Crafty Kids 101

Fabric Scrap Flower Garden (kaboose.com)

2011-05-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

What you'll need:

Fabric scraps in bright colors
Scissors
7 craft sticks
White craft glue
2 green skinny chenille stems
White craft paint
1 sheet pink felt

How to make it:

Cut some simple shapes from the fabric for your flowers. They should be about 1 – 1.5 inches diameter. Cut small circles and square and glue those to the center of some of your flower shapes. (See photo.)

Line up 5 craft sticks side by side. There should be enough space between each that one craft stick will stretch across all 5 horizontally. Glue one stick at the top and one at the bottom, about an inch from the top and bottom. Let the glue dry then paint fence white. (See photo.)

Cut chenille into 6 different lengths. Glue the chenille stems to the fence. (See photo.)

Glue the flowers to the tops of each chenille stem. (See photo.)

Glue the fence to a piece of pink felt. Trim around the edge to create an even border.

Tips:

This looks great hanging on your child's door or wall! Simply take a long fabric scrap and create a simple hanger by gluing it to the back.
Save fabric scraps in a zipper gallon storage bag or plastic container with a lid for future projects such as this.
To create a sturdy frame, glue the pink felt backing to a piece of poster board or card stock.

Mother's Day Coupon Book (kaboose.com)

2011-05-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

What you'll need:

½ sheet cardstock
2 paper fasteners or stapler
Hole punch or sharpened pencil
Paper cutter
Stickers, foam stickers, markers, or anything else you would like to decorate with
Patterns (optional)

How to make it:

Print out our coupon patterns, as many as you like.
Fill in the blanks on any of the coupons that are not filled out.
Use a paper cutter or scissors to cut out the coupons. (See photo.)
Use a pencil to sketch around a coupon onto the cardstock, about 1/2" larger than the coupon. (See photo.)
Cut the cardstock using the sketched line as a guide, cut two pieces for the cover and the back.
Use a hole punch or a sharpened pencil to poke holes in the coupons and the cardstock and assemble with the paper fasteners. Or you can simply staple the booklet together. (See photo 1, 2, 3.)
Decorate the front cover with markers, stickers, foam stickers, or whatever else you like. (See photo.)

Tips:

This craft is a favorite that Mom might want to save. Make two sets so she can keep one and use the other!
Instead of cardstock, you can use construction paper.
If using glitter glue to decorate the cover, be sure to allow for ample drying time.
Foam stickers are available at your local craft supply store.

Pop-up Flower Garden Card (enchantedlearning.com)

2011-05-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

Enchanted Learning Software's
Pop-up Flower Garden Card
More Kinder CraftsMake a beautiful flower pop-up card using construction paper. This is a great Mother's Day, Spring, Get Well Soon, or Birthday Card.

Supplies needed:

Various colors of construction paper
Scissors
Glue
Markers or crayons

Fold two rectangular pieces of construction paper in half. One piece will be the outside of the card and one piece will be the inside.

On the piece that will be the inside, cut two short lines near the middle of the fold.

Fold the two outside flaps that you just made (but do not fold the middle flap). Unfold the flaps.

Open the card.Push the two flaps towards the inside of the card - they will form 2 step-like protuberances.

Refold the card. Cut two short lines through the folded flaps on the sides.Fold the outside flaps that you just made. Unfold the flaps.

Open the card. Push the two flaps towards the inside of the card - they will form 4 step-like protuberances.

Cut some small flowers, stems and leaves from construction paper. Decorate them with crayons or markers if you like.

Glue the flowers to the flaps. Make sure that the flowers do not stick out of the card when the card is closed.

Glue the card to the other piece of folded construction paper. To make sure that you do not glue the flaps down, apply the glue only to the inside of the card and then carefully place it on the outer card.Write a message on your lovely flower garden pop-up card.

Dreamy Sleep Mask (marthastewart.com)

2011-05-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

Pamper Mom this Mother's Day with a homemade dreamy sleep mask. Print the sleep-mask clip art onto card stock. Write a message on the back, and decorate if desired (we usedglitter on the eyelids and pipe cleaners around the border). Punch a hole in each side, and thread with ribbon ties.

