Sandra Bubbles asked:




Summer vacation is almost over. The stores are hurriedly putting up the “Back to School’ signs and frantic kids are racing to complete their summer homework which has been collecting dust up until now. The mood in most homes is somber and there is a cloud of doom hanging about in the air. But hold on a minute! There are still a couple weeks left of summer. Stop rushing for it to be over and celebrate the end of the summer season with your kids!

There are a lot of super fun ways to end your summer with a BANG!

Here are a few:

Slammin’ Slumber Party-

Plan a themed slumber party, like ‘Under the Stars Sleepover’, for your children and a bunch of their friends. There is no better way to end the summer than with a party that lasts all night long!

Make invitations out of black paper cut into a large star shapes. Brush the stars with a thin layer of glue and sprinkle each star with glitter. Write the details of the party on the back in silver ink. Ask each child to bring a sleeping bag and a favorite stuffed animal.

Set up several tents (which can be bought on the cheap from local tag sales or discounts stores). String up several lanterns in the backyard and you are set for a night under the stars! Serve the kids hotdogs and hamburgers as the main course. And for dessert make some S’mores in the microwave!

To make 1 dozen S’mores:

24 Graham Crackers

6 plain chocolate bars

12 large marshmallows

Method:

On 2 large microwave safe plates arrange 6 graham crackers per plate. Break all 6 chocolate bars in half and place 1 half on each graham cracker. Place 1 marshmallow on top of each cracker and top all of them each with another graham cracker to complete the ’sandwich’.
Place in the microwave, on high power, for 20 seconds until the marshmallow puffs.

Wrap up the evening by having all the kids lay side by side in the grass while taking turns sharing their best summer memory. Send everyone off to their tent so that you can enjoy the remains of the sparkling summer sky!

Summer Moments Box

An excellent way to keep the summer memories alive is to make a ‘Summer Memories’ box. You can pick up a ready made wooden box at your local craft or hobby shop. Have your kids collect sand and seashells on your next trip to the beach.

To decorate the box, paint it with a sheer coat of clear lacquer and have your kids sprinkle sand and silver glitter all over it. Allow it to dry. Once dry, let your kids spell out their names on the box with the seashells. Use a glue gun to secure the shells but be careful that your kid’s fingers are out of the way first!

Fill the box with all the treasure collected over the summer like that perfect stone your daughter found or a movie stub from the show your son just had to see.

Take out the box whenever your kids feel stressed from school or are down in the dumps. Remembering the summer is sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face!

Summer…all year long!

Just because summer lasts for only 3 short months does not mean you can’t rejoice in the season all year long. Change the d?cor in your home to reflect a summertime feel. Instead of dark and dreary colors, lighten things up with pastel and sheer fabrics to cover your windows and furniture.

Instead of investing in pricey pieces of art to sit on the mantel, turn to nature to decorate your home. Large pieces of coral or colorful seashells are inexpensive yet creative ways to maintain the summer theme in your home.

Be creative and think out of the box! Remember that old surfboard lying all banged up in the attic? Fish it out and refurbish it. Hang it in a prominent place in your home to really make a great conversation piece. If you don’t have a surfboard perhaps you can add a few surfboard themes around your home. Perhaps a couple of pillows with a surfboard theme or some surfboard soaps in your bathroom. Keep the waves moving all year long!

Goodbye summer ‘Bon Voyage’ Picnic -

Alas, summer will leave without any remorse. Say goodbye to the season in style by having a summer picnic right on the beach. Nothing fancy, just a bag of some cold-cut sandwiches and some watermelon slices from home.

Make it special by surprising your kids with a couple of empty bottles complete with cork stoppers. Whip out some decorative paper and pens. Ask your kids to write a “Message in a Bottle” letter complete with their name and e-mail address. Roll up each letter and insert into the bottle. Secure the cork stoppers tightly to insure that the bottle will float and the water will stay out. Let your kids throw their bottles far into the ocean.

You never know, the bottles might sail the ocean all winter long and be found just in time for next summer. Hopefully, by another child looking for a summer fun pen pal in a distant land!

