You’ll Need:

• Nylon zip ties in different colors (or black and white)
• Scissors
• 2 jump rings
• 1 large lobster claw

Here’s How:

1. Make your first link in a size you like. This will determine the size you cut your other zip ties.

 5. Add a jump ring with the lobster claw to the other end so you can close it.

This Tin Can Vase is a quick and easy project for the kids. It’s easy to make and is a beautiful personalized gift for anyone special in their life.

Supplies:
Chalk Board Vinyl
Tin Can
Ribbon
Potting Soil
Flower or Plant

Tools:
Scissors
Craft Glue
Chalk

This is a simple project, just start by measuring the Chalk Board Vinyl so it wraps around the can. Cut it with scissors and peel off the backing. Stick it around the outside of the can.

Using craft glue, secure a piece of ribbon to cover the seam of the vinyl. Then tie a bow around the top of the can with another piece of ribbon.

Finally finish up the decorations with chalk. This can be a written message for Mom, a drawing or information about the plant inside.

This is a nice project for tiny ones who might mess up the design and want to try again or if this is a transfer point for plants. The vase can be used over and over again and the name of the plant can be changed.

Make someone’s day beautiful.

Having flowers in the home isn’t always possible, especially when there’s kids or animals who can easily get at them. In that case, a better option is to make paper flowers, which is an especially cute craft idea to do with kids. It requires only a handful of items, but you can end up with a small window box of adorable paper flowers that everyone will love.

What you’ll need:

• Rocks
• Colored paper
• Tissue box
• Mod Podge
• Green pipe cleaners
• Scissors
• Pencil

Step 1. Draw petals on various colors of paper, then cut them out. You can mix and match, do single colors or a combination of both.

Step 2. Cut out circles for the middle of the flowers.

Step 3. Glue the edges of the petals onto the back of the circles to form flowers, then give them ample opportunity to dry.

Step 4. Trim the top off a tissue box, then fill the box with rocks.

Step 5. Use Mod Podge to adhere a single green pipe cleaner onto the back of each flower. You can use the pipe cleaners to also make leaves or you can leave them without.

Step 6. Stick the flowers into the rocks. If they start to fall over, use the rocks to hold the stems in place. Make sure all of the flowers fully stick out from the box.

I have to admit that National Backyard Games Week was new to me when I first heard about it.  I searched the internet to find out that it is used to observe the unofficial start of summer and comes the week before Memorial Day every year.  This year it’s May 18^th – 25^th.  

The week is used to promote physical and social activity amongst family, neighbors and friends all while playing the games that we grew up on such as pillow case races, H-O-R-S-E and many others.  One idea to celebrate the week is by having a party or a carnival.  A good place to start for that is by creating invitations to send to friends and family telling them to come join the fun.  This is a quick and easy invitation that even your children can help you make. 

Begin by using items that will represent some of the games that you used to play and will be playing at the carnival.  It will add an element of excitement to the receiver of the invitation when they remember what games they used to play and for kids trying to guess what games will be there. 

Using a piece of green cardstock that measures 9 3/8″ long x 6 1/2″ wide and fold in half.  Next, punch the rope, using the EK Success Braid Punch, to represent the game of tug of war at the bottom of the front flap. 

I have been using the new American Crafts Dear Lizzy Neapolitan line and loving it.  The line had the perfect elements I was looking for to include on this invitation.  I began with using the Accents and Phrase Sticker Book and chose the bicycle to represent a bike parade, the arrow for a bow and arrow contest and of course you have to include some fun so I used the “fun” ticket sticker.  One of my favorite pieces is the 3 tickets stickers because on them they say, “Here’s the scoop” and I used a black marker to write on the lines, “You Are Invited.”   I, also, included a the measuring tape piece from the Sunny Skip patterned paper to represent a jumping contest and the ice cream cone from the First Date patterned paper to include an ice cream eating contest. 

Since the celebration is all about being outdoors I just had to use the Silver Lining Vellum for some clouds.  I didn’t just want to stick the entire sheet on because it just didn’t fit correctly into the design so I used my Xyron Create A Sticker Machine to make them into stickers after cutting them out.  This helped to adhere them onto the invitation without have the adhesive show. 

