Kids Crafts & Activities

How to Make a Painted Snail or Sea Shell Crafts Ideas for Kids

Nature is beautiful so why not take advantage of that natural beauty to create a fun craft. Find either a sea shell or a snail’s shell on the beach (or wherever). Then get the paints out and get creative! Laura from Dacian Moon Handmade will show you, step by step, how to make this fun project for summer.

How to Make a Painted Snail or Sea Shell Crafts Ideas for Kids

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

– snail shell or sea shell
– paints
– paintbrush
– toothpick

Step 1.

We start with a base color. I choose white.

Cover the shell entirely (using the paintbrush, of course)

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Add as many layers as necessary, until it looks as you wish. Let it dry.

Step 2.

Now is time to decorate it. For decoration we will use the toothpick or a very thin paintbrush.

I made a flower with red paint…

.. two lines around it…

and some triangles on the shell lines.

Then I use golden paint to highlight the design.

Like this.

You now have a beautiful painted shell that you can keep on your knick knack shelf forever. Or even better, give the painted shell to someone you love or care about. I hope that you had a lot of fun!

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How to Make Lava Lamps with a Mini Empty Jar or Bottle Craft Idea for Kids

This is a fun and easy project for Summer-time and it is very inexpensive to make. This craft is to make a beautiful, homemade lava lamp. You most likely have all the crafts materials already in your house and kitchen. Laura from Dacian Moon Handmade will show you, step by step, how to make a mini – lava lamp. You can even make it bigger so that the cool effects will be easier to see.

How to Make Lava Lamps with a Mini Empty Jar or Bottle Craft Idea for Kids

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

– mini – bottle
– food coloring
– vegetable oil
– Alka Seltzer
– water

Step 1.

Fill the bottle a little more than half with oil.

like this.

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Add water until almost full…

… like this.

Step 2.

Add some drops of food coloring.

Step 3.

Take a quarter of an Alka Seltzer, make it small pieces and add one at a time to the bottle. (If you want to make a bigger lamp, and use a 1 liter bottle, you should add a full pill of Alka Seltzer)

Wait until the first piece stops bubbling before you drop in the next. If you add too much Alka Seltzer, the solution gets all cloudy.

Let it calm down.

… then watch the bubbles start going up, again and again.

I think if you would add a bit of very fine glitter the effect would be even nicer.

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How to Make an Earth Day Soda Bottle flower light

This flower light bulb craft is a great way to spend a rainy weekend, and also a terrific way to teach kids about recycling and reusing everyday objects. Explain to your child that there’s more than one way to recycle one thing into something else. You can turn used soda bottles into a string of flower lights for spring!

How to Make an Earth Day Soda Bottle Flower Light

flower-light-bulb-main

Crafts Materials Needed

flower-light-bulb-what-youll-need

String of small lights
A 16 oz soda bottle
Craft foam
Paint suitable for plastic (I used Calypso All-Purpose Acrylic Paint which dried nicely and fast)
Craft foam in green
Floral wire
Scissors
Tape (green tape or floral tape optional)

flower-light-bulb-step-one

1. Cut off the top section of the bottle.

2. Trim the cut end into petal shapes. Child-size scissors (and hands!) are good for this as they can maneuver more easily inside the bottle.

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flower-light-bulb-step-three

3. Paint the outside of the bottle and allow to dry.

flower-light-bulb-step-four

4. While the paint is drying, cut two 5″ pieces of floral wire. Wrap around the base of the flower as shown, twisting the ends on each side of the base.

flower-light-bulb-step-five

5. Cut petal shapes into a 2″ x 5″ piece of green craft foam.

flower-light-bulb-step-six

6. When paint is dry, wrap petal piece around the base of the flower as shown. I used green floral tape to cover the regular clear tape I had used to make it look neater and prettier.

flower-light-bulb-step-seven

7. Insert a light into the hole in the base. Then take each set of two floral wire ends and wrap around the light string as seen above.

flower-light-bulb-finished-product

Voila, you have your own flower light! Repeat the process as many times as you’d like to string the lights around the yard for a party or in your child’s room.

Technorati Tags: earth day, earth day crafts, soda bottle crafts, flower crafts, flowers, recycling, upcycling, recycling crafts

How to Make Abe Lincoln Finger Puppets for Presidents Day

It is February which means that it is time for Presidents Day again. How about celebrating this great holiday with an Abe Lincoln Finger Puppet? Laura from Dacian Moon Handmade will show you today how to make a Lincoln puppet out of pipe cleaners.

