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Mother’s Day Crafts For Toddlers – Easy Bookmark Mother’s Day Craft For Toddlers

Raise Your Child — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:59:05 +0000

Finding an easy mother’s day craft for toddlers is not always that easy. I know that most people consider making bookmarks rather boring but, we must keep in mind that the toddlers probably haven’t made any yet, so for them, making a bookmark for mom is new. This easy bookmark craft is also a fun way to teach the little ones what happens when different colors are mixed.

Remember, this craft for toddlers needs to be done under adult supervision and the little ones will need help with some of the steps.

This is what you will need for this mother’s day craft:

A small piece of white poster paper
A decorative pair of craft scissors (called zigzag scissors by some)
4 Colors of thin watercolors (you can find watercolors powder to make these at any crafts store)
A medicine dropper
Thin ribbon in a color of your choice
A punch to make a hole for the ribbon

Method for this mother’s day craft:

With your decorative scissors cut a piece of your poster paper to the required size for a bookmark. (Bookmarks do not always have to be the well known size, I have a very pretty one that my granddaughter made that is quite big and it is beautiful. A bigger bookmark also gives you more space to work with.)
Now you have to splatter a little bit of clean water on your bookmark. (Not too much because we do not want the bookmark to become too soggy!)
Draw one of the colors, of your paint, up into the medicine dropper and drip the paint on different places on the bookmark.
Wash the medicine dropper and repeat the procedure with the other the other three colors.
You will notice that the colors will flow a little and where they mix the colors will change depending on the colors you used. For the little ones it may be a good idea to use the primary colors.
Keep an eye on the kids so that they do not get over exited and use too much water and paint, as the bookmark will then become very soggy and the end result will not be satisfactory.
Let your bookmark dry completely.
Punch a hole in the bottom of the bookmark and thread the ribbon through the hole.
Make a not in the ribbon to keep it in place.

Kids really love doing crafts that can be used in some way. With this mother’s day craft for toddlers they make a gift for mom that she will be able to use for many, many years to come. I hope you and your toddler will enjoy this easy mother’s day craft for toddlers.

By Magriet Du Plessis

Get more fun and easy mother’s day crafts at Magriet’s site Fun Kids Crafts at http://www.kidscrafts.topknacks.com/documents/mothersdaykidscrafts.html There is a fun one at Magriet Recommends http://www.our-crazy-world.com/documents/easycraftsforkids.html If you are looking for fun and easy Bible crafts you can visit http://www.squidoo.com/biblecraftsforkids

Picture Frame Crafts For Your Kids Party

Raise Your Child — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 02:01:43 +0000

By Patricia Jensen

One of the most popular party favors is a framed picture of the party guest taken at your kids party. He or she could be showing off a silly hat or party costume, performing an outrageous party game stunt, or wearing a face full of frosting and ice cream.

Having party guests create their own make-and-take frame to display this memorable photo makes it an even greater treasure for the memory box.

Start with a plain square of cardboard with an opening the size of your picture. When the decorating is done, simply glue picture to the back of the frame.

Here’s a brainstorm of frame ideas and decorating materials kids can use:

*Cut your photo into a circle and glue to the center of a nice shiny CD. Decorate with star stickers.

*Cut frames from different colored craft foam. Layer the foam squares for a unique effect. Decorative foam pieces in many unique shapes and themes are available at your craft store.

*Make a simple craft stick frame and decorate it with faux gems, sequins, sparkles, or stickers.

*Fashion a frame with craft clay.

*Use faux craft fur to make a really “wild” looking frame. Great for a jungle themed party.

*Tie one end of a long length of colorful yarn to your cardboard square. Wrap the yarn around and around the square until it is completely covered.

*Glue tiny Barbie doll accessories such as combs, brushes, sunglasses, and purses. Ideal for a Barbie party or little girl’s dress up party.

*Brush a square of cardboard with white craft glue. Sprinkle craft sand onto the glue in different colors and patterns. Shake excess sand onto newspapers and let dry.

*Use outdoor treasures such as tiny pine cones, leaves, and small stones to make a nature frame. Perfect for a garden party or bug party.

