We celebrate Earth Day each year on April 22nd and Earth Month during the entire month of April. It all started in 1970 with a grassroots movement that has developed into the Earth Day we know today. Teach your kids about recycling and keeping our planet healthy and clean through fun Earth Day crafts and recipes. We’ve listed ten of our favorites below.

Earth Day Crafts and Recipes

1. Earth Day Nature Collage – Celebrate Earth’s beauty by rearranging natural objects you find into a temporary collage. Don’t forget to take a picture!

2. Earth Day Dinner – With just a few creative twists, a regular dinner can become a delicious tribute to Earth. Kids will love making and eating this craft.

3. Paper Plate and Yarn Earth – This paper plate Earth is so much fun for young crafters. Little hands will love the clever painting technique and applying the yarn. 

4. Earth Day Cupcakes – These Earth Day cupcakes feature blue and green cookies atop cupcakes colored to look like the inner core layers of our planet. What a fun treat!

5. Mosaic Earth – Use construction paper or pages torn from magazines to make a pretty mosaic of our planet. 

6. Earth Cake Filled with Candy Rocks – This spectacular cake will is much easier to make than it seems. Guests will be amazed when candy rocks spill out when you cut it!

7. Coffee Filter Earth – Color a coffee filter craft to look like Earth, then cradle our planet with cut-out handprints. 

8. Puffy Paint Earth – Learn how to make your own puffy paint, then apply it by hand. Literally! The kids will love it. 

9. Moon Pie Earth Pops – Turn Moon Pies into Earth Pies! It couldn’t be easier. 

10. Tissue Paper Globe – Decoupage tissue paper onto a foam ball to make this cute globe. It’s very lightweight, perfect for hanging. 

Remember, we have a lot more Earth Day crafts and recipes here at Fun Family Crafts! Be sure to check them out. 

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Cute ladybugs made from recycled CDs or DVDs and felt! A great summer craft, and fun as a group project too.

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These cute little cups are perfect for a strawberry party or just to brighten the neighbors’ day. Fill the pretty cups with homemade goodies from your kitchen.

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There are plenty of fun and colorful bird crafts for kids to make, but there’s also a learning opportunity here. Birds are an essential part in the ecosystem. Below you’ll find a collection of some of our favorite bird crafts for kids, but you can see all 350+ bird crafts here!

Bird Crafts for Kids

1. Rainbow Bird Wing Costume – This beautiful felt bird wing costume doesn’t require sewing. It’s fun for pretend play, costume parties and more.
2. Colorful CD Birds – Turn old CDs or DVDs into colorful birds! This craft is fun for any time of year and allows plenty of room for creativity.
3. Paper Plate Swan – Transform an ordinary paper plate into an elegant swan. This is a great companion craft to follow reading The Ugly Duckling.
4. Spring Chick Plushie -These little birds are a sewing project for beginners. Any fabric scraps you have on hand will do.
5. Cork Owls – It only takes a few minutes to turn a cork and some scraps into an adorable owl. Make more than one and glue them to a sturdy stick for display.
6. Handprint Pigeons – Fans of Mo Willems’ pigeon books will love this cute handprint craft. It combines stamping, cutting, gluing and drawing.
7. Paper Plate Toucan – This adorable toucan is both a paper plate craft and a handprint craft. If you look carefully, you can see that the tail feathers are made from a handprint!
8. Silly Bird Marionette – Make a simple bird marionette that is fun for kids to use. It’s just the right size for little hands.
9. Paper Plate Birds – These cute paper plate birds can be made with a paper plate or lightweight chipboard. Not only do the finished birds stand up on their own, but they will also rock back and forth.
10. Decoupage Light Bulb Bird -Brightly colored tissue paper and recycled light bulbs become fluttering birds! Hang them in the trees to add fun and whimsy to the yard.

See all the bird crafts here

You can find all sorts of information, facts, articles and quizzes about birds on the National Bird Day website. There are lots of fun activities and learning opportunities for kids!

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Turn an ordinary oatmeal container into a functional drum that doubles as a snack carrier! Felt helps control the sound, keeping it enjoyable for everyone in the household.

