Top of the mornin’ to ya! There’s nothing like a green St. Patty’s Day to get everyone in the spirit of the day of the leprechaun! This St. Patrick’s Day, make the day extra-special and fun for your kids with these fun crafts and great activities!

Looking for the gold!

The night or day a few days before, be sure that ya make some of those Leprechaun Foot Prints and giant shamrocks for ye children!

To make leprechaun feet, take a pair of your child’s old shoes and trace them on to pieces of plain white paper or to really make them “authentic”, use green construction paper!! Make a lot of them because they will take your children on a hunt for the rainbow and the pot of gold when they wake up!

Cut out some huge shamrocks that you can place between the footprints, making a St. Patrick’s Day treasure path of sorts.

Early on the morning of St. Patrick’s Day, place the feet from their bedrooms to where you have hidden the pots of gold. If you want to make it more fun, have the feet lead them to places where they only find a note.

Rainbows with pots of gold

If you don’t have time, just use a regular cereal bowl and tape a little paper handle to it- be sure to make the handle in different colors of construction paper making a rainbow!

If you have even more time, go to a local crafts store and look for some small plastic pots.

To make the treasure at the end of the rainbow even more special, fill the bowls or pots with chocolate foil covered candy coins or butterscotch discs. If you don’t have coins or prefer your children not eat chocolate first thing in the morning and they are old enough to know they shouldn’t eat them put in pennies or other coins!

Hanging rainbows

Rainbows are a good addition to your treasure hunt! You can make them two different ways.

Use a paper plate. Color one side as a rainbow. Cut out and hang from ceiling or light.

Use another paper plate. Cut out streamers of different colors and attach to the paper place with the “rainbow” hanging downward. Punch a hole it top and hang from appropriate place near leprechaun pot.

Table decorations sure to please any leprechaun!

Using small paper cups, make up side down St. Patrick’s Day hats! Make them similar to the way you made the wearable hats, except you can glue the stovetop top to a circle you cut out for the bottom.

Or if you prefer, cut out the inside and fill with candies or treats!

Draw shamrocks and rainbows on white paper plates with crayons or non-toxic markers.

Buy green napkins or paper towels that have a green print on them.

Festive St. Patrick’s meals

For breakfast and for every meal of the day if possible, make sure that every menu includes mainly green stuff or stuff that has a touch of green! Buy a shamrock cookie cutter that you can use for each meal, cutting bread into shamrocks or even cutting fruit into shamrock shapes!

Suggestions? For breakfast, buy the cereal that includes shamrocks! Put green food color in their milk! Have kiwi fruit, green grapes, green apples or green melon instead of the usual bananas!

For Lunch see if you can find bread that is dyed green at the grocery store! Make their sandwich from this special bread and be sure to cut it into a shamrock shape! Put green food color into peanut butter! Serve with green pickles and green celery sticks and green cottage cheese! For dessert, how about some and green jello and green whipped cream or a green milkshake or some krispy treats, cut into shamrocks iced them with green icing!

Dinnertime can be a bit more challenging, especially if you are serving corned beef and cabbage- while the cabbage is green, you don’t want to dye the corned beef! But you can the mashed potatoes! Green cake, green tinted ice cream (or green mint ice cream), pistachio pudding or green jello are also dessert hits for St. Patrick’s Day!

Festive wear

One of the most fun things to wear on St. Patrick’s Day is a BIG leprechaun hat! If you have time, finish the round container of half-gallon you now have. Clean it out and cut the bottom off. Place it on green construction paper and trace it for a pattern to cover the sides of the container. Make a big circle to make the brim of the hat. Be sure to cut the inside out a wee bit smaller than the “hat” so you can push the brim onto the hat. Make a “buckle” with gold construction paper.

If you don’t have any ice cream containers, just make the hats from construction paper. Cut a huge rectangle to make your ‘stovetop” leprechaun hat. Glue or staple together to make the top hat. Cut a circle to make the brim, being sure to cut out the middle which you will push onto your or your child’s head. Add a gold buckle made from construction paper, and you have a hat!

Bow tie or tie- From a paper plate, cut out a bow tie shape or with construction paper, cut out a long tie. Let your child color the tie green and add decorations such as buttons or glitter. Punch holes in the plate and attach pieces of string to attach around their neck. (Be sure to NOT do this with very young children who could become tangled in the string!)

St. Pattys Day is one of our favorite family Holidays! All of us at More4kids wish you and your family a happy Saint Patricks Day.

Would you like to some fun Halloween game and activity ideas that you and your children will love? — Click here!

Valentine's Day will be here soon and it can be a fun time for young and old alike. There are many Valentine’s Day gifts that kids can make. Regardless of how old your child is, they will enjoy collaborating with you in order to develop gifts that they can share with their friends, teachers, relatives, and other people who they consider to be “special”. Below are a couple of great ideas that can be loads of fun for your child this Valentine’s Day!

