Elementary Crafts on a Shoe-String Budget

Entertaining young children can be exhausting, but it doesn't have to be expensive. Kids love crafts and creating things with their hands that they can use and show off. There is no need to purchase pricey craft kits from the store when you have almost everything you need in your own home. It takes a little creative thinking, but it's worth the effort. Here's a few ideas to get you started...

Personalized Flip Flops
Give new life to summer's old flip flops (or added life to inexpensive plains ones) by letting your kids decorate their own. Simply use fabric paint to decorate the foot bed (be sure paint is spread fairly thin so as not to create bumps that could rub on their feet) and rhinestones, beads, etc. to decorate the top band. Remember to keep beads, rhinestones, etc. out of the reach of children under the age of three, even if they seem securely attached.

Save a Summer Vacation Picture
Create your child's very own frame to commemorate your summer vacation by glueing eight popsicle sticks (2 each side) into a square. Take a small patch of fabric or heavy paper cut to size and glue on three sides to create a pocket. For littles ones, it may help if you complete this step first and allow to dry for a bit before allowing them to decorate. You can glue a string, ribbon, yarn, etc. to form a loop to hang your frame or use magnets glued to the back for your refrigerator collection. (You don't need to buy magnets! Save the advertising ones from the phone book and promotional mailings. They are perfect for kid's crafts - thin, flexible, and usually easy to cut.) Let the kids decorate their frames with whatever items you have...pom poms, markers, paint, glue, glitter, etc. Perhaps for a beach vacation they could use some glued-on sand and seashells.

New Life for Old Chalk Bits
Sick of those teeny tiney sidewalk chalk bits? Combine bits of somewhat like colors in a big zipper lock bag, squeezing out most of the air. Crush by stomping on the bag. (The kids will love this part!) Shake into an old plastic container and add enough water to bring it to paint consistency. Give the kids old paintbrushes or inexpensive ones from the dollar store and Voila! - sidewalk paint!

Save Those Crayon Scraps!
Save up your crayon bits and make your own crayon cubes. Melt clean (no paper) crayon bits in an old double boiler. You can melt similar colors or make swirls by melting together a hodge podge of colors and not strirring too much. Pour into ice cube trays to make blocks and allow to cool. You can even purchase inexpensive ($1 for two at Target) novelty ice cube trays and make themed crayons. Try experimenting with mixing colors, which teaches children primary and secondary (and beyond!) colors. To get extra-creative, you can "stack" colors by partially filling each cube, allowing to slightly harden, and repeating with different colors. Another option is adding some glitter to the melted mix and making glitter crayons. Remember to supervise your children and not allow small children to handle hot materials on their own. These make great home-made party favors and are easy for little fingers to handle.

With a little creativity and not a lot of money, you can keep your youngster entertained with home-made arts and crafts projects. Search around your home for items you can "repurpose" and always evaluate if that piece of trash you're about to toss has some craft value.