Holiday Gifts & Gift Baskets Blog

Posts Tagged ‘kids crafts’

Grandparent's Day is coming quick!  Do you have your card made yet? Grandparents love cards made by little hands.  Here's one that sends along a hug!  And if you want an extra special item to send along with the card, check out our Gifts for Grandparent's Day.

This fun and easy craft will surely bring lots of smiles to Grandma and Grandpa this year!

What you need:

• Construction paper (4) 9" x 12" sheets (your choice of colors for the base of the card, shirt color, skin color and hearts)
• Googly eyes (large)
• Kid-safe scissors and adult scissors
• Ruler
• Glue (or double-stick tape)
• 3D paint (optional)
• Markers
• Coffee cup (use as a circle stencil)
• Newspaper to cover your work area

How to do it:

1. Choose a color of construction paper to be the base of the card. Looking at the paper horizontally pick up the right side and left side of the construction paper and fold them towards the middle. When the edges of the paper meet press them down to crease and flatten both sides. Your card should now have two flaps that open in the middle (like a pair of double doors). Set this aside for now.
2. Next, choose a color of construction paper for the shirt. You will need to measure and cut a 2" x 12" long strip of paper (arms) and a 4" x 6" rectangle (shirt). Set them aside with the card.
3. Choose a piece of construction paper to make the hands and face. Tracing around an upside down coffee cup makes a nice circle for the face. Draw two lines down from the face for a neck. Using paint, markers and glue create pink circles for the cheeks, attach the googly eyes and have your child draw the nose, ears and hair as a self-portrait. Draw two circles or a pair of hands on the same paper. Allow any paint used to dry, then cut out the completed face and hands. When cutting out the face make sure to leave about 1" of neck below the chin (you will need this to attach the face to the card)
4. While the face is drying you can cut out a small heart from construction paper. Set aside.
5. Take your finished face and with the card open to the inside, glue the neck and chin to the top of the card. (When the card is closed you should see the eyes and nose peeking out over the top)
6. Next attach the hands to the ends of the long 2" x 12" strip of construction paper. These will be the arms. Attach this strip over the bottom of the neck across the top of the card. The hands should hang out over the edge of both sides of the card. Attach the small heart you made earlier to the right hand.
7. Attach the 4" x 6" rectangle on top of the arms below the face. This will be the shirt. Using markers, have your child customize their shirt by drawing a neckline and writing Happy Grandparents Day or BIG HUGS.
8. To complete the self-portrait, have your child add pants or a skirt below the shirt edge using markers.
9. When all paint and glue used is dry, close the card so that the hand with the heart peeks out the front and using markers write: To Grandma and Grandpa on the front of the card.

This fun craft was found on NestleFamily.com and if your little one likes doing crafts, be sure to check out these fun and easy kids craft ideas on Squidoo!

Moms love gifts for Mother's Day that are made by the little hands of their children.  Here is a creative gift for mom that will have her smiling from ear to ear.  Fill the vase with fresh flowers or homemade paper flowers for a present that will brighten her day.

What you'll need:

* Empty glass jar
* Enamel paint (purple, pink, yellow)

How to Make it:

1. First, be sure to read the instructions on the back of the enamel paint bottle.
2. Be sure glass jar is clean, dry, and all labels have been completely removed.
3. Have children dip their fingertips into the paint and dot onto the glass to form the petals of the flowers.
4. Repeat this process to dot on the flower centers--alternate the colors (purple flower, yellow center, pink flower, purple center, etc).
5. Let paint dry and cure according to directions on enamel paint bottle. This may require baking in the oven, or a longer alternative is air drying for up to three weeks before using.

Tips:

* Hold jar by the mouth to avoid bumping or grabbing any wet paint.
* Acrylic paints can be used; however they will wash off if jar is washed. To protect it better you can spray entire surface with acrylic sealer, however this can diminish the shiny surface of the glass.

If you're looking for a little St. Patrick's Day fun this year, here are some great shamrock craft ideas that will have you feeling lucky!  And with a little luck, you'll send or receive one of our yummy St. Patrick's Day gifts too!

My Favorite is the Pom Pom Shamrock.

Supplies Needed:

3 large green pom poms
scrap of green felt
scissors
white craft glue or hot glue
6" piece of gold ribbon

Instructions:

1. Glue all three pom poms together to form a shamrock.

2. Cut out a stem from a piece of green felt.

3. Glue to the back of your shamrock.Tie a piece of gold ribbon into a bow and glue to the front of your shamrock.

4. Optional: You can glue a magnet, pin back or a hanger made from ribbon to the back of your shamrock craft.

Other fun Saint Patrick's Day Crafts:

Printable St. Patty Day Coloring/Activity Pages

Felt Shamrock Leprachaun Hats

Shamrock Egg Carton Craft

Shamrock Wreath Crafts

Although turkeys may want Americans to eat more ham, we all know that turkey will be eaten by about 90% of people on Thanksgiving Day.  If you've got family coming to your house for the big turkey day celebration, consider gathering some craft supplies so the kids can have some fun making their own gobblers to decorate the house.  Photo courtesy of Glitter Graphics.

Here are some of my favorite resources for turkey crafts:

http://familyfun.go.com/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-craft-decorations/thanksgiving-turkey-crafts/

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/thanksgiving/turkey_crafts.html

http://www.amazingmoms.com/htm/thanksgiving_crafts.htm

http://familycrafts.about.com/od/turkeycraft1/Turkey_Crafts.htm

http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/thanksgiving-turkeyscraftsideaskids.html

Be sure to check out our Turkey Box Cookie Gift Bouquet to use as an adorable centerpiece on your Thanksgiving table....it comes filled with 12 mini cookies inside a turkey shaped container for just $22.