Add a backing with some lively scrap fabric by stitiching inside out and then reverse and stitch up the opening. Now stitch a final border around the little art piece.
Perfect gifts for teachers, grandparents, aunties, fathers, mothers...
16 April 2007
If you are helping a little one to do stitching, this is a nice way to put the sample pieces to use.
Add a backing with some lively scrap fabric by stitiching inside out and then reverse and stitch up the opening. Now stitch a final border around the little art piece.
Perfect gifts for teachers, grandparents, aunties, fathers, mothers...
Add a backing with some lively scrap fabric by stitiching inside out and then reverse and stitch up the opening. Now stitch a final border around the little art piece.
Perfect gifts for teachers, grandparents, aunties, fathers, mothers...
15 April 2007
Newspaper weaving
This year's Easter baskets were woven with old newspapers - a perfect way to combine Earth Day, with another April celebration!
Start weaving with four strips of newspaper (the smaller the strip, the more intricate the weave); stapling these as you move up worked the best.
Nice for small hands to try out!
Start weaving with four strips of newspaper (the smaller the strip, the more intricate the weave); stapling these as you move up worked the best.
Nice for small hands to try out!
13 April 2007
Earth day shopping bag
Earth Day comes around again on April 22nd.
One of the easiest things we can do is to say no to plastic bags whenever possible by folding up a cloth bag and keeping in our purse, knapsack, car or bicycle basket so it is always handy when needed. It is amazing how much plastic you can refuse with this.
A good canvas is a great bag for this purpose. Find bags at recycle shops or make them yourself. Have kids paint them with fabric paints and make the "Say-no-to-plastics" pledge this year!
One of the easiest things we can do is to say no to plastic bags whenever possible by folding up a cloth bag and keeping in our purse, knapsack, car or bicycle basket so it is always handy when needed. It is amazing how much plastic you can refuse with this.
A good canvas is a great bag for this purpose. Find bags at recycle shops or make them yourself. Have kids paint them with fabric paints and make the "Say-no-to-plastics" pledge this year!
16 March 2007
Cereal box Easter basket
Though my children always design their own basket each year, the base is always an old cereal box or milk carton. This is a good craft for any time of year as kids love to carry their collections around – to school to show classmates, to a friends house, to their granparents place...
Just cut away panels from the front and back of the box leaving the height of your basket; then taper the sides to form a handle; and staple together at the top.
It is good to do your decorating before stapling it together.
Just cut away panels from the front and back of the box leaving the height of your basket; then taper the sides to form a handle; and staple together at the top.
It is good to do your decorating before stapling it together.
14 March 2007
Baby pillow
Is there a new baby in your tribe? This is a sweet pillow for a sweet, little newborn head...or maybe just a decoration!
Have your child draw their own picture onto fabric and then teach them chain stitch, satin stitch, and running stitch to fill it in as they like.
The main portion of this was done by an 8 year old, who also had the idea to fill it and make it into a pillow. We were thinking of framing it for over the baby's crib too. Another good idea.
Have your child draw their own picture onto fabric and then teach them chain stitch, satin stitch, and running stitch to fill it in as they like.
The main portion of this was done by an 8 year old, who also had the idea to fill it and make it into a pillow. We were thinking of framing it for over the baby's crib too. Another good idea.
05 March 2007
01 March 2007
You are Eight!
This is another pizza box craft!
If your child is invited to a birthday party, cut out the number for the age the birthday-boy or birthday-girl will be and have your child decorate it with paint, stickers, sequins, etc.
It makes a unique gift that really doesn't cost much.
It's especially good for 1 and 2 year olds...to remind them how old they are and learn their numbers.
Also good for anyone over 50 ... to remind them how old THEY are!
If your child is invited to a birthday party, cut out the number for the age the birthday-boy or birthday-girl will be and have your child decorate it with paint, stickers, sequins, etc.
It makes a unique gift that really doesn't cost much.
It's especially good for 1 and 2 year olds...to remind them how old they are and learn their numbers.
Also good for anyone over 50 ... to remind them how old THEY are!
24 February 2007
Brickend
These look so fun when they are done. All you need is an old brick and some acrylic paints (we use the fabric paints easily available here). They add a lot of color to our library and let us use above the bookshelves as bookracks too!
10 February 2007
Embroidery Samplers
Child needs: hands - needle -thread
Guardian needs: a little patience
Tiny hands love stitiching! But a guardian needs to stay near to help with mistakes, threading needles, and safekeeping of supplies like scissors and needles.
Help the child make a little drawing on fabric, tell them to keep it simple. Now let them choose their colors. Teach the running stitch or chain stitch to begin with. And lastly, make it shiny with sequins or beads.
You can make tiny pillows (with a pocket for the tooth fairy...), greeting cards, or patchworks to sew onto T-shirts or make into doll blankets. You can also have kids sew right onto their jeans or t-shirts.
Guardian needs: a little patience
Tiny hands love stitiching! But a guardian needs to stay near to help with mistakes, threading needles, and safekeeping of supplies like scissors and needles.
