by: Patty Gale
When I was a little girl, I remember my dad taking us for drives at night throughout our neighborhood to see the houses decorated for Christmas. There were some that had a simple wreath on the front door and some that looked like Santa’s Workshop on the front lawn.
I was always amazed at the beautiful lights, glistening snow, and holiday music. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized those beautiful displays took a lot more organizing, planning and money than I thought.
Whether you live in a cold or warm climate, you don’t have to break the bank in order to create a cozy and beautiful outdoor holiday display for your home.
Here’s how.
Create a plan. You need to decide how much money you can comfortably spend. Many people wind up over-spending during the holidays, use credit cards and find they take on more debt than they should. August or September is a good time to start planning and it won’t take long. Many retail stores are beginning to announce pre-Christmas sales and this is the time to find bargains.
If you live in a closed community, check for rules and restrictions. This will save you any headaches later on if there are certain things not permitted.
Here are some things to think about when creating your plan.
To Theme or Not to Theme: Once you have determined your spending limit, next is to decide how creative to get. Do you want to create a theme on your front lawn such as Disney or Santa’s workshop or would you rather stay traditional with just some lights and perhaps just a reindeer.
Lights – How many front windows do you have and do you want lights on all of them? If you live in a 2-story house, don’t forget the second floor. Measure your windows, so you know how many strings or yardage of lights you will need. Equally important is to check for an outside electrical receptacle where you will be plugging them in.
Window candles – These are the electric or battery-operated lights that look like a glowing stick candle on a window sill and create a nice, cozy effect. If you choose electric, make sure you have enough receptacles by each window to plug them in. If you choose battery-operated, you will need to have extra batteries on hand.
Front Door – Decorating your front door can be as elaborate as a gift box or as simple as hanging either a real or artificial wreath.
Lawn Ornaments – These can be anything from simple signs that say, “Santa, Stop Here” or “North Pole” to an entire village of animated characters re-creating Santa’s Workshop.
Roof – I am reminded of an episode from the TV show “Home Improvement”, where Tim literally fell through his roof when trying to re-create Santa’s sleigh and reindeer on his roof. Safety is always the first consideration. If you want to put holiday displays on your roof, you may be better off hiring a professional.
Once you have gone through this list and created your plan, start scouting the newspapers for sales at retail stores. Home improvement stores or discount stores will usually have an entire department established just for outdoor holiday decorations.
If you live in a cold-weather climate, putting up the lights and roof ornaments is best done before the snow and chilling temperatures arrive.
Plan early to stay within budget and you will have a great time decorating the outside of your home for the holidays.
About the author:
Patty Gale is a successful entrepreneur who has traded in her suits, hose and heels to work from home in her “jammies.” She is on a mission to empower others to do the same and can be reached at: http://www.Christmas-Decorations-Ideas.com
Circulated by Article Emporium
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Preparing For a Leather Craft Project
by: Leather Secrets
Once you've decided on your leather craft project, you'll need the right tools and room to do the work. Being prepared ahead of time will make your task more enjoyable and give you a sense of satisfation when you're done. If you're like most of us you'll probably be working on more leather craft projects over time, so creating a designated area is probably a good idea.
What to Cut On
Regardless of the project, you'll need to cut your piece of leather. Choose a flat surface protected with a rubber mat. The latter will help protect your tools and prevent them from becoming blunt.
Alternatively, you can purchase a self-healing cutting board that comes with a grid work. Any cuts made in the board seal up. This product is readily available at such shops as Staples.
Marking the Cut
Use a ruler or yardstick and a pencil to mark the cut. Just make a light mark with the pencil. A rounded edge will help if you're cutting a curve. Then place a metal straight edge along the line you have drawn. Using the tip of an X-acto knife, cut along the line, keeping the knife against the metal edge
Trimming the Edges
If you want to trim the edges of the leather, lay the piece out on a flat surface. Make sure the leather is damp, and keep it so by using a spray bottle full of water.