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Create beautiful and colorful suncatchers using white glue and food color. Fun for all ages and great to look at!

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Making your own bubble wands is really easy and so much fun! Experiment with different shapes and decorate the handles with beads. 

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Make a classic wind spinner using a recycled plastic bottle and Duck Tape! A great garden craft to keep the birds from eating your tomatoes.

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Use sea glass that you’ve gathered or bought to make a pretty planter. It makes a wonderful gift for a teacher, relative or friend.

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You don’t need a green thumb to keep these plants looking great year-round! These felt succulents are easy to do and make a fun gift. 

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Great activity for Spring – grow grass heads, then give them a hair cut. Again and again. A great way to get kids interested in gardening!

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When it’s raining outside, spend the day inside creating your own rain clouds. A simple craft that uses everyday items from around the house like cardboard, cotton balls and tissue paper.

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These adorable Boo Boo Bunnies are made from a washcloth and used to help heal “boo boos”. They would look adorable sticking out of an Easter basket, too!

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Rainbow crafts are really popular with the kids. You often see them with St. Patrick’s Day craft projects and throughout spring. April 3rd has even been dubbed “Find a Rainbow Day”! So get outside after a rain and look for the rainbows. Then, head indoors to make one (or more!) of our fun rainbow crafts or recipes.

Below are 10 of our favorite rainbow crafts, edibles and activities as pictured above. You can find TONS more here.

Rainbow Crafts and Recipes

1. Rainbow Pom Pom Tote Bag – This beautiful bag is decorated with felt and pom poms. It requires no sewing and is sure to put a smile on anyone’s face.

2. Cereal Rainbow – Use Froot Loops or other colorful cereal to make this rainbow project. It’s excellent for fine motor development and practicing for sorting and color recognition.

3. Rainbow Piñata Cake – This stunning cake has a colorful surprise inside! Bake it for a birthday, St. Patrick’s Day or to make an ordinary day extra special.

4. Rainbow Sponge Painting – Use a sponge to create stunning paintings of rainbows in just one swoop. It’s almost like magic!

5. Rainbow Marbled Butterfly Art – Create gorgeous rainbow butterfly art with marbled paper. Each is different and as pretty as can be.

6. Painted Rainbow Ice Cream Cone – Turn plain ice cream cones into edible works of art with food coloring. Kids (and adults) of all ages will love it!

7. Rainbow Shaving Cream Marbled Art – Make vibrant rainbow prints using shaving cream! They’re beautiful as is, or can be made into cards or other items.

8. Rainbow Bookmarks – These Rainbow Bookmarks are easy enough for even the youngest of crafters. Work on color recognition, fine motor skills, and create a beautiful project at the same time.

9. Rainbow Wind Chime – Create a stunning wind chime from recycled cans. It’s a wonderful project for the whole family to make together.

10. Rainbow Crayon Wall Art – Make a dimensional work of art with crayons and foam. It’s easy to do and looks spectacular!

Be sure to check out the rest of our cute and colorful rainbow crafts and recipes!

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Rainbow Mobile

Decorate for St. Patrick’s Day by hanging these lucky rainbow mobiles around the house. This is an easy paper plate craft for preschoolers and kindergarteners to make.

What you’ll need:

• 1 paper plate
• Paper streamers or wide ribbon in rainbow colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple)
• Scissors
• White craft glue
• Piece of ribbon for hanging
• Shamrock garland OR cut your own shamrocks from green construction paper

How to make it:

1. Cut the paper plate in half.
2. Cut a 40-inch length of streamer in each color.
3. Cut each length up the middle to create two long strips of each color.
4. Use one strip of each color for each half of the paper plate. Glue the red streamer strip around the top curve of the paper plate. Make sure to center the streamer so you have equal lengths hanging off each side.
5. Repeat with each color, moving your way down from red to orange, then yellow, green, blue and purple. Do this for both halves of the paper plate to make two mobiles.
6. To complete the shamrock mobile, trim the dangling streamers and attach the shamrock garland.
7. To complete the rainbow mobile, add one more thin purple strip to the back of the plate to fill the gap in the center.
8. Tie ribbon into a knot, then glue to the back of the plate to use as a hanger.

