St. Patrick’s Day Crafts: How to Draw a Shamrock

March 7, 2014 by AllFreeKidsCrafts 3 Comments

Drawing tutorials like these are such fun and festive St. Patrick’s Day crafts for kids!

This post brought to you by Kathy Barbro

I’ve been teaching kids how to draw for over ten years now, and I love to see them get surprised at what they can do. Breaking things down into simple steps really helps, and this shamrock drawing is a classic example. I recommend it for kids ages 6 and up. You can find many more of my How to Draw tutorials at my site, www.artprojectsforkids.org.

Materials:

• Watercolor paper
• Watercolor paints (I used Prang 16 Oval Set which comes with two
greens)
• Brush, water
• Metallic Gold Pen Marker, extra fine point

Instructions:

1. Fold the watercolor paper in half to make a card. Draw about five cross shapes lightly with a pencil. Some may be upside down.

2. Lightly draw hearts around the three short ends. Make them as fat as possible without touching.

3. Use a dark green paint to trace the lines and fill in. Older students may add shadows near the center.

4. Use a lighter green to fill in the background,leaving a white edge around each shamrock. If only one green paint is available, add extra water to lighten.

5. Trace the main lines with a gold paint pen. Add angled lines inside each leaf.

Love this tutorial? Check out Kathy’s projects on AllFreeKidsCrafts.com!

How are you celebrating St. Patrick’s Day?

Sewing a Scrap Dress with Constance Talbot

January 10, 2014 by AllFreeSewing 2 Comments

Amazingly, this AllFreeSewing editor found herself with a free evening. No work, no chores, no obligations. Obviously, I b-lined it to my sewing machine. Before settling down, though, I glanced upon my copy of the famous Constance Talbot’s, The Complete Book of Sewing. Released in 1943 you would think this collection would now be outdated and obsolete. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Leafing through this age-ridden book I found myself on page 219, “Restyling–Remodeling–Remaking”.

“Refashioning?” I asked myself. What with Pinterest commandeering most young craft lovers’ attention, I’ve found myself believing that “refashioning” is a new phenomenon. Who but the 20-somethings could tell you how to make your 1980’s shorteralls into a waist-high, booty-bunching, lace-trimmed pair of Daisy Dukes? Of course, only the greatest generation could rival today’s tech-savvy, penny-pinching recession babies. Talbot, a member of this hard-working age, thoughtfully reassured me, “Most home sewers think that remodeling always means completely remaking, but frequently some very simple adjustments will give months of wear to a dress which otherwise would have to be discarded.” (Talbot 219). With that in mind, I jumped valiantly towards my box of scraps and went to work.

Mustering Constance’s good, old, American work ethic and resourcefulness, I prepared myself for a journey of oddly shaped fabric pieces, broken buttons, and extreme seam ripping.

The Task: Transforming an old, too-tight shirt and some unused quilt scraps into a dress (obviously for someone tinier and more fun-loving than myself).

Step 1: Cutting, Adjusting, and Sewing the Skirt

Be assured that Constance, my Sewing Buddy, and I had no pattern while approaching this project because we were pressed for time (only an evening, remember?). My Sewing Buddy and I started with the extra quilt fabric, shaping it to match a more rectangular shape for the skirt of the dress.

Having limited ourselves to just the supplies in our scrap box, we had to make do and mend the pieces available. That resulted in a somewhat patch-worked (but still functional) skirt.

After “filling in” the bottom half to create a rectangle we needed to apply further scraps to create a shape fitting for a skirt.

This didn’t come without a price. One of the disadvantages of working with scraps of a striped pattern is that it can often be noticeably off-set when you sew pieces together. The Seam Ripper soon joined our party.

Step Two: Sewing in the Waistband

Lucky for me, my Sewing Buddy, Constance, and the Seam Ripper, we have an embarrassingly large amount of scraps and old clothing in our house. During this process I found a skirt that, if I wore outside today, would most likely get me arrested. While this skirt was too short, the elastic waist was just right for my Sewing Buddy for whom this dress was going to. We went to work tearing out both the waistline and buttons of this old piece.

Carefully, we sewed both the waistband and the button strips into the scrapped skirt. The waistband was pre-fit, so we were able to easily ruffle the bottom skirt to fit. Using these already constructed pieces from an old skirt saved us both time and material. You’re welcome, Constance.

Choosing an invisible button-line for the front of the skirt, we removed our button strips and sewed them within the skirt.

