craft for kids

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.

Egg Cup Ships

What you'll need:

3 cardboard egg cups
Brown acrylic craft paint
Paintbrush
¼ cup modeling clay or play dough
6 toothpicks
1 sheet white paper
Scissors
White craft glue

How to make it:

Paint the egg cups inside and out with brown paint. Set aside to dry.
Cut sails from white paper. You will need 6 large sails (1.5” x 1”) and 18 small sails (.5” x .75”).
Set aside three of the toothpicks for the large sails. Break or cut the other three toothpicks in half, giving you 6 halves.
Put a line of glue through the middle of one of the small sails. Place the cut or broken end of one of the toothpick halves onto the glue line.
Roll it in the glue to cover both sides, then place another sail on top, sandwiching the two sails together. Flatten the sails together with your fingers and set aside to dry.
Repeat step number 5 with each toothpick half and 2 small sails (each).
Following the guide in step number 5, make the larger salls. For each large sail you will need a toothpick, 2 small sails and 2 large sails. Glue the small sail to the end of the full toothpick, and then glue the larger sail beneath it, leaving a small gap between the top and bottom sail. Set aside to dry.
Roll a small amount of clay in your palm, enough to line the bottom of the egg cup. Place in the egg cup and flatten to cover bottom.
Insert open end of large sail into the middle of the clay. Insert two small sails, one on either side of the large sail, into the clay.

Tips:

This project can also be made with open walnut shells.
The Nina and the Pinta were both smaller ships, but the Santa Maria was much larger. Make a larger version of the Santa Maria by using margarine tubs, craft sticks and larger pieces of paper.
Teachers, use this project to discuss Columbus’s voyages to the Americas.

Easy Kids Crafts | Moon and Stars Mobile

Try this simple and fun to make Moon and Stars Mobile.

You will need:

Thick card or greyboard
Foam or paper shapes
Sewing thread
Paints and paint brush
Pencil, ruler, scissors, a pair of compasses and play clay

Here's how:

Cut 2 strips of thick card approximately 25cm x 4cm.
Make a thin slit at the centre of each length, about 2cm high, so that the 2 pieces will slot together at right angles to form a balanced hanging frame.
Take the frame apart and make small holes (just enough for the sewing thread to go through) at approximately 4cm intervals along the bottom edge of each piece of the frame. Make another 2 holes in the top of one half of the frame, one 2cm either side of the centre.
Ask an adult to help make the holes - the point of a pair of compasses pushed carefully through the card into a lump of play clay is ideal for this stage. Make sure your work surface is well protected first.
Paint or decorate the frame as required and leave to dry. Reassemble the frame once the paint is dry.
Cut out moon and star shapes from paper, card or foam and decorate if required.
Make a small hole near the top of each shape and thread a length of sewing thread through the hole. Then pass the thread through one of the holes in the base of the frame and tie a knot in the thread to secure. Trim off any excess thread.
Use different lengths of thread so that the shapes hang at different levels. Hang only one shape through each hole in the frame and have a mixture of shapes and sizes on each of the 4 arms to ensure that your mobile is balanced.
Attach a loop of thread through the 2 holes in the top of the frame to enable you to hang and display your mobile.

Cool Photo Crafts

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Celebrate with photos of your baby -- everywhere! Print a headshot onto circular labels to add character to cups, napkins, and goody bags.

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

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.
Fold petals back to create flower. Paint flower and bamboo skewers; let dry. Cut out green leaves and glue to skewers.
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.