Craft Ideas

Do you have a craft project you'd like to share? Crafts are send to HEOF03@yahoo.com 

Bible Verse Bookmarks

You'll need: sturdy construction paper, hole punch, fancy thin ribbon, scissors, stickers, sequence, glue, markers, or anything you would like to decorate your bookmark with.

Cut the construction paper into perfect bookmark shaped rectangles. Either write on a Bible verse, or type, print out, and glue on Bible verse. Have the child decorate the bookmark in any way. Put a small hole at the top of one of the short ends of the rectangle. Attach your fancy ribbon in a way that will allow the bookmark to either be hung up or seen while in a book. These make great Christmas gifts from the kids!!

Pop-Down To Christmas

This bubble packaging countdown calendar offers a daily burst of fun, so you'll probably have to make one for each family member.

To make a Christmas countdown calendar, cut a Christmas tree shape with 24 bubbles from large bubble packaging (3 across bottom for trunk, 6 on next row up, then 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 per row), use glue dots or double-sided tape to attach it to a piece of paper, then decorate circular stickers with markers and adhere them to each bubble. Have your kids squeeze a bubble to start each day of December with a bang!

Shredded Wheat Wreath

You'll need: large shredded wheat biscuit, glue, green food coloring, one Popsicle stick, bowl, small Styrofoam plate, red beads.

Children should crunch up the Shredded Wheat biscuit into very small pieces in the bowl. Add glue and a few drops of green food coloring. (Add enough glue to easily stir, but not making the mix soupy). Stir with the Popsicle stick. When well mixed, dump mixture onto the plate. Using hands, form a flat, thick pancake. Use index finger to create a hole in the middle of the pancake. Then use your index finger and thumb to pinch around to create a wreath. Allow to dry a couple hours, then peel off the plate and allow bottom side to dry. If desired, add beads for holly.

*This is not edible!

Sparkling Beaded Napkin Rings

Your child can help you set a pretty holiday table, with these easy to make beaded napkin rings. This is also a festive touch to a New Year's Eve party table. Easy enough for little fingers and a super holiday craft.

You'll need: tinsel pipe cleaners (craft store) and metallic shiny pony beads

Simply bead approximately 24 beads to the pipe cleaner, leaving about 2 inches on each end. Make a circle with the beaded segment and secure by twisting the pipe cleaner once or twice. Then loop the remaining pipe cleaner segment around a pencil to make the curly design on top.

Variation: Use two pipe cleaners for each napkin ring. This provides extra pieces to swirl and add more glitter effect.

Handprint Christmas Wreath

You'll need: green construction paper, glue, paper plate, red construction paper.

Cut out the center of the paper plate. Trace SEVERAL handprints on green paper and cut out. Arrange the handprints around the paper plate frame, so that the fingers are pointing outwards - and glue into place. Cut out a few circles from red paper and glue on to make the "berries"!

Snowman Cotton Ball Craft

This is a super simple, inexpensive craft for little children. They enjoy the feel of the cotton balls.

Materials: cotton balls (about 40 per snowman), blue construction paper (1 sheet per child), black construction paper, orange construction paper, glue, scissors, Popsicle stick (optional).

Have the children glue cotton balls in two or three stacked circles to make a snowman shape. You can squeeze some glue onto a paper plate and let the children scoop bits of glue with a Popsicle stick.

Cut out construction paper shapes (adults can do this prior to craft time for young children). BLACK: 5 large circles per snowman (2 eyes and 3 buttons), BLACK: 5 small circles per snowman (for the mouth), BLACK: hat shape (rectangle with a square on top), ORANGE: Cut out one triangle per snowman (nose), ORANGE (or brown), long rectangle shapes (arms).

Have the children glue their snowman faces, buttons, hat and arms to their cotton ball snowman.

Salt Crystal Snowflake

Create your own sparkly snowflake!

Materials: Hot water (preferably boiled beforehand), a mug, salt (we used table salt), thick black paper (it should be heavy paper or cardstock. Plain construction paper will not work.), paintbrush.

Boil water and pour it into a mug that can withstand hot water. Add a couple of teaspoons of salt and stir with the paintbrush until it dissolves. Continue to add salt a teaspoon at a time until it no longer dissolves and there are salt crystals at the bottom of the cup even after stirring for a while. Paint your snowflake.

Tip: Every time you go to dip your brush in the salt water be sure you to stir the solution so that your salt crystals don’t all sink to the bottom of the cup. Leave your art to dry overnight.

Hands and Feet Reindeer Craft

You'll Need: large plastic eyes, large red pom-poms, brown construction paper, lighter brown or tan paper for the ears (optional), construction paper in any color; optional if you would like to glue, the reindeer onto another piece of paper.

With one shade of brown, cut the antlers and reindeer, using your child's handprint and shoeprint as a pattern. Then, cut the ears with the other brown. Glue the antlers together at a slight angle. Then add the ears and glue the head on last. Glue the eyes and nose the head and add a smile with a marker. It's that simple!

Birthday Gifts For Jesus

You'll need: shoebox or cracker box, scissors, tape, assorted craft items (stickers, markers, paints, etc.).

Put lid on shoebox or close cracker box and place slit opening on top. Have each child wrap box and secure with tape or decorate box with materials of child’s choosing. Adult should cut slit in top of box after wrapped and decorated. Explain to children that this is the box for Jesus' birthday gift.

Each time they do something that Jesus would like, ask them to write it on a slip of paper or have an adult write it out (ex- sharing a favorite toy with a sibling, helping Mom, etc). Tell them that this box should be opened first on Christmas morning and that all of the wonderful things that they did for Jesus should be read.

Valentine's Day Wreath

You'll need: red fun foam, glue, paper plates, red yarn or string.

Cut hearts out of fun foam. (A cookie cutter makes this easy.) Cut out the middle of the paper plate so that you only have an outer ring. Glue on the hearts, overlapping and covering all of the plate. Let the child place them sporadically around, their creativeness makes this really cute. Glue a loop of yarn or string to the back. You can also add some glitter ribbons and stickers to make it more fun!