You'll need what's called an edge beveling tool to smooth the cut edges. The two prongs that form its V shape need to be positioned so that they are facing upward on both sides of the edge.
Keeping the tool at a 45 degree angle, with your index finger on the top of the tool, push it away from you along the cut edge, holding the leather craft piece firmly with your other hand.
As you work, small strips of leather will come off. It's a good idea to practice on small scraps of leather before using the leather craft beveller, so you feel comfortable with it and what it can do.
Tools to Use
* Cutting board, preferably self-healing kind
* Ruler, pencil, metal straight edge, rounded edge
* X-acto knife
* Leather craft edge beveling tool
Summary
* Use a cutting board
* Mark where you want to cut before you cut!
* Dampen the leather when trimming the edges
* Butt the knife against a straight edge or a curved edge for more control
More on Tools
For working in leather crafts, consider the basics: an awl and spare point, a retractable X-acto knife and spare blades, a retractable knife with a break-off blade and a rotary punch.
In addition, you'll need needles, a lump of beeswax and some waxed linen thread. As well, a pair of pliers to pull the needle through the leather is a must, and scissors you can use for cutting the leather.
Then there are edge slickers and bevellers that are used to finish the edges, drive punches for bigger holes and thong cutters for making laces. A T-square, compass and yardstick are essential to ensure that your leather craft piece is measured accurately.
If you're just starting out with leather crafts, you might not want to spend a lot of money on tools. Once you've worked with the basic set and completed a few leather craft projects, you'll have a better idea of what tools work best and what you use most.
At that point, a little research and some comparative shopping can lead you to acquiring better quality leather craft tools that will enhance your work. Of course, even the most expensive tools won't help if you haven't taken the time to develop and perfect your skills.
If you do your very best with what you have, it doesn't matter if you can't afford the most expensive leather craft awl or the latest knife. Quality will show anyway.
Summary
* Start with a basic leather craft tool set
* Buy better quality tools once you've completed some projects and have a better idea of what will enhance the quality of your work
About The Author:
*** Hey! Need To Know More About Leather? *** Here's How to Get Your Answers Quick and Easy Click Here ==> http://www.leathersecrets.com
Once you've decided on your leather craft project, you'll need the right tools and room to do the work. Being prepared ahead of time will make your task more enjoyable and give you a sense of satisfation when you're done. If you're like most of us you'll probably be working on more leather craft projects over time, so creating a designated area is probably a good idea.
What to Cut On
Regardless of the project, you'll need to cut your piece of leather. Choose a flat surface protected with a rubber mat. The latter will help protect your tools and prevent them from becoming blunt.
Alternatively, you can purchase a self-healing cutting board that comes with a grid work. Any cuts made in the board seal up. This product is readily available at such shops as Staples.
Marking the Cut
Use a ruler or yardstick and a pencil to mark the cut. Just make a light mark with the pencil. A rounded edge will help if you're cutting a curve. Then place a metal straight edge along the line you have drawn. Using the tip of an X-acto knife, cut along the line, keeping the knife against the metal edge
Trimming the Edges
If you want to trim the edges of the leather, lay the piece out on a flat surface. Make sure the leather is damp, and keep it so by using a spray bottle full of water.
You'll need what's called an edge beveling tool to smooth the cut edges. The two prongs that form its V shape need to be positioned so that they are facing upward on both sides of the edge.
Keeping the tool at a 45 degree angle, with your index finger on the top of the tool, push it away from you along the cut edge, holding the leather craft piece firmly with your other hand.
As you work, small strips of leather will come off. It's a good idea to practice on small scraps of leather before using the leather craft beveller, so you feel comfortable with it and what it can do.
Tools to Use
* Cutting board, preferably self-healing kind
* Ruler, pencil, metal straight edge, rounded edge
* X-acto knife
* Leather craft edge beveling tool
Summary
* Use a cutting board
* Mark where you want to cut before you cut!
* Dampen the leather when trimming the edges
* Butt the knife against a straight edge or a curved edge for more control
More on Tools
For working in leather crafts, consider the basics: an awl and spare point, a retractable X-acto knife and spare blades, a retractable knife with a break-off blade and a rotary punch.
