Fun and Easy Crafts

Great gift for Mother's Day - Order this kit and let the kids make this for Mom! (Just click the link) - Paint Your Own Plate icon

Paper Bag Puppets

What You Need:
brown lunch bag
crayons or markers
buttons
yarns
glitter
yarn

Directions:  The easiest way to make a paper bag puppet requires only a paper lunch bag and crayons or markers.  Simply draw on a face and you have a puppet.  To make the characters more elaborate, decorate with yarn for hair, buttons for eyes, and glitter for cheeks.  Ribbon can be added to the hair or made into a bow tie for the "neck".  Draw on eyelashes and lips with colorful markers. 

Pasta Necklaces/Creations

What You Need: 
dry, uncooked pasta such as ziti or rotini
4 - 5 plastic zipper bags
1 T. white vinegar
2-3 drops food coloring (4 or 5 different colors)
paper plate or paper towels
yarn
glue

Directions:  Place a handful of dry, uncooked pasta, such as ziti, rotini or farfelle, into a plastic zipper baggie.  Add a tablespoon of white vinegar and 2-3 drops of food coloring.  Close the baggie and have the kids shake the bag until the pasta is completely colored.  Spread out onto a paper plate or paper towel and allow to dry.  Use several baggies to create different colors.  Once the pasta is dry, kids can use yarn to string together pieces to make necklaces and bracelets, or glue them to paper plates or construction paper to create a work of art.

Sun Catchers (parental help required for this project)

What you Need:
glue gun
glue sticks 
wax paper
liquid dish soap 
acrylic paintspaint brushes
string or fishing line

Directions:  Place a piece of waxed paper on sturdy surface.  Spread a thin layer of liquid dish soap on waxed paper.  Warm up glue gun with glue stick inserted.  On waxed paper, create outlines of hearts or other shapes with hot glue.  Make sure outline is thick, you may have to go over the outline twice with glue.  Also use the glue to connect all sides and criss cross back and forth, making a stained glass effect.  Allow to dry. 

Once your outlines are completely dry paint with acrylic paints. You can paint each outline one color or add different colors to each outline.  Allow to dry.  Once paint is completely dry carefully remove outlines from waxed paper. 

Trim any excess glue strands from outlines.  Tie a string or fishing line to top of your design and hang in a window.  The sun shining through your catcher will bring out the different colors.  

Bunny Mask

What You Need:  
two paper plates
pink construction paper or pink paint
scissors
stapler
glue
crayons, markers, or paint 
elastic - optional

Directions:  Bunny's ears - Either paint the center of a paper plate pink or cut a circle from pink construction paper, then glue the pink paper circle to the center of a paper plate. Cut the paper plate in half (the two halves will be the rabbit's ears).  Bunny's Face - Using a new paper plate, cut a wedge (about 1/4 of the plate) out of the paper plate (the large part of the plate will be the rabbit's face). Staple the ears to the face. Cut two eye holes in the bunny's face.  Optional: staple a piece of elastic (about a foot long) to the mask to keep it in place.  

Caterpillar

What You Need:
cardboard or foam egg carton 
paint
construction paper
black pipe cleaners, cut in 1 1/2" pieces

Directions:  Cut through the center section of the egg carton, making the long six cup section the body of the caterpillar.  Paint the outside with green paint.  Glue the body to a piece of black paper.  Trim around the edge when dry.  Cut the head from green paper and draw on features with a marker.  Make the antennae from pipecleaners and glue them to the head.  Use the pipecleaners for legs by by poking a small hole in both sides of all the cups, then insert the legs and glue on the inside.

Egg Carton Tulips

What You Need:  
foam egg cartons sections
green pipe cleaners 
paint and markers
hot glue or white glue

Directions:  Cut the foam egg cartons sections to look like a tulip.  Paint or use markers to make different colored tulips.  Twirl one end of a green pipe cleaner into a spiral shape.  Poke a tiny hole at the base of the tulip and insert the pipe cleaner through the bottom of base and make a knot inside the tulip as your stem.  

Popcicle Stick Puzzle

What You Need:
10 popcicle sticks
tape
markers or paint

Directions:  Lay the sticks on a flat surface and put tape across all sticks.  Number each stick from 1 to 10.  Turn taped sticks over and draw or paint a picture on the platform of sticks.  Allow to dry.  Remove tape and try to put your picture together without looking at the numbers.

Nature Bracelet

What You Need:
poster board
dried beans, peas, or barley
yarn
hole punch
glue

Directions:  Cut a strip of poster board to fit around your wrist.  Glue on dried beans, peas, or barley for decoration.  Punch a hole in each end and string a piece of yarn through the holes.  Tie the bracelet around your wrist.


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Contact Information:

Denise Stevens

dstevens@a-zfunforkids.com

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