Help the child make a little drawing on fabric, tell them to keep it simple. Now let them choose their colors. Teach the running stitch or chain stitch to begin with. And lastly, make it shiny with sequins or beads.
You can make tiny pillows (with a pocket for the tooth fairy...), greeting cards, or patchworks to sew onto T-shirts or make into doll blankets. You can also have kids sew right onto their jeans or t-shirts.
02 February 2007
Crack pot garden
If you glue together a cracked mug, it may not hold your morning coffee any more but it can make a perfect addition to your crack pot garden. The same goes for little cups and mugs that have lost their handles or have been chipped along the rim. Be sure to put lots of pebbles at the bottom for drainage and choose succulents and cacti that can live in this environment.
01 February 2007
If you find a big stain on the front of a nice t-shirt, or would rather not be advertising some company name splashed across the front...cover it up with a hand-made patch!
This one was made with a fabric-painted patch that was then embroidered into, with some sequins added for the final touch.
You can also just use a nicely patterned piece of fabric.
This one was made with a fabric-painted patch that was then embroidered into, with some sequins added for the final touch.
You can also just use a nicely patterned piece of fabric.
14 January 2007
A collage is a lot like a new year just begun...you have a blank sheet of paper in front of you and have no idea how the layers of color, pictures and textures are going to have their influence in creating the final piece of artwork. As the kids worked on their collages, they thought about what they want to do, how they want to feel, who they want to meet, and what they'd like to learn in the coming year!
Give out a blank sheet of paper.
Now, put the oil pastels in the middle of the table and tell the kids to think about all the different feelings and emotions inside of them. They should try to cover the entire sheet of paper with color and patterning.
THe next layer is also about color: place a bunch of magazines in the middle and have the children look for bits of color, not words or pictures. They can add deeper color to what they have already put on their page, by matching or contrasting. They should think about their relationships with friends, teachers, family members, etc. while doing this.
The last layer is about EXPERIENCE: now the children can cut out little pictures and words that appeal to them and glue them onto their collage. Ask them about what they want to do this year? What they want to learn at school? Where do they want to go?
Note: playing music in the background can help keep them focused while doing the project. Turn it down when you want to explain the next step.
Give out a blank sheet of paper.
Now, put the oil pastels in the middle of the table and tell the kids to think about all the different feelings and emotions inside of them. They should try to cover the entire sheet of paper with color and patterning.
THe next layer is also about color: place a bunch of magazines in the middle and have the children look for bits of color, not words or pictures. They can add deeper color to what they have already put on their page, by matching or contrasting. They should think about their relationships with friends, teachers, family members, etc. while doing this.
The last layer is about EXPERIENCE: now the children can cut out little pictures and words that appeal to them and glue them onto their collage. Ask them about what they want to do this year? What they want to learn at school? Where do they want to go?
Note: playing music in the background can help keep them focused while doing the project. Turn it down when you want to explain the next step.
12 January 2007
Bird in the Nest
I may be taking liberties here but parents and kids do always like to get crafty in the kitchen too!
The time has come at last here on kodomocraft... to introduce some fun foods for kids to help make and enjoy eating.
This little dish is what has always been known in my family as a "bird in the nest." You can figure out why.
How to make your bird in the nest:
1) Cut a whole in a piece of bread.
2) Butter both sides of the bread and the "hole" if you wish.
3) Toast one side of the bread on the fry pan and then flip it over when brown. Flip your "hole" too.
4) Now put a little butter in the whole so it melts on the pan, and crack an egg inside.
5) Turn down the heat and cover for a while until the egg gets cooked the way you like it.
6) Flip once to brown the other side once more.
Time to eat!
17 December 2006
Natural wreath
Making wreaths is fun at this time of year. I wish I could say this was my own unique idea but it came from my daughter who found some vines outside, twisted them up and started decorating. I helped put on the red and green sequins as you need to use very strong glue. One of those glue guns would be perfect for something like this.
Another friend wrote recently that she was decorating her wreaths with colorful paper clips and tiny glue sticks!
So, with wreaths, I guess you can say that anything goes around them!
Another friend wrote recently that she was decorating her wreaths with colorful paper clips and tiny glue sticks!
So, with wreaths, I guess you can say that anything goes around them!
06 November 2006
What to do with those nice pieces of canvas that get cut away from your body tracings?
Have the kids use good-quality fabric paint and make a picture, let it dry well, make a backing with colorful fabric or the reverse of the front image...and turn it into a pillow with old scraps inside (never throw away those scraps!)
This was done by a 6-year old and came out very nicely with a little help using the needle and thread. His sister made a little doll.
Have the kids use good-quality fabric paint and make a picture, let it dry well, make a backing with colorful fabric or the reverse of the front image...and turn it into a pillow with old scraps inside (never throw away those scraps!)
This was done by a 6-year old and came out very nicely with a little help using the needle and thread. His sister made a little doll.
