Posts Tagged ‘Crafts’
The merits of arts and crafts for children
The merits of arts and crafts such as drawing and coloring for kids are regularly argued by child development experts, educators and parents alike… especially so for the real impact they have on child development. However, it is difficult to argue with the top three reasons why we should all encourage the children in our care to take part in arts and crafts.
Creativity – If you were to ask a cross section of individuals what is the first personality characteristic that arts and crafts will develop in a young child – most would answer ‘creativity’. And they are correct. Everyone has natural talents and skills and it is possible to improve and boost them… even if you only have a little natural talent. Creativity enables your child to try out and benefit from new
ideas, options and alternatives in a future career. Kids learn to do things in new and alternate ways and literally profit from thinking “out of the box”.
Perseverance - Perseverance is perhaps the single most important quality for any successful business person, sportsman, professional or individual. In fact, most well-known breakthroughs in life have been attributed to perseverance alone. Arts and crafts improve everyone’s level of perseverance. For instance, children learn to keep trying until they complete the task, be it a sculpture or a coloring in sheet.If something unexpected goes wrong… they are encouraged to persist by trying new ways and means and the pay-off is a wonderful piece of art that they have created.
Concentration – Akin to having perseverance, developing concentration is another quality well-worth having as an individual. Drawing, coloring, sculpting, painting and even doodling will definitely teach your child to focus on one specific task at hand… ignoring other distractions. In short they overall concentration will definitely improve.
Even from a young age children can draw and color – so give them blank pieces of paper or coloring in sheets so that they can scribble away to their hearts content whilst also improving their fine motor skills.
For example little girls enjoy coloring images of princesses and fairies and at sites like Fairy Coloring Pages you’ll find the best fairy colouring
Little boys on the other hand prefer pictures of cars, trucks and machinery – however, favorite characters such as those from Disney movies are also hits with little boys.
Give your child several opportunities to experience being creative, concentrating and perservering through the fun medium of arts and crafts. Provide them with materials and resources and the occasional canvas so that they can be creative and feel pride in what they create.
What Are You Missing Out On Without A Cricut Expression Machine?
You can’t help but love Provo Craft’s new Cricut Expression Machine. Most who have one would never go back to the old way of doing things. One of the biggest improvements is the size of paper it can handle. It can take sheets almost double the original size. The Expression indeed has a much better functionality and wider range of creative features which is why it has become a lot more popular than the original Cricut machine. Also don’t forget to look at the cool how to find a cheap Cricut Expression machine .
Why is the Expression so special? The functionality of this machine allows you to cut through vinyl, cardstock and vellum, aside from the usual paper. The larger size of paper lets you cut bigger and better shapes. This Cricut machine also gives you more creative freedom because it is effective with the use of either a 12” x 12” or 12” x 24” sized paper.
Furthermore, the special features of the Cricut Expression allows you to create your designs in either portrait or landscape mode and it even lets you mix and match images in a single cut. This machine also has an LCD screen wherein you can see exactly what you are typing for the next cut that you are going to make. It also contains several units of measurement and allows you to switch from one unit of measurement to another. In addition, it has a flip feature that creates mirror images for your designs and uses four different languages that you can choose from.
Lots of times, when making an Ebay purchase, you can get some great bonuses thrown in with your Cricut. In case a free cartridge is offered, read the description of the cartridge as well so that you are sure to bid only on those items that include a cartridge that you do not yet own. Some items may have a lower auction price than others, but you may be charged extra to this item shipped. You will need to compare the total costs of the different offerings in the auction because items that do not offer free shipping often incur a higher total cost than those that have a higher asking price but include free shipping. Simply look below the auction price to see if shipping is free or not and if it is not then there should be a space where you can input your zip code. You will then be shown the shipping cost and by adding that cost to the maximum amount that you are willing to bid you will get your total cost. Keep your eyes out for great prices on Cheap Cricut Expressions for cheaper than you can imagine!
A Guide For Making Or Purchasing A Baby Gift Basket
Are you planning a baby shower sometime in the near future? Whether it is for you, a family member or a friend, you should make sure you choose some baby gift baskets. Hold on, you shouldn’t choose just any one of them, you should choose the best baby gift baskets. What exactly would the best ones be? As you are reading this article, we are going to answer your question.
