Recycled Greeting Card Ornament

Recycled Greeting Card Ornament

Ages: 3 and up (with parental supervision while cutting)

Parental Supervision Recommended

Difficulty: * * * * *

Time: 20 to 30 minutes

Don’t know what to do with your old holiday greeting cards?  Upcycle those old cards into pretty holiday ornaments!  Decorate your tree with them or use them as gift box decorations.  Parental supervision is recommended for children who are still learning to use scissors.

Materials Needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• The front of a greeting card (part with the picture)
• 2 metal brads
• String
• Hole punch
• Scissors

How-To Instructions:

1. Take your greeting card and cut it into 1-inch strips (for a total of about 6-7 strips).
2. Punch a hole in the end of each strip, about ¼-inch from each end.
3. After the holes are punched, stack the strips on top of one another all facing the same direction.
4. Insert a brad in each end so that the top “button” part of the brad is on the same side of the card with the picture.
5. Now gently spread out the strips until they begin to form a ball.
6. Loop some string around one of the brads if you want to be able to hang your ornament from your tree or attach it to a gift.  These ornaments even “unfold” for easy storage until next year!

Pom Pom Ornament

Pom Pom Ornament

Ages: 4 and up

Parental supervision recommended

Difficulty: * * * * *

Time: 15-30 minutes

Anyone can enjoy this fun, easy, and beautiful ornament for the holidays.  Keep them for your own tree or give them as gifts!  Be careful with the pins and ask your parents to help if you have any trouble.

Materials Needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• Styrofoam balls (found in the floral arranging section of the craft store)
• A bag of mid-sized pom poms (the smaller the pom poms, the more pin you can see)
• Straight pins
• Colorful ribbon

How-to Steps:

1. Stick a straight pin directly through the center of a pom pom.
2. Stick that same pin into the Styrofoam ball.
3.  You can create a pattern with your pom poms or make them random.  Following steps 1 and 2, continue until the ball is covered except for one, final spot. 
4. Choose your final pom pom.  Cut a length of ribbon long enough that your ornament can hang on the tree.  Stick a straight pin through a loop of ribbon, then stick a pom pom onto the same pin.  Now, pin to the Styrofoam ball.
5. You can create lots of different patterns, color combinations, and sizes depending on the type of pom poms you choose.  Just remember:  the fluffier the pom pom, the fluffier your ornament!

Reindeer Bookmark

Reindeer Book Mark

Ages: 2 and up

Some parental assistance may be required

Difficulty: *****

Time:  5-10 minutes

Cute as can be and couldn’t be easier, this craft is a great gift idea for your favorite reader.  Easy to make using common household items, you can whip up a whole herd of these adorable reindeer in just a few minutes. 

Materials needed:

• Paper (Card stock or light weight cardboard work well)
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Ribbon
• Markers (Brown, Black, Red)
• Optional:  Google eyes
• Red felt circle or pom-pom
• Brown inkpad

How-to steps:

1. Cut paper to size desired for book mark or card
2. Color pad of thumb with brown water color marker or use brown ink pad
3. Press thumb to the paper quickly before the ink dries
4. Draw eyes, nose, mouth and antlers with markers.  Don’t forget to add your favorite message!
5. Punch hole in top and attach ribbon

Magazine Beads

Magazine Beads

Ages: 10 and up

Parental supervision recommended

Difficulty: * * * * *

Time: 1 ½ hours hands-on; drying overnight

This craft is hands-on bead-making from old magazines; the beads can be used to make necklaces, bracelets, or earrings. Below are a list of materials and directions on how to make magazine beads!  You may need a parent or guardian to help you with the sticky stuff.

Materials Needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• 3-5 leftover glossy magazines with colorful pictures
• Ruler
• Pen
• Scissors
• Glue
• Modge Podge (or a 50/50 mixture of glue and water)
• Skinny wooden rod (like a chop stick)

How-to Steps:

1. Spend time searching for the brightest pictures in the magazines.
2. Use the ruler to measure a six-inch tall skinny triangle with a 1-inch base over a colorful picture; cut it out; repeat until you have 10-20 skinny triangle strips, or however many you need for your project.
3. Starting at the wide part, roll one triangle tightly around the wooden rod, gluing the end you start with and the last point; repeat with all strips/triangles. You may have to hold the end for a few seconds to get it to stay.
4. Paint Modge Podge lightly over each bead and let dry over night.
5. Remove beads from rod and enjoy! String from rope or use your imagination!

