Kids Craft Activities

Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kids

2008-01-13T17:44:00.000-08:00

Kids like to create things. Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to let them get creative. Here are some ideas to get them started.

If there are girls in your child’s class, jewelry is a good craft. Stores sell kits to create bracelets, necklaces and rings. Your kids can visit a craft store and choose their own necklace material and the beads to go on them. In keeping with the theme of the day, they can choose heart-shaped beads in various colors and a necklace material that is suitable for school age little girls. Create one necklace yourself so that they can see how it is done. Matching bracelets can be made using the same beads.

Kids can give their teachers a bouquet of roses. These aren’t just any roses! These special roses are made of tissue paper and pipe cleaners. Show kids how to fold the tissue paper and wrap it around the pipe cleaners. The flowers can be presented in a vase or with a ribbon tied around them.

Candy is still the most popular thing to use for crafts. Instead of beads, use candy to create bracelets for boys in the class. Candy pieces can be strung over a piece of string. It’ll look nice at first and the boys can nibble on the candy throughout the day, kind of like a snack on the go.

Valentine’s Day crafts can be created for family members. If grandma is into flowers, kids can give them a flower pot with seeds and a little bag of potting soil. Using paints, kids can decorate the pots in Valentine’s Day fashion.

Instead of buying packs of Valentine’s Day cards, let the kids use a card program and make their own for other members of the family. They can add whatever they want to the card. Some cards come blank for the kids to write what they want or with cute sayings already inside.

Kids can make Valentine’s Day decorations for the house to put everyone in the mood to express their love. Using a piece of string, construction paper, scissors and glue, they can create a banner to be hung in the kitchen or anywhere in the house. Each paper heart can contain one letter in the words “Valentine’s Day”.

Make arrows for the boys so that they can pretend to be Cupid. Instead of metal, use wooden skewers as the arrow. Styrofoam pieces in the shape of hearts can be painted red and stuck on the end of the skewer. Pieces of ribbon can be glued to the other end to act as feathers on the arrow. To create a quiver for the arrows, use an empty cereal box.

Your child can make a Valentine’s Day box for each child to hold their precious cards. The boxes can be purchased at a dollar store. If the boxes are not already decorated for the occasion, kids can use markers or paint to add hearts to the box. Write each child’s name on the outside of the box. A piece or candy can be added to the box so that the kids don’t open it and find it empty.

Valentine’s Day is fun for kids. They get to have a good time making crafts for others and enjoying gifts given to them.

Thanksgiving Craft Activities For Kids - Dinner Table Decorations

2007-11-19T18:02:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Craft Activities For Kids: Kids love making a mess and being creative. What better way to keep them busy while they are waiting for Thanksgiving dinner, then to create some one-of-a-kind decorations for the dinner table? Provide the kids with some paper, glue, scissors, crayons, and other craft supplies, such as feathers, pine cones and artificial leaves.

Placemats are easy for children to make. Start with a rectangle of construction paper and let the children decorate them. If they are provided with pictures of food and other Thanksgiving things to cut out from magazines, they could make a collage. They could use stickers, simple silhouettes or leaf shapes to add to their placemats as well. Another thing fun for kids, especially the younger ones, is to trace around their hands to make turkeys. If you want to preserve the placemats for later years, simply cover them in clear contact paper once the children are finished.

Napkin rings are a nice touch for each place setting. The rings could be made from strips of construction paper, card stock or toilet paper roll tubes. Feathers alone could turn them into Indian headdresses. A simple turkey body and feet with a few feathers will create a cute turkey. A pilgrim's hat could be made easily by adding a black brim around the bottom of the ring and pasting on a paper buckle.

The children could also make pinecone turkeys as favors for each place setting. Feathers could be made from construction paper, pipe cleaners or simply use craft feathers. Glue them to the wider end of the cone, and then attach a head to the smaller end. Add some feet to help stabilize it, to keep the turkey from rolling.

Centerpieces are also a wonderful addition to the Thanksgiving table. A cornucopia is fairly easy to put together. Once a nicely shaped wicker horn is selected, the children can arrange fruits, vegetables and leaves in and around it. Depending on how long the decorations will be out, you will have to decide between fresh and artificial produce.

A turkey centerpiece can be made a few days ahead from paper mache'. Use a balloon for the base, using a standard paste recipe. Once it is dry, paint the body brown. Adding bright fall colored feathers, a body and feet will create a turkey centerpiece that will look too good to eat.

