Kids will love making these for friends, family and teachers. Start by looking for a clover patch in your yard or neighborhood. (For those still in the depths of winter without any hint of green, you can cut half inch clovers out of construction paper as a replacement.) Choose several clovers of various sizes so you will have a lot of variety for your jewelry. Search hard and you just might find the elusive four leaf clover!

What You Need:

For the Shamrock Pin

• Larger Safety Pin


• Smaller Safety Pin


• Green Beads


• Colored Beads – for rainbow pattern


• Clear Contact Paper


• Green Clover - or cut out paper shamrocks


• Pliers


• Small Hole Punch


• Scissors

For the Shamrock Earrings

• 2 Earring Hoops – available at most craft stores


• Green Beads


• Clear Contact Paper


• 2 Green Clovers – approximately the same size


• Small Hole Punch


• Scissors

Shamrock Pin

1. Cut two squares of contact paper, about 2”x2”. Peel the backing off of one piece and lay the clover onto it, pressing it flat.
   
    


2. Peel the backing from the other piece of contact paper and stick it to the piece with the clover on it, sandwiching it between. Press down firmly and try to avoid any air bubbles.


3. Now, trim the excess contact paper around the clover and punch a hole near the top.


4. Open the small safety pin and place the shamrock “charm” that you just made on it. Then use the colored beads to fill up the rest of the pin in a rainbow pattern. When it’s full, close it.


5. Using the pliers, unbend the coil on the large safety pin. This will allow you to put the beads all the way onto the pin and still be able to attach it to a shirt. Fill it half way the green beads then thread on the smaller safety pin with the shamrock charm. Fill the rest of the way with green beads and you’re done!

Shamrock Earrings

1. Cut four squares of contact paper, about 2”x2”. Peel the backing off of one piece and lay the clover onto it, pressing it flat.


2. Peel the backing from the other piece of contact paper and stick it to the piece with the clover on it, sandwiching it between. Press down firmly and try to avoid any air bubbles.


3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the other clover.


4. Now, trim the excess contact paper around the clovers and punch a hole near the top.


5. Using the green beads, thread a few onto the earring wire then put one of the shamrock charms onto it. Add a few more beads, repeat for the second earring, and you’re done!

Variations

If you are lucky enough to find a four leaf clover, press it between some books to flatten and dry before you sandwich it in the contact paper. This will help preserve such a rare find. This same technique can be use to make pressed flower charms for necklaces, bookmarks, zipper pulls, or other jewelry.

If your child has never sewn before, this is a great opportunity to teach him/her a basic stitch. It’s a little skill that comes in

handy for all kinds of craft projects. And years from now, when they are away at college and a button falls off or a hem needs mending, they will be able to fix it themselves thanks to this simple Stray Sock Bunny craft.

What You Need:

• One Sock


• Pillow Stuffing


• Strong Thread – Embroidery floss works well


• Scissors


• Needle


• Ribbon


• Googly Eyes


• Button


• Pom Pom – size depends on the size of the sock
  

  

  
  

What You Do:

1. Begin by laying the sock down on your work surface with the heel facing up. This will help you figure out how to cut the ears since the heel of the sock is the bunny’s nose. Use scissors to cut part way down the length of the sock. Then diagonally cut off the tip of each “ear” to make a point.
   
    


2. Next, fill the sock with the pillow stuffing. To keep the stuffing inside, you will need to stitch shut the head. Sew a straight line across the head right under the base of the ears. Be sure to make a large knot so it won’t slip through the sock material.
   
    


3. Now it’s time to give your bunny a little bit of shape. Using the needle and thread, stitch around the sock where you want the neck to be, again making sure to use a large knot so the thread won’t pull through. Go all the way around and when you get to the other side, pull it tight so it gathers up and makes a neck. Tie off the thread.
   
    


4. The arms are a little easier. You will sew through the sock from back to front to back, etc. Try to make the stitch line as straight as possible. Do this for both of the bunny’s arms.
   
    


5. To finish off the shaping, you will now sew a straight line at the lower end of the sock to make the bunny’s legs. Use the same technique as with the arms.
   
