Tag Archives: crafts for kids

OUR IMAGINATIONS: A TALE OF TWO UMBRELLAS II:YELLOW POLKA DOT UMBRELLA

OUR IMAGINATIONS: A TALE OF TWO UMBRELLAS II:YELLOW POLKA DOT UMBRELLA

Read: The Yellow Umbrella by Caitlin Dundon

A little boy and his mother are hurrying to school and work. It is a rainy day and they are almost late. The little boy spots a yellow “umbrellow” in the gutter. “Umbrella,” his mother corrects him and hurries him along.

A gust of wind blows his mother’s black umbrella inside out and it breaks.

When they reach his school, the little boy sees all kinds of umbrellas: red ones, blue ones,  orange ones, umbrellas with polka dots and “shapes of all kinds.” There are “even ones with Mickey Mouses.” When his mother picks him up at the end of the school day, she has a surprise for him.

Project: Paint an old umbrella yellow (or any color you wish) and/or decorate it with dots or stripes or Mickey Mouses!

Materials:

An old umbrella

Glue

Beads

Markers

Sequins

Buttons

Silk flowers

Ribbons

Stencils

Paint in squeeze bottles

Stickers

Additional Reading:

The Umbrella by Jan Brett

The Umbrella Day by Nancy Evans

Umbrella by Taro Yashima

*Copyright Art work by Marion Constantinides 2015

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RECYCLED CRAFT PROJECT: Nature’s Leaves Note Cards

RECYCLED CRAFT PROJECT: Nature’s Leaves Note Cards

 

The craft NATURE PRINTS was adapted from the project “From the Yard/Nature Prints” found in All-Around-the-House Art and Craft Book by Patricia Z. Wirtenberg and published by Houghton Mifflin Company in1968

Materials:

Leaves, bark, twigs

Printer’s inks or poster or acrylic paints in various colors (cheaper to use)

Drawing pencils (optional)

Rice or bond paper in white or various light colors (works best with poster/acrylic paints)

Brown wrapping paper or construction paper for use with printer’s inks

Brayer (or roller)

Piece of glass

Newspaper

Solvent for cleaning brayer and glass if using printer’s inks unless using water-soluble printer’s inks

  1. Collect fresh leaves from the trees or bushes in your neighborhood or yard. You will need some to experiment with and some for the last print. Other objects such as tree bark (if it’s easy to peel off) and even some twigs will work along with the leaves, too.
  2. Cover your work surface with newspaper. Lay down the glass and brayer on the work surface. Select the paints or inks that you will use. Acrylic or poster paints are less expensive than oil-based printer’s inks and easier to clean up after use.
  3. You can squeeze one color for each leaf or squeeze two or three colors side-by-side on the glass. The leaves in the samples shown used one or two or three colors at one time.
  4. Roll the paint or inks on the glass until the pigment covers the brayer. If you are using more than one color, let the colors run into each other. Roll the brayer over the leaf several times and turning the leaf over, lay it on a piece of paper like rice paper or bond paper. Use your hand to press the leaf so that it prints on the paper. Paper that is not too thick or too thin is the best to use if using acrylic or poster paints. Printer’s inks can use a slightly heavier paper like construction or brown wrapping paper.
  5. Remove the leaf and see how it printed on the paper. Experiment until you have a print that you like. Experiment with other materials from nature combined with the leaves.
  6. To create a mixed media design, color the whites of the leaves or the background paper or outline the printed leaves with colored pencils. See the two samples below.
  7. Frame the print or using old note card stationery, make note cards or poster cards of the printed leaves. They make a thoughtful gift for people who still write notes!
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CELEBRATE THE SEASONS! Spring is Here! Mobile

CELEBRATE THE SEASONS! Spring is Here! Mobile
SPRING MOBILE

SPRING MOBILE

Ages: 5 – 12 years

Time: ½ hour – 1 hour

MATERIALS:

