Craft Ideas from Laura V!

Laura Villarreal said...

I've raised 2 kids and will share with you some of my favorite crafts:
1. Buy a box of Popsicle sticks form the craft store and they can stack and glue them into a box shape, glue them on construction paper and make a house etc..endless possibilities.

2. Make Playdough: 2 cups of flour, 2 cups of water, 1 cup of salt, 3 TB oil, 4 te cream of tarter. If using food coloring, add to water before mixing. Add all together and cook on med. heat till sticky and gathers in big lump and pulls away from side of pan. Cool and knead out the lumps.

3. Nature collages: Save cereal boxes to save the cardboard which is gives a nice weight to support collage. Have fun gathering leaves, twigs, pebbles etc. Let your kids have fun gluing the items to their cardboard.

4. Color Wall: Buy a roll of freezer paper (butcher paper) at the groc. store sold by the aluminum foil. Roll out large sections and tape to wall. The kids will love all of this large space to draw. You can also choose a wall in their room or play room and paint it will chalkboard paint found at Lowes's or Home Depot.

5. Edible Necklaces: Using Cheerios or Fruit Loops and some string or yarn, let them string them on the string and make a necklace. Good for hand/eye coordination!

6. Sponge Painting: Buy cheap sponges and cut them into various shapes. Cut 2 small slits on the top in the center and attach a clothespin. Kids can dip these into paint and press onto construction paper and use their imagination to create art.

7. Food Art: You can use a bag of macaroni and let them glue the pieces onto paper into art etc..

8. Homemade Fans: Draw a picture on a piece of construction paper or paper. Can color both sides. Show the child how to fold the paper back and forth into a fan shape using one inch folds. Get creative. They can also make all the folds and then color possibly coloring each panel.

9. Paper Bag Vest: Make a vest from paper bag by cutting a head hole, arm holes, and a fringe at the bottom. Your child can paint and decorate the vest. When it's dry they can wear it and add to their costume collection!

10. Create a Craft Box: Save egg crates, toilet paper and paper towel rolls, magazines, ribbon and wrapping paper scraps, paper plates,pipe cleaners, etc.. You can always pull this box out and let them get creative!
** I always had 2/3 books on hand that were my "go to" books for crafts, games, rainy days etc.. Many of these ideas came from "The Preschooolers Busy Book" by Trish Kuffner