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leni

I've just spent the afternoon making christmas cards, 3D Card stars, Christmas Calendars - all for practice run of Christmas Crafts I'll be running for the next 5 weeks for 8-16 year olds. I've booking a local community centres kitchen for one of the week so we can make biscuits - anyone got any easy recipes?

I've bought some glass paints to decorate some plain mugs and I'm gonna get them to make them into the hot chocolate sets.

In the 6th week, I'm taking them to cinema to see a christmas film.

all for 50p a session! Not bad is it?!

p.s. anyone got any other ideas for crafts? I've got 4 weeks of 2 hour sessions to fill. anything a little "boyish"?

gooismeid

What about salt dough christmas decorations? It's just salt, flour and water (I'm sure a check on google will come up with a recipe). You can either roll it out and use cutters to make "flat" decorations, or make thin sausages in 2 different colours and twist together to make candy canes. Then you bake them hard, and can leave them as they are or paint them. Not totally boyish but messy enough to appeal to boys and they can decide what shapes they want to make.

TheRehn

Anything made from Duct tape appeals to boys (and girls too - you can make purses outta it), they can make wallets, bookmarks, roses, key-rings, mobile phone case, photo frames etc - there are loads of duct tape ideas online. Duct tape is cheap if you buy wilko own brand - be sure to get lots of different colours.

(try these links to get you started http://www.ducktapeclub.com/ducktivities/
http://yapp.us/DuctTape.html)

Check out this site for other great kid/teen-friendly crafts http://www.craftbits.com/

Oh - if you make salt-dough ornaments, put some cinnamon in the mixture, gives them a nice colour and they smell christmassy.

princess_moomoo

leni wrote:

I've just spent the afternoon making christmas cards, 3D Card stars, Christmas Calendars - all for practice run of Christmas Crafts I'll be running for the next 5 weeks for 8-16 year olds. I've booking a local community centres kitchen for one of the week so we can make biscuits - anyone got any easy recipes?

I've bought some glass paints to decorate some plain mugs and I'm gonna get them to make them into the hot chocolate sets.

In the 6th week, I'm taking them to cinema to see a christmas film.

all for 50p a session! Not bad is it?!

p.s. anyone got any other ideas for crafts? I've got 4 weeks of 2 hour sessions to fill. anything a little "boyish"?

What a great idea ! how you going to do all of that for 50p a session??

Also Santa claus 3 (vs jack frost) is out at the end of november, so that would be a good film to go see with them x

kaja86

Would love to see your ideas as I work with kids and any little idea helps?

sarahlouise210

What a lovely idea - good luck with your venture!!
I love the duck tape ideas ...I have never heard of using this for crafts before..great!
I would just say that glass paints do work better on glass than mugs ..ceramic paint is better for mugs.
Anther idea would be to get some T shirt markers -- they could bring their own T shirt to decorate (they are so much easier and less messy than fabric paints..but given more time I would use fabric paints!)

buxtonrabbitgreen

I used to run the local beaver group and suprisingly (to me) all the boys liked sewing and most of them were quite good at it. We made little mats with large plastic canvas from hobbycraft, and odd wool from my cones from machine knitting.

Sallys_Savings

For 50p a week I think thats fantastic!!! Theres no way I'd be able to do it that cheap. :j

How about asking on your local freecycle group if anyone has any craft materials...felt/fabric/threads/card/paper etc etc. I know that sometimes on our local one there has been craft bags offered.

On the decorating t shirts idea..for a few examples of what to do, especially for boys..how about graffati (sp?) or paint onto a bike wheel or chain and run it across the t shirt a few times.

We have made Tea lights using old jam jars with string around the neck to make a handle. Just decorate with paint.

At our local brownie group they made earrings..brought the clips and they threaded little glass beads along the stem. (you didnt need many of the beads).

How about friendship bracelets using embroidery thread in christmas colours (red/green/blue) and then using small beads to add on everynow and then?..they are really easy and for the older ones they could make the harder ones (grab a book from the library)

Pom Pom snowmen?

How about making their own "special gift".....use envelopes/boxes (I have used lovely red envelopes brought before for pennies). The older girls seem to love this idea. Stick on the front this poem and wrap with a piece of christmas ribbon. The poem is:
This is a very special gift
that you can never see.
The reason it is so special is.
It is just for you from me.
Whenever you are lonely
Or even feeling blue.
You only have to hold this gift
And know I think of you.
You never can unwrap it.
Please leave the ribbon tied.
Just hold the gift close to your heart
It is filled with love inside.

You can change love to hugs if you wish too. I normally put a To and From on the paper too. You could have a master on the table for them to copy in their neatest writing or ready printed ones from the computer.

