Holiday and Seasonal Crafts /02-08

Patriotic Fun

  Life Saver Firecrackers:

Boys love firecrackers! These are fun to make and fun to eat. Cut a piece
of red paper to the size of the label on a roll of Lifesavers. Glue it onto the
roll of lifesavers. Cut a 1-¼ inch circle out of the same paper, shape it into
a flattish cone, and glue it onto one end. Cut silver, blue, and red glitter wire
(available from most craft stores) into 3-
inch lengths and poke them into the
opposite end. Twist and spread to create
the sparks.

Pinwheels:  

Pinwheels are always a favorite. Create them with a patriotic theme
for Independence Day or any other patriotic holiday. Have the boys
make stamps out of potatoes, fun foam or rubber erasers, and decorate
both sides of a piece of square cardstock. Cut and form the pinwheels and
use a pin or nail to assemble them onto a dowel. If a nicer pinwheel is
wanted, use acrylic paints on mylar or thin craft foam (available at scrapbooks
or craft stores).

 

Columbus Ship:  

This craft can be done in many ways, depending on the age and skills of your boys. Some of the
possibilities include: Cut the body of the ship out of pine or basswood and let the boys whittle it to
shape and then paint it. Drill holes for the dowels and glue on painted fabric sails. Another
possibility is to cut two of the ship bodies out of craft foam or
cardstock. Cut a 1”x 3” strip of paper and form it into a short
cylinder. Glue the cylinder between the two ship bodies and
then glue along the front and back edges. Glue dowels
in the center of the ship for the masts and attach
flags made from paper or fabric.