Construction paper or craft foam in 4 pastel colors

Eraser/ Pencil

One dowel rods cut to 12”

Tacky glue or glue stick

Patterns from the Banners project

Hole puncher

Ball of jute or string or wire

Scissors

 

  1. Ask an adult to cut the dowel rods so that you have two. Cross them in the middle and tie them tightly with a piece of string or jute or wire. Lay aside.
  2. Select the paper or craft foam or use a combination of papers and craft foam. Trace and cut shapes from the patterns used for the Spring Is Here! Banner. Vary the sizes of the flowers. Add a yellow circle for the center of the daisy.
  3. Poke a hole near the top of the paper or craft foam shapes with a pencil or use a hole puncher. Then, lace a piece of string or jute or wire 6” to 8” in length through the hole at the top of each shape. Poke a hole at the bottom of the flowers and have some of them cascade downward. Tie the shapes to the dowel rods. To balance the mobile, place two or more shapes on each dowel rod and be sure that some of the shapes hang lower (or higher) than some of the others. This is called balancing or making the mobile level. Ask an adult for help if you need it.
  4. Tie a piece of string in the middle of the two dowel rods for hanging. Does your sculpture move? What makes it move? How is this design different from the banner design? What are the differences? What are the similarities?
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RECYCLED CRAFT: PAPER PENCIL TOPPERS

RECYCLED CRAFT: PAPER PENCIL TOPPERS
PAPER PENCIL TOPPERS

PAPER PENCIL TOPPERS

MATERIALS:

Pencils (colored pencils, No.2 pencils, etc.)

Various scraps of paper (left over pieces of construction paper, typing paper, gift wrap paper, etc.)

Scissors

Templates

 

PROJECT:

  1. Decide the shapes of the pencil toppers: hearts, leaves, circles, squares, etc. Select the color paper to be used for each shape: green for leaves, red or pink for hearts, etc. Patterned papers are especially eye-catching for pencil toppers.
  2. Trace the shape on to the paper. Cut.
  3. Cut two small slits in the middle of the paper shape. Do not cut up to the edges. You want a slit wide enough to pass the pencil through.
  4. Slip the pencil through the slit and you have a pencil topper for your favorite writing tool!
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MAKE A HEART- SHAPED WAND!

MAKE A HEART- SHAPED WAND!

MATERIALS:

Model Magic – white

Dowel rod, 12 – 14 inches in length

White glue

Markers – color(s) of choice

Beads/sequins/glitter/feathers

Curling ribbon – color(s) of choice

Scissors

Brush

PROJECT:

  1. Make a big fist-sized ball of Model Magic. Using a rolling pin or the palm of your hand, flatten out the Model Magic into a rectangle about ¼” thick.
  2. Make sure a corner of the flattened piece comes to a point. Place this piece vertically on the work surface. Squeeze the sides to form points. Refer to the photos above.
  3. Squeeze the bottom of the piece to form two points, too. You should now have five-pointed star: one point at the top, and two on either side and at the bottom.
  4. Color the dowel rod with markers. Insert it between the two points at the bottom.
  5. Push beads, feathers and sequins into the star. Apply glue to the surface of the Model Magic and cover it with glitter. Shake off the excess.
  6. Cut 3 or 4 pieces of curling ribbon 12” long. Tie the ribbon just under the star. Curl the ribbon with one of the scissor blades.
  7. You now have a magical wand!

OPTIONAL: Make other shapes! Shamrocks! Diamonds! Clouds! Stars!

Art work by Chloe B.

