Crafts

This page is a collection of my favorite crafts and craft recipes..

Uncooked Play-dough

Ingredients: 2 cups flour, ½ cup salt, 1T. Cream of tartar, 1 ¾ cups of boiling water, 2 T. oil, food coloring (or Cool Aid powder)

Directions: Mix together flour, salt and cream of tartar. Stir in boiling water, oil and coloring. Let dough cool 10 minutes. Place dough onto counter top and knead until smooth, adding more flour if necessary.

Watercolor Butterflies

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Paper coffee filters
Watercolors and brushes
Markers
Glue
Glitter
Clothespins
Pipe cleaner

1. To color the filters, dab on watercolor paint with a brush. The watercolors will bleed into each other. If using markers, sprinkle the filter lightly with water to make the ink blend together. For a shimmery effect, add glitter-and-glue designs (drying time is longer!). Dry the filter with a hairdryer.

2. Cut two pieces from a pipe cleaner for the antennae, and using another piece of pipe cleaner fasten the antennae to the clothespin.

3. Once the filter is dry, pinch it in the middle like a bow tie. Slide or clip the clothespin onto it and fan out each side of the filter to resemble a butterfly's wings.

4. Clip your butterfly to curtains, hang them from the kitchen chandelier, and even fasten a few to the telephone cord. Or, if desired, tape a bit of magnet to the back and use it as a fridge magnet.

Egg Carton Spiders or Bugs

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Empty egg carton
Paint
Pipe cleaners
Googly eyes
Glue
Push pin

1. Use the pushpin to poke three OR four holes along the bottom edge on one side of the cup. Poke matching holes on the opposite side of the cup.

2. Paint the egg carton cups outside with a coat of paint. Use a hairdryer to dry the paint.

3. If you are making a bug, decorate it with a marker.

4. To make legs, cut 2 pipe cleaners into halves. You’ll need to use 4 pieces total for the spider OR 3 for a bug. Thread a pipe cleaner through one of the holes, into the cup, and out the corresponding hole on the other side. Make sure the ends protrude an equal length from both sides of the cup and bend them upward at the base of the spider's body. For the spider’s legs fold in the opposite direction midway down the legs to create knees and bend the tips to make feet.

4. Finally, glue on googly eyes and draw a mouth for the bug.

Bead Bunnies

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Round wooden beads in different sizes (the holes need to be large enough for double pipe cleaners to fit through) or foam spheres
Pipe cleaners
Acrylic paint
Mini pom-pom
Fine-point pen

1. Paint two beads (one larger and one smaller) with acrylic paint.

2. Bend a pipe cleaner into an M shape.

3. When the beads have dried, bend the ends of the pipe cleaner under the larger bead to form two big feet, and adjust the loops above the smaller bead for ears.

4. Glue on a mini pom-pom tail or use a piece of pipe cleaner poked into the rear which will also help the bunny to stand.

5. Use a fine-point pen to draw on eyes, nose, and whiskers. The whiskers can be made out of pipe cleaner if using foam.