    


6. The final touch is to glue on the googly eyes, button nose, and don’t forget to add a pom pom tail! Tie a pretty ribbon around it’s neck and you have a cut little bunny to play with or give as a gift.
   

   

   
   

Variations

Use different size socks and make a whole family of bunnies to play with. These little guys would look really cute sitting along your mantle at Easter time. Another idea is to use this as a slumber party project. Just ask everyone to bring a stray sock and you provide the rest of the materials.

Obviously, you and I know you can never catch a Leprechaun - they’re just too tricky. But if you’re clever enough and give them a treat, they just might thank you with a gold coin or two. This is a great family project that everyone can get involved in. It’s so much fun, you’ll want to keep your trap and use it year after year!

What You Need:

• 40 regular popsicle sticks


• 10 colored popsicle sticks – if you don’t have colored ones, you can use markers or paint


• 3 wooden hearts and half a popsicle stick


• Green marker


• Glue


• Lucky Charms cereal

What the “Leprechaun” Needs:

• Chocolate Gold Coins


• Green Paint

How You Make It:

1. The first thing to do is to build the walls of the box for the trap. Start gluing 4 popsicle sticks into a square shape. Then continue adding sticks in a log cabin fashion until you’ve used up all 40 sticks.


2. Now your box needs a lid. Arrange the 10 colored popsicle sticks on top of the walls in a rainbow pattern (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple) to make a cover. Since Leprechauns are attracted to rainbows, this will help lure one to the trap!


3. Another idea to help lure the Leprechaun is to put a shamrock on top of the box you’ve made. Take the 3 wooden hearts and the half popsicle stick and make them green either with markers or paint. When they are dry, glue them on, making them look like a shamrock.


4. Next you’ll need to set the trap. Find a spot where you think Leprechauns will most likely come out to dance in the moonlight on St. Patrick’s Day. A bed of clover is ideal or you can pick some clover and set up the trap in your house. Be sure to add a trail of Lucky Charms Marshmallows as bait!


5. After your child goes to bed, remove all of the Lucky Charms and replace them with chocolate gold coins. Remove the stick that is propping up the box and then use the green paint and your pinky finger to leave tiny Leprechaun footprints. When morning comes on March 18th, have your child check the trap and find the clues that prove Leprechauns do exist!

Variations

There are many ways to make a Leprechaun trap. To make this a fun classroom activity, set out a collection of craft materials, recyclables, and art supplies and tell the students to make a Leprechaun trap. After everyone is done, ask each student why they think their trap will work the best. This is a great imagination building project!

This is a great craft to make for parents, grandparents, other family members, or even teachers. And it’s not just for Valentine’s Day. You and your child can make them for any special occasion!

What You Need:

• 6 Large Craft Sticks – Tongue Depressor Size


• Craft Jewels in Valentine Colors


• Foam Letter Stickers


• Paints in Valentine Colors


• Sheet of Vellum


• Digital Photograph (to print onto the vellum)


• Glue Stick


• White Glue


• Scissors


• Votive Candle in a Holder


• Optional: Glue Gun

What You Do:

1. Before you begin, you’ll want to print out the photograph onto the sheet of vellum using your ink jet printer. The opening of the frame you are making is approximately 4 ½ inches square, so make sure your photo is about that size. If you are familiar with photo editing software, it may be a good idea to “darken” the photo before printing, to make it more dramatic as the light from the candle shines through.


2. The first step is to glue four of the craft sticks together into a square. This will be the frame for your photo. Once the glue dries a little, paint the frame and let it dry.


3. Now it’s time to decorate! Take your foam sticker letters and spell out the Valentine word of your choice. We chose L-O-V-E but you can put your name, Be Mine!, Friends – it all depends on who you are giving it to and which picture you’ve chosen to use.


4. Next, lay out all of your craft jewels on your work surface and begin to glue them onto the frame in any style you choose. (You don’t have to stop with the jewels! Get creative and add glitter glue, other stickers, buttons, beads or whatever else you want.)