 

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RECYCLED CRAFT: Funky Valentines

RECYCLED CRAFT: Funky Valentines

Funky Recycled Valentines

Materials:

Paper in pink, red, purple, white

Greeting cards or images downloaded from the Internet

Lace Paper doilies

Sequins

Glitter

Pearls

Seeds

Beads

Stickers

Scissors

Glue stick

White glue

Heart-shaped cookie cutters, templates, stencils or the patterns provided below

String or yarn

Markers or colored pencils

  1. Gather greetings cards that you no longer want and cut out shapes that are traditional for a Valentine’s Day theme: flowers, birds, kittens, hearts, puppies, etc. Or download images or clip art from a free program on the Internet.
  2. Using the heart patterns provided or a heart-shaped cookie cutter(s) or template(s) or stencil(s), trace and cut the heart out of colored paper. Use the largest pattern or cookie cutter or stencil for the main part of the valentine. Make more than one valentine and use papers of various colors. Trace and cut hearts of smaller sizes, too.
  3. Glue sequins, images from the greeting cards, small heart-shapes, etc in a pleasing design on the valentine.
  4. Using markers or colored pencils, write a message: “Happy Valentine’s Day!” or any other message suitable for the holiday
  5. Optional: Glue string or yarn on the back of the valentine and hang it up or give it to a friend of your choice.

VARIATION: MAKE A FUNKY RECYCLED VALENTINE POUCH

Create two cards of the same size. Decorate. Glue the two sides but keep the top open. Punch two holes in the center of the heart at the top. Cut a piece of ribbon or string long enough for hanging or carrying. Pass the ribbon or string through the hole and make a knot. Pass the ribbon through the other hole making another knot. You now have a pouch for holding your valentines!

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

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Art Project for Kids: Painted Rocks!

Art Project for Kids: Painted Rocks!

PAINTED ROCKS is an updated adaption of the project from “Painted Stones and Stone Sculptures” found in the Reinhold Book of Arts and Crafts Techniques and published by Van Nostrand Reinhold Companya division of Litton Education Publishing, Inc. in 1976. Materials: Rocks preferably with a relatively smooth surface Poster or acrylic paints Brushes of various widths Container for water Palette or disposable smooth surface like wax paper Soap Paper Towels Newspaper or something similar to cover the surface of your work space

  1. Wash rocks thoroughly and dry. If rocks are very dirty, soak in a bucket of sudsy water, rinse and dry. In the meantime, cover your work space.
  2. Think of a design for the rock. Sometimes the rock suggests a design or an object. Stripes, dots, stars, swirls, circles are some ideas you can use alone or in combination.
  3. Select the paint colors and squeeze a small amount (about the size of a quarter to start) on the palette or wax paper. Squeeze white, black or brown for the base coat of the rocks.
  4. Prime the rock white if you selected lighter colors or brown if you selected darker colors. This step isn’t required but it makes the colors adhere to the rock better if there is a base coat on which to paint your design. Paint one side at a time and allow the rock to dry. Turn over and paint the other side.
  5. If you can’t think of a design, lay the paints on the surface randomly. Overlap the colors and see them run into each other.
  6. Paint one side at a time and allow the design to dry. Turn over and paint the other side.
  7. Use your rocks to decorate your desk or your bedroom’s window sill. They also make nice gifts!

VARIATION: Select yarn or string in different colors and dip into glue. Wrap around the rock in different directions. Allow the glue to dry. VARIATION: Create rock creatures by gluing paper, pipe cleaners, pompom, buttons and more!

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BUGS AND THINGS: Bees

BUGS AND THINGS: Bees

 

BEES

BEES

BEES

Bees are flying vegetarian insects that collect pollen and nectar. While many bees are black and yellow, some are all black and generally measure one half to three fourth of an inch in length. There are many different kinds of bees: honey bees, carpenter bees and bumble bees among others. Wasps and hornets resemble and can be mistaken for bees, too.

