Hot Weather Fun: Kids Summer Crafts

Hot Weather Fun: Kids Summer Crafts

When boredom looms and the weather's hot, get everyone involved in kids summer crafts. Kids are always excited to be free from the school routine when they are let out for summer break, but it isn't long until they start wondering what to do. Kids' summer crafts will keep them occupied and maybe even teach them a thing or two.

1. Use found objects:

In summer, crafts for kids can involve found objects, like seed pods, grasses, and similar objects. Let kids create nature collection collages by gluing these items to a stiff piece of cardboard.

Help them spray paint some of the findings with silver or gold paint. Alternatively, they might like to glue glitter to some of the findings. Perhaps they would also enjoy collecting wild flower seed heads and creating dried flower arrangements. Arrange the bouquet in a homemade vase.

2. Make a vase using a tin:

A vase for summer bouquets, fresh or dried, is another craft that naturally fits into the kids summer crafts category. A simple vase can be made from a tin can. Soup cans work particularly well because they are smooth on the outside and rather narrow.

Be sure to file off any sharp spurs on the inside opening. Start the work of art by cutting a piece of construction paper or other colored paper to fit around the sides of the can. This will be glued to the outside of the can, but first it needs to be decorated.

The vase cover can be decorated in many ways. The child can draw a summer scene on the paper and then decorate it with glued on glitter or small stickers of summer things.

Another idea is for the child to write their name in large letters, and glue beans, seeds, or glitter to the letters. Let all glue dry before attaching the paper to the outside of the can. Add water and fresh flowers or leave dry for dry flowers.

You can also use the can for a trinket container or a place to put pens, pencils, and markers. To make them real summer crafts for kids, glue grass seed heads and found seed pods to the paper in a decorative way.

Make a vase using a jar:

Jar vases make good summer crafts for kids, too. Canning jars make particularly cute vases, but any cast off mayonnaise, pickle, or other jar, even plastic ones, can work, too.

To make a jar into a vase it first needs to be sparkling clean. Kids love getting wet in the summer, so let them roll up their sleeves (or put on a bathing suit!) and have fun splashing at the sink while "washing dishes."

This whole "washing dishes" can really keep them busy for quite a while. Make sure you cover the floor because a lot of water will land on the floor!

My granddaughter loved "helping" with the dishes when she was little. We could keep her busy for hours this way!

When the jar is clean and dry, tie an attractive ribbon around the opening. If desired, decorate the outside of the jar with glued on beads and buttons.

Kids summer crafts will provide some cute decorations around the home and keep the kids from being bored. This summer, crafts for kids should be at the top of every parent's To Do list!

To make things easy for you, have a look at 101 Kids Summer Activities. You will find lots of crafts and activities in it to keep the kids busy this summer.

101 Kid Summer Activities

Kid Tested Activities to keep them Happy, Engaged, and Entertained

Just take a look at some of the great benefits:

• 101 separate and distinct activities means that you always have something fun to do with your kids
• Most activities are based on objects you already have at home
• Active and engaged children are too busy to look for trouble
• Inspirational and imaginative activities get the kids off the couch and away from the T.V.
• Active kids are less likely to have weight problems, develop into more active adults, and learn to lead healthier lives
• Less time in front of the television lets kids use their imaginations, gives them the capacity to think creatively, and helps them develop better problem solving abilities
• Simple activities require little, if any, preparation so you can pick an activity and do it on the spur of the moment
• Activities that easily adjust to virtually any age or ability means you can use this resource for years to come!
• Instant access -- you can begin using these activities right now!

Go to 101 Kid Summer Activities now, you will not be sorry!

Kids Mothers Day Crafts - How to Make an Always Treasured Mother's Day Photo Flower

Kids Mothers Day Crafts - How to Make an Always Treasured Mother's Day Photo Flower

With mother's day getting closer, kids mothers day crafts are becoming popular again, Here is a kids mothers day craft that the kids will love doing. Most moms love flowers, and all love photos of their families. Why not combine those two ideas to give her flowers that will never die and feature cherished photos of her children? These Mother's Day photo flowers are sure to make Mom's big day extra special. Even small children can make them with a little help with the cutting.

Supplies for this mothers day craft:

• Construction paper, colored card stock or patterned scrapbook paper
• Glue or glue stick
• Photos
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Clear tape
• Green chenille stems

How to do this craft:

1. Cut photos into circles. To make it easier, try putting a 50 cent piece, spool of thread or other small, round object on top of the face you want to cut out and tracing around it. Then cut around the circle you drew.
2. Draw the outline of a flower on a piece of card stock or construction paper, making sure you'll have plenty of room for the photo in the middle. Cut out.
3. Trace around your original flower on paper in other colors to make as many flowers as you like. Cut them out and set them aside.
4. Glue a photo onto the center of the first flower. If using liquid glue, take care not to use too much. Wipe any excess off with a paper towel.
5. If you like, draw more flower shapes on patterned paper or contrasting colors of construction paper or card stock. Make these about 1/4 inch larger than the first ones. Glue the flower with the photo on it onto a larger flower shape, centering it so that it makes an even border.
6. Attach a chenille stem to the back of the flower with tape. Trim the stem if needed.
7. Repeat with the rest of your flower cutouts to make a beautiful photo bouquet.

