www.beverlys.com A wonderful Easter treat or spring craft for kids! The Treat Tube Rabbit can be used as a party favor at each person’s place setting, could be part of the center piece…Or simply put all the pieces into individual kits and have the kids make them together at a party! The possibilities are endless, easy and fun.
Most craft ideas are geared to individuals, whether kids or adults. Sometimes you’d like to have a craft idea that works for a group of kids working together. Making a mural together is an idea that works for a group. By working together, you are creating something to decorate a shared area. Individual crafts can be displayed, but one unique item is often more effective than a group of items that are almost identical. In addition, sometimes kids’ crafts, like it or not, just become clutter when they are taken home, and it isn’t long before Mom throws it out. This craft idea of making a group mural can be displayed for several weeks and will not become clutter in anyone’s home.
The basic materials for a kids’ group mural is freezer paper. Freezer paper is about 18 inches wide, and it is very tough. One side is plastic coated. That is the side that is designed to be placed against the food. You will have better luck drawing on and gluing things onto the other side. Class or group murals can feature a number of different design elements. You can mix up some finger paint and let the children make hand prints (or even foot prints!) on the paper. You can let them scour old cast-off magazines and color catalogs for pictures they like and let them cut the pictures out and glue them on. They can add scribbles, designs, signatures, slogans, or pictures using markers, crayons, or gel pens. They can attach stickers to the mural as well. This craft idea is very flexible!
For making the mural, choose a topic that relates to the group in some way. If the group are girl scouts, for instance, and have been learning to camp, the mural can feature pictures of items related to camping. If you’ve been learning about dinosaurs, you can use them as a theme. If you want a really messy project that makes a cute mural for fall, mix up finger paint in fall colors. The children can each make a tree by first laying their forearm in brown paint. Then they lay their arm on the paper to make the trunk of the tree. They should spread out their fingers so their arm print has five short branches at the top. To make the leaves, the children make fingerprints all around the top of the tree using paints in other fall colors. If you add a few drops of dishwashing detergent to finger paint when mixing it up, it will be easier to clean off the children’s arms. Do make sure they have old clothes or smocks for this craft idea.
Little preschoolers will like making a mural with an animal theme. You should probably find and cut out animal magazine pictures to start with, and then let the children choose the ones they like for gluing down. Glue sticks are neat to use with small children. They will paste some of the pictures upside down. Expect it and do not scold them. It is the process that is important in this craft idea. The children can also use animal cookie cutters dipped in finger paint to stamp animals on the mural, too. You may need to tape the paper to the table so it doesn’t slide around while the children work.
An elaborate form of this craft idea that adults often make is a quilt around a theme. Each person in the group creates a quilt square to represent some aspect of what the group stands for. These quilt squares can be colored with fabric pens or crafted of patchwork or applique. Again, the craft idea is to build group solidarity and not to highlight one artist’s skills over another. When the quilt top is completed, it can be a group project to tie it or quilt it. It can be hung in a special central location or given to an appreciated leader or member.
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If your home is anything like mine, you’re constantly picking crayons up off the floor. My son colors everyday, sometimes for hours on end. He loves crayons. We’re always buying more crayons because he either looses them or they’ve been worn down to nubbins and hard to color with. Well, here’s a tip for you on what you can do with the worn out crayons rather than throwing them away. You can recycle the old crayons by making them into candles. You can show your kids how they can take something old and make it into something new and colorful that’s useful too. You’ll want to burn these darling homemade candles yourself and give them as gifts as well.
Use this craft technique as a teaching moment with your kids. Before you start making the candles, talk to your kids about safety. They’ll need to know that the crayons will have to be melted using a very high heat, and they will not be able to do that particular step in the process. Tell them they will have other fun steps in making crayon candles.
Get your supplies together. Along with about six crayons, you’ll need a wax container of some sort such as an empty milk or orange juice wax carton, one pound of paraffin wax, two full ice cube trays, a double boiler, white packing string. If you’re hesitant to use your double boiler to melt the crayons and wax, an old coffee can and saucepan works great.
