craft ideas for kids

Finding fun things for your family to do can be tough if you’re on a budget, but if you’re creative, you’ll find there’s plenty to do for just pennies.

With the rising cost of, well, just about everything, it can be difficult to indulge in the kinds of entertainment you may be used to. Never fear – there are things you can do that cost very little yet offer hours of family fun.

Game Night
Whether it’s a board game, charades, video games, cards or a made-up game, the whole family can get in on the action with a night of games. Add some fun snacks to the mix and get ready for a night of fun. This is a great option for older kids.

Movie Night
Head to your local video rental store and stock up on some good family movies, then settle in with some popcorn and candy and enjoy! If you want to go all out, you can even print some “movie tickets” and dim the lights to recreate the full movie experience. (Spilling popcorn and drinks on the floor is optional!) Best of all, you can always hit pause for bathroom breaks and no one cares how loud you’re laughing.

A Craft Affair
Do your little ones love to paint, color, cut and glue? Have them make decorations for whichever holiday is approaching. You can also have them decorate blank note cards, so you’ll always have a stash of unique cards ready to send out.

Cool Cooking
If your kids are like mine, they love to help me cook and bake. Borrow a kid’s cook book from the library and pick one recipe each week to work on. Of course baking sweet treats is fun, too, so be sure to keep cake mix, frosting and sprinkles on hand to make impromptu cupcakes.

On Your Marks
If you have some open space in your living room or basement, set up an obstacle course and then divide your family into teams for some friendly competition. The obstacle course doesn’t need to be elaborate, and you can use things you already have on hand such as pillows, laundry baskets and chairs. To make it even more challenging, have contestants perform some sort of feat during one leg of the course, such as carrying a plastic egg on a spoon without dropping it.

Befriend Books
If you really need to get out of the house, check out your local library. Both kids and adults love browsing the books, and some locations even offer story times and computers with Internet access and kid-friendly games.

Family fun doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Try some of the ideas above or use them as starting points for creating your own brand of fun.

Heather L. Clark
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/frugal-family-fun-677013.html

Ever wonder can we create a scrapbook in 3D ? Yes, definitely yes! But how ? This is scrapbooking innovation ideas if you wish to create 3D scrapbooking. Here I share 7 secret weapons of how to create 3D scrapbooking. Enjoy reading while be creative in your thinking, you may find more great ideas to create 3D scrapbook!

Secret #1 Wire with photo in between.

You can get any size, length and width of craft wire from craft store. Band the wire into different shapes such as square, oval or rectangle to create a photo frame like design. Insert your photo into the photo area, and lastly decorate some paper flower or embellishment at the wire frame corners.

Secret #2 Mini book in 3D.

I love mini scrapbook. It is fun to create mini book in 3D. Lots of creative scrapbooking ideas can transform to 3D mini book. Materials needed are 4R size ordinary photo album, old birthday card, old wedding invitation card, adhesive, colored egg shells, color ice cream sticks and some mini to medium size pebble stones. Cut or tear out 2 to 3 pages of 4R size photo albums but still in joining pages, decorate the corners and side with some egg shells, paste some support to each side of the album pages with ice scream sticks using adhesive, so that it can stand when putting on table. Cut the old birthday card into 4R size, insert into the 4R album as background design, lastly put your photo into the album.

Secret #3 Scrapbook with recycle milk box.

My daughter and me love this idea. Most of milk box are small and house like design. Materials needed are felt of different colors, milk box, adhesive, thread for sewing. Clean up the milk box after finished the drink. Let it dry for a few days. Cut felt into size similar to the milk box, sew the corner with simple straight line design. Past the felt on to the milk box, lastly place your candid photo on the mini milk box house.

Secret #4 Wagon 3D scrapbooking

This idea is actually from my 4 years old daughter. I like to create wagon from shoe box or unused mini boxes as wagon for my son. One day my daughter suggested to do some craft pasting on each sides of the wagon and write some text to express, then I suggested to her to add some of their candid photos. It’s really fun and enjoyable, you may want to try this too with your children at home!

Secret 5 Recycle kids toys by turning it into scrapbook.

My children has many toys that comes with nice design carrier or briefcase. Keep the briefcase, and repaint it with acrylic, add some embellishment and create a stunning 3D scrapbook of your design! 3D toys such as blocks or baby cloth books, you can transform them into different 3D scrapbooking by adding your candid photos on each sides to create a simple 3D scrapbook.