Helpful Tip:

• If you don’t want to buy streamers in every color, just use white streamers painted with rainbow colors!

This project was created by Amanda Formaro, originally for Kaboose/Spoonful.

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These bright-eyed little bugs are an adorable way to mark veggies in the garden. This is a simple project that’s lots of fun for kids.

What You Need:

• plastic cap
• plastic folder
• thick needle or awl to make holes
• wire
• hot glue
• permanent marker

How to Make It:

1. Cut a wide heart shape from the plastic folder to make the wings.
2. Poke two holes in the plastic cap and two in the wings. (Tip: Heat the needle if you’re having trouble poking holes).
3. Pass the wire up through the one hole of the cap and wings, then down through the other. Twist the ends.
4. Cut 2 small circles out of plastic and draw pupils with a marker, then glue them in place.
5. Cut a speech bubble from the folder and write the name of the crop on it. Glue it to the wire.

Originally posted online in FamilyFun Magazine which has since been closed.

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Turn your Easter eggs into pixelated masterpieces with these Minecraft-themed printable costumes! Simply print, cut, and tape the paper designs onto your eggs to create iconic characters like Steve, Creeper, and Enderman.

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Springtime Globe

This project is a twist on the traditional snow globe. It features fabric flowers, plastic figures, and a little bit of glitter in a recycled jar. This fun no-snow globe is perfect for springtime, and a cute alternate to the winter version.

What you’ll need:

• Jar with lid
• Fabric flowers
• Small plastic bee, butterfly, etc.
• Hot glue gun
• Floral wire
• Glitter and confetti
• Teflon tape (also called plumbers tape)
• Scissors
• Green tissue paper

How to make it:

1. Turn the lid upside down. Arrange the flowers and figures on it without gluing anything down. Check that everything fits by placing the jar over the items.
2. With the hot glue gun, adhere flowers and figure to the lid. To attach the insect in our project, we first hot-glued it to one end of a piece of floral wire, then hot-glued the wire’s other end to the lid.
3. Fill the jar with water, leaving of empty space. Add the glitter and confetti.
4. Dry the rim of the jar. Wrap one layer of Teflon tape around the threads to ensure a leak-proof seal. Immerse the decorations in the jar and tighten the lid.
5. Cut and fringe the green tissue paper. Glue it around the base of the lid.

This project originally appeared on Kaboose/Spoonful and was designed by Amanda Formaro.

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Crafting in April

April is a wonderful month for crafting. Whether you’re looking for April Fool’s Day ideas, Earth Day projects, or activities for National Garden Month, we have it all. Follow any of the links below to find the perfect project, or search through the 11,000+ craft tutorials we’ve collected here at Fun Family Crafts.

In April, we celebrate:

• 4/1 – April Fool’s Day
• 4/3 – Find-A-Rainbow Day
• 4/8 – Zoo Lover’s Day
• 4/5 – Passover (2023)
• 4/9- Easter (2023)
• 4/9 – Unicorn Day
• 4/18 – Pet Owner’s Day
• 4/21 – Kindergarten Day
• 4/22 – Earth Day
• 4/23 – Home Run Day
• 4/26 – National Pretzel Day
• 4/28 – Arbor Day (2023)

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Turn an empty milk jug into a fabulous watering can for kids to use in the garden or for outdoor play on a hot day. Kids will love this recycling project. 

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Decorate an outdoor tree with edible ornaments for your feathered friends.

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Bracelets made from jelly beans make a fun Easter craft. Be sure to have plenty of extra jelly beans on hand for snacking while crafting!

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Add some pretty spring carrots to your Easter bunny displays this year. Made from yarn, these baby carrots will not only look great for Easter but they will look great when used in a garden display, too.

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Watch their faces as you show your little ones how to turn their fingerprints into these adorable bunnies and chicks with a few flicks of a marker. A fun way to personalize greeting cards for Easter.

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Pretty paper plates and crepe paper turn into a banner full of Easter bunnies in just a few simple steps. Hang the banners around your house for pretty Easter decorations.

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A great craft for young children to decorate real eggs without breaking them! Check out our line up of adorable chicks!

