Childrens Bug Crafts - Kids Crafts to Drive Them Buggy

There are an estimated 1,017,018 species of insects in our world, so it's no wonder that children have an endless fascination with them. When they're outside playing, insects are everywhere, and while the majority of them don't hurt people, they are extremely interesting to look at. Therefore, childrens bug crafts are very popular with kids, because they love making their own insects.

Children can make an easy dragonfly by painting one old-fashioned (not clip) clothespin and four 3/4" craft sticks pale green. Prior to painting cut each craft stick at a 60 degree angle by cutting off about 1" of the stick. Let the pieces dry, then have the children paint a veined pattern on the sticks with a darker shade of green. They can also add some darker green to the clothespin including two dots on the front for eyes. When everything dries, glue the sticks into the groove in the clothespin to form two pairs of wings.

Clay pots make great childrens bug crafts. Start this ladybug windchime by painting a 4" clay pot bright red, inside and out. While the pots are drying, have the children color 3/4" sticker circles (available at discount stores) with permanent black markers. Each child needs to make two stickers into eyes and color eight more solid black. When the pots are dry, the children will paste their stickers on the pot to form the eyes and spots. Cover the entire surface with Mod Podge to make it weatherproof and keep the stickers from falling off. Fold two black craft stems in half, link them together, and thread them through the hole in the bottom of the pot. Glue the edges of the inside stem to the pot surface. Curl the ends of the stem sticking up slightly to form feelers. Feed a string through the hole around the craft stems with both ends inside the pot. Knot about 6" above the pot for a hanger. String a few pony beads onto the ends of the string and knot the strings securely. These will provide a little noise when wind blows the ladybug pot.

A third insect craft is to make a paper plate bee. Start with a heavy duty paper plate. Draw lines across the back of the plate about 2 1/2" apart. Have the children paint every other stripe bright yellow. When the yellow dries, paint the alternating stripes black. Glue two large craft eyes on the sloped edge of the plate. Punch two holes about an inch apart in the top of the plate a little ways behind the eyes. Thread a black craft stem through the holes and twist them to form antenna. Cut four wings from waxed paper and glue to the top of each bee.

There's nothing kids love doing more than painting, so you know they'll really enjoy doing these childrens bug crafts. You'll love seeing the delight in the eyes of the children over the cute insect crafts they have made all by themselves.

Wendy Pan is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about childrens bug crafts [http://craftswithyourchildren.info/childrens-bug-crafts-kids-crafts-to-drive-them-buggy], please visit Crafts With Your Children [http://craftswithyourchildren.info] for current articles and discussions.

Flying Superman Kids Craft For Kids Of All Ages To Have Fun With

Kids everywhere know who Superman is. He is a favorite among boys. There are girls who like him too. No matter whether the kids like him or not, they will all have fun doing this easy craft. They will be able to have all kinds of fun with their new craft.

Here are the materials that are needed for the flying Superman craft.

Template (You can find this online or draw your own. If you get it online you will have to use two or three pieces of paper because there are two templates that you will need to print out for each kid to do this craft.)

Toilet paper tube

Scissors

Glue

The first step is to print out the templates and then cut them out. You can cut them out or have the kids do it, depending on their age. Now the blue square shape needs to be glued to the top of the toilet paper tube and the red square shape needs to be glued to the bottom of the toilet paper tube. You want to make sure that the whole tube is covered with these two squares because this is the Superman outfit.

Now the Superman belt and the S shape will need to be glued to the appropriate places on the tube. Next the head needs to be wrapped around the tube at the top of the blue part of the tube. The arms need to be glued to the cape with the arms up like he is getting ready to fly. Now glue the cape to the back of the tube, make sure that the red side of the cape is facing the tube. Next, glue the legs onto the front part of the red end of the tube.

The Superman craft is now done and ready for the kids to play with. You can attach a piece of string to the craft if you want to so the kids can hang it up in their room. This way it looks like he is flying.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for Superman party supplies and fun party games. She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free holiday printable games and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Themes including Superman Party Supplies to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.

Bible story Crafts For Kids-light of the World Kids Craft

Children will enjoy the connection in this vessel between the loving glow of candle light and the light that it symbolizes. This is one of the really popular Bible story crafts for children because it deals with God's light and the children they also remember is that to this light and have seem. Candles are not always easily under the children crafts, but this is an easy to make candle holder. And children will be so proud of making their own lights to shine.

The fresh memory of the sermon on the mount can be added to the candle also: "ye are the light of the world ...Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. "

The "salt of the Earth" of Scripture lesson can also be linked in with the glitter symbolizes the salt this craft. Scripture: Matthew 5

Supplies for each candle

Small to medium-sized, wide mouthed pot as a baby food jar or salsa White glitter Gift-wrap, tissue paper (assorted colors) white craft glue

Small piece of sponge (about 1/2 to 1 inch square) clothespin

Tea candle Votive candle or (depending on the size of the pot) Ribbon
Prep

Ribbons for each of the children's candles cut. Write the memory verse, or the beginning of the "Ye are the Light of the World," can be read on the Ribbon tied around the neck of the pot after. Reserved, so that children can add after their candles are completed.

Instructions

Cracks or small pieces of the tissue paper cut.

Since the glue will be used with a type of decoupage thin by mixing technique, the first time in a plastic cup (such as a yogurt container) with a little water.

The piece of sponge with a clothespin of illustrations.

Using the "sponge brush", relate to the outside of the pot with the diluted glue.