Secret #6 Gift cards or birthday cards or invitation cards.

If you receive gift cards, birthday cards or invitation cards in 3D design, do not throw it away. Transform it into your 3D scrapbooking. Add some embellishment and some words to express, last place your photo at suitable area.

Secret #7 Brief case or cosmetic case as collage scrapbooking.

Collage technique is nothing new, by having a few collage methods while creating your 3D scrapbook, will make your design more interesting and lasting look. Material needed, some mini brief case, or wooden chocolate boxes, adhesive, buttons, threads, 3D stickers, colorful construction papers or wrapping papers, clay dough (use no toxic based if you want to do it with your child). First color the wooden background with a layer of acrylic, let it dry for a few days. Once dry, decorate corner or 4 sides or some portion of the wooden based with construction papers. Paste buttons, beads or threading at the corner or any two sides of the wooden based. Lastly add your photo or drawing at your suitable area, and you have created a collage 3D scrapbooking.

Hope above secrets help you to make an innovation of 3D scrapbooking!

Jasmine N
http://www.articlesbase.com/hobbies-articles/7-secret-weapons-of-3d-scrapbooking-innovation-and-creative-tips-367134.html

Halloween is all about having fun with your friends and family. Among the best parts of Halloween are decorating the house with crafts. And when these crafts are all hand made, the more the merrier! Coming to its expenditure part, the amazing fact is that this sort of craft work can easily be done using anything you get your hands an at home. Using old paper or simple construction paper many decorative can be made to make your Halloween special and spooky.

Now I’m sure, you all must be looking for some free Halloween crafts that are easy enough for you to follow!

Halloween paper crafts are real fun for kids. Try cutting out a ghost from white paper or make a detailed pumpkin window peek! The idea is to enjoy what ever you make! This way you would be able to use all your creativity.

Well, internet is a hub for several ideas. Once you have the ideas and tips and tricks, you can use your innovative skills to make the ideas even more interesting. Creativity and imagination is the key to make your decorations as exclusive and attractive and spooky as you wish to. Here are a few ideas to get started:

1. Pumpkin Lantern

Take some sheets of construction paper and gather the basic craft equipment like scissors and glue.

Fold the construction sheet in to half from the shorter side.

Now, with a ruler, measure 2 inches towards inside from the open edge. Next, draw a line 18 inch long across the paper. Father, 1 inch apart between the paper’s fold and the 18 inch line draw lines.

With the scissors, cut the shorter lines from the paper’s folded edge and stop at the line.

Your strips are ready. Now, unfold the paper. Bend it in to a cylinder and paste together the sides.

To make the handle of the lantern, cut 1

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/holidays-articles/halloween-paper-decorations-for-children-2-interesting-methods-740248.html

A fun activity during Halloween is to decorate your home with hand made art and craft decorations. With a little imagination, one can make wonderful decorations to beautify the house and give it that festive look during Halloween. It is not necessary to be an expert at craft making, but a little imagination and ingenuity will go a long way to succeed in this project. A quick search on the Internet for ideas on homemade decorations will speed up your imaginative powers. You can come up with some creepy looking decorations by making use of simple household items. Most often, people like to transform their homes into haunted houses.

The yard is the best place to start with Halloween decorations. You can turn it into a creepy cemetery. You can give it a ghoulish appearance by putting ‘tombstones’ all around it. These can be simple plywood cut out into half- spheres. Attach some nails to the bottom, or push them down into the ground so that they stand up. You can paint them black and put some scary writings on them. The lighting in the yard can also be adjusted to throw eerie shadows over the yard. A few ‘ghosts’ made up of white sheets tied on to bushes will do the trick. Balloon Ghosts in white with attached bells can be left to float in the breeze. Their haunting chimes may scare even the strongest hearted person!

Halloween Crafts for the indoors can be made easily. One way to get a spooky effect in the house is to drape a fine white cloth, artistically painted with a ghost face, on the windowpane. Bats, artificial cobwebs and witch cutouts can be put up on the walls or hung from the ceiling to complete the creepy effect.

Many of these crafts can be made by kids too. However, if there is a need to use power tools for creating them, it is best left to the adults to do the job. Children can be involved to do simple things like painting or gluing on glitter, beads and sequins. This can be a fun activity done together to create something unique.

