Kids Crafts

DIY Shamrock Shirt with 4-Leaf Cover Stamp

February 21, 2020 by Danielle

When the kids are home on a weekday because school is out we find an excuse to craft! And with St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, we decided to make a festive t-shirt for my daughter to wear to school on the holiday. With a cardboard roll, some q-tips, and green paint, you can easily make a shamrock shirt in 30 minutes.

And, if your child is as excited to craft as mine was, you may also end up with a rainbow and pot of gold over your four leaf clover too! Painting with q-tips is fun and using items from around the house to create things allows the kids to think outside of the box! We share some more tips in the Facebook Live video we did below:

DIY Shamrock Shirt with 4-Leaf Cover Stamp

What you’ll need:

white shirt
green paint (plus rainbow colors if you want to add a rainbow)
cardboard tube
q-tips
hot glue gun
scissors

What you do:

1. Cut cardboard tube into 4 sections.

2. Make a heart with each section by flattening the tube and turning one point into itself.

3. Glue all 4 hearts together to form a shamrock.

4. Position shamrock onto shirt. Using the q-tip, dot green paint onto shirt following the shamrock outline.

5. Add a rainbow, pot of gold, or sun to your shirt to finish it off.

6. Let dry fully before wearing.

How do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?

Looking for more ways to celebrate? Here are some great recipes to check out!

Irish Soda Bread Biscuits

Rainbow Cupcakes

Filed Under: Clothing, Crafts/DIY, Holidays Tagged With: children's crafts, crafts, Crafts for Kids, DIY, DIY tutorial, Kids Crafts, Kids DIY, St. Patrick's Day, t-shirts

Here’s a Quick Way to Make Turkey Napkin Rings for The Kids Table

November 1, 2017 by Danielle

Looking for ways to make your Thanksgiving table festive? These turkey napkin rings will do just that! Grab a few supplies and get crafting!

Looking for ways to make your Thanksgiving table more festive? Well, these turkey napkin rings will do just that!

Plus it’s an easy craft to get the kids involved in and they’ll be able to tell everyone around the table how they helped.

This is a craft you can easily do ahead of time if you already have the napkins you’re going to use. So check one more thing off of your holiday list and start crafting!

Don’t want to make them yourself? Buy a set of 4 for $10 on Etsy!

Turkey Napkin Rings

What you’ll need:

fall-colored pipe cleaners including light brown
brown and orange construction paper (red if you want to make a waddle)
googly eyes
glue gun
paper or cloth napkins

What you do:

1. Cut brown paper widthwise into 2″ strips. Cut as many strips as you need napkin rings. Set aside.

2. Grab pipe cleaners and start making feathers. Bend pipe cleaner in half and then make two loops. Use ends to wrap everything together so the loops stay closed.

3. Repeat with rest of colors (I used 4 colors). Using the excess of one colored pipe cleaner, wrap all feathers up together.

4. Using a light brown pipe cleaner, make a circle by spinning the pipe cleaner around in a spiral. Tuck in the end of the pipe cleaner so that it stays together and is not visible.

5. Grab your glue stick or glue gun and adhere brown circle to the feathers. (side note: I became frustrated with my glue stick and opted for the glue gun but my kids used the glue sticks.)

6. Grab brown strips of paper and fold in half lengthwise.

7. Wrap around napkin and cut off any excess (ends of paper should overlap by about an inch).

8. Tuck one end of the paper into the other end to secure it.

9. Add a dab of glue on the seam of the tucked in paper and adhere turkey body to the napkin ring.

10. Add googly eyes, beak, and anything else you might want to include onto the face of the turkey.

You’re all set! Now repeat this until you have enough napkins for everyone coming over. Once everyone is ready for dinner all they have to do is tear the back of the paper to access their napkins or simply tug the napkins out.

How awesome is that?

What’s your favorite turkey craft?

Looking for more Thanksgiving inspiration? Read on!

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This post was first published on October 30, 2013

Filed Under: Crafts/DIY, Holidays, Thanksgiving Tagged With: children's crafts, crafts, Crafts for Kids, Fall Crafts, Kids Crafts, pipe cleaners, Thanksgiving, thanksgiving crafts, turkey crafts, turkeys

How to Teach Kids To Be SMART Savers + an easy DIY Save Spend Give Piggy Bank

May 15, 2017 by Danielle

We’re sharing how to teach kids to be SMART savers plus an easy DIY Save Spend Give Piggy Bank for them to make for their earnings.