In addition, you'll need needles, a lump of beeswax and some waxed linen thread. As well, a pair of pliers to pull the needle through the leather is a must, and scissors you can use for cutting the leather.
Then there are edge slickers and bevellers that are used to finish the edges, drive punches for bigger holes and thong cutters for making laces. A T-square, compass and yardstick are essential to ensure that your leather craft piece is measured accurately.
If you're just starting out with leather crafts, you might not want to spend a lot of money on tools. Once you've worked with the basic set and completed a few leather craft projects, you'll have a better idea of what tools work best and what you use most.
At that point, a little research and some comparative shopping can lead you to acquiring better quality leather craft tools that will enhance your work. Of course, even the most expensive tools won't help if you haven't taken the time to develop and perfect your skills.
If you do your very best with what you have, it doesn't matter if you can't afford the most expensive leather craft awl or the latest knife. Quality will show anyway.
Summary
* Start with a basic leather craft tool set
* Buy better quality tools once you've completed some projects and have a better idea of what will enhance the quality of your work
About The Author:
*** Hey! Need To Know More About Leather? *** Here's How to Get Your Answers Quick and Easy Click Here ==> http://www.leathersecrets.com
Stress-Free Scrapbook Journaling Ideas
by: Elaine Clay
Do you find it intimidating when you come to journal your scrapbook pages?
You are not alone! Many scrapbookers find it hard to get started when it comes to adding journaling to their scrapbooking layouts.
If you are one of those people who go blank at the thought of having to journal, don't worry. Here are some stress-free scrapbooking journaling ideas to help you write the right words whatever your page theme.
Make a list. This is a fairly simple journaling technique that is suitable for use with any type of page theme, for example:
Doing a friendship page - list how you met, where you met, how long you have known each other, include what you like about your friend and why you are both pals.
Doing a recipe scrapbook page - then make a personal top 10 list of reasons why you like Grandma's chocolate cake so much.
Doing a baby layout - do a list of baby's favorite foods, you can even do one for the foods they don't like!
A variation of this technique is to use bullet points to mark each line on your list, giving you an opportunity to empathise each item of your journaling:
- Anguilla
- April 2004
- My first trip to the Caribbean
- This is the view from my hotel balcony overlooking the cove - I can't wait to go swimming the sea looks so nice!
Make sure you have fun experimenting with all the different kinds of embellishments that you can use as your bullet points!
Another bonus with using the list technique is that you do not need to worry about the structure of your sentences or that your journaling makes sense because the list breaks down what you want to say into it's basic readable form.
Write a Letter. This is one of those great scrapbook journaling ideas that's fairly simple to do and it's also a lovely, personal way to journal your layouts too.
All you have to do is pretend you're writing to a friend telling them what is happening in your photographs and including the "Dear " at the beginning of your writing will give your journaling an intimate feel.
Sent any emails lately? Like letters, emails are also a good source of journaling material that you can use for your layouts.
If you are unsure of your own journaling then doing it in a letter format could help your writing flow more easily, as you describe the people and the events taking place, letting you tell the story naturally and in your own words.
Ask a question. If you are completely stuck and cannot think of anything to write this can be a good quick fix technique to use. Just ask some simple questions like, "What was your favorite part of..?" or "Did anything funny or embarrassing happen?".
This technique can be very effective when used for a special occasion layout, like a bridal shower, where you can ask each of the guests to tell you about their favorite memory of the bride-to-be.
Why not take it a stage further? Give each shower guest some suitable decorative paper and let them write down their own memories rather than journal all of them yourself.
For an extra special touch, you could get the guests to bring with them their favorite photo of the bride-to-be. Ask them to journal why they picked that particular picture and then do a separate layout for each individual photo.
This is an effective way to make a wonderful and unique scrapbook that is quick, simple and full of memorable pieces of journaling that add a very personal feel to the album.
If you are one of those people who find it difficult to begin the journaling process these fun scrapbook journaling ideas will provide you with some basic tips and techniques to help make it easier.