First of all, you could either make the basket or you could purchase it. Whatever you do, you should make sure it is something that is unique. When you purchase one from the local store, then you may end up getting the same one that someone else has gotten. With that said, we believe you should look on the Internet and get one. Chances are, your basket is going to be unique.
When making the new baby gift basket yourself, there are many things you can include in the basket. You could create a “bath-time basket” that includes a rubber play duck, wash cloths, soap, shampoo, diaper rash cream, and even a baby robe! Be sure to find out what the baby’s gender is if the parents have chosen to find out and tell others, but you may want to keep the receipts for items that are gender-specific in case the baby turns out to be the opposite gender. You also don’t have to stick to an actual basket. You can use a little mini toy-box, a re-useable plastic bucket or box (which will be great for storing anonymous baby things in the future!), as well as a Moses basket stuffed with goodies.
The recipient of the baby gift baskets should find them useful and valuable. Some of the best baby gift baskets out there contain nursery room accessories, such as mobiles, music, CD’s full of nursery rhymes, changing mats, and even some of the bigger items such as furniture. You may even come across feeding bottles, bibs, spoons, infant cups, pacifiers, rattles and teethers. Whatever you do, make sure the newborn baby gift basket contains items suitable for the baby.
Old Crayons Make New Candles
You probably have many old crayons in you home that are seldom used. Before throwing them out, consider using them to make candles. This can be a great way to turn them into something new and useful again. Most children will love the idea of making candles and enjoy knowing their old crayons were used to make them. Making candles out of crayons can also be a great gift idea.
Before you get started, discuss safety with your children. Since the crayons will have to be melted at a high heat, they may not be able to participate in that part of the candle making process. Assure them that there are many other aspects of the candle making that they can be a part of.
To start, gather your supplies. In addition to the crayons, you will need a wax carton. This can be from milk, fabric softener, or orange juice container. You will also need paraffin wax, two full ice cube trays, a double boiler, and white packing string. If you don’t want to use your double boiler, an old coffee can and a saucepan will work just as well.
Trim the top off of the wax carton, leaving it approximately six inches high. Cut the string for the wick at least 8 inches long. You will later trim the wick to fit the holder. To ensure a wick that burns easier, take three pieces and braid them together. Use smaller pieces of string to tie the ends together. The holders for your candles can be anything you desire as long as they are non-flammable. Pretty vases, glasses, and jars work nicely.
Melt about three pounds of paraffin wax in the double boiler or coffee can. Melting will be faster if the wax is cut into small pieces. Plan on 15 to 20 minutes for the metling process. While the wax is melting, peel the papers off of the old crayons. You and your children can choose to separate the colors by lights and darks to have a mix that combines well or you can mix them all together and see what the color ends up being.
For best results, only add the crayons to the wax after it has completely melted. After melthing the crayons and wax, pour the mixture into your candles holders as soon as possible. If you would like to make scented candles, try adding a splash of cinnamon or vanilla to your hot wax mixture.
It is important that the candles be left alone to completely harden. Make sure you have an area where this can be done. It is also important to make sure small children can’t reach them because the wax will stay hot for several hours and can cause serious injuries.
A entertaining way to spend time with your kids is to make candles out of old crayons!
Easy Halloween crafts for kids
Making scary creations is just one part of Halloween crafts for kids that are possible if you want to involve children with the Halloween spirit. However what ideas are usable for Halloween crafts for kids? And how do you find examples without spending hours of time yourself? In this article we will give you some hints that will save you money and time in organizing Halloween crafts for kids.
Most parents will at least once in a life time organize a kids party for Halloween and most of the time it stays with that one time because they find it to difficult to think of Halloween craft ideas for kids. There are also a lot of teachers that are looking each year for new ideas to make Halloween in to an educational item. Well, all parents and teachers can stop looking because there is an e-book from a great teacher with all kind of Halloween kids activities.
This e-book provides you with:
* Halloween Word Puzzles
* Halloween Math Worksheets
* Halloween Writing Activities
* Halloween Writing Templates
* Halloween Mazes
* Halloween Cards to make
* Halloween Bookmarks to print
* Halloween Coloring Pages
* Halloween Kids Games to print and play
and many other Halloween crafts for kids.