Do your kids always want to spend everything they get? Or are they more cautious with how they use the money they receive? Whether it’s a weekly allowance, money from birthdays, or money they earn selling lemonade on the corner, kids are never too young to start learning about how to be smart savers.

With three kids at home, we knew we needed to come up with a simple plan that each of them could understand. From our 2-year-old to our 8-year-old, we use the same system. And it’s broken down into the simplest form for them to grasp. We’ve come up with 3 categories for them and it all has to deal with three simple words: save, spend, give.

3 Categories of a Budget

Step 1: Save money of your own,

Step 2: Spend your money wisely by determining what you need versus what you want,

Step 3: Give your money, time, or things with people who need it.

How to be a SMART Saver

Once you have that broken down, it’s time to start thinking of what or why you want to save. There are 5 steps to putting together a smart savings goal:

1. Specific: What exactly do you want to accomplish?

2. Measurable: How will you know you met your goal?

3. Attainable: Can you really achieve your goal?

4. Relevant: Why is this goal important to you?

5. Timely: How much time do you need to accomplish the goal?

Try to talk with your kids about these goals and see if they can come up with their own!

Get Started!

Let the kids construct their own Save Spend Give Piggy Banks by gathering 3 containers, decorating them as you prefer, and labeling each one of the following – “Save, Spend, Give.” Put your money in the appropriate bank as you receive it and watch it add up.

We simply grabbed some containers and labels from the dollar store and kept it simple! But you can get as creative as you’d like. To see how we made ours, watch the video below:

video here

Are your kids learning to manage the money they’re receiving?

Love this project? Read more!

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Click the Pin button on the image below to save for later.

Filed Under: Crafts/DIY, Finances, STEM Crafts and Activities Tagged With: College Savings, Crafts for Kids, Finances, Kids Crafts, Kids DIY, savings, STEM

DIY Bouncing Ball

May 1, 2017 by Danielle

Make DIY bouncing balls with your kids and share the fun of science in the process!

Have you ever wanted to make your own toys? See your creation unfold from idea to reality? My kids absolutely love balls. They always ask to buy more and our front yard is filled with them. So when I saw this tutorial on About.com on how to make polymer balls I had to give it a try.

Result? A pretty fun experiment and toy all in one! And while the ball doesn’t bounce quite as high as the ones you buy from the machine outside of the grocery store it still provides hours of entertainment for children and adults alike. Whether you are looking to teach your kids about a little chemistry or just ready to make a fun toy, this is the perfect craft for a lazy afternoon.

This post contains affiliate links.

DIY Bouncing Balls

What You’ll Need:

borax (found in the laundry section of the store)
cornstarch (found in the baking section of the store)
white glue (makes an opaque ball) or blue or clear school glue (makes a translucent ball)
warm water
food coloring (optional)
measuring spoons
spoon or craft stick to stir the mixture
2 small plastic cups or other containers for mixing
marking pen
watch with a second hand
ruler
ziploc bag

Star Wars Rogue One Perler Bead Templates: Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire

April 4, 2017 by Danielle

Use these Rogue One Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire Perler Bead Templates to show the world if you’re on the dark side or the light side and see if your true Jedi comes out!

May the 4th… er… April the 4th be with you.

Today’s the day!! Did you preorder your copy of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story? If not, get on it! It comes out on Blu-ray/DVD today and is the perfect addition to your ever-growing collection of Star Wars movies.

The fact that it is being released on my husband’s birthday did not escape me. How perfect is it to have one of your favorite movie franchises release a movie ON your birthday? Kismet! In celebration of my husband’s birthday and the release of Rogue One on store shelves, my daughter and I got to crafting to make the perfect birthday gift for dad: Star Wars Perler Bead creations!

My daughter has been obsessed with her Perler beads since receiving them for Christmas this past year so when she was thinking of what to make her dad for a birthday gift, she immediately went and grabbed her Perler bead kit. But she couldn’t figure out what to make. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Crafts/DIY, Disney, Disney Crafts, DIsney Movies, Kids Crafts Tagged With: Crafts for Kids, disney, Disney DVD, Disney Movies, kids activities, Kids Crafts, Perler beads, Star Wars, Star Wars Rogue One

DIY Nebula in a Jar Necklace

March 8, 2017 by Danielle

This DIY nebula in a jar necklace tutorial is a fun and easy way to get your daughter involved in STEM based crafts.

We’re pretty big on STEM learning here. With a passion for sharing the love of science, technology, engineering, and math with our kids, we’re always trying to figure out how to incorporate STEM activities in our daily lives.

