Easy Paper-Craft for Kids

Whenever kids work with paper, there will be scraps. Instead of wasting them, save them in a box until you have accumulated a large amount. If a smaller child is looking for something to do, give him an old newspaper and a pair of blunt scissors to chop the newspaper into even more scraps. When the box is full, it's time to gather kids, (your own or a group from the neighborhood), around to turn the collected scraps into a beautiful craft project they can use themselves or save for a future gift giving occasion. Best of all, the project will cost you practically nothing.

1. Measure 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of water for each child in your group into a large container.

2. Mix the flour and water together until it forms a gooey, but not quite liquid paste.

3, Divide the paste into individual containers such as old cottage cheese or margarine containers, and place one in front of each child.

4. Let each child choose a bowl to use as his or her mold. (Plastic ones work best for very small children.)

5. Have each child cover his or her bowl with plastic wrap. You may need to use scotch tape to hold the plastic wrap in place if it tends to come loose.

6. Instruct each child to turn his or her bowl, bottom side up on the table.

7. Show them how to dip paper scraps in the paste and smooth the strips all over the outside of the bowl, including the bottom. Have them place an even border of the strips around the top of the bowl or it will need trimming later.

8. Repeat the process over and over until each bowl has 5 or 6 layers of paper over it.

9. Have the children smooth the bowls carefully with their fingers to make sure there are no bumps. You may need to help younger children with this part.

10. Set the bowls aside to dry until the next day.

11. When the children return the next day, have them remove the original bowls from inside their paper project. (You might want to have them remove the plastic wrap at this point, also, to save you some clean-up time later.)

12. Provide Sharpie type markers and encourage the children draw original designs on their bowls. If they seem hesitant, you can have some zig-zag type Indian designs, which are easy to copy, available for them to pattern their drawings after.

13. Paint the bowls with a fast drying paint and let them dry.

14. Follow up with a coat of protective shellac if desired.

15. Kids are very proud of projects they have made themselves. If you have a digital camera, have them line up their bowls or stand together holding them for a group picture that you can print a copy of for each child to keep.

VARIATIONS

1. Use stick-on decals for your decorations. This works best for very small children. With shellac on the outside, the decals are protected, and will not easily peel off.

2. Experiment with using raised items, such as fancy buttons, tiny silk flowers, or real leaves for your decorations. These should be glued on to make sure they do not come off easily, and used on bowls that will not be handled constantly.

3. Use a variety of mold shapes. Clay flower pots work well, or low-rimmed candy bowls. Look around your house and many ideas for molds will come to mind.

The project may be completed, but I warn you to start saving paper scraps immediately afterwards, because the kids will never let you rest until you allow them do it again.