Spring and summer come and everyone starts opening their doors and windows, bringing in the fresh air. Tree leaves are full and flower blooms abound birds are singing, building nests and taking care of their chicks. I am drawn outdoors by the lure of warmer days and the call of the dirt and new sprouts. Not to mention, as a mom, the kids are clamoring for more room to play. It’s a perfect time to pull out some fun out door family crafts.
Here are a few, easy to personalize, craft ideas for summertime fun or to celebrate May Day, Mother’s Day or a holiday weekend. All craft supplies are easily attainable from craft supply stores or online suppliers. While making these crafts is a fun family activity, some are available in pre-assembled kits, or already made. Use your favorite search engine for more information on various ideas – keyword suggestions are offered below craft each idea.
1. Terra cotta clay pot bird bath. Invert terra cotta clay pots, from larger on bottom and smallest on top. Add a clay saucer (the part the pot sits in to catch the drained water). A waterproof saucer is necessary. Set the clay saucer on top of the inverted stack of pots. Paint or mosaic the pots if you feel especially creative. For more bird fun, add a mister. Birds love to play in the water. Note: Make two similar stands and use one for a bird feeder.
2. Plant and grow an herb garden. Include herbs such as basil, thyme, sage, chives and any other favorites. You’ll have fresh herbs to add to your recipes all summer long. Herbs are easy to grow, making this an easy garden for kids to help. Take it one step further and create a “kitchen garden”, including lettuce spinach, tomato, cucumber or other salad favorites.
3. Build a toad abode. Use a terra cotta pot and a rock. Invert a clay pot and prop edge on a rock. If you have a chipped pot, that would work great too and wouldn’t require propping. Paint and decorate to your liking.
4. A handmade stepping stone. Personalize with stones, marbles, or other memorable items. Make the project a tradition. Mark the stone with the year and include items to remember the year a key (house or car), a toy, etc. A footprint each year could signify the walk of life and would be fun for young children to mark their growth from summer to summer.
5. Personalized necklaces. Letter beads (for names or initials), a few spacer beads, a charm or two added to a simple chain makes a lovely, personal necklace for any mom or grandmother. For fun, make matching necklaces one for mom, grandmother, and daughters.
6. Bookmarks make a great craft for rainy days. Get creative – use paper, dried flowers, ribbons, needlepoint thread. Use beads and charms attached to chain or yarn to create a “book thong”.
7. A decorated throw pillow. A pre-made throw pillow with light colored fabric, decorated with fabric paint. Fabric glue will easily adhere buttons and other small mementos. Start from scratch and decorate your fabric before making a pillow – tie-dye, iron-on colored pictures made with fabric crayons or reverse dying using a darker fabric and bleach provide many creative ways to decorate any pillow or piece of fabric. Another variation would be decorating pillow cases.
8. A tie-dye party is fun for family or a gathering of extended family and friends. Supplies are readily available online coming in easy kits.
There are so many fun activities to be done outdoors during nice weather. For more ideas, or to submit your own, visit http://www.mommamuse.com/2006/04/21/summertime-craft-ideas/ .
Watch the video related to Crafts
Help answer the question about Crafts
I make patterns & crafts by hand. How do I copyright a pattern for items I make?I make these crafts from my own patterns to sell.
About Author
Judi Cox is a work at home mom living in the Ohio Valley with her husband and 4 children. She enjoys gardening for fun and for the birds, playing with the kids, reading, and promoting other mom businesses. She has been making soap and lotion since 2001. Visit MommaMuse.com.
*sub*
whoa!!it looks like a PICTURE!
ur an amazing painter!:D
http://www.homecrafts.co.uk
http://www.craftcreations.co.uk
http://www.craftee.co.uk
http://www.docrafts.co.uk
http://www.creativekidsathome.com
http://www.crafts4kids.com
http://www.ucraftkids.com
Bats. Paint toilet paper rolls black and glue wings on them and make a scary face. You can hang them with string.
Spiders. Paper machet small balloons. Use laundry starch and strips of news paper. After they dry you can paint them black and stick pipe cleaners in them for legs.
Ghost. Dip cheese cloth into laundry starch and gently ring out the extra. Drape it over a 2 liter soda bottle and let dry. Paint or glue felt for a face. Hang with string.
Nice work, you did pretty good.
Picture Frames , Mosaic a table , Jewelry
))
I like to make simple jewelry. This is popular for moms and elementary school teachers. Get the cute shaped erasers and hot glue them to earring posts. You can get bulk metal shapes like snowflakes and such at a crafts store. Then you can turn them into pins and earrings. If you want to fancy them up you can apply embossing (powder, then heat gun to seal).
