Seashell Garden Stones

Seashells are added to regular old cement (which can be found at Michaels by the way) to make these beach themed stepping stones from buzzmills.

Good for age 4 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://buzzmills.typepad.com/blog/2013/07/seashell-stepping-stones.html

Tape Resist Flowers

Tape is placed on paper to make a flower outline and then painted inside and out.  Once the paint is dry the tape is removed to make a really neat flower painting. Artchoo shares all of the details.

Good for ages 2 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://artchoo.com/spring-art-projects-tape-resist-flower/

Pasta Paint Brushes

Spaghetti or any other long pasta turns into a silly, yet functional paint brush with blog me mom.  Also try painting without cooking the spaghetti and have kids experience the difference.

Good for age 2 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.blogmemom.com/paint-with-spaghetti-brooms/

Sand Prints

A beautiful way to capture memories of children from a beach vacation, crafting a greener world shows how to make a hand sculpture out of sand.

Good for ages 3 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://craftingagreenworld.com/2010/07/18/beach-craft-make-a-sandy-handprint-keepsake/

Oceanic Finger Puppets

Colorful felt is cut into underwater creature shape such as octopi and whales to let kids make their own under the sea adventure.  Fave crates even includes a template to help with the cutting.

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.favecrafts.com/blog/fc/kids-summer-craft-no-sew-nautical-puppets/

Interactive Color Theory

A CD turned into a spinning top becomes even more fun when combining colors.  Alternate equal squares of primary colors to make new colors as they spin.  Here's the classic: Yellow and Blue make Green.  Deceptively educational shares all of the details. 

Good for age 5 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://deceptivelyeducational.blogspot.com/2013/07/blending-colors-with-diy-tops.html

Flower Bead Shoe Trays

Aluminum baking pans and flat colorful flower beads make a great shoe tray for storing wet and icky outdoor shoes.  Crafting new things even personalizes them with the wearer's initials.

Good for ages 9 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://craftingthingsnew.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/dollar-store-crafts-part-3-of-4-shoe-trays/

A Sticky Sun Catcher

Glue is the secret ingredient to these sun catchers.  Simply poor the glue into a dish and color with drops of food coloring.  Once dried you can display it in the window.  Cindy derosier shares all of the details.

Good for ages 3 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.cindyderosier.com/2013/08/colored-glue-suncatchers.html

Babble dabble do shares a similar project.

Get the instructions here:
http://babbledabbledo.com/art-for-kids-cosmic-suncatchers/ 

Kix adds beads to their version.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.kixcereal.com/kix-cereal-colorful-glue-sun-catcher/

Popsicle Stick Chain Reaction

Popsicle sticks are embedded into a long square pattern chain with mom trusted.  Once all together they're set off and explode to make a huge reaction.

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://earlylearning.momtrusted.com/2013/03/popsicle-stick-chain-reaction/

Chemistry Play Set

Test tubes and petri dishes will inspire young chemists with laura ingalls wannabe scientific playset.  She includes colored water, baking soda, bath tabs, vinegar and other ingredients for kids to explore.

Good for ages 3 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://lauraingallswannabe.blogspot.com/2012/05/toddler-chemistry-lab.html

Cardboard Box Airplane Snack Tray

Snacking will never be the same thanks to this nifty airplane shaepd snack tray from kix cereal.  They even include compartments so the snacks can stay separate.

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.kixcereal.com/kix-cereal-airplane-movie-snack-tray/

DIY Magic 8 Ball

A glass jar, clay and foam turn into a make it yourself magic 8 ball that will answer any yes or no question.  Spoonful shares all of the details.

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://spoonful.com/crafts/oracle-of-love

Forest Animal Masks

Squirrels, foxes, and skunks are brought to life with felt and country woman magazine's free downloadable file.

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the template here:
http://www.countrywomanmagazine.com/project/woodland-masks-no-sew-craft/

Wine Cork Mice

Wine corks make the body for a kids mouse craft.  Cindy derosier adds grey felt ears and a suede cord tail, bead eyes and nose and wire whiskers.

Good for ages 9 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.cindyderosier.com/2013/10/cork-mouse.html

Foam Worm

Kids can decorate a foam worm for a fun summer craft activity.  How stuff works shares the details.

Good for ages 3 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-halloween/how-to-throw-a-halloween-party7.htm

I love to create adds a pompom face and pipe cleaner antennae.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.ilovetocreate.com/wiggly-worms

Ocean in a Jar

A clear glass jar comes to life with blue colored water, plastic ocean plants and animals, and river rocks and gravel.  Find all of the details at hello wonderful.

Good for ages 7 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.hellowonderful.co/post/MAKE-A-MASON-JAR-AQUARIUM

Happy hooligans tries to replicate the water itself using just cooking oil, blue food coloring and water.  

Get the instructions here:
http://happyhooligans.ca/ocean-in-bottle/

Childhood 101 uses shells.

Get the instructions here:
http://childhood101.com/2013/03/baby-play-ideas/

Beaded Suede Bracelet

Beads and suede come together to make a great textured bracelet with panda hall.

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://lc.pandahall.com/articles/1575-tutorial-on-making-a-twisted-suede-cord-bracelet-with-fuchsia-beads.html

http://lc.pandahall.com/articles/2113-how-to-make-embedded-suede-cord-bracelet-with-acrylic-beads.html

http://lc.pandahall.com/articles/2655-how-to-make-a-handmade-braided-cord-bracelet-with-polymer-clay-beads.html

First Aid Butterflies

Band Aids bodies and gauze tape wings turn into butterflies with no time for flash cards.  After she sticks on the butterfly she draws on antennae.

