DIY makes
Here are some ideas to try with your Crafty Kids at home, while you are waiting for our next event.
Family handprint picture
1. You can do a handprint with paint or draw around hands on coloured paper, if you think paint will be too messy.
2. It’s a good idea to do several handprints for each person in your family. Do prints of both hands and try some prints with fingers open and others fingers closed. Then you can pick which ones you like best, or you may decide to use more than one handprint in your picture.
3. When they are dry, cut out the best handprints.
4. There are lots of different ways you can place your handprints, experiment to see which pattern you like best. They could be in a line from biggest to smallest. You can make a circle, square, triangle, star or a flower shape. You can even put two handprints together to make a heart shape.
5. When you have found the best arrangement, stick them down then you can include you family name and the date.
Woven bracelet
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Begin by choosing your 3 colours of string or wool. They should be cut to around 50cm long. Tie them together with a knot at one end.
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It helps to stick it to the table using some cellotape so it doesn’t move around.
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You can use either of the methods to make your bracelet or a combination of the two.
Method 1 : Plaiting
1. Spread out the 3 strings, take the string that is on the right-hand side and move it into the middle of the other two strings.
2. Then take the string that is on the left side and move it into the middle of the other two.
3. Carry on this process - right string to the middle, left string to the middle, right to middle, left to middle.
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Method 2: Knotting
1. Put two of the strings together, then with the third make a c shape. This string then goes underneath the other two, and through the loop, then pull so the knot moves up.
2. Then keep repeating this – make a C, take it underneath and the pull through the loop.
3. You can change colours at any time, by simply swapping the string you are using to make your c shape.
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When you are finished tie off the end and trim off any excess string. Then you can wear it!
Salt dough decorations
Salt dough is very easy to make – all you need to do is mix together a cup of flour, half a cup of salt and half a cup of water, then knead it to make a dough. It’s fun to manipulate, you can roll it into a ball or a sausage, squash it flat, use cutlery or cookie cutters to make shapes and patterns.
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To make a dough decoration, get a blob of dough.
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Roll it out flat and then use cookie cutters or other kitchen utensils to make shapes. You can also roll it into a sausage and then bend it into interesting shapes.
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You can just leave it to air dry in a warm place, but it will take about a week to go hard. Cooking it speeds up the process, but it can also sometimes make it go a bit darker.
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If you want to cook it put it in the oven on 100 degrees for about 3 hours (less if it’s quite thin), turn it over about half way through the cooking time.
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When it is hard and cool you can decorate it, you can use paint, crayons or felt tips (it might be a good idea to test an area for suitability first). You could also sprinkle on some glitter or glue on sequins, googly eyes or pipe cleaners.
Photo props
1. Download your favourite photo props from below, and then print either directly on to card, or print on to paper and stick it on to card.
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2. Colour them in, then cut them out.
3. You can add sequins or glitter for decorations, if you like.
4. Stick a straw to the back using sticky tape.
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5. If you find it is a bit weak and wobbly (i.e. the bridge of the sunglasses) cut and stick some extra card on.