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September 20, 2009

Make a Witches Cape

Filed under: Kids Painting and Crafts — Tags: , , , , , — @ 7:22 am

What’s a witches hat without a cape to go with it, complete the outfit and your trick or treater is ready for action come Halloween or for their next scary party.

What You Will Need:-

  • About 2m of black fabric. A lycra or satin will work nicely.
  • Black cotton
  • tracing paper to fit fabric
  • tape measure
  • string and fabric pencil

Measure the length, of the witch to be, from the neck to just below the knee. Now cut your piece of string to slightly longer than that length and tie it to the fabric pencil. Put a pin through the other end of the string and position it in a corner of the tracing paper. Now pull the string out to its full length and with the pencil draw a semi circle from one side of the paper to the other. You will also need to draw in the neck line. Repeat the above method using a smaller piece of sting that matches the length of the child’s neck.

Fold the fabric in half and pin the pattern onto it with the straight edge of the pattern on the fold. Cut around the edges, do not cut the folded side. Hem all exposed edges using a 6mm hem or an overlocker. Using left over fabric measure two lengths 40cm by 5cm for the ties. Fold the pieces in half length ways with right sides together. Pin and sew one short end and the length then turn right side out. Attach one tie to either side of the neck and sew into place.

The cape is now finished and ready to go together with the hat on a witches adventure.

Have Fun and keep :)

September 15, 2009

Tie Dye – Wall Hanging

Filed under: Craft Ideas — Tags: , , , , , — @ 5:26 am

This piece has 4 colours so it could be a little tricky but not difficult. The pattern has eight leaves, the colours you choose can represent season such as the colours of spring.

You will need:-

  • 2 mtrs by 90 cms of white dress weight fabric in cotton or calico.
  • four dyes with suitable matching colours
  • 2 dowelling rods 1 m long
  • thread
  • tie dye equipment

You must was and dry the fabric before starting. Make a hem at each end for fitting the dowel. Divide the fabric into eight sections, and fold or iron Draw a leaf shape in each section use a black thread and sew around each leaf, fill in the veins and the stems. MIx up your first dye, dye the fabric, rinse throughly and allow fabric to dry.

Pull up the stitching, and gather some fabric from inside the larger leaves. Mix up the second dye, dye the fabric, rinse and dry. Stitch and pull tight the dividing lines, reinforce the gatherered fabric inside the leaves then gather some areas from the rest of the fabric.

Mix the third colour, dye fabric, rinse and dry. secure the eight sections into separate bunches, dye fabric with the fourth colour, rinse and allow fabric to dry. Undo everything carefully and allow to dry then iron.

When ready slip dowel, into hemmed ends, attach a cord to the top and your wallhanging is complete.

Have Fun :]

August 8, 2009

Kids Can Draw

Filed under: Kids Painting and Crafts — Tags: , , , , , — @ 5:31 am

As soon as a child can hold a pencil they take delight from making marks on paper. Drawing should be encouraged as another avenue for developing creativity and imagination, Soon the marks, lines and symbols will start to form pictures.

Drawing pads, paper, whiteboards and blackboards are all perfect for young drawers. Felt-tipped pens are great for bright colours, colour pencils, chalk and crayons add a variety of textures and effect.

Felt-tipped Pens.

What You Need:- Pens, paper newspaper.

What to Do:- Place newspaper underneath paper to prevent colours bleeding through.

Chalk Drawing

What You Need:- Different coloured chalk, different coloured paper, cardboard, soapy water, sponge, towel.

What to Do:- Keep soapy water and sponge handy so hands can be kept clean during drawing.

Crayon Drawing and Rubbing

What You Need:- coloured non-toxic crayons, paper, leaves, cardboard. Non-toxic, thick kindergarten-type crayons are best for younger drawers.

What to Do:- For rubbing – Arrange leaves on cardboard or a suitable flat surface. Tape paper in place over leaves. Rub side of crayon lightly all over the paper. When finished ther will be a pattern left from the leaves.

Other Drawing Activities:-

  • Draw a small drawing onto balloons then blow up and watch the drawing grow.
  • Draw patterns on notepaper to make greeting cards.
  • Chalk can be used to draw on wet paper.
  • Other objects can be used for rubbing eg coins, keys, combs or doilies.

