May

7

Ready to make something special for Mom for Mother’s Day? FamilyFun.com has some great Mother’s Day craft ideas, as well as some fun card and gift ideas. There are projects for little ones to make, and more complex ideas for the older kids. I love this ABC Book of Mom, and these painted glass vases!

Last year on FreeStuff4Kids, we published a free print and color card for Mom- check it out!


Apr

29

basket.jpgCan you believe May Day is this Thursday? This year is just flying by! Some people celebrate May Day by making a small flower-filled basket and leaving it on someone’s doorstep. Celebrate the day by trying this cute May Day craft from  Kaboose.com.

What you’ll need:

How to make it:

  1. Cut one plate in half. Set aside one half for another project or for another child to use.
  2. Decorate the outside (bottom) of the plates using markers, paint, construction paper, or whatever you wish. Let dry.
  3. Staple the circular paper plate and the half plate together, outsides facing out.
  4. Hole punch two holes in the top of the circular paper plate. (see photo)
  5. Attach a piece of ribbon or yarn so you can hang the basket on the door handle.
  6. Create flowers and leaves from construction paper. Glue pieces together.
  7. Assemble in your basket. Glue in place.
  8. Early on the morning of May 1st place it on your mother’s bedroom door.
  9. You can also make more baskets to hang on your neighbor’s door, a friend’s, or anyone special to you.
  10. Remember, it’s supposed to be a surprise!

Mar

24

activitytvlogo.jpg I have another fantastic website for you to check out today! ActivityTV is a fun website with boatloads of free step-by-step activity videos. There are 15 different categories to chose from, including Cooking, Jewelry, Paper Airplanes, Juggling, and Origami; with multiple videos in each section. Each activity is labeled under one of three different levels of difficulty, Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert. All the activities are simple, creative, and fun for all ages. Be sure and check out my personal favorites, Cartooning and Magic.

Stop by the games section of the website too, and play four free online games. Have fun!


Mar

6

lace.jpgSome of my most fun Easter memories are of decorating Easter eggs. My family does it every year, usually with a store bought kit, but sometimes we spice it up with other cool ideas. Here are thirteen of my favorite decorating ideas for you to enjoy this Easter.

1. Marbled Eggs - wrap fresh eggs in onion skin, insert the egg (with skin) into pantyhose and tie the ends so the egg can’t escape. Place eggs in deep saucepan. Add cold water to about 1″ or more above the eggs. Heat until water is boiling, then remove from heat. Cover and let stand about 24 minutes. Immediately cool eggs in cold water in a bowl to prevent further cooking. Remove the pantyhose - eggs are marbled.

2. Tie Dyed Easter Eggs - tie dye hard-boiled eggs with food coloring, vinegar, and a colander following these easy instructions.

3. Ribbons - use double-sided tape to decorate eggs with strips of rickrack or ribbon (attached lengthwise). This looks really good on eggs that have already been dyed.

4. Crayons - after boiling your eggs let them cool for a few minutes. While the eggs are still warm hold an egg with a paper towel and use a crayon to color it. The heat of the egg will melt the wax, making fun designs.

5. Mosaic Eggs - completely cover blown egg shells with tiny dots of pasta or rice by putting tiny beads of glue on the shell (not on the pasta or rice). After the glue has dried color egg by putting a dot of paint on the pasta and rice.

6. Rubber Bands - wrap your egg with a few rubber bands before dyeing it. To get a few different shads, take the egg out of the dye, remove one of the bands, and put it in a different color dye.

7. Lace Eggs - decorate ceramic eggs with a lovely lace pattern using a doily.

8. Sponged Eggs - paint a hardboiled egg with acrylic craft paint and a brush. After the egg is dry sponge white paint on the egg to create a fun pattern.

9. Disco egg - dye a blown egg. Dilute craft glue with equal parts water and glue and cover the egg. Roll it in superfine glitter and let it dry.