Mother's Day Newspaper (marthastewart.com)

2011-05-06T09:09:00.000-07:00

Bring Mom some very good news with this custom newspaper made by printing and filling in our clip art.
Print the Mother's Day Newspaper Clip Art

How to Make the Mother's Day Newspaper

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Mother's Day Crafts, Recipes, Gifts, and Quotes - Martha Stewart

Stamped Book Bindings (marthastewart.com)

2011-05-06T09:06:00.001-07:00

With just a few stamps, kids can add a personal touch to a gift of good reads for Mom. While you hold the pages together, have kids use rubber stamps to decorate the edges with a special design or message.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Mother's Day Crafts, Recipes, Gifts, and Quotes - Martha Stewart

Kid-Embellished Journals (marthastewart.com)

2011-05-06T09:05:00.001-07:00

A journal of any size will work. Measure the book's original endpaper, then cut your little crafter's picture so that it's slightly wider to accommodate the fold. Next, use a paintbrush to apply white glue evenly over the endpaper. Lay artwork over the glued area and press, starting at the center and working out. Wipe off any excess glue; trim the edges with a utility knife if needed. Close the journal and stack heavy books on top. Let dry overnight.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Mother's Day Crafts, Recipes, Gifts, and Quotes - Martha Stewart

Mother's Day Greeting Card (marthastewart.com)

2011-05-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

Card How-To1. 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.

Carton Wallet (familyfun.com)

2011-04-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

Materials

Half gallon milk or juice carton with plastic cap, rinsed
Scissors
Paper towels
Tape
Wallet Template

Ballpoint pen
Ruler
Craft knife (optional)
Butter knife

Instructions

Cut open the carton so it lies flat, as shown; put aside the cap for now. Dry the inside with the paper towels. Tape thetemplate on top of the carton so that the top circle lines up with the spout. Mark the outline of the template with a ballpoint pen. Using firm pressure, trace the lower circle and the dotted lines of the template so that they transfer to the carton. (This will score the lines for easier folding.) A ruler will help you mark the straight lines. Cut out the shape from the carton.
Use scissors to cut out the lower circle as marked. (Tip: To make cutting out the circle easier, first make an X with a craft knife.) Use a ruler and a butter knife to further score the fold lines.
Following the fold lines you marked, create an accordion fold on each side of the wallet.
Tightly squeeze the accordion folds. Fold the top flap down, pushing the spout through the hole. Screw on the cap to keep the flap in place.

Robots (familyfun.com)

2011-04-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

Materials

Tin can
Electrical tape (optional)
Hardware, and various recyclables such as bottle caps, keys, etc.

Hot-glue gun
Strong disk magnets

Instructions

Open a tin can with a safety can opener so there are no sharp edges. (If you only have a regular opener, line the inside of the can's rim with electrical tape.)
Empty, wash, and dry the can.
For facial features, arms, propulsion devices, and communication arrays, look for items around the house and at the hardware store. We used bolts, brackets, hinges, keys, wing nuts, switches, bottle caps, washers, knobs, and more.
Hot-glue the items to strong disk magnets.

Pop-up Eggs (familyfun.com)

2011-04-04T20:34:00.000-07:00

Materials

Card stock
Scissors

Double-sided tape
Embroidery floss

Instructions

Begin by cutting out three identical egg shapes from card stock (ours are 8 inches tall). Crease the eggs by folding them in half lengthwise and opening them back up.
Cut card stock into strips of varying sizes from 3/4- to 1 1/4-inch wide and 9 to 12 inches long. Accordion-fold the strips so that there's about one inch between each fold.
Attach the ends of several strips along one edge of an egg using double-sided tape. Trim the strips so that they make a shallow arc across the egg's width, then secure the other ends in place.
When you've covered all three eggs, use double-sided tape to join their backs as shown. Between two of the sections, insert a loop of embroidery floss for hanging. Tip: If the strips sag when you hang the egg, peel them off, shorten them, and reposition them.

Bottle Cap Tambourine (marthastewart.com)

2011-04-04T20:23:00.000-07:00

For the tambourine , use a hammer to flatten twenty metal bottle caps from old-fashioned sodas (all-metal ones without plastic liners work best). For the fullest sound, make some of them flatter than others.
An adult should hammer a nail hole in the middle of each cap. Glue two stiff paper plates together with their bottoms facing; let dry. Punch six pairs of holes around the rims of the plates. Through five pairs of holes, thread four inches of waxed twine or yarn, positioning pairs and trios of bottle caps between and outside the plates to make little stacks of jingles, and tie. Tie ribbon streamers through the last hole.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Making Music - Martha Stewart Crafts

Paper Tops (marthastewart.com)

2011-04-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

Paint toothpicks with paint pens if you like; let dry. Glue one end of a 24-inch-long strip of paper just above the toothpick's tip. Roll tightly, and secure the end with glue. Glue on another strip and continue rolling; repeat about six times to make a disc 1 1/4 inches across. To decorate, glue on thinner strips in other colors. Press the coiled paper between thumb and fingers to shape the top.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Paper Tops - Martha Stewart Kids

Shell Flowerpots (marthastewart.com)

2011-04-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

Shell Flowerpots

Kids will love making these beachy terra-cotta plant pots using snail shells, Atlantic cockles, quahogs, or black calico scallops.

