Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Easy Fun Kids Crafts With Latch Hook Kits Such As M.C.G Textiles Latch Hook Kit Huggables Stuffed 15” Monkey


Easy Fun Kids Crafts With Latch Hook Kits Such As M.C.G Textiles Latch Hook Kit Huggables Stuffed 15” Monkey

When looking for fun kids crafts Latch Hook Kits such as the M.C.G Textiles Latch Hook Kit Huggables Stuffed 15” Monkey is an easy way to find out if the craft of Latch Hooking is the craft the right craft for your kid. Latch Hook Kits allows kids, and all ages, to try out latch hooking as an easy fun kids craft to create and complete in a relatively short time. That is always important as kids lose interest pretty fast. Now your kid can create items that will give pleasure for many years to come in an easy and fun way.

With Latch Hook Kits, such as the M.C.G Textiles Latch Hook Kit Huggables Stuffed 15” Monkey you will have all the basic materials you will need to make a complete item The only two things you will have to purchase separately are the stuffing and the latch hook tool.

Latch Hook Kits such as the M.C.G Textiles Latch Hook Kit Huggables Stuffed 15” Monkey comes with pre-cut acrylic rug yarn and step-by-step instructions. This makes it very easy to complete the item in a very short time and see the finished product. For beginners to crafting this is very important, the inspiration that comes from seeing the completed product can not be underestimates. For this reason Latch Hook Kits such as the M.C.G Textiles Latch Hook Kit Huggables Stuffed 15” Monkey are a very god idea.

As a gift to a child that loves crafts, or to try and inspire a love of crafts in a child, Latch Hook Kits such as M.C.G Textiles Latch Hook Kit Huggables Stuffed 15” Monkey can not be underestimated.

Easy Fun Kids Crafts With Latch Hook Kits Such As M.C.G Textiles Latch Hook Kit Huggables Stuffed 15” Monkey

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

How to Make a Pine Cone Angel


Pine cones are among nature's most versatile craft supplies. They're quite abundant in many areas, and if you live in the city, you can find them at the park or buy them from a craft store for next to nothing. Here's a fun and beautiful pine cone angel project you can make with a medium-sized pine cone.

What You Need

* Medium-sized pine cone
* Acorn
* White spray paint or acrylic paint and medium paintbrush
* Black and red acrylic paint and small paintbrush
* Silver or gold glitter
* Glue
* White card stock
* Pencil
* Doll hair or yarn
* Silver chenille stem
* Ribbon
* Scissors
* Newspaper (to cover your work area)

Instructions

1. If you are using a pine cone that you found outdoors, you may want to bake it in order to kill any bugs inside and dry up the sap in them. To do this, place your cone on a foil-lined cookie sheet and bake at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes to an hour.

2. Once the pine cone has cooled, paint it with the spray paint or acrylic paint and paintbrush. Sprinkle lightly with glitter while still wet. Let dry completely.

3. While waiting for the pine cone to dry, paint a face on the acorn. Turn it upside down and use black for the eyes and nose, and red for the mouth and cheeks. Let dry.

4. Glue the acorn head onto the pine cone body, with the pointed side of the pine cone up.

5. Draw a wing shape on the piece of card stock, and cut it out. Trace the shape onto the scrap of card stock, and cut it out as well. Turn one wing over so that they are facing in opposite directions.

6. Using the glue, trace along the inside of each wing. You might also want to make some markings inside the wings. When you're done, sprinkle the wings with glitter, tap off the excess, and let dry completely.

7. Glue the wings onto the angel's back. Let dry.

8. Place some doll hair or yarn in a hair color on the angel's head. Glue into place. Then form the chenille stem into a circle that will fit on top of the head for a halo. Glue into place and let dry.

9. Cut a piece of ribbon about 6 inches long. Form it into a loop and glue the ends to the back of the angel to make a hanger. Let dry completely before hanging up.

Tips

* If you don't like working with loose glitter, try using a tube of glitter glue. Dot some onto the painted pine cone here and there, and draw the details on the wings with it.

* If you prefer, you could use a piece of wide lace to make the wings. Gather the lace in the middle, secure with a piece of chenille stem, and glue to the back of the angel.



Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Bird Friendly Hanging Ornaments

Bird Friendly Hanging Ornaments


Before we move on to our Bird Friendly Hanging Ornaments, I want to draw your attention to some more fun kids crafts and other beginner crafts you may enjoy. You can go and have a look at Beginner Scrapbooking, Mosaic Crafts for Beginners and Alex Toys Super Knot A Quilt.

