This flower light bulb craft is a great way to spend a rainy weekend, and also a terrific way to teach kids about recycling and reusing everyday objects. Explain to your child that there’s more than one way to recycle one thing into something else. You can turn used soda bottles into a string of flower lights for spring!

How to Make an Earth Day Soda Bottle Flower Light

Crafts Materials Needed

String of small lights
A 16 oz soda bottle
Craft foam
Paint suitable for plastic (I used Calypso All-Purpose Acrylic Paint which dried nicely and fast)
Craft foam in green
Floral wire
Scissors
Tape (green tape or floral tape optional)

1. Cut off the top section of the bottle.

2. Trim the cut end into petal shapes. Child-size scissors (and hands!) are good for this as they can maneuver more easily inside the bottle.

3. Paint the outside of the bottle and allow to dry.

4. While the paint is drying, cut two 5″ pieces of floral wire. Wrap around the base of the flower as shown, twisting the ends on each side of the base.

5. Cut petal shapes into a 2″ x 5″ piece of green craft foam.

6. When paint is dry, wrap petal piece around the base of the flower as shown. I used green floral tape to cover the regular clear tape I had used to make it look neater and prettier.

7. Insert a light into the hole in the base. Then take each set of two floral wire ends and wrap around the light string as seen above.

Voila, you have your own flower light! Repeat the process as many times as you’d like to string the lights around the yard for a party or in your child’s room.

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andreathatcher · Crafts Foam, Earth Day Crafts, Featured Crafts, Gardens and Plants Crafts, Plastic Bottles, Recycling and Upcycling Crafts, Wire · 0 Comments

It is February which means that it is time for Presidents Day again. How about celebrating this great holiday with an Abe Lincoln Finger Puppet? Laura from Dacian Moon Handmade  will show you today how to make a Lincoln puppet out of pipe cleaners.

How to Make Abe Lincoln Finger Puppets for Presidents Day

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

– black pipe cleaner
– wooden bead (~1 cm diameter)
– instant glue
– scissors
– 2 toothpicks
– black and red paints

Step 1.

Glue the wooden bead on top of one toothpick – this will be the head.

Start wrapping the pipe cleaner around the toothpick.

You stop when you go over the middle. Cut the extra pipe cleaner.

Like this.

Step 2.

Make a spiral of pipe cleaner…

Like this.

Expand bottom to form the hat.

Step 3. 

Apply glue on the head…

… and quickly fix the hat there. (Quickly because we use instant glue)

Step 4.

Use paints to add a beard…

… eyes …

… nose and hair.

Your puppet is ready 😀

I hope that you enjoyed making this finger puppet for Presidents Day. Come back for more crafts.

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Laura · Beads, Featured Crafts, Pipe Cleaners, Presidents Day, Puppets · 0 Comments

Today we will show you how to make a really cool item that you have never made before. This project is to make a jar filled with beautiful pastel chalk…it looks like sand art, but instead with chalk. Look below to find out how to make these awesome jars…great for a Valentines Day gift or for a Cool Summer Project. Laura from Dacian Moon Handmade   will show you today how to make a cute gift for your Valentine.

How to make a Chalk Pastel Jars for Valentines Day or for Summer Fun

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

– chalk: blue, pink, green
– sugar
– small jar
– paper

Step 1.

Put some sugar on a piece of paper.

Spread it.

Rub the blue chalk over the sugar…

… and the sugar will become blue.

Use the paper as a funnel to put the blue sugar into the jar.

like this.

Step 2.

Repeat step 1 using pink chalk. Put pink sugar over the blue one.

 Step 3.

Add a layer of white sugar on the jar, then make some green sugar (repeating step 1, with green chalk).

Add the green layer over the white one, like this.

Seal the jar and the gift is ready.

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Laura · Chalk, Gifts Crafts for Kids, Jars, Summer Crafts, Valentines Day Crafts · 0 Comments

Today we will show you how to make this cute little fabric snowman. He is a lot of fun to make and even more fun to play with. On this cold Winter day, I thought this would be a great craft to share with you.

Step by step tutorial offered by Laura from Dacian Moon Handmade

How to Make a Cute Little Fabric Snowman

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

– dark blue fabric
– white fabric
– filling material (I use some cotton pads broken into pieces)
– scissors
– ribbon
– black paint or marker
– button

Step 1.

Cut a disc of blue fabric and a smaller one of white fabric.

Step 2.

Start sewing around the edges…

… like this.

