| ISSUE 34 • 1 JULY 2007 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
|
| 1.
Editorial Welcome to this very royal issue of Kids Craft Weekly! There are some great activities in this issue and a couple of exciting new developments as well. But first, an apology to those who never received a copy of the 'pirates' newsletter last fortnight. Unfortunately my mailing list host experienced a technical problem that prevented the newsletter being sent to a considerable number of subscribers. Thankfully, this problem is now fixed. Unfortunately I'm not able to re-send the newsletter to those who missed out but, for future reference, you can always go and check out the latest issue on the website, along with all the other newsletters that have been published in the past year. For those who like to use an aggregator or feed reader, you can now subscribe to the Kids Craft Weekly RSS feed. Among other things, this will let you know when the latest newsletter has been published online. Happy crafting and see you next time!  Amber Carvan editor@kidscraftweekly.com PS. I accept that this issue is quite a 'girly' one. I'll make up for it next time with 'machines'! |
This colourful tiara is fun to make and looks great too. Preschoolers will enjoy wrapping up the cotton balls to make puffy jewels but may need some assistance with technique. Provided the holes are large enough, there should have no problem attaching them to the tiara without assistance. You will need • large aluminium pie cases • different colours of cellophane • cotton wool balls • hand hole punch • length of elastic Directions 1. Flatten the pie case and fold it in half.  2. Open it it and punch holes on one side of the semi-circle.  3. Place a cotton ball in the centre of a small square of cellophane.  4. Wrap it up and twist the tail tightly. Repeat until you have lots of jewels.  5. Thread the tails of the jewels through the holes in the pie case.  6. Once you've finished, fold the pie case back in half. Punch, holes at each side and tie on a length of elastic. Wear with pride! 
These simple rings are made using stick-on rhinestones which you should be able to buy at a good craft or scrapbooking shop. Aside from rings, you could also stick these onto a crown/tiara or make fancy containers by sticking them onto different sized cardboard boxes. You could also make a great necklace or belt by sticking them onto colourful lengths of ribbon. You will need • stick-on (or glue-on) rhinestones (available at good craft supply shops or scrapbooking shops) • cardboard • scissors • tape Directions 1. Admire your rhinestones.  2. Cut some thin lengths of card to make the ring bands, and tape ends together.  3. Stick on the rhinestones to make rings.  4. Cut the card into different shapes to make jewels and pendants. 
This spectacular foil crown (which first appeared in the 'parties' issue) can be easily made from materials that you're likely to have on hand. Children under five will need help with the folding and cutting, but will enjoy gluing on the 'jewels' and wearing the crown with pride! You will need • newspaper • aluminium foil • tape • scissors • cellophane • white glue • stapler Directions 1. Take a two page spread from a broadsheet newspaper and fold it in half, then in half again, and again until you get a thick length of newspaper that is approximately 10 cms (4 inches) wide and long enough to comfortably fit around a child's head.  2. Wrap the newspaper in a length of aluminium foil, and tape the end down.  3. Cut out the peaks of the crown. For longevity, leave flat edges on the top of the peaks so that the foil and paper doesn't seperate.  4. Scrunch small squares of coloured cellophane and stick them onto the crown to form jewels  5. Once the glue is dry, staple or tape the crown together. 
Warning: This hat is so appealing you may have trouble getting your little princess to take it off! If you don't have any appropriate fabric at home to make a veil, buy a length of thin, inexpensive tulle or cheap lace from your local fabric shop. You will need • large piece of cardboard • tape • elastic • stapler • lace trim • glue • veil Directions 1. Make a hat-sized cone from a piece of cardboard and tape it in place. Make sure you leave a hole at the top of the hat through which you can thread your veil.  2. Thread through your veil in the hole at the top of the hat and tie a large knot (or two) on the inside of the hat to prevent it from coming out the top.  3. Decorate the hat with lace trim or sequins or whatever you have handy.  4. Then staple on a length of elastic to hold the hat under the chin. Then dance with delight! 
Despite all the amazing jewels and head garb that we made for this issue, these simple stick puppets turned out to be my daughter's favourite activity – probably because I let her go crazy with the glitter! I imagine that other kids of all ages will enjoy making them too. I've put together some drawings for you to use, so all you have to do is download them (PDF, 600KB) to get started. You will need • free printable drawings of prince and princess • glue • scissors • glitter, pencils, markers and crayons, wool and fabric scraps • cardboard • pop sticks Directions 1. Download the free drawings (PDF, 600KB).  2. Decorate the outlines using whatever supplies you have on hand.  3. Stick them onto some cardboard, then cut them out.  4. Tape on some pop sticks to make stick puppets.  5. And trust me, for an imaginative four year old, the fun has only just started!  |
|
7.
Featured subscriber blog
Making Peace "I was born on April 1 in Berkeley, California. I'm enjoying a life full of satisfaction and challenge alongside my dear friend and partner, Bill, and our six-year-old daughter, Annie. We are choosing a path of living that holds everyone's needs as precious and equal. We're loving an unschooling approach to education for Annie and ourselves. We're also growing some food and trying to live a life with the least amount of negative impact to the environment." To have your blog featured in this section just send in your web address and I'll add you to the list. But be warned, the waiting list is currently very long. |
 For
a regular dose of inspiring craft ideas and fun activities subscribe to
my free email newsletter. Please note that my privacy
policy ensures that your email address will not be given to
anyone, ever.
|