Tree of Thanks

Tree of Thanks

Ages: All ages

Parental supervision suggested when working with scissors and bent paper clips

Difficulty: * * * * *

Time: 10-20 minutes

Celebrate everything you are thankful for!  Below is a list of supplies you will need to create this beautiful Tree of Thanks.  Ask holiday visitors to add their own leaves of thanks to your tree.

Materials Needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• Sticks or twigs from a tree or bush
• Vase
• Construction Paper (orange, brown, yellow, red)
•  Scissors
• Christmas ornament hanger or bent paper clips
•  Permanent markers

How-to Steps:

1. Choose a bare branch from a tree or shrub.  Choose one that has lots of little branches.
2. Place branch in vase.
3. Place each leaf on a hook or bent paper clip.
4. Have family and guests write things they are thankful for on one side of the leaf and their name and date on the other side.
5. Hang the leaves from your tree branch.
6. Save the leaves to use again next year and add more each year!Draw leaf shapes onto the colored paper and cut the leaves out.

Election Day Button

Election Day Button

Ages: 4 and up

Parental supervision recommended

Difficulty:  *****

Time: 15-30 minutes

This cute button is perfect for your little one when they tag along when you vote this Election Day!  He or she will be styling with their very own button identifying them as a future voice!

Materials Needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• Frozen juice can lid
• Felt: Red, white & blue
• Scissors
• Star Stickers
• Pin back
• White craft glue
• Black or blue marker

How-to Steps:

1. Place the juice can lid on top of a piece of red felt. Trace the lid onto the felt and set aside.
2. Cut a 5” triangle out of blue felt; cut a small triangle from bottom to make it look like a ribbon.
3. Cut a 4” triangle out of white felt; cut a small triangle from bottom to make it look like a ribbon.
4. Glue the white felt cutout onto the blue felt cutout.
5. Take the red felt that you traced the lid onto and cut a scallop (wavy) design around the traced line.
6. Glue lid to red felt.
7. Glue blue and white felt to the back of the red felt.
8. Use marker to write “future voter” on the juice lid.
9. Decorate with star stickers.
10. Glue a pin back to the back of the red felt and let dry.

Personalized Journal

Personalized Journal

Ages: 6 and up

Parental supervision recommended

Difficulty:  ***** 

Time:  about 10 minutes

Turn a boring notebook into a personal work of art!  The duct tape cover will also make the notebook more durable.  Use your book for class or keep a journal!

Materials Needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• Composition notebook
• Duct Tape (various colors and patterns now available)
• Permanent Markers
• Ruler
• Scissors

How-to Steps:

1. Measure your notebook from top to bottom.  Round up the number to the next full inch.  Add 4 inches to that number. 
2. Measure and cut a strip of duct tape to the above length.
3. Attach the tape to the notebook cover starting at the top, leaving about 2 inches to wrap around the inside cover.  Alternate between patterned and solid color tape to add interest if desired.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the entire book is covered.
5. If you wish, use permanent markers to add more detail. 

Button Earrings

Button Earrings

Ages: 4 and up

Parental supervision recommended

Difficulty: * * * * *

Time: 15-30 minutes

If you have pierced ears, this is the craft for you!  Below are a list of materials and directions on how to make a new pair of earrings out of buttons!  You may need a parent or guardian to help you prepare the buttons and use the glue. 

Materials Needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• A pair of matching buttons (preferably with a flat back)
• A button shank remover (if the button does not have a flat back)
• Metal earring backs (one for each button)
• Gorilla glue (or other really strong glue)
• Scrapbook paper (to display or give as a gift)

How-to Steps:

1. Pick out your buttons & remove from packaging.
2. If the buttons have a shank, or stem, on the back, ask an adult to help you remove it with a button shank remover.
3.  Hold the buttons up to your ear to decide where you want to place the earring backs.  Then, put the buttons face-down on a flat surface. 
4. Carefully put gorilla glue on one earring back and place it on the back of your first button.  Repeat for the second button.  Let the glue dry for 1-2 hours.
5.  If giving as a gift, put the earrings on a square of scrapbook paper and put them in a small box or bag.