10. Stamped Eggs - use canceled postage stamps and glue to decorate your eggs. If the stamps are stuck to the envelope, soak them in warm water for 15 minutes and peel them off. Just make sure they’re completely dry before you glue them to the egg.

11. Easter Bunny - cut two egg cups from a paper egg carton and paint them white. Cut pieces of craft foam for feet, ears, and teeth. Glue the feet to one cup, and the ears, teeth and some googly eyes to the other cup. When the glue is dry put the egg in the bottom and cover with the top cup. Follow the link to see how to make a chick.

12. Stickers - if you don’t want the mess of dying the eggs, just use markers and stickers to make your own patterns and swirls.

13. Silk-Tie Eggs - this is my favorite idea, my family has been doing it for a few years now and its a blast! It uses silk from old ties or shirts to die the eggs. If you don’t have old ties to cut up, try thrift stores and yard sales, the crazier the pattern the better!

Blown Eggs Some of these ideas use blown eggs. To blow out an egg, begin by using the tip of a sharp utility knife to pierce both ends of the egg; turn the knife in one of the holes to widen it slightly. Then, poke a straightened paper clip through the larger hole to pierce and “stir” the yolk. Hold the egg, larger hole down, over a bowl, and then blow the contents out with a rubber ear syringe (available at drugstores). marthastewart.com

Hard-boiled Eggs One of many ways to hard-boil eggs: Put eggs in a large pot, in a single layer and cover with COLD water. Turn on the heat under the eggs and as soon as they come to a full boil, remove them from the heat and let them sit in the hot water for about 15-20 minutes.


Feb

29

pipecleaner.JPGMy little sister has been having a blast the past few weeks making dolls out of pipe cleaners. She has been so creative using all kinds of items to embellish them; a cotton ball for grandma’s hair, googly eyes, sequins and beads for earrings and other jewelry. Use whatever you want, there’s so much scope for the imagination in these pipe cleaner crafts. Here’s some instructions to get you started.

Or, if making people just isn’t your thing, try making these fantastic creatures!

Tiger, Squirrel, Chameleon, Monkey, and Deer

Dinosaur

Ladybug, Bee, and Wasp

Grasshopper, and Spider & Web


Feb

16

rosa.JPGFebruary is Black History Month in the US, and this is a great time to learn about African American leaders and heritage. Here are a few resources and activities to get you started!

Resources 

Frederick Douglas - American Visionary online museum exhibit chronicles the history of Douglass, his ideas, and his influences.

American Slave Narratives:  An Online Anthology a collection of interviews with former slaves who discuss their lives before and after freedom. The site features photos and RealAudio sound clips from one of the original interviews.

Coloring Pages

Rosa Parks

Martin Luther King, Jr

George Washington Carver

Jackie Robinson
Craft

Sparkling African Collar Necklace transform an ordinary paper plate into stylish ethnic jewelry.


Feb

8

americanflag.JPGPresident’s Day, or Washington’s Birthday as it’s still called officially even though the date is now the third Monday in February instead of February 22 (George Washington’s actual birthday), is the perfect time to study, learn about, and honor all the Presidents of the United States. These fun crafts are a fantastic way to do just that.

Little Log Cabin Craft -  This log cabin craft made out of a cardboard box, twigs, and hot glue takes quite a bit of time and effort, but it looks really cool, and will last a long time too.

Presidential Powdered Wig - How cool is this! A great looking wig made out of a paper bag and cotton balls, this is a craft I’m definitely going to have to try myself.


Feb

4

card1.JPGHere are three great Valentine’s Day cards to use for your family and friends next Thursday the 14th.

Mutts About You - this puppy card made out of hearts is adorable if you want to give a handmade card.

Printable Cards - if you don’t have time to make your cards by hand, try these sheets of printable cards.

Lots of Smiles for You - a cute Valentine’s Day ecard.