Voila! Invisible buttons safely secured.

Sewing It All Together

Having an already sewn peplum top to serve as the bodice, the rest of the dress construction should have taken us no time at all. In fact, we were already enjoying a congratulatory dance over our quick work when…

I stepped on one of the shirt’s buttons…

and snapped it in half.

Call it luck, but I like to think good old Constance was on our side. Inside the old top we found an unbroken spare button. An unexpected hand sewing break occurred at this point in our journey, lengthening the overall process slightly but allowing us to recoup after the merry bout of dancing.

Alas, we were near the end. Adhering the top bodice to the skirt took no time at all. We decided to take advantage of waistline in the top and align it with our skirt’s waistline so that the peplum showed in the final dress.

And we were through! One stunningly cute dress for a grand total of $0.00. Turned out to be a pretty great deal and an excellent way to spend an evening.

Tell us! What’s your greatest refashion story?

Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids: Craft Stick Turkey Friends

November 15, 2013 by AllFreeKidsCrafts 2 Comments

Create kids’ Thanksgiving crafts to decorate your home!

This post brought to you by Lady Lucas

These super cute decorations are the perfect touch for your Thanksgiving table spread, and kids will love making them!

Materials:

Large Popsicle sticks
Brown and red acrylic paint
Assorted feathers
Craft glue
Thin tipped Sharpie / black & pink
Small paint brushes

Instructions:

1. Paint the top of your Popsicle sticks with brown acrylic paint. About ⅓ of the entire Popsicle surface is the perfect amount. Let dry completely.

2. Add faces to your turkeys using a fine tipped black sharpie marker. Experiment with all different expressions! Add wings, legs and feet as well.

3. Use craft glue to apply feathers to the back of the turkeys and add a little red feather to the heads of each bird.

4. Add a little red paint under each turkey beak and some cheeks with a pink Sharpie marker. A little dot of red paint for the cheeks if you don’t happen to have colored Sharpies.

5. Decorate the home with your turkey friends by placing them in vases around the house, in flower bouquets on your dining table, or by sticking a few in your holiday centerpiece. Happy Thanksgiving!

Check out Lady Lucas’ Etsy shop here!

What’s your go-to Thanksgiving decoration?

Make Your Own Luggage Tag for Your Holiday Travels

October 10, 2013 by FaveCraftsBlog 3 Comments

It’s that time of the year when families and friends start jetsetting around the globe to visit with loved ones for the holidays. The bustling airports and packed highways are filled with packed suitcases. If you want to ensure that you get your belongings at your end location or to make sure nothing gets lost, you will need a luggage tag. It’s so easy to create one yourself with just some scrap fabric, cardboard, and Elmer’s CraftBond Fabric and Leather Glue. Check out the simply tutorial below and start making one for yourself or make one as a great holiday gift with very low cost.

Materials
– Scrap Fabric: Three pieces
– two pieces approximately 5 1/2″ x 4″
– one piece that is 2 1/2″ x 4″
– Scrap Cardboard, something slightly sturdier than a cereal box
– Elmer’s CraftBond Fabric and Leather Glue
– Ribbon

Instructions
1. Cut two pieces of cardboard. Each piece should measure 4 1/2″ x 3″. On one piece you will cut out the center to create a frame. The center should measure 2″ x 3 1/2″ to fit a standard business card.

2. Cover your cardboard with Elmer’s CraftBond Fabric and Leather Glue. It is best to use a brush to get an even layer. Cut out your corners as the photo below shows. This will make it easier to fold your corners in and neater. Fold over the edges and glue them to the cardboard as well.

3. On the Frame piece, you will do the same process of layering glue and centering the piece on the fabric. You will then cut an ‘X’ in the center to make the folding over the edges easiest.

4. You will then cut off the “peaks” of the triangles you created so that you don’t have any fabric hanging over the edge of the frame. Then brush on the glue and fold over each of the four sides, inside and out.

5. Place the 2 1/2″ x 4″ piece over the center of your cardboard base to cover the center. Glue in place.

6. Glue the frame to the top of the base, gluing only three sides so that you can slide in a card. It is best to glue just the edges so that there is plenty of room for the card.

7. Punch a whole in the glued short end, add ribbon. Be sure to use a loop large enough to feed the tag back through to secure it to your luggage.

That’s it. So simple and this craft took me about 15 minutes in total. If you have scraps of fabric in your stash, this is the perfect craft. Craft Stores also sell scraps of fabric or smaller pieces, so it is still a very inexpensive craft if you need to purchase the fabric.

