Crafts for Kids Archives - Page 5 of 9

Animal Thumbprint Valentine Bookmarks Craft

January 20, 2014 by Melissa

In a world full of Spongebob, Minecraft, Xmen and Micky Mouse I’m glad I have the craftiness to help my kids stand out in the piles of mediocre. This year for Valentine’s Day Shae will be handing out something more exciting and lovable with these Animal Thumbprint Valentine Bookmarks.

Fingerprints make everything cuter. The personal touch shows the recipient that the gift was made especially for them from the heart. These bookmarks are also useful. Shae is reading more and more each day and I know a bookmark would come in handy for her.

Materials

Stamp pads
Blank bookmark shapes cut from cardstock
Fine point pens
yarn or embroidery thread

Directions

Ink thumbs and fingers and press onto bookmarks.

Add details to transform in to cute animal shapes. Write your message.

Add yarn to the top of the bookmark.

In just a few short minutes you have an adorable Valentine Card for an entire class.

Can you come up with any other thumbprint animal ideas?

Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments

December 12, 2013 by Melissa

With Christmas coming up in less than 3 weeks Shae’s on a mission to get her ornament making in full swing. Salt Dough is so simple and versatile it only makes sense to make ornaments from them making it a great addition for #kidsinthekitchen. The final product is sturdy enough to last years.

One tip when making ornaments and decor from the kids, write the date in a hidden spot so you know how long it’s been hanging around.

Salt Dough

Ingredients

1 cup of flour
1/2 cup fine salt
1/2 cup slightly warm water
cookie cutters
rolling pin
Paint & brushes
ribbon or twine

Directions
Preheat oven to 250°.

In a large bowl mix flour, salt and water until combined. Turn out onto a smooth surface and knead till smooth. Dough should be soft but not sticky. Add flour or water by the spoonful if needed to achieve the right consistency.

Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness, cut with cookie cutters and place on cookie sheets. Use a toothpick to add hole for hanging and to emphasize details like smiles or eyes.

Bake for 2 hours. Remove from oven and move to a cooling rack for 1 hour.

Your shapes are ready to decorate however your child pleases. Thread with ribbon and hang. Don’t forget to add your child’s name and the current year.

These can be made in advanced and painted whenever the chance comes up. We gave some to my nieces on Thanksgiving so they could paint on their own at home.

Aside from removing from the oven Shae did everything thing by herself. You realized this doesn’t have to be a kid only craft.

Come join me and my co-hosts, Sarah of Play to Learn with Sarah, Paula at Frosted Fingers and Sara at Sensibly Sara, each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

preparing healthy snacks
having a tea party
counting skills with m&ms
pouring from measuring cups
discovering a local restaurant that your kids love
creating new family friendly recipes

Find even more inspiration and ideas for your own home from our #kidsinthekitchen Pinterest Board.

Follow Melinda Babiak’s board #KidsintheKitchen on Pinterest.

kid made Cupcake Ornament

December 12, 2013 by Melissa

We’re dealing with snow days and I don’t know what you do during snow days but we craft, bake and play video games. Looking at Shae’s tree I noticed she’s needing more decorations. We set out to create some that should last her years to come, creating memories to last those years. This kid made cupcake ornament came about a bit haphazardly.

What started as a simple idea exploded into something else that focused more on the details.

Materials needed

Christmas ball, you choice of color
paint, to change Christmas ball color and other items
cupcake liner
soft air dry clay
red pompom or red mini Christmas ball
straight pin, thin gauge wire or ornament hanger
glitter or beads
glue
ribbon

Directions

Start with the pieces that need painting first. Our Christmas ball was gray, Shae painted it yellow. Also since we didn’t have a red pompom Shae shaped a red sphere from the white clay and painted that red for the cherry.

As the paint was drying we used some more clay to roll out a LONG snake and then coiled it to resemble frosting. Using a toothpick make a hole in the frosting big enough to thread your ribbon.

Tie the ribbon to the top of the ornament and thread the end through a hole in the frosting. Coat the top nub of the ornament with glue and gently press the frosting on, making sure the ribbon is pulled through. Make a loop at the top of the ribbon to use as a hanger.

Lightly spread some school glue on the frosting and dust it with glitter or beads to make your sprinkles. Shape your straight pin or wire and insert into your cherry, add glue if you need to. Glue it to you cupcake. Set aside to dry.

When everything is dry add a good amount of craft glue to the bottom of your cupcake liner and along the inner wall and place your ball inside. Use a rubber band to gently hold the liner in place against the ball. You don’t want this to squeeze too hard to crush the paper. Leave this for 10-15 minutes to make sure the glue bonds.

When everything has dried and set your ornament is ready to hang.

Share your own crafts and DIY projects below and visit the other crafters sharing their posts.

Pallet Board Card Display DIY

December 4, 2013 by Melissa

The holiday cards are coming in and I’m prepared to show them off this year in a unique way. There was a time when we had a fireplace mantle that was home to cards and holiday greetings but today we don’t. Instead this year I’m showing off my beautiful friends and family with a little DIY style with this Pallet Board Card Display.

