Kids Arts & Crafts Ideas by Materials

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Easy Easter Bunny
Similar to the TP roll Easter Bunny, but quite a bit simpler to do. It's nice when there's a slightly jealous, younger sibling watching the older one make the tp roll bunny!

Materials:
printer,

something to colour with,

scissors,

glue, and

paper



Instructions:
Print out the template of choice.

Colour (where appropriate) and cut out the template pieces.

Glue the small dot (nose) and two bigger dots (cheeks) on to the circle to make a face. Glue teeth underneath.

Then glue on the eyes, ears, and bow.

Alternative Decorating Ideas:
Use sparkles, sparkle glue, or felt to decorate the small egg and/or the center of the ears (pink or red sparkles look great in place of colouring the ears.

Use a small paper or foam plate instead of the template circle as the head.

Replace the eyes with purchased wiggly eyes.

Replace the small dot with small pink or red pom pom.

Replace the two bigger dots with medium white pom poms.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Easy Lion Paper Plate Craft
I've had a lot of requests for more paper plate crafts. This king of the jungle is made with a paper plate. I've provided templates for dinner sized and snack sized plates. If you don't have paper plates, don't fret! Just take a regular plate and trace it onto a piece of cardboard (old cereal boxes work great!) or use a margarine/ice cream container lid.

You can easily make a mask, by leaving off the eyes and cutting holes. Attach (glue and tape) a popsicle stick or unsharpened pencil to the bottom for the child to hold it to their face.

Older children may prefer the toilet paper roll version (Age 3+) or the paper folding version (Age 6+) as they are each more challenging (although some days it's nice to have an easy craft on hand when supper's running a bit late!)

MATERIALS
it all depends on what option you use... you'll will need

either paper plate (whatever size)
cardboard cut into a circle OR
margarine or ice cream container lid


either yellow paint, yellow construction paper OR
yellow tissue paper


either brown and/or orange paint,
brown and/or orange construction paper,
brown and/or orange tissue paper, OR
brown and/or orange wool


either black paint, OR
black marker, OR
black wool


INSTRUCTIONS
Paint your paper plate yellow

or

glue yellow construction/tissue paper onto it (rip 1 inch (ish) squares of construction/tissue paper and glue them on with a mixture of 1/2 water and 1/2 regular children's white glue. This is sort of like mod podging)


OPTIONS FOR THE MANE:
Swirl yellow, brown and/or orange paint in a plate (don't mix it totally). With a a toothbrush, dip into the paint and brush on a mane (this is how we did ours)

Swirl yellow, brown and/or orange paint in a plate (don't mix it totally. With a sponge, dip into the paint and sponge on a mane.

Cut 1/2 inch wide x 2 inch (ish) long strips of brown, yellow and or orange construction or tissue paper and glue them around the outside edge of the plate to make your mane. You can curl all/some of them around a pencil to make some curly parts

Cut 1/2 inch wide x 2 inch (ish) long strips into the paper plate itself. Roll them around a pencil to make curly parts. You can paint/color with marker the tips brown if you like

Cut 2 inch (ish) long strips of orange/brown/yellow wool and glue onto the paper plate to make the mane

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
MATERIALS
it all depends on what option you use... you'll will need

either paper plate (whatever size)
cardboard cut into a circle OR
margarine or ice cream container lid


either orange paint,
orange construction paper OR
orange tissue paper


either template pieces provided,
black paint,
black construction paper OR
black marker


INSTRUCTIONS
Paint your paper plate orange

OR

glue orange construction/tissue paper onto it (rip 1 inch (ish) squares of construction/tissue paper and glue them on with a mixture of 1/2 water and 1/2 regular children's white glue. This is sort of like mod podging)

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Supplies needed: Paper plate
Scissors
Glue (or tape or a stapler)
Googly eyes (optional)
Crayons, paint or markers

Cut a wedge out of a paper plate. The wedge will be the fish's tail; the hole will be the fish's mouth.
Glue (or use tape or a stapler) the tail to the end of the fish.
Glue a googly eye on the fish (glue on two eyes if you want a flounder) or simply draw eye(s).

Color in the fish, drawing scales, lips, and so on.
For an extra touch, make a tiny fish (use the same instructions as above, but start with a tiny circle made from construction paper). Hang the tiny fish from the large fish's mouth using a short piece of thread.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
A paper plate
Brown and pink construction paper
Crayons, markers, or tempera paint
Scissors
Hole punch
Glue
Yarn, string, or elastic

Paint the back of a paper plate brown.
Draw a groundhog's face on the plate -draw two big eyes and a mouth.
Cut out the eyes and mouth.