How to Make Abe Lincoln Finger Puppets for Presidents Day

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

– black pipe cleaner
– wooden bead (~1 cm diameter)
– instant glue
– scissors
– 2 toothpicks
– black and red paints

Step 1.

Glue the wooden bead on top of one toothpick – this will be the head.

Start wrapping the pipe cleaner around the toothpick.

You stop when you go over the middle. Cut the extra pipe cleaner.

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Like this.

Step 2.

Make a spiral of pipe cleaner…

Like this.

Expand bottom to form the hat.

Step 3.

Apply glue on the head…

… and quickly fix the hat there. (Quickly because we use instant glue)

Step 4.

Use paints to add a beard…

… eyes …

… nose and hair.

Your puppet is ready 😀

I hope that you enjoyed making this finger puppet for Presidents Day. Come back for more crafts.

Technorati Tags: Presidents Day, abe lincoln, abe lincoln crafts, lincoln crafts, presidents day crafts, lincoln puppets, finger puppets

How to make a Chalk Pastel Jars for Valentines Day or for Summer Fun

Today we will show you how to make a really cool item that you have never made before. This project is to make a jar filled with beautiful pastel chalk…it looks like sand art, but instead with chalk. Look below to find out how to make these awesome jars…great for a Valentines Day gift or for a Cool Summer Project. Laura from Dacian Moon Handmade will show you today how to make a cute gift for your Valentine.

How to make a Chalk Pastel Jars for Valentines Day or for Summer Fun

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

– chalk: blue, pink, green
– sugar
– small jar
– paper

Step 1.

Put some sugar on a piece of paper.

Spread it.

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Rub the blue chalk over the sugar…

… and the sugar will become blue.

Use the paper as a funnel to put the blue sugar into the jar.

like this.

Step 2.

Repeat step 1 using pink chalk. Put pink sugar over the blue one.

Step 3.

Add a layer of white sugar on the jar, then make some green sugar (repeating step 1, with green chalk).

Add the green layer over the white one, like this.

Seal the jar and the gift is ready.

Technorati Tags: chalk, chalk crafts, sugar, sugar crafts, jar, jar crafts, valentines day, valentines day crafts, summer, summer crafts, summer art

How to Make a Cute Little Fabric Snowman

Today we will show you how to make this cute little fabric snowman. He is a lot of fun to make and even more fun to play with. On this cold Winter day, I thought this would be a great craft to share with you.

Step by step tutorial offered by Laura from Dacian Moon Handmade

How to Make a Cute Little Fabric Snowman

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

– dark blue fabric
– white fabric
– filling material (I use some cotton pads broken into pieces)
– scissors
– ribbon
– black paint or marker
– button

Step 1.

Cut a disc of blue fabric and a smaller one of white fabric.

Step 2.

Start sewing around the edges…

… like this.

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Pull the thread ends …

… and fill the inside with the filling material.

Tie the thread ends.

Do the same for the white disc.

Step 3.

Put the needle and thread through the middle of white part…

… then through the middle of the blue part…

… and through the button (we will use the button to make a solid part on the base. It will help our snowman to stay.)

Get back through the blue part and the white part to fix all parts together.

Step 4.

Cut two rectangles of blue fabric, one wider than the other.

Fold the lower part on the big one…

… and wrap it around the snowman’s head (the white part)

Use the ribbon to tie it, like this. Now the snowman have a hat.

Step 5.

Let’s make a scarf now. Take the other blue fabric rectangle…

… and wrap it around the neck of your snowman, then tie it.

Make some cuts on both ends of the scarf and on the upper part of the hat.

Thus, the hat and scarf will have fringes.

Use black paint / marker to draw eyes and mouth, and your little snowman is ready.

Technorati Tags: winter crafts, snowman crafts, stuffed snowman, snowman, making a snowman, snow crafts, winter crafts for kids

How to Make Beaded Christmas Tree Ornaments

Here is a crafts tutorial to make a Christmas tree from pipe cleaners, safety pins, and some beads. With this craft, you make a beautiful Christmas tree that is also an ornament. Use this step by step tutorial offered by Laura from Dacian Moon Handmade.

How to Make Beaded Christmas Tree Ornaments

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

– 3 pieces of chenille stem
– green, orange, red, brown crystals / beads
– blue bigger beads
– self – adhesive star
– safety pins

Step 1.

Take one safety pin. Open it.

Put crystals on it, like this.