Your creativity is limited only to your imagination. Use your imagination and creativity while putting together Halloween crafts. As adults, your creations will be much neater since you are now agile while using your hands. Let the kids participate as well. There is nothing better than having a family activity to bring everyone closer! Have fun and enjoy your time with the family during Halloween.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/holidays-articles/halloween-crafts-for-adults-let-your-imagination-go-wild-740276.html

A fun activity during Halloween is to decorate your home with hand made art and craft decorations. With a little imagination, one can make wonderful decorations to beautify the house and give it that festive look during Halloween. It is not necessary to be an expert at craft making, but a little imagination and ingenuity will go a long way to succeed in this project. A quick search on the Internet for ideas on homemade decorations will speed up your imaginative powers. You can come up with some creepy looking decorations by making use of simple household items. Most often, people like to transform their homes into haunted houses.

The yard is the best place to start with Halloween decorations. You can turn it into a creepy cemetery. You can give it a ghoulish appearance by putting ‘tombstones’ all around it. These can be simple plywood cut out into half- spheres. Attach some nails to the bottom, or push them down into the ground so that they stand up. You can paint them black and put some scary writings on them. The lighting in the yard can also be adjusted to throw eerie shadows over the yard. A few ‘ghosts’ made up of white sheets tied on to bushes will do the trick. Balloon Ghosts in white with attached bells can be left to float in the breeze. Their haunting chimes may scare even the strongest hearted person!

Halloween Crafts for the indoors can be made easily. One way to get a spooky effect in the house is to drape a fine white cloth, artistically painted with a ghost face, on the windowpane. Bats, artificial cobwebs and witch cutouts can be put up on the walls or hung from the ceiling to complete the creepy effect.

Many of these crafts can be made by kids too. However, if there is a need to use power tools for creating them, it is best left to the adults to do the job. Children can be involved to do simple things like painting or gluing on glitter, beads and sequins. This can be a fun activity done together to create something unique.

Your creativity is limited only to your imagination. Use your imagination and creativity while putting together Halloween crafts. As adults, your creations will be much neater since you are now agile while using your hands. Let the kids participate as well. There is nothing better than having a family activity to bring everyone closer! Have fun and enjoy your time with the family during Halloween.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/holidays-articles/halloween-crafts-for-adults-let-your-imagination-go-wild-740276.html

The key to planning the best party for your child’s next birthday is finding a great child birthday party idea. There are literally hundreds of party ideas out there, but how can you find the theme for your child’s party that will really stand out? And how do you tie the different games together into a coherent party that capitalizes on your exciting theme?

One way to find out what might be your next birthday party plan is to look at what other people have been doing for their children’s parties. Talk to your child and find out what the parties they have recently been to have had as their themes. You will not want to copy any of these ideas exactly, but finding out what is popular among other kids can be a good place to start when looking for a child birthday party idea for your kid’s next big day.

Another way to get ideas for your child’s next party is to visit a party store. Keep in mind that you might be tempted to overspend on all of the high priced items for sale. But if you can keep your wallet in your pocket or purse, you can get a good idea as to what is popular for children’s parties. Take a look at the decorations. Which characters are current? What games are being sold? Consider if you could make any of these activities or decorations on your own without all of the expense of buying them at the store.

Another place to look for a child birthday party idea is in your child’s room. What is it that they enjoy? What are their favorite movies or books? What is their favorite game show? Could you incorporate any of these things into a fun and exciting theme for your child?

The biggest challenge to planning a child’s birthday party is finding games that will entertain the children for the entire time. With kids, you want to keep them engaged while they are at your home, or chances are very good they will get into trouble! Plan games that require them to use their minds and imaginations to solve a problem. Give them creative outlets with craft projects as well. Activities that use the imagination and have them thinking keep the children from becoming bored too quickly.

Try to incorporate your food and goodie bags around the central theme of your child’s party. Decorate your cake to look like the character you are building your party around. Put together goody bags for each guest that revert back to the theme. Even your invitations can incorporate the theme if you plan carefully.

