Painted Boxes

Pysselbolaget has a great idea for how to reuse face cream jars using only spray paint and affixing small figurines to the top.

Good for ages 9 and up.

Get the instructions (in Swedish) here:
http://pysselbolaget.se/2012/02/21/lyxig-smaforvaring/

Make Your own Foil Necklace

Make and takes has a cute way to make a foil pendant out of aluminum foil, sharpie markers and yarn.

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.makeandtakes.com/foil-pendant-craft-for-kids

How to Make a Woven Rug

Flax and twine has a great tutorial on how to weave a rug using a hula hoop as a base and colorful yarn.

Good for ages 10 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.flaxandtwine.com/2012/02/woven-finger-knitting-hula-hoop-rug-diy.html

Lindsay and andrew uses vibrant t-shirts and add a fun fringe,

Get the instructions here:
http://lindsayandandrew.blogspot.com/2011/07/t-shirt-rug.html

Make Your Own Paperweight

Little blue boo shows you how you can make a unique paper weight out of beads, buttons or anything small and plastic. The main ingredient is clear plastic resin and a simple round circle mold.

Good for ages 10 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.lilblueboo.com/2012/03/cast-resin-paperweights-coasters-a-tutorial.html

Alpha mom dresses up rocks with fabric including a fabric initial.

Get the instructions here:
http://alphamom.com/family-fun/crafts/diy-paperweights-are-easy-to-make-holiday-gifts/

Tissue Paper Vases

Tissue paper makes an ordinary glass bottle a beautiful vase and functional gift even younger kids can make. 

 

Woman's day has a great tutorial on how to make a vase out of tissue paper and glass bottles and jars.

Good for ages 7 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.womansday.com/home/craft-ideas/diy-decor-cheery-spring-vases

Let's explore shows a more kid centric and colorful version.

Get the instructions here:
http://lets-explore.net/blog/2009/09/tissue-paper-vases/ 

Kidboomu kid songs adds a ribbon and foam flower to their version.

Get the instructions here:
http://kiboomukidssongs.com/mothers-day-tissue-paper-collage-vase-craft/ 

Meaningful mama cuts her tissue paper into circles creating a polka dot vase.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.meaningfulmama.com/2013/06/polka-dot-vase-craft.html 

Free kids crafts calls her version a decoupage vase.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.freekidscrafts.com/decoupage-vase-for-valentines-day/

Creative jewish mom cuts out pieces of tissue paper.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.creativejewishmom.com/2011/07/recycled-jars-decoupaged-with-printed-tissue-paper.html

How to Make Soap Crayons

Child source has instructions for how to make soap crayons out of soap flakes and washable tempura paint.  For molds they suggest ice cube trays or dixie cups so not sure how they would match the photo, but you could use virtually any mold to design your own shapes.

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.childsource.ca/crafts/soap-crayons

How to Color a White Flower

Child care land has a fantastic science experiment using a white carnation and food coloring showing how flowers drink water all the way from the stems to the leaves.

Fun guerrilla has a similar experiment with roses and splits the stem into two.

Get the instructions here:
http://funguerilla.com/rainbow-roses-all-colors-in-one-rose/

Science sparks makes many different colors.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.science-sparks.com/2011/09/26/changing-colour-flowers-with-transpiration/

Chalk Dust Art

Flax and twine shows how you can decompose chalk to make colorful sand.  It's actually very simple.  All you need is some salt and colored chalk.  Roll the chalk in the salt and the chalk will start to break into tiny grains coloring the salt.

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.flaxandtwine.com/2011/03/rainbow-in-jar.html

Engineer mommy uses pastels.

Get the instructions here:
http://engineermommy.com/2014/colorful-salt-art-a-craft-for-kids/

CD Case Maze Game

Bloesem kids has a craft to make a labyrinth game in a cd case.  All you need is the cd case, wiki sticks (wax covered sticks), colored paper, and fimo clay to make the ball. 

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://bkids.typepad.com/bookhoucraftprojects/2011/05/project-85-cd-case-labyrinth.html

How to Make a Water Bracelet

Three jewels in a crown has a tutorial for how to create a glitter and water bracelet using clear plastic tubing, glitter and water.

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://threejewelsinmycrown.blogspot.com/2010/06/water-bracelets.html

Babble dabble do adds oil and small beads to her version.  