The Handprint Heart

The first Valentine’s Day gift that kids can make to share with virtually anyone is the handprint heart. This is a very unique and special keepsake that is sure to make the day of the person on the receiving end.

Supplies:

1. Foam pieces that are white, red, and pink

2. A small bottle of washable paint that is red in color

3. A piece of red string to place at the top so that the keepsake can be hung

4. Kids Glue

Directions

1. The first thing that you will need to do is to take a piece of white foam and cut it large enough that two handprints can be placed inside of the heart.

2. Once you have cut the piece, squeeze out some red washable paint onto a paper plate.

3. Have your child place their hands into the paint, and then have them put one hand at a time on the heart, with the palms down by the top of the heart. Then, once the first hand is done, simply have them place the second hand on the foam in the same manner.

4. Once finished, cut a large square of pink felt and glue the heart onto it.

5. While this is drying, cut out little strips of the pink foam and provide your child with a red marker that is washable. Have them place a saying across one, and put their name on the bottom.

6. You should then place small squares of white and red around the sides of the keepsake.

7. In order to enhance the appeal of this Valentine’s Day gift that kids can make, you can place little hearts in the corners of the gift.

8. Next, glue the string at the top of the craft so that the receiver may hang it once they receive it!

Handprint Heart Keepsake Hanger Craft Kit per Makes

 Valentine’s Day Wreath

The next Valentine’s Day gift that kids can make is the Valentine’s Day Wreath! This is simply a creative wreath that is full of inspiration and love. Once designed, the child can place a poem or a letter to someone that they care about on the inside of the wreath. If you have a toddler, or a young child, you may simply allow them to draw a picture, or put their handprints on the inside! The special person that receives this particular gift is sure to cherish it!

Supplies:

1. An assortment of decorative foam hearts

2. A piece of red string

3. Kids Glue

Directions:

1. First, have the child create a picture, poem, or letter that the wreath can go around.

2. Once the inside has been created, you should help your child arrange the decorative hearts around the paper so that it fits on the inside of the decorations.

3. Once the decorative hearts have been placed, instruct your child on how to carefully list each piece and add a small amount of glue so that the pieces stick together snugly.

4. While allowing the hearts to dry, take a piece of string and cut it in half. Once done, simply tie the string in a pretty bow.

5. Now, flip the gift over and glue the string to the back. Once the project is dry, your child can give it to someone special so that they may hang it in the area of their choice.

Inspirational Valentine Wreath Craft Kit per Makes

If you are in search of Christmas craft ideas for kids, you are in the right location. This helpful and creative guide will help introduce you to some fun and exciting crafts that your children are sure to enjoy! There are all kinds of crafts that can be created based on the Christmas theme. Whether you want to create gifts that the child can give to friends and family members, a decorative centerpiece, or simple decorations for the tree or home, there is a Christmas craft that can help you do just that! Here, you will find some Christmas craft ideas for kids that can be enjoyed by children of all ages!

TV Guide Christmas Tree

As a child, I was introduced to the TV Guide Christmas Tree by my mother who discovered information on how to create this Christmas craft in one of her magazines. While I do remember it was a time consuming task, I also remember having a lot of fun with it! There are just a few things that are required to complete this project: an old TV Guide, some spray paint, and a stapler. All the child has to do is fold the pages of the TV Guide down so that it reflects a Christmas tree as far as the slope is concerned. Once all the pages are done, the center pieces can be stapled. Once stapled, the child can spray paint it green, white, blue, red, or any other decorative color that reflects the festive Christmas season!

Christian Sand Art Magnets

Christian sand art magnets can be a great Christmas craft for children! Once the children create these magnets, they can give them to friends, teachers, neighbors, and even family members as nice gifts for the season! You can never have enough magnets. There are many different types of Christian designs that can be chosen from, but the cross is the most popular option. You can choose from all sizes, and designs. In addition to this, there are several different colored sands that can be purchased to make the magnet very attractive once it is completed! If you are lucky, you can find a craft kit that comes with the crosses, the sand, and funnels to make this an easier type of project – especially for younger kids!

Christmas Stocking Decorating
There are many different types of Christmas Stockings that can be purchased this holiday season. Some are decorated upon purchase, and others are not. For this project, you will want to purchase the stockings that are not decorated. You will want to then purchase fabric paints, foam stickers, and other types of decorative items that can be used by your kids so that they can decorate stockings for themselves and even their pets if they wish! There are several sizes that you can buy when it comes to the stockings for this particular project. If your child wants to offer them as gifts, you may want to get small ones that can be filled with candy and other little novelty items.

