Crafting Fun: 101 Things to Make and Do with Kids

Rainy days or any kind of days for that matter, can be fun days to work on crafts. A book that utilizes many useful throwaway materials makes crafting not only inexpensive, but also environmentally friendly. There is a list of "useful throwaways" in the front that you can gather and set aside for when you want to craft. This list is especially helpful for teachers on a budget who would like their students to craft, but don't have enough money to supply and entire classroom. There is a list of basic equipment that has common items like pencils and scissors to things like a vegetable peeler. Naturally safety is stressed and those needing adult assistance are clearly labeled. Crafts are listed by season and there are some surefire winners in this book! Autumn Waxed Paper Leaves Apple Print T-Shirts Paper Bag Book Cover Apple Candle Holder Scarecrow Paper Jack-O'-Lantern Simple Halloween Mask Tin Can Lanterns Halloween Silhouette Cut-Outs Spooky Cheesecloth Ghosts Handkerchief Ghosts Glitter Pumpkins Pumpkin Seed Necklace Roasting Pumpkin Seeds Corn Husk Cornucopia Pinecone Turkey Thanksgiving Place Card The First Thanksgiving Toss-and-Catch Toy Autumn Leaf Collecting Skeleton Leaf Prints U.S. State Tree Chart Winter Snow Globe Bend-Up Christmas Tree Holiday Doorbell Cut-Paper Garland Paper Chain Orange Pomander Apple Pomander Spiral Ornament Tinsel Stars Rolled Beeswax Candles Beeswax Cut-Outs Paper Snowflakes Popcorn-and-Cranberry Garland Perfect Popcorn Ornament Cards Wassail Bowl Evergreen Door Decoration Sparkly 3-D Christmas Tree Glitter Pinecones Christmas Card Holder Greeting Card Garland Holiday Tree for Birds Hanging Baskets Pinecone Treats Outdoor Ice Picture New Year's Eve Piata New Year's Party Favors Valentine Envelope Cards Invisible Ink Rubber Stamp Hearts Quick-Thinking Valentines Valentine Carrier Spring Kits That Really Fly Kite-Flying Tips Paper Sled Kite Reading the Wind Two-Stick Diamond Kite Coloring Eggs Natural Dyes Blowing Eggs Sponge-Painted Eggs Eggshell Garden Rose Petal Beads Rose Water Homemade Soup Mother's Day Potato Print Card Handmade Paper Accordion Fold-Out Cards Tussie-Mussie Language of Flowers Papeir-Máché Pins Simple Sewing Needle Case Summer Firefly Lantern Spider Web Collecting Pressed Flowers Daisy Chain Dandelion Bracelet Make a Wish U.S. State Flower Chart Collecting State Flowers Paper Glider Parachute Quick Slingshot Pinwheel Dangle Bead Bookmark Big Bubbles Bubble Wands Bubble Cone Bubble Art Five-Pointed Star 4th of July Confetti Blower Paper Hat Quill Pen Feather Collecting Feather Journal Directions Magnetic Compass Paper Drinking Cup Seashell Candles Treasure Jar Summer Travel Scrapbook More Fun with Scrapbooks Drawstring Field Bag Animal Tracking Casting Campfire Stories Toasting Marshmallows Back-Yard Camping The instructions are clear, concise and easy to follow. This is a marvelous book that will provide hours and hours of fun and is well worth the asking price! Just read do

Many crafting books for children are complicated - the parent ends up doing the project. Not so with Crafting Fun - each activity requires only a few items, yet produces something functional and beautiful. And the book is lovely to look at! I often find myself flipping through the colorful pages, daydreaming about something to do next. I think this book is best used with children ages six and up, although many of the activities could be adapted for younger children.

While thumbing through this book for the first time, I breathed a great sigh of relief. Crafting Fun makes me feel warm, happy, and craft-competent, while many of my other craft books make me feel unprepared, incompetent, and often frustrated. Now that I have found this book, I have put away all of my craft books from the Waldorf tradition (The Children's Year: Seasonal Crafts and Clothes (Festivals (Hawthorn Press)), All Year Round (Lifeways), Crafts through the Year, etc.) Never again will I struggle to make a teeny tiny delicate tissue paper angel while my child looks on, uninvolved. Never again will I search for obscure items such as kite paper and split straws. Crafting Fun is filled with simple, lovely, do-able craft projects, many of which I remember from my own childhood. Your children will be able to do the projects themselves, rather than stand back and watch you do them. Just this December, my 5-1/2-year-old and I have made popcorn and cranberry garlands, tinsel stars with pipe cleaners, construction paper garlands, a lovely ice picture with leaves and berries in a pie pan, and pinecone treats for birds. We didn't have to buy a thing, other than the cranberries; everything else we had on hand. There are many, many more winter projects to choose from, and we are looking forward to all of the wonderful ideas from other seasons, as well. Some of the projects in this book may have you thinking, "I don't need a book for that!" And yet that is the beauty of this book: All of the great ideas you remember are here, in one nicely spiral-bound book, along with project ideas you may not quite remember, as well as many others. The projects are presented simply enough that you will be able to turn the book over to your children to read to themselves in a few years. I know my children will grow up having fond memories of warm moments shared doing projects from this book. I've given this book as a gift, to the great delight of the recipients. Highly recommended.

My daughters, ages 8 and 6 could not put this book down. We loved the way it is organized by seasons and the fact you don't have to raid a crafts store to do many of the projects. One of our favorites had us all in the park gathering Autumn leaves and making waxed leaves at home. The book is also beautifully illustrated and designed so would make a great gift. I highly recommend this wonderful book.

I love this book! The stress-free projects are fun to make and they don't have to be perfectly executed to look great. My daughter and I are working our way through the seasons--love the Spooky Cheesecloth Ghosts--and enjoying every minute. She's 12 now and those minutes of fun are precious indeed. Thank you for giving us another way to connect.