Easter Table Place Setting
A bunny basket can make an egg-cellent table place setting. Hop over to Michaels.com for a complete Easter décor shopping list. Materials • Paper crinkle • Celebrate It™ Easter Chipwood Berry Basket [Note: Replace with any small basket or an actual berry container.] • Celebrate It™ Easter Ceramic Eggs – Chalkboard • Fabric napkin, white • Napkin rings, burlap •... Read More
Valentine’s Day Teacher Gift
Help your child give his teacher some much needed relaxation with a spa day… in a jar. Materials Mason jar, such as Kerr’s pint size Bath salts, such as ArtMinds bath salts Pencil Felt, red or pink Scissors Essential oil, such as ArtMinds Essential Oil Stress Reliever Red mini duck Scrap or decorative paper White glue Soap colorant, such as ArtMinds red Ribbon (red or heart... Read More
DIY Elf on the Shelf Apron Skirt & Shoes
The Elf on the Shelf leaped from the pages of its 2005 picture book to become a new Christmas tradition. “Scout elves” hide in homes to monitor conduct with an objective to report back to Santa at the North Pole. Parents enjoy the added encouragement to aim for “nice” behavior; while kids wake up each day excited to discover their Elf’s new location. Santa Claus always... Read More
Festive Popcorn Trees
Christmas has many edible traditions… cookies baked for Santa Claus, egg nog, gingerbread houses, popcorn garland, and roasted chestnuts. What if you combine two festive food traditions ─ popcorn and cookies? This recipe adds an unexpected pop to Christmas cookies! Ingredients | Yield: 10 trees 10 cups air-popped popcorn 1 10-oz. bag miniature marshmallows 2 tbsps. butter 1... Read More
Thanksgiving Place Card Holders
Add a touch of gourd-inspired glam to your Thanksgiving table! In just four easy (and budget-friendly) steps, you can create gorgeous gold place card holders. Gold isn’t your color? Pick another metallic or bold hue to accent your festive color scheme. Supplies Gourds [Either natural gourds from grocery store or foam and/or plastic gourds from craft store.] Gold metallic... Read More
Pumpkin Decorating Made Easy
10 No-Carve Approaches to Halloween Maybe you grew up carving Jack-o-lanterns and want your kids to experience this cherished Halloween tradition. Carving pumpkins can be a gooey blast for the whole family. But, for many, the sticky mess and time commitment can be among the most frightening elements of Halloween! Don’t be scared to try a simpler decorating approach. Just select... Read More
Butterfly Valentine Cards
What would a holiday be without a themed craft? Since Valentine’s Day is about spreading the love, encourage your child to offer sweet sentiments with homemade cards. These lollipop butterflies will make hearts flutter thanks to fun-loving flair, color patterns, glitter, and personalized drawings by your budding artist. Materials Printer Colored card-stock (pink, red, purple,... Read More
Easter Eggs the Natural Way
This Easter, brighten up the holiday with beautiful, naturally dyed eggs. You’ll be impressed at how nature can create a rainbow of colored eggs, with the benefit of no added chemicals or artificial dyes. It’s a fun experiment for parents and kids alike, and will be appreciated by the Easter Bunny! Color chart Red onion skins = soft lavender to red Beet juice or cranberry juice... Read More
Olympic Crafts
The 2014 Olympic Winter Games will be held February 7-23, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Get in the game with your family with these spirited crafts! Ceremonial Olympic Torch Materials 1 sheet of white construction paper Clear tape Red, yellow, and orange tissue paper, 12″x12″ square of each color White craft glue Tips: 1. To create a really tall torch (like... Read More
Reindeer Holiday T-Shirt
Made with Christmas Spirit…North Pole Approved These adorable hand-made shirts are fun to make, cute to wear, and sure to attract Santa’s attention. But be warned, he may want to recruit your little fawn to guide his sleigh on Christmas Eve. Materials: T-Shirt (any color) Paint (light brown, dark brown) Paint brush Pom-Pom (red or black) Large googly eyes Accessories (optional):... Read More
A-Maize-ing Autumn Lanterns