As you bid farewell to the last breathes of summer just remember it will be back again next year with all its sunny days and starry nights. Remember it in your heart and it will be back before you know it!

Erich Simko asked:




Learning how to make paper flower crafts is a very delightful and relaxing hobby that will help make new friends and impress bystanders.

Last summer my sister and my brother in law along with their six old year niece relocated to my town. They stayed with my wife and I until they found a suitable home for themselves. In the meantime my little niece began withdrawing and displayed a melancholy demeanor. She was feeling lonely and like a stranger in a new environment and we recognized that she needed to make a few friends to become more comfortable and familiar with her new surroundings.

She took an interest in my paper flower crafts hobby and this cheered her up and made her forget about her problems to a degree. Since there were a couple of kids around her age on my street I decided to speak with their parents and invite them over to meet my niece.

I got them all to make paper flower craft projects and they quickly became friendly. My niece has now settled in to her new environment thanks to the camaraderie that our paper flower crafts introduced.
Here is our first project we all did together…

There are only a few supplies you might need to pick up at the hobby shop or craft store. First, is the tissue paper (crepe paper) and some colored sheets of cardboard paper. If you don’t have glue and colored markers at home, then you will need to also purchase them. Also, two pairs of scissors (one large and one small pair) which you can find at any store. The last item is a good, creative imagination willing to open up and let ideas flow out of. Any image of paper flower crafts that you think up (within reason of course) can be created in a short period time with no previous skills needed.

Everything from single sheet cardboard cut-outs of flowers that is used for the trimming inside the house to 3-dimensional paper flower crafts that are placed anywhere and everywhere in viewing sight can be made with this hobby.

One of my favorite paper flower crafts is the pattern of the young child’s hand.
1. Place your child’s hand on a piece of colored cardboard paper and trace it. 2. Cut the image of the hand out from the paper. 3. Use a pencil to curl the fingers. 4. Use the palm of the hand and make a cone (fingers should point outward). 5. Glue the paper flower hand print around a straw, or something consisting of that shape. 6. Cut some shapes of leaves out of the green construction paper and then glue them to spots on the straw. Repeat this process as many times as desired to create a lovely bouquet of beautiful paper craft flowers.

There are no other hobbies that I know of that are so much fun and inexpensive to do that anybody can do at any age. Learning how to make paper flower crafts is very relaxing and develops habit-forming ways that people can use to express their artistic creativity to their friends, or just to meet new people. People will comment on certain crafts that you have created and this will give you a feeling of gratitude and accomplishment. Whether your looking for a way to meet your new neighbor, or looking for a new relaxing hobby, making paper flower crafts is an excellent way to do it.

Renee Kirchner asked:




Summer has just started, but all across the country mothers are already hearing the dreaded phrase, “I’m bored! There’s nothing to do.” Don’t panic. You can help your kids entertain themselves with a little creativity. I have compiled a list of ten summer boredom buster. Most of these activities cost little or no money and most of them do not require hours of your time. Once you get your children to think creatively, they will be able to come up with many ways to entertain themselves.

1. ARTS AND CRAFTS CENTER

Set up an arts and crafts center on your dining room table. You only use the table for Thanksgiving and Christmas anyway. You will be amazed at what your children can create with a few simple supplies. Set out construction paper, scissors, crayons, glue sticks, craft sticks, cotton balls, markers, and glitter. If you have an arts and crafts book handy, put that on the table too. One idea will act as a springboard for many more. My daughter can entertain herself all day with an arts and crafts center.

2. TAKE A LISTENING WALK

I do this activity with my students at school and they just love it. First we read “The Listening Walk” by Paul Showers. The story is about a little boy who goes on a walk and hears all kinds of interesting things. Tell your children that they are going on a listening walk. They will not be able to talk during your walk. Instead they must listen to all the sounds they hear around them. When you get back from the walk see who can list the most sounds that they heard. Did everyone hear the same sounds? The results might surprise you.