First, trim the top off of the wax carton, leaving it approximately six inches high. Next, cut the string at least 8 inches long and later cut the wick to fit the holder. Braid the three string pieces together to make a wick that burns easier. Melt the paraffin wax in the double boiler or coffee can. To help it melt faster, cut it into small chunks. Usually you’ll need to allow about 20 minutes for the melting process to complete.
Get your kids involved with the crayon candle making fun by letting them remove the crayon wrappers from the crayons while the wax is melting. Be creative by mixing and matching the crayon colors to create your own pretty candle.
Most folks find that they get the best results if they wait and add the crayons to the wax after it’s totally melted. Use a pair of scissors and dip the string into the paraffin. Dipping the string will make sure it’s coated with paraffin because the ice cubes may make it hard for the wax to stick to the string. Hold the string so that it is in the middle of the carton and fill the carton with ice cubes. Pour wax mixture over the ice cubes. You can even add a touch of scent to your crayon candle by adding a little cinnamon or vanilla to the hot wax.
Once you have poured your candle, make sure your kids know the importance of leaving it alone to harden. The candle will usually set in about half an hour, but leave it alone for a couple of hours and until the ice is melted. Put the candle in an area that is safe and where it will not be bothered. Be sure the little ones know they could be burned if they touch the hot wax before it’s cooled. The wax can stay hot for hours after pouring and can be a potential hazard to kids and animals. When you’re ready, all you have to do then is pour off the melted water and then peel off the wax carton.
If you’re looking for a new and easy craft project to do with your kids or with a small group of kids, then making crayon candles is great idea. You can spend a fun afternoon with your children and make a useful candle for your home or as a gift for grandparents and friends.
Learn more about crafting and find free patterns and project ideas for candle making and all sorts of craft projects at ‘Free Craft Ideas’ http://freecraftideas.homestead.com . Find all of the free clip art you need for scrapbooking and other craft projects at ‘Free Baby and Kids Clip Art’ http://freebabyandkidsclipart.homestead.com
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Keeping small children occupied can be a full time job. Try utilizing crafts and creative play time to encourage recreational learning while keeping them entertained. Whether it’s one child alone or an entire group to keep busy, there are more things to get kids started in crafts than you’ll be able to choose from. Be sure to try to plan your activities based on the average age of the children. It will make the process much easier for everyone involved.
A safe and easy craft that kids tend to find fascinating is origami. There are many levels of origami from the incredibly simple to the advanced type of folding. Purchase gift wrap from a craft store or local big box store. It’s fun to let kids pick out the wrapping paper that they like. Even the local dollar or liquidation store will have plenty at a low price. Easy beginner origami can be found online with no trouble. Get involved by learning with your children as you go.
Paper plates have been a great craft accessory for years. Most of us can recall using them as children in school to make great things like masks or giant flowers. Supply kids with a stack of plates and additional decorative items like pipe cleaner, glue and markers. It’s always fun to see what children will come up with when set loose with a stack of great materials and their imagination.
Make use of those old egg cartons by giving them to the kids for crafts. An egg carton caterpillar is fun to create. Cut the egg carton so that there is an entire row of egg slots to form the caterpillar body. Use pipe cleaner for antenna and then go crazy decorating the body however you like. This is a great one for younger kids since it involves little cutting. Be sure to always supervise and assist small children with the use of scissors.
One craft idea that will always be timeless is making holiday or birthday cards by hand. There is something so special about receiving a home made card from a child that cannot be beaten by any store bought version. It’s a true keepsake that can be kept for many years as a part of a beautiful memory.
The options are virtually endless for crafts that are perfectly suited to smaller kids. Get them involved in reading by having them create their very own bookmarks. Use sturdy construction paper cut rectangular then let them do the rest with glitter, paint or beads. Have them make one in the style or theme of their favourite story. Pencil holders are also great and related to reading and writing. Decorate a can or wooden container tall enough to hold pencils. There really is no limit to what you can do.
It’s important to prevent kids from developing extreme tendencies for electronics and TV. While those things are fine in moderation, it’s necessary to keep the brain active and stimulated. Crafts for kids are both fun and results in some pretty neat stuff.