Every child can get involved even very young children and they will really love it. You can choose crafts that are simple or you can choose crafts that are educational. Just put down lots of newspapers to prevent a big mess. With this e-book filled with Halloween ideas and Halloween coloring pages you will have kids activities for years.
When these kids grow into teenagers and they are no longer willing to get involved in crafts you need to think of something else. A great tip for adults who need to organize something for teenagers is not to over organize the party, just buy them some slipknot Halloween masks, put on some music and some food and drinks and that is more then enough.
The author of this article, Kristin King, is a real Halloween lover, at here website AheadOfHalloween.com she likes to write about aHalloween coloring pages but also about, Slipknot Halloween masks and much more.
Using Your Home Items As Crafts
Are you frustrated by the junk piling up in your house? Instead of kicking them to the curb and having them dumped in a landfill site, go through your items and turn them into attractive and useful crafts for your home. Got some empty bottles? Turn them into beautiful candle holders! Got a pile of clothes that are too ratty to donate? Give them a new life as pot holders, place mats or pillow cases. In this article, we’ll show you how to turn some everyday items into crafts that you can use around the house.
Tin cans can be used for a number of craft projects after their contents have been emptied. Turning tuna or cat food cans into candy containers is a practical craft project that is so simple that anyone can do it. After you’ve washed the can thoroughly, paint the outside white. Punch two holes near the top edge on opposite sides and use light weight craft wire or a pipe cleaner to make a handle. Now the can looks like a little basket. To cover the wire, you can use felt or pretty ribbon. To decorate the outside of the can, you can use stamps, stickers, glitter or more craft paint. Line the inside with plastic wrap, paper doilies, or colored cellophane. The candy container will look really pretty and artistic once you put the candy inside.
Napkin rings are an attractive addition to any table even when you’re having a casual family dinner. Save your silver napkin rings for formal occasions and make paper towel tube rings for every day. This is so easy, and is one of safest crafts for young kids to do. You’ll need an assortment of dried beans. If you want a flashier look, you can use plastic gem stones. You’ll also need an empty paper towel tube, glue and scissors. Cut empty paper towel tubes into 1-1/4″ rings. Use the glue to attach the beans or gems to the entire surface area. If you want to make a simpler looking napkin ring, cover the paper towel roll with shelving paper in a pretty pattern before cutting the roll into pieces.
Fridge magnets are a fun way to dress up your kitchen and they’re great for holding photographs, recipes or shopping lists in a convenient place. If you’re looking for environmentally friendly craft projects for your kids, make some eco-fridge magnets. You’ll need CDs or DVDs that are no longer in use, felt in your favorite colors, a black marker, decorative materials like gems, beans, beads or ribbon, eyes from a craft store and a magnet. Trace the disc out on the felt, cut out the shape, and glue the felt to one side only. Using your decorative materials and some glue, turn the disc into a potato head, a frog face, a happy smile or even a flower. Add a dollop of glue to the top, backside of the disc and carefully place the magnet in the glue. Once all the material dries, you’ll have a cute magnet that will hold your child’s crafts and paintings to the fridge.
Everyday household items like towels, sheets, pillowcases, canisters and coasters can all be made at home using items that normally would end up in the trash. By turning waste into fun and functional crafts, you’ll save money and protect the environment from being cluttered with unnecessary garbage. So, turn on your imagination and have a great time while filling your home with unique, one-of-a-kind, handmade items.
Have fun making money with arts and crafts projects
I sell arts and crafts, how will this product help me?
You can sell downloable general and cross stitch patterns, photo transfers, puzzles, scrap book items, templates, bead work diagrams, how-to guides and more. Start teaching and selling your craft ideas todayOur goal is your complete satisfaction.
What kinds of products are available ?