Before the glue dries, do slips of colored tissue paper. Hold the tissue paper layering thin so that the light seems good.

While the tissue paper with the glue is still wet, roll the pot in a plate of glitter.
Salt can be used instead, but in the areas of high humidity it can ultimately dissolve.

Add the candle, light and enjoy. Or send the children to the light of the candles at home with their families.

More exciting Bible story Crafts For Kids Bible Crafts For Kids get on

For more visit the site fun and easy crafts Bible Magriet http://www.kidscrafts.topknacks.com/documents/noahsarkbiblecraft.html "Fun Kids Crafts" on for another fun craft with candles and have a look at Magriet of decorative candles for mother's day http://www.our-crazy-world.com/documents/easycraftsforkids.html Magriet on its site recommends

Switching Sides: Simple Roasted Carrots For Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my holiday. All mine. I plan the menu, but I don’t forget to add in a few family favorites mixed with a few new recipes I’ve bookmarked to try. What usually happens though, is that I end up with way too many sides that take too much time to prepare.  Inevitably we eat about an hour later (okay, two) than I tell everyone.   Not this year.

This year I’m taking Thanksgiving back. I’m all about simplicity this year. I want good-quality ingredients prepared simply with as little stress as possible. I’m trading in those time-consuming sides (with too many steps and endless ingredients) for the basics done well.

A few Thanksgivings ago, I made Braised Carrots with Shallots, Thyme and Sage from Gourmet Magazine. They were incredible.  INCREDIBLE.

Because I usually run out of burners on the stove, I’m trading the 20 minutes on the stove for 20 minutes in the oven. I’m nixing the braising liquid and the high calorie butter (though, as I said–incredible), and yes, even the shallots. I will be keeping the basic flavor elements that will help the sweetness of the baby rainbow carrots shine through.

Fresh herbs are an important part of Thanksgiving.  I planted sage in my garden a few years ago just so I could have it for Thanksgiving.  True story.  And basically so I could eat those braised carrots all spring, summer, and winter long.

If you can’t find fresh herbs, don’t fret.  Dried is fine.  Just use about half as much because dried herbs (if they aren’t too old and stale) will be stronger than an equal amount of fresh.  I love sage by itself, but I’ve added rosemary and thyme here because…well, because why not?  It’s Thanksgiving after all.

Last time-saving tip–don’t peel your carrots. It won’t hurt you to eat the peel.  And it saves a lot of time.  These carrots are pretty small anyway, so I also didn’t want to lose too much by peeling them.  I scrub them with a brush or the rough side of a new dish sponge to remove any dirt.  I halved or quartered the thicker carrots so they all cooked evenly.  (For size reference, the carrots pictured ranged from the thickness of a pencil to about 1? in diameter.)

Use the leftovers cold or room temperature in a salad or dipped in something yummy.

Roasted Baby Carrots with Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
double or triple for a crowd, this amount will serve 4

1 1/2 lbs. baby carrots (rainbow if you can find them), washed well
1 small sprig fresh rosemary, minced
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from the stems
5-6 sage leaves, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Toss carrots with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and herbs.  Roast at 425 degrees F for about 20 minutes in a baking dish or on a baking sheet lined with parchment.  (I like mine tender-crisp.  Roast longer if you prefer them more tender.)

Tagged as: menu plan, side dish, thanksgiving, thanksgiving food

Lindsey Johnson is a stay-at-home mom who enjoys cooking, baking, photography, gardening, and writing. You can find more recipes at her blog, Cafe Johnsonia. Read other posts by Lindsey

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Holiday Craft Along – Handmade Felt Envelopes

A few weeks back I participated in a fun round up of handmade craft projects for the holidays. The lovely hosts Kelly of According to Kelly, Cindy of Skip to My Lou, and Rachel of A Southern Fairytale put together 30 days of baking, crafting, and sewing. I contributed this fun handmade felt envelope. It’s the perfect size for gifting money, gift cards, or even candy for the kids!

Here are a few others to showcase, they were all such great ideas!

Tagged as: christmas present, diy, gifts, handmade, Holidays

Marie LeBaron is the founder and managing editor of Make and Takes. Always having a love of crafts, she enjoys getting messy with glue and glitter. There’s always some sort of project going on, her kitchen counter is often cluttered with crafts. When she’s not crafting and creating with her kids, she loves to run, read, and blog! Read other posts by Marie

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Favorite Pastimes - Crafts For Kids and Adults

The current severe economic downturn is affecting people on every level. Rising fuel costs have impacted everything from the price of groceries to the cost of getting to work everyday. Joblessness is up and the discretionary income is down. But some of the most telling signs of the times are the changes in the way people spend their leisure time. We've all read media reports about the trend away from vacations and toward "staycations," where people stay at home instead of traveling. Along the same lines, there's a significant trend toward finding recreational activities that can substitute for more costly alternatives. What are the emerging trends? Crafts for kids, quilting, and gardening.

It makes sense when you think about it. After all, kids' activities like gymnastics lessons and karate lessons can take a chunk out of the family budget - both in terms of fees and in terms of the cost of gas to shuttle kids around to their extracurricular activities. For adults, the cost of lattes, nights out at the movies, and going out to dinner really add up. Plus, when times are tough, families tend to stick closer together and look for ways to spend quality time with one another. On every level, crafts fit the bill.