There are as many hobbies as there are people who enjoy them. Learn more about the popular hobby of building and collecting dollhouses and miniatures. Visit our large selection of charming doll house kits today at http://www.TheMagicalDollhouse.com.
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- ORGANIC Beautiful Sweets rich vanilla sugar cookies, baked fresh to order. We guarantee it!
- 4 of each of 6 different styles
- Certified Organic, all natural, no preservatives; we are a nut free facility
- Beautifully packaged in our post-consumer recycled boxes.
- As seen on The Food Network’s “Roker on the Road” &”UnWrapped”,”The Today Show”, & “The Early Show”
Product Description
If you’re looking for a great craft idea or project for kids this winter, try this wonderful box of gourmet sugar cookies. Decorate a snowman or snowflake with the included set of amazing food-coloring markers. Makes a great Christmas gift for kids of all… More >>
Beautiful Sweets Snowman Fun Organic Cookies, 24 Cookies
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If you are looking for an inexpensive craft project to make with children, you will want to try out this craft idea. Within a matter of 20 minutes, you can make several foam refrigerator magnets.
Appropiate Age Group: 4 and up
Here is what you will need:
Coloring books (featuring simple designs such as flowers, animals, cartoon characters, etc)
Child Safety Scissors
All Purpose White Tacky Glue
Wiggle Eyes
Beads, Buttons, Sequins, Feathers and other miscellaneous crafting trinkets
Foam Sheets (buy 1 of each different color to match your designs)
Magnets
Fine Tip Black Sharpie Marker
For the project that I made with my nephews, we selected a coloring book that had animal pictures in it for preschool aged children. You will want to cut out the pattern by cutting close (but not on) the outline shape.
We selected the following animals: frog, pig, monkey, cow, puppy and a lamb).
For the purpose of this project, I will refer to the cow refrigerator magnet that we made.
Select a sheet of foam to match the color of your animal, in this case, a white piece of foam. Trace around the pattern by placing the reverse side of the pattern down onto the foam sheet. Once you have it traced, use the scissors to cut the shape out by cutting on your traced line.
We then took a scrap piece of peach colored foam and made a nose for our cow and glued it into place. Above the nose, glue on 2 wiggle eyes. Take the black fine tip Sharpie marker and draw black ‘cow’ spots on the cows body and head. We also used the marker to color in the cows tail and hooves. To finish off your cow, glue a 2″ piece of magnet onto the back and let dry.
Try to be creative when adding accents to your magnets, you can use feathers, beads, buttons, sequins, charms, ribbons and other left-over small trinkets from other craft projects.
Shelly Hill has been working from home since 1989 in Direct Sales. You can visit Shelly online at: http://www.classybusinesswomen.com or at http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com
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A cheap, easy craft idea! It is easy to make lip balm yourself from cheap, easy to find ingredients. You can use Vaseline, cosmetic grade beeswax or petroleum jelly as a base with essential oils for flavouring.
Containers
Small glass pots are suitable for your lip balm. If you have any old lip balm containers you can use these but they must be sterilised first. To do this wash them thoroughly with soap and water then rinse out with rubbing alcohol. Rinse with clear water then dry completely before use.
Colouring the Lip Balm
The lip balm does not need to be coloured but if you would like to colour it a you can use few slivers of lipstick shaved from a new lipstick. It is necessary to use new lipstick as lipstick that has been used could be contaminated with bacteria.
Melting the Base Material
The base material, whether it is vaseline, petroleum jelly or beeswax, needs to be melted before you can add the flavouring or colouring. You will need about two teaspoons for each small pot. There are a variety of ways to do this but whichever you choose only just melt the material. It does not need to be heated more than that. You can use a double saucepan to gently melt the material with steam or heat it in the microwave. if you use a microwave be careful not to overheat it. Place it in a small container then heat for only 30 seconds. Check to see if it is melted then heat again for 30 seconds if it is not. Continue heating for 30 seconds at a time until melting occurs. I find the easiest way is to place the material in a plastic bag, tie the ends, then float in some hot water. Once the material has melted snip off a corner and pour it out.