Gingerbread Picture Magnet

If you want to help your child create Christmas gifts for people in the family, such as their grandparents, aunts, and uncles, you may consider the gingerbread picture magnet. This type of project is normally sold in a craft kit that consists of various pieces to make the project complete. Typically, it is created using decorative foam pieces that come together to make a great Christmas craft for kids! If you buy it in a craft kit, you will typically have pieces that look like candy canes, little pieces of candy, and even snow and heart pieces! Then, you will bring the pieces together to create a nicely decorated Christmas picture frame! Once the children have completed their project, they will then paste a picture of themselves in the center of it.

Summary

There are many different Christmas craft ideas that can be fun and exciting for kids of all ages! If you are looking to allow the children the opportunity to create their first Christmas decoration or to make a gift for someone special in their lives, all of these ideas can prove to be highly effective and enjoyable! Be sure to check out our other holiday guides that provide information on holiday crafts that can be enjoyed by the entire family!

There are many ways to make Thansgiving fun and special and there are many Thanksgiving craft ideas for kids you can work with on with your child. If you are a parent, teacher, Sunday School teacher, or work around children in any other type of profession, you will be interested to discover that there are a large number of crafts available for all holidays – especially Thanksgiving! You can discover ideas for toddlers, school age children, and even teenagers if you find the right resources. In this helpful and informative guide, you will be introduced to many Thanksgiving craft ideas for kids that both you, and the child or children that you work with will find very entertaining.

Tree of Thanks

One of the most favored Thanksgiving craft ideas of today is creating the ever-popular “Tree of Thanks”. This is a tree that is actually composed of foam. This craft project typically comes in the form of a kit that includes several different colored “fall” leaves, and a tree base. This makes a great craft for children as young as preschool age. All you have to do is provide some markers that the children can use to write down certain things that they are thankful for, or what they considered to be “blessings” in their lives. In most cases, this kit comes with many additional pieces so that more than one project can be completed. This means that there are plenty of pieces for small classes, or groups!

 
Standing Tree Of Thanks Craft Kit

Thanksgiving Wreath

The “Thanksgiving Wreath” is another fun craft that is based on the same concept as the “Tree of Thanks”; only the “fall” leaves that are included in the craft kit that you will normally purchase to create the wreath will form in a circular motion in order to hang the completed craft like a standard wreath. Children can simply write what they feel that they can be thankful for this season. Once all of the leaves have been written on, you can then assist them in the process of making the pieces stick together. Once this is done, you simply attach some yarn to the back side so that it can be displayed. If you like, you can even put a piece of backing in the center of the wreath and place a picture of the child on it so that it can be displayed with pride!     

   
Wreath Of Thanks Caft Kit

Native American Headbands!

No Thanksgiving is complete without some tales of Pilgrims and Native Americans. Now, your child or the group of children that you work with can create their very own Native American headbands to display their love of both the Native Americans that introduced us to the holiday and the holiday too! There are craft kits that can be purchased that have pieces that are composed of foam that the children can use to create their decorative headdress. This is the best type to create seeing that those that are constructed of construction paper often fall apart relatively quickly. However, those that are created from foam are much more durable. This means that kids can play rougher, longer and get great use out of them! If you are seeking out fun Thanksgiving craft ideas for kids, this is a great option. 

Native American Headband Craft Kits

Thanksgiving Bead Necklaces

If you have a daughter, or a group of kids that you work with that are girls, they may enjoy the pleasure of creating Thanksgiving bead necklaces. You can find beads that look like pumpkins, leaves, corn on the cob, Native American headdresses, Pilgrim hats, and more in today’s arts and crafts department of any department store like Wal-Mart and even on various websites that sell crafts and similar items on the internet! Children can take the beads and small pieces of yarn or necklace cord and create Thanksgiving necklaces that can be worn by them, or created for family members! This can be a great craft for boys too! They can create their own, unique necklaces, or provide them to family members as a way to express their thanks for that person this Thanksgiving!

Beaded Thanksgiving Necklace Craft Kit
In Summary

There are many fun, family crafts and projects that can be pursued when it comes to arts and crafts. Many families use their computers and other electronic devices to assist them when it comes to creating a project. Now, there is a new product on the market that I have found to be extremely fun and productive when it comes to creating fun projects with my children. This product is called Cricut. When pronounced, it sounds like you are saying “cricket”. This is a cutting system that is electronic based. However, the upside is that it does not require an actual computer. Here, I will tell you a little about how you can create fun family projects – the easy way!

Today we are going to be reviewing the features of the Cricut. It is a revolutionary machine that actually cuts an assortment of materials in many different ways. No more buying special printer paper or messing with patterns that can be really difficult to work with! Now, you can just insert the material, decide on how you want it cut and go from there. There are many exciting projects that you can choose from when it comes to cutting with this particular tool:

• Picture Frames

• Wall Hangings

• Jewelry Boxes

• Shelving

• Scrapbooks

• Cards

• School Memory Books

• Mousepads

• Table Placeholders

• School Posters

• Menus

• Napkin Holders

• Bags

• Photo Albums

• Gift Bags

• Unique Wrapping Paper

• Decorations for parties like anniversaries, birthdays, and more!