So go on, try out the scrapbook journaling ideas above for yourself and add some stress-free journaling to your pages... Once you've finished you'll see that it's been well worth the effort.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Elaine Clay is the owner of Online-Scrapbooking-Guide.com :: your one-stop online scrapbooking resource. Find inspiration, increase your creativity and have fun with our helpful tips, ideas, articles and much more.
- Feel free to use the above article on your web site or ezine. Provided that it is published in it's entirety, including my resource box above and a "live" clickable link to: http://www.online-scrapbooking-guide.com
Do you find it intimidating when you come to journal your scrapbook pages?
You are not alone! Many scrapbookers find it hard to get started when it comes to adding journaling to their scrapbooking layouts.
If you are one of those people who go blank at the thought of having to journal, don't worry. Here are some stress-free scrapbooking journaling ideas to help you write the right words whatever your page theme.
Make a list. This is a fairly simple journaling technique that is suitable for use with any type of page theme, for example:
Doing a friendship page - list how you met, where you met, how long you have known each other, include what you like about your friend and why you are both pals.
Doing a recipe scrapbook page - then make a personal top 10 list of reasons why you like Grandma's chocolate cake so much.
Doing a baby layout - do a list of baby's favorite foods, you can even do one for the foods they don't like!
A variation of this technique is to use bullet points to mark each line on your list, giving you an opportunity to empathise each item of your journaling:
- Anguilla
- April 2004
- My first trip to the Caribbean
- This is the view from my hotel balcony overlooking the cove - I can't wait to go swimming the sea looks so nice!
Make sure you have fun experimenting with all the different kinds of embellishments that you can use as your bullet points!
Another bonus with using the list technique is that you do not need to worry about the structure of your sentences or that your journaling makes sense because the list breaks down what you want to say into it's basic readable form.
Write a Letter. This is one of those great scrapbook journaling ideas that's fairly simple to do and it's also a lovely, personal way to journal your layouts too.
All you have to do is pretend you're writing to a friend telling them what is happening in your photographs and including the "Dear " at the beginning of your writing will give your journaling an intimate feel.
Sent any emails lately? Like letters, emails are also a good source of journaling material that you can use for your layouts.
If you are unsure of your own journaling then doing it in a letter format could help your writing flow more easily, as you describe the people and the events taking place, letting you tell the story naturally and in your own words.
Ask a question. If you are completely stuck and cannot think of anything to write this can be a good quick fix technique to use. Just ask some simple questions like, "What was your favorite part of..?" or "Did anything funny or embarrassing happen?".
This technique can be very effective when used for a special occasion layout, like a bridal shower, where you can ask each of the guests to tell you about their favorite memory of the bride-to-be.
Why not take it a stage further? Give each shower guest some suitable decorative paper and let them write down their own memories rather than journal all of them yourself.
For an extra special touch, you could get the guests to bring with them their favorite photo of the bride-to-be. Ask them to journal why they picked that particular picture and then do a separate layout for each individual photo.
This is an effective way to make a wonderful and unique scrapbook that is quick, simple and full of memorable pieces of journaling that add a very personal feel to the album.
If you are one of those people who find it difficult to begin the journaling process these fun scrapbook journaling ideas will provide you with some basic tips and techniques to help make it easier.
So go on, try out the scrapbook journaling ideas above for yourself and add some stress-free journaling to your pages... Once you've finished you'll see that it's been well worth the effort.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Elaine Clay is the owner of Online-Scrapbooking-Guide.com :: your one-stop online scrapbooking resource. Find inspiration, increase your creativity and have fun with our helpful tips, ideas, articles and much more.
- Feel free to use the above article on your web site or ezine. Provided that it is published in it's entirety, including my resource box above and a "live" clickable link to: http://www.online-scrapbooking-guide.com
The Power Of Scrapbook Journaling
by: Elaine Clay
By journaling your pages you will transform an ordinary collection of photographs into a vibrant and visual storyboard - telling the stories behind the pictures, revealing hidden memories and emotions.