Transform plastic bottles into sweet corncob luminaries that can light the way to your family’s feast! Materials 2 plastic bottles: a 1-liter and a slightly smaller 24-oz Yellow tissue paper Green tissue paper Paintbrush Decoupage glue (Mod Podge) Plate Yellow paint White paint Bubble packaging Tape Glue stick 1/2 cup of rice or sand Battery-operated tea light Directions Total... Read More
Liberty Wreath
Materials ¼ yard of red, white and blue patterned fabric Pool noodle Duct tape Hot glue and glue gun 4th of July embellishments Directions Trim pool noodle to desired wreath size. Note: Noodles are commonly 63 inches long; we cut 6 inches off. Using duct tape, adhere the ends of the noodle together to create a circle. Cut fabric into 4 stripes about 2 inches wide. Wrap fabric... Read More
Sweet HeARTS
Fill these hand sewn hearts with your choice of a sweet surprise. Your little Valentine’s will adore your crafty labor of love! Materials Two heart-shaped lace doilies (6” doilies are pictured; smaller sized doilies are recommended for large quantities) Silver or white marker Craft cord Plastic needle Instructions Write a heartfelt Valentine’s Day message on one or both... Read More
Handy Snowmen Ornaments
These cutie-patootie snowmen are so easy to make and they won’t melt into a puddle after the cool holiday season has passed. You will need: Solid color glass ornaments that will fit in your child’s hand Acrylic washable paint – white, black, orange, and red Small paint brushes and fine tip markers Empty egg carton Thin white ribbon Instructions: Brush your child’s hand... Read More
Festive Native American Napkin Ring & Place Setting
Turkey and ham and yams, Oh My! Stuffing, green beans, and butter on rye. Cobblers and pies a mouthwatering surprise. Thanksgiving is on its way. First comes the location, then the guest list…plans for Thanksgiving are officially underway! This year, when considering how to adorn your holiday table, invite your children to help by creating personalized place settings. These dual-purpose... Read More
Back to School “WOW” Board
With the end of summer vacation (sigh…) comes the start of a new school year. Soon your child will be working on new projects and accomplishing new things. But instead of just hanging your child’s important academic, artistic, and sporting accomplishments with a standard, run-of-the-mill refrigerator magnet, why not feature these milestones on a personal WOW Board made with... Read More
Lovey-Dovey Bird Houses
These are great gifts to make for teachers and special friends. Use an inexpensive pre-made bird house from craft stores, and all you have to do is paint it with “heart”felt designs! Note: this bird house can be customized for any holiday. Supplies needed: Pre-made bird house from craft store Acrylic paints – red, pinks, and white Paint brushes Stiff paper for making heart... Read More
Handy Snowmen Ornaments
These cutie-patootie snowmen are so easy to make and they won’t melt into a puddle after the cool holiday season has passed. You will need: Solid color glass ornaments that will fit in your child’s hand Acrylic washable paint – white, black, orange, and red Small paint brushes and fine tip markers Empty egg carton Thin white ribbon Brush your child’s hand with a thin... Read More
Glittery Harvest Centerpiece
Add a festive focal point to your tablescape before the turkey even leaves the oven! No matter who is in charge of baking the pumpkin pie or carving the bird, the whole family can contribute to the spread by creating a holiday centerpiece. It’s tradition with a shimmery new twist! Supplies & Tools: Twig cornucopia & pumpkin Faux gourds & pumpkins Autumn berry garland Burlap... Read More
Bandages are for Mummies!
We don’t want to deal with real blood on Halloween, right? So let’s take a minute and review these pumpkin-carving safety tips…it just may save a trip to the ER for some stitches in grown-up, as well as little fingers! When my son, Matt, was younger, I recall my husband and I wondering just how much pumpkin carving could Matt safely do. A kid’s manual dexterity gets better... Read More
Ghostly Ghouls
Make these cheerful Halloween ghosties and your trick or treating will be fearfully fun What you’ll need: Tissue paper or cheesecloth Round balloons Drinking glass (to use as stands) White craft glue Water Bowl Paintbrush Large wiggle eyes Battery operated tea lights (found in craft store) Scissors How to make it: Partially blow up balloons, (water balloons size works well)... Read More