5. To add the photo to the frame, trim the excess vellum from around the photo being sure to leave enough of an edge to glue onto the frame. Using a glue stick, glue the photo to the back side of the frame so the image shows through the opening.


6. This next step is a little tricky. If an adult is assisting and has a glue gun, now is the time to pull it out. You need to glue the last two craft sticks onto the frame to make it stand up. You can do this with white glue but it will take a long time to dry so you’ll have to make sure to secure it upright until the glue holds.


7. Once everything is dry, place the votive in it’s holder and place behind the luminary. Now you’re ready to present this special Valentine gift to your special Valentine!

Variations

This is a great project to give as a gift for any holiday or occasion. Just change up the photo and/or the way you decorate it accordingly. It can be fun to use this same technique with other transparent objects as well. Make a tissue paper collage and glue it to the frame in place of the photo for a wonderful effect!

As tradition goes, a dreamcatcher catches bad dreams in its web and lets the good dreams flow through the hole in the middle. This craft takes the Native American tradition and adds a little modern day twist by incorporating objects to help inspire some wonderful dreams. No need to track down beads and feathers for this dreamcatcher – some small toys and photos will do the trick!

What You Need:

• Plastic container lid – we used a large one from a tub of ice cream


• Wide ribbon


• Thin ribbon


• Scissors


• Knife


• Little things to dream about – small toys or photographs

How You Make It:

1. The first step is to turn your lid into a ring. This is definitely something an adult must do. Using a sharp knife, cut the center out of the lid, resulting in a 1” thick plastic ring.


2. Now take your wide ribbon (we used mint green) and begin wrapping it around the plastic. Make sure to cover the whole thing to make it look nice. When you get all the way around, tie it off with a knot.


3. Next you will “weave” the web that catches all of the bad dreams. Simply begin by tying the thin ribbon onto the ring. Then, guide it across to the opposite side of the ring and tie off. Continue doing this until you have a nice web design. Just be sure to leave an opening near the middle to let the good dreams in!


4. Here’s the really fun part – discuss with your child what they might like to dream about then find representations of those dreams by choosing small toys from his/her room or maybe a photograph. For the example, my daughter wanted to dream about ponies, flowers, Hotwheels and playing with her cousin Jack.
   
   


5. The final touch is to find a place in your child’s room to hang this lovely dreamcatcher. Choose a spot where it can be gazed at and the next time you’re called in because of a bad dream, you can reference the dream catcher to help her fall asleep with ease. No more sleepless nights!

Tips & Variations

As your child’s likes and dislikes change, so can their dreamcatcher - change out the objects often so he/she will always have great inspirations for their dreams.

You can also experiment with making a traditional dream catcher with strips of leather, string to weave the webbing, feathers, and beads. Do a little research on the internet and discuss this fabulous Native American tradition.

 

The more plain it looks on the outside, the less likely others will want to look inside. This is a great project for older siblings – they will have a place to keep things that they don’t want little hands to get to.

What You Need:

• Plain Notebook


• Decorative Paper


• Cardstock


• Craft Knife


• Ruler


• Tape


• Glue


• Stickers


• Markers

What You Do:

1. The first step is to cut out the middle of the pages of the notebook. This may be safest for an adult to do. Mark out a rectangle on the first page of the notebook, leaving at least a one inch border on each side. Using the ruler as a guide, begin cutting through the pages using the craft knife. Cut through as many as you can at one time then turn the pages and repeat until you through all pages except the last page.


2. Next you will glue a piece of cardstock to the last page for strength. You can also add decorative paper to the last page. This will show through the “window” you have cut out. On the inside cover of the notebook, glue on another piece of decorative paper.


3. To keep all the cut pages together, use bands of clear tape wrapped around the top, side, and bottom borders. Now you’ll need to glue the banded cut pages to the last full page of the notebook (the one that is covered with decorative paper). This will help to make sure nothing will slip out. You are essentially making a little box inside of the notebook.


4. Now you can decorate the inside with stickers and markers. Don’t forget to put a “boring” title on the outside of the notebook so no one will want to look in it. Math Homework works well.