Magazine Tree

Magazine Tree

Ages: 3 and up
Parental supervision suggested
Difficulty Level: *****

Time: 45 minutes

Make your own unique tree in celebration of spring’s arrival.  This craft applies mosaic techniques using recyclable materials.

Materials Needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• White paper
• Brown paint (I used tempera)
• Paint brush
• Drinking straw
• Discarded magazines, junk mail, or newspaper inserts
• Glue

How-to Steps:

1. Using the brush, drip a little brown paint near the center of the paper.
2. Immediately, blow through the straw, spreading the paint into random lines.
3. Continue dripping and blowing paint, turning the paper as needed, until you are satisfied with the shape of your tree.
4. Use the brush to thicken the trunk if needed. (The tree trunk could also be drawn and colored or covered with torn brown paper, rather than painted.  One technique is to trace your hand and arm.) 
5. While the paint is drying, find 3 or 4 green pictures in your discarded papers.  Tear the pictures into small pieces. 
6. Apply glue to a small area of your tree and immediately place torn green paper “leaves” on the glue.  Repeat until you are satisfied with your tree’s shape.
7. You could also add a torn-paper sky or a picture of a tree-loving animal (bird, squirrel, frog, snake, bat, etc.).

Enchanted Kingdom

Enchanted Kingdom

Ages: 4 and up

Parental supervision recommended

Difficulty *****

Time 20-30 minutes

Create your own enchanted kingdom from everyday items, a few craft supplies, and a dash of imagination. A suggested supply list can be found below.

Materials Needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• Empty paper towel tubes
• Transparent tape or glue
• Pencil for tracing a circle
• Pretty wrapping paper
• Scissors
• Construction Paper
• Yarn, string, fishing line, streamers (any or all of these)
• Clip art or cut outs of animals and people you would like to have in your kingdom
• Clip art or cut outs of small flags, banners, Pom Poms, pipe cleaners, stars, stickers, or other decorations for your kingdom
• Cardboard or poster board to use as a foundation for your kingdom

How-to Steps:

1. Measure and cut paper of your choice to cover the outside of your paper towel tubes.
2. Secure the paper to the tube with glue and or tape. These tubes will be the towers in your kingdom.
3. Use construction paper for your tower roofs by tracing a circle onto construction paper, then cutting a single line to the center of the circle. Fold into a cone shape. Glue paper cone to the top of your decorated tube.
4. Repeat these steps until you have as many towers as you want in your kingdom. Glue the base of your towers to a large piece of cardboard or poster paper, then decorate with clip art, stickers, pom -poms and other items of your choice. This craft was inspired by the book 123 I Can Build! by Irene Luxbacher.

Bottle Top Fish Counting

Bottle Top Fish Counting Craft

Ages: 3-5 years

Parental assistance may be needed with smaller children

Difficulty: * * * * * (2/5)

Time: 20-30 minutes

This counting craft ties in with the summer reading theme, Reading is MathMagical.  You will be creating an underwater scene using plastic bottle lids to make fish.  A number on the fish determines how many air bubbles you’ll make for each, which encourages counting and number recognition.  Let your imagination swim away with you on this craft!

Materials Needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• One piece of blue construction paper (any shade of blue)
• 3-5 plastic bottle lids (any size you have, and enough to make as many fish as you like)
• Sharpies
• Construction paper scraps of any color
• Scraps of tissue paper
• Glue stick
• Glue Dots (to affix lids to paper – less messy, no dry time required)
• Small Styrofoam plate
• White paint
• Drinking straw

How-to Steps:

1. Choose how many fish to include in your underwater scene.  That’s how many lids you’ll need.  Use the Sharpies to draw on fish faces and gills.  Parents, write a random number somewhere on the fish.  This indicates how many bubbles we need to make later on.
2. Next you’ll use the construction paper scraps to make a tail and fins.  Arrange them on the construction paper however you choose.  Then attach Glue Dots to the edge of the lids, and place lids over paper fins and tail to form the fish.  You can use regular white glue or glue sticks if you don’t have Glue Dots. 
3. Take the tissue paper and scrunch it however you’d like to make the seaweed.  Rub the glue stick of the construction paper and arrange the tissue paper into seaweed stalks.
4. Squeeze some white paint onto a small Styrofoam plate.  Take the drinking straw and dip it into the paint.  Then press the straw onto the blue construction paper making the correct number of bubbles for each fish.