If you are looking for new and interesting game ideas to go with the child birthday party idea you have in mind, then visit http://www.birthdaypartygameslady.com. The Birthday Party Games Lady offers innovative party kits that contain everything you need to plan an exciting and entertaining event for your child. With these pre-designed themes, you will be able to plan and run an event without all of the expenses you find in the stores. Let your child’s next birthday party be the talk of the town with the Birthday Party Games Lady!

Iprwire Staff Writer
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/making-your-child-birthday-party-idea-work-135701.html

I have 2 children. One is in Kindergarten and the other doesn’t start until Next year. I enjoy spending time with my kids making short easy crafts. As long as it’s messy, they’re going to have fun! It’s always more fun when we can get dad involved! It’s not an easy task finding crafts for a kindergärtner. I’ve searched for Kindergarten crafts many times and I find one or two here and there. Even my children are tired of making the same crafts over and over!

Until recently, I did my search and I found an e-book with 365 Kindergarten Crafts! This e-book has crafts for every occasion! No more wasting my time sifting through websites trying to find crafts to keep my children busy.

The best part of 365 Kindergarten Crafts e-book is that it’s not your usual book with just a list of possible crafts. This children’s e-book includes step-by-step instructions on making the crafts! I was worried at first that I was just going to buy something with a long list of crafts to make, but I was wrong. This e-book is absolutely incredible.

You’ll spark you’re child’s imagination with the wide variety of crafts that are included in this Kindergarten crafts e-book. There’s nothing like the sparkle in your children’s eyes as they finish that little project and show you their completed task! It will bring a smile to your face every time! (Lasting all the way through the clean up process!)

If you’re looking for a way to spend quality time with your kids, I’d encourage you to consider making crafts. It’s the perfect “bonding” time with mom or dad! Especially when it’s a bad weather day and they’re going stir crazy from being indoors all day long. With this craft e-book, you’ll never run out of crafts and with the ideas included within, there’s no boundaries to how many crafts you can make!

Tonya Taylor
http://www.articlesbase.com/hobbies-articles/365-kindergarten-crafts-for-your-kindergartner-95514.html

The Christmas holiday season should be filled with joy.  Not a time when people feel overwhelmed and disappointed, because they can not afford to give store bought gifts.  A homemade gift is often a priceless treasure that may have people remembering for decades to come.  No more wandering aimlessly through obscure stores or web pages searching for Christmas gifts as the hours before Christmas tick down to zero.

With the economy being like it is this it the year for you to make the gifts you give for Christmas.  

• It’s 1960 – Times were also hard!  At "22" I had three babies.  We were having a hard time getting by from one week to the next.
• I was very sad and depressed because we were not going to be able to give presents to our parents, and my niece and nephew.  I knew my parents would understand and my brothers were having a hard time to, so I knew they were not expecting anything but a hug and our company.  My niece & nephew were babies, so their gifts did not cost much.

Below are some of the gifts that I discovered can be made with little or no money:

1. Make Personalized Hand Made Gifts:

Example #1:

I did not know my in-laws very well at that time, so I thought I had to buy something special for them.  On Christmas Eve I still had not been able to buy them anything. I thought & thought about what I could give to my in-laws, finally I came up with a few last minute ideas. I did not have a sewing machine at that time, so anything I sewed would have to be by hand. I dug thru my old fabric scrap box I came across a small piece of red organdy.  I began to think of what I could make for Morene out of it.  Then, I remembered that my mother in law always wore aprons when she cooked. 

• So I took newspaper, laid it out on the floor and cut out an apron pattern.  It looked like it would work.  Then I laid the paper pattern on the fabric and cut out the apron.
• I carefully hand sewed it together then embroidered a Christmas tree on it.  It turned out to be very pretty and Christmassy.

Then I started to work on something for Harvey (father in law), I found some red and blue plaid fabric pieces, I thought he might like.

• I took a vest of my husbands suit and laid it out on the floor and cut a pattern out of paper about 1 ½ the size of my husbands vest.
• I used that pattern to cut out a vest for my father in law.

·     I worked on it almost all night, but by Christmas morning it was a very presentable vest.

Each year we had Christmas breakfast at my in laws and then they went with us to my parents for Christmas dinner. When we arrived at my in laws on Christmas morning, I put the gifts from us under the tree with the massive amount of gifts that were already there.  For a few minutes I felt bad thinking how small our gifts were in comparison.  But, I did not feel bad for long.  After the children had opened all their gifts, it was our turn to open gifts.  I handed Morene her gift and Harvey his.

