Craft of the Day

Valentine Heart Basket - February 10, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Valentine Heart Basket

Make this beautiful basket for a friend, neighbor or relative to show them how much you love them.

Provided by Heidi Ott.

Materials:

Paper or Ribbon ( 6" each of: red 2" wide, white 2" wide, red 1/4 " wide)

Scissors

Glue

Instructions:

1. Click here to print the pattern pieces (red piece and handle). Cut the pattern pieces along outer edge. Using the red piece as a guide, cut out a white piece. You should now have a red piece, a white piece and a red handle. Stack the red and white pieces together and fold along the fold line. Cutting through both pieces, cut the center slit as shown on the red pattern piece. Separate the two pieces and refold each separately.

2. Hold both pieces at an angle as shown in Fig. 1.

3. Take the top red strip and slip it through the top white strip (Fig. 2).

4. Open the top red strip and slip the bottom white strip through the red strip (Fig. 3).

5. Open the bottom red strip and slip the top white strip through it (Fig. 4).

6. Open the bottom white strip and slip the bottom red strip through it (Fig. 5).

7. Glue the ends of the handle piece to the heart to form a basket (Fig. 6).

Ribbon hearts

Cut one 2" wide red ribbon 6" long. Fold in half. Cut the raw edges so they are rounded. Starting at the center of the folded edge, cut a 2" slit going towards the curved edge. Repeat with 2" white ribbon. To weave the basket follow directions 2-7 of the paper basket.

Fill with small treats and give to family and friends.

Heart Flowers - February 9, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Heart Flowers

Makes a great party favor or centerpiece. This is an easy daycare or class project.

Materials:
Red, pink and green construction paper
Glue
Scissors
Tongue depressors
Markers

Directions:

Cut out hearts (either red or pink) for the flower. Cut out two smaller green hearts for the leaves. Glue the flower to the top of the tongue depressor and the leaves to the middle of the tongue depressor. Draw a face on the flower and give as a gift to your favorite valentine! You can also collect all the hearts and place them in a vase for a centerpiece for a Valentine's Day party. When the party is over, the children may take their heart flowers home.

You can also use a small photo of the kids. Make a bouquet and send them to grandma!

Valentine Crown - February 8, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Valentine Crown

As featured at The Family Corner.com

You will need:

Construction paper (white and red)
scissors
glue

1. Cut a 2 inch wide strip of red paper long enough to fit around your head. Tape the ends together. Cut two more strips of paper, each 1inch wide and 12 inches long.

2. Fold one strip in half and make a 2 inch cut in the center. Glue that strip from one side of the headband to the other.

3. Glue the second strip on so that the band is divided into quarters. Tuck and glue the center of the second strip into the cut of the first. Cut a heart and glue into the center.

4. Decorate the crown with hearts cut from white paper.

Candy Candles - February 7, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Candy Candles

Provided by Heidi Ott.

Materials:

York Peppermint Pattie
Lifesavers
Hershey Kiss
Bow
Other candies and ribbon for decorating
Cellophane tape

Instructions:

For the base, take the Peppermint Pattie and wrap it in foil or fold the corners under and tape. Glue a bow to the top of the Peppermint patty. Cut out the center loop of the bow.

Take the outer wrapping off the Lifesavers roll. Don't remove the foil wrap. Tape a Hershey Kiss to the end of the Lifesaver roll. This will create a candle. You can use other types of rolled candy such as Mentos, Rolos, Spree etc. Tape the bottom of the candle into the bow where the center loop was removed.

You can decorate the candle with ribbon or stickers. We used ribbon criss-crossed around the candy and to the red candle we added a chocolate heart candy.

Valentine Bunny - February 6, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Valentine Bunny

This easy to make craft makes a great gift for mom or grandma!

Materials:

Baby food jars
Cotton balls
Construction paper
Glue
Scissors
Picture of child

Directions:

Fill jars with cotton balls. Cut out 1 large heart, which is just a little taller and wider than the front of the jar. Cut out a medium size heart, which is about 1 inch larger than the base of the jar. Cut out 2 small hearts (about the size of a penny or dime). Glue large heart to the face of the jar so that the top of the heart extends beyond the top of the jar (gives the appearance of ears). Glue medium heart to the base of the jar so that the top of the heart extends beyond the bottom of the jar (top of heart sticking out from the base will look like feet). Glue small hearts on the sides of the jar in the middle (looks like hands). Glue a cotton ball to the back of the jar (looks like a cottontail). Have kids draw the face on the large heart before gluing.