Presentation Ideas

• Bundle the flowers together and tie a ribbon around the stems. Spread them out above the ribbon so that all are visible.
• Make a flowerpot to put the flowers in. Use markers or paint to decorate a styrofoam cup, stick some floral foam in the bottom, and stick the stems into it to create a pleasing arrangement. Glue some Spanish moss on top of the floral foam to complete the look.
• If you prefer, omit the stems and make the photo flowers into magnets. You can buy strips of peel and stick magnets at any craft store. Just cut off the size of magnet that you need, peel off the paper and stick it to the back of each flower.
• If you want to keep the flowers looking beautiful longer, have an adult help to laminate them before attaching the stems.

With these ideas you have one of our mothers day crafts. Visit our page Mother's Day Crafts for more.

If you never want to have to search for kids' crafts again, why not have a look at Fun Kids Crafts? You will find crafts for every holiday and occasion in it. Check out Fun Kids Crafts Today!

Easy Kids Crafts - Crafty Things Children Can Make Out of Household Articles

Easy Kids Crafts - Crafty Things Children Can Make Out of Household Articles

I think, we should all keep Easy Kids Crafts at hand. When boredom strikes, kids can get unruly. Our first instinct might be to buy them a new toy, but chances are they will eventually get bored with that too. Besides, toys cost money, and getting into a habit of buying toys to assuage boredom can be costly.

Giving children the opportunity to get creative is more effective and less expensive than shelling out money for new toys. And often, your kids can make crafts using items found around the house. So, I think keep these in mind for the next emergency and you will be ready with easy kids crafts to keep the little ones occupied!

Here are some ideas:

Maracas

It's a fact of life: every child loves things that make noise. So we might as well let them make their own noisemakers. Maracas are easy to make using toilet paper rolls, dried beans, construction paper and glue. Just glue some construction paper over one end of the toilet paper roll, put some dried beans inside, and glue construction paper to the other end to seal.

Mobiles

A mobile makes a great room decoration. All it takes to make a simple one is a paper plate, some construction paper, some string and some tape. Just cut some shapes out of construction paper, poke a small hole in the top of each one, and tie a length of string through the hole. Then attach the other end of the string to the paper plate in the same manner. Use string to create a hanger, and secure all ends with tape.

Play-Doh sculptures

Play-Doh is a lifesaver when kids complain about having nothing to do. They can put it back in the container when they're done, but it's also great for making permanent sculptures. Just let them create whatever they please, adding embellishments you have on hand for decoration. Then let the sculptures dry for a day or two.

Macaroni necklaces

This is one of the best easy kids' crafts and it is a hit with young children. Just put some macaroni noodles in a jar with a few drops of food coloring, shake to color, and blot excess food coloring off with a paper towel. Repeat with one or two more colors, then string the macaroni onto a long piece of thread or elastic. Tie the ends together to complete.

Handprint wreath

This adorable craft is easy to make. Help your child trace her hand onto construction paper, and cut out. Repeat with two or three different colors of paper, making a total of at least ten handprints. Arrange them in a circle to form a wreath, and glue together with a glue stick.

Being creative is good for kids, and it doesn't have to cost a fortune. They can make many crafts with things that we keep on hand. So the next time there's a rainy day, keep these easy kids crafts handy as simple yet fun projects.

Fun Kids Crafts

Fun Kids crafts contains over 700 crafts with illustrations and templates. Great for kids 3 years and up! Fun Kids Crafts has over 370 PAGES of fun crafts.

Here is a peek into what is included in this book.

Fun Kids Crafts E-book:

* Easter Crafts

* Christmas Crafts

* Crafts Without Glue

* Easy Crafts

* Egg Crafts

* Fathers Day Crafts

* Halloween Crafts

* Holiday Crafts

* Mothers Day Crafts

* Preschool Crafts

* Thanksgiving Crafts

* Themed Crafts

* Toilet Roll Crafts

* Valentines Crafts

and many, many more....

Fun Kids Crafts is the kids crafts e-book you have been looking for. Go there now!

e

Download Fun Kids Crafts - It is instant!

Fun Kids Crafts - What Can I Make Out of Recycled Material?

Fun Kids Crafts - What Can I Make Out of Recycled Material?