Creating this display piece gives not just my card but all the greetings we receive a special home where they can be viewed and admired. We just happened to have pallets in our garage for another pending project, and all the other materials we’re already in the garage. This card display cost me nothing to make.

Materials

pallet board, barn wood, unused shelf
sandpaper, 110 grit
wood stain & rag
staple gun
twine or ribbon
embellishments (bows, flowers, greenery)

Directions

Lightly sand your board to remove harsh edges, splinters and dirt. Using a rag stain the board your preferred color then let dry a couple of hours or over night.
Using a staple gun attach your ribbon or twine to the back of your board and start wrapping in your desired design. I added a few staples in the way down in case of twine breakage. I also added a glitter ribbon to give it a little color and sparkle.

Using the twine make a loop on the back of your board to act as the hanger.
Add whatever decorations you want. I created some burlap roses and attached them to the top of my board using a hot glue gun. It was instantly ready to hang. Totally this project took me 2-3 hours total plus some waiting time.

I hope you noticed our Cardstore.com card on the top of my Pallet Board Card Display. The card arrived in the mail right before Thanksgiving so I was able to show it off to my family and everyone was very impressed with the rich colors and heavy feel. It felt stronger than a store bought card, more like a vintage postcard. I adore the matte finish too. It feels much more professional and higher quality than the super shiny options out there.

There is still time to get your own holiday cards in time for Christmas and/or New Years. Choose from options with a Religious sentiment or a handmade quality or even something more whimsical if that fits your personality. Whatever you’re looking for you’re bound to find something that works in the theme, size or design you’re looking for.

There’s something good coming out of #rainbowloom

October 9, 2013 by Melissa

We walk in the store and the displays are as big as the kids. I was regretting this moment for weeks. The Rainbow Loom had infiltrated our usually trend resistant home. We didn’t fall for Silly Bandz and Scratch Art just sits in a shelf. Even the elaborate Star Wars Lego sets weren’t ever an attraction. BUT Rainbow Loom is make an impact. At first I wasn’t too thrilled. I figured the appeal was going to last just a couple of days then end up in the back of the closet but I think we might be buying more rubber bands this weekend.

#rainbow loom fad for boys too

Shaun is spending all of his spare time learning new weaving styles and matching up color combinations. This is the kid that would put his iPod down if the house was on fire. Shaun is our electronics addict. Between Xbox, computer, iPod, kindle and tv he’s almost always connected if he’s awake.

Something clicked when Rainbow Loom landed in his hands. The need to be creative overtook his desire to plug in. That can’t be a bad thing. He learned the fishtail weave within a few hours, worked on the Hexafish weave the next day and is now teaching Shae how to make her own bracelets.

working on #rainbow loom

I think he appreciates this activity a little more than other toys and games because he was told he had to pay for it himself. He now knows since he made an investment he should actually take the time to enjoy it and learn it. Oh, and he’s selling them too for a couple $$ each.

I can deal with the little rubber bands and c clips on the floor if he’s working with his hands and brain instead of pushing buttons on a device.

Spooky Haunted Village made by kids #halloween #craft

October 8, 2013 by Melissa

Decorating for Halloween is always fun. Getting the kids to help out if even more fun. I’ve been saving up the boxes and containers from the kitchen so Shae could build her own Haunted Village.

Using cereal boxes, orange juice bottles, cinnamon shakers and more Shae and I put together a rather large village that is now taking up residence on our bookcase in the living room.

Materials

boxes and containers headed for the trash or recycle bin.

paint, themed stickers, foam shapes, glitter glue, construction paper.

Directions

Arrange your boxes into your village. Think about height and dimension and layers when arranging it. Decide on your buildings and colors and let your child get to work.

This activity can be done for any holiday or season just by changing colors and flourishes.

3D Paper Pumpkins #fall #crafts

October 2, 2013 by Melissa

Creating crafts for the holidays is always fun. Giving kids creative opportunities to decorate and personalize anything they can get their hands on. Halloween and Fall is one our favorite times of the year to decorate. Black cats, bats, pumpkins, witches, ghosts and SO MUCH MORE can be used to highlight the season.
These paper pumpkins can stick around the house till Thanksgiving and they are easy to make using just 2 supplies, glue and paper. Embellishments can be added but definitely aren’t necessary.

Supplies
6-8 paper shapes cut from cardstock or heavy weight paper per pumpkin
school glue

Getting the right paper shapes took some time to figure out. Circles seem like the best option but when put together it didn’t work well. Trimming off a small clean edge will make them stand up straight or you can build a little base like I did out of scrap paper.

Shae traced bowls, fridge magnets and punched heart shapes on a variety of scrapbook paper and cardstock. I prefer heavy paper because too much glue will make lightweight paper curl and bend easily. And when there are kids there is always too much glue.

To start your pumpkin fold each shape in half. Using school glue attach the outside half of one shape to the outside half of another shape. Make sure they are lined up evenly.

