Happy Holidays!

Here's a fabulous way to keep the kids busy while they wait for holiday festivities or any day of the year!  And, it's a recycling project too!  It uses #6 plastic containers - and things from around your home.

 

I Shrunk the Plastic

Materials Needed

Cookie cutter, plastic or other plastic item for hanger

Wire or fishing line

#6 clear plastic containers

Plastic decorations: beads, toys, etc

Permanent pens

Scissors

Hole punch, small

Cookie sheet

Oven mitt

Candle

Paperclip

Plastic ring

Glue

1” wide braid

Oven or toaster oven

Directions

Draw design on clear plastic with permanent pens. NOTE: The designs will shrink about 50% of the original size. Cut out. Punch holes in top and bottom. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place clear plastic designs on cookie sheet and place in oven until they lay flat. This will only take a few minutes. Remove from oven using oven mitt. With adult supervision, make holes in plastic decorations by heating paperclip in candle flame. Insert into plastic to make holes. Thread beads, shrink plastic designs, toys, etc. on wire, knotting below item to secure. Make holes around bottom of cookie cutter edge with hot paperclip. Thread decorated wire in hole and knot. Repeat for all wires. Make three evenly spaced holes around top of cookie cutter. Cut three 12” pieces of wire. Insert each wire into a hole and knot. Gather wire at top and tie around plastic ring adding a bead, if desired.

Tin Can Creations

 

Here's a fun craft project to keep the kids busy!!! Use items from around your home to make this monsters inexpensively and you can get started right now!

Materials needed

Cans

Magnetic sheet with adhesive backing

Ideas to dress-up your Monsters: toy pieces, nuts, bolts, washers, brackets, colored foam sheets, wiggle eyes, pompoms, chenille stems, wood and plastic rings, beads, scrubbing pads, battery operated flickering candle, cork, chain

Glue

Pencil

Toothpick

Scissors

Directions

Clean cans. Let dry. Cut magnetic sheet to fit piece. Peel paper backing and place magnet on piece. For crazy hair, curl chenille stems around pencil. Poke hole in cork with toothpick, add a dab of glue on end of chenille stem and place in holes or glue chenille stems to a piece of foam cut smaller than top of can.

Veggie Animals

Keep the kids busy whether it's holiday break, summer time or a Saturday with Veggie Animals!  Set up a creation station with all sizes and shapes of veggies and let the imaginations take over!

What You'll Need
Stick Pretzels
Veggies: Mushrooms, Broccoli, Cherry Tomatoes, Carrots, Celery - experiment with your favorite ones
Olives
Knife
Toothpicks
Foil
Low-Cal Dressing for Dipping
Egg Glue - Eggs and Low-Fat Mayonnnaise


How to Make Them!
1. Set out the veggies and have fun connecting them with toothpicks and pretzels. Egg Glue (a mixture of eggs chopped up really small and a little mayonnaise) keep the animals together and adds details.
2. Place the animals in a setting by using broccoli as the grass and tomatoes for flowers.
3.  Make a 'water tank' by folding foil in several layers and folding in at the bottom. Place dressing in 'tank' for dipping.

Make Leaves from Bread or Cornstarch???

Incredible Dough Leaves

Materials Needed:

• Aleene’s® Original Tacky Glue

• Bread, 1 Slice White or Cornstarch
• Plastic Cup
• Craft Stick
• Small Plastic Bag
• Measuring Spoon
• Acrylic Paint for Leaves
• Paintbrush or Paper Towel
• Rolling Pin - Optional
• Wax Paper
• Leaf

Instructions for Bread Dough: 

1. Remove crust and discard. 
2. Tear bread into small pieces, placing in cup. 
3. Add 2 tablespoons Tacky Glue. 
4. Mix with craft stick until coarse ball forms. 
5. Place ball into plastic bag. Knead until smooth and pliable. 

Instructions for Cornstarch Dough:   
1. Place 2 parts cornstarch to 1 part glue in plastic bag. Close bag.
2. Mush until completely mixed. Add more cornstarch if it's too sticky or add more glue if it's too stiff.


Instructions to Make Leaves: 

1. Place wax paper on work surface. Flatten dough to slightly larger than leaf with your hands or using rolling pin.
2. Press leaf into dough with veins on dough. Remove by pulling it straight up. If desired, cut around edges with a knife. Let dry.
3. Squeeze out a small puddle of paint on wax paper. Paint with brush or dabbing on with paper towel.

Create beautiful roses, sculptures, kid’s crafts and more with this Incredible Bread Dough. Make any size amount of dough using the ratio of one slice of bread to 2 tablespoons Tacky Glue.  Check out more amazing ways to use this dough in the Make Healthy Fun! book, ebook or video.

Fall Leaves

Head out for a walk and gather up fabulous colorful leaves for decorating an unusual part of your home (or office).  Glue or tape the leaves to ribbon and hang from your ceiling for a Thanksgiving celebration! Thumbtacks work great for anchoring the ribbon to the ceiling or add them to your ceiling fan for a fantastic look!  Check out the Make Healthy Fun! book, ebook or video for more recipes and ideas to keep kids busy and healthy.

Happy Healthy Halloween!

Hello my pretties!

I have on my jack-o-lantern socks, ghost earrings and an orange blouse.  Let the fun begin!