Jan

12

playdough1.JPGWhen I was a kid I loved making Playdough with my mom and sister. I enjoyed mixing the food coloring in and seeing it streaked through the dough, making it was just as much fun as playing with it! Here are some great recipes for making it yourself.

Basic Nonedible Playdough

Mix the flour, cream of tarter, and salt in a pan. Mix the food coloring with water, and add with oil to dry mixture. Cook over medium heat until thick. A package of Kool-Aid or any other powdered unsweetened drink mix can be substituted for the food coloring and will make the Playdough smell good.

Edible Peanut Butter Playdough

Mix all together. You can decorate it with raisins or chocolate chips. If you don’t have dry milk you can use milk and flour.

For more Playdough fun, check out this link to create-kids-crafts.com for a recipe for an Erupting Playdough Volcano.


Jan

7

dancingdragon.jpgI have quite a few empty wrapping paper tubes leftover from all those Christmas gifts, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. If you have any around the house try making some of these great crafts instead of just throwing the tubes out. The first two are pretty simple, and the second two are a bit more complicated.

Rainstick

Scarecrow

Dancing Dragon

Cardboard Castle


Jan

3

Now that the holidays are over and gifts have been given and received, its time to write the thank you notes. This task is nearly universally dreaded by kids, but is important not only because it’s good etiquette but it also teaches appreciation for others’ time and effort. Starting kids young will make thank you note writing a good habit that will be helpful their entire lives. So here are a few tips to making note writing easier, and even fun!

Make it a family affair - when all the kids and even the parents write their notes at the same time it seems less of a chore.

Kids of all ages can write thank you notes; very young children can dictate notes to a parent and draw a picture next to the note. Or draw around the child’s hand, and let them color it in.You could even save children’s artwork during the year and write a thank you note on the back. Fill-in-the-blank cards are good idea for children just learning to write.

Make it fun - turn thank you notes into art work using stickers, paint, and markers. Adding a photo is another way to make it enjoyable and personal.

Encourage thank you note writing by giving young kids a small reward for each note. A great motivator for getting the note done is making it a requirement before enjoying the gift; “You can’t play with the toy until the thank you note is written”.

Sending an email is another option, but only if the recipient spends a lot of time on the computer. Don’t send an email thank you note to someone who checks their email sporadically.

Be consistent - if writing a thank you note is enforced for all gifts with no exceptions, the task will become an automatic response, instead of a dreaded duty.


Dec

13

christmascard.JPG

Don’t throw away all those Christmas cards you get this season. Here are 6 different crafts to do using recycled greeting cards.
1. Bookmark - Cut a strip from posterboard or thin cardboard, about 8-inches x 2-inches. Cut out the picture on the front of a greeting card. Glue the picture at the top of the strip. Write a message on the strip if you want. To make your bookmark more durable, you can laminate it or cover it with clear contact paper.
2. Place Cards – Use the pictures from the cards to decorate name cards for your Christmas dinner.
3. Ornaments - Cut 2 circles from the pictures of 2 greeting cards. The circles should be the same size. Trace around the bottom of a glass or other small, round object to help you cut your circles. You can use glitter glue to add more decoration to the ornament. Glue the greeting card circles together. Cut a piece of ribbon about 6 inches long. Use a hole punch to make a hole in the top of the ornament and string a ribbon through the hole.
4. Gift Box – Use the cards to make a small box to give gifts in, or to keep trinkets in. Click here or here for detailed instructions.
5.Placemats – Cut out pictures from a greeting card and arrange them on a paper towel. You can also cut out letters for your name from construction paper, to decorate the placemat. Carefully place a piece of contact paper over the paper towel, and press gently. Adding another piece of contact paper to the back with make your placemat last longer.
6. Greeting Cards – Recycle old Christmas cards to make your own cards. Use a blank card, or fold in half a piece of construction paper. Cut out pictures from the old card, and decorate your new card!