Pull the thread ends …

… and fill the inside with the filling material.

Tie the thread ends.

Do the same for the white disc.

Step 3.

Put the needle and thread through the middle of white part…

… then through the middle of the blue part…

… and through the button (we will use the button to make a solid part on the base. It will help our snowman to stay.)

Get back through the blue part and the white part to fix all parts together.

Step 4.

Cut two rectangles of blue fabric, one wider than the other.

Fold the lower part on the big one…

… and wrap it around the snowman’s head (the white part)

Use the ribbon to tie it, like this. Now the snowman have a hat.

Step 5.

Let’s make a scarf now. Take the other blue fabric rectangle…

… and wrap it around the neck of your snowman, then tie it.

Make some cuts on both ends of the scarf and on the upper part of the hat.

Thus, the hat and scarf will have fringes.

Use black paint / marker to draw eyes and mouth, and your little snowman is ready.

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Laura · Buttons, Doll Making, Fabrics & Materials, Featured Crafts, Ribbons, Sewing & Fabrics, Stuffed Toy, Winter Crafts · 0 Comments

Here is a crafts tutorial to make a Christmas tree from pipe cleaners, safety pins, and some beads. With this craft, you make a beautiful Christmas tree that is also an ornament. Use this step by step tutorial offered by Laura from Dacian Moon Handmade.

How to Make Beaded Christmas Tree Ornaments

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

– 3 pieces of chenille stem
– green, orange, red, brown crystals / beads
– blue bigger beads
– self – adhesive star
– safety pins

Step 1.

Take one safety pin. Open it.

Put crystals on it, like this.

Close the pin.

Do the same for the other safety pins. You will need 8.

Step 2.

Take 1 piece of chenille stem…

… and put one safety pin on it.

Add two in the other direction, one, two again and one. Like in the picture.

Put another chenille through the ends of the 3 safety pins, like this.

Bring the safety pins ends together.

Raise the ends of the last chenille stem…

… and wrap them one around the other, to make a hanger

Bend the extra chenille to the back of the tree.

Put another one through the other ends of the safety pins…

… and add a blue bead between the safety pins.

It will look like this.

Fix the self-adhesive star on the ornament…

… and it is ready to adorn your Christmas tree.

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Laura · Beads, Christmas Crafts, Featured Crafts, Pipe Cleaners, Safety Pins · 0 Comments

Here is a fun paper craft that isn’t too hard to make. All you have to do is print out our paper template and then paste it together. Then you can just put it in the center of your Thanksgiving dinner table.

How to Make Paper Stand-Up Turkey Centerpieces for Thanksgiving

Crafts Materials Needed

Printer

Paper

Scssors

Paste

Print Out a Color or Black and White Template

Click on this image to open up a the template in a new page

Click on this image to open up the template in a new page

Instructions for Making These Turkeys

All you have to do is cut on the solid lines and fold on the dotted lines. Then just paste it together as you see in the above picture. This turkey is a great decoration for your Thanksgiving table.

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admin · Thanksgiving Crafts, Turkeys · 0 Comments

Who says that you can only have candy for Halloween. Here is a great treat to use as placeholders at the Thanksgiving table. You make these cute little cornstalks out of candy corn and cardboard tubes from paper towel rolls. This is a  fun way to give treats on Thanksgiving. This tutorial is offered by Laura from Dacian Moon Handmade

How to make Candy Corn Stalks for Thanksgiving treats

Crafts Materials Needed:

– recycled paper roll
– green paint
– yellow and orange candies
– paintbrush
– scissors
– bag

Step 1.

Cut a rectangle with rounded corners out of the paper roll…

… like this.

Step 2.

Using green paint…

… and paintbrush, color the roll.

Let it dry.

Step 3.

Cut triangles on the lower part…

Like this.

Step 4.

Put the candies in the bag…

… and place it inside the tube.

Step 5.

Take the rest of tube (the part that was not painted)…

… and cut thin strips of it.

Like this.

Put them in the tube above the candies, so that a part to go over the edge, outside ..

Step 6.

Squeezes the top to remain fixed (if doesn’t work, you can tie with a cord of similar color, or you can stick it.)

Then bend inward at the bottom…

And that’s all 😀

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Laura · Candy and Food, Cardboard Tubes Rolls, Featured Crafts, Halloween Crafts for Kids, Table Decorations Crafts, Thanksgiving Crafts · 0 Comments

If you want to be a spooky vampire for Halloween, you are going to need a set of fangs for your costume. Here is the easiest way to complete your Halloween costume with vampire fangs / teeth. You will need a disposable fork and little less to complete this craft.  Laura from  Dacian Moon Handmade  will show you, step by step, how to make them.