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This cute CD lamb is great for spring, Earth Day, Easter or just anytime your kids want a quick and fun craft project!

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This is a great project for kids of all ages. They’ll love how the light shines through the colored tissue paper!

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Time for an Easter or springtime puppet show using these colorful craft stick bunny rabbits. Give them even more Easter spirit by changing their carrots to Easter eggs!

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This adorable craft project is kid friendly and super fast. Make this cute little lamb for spring or any time throughout the year.

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Create gorgeous painted cross cookies inspired by stained glass. This treat is décor, dessert, and entertainment all in one!

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Fuzzy baby chicks popping up just in time for Easter! Little fingers will have fun scrunching up paper and sticking it to Styrofoam balls to make these cuties.

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Tissue Paper Carnations

Learn how easy it is to make a bouquet of carnations to give to someone special. This easy project is great for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or throughout spring. 

What You Need:

• tissue paper
• scissors
• pipe cleaners

How to Make It:

Cut a piece of tissue paper approximately 6″ x 12″. Fold it in half to make a rectangle that is 3″ x 12″. 

On the NON-FOLDED side, make 2″ cuts approximately 1″ apart. 

Cut a 1″ piece off the end of a pipe cleaner. 

Place the long piece of pipe cleaner so that one end touches the center of the tissue paper rectangle. The other end should extend beyond the FOLDED side.

Fold the rectangle in half over the pipe cleaner. 

Roll the tissue paper around the pipe cleaner, using your fingers to keep the bottom tight. 

Secure the rolled tissue paper by twisting the small pipe cleaner around the base of the flower. 

Gently pull the tissue paper sections outward to form the petals. Fluff them, then add the carnation to a pot and make another!

This project was created by Amanda Formaro, originally for Kaboose/Spoonful.

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Plum Blossom Tree

Make this pretty plum blossom tree craft to celebrate the coming spring. Plum blossoms are considered a symbol of courage, hope, and new beginnings. 

What You Need:

• Styrofoam ball, cut in half
• Brown paint
• Tissue paper (pink and/or white)
• Brown pipe cleaners
• White glue

How to Make It:

1. Paint the styrofoam ball brown, then set it aside to dry. 
2. Twist two pipe cleaners together at their centers, then bend the ends outward to make a stem and three branches. Repeat the process to make a total of three stems.   
3. Lay the branches flat on the table and dot the branches with white glue. Do not put glue on the stems.
4. Scrunch small pink and white tissue paper squares and then glue them to the branches, leaving some spaces between the flowers.
5. When the glue is dry, insert the branches into the painted foam base.

This project was created by Amanda Formaro, originally for Kaboose/Spoonful.

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Spring flowers coloring page

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Keep the kids busy outdoors with this printable spring scavenger hunt. It’s great for hiking, camping, a nature walk, or even a visit to the park. 

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Cereal Box Leprechaun Trap: In order to catch a leprechaun, you must have some bait to lure him in and a colorful place he’ll want to go. Make this trap for St. Patrick’s Day fun!

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These fun St. Patrick’s Day printable activity sheets include all the iconic symbols of this holiday, like shamrocks, rainbows, leprechauns, gold coins, pots of gold, and even a leprechaun trap! The pack includes a word search, crossword puzzle, color by number sheet, and regular coloring page. 

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This fun sewing activity is great for kids learning how to use a sewing needle. Use an old sheet and a bunch of colorful buttons to create this wonderful rainbow tree.

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These Leprechaun Pancakes are so fun and easy to do! They make such a festive St. Patrick’s Day breakfast!

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Paper Plate Rabbit

This cute rabbit made from paper plates has moveable parts! It can be made as a spring craft, Easter or even Chinese New Year during the Year of the Rabbit.

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Use colorful jellybeans, pom poms and craft foam to make these adorable Easter jellybean chicks. Assembly is quick and easy and fun for kids.

Jellybean Chicks

If you’re looking for an easy Easter craft that the kids can make and give to friends and family, these darling little jellybean chicks are a great option. They make fun little placeholders for the dinner table as well!

