My Favorite Craft Supply

This stuff is awesome. My mom introduced this to me when I was trying to cut a pattern for a sewing project. Then as I started doing more crafts with Jack, I realized how useful this paper could be. I use it for almost every project we do. One side is plastic coated which makes it great to put down on the table while your child works on something messy. Makes clean-up so easy. We also use it just as big paper to color on or the plastic side would be good for finger painting or pudding painting. I'm also using it for our homemade wrapping paper this year. Freezer paper has pretty much found a permanent home in my craft supply box.

Handprint Napkins

This one takes a little more time, and depending on your aim, a little less intervention from the kiddos! However, it makes a great keepsake and they will love to see it each year! We did them for Thanksgiving, however I imagine they can be made for any holiday depending on how you use the hand print!

Supplies:

Cloth napkins
Fabric paint
sponge paintbrushes
stamps (optional)

Fold the napkin in half and then in thirds-as you would fold it to place it on a plate for a table setting. Paint or stamp the palm of each child's hand with the fabric paint and apply it to the napkin- centered on the third that is facing up-that way each place has the handprint showing. We then stamped onto the napkin the name of one family member. So my children's handprints were each on their own napkin, and then i used one of their handprints on my napkin and one on kevin's. my sister used her baby's handprint on the napkins for her and her husband. And for my parents we put all of the grandchildren's hand prints on the same napkin. For Thanksgiving, we made the handprints into turkeys, however they could be made into wreaths for Christmas or simply left as a hand print if you wish. We also embellished the corners of the napkins with stamps as well- you can really get as creative as you wish!

creation story craft

This is an easy craft for kids to get them familiar with the story of creation in Genesis. It takes a little preparation on the part of mommy-unless you have really patient kids! However, its a tangible way for them to remember the order of creation!

Supplies:
Construction or Craft paper
Glue
Pictures for the phases of the story: examples: yellow paper/light blue paper for light, sun and moon, plants and animals (i used the foam animal stickers)

I read through the story with them and as we did each day's creation i had them add onto their paper the piece of the story we just read. I started with black construction paper and attempted, as best as i could explain, how nothing existed. And piece by piece we added everything on the page. I tried to let them have time in between the parts about the plants and the animals and Adam and Eve so they could have freedom to decorate a little more. I also had them add in cotton balls for clouds in the sky, and we glued cut outs of trees and construction paper to look like water and land. You can get as creative as you want with it!

hand ornaments

I haven't started this tradition with my own kids yet, but i plan to this year. However, this was a tradition for many years in my family-until our hands pretty didn't change anymore. ;) I remember taking out the "hands" every year and hanging them on the tree and marveling at how small we all once were! its a great tradition to start when they are small!

Supplies:

Cardboard
Wrapping Paper-or other embellishment
Glue
Ribbons or string to hang them on the tree

Instructions:

Trace each child's hand onto the cardboard and cut it out. Embellish it as you wish, gluing wrapping paper, or having the child decorate it. Make sure you note on the opposite side the child's name and the year! Its a great reminder of how quickly they grow! And this one is not quite as messy as the dough ornaments.

Also a great gift for grandparents-and inexpensive and easy to do multiples!

cookie cutter wrapping paper

Ella and I took on this project-and it turned out to be much easier than i expected, however not as pretty as i had hoped. Ahh, such is crafting with a 4 year-old! But its super easy and a great way to wrap gifts-especially for friends and grandparents-who have much less discriminating wrapping appreciation! And depending on how long you let it last, the clean up isn't too bad.

Cookie Cutter Wrapping Paper:

Large Sheets of Craft Paper-any color
Cookie Cutters
Paint-finger paint, acrylic, fabric-anything that will work on paper!

Use the cookie cutters as stamps and dip them in the paint and stamp them onto the paper. I tried construction paper, and depending on the paint-we used acrylic-it still will show up even on black paper! I suppose you could also decorate fabric as well to use as napkins or gift wrap!


And wrap your gifts! A perfect way to get the kids excited about giving a gift!

brown paper "gingerbread" houses

we endeavored to make these and while i was envisioning something a little more festive and decorated, i fought every urge to add to them once the children were napping! ;)

i did a single bag version-i didn't glue on a second bag, but we used construction paper and glued it on the top as a roof.

Approximate Time: 1 hour

Supplies:

• glue
• 2 paper bags
• markers
• paints
• felt
• shredded paper
• pipe cleaners
• buttons, poms, poms or any misc tidbits you have

Instructions:

First open lunch bag and fill with stuffing,paper, or shredded paper, I used my shredded waste paper. Fold top over like if you had a lunch in it. Staple the fold down on each end. Take second lunch bag leave unopened. Cut off the fold so that the bottom part is off. Glue over the other bag so it resembles a roof.

Now let you imagination go wild. Use any scraps, buttons, felt, poms poms you have to decorate the bag to look like a gingerbread house. We glued our "houses" onto small pieces of foam board so they could also decorate that!

Potato Stamped Wrapping Paper

You'll need:

• Paints
• A sponge, cut in half
• A potato
• A knife
• A marker or pen
• Paper

Step one

Cut the potato in half. 

Step two

Draw your desired shape on a piece of paper (it helps to trace around the potato face-down on the paper first so you can fit the shape exactly into the potato's circumference. 

Step three

Cut around the shape from the top and a few millimeters down the potato too so the shape rises from the rest of the potato. 

Step four

Place the sponges on a small plate and squirt paint onto each sponge. Let the kids loose with the stamps on a large sheet of butcher's paper or craft paper (we used the Ikea paper rolls). Leave to dry then wrap! 



From: http://www.kidspot.com.au/Christmas-Christmas-crafts-Potato-stamped-wrapping-paper+3708+117+article.htm