As a result, parents and grandparents are on the lookout for kids' craft projects that will engage children and keep those little hands busy. Thankfully, there are many inexpensive books that are filled with ideas. For example, you can find books that outline crafts using play dough, how to make flower figures, and even Christmas crafts. In fact, you can even find books that provide ideas for making Christmas gifts that fit in a jar. From crafts for preschool-age children to pastimes for older kids, these idea books provide a wealth of options for engaging children's imaginations.

As for adults, two trends are emerging. Just as knitting and sewing enjoyed a resurgence during the past decade, the latest "old world" pastime to hit the big time is quilting. Although it looked as though the art of quilting was on the endangered list, hobbyists are bringing it back to life and enjoying the detail and craft involved in making a quilt. As a result, there is a wealth of helpful new books on quilting projects, including how-to books, quilting patterns, and quilting designs.

The other emerging trend for adults is gardening. Since people are spending so much more time at home, they're finding that gardening is a great way to inexpensively spruce up the yard - and get an unparalleled sense of satisfaction.

The recent resurgence of interest in crafts is not only a matter of economics. It's also a reflection of people's new environmental sensibilities. The concepts of reduce, reuse, and recycle are the cornerstone of crafting. Tidbits laying around the house can be put to use in crafts for kids, pieces of fabric can be put together to make gorgeous quilting designs, and some types of waste can be composted and used as fertilizer in gardening. Save money and save the planet? It's a winning combination!

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.

Good Times For Everyone With Family Fun Crafts

Are you looking for something inexpensive and fun to brighten up a rainy day? Crafts can be the answer! Craft projects can be great fun for the whole family as well as an excellent way to bond with your kids. Craft projects help encourage kids to use their imagination and creativity.

There are many things you can do as a fun family craft project. The ages of your kids and what types of materials you have on hand can help you choose. Even if you don't have many supplies laying around, if you have kids you probably have paper, crayons and some other odds and ends at minimum. Even these basic supplies can be the foundation for a fun afternoon of craft projects.

Some craft projects can be downright messy. It's always a good idea to lay some newspaper over the table before starting anything that might require an extensive cleanup. Smocks are great to have to protect clothing, but if you don't have any handy one of Dad's old tee shirts will do just fine.

What to Make?

There are so many great kids crafts to do that it might be hard to decide what to make! The internet is a wealth of information on kids crafts. You can even find sites that list step by step instructions for kids craft projects, many with pictures to follow. When you find projects that you like, you can print them out for easy reference.

Some crafts are simple, yet kids really have a ball with them. My kids favorite crafts all involve colored piple cleaners. They are simple, but the kids really enjoy twisting them together and making pipe cleaner sculptures and cat toys out of them. We also keep a nice supply of "googly eyes" that you can find at any craft store, those make nice eyes for the pipe cleaner people.

Painting crafts are a staple and good fun for everyone. You can paint almost anything made out of wood or ceramic and with just a few simple supplies, you can create fun and functional works of art. Painted picture frames, ornaments and keepsake boxes are easy for older kids to do and with a little help can be made as gifts.

Fabric paint is another painting craft thats fun for the whole family. Get some fabric paint and plain white tee shirts. Have everyone make a hand print on the teeshirts with the fabric paint and decorate however you'd like. These family hand print tee-shirts are wearable art that you will cherish forever.

With just a little bit of imagination and some basic craft supplies, craft time with the family can be a bonding experience that's fun for everyone.

Looking for more family craft ideas? Visit the Family Fun Crafts [http://www.dotparent.com/index.php/Family-Fun/Family-Fun-Crafts.html] page or check out my free kids crafts blog!

Crafts For Kids-Craft ideas for the whole family

In the busy world today can be difficult to find time to do things as a family. Many people view watching television together as quality family time. However, for others, completion wooden crafts are quality family time. Here are some ideas for different wooden crafts that can be involved in the whole family.

Race cars -Down hill race cars made of wood and painted by individual members of the family than reed of a smooth course are great ways to have fun. The individual cars, all the same, a simple block of wood propped up by four, free spinning wheels. Each family member can then paint for their vehicle in the manner that best suits that person. The track can be easily performed by a wide wooden board and small sides connected to the Board of directors so that the vehicles do not fall out. The vehicles drove over and over again, with a small trophy going to the winner of each race.

Doll houses -doll's houses are very popular wooden crafts. There are some very beautiful dolls houses that are made by professional crafters around the world. However, simplicity is usually best for dolls houses that will be played with and the children involved in the construction. In the construction of the doll's houses, one can go a few different routes. A can build each room individually; allowing them to be stacked to build the House, or one can build the frame of the House and then dividing the House in rooms. Either way, the children and other family members can help by painting the rooms and by picking furniture for the House. Make sure that the House is big enough for the standard "Barbie" doll.

Wooden toys -toy animals and humans can be a lot of fun for children to play with his. These toys can be a simple slot design, so that for the body and head on a piece of wood, and the legs on separate pieces of wood that fit in the first piece and provide a stable basis for the toys. The family can be involved in the creation of these toys through the painting of the toy and the addition of eyes and hair. These toys can then be held on and played with over the years. They can even be memories of great times at home when the child grows up and moves out.

No matter what crafts and interactive events that you plan for your child, these are times that your whole family will remember and cherish. As the children grow up, they will be able to look back on those times, and then tap the wooden toys and crafts that they contributed to move on in life. If they are, they will come to treasure those moments even more if they were prepared to realize how much time you invest in them in your busy life. These are the moments of childhood that reminded me the best.

