Whenever I write letters to my kids at camp, I inevitably write something like “sending hugs” or “sending kisses” or “sending good vibes.” But do they actually feel my hugs, kisses, and good vibes?
This year, I sent an actual hug to my daughter at sleep-away camp! The craft is so simple, you won’t believe it.
First trace your hands onto cardstock.
Decorate the hands with colored fingernails, rings, freckles, tattoos…anything that will make the hands feel like yours!
Cut a piece of string or ribbon that is the length of your arm span. (Fun fact: our arm span is usually pretty dang close to our actual height!)
Glue the ribbon or string to the wrist area of each hand, and then write your message on the palm-side of the hands. Write some funny instructions like “Put one hand over your left shoulder, wrap the ribbon around you body, close your eyes, and feel my hug!”
When should you send a hug in the mail? Here are some ideas:
These Accordion-Book Boxes Are the Perfect Craft Project for Book Lovers
Is it a box? Is it a book? Is it a craft? It’s all three!
Surprise — it’s a box with a book inside! Turn a ho-hum gift box from your gift-wrap stash into an art book keepsake. Get creative with your page-turning masterpiece — comic books, counting books, and photo albums are all fair game! These can also be made as elaborate birthday or holiday cards for special loved ones. You can write a long message or tell a fun story like a comical history of your friendship. The options are limitless!
What you’ll need:
2-piece gift box
Paper roll
Scissors
Glue stick
Felt
Tacky Glue
Letter stamps
Ink Pad
Markers
Crayons
Colored pencils
Make it:
Cut a long strip of paper the same height as the inside height of the box. Accordion-fold the paper so that each “page” matches the width of the box.
Cut a piece of felt that matches the height of the box and is about one to two inches wider than the depth of the box.
Glue the felt to the top of the box, and wrap it around to glue to the back — but not too tight! Leave a little slack in the fabric so it curves out a bit around the “spine” of your book box.
Give your book a title! If you have small letter stamps and an inkpad, use them for the title. You can also write the title on the front with a marker or colored pencil.
Use stamps, drawing utensils, or collaged paper to create your pages. These books can be scrapbooks, comic books, or story books. You can even print small photos to make a memory book.
Use the glue stick to adhere the first page to the bottom of the box.
Pipe cleaner crafts are like a beginner course in Wire Sculpture 101. They are lightweight and easy to shape into whatever you dream up. This craft is a super-fun way for kids to explore facial features…making round eyes, short noses, long ears—all at the bend of a pipe cleaner! And because this craft does not require glue, there are no mess-ups. Just give it a facelift and start again!
What you’ll need:
Thin wire hanger
Pipe cleaners (edit note: or would you rather say chenille stems?)
Large beads
Scissors
Thick yarn
Make it:
Stretch out your wire hanger until it forms a head shape. An adult might need to help a child with this step!
Use pipe cleaners to make the facial features.
Nose: For a long nose, you’ll need two pipe cleaners. Twist one to either side of the base of the hanger’s hook. Twist them together about halfway down and then form the pipe cleaner into a nose shape at the bottom; twist to close.
Eyes: Slip a bead over the end of a pipe cleaner and wrap the pipe cleaner around the bead and into the other hole. Cut another pipe cleaner in half and form a circle. Twist each end onto the eyeball pipe cleaner to form an eye shape. (Eyebrows and eyelashes are optional!)
Mouth: Form a pipe cleaner into a mouth shape. Twist a straight pipe cleaner to the bottom lip and twist around the hanger. Trim off excess.
Ears: Cut a pipe cleaner in half. Bend each end over the wire hanger on the sides of the head.
To make the hair, cut 4-inch strands and knot them onto the top edge of the hanger head. Experiment and play with bangs, ponytails, and various fun hairdos!
These are so lightweight that you can hang with a dash of washi tape!