Get the instructions here:
http://babbledabbledo.com/science-and-fashion-for-kids-totally-tubular-glitter-bracelets/

September Free Kids Craft Events

September 1st

Home Depot has a make a goal post project from 9 am - 12 pm.

Get more information here: 

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/catalog/servlet/ContentView?pn=HT_WS_KidsWorkshops

How to Make Flowers from a Coffee Filters

Kaboose has found a great new use coffee filters and show how to turn them into flowers using watercolor paint and green pipe cleaners.  She recommends using two colors per flower.

There are several different ways to make the flowers. You can fringe the ends in thin strips (leaving the center whole) to make the flower that resembles a pom pom. Or you can cut thicker strips to make a petaled flower or don’t cut the filter at all to make a rose.

To add the stem insert the pipe cleaner into the center and turn the flower upside down.  Grasp the center of the filter and gather it around the small end of the pipe cleaner. Twist the pipe cleaner around the gathered filter to secure the flower in place. Remember to fluff out your flower. 

No two flowers will look the same. Thin watercolors to make lighter shades and use thicker amounts for bolder shades. Also, you can speed dry the coffee filters by blow them dry with a hair dryer.  

Good for ages 7 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://crafts.kaboose.com/coffee-filter-flowers.html

Urban comfort shares a great way to make coffee filter flower baskets using dixie cups as the base and floral stems for the handle.

Get the instructions here:
http://urbancomfort.typepad.com/urban_nest/2012/04/coffee-filter-flowers-and-carrots.html

Martha Stewart has a wonderful tutorial on how to turn a coffee filter into a beautiful flower. All you need are the filters and food coloring and a cup.

Get the instructions here:

http://www.marthastewart.com/893166/flower-bowl?czone=holiday%2Feaster-center%2Feaster-crafts-and-decor

Family corner cuts out several petals and colors the center brown and the petals yellow for a pretty sunflower.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.familycorner.com/crafts-kids-family-2/coffee-filter-sunflowers.html 

Martha Stewart makes water lilies too.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.marthastewart.com/971878/coffee-filter-water-lily-how

Refrigerator Rock Magnets

Modern mom shows you how to take outdoor pebbles and turn them into great alphabet magnets for the fridge.

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.modernmom.com/article/let-s-craft-rockin-fridge-magnets

Swedish Paper Dolls

Lotta bruhn celebrated the royal wedding of Victoria and David by creating their very own paper dolls.

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the temple here:
http://lottabruhn.typepad.com/lotta_bruhn_illustration/2010/06/paper_dolls.html

How to Make a Harmonica

Mess for less has a super simple homemade harmonica using a popsicle stick, rubber bands and construction paper.

Good for ages 4 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.messforless.net/2012/02/making-music-homemade-harmonica.html

Housing a forest has a similar tutorial but uses just the sticks and rubber bands.  She uses colored sticks but markers would be fun too.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.housingaforest.com/popsicle-stick-harmonica/

How to Make Water Color Paint

Martha Stewart shares how you can make your own rainbow of watercolors. She even has a fantastic storage suggestion to use egg cartons.

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.marthastewart.com/265249/how-to-make-watercolor-paint

Growing a jeweled rose uses baking soda, food coloring, water and an ice cube tray.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2014/05/easy-homemade-watercolors.html

Learn play imagine makes very vibrant colors.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.learnplayimagine.com/2014/08/erupting-baking-soda-paint-recipe.html

DIY Colorful Slime

Teach preschool has a very simple recipe for making what she calls rainbow slime using only Elmer's glue, liquid starch and food coloring.

Good for ages 3 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.teachpreschool.org/2012/03/rainbow-slime-in-preschool/

Learn play imagine has a similar tutorial with the same ingredients.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.learnplayimagine.com/2014/02/rainbow-slime-recipe.html 

Fun at home with kids makes a polka dot version.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.funathomewithkids.com/2014/06/polka-dot-slime.html 

Growing a jeweled rose uses kool-aid.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2014/02/edible-slime-recipe-kool-aid-slime.html

Left brain craft brain uses thermochromic pigments to make it change color with temperature.

Get the instructions here:
http://leftbraincraftbrain.com/2015/04/23/heat-sensitive-color-changing-slime/