3. PET SITTING

Your family could offer to pet sit for a neighbor. Take your children with you to the neighbor’s house and ask them to help you. If you are taking care of a dog, your kids could feed the dog, take him on a walk, and brush him. If you are pet sitting a cat, your kids could help change the litter box and play with the cat. This activity is great during the summer months when your family is less busy. Your neighbor will appreciate your help and your kids can learn about responsibility.

4. MAKE A MOVIE

Does your family own a camcorder? If so, you can keep your kids occupied for days by letting them make their own movie. Ask them to write a script and hand out parts to everyone in the family or to some of their friends. They will need to learn their lines and make props. Once they film their movie they could sell tickets and have a screening at your house. You can pop some popcorn for your guests to eat while they watch the show.

5. BREAK A WORLD RECORD

When I was a kid I always thought it would be great to break a world record. My goal was to be in the Guinness Book of World Records for something. Get your kids a copy of the book from the library and have them flip through it until they find a record they think they can break. Maybe they could blow the largest bubble with bubblegum or jump rope the longest. You get the idea. This could occupy your children for many hours.

6. GROW A GARDEN

Give your children a small plot of land to grow a garden this summer. For a small amount of money you could buy them flower or vegetable seeds and let them test their green thumb. They can borrow your gardening tools or you could get them a small trowel and gardening gloves. Just imagine how satisfied they will be when their flowers bloom or they can serve their vegetables at the dinner table one evening. They may develop a life long love of gardening.

7. CHILDREN’S YARD SALE

Have you ever noticed a lot of clutter in your children’s bedrooms? Do they have way too many toys that they’ve outgrown? Let them host a yard sale in your front yard. Your kids can sort through their clothes and toys and mark them for sale. Give them a few tables and chairs and maybe some clothing line to string across two trees. They can set up a lemonade stand to quench the thirst of shoppers.

8. MAKE ERRANDS MORE FUN

Every day can’t be a party. You have errands to run and household chores that need to be tended to. Make your everyday errands more fun by turning them into a game. When you go to the grocery store you can give older kids a list and see who is the first to bring back everything on their list. If you’re running errands in the car, have children play the alphabet game. Ask them to find all of the letters of the alphabet on signs before you get back to the house. The one who finds the most letters gets a prize.

9. TAKE A DAY TRIP

Once in a while you need to get out of the house. Take a day trip with your kids. If you live in the suburbs, go to the city. You could visit a science museum and have a picnic at a city park. An outing to the city zoo would be popular with older and younger kids. If you’re feeling really adventurous you could travel to a small town that you’ve never visited. Find a local town that has an interesting draw like a lake, a wildlife preserve, an aviation museum or something that your kids would be interested in.

10. CAMPING IN THE BACKYARD

You don’t have to travel far to get back to nature. It can be found as close as your back door. Plan a camping trip in your backyard one evening. Start with a cookout on the grill complete with roasted marshmallows. You and your family can sing campfire songs, tell stories, and look at the stars. If your family is not the camping type, you could probably borrow a tent from a neighbor who camps. Roll out the sleeping bags and spend an evening under the stars. Kids love anything out of the ordinary and this definitely qualifies as out of the ordinary.

Gijo George asked:




Handmade crafts made from wood, glass, ceramics, metal, leather are ideal gifts for any occasion. These crafts from around the world reflect a rich tradition of the originating country. Different styles of craft making are employed in different parts of the world. Each piece of handmade craft has a distinctive style of their own. Its uniqueness provides a good reason to appreciate these products and craftsmen who work behind them. Since machines are not employed in the making of these products, the craftsmen should be extra vigilant while making these products. In many cases a small mistake on the part of craftsman will be a disaster. There are many training schools around the world, which imparts training on these traditional crafts. It’s a great fun to learn these craft making techniques and it provides an avenue to earn extra income for many people.

The main problem Handmade Crafts facing is the lack of proper marketing and sales promotion. With proper marketing and sales promotion, these products can fetch reasonably good returns to those who manufacture them. Genuine Handmade Crafts are in great demand all over the world.