WARNING: This is only for older kids … and make sure they know to be careful to not swallow the fangs/teeth.

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

– plastic fork
– scissors
– nail file
– straight pliers

Step 1.

Break fork tail.

Like this.

Step 2.

Straighten the edges with scissors so that it remains a convenient length.

Like this.

Step 3.

Use pliers to shorten the teeth in the middle of the fork.

Like this.

Round all edges and corners (using nail file) that will not hurt when you wear them.

Your perfect vampire fangs are ready ! 😀

WARNING: This is only for older kids … and make sure they know to be careful to not swallow the fangs/teeth.

Technorati Tags: vampire fangs, vampire crafts, halloween crafts, costume crafts, forks, fork crafts

Laura · Costumes & Dressing Up Crafts, Halloween Crafts for Kids, Plastic Silverware · 0 Comments

If you want to be unique around Halloween time, you will love this idea for painted on ghost nails. This is a perfect nail decoration for Halloween:  and these nails  glow in the dark! . Laura from  Dacian Moon Handmade  will show you, step by step, how to paint them.

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

– protective base (nail shield )
– very dark blue nail polish
– clear lacquer
– acrylic paints – silver, opaque white, white glow
– toothpick

Step 1.

Apply a protective layer on your nails using the base…

Like this. Let it dry.

Step 2.

Apply a layer of dark nail polish and let it dry well.

If color is not uniform, apply another layer. Let it dry well.

Step 3.

Put a drop of silver paint on a cardboard.

We will apply it using a toothpick.

Draw 3 lines from a corner…

… then connect them with curves. Like this.

Add a new row of curves and the spider web is ready.

Draw this spider web on every nail.

Let it dry.

Step 4.

Next we add ghosts using opaque white.

I will show on the cardboard what to do. Put a small drop of paint.

Using toothpick pull down a little to make her tail. Like this.

Let it dry a bit, then with the other end of the toothpick make the eyes and mouth. Like this.

If you can’t make the eyes and mouth this way, use a little black paint to draw them, once the white paint is dry.

So, do that on your nails, on the opposite corner.

Repeat for all the nails.

Step 5.

Add a layer of glow in the dark paint on the ghost. You can apply it with a toothpick or a cotton stick. Let it dry.

Take care if you will use black paint for the eyes and mouth, the glow in the dark layer should be applied before that.

Your nails are almost ready.

Step 6.

To protect your manicure, apply a coat of clear lacquer.

Thus colors will not fade with water. In order to remove them, use nail polish remover.

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Laura · crafts for girls, Halloween Crafts for Kids · 0 Comments

Picture Trick-or-Treaters coming to your house, and you coming to the door. When you open the door, they see glowing ghosts behind you. They scream until they realize that they didn’t see a real ghost; all they saw was just a floating balloon. Laura from  Dacian Moon Handmade  will show you, step by step, how to make a cool decoration for Halloween: a floating ghost :D.

How to Make Floating Glow in the Dark Ghosts for Halloween

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

– balloon
– black permanent marker
– glow in the dark acrylic paint (I use orange glow paint with gold balloon. If you have white glow paint, use a white balloon)
– paintbrush

Step 1.

Put some paint on a cardboard…

… and apply it with the paintbrush…

… on the balloon.

Like this.

Let it dry well.

Step. 2

Use the permanent marker to add eyes and mouth. Let it dry.

Now, on daylight the balloon is gold, but in the dark, it glows.

Note:

If for some reason the paint is peeling, clean the balloon and repeat the steps above on the inflated balloon.

Technorati Tags: ghosts, ghost crafts, halloween, halloween crafts, halloween ghosts, balloons, balloon crafts

Laura · Balloons, Featured Crafts, Halloween Crafts for Kids · 0 Comments

You can’t have Halloween without the treats! So we might as well make them cute 😉  Laura from  Dacian Moon Handmade  will show you, step by step, how to turn a normal candy bar into vampire bats. This bat can close his wings around the candy bar.

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

– black cardboard
– little chocolate
– pen
– scissors
– paper glue
– self adhesive eyes

Step 1.

Measuring the right size, we leave 2 cm above and below the chocolate. On the sides we let 4 cm.

