child can read for a
while, or can take on the part of a particular character. Make
the appropriate noises too! You will probably have to practice
a few times to get the hang of it, and be prepared for lots and
lots of giggles! Tip: a homemade story tape makes a great
present for a child who has to go to hospital or is bedridden
for a time.

4. Have a jigsaw afternoon:

Get out all your jigsaws and invite some friends around with
theirs too! Clear plenty of space and have a marathon jigsaw
session. Some libraries have jigsaws you can borrow too, and
you can often find jigsaws for sale very cheaply at charity
shops (thrift stores) and car boot sales (garage sales). Tip:
if you buy your jigsaws second-hand and the box has seen better
days, cut out the picture and store it in a re-sealable bag with
all the pieces.

5. Have a mammoth junk modeling session with friends:

Invite a few families around and ask them to bring their
craft-cupboard junk with them – boxes, containers, and other
bits and pieces. You provide glue, sticky-tape, scissors, and
encouragement. You could make houses, or creatures, or boats,
or modern art – or you could all combine together to make one
giant model!

6. Make a card house:

If you don’t know any good card games or haven’t anyone to play
with, try building a card house! Start by balancing two cards
against each other so that they stand up in an inverted
V-shape. Take it from there!

7. Make an indoor obstacle course:

Check with an adult that this is OK first! Use easily movable
furniture (kitchen chairs, coffee tables) to mark out a course.
Create a tunnel to crawl through with a blanket draped over low
tables, or space cushions around the room to use as
stepping-stones. You will have lots more ideas!

8. Practice balancing:

Balancing is fun! Try walking the length of the room with a
book on your head. When you can do that, try balancing two or
three – then add a cuddly toy to the very top!

9. Create an indoor den:

A few blankets and tablecloths can create the most wonderful
indoor den. Drape blankets between sofas and chairs, over
stepladders and clothes-dryers, or tie the ends to cupboard
knobs and door handles. Once the den is created find some
special snacks, coloring pages and pencils, a CD player and
music, a torch or two, and camp out for a while!

10. Play with string:

Older children can create some wonderful inventions with a ball
of string and their imagination! A toilet roll and a sloping
length of string make a great message chute or rocket. Get some
action toys involved too: try making them a lift (elevator) out
of a box or a basket and hoist them up! Adults should supervise
constantly if there are younger kids around.

About The Author: Lindsay Small is the author of Boredom
Busters for Kids activities for kids like those above. Find it at

activity village

Luminary

Posted on April 7, 2015 in Crafts

How To Make A Tin Can Luminary By Rachel Paxton

A tin can luminary is a fun, easy craft project for all ages. They are great for any holiday and only limited by your imagination! You can transfer any simple shape onto a tin can to create a beautiful candle holder for any occasion.

I chose to make luminaries for Christmas this year. You can choose any simple design to transfer onto your tin can. I used a favorite clip art program on my computer to look for easy Christmas designs to print out. I chose a Christmas tree, a snowman, and a pair of gingerbread men.

Here’s what you need to get started:

Empty tin cans (washed and labels removed)

Design to transfer onto can

Hammer

Large nail

Tape

Dish towel

It is easiest to punch the holes in your tin can if you freeze some water in it first. Fill the can with water, leaving 1/4 inch space at the top for the ice to expand. Place in freezer until frozen. Your can may bulge a little at the bottom while in the freezer, but after you remove the ice you can use the hammer to flatten out the bottom of the can.

You might want to freeze a couple more cans then you think you’ll need in case you make a mistake and have to start over again.

After the ice has frozen, take the tin can from the freezer and tape your design to the can. I used packing tape, but you can also use duct tape. The tape won’t stick to the cold can, but you can wrap the tape all the way around the can so it will stick to the paper.

If you don’t have a design on paper, you can also draw a design on the can freehand with a permanent marker. You can also just punch the design freehand without drawing it first.

Lay the can on a folded dish towel so the towel will catch the ice chips that try to escape. It will also hold the can in place. Using the hammer and nail, tap holes around the border of your design, trying to punch holes evenly and not too close together. You want a simple design so that when you see only the holes in the can you will be able to tell what it is!

After punching the holes, remove the paper and tape and admire your design. It is really so easy! If you plan to hang your luminary, also punch two holes at the top of the can. You can make a handle out of wire (from a craft store) or a wire coat hanger.

Place the tin can under running warm water to melt the ice. Dry the can with a towel and place a votive candle in the bottom. You will need a long lighter or match to light the candle.

To further decorate your tin can luminary, you can spray paint the can any color you wish. Be creative!

This is a great family project. Just make sure kids have adult supervision while using the hammer and nails. Have fun!

Photos of finished project:

http://www.crafty-moms.com/tin-can-luminary.shtml

About the Author: Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom. For more recipes, organizing tips, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at creativehomemaking.com

Source: isnare.com