Another interesting craft the kids can make to help with the decorations is a table runner. Find a strip of fabric about a foot wide and about four feet longer than the table, to allow it to drape at either end. Using pinking sheers, a surger, or hem it, to finish off the edges so it doesn't ravel. Then let the children use fabric permanent markers to draw the first Thanksgiving scene, complete with Indians, Pilgrims and turkeys.

The decorations the children create are sure to become family treasures enjoyed for many years to come.

Thanksgiving Craft: Napkin Rings

2007-11-13T17:18:00.000-08:00

A nice touch for any Thanksgiving dinner table is handcrafted napkin rings. They are relatively simple to make and something that the kids could easily do to help. It could be a great project for children to work on while the food is being prepared.

First, you need to decide which napkins you want to use; cloth or paper napkins. Roll the napkin to the size you want, allowing a little overlap for the ring to hold the napkin. To make the ring itself, either purchase them or create your own by cutting toilet paper rolls into the desired size. The cardboard rolls work especially well for napkin rings that stand upright, instead of lying beside the silverware. Then the fun starts. It's time to decorating the napkin rings. There are many different things you can use including:

Stickers - Stickers are the quickest and easiest way to decorate the rings, especially for younger kids. There are many delightful holiday stickers available. The hardest part will be deciding which ones to use.

Paper Turkey - By gluing a simple turkey body to the ring and adding a few colorful feathers to the inside of the ring, you can create a delightful turkey napkin ring.

Indian Headband - To create a simple Indian headband napkin holder, use brown construction paper strips to make the rings and then add colorful feathers.

Pilgrim Buckle - Traditionally, pictures of Pilgrims show a wide black belt with a buckle (also found on their hats). This is easy to make into a napkin ring. Use black strips of paper for the "belt" that makes the ring. Then cut a square, with the center cut out, from yellow paper that is a bit wider than the strip for the buckle and paste to the Pilgrims belt.

Pilgrim Hats - Cutting out a simple Pilgrim hat or bonnet silhouette could make for cute napkin ring designs. If you want a 3D version of the black hat with the buckle, you could make the center of the hat from a toilet paper roll adding a brim around the bottom. Next, glue on a buckle made out of yellow paper and put the napkin in so it stands upright.

3D Turkey - To make a 3D turkey, make the body of the turkey from sections of a toilet paper roll, cut about an inch wide. Glue on the head and feet in the front and tail feathers in the back to complete the turkey.

Fall Foliage - Cut out some leaf shapes in different fall colors. Glue them all the way around the napkin ring, overlapping them slightly.

The possibilities to create Thanksgiving napkin rings are endless, limited only by your own imagination. There are many variations that could be created for fun and funky or lovely and elegant table accents.

Thanksgiving Craft: Indian Headdress

2007-10-31T12:19:00.000-07:00

The most colorful and creative Thanksgiving craft you and your kids can engage in is making Indian headdresses. Whether you prefer one feather, or the full regalia – they are beautiful and fun to wear as well.

Let’s take a look at how to make a few of these headdresses. Basically, it’s one stop shopping at your local craft store. Purchase a plain headband; then choose a wide variety of colored feathers, long, short and in-between. In addition you will need some gold sparkles or stars or any color your kids choose.

Next, have your kids decorate the headbands with the sparkles using glue. Then take the feathers and one by one, glue each feather to the inside side of the band. Start with the first row of short feathers, then the next row of medium sized feathers glued to the first, and so on, until the last row contains the longest feathers. Mix up the colored feathers and place the band around the forehead and Voila! You have a superb looking Indian headdress.

Perhaps one of your children doesn’t want to be the Indian chief, but an Indian girl. In that case, one feather on a colorful band made by your daughter will be just as attractive.

In addition, there are some Indian headdresses which call for a feather placed from the bottom of the headband to the chin, denoting a specific tribe. Your kids may want to name their tribe as well by choosing a logo which they can also place on the headband.

Indian headdresses can be as simple or as ornate as you wish. There is no right or wrong way to make a headdress. The only requirement is that the kids have fun and you take lots of pictures for your scrapbook or family album. Oh, and don’t forget to tell the kids they have to make up an Indian dance as well so you can capture it on video to view for years to come.