Lara Smith is an aspiring artist and an employee at craftparts outside of Fort Worth in Texas in Haltom City, offer many products including wooden toys, wooden toys, parts wheels and plugs and a huge stock of buttons unfinished wood parts for woodworkers and hobbyists. For all your needs part wooden toys, check out Crafts for Kids

Simple Kids Crafts - Wood Projects

When you think of kids crafts what comes to mind? Many of us think paper, glue, scissors, and glitter. There is another form of crafting that children enjoy referred to as wood crafts. Although, it may seem complex there are plenty of rather simple wood projects you can start with your child. Introducing them to woodworking is a great method to use for confidence building.

The act of manipulating unfinished wood into a useful household object is rewarding for a child. They instantly feel accomplished, capable, and important. Creating something with their hands helps improve motor and problem-solving skills. Similar to other crafts it unleashes their imagination allowing them to openly express themselves in a new way. The more artistic outlets a child has the better their opinion and communication to world will be. As a parent it is important to assist in your child's development. Providing them with a woodworking project teaches self-esteem and pride. Many schools have shut down their woodworking programs so introducing your child into the wonderful world of wood will be new and exciting to them. Wood crafts are sturdy lasting you years to come.

If you make several projects some can be sold on eBay or Etsy for extra income. Many children would be thrilled to see people actually wanting to purchase their creation. It's a great method to introduce your child into business and money. Showing them an example of how through learning something you can generate profit.

Simple kids crafts made from wood products are extremely useful. A favorite among woodworkers is the key holder. Have you ever been running late and you can't find your keys. Many children can recall that type of situation. They will find great pride in creating a custom key holder for mom and dad. Birch shaker pegs or wood spindles can be used as an alternate key hook when making the design completely wood.

Another great wood project idea is building a letter holder. You can teach your child about postage stamps during the process. It's a quick and easy project to do. If you want to customize the letter holder let your child select their own choice of paint to add color to the piece. A fun and easy outdoor wood project is building a butterfly house. If you have a decent size backyard creating a structure that will attract beautiful monarch butterflies will amaze your child.

A classic wood project that is quite simple is building a toy box with a giant toy wheel attached to the front. Kids can sand and paint the toy wheel while the adult assists with pulling the chest together. The positive aspect about wood projects is its totally up to you. Every design can be changed to look the way you want it to. There are many wood crafts kits available that make woodworking simple as well. Some parents like to use them for convenience. They have an assortment of projects ranging from toy trucks to animals that comes with precut wood toy parts.

Lara Smith is an aspiring artist and employee at craftparts outside of Fort Worth in Haltom City Texas, offering many products including wooden toy wheels, wooden toy parts, buttons and plugs and a huge inventory of unfinished wood parts for woodworkers and crafters. For all of your Wooden toy parts needs, check out CraftParts

Lara Smith works for Woodworks, LTD, a wholesale craft parts supplier near Fort Worth, TX, offering wood products such as wooden toy wheels, toy parts, buttons and plugs. To learn more about craft wood, check out http://www.craftparts.com

Easy Kids Crafts For Halloween

Zijn uw kinderen enthousiast over Halloween nog? We hebben niet een dag gaan door waar mijn dochter niet mij vragen als het is tijd om te gaan nog Trick. Houd ze bezig terwijl ze wachten met deze gemakkelijk kinderen ambachtelijke ideeën die u samen kan doen.

Ghost Hand Puppet

Kinderen zijn dol op spelen met poppen en er is nauwelijks een gemakkelijker marionet te maken dan een spook. Alles wat u nodig hebt is een witte papieren handdoek, of een witte zakdoek, een rubberen band en een zwarte marker.

Vraag uw kind om haar duim en pinky verspreid, maar de 3 andere vingers bij elkaar houden. De papieren handdoek draperen over haar hand en veilig de rubberen band rond de drie vingers. Dit zal de geest van de hoofd; de duim en Pink vormen de armen. Draw ogen en een mond op de papieren handdoek en de kleine ghost pop is voltooid.

Ghost lollies

Kleding omhoog de lollies die u voor Halloween weggeven door inwikkeling een witte weefsel of kleine stuk van stof over hen. Veilig met een stuk van string of een rubberen band. Neem een zwarte marker en tekenen van de ogen en de mond van een ronde op de geest van gezicht.

Spin Webs

Wat zou Halloween zonder spinnen en spinnenwebben? Deze schattige kleine spinnenwebben met de kinderen maken en hang ze in het venster. Allen die u wenst zijn 3 ambachtelijke of schone popsicle stokken en sommige wit of zwart garen. Nemen twee van de ambachtelijke stokken en lijm ze samen om te vormen van een kruis. Lijm de 3e een recht in het midden, die een ster vormen. Stropdas één eind van het garen rond één van de ambachtelijke stokken in het midden. Start het weven over een ambachtelijke stok en onder de andere. Houd gaand rond, vormen uw spinnenweb. Zorg ervoor dat u laat ten minste 1/4 inch van de ambachtelijke stokken uit te steken en de loose end beveiligen door koppelverkoop het aan één van de ambachtelijke stokken. Een kleine plastic spin in het midden lijm en uw spinnenweb ophangen.

Heks bezem potlood

Heks bezem potloden maken een leuke Halloween geschenk dat niet gepaard met snoep gaat. U kunt een potlood omzetten in een heksenbezem met een handvol van huishoudelijke artikelen. Alles wat u nodig hebt is een regelmatige potlood, sommige kleine takjes uit de werf, sommige string en een beetje lijm.