Good for ages 3 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2010/04/bandaid-butterflies.html

Tin Can Telephone

Have the kids make their own telephone with the classic two tin cans and some rope and test out how sound waves work.  We made that shares the experiment.

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://we-made-that.com/string-phone/

Paper Cup R2D2

Turn a plain white paper cup into r2d2 withmy creative stirrings and a black, blue and light blue marker.

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.mycreativestirrings.com/2010/12/star-wars-kid-birthday-party-picture.html

A Roarinly Good Snack

Animal crackers add a fun twist to the kid favorite celery and peanut butter snack.  Parents also adds chopped fruit to add some additional flavors and colors.

Good for ages 4 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.parents.com/recipes/nutrition/kids/fun-healthy-food/#page=5

Rock em Sock em Monsters

Old socks and random buttons are sewn together to make cute monsters with fave crafts. 

Good for ages 10 and up

Get the instructions here:
http://www.favecrafts.com/Sewing-for-Kids/Sock-Monsters/ml/1

Rope Horse

A rope is twisted into a horse.  The rope frays nicely to make the tail and mane.  Kids birthday party guide has a full tutorial. 

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.kids-birthday-party-guide.com/rope-craft.html

Coffee Filter Chihuly Bowls

Coffee filters are tie dyed with spray starch and markers with our art lately.  She based this project on Chihuly's macchia collection and shaped the coffee filters into bowls by wrapping them around plastic containers to try.

Good for ages 3 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://ourartlately.blogspot.com/2012/02/makin-macchia.html

Fish Magnet Game

Fabric fish are glued to magnets to make this fun fishing game.  The players catch the fish using wooden sticks and twine with a magnet on the end.  Morenas corner share all of the details.  She even encases the game into a cute magnetic box.

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.morenascorner.com/2014/05/make-magnetic-fishing-game-using.html

Artsy momma uses much larger magnets and puts them in a bathtub full of blue colored water.

Get the instructions here:
http://artsymomma.com/2011/07/bathtub-fishing-make-your-own-fishing-game.html 

Doodle craft blog uses felt fish for her version.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.doodlecraftblog.com/2013/01/pocket-sized-magnetic-fishing-set-in.html 

Parents uses clothespins and a dowel.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.parents.com/fun/arts-crafts/kid/simple-wood-crafts/?page=11#page=11 

Craft and beyond includes a template to make the fish.

Get the instructions here:
http://craftandbeyond.blogspot.co.id/2015/10/who-doesnt-like-fishing.html

Woven Newspaper Basket

Kids can upcycle your newspapers by making this great basket with deceptively educational.

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://deceptivelyeducational.blogspot.com/2014/01/how-to-weave-basket-out-of-newspaper.html

Printable Playdoh Mats

Lauren from tutus tea parties has created 10 great playdoh fun mats to help kids get inspired and create.  Kids can make a garden, jack-o-lantern, snowman, tree, and much more.  There's something for every season.  Download the free printables at her site. 

Good for ages 2 and up.

Get the templates here:
http://www.tutusteaparties.com/2014/01/diy-play-dough-mats-free-printables.html

Picklebums shares a tree, soil and pot mat.

Get the templates here:
http://picklebums.com/2014/09/16/gardening-growing-play-dough-mats-free-printable/

Picklebums makes a dinner placemat for kids to decorate the plate with.

Get the template here:
http://picklebums.com/2014/07/22/fun-food-play-dough-mats/

Egg Carton Bus

An egg carton and plastic bottle lids are reconfigured to make a bus for tiny plastic toy dolls or animals from free kids crafts.

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.freekidscrafts.com/recycled-hop-hop-bus/

Toilet Paper Roll Fish

Colored paper and cellophane are wrapped around a toilet paper tube to make a colorful fish with georgina giles.  She also adds a yarn string to hang it.

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://georginagiles.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/little-hands-make-fish/

Paper crafts for children wraps the toilet paper roll in tissue paper, ties on the tail and and glues on paper fins and eyes.

 

Get the instructions here:

http://www.papercraftsforchildren.com/2011/06/11/paper-roll-fish/

Foam Cup Frog

A foam cup turns into a frog with added eyes, tongue and feet from crafts by amanda.

Good for ages 7 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://craftsbyamanda.com/2014/03/foam-cup-frog-craft.html

Monster Mitten Puppets

Mitten faces, yarn hair and pompom eyes make cute hand puppets with this tutorial from kix cereal.

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://kixcereal.com/kix-cereal-mismatched-mitten-diy-puppets/

Magnet Tiles

Small magnets are glued onto painted wood squares and triangles to make homemade magna tiles with hello wonderful.

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.hellowonderful.co/post/diy-magna-tiles

More tiles from them:
http://www.hellowonderful.co/post/diy-glass-tile-magnets

Plastic Egg Insects

Plastic eggs and pipe cleaners are turned into bugs with free kids crafts.  Free kids crafts share the details.

Good for ages 7 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.freekidscrafts.com/recycled-plastic-egg-bugs/

The experimental home makes bumble bees as part of a wreath.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.theexperimentalhome.com/bee-spring-wreath/

Fairy Portals

Little ones will be delighted to know that fairies are living in the trunk of a nearby.  Corner by corner shares the details for how to make a door to welcome visiting fairies.

Good for ages 7 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://cornerbycorner.co.uk/2014/04/02/tutorial-make-a-fairy-door/ 

Tikkido makes a hobbit door.  She has a very clever idea of including a message behind the door for little hands to find and little eyes to read.  

Get the instructions here:
http://tikkido.com/node/829

Emma owl uses glitter and stickers and paint.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.emmaowl.com/fairy-house-and-garden-imaginative-play/