• Quilts

• Curtains

• Tablecloths

• And, more!

Features

There are a number of features available with this particular product. First, it can cut many different materials all in different sizes. You would think that this particular product would be really heavy considering all of the things that it can do, but it is actually quite lightweight. It is not too big, either, so it can be moved around to different locations with ease. When using this product, you must have a cartridge that helps control the ink and the overall design that is used. This cartridge is easy to install! This makes it really nice for people who want to experience simplicity when creating fun family projects – the easy way! There is also an overlay that is considered to be “soft touch” and a pressure dial that effectively allows you to control how much pressure is applied to the material when creating the projects that you take part in. When you purchase this product to create your family projects, you will receive a large number of items that will assist you in creating your projects:

• Alphabet precut templates

• Shape precut templates

• Mats to assist in the cutting process

• Blades to cut a large assortment of materials and products

• Tools to assist in the various cuts that are achieved by the product

• A storage container that will assist in the way of packing away the device until it is needed.

Bonus Features

This product normally sells for less than $50! As you can see, it comes with a large amount of extras. Did you know that there are now bonuses included in addition to all of the extras that can be experienced? That’s right! Now, you can get the following:

1. A bonus spatula tool that can assist in the projects that you elect to purchase

2. A new type of trimmer that can assist you in all of your projects

3. A couple of extra blades to assist in the cuts and shaping process of your products

4. An extra trimmer unit

5. A DVD that explains how to use the product and ideas for projects

6. A keyboard overlay system to make your family projects a breeze

7. And, more!

Summary
If you are looking to create fun family craft projects, this is something you may find interesting. The Cricut can really add fun and detail to all of your family arts and crafts! If you are searching for something that can add creativity to your projects, an easy way to cut materials, and some plain out fun for your family – this is it!  

 
Click Here to learn how to get the Cricut  

Christmas is an excellent time to start some projects with your kids. Children love creating little, unique projects that they can use to decorate the home. Many children really enjoy creating gifts that they can use to give as gifts to their friends and their family members. Here, you will be introduced to some easy Christmas projects and crafts for kids. These projects are appropriate for kids of all ages and are great fun for the whole family!

Ornaments!
Ornaments are a Christmas classic! Everyone loves ornaments! There are many projects that kids can create at Christmas that involve ornaments. One of these projects includes creating little Christmas tree ornaments by using some buttons, popsicle sticks, and a little bit of ribbon. You can create the ornament to look like a snowflake or a Christmas tree! There are many project kits available that will allow you and your kids to create this Christmas craft with ease. Oriental Trading is an excellent company that provides a number of craft kits for Christmas projects.

In order to create the Christmas ornament, you must gather some blue buttons for the snowflake craft, or green buttons for the Christmas tree ornament. It is best to select buttons that are various shades of blues and greens. You must then gather some popsicle sticks, and some ribbon that is the same color as your buttons. You will also require some glue. Once you have gathered all of your supplies, you are ready to start the project!

1. Arrange the popsicle sticks in such a way that they are shaped like either a Christmas tree, or a snowflake. Once you have done this, it is important to glue the popsicle sticks together so that they can dry while you prepare the rest of your project.
2. The next thing that you should do is take the buttons that you have prepared for the craft and organize them along the wooden craft sticks. Many like to do this step in an organized form, while others like their creative juices to fly and arrange them in numerous other ways.
3. Once the buttons are arranged as you see fit, you can glue them down. This will keep them sturdy.

You can now create a little bow using the ribbon that you have set to the side for your project. Once this is created, you can simply glue it to the back of the project so that you can hang it on your Christmas tree!

There are many variations to this Christmas project for kids in the homeschool classroom. You may want to purchase those cans of snow from the store and mist the ornament with this. You may also like to place family photos on the Christmas craft and give them to friends and relatives!

To see an example of this craft, simply click on the image below:

Bookmarks! 
As stated previously, many kids really enjoy creating Christmas projects that will allow them to give gifts to their friends and family members. One of the projects that you can create in the homeschool classroom is Christmas bookmarks! These little projects can be created in a variety of ways and can be given as a gift to most anyone! Here, you will discover how to create this fun and interesting Christmas bookmarks.

The first thing that you will want to do is purchase some foam strips in Christmas colors. The best colors to use are red and green, but blue and white are great colors to purchase as well. You will also want to purchase some of those little bags of foam characters. It is important to select those that represent Christmas. These shapes may include snowflakes, snowmen, and even those that look like gingerbread men and Santa Claus are excellent choices! You will also want to round up some glue for this project.

