Children's Craft Showcase - Fathers Day Cards and Presents

Fathers day will soon be upon us, it is Sunday 20th June this year and I have been busy thinking about cards and gifts for MadDad.  If you are anything like me then you would prefer to give a home made card every time.

I have a couple of very simple ideas for you.

I was inspired by Valerie at Frugal Family Fun Blog for this card.

Materials

Card stock

pencil or pen

circle stickers, various colours

scissors

Method

Initially fold your card stock in half to to create a greeting card shape

Draw a number of lines horizontally across the card to make the wire for the birds to sit on.

Depending on the age of your child, you can either cut the stickers for them or help them.

You use half a sticker (semi-circle) for the birds body, a sixth of the sticker to make the tail feathers and an eight of the circle to make the birds beak.

Using either a pencil or a fine liner add some feet and eyes for the birds

It is really easy, simple, very effective and then all that is left is to add your cheesy bird quotes

Next up is a twist on our favourite chick cards, we have done this for my niece who is 5 this week.

Materials

Card stock
Paper
Scissors
feathers
Googlie eyes
Glue

Method

Again very simple, Mini cut out two bird shapes (semi circle) and stuck them to the folded card stock.

We used two triangles cut out of foam for their beaks and a feather for the tails.  He also used foam shapes to add an age and name on to the card.

Scrap Art Book Marks

This is a super way of using up and making purposeful bits of art that the children have done.  For ours I used our Mable Paintings.

Materials

Card
Scissors or paper cutter
Scrap Artwork
Paper
Glue
Laminator or clear sticky backed plastic (also know as contact paper)


Method

Cut and matt the scrap artwork and your choice or card, making sure that the artwork is slightly smaller than the card backing and glue on.

We made a back for the bookmark out of paper, which read Happy Father's Day 2009 and then mini decorated it and stuck it on to the rear of the bookmark.

I then laminated them, I got four in to one pouch leaving space for the sheet to adhere between the bookmarks.  If you don't have a laminator (mine was £5 from Tesco), then you can use clear sticky backed plastic or contact paper.

I then used my guillotine to cut them up to individual double sided book marks.

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I hope I have inspired you to get crafting for Father's day this year  and if you do, I would love for you to come back and link here, so that we can all see and maybe have a try of your ideas too.

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Children's Craft Showcase - Painting

Sometimes painting with children can seem such a daunting task, it can take on a uncontrollable pace all of its own, which is why it is often great to use paint with an end in mind.

So I set up the painting tings on the dining table yesterday for when I collected the minimads from school and decided we would do blow painting with a straw and then do some marble rolling.

Materials

Paint

Water

Paper

Straws

Marbles

Tray (A bowl would be better from smaller children)

Method

You need to water down your paint for this to make sure that it blows and rolls easily.  I tend to drop blobs of colour one at a time on the paper for the boys to blow with the straw.

I also show them how to turn the paper so that the paint doesn't come off the edge.

They both prefer marble rolling, they have such fun and we all ended up in a pile on the floor laughing at all the times the marble left the tray, which is why a washing up bowl would be easier for smaller children.

You can also use a larger ball and dip the ball in the pain rather than rolling it through a large splodge on the paper.

I love the randomness of the images and the ways the colours blend.  We had a great fun few hours.

So anyone who is doing crafting with their children, please link up below, I would love to see what you are doing and get some inspiration for me and the boys.

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Children's Craft Showcase - Masking Tape

This one goes out to all of you with little ones, ones that scribble and just love free art.

Materials

Paper

Masking tape, as low tack as possible

crayons, pens, pencils, glitter, paint

I know that I keep going on about not passing your perfectionism on to your children and letting them express themselves, but it is so true.  I also know that there are lots of people out there who don't craft with their children because they fear the mess, well this is one for you.

By using masking tape, you can tape the paper on to the table, which is great for smaller children and stopped the paper moving.

You can also use different width tape, as the aim is to create a border of blank paper around the drawing.

Mini loves scribbling or making the paper colourful and this is a great way of letting him express himself.  I have also used this method with stamping and fabric printing.

 

So if you are inspired to do any crafty things with your children over the next couple of weeks then please link to me with the McLinky as I look to look at the things you all make and do.

Future Projects

We are going to be doing some Easter projects so please keep some egg shells for out next showcase!

More Makes, laptop pouches and valentines hearts

I have been wanting to show you a couple more of the things I have been doing with the mini's this week, but it is so dark, photo's are not the best.

I don't know about you, but it seems once Johnnie Boden gets a hold of your address, he sends you a million and one catalogues, STOP Johnnie, you must be single handed responsible for the decimation of the rain forest.  Plus the models are so smug with their little snippets of their lives.  I don't want to know that Verity loves chocolate cake, especially when she looks about a size 2!  I can not bear to throw them in to the recycling, so we have started to punch them out with our paper punches and use them for craft.

