Kids just love hats.  And here's a fun hat project that is so simple and inexpensive, but sure to brighten up your party or playdate.

You'll need:  construction paper (12"x18"), stapler, glue sticks, pencil (for curling paper).  Optional: crayons, markers, and other embellishments.

For each child, cut 2 strips of paper about 12" x 3".  Staple them together to make a long strip.  This will be their crown.  Let them decorate this strip with crayons, markers, or cut-out shapes and glue sticks.  When they're happy with the decorations, wrap the strip around their head to measure for size, then staple the ends together to make a crown they can wear.

Next, cut several strips of paper 18" long by about 1" wide.  To curl the paper strip, hold one end of the strip on the edge of the pencil.  Roll the pencil, holding the paper securely against it.  When you've rolled the whole strip of paper wround the pencil, let go, and you have a curl.  Talk to the kids about what else they can do with a paper strip.  Show them an accordion fold (fold one direction, then the other direction, like stairs).  Ask them to think about how they can attach these pieces to their crown.  Maybe leave them long like hair?  Maybe cutting them shorter to stand up more.  Let them decide what kind of party hat they'd like.  This might lead to requests for more paper strips, different kinds of folds.  You might think this is just a silly hat project, but this is also a great sculpture lesson--you're giving your kids experience with making something three dimensional, letting them make decisions about how these pieces take shape and how they can combine them together to make forms and movement.

Here's some easy winter fun...coffee filter snowflakes.  I have a zillion coffee filters that have been waiting for some artful fun.  Maybe you do too?  As long as your child is skilled enough with scissors to cut small shapes and lines, this is sure to captivate them.  And you can use them for window decorations or cards too.

You need:  basket coffee filters (round when you flatten them), scissors.

Fold the filter in half to make a semi-circle, then fold it again, and again and again, until you have a thin triangle.  Cut triangles into the folded edges, cut into the open edges too. Unfold, and see what kind of pattern you have.

Encourage your child to experiment with different kinds of cuts, then open them up to see what happens when it unfolds.  Ask them to think about different patterns, different shapes and sizes.

Options:  If your child is too little to manages triangles and circles, you can have them cut small lines.  They'll still get some satisfaction from seeing what happens when they unfold the filter (and it still looks pretty much like a snowflake).  Or try scrapbooking scissors with jagged or zig-zag edges.

I saw my daughter's friend nearly cry tears of joy at the sight of this necklace.  I'm convinced that gifts for little girls don't need to cost a lot--they just need to be sparkly and come from the heart.

You'll need: glue-on jewels from the craft store, scrap cardboard (from a cereal box or other box that has color on one side works well), tacky glue, ribbon or string.

Cut the shape for your pendant from the scrap cardboard.  Oval, heart-shaped,...whatever your princess prefers.  Glue jewels all over the colored side of the cardboard. Encourage your child to think about patterns of colors, or how they'd like the jewels to be arranged. 

When dry, glue the ribbon or string to the back of the cardboard, and knot on the ends to make the necklace.

Options:  If giving this as a gift, present it in a small cardboard box, or perhaps a small tin.  Let your child decorate this too, for a very personal and crafty gift.

Kids love bags, and now they can design their own using no-cost materials.  Make great purses, crayon carriers, toy carriers, gift bags that are personalized and, best of all, recycled.

You'll need:  a cereal box, cracker box, or any such box; scissors, a glue stick, paper (construction paper or whatever you like), a hole-punch, and ribbon or yarn.

Cut the top flaps off the box.  Now you or your child can cover the entire box with paper.  You decide how exacting you'd like to be about this step. Kids will enjoy taking a collage approach to covering the box, but if you are more interested in a tidy look, you can cut the paper to fit, and help the kids attach it.  Either way, let the kids cover the box with a glue stick before you apply the paper.  Fold the paper over the top edge of the box at the opening and glue around the inside rim for a finished look.

Now punch two holes near the top of each long side.  Tie the ribbon or yarn through the holes to make handles for your gift bag.

Now kids can can decorate with crayons, stamps or whatever else they can imagine. 

Options: Try a patchwork approach, using squares of scrap wrapping paper.  Or cover the box with felt, and glue on buttons or sequins to decorate.  If you are using this as a gift bag, write your sentiment right on the box itself.

Do you have some terracotta flower pots in the garage?  These pots are just asking to be painted by your little one. Even if you don't have old ones laying around, you can buy them for a dollar or two and turn them into wonderful keepsakes or great gifts.    No need to go to a fancy paint-your-own-pottery studio to capture your child's flair on pottery.

For this project you need brushes and acrylic paint (available in craft stores.  Please note that you can't really use washable point for this one if you want it to last.  So make sure you protect your work space and use a smock!)  You'll also need clear acrylic sealant (you should find this in the same aisle as the paint).

Seal it first:  Before your kids are ready to paint, you'll need to brush the acrylic sealant all over the inside of the pot to waterproof it.  This is because terracotta is porous, and without sealing it, the dampness from your plant would seep through and ruin the painted surface.  You don't have to seal the outside of the pot at this point. If you're using a saucer you can seal the top part where the pot sits.

Once the sealant is dry, you can let your kids paint.  What they do is really up to them and you.  They can just use a few colors and a brush.  Or try sponges, stamps, or other tools for painting.  You might even add some sequins with glue, or maybe some stickers.