1. The first thing that you will want to do is to create a unique design for your project. This may include placing a little foam Santa Claus towards the top of the bookmark, and then putting in little foam snowflakes and/or candy canes in the bottom. There is no particular way that you have to decorate your bookmark. You should come up with a design that you enjoy.
2. Once you have designed your Christmas bookmark, you will want to glue the pieces down on the base piece of foam.
3. Once this is done, simply allow time for the pieces to dry. Many individuals like to place little pieces of ribbon along the bottom of the foam. This is entirely up to you!

This Christmas project for kids in the homeschool classroom is an excellent way to spark the creativity of your little ones. All members of the family can enjoy creating these bookmarks. In addition to this, they make wonderful stocking stuffers and gifts for others!

To see an example of what the finished product will look like once this Christmas project is completed, simply click on the image below:

Stockings!
Christmas would not be complete without a stocking! There are literally thousands of ways that you can create a Christmas project in the homeschool classroom by using stockings. Here, you will learn how to make a foam stocking gift that is great for decoration, or gift-giving! 

1. The first thing that you will want to do is to purchase foam lacing Christmas stocking craft kit from a store. Oriental Trading offers a great selection of craft kits.
2. You should then decide how you want to design the stocking. Many place pictures, buttons, foam designs, and even jewels on this craft.
3. Once you have established a design, simply glue your pieces in place!
4. If you wish, you can write your name, the year, or someone else’s name –including a pet – across the top of the foam stocking craft!

If you would like to see this project in action, simply click on the image below:

As you can see, there are numerous Christmas crafts and projects that can be completed by kids. This is a great way to enjoy the holidays and spark the creative flow in your children! 

Most kids love to make stuff and they love to give gifts – why not combine these two interests and let them make Christmas gifts? Think of the advantages of making Christmas gifts with your kids this year:

• It will probably take less time than a shopping trip to the crowded mall.
• It will save on your budget.
• It will give you fun bonding time with your children and good holiday memories.
• People love to receive items kids have made.

Know anyone who loves hot chocolate or mocha coffee? Chocolate spoons make a great, useful gift. All you do is melt chocolate and dip the spoons into the chocolate. When your chocolate-loving friends use the spoon to stir a hot drink, they get an extra dose of chocolate as a special treat.

Specialty stores sell pretty cookie, soup, and other mixes layered in glass jars for $10 and more. You and your children can easily make your own gift jars for far less. All you need is

• Large canning jars
• The ingredients for whatever recipe you choose
• A recipe card so the gift recipient knows how to prepare the item
• Ribbon or fabric to decorate the jars

• Cut fun foam into various shapes and give as a bath toy to young children. The foam will stick to the tub walls when it is wet. You can also include a plastic colander to store the shapes in between baths.
• Glue or sew giant pom-poms together to make a pom-pom scarf.
• Glue old scrabble letter tiles to magnetic sheeting. You can cut out words or individual letters.
• Mix clear aloe vera gel and glitter to make body glitter.

• Decoupage pictures of superheroes to a magazine stand for a comic book lover to keep his reading material in.
• Decoupage pictures of cookies to a clear glass plate to make a unique cookie platter.
• Decoupage colorful candy wrappers to a clear glass bowl to make a candy bowl.
• Decoupage family photos around a picture or mirror frame to make a personalized wall hanging.
• Decoupage a pretty picture or dried flower onto a bar of soap to make a decorative but useful gift.

Fleece is a great material for working with children because it is soft, comes in many designs, and doesn’t ravel. You can use fleece to make blankets, hats, scarves, pillows, and more. You don’t even need a sewing machine for many projects: you can cut the fleece into fringes and then knot them together. (photo from www.makingfriends.com)

• www.makingfriends.com
• www.orientaltrading.com
• www.familyfun.go.com
• www.dltk-holidays.com/xmas/index.html
• www.make-stuff.com/
• www.kidscraftweekly.com

Do you remmeber the time when buying Easter baskets was affordable? Well, that does not seem the case these days, almost everything but the kitchen sink is included, making them a lot less affordable. Here are some tips for making your own Easter baskets using creative and ingenuous ideas that will not just be more economical, but a fun activity for you and your kids this Easter season.

A basket can come in any size and shape. Traditionally, an Easter basket is made of wicker, filled with brightly colored cellophane and, of course, the handle. You can make a basket out of things in your home. For example, a milk carton can be used. You can wrap it with brightly colored cellophane or tissue paper; attach a bow for the handle, and Voila! An Easter basket is born.

You can also make a cute little basket using a paper plate and ribbon. Make holes on each side of the paper plate; use a bright colored ribbon to insert through the holes; make a bow and you have a basket, similar to one you would use to carry flowers! There are so many designed plates available in your local supermarket. You can dress it up however you choose. Your little girl will love it!

How about buying a plain basket; take some pink or blue ribbon and weave it through the basket? You can cover the handle of the basket with ribbon as well. Instead of buying the cellophane grass; line the bottom of the basket with colorful tissue paper cut into strips – make a nest, so to speak. Fill the basket with whatever you choose.