Cut two small, curved ears from brown construction paper and glue them near the top of the mask. Glue on a little pink paper circle to be the nose. Glue on bits of string or pipe cleaners for whiskers.
Punch a hole in each side of the mask. Tie a length of yarn to each side of the mask (or use elastic).
You now have a great groundhog mask to wear for Groundhog Day.

cRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Hanging Wall Pocket
Supplies:
2 plain paper plates
a hole punch
yarn, twine, or other thick thread
scissors
stickers (optional)
thick needle (optional)
crayons, paint, or markers



Cut one paper plate in half.

Punch holes along the straight edge, about 1 inch apart (don't punch near the circular part yet).
Put the plates together, the fronts together, forming a pocket. While holding them together, punch holes around the edges about 1 inch apart. It may help to use clothes pins to hold the 2 plates together.
Have the child "sew" up all the edges with yarn, string, or twine. Older children can use an upholstery needle. For younger ones, a bit of nail polish put on the end of the string (let it dry first) will act like a needle.
Make a hole for hanging the wall pocket on the wall. Decorate the wall pocket with crayons, markers, or paint.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Materials you will need for the octopus are paper plate or ice cream container lid, eight strips of tissue paper, crepe paper or construction paper, a printer, glue, scissors, something to colour with and a piece of paper (I prefer construction paper).

NOTE: you can omit the Paper Plate/lid and just treat as a paper craft.


Print out the template of choice.

Colour the pieces as appropriate and cut them out. (cutting may require adult assistance and can be pre-done).

See the picture above if you're confused as to how to put this together.

Cut the paper plate or ice cream container lid in half to make a half-circle. This should be done by an adult.

Glue the eight strips of tissue/crepe/construction paper along the straight edge of the half circle (these are the tentacles).

Glue the eyes and mouth onto the front of the octopus.

Glue the bow on top of the head for a girl or under the "chin" for a boy.

Glue the banner along the bottom of the half circle (or glue it to one of the tentacles).

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Jack-O-Lantern Mask -
Supplies needed: A paper plate
Crayons, markers, or tempera paint
Scissors
Hole punch
Green yarn or elastic

Draw a jack-o'-lantern's face on the back of a paper plate.
Cut out the eyes, nose, and mouth. Decorate the rest of the jack-o'lantern.
Punch a hole in each side of the mask.
Tie a length of green yarn to each side (or use elastic) of the jack-o'-lantern.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Make a cute snowman decoration using two paper plates. This makes a nice decoration to put on a door or hang in a window


Snow Theme Page

Supplies needed: 2 white paper plates
Construction paper (black, red) or wrapping paper
An orange pipe cleaner (for the nose)
A short length of yearn or ribbon
Hole punch
Marker or crayons
Scissors
Glue
Optional: googly eyes, large buttons



On one of the paper plates, cut off the outer rim, making a smaller plate.
Punch a hole near the rim on both plates.
Tie the two plates together, using the yarn (or ribbon).
On black construction paper, draw and then cut out a top hat and two boots. On colored construction paper (or gift wrap paper), draw and then cut out two mittens.
Glue the hat, boots and mittens on the snowman.
Either glue on googly eyes or draw eyes. Draw a mouth. For the nose, cut a short length from an orange pipe cleaner. Stick the pipe cleaner through the plate to secure it (if the plate is too tough, make a tiny hole with the tip of the scissors).
For the buttons, you can cut out shapes from construction paper, use round stickers, glue on real buttons, or simply draw them.

You now have a cute snowman decoration!

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Owl Paper Plate Craft -
Supplies needed: 3 paper plates
Yellow, brown or orange construction paper
Scissors
Glue (or a stapler)
Googly eyes (optional)
Crayons, paint or markers

On one paper plate, fold about a third of the plate over (have the bottom of the plate facing forward). This paper plate will be the owl's head.
On the folded part, cut two short slits and fold them back up. (These will be the owl's tufts - although they look like ears, they are only feathers. An owl's ears are simple holes on the sides of the head).
Glue the center section down.

Glue googly eyes on the folded-down section (or cut two large circles and glue them down, then draw a dark dot in the center).
Using construction paper, cut a small half-circle with a little square off the rounded side. Curve the edges around, forming a cone. Glue or staple it shut.

Glue the cone to the paper plate (using the rectangle, folded inside the cone), just beneath the folded part of the paper plate.
Glue or staple the head to another paper plate.
Cut another paper plate in half (these will be the wings).
Glue or staple the wings to the body at a slight angle.
Using construction paper, cut two tiny feet. Glue them to the body.

