Mother's Day Craft Projects -- 2




Crafts -- 2


HOMEMADE LOCKET

Turn a piece of hardware into a wearable treasure
that is sure to stay close to Mom's heart.

All your child will need to make this locket is
a 1-by-1 1/2-inch brass hinge,
18 inches of ball chain with fastener,
a piece of soft wire
(all available at hardware stores),
and two photos.

Trim a snapshot or a school picture
(remember....color photocopies only!!)
so the desired image fits on a plate of the hinge.

Next, use a hot-glue gun (adults only)
to fix the photo to an inner plate.

To decorate, your child can glue a piece
of her artwork onto the face of the locket.

Now, run the wire through the top of the hinge,
then wrap it securely around the chain.

MUMS FOR MOM

Personalized Flowerpots

With one of these personalized pots,
your child can give Mom a bouquet and a card in one.

To make the planter, he'll need a clean,
dry terra-cotta pot
and a box of Cray-Pas oil pastels
(available at art supply stores).

Because the oil pastels are permanent,
it's a good idea for your child to
first sketch his design on the pot with a pencil.
He can then decorate with the pastels.

If your child wants a more colorful base
for his Mother's Day message, help him
brush on a coat or two of acrylic paint.
Let the paint dry overnight before coloring on the pot.

As a crowning touch, add a flowering plant
to the pot before presenting it to Mom.

FLOWER CARD

Sure, long-stemmed roses may be lovely,
but this pop-up bouquet is much more personal-
-not to mention affordable on an allowance.

To make one, your child will need
a sheet of colored craft paper,
a sheet of unlined white paper,
colored markers,
scissors and glue.

An adult or older sibling should help him
with the following directions.

Cut
a 7-by-4-inch rectangle
and a 4-by-1 1/2-inch rectangle
out of the colored paper.

Position the small rectangle so that the short edges
are on the sides and draw a flower vase in the center.

On the white paper,
draw some flowers with broad stems and leaves.
Cut them out and glue the fronts of the stems
and leaf ends to the flip side of the vase.

Once they're dry,
crease the vase and bouquet vertically.
Then, fold back the short sides
of the small rectangle 1/2 inch from the edges.

Fold the large rectangle in half, crease and reopen.
Center the drawing on top of the opened card and
glue the side tabs of the small rectangle to the card.
Finally, print a greeting.

PILLOW PRINTS

Instead of keeping all of his prized pictures in an album,
your child can display them collage-style on a
personalized pillow that's perfect for Mother's Day.

The project involves two steps--
first, making a collage, and second,
taking it to a photocopy shop
to have the image transferred onto a pillowcase
(the average fee is about $12).

Once your child has selected the photos
he wants to use, ask him to cut out the images
with a pair of scissors and arrange them
on a sheet of plain white paper.

When he is happy with his design,
have him glue the cutouts in place, and the
collage will be ready to take to the copy shop.

There, ask the clerk to make
a slightly reduced color photocopy
of the collage to sharpen the images.

Then have the photocopy of the image
transferred onto a pillowcase
(you'll need to supply your own) or a
piece of washable fabric you can sew into a cover.

At home, your child can finish off his pillow
by sewing on trinkets, beads, buttons or tassels.

MERINGUE NESTS

Usually it's the mother bird
who builds a nest for her young.

But with this no-fuss meringue recipe
(and a little help), your kids can whip up a
candy roost to surprise Mom on her special day.

4 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Shredded coconut
Malted candy eggs or jelly beans

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper
(available at most grocery stores).

In a mixing bowl, whip together the egg whites,
cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks form
(about 1 to 2 minutes).

Then, slowly add the sugar, beating
constantly until the mixture is glossy and stiff
(another minute or so).

Beat in the vanilla extract until just combined.

Now you're ready to make the meringue nests.
Spoon three mounds of the mixture
onto each baking sheet.
Use the bowl of the spoon to shape each mound
into a 4-inch-wide circle with a
2-inch-deep depression in the center.

Give your nests a lived-in look
by sprinkling shredded coconut over each one.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes,
or until the meringues are dry
and the coconut has turned golden brown.

Once cool,
tuck one malted candy egg or jelly bean
into the nest for each child in the family.
Makes 6 nests.

HANDMADE BREAD DOUGH
CLAY NECKLACE


An easy craft for children to make!

Recipe for Bread Dough Clay

Materials:

5 Pieces of white bread with crusts trimmed off
5 teaspoons liquid dishwashing soap
5 tablespoons white glue
Food Coloring
Bowl

1. Tear the bread into bits and place it in a bowl.

2. Add the dishwashing soap and glue.

3. Knead together until the mixture
no longer sticks to your hands.

4. Knead in the food coloring. (Wear
rubber gloves to keep from staining your hands).

Make sure your hands are clean before kneading,
or the clay may turn a dirty gray color.

Use wheat bread to make brown dough to use
for naturally "antiqued" objects.

BREAD CLAY BEADS

Materials:

Bread dough clay in various colors
Bamboo skewer
Several Books
Paints
Paintbrush
Spray Varnish
or other clear spray sealant may be used
Yarn, or Ribbon, or fishing line,
or dental floss (waxed)

1. Form the clay into a variety of shapes
such as balls, cubes, and short tubes.

2. Thread the beads onto a bamboo skewer,
leaving a space between each bead
to let them dry thoroughly.

3. Paint the beads while they are still on the skewer,
with various decorations and embellishments.

4. Rest the ends of the skewer
on two stacks of books to allow
the paint to dry on all sides of the beads.
When the paint dries,
spray the beads with the varnish or sealer.

5. String the dry beads onto yarn,
or ribbon, or fishing line or dental floss
to make necklaces or bracelets.

More Ideas:

Use several different colors
and string beads in a pattern.

Make beads using two or three different
colors together on each bead.

Make polka dots or swirls.

Use small plastic beads between each
handmade bead, when stringing them together.

Go back to Mother's Day Crafts.