Dec

1

nameornament.jpgYou can buy ornaments for your Christmas tree at the store, but a tree entirely decorated in store bought ornaments can feel plastic and impersonal. I know some of my parents favorite Christmas tree ornaments are the ones we made when we were little. So why not make some memories with your kids to enjoy for years to come? Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Make a Name Ornament in Three Easy Steps

Materials:

1.Choose an ornament with horizontal strips, or a solid colored ornament. 2. Make a list of the names or words you want to put on the ornament, then select letter stickers in a size that will enable you to fit the names and words onto the ornament. Press the letters onto the ornament, keeping the letters aligned at the bottom. 3. Thread the ribbon through the loop at the top of the ornament, and hang it on the tree!

More ideas:

Sugar Ornaments - this craft using suger, glitter, and cookie cutters, looks both creative and fun!

These Holiday Ornaments sound like a fantastic idea for younger kids. Use coffee filters cut out in Hanukkah shapes like a Star of David, menorah, or dreidel, or in Christmas shapes like stars, or wreaths.


Nov

26

santapic.JPGCan you believe December is almost here? Christmas is right around the corner, so it’s time to make your countdown calendar! Having a calendar has been a tradition in my family, and they can help make the long wait to Christmas easier for little kids. I thought this idea was so creative and easy, I can’t wait to make it myself.

Materials needed:

Roll out the plastic wrap. Line up 25 candies in a row, 1 inch apart, and fold both sides of the plastic over the chocolate. Cut 26 pieces of ribbon (each about 6 inches long).Tie each piece of ribbon in a knot between the candies. Tie one larger ribbon at the top, and hang your calender from a doorknob or a hook. Each day starting December 1st, unwrap one of the candies and eat it while counting down the days to Christmas!

If this idea doesn’t sound right for you, here are a few more ideas:

Santa’s Beard Advent Calendar

Advent Paper Chain

Online Countdown Calendar


Nov

20

Make Your Own Dollhouse

November 20, 2007 | 1 Comment

famf0200dollhouse_dolhslede.JPGI’ve never met a little girl who didn’t like a dollhouse, but the store bought plastic ones can be very expensive. So why not make your own? Making a dollhouse can be just as much fun as playing with it, and you can make a pretty snazzy one with materials you already have at home. Here is a link with some general instructions to get you started. My sister has been having a blast the past few days making a dollhouse like the one pictured. Here are the instructions, which are  more detailed than the last ones.


Nov

15

microscope.JPGScience experiments are a fantastic way to learn while having fun, and ZOOMsci is full of free ideas for science activities and experiments. Try making butter in the Chemistry section, a homemade flashlight in the Engineering section, or a potato maze in the Life Science section! There are over 150 different ideas available, so go ahead and get started!


Nov

3

pilgrim2.jpgI can’t believe it’s this close, but Thanksgiving is right around the corner, so get ready to have lots of holiday fun! Here are some easy Pilgrim and Indian crafts to get you started. All you need is a toilet paper roll, some crayons or markers, glue, and paper to print out the template.

This is a great way to teach kids why we celebrate this holiday. As you make these crafts you can tell kids the story of the first thanksgiving, and the kids will enjoy acting it out with their characters.


Oct

18

taxi-custom.jpgI have never enjoyed crafts very much, but as soon as I saw these box toys I had to immediately print one out. Paperboxworld has a bunch of free toys to download and build. It makes me want to print them all out and make up stories to go along with them. They have cars, boats, animals, and more. My favorite is the taxi, ready to take you anywhere in paperboxworld.


Oct

15

painted_pumpkin.jpgIf you have very young children, or if you just don’t like the mess of pumpkin carving, why not try painting pumpkins? This is great idea, because not only is it safer and less messy, it is much easier!

Materials needed:

Step one: Lay the newspaper on your work surface.

Step two: Set out the pumpkin and paint.

Steph three: Paint fun or scary faces on the pumpkin!