In order to make the clouds into stickers, simply run them through the Xyron Create A Sticker Machine, peel them off the adhesive and stick them to your project. 
Now that you have an idea for the party invitations, start inviting your family and friends to join you for the unofficial kick off to summer and have fun playing the games you played as kids with your children and their friends!

May brings summer and summer brings gardens and what is better in a garden than a gnome?!?! Welcome the gnomes home with this cute moss covered wreath.  An easy project  for the kids to do!

Supplies:

• Styrofoam Wreath 
• Moss
• Letter Square Beads
• Leather Cord
• Tiny Wooden Bowl or Wooden Cap
• Tiny Wooden Candle Cup

Tools:

Glue
Red Paint 
White Paint
Brush

This is a very simple project, it takes a lot of glue and some patience to wait for it to dry. I used the green wreath so if the little ones do not cover the whole piece with moss it will not show as bad as if you would have used a white one.

First, start on the edge and lay a line of glue down and stick the moss to the wreath.  Work the whole way around, then start another line of glue working toward the center. It took 3 good lines of glue to cover the wreath.

While the glue is drying, string the wooden beads onto 2 pieces of leather.  

Then paint the wooden candle cup white and the wooden bowl or cap red. These 2 items will make the mushroom. Once the paint is dry glue the two items together with the bowl upside down to make the rounded top of the mushroom.  Then dot white paint on the red to decorate the mushroom.

After the glue on the wreath is dry, attach the letter strings. I used pins to tack them tight, glue would work too. Then glue the mushroom on.

This is very simply decorated, but mini silk flowers could be added as well.

Welcome visitors home and gnomes to your garden for a prosperous growing season.

Tell mom how much you care for under $5. I do believe this will mean more to mom than any candle or flowers. This is truly the gift that keeps on giving all year round. You can make it as personal as you wish and getting the kids involved is an even greater bonus. Happy Mother’s Day to you all!

What you will need:

• Construction paper
• Scissors (scrapbooking shears if desired)
• Ink pen
• Glass jar (mason jar or any jar with a lid will work)
• Artificial beads and flowers
• Hot glue gun
• Glue sticks

Directions:

Cut out 365 random sizes and colors of construction paper. Write little messages on each one. Duplicate messages are ok. Be as creative or as simple as you wish.

 Fill the jar with 365 notes. Add some heart confetti.

Include a note telling the recipient that they are to take out one note each day until next Mother’s Day. Oh, and be sure to tell them you love them too!

We eat, breath, and sleep army type stuff in this house. So, when I seen a rather large box in the garage I knew just what to do with it. However, if you don’t have a large box tucked away in your garage, your neighborhood Lowes or Home Depot sells them.

What you will need:

• 1 large box and one 1 medium box. Must be large enough to fit in unless this tank is for decoration purposes.
• Tape (I loved the camo duct tape)
• 1 brown bag paper roll
• Scissors
• School glue
• Construction paper
• Markers
• Craft knife (or a steak knife works if you are in a bind like me )

Directions:

Tape the medium box to the large box. Cut off the top. Cut a hole in the large box so that you can fit into it.

Cut a small hole into the medium box and insert the paper roll. Secure it with tape both on the inside and the outside.

Cover with construction paper using school glue to attach. Cut 6 round circles and glue them on the bottom to make wheels. Cut out two rectangles and write US ARMY on them. Glue them on. Make a star for the front and back.

GO PLAY!

Recycled crafts can be fun to create as well as educational.  This project is one that the kids can help you with!  There aren’t any set rules as to what types of seed packets you use.  In my example, I have used a packet of vegetable seeds, and 2 flower packets.

Materials needed:

• Cardstock
• Lamination
• Large Popsicle Sticks
• Recycled Seed Packets
• Old seed catalogs, ads or photo/clipart images
• Scissors
• Permanent Ink Marker
• Glue – E600

Directions:

1. Gather together recycled seed packets.  Select 5-10 different seed packets that feature a picture on the front.

2. Look through seed catalogs, websites, or ads for pictures of the flowers/content of the seed packets. In my example, you’ll see that I selected a picture of Acorn Squash, Dianthys, and Zinnias. Even though the pictures weren’t exactly the same pictures as my seed packets, they were close enough. 