To find more about the Handmade Crafts from around the world visit www.giftsspace.com.

Lucy Bushman asked:




Easter crafts can be fun at home or in the classroom. Craft ideas for Easter can come from household items, and many require minimal preparation.

Brown Bag Bunny. Fill a small paper bag with crumpled newspaper. Wrap another bag over the filled bag in order to cover the open end. Tie ribbon or yarn in a bow a third of the way up the bags, forming the bunny’s head. Cut two sets of feet and one set of ears out of cardboard. Glue the feet and ears to the bag and decorate the face. Craft ideas for Easter could include putting candy or other treats inside the bag before adding newspaper.

Terra-Cotta Pot Bunny. Paint two small terra-cotta pots while. Glue the pots together open end to open end. Glue a piece of ribbon or string in the middle. Cut ears out of pink felt and glue to the top of the pot. Glue eyes and a puff ball nose to the top pot.

Cardboard Tube Lamb. Cut four holes in the bottom of the cardboard tube and glue black pipe cleaners into the holes to make the lamb’s legs. Glue white cotton balls all over the cardboard tube. Wad newspaper up and fill the cardboard tube to give you something to glue on either end. Cut a square of black felt and glue it around the newspaper at one end, forming the lamb’s face. Glue black pom poms to the back end for the tail. Glue wiggle eyes to the face. Add a bow below the face for decoration.

Sponge Painted Easter Eggs. A variation on regular craft ideas for Easter is to decorate eggs in a new or fun way. Soak a household sponge and then ring it out until it is just damp. Pat the sponge into paint and dab the sponge onto hard boiled eggs. You can paint in a pattern or randomly. Allow the eggs to dry in an empty egg carton before adding another color in order for the colors to not bleed. Mixing the paints can be as much fun as the actual craft. Mix white paint into primary colors to create pastel colored paint. You can also dye the eggs in the traditional fashion and then sponge paint on top of the dyed egg for a different style.

Easter Egg Heads. Boil Easter eggs as you would before dying or painting. Decorate the eggs to look like little heads. Add eyes, hair, ****** expressions, and other decorations.

Other craft ideas for Easter include making Easter eggs out of chocolate or cake and decorating with icing instead of paint. An entire cake can be cut into the shape of an egg and decorated by kids and adults alike.

David Fishman asked:




Making crafts are a wonderful way to spend a day at home. Leisure activities such as ping pong, board games and making crafts are different activities to do in your home. Painting, coloring, writing, making music, and making crafts are all creative activities. The process of making art and the process of making crafts are related but different.

There are many ideas and for making crafts for the table, wall, or door, plus lots of different tree ornaments you can do when you think about it. Coming up with Christmas craft project ideas can be difficult, to find ideas look at some craft magazines. There are many ways to come up with craft ideas, try using everyday products around the home or use recycled materials to create your crafts. You will also find lots of ideas for making crafts using household items. There are plenty of summer craft ideas for all ages if you think about it. The internet is a great place to get ideas for cards or scrapbooks. Stamping and needlework are easy to learn and there are many ideas for patterns. When on a budget, add accessories to your crafts or bedazzle them. Kids love Halloween crafts, children always have fun making crafts, especially holiday-themed crafts.

Handmade crafts and scrap booking are very enjoyable and popular pastimes for adults and children. There are loads of scrap booking layout ideas for you to try out. Buying discount scrap booking supplies can save you a lot of money. Scrap booking is an activity which is growing in popularity. Scrap booking, cross stitch, patchwork and needlework kits are easy to find the stores or on the internet.

When making crafts learn to have fun with it. Kids have fun drawing, painting, making crafts. This origami craft is fun to play with and educational at the same time. You can make crafts without creating a huge mess. Include your children when creating crafts you could have a lot of fun making crafts with your kids out of the things you throw away every day. Easter is a fun holiday and the Internet has many fun things for families to make crafts with. Children will have fun making crafts and exploring their creative side. Join the fun of making crafts, reading stories, cooking, gym play, and tumbling during these four-week sessions. Join in with the family and enjoy fun activities such as holiday crafts and games, this is one way of brining the family together. There are so many ideas that we cannot mention all of them but one which is easy to do is to create fun items just to spice up a lonely shelf or tabletop. Find fun activities to do together, such as making crafts, writing a story, or acting out a musical. Crafts can be a fun creative outlet for kids and adults.