5. After all that, you have an unsuspecting place to keep special trinkets or secret stuff that you don’t want others to find! Add special notes, secret passwords, money that you are saving or other little things that are important.

Variations

To make it even less noticeable you can purchase inexpensive books from a thrift shop and cut the middles out to make a secret storage area. These “books” will blend in with others on a book shelf and no one will be the wiser! Just be careful, once you show your children how to make them, you have to let them know which books are "off limits!"

Because it’s magnetic, the pieces won’t be as easily lost and by using clear contact paper to “laminate” them, it can be used over and over again. Pull it out for your child to play with to help keep boredom at bay on those rainy winter days!

What You Need:

• Cookie Sheet (make sure magnets will adhere to it first - not aluminum!)


• Clear Contact Paper


• Construction Paper


• White Copy Paper


• Scissors


• Tape


• Markers


• Magnetic Tape


• Dry Erase Markers

What You Do:

1. The first step is to get your child busy making face parts. Give her the construction paper and markers and tell her to draw eyes, noses, mouths, hair, and ears. She can be as silly as she wants. Make sure she draws several sets to allow for greater variety of combinations.


2. While the parts are being drawn, your job is to tack down the white copy paper to the cookie sheet with a little bit of tape on the corners. After you have it secure, carefully cover it all with the clear contact paper, making a surface that dry erase markers can be used on.


3. When your child is finished drawing the face parts have her use the scissors to cut them out. If she is too young to do this successfully, you’ll need to do this step.


4. Now it’s time to make the pieces a little more durable by laminating them with the clear contact paper. Seal the face parts between two sheets of the contact paper and trim them out.


5. The final step is to apply a small piece of the magnetic tape to the backside of the face pieces. When playing with the Magnetic Make a Face you child can use the dry erase markers to draw a head and/or add specific details while adding the magnetic pieces to make some super silly faces!

Tips & Variations

The finished project is great to take along on car rides. Because it’s magnetic, the pieces won’t get lost. You can make variations of this project by changing the subject matter - a shape match up game, dress a person, what’s the weather, and so much more!

Paperwhite bulbs are very easy to “force,” meaning you can make them bloom indoors no matter what the season is. They don’t even need soil to make them grow! Just some water and a stable spot to sprout their roots makes them happy. As they grow you can discuss with your children just what is happening – roots are forming, it’s starting to sprout, and here come the flowers. You can also use them to teach responsibility – it can be your child’s job to check the water level everyday. No matter how you choose to enjoy these little beauties, they are sure to bring pleasure to all who see them.

What You Need:

• Empty Glass Jars


• Paperwhite Bulbs


• Decorative Glass Marbles


• Buttons


• Sea Shells


• Glass Mosaic Pieces


• Glue – tacky glue works best


• Ribbon

What You Do:

1. The first step is to decorate the empty jars.
   
   
   
   For the button jar, choose a collection of button colors that work well together. Using the tacky glue, arrange the buttons in a random pattern. Don’t worry about being precise, it will look cute in any arrangement. This jar would be great in your child’s room.
   
   
   
   The neutral colors of the sea shell jar are a nice choice for use in the family room. Simply glue the shells onto the jar in a more orderly pattern than the button jar.
   
   
   
   Using little glass mosaic pieces makes this a cute addition to your bathroom decor. Choose pieces that coordinate with the colors in the room. When gluing them on, try to arrange them in a repeating pattern.


2. Next, you will be adding the decorative marbles to the jars. Fill the jars about 1/3 full with the marbles. You will be adding more once you place the bulbs in.


3. Place one bulb into each jar and add some more marbles to help hold it in place. Now you can pour in water – just enough so it is touching the very bottom of the bulb.


4. The final step is to tie a pretty ribbon around the mouth of the jars and place them in a sunny window sill. After a week or two the bulb will be sprouting and soon you’ll have a little bit of spring time to brighten up those dull winter days!

