Summer Crafts for Kids (Please Add Your Favorites....) - Big Big Forums

Jolie Rouge · 07-12-2001, 01:36 AM

Garden Gift Wrap
Submitted by: Lori Walker of Thayer, IL
Grandparent to 3 grandchildren, ages 2, 6, and 9

My kids and grandchildren and I love handmade gift wrap, and we have many times tied seed packs to gifts to be used as tags. Now we've done one better! The tissue paper is quickly biodegradable. This works much the same as the expensive mulched bedding rolls, but is very inexpensive to do. We buy seeds on sale for about 10 cents a pack.

Materials
unbleached tissue paper (this is a tan color)
white glue
assorted flower seeds

Directions
Spread a thin layer of glue on the paper very carefully and spread the flower seeds on the gift wrap. Include a tag telling the recipient to tear pieces off the wrap and plant 1/4-inch deep in garden bedding soil or pots. Be careful not to put too many seeds, as this will cause crowding of plants in the garden.

Jolie Rouge · 07-12-2001, 01:48 AM

Clothespin Recipe Holder

You can also paint or decorate the can lid if you wish. Some are pretty enough as is. This makes a nice gift for Grandma or Mother.

Materials
clip-style clothespin
plastic can lid (such as from a hairspray can) of a pretty color
paint or stain to match or coordinate with can-lid color
plaster of Paris

Directions
Stain or paint the clothespin to match or coordinate with the can lid. Pour plaster of Paris into the lid. Stick one part of the handle of the clothes pin into the plaster, with the other part on the outside of the lid and the teeth pointing up. Let the plaster harden.

Alternate Idea :
My son's Day School Class did these for our Mother's Day Gifts;
VERY CUTE !
old fashioned wooden clothespin
terracotta seedling pots (smallest ones they make - 23 cents at Wlmarts or Hobby Lobby)
paint or stain to decorate ( they used markers - sprayed the pots with clear spray paint to "set" the designs)
Green modeling clay (they used grayish/brown - it was a good way to use the 'blended' clay after the kids have mixed all the different colors into one blob....)

Directions:
Let the kids decorate the pots any way they want.
Spray the pots to set the design.
Fill the pot with a glob of clay
Color the clothespin with a green marker
Stick the clothespin in the clay - let it sit & dry for a while
The kids finished it by coloring cut out flowers that they glued to the clothespin/stem

Quick, creative, kills the better part of an afternoon and the kids are so proud of their "work of art" Set on kitchen window sill to hold recipe cards, mail, memos, ect....

Jolie Rouge · 07-12-2001, 01:50 AM

Key Chain Holder
These come out all different sizes and colors, and they are all pretty. Kids love them and love to make them -- with a grownup to help with the oven and handling the hot plastics.

Materials
clear plastic pill bottles (one per holder)
colorful plastic beads (about 5 or 6 per holder)

Directions
For each holder, put 5 or 6 beads into a pill bottle. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pill bottles on the cookie sheet, with the open top up. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until the pill bottles have melted flat like pancakes. Remove cookie sheet from the oven. The plastics will be hot! When they are almost cool, poke a hole in each piece for the key chain or ring to pass through. Remove them from the cookie sheet with a spatula. They will not mar the cookie sheet.

nightrider127 · 07-13-2001, 09:24 AM

I know that this is an old thing but my nephew loved doing it. We recently made a pet rock. All you need is a rock, paint and glitter and a willing kid. I let him pick out his own colors and it turned out beautiful. Last I heard about the rock was that it was sitting on his mothers desk at work being used as a paper weight.