Materials:

Styrofoam egg

6 chenille stems

White glue

Black paint

Paint brush

Yellow felt or yellow paper

Small wiggle eyes

Small Styrofoam ball (must be smaller than the egg)

Scissors

Project:

  1. Cut ¼” from one side of a Styrofoam egg so the Styrofoam can stand on its side.
  2. Paint the egg and a 1 12” Styrofoam ball black.
  3. Cut ¼” from one end of the ball. Glue the head on the wider end of the egg.
  4. Cut strips of yellow felt and glue them on the back of the egg at intervals so you have alternate stripes of black and yellow. Optional: paint the stripes with yellow paint.
  5. Cut two 3” chenille stems for the antenna; cut two 11” chenille stems for the wings and one 1 1/2” chenille stem for the tail.
  6. Shape the 11” stems into hearts and twist the ends together. Cut small slits or poke holes into the sides of the egg. You may need a utility knife and the help of an adult in order to do this. Push the ends into the sides of the body of the bee. Apply glue into those holes to secure if needed.
  7. Push the tail into the narrow end of the body; add a little glue into that hole, too. Push the antennae into the top of the head; secure with glue. Bend and curl the tops.
  8. Glue eyes on to the face. Optional: paint two eyes with yellow paint.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Delano, Marte Ferguson. National Geographic Kids/Butterflies. Washington DC: National Geographic for Kids.

Greensburg, David T. Bugs! NY: Little, Brown and Company. 1997.

Jackson, Demi.  Guess That Animal! Name That Bug! NY: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2017.

McKissack, Patricia and Frederick. Bugs! Chicago: Children’s Press, 1988.

Parker, Nancy Winslow and Wright, Joan Richards. Bugs. NY: Greenwillow, 1987.

Simon, Seymour. Butterflies. NY: Collins, 2011.

Singer, Marilyn. Caterpillars. Waynesville, MC: Early Light Books, Inc., 2011.

Taylor, Barbara, ed. 1000 Facts on Bugs. NY: Miles Kelly Publishing, 2005.

 

For more information about honey bees and bumble bees: https://www.mnn.com

 

 

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Mother’s Day Crafts: Paper Flowers

Mother’s Day Crafts: Paper Flowers

 

MOTHER’S DAY FLOWERS

Materials:

Popsicle sticks (use wide popsicle sticks if they are available)

Craft Foam in various colors, construction paper or paper with designs or patterns

Glue or glue stick

Scissors

Pencil with eraser

Markers in brown and/or green or poster or acrylic paint in brown and/or green

Pompoms in various colors (optional)

Patterns (below)

  1. Trace and cut patterns: there are two sets for two kinds of flowers.
  2. Select papers or Craft Foam for the flower petals or the round flower. Trace patterns and cut.
  3. Use petal patterns for the leaves. Trace and cut in green Craft Foam or other craft paper. Use a minimum of two leaves per flower.
  4. Paint Popsicle stick in brown or green or color with markers or paint.
  5. Glue petals around the Popsicle stick or glue the round flower at the top of the Popsicle stick.
  6. Glue a pompom in the center. Or trace a penny or other small coin on the Craft Foam or other paper of choice for the center of the flowers. Cut and glue.
  7. Place in plants to give as gifts for Mother’s Day. Or make several flowers and place in a vase.

 

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!

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Picture Book Month: A Tale of Two Umbrellas I

Picture Book Month: A Tale of Two Umbrellas I
Yellow Umbrella

Yellow Umbrella

ReadThe Umbrella by Ingrid and Dieter Schubert

A family dog finds a red umbrella on a windy day in the yard. When the dog opens up the umbrella, the wind carries them over the clouds and around the world. They go to Africa where the dog confronts elephants, alligators, hippos, zebras and storks; the oceans and their inhabitants; the tropics; the North Pole and finally, back home.

Project: Decorate an old umbrella and if you want to challenge yourself, give the design a theme: animals, fairies, sports, etc.

Materials:

An old umbrella

Glue

Beads

Markers

Sequins

Buttons

Silk flowers

Ribbons

Stencils

Paint in squeeze bottles

Stickers 

Additional Reading:

The Umbrella by Jan Brett

The Umbrella Day by Nancy Evans

Umbrella by Taro Yashima

*Copyright Art work by Marion Constantinides 2015

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