What you need:

• Jellybeans
• Plastic Wrap
• Pipe cleaner
• Scissors
• Large yellow pom pom
• Glue gun
• 3 yellow craft foam hearts
• Small googly eyes
• Scrap of orange construction paper
• Miniature pom pom

How you make it:

1. Place the jellybeans in the center of a square of plastic wrap. Gather the sides together and wrap with the pipe cleaner to secure.

2. Trim the excess plastic wrap about 1/2″ above the pipe cleaner. Glue the pom pom above the pipe cleaner to make a head. Glue two of the hearts to the opposite end to make the feet.

3. Cut the third heart in half to make the wings. Glue in place.

4. Cut the construction paper into a small diamond-shape for the beak. Glue it and the googly eyes to the face. Shape the ends of the pipe cleaner into a bow and glue a small pom pom to the center of the bow.

Be sure to check out all of our Easter crafts for kids. We also have a ton of ideas for crafts to make using jellybeans!

This project was created by Amanda Formaro, originally for Kaboose/Spoonful. Shared on Fun Family Crafts on February 22, 2012. 

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Grab your crayons, markers, or colored pencils! Then enjoy this printable St. Patrick’s Day coloring page.

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St. Patrick’s Day isn’t just about corned beef cabbage and green beverages. Kids love making shamrocks and rainbow crafts and recipes, and we’ve not even touched on those mischievous leprechauns! So if you’re looking for some fun St. Patrick’s Day crafts to make with the kids, kiss your lucky shamrocks, because you’ve found them! Here are ten of our favorites.

St. Patrick’s Day Crafts and Recipes

1. Leprechaun with a Fork Print Beard – Create a cute construction paper leprechaun, complete with a beard you paint with a fork. It has so much personality!

2. Fishbowl Bucket o’ Gold – Turn an old fishbowl into a bucket o’ gold … candy, that is! Use it as a centerpiece or give it as a gift.

3. Cereal Box Leprechaun Trap – To find out where the leprechaun has hidden his treasure, build this cereal box leprechaun trap. Lure him in with glittery faux gold and catch him if you can!

4. Cardboard Tube Leprechauns – Transform empty cardboard tubes into cheerful leprechauns with fuzzy yarn beards.

5. It’s Your Lucky Day Treat Bags – Use the printable and candy coins to make treat bags for classmates, friends or neighbors this St. Patrick’s Day.

6. Leprechaun Cake Trap – Lure a leprechaun with this delicious cake. It’s hiding a gorgeous rainbow inside!

7. Shamrock Snack Crisps – This savory snack is a nice change from all the sweets on St. Patrick’s Day. They’re crispy and light with a great cheese flavor.

8. Leprechaun Pancake – Start St. Patrick’s Day with a healthy breakfast. This leprechaun pancake is a great choice.

9. Shamrock Man – Decorate for St. Patrick’s Day with this fun guy who is made of construction paper shamrocks.

10. Rainbow Shamrock Wall Hanging – Transform tissue paper into a colorful rainbow dangling from a dimensional shamrock. It’s full of St. Patrick’s Day cheer.

Don’t forget to check out all of our fun St. Patrick’s Day crafts! 

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Crafting in March

March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb, but regardless of the weather, there are so many wonderful crafting opportunities this month! Whether you’re looking for Dr. Seuss projects, shamrock recipes, or DIY kites, we have it all. Follow any of the links below to find the perfect project, or search through the 11,000+ craft tutorials we’ve collected here at Fun Family Crafts.

• 3/1 – National Pig Day
• 3/1 – Peanut Butter Lover’s Day
• 3/2 – Dr. Seuss’s Birthday
• 3/17 – St. Patrick’s Day
• 3/18 – Johnny Appleseed Day
• 3/20 – First Day of Spring (2023)

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Cupcake Liner Butterfly

This easy cupcake liner craft is fun for little hands and growing minds!