It is doubtful you will run out of ideas, but just in case check online and you will find a variety of ways in which you can use a paper bag; and even templates which you can print out to make a unique and creative Easter basket this year. These tips for making your own Easter basket are just the “tip” of the iceberg. If you are a craft person, no doubt you will come up with even more creative ways to make this Easter a fun and exciting one for your kids to remember.

Saint Patrick's Day is almost here and it will soon be time to get out the decorations. Here are a few ideas for some easy St. Patrick’s Day crafts that you and  your kids are sure to enjoy.

1. Buy green construction paper and trace shamrocks from either a coloring book or a template online, and make a string of shamrocks to hang in your home.

2. You can’t celebrate the day without hats! You can easily make St. Patrick’s Day hats by using construction paper. While there are tons of templates available online, you can accomplish this task easily. Take two pieces of green construction paper and tape them together forming about a 14” long piece. Fold it into a circle and tape one side to the other. Take another piece of green construction paper to make the top of the hat by using a paper plate to trace a circle. Cut it out and use clear tape to attach it to the top of the hat.

Next, you’ll need to make the brim of the hat. Again, using green construction paper; cut out a larger circle and apply glue so that the hat will attach itself to the brim. Finally, you need the buckle to place just above the brim of the hat. For this you can use brown construction paper and cut a wide strip and glue or tape it to the hat.

In addition, you may want to assist your kids in making a rainbow Jello mold. You can even make a pot of gold using yellow apples! Or how about the old standby; cupcakes with green icing, with a shamrock cookie on top!

There is no end to the many creative and imaginative craft ideas you can incorporate when engaging in a fun activity such as decorations for St. Patrick’s Day. Put on some Irish CD’s, and have a great time! After all, everyone is a little bit Irish on St. Patty's Day!!

If you are a typical parent you may wonder what to do with all the artwork your child makes. It seems each one is a little milestone in your childs development. Well, the time has come to gather all of the artwork your kids made and devise a plan to incorporate all of them into one neat and compelling work of art. Here are some scrapbooking ideas for all that artwork your kids made for you. It will provide cherished memories for years to come.

If you can find a picture frame larges enough to accommodate the artwork, why not set up a collage and frame them proudly. You can also set up a portfolio of your child’s artwork by purchasing an artist’s book. In this way, the artwork will not become damaged over the years, and can be stored in a safe area in your home.

Another idea is to develop a theme scrapbook based upon your child’s artwork. You can organize the album alphabetically or by genre. Whichever you prefer, this will be a fun project for both you and your kids.

Perhaps you’d like to start scrapbooking your child’s artwork by incorporating his or her picture on the front of the scrapbook, and have your child write a few words about each piece of artwork. If you have a scanner, you can reduce the size of the artwork to fit the scrapbook as well. In any case, always use page protectors to ensure no damage will come to these special works of art.

If your child is much older, and you can’t find space for all of his artwork but nonetheless want to preserve it, how about buying those mailing tubes. You can label each one by year. This is another great way to keep this precious artwork from becoming stained or accumulating damage through the years.

Whatever scrapbooking ideas you come up with, you and your kids will have a lifetime of memories to look forward to. They, in turn, will be able to show their kids and start their own traditional scrapbooking ideas as well.

Arts and Crafts are a great way to bond with kids, especially when the whole family get involved. These days kids (and parents too) are so consumed with technology that they often don’t even know what making crafts means. Crafts can be a great idea for family time, especially in the winter when we don't go out so much. Here are some of the benefits and some ideas for your family 'craft' time.

Make a connection – If you are having trouble connecting with your child, try crafting with her. Find a fun craft that you know she will enjoy and block out some special time with her. Crafting together is an easy way to get one-on-one time with your kids and find out what’s going on in their minds.

Give emotional support – As you craft together, your child will probably be more willing to open up and talk to you about things that are on his mind. If there is something bothering your child and he opens up and shares his problem with you during your craft time, give him emotional support. Offer your advice and let him know that you are there for him, unconditionally.

Keep it light and fun – If you craft with your child specifically for the purpose of bonding with her, keep your craft time fun. Try not to obsess about how perfect she’s painting or getting the bead glued on just right. Keep your craft time relaxed.

Encourage and stay interested – Many adults suffer from low self-esteem as a direct result of their parents’ negative attitude towards them during childhood. As you craft with your kids, be interested in what they’re doing. Kids love to share their artwork. Be encouraging and pay positive comments to your kid about their crafts. Show them that you are interested in them.

Craft ideas for younger kids

Kids of all ages love to craft. If you have younger kids, here are some really fun craft ideas to try with them:

NOODLE ART
Give your kids a sheet of construction paper and a mound of dry macaroni noodles (any fun-shaped dry noodle will work for this craft). Let them draw a picture on their paper with a pencil or crayon first. Then glue around the outline of their picture with white school glue. Let them place their noodles on top of the glue to create a fun noodle art picture.