3. Cut out or print the pictures of the flowers/veggies to match the seed packets.

4. Trim the pictures to fit on the end of a large popsicle stick. Laminate for durability.  (Optional)

5. Count out as many popsicle sticks as you have pictures.  With a permanent ink pen, write the name of the flower/vegetable on one end of the popsicle stick. 

6. Glue the picture at the end of the popsicle stick opposite the writing, and let dry completely.

7. Once the tags are completely dry,  the game is ready to be played.

Variation:    Another variation to this game is to have the children sort vegetables from flowers by sorting into recycled aluminum cans marked with seed packets.

All of the supplies used to create this activity can be purchased from CreateForLess.com.

For this craft you may need to head out to the recycle bin! What I loved most about this is that my son had the opportunity to really put on his creative thinking cap! I sat several boxes, cans, toilet paper rolls, etc… into the center of the table. From there we began constructing out Recycled Robot guy and we had some great laughs in the process!

 What you will need:

• Recycled Containers (Goldfish, cans, coffee containers, etc…)
• 2 toilet paper rolls (cans work as well)
• 2 towel rolls
• Googly eyes
• Construction paper
• Glue
• Tape
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Assemble your robot as pictured or as desired.
2. Use tape to adhere the toilet paper and towel rolls (legs and arms).
3. Cut out several strips of constriction paper and crinkle it accordion style.
4. Glue it on the top.
5. Glue on the googley eyes.
6. Cut out a nose and mouth. Glue it on.
7. Decorate any way you wish!

For those of us who have quite a bit of wall space exposed, the bottom area near the trim can seem bland and boring. Although it may seem like there’s nothing you can do about it, one of the easiest ways to brighten it up is to put some paper flowers in that space. It’s super easy to make and is the perfect project to do with kids.

What you’ll need:

• Green cardstock
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Colored cardstock
• Glitter glue
• Double-sided tape
• Mod Podge 

Step 1. To make a tulip, cut a stem and leaves from green cardstock. The bottom of it must be flat so it can line up with the trim or floor.

Step 2. Cut a tulip head from any color cardstock you wish. The head should be proportionate to the stem and leaves you made.

Step 3. Use Mod Podge to glue the tulip head to the top of the stem.

Step 4. Use green glitter glue to draw lines on the leaves to differentiate where the different leaves are and to show where the center lines are on the leaves.

Step 5. Use glitter glue that’s the same color as your tulip head to show the lines of the petals. Give all the glue ample time to dry before moving it.

Step 6. Test the double-sided tape to make sure it won’t pull the paper or paint off the wall before moving onto the next step.

Step 7. Put tape on the back of the flower, then line it up to the floor or trim.

Step 8. Make more flowers and line them up next to the first one or overlap them to make them look like a field of flowers along the trim. If you choose, you can even just put up single tulips randomly around your home. 

The Spring Clothespin game is a fun, and flexible game that can be adapted to the age group you’re working with, skills, and themes. The template that I have included in this tuturial features a tulip, but any character or theme can be substituted.

Materials Needed:

Spring Clothespin Game Template (click to download)
Cardstock
Scissors
Lamination (heat laminator or clear contact paper)

 
Colored Clothespins:

Small – Medium wood clothespins
RIT Liquid Dye

On the first example, I put words on the flower pots. The object of the game is to find the rhyming word in the bubble that matches.  The correct answer is clipped with a colorful wood clothespin.

In the second example featurings simple math problems written on the tulip, with the answer being in the bubble that is clipped by the small wooden clothespin. I put pre-cut cards in a cute cello bag, including a little bit of recycled (pink) shredded paper, 3 colored wood clothespins.  The bag was topped  with a simple cardstock header and ribbon. Perfect for party favors,  holiday gift giving, teacher gifts, or a surprise for your children.  The options are endless for this game!

