Crafts for Kids
(and their parents!)

Cook and stir over medium heat the following, until thickened:
 2 cups (1 lb. box) baking soda
1 cup corn starch
1-1/4 cups cold water-with food coloring added

When the mixture feels like moist mashed potatoes (approximately 10 to 15 minutes), spread it on a plate or sheet of foil and cover it with a damp cloth until it's cool enough to handle. Knead or pat for a couple of minutes until smooth. Add food coloring here, if you have not done so before. Store it-or any unused portions of it-in the refrigerator in a plastic bag or airtight container until you use it. It's good for up to a week.

HINT; If you don't want the temporary tint of food coloring on your hands, wear disposable plastic gloves.

Mold into shapes that are not too thick, or they won't dry well. Or roll out on waxed paper and use cookie cutters for shapes to decorate. If you're making hanging ornaments, use a straw to punch out a hanging hole.

In a shallow foil dish or pan, place some of the clay about an inch thick and let your child push down into it with one hand fingers spread-to make an impression. When it has hardened, write the name, age and date on the back of this memento with a marker.

Clay items take 1-2 days to air dry (depending on thickness) or can be baked for 10-15 minutes in the oven on the lowest setting. Turn occasionally to dry both sides well. Or you can preheat your oven to 350°F. Turn the oven off and place finished items on a cookie sheet in the oven. Leave there until the oven is cold. You can even use your microwave oven if you do just a few pieces at a time on a paper towel for 30 seconds a side. Continue to turn items every 30 seconds until they feel dry to the touch.

Paint cooled, hardened pieces with poster paints, water colors or acrylics. Apply glitter to wet paint. Use a waterproof marker for adding finer details. Pieces can be protected with a layer of shellac, acrylic varnish or just use clear nail polish.

Shapes using cookie cutters; beads from oval to elongated shapes (make a hole using a toothpick while the clay is still moist); hand print plaques; small picture frames; items you can add magnets to the back of; holiday decorations, including Christmas tree ornaments; or a carved sculpture from a dried "block" of craft clay.

Mix dry ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 /2 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking soda

Mix wet ingredients:
 2 cups water
 1 tablespoon cooking oil
 dash of food coloring

Combine mixtures in a large glass bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring after each minute. Knead on countertop and store in plastic container. Create different textures by adding sand, oatmeal, or even sawdust to the dough.

Edible Cookie Sculpture Dough

Mix the dry ingredients:
  5-1 /2 cups flour
  3 teaspoons baking soda
  1 /4 teaspoon salt
Mix wet ingredients until the sugar is dissolved:
  1 cup shortening
  2 cups sugar
  1/2 cup boiling water 1 teaspoon vanilla
  1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine the two. The dough will have a nice consistency. Refrigerate up to 3 days (or freeze) what you will not be using that day, but remember that the dough will need to reach room temperature before you can shape it when you take it out.

Use the dough to make free form sculptures (not TOO thick) or roll out the dough about 1 /4 inch thick and use cookie cutters or make free-form designs yourself. Place your hand down on the dough and use a plastic knife to cut away at the outline of your hand. Or insert wooden Popsicle sticks horizontally in the dough to make Cookie Pops. Make "appliqués" on the larger piece with small pieces of dough cut in dots, small ropes, little triangles, or other, shapes.

Brush the finished sculptures with a beaten egg before baking if you'd like them to have a nice, golden shine.

Bake at 300°F for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden. Let them cool for 5 to 10 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet.

Display and/or eat!

Finger Puppets

Finger Puppets
What you need: Party horns that will fit over fingers or cut fingers 
                          from rubber gloves and turn inside out
                        Key tags for eyes or wiggle eyes
                        Scraps of felt
                        Tacky glue
                        Beads
                        Paper punch
                        Fine tip marker
                        Construction paper
Glue your paper or felt cut-outs, beads, and eyes on the horn or glove fingers.  Use the marker to add details.  Then entertain each other with a puppet show.

 Rock Painting

Rock Painting
What you need: Rocks small enough to handle
                            that have a flat side
                            Acrylic paints* and slick paint pens
                            Paintbrush
                            Tacky glue
Paint the entire surface of the rocks with one color of paint.  Let dry.  Paint designs on one flat side of each rock.  Let dry. Outline with slick paint.  You can use stones glued together to make shapes.
*acrylic paints wash out of hands easily but you may prefer to use something that washes out of clothes!      

Make your own dough that can be molded and painted

Ideas from Better Homes and Gardens Crafts for Kids Library of Congress
ISBN 0-696-01984-1 

Dough Making (requires adult assistance with  baking)
What you need: 2 cups flour
                           1 cup salt
                           1 cup hot water
                           mixing bowl and spoon
                           cookie sheet
                           toothpicks, scissors, garlic press
                           cookie cutters
                           paintbrush and acrylic paints
Mix flour and salt together in mixing bowl.  Gradually add the hot water, stirring.  Lift the dough from the bowl and knead it on a flat surface for about 10 minutes. 

Make shapes of animals, angels, trains, cars, dollhouse furniture-anything you like.  Use cookie cutters and scissors to make shapes or just mold with your fingers.  For ornaments, put hole in top with toothpick before baking.  The garlic press makes a nice lion mane! 

As you put dough shapes together, use a little warm water to smooth the joined pieces. 

Bake pieces in 200° oven.  Thick shapes need as much as 2 hours.  Thin pieces will burn if left in too long.
Then paint and enjoy. But don't eat them!

Very easy, even for little ones.

Idea from:
Grand Activities:
More Than 150 Fabulous Activities for Kids to Do with Their Grandparents, by Shari Sasser (Career Press)

What you need: 
     small balloons blown up
     assorted yarn
     white craft glue
1. Have your child dip a very long piece of yarn into some glue and wrap it around the balloon in a random manner. Continue wrapping until most of the balloon is covered.
2. After the glue dries completely, pop the balloon with a pin and carefully pull it out of the egg shape. The egg that remains will look as if it is spun from yarn.

Make a Terrarium

You will need:  Plastic 2 liter bottle, scissors, potting soil, pebbles, plant

Do This:

Cut the top from the 2 liter bottle with scissors.               

Pull the hard plastic bottom free from the bottle.
You may need to soak in warm water first.

Add pebbles to the bottom of the hard plastic
bottom.  Add potting soil.

Gently place your plant into a small hole in the
soil.  Cover the roots and add water.

Turn the clear plastic piece upside down and put
over the bottom piece.