{GUEST POST} 4 Creative Projects for the Entire Family

by - 8/06/2012 06:59:00 AM


A craft project that every member of the family can get involved in is the perfect way to bring your family together during the summer, or any other down time in your busy schedule, and insure that you are making lasting memories as well as fun crafts. Here are four ideas to get everyone involved, from your spouse to your youngest child.


  • Backyard Travel Sign


Make a sign that showcases in a fun way all of the places you have traveled to as a family. Get a large post and plant it in your backyard near a walkway. Then, gather planks of wood, preferably cut into a point by your family's fledgling carpenter (be that a caring father, and adventurous mother, or a supervised older child) and paint it in a fun, bold color. Then paint the name of the place you went (such as "Disney World" or "The Grand Canyon") as well as the number of miles between the destination and your home. Then, mount the sign onto the post with the point facing in the general east-west or north-south direction of the destination. Add new signs to the post as your family takes new trips until the post is covered in a rainbow of fun travel memories!

  • Mason Jar Planters

Have the kids pick out a few small plants such as pretty flowers or tasty herbs. Wash out a few mason jars and allow the kids to fill them halfway to three-quarters of the way full with dirt and plant the herbs or flowers in the dirt. Display your beautiful mason jar planters where they will get plenty of sunshine or use hot glue and twine to hang them on a porch or in a garden.

  • Bleach T-Shirts

Gather a few cheap T-shirts in a bright color (they can not be white or a light color or it will not work as well). Have the kids find bold silhouettes such as robots, animals, plants, or symbols and cut them out from magazines, newspapers, or print them from the internet. Place the silhouettes on sheets of cardboard and cut them out - this is now your stencil. Lay your T-shirts out with an uncut sheet of cardboard inside the shirt so that the bleach does not bleed through to the back of the shirt and then lay the cardboard cut-out on the front of the shirt. Have an adult spray bleach in a halo around the cut-out and let sit until desired shade is achieved. Quickly wash the shirts and hang to dry to reveal custom-made T-shirts for yourself and your kids!

  • Hula Hoop Rug
Photo courtesy of http://www.flaxandtwine.com

Get a hula hoop and several old T-shirts in bright colors. Cut strips from the T-shirts horizontally from the bottom of the T-shirts until just under the sleeves. Stretch these strips around the hula hoop to create a makeshift loom. Then, weave strips of the T-shirts around the hula hoop starting from the center and working outwards, tying the ends off on one side (this is the side that will face down when the rug is complete). When you are finished you will have a bright, crazy rug to adorn any room!

Be sure to always supervise children during the making of these crafts and to allocate the more difficult steps to yourself and your spouse, and you'll be having family fun in no time!



ABOUT THE AUTHOR


This post was written by Stephanie Greggs. Stephanie writes about parenting, crafts, and homeownership at www.homeinsurance.org.  Visit her website for more interesting articles.

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