Here is an idea to keep in mind when you are looking at Fun Kids Crafts. Recycling is good for the environment. It reduces the amount of trash in landfills and saves natural resources. And for crafters, recycled items can make great supplies for projects. Empty containers, worn out clothes, old greeting cards and other items that usually end up in the trash present a wealth of crafting opportunities.

Paper Maché

Paper maché is a craft that requires recycled materials. Newspaper is cut into strips and dipped into paste to create piñatas and other works of art. It's a little messy, but it's very easy to do.

To make the paste, bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add a mixture of 1/2 cup of flour and 2 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil again, remove from heat and stir in 3 tablespoons of sugar. Let cool.

Newspaper strips are usually dipped into the paste and applied to an inflated balloon. When the balloon is covered, it is hung up to dry. Once dry, the balloon is popped and embellishments are added to finish the project.

There is no end to the amount of Fun Kids Crafts you can do with paper maché! Go to our site, the page Easy Kids Crafts: Bible Crafts: Creation Story and have a look!

Candle Holders

It's easy to make candle holders out of empty baby food jars. All you have to do is remove the label and decorate as you please. Use paint, ribbon, gems and other items. Add a tealight or votive candle, and you have a beautiful, thoughtful and inexpensive gift.

Maracas

Kids love stuff that makes noise, so this is a great craft for them. Just put some dried beans in a clean used paper or plastic cup. Use enough to make some noise but not so many that they do not have room to move around. Glue the mouth of another cup to the mouth of the first cup and let dry. Decorate if desired.

Gift and Storage Boxes

Old shoeboxes can be transformed into beautiful gift or storage boxes. Just use some contact paper to cover them up. Decorate with rubber stamps, paint, ribbon and other embellishments. These can be used to store photos and other keepsakes, used to present gifts, or given as gifts themselves.

Pencil Holders

You can make a pencil holder out of a number of recycled materials. Tin cans with the tops removed are nice and sturdy. Plastic, styrofoam and paper cups also work well, but may not last as long. The cardboard tubes found in the middle of tissue rolls can even work if you cover one end of them with a flat piece of cardboard.

Recycled items can be used to make lovely crafts to keep or give as gifts. They're good for the budget and for the environment. The next time you need craft supplies, take a look at the things you've been tossing out. You might find that you already have what you need!

Before you throw something out, always think of the possible Fun Kids Crafts First, you never know when you will need it!

Nature Craft: Making Twig Creations

Fun Kids Crafts - Nature Craft: Making Twig Creations

It's amazing how many things we can find in nature to use in crafts. Pine cones can be used in bird feeders, home-made potpourri and all sorts of other things. Leaves and flowers can be dried or pressed for a variety of uses. Even twigs can be used to make beautiful, rustic crafts.

This twig creations project makes a great gift and costs next to nothing to make. Kids can easily make it with a little help from an adult. The finished product can be used to hold candy, pencils, office supplies or any other small objects. So, this makes it a very suitable fun kids craft.

Supplies

• Used tin can (use a can opener that removes the entire top of the can, leaving no sharp edges)
• Twigs
• Yard clippers
• Glue (a hot glue gun works best, but other kinds may work too)
• Dried leaves and/or flowers
• Ribbon

Instructions

1. Wash out the tin can thoroughly. Remove the label and wash the outside as well.
2. Use the yard clippers to clip the twigs to about the same length as the height of the can. You can make them all uniform or vary the lengths slightly for a more rustic look.
3. Glue the twigs around the can vertically. Cover the entire outside. Let dry.
4. Arrange dried flowers and/or leaves on the outside of the can and glue them in place.
5. Tie a ribbon around the can and secure with glue. Let dry.

Preparing the Flowers

Before you use flowers for crafts, they need to be dried. One of the easiest ways to do so is to press them. Simply place them in the middle of a heavy hardcover book and leave them for about two weeks. Or if you don't want to wait that long, buy a flower press. Most can be used in the oven or microwave, making pressing quick and easy. Just be sure to read the directions carefully to avoid damaging the flowers.

If you do not want your flowers to be flat, you'll need to dry them a different way. One way to do this is to hang them upside-down in bundles. Place them in a well-ventilated area, and leave them for ten to fourteen days.

Flowers may also be dried in silica gel, borax or sand. To do this, place the flowers upside-down in a box full of either of these drying agents. Gently sift some of the sand, borax or silica gel onto the flower heads until covered, and leave in a warm, dry place for two weeks.

When the flowers are dry, spray them with hairspray. This will help them retain their color and provide some protection from breakage. Keep the finished craft out of sunlight and away from extreme heat to protect the flowers.

For more fun kids crafts go to: Fun Kids Crafts

How to Make a Flower Crown

How to Make a Flower Crown

Spring flowers are a favorite theme for spring crafts. They're so pretty and colorful, and they can be incorporated into all sorts of projects, from simple to advanced. For young children, a flower crown is the perfect craft to welcome this highly anticipated season.