They don't cost much and are quick and easy to do!
The United States armed forces cannot recieve cards to "any serviceman" this year due to fears of terrorism. Instead, the Pentagon has set up a secure email system that allows anyone to send a message to "any serviceman." Just pick the branch of the service, type your message and click send.
The story behind the "to any serviceman" cards:
Since 1967, when Sgt. Billy Thompson wrote Abigail Van Buren and mentioned that a wonderful Christmas present to our armed forces would be "just a letter from home," American citizens have been sending holiday wishes to servicemen and women stationed overseas every holiday season. Dubbed "Operation Dear Abby," the program has brought holiday joy to hundreds of thousands of U.S. military personnel deployed away from home.
To access the site, visit http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/
Military Exchange Prepaid Calling Cards
The Department of Defense Military Exchanges have been authorized to sell the following prepaid calling cards to individuals and organizations who wish to purchase these cards for our troops serving overseas in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
https://thor.milexch.com/scs/default.aspx
12 Ways to Support Our Troops
By Lance Helgeson
http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/yourlife/Articles/a2004-12-07-12support.html
You can adopt a specific or random service person for a prayer circle.
http://www.presidentialprayerteam.net/troopsadopt.php
You can write to a service person.
http://anyservicemember.navy.mil
There are dozen of organizations, which allow you to purchase items and present it to a service person, but there are other options you might consider. Visit the closest VA Hospital or for something really unique try:
http://www.snipersonline.org (They ask for contributions to buy items that the Government refuses or that is out of stock.
God Bless You and The Southern People
You’re really good man. You’ve got excellent talent.
Some horse riders sew their ribbons and rosettes won from horse shows onto quilts and cushion covers, and they look FANTASTIC. I know cardboard/paper from Christmas cards isn't quite the same or as flexible to use as ribbon, but perhaps you could think along those lines? I found a great website a few years ago, of a teenage girl who custom made some excellent quilts etc using people's ribbons. Wish I could remember the address! = It could have possibly been a great source of inspiration
Here is a craft idea that you can do so much with after you are finished with it.
first buy a package of coffee filters. any kind is fine (even a cheap kind) Next get some markers and decorate the coffee filters. don't do anthing fancy just like swirls and spirals going from the center all the way to the outside. Then fold them in half and half and half until they are like pie pieces (> kind of looks like that. Then dip one end into some water either out of a cup or a bowl and watch the colors run make sure it all gets wet but you don't need to drench the thing. Just a little bit goes along way trust me you will see when you do it. then after it is wet unfold it and let it dry. It will look pretty crazy and you can do so many things with it.
Examples: make flowers. pinch the middle and twist and put tape around the stem part so it doesn't come undone.
Use them as a back ground for pictures.
They are so many things you can do with them. Use your imagination.
Hoped this helped!!! Good Luck and have fun.
Incredible! He looks so life like. Just amazing…and what a beautiful subject
Excellent work. Pleasure to watch. Perfect music
))
I made a Santa candy container once. I took an ice pick and punched a hole in the center of the lid. Then I took a styrofoam ball, and make a hole through it, and inserted a pipe cleaner, twisting it at the top so it couldn't pull through. Then I made a Santa hat for it out of felt, with a white cotton ball on the top, and glued it on the ball, used sequins for eyes and mouth, and glued a cotton beard on it. Then I inserted the pipe cleaner through the lid, and taped it down so it wouldn't come loose. I cut arms and legs out of a single layer of red felt, mittens out of white felt, and boots out of black. I glued the pieces together, and then I glued them onto the sides and bottom of the jar. For Santa's belt, I glued a black strip of felt all the way around the jar and decorated it with a yellow felt buckle. When all was dry, I filled the jar with Christmas candy and set it on a shelf with his legs dangling down. Very cute, a good Girl Scout project.
hatbands
macrame them into a guitar strap with colored hemp twine
bead them onto the back of a jacket so it says your band's name
buy scrunchies and sew them on it so it's a plucky scrunchie! (Sorry! couldn't resist!)
make a watchband or headband
make them into a long fringe for a vest, pants or poncho
sew them down the sides of your pant legs in a stripe
make a chain mail jerkin (medieval vest) out of them by hooking them together with metal o-rings
make a chain mail purse or cell phone case
make key chains
make a lap counter out of them
do what my band does and save them in a picky bank, then toss them to the audience during your last song
Great talent Der Mann.
Very nice!!
Brilliant Willy, Just Brilliant =D