Author: Lara Smith
Halloween is one of the most entertaining days of the year. Make this season extra special by spending quality time with the kids. Halloween wood crafts
are perfect for decoration and as an activity to do with your children. Get your children thrilled about Halloween this October. Weeks before trick or treating start decorating the house with ghoulish trimming. Try some of these cool Halloween wood crafts for a frightening good time with the kids.
Children love ghosts and mummies. A great wood project idea to do for Halloween is to make a spooky mummy table centerpiece. All you need is a square or oval piece of plywood, a small round glass bowl, birch shaker pegs, and wood balls. It sounds like a lot but you can purchase all of these wood products together for under three dollars. Wood toy parts are one of the most inexpensive items you can buy. Once you have all of your supplies including paint and a hot glue gun assemble your mummy.
Let the kids have fun painting. To add a little dramatic flair grab some toilet paper tissue and wrap the mummy with it. If you prefer you can cut the toilet paper into lengthwise in half for a neater appearance. Fasten the mummy and the small glass bowl on the decorated plywood. Fill the bowl with treats or anything you wish. It will look like the mummy is watching over his treasured treats. Kids will get a kick out of it and relish in pride.
A really easy Halloween craft to do with kids is refrigerator magnets. Let kids pick their own design. They can make a flying bat, treacherous spider, wicked witch, black cat, or a sparkling pumpkin with their name engraved in the center. Children enjoy having options. It gives them a self-esteem boost for you to let them decide on their own. Remember to encourge and praise their decision when doing crafts.
If you're into woodworking you can shape the unfinished wood pieces yourself. There are plenty already precut Halloween shapes for your disposal. Once the kids are done decorating their creepy magnets set aside to dry. You can use any type of material for adorning the magnets. Glitter, paint, ribbons, markers, felt, and stickers are just a few options. Apply self-adhesive magnets to the back of your wood pieces and hang on the refrigerator. Kids will enjoy admiring their artistic work every time they enter the kitchen.
Another cherished Halloween wood craft to get you in the spirit is a ghastly ghost door sign. Children really get to be creative with this project. All you need is a thin wooden frame, white and black construction paper. Let your child draw paint or sketch their version of a ghost on the white construction paper. Cut it out or around the image and glue onto the black construction paper as a mat. Be sure to measure properly so the picture will fit into the frame.
Decorate or paint the outside of the wooden frame anyway you like. You can get as creative as you wish. If you have toy wheels or wooden toy parts they can be glued on the corners of the frame to make the sign stand out. Frame, paint, and string up on your child's door for decor.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Using Reusable Item As Craft Supplies And Save On Cost
Author: nbisea
Instead of sending old greeting cards, bottles and clothing to the landfill, why not recycle them into cool items that you can use around the house? Craft supplies
can be expensive, so reusing items will also save you a ton of money. In this article, we'll show you simple ways to transform items from your blue bin into products that you can use in your home again and again.
We all have empty jars kicking around our cupboards. Instead of tossing them, you can turn them into potpourri containers that you can use again and again. It's economical and a good way to be green. All you need is a clean jar (baby food jars are ideal), a paper or lace doily, an elastic band, and your favorite potpourri.
All you have to do is fill the jar with potpourri, cover it with the lace, and secure it with an elastic band, or instead of a plain elastic band, use a hair band with some sparkle or flowers on it to secure the doily. This will make a potpourri holder that looks attractive in any room.
Toilet paper or paper towel tubes are craft supplies with endless possibilities. You can turn them into napkin rings, egg holders and ornaments. To make a really environmentally friendly project, turn the tubes into pencil holders. You'll need an empty tube with all the paper removed, some popsicle sticks, cardboard, paint or markers, glue and rubber bands.
Small erasers and glitter are optional supplies. Start by painting or coloring the popsicle sticks. You can choose a theme like red and white to make a pencil holder that looks like a candy cane or add some blue to pay tribute to Old Glory.
While the sticks are drying, trace the end of the toilet paper holder on to cardboard. Cut this circle out and glue it to one end of the cardboard tube. This becomes your base. You can also use cork for this purpose.
Once that has dried, cover the tube with a coating of glue and carefully attach the popsicle sticks. Wrap with rubber bands until dry. If you want additional decorations, you can glue small erasers in fun shapes and colors to the sticks or add a layer of bright glitter.
Old or unwanted CDs and DVDs usually end up in the trash because people don't know what to do with them. Here's a simple way to turn them into craft projects for the kids. Collect some old discs, metallic string, glue, and gem stones or shells from a discount store. You can usually get a big bag of them for a buck.
Glue two discs back to back with the shiny sides facing outward and loop the metallic string through the middle. Decorate the discs with the gemstones and shells. Voila - you have pretty, reflective ornaments that you can hang anywhere!
Crafts for kids don't have to be expensive. Instead of spending a ton of money at hobby shops, look around your home for ordinary items that can be used as craft supplies.