Use craft glue or hot glue to attach shells of uniform size. Start with a ring of shells at the top (shells should extend above the rim of the pot) and work downward, placing each successive row about halfway down the shells on the previous ring.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Favorite Kids' Crafts

Mosaic Beans

2011-04-04T20:11:00.000-07:00

Tools and MaterialsPencil
Canvas boards
Small paintbrush
Craft glue
Dried beans
Ruler

Magical Beans Mosaic How-To1. Start by drawing a pattern in pencil on your canvas board. You can create geometric designs, a still life, or even a portrait in dried beans -- think of it as a color-by-numbers painting.

2. "Paint" a thin layer of glue in one area of your pattern, and sprinkle the area with colorful beans. Use a single color in each area.

3. Use the ruler to tidy up the edges of the beans before moving on to the next area.

4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 until the board is covered. Let dry for 1 hour.

ResourcesThis project is from Rosie O'Donnel's new book, "Crafty U,"

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Magical Beans Mosaic - Martha Stewart Crafts

Shell Wind Chimes (marthastewart.com)

2011-04-04T20:09:00.001-07:00

Shell Wind Chimes

Kids can carry pieces of the beach with them into the winter with this seashell wind chime.

Starting with two sticks 6 and 3 inches long and cotton string of varying lengths, tie one end of a string piece around a shell or piece of sea glass and the other end to one of the sticks. Use same-size pieces of string to connect the two sticks, and tie a 24-inch string to the top stick for hanging.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Favorite Kids' Crafts

Nature Walk Bracelet (marthastewart.com)

2011-04-04T20:07:00.000-07:00

Bracelet How-ToCut a piece of wide masking or colorful electrical tape to fit around the wrist, plus 1/2 inch more. Wrap tape around child's wrist, tacky side up, overlapping ends to secure. Press collected items onto tape. Later, with sticky side up, fold both ends under a few times. Lay plastic wrap over sticky part of bracelet, and trim excess. With a small hole punch or needle, make a hole through ends; tie a 5-inch piece of string through each hole.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Nature Walk Bracelet - Martha Stewart Kids

Tissue Paper Butterfly ( allkidsnetwork.com)

2011-04-04T19:48:00.001-07:00

What you'll need:

Tissue paper, various colors
Black pipe cleaners
Scissors

How to make your Tissue Paper Butterfly:

Cut the corners off the tissue paper squares (as shown in the photo at right).
Gently bunch the tissue paper in the middle and wrap the pipe cleaner around the middle.
Twist the pipe cleaner together to secure it.

Baby Birds in Nest ( allkidsnetwork.com )

2011-04-04T19:43:00.000-07:00

What you'll need:

Construction paper, various colors
Baby Birds Template
Googly eyes
Large paper plate
Brown tissue paper
Glue
Scissors

How to make your Baby Birds Craft:

Cut a paper plate in half. Glue one half of the plate (just around the edges) onto a piece of construction paper as shown at right to create a pocket. Set aside to let dry.
Print out our baby birds template. Use it to cut out 3 birds of any color construction paper you would like.
Cut out the wings and feathers and glue onto each bird. Cut small orange triangles for beaks and glue onto the birds.
Glue two googly eyes onto each bird above the beak. Set your finished bird aside to dry.
Cover the paper plate in glue. Cut strips of brown tissue paper that are approximately an inch wide and crumple them up. Stick the tissue paper to the paper plate so that it is completely covered.
Glue your baby birds into the nest.

