New Year 2013 Projects for kids to make

Here, I put several different versions of each project to do.

Making some noise:

Materials: Paint small, empty raisin boxes with silver or gold paint, Small gems or sequins, and pasta or rice, tape, and Popsicle stick 

Directions:

Fill the boxes with dry pasta or rice, and tape a Popsicle stick to the back; then, decorate them with small gems or sequins.

Water Bottle Noise Maker

Materials:  Empty plastic water bottle, Beans, coins, or other items to place inside, 1 sheet white tissue paper, Scraps of tissue paper in various colors, cut into small squares, 24” long strip of light blue crepe paper streamer, 24” long strip of pink crepe paper streamer, White craft glue, Water, and Scissors

Directions:

Place a handful of beads or coins inside the clean, dry water bottle. Run some glue around the mouth of the bottle and replace the cap.

Make a mixture of 1/2 white craft glue and 1/2 water that will be enough to cover the bottle a few times over.

Tear white tissue paper into large chunks, approximately 4”x2”. 

Paint a small section of the outside of the water bottle with the glue mixture. Place a torn piece of white tissue paper onto the glue mixture and paint over it with the glue mixture. Repeat this process, covering the entire bottle with 2-3 coats of white.

Apply small colorful squares of tissue paper randomly over the white tissue paper to resemble confetti.

Cut each strip of crepe paper streamer in half. Carefully tie one of the pieces around the neck of the bottle. Repeat with other lengths of crepe paper. Use scissors to cut each length to about 4” hanging length, and then cut upwards into thin strips. Use a couple pieces of the excess crepe paper you just cut off to twist around the neck of the bottle and glue in place. Allow to dry for several hours.

Tips:

Save tissue paper from birthday parties to use in projects such as these.
Always save extra, and used crepe paper streamers from parties to use in craft projects.
If you don’t have any crepe paper you can use regular ribbon. 
 
Homemade New Year's Hats

Basic cone hat

Materials:  12x18 inch paper in solid colors (or a similar size, look for scrapbooking paper), Glue, Scissors, Stickers, Sequins, Markers, Glitter glue, Yarn (optional)
Directions:
Turn the paper sideways so that you have a diamond shape, and draw a large triangle in light pencil, using the shorter side as the hat's height. Change the bottom of the triangle from a straight line to a wide curve, and cut out your hat. Erase any visible pencil marks.
Lay your hat flat on the table, and then decorate it using the stickers, sequins, markers, and glitter glue. After the hat has dried, apply a thin line of glue along one side of the hat, and then roll into a cone shape, with the base large enough to fit around someone's head. Press the glue firmly and allow it to dry.

You can dress your New Year's hats up even more with pom-poms or tassels made out of yarn.

 New Year Crowns

Materials:  A selection of pipe cleaners, various embellishments, such as ribbons, beads, etc. and White glue (PVA)

Instructions:
Twist two pipe cleaners together to make a ring which will fit comfortably around your head.
Now form pipe cleaners into numbers and either twist them directly onto the ring or use small extra pieces of pipe cleaners to attach them.
Add any extra decorations you like. Tilly twisted a ribbon around the front edge of the crown and added some pretty flowers.

Sparkly Foam Sequin Ball

Materials:  2" foam ball, Multicolored sequins, Stick pins OR white craft glue and 1 chenille stem

Directions:

Poke the chenille stem into the center of the foam ball. Push the chenille stem in, about an inch or so. Bend the other end of the chenille stem to create a loop for hanging. Use stick pins to attach sequins to the ball, starting at the top and working your way around and all over the ball. Younger children can use white craft glue instead of pins. 
  
Tips:

If you are concerned about using pins, or if you are working with small children, simply dot white craft glue onto the ball and then gently press the sequins into the gl If you use the glue method, be sure to hang the ornament somewhere it can dry.
 You can use whatever color sequins you like. Whether you choose all one color or multicolored as we did, your ball will sparkle! 

Share your ideas on this or anything here on the blog either here or e-mail me at stipple@verizon.net.  I look forward to hearing from you!