Magic and Mayhem

We’ve gotten out of the habit of daily crafts around here and I want to get back to it so I’ve been compiling some of my old, super simple crafts and activities to ease back into it. Here’s 5 on my list for the near future….

• The painted sheet ~ Hang an old sheet on the clothesline, put the kids in craft clothes, and let them paint all over it. When dry, take a picture and wash to start over. Or, if the paint is permanent, just add to it all summer.      
• Nature pendants ~ Cut a piece of clear contact paper (or clear packing tape in a pinch) into a nice shape like a diamond and have the kids go outside and find natural items to press onto it. Flower petals, leaves, blades of grass and even tiny feathers can look pretty. When they’re done, press a piece of construction paper onto it to seal and trim to fit. Punch a hole and thread with yarn to make a necklace.
• Sun stationery ~ Give the kids a sheet of dark or bright construction paper and have them arrange items in whatever pattern they like. Leave it in the sun all day to bleach out the area around the objects.
• Petal pictures ~ Gather up some flower petals and small leaves. Use a green pen or crayon to draw a flower stem and then glue the petals into flower shapes. Glue leaves around the stem. To preserve (for at least a while), cover it with a sheet of clear contact paper or put it in a glass picture frame. These make darling little note cards for the kids to send thank you cards to friends and family.
• Fairy houses ~ Have the kids find a sheltered spot to make a little hideaway for fairies. Tell them they can use any natural materials to make chairs, beds, tables or complete houses to attract fairies.