Pat A Morgan asked:




Balsa Wood is light and delicate but very strong because the structural cells of the wood are large and very thin walled. This then makes the proportion of solid matter to open space very small. Woods typically have a sticky cement, called lignin, (a polymer like substance) holding the cells together.

Balsa wood is such a low density that it can be easily cut and worked with hand tools, sanding blocks and Exacto style blades. Balsa wood is the favorite choice for toy airplanes and helicopters. It is extremely light, while holding a good level of solidity. Balsa wood is also used to build very light, rigid structures in model bridge tests.

Balsa wood does have a grainy texture, so consumers should be aware of what type of cut they need for a specific project. Some balsa wood is cut across the grain, which makes it suited for carving but not for weight-bearing projects. Balsa wood is frequently thought of as the strongest wood in the world, for its weight. Pound for pound it is more substantial, in some respects than pine, hickory, or even oak.

Balsa wood gets its great strength from its vascular arrangement, a network of small tubes which carry nutrients and water throughout the tree. Balsa wood is also a little delicate, as I’m sure you have noticed. It is also the strongest practical material for its weight and therefore continues as the most popular model building material.

Balsa wood is a good wood for starting projects because it is easy to manipulate. Balsa wood aircraft are cheap, unbelievably light and easy to assemble.

Sheet balsa always needs to be squared if you need it to have a straight edge, because many pieces have a large amount of curvature. Sheets are cut in the entire wide range of density.

Crafters and hobbyists will find balsa very easy to cut and carve, making it ideal for a number of different projects. It can also be painted or stained any color the hobbyist desires.

Be sure to visit my Balsa Wood site for more information.

Rachel Paxton asked:




During spring and summer months, it is fun to make homemade greeting cards with a daisy theme. These cards are great for all occasions, especially for birthday and thank you cards. There are many possibilities to incorporating a daisy theme into your greeting card, but here is one idea I came up with. You will be able to complete this card in about 15 minutes.

Supplies:

Blank greeting card Solid colored scrapbook paper Coordinating piece of colored scrapbook paper Scrapbook paper with large daisies on it Three medium-sized brads Small hole punch Paper cutter Glue stick

A large daisy is going to be the central element of the card. Choose a flower from the daisy scrapbook paper and cut it out with your paper cutter. Take a look at the accompanying photo to see how the card will be laid out. The large daisy will be just above the center of the card. The brads will be lined up near the bottom of the card.

One of the pieces of solid scrapbook paper will be your background of the card. I chose a daisy yellow and light brown for my solid colors. I chose the yellow paper for the background, and the brown paper for the mats. Cut the background paper to fit the front of the blank greeting card. Don’t glue it on yet. You want to attach the brads first so they won’t be inserted all the way through the card.

Next cut a piece of the coordinating solid paper to be a mat for the large daisy. Glue the daisy to the mat and glue it just above the center of the background paper. Using the same paper you used for the mat for the daisy, cut three small squares that you will use for “mats” for the brads. Line them up and glue them next to each other (with a little space in between) underneath the daisy on the background paper.

Now you will use the small hole punch (available at craft stores) to punch a hole in the center of each of the small squares. These holes will be used to insert the brads. Next insert the brads. You can find all sorts of interesting brads to use. I chose two brown (round) ones and one yellow one.

All you have left to do is glue the background paper to your blank greeting card, and you’re done! If you wish you can use rubber stamps to stamp a greeting inside.

Photo of finished card: http://www.crafty-moms.com/cards/daisy-greeting-card.shtml

Wendy Pan asked:




The kids are out of school, the heat is on, soon the novelty of no more school wears off and the kids are bored. They can’t stay in the community pool eight hours a day, so what else can they do?