Popsicle sticks, old tissue boxes, colored comic strips and even your used computer supplies can be turned into useful, unique items around the house. Not only are you saving money, you're being environmentally friends by finding new uses for items that might normally spend hundreds of years in a landfill site.
Instead of sending old greeting cards, bottles and clothing to the landfill, why not recycle them into cool items that you can use around the house? Craft supplies
can be expensive, so reusing items will also save you a ton of money. In this article, we'll show you simple ways to transform items from your blue bin into products that you can use in your home again and again.
We all have empty jars kicking around our cupboards. Instead of tossing them, you can turn them into potpourri containers that you can use again and again. It's economical and a good way to be green. All you need is a clean jar (baby food jars are ideal), a paper or lace doily, an elastic band, and your favorite potpourri.
All you have to do is fill the jar with potpourri, cover it with the lace, and secure it with an elastic band, or instead of a plain elastic band, use a hair band with some sparkle or flowers on it to secure the doily. This will make a potpourri holder that looks attractive in any room.
Toilet paper or paper towel tubes are craft supplies with endless possibilities. You can turn them into napkin rings, egg holders and ornaments. To make a really environmentally friendly project, turn the tubes into pencil holders. You'll need an empty tube with all the paper removed, some popsicle sticks, cardboard, paint or markers, glue and rubber bands.
Small erasers and glitter are optional supplies. Start by painting or coloring the popsicle sticks. You can choose a theme like red and white to make a pencil holder that looks like a candy cane or add some blue to pay tribute to Old Glory.
While the sticks are drying, trace the end of the toilet paper holder on to cardboard. Cut this circle out and glue it to one end of the cardboard tube. This becomes your base. You can also use cork for this purpose.
Once that has dried, cover the tube with a coating of glue and carefully attach the popsicle sticks. Wrap with rubber bands until dry. If you want additional decorations, you can glue small erasers in fun shapes and colors to the sticks or add a layer of bright glitter.
Old or unwanted CDs and DVDs usually end up in the trash because people don't know what to do with them. Here's a simple way to turn them into craft projects for the kids. Collect some old discs, metallic string, glue, and gem stones or shells from a discount store. You can usually get a big bag of them for a buck.
Glue two discs back to back with the shiny sides facing outward and loop the metallic string through the middle. Decorate the discs with the gemstones and shells. Voila - you have pretty, reflective ornaments that you can hang anywhere!
Crafts for kids don't have to be expensive. Instead of spending a ton of money at hobby shops, look around your home for ordinary items that can be used as craft supplies.
Popsicle sticks, old tissue boxes, colored comic strips and even your used computer supplies can be turned into useful, unique items around the house. Not only are you saving money, you're being environmentally friends by finding new uses for items that might normally spend hundreds of years in a landfill site.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Tips To Make Crafts Dolls Inexpensively
Author: nbisea
Homemade
crafts dolls make wonderful collectibles that are very popular at craft fairs. Their beauty and uniqueness really add to the decor of a child's room. Even if you don't plan on selling them, making dolls is an easy and fun art and craft project for even young kids. In this article, we'll show you how to make dolls at home simply and inexpensively.
Apple dolls are great crafts for kids. You'll need a vegetable peeler, paring knife, colored markers or paint, wool yarn, scissors, a 16-ounce plastic bottle, a bottle cork, fabric scraps and a rubber band. Pick the biggest apple that you can find for the head because it will shrink significantly as it dries.
Peel and core the apple and carve a face on one side. Use the tip of a potato peeler to hollow out deep-set eyes and a paring knife to make a slit for a smile. If you're a good carver, you can add ears and eyebrows.
Store the carved apple in a dry spot until it shrinks. Once the head is dry, use colored markers or water-based paints to enhance the eyes, lips and rosy cheeks. To make the body, cut the base off the plastic bottle and plug the top with a cork to serve as the doll's neck.
Wrap the fabric around the body so that it extends beyond the top and the bottom of the bottle. Secure the fabric around the bottleneck with a rubber band and then fold the cloth down. Now top off the doll by gently pushing the cored apple down onto the cork. You'll end up with a really fun and unique looking doll.
Dolls are popular all over the world. One holiday that Japanese girls look forward to is Hina Matsuri, a day dedicated entirely to dolls. To make your own Japanese paper craft dolls, you'll need poster board, construction paper, colored markers and tape. From a piece of poster board, cut out a simple doll's body that measures about 7 inches tall.
For the kimono, cut out a 6-inch square from colored construction paper and from a sheet of black paper, cut out a 6 by 3/8-inch sash and a wig. In the center of the wig, cut a horizontal opening that's wide enough to accommodate the doll's head.
With colored markers or pencils, draw on a face. Next, fold down the top of the kimono 3/8 inch from the edge to form a collar and color it with a marker. Lay the kimono flat so that the folded collar is facedown. Fit the wig onto the doll's head and then center the body on top of the kimono.