Bottle Cap Caterpillar (allkids.network.com)

2011-04-04T19:39:00.000-07:00

What you'll need:

Bottle caps (we used 6)
Green construction paper
Scissors
White glue
Crayons
Pipe cleaners
Googly eyes

How to make your Bottle Cap Caterpillar Craft:

Cut a leaf shape out of the construction paper.
Have your child color the bottle caps any colors they want. Our daughter is on a rainbow kick and went with a different color for each cap.
Pour a puddle of glue on a scrap piece of paper and have your child dip each cap into the glue puddle and then stick the caps onto the leaf in a line.
Add little googly eyes and a pipe cleaner smile to the first bottle cap. Cut small pieces of pipe cleaner to use as antennae and glue them to the first cap as well.
Use a crayon to draw legs on the remaining caps.

Spring Tree (toby.sals.edu)

2011-04-04T19:35:00.000-07:00

Crafts for Spring Break

Tuesday, April 6 from 10:00 to 12:00 in the Children’s Room.

Bring the entire family to the library for Spring Crafts! We will have crafts for kids of all ages so drop in and celebrate Spring with us!

While you’re here be sure to check out our display of Easter, Passover and Spring Books for kids.

Wednesday, April 7 from 1:00-3:00 in the Teen Space is for Teens Only!

Back by popular demand we will be doing more Recycled Crafts. Come ready to express your creativity!

Just a reminder, we will not be holding any of our regularly scheduled preschool programs during the week of April 5-9. We will be back to our usual schedule the following week.

St. Patrick's Rainbow Mobile (enchantedlearning.com)

2011-03-09T21:19:00.000-08:00

St. Patrick's Rainbow Mobile

Make a rainbow mobile with a hanging pot of gold and shamrock to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

A white paper plate
Green and yellow paper (or white paper and black, green and yellow crayons, marker, or paint)
Printer
White glue or a glue stick
Scissors
A hole punch
String (green is best, or you can color white string with a green marker)

Fold and then cut a white paper plate in half.

Draw a rainbow on the paper plate with markers, crayons, or paint.Remind the children that the order of the colors in a rainbow is: Red - Orange - Yellow - Green - Blue - Indigo (dark blue) - Violet. An easy mnemonic for remembering the order of the colors is the name Roy G. Biv (an English friend told me of the British mnemonic 'Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain,' an allusion to the Wars of the Roses). Also, the red part of the rainbow is always on the top of the arch in a single rainbow.Punch three holes in the plate: one hole at the top, and a hole on each end of the rainbow.

Go to the "Shamrock template" and print out on green paper (or print it on white paper and color it in). Or you can just draw your own, of course.Cut out the shamrock and color it (if necessary) and punch a hole at its top.

Go to the "Pot of Gold template" and print it out (or just draw your own).

Color in the Pot. Cut out a few "gold" coins from yellow paper.Glue the coins to the top of the pot. Punch a hole at the top.

Attach the pot of gold and the shamrock to the rainbow with a few inches of green yarn. Attach a few inches of the yarn to the top of the rainbow for hanging.

As a variation, attach only shamrocks.

Lucky Stones (makingfriends.com)

2011-03-09T21:10:00.001-08:00

You need:

Instructions:
Wash and dry your stones. Coat with tacky glue. Sprinkle with glitter and glue on rhinestones.

PIpe Cleaner Leprechaun (makingfriends.com)

2011-03-09T21:06:00.000-08:00

You Need:

Instructions:
Slide a pony bead to the middle of a green pipe cleaner. Bend ends together and push both ends all the way through a barrel bead. Open the ends out to form arms. Leave 1" and bend back twisting. Bend the ends down together and slide on three pony beads. Separate the ends to make legs. Hot glue a mini hat over the top bead. Add a safety pin if desired.

Toddler Crafts (familyfun.go.com)

2011-02-26T11:29:00.000-08:00

Waterproof Puppet Theater

Turn a pair of rubber gloves into a handful of bath-friendly finger puppets for your toddler.

Homemade Hobbyhorse

Keep your little neigh-sayer horsing around for days with this soulful steed, easily assembled in about an hour from a dowel and a fuzzy slipper sock.

Mark Mantegna

A Trail Tote

To help kids get the most out of communing with nature, Lizette Castano at the Children's Nature Institute suggests packing a canvas bag with a few of simple item, such as this colorful egg carton or collecting souvenirs.

Super Scoops

These decoupaged milk jugs are great for transporting toys, dumping them on the ground, and scooping them up again when playtime is done -- and a waterproof version is perfect for skimming toys from the bathtub.

Ronnie Andren

Personalized Peekaboo Board

Your toddler will have great peekaboo fun with this custom-made lift-the-ﬂap craft, and will find a special surprise waiting behind each door: Grandma! Teddy! The family dog!