 Directions:

1. Print off a copy of the Spring Clothespin Game Template provided.
2. Color, and cut out prior to laminating. (The lamination will have a better seal of the game cards are cut out and then laminated).
3. After the cards are laminated, the cards are ready for play.

Coloring Wood Clothespins:

1. Select the number of wood clothespins that you’d like to color.  I used the smaller  wood clothespins for this project tutorial, but it’s recommended to use the larger clothespins when working with young children.

2. Select the color dye that you want to use. RIT dye comes in a dry or liquid coloring in an array of colors. For this tutorial I used the liquid dye and I think it worked better.

3. Put warm water in a plastic or glass container, add the RIT dye to achieve the desired color that you want. The longer that you keep the wood clothespins in the water, the darker the color they will be.  For large batches of pins, use 2 cups of warm water and  ¼ cup liquid dye.  I dyed a small batch and so I did not use as much water or dye. For my example, I used Petal Pink RIT dye and it took a few hours for the color to soak in to the desired color.  Depending on how dark the dye is, you may not have to leave the pins in very long before they have reached full color.

4. After the pins have been dyed, pull them out and lay them on paper towels or something absorbant (not fabric because the dye will stain it). I let my clothespins dry over night to make sure that they were fully dry before I used them.

All of the materials listed in this tutorial can be found at CreateForLess.com. 

It’s finally Spring and Earth Day is right around the corner. Introduce the kids to planting, beautifying their surroundings and helping the Earth by making these fun and easy Seed Bombs. We made these Seed Bombs in no time, the worst part is waiting for them to dry before we can share them with our friends and the environment.

The idea has been out there for decades, for gardening when one doesn’t have the time to do the prep work of the soil and of course beautifying the areas of vacancy. These Guerrilla Gardeners have been bombing for years, but all of a sudden the idea is mainstream with Seed Bomb vending machines!  By making these at home you can beautify the land for pennies!

We are going to make ours using air dry clay, potting soil/compost, water and native wild flower seeds. The bee population is in serious danger and without bees, fruits will not be pollinated and we will not have honey – a huge source of healing and sweetness in our home. It is important for us to share this with our daughter and try to help the bees in our area by planting lots of flowers.  But feel free to use veggie seeds, like lettuce and spinach if you want to try a garden without much work.

Supplies:

Air Dry Clay
Potting Soil or Compost – the key is to have clean dirt – so you don’t contaminate any area that you bomb.            
(You can purify dirt from your yard by baking it in the oven.)
Water
Seeds

The recipe is by parts so you can make more or less depending on your ambition.

                3 parts air dry clay
                2 parts potting soil           
                1 part seeds

Start by scooping the air dry clay out and placing it into a mixing bowl, next add the potting soil. Since we are using clay that already has moisture to it, start mixing the two together with your hands. Add water a little bit at a time, really no more than a tablespoon at a time. Too much water will make a runny mess so less is more. If you add too much water try to fix the consistency by adding equal parts of clay and soil. In the end it should be mushy enough to push through your fingers, but hold a ball shape when rolled in your hands.

Once you’ve gotten the mix to this consistency, open the seeds and pour them in. Mix the seeds in really well. Next start making your bombs by rolling little balls in your hands, about the size of marbles. Lay the balls out on a rack to dry. Let them dry completely. I recommend a cloth bag to store them in, that way if there is any moisture left the Bombs will be able to continue to dry out and they will not mold.

Now, what do you do with them? Go out into the world, find a vacant lot and bombs away! These are also great for people who don’t really have the time to garden. The potting soil gives the seeds a good base to root to and the clay will hold in moisture. The rain does most of the work. We are going to use them on our property where it is too hard to dig and tend to the garden like a steep sloping  hillside.

Here is a note on seed choice: Choose wisely. Look for native seeds to your area. One of the packs of wildflowers we found are annuals for our area. These are the Seed Bombs that we are going to give as gifts to our friends. These plants are not invasive and will not come back, they will be there for one season and not cause problems for the future. For ourselves we are using a mix of annual and perennial  wildflowers because we know we want the hillside to be covered year after year.

Go out and Beautify our Planet!!!