*Colorful buttons in various sizes and shapes can be laid out in an interesting design.

*Apply geometrical shapes of felt in a creative pattern.

*Cover your frame with pretty fabric.

*Apply colored clay shapes to your cardboard square.

*Hard edible sugar decorations for cakes come in a variety of themes. These can be used to decorate your frame.

*Different shapes of macaroni make interesting frame decorations. Try elbows, wheels, bowties, and fusilli.

*Tiny colored pompoms make a cute soft frame. Apply complementary colors in rows.

*Tear off one inch pieces of multi-colored tissue paper. Pinch between fingers, dip in glue and apply to your frame.

*Small dried beans or peas laid out in intricate patterns make a unique frame.

Kids will love the hands-on party activity and parents will enjoy their child’s picture displayed in their own uniquely creative frame.

Patricia B. Jensen is a mother of three and kids party enthusiast. She is the webmaster and owner of href="http://www.kids-party-paradise.com">Kids-Party-Paradise.com – a complete resource for kids party ideas including invitations, cakes, decorations, games, costumes, favors, and food.

For all the latest party news, read her Kids Party Blog.

Teach Your Children How To Make Friendship Bracelets – Start Family Memories At The Kitchen Table

Raise Your Child — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 01:59:16 +0000

By Anita Smith

Some of the most important times I remember with my family were when my sisters and I were kids making crafts together around the kitchen table – and one of the best times we had was making friendship bracelets.

Our Mom let us each invite a friend to come over and she taught us all how to make friendship bracelets. She had bought lots of embroidery yarn (floss) in wonderful colors – I especially remember purple – my favorite at that time. We all gathered around the table and watched as her hands began to produce a row of colorful knots that grew into several inches of pattern .We were engrossed by what she was doing and eager to start making our own. Mom had already made several bracelets so she could show us some very colorful examples – we were hooked on friendship bracelets.

She helped each of us get started on a basic simple pattern after we had chosen our floss – and I remember sitting around our kitchen table, my fingers learning to move the floss in and out to make knots – and happily chattering away with my girlfriends. When we finished my Mom talked to us about the value of friendship and how a friend can grow with you as you become a teenager, young woman and mother. I remember listening to my Mom telling about her lifelong friendships and how important they have been to her. I couldn’t really understand the value of it all, at that time, but it stuck with me.

My friends and I helped each other tie the friendship bracelets on our wrists, and for weeks when we saw each other wearing the friendship bracelet it signified an unspoken connection. Fast forward 15 years. Do I still know where that friendship bracelet is today? No, somewhere along the way it was discarded or lost. Do I still know where those girlfriends are today? – yes I do. Maybe we formed a strong bond around my Mother’s stories on the value of friendship and we bonded together over some colorful strands of yarn that we slipped over our wrists to signify Best Friends Forever. Whatever the magic, these friends are still an important part of my life.

And the value of projects together around the kitchen table has been passed along in my own family to my kids. We work together on many things, laughing and learning to help each other and share.

Perhaps you’d like to teach your children how to make friendship bracelets. Carve out a
Saturday morning, clear off the kitchen table and spend time together. Who knows what that friendship bracelet might knot together.

Instructions

* embroidery thread in various colors

* scissors

*cardboard

Basic friendship bracelet

1. Using a piece of a cardboard box or the back of a notebook, make a board to hold your thread.

2. Cut half-inch slits along the bottom of the cardboard and one at the top of the cardboard in the middle.

3. Take 4 threads of equal length (about 18 inches) and tie them together at the top. You can make your bracelet wider by using more threads.

4. Place the knot through the slit at the top of the cardboard and place each individual thread in the slits at the bottom of the cardboard. The order that you line up your thread is the order in which they will appear in the bracelet.

5. Start with the thread furthest to the left, place it over the thread next to it in the shape of a “4″.

6. Then, bring it under that thread and pull it through. Do this twice. Continue making the “4″-shaped knot over the rest of the threads until the thread that was originally on the left is now on the right.

7. Now repeat the steps above, always starting with the first string on the left.

8. Remember to leave enough extra thread so that you can tie it.

9. When you’re done, you can wear it around your wrist.