Kid Crafts // Make a Pencil Flower Bouquet

The end of the school year always catches me so off-guard. We're busy wrapping up our homeschool, getting ready for evaluations, and prepping to file our paperwork for the next school year. So of course that means that a few days before the end of our co-op I realized that my kids didn't have anything to give their teachers as a thank-you. I wanted to give something practical, and something that the kids could help make.

SUPPLIES.

scrapbook paper
wired floral leaves
unsharpened pencils
scissors
standard hole punch
hot glue gun 

For the leaf, wind the stem of the leaf around the top of the pencil near the eraser. Apply some hot glue to keep the leaf from slipping.

We kept it very simple when it came to flower shapes. I drew outlines on the back of the scrapbook paper, and the kids worked on cutting them out. For each flower we used three layers of paper to give the flower just a little bit of dimension.

 

Use the hole punch to put a hole in the middle of your flower shape (I found that a standard hole punch was just about the right size). Carefully work the layers of petals over the pencil eraser. I put a spot of glue between the bottom and middle layer of the flower to keep it in place and looking nice. 

And there you have it! Make as many as you like (or as many as your kids are willing to cut out). You may want to bend the paper for dimension depending on what shape(s) you choose to make the flowers.

Some fun ways to jazz up your bouquet:

* put them in a pencil holder 
* put them in a mason jar
* add mini erasers (if using a clear jar) to the bottom in fun shapes and sizes
* tie with pretty ribbon

Blowing Paint for Kid Art

We did a little blow painting exercise last week. The kids got to blow into straws and they didn't get any paint on their hands or clothes. In my book that's a successful stress-free project for mama! Plus it's fun to see where the paint goes, and how force changes the direction and flow of the paint.

For this project all you need is some painting paper (purchased at a local craft store or the stationery department of Target), paint (I used Crayola finger paint), water, straws, and paper cups (to mix the paint in). 

Mix each color of paint separately with enough water to make it runny, so that it will be easy to blow across the paper with a straw. Putting two or three different colors onto the paper will provide extra fun and also interesting contrast. We started with the paint overlapping a bit.

To finish off their pieces of art my kids used a Sharpie to add detail to their little monsters. Be sure to wait for the paint to thoroughly dry before diving in with the marker.

This project is also really cool with simple (thinned) black paint or ink. Make sure to monitor little ones so they don't suck on their straw, or lick paint off the end of it. If your children are a little older and don't need as much direction, consider joining in yourself!

Kid Crafts // Colorful Cereal Necklaces

A mommy friend of mine recently shared this fun craft with me- edible kid necklaces that the kiddos can make themselves! (They remind me of those fun candy necklaces we got as kids.) This is a super easy and non-stressful project. All you need is some yarn, masking tape, and 'o' shaped cereal.

Measure how much yarn you will need by holding it around your child's neck or wrist (be sure to leave a little extra to tie it on). Tape your piece of yarn to a table or flat surface to keep it from moving around; put a piece of masking tape around the other end of the yarn to make it easier for your child to put the cereal onto the yarn.

Feel free to sneak in a little educational time by having your son or daughter make patterns with the colors. Be sure you are on hand to help out by eating any broken pieces of cereal that are no good for jewelry making. (If you're really lucky they may make a bracelet for you too!)

Remind your child not to roll around on the floor while wearing their necklace, as that would produce the same effect as tap dancing on top of a spilled box of Cheerios. Please do not put your child to sleep while wearing edible jewelry, as it may pose a strangulation hazard. 

Have fun making and eating these colorful, wearable works of art!

Quick (and easy!) Paper Art Project for Toddlers.

My kids often ask to do craft or art projects, and while some things are pretty manageable I do get rather overwhelmed with large messy projects in our tiny space. One solution I came up with was to cut out a variety of shapes freehand from those pesky bits and pieces of construction paper that sit around the craft bin with little purpose, and let my younger ones paste them onto a sheet of paper. 

 This is a great craft for toddlers who can handle a glue stick, but even my 6-year-old daughter wants in on the action when I bust out the baggie of paper shapes. All you need for your own paper shape art is a sheet of any type of paper, colored construction paper, scissors (to cut out shapes), and a glue stick! I put any unused shapes into a zip-top bag for next time.

I encourage my older daughter to try and make pictures using the shapes. While my younger daughter sometimes makes pictures, mostly she just has a ball using the glue stick and covering her page with pretty shapes to her heart's content. 

This project can easily be used as a learning exercise for children to learn about different shapes and their names; or if your child needs practice with cutting along lines, go ahead and trace the shapes for them to cut out themselves.

Ladybug Card Tutorial 2 Ways // Valentine's Day Kid Craft

Truth be told, I've never really celebrated Valentine's Day. (Before we became parents we used it purely as an excuse to eat good food.) Some of our close friends enjoy celebrating the holiday though, so we're finally getting into the habit of making Valentine's Day cards with the kids! This year the girls and I made ladybug cards.

SUPPLIES:

- construction paper in pink, red, and black
- coffee can or something to trace circles with (we used a toy drum)
- pencil and black pen or marker
- scissors
- small hole punch
- brads
- glue stick

1. Use the coffee can or circle template to cut out one pink and one red circle. 

2. Also trace and cut 1/4 of a circle out of red paper for the ladybug's face. Paste it onto one side of the pink circle to make the face. Draw eyes, and maybe even a smile, on it!

3. Cut the red circle in half to make the wings.

4. Cut out a variety of small black circles for the ladybug's wings, and glue them onto each wing.

5. Line the wings up on top of the ladybug with them slightly overlapping on the side opposite the face. Use the hole punch to punch a hole through the two layers of wings and the body at the point where the wings overlap. 

6. Put a brad through the hole.

7. Open the wings and write a message to your valentine on the pink ladybug.

VARIATION

1. Use your circle template to cut out one pink circle and one red circle.

2. Cut about 1/4 off one end of the red circle, and glue it to one end of the pink circle to make the face. Draw eyes!

3. Cut the remainder of the red circle in half to make the wings. 

4. Cut out a variety of small black circles, and paste them to the wings. 

5. Position the wings on the ladybug, slightly overlapping at the point right behind the face. Use the hole punch to punch a hole through both layers of the wings where they overlap and also through the body. 

6. Put a brad through the hole. 

7. Open the wings and write a note to your valentine on the pink ladybug!    

Crafting with the Kids :: Paper Leaf Garland Tutorial.

The leaves are just starting to turn colors here, and when outside there are a few leaves here and there that can be picked up. So exciting! As our arts + crafts project last week for our home school, the kids and I made a fun paper leaf garland. This exercise is also a great way for young children to learn about and identify the different trees that all of the leaves come from.

SUPPLIES.   variety of fallen leaves        
                     card stock
            pencil
            scissors
            cotton twine or yarn
            ruler
            sewing needle
            plastic yarn needle (not pictured)
            colored pencils

Start by tracing the shape of your leaves onto card stock. Trace as many as you like! Cut them out. If your child is old enough, you can have them help you.

Let the kiddos color them! I added quick vein lines with the pencil.

Score each leaf along the center using a ruler. This adds just a bit of dimension to the leaf as opposed to leaving it flat.

Using the needle, poke holes about one inch apart down the center of the leaf.

Thread the yarn needle with the twine or yarn and "sew" the leaves together using the pre-punched holes. (My kids had a blast doing this part! Even the two-year-old baby got in on it.)

Find a fun place to hang your new creation!