What you need:

• Glue
• Scissors
• Paint
• Paintbrush
• Marker
• Pipe cleaners
• Cupcake liners
• Googly eyes
• Clothespin

Instructions:

1. Paint a clothespin on both sides with the color of your choice and set aside to dry.
2. Fold a cupcake liner in half and then once again, creating a wing-like triangle shape. Repeat for 2nd wing.
3. Apply a dot of glue on the inner points of the wings and glue both wings together.
4. When the paint has dried, close the clothes pin where the two wing points meet.
5. Apply two dots of glue at the top of the clothes pin and place two googly eyes. Set aside to dry.
6. Cut a pipe cleaner down to 3 inches long. Bend the pipe cleaner in half and open slightly to create a “V” shape. Bend the tips of the “V” downward to create the butterfly’s antennas. Close the bottom of the “V” inside of the top of the clothes pin. No glue needed.
7. Use a marker of any color to draw a mouth on the clothes pin. Add any designs you wish to the body! Stripes, polka dots, etc.

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These Shamrock shaped treats are sure to please all of the little Lads and Lassies at your St. Patrick’s Day table! Mint ice cream is sandwiched between shamrock sugar cookies for a delicious dessert.

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Rainbow Handprint Flower

Rainbow handprint flowers make a beautiful keepsake for Mom, Grandma, a teacher, or another special person. The project can be made with one child or up to nine kids per flower.

What you need:

• paint (red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, dark blue, purple)
• large canvas or paper

How to make it:

1. Start by stamping a red handprint near the top of the canvas. Rotate the canvas slightly.
2. Have the next child stamp an orange handprint to the right. (If the same child is making the whole flower, wash his/her hands between colors.) Continue stamping and rotating until you have a circle of handprints in the six colors.
3. Stamp a pair of green handprint leaves near the bottom of the canvas under the handprint flower. Before washing off the green, use a finger to draw a stem from the flower to the leaves.

This image and a tutorial originally appeared on Kiboomu.

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We’ve used paper butterflies to decorate a plain white frame, turning it into a beautiful wall haning. A simple craft that requires only a butterfly paper punch and scrapbook paper, kids can easily help out with this one!

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Using wool roving you can make these pretty felted flowers. Step by step tutorial explains the process.

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If you’re looking for a quick and easy craft that uses items from around the house, this St. Patrick’s Day leprechaun fits the bill! Line a bunch up on a shelf or on a windowsill for some fun decorations!

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We’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with edible leprechaun hats! Who could resist these delicious treats made from mint cookies and peanut butter cups!

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This year, why not add a visit from a leprechaun to your family’s festivities? This adorable St. Patrick’s Day treasure hunt is a fun activity that everyone in the family can take part in.

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There is at least one near-universal truth about kids: they love decorating cookies. Every time I’ve led a cookie decorating activity for kids—in my home, at festivals, or in the classroom—every single child attacked their cookies with a joyous fervor. Here are some tips to lead a cookie decorating activity for kids of any age with minimal chaos and only a few flying sprinkles.

What to prepare ahead of time:

Up to three days ahead of the activity, prepare cookie dough and bake whatever shape cookies you like. Seal the cookies in plastic containers until the day of the event.

Up to a week in advance, prepare royal icing, divide it, and mix your colors. Fill disposable decorating bags (found at the craft store) with about ½ cup of icing and close tightly with rubber bands. Don’t worry about couplers and tips, the kids won’t need them. And don’t snip the tips of the bags until right before the activity. For color choices, I tend to stick with the rainbow: Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, white and pink. I usually make several bags of the same color. You should have at minimum the same number of icing bags as there are children. And make sure not to prepare your icing too thick for the kids to squeeze and not so thin that the icing runs all over the cookie. Store icing at room temperature until the day of the event.

What shape cookies to bake:

Kids will love to decorate any shape cookie. I often stick with basic shapes, like circles, stars or hearts. Check online for design ideas and offer suggestions such as rainbows, smiley faces or just stripes and polka dots. Kids might like to make sports balls, star cookies, or something seasonal, like summer cookies or back to school cookies.

What supplies to have at the activity:

In addition to the cookies and icing, you will need freezer or parchment paper to line the tables, scissors to snip the tips of the icing bags, sanitizing wipes, and plenty of paper towels.

I also find it useful to have paper plates marked with each child’s name. The child can decorate the cookies right on the plate and then move them aside to dry.

You may also provide smocks, as colored icing can stain clothing.