Flavourings
Once you have melted the base material the following flavourings can be added. Add only a small amount until the taste is satisfactory. essential oils must be handled carefully so make sure you read the safety instructions that come with your oil before you start. Citrus essential oils (e.g. orange, lemon etc) should not be used as they can make you skin more photosensitive.
Almond oil, vanilla oil, cocoa powder, tea tree oil, camphor, cinnamon, ginger, peppermint oil.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E acts as a preservative. Use a vitamin E capsule, puncture with a sterilised needle (hold it in a flame for a few seconds) then squeeze out the oil into you balm.
Moisturising Lip Balm Recipe
Materials
1. 1 1/2 teaspoons cosmetic grade beeswax
2. 1/1/2 teaspoons Shea Butter
3. 1/2 teaspoon Jojoba oil
4. 1/2 teaspoon almond oil
5. 4 drops essential oil of your choice
6. 3 capsules vitamin E
Method
Carefully melt the beeswax with the Shea butter. Be careful not to overheat as this can make the Shea Butter grainy. Allow to cool slightly then add the Jojoba oil,the almond oil, essential oil and the vitamin E. Pour into containers and allow to cool. Add a few more drops of almond oil if necessary to soften the lip balm.
Caution
The above recipes do not include any sun protection. Some people are allergic to some essential oils so be careful if you make these as gifts.
Janet Bugby loves crafts and making things at home from cheap, easy to come by materials. For lots more information and easy craft ideas visit Easy Craft Ideas or Easy Hobby Craft Ideas Bath Salt Recipes
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Are you a camp director or Sunday School teacher looking for a craft idea for kid enrichment? Maybe you feel like you are just not the creative type, and you struggle with coming up with craft projects. It is true that some people just have a knack for finding or even inventing craft ideas, but your creativity can be improved. There are ways to make it easier to find a craft idea for kid needs.
First, lay aside any perfectionism. Locking yourself into thinking there is only one right way to do something makes every decision harder. Regardless of the kid program you are helping with, there are always many suitable craft ideas out there. Don’t worry about picking the wrong one! If you’ve taken into consideration the age and skill levels of the kids involved, your choice will be adequate.
Next, consider your budget. When choosing a craft idea for kid programs, you need to be aware that some of them are expensive. Prepackaged kits to make a fun foam picture frame or a craft stick cross are affordable for a few kids, but if you are needing to do a craft with a lot of kids, these kits might cost too much. It’s often easy to do almost exactly the same project by just looking at the craft kit components and buying the same materials in bulk at the discount store. You may have to do some preparation, like cutting out shapes ahead of time, or at least making cardboard patterns for the kids to use in cutting out their own. The savings will be worth it, however.
Another consideration is this: in spite of years of indoctrination from women’s libbers, the fact remains that boys and girls like different sorts of crafts! If the craft seems a little girly, don’t use it at boys’ camp. Stick with lace-up leather billfolds, Indian artifacts, dinosaur art, and similar projects. Girls will like beads and anything that’s pink or purple. For a craft idea for kid camp where there are kids of both sexes, keep it on the boyish side and provide some pink materials to keep the girls happy.
An aspect of creativity that the non-creative types don’t realize is that ideas spring from other ideas. That is, if you look over a book or website of craft ideas, maybe none of them will appeal to you, but if you let them, they will spark an idea for a similar project. Use what you can and change what you must in the craft directions. For instance, the craft may have a slogan to be written across the front. If you need to change the slogan to fit your own needs, it’s perfectly OK. For instance, the pictured project might say “Girls rock!” You can change that to “He is the Rock!” if that meets your VBS needs better.
A final suggestion is to realize that you don’t have to change the instructions or create something new to have a good craft idea for kid use. Feel free to follow the instructions to the letter if that works better for you. The kids will have a great time either way. Just pick a craft idea, for kid creativity beats adult creativity everytime! The kids will make it creative, even if you have doubts about your own ability in this area.
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