Cut the cardboard to the right size.

Step. 2

We measure chocolate on board, marking the corners.

Draw two lines from the upper markings to the edges, like this.

Step 3.

Draw a bat wing on the right side, based on the markings. Like this.

Draw another one on the left side.

Step 4.

Next, we will draw some feet for our bat – not too complex because you’ll find it hard to cut when is ready.

The feet looks like this, because the bat has claws 😀

To finish our design we must add the head…

… so, draw it as a half of a circle with two pointy ears.

Step 5.

Cut it out.

It will look like this.

Step 6.

Add the eyes.

Bend the wings up…

… like this.

Step 7.

Add a layer of glue on the chocolate…

… and place it on its place.

Join the wings in front and you have the cutest treat ever 😀

Technorati Tags: halloween treats, halloween crafts, candy crafts, crafts with candy, candy bats, vampire bats

Laura · Bats, Candy and Food, Featured Crafts, googley eyes, Halloween Crafts for Kids · 0 Comments

This is a craft to make a simple & personal microphone machine that you wear on your back. There are no wires or technology here, it is made simply with a box, hose, funnel, and a few other items. Any boy or girl can make this simple home broadcasting system, through which you can really “broadcast.” However, mom or dad should probably be there to assist you. This might be good to include with a Halloween costume as you can make creepy sounds broadcast out of your back…depending on what your costume is.

How to Make Your Own Personal Microphone Broadcast System

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

Large cardboard box

Brass paper fasteners

Piece of garden hose (ask mom or dad first)

Piece of window screening (ask mom or dad first)

Funnel

Scotch tape

Old belt or strap

Paints & brush

Scissors

Long nail (ask mom or dad first)

Glue

How to Make Them:

Step 1

Remove the cover from the box and throw it away as you will not need it. On the opposite side of the opening, cut out a window, leaving a 2 inch margin all around.

Step 2

Cut a piece of window screening a little larger  than the window opening, and glue it over the opening from the inside, as in illustration A.

Step 3

Make a small round hole in the bottom of the box, and pull a piece of garden hose up through the hole. Insert the snout of the tin funnel into the end of the hose inside the carton. Make the hose fit tightly over the funnel snout by wrapping Scotch tape around it. Drive a long nail through the hose to prevent it from slipping out of the hole in the carton, as in illustration B.

Step 4

Fasten the belt shoulder straps to the top and the bottom of the carton with brass paper fasteners, as in Illustration C.

Step 5

To broadcast thru the system, the user slips the straps over his shoulders, with the open end of the device to his back, and the loose end of the hose in his hand. The person who is broadcasting speaks into the loose end of the hose in the operator’s hands, as in illustration D.  His voice is transmitted through the hose, through the funnel, and out through the screened window at the back of the Walkie-Talkie Like Microphone Machine.

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admin · Cardboard Boxes, Crafts for Boys, Halloween Crafts for Kids, Make Your Own Toys · 0 Comments

Here is a great craft to make around Springtime. Unfortunately it isn’t Springtime, I just like butterflies. These paper butterflies will add a three-dimensional effect to any display or bulletin board. This is a great classroom or group project as each child can do a butterfly and add it to the board. These butterflies are made out of paper and turn out great as the wings are folded to look as if the butterfly is in flight.

How to Make 3D Paper Butterflies Artwork

Crafts Materials Needed:

Paper

Scissor

Coloring Items such as Crayons or Markers

Optional (Decorative Items such as glitter, pipe cleaners, sequins)

Dark Construction Paper

How to Make a Butterfly

Step 1

Turn a piece of paper so it is on its side like in the picture above. In the center of the sheet of paper, lightly draw 2 lines about an inch apart from each other. Than fold towards you on both of those lines…then unfold.

Step 2

Now draw the butterfly wings on the outside parts (the wings look like a number 3 shape)…and the butterfly;s body in the center.

Step 3

Cut out the butterfly.

Step 4

Now draw designs on the butterfly wings and body. You can add design elements such as pipe cleaner antennae, or sparkly glitter on the body…I will leave the creative aspects up to you.

After decorating, re-fold the paper along the two sides of the body.

Step 5

The butterfly is ready to be pasted down by either one wing, or the body. The illustration at the top shows how effective these butterflies appear, mounted on sheets of black paper, and tacked together for a panel. This makes a great group classroom project.