Continue until all the pieces are glued together and you have an accordion looking piece. Now add your pumpkin stem to the middle with a touch of glue. This could be a piece of pipe cleaner, a strip of curled paper, a leaf shape or anything else that comes to mind.

Now it’s time to close up your 3D shape. With a little bending and twisting arrange your pumpkin so the paper is evenly spaced. Set aside to let dry until you find its final display spot.

Mini Food in Clay #kidsinthekitchen

August 22, 2013 by Melissa

A few months back I worked on a Girls Night Out with ACMoore were I made a Quilled Roses Mini Wreath and a Decorated Notebook. We left that night with a bag full of swag that included some fun kid friendly stuff. This Klutz Make Clay Charms kit. I’ve been holding onto it for just the right time and this week was it. It was an electronics free day; no tv, no video games, no iPods, no tablets.

We did crafts, played games and worked on making mini food items with sculpting clay. The clay itself wasn’t the special part, the book with the directions on how to make mini cupcakes, s’mores, popsicles and burgers was the best part. It was so detailed that Shae and Shaun was able to construct these adorable little pieces with very little help from me.

Anything miniature is so cute but when you pair up a loaded burger and fries together it’s hard not to giggle a little.

Did you have fun in the “kitchen” this week? Did you try a new food or a new kid friendly restaurant? Did your littlest ones use their snacks to count to 10? We invite you to share your experiences, photos, stories or recipes that include your #kidsinthekitchen.

Come join me and my co-hosts, Paula at Frosted Fingers and Sara at Sensibly Sara, each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

preparing healthy snacks
having a tea party
counting skills with m&ms
pouring from measuring cups
discovering a local restaurant that your kids love
creating new family friendly recipes

Don’t have a blog? Share an instagram photo or Facebook update.

Fruit Painted Rocks #craft #kidsinthekitchen

July 25, 2013 by Melissa

Don’t we all have pretty bowls and vases on our kitchen table filled with fruit, flowers and other lovely centerpieces. On our tables I have a bowl of fresh produce and on the other table I have a tray filled with junk. I’m talking about coupons, sunglasses, notebooks, beads and business cards. It’s the catchall for the room.

I gave Sabreena and Shae a task to make something pretty for the table. They hunted under our deck for very specific shaped river rocks and made a this bowl of fruit.

The first thing they had to do was wash all the dirt off of the rocks and set them aside to dry. A couple minutes in the sun is all it took.

The girls brought out all of the acrylic paints plus some kid friendly washable poster paints, tons of brushes like these ones and protection for my table. They wrote down lists of all the fruits and veggies they thought they could paint and started mixing colors.

Shae went for her favorite fruits first, strawberries and blueberries. Sabreena went for more elaborate designs like corn an squash. Hours and hours went by and they were still sitting there painting rocks to resemble something completely new and beautiful.

preparing healthy snacks
having a tea party
counting skills with m&ms
pouring from measuring cups
discovering a local restaurant that your kids love
creating new family friendly recipes

Don’t have a blog? Share an instagram photo or Facebook update.

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Circus Clown Flip Book #kids #activity

July 18, 2013 by Melissa

Coming up with new activities and crafts for the kids and I to enjoy is one of my favorite things to so. I’m working on a Summer Camp at Home series over on Gummylump.com’s blog and assigned myself Under the Big Top theme. I knew I’d have a lot of fun coming up with things with this theme. You see we love the circus. We love the ring master, the acrobats, the elephant parade and especially the clowns. The clowns are our favorite by far. We’ve had the opportunity over the years to interact with them up close and personal and we are always amazed at their intricate costumes and make-up.

Coming up with this Circus Clown Flip Book was a group effort. I found this body template online that would work for just about any character or theme. Sabreena drew most of the clowns and I put the book together for Shae.

Materials Needed:

small spiral book, I used a 1/2 size address book from the dollar store
body template print outs
markers, crayons, colored pencils
glue
scissors & paper cutter
decorations for front cover (optional)

Assembly Instructions:

Start by printing out however many body templates you want. Making sure they line up to each other trim down so they fit onto your notebook. Using a glue stick and working quickly adhere each drawing onto a notebook sheet. Be sure to cover the entire page with glue, not just the borders.

After each page is done, close the notebook and place something heavy on top to make sure pages are stuck and flat. This only takes an hour or so.

When your glued pages have dried take a pair of sharp scissors and cut down each dotted line, cutting your bodies into thirds.

As your child leafs through the characters they can mix and match their clothes, hats, faces and even shoes. I added a string/stick to each clown so that each one has something different in their hand like a butterfly, umbrella, balloon or pinwheel. I decorated the cover because it said Address and Telephone Book. I will get around to doing a better job but for now it works.

Our flip book has 15 total clowns for now but I’m going to work on adding more costumed clowns such as a police officer, puppy, sun bather and more. This book is going to evolve over then next couple of weeks.

What other characters can you think of putting together?

Find my Circus Peanut Compound Word activity over at Gummylump Blog along with other fun Summer Camp at Home activities.

Salt Dough

Find even more inspiration and ideas for your own home from our #kidsinthekitchen Pinterest Board.

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