Easy Kids Craft | Spinning Greeting Cards

Card How-To
1. Cut out a sheet of colorful paper with a width that's divisible by three; ours is 12 inches (the height is 7). Use a ruler to divide width into three equal parts; fold paper at those points. Unfold. Fold left flap over middle (these panels will be card's front), then fold both in half (use a bone folder, if you like). Draw a half circle (or half square) over outer fold as shown; cut out, cutting through all layers, just outside line.

2. Trim cutouts. Lay one on photo; trace. Cut out photo; glue onto cutout.

3. Glue string between photo and the other cutout (or another photo). Place string in fold of middle flap, positioning photo in hole; glue left flap to middle, trapping string inside. Trim string.

Easy Kids Crafts | School Pencil Box

What You Need

Shoebox (preferably kid size)
Paints, marking pens, stickers and other supplies for decorating
Glue
Pencil (for poking holes)
School Supplies (for the finishing touch)

How To Make It

Step One:
Help your preschooler paint the outside of the box, both the lid and the bottom. Let it dry.

Step Two:
Let your preschooler decorate the box however he/she would like. Use markers, stickers, glue on sequins, etc.

Step Three:
This step is for the parent. Carefully poke holes in the lid of the shoebox with the pencil. These holes will later hold pens, pencils, and crayons.

Step Four:
Fill with school supplies.

Easy Kids Crafts | Paper Cup Terrarium

Help your child discover his green thumb with this easy-to-make paper cup terrarium. His eyes will be wide with wonder as he watches his plant grow bigger every day.

Make it: Use markers to decorate a paper cup. Fill the cup with soil and place a small green plant inside. Give the plant a companion by adding a toy insect, a butterfly, or even a dinosaur on top of the soil. Cover the plant with a clear plastic cup and tape the two cups together. Place your new terrarium near a sunny window, add a little TLC, and track its growth together.

Paper Plate Banjo

Indulge your kids' musical fantasies with this simple banjo made from paper plates and a few well-tuned rubber bands. Making music was never this much fun!

Make it: Stack two thick-weight paper plates and staple them together for durability. Let your kids paint the stacked plates their favorite colors and decorate them with stickers. Attach a paint stick to the back of the stacked plates and glue beads to the end as the pegs. Finally, add strings by stretching rubber bands around the stacked plates.

Crafts Kids | Recycled Blooms

What You'll Need

• Empty toilet-paper tubes
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Kid-friendly scissors
• Bamboo skewers
• Paint
• Paintbrush
• Tissue paper
• Green cardstock

Instructions

1. Draw a ring 2 inches from edge of tube. Repeat on other end. Then, from each 2-inch ring, draw cut lines every 1/2 inch. Snip along each line to make petals.
2. Fold petals back to create flower. Paint flower and bamboo skewers; let dry. Cut out green leaves and glue to skewers.
3. Push the skewer through one end of the flower's center until it just touches the other end. Crumple an 8-inch square of tissue paper and place in the center.

Tepees & Houses | Kids Crafts

Tepees

What you'll need: Dessert-size paper plates, scissors, brown chenille stems, tape, small brush, sea sponge, craft paint, craft glue
How to make them: Cut paper plate in half. Roll ends to create a cone shape; tape to secure. Using a sea sponge, paint on a background with light-colored paint; let dry. Then, use a paintbrush to paint on designs; let dry. Cut chenille stems into three 3-1/2-inch pieces and glue to the inside of the top of the tepee.

Houses
What you'll need: Empty pint-size milk or creamer cartons, craft glue, spray-on paint primer, craft paint, pencil, brushes
How to make them: Glue container closed. Spray on paint primer; let dry. Paint top third of the container a darker color to resemble a roof. Paint the rest of the house a contrasting color; let dry. Use a pencil to sketch out windows and a door, then paint them on.

Chick & Bunny Treat Holders | Kids Crafts

This one’s for the kiddies… a fun little craft project + “friendly” holders for all those Easter Bunny treats!

(Full instructions for both versions after the jump…)

PAPER BUNNY CUP Treat Holders

You’ll Need:
white paper cup
white cardstock
pink felt or pink cardstock
2 wiggle eyes
small pink pom-pom
medium white pom-pom (for tail)
white chenille stems
scissors, glue, glue dots or a stapler

Directions
• From the white cardstock, cut 2 large white ovals for the bunny ears. Trim one side of the oval off so it’s squared off at the bottom.

• Cut 2 smaller oval shapes from the pink felt (or paper) for the inner part of the ear. Glue the pink ovals in the center of the white ear shapes and set aside to dry.

• Cut white chenille craft stems into short pieces for the whiskers. Use craft glue or glue dots to attach the whiskers to the cup, then glue the pink pom pom on top for the nose.

• Attach the ears to the back rim of the cup with a stapler or glue dots.

• Glue the white pom pom to the back of the cup to create a cotton tail.

• Fill with a colorful Easter grass and candy treats!

*****

PAPER CHICK CUP Treat Holders

You’ll Need:
yellow paper cup
orange cardstock
orange chenille craft stems
2 wiggle eyes
yellow craft feathers
scissors, glue/glue dots, stapler or tape

Directions
• From the orange cardstock, cut a small triangle for the beak and glue it to the front of the cup.

• Glue the wiggle eyes above the beak.

• Cut six 3/4-inch pieces of orange chenille stem for the chick feet. Twist three pieces together at one end for each foot. Attach the feet to the front of the cup with glue dots or tacky craft glue.

• Staple or tape a few feathers to the back edge of the cup, making sure they peek out over the top.

• Fill with a colorful Easter grass and candy treats!

Heart and Lollipop Flowers | kids craft

Heart-and-Lollipop Flowers
With just a little TLC, colorful hearts flourish as the petals of a new flower variety --one with a lollipop center and stem.

1. Use card stock to make a half-heart template about 3 inches high and 1 1/4 inches wide. Fold a 12-by-3 1/2-inch piece of construction paper in half vertically, and trace four half-hearts along the fold.

2. Cut out hearts; unfold.

3. Stack hearts; punch a hole 1/4 inch up from bottom. Position petals to form a flower, making sure holes line up. Secure by applying glue around holes; let dry. Write name on a petal. Insert lollipop.