Don't
forget to visit our Crafts
& Recipes section for more craft ideas (basic, holiday, just
for kids, etc.)
To
preserve your children's drawing, school papers, art work, etc.
laminate them and after doing that you can even use them as place
mats for your children.
Use
a hanging shoe bag for storing sewing and craft supplies (buttons,
beads, thread, glitter, etc.)
Something
fun for the kids - make an ice cream sandwich by placing a scoop
of softened ice cream between two cookies or two graham crackers.
Have
your kids paint pictures in the snow. Fill an old soap bottle or
syrup bottle with water and food coloring so they can see what they
are drawing or writing.
Make
stilts the old fashioned way - using coffee cans and rope.
Make
cake cones....Using a flat bottom ice cream cone, pour cupcake batter
in cones and bake. After baking, add frosting and decorate with sprinkles.
Make
luminaries out of tin cans (soup cans). Fill the can with ice and
freeze. When frozen, take out and punch holes in a design or words
into the can (using a hammer and nail). To use, fill the bottom
of the tin with sand and place a votive inside. When the candle
is gone, discard sand and put new sand in.
For
'temporary' hair dye you can use kool-aid powder. Make a thick paste
with the water and kool-aid and apply to hair. Let it sit for around
5 minutes, then rinse out. To get out of hair, shampoo hair. It
may require two shampoos.
To make
white face make-up for costumes, make a mixture of 2 tbsp. cornstarch
and 1 tbsp. white vegetable shortening. To have different colors -
add drops of food coloring to mixture.
Make
3D drawings by drawing a picture or writing something on paper and
tracing it with glue. After it is completely dry you can place blank
paper on top and trace with crayons. You can also teach your children
shapes and letters by having them feel the traced work with their
eyes closed.
Make
rainbow, jumbo crayons. Take different colors of crayons and remove
paper. Place them in an old muffin tin (one you don't use for cooking
food), but DO NOT use paper cups. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10-15
minutes. After they are completely cooled, pop them out of the muffin
tins. These are good party favors.
Want
a frosty looking window during the holidays? Pour Epsom salt into
a container of stale beer until it can hold no more salt. Mix well
and using a sponge, wipe onto windows for desired effect.
Make
rock
art. Collect the rocks you want to use and wash them off
with the hose. If you do it in the sink, you may get sand and pebbles
in the drain and it will ruin your disposal. After washing rocks,
place them on a baking sheet. Turn the oven to 250 degrees and leave
them in for an hour. Remove from oven and with an oven mitt or towel,
place stones on paper, place mat, paper plate, etc. Without touching
the stones with your hands, use the crayons to begin drawing. The
crayons will begin to melt from the heat making it easy to draw. Allow
to dry.
Can't
find popsicle molds? Use mini paper/plastic cups and popsicle sticks
or plastic spoons for the handle.
Make
a drawing on construction paper with crayons. Mix equal parts of Epsom
salt and boiling water. Using a paint brush, brush the salt
and water mixture over the construction paper to give it a crystal
effect.
Don't
like pin coushins? Take a saucer or bowl and glue magnets on the bottom
of them. Use this as the pin holder - they will be easier to get then
from a pin coushin.
To
teach your kids who their relatives are, make a photo placemat by
making a collage on an 11" x 17" piece of paper of all
your family members and animals. Laminate this and have it out for
them and even let them use it as a place mat at the table.
Frost
your windows with vinegar, Epsom salt and baking soda. Mix small amounts
in with eachother, but don't make it too liquidy. Allow to set for
a while and use a paint brush or sponge to put on window. To remove,
use hot, soapy water.