De twijgen breken in stukken van gelijke lengte en ze line-up rond het potlood einde van een potlood. Maken het eruit ziet als een ouderwetse bezem. De pruiken met string beveiligen en past u vervolgens een dikke laag van lijm te houden het allemaal op plaats.

Ketel Candy schotel

Te maken van deze schattige ketel snoep schotel, beginnen met een lege ronde plastic container (zoals een cool-zweep container). Schoon, droog het en dan het zwarte verf. Verf drie kleine houten ballen zwart ook. Nadat de verf droog is, lijm deze aan de onderkant van uw plastic container. Het toevoegen van een greep gemaakt van draad als u houden zou en uw snoep schotel ketel wordt gedaan. Voeg gewoon enkele van uw favoriete Halloween snoep.

Pompoen schilderij

Grappige of eng gezichten in een pompoen snijwerk is een erg leuk, maar het wordt ook heel rommelig en kleine kinderen niet echt veel doen omdat er een mes betrokken. Koop een paar kleine pompoenen in plaats daarvan, naast of in de grote snijwerk pompoen. Permanente pennen of acryl verf gebruiken om te tekenen grappige gezichten op uw mini-pompoenen.

Maak je een Halloween kostuum

Wil je snel en eenvoudig maken creatieve Halloween kostuums die u en uw kinderen zal trots zijn op--voor een fractie van de prijs van de winkel koopt? Susanne Myers heeft samengesteld een boek om u te tonen hoe--geen naaien betrokken. Bezoek http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/ebooks/halloween.html voor meer informatie.

Ga naar http://www.kinderinfo.com voor meer ambachten en activiteiten voor u en uw kind

Celebration Chalkboard Count Down

I don’t know about your family, but holidays are a BIG deal at our house! We LOVE the holidays! I thought it would be fun to create a little countdown chalk board to remember all of life’s important events! I had made some Christmas Countdown blocks last year… but I wanted to create something I could keep up all year long.  This chalkboard is perfect for that, because you can write in any holiday you want.  You can also count down to vacations, a concert, school being out…anything your families excited about!  These are SO fun and the kids will love them!

Supplies for Chalkboard Count Down:

square wooden basewooden dowelmini chalk boardpaintsuper glue“days until” printed vinylembellishments – ribbon, buttonschalk

1. Drill a hole into the wooden base (try to match the drill bit size to the wooden dowel).

2. Remove vinyl sticker and place in center of chalk board.  I cut out the vinyl sticker with my cameo, however you could always use a stencil or write in “days until.”

3. Push down hard on the vinyl and then remove the transfer paper leaving the vinyl on the chalkboard.

4. Paint wooden base, dowel and frame around the chalk board. Allow several minutes to dry. You may want to paint the back of the frame as well if it will be seen.

5. Super glue wooden dowel to the back of the chalk board. Allow a few minutes to dry. Then place a little glue in the drilled hole and around rim of wooden dowel. Push dowel into the hole and hold in place for a minute.

6. Dress your chalkboard up with ribbon and embellishments.

That’s all, simple as that!
Enjoy your new  chalk board countdown to remember all of lives important events!! 

Tagged as: advent calendar, christmas crafts, countdown

Jamielyn created I {Heart} Nap Time where she shares her creativity, DIY Projects, crafts, sewing tutorials and recipes. Jamielyn enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 little ones in Phoenix Arizona. Join her on Facebook or Twitter.  Read other posts by Jamielyn

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Fun and Easy Kids' Craft Idea - How to Make Candles from Old Crayons

If your home is anything like mine, you're constantly picking crayons up off the floor. My son colors everyday, sometimes for hours on end. He loves crayons. We're always buying more crayons because he either looses them or they've been worn down to nubbins and hard to color with. Well, here's a tip for you on what you can do with the worn out crayons rather than throwing them away. You can recycle the old crayons by making them into candles. You can show your kids how they can take something old and make it into something new and colorful that's useful too. You'll want to burn these darling homemade candles yourself and give them as gifts as well.

Use this craft technique as a teaching moment with your kids. Before you start making the candles, talk to your kids about safety. They'll need to know that the crayons will have to be melted using a very high heat, and they will not be able to do that particular step in the process. Tell them they will have other fun steps in making crayon candles.

Get your supplies together. Along with about six crayons, you'll need a wax container of some sort such as an empty milk or orange juice wax carton, one pound of paraffin wax, two full ice cube trays, a double boiler, white packing string. If you're hesitant to use your double boiler to melt the crayons and wax, an old coffee can and saucepan works great.

First, trim the top off of the wax carton, leaving it approximately six inches high. Next, cut the string at least 8 inches long and later cut the wick to fit the holder. Braid the three string pieces together to make a wick that burns easier. Melt the paraffin wax in the double boiler or coffee can. To help it melt faster, cut it into small chunks. Usually you'll need to allow about 20 minutes for the melting process to complete.

Get your kids involved with the crayon candle making fun by letting them remove the crayon wrappers from the crayons while the wax is melting. Be creative by mixing and matching the crayon colors to create your own pretty candle.

Most folks find that they get the best results if they wait and add the crayons to the wax after it's totally melted. Use a pair of scissors and dip the string into the paraffin. Dipping the string will make sure it's coated with paraffin because the ice cubes may make it hard for the wax to stick to the string. Hold the string so that it is in the middle of the carton and fill the carton with ice cubes. Pour wax mixture over the ice cubes. You can even add a touch of scent to your crayon candle by adding a little cinnamon or vanilla to the hot wax.