Don’t forget to tune into the Elmer’s CraftIt Facebook page tomorrow, October 10th at 8p EST for a fun chat about fall craft ideas and a chance to win a great prize!

No Carve Pumpkin Tutorial with Elmer’s

October 9, 2013 by FaveCraftsBlog Leave a Comment

Halloween is a great time of the year to get your craft on. Whether you make your own costume, decorate your home, or carve your own pumpkin, there are so many ways that you can celebrate the holiday with your own handmade ideas. One of my favorite projects for Halloween involve no cutting or scooping at all. No need to get all that nasty pumpkin goo on your hands or in your house if you don’t want to. You can create a no carve pumpkin that will be a staple in your Halloween decor for years to come. We’ve teamed up with Elmer’s to bring you this awesomely easy Halloween craft, that takes very few supplies. Just because you aren’t spending that much on product, this rhinestone pumpkin will make your Halloween set up look like a million dollars.

Materials
– Elmer’s CraftBond Fast Drying Glue Pen
– Self Adhesive Rhinestones
– Artificial Pumpkin
– Ribbon
– Marker
– Ruler
– Tape

Instructions

Use a scrap piece of ribbon, marker, and ruler to mark off how you want your rhinestones spaced on your pumpkin. My pumpkin was 8″ tall and I spaced my rhinestones every 1/2″.

Secure your ribbon to your pumpkin as a guide for your rhinestones. I used masking tape but any tape will work.

Squeeze out small dots of glue according to your guide. This glue works great, so you only need a small amount. It also dries completely clear, which is awesome. Once you complete the first row, you can use that row as your guide for the rest or resecure the ribbon to the next area as your marker.

Complete each section and go all the way around your pumpkin.

This is a very simple craft and I’ve seen plenty of blinged out decor lately in the stores but you can make this fabulous Halloween craft for a fraction of the cost. The results will impress your friends.

Don’t forget to tune into the Elmer’s CraftIt Facebook page tomorrow, October 10th at 8p EST for a fun chat about fall craft ideas and a chance to win a great prize!

Halloween Crafts for Kids: Pom Pom Spookers

September 26, 2013 by AllFreeKidsCrafts 3 Comments

Halloween Crafts for Kids: Pom Pom Spookers

This post brought to you by Lady Lucas

I make these adorable little critters every year around Halloween and they are loved by children of any age. You can use pom poms you make yourself with yarn, or make use of fluffy, store-bought ones! Place around the home as Halloween decor, or use to decorate packages!

Materials:

Assorted large pom poms
Assorted cardstock
Small googly eyes
Black embroidery floss
Pipe cleaners
Strong craft glue
Scissors
Circle punch 1 ½”

Instructions:

1. Before starting your critters, punch out some colorful circles with a paper punch, or cut out your own using a stencil or even free hand. These will be the ‘base’ for each critter, and the size should be a little larger than a quarter {around 1 ½”}.

2. To make an owl critter, cut out three tiny triangles, two circles, and two pointy feet from yellow cardstock. Glue all pieces onto a dark-colored pom pom and add tiny googly eyes as a final touch. Glue your owl on a circle base.

3. To make a cute witch, cut a witch hat out of black cardstock. Cut two tiny circles out of white cardstock, and a broom out of tan colored cardstock. Glue all pieces on a black pom pom and add googly eyes inside the white circles. If you have some glitter glue, add a line to the witch’s hat. Glue your witch on a circle base.

4. To make the cute jack-o-lantern critters, you can let your imagination go wild! Knotted black embroidery floss makes cute beady eyes… or use googly eyes instead. Cut paper can make a funny smile or nose. A strand of black embroidery floss offers a simple smile.

5. After gluing all your face components together, add a little hat to your critter by folding a half circle and gluing it on the seam. Glue a small piece of pipe cleaner at the bottom for the fringe of the hat. These tiny hats are tricky for little hands, so an adult’s help might be needed! Glue your jack-o-lanterns on colorful circle bases.

Check out Lady Lucas’ Etsy Shop here!

Click here to see more Lady Lucas projects!

Are you a fan of the Halloween holiday?

Lovable, Easy Crafts: Miniature Heart Bunting

August 21, 2013 by AllFreeKidsCrafts Leave a Comment

Miniature Heart Bunting

This post brought to you by Lady Lucas

Cute little buntings are everywhere these days, and I have been wanting to make one that is both simple and small enough to add to my everyday decor. This little heart bunting fits the bill and is a great project for little ones as well!

