So Crafty

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Jewelry making is a hot trend today and young girls to tweens all the way to teens enjoy being creative and expressing their individuality with kits like the Crayola Model Magic Jewelry Studio.

Girls can design their own jewelry, make some to give away or make it the fun project at a sleepover party. What’s so cool about this set is that kids don’t just string colorful beads into necklaces or bracelets, they actually get to spin the colors onto the beads themselves. It’s a great way for kids to express their creativity and inner artist.

The modeling dough is easy for girls of all ages to use and by utilizing the bead spinner, kids can create a colorful mixture of texture and design onto their beads. The kit comes with different colors featuring snappy names like Razzmatazz.

Once girls select the colors, they make them into the shapes they want the beads to be in, create holes for the cords or earring posts and leave them to dry. Once the beads are dry, glaze is applied and a unique piece of jewelry has been created!

Crayola Model Magic Jewelry Studio (age: 6 – 15 years) isn’t just for necklaces or bracelets, either. Users can create earrings and charms, too. The materials are included in the kit and they allow girls to make more than 160 of their own unique beads.

Also included are charms for bracelets, gems that can be used to stick on the beads, necklace cords, cutters to make the beads into the preferred shapes, posts for earrings and the special Peacock dryer rack.

Kids enjoy coming up with the different color combinations they can create out of their own imagination so that no two pieces are ever completely alike. Even if they mix the razzmatazz color with the tropical rainforest more than once, because of the way they’ll spin the bead, the colors will vary in the design.

The kit is easy to use. All girls have to do is add the modeling clay to the spinner to create their pieces of jewelry. One of the many great things about this kit is that refills of the clay are available, making this a gift that will keep kids creating for months to come.

Even though this kit is recommended for kids aged six and up, with supervision, younger girls enjoy using the jewelry making kit, too. It’s important for parents to allow kids to have toys and kits that help to build their self confidence in themselves.

Knowing they can create something of beauty with the Crayola Model Magic Jewelry Studio gives girls a feeling of pride and a sense of accomplishment. It’s a perfect gift to give someone if you’re watching your budget this year!

TweetIt’s not unusual for children to become enamored with wild animals. They want to touch or hold them when they see them, but as parents we know that’s not a good idea. However, you can encourage their love of birds by teaching them how to make a birdhouse with twigs. Let them hang it near a window so they can watch, and you may have a budding ornithologist on your hands.

Birdhouses can be made from a variety of items. Milk jugs, boxes, and soda bottles are common crafts items for children to try. Here’s what your child will need if they want to make one from twigs they find lying around the yard.

* Clean, empty 1/2 gallon milk carton
* Paint in natural colors like brown or grey
* Twigs from around the yard, broken in to various sizes
* Tacky glue or a low-temp glue gun if an adult will be helping
* Safety scissors, depending upon the age of the child
* Ruler
* Pencil
* Fishing line to hang the finished birdhouse

Measure 3 inches up from the bottom of the clean milk carton and make a dark mark. Continue measuring and marking 3 inches from the bottom on the remaining sides. Using the marks as a guide, have them cut the carton into two pieces. Be sure to save both parts; they’ll need them.

Starting with the top piece, your child can cut a 2 inch circle in one side of the carton. Then moving to the bottom part, have them cut 2 inches from the height. Place glue on all the outer sides of the smaller carton and push the larger one into the bottom. This will make the carton smaller than it was.

Glue the spout closed and then paint the milk carton one of the darker natural colors. Allow the milk carton to dry completely.

If your child hasn’t already done so, have them find a lot of thin, straight twigs or sticks. Thinner twigs will allow your child to break them with their hands rather than having to be sawn. Then have them break the twigs into different lengths to fit the sides and top of the birdhouse.

An adult will want to poke a hole in the middle of the top ridge of the carton. Let your child thread string or heavy duty fishing line through the hole and tie a knot in it. This will be how to hang the birdhouse.

Using tacky glue, have your child cover the sides of the milk carton with twigs, but leave the hole they made open. They may also want to push a twig under the hole so the birds have a perch to land on before they enter their new birdhouse. Glue it well.

Finally, they’ll want to cover the top of the milk carton by gluing sticks on it. They may want to leave a little of the twig hanging over the sides. When the birdhouse is completely finished and has had ample time to dry, help them find the best place to hang it.

Give your child the joy of watching nature by helping them learn how to make a birdhouse with twigs. Having a birdhouse near a window allows them to learn about nature from the safety of your home. It’s a win-win situation for both your child and the birds.

TweetIt’s amazing how many people think some crafts are only for certain times of the year. Take salt dough crafts, for instance. Many people think you can only make them during Christmas. Using these salt dough recipes, you can make a variety of crafts for any time of the year.

There are a number of crafters who use salt dough to create wonderful ornaments which are three-dimensional and normally painted. You may have seen angels, candy canes, or snowmen and not realized what they were made of.

Salt dough is an easy craft medium to work with. The recipe is:

* 1 cup of fine salt
* 2 cups of flour
* 3/4 to 1 cup of lukewarm water (more or less water may be needed depending upon the humidity)

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the water, a little at a time, and stir until a large ball has formed. Take the ball out of the bowl and knead it on a lightly floured surface. Continue to knead the mixture until you’re satisfied with the texture.

If the dough is too tacky, add more flour/salt in the same proportions. Dry dough may require a little more water. For a more ‘rustic’ feel to the dough, use a coarse salt. This recipe will create white dough which will keep for several days in a tightly closed plastic bag. Color the dough by adding instant coffee, cocoa, or curry powder. Adding a drop of vanilla extract will produce a wonderful smell as well as act as a mold inhibitor.

Use cookie cutters, pizza cutters, rolling pins, or garlic presses to create the different elements of your ornaments. You can also make freehand designs by making the dough into ropes which can shaped into wreaths or braids. Roll the dough into balls of various sizes to create little animals, people, or abstract designs. The only limit you have is your artistic ability and your imagination.

Make a bouquet of flowers for Mom on Mother’s day out of salt dough. How about a miniature golf club and balls for the golf enthusiast in the family? You can even use salt dough to create wonderful, artsy jewelry if you want to. Be sure to place a hair pin or ornament hanger on any ornaments you intend to be displayed. If you’re making jewelry, poke a hole in the ornament before you bake it so you can put a piece of ribbon through it.

After you’ve modeled the dough into the shape you want it, place each item on a lined baking sheet and bake it at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 1/2 hour. Allow to dry for two days on a baking rack. Alternatively, place them on a microwave safe plate and microwave them in one to two minute increments on high or until they look dry.

When your creations are completely cooled and dry, you can paint them to add more color or leave them as they are. To protect them, you may want to paint a layer of nail polish or shellac. This will help keep the colors vibrant as well as give them a little more stability.

Look around at the decorations you see for the different holidays and then give this salt dough recipe a try. Make decorations, jewelry or gifts using this dough, and you may never buy another present again.