Once you have poured your candle, make sure your kids know the importance of leaving it alone to harden. The candle will usually set in about half an hour, but leave it alone for a couple of hours and until the ice is melted. Put the candle in an area that is safe and where it will not be bothered. Be sure the little ones know they could be burned if they touch the hot wax before it's cooled. The wax can stay hot for hours after pouring and can be a potential hazard to kids and animals. When you're ready, all you have to do then is pour off the melted water and then peel off the wax carton.

If you're looking for a new and easy craft project to do with your kids or with a small group of kids, then making crayon candles is great idea. You can spend a fun afternoon with your children and make a useful candle for your home or as a gift for grandparents and friends.

Learn more about crafting and find free patterns for scrapbooking and all sorts of craft projects at Free Craft Ideas http://freecraftideas.homestead.com

Step Up to Memories - A Kids Craft Project

If you've been looking for a creative art project to do with the kids, look no further! I recently did a fun project with my daughter and thought I'd share the how-to for other parents who are looking for ways to keep their kids busy and creative all while making something useful for around the home!

What You'll Need

A wooden step ladder

Spray paint (your choice of color)

Sponges (either cut into shapes of your choice or pre-purchased in shapes)

Letter Stencils (of your child's name)

Craft Paint (your choice of colors)

Newspaper (the older the better)

Smock or old clothing for you and your child

Now you're ready to start creating. A little preparation is needed before bringing your child into the project. Take the step ladder outside and put it on the newspaper and spray paint it, covering the entire step ladder thoroughly. Let it dry overnight and you'll be ready to bring your child into the project the next day!

Bring the painted ladder to your work area (outside is recommended). Work with your child to sponge paint the shapes onto the ladder in the colors of your choice. Let it dry thoroughly.

Next, help your child stencil their name(s) onto the ladder. I'd recommend doing it on the side, and not the top, as the top will take a bit of wear if you plan to let your child use it. If it is to be a decoration for the porch of your child's room, putting the name on top will be ok if you choose to do so. Let it dry.

Your child now has a ladder, personally designed by them, to use. Put it in the corner of their room and through their favorite stuffed animal or trophies or photographs on top. You can also use the ladder as décor in your garden or on your porch. More practically, you can let your child use it for help in reaching the bathroom sink or other out of the way place they need to get to on a frequent basis.

While you can buy a step stool in the store, making one with your child not only gives you an activity to do together to get in some quality time, but it also will serve as a reminder for many years of the time you spent together and may even end up as a hand me down to your grandchildren.

And remember, above all, have fun!

Chuck Greene is the owner and operator of a little ladder website called Ladder Fanatic. It is a testament to his unique (some may call it crazy) love of ladders ? especially the Little Giant Ladder brand ladders. http://www.ladderfanatic.com

Simple Crafts For Kids-6 easy Kids Crafts

Children enjoy arts and crafts. Creative and tapping into their imagination is what they do best. Crafting skills children every opportunity to hone that openly volunteer. It is a fun way to entertain the children while improving their cognitive skills. Learn how something works and to create an object is a fascinating way for children to spend extra time. A few hours of paper or wooden crafts can a period adhesion between you and your child. Crafts can also a great activity to keep children busy during rainy days, holidays, breaks and weekends.

There are six children easy crafts that every parent can do at home with their child. The most common craft project for children is pasta art. All you need is the various pieces of colorful construction paper, glue and a box of dry macaroni, noodles. Using different type such as penne pasta to make the art more interesting. Kids love to play around with the set-aside obligation pile dry noodles. It is a fun activity for them. Finger painting runs a close second place for easy kids crafts. The big kid in all of us loves to messy. Painting is a great form of expression. Children practice finger dexterity if they dive and glide their little fingers on the paper. Establishment of old newspaper and put special play dress up your kids that you don't mind is damaged you will ease clean-up of a stressful.

Wooden crafts are not so demanding they may sound. The third easiest children craft includes wood products. It is magnets. This is a simple project that children can have fun with. Buy wood to unfinished wood shapes, paint, magnet strips magnets that self-adhesive or a hot glue gun for standard magnets. Let your child painting their wooden toy parts or shapes, and then set to dry. After they added each additional types of decorations such as glitter or beads attach magnets and hand on the door of the fridge. Will the children smile every time they walk to the kitchen to admire their masterpiece.

Puppet is the fourth easy kids crafts. Creative craft to explore if you are making a puppet. There are many options when constructing puppets. The simplest shape is the sock puppet. A little glue and felt goes a long way in making your creature puppet. All supplies to around the House will suffice. If you would like to put on a more refined show than a wooden doll using wooden sticks and fishing line move your wooden puppet. There are kits available to produce this amazing puppet to help you effortlessly. Kids can put on their own puppet theater whenever they want.

The fifth craft project that many children enjoy is making wooden frames. Most wooden frames come already assembled in unfinished wood. All you have to do is paint and decorating to your own taste. Connected wooden balls, Finials, or small toys wheels to make the frame edges a dramatic effect. Kids can add hours glitter and painting. Similar to the previous project is the sixth child easy craft idea wooden door signs. Taking a piece of plywood which saw the careful monitoring of your child while in their desired shape or buy pre-cut pieces and decorate is a favorite among children. They love hanging from their door sign on their room. Remember when tinkering with children creativity and patience is the key.