29 October 2006
Body back drops
We need to make a back drop for an alternative school festival being held in Kolkata in November. We traced seven children's bodies with pencil, perfected the line with a black paint outline and then had the children fill in the bodies with seven different bright colors. THese are going to be cut out and stitched onto jute panels that will be hung behind our stage.
A friend who saw these tracings had the wonderful idea of doing this to various family members who come for what they called a "sister fest." They plan to do the tracings on old sheets and then drape them around the backyard. People could even take home a sister this way!
One time I did these on big sheets of paper with my own children, colored them in with clothing their grandmother had sent them, folded them up and posted them. She hung them on her wall at home and said, "I really feel their presence!"
The children loved getting into different silly jumping, dancing, throwing poses on the canvas; and loved even more painting the big spaces inside the black lines.
A friend who saw these tracings had the wonderful idea of doing this to various family members who come for what they called a "sister fest." They plan to do the tracings on old sheets and then drape them around the backyard. People could even take home a sister this way!
One time I did these on big sheets of paper with my own children, colored them in with clothing their grandmother had sent them, folded them up and posted them. She hung them on her wall at home and said, "I really feel their presence!"
The children loved getting into different silly jumping, dancing, throwing poses on the canvas; and loved even more painting the big spaces inside the black lines.
16 October 2006
Up, Up, and Away!
It's a bird, it's a boomerang, no -- it's Pizza Plane!
More corrugated fun with two simple parts: the body and the wings. Cut these out, add windows and a company logo on the tail, let your little one color it in (while you drink your coffee...), make the slit and assemble.
Show the motions for taking off and departing!
Make a huge one to hang from the ceiling of the nursery!
Paint or use crayons!
More corrugated fun with two simple parts: the body and the wings. Cut these out, add windows and a company logo on the tail, let your little one color it in (while you drink your coffee...), make the slit and assemble.
Show the motions for taking off and departing!
Make a huge one to hang from the ceiling of the nursery!
Paint or use crayons!
09 October 2006
Cardboard kitchen
Not much of an explanation is needed here...if you have boxes, kids love to invent things from them. This was actually another stay-at-home-with-a-cold project. We used bottle caps for knobs, made toast from cardboard, added shelves and hooks, as we played and found we needed things. plastic microwave meal containers made perfect baking pans, etc...
29 September 2006
Homemade Clay Day
This is a very simple recipe I got from my friend Shara oh-so long ago for making a play dough that can be saved in an air tight container for quite a few days after. Get out your cookie cutters, rolling pins, wooden boards and blunt knives and let the kiddies knock their socks off.
Dry materials:
2 c. flour
1 c salt
2 Tbsp cream of tartar
Wet materials:
2 c hot water (maybe a bit more)
1 Tbsp oil (mineral or veg)
food coloring
Method:
Mix the dry ingredients together and then add the wet. Now cook over medium heat in a heavy pot, for just a couple minutes, stirring constantly until it firms up. Keep in covered container or ziploc bag after it cools.
*Food coloring can be added with the wet ingredients or later, after play dough is split into pieces.
Dry materials:
2 c. flour
1 c salt
2 Tbsp cream of tartar
Wet materials:
2 c hot water (maybe a bit more)
1 Tbsp oil (mineral or veg)
food coloring
Method:
Mix the dry ingredients together and then add the wet. Now cook over medium heat in a heavy pot, for just a couple minutes, stirring constantly until it firms up. Keep in covered container or ziploc bag after it cools.
*Food coloring can be added with the wet ingredients or later, after play dough is split into pieces.
26 September 2006
Remember magazine beads?
I remember making these with Mrs. Salerno at our Bluebird meetings! If you cut the magazine triangles fairly precisely, work carefully with the paste, and get your roll down well, these necklaces can really come out looking quite stunning.
Prepare:
White glue mixed with a bit of water in a shallow pan
Toothpicks or matchsticks for rolling
Small triangles of diamond shape magazine cut-outs in various colors and patterns
string
needle
The key to a successful bead is to cover the entire magazine strip, and start rolling at the wide end and --> to the point. Cover it all with glue again, and let your beads dry well somewhere safe before stringing. Ceiling fans worked to our advantage here.
This is a nice craft even for pretty small hands; a good coordination practice and even if a bit ratty-batty, looks nice when a litte one proudly puts on his/her masterpiece.
* You can look up magazine beads on google for more precise instructions but I sort of played it by ear and had good results.
Prepare:
White glue mixed with a bit of water in a shallow pan
Toothpicks or matchsticks for rolling
Small triangles of diamond shape magazine cut-outs in various colors and patterns
string
needle
The key to a successful bead is to cover the entire magazine strip, and start rolling at the wide end and --> to the point. Cover it all with glue again, and let your beads dry well somewhere safe before stringing. Ceiling fans worked to our advantage here.
This is a nice craft even for pretty small hands; a good coordination practice and even if a bit ratty-batty, looks nice when a litte one proudly puts on his/her masterpiece.
* You can look up magazine beads on google for more precise instructions but I sort of played it by ear and had good results.
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