Recycled Box Picture Frame - February 3, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Recycled Box Picture Frame

Use any small box, like this Valentine candy box or a jewelry box. Makes a great gift for Mom or Grandma!

Small Box Top or Bottom

Paint (Optional)

Cord

Photo

Silk Flowers

Low Temp Glue Gun or Tacky Glue & Clothes Pins

Instructions:

Paint box if desired. We painted a small red valentine candy box with a pink paint marker so it wouldn't look so much like a Valentine box.

Cut photo to fit inside the box. Glue a piece of cord to the back for a hanger. Glue flowers around the outside. If you are using tacky glue, you can use clothes pins to hold the flowers in place while they dry.

Heart Brooch - February 2, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Heart Brooch

Use the following recipe for play dough to make a heart shaped brooch.

Make the dough - then shape into hearts. Before the heart is dry press pins into back of hearts. When the heart is completely dry, paint with valentine

colors.

Recipe:

1 cup flour

1 cup warm water

2 teaspoons cream of tarter

1 teaspoon oil

¹ cup salt

Food coloring

Directions:

Mix all ingredients, adding food coloring last. Stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from the pan and knead until blended smooth. Leftovers can be placed in an airtight container when cooled. Will last for a long time..

Valentine Heart Mouse - February 1, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

From Crafts for Valentine's Day by Kathy Ross
Used by permission of the Millbrook Press

Materials:

Red and pink construction paper
Scissors
Stapler
Black marker
Glue
Flat lollipop

Directions:

1. Fold a piece of red construction paper and cut a half heart about 3 inches high on the fold. Leave the heart folded to form the body of the mouse.

2. Cut a smaller heart from the red paper for the head of the mouse. Cut a slit about halfway up from the point of the heart. Wrap the two sides of the slit around to form a cone nose and staple them in place. Use a black marker to draw eyes and a nose. Staple the head to the pointed end of the heart body. Staple the rounded end of the body so that it forms a pocket.

3. Cut a tiny heart from red paper. Write PULL on the heart and glue it to the stick end of the lollipop. Write your valentine message on this heart and glue it over the wrapper. Tuck the lollipop into the body of the mouse so that the stick end is sticking out to form the tail of the mouse.

Groundhog Puppets - January 31, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Groundhog Day is February 2

Groundhog Puppets

Use felt-tip markers to draw groundhog faces on the top halves of tongue depressors. Give them each a small paper cup with a slit in the bottom. Have them push the bottoms of their tongue depressors through the slits in their cups. Show them how to move their sticks up & down to make their groundhogs appear & disappear.

Mr. Groundhog - January 30, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Mr. Groundhog

Let the children take turns being Mr. Groundhog popping out of his hole (a larger cardboard box). Arrange room so that you can create or take away a shadow. Overhead lights would eliminate a shadow & a low light aimed directly at the "groundhog" would create a shadow.

Brown Playdough - January 27, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Brown Playdough

Mix up a batch of brown playdough & sculpt groundhogs.

Groundhog Mask - January 26, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Groundhog Day is February 2

Groundhog Mask

Have children color a paper plate brown & then cut out holes for the children's eyes. Cut a nose & mouth from construction paper & glue on plate. Punch a hole on each side of the plate & attach yarn. Tie around child's head.

Groundhog Puppets - January 25, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Groundhog Day is February 2

Groundhog Puppets

Using brown construction paper, cut groundhog faces about 1 1/2 in across. Spread glue on face and attach thin whisps of cotton to represent fur. Glue on paper eyes, nose and mouth. Attach to a popsicle stick. Cut a slit in the bottom of a small paper cup & have the children push the bottom of the stick into it. Show the children how to make the groundhog appear & disappear. Using these puppets, sing this song & have the children act out the movements.

Groundhog's Home - January 24, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Groundhog Day is February 2

Make a groundhog's home

Find a box large enough for a child to crawl in & let them decorate it like a groundhog's home. Paint it , draw trees on it, etc.. Then let them pretend to be groundhog's crawling in & out of their "hole".

Paper Plate Penguins - January 23, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Paper Plate Penguins

Color or sponge paint the head and flippers black, the feet and beak orange-yellow, and the bow tie any color or design. Cut out these pieces. Glue the head to the back of a six inch paper plate. Glue the flippers near the head, before attaching the feet. Attach the beak and two eye cutouts. Glue on the bow tie cutout. Use a black crayon to color a narrow strip around the exposed plate rim except where it meets the penguins feet. These penguins make an eye catching bulletin board when they are stacked in a pyramid configuration.