Tips & Variations

Depending on the time of year, you may have some trouble locating Paperwhites. Normally you can find them in the garden area of most hardware stores and some discount stores. If you are having trouble finding them, you can always order them online.

Make up Paperwhite kits as gifts for friends and family. Package up a decorated jar, some marbles and bulb along with instructions and you’ll have a beautiful, nature inspired present that will surely be enjoyed by anyone.

Hang them outdoors now and enjoy their charm all through winter and into to spring when those March winds begin to stir. The terra cotta will withstand the elements so no worry about having to bring it in. Just make sure to check the string once in a while to make sure it’s not beginning to fray.

What You Need:

• 4 inch Terra Cotta Pot


• Three 2 1/2 inch Terra Cotta Pots


• Pony Beads


• String – relatively thick but still thin enough to string the beads on


• Acrylic Paints


• Paint Brushes


• Scissors

What You Do:

1. The first step is to paint the terra cotta pots. So, get your paints out and decorate! It can be crazy and colorful or uniform and color coordinated. Flowers, stripes, polka dots – whatever suits your fancy. Let the pots dry before moving on to the next step.


2. Cut off a 3-foot piece of the string and tie a knot at one end. Start stringing the pony beads and continue for about 6 inches.


3. Now, string on one of the small terra cotta pots. Simply thread the string through the drain hole at the bottom.


4. Add some more pony beads – about 10 of them – and then add the second small terra cotta pot.


5. Repeat steps 2 and three.


6. For the final step you will string on about 15 pony beads then the larger terra cotta pot. Tie off the string so everything stays in place. You can add some more beads for a decorative hanging string if you would like. Now find a windy spot in your yard and enjoy this musical craft!



Tips & Variations




We used pony beads in our example but large wooden beads would make it easier for younger children. It’s a great project for hand/eye coordination.




These Terra Cotta Pot Wind Chimes also make an excellent gift for the avid gardener or for someone who enjoys spending time outdoors. You can personalize them with paint by adding a name or a meaningful poem. Experiment with different sizes of pots and various quantities to make them more interesting.

Because you’ll be using felt there is no need to hem the edges or make some complicated button hole. Instead, you’ll simply cut and stitch your felt, creating a wonderful little pouch that you can keep in your purse, ready to pull out whenever the need may arise.

What You Need:

• felt – two 4 1/2”x12” Pieces (coordinating colors)


• button (coordinating color)


• sewing machine or needle & thread


• straight pins


• scissors

Contents of Kit:

• 3”x5” spiral notebook


• crayons


• kid’s Scissors


• glue Stick

What You Do:

1. Take one of the pieces of felt and fold at 7 1/2 inches. Pin to keep fold in place. Do the same with the other piece of felt.


2. Sew a button onto the “backside” of one of the pockets you have created toward the top.


3. Cut a button hole into the other pocket making sure it is big enough and placed properly to receive the button.


4. Put the pockets back to back and pin together to hold in place.


5. Stitch by hand or use a sewing machine to sew together the pockets on the bottom and sides. Leave the top open, creating yet another pocket for storing crayons.


6. Now it’s time to fill the pockets! Put the kid scissors and glue stick in one of the outside pockets. In the other, put the 3”x5” notebook. Take your crayons and put the in the middle pocket and button it shut. Now you have the perfect pouch to keep your children entertained in even the most boring situation!

Ideas and Variations

You can make these bigger or smaller depending on what you want to store in them. You can add other details like ribbon or more buttons to make the pouch more interesting. These are so easy to make that you’ll want to create a whole collection for party favors or stocking stuffers.

You can add to the yarn fun by making other creatures. Try a simple snake or how about an octopus! Just use the same techniques and a little imagination and see what you can come up with!

What You Need:

• Yarn
  
   


• 8.5” x 11” piece of cardboard
  
   


• Googly Eyes
  
   


• Buttons
  
   


• Ribbon
  
   


• Scissors


• Glue

What You Do (for the yarn doll):

1. Begin making the yarn doll by wrapping the yarn around the 8.5” side of the cardboard. Wrap it about 50 times.
   
    


2. Take a small piece of yarn and tie a knot around the strips of yarn (see photo). Now you can take the yarn off of the cardboard. Cut the loops opposite from where you tied it off.
   