Let them go for it.

Have Fun :)

August 3, 2009

Kids Love Making Puppets

Filed under: Kids Painting and Crafts — Tags: , , , , , — @ 3:26 am

Paper Plate Puppet

What You Need:- Paper plates, felt-tipped pens, collage  bits and pieces, glue, scissors, tape, sticks.

What To Do:- Decorate plates with pens and glued on bits and pieces to make puppets head. Tape a stick to the plate for a handle and your ready to play.

Paper Bag Puppet

What You Need:- Paper bags, felt tipped pens or crayons, bits and pieces for decoration, glue, stapler, scissors, cardboard cylinder or stick, tape or elastic band.

What To Do:- Draw a face on the paper bag, fill bag with scrunched up paper, attach bag to stick or cylinder with elastic band or tape. You can also put the bag on childs hand. A sock will work as well as a paper bag, just sew decorations on.

Rubber Glove Puppet

What You Need:- Felt tipped pens, rubber glove, scissors, wool and glue.

What To Do:- Cut finger tips off rubber glove and draw faces on them with coloured pens. Glue wool for hair on the finger tips of the glove and your ready to play.

Finger People

What You Need:- Felt tipped pens, fabric and paper scraps, scissors, elastic bands.

What To Do:- Draw a face on one finger. Wrap piece of fabric or paper around finger for clothes and fix in place with rubber band. Tear or cut out a circle of paper for a hat. Tear a small hole in the centre. Push finger into the hole to make a hat. Your ready to play.

Have Fun :)

August 1, 2009

Fun with Collage

Filed under: Kids Painting and Crafts — Tags: , , , , , — @ 7:03 am

Kids have a great time exercising their imaginations when it comes to making a collage. A collage is what is made when a varirty of  materials are glued onto paper, cardboard or board. Supply your child with a wide range of materials and watch their creativity blossom. There is no limit to what you can use. Find some shoe boxes or small containers to store all the bits and pieces.

What You Need:-

Materials – Really you can provide anything at all that can be glued to paper or board. Here are a few ideas, beads, buttons, confetti, cotton wool, flowers, foil, dead matches, fabric, feathers, pebbles, ribbon, pasta paper, toothpicks, wool.

Staples and tape, crayons or felt tip pens, scissors containers, glue, craft blue is probably best for heavier objects.

Here is a simple recipe for paste;  1/2 cup cornflour, 1/2 cup cold water, boiling water. Mix cold water and cornflour to make a smooth paste, Add boiling water quickly while stirring. Stir until paste is clear (add disinfectant if you want to store paste), refrigerate.

Themed collages are a good idea and collecting pieces you need for your theme can be fun. A collage of a beach scene could involve sand, shells, pebbles, cellophane and brightly coloured paper a farm collage might include feathers, straw, ice block sticks and grass.

The important thing to remember is its all about being creative using your imagination but most of all…..Have Fun:)

July 27, 2009

Painting Kids

Filed under: Kids Painting and Crafts — Tags: , , , , , — @ 6:08 am

Here are some more great ideas to keep your kids painting and using their imaginations.

People Painting

You will need:- Long rolls of paper or some really large sheets of paper, (plain, old bed sheets are good too), crayons or paint, brushes.

What to do:- Place child size sheet of paper (or bed sheet) on ground. Have one child (the model) lay down on the paper (or sheet) while another child (the drawer) or adult draws an outline around the model. If  more than one child, then, do the same again but swap the drawer with the model. Each child will now have a life size picture to paint.

When finished, hang the painting to dry. Once dry the painting can be hung or cut out and used for other activities or decoration. If you have painted on fabric sheets you can sew a hem at the top and bottom, place some timber dowel into each end and you have a wonderful wall hanging. The paintings could also be decorated with fabric, buttons, wool etc; for clothes, eyes, hair and so on.

Mural Painting

What you need:- Same as above, if you can’t get sheets large enough you can join two or more pieces together.

What to do:- Make with a group of children as for the people painting above but you will want to make sure these are as tall as the children. When painting is finished cut out a hole for the faces and hang from a clothes lines or similar so the children can stand behind their paintings with their faces peeping through. The children can make up games etc. around these murals and have a lot of fun swaping over.

The possibilities are endless…..Have Fun:)

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