Summer Arts and Crafts – Makeover the Mailbox

The most important item for this craft is the craft foam because craft foam is water resistant. This means you’ll certainly have to bring it in before it downpours, but a sprinkle or two won’t hurt it.

You’ll need scissors, scrap paper, tape, colored tape, ribbon, rope, double sided tape, craft foam and of course, the mailbox!

Use the scrap paper as a sort of template for the craft foam. The ideas that work best for mailboxes are animals and sea creatures. Draw the eyes, fins, ears, nose, any of the “pieces” that will be stuck on the mailbox on the scrap paper (brown paper bags work well for this) then trace them onto the craft foam and cut them out. If making a dog, create a tongue for the inside part of the mailbox for a little extra treat for the mailman when he makes his deliveries! For the mane of a horse, gather polyester rope and hang off the back!

Summer Arts and Crafts – Kitchen Wind Chime

This craft is not only musical but attractive as well. Use a smaller colander to feed fishing wire through and hang various metal items found around the kitchen. What can you use?

-spoons
-spatula
-whisk
-apple slicer
-anything you can find that isn’t dangerous (like a knife)

Add some crystal beads or beautiful clear plastic beads to the monofilament and you have a fun, interesting craft the kids can enjoy making themselves!

The most important thing to keep in mind when coming up with these crafts is the age of children (their motor skills), their likes and dislikes, the level of “messiness” the craft will create (should it be done outdoors or in), and if the craft will actually be useful around the house (both items above can be used and enjoyed).

Summer Arts and Crafts – Gemstone Rocks

All kids love rocks. Especially the ones they find in the creeks and lakes, the large flat ones that are shaped like diamonds, triangles, hearts or ovals. What you’ll need for this craft are the rocks, aluminum foil, newspaper, crayons (the old, broken variety), and an oven mitt.

Once the rocks have been chosen, they need to be baked on a cookie sheet (lined with foil) in a 225 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Remove the rocks from the oven with the oven mitt (they will be extremely hot!) and put them on the papers. Unwrap the old crayons then draw on the rocks. The crayons will melt like liquid magic. Move the crayon around for a swirl effect and you’ve got your gemstone rocks!

Summer arts and crafts are an enjoyable and constructive way to spend a day with the children while creating beautiful projects they can be proud of all year long.

Dr John Anne asked:




Balloon is all time favorite toys for babies. This is called the heartbeat of every party.

Balloon Fish

Balloon fish is easy to make as well as children will enjoy making it. For making this balloon fish you need a small round shaped balloon, a long balloon, black marker and a bit of another big balloon.

To make the balloon fish, blow the big balloon but it should not blow fully. Now, twist it and fold it easily at will. Tie it at the end. Take a round balloon and inflate it until it reaches to oval shape. Tie the longer balloon round the shorter balloon in such a way that both ends of the round balloon project a little at the end. On the front of the fish, make a small loop from the longer balloon; this would resembles the shape of lip of fish. Again, twist and make another lip of fish.

Twist it at an equal distance from the either end to form the bubble and make sure the round balloon cannot turn around. Now, try to twist both the end bubbles together to make the tail of the fish. When the balloons are tied together, tie one end of the piece of long balloon and inflate one end of it and twist a little before half point to form the bubble. Insert the flat end inside the long balloon behind the lips and inflate the other half of the bit and tie the end. Rotate it to hide the end knots downwards and you have the eyes for your fish. Now, use the marker to draw eyes and fins on your fish in desirable manner.

Balloon People

To make a person with balloon is not a difficult thing also, it doesn’t take much time. Even children can make this easily. To make a balloon people, you need a balloon, paper, marker, tape, coin and sticks.

Take a paper and draw the feet with it. Now, blow the balloon and use the marker and sticks to make the face. Tie the balloon. Color and decorate the feet and make a hole in the center. Put the tied end of balloon end between the holes. Try to make standing position but there is any problem in standing, you can use coin down the both feet as it will support the balloon and make it stand.