Necklace and Bracelet Craft

2007-10-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

When we were young girls, we were fascinated with making bracelets and necklaces using beads in all shapes and sizes as well as their brilliant colors. Today, your kids can make a necklace and bracelet as well.

One trip to your local craft store is all that is needed to begin the process of creating necklaces and bracelets at home. Choose a leather cord and a variety of beads in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Then put the cord through each bead until you have the desired look. Follow this same process for both necklace and bracelet.

In the old days, shoelaces were used. You can do the same as well. Choose black or white shoelaces, which are easier to push through the hole in the beads, and tie a knot at both ends and you have a lovely necklace or bracelet.

Perhaps your kids would like to use some of your costume jewelry instead of beads. If you have several loop type earrings, you can make a lovely bracelet from those as well.

If you kids would like to make “sweet” necklaces and bracelets, they can use lifesavers which come individually packaged. Pick up the variety bag, and the kids can have a great time making candy necklaces and bracelets as well.

Here’s another fun idea. How about using elbow pasta to make a necklace and bracelet? The kids can use sharpie pens in different colors and really make unique and colorful jewelry. Of course, there is the traditional popcorn bracelet and necklace but how about using caramel popcorn to add a bit more color?

Does this bring back fond memories for you? Well then join your kids in making these necklaces and bracelets and proudly wear them. Snap lots of pictures for your scrapbook and remember the important thing is to have fun creating jewelry using unique ideas and items around your home as well.

Fun Halloween Craft Ideas

2007-10-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

Kids always have fun making crafts, especially holiday-themed crafts. Here are some fun Halloween craft ideas for your kids to make this year.

1. Trick-or-Treat bucket
Supplies: ice cream bucket, construction paper, markers, crayons, glue, glitter (any craft supplies)
Directions: Use construction paper to draw ghosts, pumpkins, scarecrows, etc. Cut out your decorations and glue them to the outside of an ice cream bucket.

2. Trick-or-Treat goody bags
Supplies: small brown paper bags, Halloween stickers, markers, treats (candy, pencils, erasers, bubblegum, etc.)
Directions: Decorate paper bags in Halloween themes using your art supplies. Put treats inside bags. Fold the top of the bag down and tape shut with a Halloween sticker.

3. Tiny pumpkins
Supplies: acorns, orange paint, and green paint
Directions: Lay acorns on a sheet of newspaper. Paint the bottom of the acorns with orange paint. After the orange paint dries, paint the top of the acorns green (for the stem of the pumpkin). Allow to dry thoroughly.

4. Spooky Spiders
Supplies: black construction paper, cotton balls or cotton stuffing, black pipe cleaners, small bowl or saucer, and a stapler
Directions: Using black construction paper, trace around a small bowl or saucer. (Cut out two circles per spider.) Place stuffing or cotton balls on first circle. Lay second circle on top of cotton stuffing and staple half-way around. Insert 3-4” pipe cleaners on each side, then staple the second half of the circles together. Bend pipe cleaners to make the “legs” of the spider.

Halloween Kids Crafts: Halloween Greeting Cards

2007-10-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

Halloween Kids Crafts:Making your own Halloween greeting cards can be a fun exercise for the entire family, but especially for the kids.

There are several ways you can make these cards. One way is by downloading Halloween designs from the Internet and pasting them onto blank greeting cards. In addition, there are also templates online which you can print out and have your kids color for their cards.

Another way, and more fun for the kids, is to simply use construction paper and crayons and let them be as creative as they wish. They can draw pumpkins and spiders; bats and witches; ghosts and goblins, whatever their hearts desire. Then cut them out and paste them onto black construction paper. They can write their own greeting inside and send the cards to friends and relatives.

The kids can also use pictures taken in their Halloween costumes and paste them on the front of a blank greeting card and write their own message inside. Think how proud their grandparents will be once they receive these cards in the mail.

Halloween stickers can also be purchased at your local card store and used to decorate the envelopes.

If you or your kids are familiar with Print Shop, you can make any type of Halloween card you choose. Print shop allows you to place images and text on the front, inside and back of the card. Your kids can make wonderful and colorful cards using this software.

Considering the cost of postage these days, perhaps you may wish to have the kids draw their greeting cards and you can then scan and email them to relatives or friends as well.

Whatever method is chosen, kids will have a great time creating greeting cards for friends, relatives, and mom and dad too. Save the cards for your scrapbook, so that you can recall the wonderful memories of Halloweens past, present, and future.