Color in the owl, drawing feathers, wings, or other patterns

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Paper Plate Angel -
Supplies needed: a paper plate
pencil
scissors
tape or stapler
crayons, paint, and/or markers for decoration


Draw a pattern like this on the underside of a paper plate.
Cut along the lines, discarding the dark section.

Decorate the angel.
Overlap the edges of the angel's skirt slightly and tape or staple it into place.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:

Paper Plate Crab -
MATERIALS:
paper plate or alternate (we used snack size in this picture, but dinner size would work too)
pipecleaners or two twist tie's twisted together - 9 of these. If using snack size, cut pipecleaners in half
1 inch(ish) pieces of drinking straw
hole punch
markers or paint

INSTRUCTIONS:
punch 8 holes around the edge of the plate
thread pipecleaners/twistties through these holes and twist to secure.
Put three pieces of straw on each of the pipecleaners. (represents real leg segments)
bend legs to shape/make look like he's walking
punch two more holes, close together in the "front" and put 1 pipecleaner through with ends sticking up. Twist to secure and add beads to the end to decorate (if desired)
color or paint

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Paper Plate Pig -


8 paper plates (either dinner size or dessert size),

egg carton cup or empty cream container (nose)

2 tp rolls for dessert size plates or 4 tp rolls for dinner size (legs),

scissors,

tape or glue,

piece of pink paper (or white paper coloring pink),

pink paint and black paint or marker.

OPTIONAL: googly eyes and a pipecleaner.








If you don't have pink paint, you could cut up 1 inch (ish) squares of pink construction paper or tissue paper and glue those to the paper plates (like mod podging) instead of painting.

We used styrofoam plates as it's what we had in the house. BUT, the paint didn't stick very well and flaked off easily so we couldn't play with the pig *wail*. If I had it all to do again, I'd recommend using paper plates that aren't too glossy on the bottoms. OK, before we go further, we're going to get to know our paper plates (so you'll understand the terms I'm using). The paper plates have a BOTTOM (the part you set on the table) and a TOP (the part you put the food on).



Paint the bottom of the paper plates, egg carton cups and tp rolls pink and let dry.

Kaitlyn (Age "almost 3" at the time *sob*) had loads of fun painting plates and tp rolls pink and gluing them together.

I ended up doing the nose, mouth, tail and legs.

If you're doing this with an older child (4+ ish), try making up a tongue twister to say while you're doing the project (something like "painting pink pig plates" or "please paint the pig plates pink").

Split your plates into sets of two.

Glue each set of two together rim to rim (TOP to TOP).

Glue the bottoms of the 4 sets together so you have a stack of paper plates (see photo). The top plate in the stack will be the face.

If you're using 2 tp rolls, cut them in half. If you're using 4 tp rolls, look at the dimensions and trim them down a bit if you want to (so the legs are proportionate with the pig).

Fold your pink paper in half and cut out a triangle (you'll end up with two identical ears). Glue or tape these to the back of the top set of plates. (If you want to get really fancy, you can sandwich the ears between the plates when you're gluing them together rim to rim).

Draw/paint black nostrils onto the egg cup and glue it to the face.

Draw/paint black eyes onto the pig, attach googly eyes, or draw eyes on white paper and glue them on.

Draw/paint a black mouth onto the pig or draw a mouth on white paper and glue it on.


Once everything is completely dry, squish the top of the tp rolls and slide them between the plates to make 4 legs. Tape or glue.

Twist a pipecleaner into a piggy tail and poke it through the back plate (use a sharp pencil to make a small starter hole) or take a circle of pink paper and cut it in a spiral and glue it to the back plate.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Paper Plate Starfish Craft -
What you will need: 9 inch paper plates (2 per fish) glue, paint, beads

Directions:

Print out starfish patterns Pattern 1 (Large file of small file) and Pattern 2 (Large file or small file). Cut out the starfish pattern and trace the pattern onto the bottom side of a paper plate and cut it out. (You don't have to use a paper plate; you could just use card stock.)
Fold the solid lines on the pattern up and the dotted lines down as shown in the diagram.
Glue the folded starfish to a piece of card stock and let dry. Don't press the folded starfish flat against the card stock. When your glue is dry cut out around the legs to finish.
Glue on a string or magnet to hang up the fish.
Decorate with beads. We used plastic necklace beads and glued them on so the holes where face up.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Rabbit Mask Craft -
Supplies needed: Two plain, white paper plates
Pink construction paper or pink paint
Scissors
Stapler
Glue
Crayons, markers, or paint
Optional: small pink pompom
Optional: elastic

Making the rabbit's ears: Either paint the center of a paper plate pink or cut a circle from pink construction paper (it should be the same size as the inside of a paper plate); then glue the pink paper circle to the center of a paper plate.
Cut the paper plate in half (the two halves will be the rabbit's ears).
Making the rabbit's face:Using a new paper plate, cut a wedge (about 1/4 of the plate) out of the paper plate (the large part of the plate will be the rabbit's face).
Staple the ears to the face.
Cut two eye holes in the face.
Optional: glue a small pink pompom to the center of the face (this is the rabbit's nose).
Optional: staple a piece of elastic (about a foot long) to the mask to keep it in place.

