Kids Craft Weekly - Issue 73

ISSUE 73 • 17 JUNE 2009

1. Editorial – Announcing the KCW Community
2. Magical mermaids
3. Beady starfish
4. Wobbly jellyfish
5. Crystal water cave
6. May photo comp finalists

1. Editorial - Announcing the KCW Community

Welcome to another issue of Kids Craft Weekly.

Drum roll please! I'm very excited to announce the launch of the KCW Community. For a while now I've been busily working behind the scenes to get a Kids Craft Weekly forum up and running. I've been assisted in this by a fantastic troupe of volunteer forum testers who have given me some really useful advice and feedback. Thanks particularly to Shelley, Karina, Krissie, Sally, Bobbi, Clare, cpbunch and emandizmomma for helping me out.

The KCW Community is a great way to get to know other like-minded people and to share ideas and experiences. You can even cast your vote for your favourite photo in the monthly photo competition.

If you are interested in getting to know me and fellow subscribers to Kids Craft Weekly please head over to the forum, register (it's free) and bookmark the page in your browser so you can keep in touch with what's going on in-between newsletters.

Of course, you can still keep in touch and share all the in-between newsletter drama via the Facebook page and my Twitter updates.

Also new this issue is a lovely sponsor banner from the Junior Society – a must-see website for those of us who are interested in celebrating the best of design and creative concepts for kids.

If you'd like to have a banner promoting your website, blog or business in a future issue of Kids Craft Weekly please email me and I'll send you some information.

I hope you enjoy this Mermaid issue! These crafts were a big hit with both my kids this week.

Happy crafting and I'll see you next time!

Amber Carvan
editor@kidscraftweekly.com

Junior Society - The best of kiddie culture and design

2. Magical mermaids

These simple mermaids are great fun to make and will be enjoyed by children young and old. The process is quite involved so it's a good idea to stay nearby to offer assistance if required. I know it's a girly theme but don't assume that boys won't be interested – my four-year old son thought that this was the best craft ever!

You will need

• mermaid outline (download the PDF)
• construction card
• glue stick
• colourd pencils
• scissors
• white glue and glitter
• pop stick
• tape
• curly ribbon or wool for hair

Directions

1. Print out a mermaid outline from the free template provided. You can download it here.

2. Stick the paper onto some construction card and then colour in the mermaid. Encourage children to draw her face and maybe to add scales to her tale.

3. Tape on some curly ribbon or wool to make flowing mermaid's tresses.

4. Make a glitter wash by combining a teaspoon of white glue with a few drops of water and dumping in some fine glitter. Selectively paint the mermaid with the glitter wash.

5. When she's dry, cute out around the outline and tape a pop stick out one side so that you can hold her. it's this stick that will also hold her in place in her crystal cave!

6. And there they are!

3. Beady starfish

Tiny glass or plastic beads are near impossible for young kids to thread but they are great for adding colour and texture to craft projects. Buy some cheap plastic beads, pour them into a small tray and use them to create these pearly starfish.

You will need

• cardboard
• scissors
• kids pvc glue and paintbrush
• a selection of small beads

Directions

1. Draw some starfish shapes onto the cardboard and cut them out.

2. Paint one side of the starfish in white glue, then dip it glue-side down into a tray of small beads. Then, carefully lift up the starfish and allow the glue to dry.

4. Wobbly jellyfish

These fetching jellyfish are easy to make, and very popular with kids who love to use sticky tape. For our jellyfish's dangly bits we used short lengths of pearl-cotton cord from my sewing supplies, curly ribbon and cut up plastic bags.

You will need

• plastic lid
• sticky tape
• dangly bits (see above)

Directions

1. Make a big pile of dangly bits to stick to the jellyfish.

2. Place your lid face down on the table and use tape to stick the tentacles to the side of the lid.

3. Add a loop of ribbon to the centre of the lid so that you can hang it up. Lift and admire!

5. Crystal water cave

Sounds exotic, doesn't it! It's really just a cardboard box home for your mermaid and her sea friends but don't tell the kids that! My two kids are currently inseparable from their mermaid boxes, in fact, they just went out to dinner with their Dad and took their boxes with them!

You will need

• a small box with a lid (a shoebox will work well)
• white paint
• scissors
• sheet of perspex
• green cellophane or green ribbon
• fancy stickers

Directions

1. If your box has a dark-coloured interior you'll need to paint it white or some other pale colour. You can also sprinkle it with glitter while the paint is wet for some added sparkle.

2. Start putting in your starfish and jellyfish to make a diarama. Also stick on some long strands of green cellophane for a sea-weedy look. Make sure you leave room for the mermaid! Cut a slot down down the side of the box so that you can slide in the stick that your mermaid is on. Then pop her in.

3. Cut a rectangle from the lid of the box and tape on a sheet of perspex so that you can see through it. We didn't have any perspex so we cheated and laminated a couple of plastic pouches with nothing in them – it worked really well.

4. Decorate the lid of your crystal water cave with some stickers.

5. Pop the lid on and there you have it! Here is my son's crystal water cave (currently being incorporated into a game involving a police car and a stranded baby!)...

6. And here is my daughter proudly showing off her work.

6. May photo comp finalists

Congrats to the five finalists in the May photo comp. I have such a hard time choosing winners for this competition so I've decided to throw it open to the KCW Community.

Head over to the KCW Community to cast your vote and help decide the winner!

The kitty for the book competition is still running very low. If you do shop at Amazon at any time please take the time to click through from Kids Craft Weekly. Every purchase, no matter how small, helps to fund the monthly book giveaway for this crafty community.

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