Kids Crafts

Kids Crafts magazine

Easy To Make Kites For A Windy Day

Crafty Uses for Popsicle Sticks Creative Ways To Fold Paper Friendship Bracelets For All

1

KIDS CRAFTS Fun Projects for Kids to Help Parents With!

4 Easy to Make Kite

A simple kite design from Hawaii.

6 Pospsicle Crafts Easy every day fun with craft sticks.

2

What’s Inside...

8 Super Friendship Bracelets Gifts for your friends made from embroidery floss.

10 Creative Ways of Paper Folding Make an origami butterfly.

3

Easy to Make Kite Materials Needed: 1 sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 inch brightly colored paper Ruler

Fold the sheet of paper in half widthwise. Use a ruler and pencil to measure and draw a diagonal line, as indicated.

Pencil 3/4-inch masking or clear tape Wire snips Thin bamboo skewer (such as used for kebabs) Plastic surveyor’s tape in a bright color (available at hardware stores) Hole punch 10 feet of string (or more, if flying clear of hazards) Small piece of cardboard

This stunningly simple kite design comes from Jonathan Socher of Molokai, Hawaii, who regularly builds these diminutive flyers with local school groups.

4

Place the ruler against the line and crease the paper along it.

Fold back the top layer of paper and tape along the fold. Using wire snips, trim the bamboo skewer to 8 inches in length. Position the skewer as a brace across the top back of the kite and firmly tape it down.

Cut a 6-foot kite tail from the surveyor’s tape. Tape it to the rear edge of the kite. Next, flip the kite over and fold the flap (to which you’ll tie the string) back and forth until it stands straight up.

Fold a small piece of tape over the edge of the flap about 3 inches from the top. Punch a hole through the tape 1/4 inch in from the folded edge. Tie one end of the string through the hole.

To make a string winder, tie the other end of the string around the middle of the cardboard, securing it with a strip of tape. Wind on the rest of the string, and you’re ready to fly!

Jonathan prides himself on being able to get 20 kids to make 20 kites in 20 minutes, though we’re suggesting you make only enough for your household!

5

Popsicle Crafts!

Here are popsicle stick crafts projects for kids to create with popsicle sticks or with what they now call craft sticks. You can buy packs of them at the grocery store or arts and crafts stores.

Difficulty: Very Easy Parental supervision is recommended

God’s Eye Materials Needed: • String or yarn • 2 Popsicle or craft sticks • Glue • Scissors

A craft from the Huichol tribe of Mexico, kids can easily create many of these colorful God’s Eyes with Popsicle sticks and yarn!

1. Glue the two craft sticks together in a cross.

2. Take one color of yarn and wrap it over and around one stick, then over and around the next, over and around the next, and so on.

Keep doing that until the color is used up.

3. Tie a different color string onto the old one with a tight knot.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until complete.

5. Take a piece of string for a hanger, cut it, and tie or glue it to your God’s Eye. Hang it up in your room to enjoy.

6

Pencil Holder Materials Needed: • Empty Toilet Paper tube • Cardstock • Craft Sticks – enough to fit around the tube

This is an easy everyday craft to make with your children. You can make it for back to school time, as a gift for parents or grandparents or even a gift for a teacher.

So get out some paints and glue and give this everyday craft a try!

• Paints • Tape • Glue

1. Lay the craft sticks side by side and tape them together.

2. Flip it over and let your preschooler paint them.

3. Set aside to dry.

4. Cover one end of the tube with cardstock and tape to make a bottom.

5. When the paint has dried, apply glue and “roll” the sticks onto the tube.

6. Secure with masking tape until glue dries.

7. Add pencils and you’re done!

7

Super Friendship Bracelets!

Materials Needed: -Embroidery floss in your choice of colors: The chevron can be made using at least two colors or as many as you would like. This pattern calls for five colors: blue (1), rust (2), yellow (3), green (4), and brown (5).

-Masking tape -A safety pin -Pillow or a clipboard -Scissors -Measuring Tape Set up: A small craft pillow or old pillow is recommended to use as your “work station”. It should be comfortable enough to sit in your lap and not have any special meaning.

Since a safety pin is used to anchor the threads down, eventually many holes will start to appear in the pillow as you expand your bracelet creations!

8

Also known as an “arrow” friendship bracelet, the chevron friendship bracelet pattern is one of the first most new floss bracelet makers learn. by Jeanie Knotts Start by cutting several strands of embroidery thread at about 24 inches each.

Make sure there are two sets of each color. Combine the threads and tie a knot, leaving at least 3 inches of slack. Tape it to a flat surface or safety pin it to a pillow. Separate the two sets, arranging the strands in a mirror-image pattern with the outside strands the same color and so on moving inwards.

Start on the left side with the outermost color (shown here in red) and make a forward knot by creating a 4-shape over the 2nd color, loop it under and back through the opening. Pull up and to the right to tighten. Make the same knot twice over each color. Continue knotting over each color, towards the right, until the outermost color has carried over to the middle. This is one half of the pattern.

Now pick up the outermost color on the right side (show here in red) and make a backward knot, creating a reverse 4-shape over the 2nd color, loop it under and back through the opening. Pull up and to the left to tighten. Don’t forget to knot twice over each color! Continue knotting towards the left until the outermost strand reaches the middle. Tie a backwards knot with the two middle strands to connect the two halves. Continue with the the next color.

Remembering the color order is important for the first few rows but after the 3rd or 4th row, the strands will fall nicely in place.

Finish it with a knot and a braid.

For more patterns and styles, visit these websites: www.braceletbook.com www.peacepattern.info friendshipbracelet-patterns. info Or get creative and come up with your own pattern!

For a striped bracelet, cut one set of colors and simply carry the outermost color all the way through to the right side. For an assymetrical chevron, mix the colors when dividing them into 2 sets. Be sure to count the number of strands so you know when to stop in the middle each time. For an embellished bracelet, take a small piece of rhinestone chain, glue it to the top of the bracelet and stitch embroidery thread between each rhinestone with an embroidery needle.

9

Creative Ways to Fold Paper Materials: • Origami Paper Drawing/Coloring Materials (Optional) • Pencil • Markers • Crayons • Colored Pencils Fun Facts on Origami: • Started in the 17th Century AD. • Popularized outside of Japan in the the mid1900s.

• Traditional Origami has been practiced since the Edo era.

• Best known model isthe paper crane.

• About six different types of origami: • Action • Modular • Wet-folding • Pureland • Origami tessellations • Kirigami Other Sources: http://en.origami-club.com

Step One: Start with your paper white side up. Fold in half, open, then fold in half the other way.

Step Two: Now Fold the Paper in half diagonally, both ways.

Step Three: Fold all four corners into the centre and crease well.

Step Four: Turn Over and Fold all four corners into the centre again.

Step Five: Open out the model so far. Your creases should look like this. It looks complicated, but dont worry!

http://www.origami-fun.com http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/ origami_for_kids.htm http://easyorigamiforkids.com 10

Step Six: Fold the outside edges into the centre line.

Step Seven: Holding each inside edge from the point at the centre, bring these edges out to the points shown.

Then, fold the top edge downwards and flatten.

Step Eight: Rotate the model, and repeat step 7.

Step Ten: Fold down the front outside corners.

Step Nine: Fold the top half backwards and flatten.

Step Eleven: Fold these outside corners inward as shown.

Step Twelve: Fold the butterfly in half.

Step Thirteen: Now fold the top layer backwards, at the angle shown.

Step Fourteen: And now fold the back wing backwards also at the same angle Step Fifteen: Open out.

Your butterfly is complete!

11

Spoil your kids the healthy way!

12