Himalaya Crafts is an online market place for all kinds of Nepalese handicrafts like: khukuri, buddha statue, pashmina shwal, pashmina stole, pashmina scraf, thanka, thangka, cashmere silk carpets, cashmere shwal, cashmere stole, cashmere scraf, Neplese dolls, Neplese puppets, Neplese masks, tibetan artifacts, singing bowl, mala, neplese silver jewellery, prayer wheel, bell, dorje, vajra, damaru,madal, sarangi and exocitic travel and treking packages to the himalayan kingdom of NepalA comprehensive list of signs that indicate an illegal copy is not really possible. There is a large variety in the quality and type of illegal copies in the various arts and crafts industries. The main point is to use common sense and ask questions. Poor quality of the product. Most artists and designers want to present a professional and quality product and license other sellers who will do the same. Be suspicious if the quality is not what you expect.
How can I check the status of an order?
To check the status of your order, please refer to DHL website or click on “Track Order” to see the status of your order or send us an email, referencing your order number to Original reader submissions are most welcome – particularly those that also include a photo or good illustration of the finished project.
Are you Ready to Show your Crafts at Trade Shows?
If you’re ready to start selling your crafts nationally, gift shows are the way to go. Trade shows are attended by shop owners on the lookout for new and innovative gift items to add to their inventory. Canine parvovirus, sometimes known simply as ‘parvo,’ is a serious contagious disease caused by a virus. This illness is spread when dogs come into contact with the feces of infected animals.Dave Watson has spent all his adult life as an instructor/ trainer and has an outstanding reputation for his depth of knowledge and ability to explain appropriately to anyone of any age. Consequently he trains his team to a very high standard and only picks people who are clearly talented instructors.
Do you offer trial orders in small quantities?
Yes, we do. We encourage our first-time customers to try and approve our products and services through trial orders.Our crafts projects can be completed by children aged 3 and older. Pre-schoolers will need some parental help and guidance but our crafts make great preschool activities or playgroup activities. Elementary school age children will be able to complete the projects by themselves.
How can I read past issues of Crafts News?
Past issues of Crafts News (Spring 2000 to present) are currently available on-line at the Crafts News archive. Print copies of all past issues of Crafts News are available through the Crafts Center at CHF International and can be ordered on-line from the publications page or via email or mail. Please be sure to specify issue number and quantity. Past issues are $5.00 a copy.A variety of the hottest new styles and techniques for making handmade greeting cards; gifts; gift wraps, bags, and tags; party decorations, invitations, and favors; and home accents such as boxes and frames. You’ll learn to use not just paper, but all of its embellishments, including buttons, eyelets, charms, fibers, clay, metal, ephemera, and more.
Click here for more information… crafts
Treat Your Mother to a Homemade Present for Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is coming around once again, so soon the crafters will come out of the woodwork That means some of them will want printable vintage Mother’s Day cards, which their gifts. Many creative people prefer vintage, because it has a timeless look that naturally goes together with honoring our moms.
Scrapbookers also like vintage images for Mother’s Day. Whether the scrapbook is traditional paper or digital, vintage art makes them more beautiful. Take for example, these vintage flower border scrapbook embellishments. They were a staple in Victorian days and could be found in the ubiquitous scrapbooks of the gentler class. They were often hand-painted and used to ring the word “Mother” as a way of honoring dear old Mom. And that tradition continues as scrapbookers return to the past to find ways to celebrate Mother’s Day.
Naturally, the scrapbook embellishments that honor Mom can also be used to create unique hand-crafted Mother’s Day cards. The timeless ring of colorful flowers, are a perfect centerpiece in a Mother’s Day card. Also, they are perfect as a 3D element. If the border is printed on card stock, the inside and outside edges can be cut out and layered over another element, such as a photo of Mom. Her photo will show through, and the result will look like a fancy picture frame.
Those who don’t consider themselves crafters can also download a great Mother’s Day present. Just choose one of these Mothers Day certificates and print it. The certificates are already designed and include the date and a message, so there isn’t a lot more to do than print one and sign it. Naturally, the certificate would also be nice framed. The frame doesn’t have to be fancy. Any mom would love it, no matter what the frame looks like.
So this Mother’s Day, make a gift at home. It’s easy to do, and the final results will be impactful If you go this route your mom is sure to be happy, which will give you extra brownie points. She might even want you to make her another one next year on Mother’s Day.