Your scene is complete!  Proudly display it for everyone to see!

Rocket Ship

Rocket Ship

Ages: 7 and up

Parental supervision recommended

Difficulty: * * * * *

Time: 90 minutes (30 minutes for painting, 45 minutes for drying, 15 minutes for assembly)

For the future astronaut: a rocket ship for your room!  Below are a list of materials and directions on how to make a 4 foot tall rocket ship!  You may need a parent or guardian to help paint, cut, and use the glue gun.

Materials Needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• Half of a small cardboard carpet tube
• One plastic funnel
• Two sheets of Styrofoam poster board
• Spray paint in metallic and at least one other color
• Tin foil
• Hot glue gun and sticks

How-to Steps (All needs to be done with parent/guardian help and supervision):

1. Outdoors, spray paint the entire outside body of the carpet tube with metallic paint; let dry outside
2. Cut 4 equal fins for each rocket from the poster board; spray paint both sides outdoors with the opposite color; let dry outside
3. Wrap tinfoil around funnel
4. Once spray paint has dried, apply hot glue to the edge of one end of the carpet tube; place funnel on top and hold for 60 seconds to let dry in place (if glue does not hold the first time, apply more to the outer edge so that the glue will touch, and therefore stick to the inside of the funnel)
5. Apply hot glue to the longest edge of each fin and apply to the opposite end of the rocket from the funnel, placing them evenly apart at 90 degree angles (so the rocket will stand on its own); hold for 60 seconds to let dry in place

Flower Bookmark

Flower Bookmark

Ages: Preschool and up

Parental supervision recommended to keep things clean.

Difficulty: *****

Time: 5 minutes

These bookmarks are so easy and fun to make, you can make one for everyone in the family! 

Materials Needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• Paint (various colors)
• Cardstock or construction paper
• Scissors

How-to Steps:

1. Cut your paper to the size bookmark you want.
2. Pour out a small amount of each paint color.
3. Dip fingertip into the paint and dab off extra paint.  Press finger onto the paper.  Use multiple prints to make the flower, stem and leaves.  Clean your finger after each paint color, unless you want to mix colors.
4. Write your name on the bookmark so everyone knows it belongs to you.  If it is a gift, put the other person’s name on it.

Handmade Lilies

Handmade Lilies

Ages: Appropriate for all ages. 

Parental supervision suggested for younger children (scissors involved).

Difficulty: * * * * *

Time: 10-20 minutes

These personalized flowers make good Mother’s Day presents.  You may already have many of the supplies at your house.  Surprise someone special with their own bouquet today!

Materials needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• White paper
• Green construction paper
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Clear tape
• Drinking straws
• Disposable cup
• Markers
• Stickers (optional)
• Small lump of modeling clay (or a few pebbles or marbles). 

How-to Steps:

1. Spread your fingers out and trace around your hand on white paper.  Repeat as many times as you desire.  Each hand will make one flower
2. Cut out the hands.
3. Wrap each hand around a drinking straw (with the wrist at the bottom and fingers sticking up).  Tape in place.
4. Using a pencil, gently curl each finger back, away from the straw.
5. Cut leaves from the green paper and tape to the straw.  (Lily leaves grow in pairs.)
6. Decorate a disposable cup with markers and/or stickers.  This will be your vase.
7. Place the clay (or pebbles or marbles) in the cup to keep it from falling over and then arrange your flowers.

Fun with Raised Salt Art

Fun with Raised Salt Art

Ages: 3 and up

Adult supervision may be needed depending on age of child

Difficulty  ****

Time:  20 minutes to create and a few hours to dry

Get crafty with raised salt painting. Use glue, watercolor paints and salt to create a one of a kind work of art.

Materials needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• Heavy paper, such as poster board, art paper or construction paper
• Paint brushes
• Small cups or bowls of water  to moisten paints and clean brushes
• Children’s watercolor paints
• Multipurpose glue, white or clear
• Table salt or kosher salt
• A tray or cookie sheet slightly larger than your paper, to catch the excess salt

 How-to steps:

1. Place your paper in the tray or cookie sheet.
2. Squeeze glue onto your paper in whatever pattern or design you like best.
3. Sprinkle a layer of salt on top of the wet  glue design. Gently shake extra salt into the tray. Salt can be discarded or used for another project. Return paper to the tray.
4. Use your paintbrush to dab your favorite paint colors onto the salt covered glue. The moist paint will then be soaked up by the salt and start to spread across your design. If it does not spread, try adding more water to your watercolor paint.
5. Allow to dry flat. 