Materials:

Assorted colors of card stock or thick construction paper
Small heart punch
Embroidery floss in purple or pink
2 bamboo skewers
Artificial moss rounds or clay for mounting
Clear craft glue or glue dots
Thin black and pink marker

Instructions:

1. Using a small heart punch, punch six or seven heart shapes out of colored card stock.

2. Arrange your heart shapes in a line and place a string of embroidery floss on top that extends a few inches over either side. Squeeze a dot of glue in the center of each heart and let dry thoroughly. {If you happen to have glue dots on hand, you can use that as an alternative.}

3. Using a thin-tipped black marker, add little faces to the front of your bunting. A pink marker can be used to add rosy cheeks.

4. Tie your string of hearts around two bamboo skewers tightly to create a bunting. Add your bunting into the soil to decorate your favorite plant or add to a freshly baked cake for a great birthday decoration!

5. To use your bunting during play time or for display at home, stick the pointy end of both skewers into balls of clay or weighted artificial moss rounds to stabilize your creation. Add a few adorable miniature toys below your string of hearts or set up a miniature tea party for hours of fun!

Check out Lady Lucas’ Etsy shop here!

What’s your favorite use for a bunting?

Kids’ Summer Craft: No-Sew Nautical Puppets

July 11, 2013 by AllFreeKidsCrafts 5 Comments

Go Under the Sea with Summer Crafts for Kids!

This post brought to you by Lady Lucas

These adorable felt finger puppets are the perfect afternoon craft for summer days. I’ve created a whale and jellyfish for you below, but you could continue the concept into almost any sea creature you can imagine, from a shark to an octopus or even a mermaid!

Materials:

Bright blue, pink and yellow felt
Thin red ribbon
Fabric glue
Black fabric marker
Scissors
Whale template
Jellyfish template

Instructions:

Whale Finger Puppet

1. Fold a piece of bright blue felt in half and use scissors to cut out two identical whale shapes. You can create your own shape or print and cut out the template.

2. Place fabric glue around the perimeter of one of the whale shapes and leave about an inch of space at the bottom. Carefully place the other whale shape on top so that they match up and press down firmly. You can leave the handle of a paintbrush in the opening of your puppet while it dries to ensure it does not seal shut.

3. When your puppet is dry, draw an eye, mouth, and any other details you wish with a black fabric marker. A tiny pink circle of felt can be glued on for a cheek. Repeat this face on the other side if you wish.

4. Once your puppet dries, have fun playing with him or her, or display it on a bamboo skewer for a great summer decoration!

Jellyfish Finger Puppet

1. Fold a piece of bright pink felt in half and use scissors to cut out two identical semi-circle shapes. Use the template if you’d like.

2. Cut 5 pieces of red ribbon for tentacles. Three pieces should be approximately 10 inches, while the other two should be around 5 inches. Glue these towards the bottom of one of your cut shapes like so:

3. Place fabric glue around the rounded part of one of jellyfish shapes {the one with the ribbon pieces} leaving the flat bottom part without glue. Carefully place the identical jellyfish on top and firmly press down. You can leave the handle of a paintbrush in the opening of your puppet while it dries to ensure it does not seal shut.

4. Glue two tiny yellow felt circles for eyes and add pupils with a black fabric marker. Use your marker to add a mouth as well.

5. Once your puppet dries, have fun playing with him or her, or display it on a bamboo skewer for a great summer decoration!

Check out Lady Lucas’ Etsy shop here!

Do you prefer the beach or the pool in hot weather?

No Sew Accent Pillow Pattern with New Michaels Fabric

July 9, 2013 by FaveCraftsBlog 3 Comments

In celebration of the new pre-cut fabric line at Michaels Stores, we have a fun and simple new home decor project to share. This is a project you can easily whip up in just a few minutes. The new Michaels fabric comes pre-cut and this project uses just that pre-cut piece to create a simple project to add a personalized touch to any room. You can use a pillow form you can purchase at the store or even jazz up an old pillow to match your new decor.

This is a great project to get the house ready for guests or change out your home decor for the holidays or seasons.