Decorate your mask with crayons, markers, or paint. Don't forget to draw whiskers!

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Star Wreath -
Supplies:

Red, white and blue construction paper
A paper plate
Scissors
Glue
Optional - glitter

Cut a large hole in the paper plate.
Cut out a lot of stars from red, white and blue construction paper. For a star template, click here.
Glue the stars to the paper plate.

Optional: Decorate the stars with the names of the children or soldiers. Also, glitter is a nice decorative touch.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Swimming Pool Plate -

Materials Needed: 9" paper plate; blue tissue paper; fun foam; 1" Styrofoam ball; scissors; Elmer's Washable School Glue; Elmer's 3D Washable Paint Pens
Time Needed: 30 minutes
Cut blue tissue paper to the size of the paper plate and adhere it to the plate with Elmer's Washable School Glue. This will be the pool water.
Cut a small rectangle out of the fun foam and glue it to one edge of the plate lining up one end of the rectangle with the edge of the plate. The rest of the rectangle should lie facing the center of the plate. This will be the diving board.
Use Elmer's 3D Washable Paint Pens to draw segments or lines on the Styrofoam ball to resemble a beach ball. When it has dried, glue it to the tissue paper and the plate.
Cut an inner tube shape from the fun foam and decorate it with the Elmer's 3D Washable Paint Pens. Glue it to the plate using Elmer's Washable School Glue.
Cut out another rectangular shape for a raft and decorate it with Paint Pens. Glue it to the plate as well using Elmer's School Glue.
To make waves in the "water", use blue Elmer's 3D Washable Paint Pens.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Valentine Heart Wreath -
Supplies:

Red and pink construction paper
A paper plate
Scissors
Glue
Optional - glitter

Cut a large hole in the paper plate.
Cut out a lot of hearts from red and pink paper.
Glue the hearts to the paper plate.

Optional: Decorate the hearts with the names of the children. Also, glitter is a nice touch.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Ant Hill -
Soda Pop Bottle
Piece of Cadrboard or a Paper PLate
Newspaper
Paper Mache Paste
Masking Tape
Paint
Instructions:
Make sure you cover you work surface well. I usually set down newspaper first and then wax paper on top of the newspaper. This is a very messy project!

Cut the bottom off the soda pop bottle. Place the bottle in the center of the cardboard or paper plate and tape in place. Also run strips of masking tape from the top of the bottle out towards the edge of the cardboard or paper plate to make it look like a hill.

Tear several newspaper pages into strips. You will want them 1 inch wide and about 6 - 8 inches long. Set them aside.

Use a large bowl to prepare your paper mache paste (Pick a recipe here). The paste will be sticky! I would suggest using a bowl that is easy to soak and clean (glass perhaps) or even a disposable bowl.

Dip the newspaper strips into the glue. Run the newspaper through your fingers to squeeze off extra glue and lay them over the masking tape. Completely cover the masking tape, including where it is stuck to the cardboard or paper plate. Be careful to leave a hole in the top open. Let the first layer dry. Add one or two more layers of paper mache to your ant hill. Allow each layer to dry completely before putting on the next layer.

Once your ant hill is dry, paint it brown or whatever other color you want. You can also sprinkle sand on the paint while it is dry to make it look more authentic! Add ants climbing up the side of the ant hill using pom-poms, paper, or whatever else you want!

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Apple Pencil Holder-

Materials:
balloon
paper mache paste
strips of newspaper
strips of white paper (3 sheets or so of old computer paper works well)
red tempra/poster paint (or red tissue paper or red napkins)
green felt or green construction paper

Instructions:
prepare your paper mache paste (read my "How to Paper Mache" section if you don't know how this is done.

Blow up the balloon ALL THE WAY and then let all the air out now blow up the balloon a little bit (until it has about a 5 inch diameter) and tie it
blowing it up all the way and letting the air out first, will make the apple more round.





Cover with 2 to 4 layers of newspaper paper mache and let it dry. About 24 hours to dry unless you leave it somewhere sunny and warm
don't cover the tied part (this will be the hole for the pencils.