OK, so on to our craft for today:

During the holiday season, we are eager to make decorations and buy gifts to make our families and friends happy. But what about our friends in nature? They add lots of beauty to our surroundings, so it's only fitting that we should give them a little something, too.

Making edible ornaments for birds is a great way to do something for our feathered friends. And it also attracts them to our yards for us to enjoy watching. Here are some simple yet beautiful edible ornament recipes that you can make.

Birdseed Pine Cones

What You Need

* Large pine cone
* Peanut butter
* Birdseed
* Butter knife
* Pie plate
* Yarn or raffia
* Scissors

Instructions

1. Pour a generous amount of birdseed into the pie plate.
2. Using the butter knife, spread peanut butter all over the pine cone.
3. Roll the pine cone in the birdseed until it is thoroughly covered.
4. Cut a piece of yarn or raffia and tie it to the top of the pine cone. Hang from an outdoor tree.

Hard Suet Ornaments

What You Need

* 1 cup peanut butter
* 3 cups suet (can be found in the grocery store's meat department or deli)
* 3 cups cornmeal
* Christmas cookie cutter
* Raffia or yarn
* Scissors
* Birdseed
* Pie plate

Instructions

1. Pour some birdseed into a pie plate.
2. Mix the peanut butter, suet and cornmeal thoroughly in a bowl.
3. Use the cookie cutter to form the suet into a festive shape.
4. Dip the shape into the birdseed, covering thoroughly.
5. Cut a piece of yarn or raffia and use it to hang the ornament on an outdoor tree.





Soft Suet Ornaments

What You Need

* 1 cup peanut butter
* 1 cup shortening
* 3 cups cornmeal
* Sliced bread
* Cookie cutter
* Butter knife
* Birdseed
* Raffia or yarn
* Scissors

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix the peanut butter, shortening and cornmeal together to form a paste.
2. Use the cookie cutter to cut a festive shape out of a piece of bread. Let the bread sit out overnight to harden.
3. Spread the suet mixture onto one side of the bread and decorate with seeds. Repeat with the other side.
4. Cut a piece of yarn or raffia and use it to hang the ornament on an outside tree.

Notes

* Suet ornaments should not be used in areas where the temperature exceeds 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The suet will melt in high temperatures, and it could get in the birds' feathers and hinder their flying.

* Another way to make hard suet ornaments is to cut an orange in half, remove the fruit, and fill each piece of peel with suet. Cover the top with lots of seeds, and hang the ornament sideways.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Hip Craft Projects for Your Teenage Daughter

Teenage girls love to express themselves through the clothing and accessories they wear. And many of them also enjoy decorating their rooms. So if you want to get your teenage daughter interested in crafting, all it usually takes is a project that fits in with those activities.

Creating hip clothing, accessories and room décor is a hobby for many teenagers. And it's one that they can participate in no matter what their skill level. Here are some projects your teenage daughter will find irresistible.

* Friendship bracelets – These tokens of friendship were originally made by Native Americans. Today, they're a favorite project of teens and preteens. They can be made out of yarn or embroidery floss, and patterns range from extremely simple to highly detailed. And since they are small, they make great projects to work on in the car or on the bus.

* Embellishing clothing – If your teenager has clothes that still fit but just don't fit with her style any more, she might enjoy changing them up a bit. She could remove the pockets of jeans and sew on new ones in a different fabric, add new sleeves to an old shirt, or add jewels to spruce up any article of clothing. Such projects do not require a great deal of sewing skill, so they're ideal for beginners.

* Knitting – Knit accessories, from scarves to purses, are all the rage these days. And you don't have to know everything there is to know about knitting to create them. You can make a nice scarf with just one or two simple stitches, and envelope purses are nearly as simple.

* Dream catchers – Here's another Native American craft that teens love. Dream catchers add a beautiful decorative touch to any room. You can find kits that include the instructions and everything needed to make them in craft shops. Or you can find free instructions online and buy the materials yourself. Either way, this is a great project for you and your teen to work on together.

* Lip balm – If there's one thing that almost every teenage girl enjoys, it's make-up. And making your own lip balm is very easy and inexpensive. All you need is a small empty tub, some petroleum jelly and some Kool Aid or other flavoring.

* CD crafts – Most teens have some old CDs lying around that they've either scratched or gotten tired of listening to. These can be used to make some great crafts such as clocks, lamps and coasters.

* Your teenage daughter may also enjoy making pretty things with silk painting for her room or for her to wear. Have a look at: Silk Painting Is Fun for some ideas.

