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Making your own Christmas crafts doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Frugal Christmas crafts not only save you money but are fun to make.
Christmas ornaments made from ordinary pipe cleaners and inexpensive acrylic beads are very pretty and easy to make. They look quite impressive yet are easy enough for small children to make. This is one frugal Christmas craft idea to use again and again. Older people and kids will enjoy making this frugal Christmas craft, too, which can be varied to make a number of different sparkling ornaments for your Christmas tree.
To make the bead and pipe cleaner ornaments, you need common pipe cleaners in desired colors and acrylic beads. Two types of beads are particularly effective when strung on pipe cleaners. One type are called sunburst beads, but are also known as paddlewheel beads, snowflake beads, or starburst beads. These beads have six faceted paddles spaced equally around a center that contains the hole for stringing. When several of these sunburst beads are strung consecutively, they fit against each other in an interlocking pattern.
The other type of bead that is also effective for this frugal Christmas craft is called the tri bead or propeller bead. It has three rounded bumps arranged around the stringing hole. Like the sunburst beads, the tri beads interlock when strung consecutively. For the most sparkly and attractive Christmas ornaments, get tri beads and/or sunburst beads in translucent colors of red, green, and clear. The tri beads can also be found in metallic gold and silver which can be used in this Christmas craft as well.
Pipe cleaners can be found in silver and gold tinsel as well as chenille of all colors. For frugal Christmas crafts, the best colors to use are the metallics and Christmas colors. The beads cover the pipe cleaners, but the ends will need to be twisted together and made into hangers, so they show.
Anyone, even small children, can string these beads on pipe cleaners. Bend up the end of the pipe cleaner so the beads don’t fall off. The pipe cleaner works like a needle, making a needle unnecessary. For best results, show the children how to alternate colors when stringing, or start a pattern of three colors. When the beads are strung on the pipe cleaners, they can be bent into different Christmas shapes. For instance, string red and clear beads alternately, then bend down one end of the pipe cleaner for a candy cane shape. Or alternate red and green beads and form a circle for a wreath. Use red pipe cleaner to form a small bow to decorate the wreath. Form a hanger for these Christmas crafts or simply slip the circle over a branch of the tree.
If you experiment with clear beads and silver pipe cleaners, you can make some beautiful snowflake or star ornaments. Snowflake designs can be twisted of silver pipe cleaner only, without the beads for a simple but pretty decoration.
Bead and pipe cleaner ornaments are a nice frugal Christmas craft you will find yourself using every year. Children and their parents will both appreciate this simple yet pretty frugal Christmas crafts.
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Turkeys are a well-known symbol of Thanksgiving. They’re a favorite subject of crafters who want to make Thanksgiving centerpieces and other decorations. And for kids, turkey projects provide a great opportunity to discuss the tradition of Thanksgiving.
This paper plate turkey is a craft that kids of all ages can do. Here’s how to make it.
What You Need
* Paper plate
* Brown crayon, colored pencil, marker or paint
* Construction paper in brown, red, orange and yellow
* White craft glue or glue stick
* Scissors
* Pencil
* Googly eyes
Instructions
1. Use the brown crayon, colored pencil, marker or paint to color bottom side of the plate brown. If using paint, let dry.
2. Draw an elongated oval or peanut shape on a piece of brown construction paper to make the turkey’s head and neck. Cut out and glue onto the center of the plate, with the top hanging over the edge.
3. Cut a triangle out of the yellow or orange construction paper for the beak, and a teardrop shape out of the red construction paper for the waddle. Cut legs and feet out of orange or yellow construction paper. Glue into place.
4. Glue on the googly eyes. Let dry.
5. Draw a feather shape on a piece of red, yellow or orange construction paper. Cut it out, and trace it onto construction paper in each of those three colors several times. Cut out all of the feathers you traced.
6. Turn the plate over and glue the feathers around the top and sides of the plate, placing the bottoms of them about an inch from the edge. Let dry.
Tips
* If you prefer, you could use craft feathers instead of cutting them out of construction paper. If you do, keep in mind that they will stick better with craft glue than they will with a glue stick.
* If you don’t have any googly eyes, cut some eyes out of white construction paper or card stock and draw black dots in the centers.
* No paper plates handy? Just cut a large circle out of brown construction paper for the body.
* You can convert this craft to make a peacock for a non-seasonal project. Just make the head and body blue instead of brown, omit the waddle, and use brightly colored feathers. For the spots on the feathers, kids can dip their thumbs in finger paint and stick them in random places.
* Stick a magnet on the back of your completed turkey and hang it on the refrigerator, tack it to the front door, or use string to hang it from the ceiling.