This craft was great for STEM learning because it opened up the doors of communication with my kids about space, stars, and constellations. Not only did we talk about where stars came from (nebulas – which lead to a whole other conversation about the birds and the bees) but we waited until dark to count the stars and find constellations. We also talked about the full moon and moon cycles since we just had a full moon. Let’s make some nebula in a jar necklaces!

DIY Nebula in a Jar Necklace

What you’ll need:

small jars with stopper and eyelet
necklace cord (and possibly connector rings)
small stick or toothpick
acrylic paint in contrasting colors
cotton balls
glitter
glue (waterproof/good on porous surfaces)
water in syringe

What you do:

1. Cut cotton balls into small strips and set aside.

2. Add water to the jar, about 1/3 of the way up.

3. Using the small stick, add a few drops of one color paint to the jar then add some cotton ball pieces to fill up 1/2 of the jar.

4. Sprinkle some glitter into the jar.

5. Add a few drops of the contrasting color paint and some more cotton.

6. Fill with water but not to the top. Leave room for the stopper.

7. Grab the glue and the stopper with eyelet. Add a dab of glue to the eyelet and screw into stopper.

8. Add glue to stopper making sure to cover all around the bottom 1/2 of the stopper that will be touching the jar when inserted in.

9. Place the stopper in the jar and let dry for 24 hours.

10. Add jar to necklace cord and put on!

How do you promote STEM learning with your daughter?

Interested in more science-based crafts and activities? Check out these fun projects:

For Preschoolers:

DIY Bouncing Balls

For School Agers:

How To Inflate A Balloon Using Science

For Older Kids:

How To Make A Vase Out Of A Glass Bottle

This article first appeared on A Crafty Spoonful on July 22nd, 2016.

Filed Under: Crafts/DIY, Education Tagged With: children's crafts, crafts, education, educational gifts, glitter, Kids Crafts, learning, Necklaces, STEAM, STEM

DIY Star Wars Rogue One Night Light

November 16, 2016 by Danielle

This post featuring a DIY Star Wars Rogue One Night Light is brought to you by Kleenex brand via Momtrends.

In just a few short weeks Rogue One: A Star Wars Story© TM Lucasfilm LTD will be coming to theaters everywhere and I’m pretty sure that my family may be looking forward to that more than Christmas this year. We’re huge Star Wars fans and have been for… well… ever! And it’s not just one or two of us, it’s the whole family. Including Grandpa. My dad may be the biggest Star Wars fan I know and he’s passed that down to his kids and grandkids. So as we wait patiently for the next story to come to life on the big screen, we’re biding our time with fun Star Wars themed crafts.

In partnership with Lucasfilm LTD, Kleenex brand will launch limited edition boxes featuring Rogue One: A Star Wars Story designs, perfect for Jedis of all ages. They’ll hit store shelves this Fall. Once they do, you too can create your own Kleenex brand ft. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story designs night light. This DIY craft turns a Kleenex box with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story designs into a fun room accessory, simply by removing the tissues, poking small holes in the sides of the box (using a thumbtack) and inserting an electric tea light, creating a “night sky” in a dark room. So easy that my 7 year old son was able to complete this craft on his own!

This craft, just like the Star Wars movies, brought my family together. Spending quality time together is an easy way to show you care. And we can take this idea outside of the home by showing others we care as well. We can all be heroes by banding together to combat indifference with gestures of care, like sharing a tissues from a Kleenex box featuring Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

DIY Star Wars Rogue One Night Light

What you’ll need:

1 empty Kleenex box with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story designs
1 thumb tack
1 electric tealight

What you do:

1. Grab your Kleenex box and use the thumb tack to poke holes on all sides of the box.

2. Turn on your tealight and drop into the empty Kleenex box

3. Enjoy the light show!

You can find more great kids crafts by checking out my Pinterest boards! And for more fun with Kleenex, check out their boards too here.

Do you have a caring moment to share with Kleenex?

Disclaimer: Compensation was provided by Kleenex brand via Momtrends. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Kleenex or Momtrends.

Find Kleenex on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram

Filed Under: Crafts/DIY, Uncategorized Tagged With: crafts, DIY, Kids Crafts, Movies, Rogue One, Star Wars, Star Wars Rogue One

How To Make Salt Dough Ornaments

November 15, 2015 by Danielle

E year my son’s school has each class decorate and create ornaments for the kids to gift to their parents. Last year we had fun making reindeer thumbprint ornaments along with a few other great ornament designs. And this year we’re going to be making salt dough ornaments with the first graders. There are so many great ideas and techniques to incorporate when making salt dough ornaments with kids. You can get as creative as you like by simply incorporating different mediums when decorating your ornaments.