Curtain of Clover

Curtain of Clover

Ages: 4 and up (adult help may be needed)

Difficulty: *****

Time: 30 minutes

Get ready for St. Patrick’s Day with a curtain of shamrocks and four leaf clovers.   Get creative and add glitter or use several shades of green paper.

Materials Needed:

• Green Construction Paper
• String
• Scissors
• Glue
• Tape
• Pencil

How-to Steps:

1. Fold your construction paper in half.  Draw half a heart on the folded edge.  *see example*  Cut out several hearts.  You will need 3 hearts for each shamrock and 4 hearts for each clover.  For stems, cut thin rectangles from the construction paper.
2. Tape or glue groups of 3 or 4 hearts together for each leaf.  Attach stems to the back.
3.  Cut lengths of string that will fit inside your window.  
4. Tape or glue your leaves to the string.
5. Attach each string to the top of your window.

Glitter Cards

Glitter Cards

Ages:  4 and up

Parental supervision recommended

Difficulty:  * * * * *

Time:  30-40 minutes

Want to make a special Valentine for someone special?  Below are a list of materials and directions on how to make one that sparkles.  You may need a parent or guardian to help cut paper and hearts.

Materials Needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• Construction paper
• Glue stick
• Glitter
• Patterns to cut out hearts
• Markers/Pens

How-to-Steps:

1. Cut construction paper to desired card size
2. Cut out hearts – different sizes
3. Glue hearts to cards
4. Cover front of hearts with glue
5. Sprinkle glitter over glue-covered hearts
6. Shake excessive glitter off
7. Write message inside cards

Valentine's Day Greeting

Valentine's Day Greeting

Ages: 2-6 yrs old     

Difficulty range: *****

Time: 5-10 minutes

Do you need an idea for a homemade Valentine?  Try making this heart-shaped greeting to brighten any day!

Materials needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• Red or white construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Red or white ribbon
• Red or black marker

Directions:

1. Fold construction paper in half
2. Draw half of a heart
3. Cut out heart
4. Unfold heart
5. Glue ribbon on outer edges of heart
6. Write in your Valentine greeting

Polar Bear Flower Pot

Flower Pot Polar Bear

Ages:  8 and up

Parental supervision recommended

Difficulty: *****

Time:  30-40 minutes

Making a miniature polar bear is a great winter evening activity.  Since the materials needed are fairly inexpensive, you can make a whole bunch of them!  You can label each with the name of a dinner guest and set them out for everyone to take home. 

Tips & Warnings: Parental supervision is required when using glue gun.  If you don’t have a glue gun you can use white craft glue, but you will have to allow additional time for glue to dry.

Materials needed (located at your favorite craft store):

• Ornament base ­ - 2 ½” clay pot
• Ornament face - 1 ½” clay pot
• Ornament hat – 1” clay pot
• White Acrylic Craft paint (2 oz bottles)
• Blue Acrylic Craft paint (2 oz. bottles)
• White felt (for ears)
• Paint brush
• Black sharpie marker
• Cotton balls (optional for snow on top of hat)
• Glue gun
• Scissors
• Water based polyurethane or acrylic craft sealant (optional)
• 8” fabric (or ribbon) for scarf (optional)

 How-to-Steps:

1. Paint 1” clay pot blue, let dry.
2. Paint 1 ½” and 2 ½ “clay pot white, let dry.  If preferred, leave the inside of pot unpainted.
3. Using glue gun, glue the bottom of the 1” pot to top of 1 ½”  pot, let dry.
4. Using glue gun, glue the bottom of the 1 ½” pot to the top of 2 ½” pot, let dry.
5. Glue ½ “ white felt circle on side of 1” hat pot for ears.
6. Glue small cotton ball to top of hat pot for snow.
7. Using black sharpie marker draw eyes, mouth and nose.
8. Cut ends of fabric and tie scarf around base of 1 ½” pot.