Sparkler on a Straw

Here's another way to use those food colors made yesterday for the marshmallows.

Cut a drip coffee filter into strips. Have children dip one end of each strip in a blue or red food color. Tape the dry end of the strips to a straw. Let dry by hanging upside-down from a clothesline.

Then the kids can run around the yard with fire free sparklers.

Welcome to July!

Here's a kind of silly little craft, but could be fun depending on the mood of the artists. It was made from leftover somemore mini-marshmallows and food coloring with water.
In case it is hard to tell, the first picture is of a Fourth of July sparkler or firecracker. The marshmallows were arranged and then dribbled with a few drops of food coloring in an ounce of water with a spoon. Cotton swabs would create less puddling, but I didn't know if the cotton would stick to the marshmallows.

See who can make the most creative design or marshmallow structure.

Paper Fairy Slippers

Here's a simple pair of slippers that are actually usable. Just cut a rectangle of paper a few inches bigger than foot all the way around the foot. Tape the paper into a slipper shape around foot snugly but not too snug. Trim to desired shape. Put duct tape on the bottom for less slipping. If you have clear duct tape, it can be wrapped around the whole slipper to make it stronger.

Decorate as desired.

A paper fish with multicolored pretty fishy scales

Just draw and cut out a fish on any paper. This fish was made on the back of another craft project.

Cut a bunch of squares about 1" by 1" big out of different colored scrape paper and some aluminum foil, and then round off two corners to make scales.

Put a little glue on a plastic lid and children can dip the flat end of the scales into the glue to paste onto the fish. Have the little craftsters start gluing the scales on the tail end of the fish and work forward with flat edge always forward.

It might be a good time to read "The Rainbow Fish" by Marcus Pfister too. I didn't even think of it when creating this craft, but the fish is reminiscent of Marcus Pfister's sweet little Rainbow Fish now that I see my finished product. If you have the right color paper, the fish could be made to look even more like the Rainbow Fish in the book.
 

Crab with Movable Legs made from a Cereal Box

Made from a cereal box, after 3 coats of non-toxic poster paint, and joints connected with round head paper fasteners, our crab can move.

We cut out 14 parts in all after drawing their shapes on the inside of a pulled apart cereal box.

Children older than 5 who aren't in the habit of putting things in their mouths may enjoy painting the parts and putting them together after an adult has drawn and cut out the crab, and punched holes for joints. Here's Crabby.

Recycled Paper Collage

Happy Mother's Day! Here's a collage made with the back of an old news letter, pictures from old magazines all framed with scraps of left over paper from other crafts.

Just cut, glue and recycle that old paper.

Here's to resourcefully using piles of paper!

Recycled Paper Easter Egg Basket

Here's a tedious but rewarding little craft. This Easter egg basket was made from leftover wrapping paper and scotch tape, so it is not sturdy enough to hold real eggs. It's great for paper eggs in a bed of shredded paper though.

Older tweens who like crafting, and are patient may find this basket both challenging and rewarding to get to the finished product. Especially if made for an eagerly waiting younger brother, sister, or cousin.

The basket here was made by first cutting 8 strips of paper about 1/2 inch wide, and a foot long. Weave these together at the middle to form the bottom of the basket. Put little pieces of tape as needed to hold it together. Long ends of the strips should be ready for weaving the sides up.

Use another strip of paper of similar size to start the sides of the basket. Weave the strip one full circle around the bottom. Then tape the meeting ends together to secure, and clip off the remainder. Continue on in this manner until the sides are as high as you'd like.

At this point remaining strips from the original 8 strips will be hanging over the edges. Fold each over to end each weave, cut off extra, and tape.

Use two strips of the same size as the rest twisted together to form the handle. Attach with tape.

Happy Easter!