Category: Kids Crafts

These gingham wreaths could be used for any
holiday. Just use coordinating fabric to go with the season.

You will need:

5 – 7 ten inch circles cut from gingham or calico
of your choice.
fiberfill to stuff
a red velvet bow

Cut out your calico circles and baste around the
edges of the circle. Leave long ends for tying later. Place a small puff
of stuffing in the middle of the circle, pull the basting stitch tight and
tie it shut. This is your first puffy ball.

Make the rest if the puffy balls. Taking a long
darning type needle and strong thread or yarn, thread the puffy balls
together, making sure the sewed end is hidden. Shape into a wreath by
tying at the top. Sew a loop of red or gold cord onto the top for hanging.
Add red velvet bows at the top or on each little ball.

Snowmen that even folks without snow can make!

Most children love doing anything which includes dough
or clay. This one is bound to become a fast favorite!

Materials:

• 2 cups Ivory Snow detergent
• 1/2 cup water
• Extra things for your snowman:



Toothpicks
Popsicle sticks or small sticks

Buttons
Felt Scraps
Small beads
Yarn
Pipe cleaners

Instructions:

Make your “snow” by mixing the Ivory snow with the water and beating it with a hand mixer until the consistency of dough.

Immediately shape into 3 snowman shape balls. The head a
little smaller than the middle, etc.. You can use toothpicks to hold the balls together as you stack them on top each other.

Now add your arms and eyes. Use twigs or popsicle sticks for arms, buttons or small beads for eyes. Make a scarf out of felt scraps or crochet a yarn chain. We used pompoms and
pipe cleaners to make earmuffs. A orange pipe cleaner cut and folded into a small triangle was our nose.

These look cute on a stand or mantle.

Supplies:

Small Dog Biscuit
Hot Glue – adults only
Small wiggle eyes
Small Red Pom Pom
Brown Chenille – cut into 2 – 2-3 inch strips
Magnet Strip

Work on the dog biscuit vertically. Glue
the red pom pom onto the bottom -where the dog biscuit indents- for the
nose. Glue the wiggle eyes into the middle of the biscuit. Bend the
chenille into antlers and  glue them to the top, back of the biscuit.
Glue the magnet onto the back.

 

NOTE: Use TACKY craft glue for these projects
not Elmer’s glue.

Make Your Own Watercolor Paints

Save money by making this substitute for those expensive paint sets you buy
in stores.

Materials:

• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 tablespoon glycerin
• plastic bottle caps or paint pans, or Styrofoam egg carton
• red, yellow and blue food coloring

Instructions:

1. Mix vinegar and baking soda together in a small bowl. 

2. 
   When mixture stops foaming, add cornstarch and glycerin, mixing well. 
3. 
   Pour mixture into bottle caps or paint pans.
   Add several drops of a different food coloring to each pan or cap or
   carton cup. 
4. Stir until the color is well-mixed. Be sure to add plenty of
   coloring, since the tint will lighten upon drying. Mix primary colors to make
   secondary colors. For intense colors, try kool-aid or food coloring paste
   (Wilton makes great food coloring pastes). 
5. 
   Let set overnight to harden.

These paints tend to be more powdery than the store sets.

More craft fun:

Kid’s Kreate!

MATERIALS:

• small empty milk
  carton
• pretzels or twigs
• craft glue
• small square
  crackers or anything you can use for the roof.
• shiny paper for
  windows or any add ons you would like.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Wash the cartons
   and glue the opening shut.
   
2. You can paint the
   carton first if you like, brown.
   
3. Glue pretzels or
   small twigs to the sides of the cabin to resemble
   logs. Leave small squares for windows and a door.
   You can cut these open or make windows and doors
   out of construction paper.
   
4. Use small square
   crackers or whatever you think would look good on
   the roof. We used black construction paper
   squares to represent tar paper.
   
5. Set your cabin on
   a piece of cardboard covered with green or brown
   construction paper. Add things like grass and
   small trees to make it look like Lincoln’s home.

This
fun project combines science with art. Crystals are beautiful to look at
and study. Now you can grow your own, draw them and then eat them!

Materials:

• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 c water
• Popsicle Stick

Method:

• Put the sugar and water in a small
  saucepan. 
• Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. 
• Bring to the boil,
  stirring constantly. 
• When it starts to boil stop stirring and let boil
  1 minute. 
• Put either a popsicle stick in a glass or tie a string to
  the middle of one and lay the stick across the top of the glass.
  Letting the string dangle to the bottom of the glass.
• Slowly pour the
  syrup into the glass. You might want to run hot water over the glass
  first or use something plastic.
• Let stand, until cool, and watch your crystals form

Everyone loves handmade ornaments on a tree. This beautiful little crochet
snowflake is just perfect for Christmas. Hang them on the tree or tie them on a
package. I will be doing them in metallic thread as well. I will be adding some
beading as well to mine. Original pattern was designed by Julie Buldoc. USED
WITH PERMISSION

Pretty Snowflake

Materials Needed

Small amount white cotton crochet thread size 10.
Size 7 steel crochet hook
Fabric Stiffener
Straight pins
Foam Board
Waxed Paper
A paper towel
Tapestry Needle
Ornament hanger

---

Gauge 10sc=1″
Finished Size 4″ diameter
Skill Level Beginner

---

Instructions :
RND 1: Ch6, join w/slst to first ch to form ring. Ch3. 2dc in ring. Ch6, join w/slst
to 6th ch from hook. *3dc in ring. Ch6, join w/slst to 6th ch from hook. Rep
from * 4 times more. You should now have 6 ch6 loops around.