How to set up:

Line empty table(s) with freezer or parchment paper. Place the icing bags in the center of the table(s) for the kids to share. Snip ¼ inch from the tips of the icing bags, or up to ½ inch if the kids have a hard time squeezing the icing out of the bag. You can also place a few containers of sprinkles on the table, but avoid nonpareils, as they roll around everywhere, especially off the table and on to the floor. Give kids their paper plates and cookies and let them go nuts.

How many cookies per kid and how long the activity takes:

The number of cookies kids should decorate will depend on the time allotted. The youngest kids may only take a few minutes. Older kids will take longer. I usually give kids two to three cookies to decorate, and the activity takes about 30 to 40 minutes, not including set up and clean up.

Here is a general time guideline for what to expect:

• Younger kids, ages 2 to 4, tend to squeeze icing on the cookie in seconds.
• Elementary age kids, 5 to 8, tend to take a bit more care with their cookies, but they also might go for the “how much icing can I fit on a cookie” method of decorating. They take about 5 to 10 minutes per cookie.
• Middle grade kids, 8 and up, take the most care and attention planning and executing their design. Each cookie may take 15 minutes (or more!).

How many of these cookies the kids are allowed to consume I leave up to those in charge.

Cleaning up:

Set the cookies aside to dry. Cookies will dry enough to handle and stack if left at room temperature overnight, however in just an hour or two the cookies will set enough to let the child carry the cookies home on the plate.

Kids can throw away the paper covering the tables and any used icing bag. Wipe down the area and enjoy the cookies!

Meaghan Mountford, author of Sugarlicious: 50 Cute and Clever Treats for Every Occasion, has been creating crafty sweets for 15 years. She is especially fond of decorating cookies, marshmallows and putting sweets on sticks. See more on her blog, the decorated cookie.

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Our Family TV

Make a vintage TV frame to hold a special family photograph. It makes a great gift for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.

What You Need

• 1 empty cereal box
• tape
• glue stick
• 3 sheets tan or brown construction paper
• photocopy of a 4×6 photo
• 2 plastic lids from milk or juice containers
• white craft glue
• pen
• 1 gold chenille stem
• scissors
• brown marker
• zipper sandwich bag filled with rice, beans, or sand

How To Make It

1. Place the sandwich bag filled with rice, beans, or sand inside the empty cereal box. Tape the top of the box closed.
2. Use glue stick to completely cover the box with the brown or tan construction paper. Lay the box down on the work surface.
3. Trim around the edge of your photocopied photo, leaving a small white border, and round the corners with your scissors. Use the glue stick to attach the picture to the upper right section of the box.
4. Use white craft glue to attach the two drink lids to the left of the photo for the TV knobs.

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Baby Food Jar Garden

These pretty little flower gardens are perfect for Mother’s Day, Grandparent’s Day, birthdays, or just to celebrate springtime. Make one for your teacher, too!

What you’ll need:

• Baby food jar with lid
• Small silk flowers
• Rolling pin
• White craft glue or hot glue gun
• Green play dough or green modeling clay
• Ribbon

How to make it:

1. Roll out the play dough or clay with rolling pin.
2. Using the mouth of the jar as a cookie cutter, cut out a circle. If you use the lid as the cookie cutter you will not be able to close your jar when the time comes.
3. Glue the play dough or clay into the lid.
4. Stick flowers into the dough or clay. If using play dough, set lids aside to dry and harden over night.
5. Screw the lid onto the jar, carefully inserting the flowers into the jar.
6. Decorate the lid with ribbon.

This project was created by Amanda Formaro, originally for Kaboose/Spoonful.

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The birds will thank you for this fun and easy spring craft!

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These adorable little springtime birds are made from construction paper and cardboard tubes! A fun and colorful craft the kids will love.

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Celebrate the wonder and joy of our feathered friends during National Wild Bird Feeding Month! Unlike a lot of special days, this holiday is actually official. In 1994, Congress proclaimed February as National Bird Feeding Month to encourage people to feed, water and provide shelter for wild birds, especially during the winter months. Get your kids together and make your own homemade bird feeder crafts with these great ideas. We’ve listed ten of our favorites below.