Close the pin.

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Do the same for the other safety pins. You will need 8.

Step 2.

Take 1 piece of chenille stem…

… and put one safety pin on it.

Add two in the other direction, one, two again and one. Like in the picture.

Put another chenille through the ends of the 3 safety pins, like this.

Bring the safety pins ends together.

Raise the ends of the last chenille stem…

… and wrap them one around the other, to make a hanger

Bend the extra chenille to the back of the tree.

Put another one through the other ends of the safety pins…

… and add a blue bead between the safety pins.

It will look like this.

Fix the self-adhesive star on the ornament…

… and it is ready to adorn your Christmas tree.

Technorati Tags: christmas trees, christmas tree, christmas ornaments, tree ornaments, christmas tree ornaments, ornament crafts, christmas tree crafts

How to Make Paper Stand-Up Turkey Centerpieces for Thanksgiving

Here is a fun paper craft that isn’t too hard to make. All you have to do is print out our paper template and then paste it together. Then you can just put it in the center of your Thanksgiving dinner table.

How to Make Paper Stand-Up Turkey Centerpieces for Thanksgiving

Crafts Materials Needed

Printer

Paper

Scssors

Paste

Print Out a Color or Black and White Template

Color Paper Turkey Template — Click on this image to open up a the template in a new page

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Black and White Paper Turkey Template — Click on this image to open up the template in a new page

Instructions for Making These Turkeys

All you have to do is cut on the solid lines and fold on the dotted lines. Then just paste it together as you see in the above picture. This turkey is a great decoration for your Thanksgiving table.

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How to Make Candy Corn Stalks for Thanksgiving Treats

Who says that you can only have candy for Halloween. Here is a great treat to use as placeholders at the Thanksgiving table. You make these cute little cornstalks out of candy corn and cardboard tubes from paper towel rolls. This is a fun way to give treats on Thanksgiving. This tutorial is offered by Laura from Dacian Moon Handmade

How to make Candy Corn Stalks for Thanksgiving treats

Crafts Materials Needed:

– recycled paper roll
– green paint
– yellow and orange candies
– paintbrush
– scissors
– bag

Step 1.

Cut a rectangle with rounded corners out of the paper roll…

… like this.

Step 2.

Using green paint…

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… and paintbrush, color the roll.

Let it dry.

Step 3.

Cut triangles on the lower part…

Like this.

Step 4.

Put the candies in the bag…

… and place it inside the tube.

Step 5.

Take the rest of tube (the part that was not painted)…

… and cut thin strips of it.

Like this.

Put them in the tube above the candies, so that a part to go over the edge, outside ..

Step 6.

Squeezes the top to remain fixed (if doesn’t work, you can tie with a cord of similar color, or you can stick it.)

Then bend inward at the bottom…

And that’s all 😀

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How to make Vampire Teeth and Fangs for Halloween

If you want to be a spooky vampire for Halloween, you are going to need a set of fangs for your costume. Here is the easiest way to complete your Halloween costume with vampire fangs / teeth. You will need a disposable fork and little less to complete this craft. Laura from Dacian Moon Handmade will show you, step by step, how to make them.

WARNING: This is only for older kids … and make sure they know to be careful to not swallow the fangs/teeth.

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

– plastic fork
– scissors
– nail file
– straight pliers

Step 1.

Break fork tail.

Like this.

Step 2.

Straighten the edges with scissors so that it remains a convenient length.

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Like this.

Step 3.

Use pliers to shorten the teeth in the middle of the fork.

Like this.

Round all edges and corners (using nail file) that will not hurt when you wear them.

Your perfect vampire fangs are ready ! 😀

WARNING: This is only for older kids … and make sure they know to be careful to not swallow the fangs/teeth.

Technorati Tags: vampire fangs, vampire crafts, halloween crafts, costume crafts, forks, fork crafts

How to Make Glow in the Dark Ghost Nails for Halloween

If you want to be unique around Halloween time, you will love this idea for painted on ghost nails. This is a perfect nail decoration for Halloween: and these nails glow in the dark! . Laura from Dacian Moon Handmade will show you, step by step, how to paint them.

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

– protective base (nail shield )
– very dark blue nail polish
– clear lacquer
– acrylic paints – silver, opaque white, white glow
– toothpick

Step 1.

Apply a protective layer on your nails using the base…

Like this. Let it dry.

Step 2.

Apply a layer of dark nail polish and let it dry well.

