KIDS CRAFTS FOR SUMMER

Don't let the kids get bored during the summer holidays. Check out these fun projects for them to make during the summer.

• Brown flexi-foam or card
• Yellow tissue paper
• Green drinking straw
• Pencil, scissors, glue and sticky tape

1. Cut an 8cm diameter circle from dark brown flexi-foam or card or colour a circle of card dark brown.
2. Fold three 16cm squares of yellow tissue paper in half twice to form layers of 8cm squares.



3. Draw petals as shown above and cut out the flower shape from the open sides of the 8cm squares. Do not cut along the folded edges. 
4. Open the 3 flowers out flat.
5. Glue the 3 tissue paper flowers to the back of the foam circle, staggering the petals to create the sunflower as shown below.
6. Tape the drinking straw to the back of the sunflower to form the stem.

Print a large butterfly dot-to-dot

Flying Saucer

• Paper plate
• Felt-tip pens

1. Draw and colour your own design on a paper plate.



 

2. Take the plate outside, throw it like a frisbee and watch it fly!

CARD MAKING

You will need:

• Thin card and paper in assorted colours
• Assorted foam or paper shapes or pictures cut from an old magazine
• Coloured paper modelling straws
• PVA glue
• Pencil, ruler, scissors and felt-tip pens or coloured pencils.

You can make a variety of greetings cards with just a few crafty bits and pieces.

Picket fence card

1. Fold an A4 sheet of coloured card in half to form a basic A5 greetings card.
2. Cut some paper modelling straws into 4.5cm lengths to form the fence posts and cut one end of each length into a point for the top of the post.
3. Space out and glue the posts onto the card so that the overall length of the fence is slightly shorter than a full length straw.
4. Next take 2 full length straws and flatten them. Then glue them on top of the posts at right angles to form the rails as seen in the photograph.
5. Glue on foam or paper shapes to decorate or add other details with felt-tip pens or coloured pencils.
6. To finish, simply add your own special message.

Helen's Top Tip:
Don't forget when giving a handmade greetings card, you can also decorate the envelope to make it extra-special.

Flower pot note or photograph holder

You will need:

• Flower pot - terracotta or plastic
• Assorted shapes - flowers or butterflies
• Green drinking straws
• Mini (decorative) sprung clothes pegs
• PVA glue
• Play clay or similar
• Scissors and felt-tip pens

1. Glue a mini clothes peg to the back of a few foam flower or butterfly shapes. If you do not have any pre-cut foam shapes, draw and cut your own shapes from scraps of foam or card or cut pictures from an old magazine and mount onto card. Set aside to allow the glue to dry.
2. Decorate the outside of your flower pot by gluing on an assortment of foam or paper shapes.
3. Put some play clay into the bottom of the pot - if you are using a plastic pot, use more clay to give the pot more stability.
4. Cut the green drinking straws to various lengths to create flower stems and push into the play clay to form a pretty arrangement.
5. When the glue is dry and the pegs are set firmly on the back of your flowers, attach them to the tops of the flower stems. Now you are ready to use your holder for little notes or reminders or to display small photographs.

This would make an ideal gift for Mother's Day too.

Pencil Pot

You will need:

• Cardboard tube - eg toilet or kitchen roll inner tube
• Scraps of thin card and wrapping paper, wallpaper or pictures from an old magazine
• Scissors, pencil, ruler, pair of compasses and glue.

1. To make a base for the pencil pot, measure the diameter of the tube and, on a piece of thin card, draw a circle this size. Then draw another circle, 2cm larger in diameter, around the first circle, so that the centres of the 2 circles are in the same place.
2. Cut out the larger circle. Then make cuts from the edge of the larger circle into the drawn edge of the smaller circle all the way round, about 1cm apart. Fold up the little tabs you have created to make a lip and glue the tabs to the outside of one end of the tube to form the base.
3. Measure and cut a piece of coloured card to fit around the tube, allowing a little extra length to overlap. Glue in place, covering all of the tube and the tabs at the bottom. Now you have a neat surface to decorate.
4. Cut out a selection of decorative shapes from a piece of wrapping paper, wallpaper or an old magazine and glue onto your pencil pot to decorate as required.
5. Set aside to allow the glue to dry and then fill with your pens and pencils, or give as a useful gift.

Variation: 
This tube could also be used to store coins. You could add a removable lid with a slot for your money.

Lolly stick tidy box

You will need:

• Approximately 40 lollipop or craft sticks
• PVA glue

1. Lay out 10 sticks side by side and glue 2 more sticks at right angles to the first 10, and about 1cm in from the rounded edges, to form the underside/base of the box as shown in the diagram.



2. Carefully turn the base over and glue on another 2 sticks in the same position to form a sturdy structure.



3. Build up the sides of the box by adding and gluing another two sticks at right angles to the last two, about 1cm in from the other two edges.



4. Continue adding sticks, one at each side and alternating at each level at right angles to the last, until your box is the height you need. Using 40 sticks will make a box about 3cm high.