Add a touch of whimsy to your paper projects with these Pink Doodle Frames.

The Pink Doodle Frames come six to a page, and are oval in nature. They are fairly large and you can have them lined or unlined.

Pink Doodle Frames for Scrapbook Layouts

If scrapbooking is your thing, use the frames to hold your journaling for those photos that have been taken in sequence or photos covering the same theme. Looking at your photos, pick out the main points or ideas to write about and use a different Pink Doodle Frame for each.

Download Pink Doodle Frames Lined

Possible Scrapbook Themes:

Think:

• Princess
• Baby Girl
• Romantic
• Wedding
• Engagement
• Anniversary
• or just something super cute!

Download Pink Doodle Frames

Other Uses for Pink Doodle Frames

• Use the Pink Doodle Frames in the middle of homemade cards to hold that special message or verse.
• Gift Tags
• Labels for containers or books
• Thank You tags for gifts you have received
• Make a small book to hold special sayings or inspirational words

Bring a little of the outdoors, indoors with these Li’l Log Cabins. An easy project for a rainy day. The models come in two colors. These Li’l Log Cabins make a starting point for imaginative play. What’s your favorite craft project for rainy days?

You Will Need

• The Li’l Log Cabin Download
• Scissors
• Glue

Download Brown Li’l Log Cabin

Making the Li’l Log Cabins

• Cut along all outer lines
• Fold where indicated on the download
• Fold along the glue tab lines
• Glue the cabin together first
• Glue the roof to the cabin

 Download Yellow Li’l Log Cabin

Put the cabin on a cardboard base and add paper trees to make a papercraft scene. Cut the windows out if you like before gluing the main house piece together. Cut the door along the top and bottom and one side then fold along the other edge, so the door is a flap.

Make a street, neighborhood or town. Add small written signs to glue to the front of the cabins to denote stores like ‘Drapery’, ‘Sewing Shop’, etc.

When I was little (really little) my kindergarten teacher helped the kids in my class to make the requisite hand print and poem art for our parents and it hung in our house the whole time I was growing up. It’s there now, actually, right along side matching ones for my brother and now my own kids. And that classic handprint piece is always going to be a cherished childhood artifact. But handprints can be so much more than just handprints. So put on your apron, dig out the tempera paint and get ready to paint up some little fingers.

Would you like to have a fish?

Or maybe a lobster?

How about a whole rainbow of hands for a teacher? Butterflies, catterpillers, flowers, you can build a whole garden of handprint art.

Want more ideas? Check out our craft trends pinboard for more handprint art and send us some of your ideas!

Play dough mats are a great way to work with kids on their motor skills, shape recognition, alphabet and number skills. It is also a fun activity for kids to play with on rainy days when they can’t go outside and play.

There are 2 templates provided; one is blank, and the other is Spring/Easter themed. The blank template you can use to create your own play dough mat with alphabet letters, shapes, lines, and doodles. The Spring/Easter template is ready to print and use.

Using page protectors is an inexpensive way to keep the play dough from sticking to the cardstock template. You can use lamination film, but the page protectors work just as well and then the cards can be stored in a 3 ring binder when not in use.

Downloads:

• Spring play dough mat Template
• Play dough mat Template

Play dough Recipe:

• 1 ½ – 2 Cups Flour
• 1 ½ Cup Water
• 2 TBSP Oil
• 2 TBSP Alum
• ½ cup Salt
• Food Coloring

Mix water, food coloring, salt into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil on high until the salt crystals have dissolved. Put flour in a bowl and add oil, Alum, and any scent (optional). Once the liquid has dissolved, pour it over the flour and mix completely. Start out with less flour, and if it’s sticky add a little bit more. Store in a closed, tight container. Will stay good for several months. If it gets dry, add a little water to it.

All of the art supplies for this project can be found at CreateForLess.com.

Want something to pretty up your paper projects? Butterflies can add a whimsical or reflective quality to your creative work. The butterflies come in two colors and two sizes, so should fit most needs.