It will give your scrapbooks a unique and intimate feel, it is this personal touch that turns your albums into something very special.
That is the power of scrapbooking journaling and why it is one of the most important elements of your scrapbooks.
What to write
When you are doing your scrapbook journaling think about the people who will read it in the future. Try and remember that they weren't there, give them as many details as you can so that they can relive your memories and stories for themselves.One favorite scrapbook journaling technique is to write using the 5 W's method.
- Who :: who's in the photo, who took it and who else was present. It is important to name the people in the pictures you use. People change throughout their lives, especially children, so it is vital to tell readers who they are looking at.
- What :: what is the photo about? Describe what is happening.
- Where :: where is the event in your photo taking place? Give some background information.
- When :: when was the photograph taken? Give a specific date and include the year if possible.
- Why :: why did you use this photo? Does it show a special event like a wedding or a milestone birthday? Explain why it is so memorable.
Tell the story
Don't be afraid of scrapbook journaling. Just ask yourself, "What would I want to tell future generations about the photos on my page?" and then write it down.A tip to remember is that all stories have a beginning, a middle and an end.
For example, a nice way to start off your scrapbooking journaling is to give your album a title page.
Use one of your favorite photos and write down who or what your album is about, you can even include famous sayings, quotes or a special poem if you want.
This leads nicely onto the 'middle' part of your story, the actual scrapbook pages and when you get to the 'end' make a page about yourself. Perhaps use a picture of you working on one of the pages and explain why you have made the scrapbook.
Elaine Clay is the owner of Online-Scrapbooking-Guide.com :: your one-stop online scrapbooking resource. Find inspiration, increase your creativity and have fun with our helpful tips, ideas, articles and much more.
- Feel free to use the above article on your web site or ezine. Provided that it is published in it's entirety, including my resource box above and a live clickable link to: http://www.online-scrapbooking-guide.com
Need A Scrapbook Journaling Idea?
by: Elaine Clay
Try using song lyrics in your next layout.
Song lyrics can be a great source of title and page inspiration for a scraper.
Music and songs play an important part in our lives. Hearing a song again can evoke a lot of emotion, bringing back fond memories of special times, special people and special places.
Of course, different songs mean different things to different people - but you can use songs to 'tap' into those memories to create unique, and highly personal scrapbook pages.
How do you use lyrics on your pages?
Well, here's a scrapbook journaling idea for you to try using a wedding layout as an example.
If the bride and groom have their own special song then you use that to add a personal touch. If not, don't worry find another suitable song instead, there are lots of song lyric web sites on the internet that you can browse.
Pick a section from your chosen song for example, the first verse of "A Groovy Kind of Love"Ø by Phil Collins and journal the lyrics around the edges of your page.
Then embellish your border with some appropriate wedding stickers, die-cuts or punches. Tie it all neatly together, by using the title of the chosen song as the accent title for your layout.
What about a friendship page? You could use some of the lyrics from "You've Got a Friend" by Carole King, maybe decorate your border with musical notes.
Doing a page about someone's birthday? You could journal the words from "Happy Birthday" and embellish the border with cakes, candles or other birthday memorabilia.
Don't limit yourself to just a section of a song, use all of it if you want to.
Write or print out the complete song lyrics onto some nice paper and add it to your page. If you don't have the room left on your album page make a pocket envelope to put your song sheet into.
You can apply this scrapbook journaling idea to any kind of page theme, not just the ones listed here as examples.
There have been tens of thousands of songs published over the years covering all sorts of subjects - the possibilities for the resourceful scraper are endless.
Just make sure that the song title or lyric you are going to use is suitable for the theme of your layout and you'll soon add a quick, simple and memorable piece of journaling to your page.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Elaine Clay is the owner of http://www.online-scrapbooking-guide.com :: your one-stop online scrapbooking resource. Find inspiration, increase your creativity and have fun with our helpful tips, ideas, articles and much more.
