Flowers for Mom: Easy to make Paper Flowers with only 4 Materials

Flowers for Mom: Easy to make Paper Flowers with only 4 Materials

After a long winter with a lot of snow (Canada lived up to its reputation as the cold white snow), I am overjoyed to see my green grass and the lovely green shoots of spring flowers bursting from my garden. They are simply beautiful in a range of purples, oranges and pinks and it definitely puts me in the mood to bring in a few spring blooms.  Unfortunately, I hate to wreck the scenery in my yard but I have found an excellent way to add  a little color to your house.

It is simply to make some pretty flowers with paper.  Kids love this and what is even better is that they are so easy to make, a child of almost any age can make.  You can also do a multitude of things such as mounting them on a Popsicle stick or use them to decorate pictures or cards.  What is even better is the fact that these little flowers can be made with only a few items that can be found around the house.

How to Make The Paper Flowers for Mom :
Start of The Kids’ Crafts Instructions

Gather all the Craft Supplies That You Will Need:

• Paper (Two colors, I like to use a printed paper and then a solid but you can use any combination you would like)
• Straight Edged Cutter
• Glue (Glue Stick but you may want to use a little dab of white glue for one step)
• Button (or any other type of embellishment such as a small shell or little seeds)

1. Take the paper and the straight edged cutter (or scissors if you don’t have the latter) and cut 2- 1 inch strips from each sheet of paper.  Cut more if you plan on doing multiple flowers.  I like to use an 11 to 12 inch length for a bigger flower.
2. Now that you have the sheets, take one strip and place the side you want showing face down.
3. Fold the one edge to the middle of the strip to make a loop with the paper, repeat with the other edge.
4. Once you have determined the center of the paper and the best loop size, glue the edges down to the center of the strip so that it overlaps slightly.  You will end up with three layers of paper in the center with a loop on either side.
5. Repeat the process with the second sheet of paper in the same color. (In this instance, I used two strips of printed paper.)
6. Take one looped paper and place a dab of glue on the middle.
7. Firmly place the second looped paper onto the first to create a “t” with the two papers.
8. Repeat steps 2 to 7 with the other paper (in this case the blue paper for me).
9. Glue the two “t’s” together the same way that you did the individual papers.  Since the paper is heavier, this is when I recommend using the white glue for extra support.  You will want the papers to be diagonal to each other to give the look of a full flower.
10. Using the white glue, attach your embellishment to the flower and you are ready to use for decorations.

A great way to use this craft is either on a Mother’s Day Card or on a pipe cleaner to give with other flowers as a bouquet for Mother’s Day or any other day that you want to make mom feel special.

Technorati Tags: flower craft, flowers craft, flower crafts, flower arts and crafts, flower projects, flower craft for kid, craft for kids, arts and crafts, flower activities, paper flowers, paper flower crafts

Easy Pinwheel Pencil Craft for Kids for Independence Day on July 4th

Easy Pinwheel Pencil Craft for Kids for Independence Day on July 4th

This article was written in the Spring, and as Fourth of July is tomorrow, I thought of pinwheels and how with red, white, and blue paper, they could be very festive on a hot fourth of July night. Although this article was intended for Spring, when the days are windier, I think it is a good thing that this article was pushed to Fourth of July, as I think your children will have a lot of fun using these pinwheels tomorrow night.

Pinwheels are such an easy craft.  I remember making them as a young child all the way back to kindergarten and I remember being really proud of my accomplishment as the wind spun it around and around on the walk home.

Today, I love making pinwheels with my kids because they get as much enjoyment out of it as I did.  They are very easy to use and they only require a few supplies that most people have in their homes or home offices.

To Celebrate fourth of July, just use paper that is red, white, and blue and make sure to keep these pinwheels away from any sparks created by sparklers or any other types of miniature fireworks items that kids use for fun. Have fun and Happy Fourth of July.

Pinwheel Pencil Craft for Kids: How to Make a Pinwheel Pencil

Gather all the Craft Supplies That You Will Need:

• Scissors
• Pencil with an eraser
• Paper (I like to use a printed paper that has a print on one side but you can use any type of paper)
• Pushpin

1 – Cut out a square of paper.  I use about 8 inch by 8 inch paper for this craft.

2 – Fold the paper in half on the diagonal line so you make a triangle.  Unfold so that the paper is creased.

3 – Repeat the process with the other diagonal.  Unfold again.

4 – With the printed paper facing down, mark a line on the crease with your pencil. The line should be a third of the way up from the center of the paper.  Do this on all four diagonal lines.

5 – Carefully cut the diagonal crease until your scissors reach the guideline.  Repeat on all four diagonals.

6 – Take on corner and fold it into the center of the paper.  It should form a loop and you shouldn’t flatten it at all.  Leave it loose.

7 – Take the next corner, it should be every other corner, and bring that in the exact same way.

8 – Repeat the process until you have one loop, then one straight, then one loop, then one straight paper; forming a pinwheel.

9 – Connect together in the center with a pushpin.

10 – Push the pin into the eraser on the tip of your pencil.

And that is all it takes to make a pinwheel.  Easy but with hours of fun and a few cute decoration for your pencil.

More Online Crafts for Kids That You Might Enjoy

Homemade Pinwheel Kids Craft - Kids love to make things move and work. Homemade Pinwheels are a fun children’s activity to make and kids love to play with them.