Scrapbooking Graduation Memories
Graduation is a very good theme for use in a scrapbook. Graduation scrapbooks could be started months or years before the graduation takes place. This could be a project done over time to record your son’s or daughter’s school years and their memories. This could be your project, or you could involve you child in the creative process. Your scrapbook could be created as a traditional scrapbook or you could make a digital scrapbook.
Keeping memories in a book or album like this will preserve them for the future. Snapshots of special moments in your child’s and family’s past few years are the key ingredients to cherished memory book.
There are some pre-designed scrapbook papers with a graduation theme. Use clip art or other pictures by printing them for use as embellishments. Preserve the photos and documents you are adding to a traditonal scrapbook by using archival safe adhesives.
A few items to think about adding are: clubs, hobbies or special interests, achievements, favorite sports, and copies of newspaper clippings, if you have them. Copies of achievement certificates and report cards are useful items to add. Photos, notes or any other memorabilia from friends and family would be nice to add. Your notes or thoughts about the dreams you have for your son or daughter are extra special additions to include. Scans of many of these items would work well if you are going to make a digital scrapbook.
Other ideas: Include each high school or middle school yearly photo on separate pages. Mementos or memorabila from school dances, proms or other school functions. Graduation stickers used as embellishments can enhance the theme. Dedicate a page for each year, such as: freshman, sophomore, junior and senior. Add die cuts as accents. Die cuts are colorful paper or chipboard shapes with themes such as music, dance, or sports. These can be bought at art, craft and scrapbook supply stores.)
You can also leave room for candid photos of the graduation ceremony, parties, or events held before the graduation. Reserve room for announcements or invitations to the graduation ceremony. Any notes, journaling and photo captions can be added to the pages.
Pick out a nice binder or scrapbook album to keep the graduation scrapbook pages in. Find a scrapbook album that is large so that you will have room for photos, awards or other school memorabilia.
After graduation, when the diploma arrives, you might include a copy of it in the album. Planning and saving items for your scrapbook done over a period of time, but these memories are worth the time and trouble. A memory book filled with personal remembrances and mementos makes a wonderful graduation present. And those memories are the kind you want to keep and share forever.
Easy Ways For Stay At Home Moms To Create Extra Money
Mom’s have it rough in today’s economy, quite a few stay at home Moms are finding it hard to quantify a single family income. The good news is, it is still doable for Mom to keep out of the executive workplace and earn money from home. Many will find this easier than expected.
Selecting a technique to make extra income takes determination and some research. Mom will find quite a few techniques that will work with the lifestyle of a stay at home Mom. For a Mom to be a success at this, any technique you decide to go with should be able to work only a few hours a day unless you have more free time you can commit to it. Otherwise, if a work from home opportunity demands all your time at home, it’ll be defeating the purpose of you staying at home!
A technique that quite a few Moms find helpful for making cash while at home is Project Payday. With this method, you’ll learn how to locate Online Entrepreneurs willing to pay you to fill out offers from name brand companies the likes of Dell and others. For this you’ll be paid somewhere in the neighborhood of fifteen to fifty dollars and sometimes more. Many work at home Moms can do several in their spare time.
Using auctions sites like ebay is yet another excellent method that stay at home Mom’s can make cash from the confines of home. There are quite a few techniques you can use to make cash from ebay. 1 of the easiest methods is to stop by Garage sales and find items of value to resell. It’s not uncommon to make over a thousands dollars in a month by by using just this one method and I know people who have made a lot more than that. The thing that makes you money is knowing how to spot a outstanding product when you see one in front of you. Yet another excellent treasure trove of profitable items to post on Ebay is Sheriff’s sales and auctions that self serve storage lots have because of forfeiture due to unpaid storage fees. You’ll find these posted in hometown bargain papers. Make sure you’re ready to bid on auction day.
Etsy is an auction site kinda like Ebay where people sell their crafts made at home. Quite a few stay at home Mom’s have turned this into a full time business making regular income by selling their crafts on Etsy. This auction site brings in a huge number of people looking to obtain gifts for special people.
These are quick and easy techniques a homebound Mother can make extra cash. Mom can now start making money instead of thinking of ways of saving money on groceries. Just remember, use some common sense when looking at work from home jobs to make extra income from your home.