FINGER PAINTING
All kids love the messy feeling of finger painting. Put an old shirt or paper apron on your kid before giving them the paints. For an even less-messy clean-up, take your kids outside and sit them under a tree in the cool shade to paint.

PLAYDOUGH ART
Another favorite of kids is play dough and clay. Lay newspaper on the floor and give your kids small tubs of their favorite-colored play dough. Encourage them to create sculptures with their fun dough.

SOCK PUPPET SHOW
Sock puppets are easy to make. Just glue on a pair of wiggle eyes and make a nose and mouth from felt. Then add a sprout of hair, made with colorful yarn. Make several of these sock puppets out of different sizes of socks and let your kids put on a sock puppet show for you.

PIPE CLEANER FUN
Buy a couple of packs of colorful pipe cleaners and let your kids create art with them. You will be amazed at what they can make from something this simple!

For most families, the lists seem to be getting longer and more expensive while wallets often are not as fat as we wish they would be. While many of us would like to shout, “Bah, Humbug!” and totally forget about gift exchanges with family, friends and teachers, there is an easy alternative that will not only keep your budget in the green, but also will be greener for our planet.

1. First of all, mark cutting lines on the shirt with chalk or washable fabric pen. In order to decide the size you need, find the dimensions of the pillow and about 1/2" on each side for seam allowance, plus about 1/2" ease. (1-1.5  inches) Cut lines square with the design.
2. Make sure the shirt is laying completely flat (iron if you need to!) and pin the back and front together, so you only have to cut once. 
3. Stitch along the edge about ½ in in for each piece. Place the two pieces, print face in, and pin together. Stitch three and a half sides together. Place pillow form inside and hand stitch together. Now you have a great pillow

Picture frames (and magnets?) from CD boxes

1. Take out paper inserts from old CD boxes.
2. Measure cardboard, gift wrap, color paper or foam to fit inside box.
3. Glue or double stick tape pictures or artwork on to the backing you made from paper, etc.
4. Double stick tape the edge facing in the box and stick in. (The box will open for the frame to stand!)
5. Now use glue or hot glue to attach picture frame decorations such as:

1. Old pictures
2. Pictures from magazines the recipient might like
3. Old artwork the child has done.

1. An animal face, such as a penguin or lion.
2. Attach pieces with glue or a hot glue gun.
3. Dress up can with sequins, fabric pieces, etc!
   Use your imaginations!

Biography
Michelle Donaghey is a freelance writer and mother of two boys, Chris and Patrick, who are her inspiration. She lives in Bremen, Indiana just south of South Bend, home of Notre Dame. When she isn’t writing, Michelle can be found in her perennial flower garden or working on small home improvement projects. Michelle has written for parenting publications including Metro Kids, Atlanta Parent,Dallas Child, Great Lakes Family, Family Times and Space Coast Parent and websites including iparenting.com.

Great gifts don’t need to cost a lot of money! Here are some thoughts:

Creative ideas for gifts for kids to make and give

With the price of gas, milk, heating and other necessities, many budgets are being stretched to their limits making it hard to even think about holiday gift giving. Credit cards can be an answer, but it is only temporary when the bills come in after January 1st. Why give yourself  that kind of stress when there are PLENTY of  creative, inexpensive possibilities for everyone on your gift list including family, friends and kids!

Relatives including grandma, grandpa, aunts and uncles

Heirloom magnets:
Relatives, especially ones that live far away, appreciate family pictures. Most families have plenty of pictures laying around the house that are gathering dust. What about flat business magnets that come in all sorts of sizes that are on your refrigerator or in your junk drawer? If you don’t have magnets you can recycle, purchase a sheet of magnetic paper. Take the pictures, cut them to fit and use gel glue or craft glue and make your own refrigerator magnets! If you have a sheet of clear shelf liner, cover the photos before gluing them to the magnets!

Decorated coffee cans filled with goodies:

Do you have a budding artist? If you have saved artwork during the year that you can part with, take it down off the fridge or out of the drawer and double stick tape it to a coffee can! Cover with clear shelf liner if you like to protect it! If you don’t have art, get out the crayons, colored pencils and other art supplies! Cut the paper to fit first  in this case. Fill the can with homemade goodies! (See section on “Gifts for all!”)

Family and or children recordings

Take an old tape player or your computer with a microphone and add a child or two or the whole family and you have a hit recording that will be played over and over again for years to come! Get cheap tapes  or recordable discs. Decide on what you or your child will say or make it a family sing along of musical hits! If you or your child plays an instrument, add this as well. Add greetings to the recipient for a special touch, telling them how much you miss and appreciate them and about special memories!

