Entries for the 'Kid Crafts' Category

Did you ever make pom pom’s when you were a kid? They are really quick and easy to make. I thought it would be cute to make a garland of pom pom’s for my daughter’s room to hang her valentine’s from. Here is how: (images below!)

Step 1: Wrap some yarn around your hand or fingers. I used acrylic yarn from the craft store. I would think that any kind of yarn would work.
 
Step 2: Wrap the yarn around your hand or fingers 60 to 70 times, depending on how fluffy you want your pom pom to be.

Step 3: Gently take the wrapped yarn off of your hand. Be careful to keep the yarn wound. Lay it on the table or floor or wherever you are working.

Step 4: Cut a length of yarn long enough to  wrap around the wound yarn several times. For demonstration purposes, I am using a different color of yarn. You would use the same color of yarn as your pom pom.

Step 5: Wrap the length of yarn around the pom pom and secure in the middle with a knot. Pull tightly, this holds your pom pom together.

Step 6: Continue wrapping the length of yarn around the middle of the pom pom and securing it with knots. Do this about three times, to insure that your pom pom is secure.

Step 7: Cut the loops from the ends of your pom pom.

Step 8: Fluff the pom pom up with your hands. You may have to cut off any ends that are longer than the rest of the pom pom at this time.

Step 9: To make a garland, repeat steps 1-8 until you have the desired amount of pom poms.

Step 10: Thread a large needle with a long piece of yarn. The yarn just needs to be as long as you want your garland to be, plus a little bit extra for the ends to be tied to something.

Step 11: Insert the needle into the middle of one of the pom poms and thread through. Be careful here because some of the middle of the pom pom may want to come apart. If it does, just push it back down into the middle of the pom pom.
Step 12: Continue stringing the pom poms until your garland is the desired length.

Once your garland is completed, you can attach it to a piece of furniture or the wall with a simple tie. I used clothespins to attach my daughter’s valentines to this garland, but I think it would be cute to hang artwork from or just to be on it’s own. I guess she could even use it for dress up if she wanted too! 
Happy creating!
Julie

I was at a store that shall remain nameless (Target: I LOVE YOU!) the other day and I found this cute placemat. I loved everything about it. The pattern, the colors, the pattern, the colors…okay, so I just loved the pattern and the colors, but that was enough for me to put it in my cart and say, “Let’s be friends.” 

When I got home with it, I had to ask myself what I could use this placemat for other than a placemat. I am not sure why I had to ask myself that. I only knew that I had to ask myself. So I asked myself and myself answered, “How about a memo board?” What a fabulous idea, self. Way to go! I thought that surely a dry erase marker would write and erase off of the plastic placemat. So I tested it. And it worked! The rest was easy. Let me explain:

 
Step 1: Find cute placemat. 

Step 2: Punch two holes in the top for ribbon. I used a Crop-A-Dile, but I’m sure any regular hole punch would work just as well.

Step 3: Find cute ribbon. Attach ribbon to cute placemat.

Step 4: Write message on “memo board” with dry erase marker.

Step 5: Hang somewhere in your home that messages will be read. 
 
See? I told you it would be easy! If the dry erase is a little hard to wipe off, just use a wet paper towel. Happy creating!

Created by Julie Jones 

Your kids are sure to have a rockin’ good time with this simple craft made from an old box.

Supplies Needed:

Box (shoe box, food box, etc.)

Glue

Construction Paper

Scissors

Stapler

Rubber Bands

Stickers

Markers

Step 1: Cut the top off of the box or remove the top from the box if you are using a shoebox.

Step 2: Decorate the inside (and outside if desired) of the box with construction paper, scissors, markers, etc.

Step 3: Form a handle for the guitar from the top of the box. For this particular guitar, I used the two long sides of the top flaps of the box. This was a box I got in the mail from a bookstore.

Step 4: Attach the handle to the back of the guitar box with glue or staples.

Step 5: Wrap rubber bands around the box to form the “strings” of the guitar.

Step 6: Let your kid’s be the next super rock star and make some great music….outside maybe?

Here's a great project for the kiddos.  Get a paint can at a home improvement store and let your kids paint it up.  It will provide a great trick-or-treat pail. 

I left a bale of hay out of our back porch--in the rain.  A few days later it grew grass.  From that, came this fun craft idea.  I bought a plain paint can at Lowe's for less than $4.  A much better idea: find one in your garage and scrape off the label.  Spray paint it green and then use craft paint to paint on Frank's face.  Plant hay in the can.  Set it in the sun for a few days and water.  Soon he will have green hair!