Cover with 2 to 4 layers of white computer paper (it's much easier to paint over than newspaper!) and let dry

Reach through the hole with a sharp pin and pop the balloon. If you can, pull out the balloon bits


IF NECESSARY: Take a fairly damp cloth and widen the hole (for the pencils) to the desired size (you can see from the photo above how large we made our hole). The damp cloth will soften the mache so you can work with it. Be patient and let it soften!



Crush the bottom of the apple so that it stands without help. You won't be able to crush it when it's all dry, so use a damp cloth (or set the apple on a damp paper towel for about 15 minutes) to soften the mache. Then push gently to make a flat surface on the bottom.

Paint the apple red. If you covered with white computer paper, this should only take one coat. If you're using tissue paper or napkins, tear into small pieces and paper mache them onto the apple in a final layer to turn it red.
Let dry


OPTIONAL: Give the apple a coat or two of spray varnish (I always have a can of this around for projects the girls are especially proud of, to waterproof them and ensure they last longer)

Cut two simple leaf shapes from green felt or construction paper and glue to the top of the apple.

Add a couple of sharp new pencils and present to your teacher (or to a child who is just starting school).

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ATIVITY:
Celluclay Eggs -

Celluclay Instant Paper Mache
Styrofoam goose eggs
Watercolors
Acrylic paints
Markers
Gems
Glitter
Ribbon
Paintbrushes
Cup of water
Paper towels
Plastic mixing bowl
Measuring cup
Resealable sandwich bags
Cost of each project will vary depending on materials used.

Due to the seasonal nature of some merchandise, actual availability of some products pictured may vary.






Mix one cup dry paper mache with cup warm water in a sandwich bag. Knead mixture like bread dough until well mixed. If mixture is too dry add a little water; if too wet, add a little dry paper.



Cover mixed paper mache with damp paper towel while working.



Form Celluclay around styrofoam eggs.



Set aside and allow to dry until no longer sticky.



Use watercolors, markers, acrylic paint or even food coloring to decorate eggs. Add gems, glitter, or other embellishments or accessorize with ribbons and bows - you're only limited by your imagination!

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Dolphin Paper Mache Craft -

MATERIALS:
The only "store bought" material is paint (tempra, poster or finger paint all work well... acrylic paints work great, but don't wash out of clothes!!!) We mixed white and black to make our own grey. Alternatively, you can mod podge (mache) on 1 inch squares of grey tissue paper. Or make a "funky dolphin" by maching on 1 inch squares of patterned tissue paper or napkins

paint brush

newspaper

toilet paper or paper towel

paper towel roll

toilet paper roll

scissors

tape (masking or scotch tape)

ONE OF: white glue, mod podge OR paper mache paste (1 part flour to 5 parts water... boil about 3 minutes and let cool)


STEP 1: BUILD THE FRAME:
This is part of a more complicated crafting series so if you have any suggestions to improve the instructions, please feel free to let me know! I recommend you quickly review all the instructions before starting the project.

Take the paper towel roll and cut a V shape out of one end
Discard the small piece
Pull the two ends of the cut together and tape (it will crunch up a bit, but we'll fill in the dips later.)
At this point, you can stuff the whole thing with newspaper or toilet paper so it's a bit more solid.
The open end is the head, and the narrow, taped end is the back.



Take a toilet paper roll & cut lengthwise, so you can unroll it.

Draw on a dolphin tail shape and cut it out.

Because you used a tp roll, your tail will be nice and curvy

Tape the tail to the back of the paper towel roll



Take a 1/2 sheet of newspaper and scrunch into a ball.

Insert ball into open end of the paper towel roll.

This will be the rounded head

Tape it well

Take a piece of cardboard (old cereal box) or another unrolled toilet paper roll and cut out a top fin shape (see photo).

Cut a U shape snout (mouth) for the dolphin

Cut two bottom fin shapes ("wings" as my 2 year old called them) (same as top fin shape in photo, but a bit longer and skinnier)

Tape/glue on the top fin (this step is a bit finnicky... just put big pieces of tape on either side of the fin and tape it on the body).
Shannon sent in the following suggestion for the top fin: Cut about an extra inch to the bottom of the fin. Then cut about an inch straight up in the middle. Fold in the flaps in opposite directions, then tape the flaps to the back.

Tape/glue the mouth to the bottom of the head
Tape/glue bottom fins (wings) to the bottom of the body.

Your dolphin frame is now complete. Use toilet paper and more tape to fill in any dips and round out the head.