Use the Butterfly Clipart For:

• Cardmaking
• Scrapbooking layouts
• Gift Tags
• Place Tags
• Name Tags

3D Butterflies

Cut the images out loosely, leaving some white space around them. Make folds along the body and bend the wings up to add dimension. Glue the underside of the body and stick to your project so the wings are ‘free’.

Download Orange Butterfly Clipart

Butterfly Bookmarks

Glue an image to the top of a long rectangular piece of card or craftstick for a pretty bookmark.

Butterfly Cupcake Decorations

Glue an image to a wooden skewer or toothpick to use as cupcake toppers.

Download  Green Butterfly Clipart

Occasions to Use the Butterfly Clipart With:

• Garden Party
• Wedding
• Hen’s Party
• Engagement
• Birthday
• Sympathy
• Friendship
• Fairy Themed Party

When the Grandson stays, I get up early to get some work done because he likes to use my computer. One morning he was very excited to see I was working on dinosaurs. I told him I would be finished soon and then he could hop on the machine. I went to make a cup of tea and I could hear him saying ‘that should be green, that should be yellow, etc. When I came back he had colored them! Said Grandson is 4 years old. Some of them turned out pretty cute, so we decided to share them.

Dino Clipart

The Dino Pack has a clipart page to use for your projects. Scrapbooking layouts with a Baby or Child theme. Glue them on card for gift tags for Baby Showers or Gifts.

Dino Coloring Page

There is a coloring page so you can color them yourself or for the kids to color and add your own patterns to. Try adding glitter or rhinestones.

Dino Posters

Dino Posters for the wall or nursery. The smaller images can be used for card making projects.

Download Dino Pack Ebook

Get out the paints, pens, glue and scissors and have fun with the Dino Pack Ebook.

With Easter right around the corner, the Bunny Book would make a great gift idea. Add some crayons and wrap in cute cellophane for an inexpensive party favor or for classroom parties. Young children learning to write, love to make little books and practice writing on any piece of paper that they find. I created this project with young learners in mind, but it also can be adapted for adults too!

This bunny book is a simple project that can be made as a group project or with light supervision. You can create different variations by changing the colors of the cover, or adding different types of paper for the pages, or adding embellishments to the cover.

Materials Needed:

• Bunny Book Template (included)
• Cardstock
• Writing Paper
• Glue Stick
• Scissors
• Stapler

Optional:

• Scrapbooking Scraps
• Colored Paper
• Squiggly Eyes

 Instructions:

1. Print and cut out the Bunny Book Template.

2. Fold 1 piece of 8.5 x11″ cardstock in half (width).

3. Unfold cardstock with the fold vertical.

4. Glue the bunny cut out flap onto the top, right side of the cardstock. You will want to adjust the bunny cut out so that the head is sticking up above the closed book (see above picture).

5. Fold a 2nd piece of cardstock in half and glue it on top of the previous piece covering the bunny cut out flap. This will provide a sturdy cover for the book.

6. Fold in half 3-5 sheets of writing paper. You can use lined or unlined.

7. Place the writing paper fold on top of the fold of the bunny book cover.

8. Staple the bunny pages and cover along the fold.

9. The book is finished, and now can be embellished.

All of the materials used for this activity can be found at CreateForLess.com.

At first glance would you guess that this gorgeous candle is made with egg shells? With Easter right around the corner this is really appropriate, but you certainly don’t have to wait for Easter! I just saved a few shells from hard boiled eggs. It’s simple elegance!

 What you will need:

• Mason jar
• Egg Shells
• Food coloring
• Water
• 2 Bowls
• Tacky glue
• Rhinestones
• Floral décor (the puffy balls are actually cut up floral arrangements… fake flowers would look very nice too)
• Tea Light Candle

 Directions:

Rinse and dry the egg shells.

Add a few drops of food coloring to a bowl of water.

Add the eggs and allow them to soak until you are happy with the color they become (I left mine for several hours while I ran errands). Remove the shells and let dry.

 Cover the mason jar in tacky glue. Gently place the egg shells against the tacky glue. Leave some open space for the light to shine through. Add a few rhinestones. Arrange the puffy balls around the top. Allow to dry.

Place a tea light candle inside and enjoy!