Archive for the ‘Non Messy Crafts’ Category
Dinosaur Park
Posted on: July 22, 2009
(It’s just nice to have an easy craft up your sleeve when you need something to entertain the kids. This is easy, mess-free, and fun. The boys loved it. This is good with young toddlers on up.)
Things you need:
- Green paper (or scrapbook paper that looks like grass)
- Dinosaur stickers
- Tree or rock stickers (optional)
- Crayons (optional)
Give the child the green paper. Have the child decorate it with dinosaur stickers, creating a whole dinosaur world.
Adding stickers
Working on a dino world
The child can draw more scenery or add stickers.
Finished projects
Pirate Flags
Posted on: July 21, 2009
(Here’s another craft we did at Evan’s theme fourth birthday party. I figured this was easier and less messy than giving the children fabric and fabric paint. This is an easy craft that is great for a group of children as well as young toddlers. I recommend foam stickers, but you can use regular stickers and markers. This craft is not messy, is easy, and all the children enjoyed this craft. We have already made a second set of flags because the boys enjoyed them so much.)
Things you need:
- Foam sheet (either black or red)
- Pirate foam stickers
- Pirate stickers
- Markers
Give the child the foam sheet.
Foam sheet with a coin foam sticker
Let the child decorate the flag with the stickers and markers.
Decorating the flag
This is a great time to talk about how pirate flags were to scare merchant ships so that the pirates could take over the ship without a fight.
Evan's Pirate Flag
Sean's Pirate Flag
Egg Carton Turtle
Posted on: July 1, 2009
(Another egg carton craft. After making spiders, caterpillars, and bugs {I’ll get to those at another time}, I wanted to make something other than a bug for once. So I came up with this turtle. This is another easy craft where you can pick how you want to decorate the carton. The boys loved making them and playing with them. The first time I didn’t even want to throw out the turtles until an unfortunate smooshing accident. Remember Styrofoam egg cartons cannot be colored or painted on, so use cardboard.)
Things you need:
- Cardboard egg carton
- Scissors
- Crayons, markers, and/or paint
- Pen
- Green construction paper or green craft foam
- Scissors
- Glue
- Optional: things to glue on to decorate the shell
Cut out a cup from the egg carton.
Egg carton cup (again)
Trace four feet, using a dime, on the green construction paper. Make a “U” shade using the dime for the head, and make an obelisk shape for the tail.
The body parts
Cut out the shapes. Have the child draw eyes on the head. Have the child decorate the shell.
So I used the photo. We made them on the same day.
Have the child glue on the feet on each corner of the cup.
Adding the feet
Then glue the head between two feet, and glue the tail on the opposite end of the head.
The turtle brothers
One of the first turtles
Easy Egg Carton Bug
Posted on: June 30, 2009
(Another favorite craft medium of mine is the egg carton. You can make lots of things with it. You can paint them, color them, glue them. But you have to get the cardboard kind because you can’t do anything with the Styrofoam kind. I like to let the boys’ imagination run wild sometimes, so I let them make any kind of “bug” they wanted. We have painted our bugs in the past, but I let them use markers and then dive into my goody box of randomness. Evan chose to use little tiles from a stepping stone kit.)
Things you need:
- Cardboard egg carton
- Scissors
- Markers, crayons, and/or paint
- Googly eyes
- glue
- Any decoration you want to use (shells, buttons, marbles, noodles, etc)
Cut a cup from the egg carton.
Egg carton cups
Have the child color the egg carton cup.
Coloring the master piece
With the opening down, have the child glue the eyes on the carton.
It has eyes!
Have the child glue on extra decorations.
Evan's is the right one, the "lady bug." Sean's is the left, going for minimalism
A Better Pompom Frog
Posted on: June 29, 2009
(After the sad misery of a failed project, I worked out a better frog. It took me a few days, but I came up with a better idea. The boys love these frogs just as much as the Ugliest Frogs in the World. Maybe more because the Ugliest Frogs in the World have taken a vacation, trying to find out where everything went totally wrong. This was an easy craft, and depending on the gluing skills, it could be relatively mess-free.)
Things you need:
- 2 in green pompom
- 2 small green pompoms
- 2 googly eyes
- Green craft foam
- Glue (school or craft)
- A pen
- Scissors
Glue a googly eye on each of the small green pompoms. Allow them to dry.
Who's looking at you, kid?
Cut out a circle out of the green foam to make a lily pad. I used the top of the juice can to make my circle. Cut out a triangle out of the circle.
The lily pads
Have the child glue the 2in green pompom. Have the child glue the frog eyes to the top of the 2in pompom.
I can see! I can see!
Sitting like two frogs on a log
Magnet Artwork
Posted on: June 17, 2009
(I have read several places about taking those magnet business cards and doing something with them, like gluing pictures on them. I decided on art work for the boys to do. As my b0ys love coloring and stickering, they enjoyed doing this.)
Things you need:
- Business magnets
- Craft foam or construction paper
- Markers, stickers, anything else you want to decorate with
- Scissors
- Black marker
- Glue (craft or hot)
Trace the business magnets on the craft foam or construction paper with the black marker.
Tracing the magnets
Have the child decorate the shape. Cut the shape out.
The artwork
Glue to the magnet.
The magnets
(I have also heard of moms who make a scan of the child’s artwork and print it in business card size. This would work for the magnets too.)
Lilypad Boats
Posted on: June 12, 2009
( I got this idea at this website, but I decided not to float tea candles on them. I thought we could float frogs, which worked out well. The boys loved them! I made a few of them testing out with different glues. Don’t use school glue, unless it’s a one time use. Craft glue and hot glue worked well. Craft glue gets a little soggy, but it will re-adhere when dried.)
Things you need:
- 2 sheets Green craft foam
- A CD
- Scissors
- A pen
- Hot glue gun with glue or craft glue
- A toy to sail the boat, preferably a frog
Trace the CD on both pieces of craft foam.
Tracing circles
Cut out the circles. Cut out a triangle out of the circles (best to do it with one circle on top of the other), forming the lily pad.
Does it look like a lilypad yet?
Glue the lily pads together. Allow the glue to dry.
It's time to sail.
Take the lily pads out to the pool or bath.
So the green one is the life guard?
Wall Drawings
Posted on: June 4, 2009
Looking for something different to do? Have your child draw with chalk on the walls.
The latest in backyard artwork
Natural Collage
Posted on: May 15, 2009
(This is another craft we’ve done twice. Since we recently moved to another city with completely different vegetation, I thought this was a great way to learn more about the plants in the area. The boys just LOVE picking flowers and leaves. This is an easy craft that the boys like doing. There is no mess. I found this craft at Family Fun, which is a great site. Note to self, must add a blog roll. Also you can flatten the materials, but if you don’t the buds can rot. Younger children, like around 12 months to 18 months, easily get stuck to the contact paper.)
Things you need:
¨ Plant material
¨ Clear contact paper
¨ Marker
¨ Scissors
¨ Hole puncher (optional)
¨ Ribbon (optional)
Go hunting with your child for interesting art material. Trace the shape of your collage on the clear contact paper. (I like circles, so I traced a plate.) Don’t cut out the shape, but do cut around it. Peel the paper. Have the child decorate inside the shape with the plant trimmings.
Sean puts on the buds
Cover the trimmings with another piece of contact paper.
Evan prefers a larger variety. Notice the covered collage.
Cut the shape out. If you would like, punch a hole in the collage and tie a ribbon through the hole. I’m easy; I hung them up on our window with tape.
Aren't they pretty?
