()
Arts and crafts projects are fun and productive ways to while away a lazy afternoon and they can help keep the kids occupied as the adults try to get their own work done. They’re even better when the creations demand no trip to specialty stores for the purchase of expensive materials. Here are five fun crafts you can do with stuff you might already have lying around the house.
Groovy 60s medical mask
Materials: Cotton medical mask, food coloring, spray bottle filled with water
Soak mask in water for several minutes. Remove and lay flat on a paper towel. Squirt drops of food coloring in swirly patterns. Allow to dry as is, or for an abstract effect, spray with just enough water to allow the colors to bleed together. For a symmetrical look, fold horizontally or diagonally while still damp.
Crayon blocks
Materials: Broken crayons, muffin tin, non-stick spray
Remove any remaining labels from the crayons and break them into small pieces. Give each individual muffin cup a spray with the oil. Place crayon pieces into the cups and place into the oven at a temperature of 150 degrees F and leave in until wax completely melts. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Place in the freezer for an hour or so before removing. Voila! The perfect crayon for your next road trip.
Plastic bottle bird feeder
Materials: Plastic bottle, scissors, rope, popsicle sticks
Cut out a square window the size of a small bird from the middle of a plastic bottle. Coil some rough textured brown rope or twine around the space above and below the window and attach using craft glue or a glue gun. Decorate the middle section with a scrap of fabric or leave as is. Cut a couple small slits just below the window to create a perch for the feeding birds with a popsicle stick. Use angler’s line to attach the feeder to a tree or overhang.
Summer memories collage
Materials: Canvas frame, cheap pair of flip-flops, glue, papers and souvenirs collected over the course of a summer
Paint the canvas with a solid color or a beach scene. Use white craft glue to attach a small quantity of sand, small shells or beach glass. Paste a small pair of flip-flops in the center of the canvas. Decorate flip-flops with yarn, rickrack or artificial flowers. Save trinkets from memorable days out to include tickets, brochures, entry bracelets or other mementos. Print out a few photos and attach those too. Be sure to mark the collage with the year it represents.
Felted soap
Materials: Felt, bar of soap, pair of nylons
Cover a bar of soap with three to four layers of felt bits. (No felt? Cut an old wool sock or sweater into small bits, place in a sealed lingerie bag, put through a hot wash and a cold rinse and finish up with a hot cycle in the dryer.) Wrap the felt-covered soap in the toe of an old nylon and tie off. Place in a bowl of warm to hot water and rub, rub, rub until the wool has taken form and sticks to the soap. The process will take 15 minutes or more. Allow to dry overnight. Not satisfied with the initial result? Try placing new colors atop the existing base and repeating the process.
