Make and Takes » Kids Crafts

Thankful Magazine Collage

Marie — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:49:29 +0000

I recently guest posted over at U Create, sharing a craft for Thanksgiving. Head on over there to learn how we’re sharing what we’re thankful for at the family dinner table.

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The Incredible Painted T-Shirt

Heather — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:37:55 +0000

Oh look, another post where Heather paints something random with acrylic paint! What can I say, acrylic paint is one of the cheapest and most versatile art/craft supplies around! This time, we’re painting t-shirts and onesies. You don’t need anything special to paint clothing – don’t bother checking out the fabric paint section at your craft store. You can use that regular old acrylic craft paint, and it will stay permanent and vibrant!

My three year-old son and I had fun decorating t-shirts with this vintage stamp set we have. We even decorated a onesie for his new brother. I like the effect of the imperfect stamping en masse. Pattern is such a great element of design – repetition makes things intentional! This shirt reminds me of some of the surf-inspired t-shirts kids were wearing in the late 80s, early 90s when I was in grade school and junior high.

You can use this technique on new clothes, or use it to spruce up stained clothes (disguise the stains under paint!) — great for kids’ clothes that have seen better days!

Acrylic paint will stay permanent on clothing. Once it dries and is heat set with a dryer or iron, it’s there forever. Make sure you DON’T use washable acrylic paint! It won’t work for this project.

Project Estimate:

T-shirt, on hand or $1
Acrylic craft paint, about $.50 per bottle or on hand
Stamps, on hand
Iron or clothes dryer, on hand

Total: FREE and up

The Method:

Stamp or otherwise make a print on a t-shirt using acrylic craft paint.

When paint is dry, throw it into the clothes dryer until dry to heat set, or if you prefer to iron, put a thin dishtowel over garment and iron (no steam) until dry.

The paint should be fixed on the garment now!

Heather Mann is a regular contributor at Make and Takes. She’s is the mother of three boys, ages 3, almost 2, and newborn. She publishes Dollar Store Crafts, a daily blog devoted to hip crafting at dollar store prices, CROQ Zine, a print magazine devoted to hip crafting, and also CraftFail, a community blog that encourages crafters to share their not-so-successful craft attempts.

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Weekend Make and Takes: Turkeys

Marie — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:42:57 +0000

Little Turkey Yarn Favor by Make and Takes (pictured above)
How to Make Turkey Stock by Kalyn’s Kitchen
Playdough Turkey Craft by My Family My Forever
Potato Print Turkey by No Time For Flash Cards
Cute Turkey Hat by Parents
Yummy Turkey Recipes by Simply Recipes
Banana Gobble Pancakes by Little Nummies

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DIY Velcro Catch Ball

Marie — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:08:09 +0000

I’m contributing over at Craftzine today for their “super crafty kidz” series. This DIY game of Velcro Catch Ball will keep the kiddies entertained all winter long.

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Oreo Cookie Turkeys for Thanksgiving

Marie — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:57:34 +0000

Guest Post by Amanda of Impress Your Kids.

I have a vivid memory of getting off the bus in 4th grade and walking down the driveway while carefully holding a “make and take” in my hand. It was a tiny turkey made out of an Oreo and a few pieces of candy. A room-mother had come to our class that day and taught us to make them. I knew my mom (who is pretty crafty herself) would adore these little turkeys so I decided not to eat mine and bring it home instead. Can you believe the restraint my 4th grade self had?!

Well, my mom apparently loved it as much as I did because we have made these turkeys every Thanksgiving since then! I have loved sharing them with my in-laws, my church friends and other groups of kids I’ve met along the way. Now I’m happy to share them with you!

It’s one of the easiest and yummiest crafts you and your kids will ever make. Ready?

Supplies for Oreo Cookie Turkeys:

Oreos
Candy Corn
M&M minis (separate out the red ones)
chocolate frosting
bell shaped chocolates

I love putting all my supplies in muffin tins. It makes for easy grabbing and you can minimize how many extras are popped into the mouth!

The Oreo is your turkey’s body, so let’s slather him with our frosting first. (My best frosting tip? Use a spoon for easy spreading but give each kid their own, just in case someone decides to lick the spoon!) Then place your bell shaped chocolate all the way to the edge of the cookie to leave plenty of room for your feathers. This will be Tom the Turkey’s head.

Grab about 4 or 5 candy corn and place the small white ends closest to the head. Add a little more frosting to the front of your turkey’s head, place M&M minis for eyes and a red M&M mini gobble! (You could use Red Hots, too for a different flavor. I just couldn’t find any Red Hots at any store in my city!)

Isn’t that adorable? And easy!

There are several versions of turkey cookies (try searching flickr!) but of course, I like this one best. It’s more than a cute snack or decoration to me–it’s a fun memory! I love thinking about the mom who shared this with my 4th grade class. She didn’t know she was starting a tradition in my family. Why don’t you try something new this year? You never know what special memory or cherished tradition you might create!

Amanda is a stay-at-home mom to two. She blogs her daily life at ohamanda.com and her crafty parenting endeavors at Impress Your Kids. You can also find her twittering waaay too much @oohamanda.