- Feel free to use the above article on your web site or ezine. Provided that it is published in it's entirety, including my resource box above and a live clickable link to: http://www.online-scrapbooking-guide.com
How to make a hemp necklace
by: Doris Rose
Have you ever thought about making your own hemp necklace but thought it would probably just be too difficult or take too much time? Well have no fear! I am Doris Rose, owner of www.exoticprincessdesigns.com
I am here to guide you step by step through the process of making a beautiful hemp necklace.
You will need the following materials:
Ok, lets get started. First, you will need to cut one 5-yard length of hemp and one 2-yard length. You will fold these lengths in half with the 2-yard length on the inside and the 5-yard length on the outside. The reason being because the longer 5-yard cord will be what is called the knotter cords, which will be used to make the knots and the shorter 2-yard cord will be what are called the carrier cords which is used as an anchor to hold the knots. The cords will tend to be very long at first so you will want to butterfly them by wrapping them in a figure eight pattern around your fingers. Wrap them in the middle with rubber bands so they will stay together.
You will start by making a loop at the end by tying an overhand knot. Apply Elmer's glue as you are tying it.
Now you need to line up your cords with the shorter ones on the inside and the longer ones on the outside. If you cannot get them to line up just right you will need to untie your knot and retie it with the cords lined up better.
You will now start tying your half square knots. You will do this by first making a loop with the cord to the far right. Bring the cord underneath the first two cords to the left and over the last one.
Bring the cord on your far left over the two middle cords and through the loop.
You will continue to do this repeatedly until you reach an inch in length, which will be about 17 knots. You will now string your first bead on the two middle cords. Tie the two outer cords underneath the bead and continue these steps until you have knotted 6 ½ inches.
At this point you may attach a pendent to your necklace by stringing it onto the bottom cord. You will continue to knot and bead for another 6 ½ inches.
You are now almost done and you will tie another overhand knot at the end. Be sure to apply Elmer's glue as you are tying it. You will have some left over length and you should cut the excess cords about 5 inches from the overhand knot so you have plenty of length to adjust and tie with.
You are now done and you have made a great hemp necklace!
Doris Rose is a jewelry artisan who makes hemp, seed bead laced and gemstone beaded jewelry. You can check out her website at www.exoticprincessdesigns.com
This article is free to copy and paste given that NONE of the content is altered or deleted.
Copyright owned by Doris Rose.
Have you ever thought about making your own hemp necklace but thought it would probably just be too difficult or take too much time? Well have no fear! I am Doris Rose, owner of www.exoticprincessdesigns.com
I am here to guide you step by step through the process of making a beautiful hemp necklace.
You will need the following materials:
- A spool of hemp
- Beads with large holes in them
- Elmer's glue
- Really helps to have a project board and T pins but is not mandatory
Ok, lets get started. First, you will need to cut one 5-yard length of hemp and one 2-yard length. You will fold these lengths in half with the 2-yard length on the inside and the 5-yard length on the outside. The reason being because the longer 5-yard cord will be what is called the knotter cords, which will be used to make the knots and the shorter 2-yard cord will be what are called the carrier cords which is used as an anchor to hold the knots. The cords will tend to be very long at first so you will want to butterfly them by wrapping them in a figure eight pattern around your fingers. Wrap them in the middle with rubber bands so they will stay together.
You will start by making a loop at the end by tying an overhand knot. Apply Elmer's glue as you are tying it.
Now you need to line up your cords with the shorter ones on the inside and the longer ones on the outside. If you cannot get them to line up just right you will need to untie your knot and retie it with the cords lined up better.
You will now start tying your half square knots. You will do this by first making a loop with the cord to the far right. Bring the cord underneath the first two cords to the left and over the last one.
Bring the cord on your far left over the two middle cords and through the loop.
You will continue to do this repeatedly until you reach an inch in length, which will be about 17 knots. You will now string your first bead on the two middle cords. Tie the two outer cords underneath the bead and continue these steps until you have knotted 6 ½ inches.
At this point you may attach a pendent to your necklace by stringing it onto the bottom cord. You will continue to knot and bead for another 6 ½ inches.