Lara Smith is an aspiring artist and an employee at craftparts outside of Fort Worth in Texas in Haltom City, offer many products including wooden toys, wooden toys, parts wheels and plugs and a huge stock of buttons unfinished wood parts for woodworkers and hobbyists. For all your wooden parts CraftParts toys needs, check out

Lara Smith works for Woodworks, Ltd., a wholesale craft parts supplier near Fort Worth, TX, offering wood products such as wooden toys toy parts, wheels, buttons, and plugs. For more information about wooden toys http://www.craftparts.com wheels, check out

Crossing Off Your Bucket List with Just Ask

Jordan and I, along with our kids, have started to talk more about our “bucket list” and what things we want to do during our life. We’ve been talking to our kids about making goals and working to achieve them, and making a family bucket list seemed appropriate. I think it’s good to start this now and involve our kids, making goals and striving to accomplish them when we write them down. It’s also good to have something to work towards and look forward to.

I was thrilled about the opportunity to work with Just Ask, a company who wants us all to stay around for a good long while so we can all cross activities and achievements off that bucket list. That’s why they’ve developed a test that could save lives—the BRACAnalysis test—by warning about chances of getting breast or ovarian cancer.

Here’s the fun part from Just Ask… share your bucket list and you have a shot of winning a trip of a lifetime.  The grand prizes are:

A family vacation of a lifetime to Universal Orlando® Resort.A Las Olas Surf Camp SafariSki Lessons and stay at Park City Mountain Resort

Here’s my family’s “bucket list”, in no particular order of family member. Although you’ll probably know which one came from a child :)

Go on a Disney CruiseSleep in Cinderella’s CastleRun the Disney half marathon (yes, a bit of a Disney theme going on here)Travel to IndiaLearn to surfBe a secret agentMake 2 new friends this yearTry out for the local Roller Derby TeamDo a triathlonKayak through the San Juan IslandsSki the AlpsTravel to New ZealandBe a karate kidSpeak SpanishLive in China like Kai-Lan

To get the full details on how you can share your own bucket list and enter to win those Grand Prize vacation packages, head over to Todays Mama.

But wait, there’s more. Extra Prizes! I get to help you cross something off of YOUR bucket list too!

Simply leave a comment here sharing an item from your bucket list. One random winner will win $500 to go cross an item off your list! Wahoo!

______________________________________________________________

Giveaway Entries: For your chance to win one bucket list prize of $500, leave a comment on this post by Thursday November 10th @ midnight. I’ll announce the winner chosen from random on Friday morning November 11th. Good Luck!

Extra Entry – Like Just Ask on Facebook and be sure to come back and leave a extra comment letting me know you did.

Tagged as: parenting tips

Marie LeBaron is the founder and managing editor of Make and Takes. Always having a love of crafts, she enjoys getting messy with glue and glitter. There’s always some sort of project going on, her kitchen counter is often cluttered with crafts. When she’s not crafting and creating with her kids, she loves to run, read, and blog! Read other posts by Marie

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Easy Crafts For Kids

There are some really easy crafts for kids. All they need are a few supplies like pipe cleaners, construction paper, toothpicks, macaroni and a few craft supplies.

Here is a list of some kids crafts that they will enjoy. Just let them use their creativity.

Pipe cleaner people Use different colored pipe cleaners and bend and twist them into shapes. They can make people, animals, buildings and whatever they can imagine. This is great when you have more than one child and they can make up a whole zoo or whatever they want to make.

You can either save them and put them on a cork board or set on a shelve or just untwist them so that they can be used again. This child's craft can keep them busy and entertained.

Macaroni Necklaces This craft goes back many years but the kids never get tired of making them. Just string colored macaroni onto lengths of yarn. If your macaroni is not colored then let the kids paint them.

Paint with spongesYou can buy sponge figures or else make your own. Get some cheap sponges and cut them into any kind of shape you like. You can make triangles, circles, stars, half moons, or even animal shapes. Let the kids dip them into paint and press them onto paper. The long rolls of paper or construction paper are really nice for this craft.

Make your own puppets You can buy sheets of foam and any craft store. Cut out dogs, butterflies, snakes, fish or anything that the kids like. Glue them onto popsicle sticks or tongue depressors and then they can make their own puppet show.

Toothpick art This has been around for a long time and the schools even use to use it. You can use either miniature marshmallows or gumdrops and toothpicks. Insert the toothpicks into the gumdrops or marshmallows. Just keep adding marshmallows to make any shape they want. They can make buildings or bridges and any kind of shapes, like a star, or hexagon and make then as elaborate as they want.

Paper chains We use to do this one when we were kids. Cut strips of construction paper and either glue or staple them into circles. When you have one circle done, put another strip through and glue it. Just keep adding circles until you have it as long as you want it. A red and white chain looks very nice for Christmas, or you can use red and green. The kids loving doing this chain. They can even decorate the strips with paint or sparkles.

Headbands Cut construction paper into strips and make one to fit the child's head. Then they can glue anything on them like feathers, buttons, ribbons made into bows, or any scraps of material. They could use the sponges from the craft above to decorate their head band.

Shirley Atkinson
Crafters Love Crafts
http://www.crafterslovecrafts.com

Kids' Crafts Involving the Disney Gang

Most kids just love the Disney Gang. They enjoy seeing their favorite characters, such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy, get into all sorts of hilarious situations. Because of this, it is only natural that your children would want to do things that are related to these cartoon characters. That's why you should do crafts with them that involve the Disney Gang. This will not only be fun for them because you are incorporating their favorite characters into what they are doing, but it is also great because they are getting to be imaginative and creative.