STEP 2: MACHE:
Tear newspaper into strips about 1 to 2 inches wide. You can have some that are longer and some that are shorter.

Paper mache the entire thing

You don't want more than 4 layers of mache added or it won't dry properly. I usually tell the kids not to add more than 2 layers (when they inevitably overlap things a bit more than they should, we end up with 4).

Use shorter pieces when macheing around the fin and tail if it's too finicky (or have younger kids mache the nice easy body and save the hard parts for yourself).

Let mache dry (set outside on a nice sunny or breezy day and it will dry very quickly).

OPTIONAL: Apply a second coat of no more than 4 layers and let dry (one coat is enough, but the more coats you add the sturdier it will be ... especially if you've added mache limbs and tail). Let dry. Apply a third coat. Let dry.

The very top layer of mache can be done with white paper. This will make it easier to apply paint.



STEP 3: PAINT:
Paint with grey paint.

Decorate (add a white blow hole and black eyes or glue on wiggly eyes).

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Easter Bunny Pinata -

Materials Needed:

Large, Round Balloon
Newspaper
Paper Mache Paste
Masking Tape
Cardboard
Paint
Crepe Paper or Tissue Paper
String or Yarn

Instructions:
Make sure you cover you work surface well. I usually set down newspaper first and then wax paper on top of the newspaper. This is a very messy project!
Tear several newspaper pages into strips. You will want them 1 inch wide and about 6 - 8 inches long. Set them aside.

Use a large bowl to prepare your paper mache paste (Pick a recipe here). The paste will be sticky! I would suggest using a bowl that is easy to soak and clean (glass perhaps) or even a disposable bowl.

Blow up the balloon and tie it closed. Now you are ready to start with the paper mache! (To hold your ballon while you are working on it, you might want to try to set it in a cup or bowl that is covered with plastic wrap.)

Dip the newspaper strips into the glue and spread them onto the balloon. Completely cover the balloon, leaving a small hole at the top to remove the balloon and fill the pinata. Let the first layer dry.

Add two more layers of paper mache to your balloon. Allow each layer to dry completely before putting on the next layer. Once it is dry, pop the balloon and remove it through the opening you left at the top (If you cannot get the balloon out, don't worry about it too much - No one will see it).

You can now decorate your pinata to look like a bunny. The fastest way is to paint on the details, or cut the facial features out of construction paper.

You can color and texture to your bunny by using 3 inch squares of tissue paper. Spread some glue on your pinata. Hold the 4 corners of your tissue paper square together and then stick the center of the tissue paper square onto the glue. The 4 corners hould not touch the glue, they should remain sticking up.

To hang your pinata, poke 4 small holes evenly spaced around the larger hole in the top. Thread a piece of string, yarn, or even fishing line through each hole and tie the together at the top. Tie a longer piece of string onto the these.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Fall Mosaic Paper Mache Box -

Paper mache box, small
Tissue paper, orange
Tissue paper, yellow
Tissue paper, red
Sizzix Machine
Sizzix Die-Cut, Leaf
Paper Mod Podge
Scissors
Ruler
Cost of each project will vary depending on materials used.

Due to the seasonal nature of some merchandise, actual availability of some products pictured may vary.






Cut 2 orange and yellow tissues into ½-inch to ¾-inch squares.



Working in sections at a time, brush Mod Podge onto the box and lay yellow and orange paper squares over the Mod Podge. Cover the papers with another layer of Mod Podge.



Use the Sizzix Machine and leaf die to cut 10-12 leaves from red tissue paper. Mod Podge leaves to the box.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Lady bug Paper Mache - Material

Paper Mache
Red and Black Paint
Small (Head) and Large (Body) Margarine Container
2 Black Pipe Cleaners
Instructions

Tape two margarine containers together to form the base shape.
Cover shape with Paper Mache and let dry
Glue pipe cleaners for antenna's and curl
Paint black head, red back and let dry
Paint black spots

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Make a Paper Mache Dinosaur Hat -
SUPPLIES NEEDED:
One large balloon for each hat
A lot of old newspaper and/or brown-bag paper
Flour-water glue (instructions follow)
Scissors
Hole punch (or just use the tip of a scissors to make holes)
Assorted paper, cardboard scraps, styrofoam scraps, egg cartons
Paint
String or elastic for chin straps

1. Choose the type of dinosaur hat(s) you want to make. Species with interesting heads include (click on the underlined names to see a picture of that dinosaur): Styracosaurus, Triceratops, Dilophosaurus, Lambeosaurus, and T. rex. For more dinosaur pictures, click here.