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If color is not uniform, apply another layer. Let it dry well.

Step 3.

Put a drop of silver paint on a cardboard.

We will apply it using a toothpick.

Draw 3 lines from a corner…

… then connect them with curves. Like this.

Add a new row of curves and the spider web is ready.

Draw this spider web on every nail.

Let it dry.

Step 4.

Next we add ghosts using opaque white.

I will show on the cardboard what to do. Put a small drop of paint.

Using toothpick pull down a little to make her tail. Like this.

Let it dry a bit, then with the other end of the toothpick make the eyes and mouth. Like this.

If you can’t make the eyes and mouth this way, use a little black paint to draw them, once the white paint is dry.

So, do that on your nails, on the opposite corner.

Repeat for all the nails.

Step 5.

Add a layer of glow in the dark paint on the ghost. You can apply it with a toothpick or a cotton stick. Let it dry.

Take care if you will use black paint for the eyes and mouth, the glow in the dark layer should be applied before that.

Your nails are almost ready.

Step 6.

To protect your manicure, apply a coat of clear lacquer.

Thus colors will not fade with water. In order to remove them, use nail polish remover.

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How to make Floating Ghosts for Halloween

Picture Trick-or-Treaters coming to your house, and you coming to the door. When you open the door, they see glowing ghosts behind you. They scream until they realize that they didn’t see a real ghost; all they saw was just a floating balloon. Laura from Dacian Moon Handmade will show you, step by step, how to make a cool decoration for Halloween: a floating ghost :D.

How to Make Floating Glow in the Dark Ghosts for Halloween

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

– balloon
– black permanent marker
– glow in the dark acrylic paint (I use orange glow paint with gold balloon. If you have white glow paint, use a white balloon)
– paintbrush

Step 1.

Put some paint on a cardboard…

… and apply it with the paintbrush…

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… on the balloon.

Like this.

Let it dry well.

Step. 2

Use the permanent marker to add eyes and mouth. Let it dry.

Now, on daylight the balloon is gold, but in the dark, it glows.

Note:

If for some reason the paint is peeling, clean the balloon and repeat the steps above on the inflated balloon.

Technorati Tags: ghosts, ghost crafts, halloween, halloween crafts, halloween ghosts, balloons, balloon crafts

How to Make Cute Halloween Candy Bats

You can’t have Halloween without the treats! So we might as well make them cute 😉 Laura from Dacian Moon Handmade will show you, step by step, how to turn a normal candy bar into vampire bats. This bat can close his wings around the candy bar.

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

– black cardboard
– little chocolate
– pen
– scissors
– paper glue
– self adhesive eyes

Step 1.

Measuring the right size, we leave 2 cm above and below the chocolate. On the sides we let 4 cm.

Cut the cardboard to the right size.

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Step. 2

We measure chocolate on board, marking the corners.

Draw two lines from the upper markings to the edges, like this.

Step 3.

Draw a bat wing on the right side, based on the markings. Like this.

Draw another one on the left side.

Step 4.

Next, we will draw some feet for our bat – not too complex because you’ll find it hard to cut when is ready.

The feet looks like this, because the bat has claws 😀

To finish our design we must add the head…

… so, draw it as a half of a circle with two pointy ears.

Step 5.

Cut it out.

It will look like this.

Step 6.

Add the eyes.

Bend the wings up…

… like this.

Step 7.

Add a layer of glue on the chocolate…

… and place it on its place.

Join the wings in front and you have the cutest treat ever 😀

Technorati Tags: halloween treats, halloween crafts, candy crafts, crafts with candy, candy bats, vampire bats

How to Make Your Own Personal Microphone Broadcast System

This is a craft to make a simple & personal microphone machine that you wear on your back. There are no wires or technology here, it is made simply with a box, hose, funnel, and a few other items. Any boy or girl can make this simple home broadcasting system, through which you can really “broadcast.” However, mom or dad should probably be there to assist you. This might be good to include with a Halloween costume as you can make creepy sounds broadcast out of your back…depending on what your costume is.

How to Make Your Own Personal Microphone Broadcast System

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

Large cardboard box

Brass paper fasteners

Piece of garden hose (ask mom or dad first)

Piece of window screening (ask mom or dad first)

Funnel

Scotch tape

Old belt or strap

Paints & brush

Scissors

Long nail (ask mom or dad first)

Glue

How to Make Them:

Step 1

Remove the cover from the box and throw it away as you will not need it. On the opposite side of the opening, cut out a window, leaving a 2 inch margin all around.