RND 2: Slst into the next dc. Ch3. 2dc, ch5, 2dc in
next ch6 lp. *Sk next dc. Dc in next dc. Sk next dc. 2dc, ch5, 2dc in next ch6
lp. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to top of ch3.

RND 3: Ch3. Sk next 2 dc. Dc, ch3, dc, ch5, dc, ch3, dc
in next ch5 sp. Sk next 2 dc. *Dc in next dc. Sk next 2 dc. Dc, ch3, dc, ch5,
dc, ch3, dc in next ch5 sp. Sk next 2 dc. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to top
of ch3.

RND 4: Ch3. Sc in next ch3 sp. Dc, ch3, dc, ch3, dc,
ch5, dc, ch3, dc, ch3, dc in next ch5 sp. Sc in next ch3 sp. Ch3. Sk next dc.
*Sc in next dc. Sc in next ch3 sp. Dc, ch3, dc, ch3, dc, ch5, dc, ch3, dc, ch3,
dc in next ch5 sp. Sc in next ch3 sp. Ch3. Sk next dc. Rep from * around. Join
w/slst to first base of ch3. Fasten off. Weave all ends into work. Stiffen with
fabric stiffener. Attach hanger to one of the points.

---

To Stiffen Snowflake:

1. Pin waxed paper to foam board to protect it.
2. Pour 1-2 tbsp fabric stiffener into a small bowl, I
   used a custard cup.
3. Dip snowflake into fabric stiffener and completely
   soak it till it’s dripping wet.
4. Pat excess stiffener off with paper towel, do not
   wring the snowflake.
5. Lay the snowflake onto the waxed paper covered board
   and stretch and pin it into shape.
6. Allow to dry overnight! Be patient for best results.
7. When dry, remove from board and attach hanger. If
   you like, you can sprinkle irredesent flakes on it while it is still wet for
   a sparkly effect.

   Hint: If you plan to make a bunch of snowflakes,
   crochet them all first, then use a large foam board and use a larger amount
   of stiffener. In other words, stiffen them all at once.

You will need:

• borax ~ found in the laundry section of supermarkets
• red food color
• pipe cleaners red or white
• a wide-mouthed jar
• yarn and a pencil

Directions:

• Twist the pipe cleaner into a heart shape
• Find out how many cups of eater your jar holds.
• Fill the jar using boiling water.
• Using 3 tablespoons of borax per cup of
  water, mix the borax into the water, a little at a time. You need to stir
  quite vigorously to get it to dissolve. There may be a little that doesn’t
  dissolve.
• Add some red food coloring to the jar and mix
  thoroughly
• Attach a piece of yarn to the top of your
  heart and lower it into the jar. Tie it off round a pencil, resting across
  the mouth of the jar, so that the heart is completely submerged in the
  solution, but not resting on the bottom.

Leave it for 24 hours and then remove it from the jar.
You should have a crystal covered heart. You can give it as a gift the way it
is, or use it to frame a picture or message.

Grow Your Own Snowflakes

Grow your own snowflakes in a jar.  Adult supervision is required, as you need boiling
water. After you have made snow flakes you can experiment with other shapes,
too.

Materials:

• large wide-mouthed jar
• pipe cleaners
• pencil
• yarn or string
• boiling water
• borax ~ found in the laundry section of the supermarket
• food coloring (optional)

For the most realistic results use white pipe cleaners and yarn and no food
coloring. For variety use different colors.

Instructions:

• Cut the pipe cleaner into 3 equal parts. 
• Twist
  them together in the center and fan out the ends so you have six evenly spaced
  spokes.
• Attach some yarn to the end of one of the spokes and pass it across each
  spoke in turn, twisting it around the spokes as you go.
• Measure the amount of water your jar holds, using cups.
• Empty the jar out and refill it using boiling water.
• Using 3 tablespoons of borax per cup of water, mix the borax into the
  water, a little at a time. You need to stir quite vigorously to get it to
  dissolve. There may be a little that doesn’t dissolve.
• Attach a piece of yarn to the top of your snowflake-shaped pipe cleaners,
  and lower it into the jar. Tie it off round a pencil, resting across the mouth
  of the jar, so that the snowflake is completely submerged in the solution, but
  not resting on the bottom.

Leave the entire thing for 24 hours. When the 24 hours are up, remove
your snowflake and you will find it has shiny crystals all over it. You can hang
it up in a window or door way, or even use it as a decoration on a Christmas
tree.

You can make them in various colors by adding a few drops of food
coloring to the borax solution, or by using colored yarn and pipe cleaners. Try
making them in different colors and using them to make  a mobile.