2. Make a simple, thin glue from flour and water (boiling gives it a nice consistency). A good recipe is: Mix 1 cup of flour into 1 cup of water until the mixture is thin and runny. Stir into 4 cups of boiling water. Simmer for about 3 minutes, then cool.

3. Have the students tear a lot of strips of newspaper and/or brown bag paper. Strips should be about 1 inch wide; the length doesn't really matter.

4. Blow up a balloon for each child. Each hat is molded over a large balloon.

5. Dip each strips of paper in the flour glue and put on the balloon. Put the balloon sideways because most dinosaurs had long heads. Apply the papier-mâché strips to cover about half of each balloon . About 3 layers of paper are necessary for a hat thick enough to decorate later. You can do all the layers at one time, or wait between layers. Let dry for a few days.

6. Pop the balloon when the hat's dry and remove. Trim the hat, depending on the dinosaur species chosen. Using glue or staples, add horns, frills, crests, beaks, teeth, and more, made of paper, cardboard, styrofoam, egg cartons, etc. Let dry.

7. When the hats are dry, punch holes for chin straps and paint the eyes, nostrils, beaks, skin color, etc. Let paint dry. .

8. Add string or elastic to use as a chin strap. As a costume addition, the students could drape themselves in paper that matches their mask or wear matching clothing.

Paper Mache Alligator - MATERIALS:
The only "store bought" material is green paint (tempra, poster or finger paint all work well... acrylic paints work great, but don't wash out of clothes!!!) If you don't have green paint, green tissue paper or napkins will work too. My alligator took about 2 oz (100 ml) of green paint.

paint brush

OPTIONAL: white paint and red paint (the craft works fine without these)!

newspaper

ONE OF: egg carton (styrofoam) OR cardboard (empty cereal boxes work well!)

ONE OF: white tissue paper, white kleenex, white paper towel OR white toilet paper

scissors

tape (masking or scotch tape)

ONE OF: white glue, mod podge OR paper mache paste (1 part flour to 5 parts water... boil about 3 minutes and let cool)



STEP 1: BUILD THE FRAME:
Like I said, this is the first of a more complicated crafting series so if you have any suggestions to improve the instructions, please feel free to let me know! I recommend you quickly review all the instructions before starting the project.


Take one piece of newspaper. Cut it in half along the crease.

Take one 1/2 and roll it into a long, loose sausage

Take the other 1/2 and roll it into a long cone.


Fold the sausage in half (this will be the alligator's jaws ), but make the top half a bit longer (about 4 to 6 inches longer) than the bottom half.

Roll the longer piece to make the snout. Tape snout well!



Take a good look at your cone shape. There should be a V shape at the open end. Insert the jaws so the V side is on the top of the alligator. Tape the jaws and cone together well (top and bottom)
Now it should look like this

or here is the view from above

Alrighty! We're doing well...

Now press the alligator's back so it is flat (just below the jaws)

Fold the part just below the flattened back to the left and then fold in half again to the right (Z-shaped). Pinch/crease.
Let go so you get a zig zag tail if it didn't zig zag enough, pinch/crease it harder!

Now the eyes... Make two newspaper balls (about 1 inch balls) and tape them really well/tightly so they don't unscrunch. Then tape them to the top of the alligator's jaws.
And last the legs (your alligator may be a bit wobbly up to this point... don't worry!). Make two more newspaper sausages long enough to stick out at least an inch on either side of the alligator. Roll nice and tightly this time so he has sturdy legs. Tape well to the bottom of the alligator.
I should have put them a bit farther apart than I did, I think.

You're now done your frame (that's the toughest part, but it's amazing what you can do with newspaper, isn't it!?!)




STEP 2: MAKE HIM SOLID:
Take your white tissue paper (toilet paper, kleenex or paper towel will also work... we used toilet paper *grin*). The white paper (whichever kind you chose) will make him more solid and will make it easier to paint him (less paint required than if you were painting over newspaper).

Suggestion from a viewer:
"You could paper mache it with green crepe paper and just fill in the details with paint, and maybe it would make it harder." Thanks Robert!

Coat your alligator with mod podge, paper mache paste or white glue dilluted 1/2 and 1/2 with water (we choose the white glue/water solution and painted it on with paint brushes).



Lay 2 layers of toilet paper/tissue paper ALL OVER your alligator.
The tissue will soak onto the alligator in a minute or two. Use your paint brush and some more glue/water solution to get the toilet paper wetter when necessary and into all the crevices. Don't forget to do the inside of the mouth!. Use scissors to clip off exess as necessary.

Let dry (likely overnight). At various stages, you'll be letting him dry (now and while painting. I always propped his jaws open with a lightly crumpled piece of newspaper whenever he was drying so his jaws didn't stick shut.

