What do you get when you mix rope, duct tape, and a bamboo spoon? Snakes, obviously! These little guys appeared in FamilyFun magazine a few months ago…click this link to learn some other cool animal crafts to make with rope!

What you’ll need:

• duct tape
• 1/4″ sisal rope
• floral wire
• bamboo spoon
• black marker

1. Have your child stick two 8-inch strips of colored duct tape (we used two different colors for each snake) onto parchment paper. Using scissors, cut them each into 12 1/2-inch strips.

2. Cut a 42-inch piece of 1/4-inch sisal rope into 3 equalpieces. Gather them together and sandwich a 14-inch piece of floral wire inside the bundle of rope. Peel a strip of duct tape off the parchment paper and wrap it around the middle of the rope and wire, then wrap 2 strips in the other color on either side. Repeat as desired along the whole length of the body.

3. Cut off all but 1/2 inch of the handle of a bamboo spoon. Tuck the end inside the ropes, secure with tacky glue, then wrap with duct tape. Use a marker to draw eyes onto the back of the spoon. Fold a strip of duct tape in half lengthwise, and trim to 1/4-inch wide. Cut a V for the forked tongue, then tape to the inside of the spoon.

4. Secure the snake by wrapping an 8-inch piece of tape around the end of the rope bundle.

When Ebay.com asked me to come up with on-trend sneaker decorations, I knew a cactus pair of shoes had to be made. These desert dwellers are popping up in all manner of DIY, home decor, and fashion, so I was determined to figure out a quick and easy way for kids to design their own sassy succulents…finger-stamping!

What You Need:

• White canvas sneakers
• Newspaper
• Green ink pads, suitable for fabric
• Fabric markers
• Green fabric paint and paintbrush (optional)

Sometimes my kids come into my craft room, fiddle around, touch everything they can get their hands on, and beg to make a project. While I have a ton of materials at my disposal, sometimes in the midst of developing new work, I can’t just clear the canvas and start an in-depth craft at the drop of a pom-pom.

So that’s when I grab for simple, mark-making projects like these. Using rubber bands and a few other household items that everyone has, you can make three different painting tools that will yield surprisingly clever results.

Rubber-Band Stamps

1. Cut small rectangles of cardboard, a bit larger than the circumference of the rubber band that you’re using.
2. Lay a rubber band down on a protected surface, apply glue to the top edge, and set a cardboard rectangle on top of it. Let dry.
3. Gently press the rubber band stamp onto the ink pad and stamp onto a piece of paper.

Rubber-Band Roller

1. Stretch five to eight rubber bands around the tape roll
2. Roll the tape roll in a thin layer of paint or on an ink pad and then roll it onto a piece of paper to create multiple stripes.

Rubber-Band Paintbrush

1. Gather six to eight rubber bands at the end of a pencil and wrap another rubber band around them to secure.
2. Dip the rubber bands into paint and use like a paintbrush.

Excerpted from Project Kid by Amanda Kingloff (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2014. Photographs by Alexandra Grablewski

I was so excited when Michaels asked me to guest post on their blog to talk about why and how I craft with kids. Check out the full post over on The Glue String!

Here is one of the projects I made specifically for this post!

BOHO DREAM CATCHER

How do you wish away your four-year-old’s bad dreams? While there’s no guarantee this will work, it at least gets them to sleep at night (and looks good on the wall)!

What you’ll need:

• 8” embroidery hoop
• Creatology Acrylic Paint Set
• Paint brush
• Pot-holder Craft Loops
• Cardstock
• Washi tape
• Loops & Threads™ Embroidery Floss, Assorted
• Scissors
• Multicolored Wood Beads By Creatology

1. Paint the hoop and let it dry.
2. In the meantime, lay a 12-inch piece of embroidery floss on cardstock and apply strips of washi tape over it. Cut out a feather shape, about 4-inches long, making sure not to cut the string. Fringe the edges to look like a feather.
3. Thread beads over the string. Set aside.
4. Stretch cotton loops over the inner ring of the painted embroidery hoop to create the dream catcher’s web.
5. Cut the strings of your feathers to the desired length and use a little piece of washi tape to secure them to the inside of the larger embroidery hoop.
6. Slip the larger hoop around the inner hoop and tighten the screw.
7. Hang on your wall with a cotton loop and have sweet dreams!