If you have use of a computer during the time they are with you. How about they download songs and make up their own cd? They then can design the front cover and also one to put on the cd? Or you could ask what songs they would like on a cd (this would then have to be done for all if you've got lots of kids coming or make up a couple...so be ready for a discussion lol) and you could download at home and copy ready for them to decorate. Get them to vote etc

Stuffed fabric ornaments...They could make their own tree decorations using fabric...shapes like Stars, squares and hearts hanging from ribbon. You can use any old scraps fabric/old clothes/felt and fill using a pillow stuffing (£1 each from poundland and Wilkos).

For the older ones they could sew spice mats . Just a square of fabric with a little wadding in and sprinkle cinnamon inside. Sew it up and hand sew a few lines across to keep the wadding flat and it can be used as a coaster.

Table Mats...let the children decorate/paint/draw on an A4 piece of paper and then laminate it as a place mat. (ask around someone may be able to do it at work for you..if not office supplies/library do it too, but I'm not sure how much) . You could do the same idea but for a mug coaster.

How about blank key rings? You can buy these cheaply from the internet. They then just have to decorate the piece of paper that slots inside.

Christmas face/arm painting? ...I saw a book (sorry cant remember the name..but I think it was a snazzado one) which had winter scenes/xmas trees etc.

Egg cosy I know that it might seem a funny thing for this time of year. But you could make a white snowman one from felt (just two arches and they sew the edges) and just stick or sew two black eyes and an orange carrot nose.

Sock puppets or glove puppet? They bring an old sock/glove along...and you supply feathers/fabric/buttons etc. Either to be glued on or sewn. With the sock pop a bit of cotton wool/rag in the end and tie at the bottom of this with string. You can decorate using lace (babys bonnet), feather (indian), eyepatch and spot fabric headscarf (pirate). or have ideas for reindeer/elf/snowman/father christmas etc.

Wellie Peg How about decorating an ordinary wooden peg with their name? or anything. The finished product clips their wellies together.

Squishy Stress Ball Fill a balloon up with flour (after blowing it up first to stretch it). Tie a knot in the top and decorate into a character...eyes etc. Its all squishy and can be prodded and poked, stress ball good idea for teenagers lol

Make and decorate their own picture frames. Piece of cardboard and they use paper mache/weaved edges/stick on pasta/paint etc.

Jean bits and pieces holder Get them to bring an old pair of jeans (any size even if its their younger/older bros/sisters) along. (check with adults first, you dont want anyone bringing mums best ones). You then sew extra pockets along the legs (using other old jeans or scrap fabric) You can use fabric paints/stickers/fabric to decorate too. They can be hung behind a door on a coathanger to put their bits and pices in. These were really successful with the kids when we made them.

Pencil holders..use an old tin can (cleaned and made safe) and decorate with fabric/string/beads etc

Chocolate log Nearer to christmas how about letting them decorate a chocolate swiss roll (18p each in Tesco).. Just cut off the end (or use the value mini rolls) to put an extra part of the log coming out. Stick and cover with buttercream icing. Mark with a fork the log rubbings, dust with a bit of icing sugar and stick a robin on the top .

A really easy biscuit receipe that my kids love to make is:

8oz marg
2.5 oz icing sugar
8 oz plain flour
1/2 teasp van essence
cook on 180 for 7-10 min

Or

1 can condensed milk
12 heaped tblsp caster sugar
500g marg
600g s r flour

cream butter and sugar. Add condensed milk and flour.
roll into small balls, press with fork lightly. 180C for 10 minutes
You can add chocolate chips or a smartie on the top of each one (cause I'm stingy lol)
this receipe makes loads of biscuits and so easy.


or how about making weetabix brownies? (many thanks to the original poster as these are declicious)
4 crushed weetabix
4oz c sugar
4oz s r flour
2 tablespo cocoa powder
tesco value chocolate
mix together
4oz melted marg/maybe a dash of milk
1 egg
stir into mixture
baking tray 15min 180C

or how about gingerbread men?

Peppermint creams...they then can decorate a small box to put them in too?..I make these with the children I care for and I use the round cheese triangle boxes.


OOPS sorry got a little TOO EXCITED and rambled :eek:

PurpleDuck

Flying Reindeer food is fab. All it is is oats (tesco do value ones) mixed with glitter. You can make little bags for it out of scraps of fabric and ribbon. Its always popular.

leni

erm, think I didn't explain this right, it's costing the kids 50p, but infact it's costing my budget £130

katthehat

If they are making gifts for various people (glass art) or cheap clear stickers, the Paul Mason wine bottles make great vases (wide neck) get 3 for £10 from most spa shops!, ok so you gotta drink a bit of wine, but you should have some pleasure too!! Basic white mugs are very cheap at asda.

Happy crafting (drinking!!)