STEP 3: PAINT HIM
Take your green paint and paint your alligator (except his eyeballs). If you have red paint, leave the inside of his mouth unpainted. If you don't have red paint, paint the inside of his mouth green.

If you don't have paint at all, you could use green tissue paper or napkins and the same paste/process as in STEP 2.

Let dry.

Turn him over and paint the bottom (his belly) if you want to. You can paint it a lighter green or a creamy colour if you want... BE CREATIVE (you said you wanted to be! *grin*)

Let dry.

If you have white paint and/or red paint, paint the inside of the mouth red and the eyeballs white (the eyeballs are pretty white without the paint, so it isn't the end of the world to skip painting them)Tasha liked painting the mouth!

Let dry.



Take some markers (or other colours of paint) and draw on some detail: black eyeballs on the eyes, nostrils on the snout and darker green splotches on the back and top of the jaw. I also drew a line down the center from his jaws to the tip of his tail.
Take a styrofoam egg carton and find some flat, white parts (you can substitute cardboard with white paper glued onto it!) Cut out teeth shapes...
...and glue them onto your aligator's jaws.
Guess what? You're done!

(You can cover with a few coats of clear varnish if you want a shiny alligator you can leave outside in the garden!)

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Paper Mache Baskets -


Fill these bright baskets with eggs
and other Easter goodies. What You Need:
Balloons
Liquid starch
Old newspapers
Old cake or pie tin
String
Paper or plastic cup
Colored tissue paper
Can of flat white spray paint
Jar of gloss medium and varnish
Paintbrush




Step 1. Instructions:
1. Tear newspapers into 1-inch-wide strips that are 2 to 3 inches long. Blow up the balloon and tie the end with an overhand knot.





Step 2. 2. Pour starch into the pie tin. Cover the balloon with newspaper strips that have been dipped into the starch. After the balloon is covered with this layer, add a second layer. Overlap the strips and completely cover the balloon, except for the knotted end. Tie a string above the knot of the balloon. Hang the balloon in a cool, dry area to dry overnight. Add more strips, if necessary, and let these strips dry.





Step 3. 3. Snip the knotted end from the balloon, let the air escape, and remove the balloon. Let the paper ball dry for a few more hours.

4. Cut 1 inch off the top of the plastic cup to use for the base. Cover the base with paper strips. Fasten the wide end of the base to the wide end of the ball with more strips. Cover the hole where you removed the balloon with strips. Let the ball dry.





Step 5. 5. Draw a zigzag line around the ball's middle to mark the top of the basket, and a pair of parallel lines over the top (the narrow end) to mark the handle. Cut out the enclosed areas to form the basket. Spray-paint the basket white. When completely dry, apply tissue paper.

TIP: Paint small areas of the basket with the gloss medium and varnish. Lay cut strips of tissue paper over the medium. Paint the medium over the top of the tissue paper. Cover all sides of the basket with the tissue paper. Let dry.

CRAFTS MATERIALS YOUR KIDS NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILDRENS' ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY:
Paper Mache Dinosaurs Hat -
SUPPLIES NEEDED:
One large balloon for each hat
A lot of old newspaper and/or brown-bag paper
Flour-water glue (instructions follow)
Scissors
Hole punch (or just use the tip of a scissors to make holes)
Assorted paper, cardboard scraps, styrofoam scraps, egg cartons
Paint
String or elastic for chin straps

1. Choose the type of dinosaur hat(s) you want to make. Species with interesting heads include (click on the underlined names to see a picture of that dinosaur): Styracosaurus, Triceratops, Dilophosaurus, Lambeosaurus, and T. rex. For more dinosaur pictures, click here.

2. Make a simple, thin glue from flour and water (boiling gives it a nice consistency). A good recipe is: Mix 1 cup of flour into 1 cup of water until the mixture is thin and runny. Stir into 4 cups of boiling water. Simmer for about 3 minutes, then cool.

3. Have the students tear a lot of strips of newspaper and/or brown bag paper. Strips should be about 1 inch wide; the length doesn't really matter.

4. Blow up a balloon for each child. Each hat is molded over a large balloon.

5. Dip each strips of paper in the flour glue and put on the balloon. Put the balloon sideways because most dinosaurs had long heads. Apply the papier-mâché strips to cover about half of each balloon . About 3 layers of paper are necessary for a hat thick enough to decorate later. You can do all the layers at one time, or wait between layers. Let dry for a few days.

6. Pop the balloon when the hat's dry and remove. Trim the hat, depending on the dinosaur species chosen. Using glue or staples, ad