Penguins - January 20, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Penguins

Materials
6" X 9" white and black construction paper, one of each per child
Black and yellow markers
Scissors
Glue or stapler
What to do:
Trace the child's shoe on the white paper and have the child cut out, helping if necessary. This will be Penguin's body. Fold the black paper in half so it measures 6 X 4.5". Trace the child's hand with wrist on the fold. Cut out. these will be the wings. Glue or staple the black wings (folded lengthwise) around the penguins body on each side (kinda over the top of the head and down the sides). Draw eyes and beak with black and yellow markers.
More to do: Glue the penguin on blue paper and use finger tips to print with white paint to create snow all around the penguin.

Penguin Costume - January 19, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Penguin Costume

Use a grocery bag and orange construction paper to turn into a penguin! Slit the front of the bag from top to bottom. Cut a neck hole in the bottom of the bag. Cut wing shaped flaps in the sides. Color the bag black and white to resemble a penguin. Form a cone from a triangular piece of orange construction paper. Staple it together and punch a hole in each side. Tie a 12 inch piece of string through each hole. Place the cone over your nose like a beak and tie the strings together at the back of your head. Now put on the bag and have a Penguin Parade!

Penguin Shapes - January 18, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Penguin Shapes

Cut out penguin shapes from black paper. Paint with Epsom Salts diluted in water. It makes the penguin look frosty.

Hibernating Bear - January 17, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Hibernating Bear

Materials needed:
1 small paper cup
1 brown pom-pom
1 piece stiff paper (about 3x5)
cotton balls
glue

Directions:
The cup is the cave. Have children tear a small half circle piece off of the cup starting at the cup rim. This is the opening to the cave. Glue pom-pom in center of stiff paper piece. This is the bear. Put glue on the rim of the cup and place it on the stiff paper with the pom-pom inside. Spread glue on the outside of the cup and the stiff paper around the cup. Pull cotton balls to stretch the fiber to look fluffy. Place this on the glue that is on and around the cup. This is snow. Your project will now look like a bear curled up in a cave to hibernate for the winter.
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Snowflakes - January 16, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Snowflakes

materials needed:
wax paper
glue
q-tips
glitter

Put a quarter size dab of glue on wax paper and then give the child 8 q-tips to lay in the glue (ends that is) and then let the child sprinkle with glue and then let dry for a day. Then peel off the wax paper and hang on the window or hang from the ceiling.

Snow Scenes - January 13, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Snow Scenes

The children can use white chalk on black paper to create snow scenes.

Self-Sticking Snowflake - January 12, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

A "Self-sticking" Snowflake

Supplies
a snowflake pattern
dimensional fabric paint (the kind that squeezes out of a bottle)
Ziploc baggie
glitter

Put the snowflake pattern in the plastic baggie and zip closed. On the outside of the baggie trace
over the snowflake pattern with the fabric paint. My mom makes me wear old clothes or a craft apron to do this part because it's easy to get some paint on your clothes. While the snowflake is still wet sprinkle glitter over the paint. Carefully shake off any excess glitter. Let dry. When completely dry peel off the baggy and put it up somewhere where every one can see it!

Ice Painting - January 11, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Ice Painting

Materials:
Ice Cubes
Craft Sticks
Tempera Paint powder, Several Colors
Spoon
Heavy paper

To make an ice cube paintbrush poke craft sticks into partially frozen ice cubes. Then continue to freeze solid. Take an Ice cube paintbrush by its handle and rub it back and forth over the powdered color on the paper. Try putting small amounts of other colors on your paper and rubbing those with another ice cube paintbrush. Let dry.

Three Dimensional Snowmen - January 10, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Three Dimensional Snowmen
Materials:
Blue construction paper
white paint
sponge
glitter
button eyes
pompoms
popcorn
pipe cleaners
black beans

Sponge paint the snowman shape. Poke two holes to thread yarn through. Cut mittens from folded construction paper and glue to the ends of the yarn. Use construction paper scraps or found objects (buttons, cloth, beans, beads, popcorn) to create a face, hat buttons for snowman. Cut cloth and pompom for a hat, glue triangle out for a nose, pipe cleaner arms, button eyes, black bean mouth, popcorn buttons.

Sparkle Snow Paint - January 9, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Sparkle Snow Paint
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup water

Mix together and put in a squeeze bottle. Squeeze doughy paint out on to black construction paper. Make anything snowy, snowflakes, snowmen, - we made snow covered mountains
with the moon and northern lights. Let dry thoroughly and it will sparkle. May also be painted (when dry) and allowed to dry again. This is a great 3 dimensional effect for snow.