Seal it last:  You do not have to do this, but if you want to give the paint a little more endurance and a glossier finish, you can brush sealant over the painted surface after it has all dried.  This will just prevent chipping of the paint.

Options:  Put a pack of forget-me-not seeds or some other special flower and give it as a thoughtful gift.  Or put a package of candy or coffee in it for a nice teacher-gift with a personal touch.  I'm currently using a pot my daughter painted as a pen holder in my office. And an extra saucer (from a pot that was unfortunately broken) is great for holding my rings when I take them off by the sink.  Painting pottery with kids has endless possibilities, and when you do it this way, it's very affordable.

If your kids have been doing any amount of drawing, you're bound to have bits & pieces of broken crayons.  Here's a project your kids will have fun doing (with your help) that will recycle those crayon pieces.

Get a candy mold from the craft store. This is going to be the mold for your new set of crayons. Stars or hearts or anything with a point will be a good choice, as they will be more user-friendly to draw with.

Collect bits of crayons, or break crayons into small pieces.  Choose colors that you think will work when blended together (it's really up to you).  Put the bits into an old baby food jar or other glass jar (something that you don't need, because you don't want to have to wash out the residue later).  Then, put the jar in the microwave.  Heat it in 30 second segments and watch it melt.  The melting time will depend on how much crayon you are using, so just keep watching and reheating until the crayons are melted. 

Be careful removing the jar from the microwave (obviously this part is only for adults).  Pour into the candy molds.

Then, put the mold in the refrigerator (or you can leave it out--it will just take longer) until it hardens.  Once hardened, you can just pop your shaplier new crayons out of the molds, and your kids can start drawing.

Note:  These make a nice addition to a birthday party favor bag.

Here's a good way to use the extra buttons...a collage project.  Buttons are colorful and can come in great shapes and sizes that seem to interest kids.  Have your kids to pick out some buttons and ask them to think about what they might look like?  What would the holes be?  What if you could draw a scene around the button--then what would it be?  Let them think about where the button might live or what might be around it, and then create this scene by gluing it onto paper and using crayons, markers, even sequins or other found objects to add to the possibilities.  Maybe a red button will turn into a ladybug.  Maybe four buttons become wheels of a car.  Two holes on a button might make perfect eyes on a face...who knows?  Let your kids decide for themsleves and have fun building their button collage.

Check out this great button collage by artists Lisa Kokin.  Ask your kids to make a self-portrait using buttons and sequins or other materials.  Let them think about how these materials can fit together to make the features of their face.

Cereal boxes, snack boxes, and other cardboard packaging are often very colorful with great lettering and fun pictures.  This is the perfect material for a collage project for kids who are scissors-savvy enough to cut thicker cardboard.  For smaller kids, you can help them with the cutting, or use thinner paper like magazines and catalogs which also offer a lot of color and variety in their graphic images.  As your children cut out images and shapes, ask them to think about them--"What does this look like? What could this become?"  Maybe they'll create houses from waffle images or facial features from cereal pictures.  Give them the option of using craft-store glue-on eyes and see what kind of packaged faces your kids can create.

Check out the collages of Henri Matisse and Romare Bearden.

Now it's really true that you and the kids can make your own gift wrap (and still have the gifts look nice).  Your gift recipients will love the personalized and eco-friendly touch.

The New Gift Bags:  Kids will love to decorate and give these gift "bags" and you'll feel good about recycling and saving money.  You'll need:  a cereal box, cracker box, or any such box that is the right size for your gift; scissors, a glue stick, paper (construction paper or whatever you like), cotton balls, a hole-punch, and ribbon or yarn.

Cut the top flaps off the box.  Now you or your child can cover the entire box with paper.  You decide how exacting you'd like to be about this step. Kids will enjoy taking a collage approach to covering the box, but if you are more interested in a tidy look, you can cut the paper to fit, and help the kids attach it.  Either way, let the kids cover the box with a glue stick before you apply the paper.  Fold the paper over the top edge of the box at the opening and glue around the inside rim for a finished look.

Now punch two holes near the top of each long side.  Tie the ribbon or yarn through the holes to make handles for your gift bag.

Kids can glue cotton balls all along the top edge of the bag.

Once the kids are happy with what they've done, they can decorate with crayons, stamps or whatever else they can imagine.  Consider writing a note right on the bag itself, and you won't even need a gift tag or card.

Options: For a more sophisticated look, you can use white pom poms instead of cotton balls.  Or try covering the box with felt instead of paper, then decorating with buttons and sequins.  Use tissue paper inside as you would with a traditional gift bag, and you've got a very professionally wrapped gift!

Happy New Year, everyone.  You've all made resolutions to make more crafts with your kids, right?  To be more artistic, help the kids stretch their imaginations, and just spend more quality time with the family, right? 

The Craft Playground is here to help you.  Ideas and projects for encouraging arts & crafts with kids are here, using simple, low or no cost materials.  And the only thing required of you is the willingness to give it a try.

All the projects have just been re-organized into a blog format that will enable you to more easily find the projects that suit your needs.  They also allow you to make comments on individual crafts.  So please feel free to comment, and take a look at other viewers thoughts on the projects.

Please also keep checking in with my regular blog--Think Artfully!  Here I'll try to provide you with some thoughts on stretching your kids' imagination, and injecting art into their daily life.

Have a peaceful and artful new year.