This craft is ideal for those rainy day blues. It will remind kids that all of that rain may be no fun right now, but it produces some beautiful results.

Flower crowns are also great projects for girls' birthday parties and sleepovers. They're simple, quick and inexpensive to make. To save time, you could do the measuring and cutting ahead of time and provide the materials to decorate the crowns.

Supplies

• Paper plate
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Scissors or Exacto knife
• Markers, crayons or paint
• Plastic jewels
• Ribbon
• Construction paper
• Glue

Instructions

1. Paint the paper plate a solid color if desired. Keep in mind that the bottom of the plate will be on top of the finished crown. Let dry.
2. Using the ruler, mark the center of the paper plate. Draw a straight line through the center, beginning and ending about an inch from the plate's edge.
3. Draw another line perpendicular to the first, again starting and ending an inch from the edge. The plate should now be divided into four equal sections.
4. Draw two more lines to create a total of eight equal sections.
5. Cut along the lines you've just drawn. If using scissors, fold the plate slightly and make a small cut in the center to start. An Exacto knife works nicely as well, but should be used by an adult only.
6. Once all of the lines are cut, there will be eight triangles in the center of the plate. Holding the plate upside-down, bend each triangle upward, creasing so that it will stand on its own.
7. Decorate your crown as you like. Add color with paint, markers or crayons. Glue on ribbon tails and add embellishments such as plastic jewels.
8. Cut eight flower shapes out of various colors of construction paper. For daisy-type flowers, cut circles out of a contrasting color and glue them in the center of the flower shape. Add some glitter if desired.
9. Glue a flower to the tip of each triangle on the crown. Let dry.

These flower crowns are sure to put a smile on any little girl's face. And with some minor modifications, there are some other great crowns that could be made too. Instead of flowers girls and boys could adorn their crowns with cars, animals or anything else they can make out of construction paper. Eggs could be used for Easter crowns for boys and girls, or shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day.

Easy Kids Crafts - Creative Fun for 0-3 Year Olds

Easy Kids Crafts - Creative Fun for 0-3 Year Olds

Little Kids are always on the go, looking for new things to occupy their active minds. It might seem impossible to get them to sit down and do crafts, but it's usually much easier than you might imagine. Easy Kids crafts that keep them engaged are great for their cognitive development and hand-eye coordination. Do not forget about those little motor skills either!

The key to success when crafting with toddlers is keeping it simple. They do not have the attention span to create things that require a great deal of time, and they will not understand long-winded instructions. Easy Kids crafts that can be completed in a few simple steps stand a better chance of holding their attention.

When choosing toddler crafts, keep in mind that all materials should be reasonably safe for young children. If sharp objects are required, you will need to do the part that requires their use. Very small objects such as seed beads should not be used because they could easily be swallowed without your knowledge. Anything the size of a large button or bigger should not pose a problem as long as you provide close supervision.

Here are some craft ideas that your toddler will love:

1. Macaroni jewelry

Put some straight macaroni in a jar with a few drops of food coloring. Shake the jar until all pieces are colored. Blot off excess food coloring with a paper towel, string the pasta onto a piece of yarn of the desired size and tie the ends together.

2. Paper plate fish

All you'll need for this craft is a paper plate, scissors and markers or crayons. Help your child cut a triangle out of the paper plate to make the fish's mouth. Glue the triangle directly across from the mouth for a fin. Decorate the fish with the markers or crayons. If you like, glue on a googly eye instead of drawing an eye.

3. Paper plate mask

Cut out eyeholes in a paper plate. Let your child use crayons, markers or paint to decorate the mask any way he wants. Punch a hole in each side of the finished mask and run a piece of elastic through, tying each end to secure.

4. Play Doh sculptures

Play Doh is fun to play with, but it can also be used to make figurines. Simply let your child model the dough just as one would model clay, until the desired shape is achieved. Help him add details with other colors or by carving, and leave the sculpture out to dry.

5. Collages

A collage makes a great project and a great decoration for your child's room. Just supply some poster board, magazines or copies of photos, safety scissors and a glue stick, and let your child create her own work of art. Younger children may need help cutting things out.

Crafting is a great way to ward off boredom, and it's great for young minds and hands. Simple crafts can be out of things you already have around the house, so you can get your little one started creating any time.

For lots and lots of fun kids crafts visit our site Fun Kids Crafts! We have crafts for all seasons, all the holidays and special day. Have a look at Fun Kids Crafts.

If you never want to have to look for kids crafts again, get the excellent e-book Fun Kids Crafts, crafts kids will love and even some printables where it is necessary.

Download Fun Kids Crafts Now!