    


3. Next, you will tie another piece of yarn around the dolls “neck” making a head. Now separate out about 15 strands for each arm and tie at wrists. Trim excess yarn to make little “hands.”
   
    
   

   

   
   


4. Using yet another small piece of yarn, make a waist by tying around the middle.
   
    


5. For the legs, divide the remaining strands and tie at ankles, again trimming excess.
   
    


6. It’s time to add a little personality! You can add hair, eyes, mouth, belly button, or whatever else will bring your doll to life.

What You Do (for the yarn octopus):

1. Begin making the octopus by wrapping the yarn around the 11” side of the cardboard. Wrap it 96 times.
   
    


2. Take a small piece of yarn and tie a knot around the strips of yarn. Now cut through all the strands of yarn about an inch and a half above where you tied it off. This makes a little hairdo for the octopus.
   
    


3. Make a ball of yarn about 3 inches in diameter to use as a head. Place it inside the strands of yarn and tie off the
   

   

   
   strands under the ball, making the neck.
   
    


4. Divide the yarn into 8 sections of 12 strands each. Then braid each section and tie off, resulting in 8 legs.
   
    


5. And now it’s time to give your octopus some personality! Add googly eyes, ribbons and whatever else suits it’s fancy!

Variations

Try using different types of yarn to make your yarn dolls more unique. Some of the furry, novelty yarns could be a lot of fun to use. Make them all different shapes and sizes to create a whole family to play with. You can even make clothes for the dolls using felt scraps.

You can also use this same idea for teaching about coin denominations. Make a separate box for each type of coin and your child will learn the difference between them in no time.

What You Need:

• A Pringles tube potato chip containers


• construction paper


• alphabet stickers


• misc. stickers – depending on what you are saving for


• scissors


• tape

What You Do:

1. Measure and cut your construction paper to fit around the tube, but do not tape it in place yet.


2. Next, lay your construction paper on a flat surface and use the alphabet stickers to label the tube according to what your child wants to save his/her money for.


3. Use other stickers to decorate the paper. Animal stickers are perfect for a trip to the zoo. Or, if you do not have topic specific stickers, just let your child decorate it however they like.


4. To teach your child about different coins, you can make a separate coin keeper for each (quarter, dime, nickel, penny). Just label them and tape the corresponding coin onto the construction paper so your child can see and learn which coin belongs in each box.


5. Now it’s time to tape the finished construction paper to the tube. Tape the edge, then wrap around and secure with another piece of tape.


6. The final step is to cut a slot in the lid that allows for coins to be dropped in.

Tips for Learning:

Don’t forget to give your child opportunities to earn money. Chores like taking out the garbage, shoveling snow, or picking up leaves can earn them a few dollars to add to their savings. You can make a deal with your children that you will match whatever they save to encourage them to add to the bank often. Obviously, you may need to fill the tubes several times to be able to save up enough for some of the things your child may want. Open a savings account to continue the money saving lessons.

You can make baskets of all shapes and sizes. Fill them with goodies and give them as gifts to friends and family during the holidays. They are great handmade present that will be treasured and used again and again. Check out the variations at the end of this article for ideas on other things you can make with salt dough.

What You Need:

• large bowl


• wooden mixing spoon


• 1 cup of salt


• 2 cups of flour + a little extra


• 1 cup of water


• rolling pin


• pizza wheel or butter knife


• small oven proof dish


• aluminum foil


• acrylic paints and varnish

What You Do:

1. Mix together the salt, flour, and water in the large bowl. Start mixing with the wooden spoon first, then when it begins to for a dough, kneed with your hands.


2. When the dough is nice and smooth, use a rolling pin to roll it out until it is a little thicker than a pie crust. Make sure you sprinkle a little flour on your surface so the dough won’t stick.


3. Next you will use either a pizza wheel or butter knife to cut strips of dough about 1/2” wide. (If you are using a larger dish for forming your basket, you can make the strips a little wider.)