 

This week, Mini punched some out and Maxi and I sewed them together on the machine.  I was really impressed with Maxi, he did exactly as he was told, I fed them in and he did the rest.

  

I think they look great

 

I have also made a couple of laptop pouches, out of necessity really.  My mum is going to Florida on Monday with my Brother and his family and she is taking her laptop with her, but doesn't want to take her case.  So I Said I would have a go at making a padded bag for it.

I ended up making three, the first one was far too short (but it fits MadDads, although a wee bit girly for him!!)

The second one (above, with my laptop in) was too thin!  But the last one was perfect.  I did get a photo as mum nabbed it straight away.  it is the same as the blue one, but found with a lovely Burgundy bias Binding.

This is my fist attempt at quilting.  On the first one I just stitched in the ditch of the pattern and the second and third, I free hand stitched.

I was really proud of my efforts, especially, as my sewing machine was only £7.00 for eBay and doesn't have a walking foot!!

A little update in mum for those who are interested.  On Monday she actually burnt the hand that wasn't in the pot (she picked up a pan who's handle had been over a gas), so has been here all week, with two unusable hands, which has been a challenge to say the least.

I took her back to the hospital yesterday and she now has a fibre glass pot, which doesn't cover her hand on the left and the burns had healed sufficiently to be allowed to air.  So she is home.  I will be going at the weekend to do her packing etc for the holiday and my brother is collecting a fit to fly letter from the consultant today.

Children's Craft Showcase - Valentine Hearts

 

Well this week, we are going with a valentines theme.  Yep seasonal over here at TheMadHouse.  Again, I am hoping to inspire you out there with children to craft and play with them.  To get over your need for perfectionism and fear of mess and just go with the flow and enjoy.

If we do inspire you, then please use the McLinky below and link to any post that you do about crafting with children.  I would love to see and hear about your time crafting with your children.

One of the best things I bought in the sales was a large paper punch in a heart shape (mine is 3inch), the boys love to punch away at anything, the fact that they can do it themselves is great and makes life so much easier for me.

 

Materials

Paper

Tissue paper

Lolly pops

Card

Glue Stick

 

What we are going to make are some heart flower lolly's and some book marks.  This is a great use for any scribblings that the children have done previously.

Now we punched the hearts out on our 3 inch heart punch, but you can just cut them out, or if your children are big enough they could cut them out.

 

Then you need to punch a whole in the bottom of the heat and fold them in half.

 

Then you need to layer the hearts (petals) and a lolly on the centre hole.

 

We did this with both coloured paper, tissue paper and pre decorated paper.  The plan is for the mini mads to give them to their valentines!

Until then they make a heart centerpiece for the dining table.  We also made some with pipe cleaner centres.

 

We also made some heart bookmarks, which the boys are going to give to their teachers.  

Take two card hearts, one slightly smaller than the other and in different colours and glue the smaller one to the other, only the top half mind you!!

If you do any crafts with your children over the next couple of weeks, then please link with the McLinky below.  Happy crafting.

Childrens Craft Showcase for 2010

I started the craft showcase in 2009, becuase once I had the boys I also developed the need to be more creative, which is something I have never ever been before.

Rather than finding it a messy, time consuming and a chore, it is a true joy.  It is helping me get over my perfectionist tendencies, in that I have finally let go and let the boys interprete what I mean and also it doesnt matter if mine doesnt look perfect.

Bearing in mind that the mini mads are 3 and 4 I tend to stick to easy and simple projects that use everyday things.  My neice is also 4 and she is much more creative than the boys, but loves to do all the crafts with us too.

To give you some ideas I have listed some of the projects that we did:

Advent Angels 

Make your own wrapping paper

 

 

Child friendly advent wreath

Home made christmas cards

The main thing about crafting with Children is that it doent have to to just right, it is all about letting their creative style come out.  Dont get stressed about anything, preparation is the key, if you have a plastic table cloth, wipes and a hoover then anything can be cleaned up!!

Main Materials

Pre mixed paint - Supermarkets are a great place for value paint

Paper and card - Again supermarkets, Pound Store and The Works

Glitter - Pound store, WH SMiths do a nice pack with just small holes in, ELC also do a glitter in glue.

Craft Sissors for children - Supermarkets and WH Smiths

Masking tape - DIY Store

I find that by keeping my eyes out for good value materials, but you can use most things that you have at home.  You can mix corn flour and food colouring to make a pavement chalk.

The think is I need your help.  I want the craft showcase to be successful, to inspire people and for people to join in.

So please let me know what you want it to be, how often it should be on and what crafts and ideas you would like to cover?

The more input you put in, the better I can make things.