When Morene opened hers she began to cry and then to hug me.  Harvey opened his and immediately went in the other room and put it on.

• Till this day I have never seen Morene on Christmas that she did not have the apron on.  She has kept it as her Christmas apron and it still looks new.  She hand washes it and irons it each year, on the day after Christmas.
• She is 94 yrs old now, but she still wears the apron I made her when she was only 60 yrs old (34yrs ago).

Harvey passed away a few weeks ago.  But, if he were here, he would have on his vest this Christmas Day.

Example #2:

My former daughter in law (Mellissa) was only about 21, she made me a baby size quilt by hand.  She embroidered a tree with branches and leaves on it.  The grown children’s Dad & I are the tree trunk.  Each of our children are branches, and each of the grandchildren are the leaves. She embroidered all of their names and birthdates on the leaves.  It is a Wonderful and Unforgettable gift.  It hangs on my wall today.  (I’ve had to add a few leaves.)  :>)

Example #3

Shortly after my Dad passed away, my daughter in law (the same one) gave my mother a gift that she treasured for the rest of her life, and I treasure it now.

• She took pictures that she had, got some others from me, some from my brother’s wife, and some other family members.  She made copies on her computer of the pictures.  She then made a Memory Book named "My Paw Paw".
• It has pictures of our family from when we were small kids (me and my two brothers’) up thru all of the grand children and great grandchildren. A lot of the pictures were of the children or babies sitting in my Daddy’s lap.  It was and is a wonderful gift.

•2. Treats:

Homemade treats always make the perfect free Christmas gift. I like to make gift baskets or tins for my neighbors and friends. 

• I make cookies and candy in large batches; usually stick to recipes that I know won’t be a flop.  Like sugar cookies (decorated), chocolate chip, and shortbread or butter cookies.
• The candy I make is normally fudge or divinity.
• I split the recipes up and package them in Christmas tins, or put the treats on dollar store plastic Christmas platters and wrap them with red or green plastic wrap, and tie the top with red or green ribbon.

People you give these gifts to will really appreciate them.  I lot of women work and do not have time for baking homemade goodies.

When you give these free Christmas treats, the receivers will be thrilled.  Whether they are family, friends, neighbors, your mailman (woman), they will love treats for a Christmas gift.  The candy and cookies are much more precious than any Christmas gifts that you could afford to buy.  PS:  If some of them are diabetic, be sure you make diabetic treats…

3.  Babysitting:

• Give your friends or the neighbor the night off. Make them a Christmas card with an offer to keep their children for a night at your house.
• A night of romance and relaxation for them is a wonderful Christmas gift.

4. Run Errands for Friends, Family, or Neighbors:

• Do you have an elderly neighbor, or just a friend with a very busy schedule?
• Make them a card that entitles them to impose on you to do their shopping, doctor visits, or whatever else needs done.

5. Make Crafts:

I have a grand daughter in law (Amber) who crochets knits, sews, etc.  She is always making something for somebody.

• Any thing she makes is a wonderful gift; all she has to do is add a homemade Christmas card with our new great granddaughter’s picture on it and she’s made someone happy.
• Are you good at a certain craft? Make your loved ones a free Christmas gift using the hobby that you are good at. Just add a card you’ve made on your computer.

A homemade Christmas gift that they can keep forever means so much. When you put your time into a gift, your receiver does not think of the gift as free.  That is a gift of love.

6. Get freebies from the Internet:

1. On my site Live Life Income and many-many other sites, there are free items that anyone who uses a computer would like to have.

• One example is the free easynoter available on my site.  It is like a Day-Timer for your computer. 
• You could download the free one to your computer; download the free gift skin generator to your computer as well. 
• Then pick out a new gift skin (cover) and put it on your gift for free.
• Then send your completed gift by email, with a card to someone who is far away.
• The new skin can be wrapped in ribbon with a tag from you.  All for free.

These are just a few gifts that you can give; all come from the heart and are filled with love.  Chances are your friends or family member doesn’t need what you could afford to buy for them anyway.  What you could buy may not fit them, maybe they already have the item, or as my Grandson said to me "We don’t have room for it!" and they may just have to exchange what you bought for them.

Joyce Christopher
http://www.articlesbase.com/holidays-articles/have-a-home-made-christmas-688789.html