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admin · Butterflies, crafts for girls, Spring Crafts · 0 Comments

Here is a craft for making a great drawstring bag out of a cylinder oatmeal container, fabric, some cardboard, and a few other items. This bag turns out looking beautiful and would make a great bag for yourself or as a gift to mom, grandma, or someone else you love.

CRAFTS MATERIAL NEEDED:

Fabric

Oatmeal Container

6″ x 6″ cardboard square

Glue

Magazine pictures

Knitting needle (size 3 or 4)

White shellac

Scissors

Pencil

Ruler

How to Make These Drawstring Bags:

Step 1

Cut cereal box to 4″ height, as shown by broken line in Figure 1.

Step 2

Make cardboard pattern, 4″ wide at base and 5″ high to center point, as in Figure 2.

Step 3

Using cardboard pattern trace triangles on colorful smooth magazine pictures. Cut triangles out, and lay, face down, on work table. Apply glue lightly down middle of triangle, making sure the top point is well covered to prevent unrolling. Place the knitting needle along the 4″ base, and roll triangle tightly around the needle to make a tube, as in Figure 3. Slip the tube off the needle and set aside to dry. It will take about 90 tubes to cover a box, 5 1/2″ in diameter.

Step 4

Apply a liberal amount of glue to the outside of the cereal box. Stand tubes, side by side, around the box. Hold in place with rubber bands. When dry, apply several coats of shellac over tubes. Make a drawstring top from a piece of material and sew around top of tube-covered box. Cut a circle of the same material, 1″ larger than bottom of the box. Center and paste circle to bottom of the box with fabric glue. Bend the extra inch of material over and sew to base to cover ends of tubes, as in Figure 4.

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admin · Bags & Purses Crafts, Cardboard Boxes, crafts for girls, Fabrics & Materials, Gifts Crafts for Kids, Magazines, Mother's Day Crafts · 0 Comments

Here is a great project for groups of kids…for Summer Camps, After-school programs, as well as in school settings. This craft is for making a leather wallet that is laced together. This is a very basic leather wallet craft and I think you will be able to follow it with some adult supervision. This craft requires adult supervision and assistance! Please refer to our article about Working with Leather!

You Might Enjoy Our Leather Crafts

How to Make Leather Wallets with Stitching Craft for Kids & Teens

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

Leather

Cutting knife and board (For Adult to Use)

Steel angle (With Adult Supervision)

#0 Punch

3/32″ goatskin (or whatever leather you have on hand)

Rubber cement

How to Make These Leather Laced Wallets

Step 1

(Adult Should Do This Part) Using steel angle and knife, cut two pieces of leather 9″ x 31/2″, as in Figure 1.

 Step 2

Fold one piece of leather in half, and punch a small hole in the center to allow for folding. Open leather up, as in Figure 2.

 Step 3

Run spacing wheel on three sides of both pieces of leather, 1/8 ” from the edge, as in Figure 3.

 Step 4

Skive wrong side of leather on three sides where the pieces are to be joined, as in heavy line in Figure 4. (Here is How You Skive)

 Step 5

Cement skived areas and make holes for lacing using fib and mallet or #0 punch, as in Figure 5.

 Step 6

Lace pieces of wallet together using whip stitch, as in Figure 6.  (Here is How You Use the Whip Stitch)

You Might Enjoy Our Leather Crafts

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admin · Bags & Purses Crafts, Crafts for Boys, Fathers Day Crafts, Leather, Summer Camp Crafts · 0 Comments

This is a cool and fun project for summer. What can be more pleasant than playing with water on a hot Summer day? How about painting with colorful bubbles, just the way a fairy would. Laura from  Dacian Moon Handmade will show you, step by step, how to make this.

How to Make Fairy Lights by Blowing Bubbles

CRAFTS MATERIALS NEEDED:

– plastic bottle
– 1 sock
– paints
– tape
– scissors
– liquid soap / shower gel… mixed with water

Step 1.

Cut off the lower part of the bottle.

Like this.

Step 2.

Put the sock on the cut.

Like this. You can use tape to fix it in place.

Step 3.

Add some paint on the sock.

Dip the sock in the soap / water mixture …

Then gently blow through the mouth of the bottle. Take care not to suck in air through the bottle, because of the soap and paint.

It is a fun project and you can make very beautiful fairy lights 😉

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Laura · crafts for girls, Make Your Own Toys, Painting Crafts Activities, Plastic Bottles, Preschool and Kindergarten Crafts, Soap, Socks, Summer Crafts · 1 Comment