Your child can turn a tiny sand box into a desktop Zen Garden to add a little tranquility to that stressed out parent or uncle his life. This fun (and relaxing) craft can easily be made and enjoyed by both boys and girls ages 6 & up.
Materials:
Clay Plant Saucer or flower pot
Small Rocks (can either be purchased or found in your yard or local park)
Old Fork (from your kitchen)
Directions:
1. Decorate the plant saucer and rocks using markers or paint. HERE are some ideas for painting the rocks, but feel free to be creative and come up with your own ideas!
2. Pour the sand into the bottom of the saucer and fill evenly until about 1/2 “ from the rim.
3. Rake the top of the sand with a fork so that the sand is level.
4. Arrange the rocks on top of the sand in any pattern you like.
5. Relax and enjoy your new rock garden.
Contain Yourself
Who doesn’t need the gift of organization this holiday season? Your child can help out those clutter-ly challenged relatives with a homemade (and partially recycled) pen and pencil holder for their desks.
Materials:
Cleaned out metal (like a soup can) or plastic (like a peanut butter jar) container
Scissors
Glue
Markers
Construction paper
Stickers or old stamps
1. Cut out a piece of construction paper big enough to wrap around and cover your container.
2. Decorate and personalize the construction paper with drawings, sticker, stamps, or any combination of all three.
3. Glue the decorated construction paper to the outside of the container.
4. Let dry and add some pens and pencils
Picture This
Picture frames and scrapbooks make thoughtful, personal, and lasting gifts for anyone on your child’s list. There are tons of ways to make these gifts ranging from starting from scratch to all-inclusive do-it-yourself kits to loading your favorite pictures on-line, arranging them, and hitting the ‘send’ button. Here are a few of our favorites.
Color Workshop Scrapbooking Kit
With this all-in-one kid-friendly scrapbook kit, all you need is your favorite photos from this year.
No cutting, no gluing needed, with this non-toxic, kid friendly, family favorite--floam, kids can create frames for everyone.
Walmart Photo Center Photo Album and Calendar
Point, click, and, convert your favorite pictures into the perfect gift. Just load your favorite photos online and create the perfect gifts for everyone on your list.
Book ‘Em Kiddo
Never know what to do with those old board games with missing pieces? Now your kids can recycle them into a homemade journal or drawing tablet—a perfect gift that person on your list who has everything.
Materials:
Thick colored tape - at least 2" wide- colored duct tape is good
Old game board like checkers, monopoly, or scrabble
Loose leaf paper or journal paper
Colored string
Hole punch
Directions:
1. Using scissors, cut the old game board into quarters.
2. Take two of the pieces and tape them together with the colored
tape. The colored tape will be the binding of the book and the game
board will be the outside cover.
3. Hole punch three holes next to the tape binding.
4. Place the loose-leaf paper into the book form.
5. Secure the pages into the book with the colored string by weaving the string through the holes and tie a bow in the back.
Clean-up Crafts
Want to know how to get your kids to happily clean your yard that is littered with pinecones and make recycled holiday decorations and gifts at the same time? Here a few ideas to turn those unwanted tree droppings into seasonal art.
Materials:
Paint
Glue
Glitter
Glass Bowls
Old Newspaper
String
Pipe cleaners
Pinecone Centerpieces
1. Paint the tips of some of the pinecones gold and let dry on old newspapers
2. Roll some of the pinecones in glue then sprinkle them with glitter and let dry on old newspapers
3. Arrange the dry decorated pinecones in the clear bowls and place on a table
Pinecone Garland
1. Pant the pinecones red, green, silver, and gold and let them dry on old newspapers
2. Cut the string in different long lengths (choose the lengths you want depending on where you want to hang the garland)
3. String the painted pinecones on the string and hang the garland
Pinecone People
1. Paint a face or glue a picture of a friend or family member on the top of a pinecone
2. Stick 2 pipe cleaners in the pinecone for arms and 2 pipe cleaners in the pinecone for legs.
3. Bend the pipe cleaner legs up and sit your pinecone person upright on the table.
Booty Boxes
Whether your youngster dreams of being a pirate or a princess, he or she will have a blast decorating boxes as either a treasure chest or jewelry box for the people on their list with the most booty to hold.
Materials:
Paint
Paint Brushes
Glue
Stickers
Glitter
Directions:
1. Have your princesses and pirates paint the outside of the box with any colors they choose.
2. After the paint has dried, have them glue on the decorative jewels and glitter and finish off with some stickers.
Hands-on Painting
Normally you would cringe if you saw your child dipping her hand in paint and wiping them on your white linens or new apron. But now you will encourage them to try out their artistic abilities to create a one-of-a-kind pillowcase or apron appropriate for almost everyone on their gift list.
Materials:
Fabric Paint Fabric Paint
Paint Brushes
Paper Plates
Old Newspapers
Directions:
1. Place the apron or pillowcase on old newspapers.
2. Squeeze each color of paint onto a paper plate
3. Have your children dip their hands into the paint
4. Have your children place their paint-covered hands on the surface of the apron or pillowcase
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4, washing having your child wash his or her hands before dipping their hands in different colors
It’s a Wrap
Sick of spending money on wrapping paper that only gets ripped off and discarded within seconds of giving the gift? We are too. Now you can give your kids hours of drawing time and you can receive a much cheaper alternative to traditional wrappings. Tip: if you don’t have time to do this with your kids, you can use some of their artwork you have been saving throughout the year to recycle into wrapping paper as well (make sure to tell Grandma not to rip the precious works of art).
Materials:
Roll of white paper
Markers
Crayons (we like these Crayola Beginnings Washable Triangular Crayons for the younger set) Crayons (we like these Crayola Beginnings Washable Triangular Crayons for the younger set)
Directions:
1. Roll out the white paper and let your budding Picasso’s artistic imaginations run wild
2. When they are finished, roll it up and store with your other wrapping materials