Materials List

One yard of pre-cut Michaels fabric
16 inch pillow form
Safety Pins
Two yards of wide ribbon
Scissors

Instructions

Lay out your pre-cut Michaels fabric and center your pillow form.
Fold the fabric the long way and secure it with safety pins. No one will see this part of the pillow, the pins are simply there to hold the fabric in place.
Fold the long ends into somewhat of a point being sure to pull the fabric taut and fold the corners sharply to create an edge on the front of the pillow.
Pull both ends and tie them in a knot as tightly as you can.
Add a wide ribbon tied to the pillow for an accent on the front.

Voila! It’s just that simple. So, if you are having guests over this summer, add a little personal pizzaz with a new accent pillow. Stay tuned, we have one more fun home decor project idea using the new Michaels Fabrics that you won’t want to miss.

You can also find lots of great ideas on Michaels Pinterest page or by following AllFreeSewing for great fabric ideas.

ScrapKins Soaring Summer Craft for Kids

June 19, 2013 by AllFreeKidsCrafts Leave a Comment

Fly & Soar! A Summer Recycled Art Project for Kids

This post is brought to you by Brian Yanish, creative director/founder of ScrapKins

It’s summer. You need activities. You want the kids out of the house enjoying “offline” time. How do you compete with iPads and video games during the summer? Make stuff that flies! We’re all about using what we already have lying around the house; it’s free, and you end up consuming less.

I’m the creator of a recycled art program called ScrapKins, which follows the adventures of six recycled monsters! (Fun fact: The ScrapKins characters are based on drawings I did when I was a kid. Thanks Mom!) To kick off our “Fly & Soar” project, I’m going to turn over the blog to Swooper, the chief ScrapKins engineer.

Hi there, builders! I’m Swooper, and I’m going to share all the steps to “Scrap-vent” your own Parachute Escape Pod from a plastic bag, string, and a cardboard tube. This one is great for an adventure in the park or even in your own backyard! When you launch your “pod” it will float. (Hint: It floats even better on a windy day when a gust of wind may make it soar!)

Let’s get started.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Materials:

1 toilet paper tube (each tube can make 2 pods!)
1 plastic shopping bag
1 small piece of thin cardboard (like a cereal box)
String
Glue
Hole punch
Tape
Markers/crayons
Pencil
Ruler
Scissors

Instructions:

1) Flatten your tube and cut it in half.
2) Place tube on top of cardboard and draw a circle a little bigger than your tube. Cut out the circle.
3) Glue the circle to the bottom of your tube.
4) Use the hole punch to punch 1 hole on each side of the tube near the top.
5) Measure and cut 2 pieces of string 24” long.
6) Cut off the bottom half of plastic bag.
7) Thread 1 piece of string through 1 hole. Repeat with the other hole and string.
8) Lay down bag. Start with one side first. Tape one string end INSIDE the bag near the edge. Tape the other end across from it. Flip bag over and tape other 2 ends.
9) Tuck the parachute inside tube. Use markers and crayons to design your pod. You can also cut shapes from colored paper and glue them on.

How to Fly Your Pod:

1) Take parachute out of tube and untangle.
2) Loosely grasp tube and bag together.
3) Toss it in the air or drop it from a high place.

You are free to use this project at home. If you’d like to use it in the classroom, please use this FREE downloadable worksheet that credits us. Thanks and Happy Flying!

Want to make more of our interactive recycled art projects?
Check out our ScrapKins Build-It Book!

Drawing tutorials like these are such fun and festive St. Patrick’s Day crafts for kids!

This post brought to you by Kathy Barbro

Materials:

Instructions:

Love this tutorial? Check out Kathy’s projects on AllFreeKidsCrafts.com!

How are you celebrating St. Patrick’s Day?

Create kids’ Thanksgiving crafts to decorate your home!

This post brought to you by Lady Lucas

Materials:

Instructions:

What’s your go-to Thanksgiving decoration?

Halloween Crafts for Kids: Pom Pom Spookers

This post brought to you by Lady Lucas

Materials:

Instructions:

Are you a fan of the Halloween holiday?

Miniature Heart Bunting

This post brought to you by Lady Lucas

Materials:

Instructions:

What’s your favorite use for a bunting?

Go Under the Sea with Summer Crafts for Kids!

This post brought to you by Lady Lucas

Materials:

Instructions:

Whale Finger Puppet

Jellyfish Finger Puppet

Do you prefer the beach or the pool in hot weather?

Fly & Soar! A Summer Recycled Art Project for Kids

This post is brought to you by Brian Yanish, creative director/founder of ScrapKins

Materials:

Instructions:

How to Fly Your Pod:

Crochet

Jewelry

Knitting

Paper

Sewing

Thrifty