Fold a top corner of the kimono down over the doll's shoulder. Working on the same side of the kimono, fold the paper vertically to cover the doll's body. Use the same method to fold the opposite side of the kimono. Finally, wrap the sash around the doll from front to back and tape the ends together. These make beautiful decorations in a young girl's room.
Of all crafts dolls, rag dolls are the most popular and adored. Get a piece of construction paper and fold the paper in half, length-wise. Draw half a body along the fold, so that when the paper is opened the two halves will be symmetrical. The body does not need to be elaborate. A simple gingerbread style with extended arms and legs is perfect.
Draw a second outline about one inch farther out on the paper. This allows for the extra material needed to stitch together the front and back of the rag doll. Cut out the shape using this outer line. Unfold the doll pattern and lay it on a piece of muslin or other lightweight cotton material that will comprise the rag doll's body. Cut out the shape twice for the front and back of the rag doll.
On the front, use fabric paint and buttons to create facial features. Sew or hand-stitch the front and back together leaving a 3-inch gap at the crotch to stuff with polyfill to fill out the body. Once the body has been filled, sew up the gap and you're done!
Making crafts dolls is a wonderful way to introduce your child to the world of art. It encourages them to be creative, and it also teaches them about shapes and colors. Even if your child is older, they can make a doll that they can play with.
If they really become an art and craft fan, they can make a whole collection of hand made dolls! Their beauty is timeless and will make a wonderful childhood keepsake for a lifetime.
Homemade
crafts dolls make wonderful collectibles that are very popular at craft fairs. Their beauty and uniqueness really add to the decor of a child's room. Even if you don't plan on selling them, making dolls is an easy and fun art and craft project for even young kids. In this article, we'll show you how to make dolls at home simply and inexpensively.
Apple dolls are great crafts for kids. You'll need a vegetable peeler, paring knife, colored markers or paint, wool yarn, scissors, a 16-ounce plastic bottle, a bottle cork, fabric scraps and a rubber band. Pick the biggest apple that you can find for the head because it will shrink significantly as it dries.
Peel and core the apple and carve a face on one side. Use the tip of a potato peeler to hollow out deep-set eyes and a paring knife to make a slit for a smile. If you're a good carver, you can add ears and eyebrows.
Store the carved apple in a dry spot until it shrinks. Once the head is dry, use colored markers or water-based paints to enhance the eyes, lips and rosy cheeks. To make the body, cut the base off the plastic bottle and plug the top with a cork to serve as the doll's neck.
Wrap the fabric around the body so that it extends beyond the top and the bottom of the bottle. Secure the fabric around the bottleneck with a rubber band and then fold the cloth down. Now top off the doll by gently pushing the cored apple down onto the cork. You'll end up with a really fun and unique looking doll.
Dolls are popular all over the world. One holiday that Japanese girls look forward to is Hina Matsuri, a day dedicated entirely to dolls. To make your own Japanese paper craft dolls, you'll need poster board, construction paper, colored markers and tape. From a piece of poster board, cut out a simple doll's body that measures about 7 inches tall.
For the kimono, cut out a 6-inch square from colored construction paper and from a sheet of black paper, cut out a 6 by 3/8-inch sash and a wig. In the center of the wig, cut a horizontal opening that's wide enough to accommodate the doll's head.
With colored markers or pencils, draw on a face. Next, fold down the top of the kimono 3/8 inch from the edge to form a collar and color it with a marker. Lay the kimono flat so that the folded collar is facedown. Fit the wig onto the doll's head and then center the body on top of the kimono.
Fold a top corner of the kimono down over the doll's shoulder. Working on the same side of the kimono, fold the paper vertically to cover the doll's body. Use the same method to fold the opposite side of the kimono. Finally, wrap the sash around the doll from front to back and tape the ends together. These make beautiful decorations in a young girl's room.
Of all crafts dolls, rag dolls are the most popular and adored. Get a piece of construction paper and fold the paper in half, length-wise. Draw half a body along the fold, so that when the paper is opened the two halves will be symmetrical. The body does not need to be elaborate. A simple gingerbread style with extended arms and legs is perfect.
Draw a second outline about one inch farther out on the paper. This allows for the extra material needed to stitch together the front and back of the rag doll. Cut out the shape using this outer line. Unfold the doll pattern and lay it on a piece of muslin or other lightweight cotton material that will comprise the rag doll's body. Cut out the shape twice for the front and back of the rag doll.
On the front, use fabric paint and buttons to create facial features. Sew or hand-stitch the front and back together leaving a 3-inch gap at the crotch to stuff with polyfill to fill out the body. Once the body has been filled, sew up the gap and you're done!
Making crafts dolls is a wonderful way to introduce your child to the world of art. It encourages them to be creative, and it also teaches them about shapes and colors. Even if your child is older, they can make a doll that they can play with.
If they really become an art and craft fan, they can make a whole collection of hand made dolls! Their beauty is timeless and will make a wonderful childhood keepsake for a lifetime.
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