Bookmarks

Cut colored paper or heavyweight white paper into strips. Have your kids decorate them for each recipient according to their interests or for the holiday. If you want to personalize and you have a picture of the person, glue it on! Cover with contact paper. Cut a hole if you like for string, ribbon or yarn. For a special touch, tie beads from the ribbon!

Jar or can filled with love

Take a jelly jar or any other jar with a lid. On a nice sheet of  paper, write down several things that are special about the person you are giving it to and or special memories that you have spent with them. Cut each memory into a paper strip. Fold, roll or just place the strips whole into the jar. Make a label out of paper and attach it with double stick tape or use indelible markers.. You can label the jar, “Holiday Love for you”, “Special things I love about .. (grandma, auntie, etc.), 
“Memories made with love” or “Wanted you to know” or just “Jar of Love.” Grandmas and Grandpas really love gifts like this! If you wish, the whole family can take part in making this one!

Gifts for Kids

Take two empty coffee cans of any size. Make the following gifts for kids!

High walker stilts- Take two equal size cans. Punch two holes in each near the bottom of the can, about two inches down from the side directly across from one another with a screwdriver or ice pick. Spray paint the sides or cover with decorated paper or contact paper making sure to note hole locations. Measure the length of your child’s hand from the top of the wrist to the ground. Cut a piece of heavy string or light rope at least twice as long as that measurement. Thread through the holesand tie tightly.

Drums- Get three cans, different sizes. Cover with contact, paper or paint. Use old wooden spoons, dowel rods or ask dry cleaner if they have hangers with heavy cardboard tubing you can take off to use for drumsticks. Very crafty sorts can take empty thread spools and attach with super strength glue to pencils instead.

Shakers- Get some rice or dry beans. Place in coffee can. Cover coffee can with decorated contact paper, paper or paint.

Doll furniture- Take all sorts of boxes and cover with contact paper.  Use imagination to make beds, couches, refrigerators and the like, using magic markers to make more realistic. Old fabric scraps can be sewn to make blankets and pillows. Make large boxes into dollhouses and swimming pools!

Gifts for Teachers:

Cookies- One of the easiest and YUMMIEST recipes you can make is from  a regular cake mix. Just add two eggs and a half cup oil. Mix together,  let set in frig for a couple hours, then take out and roll into one inch balls, placing them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. Great with ANY cake mix! Add chocolate chips, chopped nuts, cherries or raisins to make them your own creation!

Hot cocoa mix- Take 4 cups dry milk, 4 cups non dairy dry creamer, 4 cups sugar and 2 cups cocoa. Mix all together. Take 2/3 to 12 ounces of water. Make this large batch and separate into small baggies with labeled directions. Add a tag, “To someone dear,  warm holiday cheer.”

Biography
Michelle Donaghey is a freelance writer and mother of two boys, Chris and Patrick, who are her inspiration. She lives in Bremen, Indiana just south of South Bend, home of Notre Dame. When she isn’t writing, Michelle can be found in her perennial flower garden or working on small home improvement projects. Michelle has written for parenting publications including Metro Kids, Atlanta Parent,Dallas Child, Great Lakes Family, Family Times and Space Coast Parent and websites including iparenting.com.

Spend Quality Time with Your Child ths Holiday Season with These Arts and Crafts Ideas for Toddlers

In the early years of a child’s life, it is important for parents to spend as much time as they can with their child. Children grow up quickly, and as they do, their lives become busier and busier. Arts and crafts for toddlers are a great way for parents to spend quality time with their young children.

Arts and Crafts for Toddlers: Drawing Activities

One of the first skills that a toddler should learn is how to hold a writing utensil. By doing arts and crafts for toddlers that involve drawing activities, parents can teach their children that important lesson in a creative way.

A fun activity to start with is foot tracing. For this activity, all that is needed is drawing paper and some crayons. The toddler should stand on a piece of paper, and the parent should then trace around the child’s feet.

The toddler will be watching how the parent holds the crayon, and will most likely want to emulate that. The parents should then let the toddler trace their feet, and see how the size of their feet compares with the size of their parent’s feet.

Arts and Crafts for Toddlers: Painting Activities

When it comes to arts and crafts for toddlers, painting activities are always a favorite. One activity parents can do with their children is a rock painting activity. For this activity, the materials needed will be a shoebox with a lid, scissors, tempera paint, a rock, and paper (the paper can be either plain or construction paper.

Begin by placing the shoebox on the piece of paper and cutting around it so that the paper is the same size as the bottom of the shoebox. Place the paper in the bottom of the shoebox. Place a small amount of paint into a dish, and then dip the rock into it.

Then, place the rock into the shoebox, shut the lid, and shake the box up and down. This can be done over and over again with various colors of paint, thus leaving unique designs on the paper.

For More Information

These are but two of many different kinds of activities parents can do with their toddlers. For more information, consult various parenting magazines or the internet. With the proper research, parents will be able to find lots of activities that are education yet fun at the same time.