4. Line your oven proof dish with aluminum foil then begin to basket weave the strips using the dish as a “mold” for the shape. Once you have that done, put a strip all around the edge of the dish, pinching the dough together to look like a pie crust edge.


5. Place your finished dough basket in a 275 degree oven and bake for 4 hours. That’s right, four hours! Or until dry.


6. When the baking is done and the basket has cooled, remove it from the bowl. You can now use the acrylic paint to dress it up. Once the paint is dry, be sure to varnish it to make it last.

Variations

Salt dough is a wonderful craft medium for making all varieties of things. Try using Christmas cookie cutters to make holiday ornaments for the tree. You can model it into small shapes and attach a magnet on the back for refrigerator magnets. Make napkin rings for the Thanksgiving table. The list goes on and on!

Make long snakes, short snakes, or use your imagination to make other bottle cap creatures - crabs, ladybugs, centipedes - just by adding chenille stem legs or antenae. You'll soon have a menagerie of handmade toys that will provide hours of fun for your young ones.

What You Need:

• metal bottle caps – about 75 of them

• play dough or air dry clay

• thin yarn

• two paper clips

• hammer & one nail

• green spray paint (optional)

What You Do:

1. The first step in the process is optional. If you don’t mind your boa being the color or your bottle caps, you can proceed to step 2. Otherwise, lay out all of your bottle caps on a flat surface, outside, where you can spray paint them. Once they are dry move on to step two.
   
    


2. Using your hammer and nail (adult help may be needed with this step) make a hole in the center of each bottle cap.
   
    


3. Now, take your piece of yarn, tie a knot about 4 inches from one end and thread it through all of the caps. Once you have all of your caps on, tie it off with another knot, again leaving about 4 inches of yarn to add a play dough head.
   
    


4. Tie a paper clip to each end using the excess yarn. Doing this will provide an anchor for the play dough to stay attached.
   
    


5. Now it’s time to model your head and tail. Squish some play dough around one of the paper clips and mold it into the shape of a tail. Do the same on the other end, but make it look like a snake's head. Get creative – add some crazy eyes and a wiggly tongue. Let your play dough dry and you’ll have a fun slithering friend to play with!

Tips and Variations:

You don’t have to make your snake all one color. Divide up the caps and spray paint them different colors to create a pattern on your boa.

If you don’t drink beverages with metal caps, you can always pick up a bag of them from a shop that specializes in home brewing. You can buy a bag of one hundred of them for a couple of dollars. If you don't have one of these stores near you, you can always order them online. Bottle caps are great to have around for all kinds of craft projects.



 

What You Need:

• unfinished pine picture frame – you can get these in most craft stores or even in the frame area of your favorite home goods store.


• piece of colored plastic canvas


• paint – tempera or acrylic paints that coordinate with the plastic canvas


• small screw-in hooks


• craft jewels


• foam letter stickers


• glue


• paint brush

What You Do:

1. The first step in this craft is painting the frame. For our design, we used a pencil and straight edge to draw some stripes of various thicknesses then painted them in a purple/pink color palette. Simple stripes make it easy to paint for younger children. Of course, your child can choose whichever colors they like best and change the design as well.


2. Once the paint dries, it’s time to add the hooks. This may need some muscle from mom or dad. Screw in one on the upper left side – for necklaces – and five evenly spaced on the right side – for rings.


3. Now it’s time to fill the middle, making it even more useful for holding jewelry. Take out the glass from the opening of the frame and use it as a template to trim down the plastic canvas to fit in it’s place. This part will be used for holding earrings.


4. The final step is to bedazzle the jewelry holder with the craft jewels and add your child’s name to the project with the foam letters. This is the fun, creative part! Glue on a large amount of these gems to make your holder super sparkly, just like the jewelry that it will hold!

Variations

This is a great craft for your child to make for a friend and definitely worthy of giving as a birthday present. Just add an inexpensive pair of earrings, a necklace, or a ring to make it an extra special gift. Keep in mind that anything goes with decorating the jewelry holder – add buttons, sequins, stickers, or whatever else excites your child. Having fun together while making a craft worth keeping is what it’s all about!

