| ISSUE 24 • 11 FEBRUARY 2007 | |
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| 1. Editorial Do you ever feel like you’re drowning in drawings? The sheer volume of art and craft that a creative youngster can produce in one month can be absolutely staggering. I am often asked about what we do with all the stuff we make so I thought I'd tell you about our current system for keeping the artwork under control. The first drop off point for new artwork is a basket in the kitchen. This is where we put all of the kids' creative output and every fortnight or so we sit down and sort through it, admiring the works of art as we go. While we sort though the basket we decide whether any given artwork is especially significant or important (to the child who created it or to another member of the family). If we decide that we want to keep it we either hang it up or put it somewhere safe to admire later. We have dedicated gallery space on our bedroom walls where we put pictures in frames and hang them up. Of course we only have a limited amount of space in the 'gallery' so anything that doesn't fit gets put in a plastic sleeve and stored in a ring binder in the bookshelf. Favourite pictures are sometimes posted to friends or relatives who may still have some room on their fridge! Of the pictures that don't make it into the gallery, large size ones go into our wrapping paper pile and colourful small size pictures go into our colourful paper pile which we use for cutting up and making collages or cards. Everything else goes into the recycling. (I read once that it's important that kids don't see you throwing their artwork away and generally I'm inclined to agree. Having said that, Ella does see us throw stuff out but only after we've come to a collective decision about it.) Crafty objects that we often make are often played with for a few days after which time they're dismantled and any usable parts are put back into our craft supply boxes. Do you have any good tips for what to do with children's artwork? If so please write in and let me know. I'm keen to put together a resource on the subject and would love to document the collective wisdom of Kids Craft Weekly subscribers! Happy crafting and see you next time!  Amber Carvan editor@kidscraftweekly.com |
For the adult in charge this activity requires a little more effort than your usual craft project but the rewards are worth it. Both my kids loved these cute fairy wings and enjoyed trying them on a host of different toys. Note: This craft idea is available as a printable project sheet. Download a copy of the PDF file (900 kb). You will need • leg from a pair of pantyhose, cut off at the knee • wire and wire cutter • masking tape • glitter glue • scissors • two rubber bands of equal size Directions 1. Cut a length of wire and twist the ends together to form a circle. Wrap masking tape around the twist to make sure that no sharp edges stick out.  2. Pull two sides of the circle together to form wings.  3. Insert the wings into the pantyhose and have your little one hold the wings together in the centre while you stretch the sides of the pantyhose out either side.  4. Pull the two ends to the centre and tie a knot. Then turn the wings over and tie another knot over the centre join of the wings. This will hold them in place firmly. When you’re sure your knot will stick, cut any loose ends off.  5. Stretch your rubber bands so they’re in the centre of the wings. Then wrap a pipecleaner around the centre of the wings to hide the knot in the pantyhose and to fix the rubber bands in place.  6. Use glitter glue to decorate the wings.  7. Once the glitter glue is dry, slip the rubber bands over the arms of a favourite soft toy. 
This simple butterfly looks equally beautiful on both sides, making it perfect for hanging from a light fitting or in a doorway. Note: This craft idea is available as a printable project sheet. Download a copy of the PDF file (800 kb). You will need • a rectangular piece of paper • paints or markers • pipecleaner • two beads Directions 1. Colour or paint a piece of paper on both sides and let it dry.  2. Concertina fold the entire piece of paper, starting at the short edge.  3. Fold a pipecleaner in half and make a twist about one centimetre from the fold. Make another twist about one centimetre from the last one. Place paper in the pipecleaner and twist again, making sure that the pipecleaner is holding the paper firmly in place.  4. Make a final twist about one centimetre from the paper and extend the ends of the pipecleaners to form antennae. To finish off, pop beads on the end of the pipecleaners. 
Has your little one made paperclip chains before? This craft makes them even more fun! Kids under three may find the paperclip element too challenging. If so, try slipping the wings into a clothes peg, or taping them onto a popstick. You will need • cellophane • scissors • paper clips • string • stick Directions 1. Cut pieces of cellophane into rectangles.  2. Twist the cellophane in the middle to make wings and then slip the wings into the middle of a paperclip.  3. Add some paperclips to make a chain, and add some more wings until you get a long colourful chain.  4. Repeat with different colours or cellophane and then hang the paperclip chains from a knobbly stick. Tie string onto each end of the stick to form a colourful mobile or sun catcher.  |
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