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When most of us think of Thanksgiving, we think of a big dinner with the family. Some of us cook that all day, create beautiful centerpieces for the table and deck our homes out in fall colors. Others bring a drink or a dish and join someone else in the family for dinner. Either way, we enjoy one another’s company and take advantage of the long weekend.
Family and food are certainly important parts of the Thanksgiving holiday. But there is more to Thanksgiving than that. The first Thanksgiving was all about giving thanks for the bountiful harvest, as well as for the other good things that we often take for granted. But that part is often forgotten in the hustle and bustle of putting together an event for the family.
If you want to put the “thanks” back in Thanksgiving, a little creativity can help. Starting a Thanksgiving journal is a great way to get everyone thinking about the many things they have to be grateful for. Such an occasion calls for an extra special hand-decorated journal. You can make one in a snap with a few scrapbooking supplies, and the kids can even help, making it a family effort. Here’s how to make your own Thanksgiving journal.
What You Need
* Composition journal
* Scrapbooking paper
* Glue stick
* Scissors
* Embellishments (ribbons, stickers, die cuts, etc.)
Instructions
1. Use the glue stick to apply a uniform coat of glue on the front cover of the journal. Do not put any glue on the spine, but make sure to get it all the way to each edge of the cover itself.
2. Place a piece of scrapbooking paper on top of the journal, up against the spine. Press down firmly and smooth so that there are no bubbles.
3. Open the cover of the journal, and cut the scrapbooking paper even with it.
4. Do the same thing with the back cover of the journal. You could use the same paper as you used on the front, or a co-ordinating solid color.
5. Add ribbon, stickers, die cuts or any other embellishments you like to the front cover of the journal. Let glue set well before using.
Now that you have a beautiful Thanksgiving journal, it’s time to put it to good use. When your guests arrive, or after dinner, ask each one of them to write down some things that they’re thankful for. You could also encourage them to share memories of past Thanksgivings if you like. Make sure they put their name at the top or bottom of the page. This will give you a keepsake to treasure for years to come.
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Free Crafts - Quick and Easy Knitting Patterns
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Free Crochet eBook: Quick and Thrifty Crochet Patterns featuring 25 free crochet patterns.
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Summer is in full swing and flowers are in full bloom. If you remember back to when you were a child, you probably can remember using flowers for more than bouquets for Mom. Here are five flower craft ideas you may remember and can use with your own children.
1) Dandelion chains are something that children all over the country have made through the years. They’re almost the epitome of summer fun, especially for small children. And, because they don’t need many components, they’re easy enough for small children to master. Here’s how to make them:
Pick dandelions - the longer the stem, the better. Tie one dandelion onto another, close to the flower, with a double knot. Continue until the chain has reached the desired link, then tie the two ends together.
You can also split the stem part of the way down and then insert the stem of another dandelion until the flower reaches the stem. Continue by splitting the stem of that dandelion and then repeating until the chain reaches the desired length.
Make rings, bracelets, and necklaces for your children to enjoy.
2) Pick summer’s fragrant flowers and flowering herbs. Pull the petals from the flowers and allow them to dry. While the petals are drying, make a small bag out of a light, airy fabric. Include a draw string to create a potpourri bag that can be closed. Fill the bag and then pull the bag’s strings to keep the potpourri inside the bag.
3) You can also decorate fabric by hammering summer’s flowers to make a natural design. Cover a wooden chopping board with two to three layers of paper towel and then place a piece of fabric on top. Place the flowers or herbs you’ve chosen in a design you’d like; place another piece of paper towel on top of the design. Thoroughly, but gently, hammer the entire area where the plant matter is located. Remove the paper towel and plants. Use an iron, set to the fabric being used, for approximately 45 to 60 seconds to set the design on the fabric.
4) Pressing flowers is an age-old craft that your grandmother may have enjoyed. Gather a bouquet of flowers you’d like to press along with cardboard about the size of a book, newspaper, tissue paper, and heavy objects (large phone books and bricks work well). Layer the cardboard with newspaper and tissue paper. Place the flowers onto the tissue paper but don’t allow them to touch or hang off of the paper. After you have the flowers situated, place tissue paper, newspaper, and then cardboard on top followed by heavy books. Leave the stack for 2-4 weeks and then remove the layers to see how well your flowers have pressed.
5) Drying flowers is another craft from days gone by. The easiest way to dry flowers is to pick a bouquet, tie it together, and then hang it upside down in a warm, dry, dark place. The air must be dry so the flowers won’t rot, and dark so the flowers don’t fade. You’ll want to check the flowers every couple of days to see if they are dry to the touch. This process could take several weeks. When they are dry, you can store the flowers in a dark, sealed container until you’re ready to use them.
You know that summer’s flowers are temporary. To enjoy their beauty after summer is over, use one of these five flower craft ideas. Enlist your children’s help to make these crafts and they’ll be able to share them with their own children.
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