Crafts: The Supply Closet
Hand Streamers
Collect several empty toilet paper or paper towel rolls. Cut lots of ribbons or crepe paper to make streamers. Glue or tape them onto the rolls. Kids can use them to dance around, pretending to be gymnasts, fairies, or butterflies.(read more)
Paper Dolls
Take a sheet of paper and fold it into fourths, lengthwise. Draw the outline of a doll on the top fold, making sure that the figure touches both sides of the paper. Cut out the figure with scissors and spread it open. If you don't cut along the creases, you should have four connected doll figures. Next, get creative! Use crayons, markers, yarn, felt, cloth, and buttons to dress ...(read more)
Parade Shakers
1. Decorate an empty paper towel roll by stapling several twelve-inch strips of crepe paper to each end of the roll. 2. Cut each strip into thirds, lengthwise, to make each strip into three narrow strips. 3. Scrunch each strip with your fingers to make the shaker look fuller. 4. Let your little one have her own parade by holding onto the roll and shaking the streamers. ...(read more)
Brown Paper Bag Card
Make a beautiful card from a brown paper bag and some ribbon. Cut a card from the brown paper bag using pinking shears. Any shape will do. Using a hole punch, make an even number of holes around the edges of the card. Then string ribbon or yarn through the holes. Last, tie the ends in a bow (this is the hardest part of this project). If ...(read more)
Crafty Fire Crackers
1. Cut 2 circles out of paper, about 3 - 4 inches across. You can paint or color them to match your toilet paper roll. Poke a small hole through the center of one of your paper circles and thread a 6 inch piece of yarn through it. The long end of the yarn should be hanging on the side of the paper that is decorated. Leave about 1 inch ...(read more)
Frame It Up!
Using four popsicle sticks, glue the ends together to form a square. Using decorative craft items such as buttons, sequins, pom-poms, or self-adhesive foam stickers, your child can decorate all around the popsicle frame. Add your latest favorite picture and you have a customized frame! I've hung these frames with ribbon or added magnets to put them on the fridge. They make great, inexpensive gifts for ...(read more)
Making Pom-Poms
Make a pom-pom to play with or tie onto a hair rubberband. Cut out 2 "donuts" using cardboard or posterboard - you can also use the outside of a cereal box. Measure out about 15 yards of yarn (depending on thickness) and fold it in two. Next lay the "donuts" on top of each other and wrap the folded-over yarn through the holes, around and around until ...(read more)
Memory Boxes
This is a fun activity and the outcome is a clever keepsake. Help your child to decorate an old shoe box. You can cover the shoe box with wrapping paper, paint it, or cover it with plain paper that can be decorated with stickers and markers. Once the base is finished, your child can cut out and glue on photos of themselves, their friends, and their family. ...(read more)
Creating a Memory Art Book
When my toddler was still very young, I purchased a nice, large, spiral-bound sketch book. Every so often when he is coloring, painting, or using his markers, I get out the sketch pad and have him color on one of the pages. I date each page in the book. Now I have a wonderful progression of 'art' as he has gotten older.(read more)
Princess Crowns
Using a piece of string, measure your child's head and cut the string to fit the size. Then use the string to measure a piece of construction paper; you might need to tape 2 pieces of paper together if your child's head is on the larger size. Once you have the correct length of the paper, cut one side (lengthwise) into a design that resembles a crown. Then, have your ...(read more)
Creating an ABC Book
Help your child to create his or her own ABC book. Start by cutting paper into even sizes (like cutting 8 1/2 by 11 inch pieces of paper into half). These will form the pages of the book. Over the course of a week or so, create the pages in the book. Start with 'A', write a capital 'A' and a lowercase 'a'. Talk about an item ...(read more)
Make your own candlesticks
Children can make their own candlesticks by first decorating the outside of an empty kid-sized water bottle. Try using tissue paper covered with glue works nicely (think decoupage). This makes a really beautiful candlestick. Once the decorations have dried, the child can fill the bottle with sand (either colored or regular). This gives the bottle weight so it won't topple over. Next glue a piece ...(read more)
Holiday Placemats
Give your holiday table a personalized touch! Have your child create placemats for the family. Get some poster board or construction paper & cut it into squares or a specific holiday shape such as ghosts for Halloween, pumpkins for Thanksgiving, or Christmas trees for Christmas. Your children can then color the placemats. In order to keep them looking good, you can buy clear contact paper to ...(read more)
