KIDS CRAFTS FOR SLEEPOVERS

Sleepovers provide a great opportunity for kids to get together with their friends and let their imagination run wild. They can have great fun with all kinds of craft ideas and activities and here are some craft activities to get you started. 

You may also want to try some of the games they can make and play with.

Paper Necklace

• Assorted coloured paper, wrapping paper or a magazine picture
• Thin elastic
• Drinking straw
• Pencil, ruler, scissors and glue

1. Draw and cut 18 paper triangles approximately 2.5cm at the base and 25cm high.



 

2. Wrap the large end (base) of the triangle around a drinking straw or pencil. Roll the triangle up around the straw and stick the point down to form a bead.

 

 

3. Hold in place until the glue sets then pull the straw out. You have now made your first bead.
   
4. Make another 17 beads (or more if you wish) in the same way.
   
5. When you have made enough beads to make a necklace of the length you need, thread them onto the elastic and tie the ends of the elastic together. Your necklace is now ready to wear.

Variation:

Make a smaller number of beads to make a matching bracelet.

Bracelets and Bangles

You will need:

• Scraps of funky foam
• Small foam shapes or other small decorations, eg acrylic jewels etc
• Hook and loop fastening (eg Velcro)
• Thin elastic
• Hole punch, scissors, ruler, pencil and PVA Glue

Bangles

1. Cut a strip of foam 2cm to 4cm wide and long enough to fit round your wrist comfortably as required and with a 2.5cm overlap for fastening.
   
2. Stick the hook and loop fastening onto the short ends of the foam strip so that it overlaps to form the clasp of the bangle.
   
3. Decorate your bangle with foam shapes or other decorations as required.

Heart bracelet

1. Take about 18 small foam heart shapes and mark and punch a hole in the centre of each one.
   
2. Thread the hearts onto a length of thin elastic, long enough to fit loosely round your wrist and allowing a little extra for tying.
   
3. Tie a double knot in the ends of the elastic to secure and trim off any excess.

Helen's Top Tip:
Use as many heart shapes as you wish. However, the more shapes you use, the fuller and tighter the bracelet will be and you will not be able to see the shapes so easily. Fewer shapes will hang more effectively around your wrist.

Variation:  
You could make another pretty bracelet in the same way but with small flower shapes.

Mirror Frame

You will need:

• Stiff cardboard (eg greyboard)
• Foam sheets and assorted foam shapes
• Small mirror
• Ribbon or self-adhesive acetate hanger
• PVA glue
• Pencil, scissors or craft knife (adult assistance will be required with cutting the backing board and frame apertures, particularly if a craft knife is used)

1. Ask an adult to help cut the backing board and frames.
   
2. Cut the stiff cardboard to the size required for the backing board of your mirror frame.
   
3. Glue the mirror securely to the centre of the backing board.



 

4. Cut a frame from the foam sheet with an aperture which fits snugly around the mirror and glue in place.
   
5. Cut a second foam frame with a slightly smaller aperture and glue on top of the first foam frame to add extra depth and to just cover the edge of the mirror for a neat finish.
   
6. Stick foam shapes around the frame to decorate as required.
   
7. If you wish to hang the mirror, attach a piece of ribbon securely to the backing board or use a self-adhesive acetate hanger.

Suggested cutting sizes for a small 3.75cm x 5.5cm mirror:

• Backing board - 9cm x 11cm
• Foam frames - 9cm x 11cm
  one with an aperture of 3.75cm x 5.5cm and the 
  second with an aperture of 3.5cm x 5cm.

Foam covered notebook / album

You will need:

• Sheet of funky foam
• Paper
• Assorted foam shapes
• Wool, string or ribbon
• PVA glue
• Hole punch
• Pencil and scissors

1. Take a few loose sheets of paper and punch a series of holes along one edge, about 3cm apart. (eg Use plain or lined paper if you're making a notebook or sugar paper if you're making an album or scrapbook.)
   
2. To make the notebook or album cover, cut 2 pieces of foam slightly larger than the sheets of paper.
   
3. Place the paper on top of one piece of foam, lining up the edges which will form the spine and centreing the paper between the top and bottom of the foam. Mark through the holes in the paper onto the foam to show where you will need to punch holes in the foam and punch through the foam with a single hole punch. Repeat for the second piece of foam.
   
4. Place the 2 pieces of foam and the paper together in a 'sandwich' and thread a long piece of ribbon, string or wool up and down through the holes starting and finishing at the same end, ie so that you go through each hole twice.
   
5. Punch a hole through a large foam heart and thread onto the ribbon to decorate.
   
6. Tie the ends of the ribbon into a double bow to secure. Trim off any excess ribbon.
   
7. Stick on assorted foam shapes or other decorations to personalise your book.
   
8. Put to one side to allow the glue to dry.

Pencil Toppers

You will need (to make a selection of toppers):

• Scraps of card or funky foam
• Assorted foam shapes, wiggle eyes or other decorations
• Chenille stems
• Pompoms
• PVA glue
• Pencil, scissors and felt-tip pens

Funny face topper

1. Cut 2 circles of foam or card approximately 6cm in diameter and glue together around the edge leaving a gap to insert the pencil.
   
2. Stick on assorted decorations to make a face, eg foam or paper shapes or wiggle eyes, or draw a face onto a card topper using felt-tip pens.
   
3. Set aside to allow the glue to dry before placing on top of a pencil or pen.

Ladybird topper

1. Cut 2 circles of red foam or card approximately 6cm in diameter and a smaller black circle for the head and glue the red circles together around the edge, sandwiching the black circle between the red circles and leaving a gap opposite the head to insert the pencil.
   
2. Stick on smaller black circles for the ladybird's spots. You could also add wiggle eyes.
   
3. Set aside to allow the glue to dry before placing on top of a pencil or pen.

Helen's Top Tip: 
Hold the circles together with clothes pegs whilst the glue dries, then remove.

Pompom bug topper

1. Wind a length of chenille stem around the top half to one third of a pencil, leaving approximately 2cm of the stem extending past the top.
   
2. Glue a small pompom onto the top of the chenille stem to cover the sharp end.
   
3. Stick on smaller pompoms or card or foam pieces to make the bug's face and tail.
   
4. Set aside to allow the glue to dry.

Paper mosaic covered gift/trinket box

You will need:

• Small, undecorated box with lid
• Scraps of thin card or paper in assorted colours
• PVA glue
• Scissors

1. Cut 1cm squares (approx) of paper and thin card in assorted colours. 
   Don't worry if the squares are not all exactly the same size or if they're not perfectly square.
   
2. Stick the squares onto the box and lid to form a mosaic, creating a particular design or simply a random pattern. If your box is large enough to create a design, draw a rough outline in pencil first as a guide. This will be covered once you have finished decorating your box.

Nameplates

You will need:

• Scraps of thick card for the backing board (eg greyboard)
• Scraps of thin coloured card
• PVA glue
• Foam or paper shapes, if available
• Pencil, scissors, ruler and felt-tip pens

1. Cut a piece of backing board, approximately 12cm x 4cm.
   
2. Cut a piece of coloured card the same size and glue onto the backing board to cover.
   
3. Cut another piece of thin card in a contrasting colour and slightly smaller than the first piece.
   
4. Glue centrally on top of the first piece.
   
5. Write your name onto your nameplate and add a few simple decorations around the edge either with felt-tip pens or by sticking on foam or paper shapes.