Bird Feeder Crafts

1. Paper Bowl Bird Feeder – This simple bird feeder is easy to make, using materials you probably already have on hand.

2. Coffee Can Bird Feeder – Turn an empty coffee can and craft sticks into an attractive bird feeder to attract lots of feathered friends.

3. Wookie Birdhouse – Repurpose an empty milk or juice carton to make this cute Wookie Birdhouse. It’s a great project for Star Wars fans!

4. Cupcakes for the Birds – These no-bake cupcakes aren’t for humans… they’re for birds! It’s so much fun watching the birds discover and devour this healthy treat.

5. Cardboard Bird Feeder – This birdhouse-inspired bird feeder is made with cardboard, sticks and plenty of birdseed.

6. Paper Cup Bird Feeder – Turn an empty paper cup into a feeder for all sorts of birds. It couldn’t be easier!

7. Cardboard Tube Bird Feeder – Don’t throw away that empty cardboard tube! You can use it to make your own bird feeder for the yard.

8. Orange Bird Feeder – This bird feeder craft, made with an orange, is so easy and the birds will go absolutely crazy for it!

9. Wipes Container Bird Feeder – Transform an empty wipes container into a bird feeder to put in your yard.

10. Cheerios Bird Feeders – Use Cheerios to make simple bird feeders. The tutorial shows how to make spheres, hearts, letters, and chains.

We’ve gathered a lot more ideas, so be sure to check out all the tutorials for bird feeder crafts!

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The U.S. President lives in a very special house called the White House. We’ve recreated his house using craft sticks and paint.

CRAFT STICK WHITE HOUSE

Celebrate Inauguration Day or Presidents’ Day by creating your very own White House!

What you’ll need:

• 8 jumbo craft sticks
• 4 regular craft sticks
• 7 miniature craft sticks
• White acrylic paint
• Green felt or construction paper
• Scissors
• White craft glue
• 1/2 sheet black construction paper

Helpful Tips:

• As the glue is drying, occasionally press down gently on the craft stick columns to be sure that they are flush with the house.
• Place your craft sticks on a piece paper before your start. If the glue sticks to the paper it’s no problem, simply leave the paper on the back of the house!
• Talk about the significance of the presidency when working on this project.

How to make it:

1. Cut the rounded ends off of all eight jumbo craft sticks.
2. Lay four jumbo craft sticks touching each other on a table, one below the other. Line the other four jumbo craft sticks in the same fashion alongside the first four. You should have 2 sticks going across (columns) and four sticks going down (rows).
3. Pipe glue onto the edges of the craft sticks, connecting them all together. Smooth the glue with your finger or a paintbrush and gently press them together so that they are all touching. You may want to let the glued craft sticks dry on a piece of wax paper placed on your table. Allow glue to dry completely.
4. From two of the regular craft sticks, cut one rounded end off of each.
5. Center a miniature craft stick directly above the large rectangle you made from the jumbo craft sticks. Place the two regular craft sticks across the top as well, on either side of the mini craft stick. The straight edges should hang over the sides of the large rectangle. Glue in place and let dry.
6. Cut the rounded edge off both sides of a regular craft stick. Center the regular craft stick on top of the row made in step 5 and glue in place. This should make the second row stacked above the jumbo craft stick base.
7. To add the columns on the front of the White House, place a miniature craft stick 1/2″ to the left of the center line of the large triangle. Glue another “column” 1/2″ to the right of the center line. Glue the third and fourth column to the left and right of the first two columns.
8. Glue a regular craft stick horizontally across the top of the four columns.
9. Position two miniature craft sticks to form a wide upside-down “V” on top of the regular craft stick in step 8. You will see they make the shape of a pointed roof. Glue the pieces into place.
10. After all craft sticks have dried completely, paint the entire thing with white paint. Let dry. You may notice some cracking in the paint due to painting over the glue. If you do, simple add a second coat after the first coat has dried completely.
11. Cut windows and door from black construction paper and glue in place according to photo.
12. Cut an 11″ x 1/2″ strip of green felt or construction paper. Trim to fit across the base of the White House and glue in place.

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