Anytime Butterflies
Make butterflies at home! Get a ziploc bag and fill it with bits of colored paper, glitter, beads, or whatever crafty items you have laying around. Then close the bag tightly and wrap a twist tie or pipe cleaner around the middle. The ends can be shaped into antennaes. Your little ones will have lots of fun making butterflies and flying them around the house.(read more)
Paper Clipping Art
When my toddler was learning to cut, I was constantly vacuuming up little paper clippings, until I came up with a creative use for them. Give your child scraps of colored paper and let them cut away. Gather up the clippings and have your child help you arrange them into different shapes and patterns on a piece of cardstock. Glue them down to the cardstock, creating a ...(read more)
Jellyfish
Make a jellyfish with your preschooler and talk about animals that live in the ocean! Let your child decorate a plain white basket-type coffee filter. Once the decorations are done, attach a string to the top and streamers to the sides. Hang the jellyfish for one fancy decoration, or many jellyfish for a whole ocean of fun.(read more)
Crazy Centipede
Cut out circles of colored paper for your child and ask your child to stick them in a row on paper, with each circle overlapping slightly. Then draw eyes with a marker or glue on googly eyes from the craft store. For the finishing touches, add antennae and feet created from felt, paper, or pipe cleaners.(read more)
Ahoy There, Me Hearties
Make a pirate's telescope from an empty paper towel roll. Punch holes in one end and help your child thread yarn through, so it can hang around the shoulder. Decorate the outside with a picture of the Jolly Roger. Use your new telescope to search the horizon for treasure!(read more)
Handprint Turkeys
Paint the palm of your child's hand with brown paint. Then, press your child's palm onto a piece of paper to create the turkey's body. Next paint your child's thumb brown for the neck and head and press down at an appropriate angle to the body. Paint each finger a different color for feathers and press down. Last, paint on eyes and a tiny beak -- older ...(read more)
Handmade Snowflakes
Take a piece of white paper. Have the child fold it several times into a small piece. Cut off the corners, and cut triangles into the sides and open! It should resemble an original snowflake art to be hung in a window. You can make several and string them together to hang from the ceiling.(read more)
Paper Bracelets and Anklets
We all know how much toddlers/preschoolers like to adorn themselves. Make paper bracelets and anklets but cutting paper (or better yet card stock) into strips, having your child decorate one side, and then fixing it around his or her wrist or ankle with a bit of masking tape on the inside (for easy removal at bath time). This project can be as simple or complex as you like ...(read more)
Teeth Dude
Cut a large circle out of black or brown construction paper. Fold the circle in half. Glue white beans to look like teeth around the top and bottom of the inside of the circle to create a "mouth" (20 beans for a child's teeth, 32 for an adult's teeth). Decorate the top of the folded circle so that it looks like a face with eyes and nose. ...(read more)
Candy Cane Hearts
This is a great activity for small motor skills and makes a really cute ornament or decoration. Cut candy cane shapes out of white construction paper. Using a Q-tip and red paint, have your child put diagonal stripes on the candy canes, one facing each way. When you put them together, they'll form a heart shape. You can hang the open hearts on your tree, put ...(read more)
Skiing Cotton Ball Snowman
Take two cotton balls and glue them together. Then take two wooden stir sticks, like the kind for coffee, and cut them about 1-2" long each. Glue the wooden sticks to a piece of paper side by side. Then glue the two glued cotton balls, one on top of the other, to the sticks with the sticks sticking out just a little bit in front to make ...(read more)
Paper Snowflakes
Decorate your home for winter with "unique" snowflakes made by your preschooler! Show them how to fold the paper multiple times and then use scissors to cut small notches and unfold to see their creation!(read more)
Paper Bag Gingerbread Man
Cut a Gingerbread Man out of a paper grocery bag. Let your kids decorate him with buttons and scraps of fabric and any other art supply you have on hand. Then read the story together and have a fun time acting out the different parts.(read more)
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Ten Toys for Your Outdoor Play Toolchest
As glad as we are that you are reading this post, we really want you to go outside. Because unless it's 12 degrees, raining or 4:00 in the morning, there's no reason for you and the kids not to be outside. So bag the laundry; forget the cleaning; turn
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