Fun Way for Kids to Personalize Gifts

Looking for fun ways for your kids to customize holiday gifts?

Here is a fun way to turn a simple holiday gift bag into a personalized special gift in no time...

What you will need:

• Gift Bag
• Acrylic Paint (Green, Red, Brown, Yellow)
• Pencil
• Paper Towels
• Paper Plate

Directions:

1. Use pencil to lightly draw tree onto bag as a guide.


2. Place green, red, and white paint onto plate.


3. Have your child place one to two fingers in paint and press their painted fingers inside of drawn design until complete. Clean child’s fingers when switching to a different color.


4. Border gift bag with red fingerprints as shown.


5. Let dry completely before using.

You can also use this technique to create fun cards or wrapping paper!

Fun Butterfly Craft

We have been planning fun crafts for Ashley's Birthday party and found a great butterfly craft that is easy to do!

You will need:

~ Scissors
~ Ruler
~ Scrapbook paper
~ Pipe cleaners

Instructions:

1. For each butterfly, cut two 2 1/2-inch squares from scrapbook paper. Trim the left and right sides of the squares to round them, as shown.

2. Accordion-fold each of the squares to create two sets of wings.

3. For the butterfly's body, cut a pipe cleaner in half. Fold one of the halves into a V-shape, as shown, and twist the ends together a few times just above the bend to create an abdomen (it should be about an inch long).

4. Sandwich both sets of wings between the pipe cleaner ends above the abdomen, and twist the ends a couple more times to hold them snugly in place.

5. Use your fingers to pull the wings open a bit, and then curl the tips of the pipe cleaner to shape antennae.

Flower Fairies

I would like to share a fun craft for kids that may very likely bring hours of entertainment if you are looking for something to do…

As I work away at my dining room table, making flower clips and other flower-related crafts, the table is covered with a variety of flowers ~ in every color, shape and size. The assortment is quite tempting to Ashley. She entertains herself quite nicely as she picks out just the right combinations for little flower fairies that she leaves all over the house.

I finally decided to help her permanently assemble the "flower combinations" that she was enjoying so much. I hope your children (or friends) get as much enjoyment from your flower fairies as Ashley has from hers.

You will need:

- Wood Bead

- Flesh colored pipe cleaner or chenille stick

- Sparkly leaves (Gold, silver or white) or white craft foam

- Craft Glue

Start by taking your flower and removing it from the stem, if your stem has leaves you can use these to form a hat or use the stem of the flower as we have.

If your bead does not have a face on it, then use permanent markers to place some dots for eyes and a little dot nose. Ashley likes to include a smile too.

Cut the chenille stick in half.

Take one half to form the legs by creating a V shape with a slight bend at the end for the feet. Take the bent end and glue it into the top and center of the flower using craft glue.

Take the other half of the chenille stick and bend it into another V shape. Bend in some hands and some elbows. Glue the bent end this piece into the bottom of the bead to form the neck and arms.

Now glue the top body piece (Head and Arm piece) onto the bottom of the flower as shown in the picture. A dd the stem to form a hat (or use leaves or other smaller flowers as we have).

Use two sparkly leaves to form wings and glue them to the back. Or you can use craft foam, packing foam or even felt. You can be pretty creative with material you use for the wings.

These fairies make great little get well gifts or friendship gifts. Ashley loves to play with hers and has a hard time parting with any of them.

To see a few more of our flower fairies, visit our online store at http://www.acornaccessories.com/.