Patriotic Crafts for Seniors and Toddlers: Continent Place Mats

Memorial Day is the perfect time for patriotic crafts for seniors and toddlers. If your senior served in the armed forces or is simply a patriotic American, then they can have some fun with toddler aged grand children making this fun patriotic craft!

This is a United States place mat that is easy to make, perfect for all ages, and can be used for year to come.

To Make a United Sates Placemat You Will Need:

Acrylic Paints

Canvas

Fabric Glue Iron

Ruler

Markers

To get started with this project I like ot find a copy of a map I like. You can photo copy it to get the continent the size you need it. Cut the continent out of the paper and use this as a guide to trace onto the place mat.

I like to use a nice thick Sharpie marker for this. Now, for the real fun. Kids, toddlers, and seniors can work together to drawing all the states in the United Sates on th map.

The collaborative process will lead to a whimsical map of the United states.

Once any lines have been filled in it is time to start painting. You can fill in like a paint by numbers. Don't forget to paint the blue ocean surrounding most of the United states. If course you can paint as you wish.

Now, for some more embellishing ideas you can use black puff paint ot now outline the whole United State continent and state. This will add some dimension to the whole patriotic placemat craft.

Another fun look is to use fabric markers or fabric paint pens and trace out the states. You can use these to mark the capitols of each state and write in the names. Look for extra fine tipped markers meant for fabric for this.

Another fun look use to use buttons and sew them on as the stars that typically mark each sate capitol. This is a fun way to incorporate little sewing in this patriotic craft if your senior loves to sew.

Finally, on the left and right side you can sew on, fabric glue on, or staple on some ribbons. This way you can roll the placemat map up and tie it like a scroll or rolled map when not in use.

Tip: Be sure to coat all areas of the canvas with paint. This will ensure a long life and allow for easy cleaning.