Since this year is my youngest’s first Christmas, I decided to make an example for the kids by using her hand print and turning it into Santa. My other daughter wants to use her footprint to make a reindeer but I’ll be sticking with hands for the first graders. I’ll also be using cookie cutters for the kids who don’t want to do hand prints and I’ll have them add two thumbprints to create hearts in the middle of their cut out. They’ll get to color and decorate their ornaments after I bake them up.

How To Make Salt Dough Ornaments

What you’ll need:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup water (more or less depending on dough)

What you do:

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.

Grab a medium bowl and mix flour and salt until well incorporated.

Slowly add in water. Start with 1/4 cup and mix in, then add in a bit more until the dough forms and is lightly tacky but not sticky.

Grab a piece of parchment paper and lightly flour. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead a little more until the dough is smooth.

Roll dough out with rolling pin to 1/4 inch thickness.

Grab a kid and put a hand print in the dough and/or use some cookie cutters to cut out some designs.

If you’re using a hand print, make sure to cut a circle around the hand print leaving room for a hole at the top.

Remove excess dough and set aside. Place parchment paper with ornaments on a cookie sheet. Using a plastic straw, poke a hole at the top of each ornament (for Santa, make sure you put the hole at the palm/bottom of the hand). Now grab a kid and let them blow on the straw until the little ball of dough that was just punched out pops onto the counter.

Bake ornaments for 2-3 hours or until hardened. Let cool completely before decorating.

What is your favorite part about the holidays?

*** This giveaway is closed ***

Congrats Janet!

Filed Under: Christmas, Crafts/DIY, Holidays, Uncategorized Tagged With: children's crafts, Christmas Crafts, crafts, Crafts for Kids, how-to, Kids Crafts, Salt Dough Ornaments, Santa Crafts

15 Santa Crafts

December 9, 2014 by Danielle

‘Tis the season, for SANTA CRAFTS! I love love love doing Christmas crafts, so of course I have been on the look out for some cute Santa crafts, and boy did I find some. Below is a list of the CUTEST Santa crafts! I mean who would have thought, Santa hat chair covers?

Well obviously someone thought of it, and they super cute! I want them in my kitchen, like right now! From gifts to décor this list has it all! Enjoy and be sure to tell be below which ones you plan to try! I am thinking Santa hat chair covers, followed my Santa suit hand towels!

Merry Christmas and happy crafting!

15 Santa Crafts

Filed Under: Christmas, Crafts/DIY, Holidays Tagged With: children's crafts, Christmas, Christmas Activities, Christmas Crafts, craf, crafts, Crafts for Kids, Kids Crafts, Santa, Santa Crafts

Chalkboard Easter Eggs

March 20, 2014 by Danielle

With Lent here Easter is just around the corner and that means that the Easter decorations start coming out. Our egg wreath is on the door, spring mantel is put in place, and a few crafts are ready to be made. Including these chalkboard Easter eggs.

Not only are these easy to make, they’re lots of fun for the kids! And the perfect way to keep the kiddy table at Easter brunch entertained.

My kids love that they can write their own Easter egg designs on the eggs and then wipe them off and start again. And it’s a great way for the kids to practice writing their names! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Crafts/DIY, Easter, Holidays, Uncategorized Tagged With: chalkboard paint, children's crafts, crafts, Crafts for Kids, Easter, Easter eggs, Kids Crafts

DIY Shamrock Shirt with 4-Leaf Cover Stamp

DIY Shamrock Shirt with 4-Leaf Cover Stamp

How do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?

Here’s a Quick Way to Make Turkey Napkin Rings for The Kids Table

Turkey Napkin Rings

What’s your favorite turkey craft?

How to Teach Kids To Be SMART Savers + an easy DIY Save Spend Give Piggy Bank

Are your kids learning to manage the money they’re receiving?

DIY Bouncing Ball

DIY Bouncing Balls

Star Wars Rogue One Perler Bead Templates: Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire

DIY Nebula in a Jar Necklace

DIY Nebula in a Jar Necklace

How do you promote STEM learning with your daughter?

DIY Star Wars Rogue One Night Light

DIY Star Wars Rogue One Night Light

Do you have a caring moment to share with Kleenex?

How To Make Salt Dough Ornaments

How To Make Salt Dough Ornaments

What is your favorite part about the holidays?

15 Santa Crafts

15 Santa Crafts

Chalkboard Easter Eggs

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