You are now almost done and you will tie another overhand knot at the end. Be sure to apply Elmer's glue as you are tying it. You will have some left over length and you should cut the excess cords about 5 inches from the overhand knot so you have plenty of length to adjust and tie with.
You are now done and you have made a great hemp necklace!
Doris Rose is a jewelry artisan who makes hemp, seed bead laced and gemstone beaded jewelry. You can check out her website at www.exoticprincessdesigns.com
This article is free to copy and paste given that NONE of the content is altered or deleted.
Copyright owned by Doris Rose.
10 Slam-Dunk Crafts For Little Kids -- And Bigger Kids Too!
by: Kids Craft Magazine
Crafting with young children really isn't about creating something in particular. Most young children don't have the foresight to see what a project is going to be.
For young children it's more important that they have the opportunity to play and experiment with art. Kids need to use as many of their senses as possible to get the most out of crafting. This allow them to try new sensory experiences, as well as learn causal relationships.
These are my 10 favorite crafts for little kids based on all that AND the 'fun factor.'
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Chris Yates makes it Easy to craft with Little Kids and Create a little Magic Time with Hundreds of project ideas. Visit http://www.LittleKidCrafts.com Now!
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Crafting with young children really isn't about creating something in particular. Most young children don't have the foresight to see what a project is going to be.
For young children it's more important that they have the opportunity to play and experiment with art. Kids need to use as many of their senses as possible to get the most out of crafting. This allow them to try new sensory experiences, as well as learn causal relationships.
These are my 10 favorite crafts for little kids based on all that AND the 'fun factor.'
- Finger painting: Finger painting is a wonderful activity for kids. It lets them 'feel' the craft as well as be creative. You don't have to have finger paints to do this activity with kids. You can finger paint with homemade paint, watercolors or even mud. You can also experiment with adding other things to the paint such as sand or glitter.
- Yarn Painting: Dip pieces of string or yarn into paint and then drag it across the paper to paint with it. It's a good experience to paint with something other than a brush and you can just throw the yarn away when finished.
- Q-Tip Painting: Use Q-tips to create a painting. There are lots of ways to use a Q-tip - scrub, dot, or use it like a brush. It's a good coordination exercise because Q-tips are small around, but it also provides a lot of interest for the child.
- Glue Art: Draw squiggle lines on a piece of paper or let the child use their finger to make random glue spots or patterns on a piece of paper. Experiment with adding different objects to the glue. Sand, glitter, cotton, yarn, feathers, and tissue paper all work well.
- Salt Dough Sculpture: Make a batch of salt dough and turn the kids loose with it. You don't have to worry about them eating it (it's safe and tastes terrible) and clean up is easier than play dough. If you want to keep their creations, let them dry overnight and then paint them the next day.
- Toe Painting: If it's a warm summer day, put on the swimsuits, put some finger paint into pie tins, lay out large sheets of poster paper, and let them 'paint' all afternoon. They will have a ball and all you have to do is hose them off when they are done (that's my kids' favorite part actually!)
- Found Object Art: This project is always a sure thing because kids love to 'discover' things. Let your child gather up leaves, sticks, flowers, etc. and then glue them onto a piece of paper. When they are done, let them tell you about their collection.
- Peanut Pictures: Every kid loves to play with packing peanuts -- but it makes such a mess. Let them create pictures with them instead. Kids can draw on them, glue them to a sheet of paper, or glue the peanuts to each other to make a sculpture. The kids will love it!
- Sticker Play: Turn your child loose with a bunch of stickers, markers, and a sheet of paper and let them create. It's good for little ones to work on their coordination, and it's fun!
- Stamping: Kids love to use any kind of stamps. My favorites are the self-inking stamps or the double-sided markers with the stamps on one end. This may sound like pure play, but is also teaches young children cause and effect.
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Chris Yates makes it Easy to craft with Little Kids and Create a little Magic Time with Hundreds of project ideas. Visit http://www.LittleKidCrafts.com Now!
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