One thing that a lot of children love to do is draw. You can let them draw their own Disney Gang characters if you get some paper and coloring utensils. These could be coloring crayons, colored pencils, finger paints, or watercolors. It's good to have multiple options so that they can mix the media as well. They can also make their own Disney Gang characters by cutting out shapes with construction paper and scissors. If your kids are fairly young, you could cut out the shapes for them and then they could assemble the pieces however they please.

Some children like to pretend to be their favorite characters. Because of this, you and your children could make masks so that they can do this. All you need to do is create the heads of the characters like how you did with drawing their whole bodies. They, affix a stretchy string to either side of the paper and it can be worn as a mask.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for Disney Gang party supplies and fun party games. She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free holiday printable games and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Themes including Party Supplies to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.

Christmas Crafts For Kids

Christmas crafts for kids are a perfect way to create holiday memories as well as decorations that will help recall those happy childhood moments for decades to come. You can help your child create fun crafts even if you are not a crafty person in general. Kids crafts are simple and often require very simple materials. If it is too complicated, they will likely lose interest quickly. You can find simple instruction sonline for many holiday crafts and even craft kits so you have all the materials and instructions gathered for you. This can be a real time saver as you prepare for other holiday events.

Some of the most fun and endearing holiday crafts include handprints, photos of your child, and other simple reminders of how fast they grow. This years handprint picture will be a real treasure in 10 or 20 years as you try to remember how small those now grown up hands once were. A simple and creative way to showcase pictures is to create ornaments with photos from the previous year. Each year your tree will include more and more of those happy memories and will become a scrapbook of the good times in your child's life. These ornaments can be as simple as plastic lid recycled from the kitchen with a circular picture pasted inside. If you want to be more elaborate, you can use scrapbook paper and small wooden picture frames to create pretty little ornaments.

Another fun and simple craft is to use finger paint to make handprints in the shape of a Christmas tree. For a more lasting version of the handprint, you could make handprints with fabric paint on squares of plain fabric. A single handprint makes a cute throw pillow - and you can even use a premade pillow sham if you are not the sewing type. You can gather the handprints over the course of a couple of years to make a cute handprint quilt. Handprints and footprints on a t-shirt or sweatshirt make a perfect gift for daddy or grandparents.

Clear plastic ornaments are readily available at craft stores. They can be filled with various items for keepsake ornaments. One fun idea is to use a little sand and a few small sea shells to create a beach ornament - even more fun if those shells were collected on your summer vacation. Shredded crinkle paper and a little glitter also makes a fun ornament stuffer that even a small child can help with.

The most important ingredient in any craft project is fun, so be sure to make the experience fun for your child. Be careful not to criticize their efforts and understand that imperfection is part of the charm!

You can find more Christmas crafts for kids at http://www.creativechristmascrafts.com. You'll find more Christmas traditions at http://www.childelfcostume.com

Bible Story Crafts For Kids - The Good Shepherd Craft & Game

This adorable sheep is one of our Easy Bible Story Crafts for Kids for kindergarten, first grade and second grade. Creating and displaying this cute, fluffy sheep reinforces the Scripture that tells us Jesus watches over us and calls us, like a good shepherd calls his sheep.

This is one of our Kids Bible Crafts that is complimented by a game. The craft and game help children to remember the verses: "I am the good shepherd. I know each of My sheep by name, and My sheep know Me." "Those who come through Me will be saved. They will have everything they need." Scripture: John 10:1-21

Supplies

Empty toilet paper roll
Cotton balls (30 to 40)
4 Q-Tips
Elmer's School Glue
White tissue paper
Brown pipe cleaner (only if a ram)
Clear tape
Disposable container (such as a margarine container)
Black construction paper
Paper punch or scissors

Directions

For support, stuff paper (any kind) inside the toilet paper roll, leaving about an inch empty from the end.


Create the sheep's legs by taping the Q-tips to toilet paper roll.


Create the sheep's head by scrunching up some tissue paper and stuffing part of it into the end of the roll.


Pour a little glue into the container.


To add the sheep's wool, dip cotton balls into the glue and press onto the cardboard roll. Once it is covered, add another layer or more until the sheep is nice and wooly.



Create the eyes with a paper puncher and the construction paper. Use glue to adhere to the front of the sheep's tissue paper face.


For a ram, do Steps 1-6 and then add horns, which are made by twisting pipe cleaner into two curly cues and attaching with glue.


Allow to dry.


Displaying the Sheep

Before children bring their sheep home, you may want to create a classroom display:

Begin with a tray of wheat grass you've grown and trimmed short or Easter basket grass spread out evenly.

Add shepherd or Jesus figurine or paper doll.

Invite children to add their sheep to assemble the flock around the shepherd!

Stray Sheep Game

This tag game is sort of a classroom version of the backyard pool game, Marco Polo. The child playing the stranger is blindfolded and stands in the center of the circle. The others are the sheep and wander around the inside of the circle.

The blindfolded stranger tries to tag the sheep. When calling "Sheep!" the others must reply with "Baa-baa." The first sheep tagged takes the place of the stranger. This game reinforces the lesson that just like the sheep we should only answer to our Good Shepherd.

Look on our site for more Easy Kids Crafts and Bible Kids Crafts.

For more great Bible story crafts for kids you can visit Bible Crafts For Kids. Magriet is a work at home "Gran" and she has sites on family matters. For more bible story crafts for kids you can go to Fun Kids Crafts. For a fun Mother's day craft you can go to Mother's Day Crafts For Kids

Holiday Stenciled Treat Jars for Neighbor Gifts

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