Step 2

Cut a piece of window screening a little larger than the window opening, and glue it over the opening from the inside, as in illustration A.

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Step 3

Make a small round hole in the bottom of the box, and pull a piece of garden hose up through the hole. Insert the snout of the tin funnel into the end of the hose inside the carton. Make the hose fit tightly over the funnel snout by wrapping Scotch tape around it. Drive a long nail through the hose to prevent it from slipping out of the hole in the carton, as in illustration B.

Step 4

Fasten the belt shoulder straps to the top and the bottom of the carton with brass paper fasteners, as in Illustration C.

Step 5

To broadcast thru the system, the user slips the straps over his shoulders, with the open end of the device to his back, and the loose end of the hose in his hand. The person who is broadcasting speaks into the loose end of the hose in the operator’s hands, as in illustration D. His voice is transmitted through the hose, through the funnel, and out through the screened window at the back of the Walkie-Talkie Like Microphone Machine.

Technorati Tags: microphone crafts, sound crafts, broadcasting crafts, making toy crafts, toy crafts, halloween crafts, halloween costume crafts, boy crafts

How to Make Cellophane Dancers

You can make a whole dance studio filled with boys and girls who will jump and dance about as if they were really alive. The trick is causing enough static electricity to make these little guys jump and dance. Find out how to make cellophane dancers below.

How to Make Cellophane Dancers

Crafts Materials Needed:

Large deep cardboard box

Light cardboard

Cellophane

Scotch tape

Silk handkerchief

Glue or paste

Scissors

Tissue paper

Pencil

How to Make Them:

Step 1

To make the dancers, cut 2 strips of tissue paper, 5 inches long and 3/4 of an inch wide. Fold the strips back and forth, as in illustration A.

Step 2

You will have 2 square tissue paper packets, as in illustration B.

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Step 3

Fold each packet down the center. On the fold of one packet, draw and then cut out, the half figure of a girl, and on the other packet, the half figure of a boy, as in illustration C.

Step 4

Open up the strips, you will have one continuous row of girls, and one of boys.

Step 5

Cut 2 strips of light cardboard 1/8 of an inch wide. Glue a standing row of dancers to each cardboard strip, bending back the feet of the dancers about 1/8 of an inch to make them stand firmly, as in illustration D.

Step 6

Cut the hands of the dancers apart, and cut the cardboard between them. Each dancer will be standing on a separate cardboard platform, as in illustration E.

Step 7

Stand the dancers in the cardboard box ballroom. Cut a piece of cellophane to fit the top of the box, and fasten with pieces of Scotch tape, as in illustration F.

To make the dancers jump and dance, rub a silk handkerchief over the celluloid top. This will generate enough static electricity to make the dancers come “alive.”

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How to Make a Mini Puppet Theater with a Matches Box

I be you will want this miniature puppet playhouse and its tiny dancing puppet for a pocket toy or to use in your doll houses. This is a mini yarn puppet that is controlled with a matches box puppet theater. Find out how to make this little mini toy below.

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

Sliding drawer matches box

Scissors

Nail

Black paint or ink

Black thread

Paints & brush

Colored yarn

Screw eye

How to Make These Miniature Puppet Shows

Step 1

Remove the sliding drawer from the matchbox. Paint the inside of the drawer with black paint or ink and allow it to dry thoroughly. Paint the outside of the drawer and the matchbox cover with a neutral color paint, and allow them to dry thoroughly.

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Step 2

To make the dancing puppet, cut several 2-inch pieces of colored yarn. Fold the yarn over the head of an ordinary screw eye, and wind a piece of black thread under the head to make the neck.

Step 3

Tie a short piece of black thread to the top of the puppet’s head to make the control-thread.

Step 4

With a nail, punch a small hole in the center of one of the short ends of the sliding drawer. Slip the end of the control-thread attached to the puppet through the hole. Replace the sliding drawer in the matchbox cover so that the control-thread is at the top, and the puppet is in the drawer.

Step 5

Decorate the front of the puppet playhouse with paints or wax crayons. To make the puppet perform, slide the drawer about halfway out of the cover and pull the control-thread up and down. If you want to make a larger playhouse for more puppets, use a kitchen size matchbox with a sliding drawer, and make 2 or 3 yarn puppets the same way.

Technorati Tags: puppet crafts, puppet, puppet theaters, puppet theater crafts, yarn crafts, matchbox crafts, matches box crafts, mini puppets