You can even use the pumpkin carving patterns from the previous post, painting inside the spaces instead of carving the pumpkin. An added benefit of this method of decorating pumpkins is that because you don’t cut into the pumpkin it won’t rot as quickly as a normal jack o’lantern, and you will be able to enjoy your work more! If you apply a paint sealer before and after you paint your pumpkin, it lasts even longer.

FreeStuff4Kids is happy to welcome a new sponsor: CardMyChristmas.com - It’s time to start thinking about this year’s Christmas cards and CardMyChristmas.Com offers personalized Christmas cards for the hip family.


Oct

8

apple1_jpg.jpgI went apple picking a few days ago and was reminded that October is National Apple month. So here is a festive craft to get you ready for fall! It’s an easy apple ornament that you can hang in the kitchen, or save to hang on your Christmas tree.

Materials Needed:

Mix pretty much equal parts of the applesauce and the cinnamon until you get it to be a nice clay consistency. Roll the dough out on wax paper with a rolling pin until it is 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Use the cookie cutters to cut out holiday shapes. With the straw, poke a small hole towards the top of the shape. Put the shapes in a dry spot to dry. Be patient, this takes a few days. Once your sweet-smelling ornaments are dry you can string a piece of ribbon through the hole you made with and hang it up.


Sep

12

Halloween is still a month and a half away, but we all know that advance preparation is key for this one, to keep from having to scramble around last minute for a costume. Here are some free costume ideas that are cute and super easy to put together:

Via The Holiday Spot:

Mummy: Jell hair and pull away from face. Use white makeup on face. Use strips of muslin wrapped around entire body.

Television: Cardboard box. Gelatin paper to cover hole at front. Hold flashlight inside. Use light sticks for TV antennae.

Skeleton: Black leotard and tights. White tape or chalk for ribs and bones. White makeup on face with black eyes.

Money tree: Green sweat suit. Glue fake money (monopoly) to body.

Skin diver: Wet suit or grey track suit. Goggles. Swim flippers (cut off bottom and place over top of shoes). Bucket with plastic fish.

Via Best Free Stuff Online:

Cowboy/Cowgirl: Jeans, western shirt, boots, western hat, neckerchief and bandanna.

Scarecrow: Add patches to jeans and flannel shirts, add straw to cuffs of pants and shirt (duct tape will allow you to attach straw to under side of pants and shirt).

Gypsy: Get a scarf for your hair, a shawl and a puffy blouse with a flowing long flower print skirt.

Ghosts: Sheets - make sure to cut big holes for eyes.


Aug

16

toy.jpg

Check out some of the cutest makeable toys I have ever seen! Readymech.com has a whole line of unusual “characters” to print and build. There are scary monsters, and cute animals, robots and space creatures. Each is designed to fit on an 8.5″x11″ page and printed with any printer. You’ll need double-sided tape, thick matte paper, and 10-15 minutes for build time.


Aug

5

DIYKids.org is the site of Ellen and Julia Lupton, who are the authors of a new book by the same name:

D.I.Y. Kids engages young people in making stuff, from binding their own books to sewing their own clothes. It’s packed with fun ideas for making stickers, logos, clothespin dolls, box buildings, graffiti furniture, ribbon accessories, and other cool projects.

Their site includes lots of fun crafts such as a decoupage purses, popsicle magnets, and graffiti furniture! When your kids get hankering to make something stop by this site for some nice ideas.


Aug

1

Free Crayola Fun for Kids

August 1, 2007 | Comments Off

crayolaHave you visited the Crayola website yet? There are tons of freebies here for hours of coloring and craft fun. You do have to register for access to some things, but after registering, you get access to over 900 craft ideas and over 1,000 activity and coloring pages. There’s a very nice digital coloring page, and some cute games including a “crazy vehicle maker” where you make your crazy vehicle and then you can print and color it! The site also has a card creator and a certificate maker. Definitely one of my favorite finds- thanks to Baby Cheapskate for pointing me to it.