The no sew technique makes it a kid friendly project, and with the amazing choices in fleece these days you are sure to find a fabric you won’t be embarrassed to feature in your living room. So head down to the fabric store with your child, and help him pick out a pattern.

What You Need:

• two pieces of fleece – 1 yard each of coordinating colors


• 20” square pillow or fiberfil stuffing (to make a larger or smaller pillow, see instructions at the end.)


• tape measure or yard stick


• marking chalk or sewing pen


• scissors – the sharper the better!

What You Do:

1. Start by cutting your fleece to size. For a 20”x 20” pillow you will need to have two 30”x 30” pieces. The easiest way to do this is to lay both pieces on a flat surface with wrong sides facing, measure and mark with chalk/pen. Cut through both at the same time to be sure the pieces match.


2. Next, you will need to cut out a 5”x 5” square from each corner (see diagram). Again, use the tape measure and chalk/pen to mark your measurements.


3. Now it’s time to cut the fringe that will be used to tie the pillow shut. Each strip should be 1”x 5”. Use your tape measure and chalk/pen to make your marks and begin to cut. (This pattern is very forgiving so don’t worry about making it “perfect.” Once everything is tied shut, it will hide most mistakes.) You will need to fringe all four sides.


4. It’s tying time! You’ll notice that your fleece stretches more in one direction than the other. You’ll want to tie the stretchy sides first using a regular (square) knot. Try to tie those sides gently without stretching the fabric too much. After you have tied all of the “stretchy” fringe, tie the fringe on one of the other (non-stretchy) sides.


5. Put the puff in your pillow. If you are using a 20” pillow, insert it into the open side. If you are using stuffing, start stuffing! Once it’s filled, tie the last side shut and it’s ready for your pet to try out!

Variations

Of course not everyone has a pet that will fit on a 20 inch pillow! You can enlarge the design to fit your Great Dane or reduce it for your Guinea Pig. Just figure out how big of a pillow you want to make and add ten inches to the width and ten inches to the length to allow for the fringe.

You don’t have to be an expert seamstress or a wiz on a sewing machine. This project only requires a little bit of hand stitching to attach the strap and add a few beads or buttons for decoration. Once you see how easy it is, you’ll be asking your whole family for their old jeans.

Since each pair of pants will make two purses, have your child invite a friend to join in the fun. Pocket purses make a great project for your child's next sleepover.

What You Need:

• old pair of denim jeans


• needle – strong enough for denim


• thread


• thimble – to help push the needle through the denim


• scissors


• beads and buttons

What You Do

Step One

Cut out one back pocket of an old pair of jeans. Be sure you don’t cut off the pocket, but cut it out so it makes a little pouch.

Step Two

Now it’s time to decorate the front of the pocket pouch by hand stitching a line of beads and one button. (Our example shows a simple line of multi-colored beads with one button but this is the part where you can get creative and adorn it however you choose.)

Step Three

Make the strap for your purse. Cut three 1-inch wide strips of denim from the legs of the jeans. Use the whole length of the pant leg to make the strips as long as possible. It may seem too long now but when the strips are braided, they will become shorter.

Step Four

About 2 inches from the end, tie the three strips together in a knot then braid them. Keep braiding until your strap is the length you want. Make it short if you want a handbag, longer if you want to be able to carry it over your shoulder. When you are done braiding, tie another knot, leaving about two inches on the end. Trim any excess.

Step Five

Tuck the 2-inch end into one side of the pocket and stitch in place (refer to photo). It can be tough pushing the needle through the denim so be careful and use a thimble if you have one. Once you have one side connected, repeat on the other side. Voila! You have a cute little purse for your pocket money!

Other Ideas:

Beads and buttons aren’t the only thing you can use to dress up these little purses. You can use sequins, jewels, fabric paints, decorative patches, iron on transfers, and so much more. Use your creativity and see what you can come up with. There is no wrong way to do it, the important thing is to have fun crafting!