These crafts are great for any teenage girl to create for herself or to give as gifts. They also present an opportunity for you and your daughter to do something together. If you can pique her interest, you might help her discover a hobby that she will enjoy for years to come.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Squiggles: A Really Giant Drawing and Painting Book


The Squiggles: A Really Giant Drawing and Painting Book was written by Taro Gomi, who is also the author of over 350 children’s books, including the very popular Scribbles and Doodles. Squiggles: A Really Giant Drawing and Painting Book is a coloring book with a difference. It invites kids of all ages to draw, paint and use their imagination.

It comes with fun instructions that inspire kids to keep painting and drawing. The kids essentially create the pages with their own artistic expressions and imagination. The coloring book is organized under different themes, including Time to Eat, Ocean Voyage and Adventures and others. Every page has a basic outline with drawing prompts at the top of each page. Whether finishing incomplete pictures, adding details to scenes or drawing and painting on blank pages, there is something fun for everybody. 

This is a fun filled Squiggles: A Really Giant Drawing and Painting Book designed for all ages. It will bring endless enjoyment and artistic freedom. A fantastic gift for any child and even an adult.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Leapfrog Tag Reader - Hours Of Fun


With a Leapfrog Tag Reader your kid will have hours of fun learning to read. The Leapfrog Tag Reader is easy to use and your kid will get the hang of it very soon and he or she will not be able to wait before they go off on their own to read.

By using an amazing touch technology the leapfrog tag reader makes learning to read an exciting experience as words talk, pictures sing and stories live out loud. There are more than 20 books and games available for the Leapfrog Tag Reader, so you will be able to keep your kid happily reading for a long time!

With the Leapfrog Tag Reader kids will not even know they are learning! Whilst having a lot of fun, your kid's vocabulary and phonics skills increase in a playful manner. Your kid's comprehension of what he or she is reading also increases in an easy way with the Leapfrog Tag Reader.

The Leapfrog Tag Reader is designed for kids four to eight years of age. The "pen" fits into little hands perfectly and you cannot believe that there is actually a little camera in it!

Even though it appears small, the Leapfrog Tag Reader holds enough memory for up to five books at a time. Imagine a long drive with the kids happily occupied! Well, that need not be a dream with the Leapfrog Tag Reader.

This is also the ideal toy to get your kid if you do homeschooling. Imagine how much time you can save by letting your kid get on with it on his or her own!

So, Go and have a look at the Leapfrog Tag Reader now!




Friday, November 20, 2009

Make Your Own Dreidel Out of Recycled Milk Cartons

Dreidels are toys that are often seen on Hanukkah. They are similar to tops, but they are created for the purpose of playing a traditional Jewish game. Here's how to make your own dreidel out of a milk carton, and how to play the game.

What You Need
  • Small, empty paper milk or juice carton
  • Masking tape
  • Kitchen knife or sharp-tipped scissors
  • Light blue acrylic paint
  • Small paintbrush
  • Sharpened pencil
  • Styrofoam ball
  • White craft glue
  • Loose gold glitter
  • Newspaper (to cover work area)
  • Pie pan
Instructions

1. Rinse out the milk or juice carton and dry thoroughly. Close the spout, and secure it with a small piece of masking tape.

2. Use the kitchen knife or scissors to poke one hole in the top of the container and one in the bottom, each as close to the center as possible. (If a child is doing this project, the adult should do this part.)

3. Paint all four sides of the milk carton with the blue paint. Let dry. While you're waiting, clean the paintbrush thoroughly.

4. Squeeze some glue out onto the newspaper. Using the paintbrush, spread a layer of it evenly onto the bottom of the milk carton. Then hold it over the pie plate and sprinkle with glitter. Tap to remove the excess. Repeat with the top of the carton, including the indentations on the side, and let dry.

5. Use the paintbrush to write the Yiddish letter Nun in glue on one side of the carton. Hold the carton over the pie plate, sprinkle with glitter, and tap to remove the excess. Repeat on the other sides, using the letters Hay, Gimel and Shin. Let dry.

6. Insert the eraser end of the pencil into the styrofoam ball. Use the paintbrush to cover it with a uniform layer of paint, sprinkle with glitter and shake off the excess. Let dry. Clean the paintbrush thoroughly so that no glue dries in it.

7. Insert the pencil into the bottom of the milk carton.

How to Play

The Dreidel game is played in groups of four. Each player should be given the same amount of pennies or candy, known as gelt. Some gelt should also be put in the “pot.” Then the players take turns spinning the dreidel. If it lands on Nun, nothing happens. If it lands on Hay, the player receives half of the amount in the pot. If it lands on Gimel, he gets everything in the pot. If it lands on Shin, the player must put one penny or piece of candy in the pot.