Jul

26

Finally the last book is out! It’s getting very good reviews and I’m sure it will be enjoyed by all fans. Here are 10 activity, craft, printables, recipe and activity sites for you to enjoy:

1. The Official Harry Potter Site - tons of games, downloads and activities

2. Printables4Kids - this post has lots of links to printable coloring sheets, word searches, etc.

3. Activity Village - this site has printable Hogwarts ties, coins, quizzes, party ideas and more!

4. FamilyCrafts.About.com - make your own edible magic wand, origami owl, wizard puzzle, costumes, and lots of other fun crafts and ideas.

5. TheBookHive - some Harry Potter quizzes

6. InfoPlease - more fun quizzes about Deathly Hallows and other Harry books

7. Budget101 - some nice low cost party ideas, including recipes, potions and spells! These include some neat science type activities like disappearing ink!

8. Surfing the Net With Kids - huge list of Harry Potter arcade, word and picture games

9. Scholastic.com - loads of activities, interviews, printables, message boards, wallpapers and more.

10. KidsReads - a Harrypedia and Spell Book, and some Deathly Hallows info


Jul

19

If your family regularly buys plastic bottles of pop or juice, the recent post at MyEducationJunction, 10 Things You Can Do With Empty Plastic is one you’ll want to check out. I love the bowling play set, and cutting off the bottom of the bottle for use as a paint cup is an excellent idea!

Another fun way to use the bottles is in playing the “Bottle Ball Game” (rules found at FamilyFun.go.com):

HOW TO PLAY:
1. Set up the bottles (one per dodger) randomly but at least 15 feet apart. Draw a 4-foot chalk circle around each one.

2. While one child (the kicker) boots an inflated ball at the plastic bottle targets, the other players (the dodgers) put their best feet forward defending these targets. Dodgers must keep one foot inside their circle while using their other foot to deflect the ball. The kicker stands at least 6 feet from the closest player and can aim at any bottle.

3. Once the kicker succeeds in knocking a bottle over, he gets to change places with whomever was guarding that circle.


Jul

10

crafttown

Via Heart of the Prairie, I found this amazing site by Canon where you can learn to make a zillion different things to play with out of paper. There are instructions to make animals and toys and even a “Craftown” with over 30 different buildings and vehicles! For each item, you can download both the pieces and the instructions for putting them together. It even comes with little people to cut out to populate Craftown! This looks like so much fun- I may have to go clear off my dining room table and start building!


Jun

23

More 4th of July Fun

June 23, 2007 | Comments Off

flag Here are some more July Fourth activities as we get ready for Independence Day!

Printables4Kids has a July 4th word scramble to keep you busy, and the Free Holiday Ideas site has some neat ideas for homemade “poppers” made from things like Mentos and Alka Seltzer!


Jun

21

Do you like pop-up cards? Via Thingamababy, I found a site that has lots of wonderful pop-ups you can make. There are free templates and instructions for a pop-up pig, birthday cake, rabbit, birdhouse an ark with animals and even a pop-up Oz, and many others! These are very creative cards and would be a hit next time you have card-giving occasion.


May

2

mothersdaycard

 

Would you like to create a special Mother’s Day card for Mommy? Here are two cards with pretty flowers to color. Just print them out and color the front. You can fold it in half and write your own special message inside or draw a nice picture, and your card is all done!

Click here to open card #1 (like the one in the picture in this post)

Click here to open card #2 (with a big bouquet of roses)


Apr

30

I recently came across a wonderful newsletter for parents and kids called Kids Craft Weekly.  This newsletter, which is written by a stay at home mom from Australia, is extremely well done, and contains a wide variety of projects for kids.  Every week is a different theme, and the directions are easy to follow and include helpful pictures.  Also on the site is a resources page that has more craft ideas and tips. Clicking on the newsletter link from the main site will take you to all 29 past issues, so check it out if you’re looking for a project to make today!


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