Flower Pinwheels Craft for Kids – These simple pinwheels can be made for decorations, party favors, or just for fun. We made ours with colored card stock, but you might try cereal boxes, or you could use plain paper and let the kids draw or paint a design.

How to Make a Pinwheel - Easy and fun directions to Make a Pinwheel. Great summer fun for the kids and the printable paper included is great for Fourth of July, too!

Summer Crafts Pinwheel Craft – Pinwheels are a great activity for kids to make during the summers. The bright colors and spinning of the spiked disc is representative of the sun.

Easy-to-make Patriotic Pinwheels: Great craft to celebrate July 4th – What is it about a pinwheel that makes every child smile? Make these with your kids this weekend and use them in your Fourth of July celebration.

3 Kids Craft Ideas for Independence Day – There are many fun ways that you can craft the way to July 4. There are many things you can do to make this day truly extraordinary. If you are ready to celebrate, here are some ideas to consider craft. You can find full details about how to create them in the web or use your own creativity.

10 of the best fourth of July crafts - For US residents celebrating fourth of July – here are my picks for the best fourth of July crafts to get you in the patriotic mood.

Technorati Tags: pinwheel craft, pinwheels, pinwheel crafts, paper crafts, kids crafts, childrens crafts, printed paper crafts, pushin craft, fourth of july crafts, 4th of july crafts, july 4th crafts, independence day crafts, fourth of july crafts, fourth of july kids crafts

Painting with Sand – A Fun Kids Crafts Activity

Painting with Sand – A Fun Kids Crafts Activity

Paint.  It is a staple of every childhood and is almost a right of passage for all of them. Children love to paint.  They will paint at home, on sidewalks, and at school.  In the classroom, it seems to be the one area that draws all the kids to it and no matter how many interesting toys are out in a preschool room, the children are always willing to done a paint smock and get busy creating.

I love painting myself, although I lack a lot of the skill needed.  Still, whenever I get a chance to paint with my children, I am there doing it.  Sure, they have far surpassed me in a lot of areas, I can still create a nice abstract piece without too much problem.

Although painting is so popular with children, I find at times that it can become rather boring.  This is probably why I am always thinking up new ways to take a break from the norm.  Painting doesn’t have to be with paintbrushes, it doesn’t have to be done on paper, and it doesn’t have to be just painting.  What it does need to be is creative and most children bring more than their share of creativity to the painting table.

This craft, while it still relies on paint brushes, is a popular craft with children.  It brings in both the creative and a sensory stimulation that is not always there in a painting craft.  In addition, the finished pieces have a 3D-effect to them and it looks amazing under the glass of a frame.  My personal favorite is to use blue, white and silver, since the children often create pictures that resemble beautiful ocean scenes.

Painting with Sand : How to Break from the Norm with Paint

• Paint (acrylics work well but you can use any type of paint except oils and water)
• Sand
• Paper (try to use a heavier paper since this paint has some weight to it)
• Dish Soap
• Container(s) for paint (I find that old Popsicle makers work well because they take enough paint and you can put a lot of colors in them.  Also, you can wrap them in saran wrap for storage if you don’t use all the paint.
• Paint Brushes (one for each color)

1 – Decide on the colors that you would like to use and pull out the paint.  Pour the first color into the container (if you are using separate containers, simply put the paint in and then repeat in each container you have).

2 – Repeat until you have all the colors that you want to use.  Make sure that you only fill them up between a quarter of the way to half way since the sand will increase the volume quickly.

3 – Now for an old teacher’s secret (shh…don’t tell anyone), place a few drops of dish soap into each container of paint.  This makes it a bit easier to clean off of things and whenever I use paint, except oils and water, I use dish soap in it.

4 – Once you have your paint ready, add in the sand.  This is usually done to the eye but you will probably want about 2 teaspoons to every 3 or 4 tablespoons.

5 – Repeat with all the paint

6 – Stir the and into the paint until it is well blended.  You will want to have a paint that has a lot of texture to it but is still wet and easily applied to the paper so add more sand if necessary.  Repeat with all the paint, using a different paint brush with each paint color.

7 – And now your paint is ready for painting.  Have your child paint whatever they would like but encourage them to really play with the paint.  You will find that it has a bumpy texture on the paper and it will clump at some parts but don’t try to remove them, this is the whole reason behind the sand paint.

8 – Allow the art piece to dry completely on a flat surface before you hang it up.  This is very important since the paint is heavier than others and it can ruin the picture if you hang it before it is ready.

One of the best points about this paint is how it blends together.  Since the paint is so heavy, it keeps most of the color and when you blend, you are less likely to have one big brown mess and more likely to have a range of shades.  This makes it an excellent paint for blending and other painting techniques that rely on pulling colors into another.

HERE ARE MORE SIMILAR SAND CRAFTS FOR KIDS

Sand Crafts for Kids

How To Make a Sand Painting

Make a Native American Sandpainting

9 Summer Craft Ideas For Toddlers And Preschoolers Fun Summer Crafts For Kids

Colored Sand – June 26, 2009 – Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Colored Sand Candleholder

Make a Portable Mini-Sandbox

How to Make Sand Art With Kids

Mother’s Day Crafts for Kids to Make for Their Moms

Technorati Tags: brushes, Children’s Craft, children’s paint, dish soap, kid’s craft, id’s paint, kid’s painting, paint, paint craft, painting, sand, sand craft, sand paint craft, sand painting, sand play