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Weekend Make and Takes: Leaves

Marie — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:46:30 +0000

When it’s time to get out the rake, it’s time to start crafting with fallen leaves. Here’s a few projects that will keep you busy this weekend as you work in the yard!

Crunchy Leaf Pictures by Make and Takes (pictured above)
Autumn Leafy Wreath by Sweet Life in the Valley
Leafy Turkeys by Impress Your Kids
Leaf Printings by Martha Stewart
ABC’s with Leaves by Maya Made
Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Playful Learning

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Fun with Chalk Pastels

Heather — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:46:43 +0000

When I was a kid, one of my favorite activities at Grandma’s house was playing with her chalk pastels. They were like chalk, but more intense in color, a more serious art supply than we were accustomed to. She taught us a technique that amused us for hours every time we visited. Kids of any age can play with chalk pastels, but mid-grade school-aged kids will probably have the most fun with this technique.

Chalk pastels come in sticks and are commonly sold in the art supply section of big-box stores or craft stores. They range in price, but if you visit your local big-box store, you should be able to pick up a box of 12 for about $5. Be careful at the art or craft store, though, because they have boxes of chalk pastels that cost $50 or more! Also, don’t mistake oil pastels for chalk pastels. They won’t work for this particular project. You can probably substitute regular colored chalkboard or sidewalk chalk for this project in a pinch, but the colors won’t be nearly as dark because those types of chalks don’t have as much pigment in them.

Also worth noting: chalk pastels are pretty messy (but tons of fun)! Cover your work surface with newspaper if you value your table, and wash hands promptly after this activity!

Supplies:

Paper
Chalk pastels
Tissue paper or paper towel

Technique:

You can use any type or size of paper. Older kids might get a kick out of using larger newsprint-type paper to make an oversized piece of artwork.

1. Tear first piece of paper across long side, varying the rip (so it’s not straight across).

2. Place torn piece of paper over a full sheet of paper, and draw a chalk line near the ripped edge.

3. Gently sweep your tissue paper over the chalk, across the rip, and onto the full sheet of paper.

When you pull the torn piece of paper away, you’ll have a delicate line of color, kind of an airbrushed effect.

Repeat the process with different colors, and using the opposite side of the paper, until you have a “landscape.” My sister and I spent endless hours creating art this way when we were kids, and we LOVED it.

To fix the chalk on these pictures, spray lightly with aerosol hairspray or clear spray paint.

When your child’s masterpieces are done, frame them in dollar store frames and hang them in her room, or cut them up into pieces and glue to cardstock to make cards (a set of four or six would be a great handmade gift for Grandma).

Heather Mann is a regular contributor at Make and Takes. She’s is the mother of two boys under age 3, and another boy on the way. She publishes Dollar Store Crafts, a daily blog devoted to hip crafting at dollar store prices, CROQ Zine, a print magazine devoted to hip crafting, and also CraftFail, a community blog that encourages crafters to share their not-so-successful craft attempts.

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Thanksgiving Crafts from the Past

Marie — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:00:49 +0000

Here’s a few fun Thanksgiving crafts we’ve done in the past. What fun turkey decorations are gobbling up your house this Thanksgiving holiday?

Turkey Feather Countdown

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Rice Crispie Turkey Treats

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Tasty Turkey Table Favors

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Thankful Feather Centerpiece

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Singing Turkey Dinner (click for words)

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Crafty Grover Hand Puppet

Marie — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:00:39 +0000

With the Sesame Street celebrating it’s 40th Anniversary, I’ve crafted this fun hand puppet into my favorite Sesame Street Monster: Grover. He’s just so silly and crazy, and isn’t afraid to be himself. He’s a waiter by day and “Super Grover” by night! And one of my favorite children’s books is The Monster at the End of This Book starring the lovable furry old Grover!

Supplies for Monster Hand Puppet:

bright blue felt or fleece (these are good fabrics to use as the edges don’t fray)
pink pom pom
2 googley eyes
red felt or fleece
glue – hot glue is what I used, but you could use a craft glue or even use a sewing machine
scissors
white pencil or black marker

With your white pencil, trace out the shape of your puppet. I just drew mine by hand, but here’s a pattern I found that’s similar you can print and copy: Hand Puppet Pattern. I folded my blue fleece in half when I cut it out, so both halves look the same. Then I placed the first cut piece on top of the second piece and cut it out.

Glue your two pieces of blue cut fabric together, leaving the bottom open for the hand to slip through. I used hot glue, but you could use a craft glue, you would just need to give it time to dry. Or you could even get out the needle and thread and sew Grover up.

Once the body is glued together and dry, you need to glue on Grover’s face. I used 2 googley eyes, a large pink pom pom nose, and a piece of red scrap felt for his mouth.

He’s ready for a hand to hold him up and wave him around. We’re shouting, “Super Grover” in his whiny up and down voice! Maybe I need to make him a little red cape and a helmet too! (This puppet could easily be crafted in Elmo too, red fabric with an orange pom pom nose!)

Happy Anniversary Sesame Street! We love you, Grover!

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Light Up the Halloween Night

Marie — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:18:12 +0000

I’m contributing over at Craftzine today with a fun crafty project for lighting up Halloween night. These Paper Bag Luminaries lead the path to some scary tricks and yummy treats!

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